All About Mrs. Snow

Mrs. Snow is the technology teacher at Somewheresville Elementary. She has been teaching students to use technology resources for 4 years. Mrs. Snow grew up in Middleville, Michigan where she graduated from Thornapple Kellogg High School in 2003. In 2008, she graduated from Western Michigan University with a degree in Elementary Education. She now resides in Middleville with her husband, Dustin, daughter Emersyn, and 2 dogs Patch and Myah. Mrs. Snow's hobbies include scrapbooking, camping, and coaching cheerleading.

FREE APPS!

Picnik

Picnik is a great free app, with a lot of features, HOWEVER, Picnik is shutting down as of April 19. The company merged with Google and will now be a part of Google+. Its difficult to see what this merger will look like, but because of the change Picnik users are being granted free access to premium features and a full refund if they purchased a premium membership. Aside from the impending shut down, Picnik has lot to offer when it comes to photo editing. You can add text, clip art or "stickers", frames, and make your own touch-ups. All of these features offer the ability to change size, direction, flip, and much more. I posted an example of one of the photos I played with. In my picture I added text, a few stamps and increased the sharpness of the photo. I was also able to "tan" the skin and add highlights to hair. When I was finished editing my photo, I was given the option to post it to Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Photobucket, or save it to my computer. I did experience a few technical difficulties while editing, the program seemed to freeze in some instances, and a few of the touch-ups were a bit extreme and made the people in the pictures look fake by over-correcting problems. Regardless, I would definitely recommend this program, if it was sticking around, for a simple classroom or home editing program. It's definitely not a professional quality program that photographers would use.

ZOHO

Zoho has a lot of elements to offer it's users. There were so many different programs to try for business, productivity, and collaboration, I focused on two that I thought would be helpful to me. Zoho Writer and Zoho Show. I have already been using Zoho writer for the majority of the semester. I do not have Microsoft Word on my laptop, and it is WAY to expensive to purchase. A friend introduced me to Zoho Writer and i have to say it has been useful. While I do experience some difficulty with freezing and the spell check, for the most part Zoho Writer seems to work very well as a replacement for Microsoft Word. While some of the same problems exists for Zoho Show, it also proves to be very similar to Microsoft Powerpoint. The one option I found thatZoho Show offers is the ease of sharing. With the click of a button I was able to embed my Zoho Show into my blog for everyone to see. I would definitely recommend Zoho.com to anyone looking for inexpensive solutions for their Microsoft problems. Here's a quick slideshow of some of the features Zoho Show has to offer.

Classroom Website

Mrs. Snow's Preschool Website

This is a link to my classroom website. I originally created this website several months ago, with the intention of using it this year. However, with time constraints and changes happening in my building, I did not get the chance to finish it. BUT it's finished now! I have added some extra features and gadgets to update it. My website is designed for parents to keep up to date on current events, homework, and classroom information. I also included a classroom calendar, links for parents and students, as well as a few carefully chosen classroom photos in a Picasa slideshow. I fully intend to use this website next year as a parent resources, so please let me know if you see any problems or errors that need to be fixed! Thanks!

Plants Concept Map

This week I created a concept map on Plants/How Things Grow using bubbl.us. I wanted to do a concept map showing the basic lesson planning elements my co-workers and I would use. The map is split into three sections: Small Group Activities, Large Group Activities, and Center Activities. From there, I went on to add the elements that would be taught in each area. In Preschool, students learn through play, so many of the centers are set up with activities they can investigate on their own and experiment with. Small and large group activities are, for the most part, teacher-led activities, but still hands on and interactive. Many of the ideas on this concept map are very basic so that they are adaptable for a preschool classroom. It would be easy for a upper elementary classroom to do a similar map with more in-depth concepts.

Tux Paint Screencast

For my screencast created with Jing.com, I chose to show a lesson on Tux Paint. Tux Paint is a program for elementary students similar to Kidpix or the standard Paint program on your computer. Although it holds a few more features than Paint, it is very similar to Kidpix, which was popular when I was in middleschool.

