I found Google Sites relatively simple to use and figure out, although I was not able to spend the time that I would have liked in order to make my website more visually pleasing (which I will do when I have a real elementary school classroom!) Sites maintains a history of your revisions, which is helpful if one wants to go back and make changes. It has an option to have your tabs on the side, which I chose, for easy navigation from the home page. Inserting images was easy as well, although editing them once on the site was difficult. Adding pages was quite simple too. I opted to make my home screen two columns, although many more can be added. I am sure much more can be accomplished with Google Sites than I currently have the time or knowledge to do. Again, with more time, creating a page for my class could be very fun as well as useful.
To view my site, please click HERE.
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Monday, May 18, 2015
GAIN-Forms
Setting up a quiz in Google forms is very simple. Although I looked
at rpollack's tutorial about making quizzes, it was pretty much
self-explanatory. I easily sent my short quiz by email, took the quiz
myself to have an answer key, and was able to view the results in Google
Spreadsheet. So far so good! However, when I got to the part where I
needed to set up the self-grading, I had to read the tutorial several
times to understand the formula (math is not my strongest point!)When I
entered the formula, I got a result of 0 for both of my students, but I
should have gotten a 3 for the first, for 3 out of 3 correct, and a 1 on
the second, for 1 out of 3 correct, so I am not sure exactly what I am
doing wrong. Hopefully it is an easy fix. Like I said, Google forms was
easy to use up to this point for me.
To see my spreadsheet results, click
HERE.
Google Forms can be a great tool for teachers to use for tests, quizzes, and surveys, and to quickly and easily grade. Graham also mentioned several ways to use Google forms which I had not thought of; surveys can be sent out to teachers, parents, and the community in order to gather data to make decisions. It can even collect personal information such as phone numbers and emails, and Graham even suggested using it as a discipline form, or for counselors to let students submit information privately. Google Forms is a quick and easy way for teachers to collect data.
Students can also use Google Forms. Two Common Core Standards are for students to be able to "Present information, findings, and supporting evidence..." and to "Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information..." Google Forms, being a great way to organize and present data, could help students to meet these standards. Forms could even help students to understand and compare the data that they have gathered, possibly through sending out surveys and quizzes.
To see my spreadsheet results, click
HERE.
Google Forms can be a great tool for teachers to use for tests, quizzes, and surveys, and to quickly and easily grade. Graham also mentioned several ways to use Google forms which I had not thought of; surveys can be sent out to teachers, parents, and the community in order to gather data to make decisions. It can even collect personal information such as phone numbers and emails, and Graham even suggested using it as a discipline form, or for counselors to let students submit information privately. Google Forms is a quick and easy way for teachers to collect data.
Students can also use Google Forms. Two Common Core Standards are for students to be able to "Present information, findings, and supporting evidence..." and to "Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information..." Google Forms, being a great way to organize and present data, could help students to meet these standards. Forms could even help students to understand and compare the data that they have gathered, possibly through sending out surveys and quizzes.
Friday, May 15, 2015
TECH-iPad Literacy and Disciplines
For iPad literacy, I chose to focus on the My Spelling Test app, Educreations interactive whiteboard, and Puppet Pals, all of which would be wonderful learning tools in an elementary school classroom. My Spelling Test is an app that allows the user to create their own spelling tests. Teachers can make tests or practice tests for their students, and the app even allows the teacher to record their own voice saying each of the words. This would be especially useful for those students who do not have someone who can work with them frequently on homework.
The Educreations interactive whiteboard is a really useful tool for teachers and students, because it allows teachers to create video lessons, recording what the teacher is writing on the screen (as well as the teacher's voice). Students can pause to take notes, going at their own pace, and watch the video as many times as is necessary. Maybe the teacher already taught the lesson to the class, but then during centers students could watch the video again to clarify what he or she did not understand.
I absolutely loved the Puppet Pals app. In Puppet Pals, students can choose characters and backgrounds, then record their own voices to create a story. This could be used as students either write their own stories, perform stories they have already written, or retell stories they have read in order to promote understanding. The app is fun and interactive, and allows the students to be creative. They are learning and reinforcing ideas all while having fun.
For iPad Disciplines, I chose to focus on the Piano app for music, the Kids Can Match Animals app for science, and Mathboard for math. Again, these are all apps that are great for elementary school age, since that is my specialty. I chose to look at the Piano app because I love music, and I truly believe that it is essential to children's development. Not only would this app be fun for students to make up their own songs, but it is very educational. It has a metronome to keep time, a pedal option, and says the notes on the keys. Students can even learn songs on this app. This app would help children to develop a musical ear, especially for those who cannot afford a real piano or music lessons, and to have a good time and develop musical confidence.
The next app I chose to look at was the Kids Can Match Animals science app. In this app, students play a virtual matching game, matching photographs of real animals. The game also plays the sounds that each animal makes, so students can learn that as well. There seems to be a wide variety of animals in the app. Students are learning to identify animals, the sounds they make, and practicing their memory skills. This game would be most suitable for young elementary schoolers, probably just kindergarten and first grade. However, I do think that it would be great for those ages!
The last app I am looking at is the Matchboard app. It is a fun, unique, and interactive way for students at all levels of math to learn. Not only does the app have problems for students to solve, it also makes math into different types of games. There are different math tables that students who are struggling can look at, and the app can save the user's score. This app would make math much more interesting for young students. Again, it could be used as a center after the main math lesson.
