Reflections

I have to admit this assignment was a huge challenge for me. I have always been afraid to experiment too much on the computer. I feared that if I pushed the "wrong button" I'd break my computer. This assignment has taught me not to be afraid. I enjoyed the creative aspects the most. I loved the digital story telling. I will use that tool frequently this year. I have learned that there are many ways to use technology with my Pre-K students. I am excited about the i-Touch apps and plan to use them during workstations. The unexpected outcome for me was that I actually completed the assignment.

Tool #11

Digital citizenship is an important part of learning for students. With so much talk about cyberbullying and strangers on the Internet, it is our responsibility to teach our children how to safely use technology. I thought the information from Brainpop would be very beneficial for my students. It was easy to understand and touched on the topics of online manners and safety.

Tool #10

I have used an iTouch briefly with my students. The children loved them. Two apps I liked were Dinosaur Math and Shapebuilder Lite. I plan to use iTouches during workstations. They are great for independent practice and reinforcing skills. I am sure some of my students will be able to teach me new ways to use our iTouch.

Tool #9

I played around with jing a little. It took me a long time to figure out how to download it on my computer. I finally have "my sun" and can capture pictures and edit them. I use pictures alot with my students. I am looking forward to practicing with jing and feeling more comfortable incorporating it into my lessons.
I have heard of skype and look forward to using it. I think it would be great to connect to children in other parts of the country or world.

Tool #8 continued

I really enjoyed finding learning videos on YouTube. I have never taken the time to search through anything on this site. I feel there is a lot of good information that could be used in a small group setting. I also feel that teachers need to carefully preview the videos before using them.

Tool #8

Tool #7

I love photostory books. My class loves to read their movie. I plan on using this tool many times in the coming school year. I did have trouble uploading my story to my blog. Hopefully this will become easier with practice.

Tool #6

I have to admit that I find wikis a bit confusing. I did find the Children's Book Reviews helpful. It will be a great tool for finding books to use in our classroom. I also want to explore Web Tools 4 U 2 Use again. I feel wikis will be a good tool for planning with my team and other Pre-K teachers in the district.

Tool#5

I joined delicious. It seemed a little easier to get to the links. I found several sites by typing in pre-k and learning games. The 2 I chose to bookmark were
gamegoo and starfall. Both sites offered learning games for workstations. I think having sites tagged will make it easier to access during instruction time.
www.earobic.com/gamegoo
www.starfall.com

Tool #4

This is slowly but surely getting easier to do. I created a letter scrapbook in google docs and shared it with my assistant. I think my students will love using google images and google docs to create books with their friends. It will also be great for team planning. I added subscriptions to google reader. It was interesting. I got several strange sites because I did not type the address just right. Luckily I figured out how to delete unwanted subscriptions.

Tool #3
This has been the most enjoyable tool so far. My children and I enjoyed exploring and creating many different images. I know I will use these tools with my class. Young children love seeing their pictures and names used in many ways.

Boudreaux

Dumpr - Photo Fun

Names

Tool #2

I am excited about becoming a part of an online education community. I feel I will benefit from sharing information with many knowledgeable teachers. When commenting on other blogs, I found the advice from 10 Things To Consider When Commenting to be helpful. I feel it is important to be humble and gracious when posting comments. For many this is a new and intimidating endeavor.
Here are some blogs I am following:
http://kindermwe.blogspot.com
http://blessingsx4-motherof4.blogspot.com
http://johnsonsjourneys.blogspot.com
http://fairyprincipal.blogspot.com
http://mwepurplemartins.blogspot.com

Getting Started: tool #1

Getting Started: getting started: "I finally have a blog. I found it difficult and frustrating at first. It soon got a little easier. I think a blog will be a great way to share information about our class with parents."