Classroom News Letter NETS-T 1

NewsletterJT

This is a classroom newsletter I created using Microsoft Word. This tool was a fun way to create a newsletter for students with colors, pictures, and interesting format options.

School 2.0 Reflection Tool NETS-T 4

NETS-T that i chose to reflect on: Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
The Question that I was prompted with a resource was  I provide students with multiple and varied opportunities to demonstrate their learning, and I make data-based decisions to customize and adapt future learning opportunities aligned with content and technology standards. I said that I did this moderately but had room for improvement and as a resource I was given two different choices. I chose the first one which was a journal article by Ruth Reynard titled; 21st Century Teaching and Learning: Assessing New Knowledge. I chose this article because I am interested on how we are going to teach our students about technology and team work, networking, and communication using the new electronic tools we are given while simultaneously "teaching to the test". I think it is so important that as students we are being taught to use technology and all of its wonderful resources to have the ability to network and learn so much from other people we haven't had access to before. If teachers are always teaching to the test I do not understand how we are going to continue teaching the younger generation how to appropriately and adequately use technology as the helpful tool it is. Some of the important aspects of education are thinking, interaction, collaboration, communication, application: All represent areas of process. but the article says that teachers not only need to focus on the outcome of these processes but also the method. The author goes on to talk about different ways to address the assessment of ideas using technology which is what I was initially interested in. Focusing on the process of getting to an end result, finding ways for the students to show their process, calculations, innovations etc. Then I got to a part in the article where she talked about how this process may not work for all your students. She said that there must be a balance that will favor each style. I loved this because many of the classes I am in now have several on-line components and it really stresses me out although I have been raised with technology. Some of the authors ideas for capturing concepts were combination of Online and hardcopy text resources (articles, papers, textbook etc.); Online discussion topics, blogs, or wikis; In-class group work; and In-class and online project work and new knowledge work.

Journal 3 NETS-T 5

McDermon, Linda. "Bring the world into your Classroom." Learning and Leading with Technology 38.2 (2010): 34-35. Web. 27 Sep 2010. <http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/20100910?pg=36&search_term=bringing%20the%20world%20into%20your%20classroom&search_term=bringing%20the%20world%20into%20your%20classroom#pg36>.

Nets-T standard 5:

Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership. It will allow students to participate in local and global learning communities (a).  The students will participate in global conferences with other students from around the world.

Summary: 

This article is about exploring the world through technology without having to leave the classroom. The article mentions viewing museums and having conferences with other students around the world. The global conference is 12 hour window frames where students can present live to each other, have interactive quizzes, reading, and presentations.

How could I organize this for all grades at my school? 

Many schools do mock trials and other collaborative events within the school. If I could organize this for my school so students could practice and compete on a local level and then take their experience to the global conference.

How could I encourage my students to actively participate using other forms of technology? 

As a teacher I could encourage my students to work in groups and communicate through twitter and blogs. I could also invite my students to use electronic sources to find their information and create power-points. When the presentations get nearer I could have the students practice their presentations, do blog summaries, and create websites that could be seen by other students around the world. I think it could be interesting if the students at the conference were known in advance then the other students could be introduced to my student’s topics and vice versa before the presentations so we could practice and prepare discussions and questions.

Journal 2 NETS-T 3

Ferguson, H. (2010, June/July). Join the flock. Learning and Leading With Technology, 37(8), Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/20100607/#pg16


McClintock, S. (2010, June/July). Enhance your twitter experience. Learning and Leading With Technology, 37(8), Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/20100607/#pg16 

Standard

This fulfills the NETS-T standard 3. The student and parent will be able to colloborate with other student, peers, teacher and parents using digital tools and resources. Through the digital tools and resources the teacher, students, and parents success will be supported. 

 Summary

Both the journal articles in journal 2 are about building your "PLN" professional learning network, through twitter. The articles talk about how to go on twitter and begin to build your PLN by searching people, subjects and ideas you are interested it. It also talked about how to organize your twitter to best support your goals of using twitter. The article also talked about using hash tags ( #) to find people or groups you may be interested in.

How could I organize a Twitter hash tag for my students' parents?
       If I could help my students set up twitter accounts and learn/create a single hash tag for our class then much like this class it could be somewhere that the students' parents could go independently to view assignments and upcoming events in class. This is something I wish my little brothers' teachers had for his high school classes. My brother was horrible at following through or "remembering" that he had an assignment due in high school. It lead to a lot of late nights helping him with homework. If I could create a place where parents could electronically sign on, view assignments, upcoming events, and ask me questions I think it would create better communication by excluding the student being in the middle.

