read me!

Throughout this semester I have come a long way in my developmental computer literacies. Prior to this subject I had never encountered many of the programs we used, I had never used garageband, imovie, wikispaces, or even powerpoint. I wasn’t an avid computer user. I was confident in using Microsoft word, checking emails and my facebook page but I had never really branched out to new and innovative programs. I know feel through this subject and my recent practicum that I have become a well-informed and confident computer use.

I have realised throughout the course of this semester that I had no reason to fear technology; the use of technology and differing programs throughout this semester has bettered me as both a teacher, a student and a learner. I am truly grateful, as I feel this subject has helped me reach my potential and become the modern teacher I want to be. For example, I made a webquest, a digital story, a podcast, a vodcast, and a blog. I never imagined myself doing such things, by actually conquering this I have furthered my self in technology and I ma so very proud.

On my recent practicum I had my very first interactions with technology in the classroom, leading the class in lessons in the computer lab and incorporating the use of an interactive whiteboard. I came into contact with technology in the classroom first hand. Watching students interact with technology was a good application of the theoretical aspects we learnt in class. Watching the students eyes light up at the introduction of new ideas presented by technology was inspiring. It has lead me to the informed decision that my classroom will be an online classroom, with great contribution from new and innovative technologies.

Having my newfound confidence in technology I feel with continual learning as a teacher I will be able to keep up with technology and thusly successfully incorporate it into my classroom. I believe that as an educator it is our responsibility to keep up with new ideas as to be able to accurately inform and educate our students. Using interactive whiteboards and student centred learning conjunctively will inturn create the best learning experience for the student.

I am a strong believer in the ‘teacher as a learner’ concept, as I noted for the teacher to be accurate and confident in teaching and using technology in the classroom they must continually learn and adopt new strategies and programs to be in used in the classroom. Thus, “As educators we are traditionally encouraged to focus on creating structures, systems and roles within our classrooms that achieve relatively fixed goals that enable our students to fit well into other school-based or systematic structures and processes” (Mag).

In conclusion, throughout this subject I have progressed from lacking confidence and fearing the use of technology that was foreign or new to me, to a confident and competent computer user. I now feel I can accurately and successfully educate my student and incorporate technology into my classroom, because I have now concurred it myself. Teacher confidence and competence in essential in smoothly incorporating technology and teaching students how to use and become more confident in computer literacies.

Sadly…we’ve come to the end of the road!

Image from: FlickrCC

I was recently reading Karina’s Blog and came across Toondo. So i decided to visit it and see what ti was all about.

Toondo is a MAGNIFICANT program. It allows students to create their own cartoons on virtually anything. They can let their imaginations and creativity run free! What a GREAT program. I thoroughly enjoyed using this. i cannot wait to share this with my friends and teachers. I will definitely be using this website on my next practicum. It was just so much fun and can easily allow students to creatively express themselves in a number of differing KLA’s.

Visit Toondo….you won’t regret it!

I even made one on technology…what do you think??

Click to view My Toondoo

I recently came across this video on teacher tube. It outlines many key benefits blogging presents for students. It has really opened my eyes towards the benefits of incorporating blogging into the classroom. Not only for the student but for the teacher as well…it provides better communication and provides an opportunity for formative informal assessment. The short film noted many relevent reasons for blogging such as….for:

* communication * sharing

* lieracy * collaboration

* ownership * discussion

* empowerment * interaction

* motivation * participation

* engagment * excitement

* conversation * creativity

* refelction

AND MOST SIGNIFICANTLY

* expanding the walls of the classroom

* giving students a voice and an ‘audience’

* to give students an open learning environment

* to give them skills useful for their digital future

This video rasied key ideas on incorporating technology into the classroom. It opens up indivdual learning and proves a consistent reinforcer to students in developing their computer literacies. Watch the video…you’ll enjoy it!

Clicl on the link below!

Why let our students blog?

Images from: FlickrCC

You may have noticed i haven’t shown my blog alot of love over the past weeks…well that’s because Victoria and I have been creating a webquest! It was quite challenging considering neither of us are overly confident with computers. However, if i can say so myself…our Webquest was rather AWESOME! Feel free to have a sticky beak! We received a Distinction for our efforts!

Click on Lucky Leprechaun Larry and he’ll take you there…

Hope you ENJOY!

While I was on my recent practicum I had my first hand experience with technology in the classroom. I was actively involved in the technological side of the school. I had my first experience with an interactive whiteboard and taught many lessons in the computer lab.

