REFLECTIONS

ELMO:


OMG! This new ELMO is going to be so great to use with the students. This just makes all those years of bearing with the visualizer worth it! I have gotten my reward.
I learned how to hook my new document camera up to the projector and to my computer. I know that when I use it tomorrow my students are going to be as excited as I am!
I think I am going to take an idea I got from the workshop and show a piece of artwork using the document camera. They are going to see how neat the zoom lens is and also how I can freeze and unfreeze an image. What will be especially fun is moving around the room with the remote control while I slowly reveal information with the mask function. The students themselves will enjoy displaying their completed assignments for sharing with the new document camera. I am going to show them how to highlight parts of their work that they want us to take carful notice of. The only apprehension I have with using this technology is that I have to really impart upon my students that this is a delicate piece of equipment and they have to treat it nicely -- NO FOOLING AROUND --- this is serious business! But no worries, it's going be great!


DIGITAL CAMERA:


I have used a digital camera and my iPhone with my students for a few years now. I know that they already know and are familiar with how it works because someone in their families usually has one too. The fact that now I have one just for classroom use is great because though I trust my students completely with my things it is nice to not have to worry about the possibility of losing my personal things. (Of course to my second graders' credit, they have never damaged my camera or phone. They are always VERY careful).
As far as photostory3, I have never used the program with my students before. I am interested to see how well they grasp the process. I know they are more than capable, it's just a matter of careful listening to directions and practice. We will be introducing a new theme in a few days - Around Town: Communities. I would like to let them use the digital camera to capture their school community and then to also put those photos into photostory3 to share the pictures. From this lesson I hope the students are able to learn able logical sequencing and how to tell a story that is enjoyable and easy to follow. 


GLOGSTER:


This was the first piece of technology that I have learned this year that was new to me. I wish that it had come earlier in the year because then my children would have been able to have more time to practice and use it. However, it will definitely be apart of my lesson planning next year. Glogs are basically online posters. I think they are such a great idea because I have the students illustrate their work and their thoughts ALL the time! Instead of wasting all the paper they can put these thoughts onto the computer. Also, since it's on the computer their level of enthusiasm and motivation towards the assignment is increased and I haven't had to do anything except say, "You can use the computer to complete this assignment..." I'm looking forward to having the students work with glogster. I made a glog about Barack Obama because we are reading biographies and we have read is biography as a read aloud. I am using my glog as a model for them when they go to make their own glogs after they read their biographies independently. This will be such a different experience from having them all make big awkward posters and then having them all sit around listening to them present. Since the students have the ability to view each other's glogs online, we do not have to waste class time with all the presenting. The students can view the blogs and give feed to one another on the computer during small group center time for instance.


PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:


My team gave two professional development pieces. 
The first one was a "mini MSET conference" for the staff at the school. Since only a few teachers from the school could attend the MSET conference we each brought back something that we learned and found useful to share with the staff. During a staff meeting turned professional development meeting,  the teachers chose the sessions they would like to attend and rotated around to 20 minute sessions on different topics. The topics included: 3D art, Pixie 3, Web 2.0 tools, Wallwisher, Sublime Learning, and Gizmos. 
The second thing we did was to create a google site for technology professional development. The site is for the staff in our building. The information covers the training sessions we received in STEP this year. We hope that this site will serve as a place that teachers can turn to when they have a technology question and are looking for a little direction. As well as a place staff can gain new information and ideas on how to better implement and use technology in their lessons.