My computer does not have a microphone, so my screencast is silent. I will explain a few things about the lesson here. In my lesson, I would encourage students to use the different features of Tux Paint like lines, stamps and paint to create a plant, like a flower, then use the text feature to label the parts of the plant. In my example, I used line to draw the stem of the plant, paint to draw the leaves and roots, then used the stamp feature to place a picture of a flower on the screen. After the parts of the plant were created, I used the text feature to add the labels to the plant. This lesson could be used in a variety of grade levels based on the expectations of the drawing. While my example reflects a lower elementary level, older students could be expected to make more in-depth drawings of the inside of the flower including the stamen, anther, and pistil. Tux Paint allows a fun and creative reinforcement for what could be a boring lesson on plants.

Here is the screencast video:

Google Maps

As an early childhood educator, it took a few minutes for me to snap out of preschool mode (especially since I had just worked on Dr.Seuss lesson plans a few minutes before!) to plan a lesson for older children using Google Maps. Once i got out of the preschool mindset, I started to think about what could have been helpful to me when I was in upper elementary/middle school. I was always interested in Michigan history, so I thought a map related lesson on historical Michigan landmarks. Here is a quick summary of a lesson

For a long term project, students could be given the task of doing a research project on a selected landmark as a small group of 2 or 4 students. The teacher would set up a google map and add pins to locations of approved Michigan historical landmarks for students to choose from. The teacher could add a sample of interesting facts to the pin as well as suggested websites for students to use. This type of resource could cut down on the time it takes to choose and approve topics for the project, and it could be used year after year.

View Michigan Historical Landmarks in a larger map

Grammar Girl to the Rescue!

Visit Grammar Girl at Quick and Dirty Tips

Have no fear, Grammar Girl is here! I was first introduced to Grammar Girl several years ago in one of my college english classes. Her podcasts are witty and full of spunk, making them easy to listen to and you get a quick memorable english lesson. I hate to be the bad guy here, but Grammar Girl's secret identity and the host of QuickandDirtytips.com is Mignon Fogarty, an experienced "grammar guru". Podcasts are delivered frequently on a variety of topics in the categories of word choice, punctuation, grammar, and style.

In addition to listening to the podcasts, followers are also able to read the podcast in text from. The websites offers a few different ways to follow Grammar Girl, including RSS podcast or article, iTunes, or newsletter format. However, when I tried to subscribe via RSS, I got an error message, which was frustrating. While I was trolling the website looking for another RSS link, I found directions to add Grammar Girl to your blog widgets. Visitors to your blog can listen to the most recent blog or a few previous ones. Again, the follow via RSS option is included on the widget, but the connection does not work.

Grammar Girl is only a segment on the website Quickanddirtytips.com. The site offers podcasts from 18 different experts that give advice and information including the Sales Guy, Diet Diva, Mighty Mommy, and House Call Doctor. While the skills Grammar Girl discusses are geared toward an older crowd, highschool or maybe middleschool aged students might enjoy listening to these segments as well. Teachers and parents might also find experts like Math Dude, Tech Talker, or The Public Speaker helpful as an alternative to ordinary lectures. Aside from RSS technical problems I had with the site, it was a pretty good resource with a variety of helpful segments. I enjoyed alot that the site had to offer, hopefully some of you will too.

Chapter 4 Application Questions

Chapter 4 Application Questions

For this scenario, we will say the students in the problem were asked to calculate and compare the unit costs of several five pound bags of dog food, each of a different brand.

Using the behavioral learning theory, the teacher would need to give the students an example problem of finding the unit cost to solve without guided instruction. Once some time has been given for investigation, the teacher would go over the problem as a class. The teacher would then assign additional problems for practice.

If the problems would be addressed using the situated learning theory the teacher would be required to do quite a bit of prep work, but the outcome would be much more interesting for students. The teacher would need to set up a situation as close to real-life as possible. This could be done by taking students on a field trip to the grocery store or setting up a mock store in the classroom. Working in teams, the students would be given a set amount of "money" to spend on dog food. Once each team had "fed" the dog over an imaginary amount of time, the team with money remaining at the end would be the "winner", rewarded for their work.