I enjoyed exploring and learning about these different apps for education. These would all be great to use in my elementary school classroom, making learning more interactive and enjoyable.
The Educreations interactive whiteboard is a really useful tool for teachers and students, because it allows teachers to create video lessons, recording what the teacher is writing on the screen (as well as the teacher's voice). Students can pause to take notes, going at their own pace, and watch the video as many times as is necessary. Maybe the teacher already taught the lesson to the class, but then during centers students could watch the video again to clarify what he or she did not understand.
I absolutely loved the Puppet Pals app. In Puppet Pals, students can choose characters and backgrounds, then record their own voices to create a story. This could be used as students either write their own stories, perform stories they have already written, or retell stories they have read in order to promote understanding. The app is fun and interactive, and allows the students to be creative. They are learning and reinforcing ideas all while having fun.
For iPad Disciplines, I chose to focus on the Piano app for music, the Kids Can Match Animals app for science, and Mathboard for math. Again, these are all apps that are great for elementary school age, since that is my specialty. I chose to look at the Piano app because I love music, and I truly believe that it is essential to children's development. Not only would this app be fun for students to make up their own songs, but it is very educational. It has a metronome to keep time, a pedal option, and says the notes on the keys. Students can even learn songs on this app. This app would help children to develop a musical ear, especially for those who cannot afford a real piano or music lessons, and to have a good time and develop musical confidence.
The next app I chose to look at was the Kids Can Match Animals science app. In this app, students play a virtual matching game, matching photographs of real animals. The game also plays the sounds that each animal makes, so students can learn that as well. There seems to be a wide variety of animals in the app. Students are learning to identify animals, the sounds they make, and practicing their memory skills. This game would be most suitable for young elementary schoolers, probably just kindergarten and first grade. However, I do think that it would be great for those ages!
The last app I am looking at is the Matchboard app. It is a fun, unique, and interactive way for students at all levels of math to learn. Not only does the app have problems for students to solve, it also makes math into different types of games. There are different math tables that students who are struggling can look at, and the app can save the user's score. This app would make math much more interesting for young students. Again, it could be used as a center after the main math lesson.
I enjoyed exploring and learning about these different apps for education. These would all be great to use in my elementary school classroom, making learning more interactive and enjoyable.
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
GAIN-Spreadsheets
I have some, although not much, experience with Microsoft Excel, and it seems that Google Spreadsheet is fairly similar, with the biggest differences being in cost and collaboration capability. I do not particularly enjoy working with Excel or with numbers, so this program can be frustrating for me. I expected Google Spreadsheet to be easier to use, but it seemed pretty much the same to me. I had fun doing the colors and lines to make my work look pretty (which was easy), but I did not enjoy the tedious work of entering the numbers. Using the averaging tool was easy once I got the hang of it. It seems that this program is fairly simple to use once one practices a bit, but can be confusing at first (especially for the mathematically challenged!)
To view my grade spreadsheet, please click HERE.
Spreadsheets can not only be useful for teachers in their grading, but also for students' learning, and for meeting Common Core Standards. Google Spreadsheets can help students to understand and organize their data, and can be a great tool in math lessons, as well as other subjects. In elementary school, students do a lot of graphing, and spreadsheets can help them organize the data for their graphs. One third grade Common Core requirement is to "Generate measurement data by measuring lengths using rulers...Show the data by making a line plot, where the horizontal scale is marked off in appropriate units..." A spreadsheet can be used before making the graph. It is also good for elementary students to have basic knowledge of a spreadsheet so that they can be prepared for the upper grades.
To view my grade spreadsheet, please click HERE.
Spreadsheets can not only be useful for teachers in their grading, but also for students' learning, and for meeting Common Core Standards. Google Spreadsheets can help students to understand and organize their data, and can be a great tool in math lessons, as well as other subjects. In elementary school, students do a lot of graphing, and spreadsheets can help them organize the data for their graphs. One third grade Common Core requirement is to "Generate measurement data by measuring lengths using rulers...Show the data by making a line plot, where the horizontal scale is marked off in appropriate units..." A spreadsheet can be used before making the graph. It is also good for elementary students to have basic knowledge of a spreadsheet so that they can be prepared for the upper grades.
TECH-iPad Basics
In iWorks I chose to focus on Pages, which can be compared to Microsoft Word. I have used Microsoft frequently growing up, so I am fairly familiar with it. Pages is similar to Word in many ways, although different in several as well. The format of each are decently similar; while the iPad's toolbar is set up slightly differently in order to save space, the options are basically the same. Both programs have templates which one can choose from, and you type on it just like any Word document. One positive of Pages is that it saves your work automatically; you never have to save. The biggest difference between the two programs, however, is that Pages was created specifically for the iPad; therefore, its touchscreen actually makes it, in my opinion, easier to use, especially for young users. There is no mouse to navigate. One drawback to this, however, is that there is no actual physical keyboard, so typing can be a challenge. I enjoyed working with Pages, although I am not sure I have a favorite program between the two.