The first lesson involved student reflection via powerpoint. The students created a powerpoint conveying their reflections and photographs of their recent excursion. It taught the students to express their thoughts through visual and written forms.

We also used the whiteboard in nearly all my lessons with the class. Its interactive qualities motivated and interested the students. It added an extra element to their learning and the students absolutely LOVED it!

The teacher i had for prac was not overly confident in the technology department and i ended up teaching her how to operate Microsoft programs…such as powerpoint, excel and word…quite the role reversal! Overall, i really used all my knowledge of technology over the span of this recent practicum!

Images from: FlickrCC

This digital story outlines my motivation towards becoming a teacher, what drove me and what led me to this place at uni in education! ENJOY!

bridie-moore-digital-story

I recently came across an article on Sarah’s blog by Idit Harel titled Sandcastles Go Digital.Interestingly this article suggests that the constructivist theory is based on the concept that students are at their learning peak when they are being engaged in the active roles of the constructor and the designer, she relates this theory to children making sandcastles on the beach, via the software of Mama Media. It is her central idea that children are more likely to learn when they are highly engaged in an acitivity, thus reinforcing the importance of what she notes as the ‘teachable moment’.

However, there are limitations to this idea, as technology can be used to encapture the idea of constructivist learning. Children can explore, express, and share their learning experiences with a global audience, within the learning atmosphere of the world wide web. The internet is an engaging tool students love to explore, it is interactive and most importantly ‘open-ended’.

Give it a go, visit the digital beach Harel mentions Shell Party. Harel notes that Shell Party is all about surfing the “islands of knowledge on the web”. Shell Party is all about discovering the unexpected — something we cannot do with television – Harel.

Image from: FlickrCC

This is my Rationale for online learning tasks, it states the positives of including technoloy into the classroom, suchs as providing variety, access to information, opportunity and its interactivity. This mind map was created using Inspiration, an innovative mind-mapping program which allows students to express their ideas visually and intellectually.Here is the link to the mind map in its entirety if you wish to view it My K-6 Online Reasons.jpg

When researching for my literature circle i came across interesting ways to intergrate technology into the classrom, the best of these was based on collaborative internet projects. This article follows Susan Silvermans passions in technology, i researched this article with my partner Victoria, you can also read about her opinions on this topic on her blog. I can relate to Susan as she started out totally terrified of technology and computers etc. however she overcame this and taught herself how to use the internet/technology in and outside the classroom. She has come along way from the girl she used to be, as she is now a technology integration consultant for struggling teachers.

On her website she provides lesson plans and outlines to assist teachers struggling to integrate technology into their classrooms. Her website also provides a world for students to publish their work and communicate via the internet, thus adding another dimension to their class, and yet another link to technology. Outside of the classroom students can engage in educational games. Thus, students can continue their technological developmental home aswell as within the classroom. This website is an indispensable tool for teachers who wish to add variety to their technological classroom, and also to teachers struggling to integrate technology. In summation, Susan Silverman is an icon for any teacher who struggles with technology in the classroom, she has certainly made me think, if she can do it…so can i!

This topic is very relevant in todays technologically advancing classrooms, keep your eyes peeled, because this article had a very big effect on Victoria and myself and thus we have chosen this topic to create a webquest on. We aim to create yet another tool to help teachers realise the importance of collaborative learning and strategies to simplify its integration into classrooms.

I was recently reading through Victoria’s blog which provoked me to read an article she mentioned by Seymour Papert. In this article he breaks down the difference between constructionism and instructivism, which simplifies the meaning and thus makes it easier to comprehend. He stresses the point of “doing is learning” which made me think, that concept sums up my experiences in e-learning. The only way to learn and develop your computer skills is “to do”.

He also stresses that as teachers we shouldn’t merely copy paste ideas to use within the classroom but create our own examples of constructionism individual to each students needs. I strongly agree with Papert’s statment, as i believe learning should not be generic strategies and techniques applied to a class of individual students. For learning to be most effective a teacher must adapt their approaches, strategies, techniques and styles to suit each students individual learning needs. For example the different learning approaches such as the audio learner, visual, kinesthetic etc.

Papert’s article really got me thinking about my ambitions as a classroom teacher, and i hope to enforce my ideas/morals in a realistic setting and not just leave them aside when thrown into the classroom. This thought provoking article brings to the front important and interesting information tat i believe all teachers need to read and consider seriously.

Images from: FlickrCC