There are so many educational learning tools on the web that are extremely valuable. I decided to look for a learning tool for our lesson plan assignment. I will be doing lesson plans for Kindergarten math. I found www.ixl.com/math, unfortunately it not free. It costs a parent/student $9.99 a month or $79.00 for a yearly plan. For teachers, classroom licenses start at just $199 for 30 students. Access is unlimited for a calendar year from home and school. School-wide and district-wide site licenses are also available. Now that I got the price out out of the way.
What an awesome learning tool for Pre-Kindergarten through Sixth grade math. They offer offer 103 skills for kindergarten alone. They align the skills with the state standards, provide award charts, provide progress tracking.
There are different features to parents and teachers that can be viewed on this website.
The benefits for teachers is that IXL has hundreds of question types so your students can gain a true understanding of the concepts you are teaching. The students get to practice the concepts you are teaching in school, while "playing on the computer." It is a great tool for teachers as well to monitor student's comprehension levels. IXL has hundreds of question types so your students can gain a true understanding of the concepts you are teaching. The IXL programs tracks students progress on each of the concepts in many different ways, this allow teachers to know what students are learning so they can tweek lesson plans if needed.
This website has 103 skills for kindergarten students just for math.
http://www.ixl.com/math/grade/kindergarten/
If you want to try out some questions for free the site allows you to do 10 practice questions.
I also like www.quizlets.com, the website allow students to learn from flashcards, they can view, learn, test or play games. It is addictive and FREE!!!!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Can teachers provide equal access to the digital world to all students?
I want to be optimistic that all teachers can provide equal access to the digital world to all students. Today it will be difficult to say that, however in a few years time it will be more realistic. In reading the article "Examining Teachers' Beliefs About the Role of Technology in the Elementary Classroom," by Ertmer, Addison, Lane, Ross, and Woods, it discussed the barriers to change both extrinsic and intrinsic. Teachers will continue to have extrinsic barriers, such as not enough computers in the classroom, or computer lab, and not enough time to plan instruction. However, the intrinsic barrier is the beliefs about teaching, computers, and unwillingness to change. This is the area the school districts need to focus on. Teachers have various levels of experience and comfort level with computers that may help or hind equal access in a digital world. Teachers need to get training, degrees of training will vary, on how to incorporate digital learning into their lesson plans. Many school districts will not be able to afford a computer for every student, but as teachers the need to utilize the extrinsic resources available to them no matter how limited is important. Many teachers use the computer as a reward system, to allow students to use the computer. So can teachers provide equal access to the digital world for every student? The answer is yes. Teachers can provide equal access to the digital world within the walls of the school. They can incorporate technology into the lesson plans, schedule computer lab time once a month, and they can schedule time for the students to utilize the computer in the class room. However, they can not provide equal access outside of the classroom because of extrinsic barriers in students home environment (i.e. no Internet, no computer, no access to the town library).
Monday, January 18, 2010
I went to the K12 Online Conference.com and watched a session on Parental Engagement in the 21st Century- Leveraging Web 2.0 Tool to Engage Parents in Non-Traditional Ways by Lorna Costantini & Matt Montagne, under the track Kicking it Up a Notch from the 2008 conference.
I have been substitute teaching and two things jumped out at me. One middle school students have computer access to the school's network, and that the teachers send emails to parents that I felt needed to be discussed on the phone or in person. Well, wake up Danielle, welcome to the world of Web 2.0 as it pertains to education and engagement of parents in non-traditional ways.
This session discussed how most parents live in a web 1.0 world, and their children are in a Web 2.0. They discussed that parents are often invited to the school to discuss internet safety and predators, which has also contributed to the lack of knowledge or fear of the internet. What are the acceptable use policy of the internet, well if parents don't know how to use it or what their children are doing then how can they know what is acceptable.
I am taking this class and in two classes have learned about blogging, tweets, voicethread, ning, and other applications/programs in our textbook like epals, ilearn, Livemocha, etc. The class has opened my eyes to a whole new world of learning on the internet Web 2.0.
Parents need to be taught internet safety but first they need to be taught how to do it. Matt stated that a school had invited parents to be part of a sustained study where the focus was on teaching parents how to blog, how to do Facebook. One school used Ning as a non-traditional form of communication between the teachers and parents. Teachers stated that parents tahat are not involved in the traditional way, are giving great ideas on ways to improve things ~ like need a pedestrian blinking light at the cross walks.
