Second Life

Second Life is a virtual reality program used by people all over the globe. It was created for users over the age of 18. There is no cost for a regular membership. Users create avatars and walk around the virtual world, communicating with others. A form of Instant Messaging is used for communication between users. The virtual world has it's own currency, the Linden dollar, which can be used to purchase virtual goods. There are virtual businesses, art galleries, and theaters. Some bands have toured virtually in Second Life and theater groups such as the Second Life Shakespeare Company have performed plays. Some religious organizations have started to appear in the virtual world. Second Life works with a variety of operating systems. Many higher education institutions use it for research and instruction as well as language learning. Virtual businesses are regulated and gambling is prohibited. Some criticisms of Second Life have been voiced. Some people have complained of limited access due to not having a mouse. People with visual impairment also struggle with using Second Life. The owners of the virtual world are trying to solve these problems. Second Life has also been criticized for adult content.

Award-Winning Publishers

An award winning publisher in computer assisted instruction is Sunburst Technology. Their website can be accessed at http://store.sunburst.com/. Sunburst Technology develops and distributes supplemental curriculum materials for schools. It is a leading resource for school technology products. The company has become well-known in the educational technology field by developing and publishing award-winning, multimedia educational software, videos, and printed supplements for use in schools. It publishes school products for grades kindergarten to 12th grade. Sunburst Technology offers over 500 software, print, and web-delivered titles in various subject areas including reading and language, science, math, and social studies.

Sunburst Technology could be a valuable resource in the elementary education classroom. Teachers can access a variety of activities and learning programs from the website to download for free or to order. In the elementary classroom where there are probably only a few computers, teachers can allow students to use these computers during “free-time” or activity rotations during which students can play educational games such as those provided by Sunburst Technology. Thus students become accustomed to using computers, are introduced to technology, and learn as well! The games also generate formative assessment reports for teachers which shows students progress in comparison to state’s standards. The resources provided by Sunburst Technology are a great tool for the classroom and should be considered for use.

Google Earth

What is Google Earth? Google Earth is a very interesting example of technology in the form of virtual simulations. The program that needs to be downloaded to the computer gives the user an aerial view of the world and areas. A person can zoom in a view visual replicas created through satellite imagery of the world. Google Earth also has 3-D representations of some areas such as Grove City Campus. The building on campus can be viewed from a three-dimensional perspective.

In the elementary school classroom, Google Earth can be used to allow the students to explore the terrain of areas of the world about which they are learning. Students can see a visual representation of the countries or cities that they read about in literature or that they study in history. In addition to looking at an aerial view of the areas, the teacher can create supplementary informational posts regarding various areas and topics. Google Earth can be very useful in the classroom environment.

PhotoStory 3

We were introduced to PhotoStory 3 today. This is a free program that you can download. Using PhotoStory, you can upload you photos, crop them, add text or vocal comments, and add music. This program is fairly limited. Placing text on the photos is difficult to do, because there are few places it can go. The program allows you to make your own music, but it tends to be low quality. Overall, this program can be very useful for making short movies of your pictures.
This program can even be used in the classroom! Educators can use photostory to make a movie from photos of class projects or field trips. They could use this program to create a film of pictures from the entire year for an end of the year ceremony. Teachers could also offer this as an option for presenting a project or report. Instead of giving a book report, students could choose to do a photostory that they narrate. This program certainly has educational possibilities!

ABCs

Effects of Technology in the Classroom

There are many effects of technology in the classroom and students, not just at the elementary level, but for all grades. Some of these include changes in student and teacher roles, increased motivation and self-esteem, development of technical skills, and accomplishment of more complex tasks. Furthermore, technology activities and interaction in the classroom leads to more collaboration with peers, increased use of outside resources, and improved design skills. When students are using technology as a tool, they are in an active role rather than the passive role of recipient of information. The student is actively making choices about how to generate, obtain, manipulate, or display information. Technology is valued within our culture. It is something that costs money and that bestows the power to add value. By giving students technology tools, students are being given more meaning to their school activities.

There are many positive and negative effects of technology in the classroom. As listed above, technology can be a great resource in the classroom and in preparing students for future encounters with technology in the real world. Students, even at the elementary school level, are able to acquire an impressive level of skill with a broad range of computer software. Many times, students develop these skills in the classroom. Teachers have observed that students are able to handle more complex assignments and use higher-order skills because of the supports and capabilities provided by technology. The effect of technology cited by a great majority of teachers is an increased ability to help students work cooperatively with each other and to even provide peer tutoring. Although the use of technology has many positive aspects, there were still concerns about appropriate student conduct, the distractedness computers can cause, and the time taken away from traditional and useful classroom activities. Teachers need to use technology as a helpful tool but not as a necessary requirement in order to make technology the most effective in the classroom.