How could I use twitter for my students to form study groups and complete group assignments?
       Twitter could help group assignments because it could help the group organize and make decisions prior to meeting. A lot of time in group work i feel that there is a lot of time wasted on talking about the project rather than doing it when the group actually comes together. By using hash tags and twitter the groups could go on their hash tags and talk about topics and other ideas they need to come up with. They could have a central place with an archive of their ideas, meeting times, and each persons' responsibilities. I think group work through twitter and the use of hash tags could get rid of a lot of time wasted communicating or "not knowing" what time events are and also not knowing what each persons responsibilities are.

Journal 1 NETS-T 4

Green, T, Donovan, L, & Bass, K. (2010). Taking laptops school wide: a professional learning community approach. Learning and Leading with Technology, 38(1), Retrieved from https://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/LLIssues/Volume3820102011/August_No_1_3/L_L_August_2010.htm 



Standard
I believe that this fulfills NETS-T standard 4 b. If there were one to one laptops for students then all the students would have the ability to use learner-centered strategies in the classroom. THe students would all have equal access to digital tools and resources

 Summary

The first journal is “Taking laptops school wide: a professional learning community approach” by Tim Green, Loretta Donovan, and Kim Bass. The article talks about the four tools to integrating technology successfully into the classrooms which are first progression of use, second school climate, third communication and fourth collaboration.

What kind of programs could I integrate into the classroom?

I always think math is such an important subject for children to feel confident in and if parents were able to see the exact types of problems their children were having problems with or if the children were able to get immediate feedback as to how they did the problem wrong and the correct way or a correct example then I think that would be very beneficial. Also by doing it through the computer it may be quicker feedback to me as the teacher.

How could I help the students’ parents benefit from this?

I think parents could benefit from the above programs if there was a way for the parents to also see their childs performance in the classroom so they could easily see where the child needed extra help outside of the home. Also I think parents would appreciate the ability to check notes from the teacher and assignments all posted online through a blog. If children posted on it during school and parents later had access to it through their own computers I think it could make communication between parent, child, and teacher much easier.

Introducing Ms. Blogger Jordann Tanner NETS-T 1

Hello Everyone,
My name is Jordann Tanner. I am a Southern California girl born and raised in Vista. I am 22 years old and have lived in the same house since I was one year old. I went to kindergarten through elementary school at Monte Vista Elementary, middle school at Lincoln Middle, and high school at Rancho Buena Vista. I completed three semesters of college at the University of Redlands in San Bernardino, then moved back home. I lost almost all my credits transferring from a private university to a public but I was able to take 21 units in the spring at Palomar to get a head start. I am now doing my third year at CSUSM and hoping to graduate in the spring with my degree in liberal studies, my depth in psychology and my certificate in communicative sciences and disorders which are the prerequisites for the speech masters program CSUSM just recently added this fall.


In the technology continuum I am definitely not "tech savvy". I can work my computer; the internet, Microsoft word and I passed the CCR, but goodness that was lucky. Compared to a lot of my peers I am quite far behind. My parents are not technical people and so everything I know I've either stumbled on accidentally or learned from a friend. I would love to learn more tricks and short cuts with technology and I am already so amazed at how much I learned last night in the first class. I have never used a Mac and have only been exposed to PC's but possible after this course I may be converted to the Mac world. As far as technology goes in the world I think it is a great tool for people. Of course there are going to be downfalls and people that use it for inappropriate things or find ways to use it to harm people but overall i think it is a great tool. I know for my personally my grandparents live in Idaho so they are able to check my family's and cousin's blogs to look at pictures and our posts about what they are missing out on. They don't know how to comment or create their own blog but at least they can view everything. But yes, I like the whole technology thing although many aspects of its complexity and size scare me to death. I cannot wait to learn more so I can feel more comfortable using the computer and internet.


The CSUSM mission statement is something that I have learned to become passionate about through my courses here at CSUSM. As a student in Southern California I am learning just how important it is to have educators that are committed to creating a place of learning that is equal, diverse, and socially just for all children and their parents. I also know how hard and scary it can be for students and their parents to be in public school system and I believe that CSUSM's mission statement is a strong example of how a lot of California schools need to change. Although, I admit I did not know the Mission Statement prior to applying, now that I am a student and planning to get my masters through the College of Education here at CSUSM, I will stand up for this mission statement firmly and place the same responsibility on my peers here at school and eventually in the workplace also.