The Web 2.0 is here and the resources need to be given to teachers and parents on how to navigate, how to learn, and how to support their childrens online learning. Students are collaborating with other students in other countries using the internet, parents need to learn and understand the benefits and how safe it is versus what terrible things are out there on the Web.
I have been substitute teaching and two things jumped out at me. One middle school students have computer access to the school's network, and that the teachers send emails to parents that I felt needed to be discussed on the phone or in person. Well, wake up Danielle, welcome to the world of Web 2.0 as it pertains to education and engagement of parents in non-traditional ways.
This session discussed how most parents live in a web 1.0 world, and their children are in a Web 2.0. They discussed that parents are often invited to the school to discuss internet safety and predators, which has also contributed to the lack of knowledge or fear of the internet. What are the acceptable use policy of the internet, well if parents don't know how to use it or what their children are doing then how can they know what is acceptable.
I am taking this class and in two classes have learned about blogging, tweets, voicethread, ning, and other applications/programs in our textbook like epals, ilearn, Livemocha, etc. The class has opened my eyes to a whole new world of learning on the internet Web 2.0.
Parents need to be taught internet safety but first they need to be taught how to do it. Matt stated that a school had invited parents to be part of a sustained study where the focus was on teaching parents how to blog, how to do Facebook. One school used Ning as a non-traditional form of communication between the teachers and parents. Teachers stated that parents tahat are not involved in the traditional way, are giving great ideas on ways to improve things ~ like need a pedestrian blinking light at the cross walks.
The Web 2.0 is here and the resources need to be given to teachers and parents on how to navigate, how to learn, and how to support their childrens online learning. Students are collaborating with other students in other countries using the internet, parents need to learn and understand the benefits and how safe it is versus what terrible things are out there on the Web.
What Can We Gain by Collaboration?
Many of us have collaborated on projects for school with classmates and for our jobs with peers who are in the same location. The Web 2.0 has opened up the world for endless opportunities for collaboration with other schools in the
Reading the chapters assigned in Curtis J. Bonk’s book “The World is Open,” has really opened me eyes to the endless collaboration opportunities.
Collaboration is something that not only students can gain from but teachers as well. Students can be collaborating on the pop culture, government, and school in
In recent events of
I was watching CNN this morning and the reporters were discussing what the donations were at this point, when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, or the Tsunami that hit Thailand, compared to the donations for the Haitian earthquake.
They were discussing maybe the earthquake hit them differently, and felt they want to help. They talked about how technology has changed in the last several years making it easier to donate.
I believe that the Web 2.0 and other technology have made it easier for people to donate. Many people may have thought their $10 would not make a difference in recent years. However, the Red Cross has made it easy for cell phone customers, just text to this number, and type in Haiti and $10 will be added to you next bill. This collaboration efforts between the Red Cross and Cell Phone companies, and their customers has raised millions of dollars in a short period of time. $10 does make a difference...
On 1/4/10 I blogged about clutter busting. I put some gold aside to bring to a cash for gold party. I walked out with at check for five hundred and forty four dollars. This reward was a good motivation to keep clutter busting. However, the best reward is giving away possessions that will be valued to another person. No more garage sales..if it is of no value to me it goes in one of 3 places: the garbage..recycle..good will.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Today learning is vastly different from when I went to school. There was no access to online for research it was encyclopedia and books. This generation and future generations have grown up with technology that provides them with endless information. If you ask a student today in K -12 "what is a pay phone?," many of them will not know that answer. It is a foreign concept to them, their world is cell phones and can make or receive a call at any time.
The way our teachers taught us will not work with students today. Our students are digital therefore we need to change the way we teach our students. We need to be educated on tools that are available to us. We need to engage our students with a variety of learning tools. We must teach using less lecture, and incorporate more interactive learning and the world of online. The world has gone online or computerized in many occupations. Therefore it is critical that we teach our children because these are the tools they will need to have success in life in the working world.
We must integrate technology into our teaching to engage children in learning the way they learn, not the way we learned. We need to provide them with the fundamental knowledge while allowing them to be creative while following their passions. Engaging our students in learning goes beyond the 4 walls of the classroom. It is important to expose them and teach them the applications and programs that will enhance their learning for particular subjects. For example, a teacher who is presenting material on China can have students do presentations on different aspects of China. The students can use advanced google search for more specific information, and go to sites that can translate words from English to Chinese, etc. The teacher can set up an online collaboration with a teacher and classroom in China, using iEarn, ePals, or In2books to enable children of both countries to engage in learning of one anther's culture etc.