Podcasts for the Classroom!

A podcast is a series of digital media files, usually either digital audio or video, that is made available for download usually via web syndication. A podcast usually takes its name from the combination of “iPod” and “broadcasting”. However, podcasting does not actually require the use of an iPod. Different types of podcasts include radio programs, news shows, and museum audio tours. Podcasting is the creation, management and promotion of podcasts on the Internet. There is special client software applications called podcatchers which automatically identify and download new files in series. Podcasting is another media tool that can be used in the classroom for both adults and children.

These links are useful podcasts that our group has found.
For Early Childhood Education:
http://www.sesamestreet.org/podcasts/?gclid=CJfK-e2fg54CFVw55QodT1hApQ
Here you can find free Sesame Street podcasts. These are episodes of an educational television show that teaches letters and numbers. This can be used to reinforce learning of said concepts in the early classroom in an enjoyable way.
For Middle Childhood Education:
http://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail?pid=7425
This website offers a link to the CNN Student news. This podcast gives current events in a way that is understandable and applicable to middle school and high school students
For all Educators:
http://www.epnweb.org/
This is the website for The Education Podcast Network. This website is a collection of podcasts for every grade and subject. Educators can go here and look for podcasts in their discipline.

In our future classrooms, podcasts can have various uses and enhance learning greatly. One use that was brainstormed was the use of podcasts as a supplemental, out of classroom learning prop. A teacher can assign a podcast to the whole class and have the students listen to the podcast on their own at home. The students will have the freedom to listen to the blog on their own time. After listening to the blog, the students will be expected to show their learning in some way, such as writing a response to the podcast or being prepared to share the information in class discussion.
Another way to use podcasts in the classroom is to play snippets of the podcasts in class as a supplement to the lesson and have the students discuss the information that is presented. This method would take up class time while the previous use of podcasts would not cut into class time and would increase the amount of learning time inside and outside of the classroom.

Child Abuse in the Schools

In our online textbook, some educational issues are dealt with and discussed. One of the issues in child abuse within the schools. A scenario is given and the reader is expected to think about the decision that one would make in this situation. Within the scenario, there is also a hyperlink to a website that promotes the prevention of child abuse. This issue is a very touchy subject that a teacher may have to deal with in his or her classroom. The website provides a way to explore the prevention of child abuse.
As a future educator, it is very important for me to be aware of the issues that I will encounter in the school setting. Child abuse is not as uncommon as believed by most people and we, as educators, are required to report suspected abuse cases. Although it can be difficult to know if the child is truly being abused, if there is suspected abuse, it must be reported to the school authorities. It is important for future educators to know the process by which they must report suspected child abuse.

Electronic Mail and the Importance of "Netiquette"

From the online textbook site, Teachers Discovering Computers, in the "Teaching Today" corner from Chapter 2, discussion is given to a more detailed area in which “netiquette" should be used. This area is electronic mail, or better known as e-mail. E-mail has become a preferred means of communication for many businesses, schools, and individuals. Teachers, as well as students, should be aware of netiquette to help ensure the recipients are aware of the intent behind the e-mail messages that are being sent. Netiquette will help teachers and students transcend many of the problems which can arise from abuse of the use of email. Netiquette is network etiquette, or the dos and don’ts of online communication. Netiquette covers both common courtesy online and the informal “rules” of cyberspace.

Communication is a key area of being a good and efficient educator. In today’s classroom, one of the key ways teachers communicate with parents, colleges, and administration is through email. It is important for teachers to present themselves in a professional way, even through this mode of communication. One way for teachers to do this is by knowing and applying the rules of netiquette. This helps to create a sense of online community. A positive atmosphere and tone can reduce anxiety about communicating via email and contribute to a positive classroom environment.

Using Computer Software to Aid Struggling Learners

Through the textbook website mentioned in my previous post, I discovered an important resource. The site offers a link to the RiverDeep website. This site offers a variety of software options for math, reading, science, and social studies. There is software for grades K-12 in all of these subjects. They offer guides and practice for students. Since they are interactive, these different software applications help keep students' interest and encourage learning. This is a great site for finding something to aid a struggling learner. Teachers that have a student or students that are struggling in one or most subject areas should look at this site for resources. Software can be a great help to students, so check out this site: http://web.riverdeep.net/portal/page?_pageid=818,1381924&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL

Teaching with the Web!

