Topic 16: TEKS Checks

In our district, like most other districts, we are required to do benchmarks each month. These benchmarks are called TEKS Checks and the joy of being an 8th grade teacher is that we are supposed to be teaching our lovely students how to transition from using a paper format to taking these on the computer.

This past TEKS Check, my students did horrible on the test. There are multiple factors that they could have led to a horrible test, but the one thing that we noticed, is that there is the new factor that they took it solely on the computer. Due to this, we are now transitioning back to the paper format and hten putting it into the computer.

This makes me furious as a teacher that wants to make my students better equiped for high school, but then at the same time, I feel like I can't continue to do bad on TEKS checks and then get reprimanded by the principal.

I am still searching for that perfect way to blend technology with the TEKS checks. I know that there is also an issue that if we teach it solely on teh computer, will they be prepared to take the test when they are in high school and have to take a paper based TAKS test? i think that at times technology is the best thing that we can do for students, but then there are times that I am just unsure.

While, I know that I am blessed to be in a district that mandates technology use in our classrooms, it is also hard for me to split what is the best practice when I am one of the few teachers that uses our COW's. TEKS checks are supposed to be a benchmark, and while I agree with this, my principal sees it as a ranking with other schools in the district. I know that as a future MTT that I will continue to incorporate technology and know that I am putting my students first and that is all that matters!

Topic 15: Podcasting--Open Post

Podcasting is a great tool that teachers can use in their classroom. Podcasting is where studetns can record their voice and produce whatever the teacher wants them to learn. I have just been trained on how to do this in my classroom, and have tried implementing it this past week. Needlessly to say, I think that this could be a big mistake on my part. While my students are loving creating the podcast, the saving and technology side of this isn't always working the way I want it too.

What my students first had to do was create a story on paper. Once they were done creating the story, they then went into audacity to create their story auditorily. After they were done with their story, they would import music from a free music site and then blend the two together.

While this is what would have happened in a perfect classroom. Short classperiod made this not work as best as I wanted it to. I had to use two class periods, and when students went to open up their product the next day, it created multiple fields that overlapped each other. This was a hassel and our students had to rework their story.

Overall, I think that the assignment can still be salvaged, but it will take some time. What I have learned is that even though we are learning technology, it isn't always going to work, but at least we are trying!

Keep working hard and get a good laugh, becuase at least I am learning!

Topic 14: USHMM--Open Post

This past week, I have been attending a conference called, "Teaching the Holocaust." This was put on by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM). It was a great learning environment on what I can do as a teacher, but it also offers a lot of technology aspects to bring into the classroom. The USHMM website has a lot of really cool aspects, but I will list my top five below.

1. Animated Maps

The Animated Maps are short video clips that allow for the teacher to not only show the students where something happened, but also give basic background information behind the event. One of the new items that I learned at the training was about the voyage of the St. Louis. Below is the link that will show you how an animated map works.

http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/media_nm.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005267&MediaId=3544

I would use this in my classroom as a starting point and then move on with our teaching lesson.

2. Encyclopedia

One of the best parts about the Encyclopedia is that it can be translated into mulitple languages, which will allow you to help your students that do not speak English as their first language. Each article also has pictures, artifacts, videos (if available), and links within the article if there are items you might not be aware of. I will use this in my webquest for my lesson plan for this class.

http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005130

3. Artifacts

Primary documents and artifacts from the time period are so important for our students to see. There are a lot of artifacts that are found in the Encyclopedia that can be useful for starts of conversations. Below is a link to the artifact.

http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/media_da.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005142&MediaId=113

4. Online Exhibitions

The Online Exhibits are a way to take your students on a virtual field trip. As part of my curriculum, I am supposed to talk about the importance of persuasion in writing and pictures. There is an oline exhibit on propoganda that will be beneficial to my studetns to see.

http://www.ushmm.org/propaganda/

5. Personal Histories

This is one of the items that will become more crucial as more of our Holocaust survivors pass away. The Personal histories are written stories and some videos that show the students the real person.

http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/online/phistories/

I am looking forward to next semester when I can add this wonderful piece of technology into my classroom.

Topic 13: Glogster (Open Post)

This past week, I was introduced to a wonder Web 2.0 product called "Glogster." Glogster is in essence, a virtual posterboard. The best part for me in glogster is that all student accounts can be linked to the teacher account. This allows for easy access for the teacher to monitor and grade the glogsters. The next part is that other students are also linked to all other students, so that they can make comments to one another.



Below is a practice glog that I did while I was learning about glogster. http://anewby.edu.glogster.com/newbypractice/



What this one doesn't show, but what Glogster has avaiable is the opportunity to link where you found your picture, information, etc. from. This allows for a virtual bibliography and a way that the students can easily learn about citations. Once a student has added the image then they can add the link to where the informaiton was found. This is essential to writing papers.



Glogster also has a private setting, so that students are protected. The key with any Web 2.0 product is that teachers have to make sure that the students are protecting themselves. They shouldn't be allowed to give out any personal information, which is allowed in glogster. The teacher while using glogster needs to be very mindful when teaching students that this is an educational resource. If they want to share more, then they need to create a personal one, not the school one!



