After Tool # 11

My new favorite is tool is skype and I have enjoyed skyping with my class while I am out on maternity leave. I feel like I am still there with them and I think it will be nice when I go back that I haven't been completely out of the loop. I plan to set up a math review game with another class using skype.  

11 Tools has transformed my thinking in math ways. Before 11 tools I felt like I was pretty technology savvy, but this has showed me that there is so many other technology programs out there that I had no idea about! I need to make sure I am staying current with all of the new technology available so my students learn in new exciting ways and I guide them to become 21st century learners.

Tool # 11

The 3 things I want to make sure my students understand about being good digital citizens are:

1. Digital security and safety, and predator identification
2. Digital etiquette/Cyberbullying
3. Digital literacy

I think the best way to teach these lessons is by using brainpop or other video resources like the video I found on skyping etiquette. I also think it is important to guide them like we would in any other subject through the websites that are safe and accurate. The library resources page is a great a tool that students can use when they are working online.

Tool # 10

I teach math and found the following apps beneficial for math class, workstations, and early finishers.

ArithmeTick:  flash cardd for facts
Sudoku- kids love this puzzle!
KenKen Lite- uses math concepts to solve puzzles
Math Drills Lite- math fact practice
Learn Chess- Chess is a great game of strategy that I think every kids should learn.
Unblock Me Free-a puzzle game that you have to move pieces around to get the red block out in the fewest amount of moves. Can be addicting!

I have had a chance to play with the iTouch and love it. There are so many different apps that the students are really going to love playing with, and probably won't remember that they are learning at the same time!  I am excited for my classroom to get ours so that we can begin incorporating them into our daily lessons.  

Tool # 9

I think Jing will be great in the classroom for several reasons. It will allow me to create a video for a particular lesson and then students can review it from home if they are having problems doing homework or before we take a test or quiz. It will also be beneficial when students are absent. I also think parents will enjoy seeing how a particular concept is being taught because I often get emails asking about this, since somethings have changed since they were in school.


I love skype. I am currently out on maternity leave and skype has allowed me to stay in touch with my students and team members. I was also able to skype with parents during school conferences. I can't wait to skype with other math classrooms to play review games before tests. I think skype will also be great in social studies class because you can visit all of the places you are studying.

Tool # 8

I found these 2 videos which would be great in the classroom.

http://www.blinkx.com/watch-video/basic-math-lesson-6-video-clip-2-types-of-fractions/MQQ7E4Jn-Uiq8rdT0BMBKg

This video introduces mixed numbers and improper fractions. This will be perfect for my upcoming math lessons. I always try to use technology in my daily lessons because the kids always get excited and pay attention more than if I am just telling them about it.

http://teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=202696&title=Skyping_Etiquette_for_the_Classroom
This video has kids discussing proper etiquette for skyping in the classroom. I love that it is other children presenting the material because I think my students will be able to relate to them. This is the perfect video to show before you skype or video conference to help review proper manners.

Tool # 7

I created a photostory about the Texas GSP rescue, a dog group I am involved in. Making the photostory was much easier than I thought it was going to be, but I did have problems uploading my file to the blog. I work with 5th graders and I think they could work in small groups to easily create their own photostory. There are some many possibilities for this in the classroom- book reviews, book reports, learning about new vocabulary, or student of the week. I think the kids are really going to enjoy working with photostory.

Tool # 6

Wikis are a great place for students to post data that we could use when learning about different types of graphs and statistics. I visited http://mrsibrahim.wikispaces.com/ and was very impressed with all of the work the 2nd graders were doing on their wiki. I loved the word wall with math vocabulary and I also like that they were tracking how big a 1,000 was by asking people to enter their name. I edited their wiki and put in my info to help out! Wikis could be used in the classroom to collect data from all of the world!