Teaching this scenario based on Gagne's theory of instruction would be best described using the nine events of instruction.

1) Gaining attention. Teachers could show a clip of a funny dog food commercial from youtube.com.

2) Informing the learner of the objectives. The teacher would tell the students that by the end of the lesson they would be expected to calculate and compare the unit cost of three different types of bagged dog food to determine which product is more cost-effective.

3)Stimulating recall of prior learning. The teacher would ask students if they have ever gone shopping for groceries with a parent/guardian before. Had they noticed or recalled anything about the products they purchased.

4)Presenting the stimulus. Introducing students to the several types of dog food brands being used including the price of each bag.

5) Provide learning guidance. The teacher would provide students with the appropriate formula to calculate unit cost.

6)Eliciting performance. The teacher presents the class with practice problems that require students to find the unit cost using different prices.

7) Feedback. As a class, the teacher would review the practice problems and help students correct any problems or miscalculations.

8) Assessing performance. The teacher would randomly choose students to demonstrate practice problems for the class allowing opportunity for discussion.

9)Enhancing retention and transfer. Students would be allowed time or assigned homework to research their own favorite brands or products and compare the cost to other brands.

Map from Middleville, MI to Orlando, FL

Is it spring break yet??

View Larger Map

Multiplication Trick

This is the strangest method for multiplication I have ever seen...

Good News!

We're expecting a baby girl June 29th!

Reiser/Dempsey Chapter 3

Week 5 Reflection- Chapter 3 Application Questions

​In chapter 3 of Reiser & Dempsey, they pose a scenario where students and teachers are provided with laptops and unlimited internet access. In this scenario, findings indicated that the technology had little impact on the classroom environment. There are a few reasons why a situation like this may exist.

One reason may be that the teachers were not provided with the proper training to administer the programs in their classrooms. Without the necessary training, teachers can be come overwhelmed and frustrated trying to implement the technology in their classrooms. The teachers may also feel like the new program is more of a burden than a benefit.

Another reason the program may have had little impact is because of the lack of interest. If the "new" program merely consists of adding digital versions of the already used textbook onto the computer, what difference does it really make? Students and teachers will loose interest quickly because it is the same material presented on a screen instead of in a book.

On top of little training, and only a small difference in curriculum, another problem with the scenario could be that it has a low impact because the technology is already over used. Most students today already have internet access in their homes and schools and have one, if not many personal computers. The websites and programs students use in their free time far eclipses the digital text book.

One solution the school in this scenario could be to pump up their new plan with other programs and software, outside of the traditional textbook (digital or not). By using other options like videos, simulations and virtual tours, instructors can reach multiple learning styles, and hold student interest.

Most importantly for a program like the one proposed in the scenario to succeed, teacher training is essential. Teachers need to be given the proper tools to implement technology in the classroom. Without training and support teachers will also loose interest before students are even able to get a feel for the program. Giving training and technical support will help put less pressure on teachers to learn something new and help teachers that are less tech-savvy get on the right track.

Flickr

Here is a link to my Flickr account!

www.flickr.com/amberlynn118

A Field By Any Other Name

Week Four Reflection- Reiser and Dempsey Chapter One

As I read chapter one of Reiser and Dempsey's Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology, I was pleasantly entertained to my surprise. It was interesting to read that the definition and name of our field dates back to the 1920s. I have to say I wasn't surprised exactly, but I had never thought about technology in its early years. I also had not thought about putting an exact definition on this field until Reiser and Dempsey introduced the idea. I think for the most part my idea of what "this" is compares closely to the modern definition written by Reiser and Dempsey. I feel it is very important to include all aspects mentioned (analysis, performance, design, development, implementation, evaluation, and management) to produce an accurate definition of Instructional Technology.

The path that instructional technology has taken to get to where it is now, is simply incredible. To think that years ago, a radio might be the most advanced piece of technology you could have in your classroom, if you were so lucky. Now we have classrooms that use interactive white boards, personal computers, ipads, document projectors, text messaging, and online course to name a few. I am really pleased to be a part of the growing classroom environment that includes technology.

