Field 3

What: This week we saw our cooperating teacher use technology in a couple of different ways and we taught two technology enriched lessons.

So What: Our cooperating teacher again used her document camera to show the timer as she gave a timed multiplication test. The second time we watched a live program that was being broadcast from Plimoth Plantation. The students and I really enjoyed the broadcast but we could have done more with it. Class from all over the country that had document cameras were able to video chat in questions. I think that this helped the students to stay more focused.

On Thursday we taught a lesson were we took the students to the computer lab and had them go to http://plimoth.org . We had them play the beginning game together then we numbered them off by twos. The ones were the historians for the Indians and the twos were the historians for the pilgrims. They navigated around the web site learning about the first Thanksgiving then wrote a small essay on what they learned, then printed it. The next tecnlogy enriched lesson we did was on Tuesday. I created a computerized Jeopardy game using http://www.jeopardylabs.com . The game was a review of the entire unit on Colonization, to help prepare the students for a test we gave latter. To play the game we got to use the smart board. It was awesome. I have never used one before. It was fun to be able to touch a large screen instead of moving around a mouse on a little computer screen. The last question on the test we gave had a list of all the activities we did for each lesson. We had the students number them in order of their favorite lessons. Both the Jeopardy game and the plimoth.org lessons were the students favorite activities.

Now What: So what does this mean for me as a future teacher? I hope I find a job at a school that has the latest technology but chances are I won’t. What I have found out during this experience and during my field work for Intro. To Education is that most of the technology that the teachers have in their class rooms they have either gotten through grant money or bought on their own. I need to learn how to write up grant proposals and were to find grant money at.

Field 2

What: We had our second week of field. Our cooperating teacher has lots of different types of multi media but she doesn't use it to the full extent to what she can, but there was one particular activity that she did that I really enjoyed.

So What: The teacher uses her document camera once a week to display a timer for the students timed multiplication test. I really like this so that the students can look up when they are done with their test, however there are many more ways to use it. It is possible she uses it for science and the other subjects that we are not there for. On Tuesday we taught a cause and effect lesson on the Mayflower voyage. After our lesson the teacher had registered through plimoth.org to watch a live broadcast about the settlement of Plimoth and yes I know it looks like I spelled it wrong but that is the way they spelled it in 1620. The students enjoyed it. But as part of the program, classes from all over the country either e-mailed in questions or video chatted questions to the program. I wish our class could have participated in this part of the broadcast.

This week we tried to teach our cooperating teacher how to create a digital story but all they have at the schools are Macs and I don't know how to use Imovie. We are going to take our PC tomorrow and see if we can get internet accesses and show her how to create a digital story using photo story.

Now What: First off I know I need to learn how to use macs but I don't think I have ever seen one in person. Next week we are going to be teaching two multi media lessons and try again to teach our teacher how to do a digital story. One of our lessons is a Jeopardy game that I created using jeopardylabs.com I would like to teach our teacher how to create her own. Our other lesson will be using http://plimoth.org/ I am really exited. I hope it goes as planned.

Field 1

What: We started field, it has been one whole week. I am very impressed with my cooperating teacher. She has a great personality and is always joking around with the students and making things fun.

So What: I have been very impressed with this school and all the technology they have. Mrs. Steel and from what I can tell all the other teachers have Apple lap tops so instead of creating something on their computers, then running down the hall or to the other end of school to the printer to change the color of paper, then running back to their classroom to press print, then back down the hall to the printer to collect their printed items, they only have to make one trip down to the printer with lap top in hand.

In the computer lab there are about 30 Apple computers with the large wide screen monitors and the really nice key board. Today the students went their to take a math test. When they were done with the test the computer showed them their score and it will generate a report for the teacher along with graphs so she can see as a whole how the class is doing. The only thing I didn't like was she let the students use their multiplication charts off their desks. The test was on division.

In her classroom Mrs Steel has a TV with a DVD and VHS player, her lap top, a document camera, and a smart board that are all connected to a projector that hangs from the ceiling. I love the smart board. From her computer she pulled up a weather tracking map that she projected on the smart board, the smart board worked as a touch screen. It was awesome to see her fun her computer from it. In the one week that we have been at this school we have seen the teacher us technology seven times.

Now What: I would hope that the school that I some day work at has this kind of technology but I know the chances of that are pretty slim. My kids school doesn't have that kind of technology. But on further research I found out that not all of the teachers at this school have that kind of technology either. One of the teachers work very hard at writing up a grant proposal to get the smart boards and some of the items were purchased with Trust land money. I definitely need to learn how to write up a convincing proposal. I want my students to have all the technology they can get their hands on at school because there may be some students that don't have that opportunity at home.

Digital Story 3

What: I'm a little confused on what it is we are suppose to blog about this week. We didn't have class this week but Krystal and I still met to work on our digital story.

Now What: Krystal and I decided to do our digital story as an introduction into colonization, 5th grade social studies. We found several pictures to help depict Jamestown, the Mayflower voyage, an Plymouth but I am just having a hard time capturing the emotion of it. So today we changed our story to dance. I love dance and feel passionately about it's importance in the school curriculum. Krystal liked the idea so we are off and running. The hardest part is finding the pictures I like. But I'm sure I will later run into problems finding music.

I'm having fun playing around with all the new tools I have learned from Google docs to Creative Commons. I know how important technology is to our everyday lives and enjoy learning about it. I have one teacher that can't even use black board and for me that is hard because she will mention something about an assignment and I won't write it down because I think I will just look at it on blackboard and it is not there.

So What:I think it will be fun to develop different digital story's for different topics but I would love to give my students some kind of research paper to do such as a former president of the United States or a famous women in history such as Florence Night and Gale and instead of a written report have them do a digital story about their topic.

My nephew has moved in with us. I love his teacher. She sends out e-mail all the time to remind us of the upcoming science fair, any testing going on, and grades. I am more connected to his class and teacher than I am to my own son in the same grade. I am definitely using technology to keep in touch with my students parents or guardians.