#11 Reflections

I'm terrible with technology so this whole thing was very difficult for me and honestly I didn't enjoy it. But if there was one that I enjoyed once I got the hang of it was Tool #7 Digital Storytelling. Finally I kind of understand how to use the iMovie program I had! This tool can be used at the of the school year to make a presentation of the kids to present at their graduation from Pre-K to the parents.

My way of thinking about how learning will take place in the classroom has not changed too much because I feel like most of these tools are out of reach and too advanced for Pre-K kids to be able to learn and use by themselves or many at that age wouldn't have the resources they need to do it at home. To teach some of these tools at school would take up too much time of the little time we already have to teach everything else that is more essential. Before they learn these technological advances they need to learn fundamentals that will carry them through life and that is the basic of everything. Such as the alphabet, putting the letters together to make words, their sounds, how to make sentences, how to count, quantities etc. To be able to fully understand and use technology to its full capacity they need to focus on learning the fundamentals first.

There wasn't really any unexpected outcomes, I expected for this to be difficult and I somewhat learned new things, I just hope that I can remember them! I'm not surprised that for the Pre-K level most of these tools don't really help too much minus a couple for example the apps on itouches and iphones and the digital storytelling.

Tool #7

This was hard for me to figure out and put together but I finally did using iMovie. I put together a personal slideshow of my family traveling in various locations in Mexico, this is a good way to share my personal pictures with other family members and friends! As for classroom purposes I think this would be too difficult to have the Pre-K students use any of these tools without a lot of parental help and technology that they may not have at home. They are barely learning how to use the computer much less be able to put a slideshow or movie together on their own.

However, as a teacher if I had time at the end of the year this would be handy to put together a slideshow of the year and present it to the parents.

Tool #11

Although technological advances are helpful in many ways they bring new dangers that are new and scary especially when it involves our children. Before we allow children to learn and play with the new technology they have to learn a few safety rules and understand the responsibility that comes with it.

1. Take as much precaution as possible. The internet can be dangerous and privacy settings should be set and if there are any cases of bullying online to let someone know about it. Just as they want to be treated with respect they must do so with others.

2. Never disclose any personal information to anyone especially if it's someone you just met or don't know! Better yet, don't talk back with anyone who you've never met in person.

3. Don't explore pages that haven't been approved of before by teachers or parents.

I would teach these rules not only by talking to them and giving them examples of the negative consequences but by also demonstrating how we should behave when exploring new possibilities through technology.

Tool #10

Most of these apps are targeted for older kids but could also be used for the young Pre-K to a certain extent... Such as the Google Earth App where you could demonstrate to the kids what Earth looks like and it's different continents and oceans demonstrating how we fit into the world. Games like the Wooden Labyrinth can be used to better their motor coordination in a fun new way.

Students could use the apps by playing games that would increase their motor skills or other interactive games that would help them better learn their alphabet or numbers etc.

Tool #9

Jing would be a good way to share things with substitutes or other fellow teachers especially if I'm out sick at home I can still be involved by giving the classroom activities and projects.

I don't use Skype but I've seen my daughter use it and although it is not complicated I do not see myself using it anytime soon. It's definitely a great way to keep in touch with those far away and being able to actually see them through the video chat is very nice compared to instant messenger where you can't see the person.

Tool #6

While I see the purpose and the usefulness of Wikis for older students and for myself as a teacher it wouldn't really help Pre-K students. It would be difficult for them to use and this tool is not really helpful for the students of this age. However, as a teacher it is a good tool to be able to share ideas with others and to research different topics or projects.

Tool #5

I don't really bookmark too much on my computer so it's usually not too much of a problem having to organize them or anything. Through using Diigo I browsed through a couple of websites using tags such as bilingual, education, and teachers. Two websites that I found were:

www.teachingtips.com/...ul-blogging-tools-for-teachers

classtools.net

Using Diigo is a good way to get new ideas on things that we can incorporate to our lesson plans and how to better help our students.