Technology, Technology...Where do we Begin?

"Keeping up with the latest technologies isn't as nearly as important as keeping up with with the latest literacies," said no teacher ever...well, I would hope not. With technological advances rapidly becoming "the norm" for our students, it's about time that teachers step up their game and begin teaching their students with what they learn best.  You guessed it...technology.  Many teachers are already on board with immersing their students with relevant information through technology...both inside and outside of the classroom.  Manchester Kidblog and Iowa Grade 8 Kidbloggers are just two examples of how effective blogging can be when applied in the classroom setting.  But how do technology and literacy relate?  Have you ever noticed how much time we spend reading while surfing the web?  Ever come across a great blog with wonderful lesson plan ideas...aligned to the Common Core?  Or how about professional journals; a type of professional development, I would say.  Well, just like we spend a great amount of time reading online, it's easy for our students to do the same.  How about taking the time that our students already spend online just one step further.  That's where blogging comes into play.  Instead of just throwing a question out there for your students to ponder, what if they were given the chance to answer that question in a blog post?  I'll have to admit - it is pretty great having a blog that I can call my own...what's not to love.  I've personalized it just the way I like, and your students can do the same!  Using a program such as Kidblog allows teachers to create a class blog where each and every student can personalize a blog page and respond to questions.  Pencil and paper?  Not any more! 

Diigo what!?

In today's technologically expanding world, it seems as though there's not a day that goes by without a new technological wonder making its way to the desktop, laptop, tablet, or smart phone of just about every human being grazing this earth.  Sure, that's great and all, but wait...just one thing.  Pretty much anywhere we look online, there's always something that catches our eye.  Whether it's an article, a video, a book, an idea, a craft, a...well, you get the idea, there's always so much to look at.  But that's not the problem.  How about remembering where you saw that article, or what it was about.  Or how about that video...where was it again? Oh yeah, that craft!  So exciting, couldn't wait to do it, right?  Let's face it, who writes down every site that offers anything of interest, anyways?  Oh, bookmarking the page?  Sure that's a great idea, but how many bookmarks do we really want to sit at the top of our homepage?  Luckily, there's a solution for that. Yes, you heard right...a solution.  Ready for it?  Diigo.  Yup, Diigo; a powerful research tool and a knowledge sharing community.  Use sticky notes and highlighters when you're reading your textbooks?  Diigo has that, too.  Create a library, collaborate with groups, follow people in different networks...all a part of Diigo.  The best part? Invite friends to add to a library dedicated to a certain something special...oh, say lesson plan ideas for the Fairy Tale unit?  Seem simple enough?  I'm not done.  Diigo allows you to tag your bookmarks to make searching for them easier.  So that article that you read about relating the Common Core to your math lesson...just tag it with Common Core and Math. Need to search for it?  Just type in Common Core or Math into your search bar and guess what comes up...yup, the article that you bookmarked using Diigo!

Blogging Newbies...Welcome to the World of RSS!

Even though it's been a couple of weeks since I started my blog, I think it would be safe to say that the world of blogging is something that many of us are still getting used to.  And with each passing day, it seems as though there's something new to be learned.  But that's just it...we live in an ever changing world, so we can't help but keep up with all of the latest trends.  Well, I'm not sure if you would call RSS a trend, but whatever you call it, it's pretty amazing! RSS, or Really Simple Syndication, is just that...simple!  RSS allows you to subscribe to content from various weblogs so that you can save the time of having to visit each individual blog, but still have access to all of the information that interests you.

It's pretty simple to set up, too!  Although there are many RSS feeds to subscribe to, I've chosen to use Google.  Many people use Google for the convenience it offers as a search engine, but there's so much more behind searching for key words.  Google offers many options to anyone who is willing to learn.  With access to Blogger, Google Drive, Gmail, and yes, you guessed it, Google Reader, the World Wide Web is offering more convenience than ever before.  