If you have questions of Glogster, feel free to contact me!

Topic 12: Technology Across the Senses

I think that out of the multiple intelligences I am most likely to learn with Verbal/Linguistics. I am a total read-write learner which has been shown at the conference I have been attending for the past three days. I love the fact that I have to write what I learn. I want to see handout and see it in written print so that I can do what I want to with it. I also learn well with Intrapersonal, where as a student I am having to have real life conversations about what I am reading and learning.

I think that I teach best with Verbal/Linguistic, becuase it is the way that I learn the easiest for me becuase I learn that way. I have a poweropint for each presentation that I present to my class, but then students are required to take notes and participate in the discussion (Intrapersonal). I think that as teachers, we teach in the way that we learn. The multiple intelligence that I am trying to focus on more this year though, is kinesthetic becuase that is where my students are this year. Each year, I give the VARK test which allows me to see where my students are at with learning.

For my lesson plan in this course, I am doing a research assignment on topics over WWII. My learning objectives for this project with be:

1. The learner will be able to use a webquest to find information about topics in WWII.

2. The learner will be able to take notes in an digital format.

3. The learner will be able to cite their sources.

4. The learner will be able to organize their thoughts.

5. The learner will be able to find relevant information while searching through websites.

Topic #11: Assistive Technology

I have loved learning about Assistive Technology. I think that there are a lot of great items for students with disabilities. My first year teaching at my current school, we had a student that had to use an FM system for hearing. We used this as an "administrative tool" saying that we were being recorded for missing students or for the administrators so that she was deemed a privileged student, instead of one with a disability. Currently this year, we have another student using an AlphaSmart Machine. This machine allows students to type in material and can be printed for input and output.



http://www.pluk.org/AT1.html

Great resource for families and teachers to use to help their students. It is a well-laid out website that has a lot of information. It is not a site that would work for everyone. I know that for some people, straight text would not be beneficial, but for me, this site allowed me to recognize just the basics of assistive technology. There is a great chart that shows how to use AT in computer programs.



This site also allows for a teacher to see the process of how an IEP would be made for a child with disabilities. This is key to any teacher that will have to in the future go through an IEP process in which they are uncertain of what it all means.



The best part of this website is that it allows for a documentation to be pulled out of it and see what needs to be modified. It allows for programs to be evaluated and how to identify the best use within your students.



The information is basic and straight to the point, it is not like the websites that was shown on our blackboard, but I love it because of the information.

http://www.abilityhub.com/

http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/treatment/assist_tech.htm



This is a basic site that gives information on different aspects of Assistive Technology.

http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/list/assist01.htm

http://www.rehabtool.com/at.html


My other website that I loved was rehabtool.com. This site is broken down into each different aspects into what is needed for different categories. I believe that the site could have more information that would allow more information to be used. While the site looks great, it doesn't give as much information that is needed.

http://www.familyvillage.wisc.edu/education/at.html

This is an informative website that allows for the reader to gain knowledge to multiple different websites and articles. For me, it isn't always about the websites, but articles that I can read to make me a better teacher, especially when it comes to topics that are new to my understanding.

One of the articles on this site, provides tips on how to become an informed consumer of such technology, offers a parent's perspective on assistive technology, examines federal legislation, discusses effective use of technology with young children and how to integrate technology into a student's IEP, and suggests a process for funding technology. The article concludes with a list of readings and organizations that offer additional information on assistive technology.

Another article allows for the uses of how to use AT and the ways to benefit from it most into the classroom. The best part of this website is that it allows you know what the articles state before reading them in their entirety.

Topic #10: Tech Skills

When I began this class, I felt very confident about my tech skills. In Irving ISD we are fortunate enough to have a great technology program. I have attended multiple classes on integrating technology into my classroom and on different items that can be added. I think that I have a great handle on Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Publisher. I also have a good grasp of the Internet and how to navigate in a way to find resources. I also have a wonderful MTT on my campus that does Technology Wednesdays and helps me learn how to use software better. So far this year, we have covered: Blackboard, GradeSpeed, Audacity, our district curriculum, and QuickChecks (an online testing program that our district bought).

The Atomic Learning and Self-Assessments in the book have been very eye opening. I love Atomic Learning and think that this would be a great resource for our district to have. I think that since our high school students are given laptops, that Atomic Learning would help them figure out what they need to know without the teacher having to explain every step of the process. Yet, at the same time, it would allow for remediation and for students to be able to learn more than what is available to them as well. The Self-Assessments in the book have been interesting, because when I read, I read for big picture, and I feel like the assessments are very detailed orientated.

Since the beginning of this class, I have learned more about databases. This is where I have really chosen not to use because I didn't know how to. I have also learned a lot of information about the software that is available to students. The one that I would love the most at this time in my life would be a test generator because I would then be able to easily make different forms of the test. I think the skills that I have learned have allowed me to be a teacher that thinks more towards my students point of view. While I might understand how to use a lot of the tools in Microsoft Office, my students don't and I have been able to see how to help them more!