Box.net is similar to dropbox in that it will save your work online in an organized fashion. You can make different folders into which you can import as well as search information, and it can be accessed from anywhere and on any device as long as internet is available. I was easily able to import a picture of myself from my iPad into my new Box.net account, although videos, documents, PDF files, and more can also be imported. Collaboration is also possible with this website, which is great for many kinds of people, especially in schools.
I had never used iThoughts before, and I absolutely love it! It is easy to use and fun to play with. I could see this being a great classroom tool for brainstorming and understanding stories and concepts. It would be great for young learners because of the hands-on, interactive features, especially because it is on and iPad, and therefore, a touch screen. There are tons of colors and ways to format your diagram, so each student can be creative and make their ideas unique. IThoughts is a great visual aid, which is important, especially in elementary school.
I have used Safari frequently in the past, but never Rover. Rover is a unique program which is geared toward education and allows students to surf the web with protection, which would be great especially for elementary schoolers. It enables Flash, which is needed for many programs and videos, but does not work on iPads, and so that is a definite bonus. When I experimented with Rover, however, as I chose a few things to search, articles and websites would come up in the search, but I could not find any that I could use; they were all blocked. I am not sure what the point of even having websites show up in the search that are blocked. Of course I want to protect my elementary school students, but they also need to have access to enough information to learn.
Box.net is similar to dropbox in that it will save your work online in an organized fashion. You can make different folders into which you can import as well as search information, and it can be accessed from anywhere and on any device as long as internet is available. I was easily able to import a picture of myself from my iPad into my new Box.net account, although videos, documents, PDF files, and more can also be imported. Collaboration is also possible with this website, which is great for many kinds of people, especially in schools.
I had never used iThoughts before, and I absolutely love it! It is easy to use and fun to play with. I could see this being a great classroom tool for brainstorming and understanding stories and concepts. It would be great for young learners because of the hands-on, interactive features, especially because it is on and iPad, and therefore, a touch screen. There are tons of colors and ways to format your diagram, so each student can be creative and make their ideas unique. IThoughts is a great visual aid, which is important, especially in elementary school.
I have used Safari frequently in the past, but never Rover. Rover is a unique program which is geared toward education and allows students to surf the web with protection, which would be great especially for elementary schoolers. It enables Flash, which is needed for many programs and videos, but does not work on iPads, and so that is a definite bonus. When I experimented with Rover, however, as I chose a few things to search, articles and websites would come up in the search, but I could not find any that I could use; they were all blocked. I am not sure what the point of even having websites show up in the search that are blocked. Of course I want to protect my elementary school students, but they also need to have access to enough information to learn.
Sunday, May 10, 2015
GAIN-Google Drawings
Google Drawings is a neat program which allows the user to create pictures, graphs, and charts, using different shapes, lines, colors, and text. It allows students to be creative with the information that they are learning. Just like Google Docs and Google Presentations, Google Drawings allows users to collaborate, as well as share and save online. Google Drawings can even help students and teachers to meet Common Core requirements, such as "Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively...and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears."
Google Drawings is a great tool for teachers to use to create visually stimulating presentations. This is especially helpful for students who are visual learners, and helps students in general to remember lessons. One Common Core requirement that Google Drawings can help students meet is to "Draw (freehand, with ruler and protractor, and with technology) geometric shapes with given conditions..." Google Drawings makes creating geometric shapes easy. Students can choose from shapes in the program, change their size and color, or even draw the shapes themselves with the lines or scribble tools. Google Drawings can be a great tool for math lessons.
Google Drawings can even help students with writing by, as Graham says, "helping them organize their ideas." They can easily create flow charts about stories they are reading or information they are learning, or teachers can create charts for the students to fill in. A Common Core standard to meet is to "Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text." Google Drawings easily helps to creatively meet this standard.
I had a good first experience with Google Drawings. Once one gets the hang of the different tools, it is quite simple to use, and quite similar to Google Docs and Presentations. I examined the elementary school lesson in Google Drawings, which was a geometry lesson asking students to manipulate (flip, etc.) different shapes, and to add more shapes as well to create a picture. I love that art can be incorporated to a math lesson, and I think that this would be a lesson that elementary school students would really enjoy. For an example of the picture that I created while experimenting with Google Drawing, please click HERE.
Google Drawings is a great tool for teachers to use to create visually stimulating presentations. This is especially helpful for students who are visual learners, and helps students in general to remember lessons. One Common Core requirement that Google Drawings can help students meet is to "Draw (freehand, with ruler and protractor, and with technology) geometric shapes with given conditions..." Google Drawings makes creating geometric shapes easy. Students can choose from shapes in the program, change their size and color, or even draw the shapes themselves with the lines or scribble tools. Google Drawings can be a great tool for math lessons.
Google Drawings can even help students with writing by, as Graham says, "helping them organize their ideas." They can easily create flow charts about stories they are reading or information they are learning, or teachers can create charts for the students to fill in. A Common Core standard to meet is to "Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text." Google Drawings easily helps to creatively meet this standard.
I had a good first experience with Google Drawings. Once one gets the hang of the different tools, it is quite simple to use, and quite similar to Google Docs and Presentations. I examined the elementary school lesson in Google Drawings, which was a geometry lesson asking students to manipulate (flip, etc.) different shapes, and to add more shapes as well to create a picture. I love that art can be incorporated to a math lesson, and I think that this would be a lesson that elementary school students would really enjoy. For an example of the picture that I created while experimenting with Google Drawing, please click HERE.
