What have I learned

This course has allowed me to become more confident and aware of integrating more technology within my classroom.  I feel that the biggest area of growth for me is more effectively using the technology I have available and using it to enhance my instruction on a regular basis.  I also feel that I have help my coworkers become more aware and have built their confidence to implement more technology.   Technology can be a sometimes simple way to enhance and build interest in the topics I cover. 

Getting more technology in my school

I feel that there are so many ways that I can encourage and support my colleagues as they try to use more technology in their curriculum.  In some ways I have already started to do this.  As a part of our PL221 plan we are supposed to be looking into ways to address a student need in their area of computation and I have decided to start using the math program xtramath.org to enhance what I am already doing in my classroom.  I am working with my principal to set up a meeting with interested teachers to show them the features of xtramath and how to set up their own class.  I think that my support of other teachers in this way will help them integrate more technology in their classrooms.  I have also been talking to several teachers about how to set up a teacher web page and have been sharing with them the positive feedback I have been receiving from parents.  By sharing my own success and struggles with implementing technology into my own classroom and by offering to help out other teachers as they try to integrate technology into their own room I will help ensure that not only the students in my classroom, but also in other classrooms throughout my building will be receiving the dynamic instruction that they need.

Webpages and WebQuests

This week I had the task of creating a webpage and creating a webquest.  I was very comfortable with these assignements because I had already done both.  Two years ago I created a webpage for my classroom through teacherweb.com.  A coworker had told me that our school system would pay the annual fee and would link my site to theirs if I went through teacher web.  I found the layouts and formats very user friendly and easy to set up.  The positive response from parents have been great.   I feel like having a classroom web page is like welcoming parents into your classroom everyday.  I feel like parents are more at ease and more comfortable with me if they have an opportunity to view my webpage before meeting me or coming into the classroom for the 1st time.  I also feel like the new generation of parents is coming to expect teachers to connect with them through e-mail and webpages more than parents did 8 years ago when I began teaching.

A few years ago I took a Web Quest course in order to renew my license.  I think Web Quests are fairly easy to create and can be a great way to incorporate technology into your curriculum.  The biggest downside is that it is very difficult to create a webquest that is at a appropriate reading level for primary students.  In my experience I have used a Web Quests as a small group activity with me assisting as the facilitator and helping them read. 

Overall Web Quests and webpages can be relatively simple ways to incorporate technology.

Although I consider myself to be behind when it comes to technology there really is a lot that I use on a regular basis in my classroom.  Microsoft Word is used daily to creat class lists, assessments, notes to parents and my weekly newsletter.  I also often use excell to make tables to record data and scores.  I have been using teacherweb.com to maintain a class website over the past year.  I have really enjoyed to response from parents since I began using a class website to post and deliver information and parents have liked that they can access many of the important forms and information that I send home.  I would really like to understand Microsoft Excell.  I would like to be able to use this program to record data about students growth in areas such as Letter ID, reading levels, sight word knowledge, and fact knowledge.  I am finding it difficult to progress further with Excel because I find the formulas to be very confusing.  I am hoping that I can use some of my collegues as a help in this area.  I know that some of them do use Excel for this purpose and seem to understand it better.  I would also like to become more experienced with the current technology that came with our EnVisions math series.  I know that there are a lot of elements to the program that will allow my students to get on computers and use some interactive componants to go along with and reinforce what I am teaching with more traditional methods.  I am going to have to take time to explore the software and the website that was given to us.

The road to preparing my students... and myself

To be completely honest I do not feel prepared to teach all of the 21st century skills that my students need.  While I do feel more prepared than many of my collegues whom I work with everyday (they look to me for tech advise) when I talk to others I feel so behind on how to use technology and how to get my students involved in using technology.  I feel like it is so difficult to teach 6 and 7 year olds how to create something original I usually resort to typical word documents and curriculum enhancing games and practice.  I feel like I have made some strides with other aspects of 21st century teaching but I feel that technology is a big weak area.  I don't feel like my students get many opportunities to use technology at school.  Part of this is because some of it isn't available and I am not familiar with what else is out there in order to seek grants and information on new things that are available.   I am hoping that this is an area in which I can really improve and become a leader in my school.

In the Beginning...

I am still at the beginning of this trek through my Master of Education degree.  I am also beginning a new school year.  My coursework so far has made me much more aware of what I need to work on to improve my teaching and better prepare my students for the future.  The biggest area I would like to improve is the area of technology so I am glad that my current course is allowing me to become more aware of what is out there and what I can do to improve the use of technology with my students.  Up to this point I felt I was doing an adequate job.  I have utilized Google Earth and online videos, I constantly look for educational games and activities that my students can use for both expanding learning and practicing skills.  I also have spent time teaching my students word processing basics.   I would like to expand on this though.  I need to "fear not" and be more willing to try webquests and powerpoint with my 1st graders.  Although we may not have IPADS, smartboards or laptops available to our 1st grade classrooms I want to encourage and empower my team to work with me to best use what we do have available.