Bringing Mouse to Life!

I choose to use the colAR app for my Literacy Project in conjunction with my iPad and my Smart Board. I read the story Time for School, Mouse! by Laura Numeroff. Throughout the read aloud, I concentrated on using time-order words while asking discussion questions. After the students were familiar with the story, they all colored a special picture (downloaded from the colAR app) of a mouse. They focused on creating eyes, mouth, and clothing for their mouse. They did a great job. After  they finished coloring their pictures I accessed the app and the students watched what happens to their mouse they colored. As the mouse danced around, I asked some questions prompting the students to retell the story using first, next, then, and last, They were all able to describe the story in sequential order according while watching their mouse come to life. The lesson went very well and all the students enjoyed using my iPad all by themselves. I even borrowed an overhead camera and hooked it up to my Smart Board, and the children were able to view all their friends pictures together. Here are just a few pictures of the students enjoying the mouse come to life.

  

So much in eight weeks.....

This is a great and user friendly tool for almost everyone. I enjoyed creating this one.


Everyone Can Learn! by christinekupcho on GoAnimate
">

Taking this course has opened my eyes quite a bit about technology. I now realize it doesn't matter what age you teach, or even how old you are, anyone can learn from digital tools. This has been one of the most hands on and informative courses we have taken throughout the program. I am ending these eight weeks very satisfied and inspired.

The most useful digital tools I learned are all the Web 2.0 tools. Animoto's are extremely easy and useful in preschool as is digital storytelling, voki, and Goanimate. I appreciated creating the weebly to communicate with my parents. What a great way to keep the parents abreast of what the class is learning and how we are progressing. I truly enjoyed learning about simple digital tools to make my life easier.

I considered myself uneducated on digital technology before this course and now I feel pretty confident to try new things and implement digital tools into my curriculum. This course has made me rethink the way I can differentiate my teaching for all my students. I can expose them to Skype and create a collaborative class blog. The possibilities are endless to the digital learning.

I have learned a great deal of technology knowledge that gave me the basis to explore and expand my teaching. I feel that I can now move my students into the digital age with ease and excitement. I can incorporate some sort of digital tool into all lessons across the curriculum.

I might be slow, but I am steps ahead of other teachers throughout my school. I am finding myself quite comfortable learning with my students and exploring our new digital age together.

21st Century Technology in High School

I have recently visited my daughter's High School for "Meet the Teacher" night. I was pleasantly pleased that all teachers have their own web page, Twitter account, Google account, and much more. When reviewing their syllabus, I realized that the students were already implementing Edmodo's, shared Google Docs, and must have an electronic device everyday with them in school. It was nice to see that group projects were all on shared documents so the students can write collaboratively. I have included a few of the teacher's websites and the main school's website just to give examples of using technology within the curriculum. It is Wamogo Regional High School, in Litchfield, CT.


Art Teacher-Ms. Christopher
Agriculture- Ms. Dunn
English-Mrs. Bickford

Rough Draft of Digital Story

I experimented with Storybird and created a story line that I think young children could relate. This is a story about family and life lessons. The children will relate because I used my children's names. I have pictures of my children and they personally know Nathan from his class. I can use it to share feelings about siblings or when families are expecting change. It could be used across the curriculum to cover many standards.
I really would like to add my own voice and narrate the story in my own voice. But I haven't figured that out yet. I also don't quite know how to embed or copy to my blog. Hopefully this works!! Just click the link below and you should be able to read.


Emily's Story

Fun in Faith Contest

I just finished a visual arts contest called "Fun in Faith." I created a cute video displaying some ways in which my preschoolers will experience having fun in their faith. We discussed and reviewed all different ways we can celebrate our faith and the children helped me recreate them through dramatic play. I snapped pictures and created an Animoto to submit. Here is the finished product.


 

Sharing Technology

After sharing all of the technology tools with my colleagues, our eighth grade teacher will be showing the students how to create an Animoto to express their thoughts for a particular topic. He thought that it was a quick and powerful assessment to let each student create and learn in a different way. I will ask him to share what they do throughout the week as they finish.  

First Technology Project

I met with all my parents for "Meet the Teacher" night, and they loved viewing the Animoto I created about apples. Our preschool class has been asked to enter a technology contest within our district, and I chose to create an Animoto and made sure all of my parents filled out the photo permission form. I let them all know what the Animoto would be about and what my ideas were, and they were thrilled. The contest consists of creating inspirational views of how the children experience their faith. I can't wait to actually take photos of the class in action and use those photos to create a tool to teach with. I will post and share the results when I am finished.