I have been continually thinking about using technology in the classroom throughout this quarter. In Spring quarter I will be teaching a unit on Australia, and I would like to incorporate technology into the unit. The main problem I forsee is access to computers. We only have two computers in the classroom and limited time in the computer lab. There is a mobile cart that I may be able to use, or I am thinking about bringing my laptop for them to use. This is more of a logistical concern, but I have seen the value of using technology in the classroom, and I am determined to use it.
The readings further bring the importance of technology home. I agree that tech isn't just shiny new tools, but that should be used for a real purpose. I have seen the power of using Voicethread and Photostory. They both are a platform in which the students can have a beautiful finished project, become more adept at using technology, and provide another way to show or learn information. Bloom's Digital Taxonomy will continue to take over the traditional paper and pencil ways of learning. As teachers, we need to keep up with the technology, especially when most of our students will be using it.
I have seen how technology can empower children. If you look back to one of my earlier posts, I used Photostory with her. She is working hard on both reading and writing, but often gets quiet and shy when asked to share these things. Her kindergarten teacher does a great job at having an author share time when the students share their stories. This story was the first one where Cami came up with her own concept and wrote and illustrated it with no help. This was a huge accomplishment for her! Because of this, I wanted to share it with anyone that I knew that would appreciate her hard work. Cami and I created the Photostory together, while my fourth grader watched and learned how she could use it on her own. Cami was beaming from ear to ear at her finished project, and she multiple people emailed her comments which I shared with her. My only disappointment was that I could not send it to her teacher, as the district blocks .mov files.
I can see that this would be both a valuable way to work with all of my students, especially my ELL students and it is something that can be shared with the parents. My fourth grader is assigned different book genres each month and there is a project attached. How great would it be to have the students do a commercial or a book review and post it to Voicethread? I get excited just thinking about it! I would like to have small groups in my classroom all read the same book and comment about it on Voicethread to share with the whole class.
I have really enjoyed collaborating through Google docs and Skype with my cohort members. I don't think that my field instructor is wanting to use Google docs, but I would like to introduce my master teacher to it so we could plan lessons together. There is so little time for us to get to discuss curriculum because we are often talking about students and how to best help them.
I also have to mention an app that a friend introduced me to: Hey Tell. Hey Tell is similar to a walkie talkie, in that you record a message and it is sent to the other person, who also must have the app. It is essentially verbal texting, with no fees involved. While I am planning lessons, I would love to be able to Hey Tell my master teacher with a quick thought on something that I think would be effective. Besides the fact that it's free, it has an advantage over texting in that you can hear the voice inflection and expression, whereas sometimes you can misinterpret a text message.
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