Journal #4

Strategies of Successful Technology Integrators: Part 1 Streamlining Classroom Management by Lynn McNally and Cindy Etchison

This article is discusses ways a teacher can use technology. One suggestion is to use a network gradebook. Student scores can be tracked over time and can be compared with other students in that same grade level. This system can also be used for a IEP plan. All of the students information can be entered in and can follow the student to other grade levels and classes. I will follow this suggestion, because it would help me see the progress of my students immedietly.

Another suggestion was for the teacher to have a spreadsheet on the computer with the students' lunch preferences. Each morning the teacher could have the students enter in their information and it could be sent to the cafeteria. This would help students learn to use technology and learn responsiblity. I am not sure if I could implement this, but it might be a good thing to consider if I teach a higher grade level.

This article has many other suggestions for streamlining your class and helping your students use technology for classroom tasks.

Question 1:

How can I use technology in the classroom?

I can use technology to make charts, awards, letters home, calendars, etc. I can also use it to chart my students progress, which I can use to let parents know how their children are doing.

Question 2:

How can I get my students to use technology?

I could set up a classroom newsletter in which students write articles and stories. Then I could send a copy home each week to the students' parents or have a webpage posted in which the parents can see what their children are doing.

Software Review: Learning.com

Web Browsing: Research and Citing Sources Grades 6-8

http://www.learning.com/index.htm

My Test Results of 100%

There are 4 tutorials about web browsing that I took. I did not learn anything new from these tutorials. They did refresh my memory on the labels of things such as the "suffix" and the "host page." A barrier to success that I found in this program is that a student may not know how to type. Another thing was that a student may know one part of the lesson, but the student can not skip ahead and I don't believe a student can go back. This lesson could become boring. I also wish the programmers had the professor teach the entire lesson. The professor would be more fun for students than using a woman's voice.

Here are the four lessons I took and the Standards they fulfill:

Lesson 1: Browsing Basics

NETS Standards

5. Digital Citizenship
Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior.
a. advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology.

6. Technology Operations and Concepts
Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations.
a. understand and use technology systems.
b. select and use applications effectively and productively.

Lesson 2: URLs

NETS Standards

1. Creativity and Innovation
Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.
a. apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.

2. Communication and Collaboration
Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.
a. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.

6. Technology Operations and Concepts
Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations.
a. understand and use technology systems.
b. select and use applications effectively and productively.

Lesson 3: Web Searches

NETS Standards

3. Research and Information Fluency
Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.
b. locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.
c. evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.

4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.
c. collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions.

5. Digital Citizenship
Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior.
a. advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology.

Lesson 4: Validity and Sourcing

NETS Standards

1. Creativity and Innovation
Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.
a. apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.

2. Communication and Collaboration
Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.
a. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.
b. communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.

5. Digital Citizenship
Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior.
a. advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology.
b. exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity.

Sources:

International Society for Technology in Education., ISTE (2007) The ISTE National Educational Technology Standards (NETS•S) and Performance Indicators for Students. Retrieved March 5, 2009, from ISTE Web site: http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForStudents/2007Standards/NETS_for_Students_2007_Standards.pdf

Learning.com. (2007). Retrieved March 5, 2009, from Learning.com Web site: http://www.learning.com/index.htm

Journal #3

Choosing the Right Books for Struggling Readers by Denise Johnson

This article was about finding the right books for struggling readers. It had a lot of information about how best to get your students interested in reading and how to help them succeed in reading. I found the information very informative and will keep this article for future reference.
One suggestion the article had was that I should set aside blocks of reading time for my students. 90 minutes was the recommended amount of time to set aside. I think that this is good advice and I will implement it if I can. The article also said that books should match a child’s reading level and interest. This will help the students have positive attitudes towards reading.

The article also had suggestions for teachers to get help finding the right books. It said there were online resources that can help me assess my students and there were also readability formulas that will help me know what books are right for who. The cite also had a suggestion of putting stick on labels on my books with the level and number of words the books had, so I can give them to the right students. There were also lists of websites with e-books and lists of books for young readers. There are also programs available that help students read.

Question 1: How can I get my students interested in reading?

I can do as the article suggests and make sure I am giving my students books that are appropriate for their reading level. I can also have them answer an online questionnaire which will help me determine what they are interested in and which books will match those interests. There are also e-books and programs available that will help second language learners. The books are in English, but there are explanations in the student's native language about what was read. I think all of these suggestions and resources will be very helpful in my future classroom.

Question 2: What can I do to get books for my students if the school has no money?

I can go to some suggested websites and order e-books, which will cost less than buying paper books. I can also collaborate with other classes at the school and have a centralized reading center in which all of the classrooms in that grade level share books.

