The Class is Done...Where Do I Go From Here?

It is the end of the semester, and my brain is exploding with new information. I have learned so many new tools that can be used both personally and professionally. From websites to blogs to IWBs and beyond... I have been empowered by the knowledge I've obtained. As a new owner of such vast knowledge, the biggest thing I have to do with this new information is USE IT!

I will be entering the world of elementary education very soon, and I will expect my students to practice their knowledge. I am no different. I cannot put my knowledge on a shelf like an ordinary book and expect it to be ready for me when I need it. Technology is alive and active. If I do not practice the new skills I have learned, they will not stay in my brain and will be useless for me and my students. Another reason I need to keep using technology is that it is constantly changing! There are new advancements coming up all the time. If I do not stay in touch, I will become outdated again...like I was at the beginning of this class.

Finally, I need to remember that there is so much more out there. While I touched on some of the most important and influential pieces of technology in this class, there are so many other parts of technology to experience and learn about. I need to explore on my own and start asking lots of questions. Thankfully, if I want to research something new on my own, I now know I can always ask the world wide web, and there are many answers out there to guide me through new programs, apps, etc.

I am not alone as a novice computer user, but I am also not alone in my search for knowledge. While I can use technology to share information, I can also use technology to get information. I need to start reaching out to other teachers through Wikis, blogs, and other websites. Through a mutual sharing of information, I will develop a teaching community with people all over the world.

Technology is a beautiful thing for my future students and me. I can't wait to use what I know and continue to grow.

Do I Have a "Digital Story" To Tell?

Digital Storytelling is yet another way to communicate through the incredible technological resources now available to the world. As is often the case with technology, my brain asks, "How is this relevant for ME?" Despite my growing comfort with technology in general, how many different ways do I really need to express my thoughts to the world? After all, I can now communicate with relative ease through a website, blogging, interactive whiteboard activities, and more! Why do I need Digital Storytelling?

The University of Houston has an entire website dedicated to the "Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling" and how beneficial it can be for both myself and my students. In the same way that interactive whiteboards connect students to various educational concepts through layers of multimedia and physical interaction, digital storytelling allows the student or the teacher to relay a specific point through layers of pictures, videos, and audio. As a teacher, I can see this holding the attention of today's students as well as making important connections for them quickly. For the large number of people claiming to be visual learners, this may be more effective than theoretical ideas solely presented through lecture. Also, I remember one of my own 3rd grade classmates who spent most of her year in the hospital due to a chronic illness. Had this technology been available at that time, the little girl's education would have been less inhibited because of her physical inability to be in the classroom. Digital Storytelling could have been a valuable visual aid in her studies.



Finally, I have to keep reminding myself that Digital Storytelling is a tool, just like all of the other technology I have discovered. One of my main jobs is to provide my students with tools that they can use in their own futures, so I need to consider letting them learn the art of Digital Storytelling too! Keeping every activity age appropriate, Digital Storytelling can be used as an individual or group way of informing, expressing, or communicating ideas. The activity could be as simple as building a short story with students taking turns creating the Digital Story or as detailed as using this software to give a report or a presentation. Students need to learn the art of communication to do well in school, in outside interactions, and in their future careers. While technology is often accused of inhibiting communication, Digital Storytelling may in fact be a creative and appealing avenue for certain children as a way to present ideas and express themselves.


It is still hard for me to tell whether or not I will always have a personal desire to create my own Digital Stories. However, it is not at all hard for me to see the value in learning this technology so that I can pass it along to my students! Different things appeal to different students. So, the more tools and options I can provide them with, the better chance they have to learn, grow, and express themselves.

What Makes Interactive Whiteboards the Wave of the Future?

Interactive whiteboards, commonly known as IWBs, are the newest and most talked about technology in the classroom. They have the ability to provide a new level of interactivity for students in the learning process. I found the value in IWBs by learning some key facts about what IWBs are and what they are not!


One of the most important points that I learned is that IWBs are not a magical key to better education but rather a valuable tool that is only as good as the teacher using it. That means a number of things. First of all, it should not be a crutch for teachers to replace quality class preparation. Also, without proper instruction on how to use IWBs, they can easily become nothing more than a projector...which nullifies the unique benefits of the technology. In fact, if not used properly, the studies show that IWBs do not have the ability to improve student achievement.


While IWBs cannot provide student benefits if not used properly, they have a profound impact on the classroom that makes good use of them. I love the fact that this interactive technology allows for the simultaneous engagement of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners. With IWBs, teachers can touch a wider variety of learners while quickly and efficiently accessing pictures, activities, and online resources that are relevant to their students. No matter what the budget of a school may be, there seem to be options for everyone. There are student response systems that can be purchased for additional interaction between the teacher and the student, allowing the teacher immediate access to a classroom's learning and progress. Even if the school is on a tighter budget, there is a Mimio Teach system available that turns an ordinary whiteboard into an interactive whiteboard.


IWBs are an exciting option to benefit children in today's tech-savvy world. With that being said, each teacher needs to remember that it is still only a tool. Any tool is only as good as the person operating it!

Mid-Semester Status

My fear is beginning to subside. I will admit that when I began my semester-long adventure with technology, I assumed I knew very little. It is surprising how much knowledge I really have from general interaction with the internet. The biggest trick to learning technology (that I've found this semester) is just forcing yourself to sit down and work through it. I used to be afraid that I'd mess up my computer if I did something wrong, and 9 times out of 10 there is a very simple fix to any little mistake.

I also want to highlight some of my favorite discoveries so far! I am really impressed with all of the features available through Google. I've already used Google Docs to simultaneously work on projects with fellow students in another class. I also was quite excited to see how easy it is to create and share slideshows and presentations. Technology seems like it really can be a resource and not just a pesky puzzle to work through.