In my career, I hope to be able to be a part of what Reiser and Dempsey define as Instructional Technology. I want to be able to implement technology into my own classroom, and later help other teachers and possibly districts implement and improve the technology that is available to them. I thin, with proper guidance and education, technology can be a perfect supplement in the classroom to facilitate learning.

It's Delicious!

It's Delicious! http://delicious.com/amberlynn118

Bookmarking Before It Was Social...

​I'm not a stranger to delicious.com, perhaps more of a long-lost friend. Several years ago, during my elementary internship, my site coordinator was very fond of delicious, and encouraged us all to use it for bookmarking lesson plan sites and other resources. I, being the techno-curious, tried it out. Back then, there was no social aspect of delicious.com. you simply added your sites and the showed on your main page in list form. Convenient. I used it a few times, but like other websites, got bored, lost my user info, and forgot about it.

​I have to say I like the updated version of delicious much more than its ancestor. It reminds me of pintrest.com, a site I am completely addicted to. The ability to bookmark (or pin) anything and have it be available wherever and whenever is great. I have added a 'save it on delicious' button (and a pin it button for pintrest!) on both my personal computers and my work computer. The mobility of sites like these makes life so much easier. I can't name the number of times I have wanted a site that was saved in my favorites folder, and been unable to find it on my own. Delicious.com makes that problem disappear.

​A site like delicious.com would be usable in any classroom. Teachers could design a stack for age appropriate websites, a stack for parent resources, a stack for district/school information, or even a stack to collaborate resources with other teachers and administrators. With the sharing option, these stacks could be accessible to anyone with the click of a mouse.

Wiki Wiki What??

Visit My Wiki!

I have to admit, at first I did not get the wiki site. I was confused and found my self wandering around the features, finding my own way. This is typically my learning style. It is difficult for me to read dry text and decipher what is needed, so I opt for the hands-on approach on my own.
Once I got the hang of pbworks, I noticed a lot of similarities between a wiki, blog, and the old school personal website. While the editing and visibility features a similar to a blog, allowing multiple pages is reminiscent of the personal websites many people used during the Web 1.0 era. In addition, wiki pages offer the unique option of multiple users, an option that I am not sure I am entirely comfortable with. Maybe it's just a touch of paranoia, but I feel really uncomfortable with the idea of allowing other users to edit my pages, while they are my responsibility.

As an early childhood educator, I don't imagine using a wiki with preschool age children any time soon. However, one of the struggles my building faces is the limited amount of time we have to accomplish many tasks. Using a wiki would make collaboration on lesson planning, community events, and general staff information. It could reduce the amount of long staff meetings and create a meeting ground for special committees.

If I were teaching in the older grades, I could see wikis being a valuable tool for things like research projects and group work. Students could report to their wikipage, hyper link sources and additional information, and collaborate on details, from virtually anywhere at anytime. The opportunity to work together in this way would reduce the amount of in-classroom group time and after school meeting inconvienience.

Overall, I felt like the wiki lesson was a valuable one. I was introduced to a technology I really didn't know existed. This is something I could potentially bring back to my work and share with my co-workers as a suggestion to solve our time crunch problem.

RSS, Blogging, Dale's Cone, & Falling Alseep...

As far as blogging and RSS feeds go, I am not new to the technology. I actually had an account already set up at blogger.com. A blog I posted to ONCE, and has since then, has sat empty. I have understood the appeal of blogging, but I guess I never thought of anything interesting to say. Which is an interesting thought in itself, because how many blogs out there are in fact interesting? Who knows? It is a technology that is available to anyone and everyone who wants to put their thoughts out there.

My RSS feed on the other hand, has been quite useful for entertainment purposes. I have several entertainment based feeds that I follow including EpicFailBlog, certain Facebook pages, and You Are Not A Photographer. My RSS feed tends to be something I go to when I am bored. I can see the usefulness of this when it comes to this class though. My RSS feed is linked to an application on my Android smart phone. I can pull it up anywhere and anytime I want. The only problem I have found so far is that some websites that link to the RSS do not post all of their information to the RSS reader. I follow WoodTV.com for breaking news, which happens constantly, however a post pops up on my RSS maybe once a month.