The online supplement to our textbook for Comp 204 provides a nice list of resources in the "Integration Corner" on the website. One site that I found particularly useful was under the Early Childhood Corner and was called Teaching with the Web! This site is not only useful for early childhood classrooms but can be used to integrate technology into even the high school setting. The website separates themes by gradebands K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12. Within these gradebands, various themes that are dealt with in these years are hyperlinked to useful websites that can be used as supplements to classroom lessons. These websites often have a interactive nature that allow for easy integration of technology into the classroom.
In my future classroom, I could use this website as a tool to enhance learning. Students could access this website in the classroom or from home and use the resources provided to learn more about topics that are discussed in class. Some of the websites listed are interactive and can be used to engage the students in the classroom.

A Kid's Guide to Etiquette on the Net

The textbook, Teachers Discovering Computers, provides many great connections for teachers to use in their specific discipline. From the "Integration" corner from Chapter 2, under the Early Childhood discipline, there is a web article provided which discusses internet etiquette-or "netiquette"-which informs teachers how to guide children in proper behavior on the internet. It is important for students to learn "manners" when surfing the web. Some rules suggested by the website include do unto others as you would have others do unto you, do not type in all capital letters for emphasis, be careful not to use rude or bad language online, don't break any laws, be universal and remember that other users have different Web browers, make a good impression, and be patient with newcomers. It is also important for students to maintain manners when using email and online discussion groups.

This website is a good reminder to Elementary and Early Childhood educators especially to help students develop good web skills and manners when using the internet. A teacher should not want his or her students to venture onto the World Wide Web in the classroom setting without them being familliar with the acceptable rules of Internet behavior. As an elementary teacher, I need to remind my students to be polite and courteous at all times when communicating on the computer as well as be respectful to the resources that are being provided for them. Teachers should develop "netiquette" boundaries for their students in the classroom to help facilitate proper use of technology in the classroom.

FactMonster.com

Today I discovered FactMonster.com through the "Integrating Technology and Digital Media in the Classroom" textbook website. This is the URL: http://oc.course.com/sc/tdc5/index.cfm?action=home. This website is a fun, interactive, and informative resource for students in the elementary grades. There are games and resources for a variety of subjects such as the United States, math, science, vocabulary terms, and important people. Under each topic are a variety of subtopics. I clicked on the United States and was given subtopics such as geography, states, landmarks, history, government, cities, population, laws, and important documents and speeches. There are some really great educational resources here. For example, under U.S history, they offer a comprehensive timeline of important events. What a great study tool!
Teachers can use this site to help students understand and enjoy the different topics they are learning about. They can print off the resources, such as timelines or worksheets and distribute them to the students as homework and study guides. The games and interactive lessons offered on the site can be used by educators to help students review material in a fun and meaningful way. Also, teachers can offer this website as a safe, age appropriate webpage for research on projects. This is a great site that can be used creatively by elementary school teachers to supplement lessons in a variety of subject areas. Check it out at: http://www.factmonster.com/

SharePoint Designer

Recently we've been learning how to use Microsoft's SharePoint Designer. This software allows the user to create their own webpage. You can upload photos and add lots of textual information. It is very easy to add hyperlinks to other web pages into your page. Cascade Style Sheets are great ways to make your page have a uniform color scheme and font. All you have to do is add the folder to the sidebar in SharePoint Designer. Then, just click on the Style Sheet you are interested in and drag it to your page. Ta da! You have a brightly colored page and your font is all the same! SharePoint Designer is a simple and enjoyable way to create your own webpage.
As a future educator, this software could be very useful. You could create a site for your classroom. Then, you could add photos and descriptions to the page. This is a great way to show your student's parents what is going on in the classroom and what the students will be working on next. You could make different tabs within your page for different subjects. On each subject page you could add an in depth description of what you hope to accomplish in that area throughout the year. For the students you could write up homework assignments and add hyperlinks to useful websites. This is a great resources for future teachers.

Resources for Philosophy of Technology Portfolio

Here are some resources provided below that might be helpful for pre-service teachers to use when developing their philosophy of technology. The sources helped give me a better perspective about my own philosophy of technology and will help me in developing my own portfolio.

Adams, Dennis, Helen Carlson, and Mary Hamm. 1990. Cooperative Learning and Educational Media: Collaborating with Technology and Each Other. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications.

Britt, Judy, Joe P. Brasher, and Lydia D. Davenport. 2007. “Balancing Books & Bytes.” Kappa Delta Pi Record 43, no. 3: 122-127. The techniques presented in Brit and colleagues’ article suggest that computers should not replace the need for students to read good books. However, sharing a book can employ contemporary strategies, such as project-based learning, that provide an exciting balance between traditional teaching and technology tools

Carter, LeAnn, William J. Sumrall, and Kristen M. Curry. 2006. “Say Cheese! Digital Collections in the Classroom.” Science and Children 43, no. 8: 19-23. Digital cameras offer great potential for incorporating technology into lessons. Camera provide creative uses of technology in the classroom and can be used for a variety of interactive projects as well as a source of documentation in the classroom.

