BP_7 Comment to Heather Anderson

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BP_6 Comment to Susan O'Day

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BP_5 Web 2.0 Tool Tizmos

Tizmos is a great organizational tool and it is perfect for those who teach young chidren.  I plan on using this tool tomorrow!

Have you ever had to help your students get to their favorite game because they can't read the title of the website in the bookmarks?  This is something that happens in my classroom often.  I find myself helping my students find the game they want to play and this wastes time that I could be spending with someone else.  Tizmos will eliminate this altogether. Tizmos is basically a homepage with thumbnail pictures that you can click on and be taken directly to the website with out typing in a url or looking through bookmarked pages.

 Above you see what my Tizmos homepage will look like this week.  My students will choose and play a different game each day.  I know after this new homepage is introduced finding games will be much easier for the students and they will have more of a choice.  The great thing is that I can add and delete websites weekly and I can share my Tizmos page with parents on my classroom website so they can have access to these games at home as well.

The only thing I didn't like about the site was the flashy advertisement banner at the bottom of the page.  I think this may be a distraction to some of my students.  Overall though this is a great find and I am excited about incorporating it into my classroom.

BP_4 Web 2.0 Tool PlanbookEdu

A teacher's work is never done, correct?  I definitely wouldn't argue with that saying.  Every Wednesday I sit down to begin my lesson plans for the next week.  I begin the week and soon after I am carefully planning the next week.  I am still however starting with two blank lined sheets of paper and starting from scratch.  I have been teaching for several years and I still don't even use a template from the computer.  Every year I want to put something together and I never do.  I am not sure why, but have been wasting a lot of time writing that's for sure.  I also know that I don't have time to waste, so this is why I looked further into the Web 2.0 tool PlanbookEdu.com 

After looking into the tool I decided this way of planning is amazing compared to my old fashion ways.  You can create a template that fits your schedule.  You can access your plans from anywhere anytime.  You can upload files into your plans.  You can even share your plans with a colleague, substitute teacher, or even your principal.  You can even print your plans if you need a hard copy to rely on.  The best thing is that this tool is free! 

 I could possibly be the only person in this program that hasn't started using a tool like this, but not for long.  I plan on starting to use it next week, my picture above was just a trial.  I will also be sharing this with the other 1st grade teacher, who is my mentor and could benefit from this tool as well. So if you are like me and need to save some time with lesson plans and make them more accessible to others give this web 2.0 Tool a try.  There is a fantastic video on website that explains all the features very clearly.  

W1_Reading

The picture above is a portion of the Word Wall in my classroom.  A Word Wall is exactly what it sounds like.  It is a wall that words are placed on.  The Word Wall is a very helpful tool for 1st graders.  They can read the words to practice recognition or use the words in their writing.  Throughout the year we constantly add words to the Wall Wall.  1st Grade Sight Words take up most of the space on the Word Wall.  My ARP is dedicated to Sight Word Recognition.  I want to use technology to increase sight word recognition and ultimately increase reading abilities.  Below you will find the articles I have chose to help research my topic.  

Holum, A., Gahala, J., & North Central Regional Educational Lab., O. (2001). Critical Issue: Using Technology To Enhance Literacy Instruction. Retrieved from ERIC database.

Using Technology to Enhance Literacy Instruction

This article is a study of how technology can be used as a tool to better literacy instruction through the use of technology and best practices.  The authors gave clear definitions of literacy terms such as digital literacy. They also stated that teachers are now responsible for teaching students how to use and create through technology.  The article gave several examples of technologies that support students’ reading development, such as audio books, online texts, and programmed reading instruction.

Meadan, H., Stoner, J., & Parette, H. (2008). Sight Word Recognition among Young Children At-Risk: Picture-Supported vs. Word-Only. Assistive Technology Outcomes and Benefits, 5(1), 45-58. Retrieved from ERIC database.

Sight Word Recognition among Young Children At-Risk: Picture vs. Word-Only

This article is a study to see if children benefited from picture support when being taught sight words. The article defined sight words and described the study. The study was done on 4 to 5 year olds who were at-risk.  The students were in two groups.  The intervention group used cards with pictures to support the word.  They control group used a set of cards with the words only.  The study lasted for a short period of time and the result was that pictures do support sight word recognition. 

Skouge, J., Rao, K., & Boisvert, P. (2007). Promoting Early Literacy for Diverse Learners Using Audio and Video Technology. Early Childhood Education Journal, 35(1), 5-11. doi:10.1007/s10643-007-0170-y.

Promoting Early Literacy for Diverse Learners Using Audio and Video Technology

This article described the endless ways that teachers can use audio and video to enhance literacy in the classroom.  The article also stressed that students are embracing the technology culture so teachers need to respond to their needs for the future.    

Van Scoter, J., Boss, S., & Northwest Regional Educational Lab., P. (2002). Learners, Language, and Technology: Making Connections That Support Literacy. Creating Communities of Learning & Excellence. Retrieved from ERIC database.

Learners, Language, and Technology: Making Connections That Support Literacy

This article focused on the resources available to teachers to support literacy in the classroom.  It is organized into sections.  The section I found most beneficial in relationship to my Action Research Project is the section titled: Understanding Technology’s Role in Literacy.  This portion of the article focused on combining traditional ways of teaching with technology. 

BP3_Diigo Group

The first time I was introduced to Diigo was last year at a technology inservice/training.  I thought I would never use it.  Now, I see the advantages of using Diigo while researching.  I think this site will be a life-saver while searching for articles for my Action Research Project. Below is a screen shot of my Diigo Group Page. I am looking forward to using this site.

BP2_iGoogle Screen Shots

Below are my iGoogle Screen Shots.  During month 1 of the EDMT Program I was introduced to iGoogle.  I created my home page and I have used it daily since then. I wasn't aware that you could add tabs though.  The tabs are another great way of keeping everything organized.

This is my Home Page.

This is my FSO Tab.

This is my AR/CBL Tab.

This is my ETC Tab.