Social Networking in the First Grade Classroom

   There seems to be a lot of social networking opportunities in the secondary realm of education, but I never saw it as a possibility in the primary classroom, at least before this course. I definitely see the drawbacks of using social media in the classroom. Some of these include the danger of privacy, the difficulty of teaching a  young student the ins and outs of using the website, and the filter restrictions put on by a school district. Although these were all barriers for me to use social networking in my classroom, I still was able to find one that did not interfere with most of these and still serve an everyday purpose in my classroom.

   For my assignment this week I was asked to take an established lesson plan or unit and implement social networking into it. My first idea was to use Edmodo, or another Twitter style website to have students document/publish their summary point writing. This would replace their summary point journals and give parents a chance to view what they had learned throughout the day. One of the drawbacks to this idea was the privacy factor. Although I know there would be ways to use this effectively, I wanted to dig a little bit deeper on ways to use social networking in the classroom.

   I came across a site called Biblionasium. This site allows you to create a log-in as a teacher, then create user names and passwords for your students under your log in name. There is no need for students e-mail and no one can view your students names without being on your log-in. You can enter each students guided reading level so that the site can recommend books for each student based on their appropriate level. When students log in, they can search for books that they have read, log the book, give a review to the book (both pre-written or in their own words, and recommend the books to others in their class. One of the coolest features for the students is the ability to earn awards. After logging in for the first time, the students must agree to an honesty code. Once they do they receive an honesty award. Students can earn awards for their recommendations, their book logs, and even earn a gift card for completing reading challenges. You can also give student log-ins to parents so students can read books and log them at home, and parents can view what students are reading at school. The best social networking aspect of this site is that students can recommend books to others in their class, as well as view books that their classmates are reading. I feel this would motivate students to pick up a book that they would have passed over or neglected other times.

   I would be able to implement this into my everyday lesson planning. Each day we spend an hour at Guided Reading and Centers. During this time, students rotate between three centers. Through the course of the week the students will visit 15 centers based on different skills we are working on in class. Each day one of the centers is always Self-Selected Reading. Students have 20 minutes to select any book(s) of their choosing to read at their independent reading spots during this time. Although we take time to review the ways to choose an appropriate book, I am not able to monitor their book choices regularly because I am reading with my guided reading groups during this time. I would use the site by having students log their books into a journal similar to the entry they would create on Biblionasium. Then, during lab time or in the morning, I would have students transfer/log the information into the website. This would also be something the students could use as a center during the Literacy Block time.

   I have taken the time to create a log in and enter my classrooms information. I logged in as a student in order to try the site both as a teacher and a student. The site is user friendly and wouldn't take more than a week or two to have students trying it out independently. Since the students can use the site at home with parents, it will also allow them to become familiar with the platform away from school.

   As a teacher I can add our classroom library to my bookshelf so students can view exactly what I have in my library. Although this would be time consuming, it would be something that could be done over the summer and introduced at the beginning of the year. I don't allow access to all my books at the beginning of the year because it would be overwhelming and almost all students are not ready for the reading level of all the books. By adding the books on this site it would allow students to get excited to read books or set a goal to be able to borrow a specific book when they are ready for it. Since the books are based on levels, students will have more accountability on their reading level and would possibly more motivated to set reading goals for themselves.
  I can also create specific challenges for the class. This feature does seem a little bit difficult for the first grade level, it could be something I could use for my specific guided reading groups and be used during their guided reading time.
   I can also add friends to our class that can only be approved by me. This could include other grade levels within our school or other first grade classrooms within our districts or other districts. This would allows students to view what other first graders outside of our classroom are reading and allow them to step outside of their comfort genre and try other books. Although I haven't used this in my classroom yet, I have sampled the site extensively and have implemented its uses into my daily lesson plans. Below you can see some screenshots of the site or click here to view the site yourself.

My first week with Twitter

My Forced Submission to Twitter

    Although I have always been eager to try the latest piece of technology and am constantly trying new apps on my cell phone, social networking, for me, has almost been limited to Facebook. Facebook met all my needs. I was able to share my thoughts or important events in my life (twitter) and post photos of what I had done or where I was visiting (Instagram). Although I wanted to stay clear of the Twitter world my assignment  this week for my "Internet Tools in the Classroom" course was to join twitter, make friends with at least 50 friends a day, and post 6+ times each day. After being a part of Twitter for nearly a week now I can see how it can be very addicting. I think the purpose of the assignment was to help us dive a little deeper in the twitter world so I took it on full force. However, I did have a problem meeting the requirement to follow 50+  people a day. I feel that I would just be forcing myself to follow people or companies I wasn't even interested in. I am sticking to following anything I feel would interest me or might grab my attention. By overindulging into following people, I feel like I wouldn't pay attention to all the tweets on my feed page. I have to admit I am enjoying tagging people and the hashtag feature is gaining my attention quickly. Since it has only been a week I can't say whether or not I am not a lifetime member, but it will have my attention for a while, that's for sure. If you would like to follow me you can tweet me @mikeballiet. Stay up to date for more posts on my experience on twitter. #Ifinallygaveintotwitter. 