Ching, Cynthia Carter, X. Christine Wang, Mei-Li Shih, and Yore Kedem. 2006. “Digital Photography and Journals in a Kindergarten-First-Grade Classroom: Toward Meaningful Technology Integration in Early Childhood Education.” Early Education and Development 17, no. 3: 347-371. To explore meaningful and effective technology integration in early childhood education, Ching and colleagues investigated how kindergarten and first-grade students created and employed digital photography journals to support social and cognitive reflection. These students used a digital camera to document their daily school activities and created digital photo journals to represent their experiences. The authors also discuss implications for meaningful technology integration in early childhood education.

Fox, Christine. 2008. “Elementary Schools: The Time Is Now.” T.H.E. Journal 35, no. 7: 10-11. Fox describes how various schools across the country are offering formative assessment tools to help teachers apprehend students’ learning difficulties early on in the learning process.

Kali, Yael, and Marcia C. Linn. 2008. “Designing Effective Visualizations for Elementary School Science.” Elementary School Journal 109, no. 2: 181-198. Kali and Linn’s research has shown that technology-enhanced visualizations can improve inquiry learning in science when they are designed to support knowledge integration. Visualizations play an especially important role in supporting science learning at elementary and middle school levels because they can make unseen and complex processes visible. They identify four principles that can help designers and teachers incorporate visualizations into curriculum materials.

Kovalchick, Ann, and Kara Dawson. 2004. Education and Technology: An Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.

Ohler, Jason. 2008. Digital Storytelling in the Classroom: New Media Pathways to Literacy, Learning, and Creativity. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Sorensen, Elsebeth Korsgaard, and Daithí Ó Murchú, eds. 2006. Enhancing Learning through Technology. Hershey, PA: Information Science Publishers.

Zawilinski, Lisa. 2009. “HOT Blogging: A Framework for Blogging to Promote Higher Order Thinking.” Reading Teacher 62, no. 8: 650-661. This article describes instructional practices with blogs in elementary classrooms. Four common types of classroom blogs with accompanying examples are shared: classroom news blogs, mirror blogs, showcase blogs, and literature response blogs. This by Zawilinski provides teachers with a systematic way to integrate blogs, deepen comprehension, and teach the new literacy of online reading comprehension.

Educational PowerPoints

Here is a fun PowerPoint game that we found at http://teach.fcps.net/trt14/Power%20Point%20Games/power_point_games.htm.
Teachers can use games like this to help students review information in a more interactive way. Finding PowerPoints online can aid the teacher because she does not have to create a game from scratch.

The Stress of Online Exams

So, this week I found myself putting off taking the online exam and online quiz that were required for our Comp 204 class. Why? Because I was wary about online testing and didn't want to deal with the hassle of a sporadic internet connection. When I finally decided to tackle the inevitable, I logged onto the Grove City network and entered the looming exam site. It was not a typical classroom setting because I was sitting in the commuter lounge in the SAC in a comfy, oversized chair listening to music as I read through the questions and searched for answers in the textbook. This was my first experience working on an online quiz so I was worried when my internet connection cut out. I was afraid that I would not be able to continue the exam. As luck would have it, I was able to answer the remaining questions when my connection came back and even had time to spare. The looming doom I had been so sure of prior to taking the quiz was no longer in sight.

After taking the exam, I thought about how this could be a useful tool in my future classroom. As a future educator, I would want to strive to incorporate technology appropriately into the classroom. By allowing students to take quizzes online, it would give students the opportunity to choose where they take the exam. This could relieve test taking stress that many students feel in a typical classroom setting. Can it truly be that the stress of online exams can actually be a stress reliever?

Blogging

Recently we've been learning about blogging. This is a very useful idea. Through a blog, you can share your thoughts and ideas with other people on the web. You can post pictures and even applications, such as powerpoint, on a blog. Blogs can be content specific, so people that have an interest in what you are writing about can follow your blog and learn from what you have to say.
As a future educator, I think that this could be useful for the classroom. Since nearly everything is on the internet and nearly everyone has access to the internet nowadays, you could post updates on what is going on in your classroom. You could make the blog available to parents so that they could follow along with what their child is learning about. Posting pictures of student's work and writing down comments about what was accomplished will help parents stay up to date on their child's progress.

Introducing...

Hello Friends!

Thank you for visiting the Elementary Education Blog. We would like to start by introducing ourselves. Our names our Megan Grimm, Amanda Iriana, Sheena Kapples, and Currie Gibson. We are all Elementary Education/Early Childhood Majors at Grove City College.

We look forward to keeping you informed of the importance of technology in the education and the classroom as well as providing great education resources for your use!

Thanks,
Megan, Amanda, Sheena, and Currie