And the best part...it's easy to use!  Since Google Reader is attached to your Google account, there's no need to create any more usernames or try to come up with anymore catchy passwords.  It's all in the same place.  But, where do you start?  After creating a Google account, you can begin to subscribe to all of the blogs you want.  Blogs that interest you of course.  So say, for example, you want to keep up on all things related to the Common Core State Standards.  Once you find blogs that will help you keep up with all things Common Core, all you do is subscribe to that blog.  Just look for the subscribe button, and voilà!  Your Google Reader will automatically feed anything related to the Common Core into your account.  This way, there's no more time wasted clicking from blog to blog trying to find what you're looking for.  

The Magic of Animoto

After taking the time to watch many different Animoto projects, I finally came up with a video that I'm very excited to show my students.  But before I introduce my Animoto to the blogging world, I would like to point out a great Animoto that I discovered on The Life of a Civil War Soldier.  The way that Elena was able to incorporate all of the necessary information about the life of a Civil War soldier was incredible!  Make sure to check it out!

With so much to offer, I just couldn't wait to put together some videos using Animoto.  So clearly, I did just that.  Using the many pictures that I have saved on my computer, I put together my very first Animoto...one that showcased my Parent's 25th Anniversary Party. As easy as it was, I had caught the Animoto Bug!

With the Fairy Tale Unit starting in a few short weeks, this Animoto will be a great way to introduce my students to the elements of Fairy Tales.  Although this is just a basic overview of the elements, I feel that my students will truly enjoy it.  Actually, creating an Animoto dedicated to each element of Fairy Tales might not be a bad idea :)

So...here it is.  Let me know what you think!

Animoto

Who would have thought...using personalized videos to help students learn?  Genius!  With the help of Animoto, it's clear that there are so many new and exciting ways to integrate technology into the classroom.  From what I've seen, Animoto is such a great place to start!  With the Poetry unit right around the corner, I'm already thinking of ways to use Animoto to help my students learn all there is to know about poetry.  But how about the Fairy Tale unit...Animoto will also be a great way to organize all of the elements of Fairy Tales, too!  

Blogs, Blogs, Blogs

Blogging:

Communicating.

Creating.

Sharing.

Exploring.

Thinking.

Welcome to the world of classrooms today.  With the many technological advances taking place within our schools, children are being provided with more ways than ever to communicate with their teachers, peers, and others from around the globe.  Evidently, teachers who spend the most time teaching their students how to properly and effectively blog, have the most success.  Blogging provides students with the opportunity to reflect on their learning by achieving curricular standards in new ways.  With creativity, students are able to showcase their best work that will reach an audience beyond the classroom setting.  Blogging allows students the opportunity to respond to blog posts, to carry a conversation, and most importantly, interact with with others.  Students are able to develop a sense of global awareness through blogging.  Many blogging sites such as The Global Read Aloud, allows students to report responses to a common text while collaborating globally with students.  Participating in a blog like this allows students to understand how students from different countries interpret a common work of literature.  

Weblogs & Wikis

Although there may be many safety concerns associated with weblogs, teachers must keep in mind that through the use of blogging, students are provided with the opportunity to communicate with peers outside of the classroom walls.  As is the case with many blogging sites, teachers are able to set privacy settings to ensure student safety.  Richardson gives many great tips to starting small and eventually evolving.  With sites like blogger.com, it's easy to create fun, attractive, and easy to navigate blogs.  Now, bring Wikis into the picture, and that's a whole new playing field.  Instead of contributing to blogs and commenting on previous posts, Wikis allow contributions from anyone.  But what about Wikipedia?  Most educators don't allow their students to rely on information from the site.  But why?  Allowing students to retrieve facts from a collaborative environment isn't completely horrible.  Actually, it's kind of great.  Because so many people are able to contribute their ideas, the information provided on a specific topic provides many points of view.  Yes, there are also safety concerns that educators must be aware of, but with proper monitoring, wikis can be great tools for students to use both in and out of the classroom!