Exploring new sites

Discovering Something New

Information overload is really taking over. There are so many quality sites out there. Using the RICE method or another "filtering" system to choose what sites to use and when will become more detrimental than ever. Below I have shared my experience on the suggested sites from the assignment.

Edutecher.net

The sign up for this site was very easy and fast. It also created a blog for me with my sign up. It was free and provided instant search directly from the homepage. My topic of choice was Greater Than//Less than. I was specifically looking for apps, lessons, and resources related to this topic. After searching I was prompted to filter my search before results turned up. I really liked the filter categories, but the results were very generic. Although I selected Math and Elementary, the sites listed for primarily Language Arts and the links did not connect me directly to my topic. 

  The positives were that the site provided multiple educational resources where I would be able to search for my topic. The results for the sites were all educational, which helped me to trust that the sites would guide me to the information I needed, but the search I began didn't lead me there directly. 

   The site does include an EdutecherTV tab which allows you to watch "how to" webisodes on topics such as "Brief Tips for Tech in Education" and "How to Set Up a Whiteboard." I don't know if it was connectivity or if it was the server for the site, but the videos took uncharacteristically long to buffer. It is a positive addition to the site either way. Some screenshots of the search filters and the Edutecher TV can be found below.
  The homepage for your site is easy to navigate. The layout is very fun and visually stimulating. Your "backpack" is like your homepage. All the tabs/icons are laid out on notebook paper which makes it fun. From your backpack you can access your favorites that you have tagged, view your notes, messages, and forums, as well as update your profile or blog. The site is very user friendly.
   The site offers countless resources but it does take some searching through those supplemental sites to find what your looking for. All in all I will be using this regularly to research for resources and materials needed.

Go2Web20

Go2Web20 is a online index of "app-like" icons that offer a variety of resources, both for educational and personal use. The search results are very limited, and even the site suggestions are limited, but most that I have viewed are of high quality. On the homepage it has suggested tools/apps to try out. The nice thing about the site is when you scroll over an app it gives you a description of what the page is used for. When you click on the link it has a more detailed description as well as a link that connects you directly to the site/app. Some of the sites do cost money and/or require log in and personal information. I noticed that multiple sites were filtered on my school browser as well. Below I have listed some of the tools I discovered while searching the site. You can click on the link above to do some exploring on your own.

• Kidoz - "A kids browser" - The description provided was pulled from go2web20.net. "The KIDOZ browser is a protected environment made for young kids that enables children to surf sites ,watch videos and play games. The system blocks links, scripts and any other attempts that lead to sites and content which have not been approved, preventing them being viewed by the children."
• Storyjumper - Storyjumper allows students, parents, and teachers to create and publish their own stories. It offers help with their on site tools such as "story starters" to help get you started on your own story. You can also add in your own illustrations and pictures to your story. You can share the stories online for free or have your hardcover copy published for $24.99. The site does require sign up with personal information.

Shrock Guide

  Karen Shrock's Guide to Everything website is a teacher's resource/FAQ smorgasbord. There is no sign-up or log-in required to explore the resources on the site. Each topic clearly presented on the sidebar is full of textual references, weblinks, and supplemental resource links to explore the topic in further detail. I will use this site specifically throughout this course as it addresses QR codes and cell phones in the classroom. One major topic that it addresses on multiple occassions are IPADs in education. As a recent recipient of an IPAD in our district, topics such as IPADs in the classroom, learning and teaching with IPADS, and "A day in the life of an IPAD" provide multiple resources to further my education on how to use this valuable tool more efficiently and appropriately. The links seem to be all in tact, but it is also stated at the top of each page that she would appreciate if you would let her know if any link is down. It made me feel like there is a lot of care of the user of the site when reading this each time. I plan on referencing this site frequently, specifically during my time in this class.