TECH-Tablets in Education
There are many advantages to using tablets in education, and while most types of tablets are quite similar, each comes with its own set of strengths and weaknesses. I would like to look at the Barnes and Noble Nook, the Amazon Kindle, and the Apple iPad, and some of their pros and cons as far as use in the school. I would then like to take a look at how the iPad has been implemented in some schools, and what the results were.
The Barnes and Noble Nook is one tablet that has been used in some schools, including in Jennifer LaGarde's school library. There are many advantages to using a Nook. First of all, it comes at a reasonable price point, which is important for schools that need to purchase many. Six Nooks can share one Barnes and Noble account, which is less for accounts for teachers to manage. One reason LaGarde chose the Nook was because of the fantastic support and trainings, including with real people. She had really great outcomes with the students' use of the Nooks. The students enjoyed customizing their own "library" on their own Nook, and motivated them to learn. The students were also able to interact easily with the text. A couple of drawbacks that LaGarde experienced included the fact that there was much to learn not only about the Nook itself and how it worked, but also how to implement the devices smoothly into the school. Next, many schools needed to catch up with the technology; their policies did not always make her transition into using the Nooks for instruction smoothly (for example, in purchasing books on the Nooks). And last, she noted that Barnes and Noble was not necessarily aimed for schools and libraries, but rather for the individual consumer. This is a red flag for me, as I consider what I think would be the best tablet to use in my school,
The Amazon Kindle is another tablet, which has one great and obvious advantage over the other tablets; that is, its domination of the e-book market. Amazon has more e-books than any other company, and has a strong market of textbooks as well (another obvious advantage for schools). It comes at a reasonable cost, less than the Apple iPad, and has a longer battery life as well. The Kindle seems like a great addition to a school, especially in a library or a literary-focused school.
The Apple iPad also has many wonderful implications for education usage; however, it did not initially market to schools; it "followed its customers there." Now, however, Apple is much more focused on catering to schools and education. One of the biggest advantages to the iPad is the sheer number of educational apps for use in schools. As a future elementary school teacher, I think that these interactive and fun learning apps would best benefit my young students. The one drawback that I can see for the iPad is the cost, although I think that it would be worth the cost in the end.
I would now like to take a look at how iPads have actually been used in education, and what the outcomes have been. One surprising and encouraging outcome is that the use of iPads seems to be improving test scores. This could be because the iPads cause students to be more engaged in their learning; students think that it's "cool." Students now have grown up with technology, and so it only makes sense for them to use it not only in their home or social lives, but in the educational/school lives as well. Students enjoy using iPads in school; it helps make learning more interesting to this technological generation. Students can take their iPads home to complete their homework, email teachers, and even watch instructional videos multiple times until they understand the concept.
For students to each have their own device (1:1) aids student learning. Jill Hobson, an instructional technology direction, says that they help students to become "information producers" instead of "information consumers." Students must interact with the information that they are learning in order to get the most out of their education, and this is what iPads allow them to do.
The Barnes and Noble Nook, Amazon Kindle, and Apple iPad, have all had fairly positive outcomes in the integration of their use into education. Students enjoy using them, and thus, are more motivated and inspired to learn. Which tablet is right for one's school depends partly on the school's needs, what the tablet will be used for, and cost. For an elementary school, I think that the Apple iPad would be most beneficial, mainly because of their extensive number of educational apps, and continued focus on education. Very positive results, including rising test scores, have been recorded with the use of iPads.
References:
Jennifer LaGarde, "Our Nook Adventure" Parts I, II, III, and IV.
Peter Kafka, "Amazon Tries Taking the Kindle to School, Again, With Textbook Rentals"
Bertolucci, Jeff, "Apple iPad vs Kindle DX"
"How the iPad is Changing Education"
Schools See Rising Scores with iPads
'Bring Your Own Device' Catching on in Schools
The Barnes and Noble Nook is one tablet that has been used in some schools, including in Jennifer LaGarde's school library. There are many advantages to using a Nook. First of all, it comes at a reasonable price point, which is important for schools that need to purchase many. Six Nooks can share one Barnes and Noble account, which is less for accounts for teachers to manage. One reason LaGarde chose the Nook was because of the fantastic support and trainings, including with real people. She had really great outcomes with the students' use of the Nooks. The students enjoyed customizing their own "library" on their own Nook, and motivated them to learn. The students were also able to interact easily with the text. A couple of drawbacks that LaGarde experienced included the fact that there was much to learn not only about the Nook itself and how it worked, but also how to implement the devices smoothly into the school. Next, many schools needed to catch up with the technology; their policies did not always make her transition into using the Nooks for instruction smoothly (for example, in purchasing books on the Nooks). And last, she noted that Barnes and Noble was not necessarily aimed for schools and libraries, but rather for the individual consumer. This is a red flag for me, as I consider what I think would be the best tablet to use in my school,
The Amazon Kindle is another tablet, which has one great and obvious advantage over the other tablets; that is, its domination of the e-book market. Amazon has more e-books than any other company, and has a strong market of textbooks as well (another obvious advantage for schools). It comes at a reasonable cost, less than the Apple iPad, and has a longer battery life as well. The Kindle seems like a great addition to a school, especially in a library or a literary-focused school.
