Going through my education course, IT 433, my thoughts and ideas of using technology with students in special education hasn't changed too much, but it has expanded because I have been introduced to many different technology resources used for educational purposes to enhance student learning. Because I did not have a variety of resources, I did not feel confident enough to use a range of technology in the classroom. Now as I reflect, I have gained many different skills through learning about all the tech tools!
I have learned that many of the resources can be used purposefully and aided toward the individual. I think that if educators understand the different technology that would benefit instructional strategies, then instruction through technology would be very effective. As I reflect on the different tools I have used, I can confidently say that I will use many of the skills I have learned into my future classroom. For example, I learned how to make QR codes, e-Books, how to create an interactive whiteboard lesson, and explored different games that are used in the classroom. I have even created a classroom website that can be a great tool to communicate to parents. I look forward to using the available technology in my future classroom. I will also continue to explore new technology for educational purposes because I know, from the experience in this class, that I can learn how to use technology and implement it effectively into the classroom.
0 Comments
The Ershig Assistive Technology Resource Center (E-ATRC) is a great resource for teachers, parents, and students. The assistive technology available at the E-ATRC is extensive and can help with a multitude of needs. The website can also be a extra resource for parents with children in special education.
Contact Linda Schleef for help [email protected] https://wce.wwu.edu/e-atrc/ershig-assistive-technology-resource-center The ISTE standards for students are: 1. Creativity and Innovation 2. Communication and Collaboration 3. Research and Information Fluency 4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making 5. Digital Citizenship 6. Technology Operations and Concepts
Description:
This is an autobiography that I created using iMovie. I used my own images to create a presentation on a story about my own life. There were many different features that included using images, transitions, titles, texts, sound effects, and my own voice! iMovie is a great way to communicate information to an audience using technology in a creative way. Standards: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.2.A Introduce a topic clearly, provide a general observation and focus, and group related information logically; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. Reflection: This was my first experience using iMovie! At first, I was a little hesitant using this type of technology that I did not have much experience using. Once I learned the main components of iMovie, it was really fun getting creative with the different features. In my future classroom, I think iMovie would be a great option for students to use in order to present different information, projects, or assignments. iMovie would also be a terrific tool for myself! I would definitely create different iMovies for special events, special assignments that my students have done, or even a way for parents to see what we have been doing in the classroom as a whole. I will definitely be using iMovie in my future for effective teaching purposes.
Description:
This is an eBook that I created using StoryBird, an online eBook creator. I was able to choose a simple picture layout from numerous pictures to choose from. Then, I was able to create text to connect with the illustrations. Storybird is an easy access program to work with. The eBook I created, The Bunny, is about an ordinary bunny who is discouraged because he does not think he is good at anything. He sees his classmates excel in their talents and feels ordinary compared to them. In the end, his friends help him discover something about himself that is special enough in itself. Standards: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.6 With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.3 Write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure. Reflection: Creating an eBook challenged me to think of the writing sequence that I have been taught throughout my elementary school days. This experience allows me to be creative, critical in thought, and communicate a story to an audience in a new way. I think that this is an activity that students can engage in and enhance their writing skills. In my future classroom, I would want students to have the opportunity to create their own eBooks!
Description:
The Kissing Hand, by Audrey Penn, is a wonderful book for kindergarten through second graders filled with beautiful illustrations. This book offers a beautiful image of the 'kissing hand' that allows students to feel reassured in any situation to calm down their fears. Standards: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.4 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.2 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.2 Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media. Reflection: Creating a podcast was a very new experience to me! I love the idea of creating a podcast and having students be able to interact with the technology in new ways. Looking directly at the standards, I thought that these standards may play a significant role in podcasting. First, students need to read accurately and fluently in order to enhance their comprehension. Creating a podcast for the students to listen to, may need to happen multiple times, is a flexible way for them to do that. They can listen and follow along in order to gain accuracy and fluency on their own time without having the teacher physically there to read to them. The other standards make me reflect on how students can learn from books orally or through media. This is another creative way to communicate information to students. In my future classroom, I would definitely incorporate podcasts. It is an easy, flexible, and efficient way to give students more opportunities and enhance their learning. I can see my students using podcasts to practice on their own verbal communication skills. Description of Activity Through these QR Codes, students can learn about how to stay healthy! Students watch a video on the food groups, read about a food group, gather information about how different fruits benefit their health, browse healthy recipes, and finish off taking a quiz about the fruit group. Every QR code has questions for students to answer questions about. Standards GLE 1.5.1 Understands how the body’s function is affected by food consumption. Describes groups of the Food Guide Pyramid. Understands that food provides energy for the body. GLE2.1.1 Understands dimensions and indicators of health. Describes each dimension of health. Discusses various life choices and their effects on health. GLE 1.5.1 Understands how the body’s function and composition are affected by food consumption. Reflection The artifact presented definitely supports the standards in a new way. The standards that I chose reflected student's learning on health education. Each QR code demonstrates that the student is learning about their health and strategies on how to stay healthy. Creating a QR code activity was definitely a new experience for me! I had no idea how to create QR codes or even implement them in the classroom. As a teacher, I learned that QR codes are easy to make. It is an easy, direct way for students to gain access to the information. It also adds variety to every student's learning. It is new, interactive, and engaging for students to gather information through technology. In my future classroom, I think this could be a great way to expand students' learning in a different way than they have ever experienced before. QR codes can also bring in different sources for children to use through technology that would not necessarily be effective on paper. I think that posting QR codes around the room would be a fun, interactive way for students to engage in the content. Students can get up from their seats and find a QR code activity to bring back to their desks. I think that it is important to teach students how to use QR codes and how to appropriately use the technology. Otherwise, I can see this activity being ineffective. If the classroom has the technology available (such as iPads, iPod touches, tablets...etc) teachers can use this activity as a way to increase student learning. Taking a tutorial to learn how to code was an exciting experiment. I did my tutorial on the popular game, Flappy Bird. Instead of playing with it, I was suddenly on the other side of the coin and controlling the game! II was amazed at how simple it was, yet how creative I could get with it. There was a great amount of logical thinking, analyzation, and creativity it took for me to accomplish my goal. Starting off with simple building blocks, I was able to create a game with my own affects, visuals, and rules. By the end of the tutorial, I felt very accomplished! In the future, I would want to teach my students how to code. If I could learn how to teach this explicitly and systematically, it would be a great skill for students to have. I can envision students feeling excited and proud of what they have accomplished. I can also envision students collaborating and engaging with one another to achieve their goal. With this different form of creativity, I think students would be able to take the skill of coding and communicate something that they are very passionate about! Battleship NumberlineBattleship Numberline is a fun game that students engage with in order to gain their estimation skills on a number line. There are four different modes that include: whole numbers, fractions, decimals, and measurement! A number line is given between two numbers. The goal of the game is to predict where a given point is on the number line in order to destroy the number. Or vice versa, a ship is put on a point of the number line and students enter a number on which they think the ship is located on. This games gives feedback right away and keeps track of a student’s accuracy. Each of these games go through levels of difficulty from easy to more difficult numbers to estimate. This is a very educational game that aligns with the Common Core Standards that range from second to sixth grade depending on the subject matter. Battleship Numberline develops a student’s number sense which is a very foundational skill for student’s to have. I would definitely use this game in the classroom for extra review, extensive practice, or even as a fun activity for students to engage in. |
AuthorArchives
March 2016
Categories |