Week 2- Tech in the EC classroom

Technology in the Early childhood classroom has a different feel and look than typical classroom settings.   We have a SMARTboard and iPads to use in our center.  Since the children are much younger (ages 3-5),  we have yet to expand on much more than this technology.  

I would like to become more technologically savvy with parents.  I would like to start a blog for parents to use and communicate with.  This would allow for extra events communication that would be something more than just a newsletter.  Parents would be seeing what we do in our center with pictures as well.  This might help strengthen that home-school connection. 

 I would also like to do a blog for other teachers to use.  I follow several blogs that give great advice and ideas that I incorporate into my classroom.  There is no reason to re-invent the wheel.  I have been getting and now it needs to be my turn at giving back too.  

We send out a survey to parents after 1st quarter and at the end of the school year for feedback.  This would be another way that we could get these results but in a different way.  We could post the survey online and also have weekly feedback from parents about our center.  

Early childhood centers are not only based on children, but also families.  Technology needs to not only be focused on the students but also on the families.  

Are you an early educator?  What kinds of ways do you use technology with students and families?

EDET 573 week 1 blog

Back to the blogging world for me!  I really enjoy blogging and reading others blogs, but for some reason..... I don't ever have time!  So let's try again!!!  
I am beginning a new class for my MET master's classes.  This class is focused on technology and literacy!  I am so excited!! Literacy is my favorite aspect of teaching!!!! I love to read and I love to share that love with others, and create that love in my students.  I am excited to learn new ways that I can combine my love for literacy and my love for technology to better benefit my students.  

My biggest take away this week came from the Solutions Book.  I never really thought about it, but students not only have to learn how to read and write, but they also have to learn technology.  And then using both of them together and how to make literacy and technology combine... WOW!!!! I honestly believe that using the 2 together can make learning so much more fun and easier!  When I was a kid, books rarely came to live.... unless I had a teacher that knew how to do read alouds creatively!  Now the books can come to life for the students, with the use of technology!  And just imagine, no more workbook pages for practice, but now IPAD apps and games to learn and practice with!!!   
So what do you think?? Does technology help or hinder the learning? Does it make it more difficult?

Also... don't forget to check out my introduction post!  It is the 1st one of this blog!!! And check out my website to see a little more into my teaching world: http://tigercubsstj.weebly.com/

Twitter Chat

I DID IT!!!

I participated in my very first twitter chat!  I did my research and found just the right chat (or so I thought). The chat I found was an autism chat based at LA Children's hospital.  Being an early educator, I knew that this would give me some great tips and tricks for Autism. So I put the date and time in my phone so I would not forget!  It was still 3 weeks away.... that would give me time to research other chats and make sure I knew what I was doing.

FINALLY... the sound of my phone.....and the reminder #AutismCHLAChat!!!   I was logged in and ready for go! I made sure my hashtag was in the right place and announced... my very first chat!  I had heard so much great information from my fellow peeps about how much information they gained during their chats.  I just knew this was going to be great!  As 6:30 pm came, an announcement came, there would be a guest person stepping in tonight-  Dr. Leslie Richard is a developmental behavioral pediatrician at CHLA.  Just what I needed more information in!!!  I'm so pumped for this!!!!

15 minutes in...... I was the only person interacting with the facilitator.   I asked some questions and was given no helpful information. I was told that I needed to get advice from a professional....wait.... I thought that this was a professional.  

45 minutes in.... I was still getting only warning red flag signs of autism.  I was hoping for so much more.  

I'm not going to give up.  I am still on the lookout for great early childhood twitter chats.  Do you know of any??   

 

Glogster EDU- Web 2.0 tool

Glogster EDU is a web 2.0 tool that is an interactive design tool.  You can create online multimedia posters that can include text, graphics, audio, video, or web links.  

Students can use Glogster EDU  to make any kind of interactive posters.  At our center, we have a student that is star of the week.  I thought this would be a great idea to have the students make their poster online instead of a paper copy that we have to display.  This would be a better way to have parents help their student create online, instead of sending home a huge paper copy each week that they have to fill out and return.  

Please see the Glogster EDU that I created  about myself.

Amanda Gibson's Glog

Here is a youtube video that will help you create your own Glogster.  Glogster EDU tutorial   

Social networking

Social Networking + Educator = Professional development

Image courtesy of http://www.someecards.com/usercards/viewcard/MjAxMi0xMTBhM2ZiYTdkYzQ3NTgw

Social media can be a great way for educators to create PLN's to increase their knowledge in many areas.  Listed below are some social media that I have used.

