Sunday, February 8, 2015

On Your Mark, Get Set, Go!

I have been filling my brain the last two nights with a plethora of information.  I have always tried to integrate technology into my classroom, however I rarely gave it much thought about the domains that I might be using or the level of complexity involved.  In my classroom we already use a lot of differentiated math and reading apps and sites, so most of my goals are toward the collaborative spectrum.
My first goal is to have my students collaborate with one another using the site Kidblog.  This would be at the adaption level of the Technology Integration Model. I started using it last year with my third graders, but to be honest I didn't take it to the level that it could be.  I want to use it more in the way of sharing their weekly goals with one another and supporting their peers.  I also would like it to be used as a type of reflection.  One reason that I am choosing Kidblog is that every entry is sent to the teacher for approval so that unkind or off topic comments can be removed. In order to achieve this goal, I will have to create a time every week for each of my students to create a post (preferably on Friday) where they can reflect on their week's progress and create a new goal for the following week. The site itself has plenty of support for the teacher just starting out and several of the teachers whose blogs I follow also use the site.
My second goal is in the active and collaborative domain.  I would like to create a classroom website that is not just created by the teacher, but student created as well.  I would love to have a student post their learning on the site daily.  This could even be a classroom job.  This could be in a form of the student writing a few sentences about their favorite activity of the day or uploading a project that they created.  This would also function as communication with parents who would be invited to view the site and comment on the posts.  Luckily, I have just learned how to create a blog (thank you!).  We, as a class, will have to come up with our own name  and create our first post together, welcoming our guests.  I know there are several teachers within our district that have classroom websites should I need some support.  I also know that there is bound to be information out there on the Internet.
My third goal is to have my students create more projects that correlate with the content that we are learning, but in fun and engaging ways. This activity would fall into the constructive domain at the adoption level.  I plan on using the app Stick Around.  This app is wonderful! Students can create games for one another and it can be integrated into language arts, writing, math, grammar etc... Not only that, the students have to create an answer sheet to go with it.  The students playing the game are timed and the number of tries are also shown so they can create goals for themselves.  I thought it would be a fun station to incorporate in my math rotations.  Instead of using worksheets, the students can create a puzzle for their peers to solve.  In order to achieve this goal, I will have to make sure that my students can effectively navigate the app independently. This requires me to be knowledgeable enough to troubleshoot any problems my little second graders can get into.  I will most likely start it as a group task where two partners can create a project together.  I learned about this app from one of my blogging buddies (I love to steal other wonderful teacher's ideas). Should I run into trouble, I would turn to my tech savvy colleagues at my school. 
There are so many fun and engaging apps and sites out there for us to create lessons that go beyond our old style of paper and pencil.  I am excited to begin this journey to use technology in an appealing and meaningful way.

2 comments:

  1. Whoa girl! Those are some lofty goals... we are all going to pale in comparison! (I can't wait to hear all about them, though!!! I may end up stealing some of your ideas!)

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  2. The Stick Around app sounds interesting, I will definitely check it out. I love the idea of a student created website! Can't wait to see it.

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