The Apple iPad also has many wonderful implications for education usage; however, it did not initially market to schools; it "followed its customers there." Now, however, Apple is much more focused on catering to schools and education. One of the biggest advantages to the iPad is the sheer number of educational apps for use in schools. As a future elementary school teacher, I think that these interactive and fun learning apps would best benefit my young students. The one drawback that I can see for the iPad is the cost, although I think that it would be worth the cost in the end.
I would now like to take a look at how iPads have actually been used in education, and what the outcomes have been. One surprising and encouraging outcome is that the use of iPads seems to be improving test scores. This could be because the iPads cause students to be more engaged in their learning; students think that it's "cool." Students now have grown up with technology, and so it only makes sense for them to use it not only in their home or social lives, but in the educational/school lives as well. Students enjoy using iPads in school; it helps make learning more interesting to this technological generation. Students can take their iPads home to complete their homework, email teachers, and even watch instructional videos multiple times until they understand the concept.
For students to each have their own device (1:1) aids student learning. Jill Hobson, an instructional technology direction, says that they help students to become "information producers" instead of "information consumers." Students must interact with the information that they are learning in order to get the most out of their education, and this is what iPads allow them to do.
The Barnes and Noble Nook, Amazon Kindle, and Apple iPad, have all had fairly positive outcomes in the integration of their use into education. Students enjoy using them, and thus, are more motivated and inspired to learn. Which tablet is right for one's school depends partly on the school's needs, what the tablet will be used for, and cost. For an elementary school, I think that the Apple iPad would be most beneficial, mainly because of their extensive number of educational apps, and continued focus on education. Very positive results, including rising test scores, have been recorded with the use of iPads.
References:
Jennifer LaGarde, "Our Nook Adventure" Parts I, II, III, and IV.
Peter Kafka, "Amazon Tries Taking the Kindle to School, Again, With Textbook Rentals"
Bertolucci, Jeff, "Apple iPad vs Kindle DX"
"How the iPad is Changing Education"
Schools See Rising Scores with iPads
'Bring Your Own Device' Catching on in Schools
GAIN: Google Presentations
Google Presentations is a wonderful new program that is part of Google Apps for Education, which allows users to create interesting presentations with ease. It is very similar to Microsoft PowerPoint, a bonus since most people are familiar with this program. Google Presentations also meets many of the Common Core standards, even better than does Microsoft PowerPoint.
In Google Presentations, one can create a presentation with many slides using different fonts, hyperlinks, pictures, and animations. There are several tools, however, that Presentations has which PowerPoint does not. First of all, just like Google Docs, one's presentation can be stored on the internet in the "cloud," which means it can be accessed from anywhere with internet and on any device. Secondly, also like Google Docs, Presentations can be collaborated on; many people can easily work on a presentation together, from their own device. Third, Google Presentations can be stored in different forms such as PowerPoint, which makes it easy for users who are more comfortable with PowerPoint. Next, presentations can be shared on the web for others to view. Last, Google Presentations is free!
Google Presentations helps to meet several Common Core State Standards. According to the Graham text, in Common Core students are expected to "Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations," and standard that is clearly met through use of Google Presentations. Another Common Core standard that Google presentations helps to meet is the one that says students must be able to "Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words." Students must be able to see and understand information in all forms. They need to be able to understand the text in a presentation, as well as the pictures, videos, charts, graphs, etc.
Google Presentations has many wonderful implications for classroom usage, even in elementary school, which is my area. The Graham text points out that "Preparing students to make high-quality presentations in the early grades will hone their skills as they progress in school." Graham makes an excellent point that in order to succeed later on in school, students must begin at a young age developing computer and technological skills required for this technological age that we live in. Google Presentations is also a great tool to teach students collaboration skills, as it allows students to work together on presentations. Teachers can also be involved in the process of creating a presentation, guiding students through the process (which is very important, especially at the elementary school level!) Google Presentations can also be a great tool for teachers when creating presentations for use in teaching their classes; it can be easily stored to work on in another location, such as home, easily shared with other teachers, and collaboration in lesson planning with other teachers is also possible.
Google Presentations is a great program; although it is very similar to Microsoft PowerPoint, it has several advantages over PowerPoint. Google Presentations can be stored online, and accessed from any device. Presentations can be stored in nearly any form. Presentations are easily shared and collaborated on. Students can use it to meet the rigorous Common Core standards, and learn skills necessary to succeed in this technological age. Teachers can use it for easy lesson planning, and even aiding students on assignments. I can see no major cons with Google Presentations. It seems to me a step above Microsoft PowerPoint, a tool of the future, and something that will be a marvelous classroom tool, helping to meet Common Core Standards.
For a sample Google Presentation, please click HERE.
In Google Presentations, one can create a presentation with many slides using different fonts, hyperlinks, pictures, and animations. There are several tools, however, that Presentations has which PowerPoint does not. First of all, just like Google Docs, one's presentation can be stored on the internet in the "cloud," which means it can be accessed from anywhere with internet and on any device. Secondly, also like Google Docs, Presentations can be collaborated on; many people can easily work on a presentation together, from their own device. Third, Google Presentations can be stored in different forms such as PowerPoint, which makes it easy for users who are more comfortable with PowerPoint. Next, presentations can be shared on the web for others to view. Last, Google Presentations is free!
