Amplify! (chapters 5 and 6)

So, I'm going to go out on a limb and make myself a little vulnerable. I'll start by saying that I love the idea of using technology to help monitor student progress (a formal or informal assessment depending on how you use it). However, I am not at a place where I have yet figured out how to make this work for me. Already, we have first grade students using Dreambox (a math site), Lexia Core 5 (structured phonics), Reading A-Z, and the the SeeSaw app. All of the sites/apps allow me to go in to student accounts and verify how much time they are spending on certain skills, how they are progressing, and where students are still experiencing difficulty. I am embarrassed to say, but I rarely go in and check these things. I am not saying that I find these tools to be just a 'filler'. In fact, as a district we have chosen to use them and spend money on them because they are research-based sites. However, I still rely more on student math journals, writing samples, and 1:1 reading conferences for teaching points with students. What I have learned about myself (especially in regards to using technology in the classroom) is that I get very excited about the many, many possibilities available to us. However, if I try to jump into everything - I do nothing well. While I can appreciate all of the suggestions about using technology for assessment purposes this is not a place I am willing to go to (yet).

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Final Reflection

As I sit to begin my reflection on this course, the reading I've done, the scenario project, new uses of technology, and even the video of my final presentation I feel proud of myself. Time goes by so quickly and it is often easy to lose track of just how much has been accomplished in a short amount of time. Personally, I have two large take-aways from this course. The first is about my personal style and learning. As excited as I get about new technology and uses for students I need to remember to be thoughtful in what I choose to use. Now, thoughtful doesn't have to mean delaying implementation (in the past this would have been tempting for me), but it does mean choosing a few specific pieces to bring to my students that match the purpose and are developmentally appropriate. I can easily be caught up in how impressive or engaging certain tools are, but if I jump in to everything most things will not go well and I'll end up stopping rather than increasin...

Consumer versus Creator

There are many, many benefits to students becoming creators rather than simply consumers of technology. Personally, the largest benefit was how truly fun and engaging writing code was! This was an activity where I watched the clock - not because I was trying to fill time, but rather I had to make sure I didn't spend too much time in front of a screen. Each 'sprite' that I worked on could have had multiple, multiple effects. I wanted to keep recreating what the final product would look like. For students who struggle with stamina or perseverance in the classroom this activity could help not only build skills, but a sense of success! Another benefit to this particular activity is how easily you can change and update the final product. As teachers we try to have students focus not only on a finished product, but the process as well. When the process can't be edited easily (i.e. students creating a poster) students quickly become frustrated a...

Weekend 2

There are so many things that I could talk about after our second weekend of class, but for the purpose of this blog and reflection I want to focus on what it was like to take the role of 'student' rather than 'teacher'. On Friday evening we were introduced to 'quizlet live' and then on Saturday morning we were able to participate in a mystery location skype. Quizlet live was a brand new tool to me and even though I have led mystery number skypes in my classroom before I have not had the chance to do a location skype. Although both activities would probably not be an activity I would do with first grade students (I want to try quizlet - but not the live version) my take away was still large. First, both activities were FUN! As often I as I try to make learning fun (and I try a lot) I still think that I miss the mark quite frequently. For me, I knew these were fun because I wanted to keep going. At no point did I ask myself, 'when will we be done?...

Tech Reflections

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