I can't wait to start working with the interactive whiteboards. I know that such technology will be exciting for both me and my future students!

Wiki-Walk-Through

Because I've never used wikis before taking this technology class, I've been wondering what is going to make me use them in the future. I know they are "the thing" to do, but I don't want to simply force a concept unless it is going to truly benefit my students and be a natural enhancement to their learning experience.

I was so thrilled to take the "Wiki-Walk-Through" on www.teachersfirst.com. There were many practical and specific examples of ways to use a wiki to benefit students. Even with very simple wiki activities, students have the ability to learn how to collaborate with a larger group of people. While many people complain that computers isolate children, this format is a way of bringing them together. After looking at many of the specific examples of math and science activities, I realized that wikis can be an amazing way of keeping children connected at home.

While I have children in front of me, I prefer to keep them engaged with the other people in the room. However, when they are at home and want extra help, encouragement, inspiration, or ability to connect, this gives them a great opportunity to keep working with their peers even when it's necessary to stay at home.

One final revelation I made regarding wikis is that they can help a child who HAS to be out of class due to travel or illness. My mother, a teacher, once commented that during one semester she did not have a single day with 100% attendance. With issues getting in the way of a child's ability to attend class, the wiki can be a way to bridge that gap and maintain learning, regardless of time or place!

Use Technology with Care

I've always heard that people need to be careful where they get their information from, especially when using the internet, but I assumed that common sense would be sufficient in determining what sources to use. After going through the process of evaluating a website, I realized that smart use of technology extends beyond common sense. When looking at the usefulness or integrity of a website, a deeper look can reveal background and history that is important to consider.

I chose to look at the website www.abcya.com in order to evaluate it for reliability and usability. This is a website that is geared towards learning games for children from grades K-5. It has an extensive selection of fun computer games that will reiterate age-appropriate concepts in reading, math, and more. While It was easy to navigate and fun to use, I was completely surprised by its history. I had heard the name before, but I assumed it was connected with the television station since PBS has a website for children filled with learning games. In fact, the name has nothing to do with the tv station, but instead it was created by a teacher who wanted more resources in his classroom. If I would not have taken the time to look into that information, I would have written off the site as one focused on promoting a more commercial approach to learning. Instead, I found that this site came straight from a teacher's personal background. This was an important and exciting piece of information, because to me, a teacher's experience is the most valuable resource when looking for additional learning material for my children.

Through this exercise I discovered a real value to evaluating websites. Not only are there a lot of great details that would be missed without proper evaluation, but also reviewing the website did not take that long! It was a relatively short process during which I discovered how current the information was through the copyright, where the source of the information was coming from, and how user-friendly this information would be to me, my students, and even my students' parents at home. I plan to continue previewing websites in this way so that I do not use inadequate websites for my children or pass up great websites based on an inaccurate assumption of its contents.

Connecting to Other People's Teaching Techniques!

Kids don't come with a manual. Whether you are a parent, teacher, or kid yourself, everyone realizes that fact at some point in life. In the teaching world, the best thing that you can do is build a network of resources. What better resource than other teachers that have creativity or experience in a particular field? I happen to love music and have taught it for years. After a bit of searching I found http://www.pitchhill.com/blog and fell in love. This blog created by Shelley Tomich does a great job of showing different teaching techniques for teaching singing based on the Solfége system.

There were a number of aspects of this blog that were especially helpful and user-friendly. First of all the Shelley categorized her posts based on grade and topic. So if I am looking for ideas specifically for 1st grade, I can go directly there. Alternately, if I want specific tips on teaching tempo or pitch, there are similar links for that as well.

Another neat aspect of this website is that she does not assume prior music knowledge of the viewer. She incorporates numerous images to illustrate her teaching techniques and even provides a video to demonstrate for the reader her "Cup and Rhythm Stick Activity". You can tell from this picture of her classroom that Shelley is passionate about what she does!

What I Need: Course Expectations

Lost, uncertain, and petrified would be three excellent ways to describe my comfort with technology up to this point. As my bio indicates, I've spent ten years in the teaching world, but I've spent every one of them avoiding technology. I would always have my husband create or fix anything I needed to use. I am now attempting to grow in such a way as to gain confidence and independence around computers and technology in general. I'm currently enrolled in a technology course (TPTE 486) at the University of Tennessee in order to help me reach that goal.

In my class I'm hoping to gain a number of things

• First, and most important, I want to lose the personal assumption that everything on the computer is too hard for me to figure out on my own. When little children can successfully use technology, I know that I have no excuse.
• Next, I want to learn important terms and jargon. Words like "wiki" and "blog" have been two such words that have been a scary mystery up to this point. (Obviously, since I'm currently creating "posts" in a "blog", I've already gained a lot in just a couple of short weeks.) There are so many thing going on out in cyber-world...I don't even know what I don't know!
• Because I'm looking to use my new technological savvy in the classroom, I am excited to learn classroom-specific ways to integrate technology into my upcoming career. Not only do I believe that learning tools for the classroom will be helpful for me in teaching, but also I realize that to properly equip my students for their own futures, I need to connect them with the modern advancements that they will use in their own lives.
• Finally, I really want to be able to use computers and the internet to collect a personal record of resources that I can access at any point in time. I believe I have heard about some kind of internet "cloud" that saves information. I want to be able to record and save my findings so that I will have long-term resources to access beyond this class. My short term memory will most certainly not be as reliable as some computer device or program.

I can't wait to go on this semester-long journey. It has been a long time in coming! While there is a lot of personal fear associated with this process, I know that it will pay off in the end. I feel that in life, major accomplishments worth doing are not usually easy. This is going to be one of those things. Whatever I find out, though, I will be sharing it here with all of you.

Now it's time for me to figure out a thing or two...

Wish me luck!