Google Presentations helps to meet several Common Core State Standards. According to the Graham text, in Common Core students are expected to "Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations," and standard that is clearly met through use of Google Presentations. Another Common Core standard that Google presentations helps to meet is the one that says students must be able to "Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words." Students must be able to see and understand information in all forms. They need to be able to understand the text in a presentation, as well as the pictures, videos, charts, graphs, etc.
Google Presentations has many wonderful implications for classroom usage, even in elementary school, which is my area. The Graham text points out that "Preparing students to make high-quality presentations in the early grades will hone their skills as they progress in school." Graham makes an excellent point that in order to succeed later on in school, students must begin at a young age developing computer and technological skills required for this technological age that we live in. Google Presentations is also a great tool to teach students collaboration skills, as it allows students to work together on presentations. Teachers can also be involved in the process of creating a presentation, guiding students through the process (which is very important, especially at the elementary school level!) Google Presentations can also be a great tool for teachers when creating presentations for use in teaching their classes; it can be easily stored to work on in another location, such as home, easily shared with other teachers, and collaboration in lesson planning with other teachers is also possible.
Google Presentations is a great program; although it is very similar to Microsoft PowerPoint, it has several advantages over PowerPoint. Google Presentations can be stored online, and accessed from any device. Presentations can be stored in nearly any form. Presentations are easily shared and collaborated on. Students can use it to meet the rigorous Common Core standards, and learn skills necessary to succeed in this technological age. Teachers can use it for easy lesson planning, and even aiding students on assignments. I can see no major cons with Google Presentations. It seems to me a step above Microsoft PowerPoint, a tool of the future, and something that will be a marvelous classroom tool, helping to meet Common Core Standards.
For a sample Google Presentation, please click HERE.
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
GAIN
Google Docs is an impressive new word processing system, which allows multiple people to work on a document at once, and to be stored in the "cloud," called Google Drive, or Google's server; this means that it can be accessed anywhere through the internet. Google Docs is very different than the word processor that I am accustomed to using, Microsoft Word, in many ways. Most of these differences are improvements. First of all, Google Docs is free, as opposed to Microsoft Word, a benefit many schools are taking advantage of. Secondly, as mentioned previously, because Google Docs stores its documents on the internet, your documents can be accessed anytime, anywhere, on any device with internet capabilities. One of the biggest differences between Word and Google Docs is that on Google Docs up to 50 people can work on the same document, at the same time. This makes collaboration with others extremely easy and efficient. Students can work together on projects, and teacher can quickly give feedback in a way not possible before with Microsoft Word. Also, Google Docs saves one's work every two seconds, and one can go back and look at a history, "revision history," of all the saves, as well as who made the revisions. Therefore, work is never lost. Also, hyperlinks, research, and pictures are inserted with ease. Students can place these in their projects, and teachers can place them in assignments for the students. Lastly, students can turn in homework assignments through Google Docs, and there are therefore no more excuses such as lost or forgotten homework. These are the major strengths of Google Docs that Microsoft Word does not have that stood out to me.
One weakness of Google Docs is that one must be connected to the internet in order to use it and work on a document, unless one has saved it to another device, in which case it would have to be copied into the Google Doc. Another problem could be simply teaching employees or students to use this new program instead of Microsoft Word. Otherwise, there are not many weaknesses in comparison with Word.
Google Docs could change and improve so much of the learning and collaboration processes in schools, and even help to meet the Common Core Standards. For example, one of the Common Core Standards is to "Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach." Google Docs can help students meet this standard because of their history capabilities; students can easily erase parts of their work, and then go back and look at them again, and then edit and revise as needed. Teachers can even be a part of this process, giving feedback in real time as students are working.
Another Common Core Standard states that students must "Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others." Using Google Docs, students can easily insert hyperlinks and research into their papers, as well as work together on a project through Google Docs, even if they are not physically together. When they go home from school, they can continue working on their project together from their own homes.
Common Core Standards for third grade state that students must be able to use technology to produce and publish writing "with guidance and support from adults," (fourth and fifth graders must do the same with "some" adult guidance and support); with Google Docs, as mentioned previously, teachers can quickly give feedback even as the students are working, guiding them through the writing process.
In Common Core, students are expected to be practicing their keyboarding skills, as well as collaboration skills, and through Google Docs, students can see just how important these skills are, and they can be put to practice. Students must understand the importance of keyboarding and collaboration skills in order to be a part of the global marketplace; what better way to learn than to actually use those skills in the classroom? Students can even take notes on the same document, and in that way help each other understand the major points of a lesson.
Google Docs can even help with meeting Common Core math requirements, as math symbols and graphs are a part of Google Docs.
In using Google Docs, I found the program to be easy to use and navigate. There is a clear tool bar at the top, and much of it is actually quite similar to Microsoft Word. It is easy, however, to type over others' work on a shared document, and collaborators must therefore have a clear idea what their job is, or work in different areas of the document. The chat and comment functions do, however, allow collaborators to communicate with one another outside of the document. While Google Docs allows up to 50 people to work on a document at once, this could cause chaos and confusion. Other than that concern, I had a very good first experience with Google Docs; I am very impressed and look forward to using it in the classroom.