When I went to college and went to class, I can't remember any online presentations, interactive activities and various teaching methods that was 12 years ago. I remember sitting through some lectures bored not getting anything more than the book taught, out of it. It was all lecture and group work, group presentations, and group projects. When I started this class last week, I was engaged by a variety of teaching methods, from online videos, setting up twitter and blog accounts, reading articles and having group discussions, to navigating different sites provided by the professor. I felt I was engaged and learned more by a variety of different techniques.
The two different styles have opened up my eyes to the style of my future teaching. One must engage students, and teach to the levels of technology that can be integrated into the classroom.
The way our teachers taught us will not work with students today. Our students are digital therefore we need to change the way we teach our students. We need to be educated on tools that are available to us. We need to engage our students with a variety of learning tools. We must teach using less lecture, and incorporate more interactive learning and the world of online. The world has gone online or computerized in many occupations. Therefore it is critical that we teach our children because these are the tools they will need to have success in life in the working world.
We must integrate technology into our teaching to engage children in learning the way they learn, not the way we learned. We need to provide them with the fundamental knowledge while allowing them to be creative while following their passions. Engaging our students in learning goes beyond the 4 walls of the classroom. It is important to expose them and teach them the applications and programs that will enhance their learning for particular subjects. For example, a teacher who is presenting material on China can have students do presentations on different aspects of China. The students can use advanced google search for more specific information, and go to sites that can translate words from English to Chinese, etc. The teacher can set up an online collaboration with a teacher and classroom in China, using iEarn, ePals, or In2books to enable children of both countries to engage in learning of one anther's culture etc.
When I went to college and went to class, I can't remember any online presentations, interactive activities and various teaching methods that was 12 years ago. I remember sitting through some lectures bored not getting anything more than the book taught, out of it. It was all lecture and group work, group presentations, and group projects. When I started this class last week, I was engaged by a variety of teaching methods, from online videos, setting up twitter and blog accounts, reading articles and having group discussions, to navigating different sites provided by the professor. I felt I was engaged and learned more by a variety of different techniques.
The two different styles have opened up my eyes to the style of my future teaching. One must engage students, and teach to the levels of technology that can be integrated into the classroom.
I went to the K12 Online Conference.com and watched a session on Engaging our Youngest Minds by Angela Maiers, under the track Kicking it Up a Notch from the 2009 conference.
Her session focused on how the following quote (by Hegel, Philosophy of History 1832) related to education:
Her session focused on how the following quote (by Hegel, Philosophy of History 1832) related to education:
Nothing great in the world
has been accomplished
without
PASSION.
She spoke of a little girl name Hailey that was in preschool, who had a passion for saving animals. She told the audience what Hailey had done to address the issue she was so passionate about. The biggest questions were how are teachers schools going to foster a passion for learning?
My first thought was about a friend of mine. Her daughter was in kindergarten. When I asked how she was doing and how she liked it. She stated her daughter liked school but was very bored in class because she was at a 1 -2 grade reading level. She didn't feel like the teacher had engaged her daughter's learning capabilities. Looking back on that conversation now, and watching this video session a few ideas came to mind.
My friend could have discussed her daughter's passion for reading, and what types of books she had the most interest in. If I was the students teacher there are several things I could do to nuture this passion, but first and foremost I would talk to the student about her passion for reading and discuss her interests with her. I would talk to her about some reading programs at the library and/or projects she could do. I would have her parents involved whether, in person or through various modes of technology, so that we can formulate a plan for this student that challenges her and engages her in a higher level of reading, while encouraging her passion for reading.
As teachers we must teach a specific curriculm, however as educators we need to also find how to "WOW" our students on subject matter. Students develop passions for sciences, math, reading, etc. We need to reach out, set high standards, integrate different learning modes and methods, teach students how to use resources and technology to support their interests and passions.
Kids today need to have a PASSION for learning, and we as future teachers need to instill PASSION in our future students.
Monday, January 4, 2010
I am just started my M.ed. in elementary education/special education tonight. It was fun. I enjoy my family and my dog. I love to scrapbook, when I get the chance. I am reading a book on busting clutter or clutter buster, either way I need to throw out things that I have not used for years but hold onto because so and so gave it to me. Good Luck to me....Day one went well, went through two jewlery boxes. Gave one to my kids, threw out some, donated some, and saved some for gold party and of course kept some :):)
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