Facebook: I have had a Facebook account for several years.  I believe that it is a great way to stay in contact with others.  I think that it would be great media to inform parents of dates and events within your school. I like that you can live miles away from family and friends and still stay in contact.  I am still searching for a way to use it more professionally and really build my knowledge. 

Pinterest:  Pinterest is a growing community of shared ideas and thoughts.  I have been a member about 3 years and continue to really enjoy the benefits of Pinterest, not only by finding new recipes and craft ideas, but also for links to new early childhood blogs that I enjoy reading.  I have searched and found many new ideas for teaching concepts in other ways that I know.  This can be helpful for reteaching concepts or just thinking of a "better way" to do something. I recently did a search on Pinterest for communication board ideas for autistic children.  I had an endless supply of new fresh ideas and links to create communication boards.  I have also found great packets of  common core curriculum ideas for teaching kindergarten math and ELA. These are creative ideas that my students love to do.  Pinterest seems to be an on going resource for new fresh ideas. 

Twitter:  The newest social media that I have started using is Twitter.  It took me awhile to get started using it, just because it was so different and seemed to be such an overwhelming place.  I started using Twitter a few months ago, but just started really "using" Twitter the past month.  I am amazed at the amount of professional articles that you can find on Twitter.  I really enjoy not only looking for early childhood resources, but also great faith based articles as well.  I believe that Twitter has the best options professionally.  Don't have a Twitter account?  Feel free to roam around online and just explore before you create an account.  I believe the best way to really get to use Twitter is just exploring with it!  

What kinds of social media do you like to use to stay socially networked?   






 

Networked Classrooms

Networked classroom, can it work in early childhood?

This is still a question that I ask frequently!  Early childhood is such a different world and using technology with 3, 4, and 5 year old students can be tricky.  First of all, what is a networked classroom? 

A network-based classroom looks like a computer lab, with each student sitting in front of a computer. The computers are connected through a local-area network to the server on the teacher's desk. That part is true of many ordinary computer labs. What turns the lab into a network-based classroom is the use of communications software that supports synchronous, written conversation. Various software packages support this, including CB Utility, Realtime Writer, Daedalus Interchange, and Carnegie Mellon's CECE Talk (Neuwirth, Palmquist, & Gillespie, 1988). 

 

 

Do I think that networked classrooms have both positives and negatives?  Of course, just like everything that involves teaching and technology! Students can be able to participate in classroom discussions and not worry about speaking out loud.  I know that this would help reduce lots of anxiety among those who have trouble speaking in front of a group of others.  Yet, at the same time I feel like that is such a life skill that everyone needs to be able to do.  The big trick with early childhood is that many students are not even ready for this skill.  Also many times early childhood has those developmental delays, which can sometimes put a student at a 12-18 month old level.  How are those students going to participate in a networked discussion?  I am sure that it is possibly, with lots of support and training by both teacher and student. 

How do you get to that point in your early childhood classroom when you are ready to start that transition?  I believe you have to ready to jump in with both feet.  You have to have a child that you feel is ready for the challenge ahead as well.  You need to pick a student that is making lots of success in the classroom.  The teacher needs to be well trained in networked classrooms.  It would be best for that student and teacher to just try a few times with just the two of them before they attempt to join or add any other students.  The content needs to start simple as well.

 

Can you see the difference that a networked classroom can make for those diverse learners?  I just keep thinking of those special education students that benefit from this.  Deaf students could actually communicate with others in the class without having to stand in the front and sign to others who would not understand.  Gifted learners can raise the expectations and not be "bored".  

 

I believe that a networked classroom can be a very positive experience but you would have to figure out how to deal with all the "growing pains" of technology.  Who knows, maybe one day I will even try it in my classroom?  

Twitter

Twitter?  Tweets? Teaching?

Twitter can be an awesome PLN for educators.  Here are some main points that explain why Twitter can be used as such.

1. It's FREE!  What educator doesn't love free resources?

2.  Connections!  How else could you build connections with other educators all around the world?

3. Hashtags (for those of you who don't know it is also known as the # sign)  

4. Expert advice!  It's true..... teachers don't know everything, there I said it!   But we are the best at finding answers to things that we don't know.  Twitter can be a great tool to use for finding those answers.

 

 image source: http://www.watblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/twitter_education.JPG


 After just a few short weeks of exploring Twitter, I feel like one of the best things that I did to learn more about it was to go to another person's Twitter page and just look.  I found out what tweets really are and how to do it myself, what things are "tweet worthy" and also if I really want to follow that person or not.  Wonder if I could copyright this as "Twitter stalking"?!?!?!  New to Twitter and tweeting, just give it a try!! 



Here is a link that I found that gives some great tips- Twitter Tips for Educators