One weakness of Google Docs is that one must be connected to the internet in order to use it and work on a document, unless one has saved it to another device, in which case it would have to be copied into the Google Doc. Another problem could be simply teaching employees or students to use this new program instead of Microsoft Word. Otherwise, there are not many weaknesses in comparison with Word.
Google Docs could change and improve so much of the learning and collaboration processes in schools, and even help to meet the Common Core Standards. For example, one of the Common Core Standards is to "Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach." Google Docs can help students meet this standard because of their history capabilities; students can easily erase parts of their work, and then go back and look at them again, and then edit and revise as needed. Teachers can even be a part of this process, giving feedback in real time as students are working.
Another Common Core Standard states that students must "Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others." Using Google Docs, students can easily insert hyperlinks and research into their papers, as well as work together on a project through Google Docs, even if they are not physically together. When they go home from school, they can continue working on their project together from their own homes.
Common Core Standards for third grade state that students must be able to use technology to produce and publish writing "with guidance and support from adults," (fourth and fifth graders must do the same with "some" adult guidance and support); with Google Docs, as mentioned previously, teachers can quickly give feedback even as the students are working, guiding them through the writing process.
In Common Core, students are expected to be practicing their keyboarding skills, as well as collaboration skills, and through Google Docs, students can see just how important these skills are, and they can be put to practice. Students must understand the importance of keyboarding and collaboration skills in order to be a part of the global marketplace; what better way to learn than to actually use those skills in the classroom? Students can even take notes on the same document, and in that way help each other understand the major points of a lesson.
Google Docs can even help with meeting Common Core math requirements, as math symbols and graphs are a part of Google Docs.
In using Google Docs, I found the program to be easy to use and navigate. There is a clear tool bar at the top, and much of it is actually quite similar to Microsoft Word. It is easy, however, to type over others' work on a shared document, and collaborators must therefore have a clear idea what their job is, or work in different areas of the document. The chat and comment functions do, however, allow collaborators to communicate with one another outside of the document. While Google Docs allows up to 50 people to work on a document at once, this could cause chaos and confusion. Other than that concern, I had a very good first experience with Google Docs; I am very impressed and look forward to using it in the classroom.
TECH
In searching for tablets for our elementary school, there are many things to consider; first, what will the tablet mostly be used for? In our particular case, we anticipate using the tablets mostly for apps, which the students will use for interactive games and activities to build skills primarily in reading and math, but also for books and textbooks. The internet will not be used frequently on the tablets, as it must be monitored closely at this age. Also, because of the age of the students, the tablets will not be taken home; they will be left at school, another factor to take into consideration.
In deciding which brand of tablet to purchase, the operating systems used by each must be considered; Apple, for the ipad; Android, for the Barnes and Noble Nook, Amazon Kindle, and generic Android; and Windows (Microsoft). Each has its own set of pros and cons, including the types of tablets each system can be used on.
The Apple operating system for ipads (or ipods, which we have concluded are too small to be of decent use in our classrooms), has many pros, although it does have some cons as well. First, Apple has a strong app market, and is very education-focused in many of their apps, an obvious advantage for our elementary school, as we plan to make use of many apps in the classrooms. Second, the Apple operating system is easy to use and understand, which is important for our young learners in order that they may quickly learn to use the tablets without becoming frustrated, and wasting valuable learning time. Next, there is great technology support for Apple, which is important since we do not have an IT team. Last, Apple is a strong competitor in the marketplace, constantly updating and coming up with new ideas; they are not likely to soon become obsolete, or cause us to fall behind in our technology, which is important for our children to learn and understand in order to compete and be successful in the global marketplace. One con to consider is the fact that Apple does not use Flash software, which can sometimes be needed for certain videos, etc. to work; although, this should not become too big of a problem, since we will mostly be using apps.
The Android operating system is the next to consider. Products that use the Android operating system, such as the Barnes and Noble Nook and Amazon Kindle, are often cheaper than Apple products. Another pro that definitely holds relevance for our school is the fact that many books are available for these tablets; in fact, more than are available for Apple products. Last, these products have the least expensive cellular capabilities, which will be discussed in more detail later on. One large flaw for these products is that they have a significantly lower number of apps than what are available for the Apple ipads, which could be a great disadvantage for our school. Many schools are using Apple, and many of their apps are not compatible with an Android operating system; therefore, sharing apps and ideas with the schools around us may prove difficult. Android also does not have nearly as strong technical support as does Apple.
The last operating system to consider is that of Windows (Microsoft). Windows has been around for a long time, and is a well-trusted company. Another strong pro for Windows is that they are compatible with Microsoft often used on desktops. There is also access to the entire Microsoft office suite, which is, ironically, the cause of one con to consider; battery life. Windows' tablet's battery life is significantly less than that of Apple or Android powered tablets, which could be a problem when our students are using the tablets frequently in the classroom. The students should not have to take the time to plug them in and wait for them to charge, losing learning time in the process.
Besides the operating systems for each type of tablet, there are a couple of other factors to consider. First of all, there is the question of size. While we came to the conclusion that small (such as ipods) is too small, there is also medium (6-7 inches) or large (8-11 inches). I believe that because we are an elementary school, medium would best serve the needs of our small-handed children. Medium tablets are much lighter and easier to hold, while still maintaining a decent sized screen. Lighter and easier to hold also means a smaller likelihood of accidents with the tablets. Because we are not likely to use internet and video frequently on the tablets, a medium size will suffice.