Power of Learning Newsletter

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dc7fjkf9_3dffkj2dr

Fostering a Student’s Passion for Learning by Tiana Visser

I am interested in being an elementary school teacher. I like 2nd and 3rd grade students. They still like school and have a passion for learning. They are also more independent than kindergarten and 1st graders. I also feel that I can make a change in the lives of younger students. The impression of school that students form in their first years follows them throughout the rest of their school years. If I can get them to like school and give them a sense of accomplishment, then I may help them succeed in school and in life. 2nd and 3rd grade are my target years for teaching, but I would love to teach any grade level or subject.

I like many subjects, so teaching multiple subjects in elementary school is ideal for me. My special field of study is Literature and Writing. I hate the writing, but I love to read. Even though I hate writing, I know that it is essential in society and very important for students to master. Here are the California content standards in which my students will have to master: http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/index.asp

I want to give my students the tools they need to write and I want to give them the love of writing that I no longer have. I am studying writing so that I can pass my knowledge on to my students. I also want to pass on my love for reading. Here is an interactive website that I can have my students go to that can help them obtain the skills they need in Language Arts: http://www.internet4classrooms.com/skills_2nd.htm#lang


A Prospective Teacher by Tiana Visser

I will love being a teacher. I love helping children and I like to watch them learn new things. I like learning about new things and would love to teach those knew things to my students. I have always had an interest in learning any subject, but I like Reading and History the most out of all subjects. I will enjoy teaching these things to students.

I do not currently work in a school setting. I have volunteered to be a helper with second and third graders during summer school. I have also observed over 40 hours in different schools, classes, and grade levels. Recently I have been volunteering to help children in the first grade. I am now in my first semester of the Integrated Credential Program at California State University San Marcos.

I have 2 more years before receiving my teaching credential. Currently I work full time and go to school full time. I also volunteer at a local school. I am dedicated to becoming a teacher. I look forward to student teaching. I hope that I can become the best teacher possible. I also hope that my students leave my class loving school and loving knowledge as much as I do!

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A Passion To Teach by Hilda Barga

My name is Hilda Barga. I want to teach at the elementary level. I would like to start my teaching career as a 1st or 2ND grade teacher. I feel more comfortable working with younger children. While doing my school observations, I confirmed that the children at the elementary level made me feel more comfortable and welcomed. I would like to teach English learners and have some diversity in my classrooms. I hope to learn as much from the children as they will learn from me. The content standards I will follow are at this website: http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/index.asp


An Introduction by Hilda Barga

I am interested in many things, but most importantly, I am interested in education. I want to learn as much as I can before entering the classrooms as a teacher. I want to be prepared for whatever challenges a new teacher may encounter. I am bilingual in Spanish and English and would like to use this as a teaching tool in whatever way that I can. I would like to have a multicultural class so that they can see in me someone that they can relate to since my background is multicultural. One of the reasons that I am going into teaching is because, when I was a child, I did not have any teachers that I could relate to or that were from my Latino background. If I could of had someone to relate to or a teacher who I believed could better understand me, by knowing my language or my culture, I think I would of done much better in school and would of been more excited to learn. I want to become a teacher because I do not think there are enough minority teachers in public schools today. Children today come mostly from minority families and come with many different cultures and values. I believe, as a teacher with a diverse background, I will have some advantage with the diversity in school children today. English Learners - Specialized Programs (CA Dept of Education)

Academic photos provided by: Microsoft Office 2007 Clip Art

Photo of Tiana taken by Tiana Visser 2/2009

Photo of Hilda by Shad Barga 6/2008

February 11,2009

Journal #2

Digital Images in the Classroom by Stephanie van Hover, Kathy Swan, and Micheal J. Berson

This article talks about digital images and social studies classes. There are now archives of digital images on the internet. Places like the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian have archives for historians and for students. Students have also contributed to the digital archives. By doing local projects and collecting old local photos, they have helped historians piece together history.

Students have learned about history from the digital archives. Photos provide a snapshot of history and students can see expressions and actions that happened at one point in history. Digital images bring history to life and help students remember important events. Digital images also help students critically think about events. They can look at a picture and see for themselves what was happening at the time.

I thought this was a very good way for students to become involved with history. Images may make them like history and become interested. Some of the classes put pictures together from different time periods and had their students try to figure out what time period the pictures were from. I think this helped the students realize the differences in history.

I liked the community history projects that the students did. They learned how to research and bring the community together. They also learned about their community.

Question 1: How could I get my students involved with the archive project?

I could have my students look for pictures at home. They could go to the local museum. They could find and speak to the local historical society and find information about the community. They could go to the library and find local pictures. They could also talk to the local paper and see if there are photos. They could bring them in with information and we could send them in as a class.

Question 2: How could I incorporate images into my lessons?

I could have images of famous people and events that I could get from the Library of Congress before lessons on historical figures or events. I could also have images of people or events that represent a holiday that the children will be celebrating so that they understand the significance of the holiday better.