Siegel’s article Falling Asleep at Your Keyboard, reminds me of the advantages that technology like RSS feeds and blogs can bring to the classroom. The ease of use can be beneficial to parents, students, and the teachers, at the same time. Siegel points out that these types of computer imaginations has several advantages like being able to control what is seen, creating a community of users, and the ease of updating. Parents with several children or schools in their family could easily follow all the necessary people or place on one RSS feed, and eliminate visiting each schools website individually.

As a student and a teacher, I can see the benefits of both blogging and RSS feeds in the classroom. Students could follow teacher’s blogs on RSS to keep up on information and homework, while teachers could use the same technology to keep up with student reflections and written work by utilizing blog feeds instead of physical paper. The increasing popularity of smart phones makes this technology even more useful, as the ability to go mobile becomes more prominent.

While all of these things prove themselves quite useful to me, I had a difficult time placing them in one single level of Dale’s Cone of Experience. I found that the RSS feed and blogs have the ability to cross several levels depending on the type of media being posted. For the most part I feel like these technologies fall into the “Recordings, Radio, and Still Picture” category, even though the name may suggest otherwise. While the majority of blog and RSS posts are written word, many members choose to post photos, videos, diagrams, recordings, and similar media to enhance the “following experience.” While most of these types to posts tend to fall into the top half of the cone, Bloggers could also use links to sites that enhance the experience like virtual exhibits or tours, or interactive models and simulations, which fall into the lower part of Dale’s cone.

While the technology of RSS and bogs misses out on the hands on or real life experiences that Dale’s cone suggests are the most valuable, they can definitely make the learning experience more interesting for students and manageable for parents and teachers.

Reflecting on Postman, Reigeluth & Joseph

Week 1 Reflection
As a preschool teacher, technology plays a very different role in my classroom, compared to upper elementary or secondary education. We look for ways to enhance learning experiences through technology. The uses of technology in a preschool classroom require teachers to facilitate the learning. A large majority of students enter preschool without knowledge of computers or other learning technology. As I read through the two articles, I found myself referring to my own classroom and relating the examples to things that could or do happen with my students.

After reading the article by Postman, I felt quite offended. To think that there are people out there who believe technology could replace the social experiences and emotional learning that a young child learns when provided those opportunities by a teacher is appalling. While, yes, they may learn social/emotional lessons at home or in their community, it is important to have those experiences in a classroom environment. Technology will never teach a four year old to stand up for his rights or teach a three year old to share their toys. Postman’s idea that “the principal function of school is to teach children how to behave in groups” is exactly on target. I don’t believe this is the only goal of education, but a very big one, especially in early childhood. However, he goes on to say “school has never been about individualized learning” and that is a point, I believe, is incorrect. As preschool teachers we are constantly adapting and changing lesson plans to create more individualized lessons and technology can be great in assisting those opportunities. For example, a preschooler who struggles with hand control or other fine motor skills could largely benefit from an iPad application that requires touching, dragging, and clicking on various objects.

In Reigeluth and Joseph’s article I felt that technology was almost glorified as being the answer to every problem in education (except the budgets of course!). I thought table 2, Principles for a Learning-focused Paradigm of Education was interesting. I can see where some of the things presented are likely to become a reality, if they are not already. For example, peer-assisted learning is already very prominent in many classrooms, as teachers look for ways to incorporate different learning styles of students. However, the idea of authenticity is pushed beyond reasonable limits. It is important for students to get an authentic, close to life as possible experience, but who’s to say what is relevant to a student’s life? Especially to a young student. What may seem relevant today, may be completely irrelevant to their education in ten years.

In summary, I felt like both articles had valid points, but pushed too extreme circumstances for technology in education. While Reigeluth and Joseph’s article was far too supportive of technology, Postman’s article minimized the possibilities and potential for technology as a supplement to learning.