  After viewing all three sites, they all are valuable and have strengths. I think that Go2Web20 was the most limited on information, and most of the links were caught by the filter in my district. Edutecher.net had a plethora of educational resources to use both in and out of the classroom, but definitely takes the most time to explore and sort out exactly what you would use the information for. Out of all three, the Schrock guide was the most detailed and easy to navigate. Although the topics aren't vast, they are detailed and hit relevant topics with technology in education. Although my time was limited to fully divulge myself into all three sites, they are all bookmarked under my "best resources" folder and I will be using these three sites over the course of the next few weeks to further learn how to use them effectively on a regular basis.

Tools for the Web

Filling Up My Toolbox

    Just like the tools that continue to add up on my workbench upstairs, so do the tools that I am aquiring from this class. That is not the only similarity however. Since purchasing my house last year, I haver received a lot of tools. Because most of these tools were given to me as gifts, many of them I have not even used yet, or learned how to use yet for that matter. I began to think about that before making this blog post. I wouldn't even know if I had the right tool for the job in my home because most of them are still in the box, waiting for me to learn how to use them.
  This is similar to the tools I am beginning to aquire for technology because although I am giving free access to most of the sites or given advice to use them, I have yet to take the time to really dive in and learn how to use them, so it worries me that I am not sure if I will know what tool to use when the time comes.
  This weeks tools to add to my toolbox were all very exciting for me and I am already finding ways to implement them within my classroom. I'll take a minute to share my thoughts on some of the tools and how I plan or how I already am using them in the classroom.

  URL Shortening 

    I have always wished there was a way to shorten the URL to links I want my first graders to view. BAM! Enter my new tool tinyurl.com. This allows you to take any web address and turn it in to an address that begins with tinyurl.com/"enter what you want here."  One of the drawbacks I noticed was that many names for sites are taken. This can be overcome with a little creativity, but if I am trying to shorten a URL, I want to make it as short as possible. I also realized that after I tried my first one I did not paste the entire URL into the entry box, but it created my new URL as a dead link. I was no longer able to use the nickname as my shortcut. I was there was a way I could delete that. As far as I have seen there is no account, so there is no way to keep track of your created URL's, but I am still doing some exploring. If you would like to try this out on your own, please click on the link below.

Tiny URL

    QR codes

     QR codes have always interested me very much. When I first began to see them all over, I went QR crazy and began to scan them to see what would happen. I quickly realized that this was just an advertisement ploy in most cases. I have limited my desire to scan QR coded to the moments when I know it will benfit me or others (i.e. coupons, recipes, donations.) I always thought that the QR codes would be an expensive addition for companies to use, but never dreamed that I could create them for free, and link them to whatever I desired. This could get dangerous. I created a QR code to link to my page and decided that I could link it to a parent newsletter, or even place it in the faculty room for teachers to scan if they desired to read my blog. Although this is just a simple way to use them, I was excited to show other teachers, who now are sharing other ideas on ways to use them. I teach in a predominately low-income school, so I am not sure the ability most parents have to scan the QR codes, so I am being hesitant to implement them immediately, but I am currently researching other ways to use them in the classroom or to communicate with others. Stay
tuned for ways that I am finding to use them within the primary classroom. If you would like to explore creating Qr codes on your own, visit the site below to explore the opportunities. Very easy!

Shorten URL's, create QR and NFC codes. Click Here!

   Bookmarklets

When first reading about bookmarklets, I was a little confused about their purpose. I saw the comparison to add-ons, but never really understood the purpose of those either. I came to find out that I have been using add-ons for a long time, but always installed them when my browser prompted me to do so. I am happy with my web browsing and feel like I am efficient in using a browser, so why the need for bookmarklets. After reading a brieft overview from labnoo.org (Full article here), I realized there are quite a few advantages to bookmarklets. I have listed a few of those benefits below:

• Drag and Drop - You can drag and drop the tool directly to your toolbar. When you're ready to delete, simply right-click and select delete.
• No LAG - bookmarklets are remarkably small compared to add-ons. They will not slow down your computer. It makes it an easier decision to add them and try them because of this.
• Not Exclusive - They are not browser specific. They can be used throughout all your browser. So if you are a fan of explorer and chrome, like myself, then you don't need to worry about installing the add-on for each browser. 
• No Restart Required - You don't need to restart your browser in order to begin using your bookmarklet. Begin using as soon as you install.

Although there are other features to bookmarklets, these few along give justification to begin trying them out right away. If you would like to try some of the most popular bookmarklets for teachers, Click here to explore some of the best options. 

 

Social, Creative, and Curative Websites

Digging Deeper into the Mainstays

     The most exciting part of this assignment was the fact that it has ignited my desire to explore and sample any site that could be used to enhance my classroom. The only downside is I now have about 40 new log-ins and passwords to remember along with about 100 new e-mails a day. This is something that I'm attempting to learn how to organize quickly. I never realized how many resources are out there. Although many of them are not what I was hoping for, it is still very cool to feed off some ideas or learn what to look for or what to avoid while exploring for websites. I would like share with you a brief report of a single site that I am using from each topic area.