The next question is that of cellular capabilities; whether or not our school needs it, or is fine with just wifi. Tablets that are only wifi-capable cannot be changed later to add cellular capabilities; it must be bought initially with the cellular capabilities. In the long run, wifi will probably prove to be cheaper in our case. Our school already has it; there is no point in adding cellular, an extra cost. Wifi tends to have a more reliable connection as well. Our students, being elementary, will not be taking the tablets home, so whether or not they have wifi in their homes is not an issue.
In conclusion, I would recommend that our elementary school purchase Apple ipads for use in the classrooms. Because of our primary uses for them, apps, Apple is the obvious forerunner. Apple also has a great interest in education, and has developed many apps for use in schools. Although the cost of Apple devices is somewhat higher, this will be worth the price in the long run, because of the plethora of apps, great support system, long battery life, easy-to-use functions, reliability, multitude of books, and prominence in other schools. There are few cons to this choice, and I truly believe it is the best course of action for our school at this time.
In deciding which brand of tablet to purchase, the operating systems used by each must be considered; Apple, for the ipad; Android, for the Barnes and Noble Nook, Amazon Kindle, and generic Android; and Windows (Microsoft). Each has its own set of pros and cons, including the types of tablets each system can be used on.
The Apple operating system for ipads (or ipods, which we have concluded are too small to be of decent use in our classrooms), has many pros, although it does have some cons as well. First, Apple has a strong app market, and is very education-focused in many of their apps, an obvious advantage for our elementary school, as we plan to make use of many apps in the classrooms. Second, the Apple operating system is easy to use and understand, which is important for our young learners in order that they may quickly learn to use the tablets without becoming frustrated, and wasting valuable learning time. Next, there is great technology support for Apple, which is important since we do not have an IT team. Last, Apple is a strong competitor in the marketplace, constantly updating and coming up with new ideas; they are not likely to soon become obsolete, or cause us to fall behind in our technology, which is important for our children to learn and understand in order to compete and be successful in the global marketplace. One con to consider is the fact that Apple does not use Flash software, which can sometimes be needed for certain videos, etc. to work; although, this should not become too big of a problem, since we will mostly be using apps.
The Android operating system is the next to consider. Products that use the Android operating system, such as the Barnes and Noble Nook and Amazon Kindle, are often cheaper than Apple products. Another pro that definitely holds relevance for our school is the fact that many books are available for these tablets; in fact, more than are available for Apple products. Last, these products have the least expensive cellular capabilities, which will be discussed in more detail later on. One large flaw for these products is that they have a significantly lower number of apps than what are available for the Apple ipads, which could be a great disadvantage for our school. Many schools are using Apple, and many of their apps are not compatible with an Android operating system; therefore, sharing apps and ideas with the schools around us may prove difficult. Android also does not have nearly as strong technical support as does Apple.
The last operating system to consider is that of Windows (Microsoft). Windows has been around for a long time, and is a well-trusted company. Another strong pro for Windows is that they are compatible with Microsoft often used on desktops. There is also access to the entire Microsoft office suite, which is, ironically, the cause of one con to consider; battery life. Windows' tablet's battery life is significantly less than that of Apple or Android powered tablets, which could be a problem when our students are using the tablets frequently in the classroom. The students should not have to take the time to plug them in and wait for them to charge, losing learning time in the process.
Besides the operating systems for each type of tablet, there are a couple of other factors to consider. First of all, there is the question of size. While we came to the conclusion that small (such as ipods) is too small, there is also medium (6-7 inches) or large (8-11 inches). I believe that because we are an elementary school, medium would best serve the needs of our small-handed children. Medium tablets are much lighter and easier to hold, while still maintaining a decent sized screen. Lighter and easier to hold also means a smaller likelihood of accidents with the tablets. Because we are not likely to use internet and video frequently on the tablets, a medium size will suffice.
The next question is that of cellular capabilities; whether or not our school needs it, or is fine with just wifi. Tablets that are only wifi-capable cannot be changed later to add cellular capabilities; it must be bought initially with the cellular capabilities. In the long run, wifi will probably prove to be cheaper in our case. Our school already has it; there is no point in adding cellular, an extra cost. Wifi tends to have a more reliable connection as well. Our students, being elementary, will not be taking the tablets home, so whether or not they have wifi in their homes is not an issue.
In conclusion, I would recommend that our elementary school purchase Apple ipads for use in the classrooms. Because of our primary uses for them, apps, Apple is the obvious forerunner. Apple also has a great interest in education, and has developed many apps for use in schools. Although the cost of Apple devices is somewhat higher, this will be worth the price in the long run, because of the plethora of apps, great support system, long battery life, easy-to-use functions, reliability, multitude of books, and prominence in other schools. There are few cons to this choice, and I truly believe it is the best course of action for our school at this time.
Monday, May 4, 2015
Introduction, Educational Technology
I am Adrian Reid, and I am from Knoxville, TN, but received my Bachelor's at Lee University in Cleveland, TN in psychology, with a minor in vocal music. I decided that the best way to use my talents and passions was in the elementary school classroom. I am getting married in June, and will then be Adrian Moore! I look forward to learning in this class and throughout this program!
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