Social

  The main problem with using social media and websites in our district is that they are ALL blocked. I use the word all very loosly there, but anything from Facebook to Twitter is blocked. You can find some lesser known social media sites available, but they are limited. After speaking with some administrators in the district as well as some other teachers, I have learned that starting next year there is a plan in place to allow the use of at least facebook within the district. I am assuming this is to utilize the benefits of social media in the classroom.
  I have learned that teachers in other districts are using social media such as twitter to begin discussions on class topics, pose a daily question, or even communicate to each other as a class while not in school. Although I would not use this in the first grade classroom that I am currently in, it is very exciting to see how it is being used and I am still brainstorming possibilities of how to use it in the classroom.
  The one "social" site that I have decided to try out in my classroom is ClassDojo.com. This is far from a social site but it is being used in that type of manner in my classroom. After creating a quick log-in I was able to enter my students names and create an avatar for each student. There are tabs to create positive and negative behaviors and award or take away points for each student when those behaviors or modeled. I am amazed at the response my students have made since introducing this only a few days ago. At the end of the day we look at each student's report as a class and discuss the positives AND the negatives and how they affected us throughout the day. Although it takes about 10 minutes to get through, student accountability is already making a noticeable difference in the classroom. I was even able to make a class for when we play games in the classroom and label the student names as colors for teams. It helps me to log points during games in our class and the students really enjoy seeing it on the screen during that time. The coolest part about this site is that it allows you to download a report in a PDF as well as print out a ticket to send home to parents that creates a students specific log-in and password so parents can view their child's behavior for the day, week, or month. IT'S ALL FREE! The stock avatars are very elementary but this tool could easily be adapted to use at any grade level.

Creative

  I have not personally used any creative technologies in my classroom with students except for simple creative activities within sites such as abcya.com. There are a few creative opportunities for the students within the site, but nothing worth raving about. Voicethread seems to be the popular vote for Creative websites used within the school setting, and I am in the process of exploring the site along with the possibilities of using it at a lower grade level, but again, nothing great to report yet.
  The one site I can offer that I use as an educator and which I know other colleagues use in their classroom is GoogleDocs. I don't know if you would exactly consider this a creative website, but many teachers are using is as a social/creative tool in their classroom. Teachers can post assignments or discussions and students can team up to work on them together from remote locations. Another similar tool that blends creative and social is google hangout. This is similar to skype but is much easier to use in groups and also offers other tools to use.
  As a district, we use google docs to share files and add to them such as our schedules or responses on how to approach professional development activities. Again, although I do not currently use any within my classroom, I am heavily searching and sampling sites that I could use at the primary level.

Curration

   It took me a while but I finally bought into it. I am on Pinterest. Although amazingly skeptical at first and even had quite a few jokes to sling at my girlfriend as she spent countless hours on it, I had to buy in after she began turning out amazing decorations for the house and filling my stomach with new delicious recipes. I also quickly noticed that she had some incredible ideas to use within her own classroom and when she shared that many of them had come from Pinterest, I had to check it out. It is a great site and although I don't use it heavily, it certainly is worth checking from time to time and using others great ideas.
  While exploring new curration websites to use Symbaloo grabbed my attention quickly. Bookmarking was always frustrating for me because no matter how hard I tried I always struggled to stay organized and couldn't always access if I wasn't on my computer. Although logging into google chrome allows me to access my bookmarks from any computer, the computer must have google chrome, which we don't have on school computers. Enter SYMBALOO!  Bookmarking you can use anywhere. And not just bookmarking, pages of appstyle icons that allow you to see all your sites on one nice neat IPAD looking page. You can also create webmixes which allow you to design pages of bookmarks for specific content areas or parts of your life. I coach basketball so I can have a webmix page full of links for basketball coaching sites. I can have one strictly for use in my first grade, or professional development, or just silly sites I like to look at. Easy to stay organized, plus my first graders only need to see the sites that I want them to see. I am still creating my webmixes but am excited to continue using this heavily. If you haven't tried it out yet I suggest giving it a whirl. Very user friendly and worth the time.

All in all, I have learned that my understanding of possible tools to use was very limited. My problem now is that I want to stay up all night looking at websites and how to use them in my classroom. My ipad has been used heavily in my bedroom late night. I plan on reposting again on this topic in the near future so stay tuned!