Testify and Clarify

The past week has been a crazy, hectic whirlwind of information and projects!  I enjoyed learning about some of the various apps and websites that my classmates have discovered, reviewed and presented.  Now to find the time to actually engage with them all and try them out.  

I would like to begin this week by clarifying some information about the website http://www.turtlediary.com/kids-games.html  I reviewed for class on Monday.  It was brought to my attention that my presentation came across in such a way as to convey I would not recommend the website.  I DO recommend the website - especially for first year teachers trying to collect various materials and ideas to use for younger elementary students to either supplement centers or enrich lessons with hands on crafts and activities.  The website does allow access to several bits of material with their Free or Basic version including  videos, games, worksheets, puzzles and crafts.  As with many websites that are out there you get more if you actually pay for a membership or service.  This is true with Turtlediary.  Tracking features, email capabilities as well as access to ALL the content the website provides are available with a paid membership.  
With that being said, did I think that, with what manipulation of the website I was able to do for free, the $200 per year fee was worth it, no I did not.  I may be completely wrong however because as I mentioned in class the teachers that did review the website all LOVE it so maybe the cost does have benefits that I simply could not access with the free membership.    


Now to testify........

I chose to review a website rather than an app for several reasons.  The main one being I wanted to provide everyone with a resource that they could access no matter what school they were placed at.  I love the idea of being able to incorporate technology into the classroom - please do not get me wrong on that.  I know that today's students are more technologically savvy than the adults in their lives because it is what they are growing up engaged with.  I know a boy in our neighborhood who can't ride a bike but he can fly through working any hand held device you stick in front of him.
My point is that even with the push of teaching our children to use and understand technology there are many classrooms throughout Wake County that DO NOT have the funds to provide enough technology in the everyday classroom.
As Larissa Bryant points out in her blog http://growingandblooming.wordpress.com/
President Obama came to Morrisville to address what needs to be done within our schools to provide students with the best possible technology interaction as possible in order to stay relevant with the rest of the world.  The video can be found here: http://youtu.be/k-241jLHVMU

Anyway.... back to my point.

My point is that while technology is a good resource it still has its faults.  Until developers of technology products such as the iPad and SMART make their products financially accessible to ALL schools there will continue to be a gap in the technology provided from school to school.  Take our trip to Fuller Elementary for example.  An inner city school like Fuller receives the funding necessary to provide its students with technology but come out to Southwest Cary and one elementary school I have visited has 1 SMART board for each grade level.  Teachers have to sign up to reserve it and cannot have it more than once a week.  This same class also only has 4 computers for the classes (which seems to be the norm county wide) and NO iPads whatsoever.  Where does that disconnect come in?  Do Wake County officials look at location and predetermine which schools need technology engagement based on socioeconomic demographics?  If so, is that a fair way to assess who gets funding and who doesn't?  How about ALL SCHOOLS receive funding so that ALL STUDENTS can have the necessary engagements and experiences in order to keep up with the ever changing technological world we live in.
  
A second fault, that we have all been privy to, is the sometimes instability of technology.  When a teacher has to stop a lesson or activity to calibrate a SMART board s/he is taking time away from actually teaching the lesson and losing the student's interest in the process.  Is that what should be happening in our school system?  Is that providing students with the best experience as possible?  

Okay, so maybe testify should be changed to preach......

Websites, Wikis and Webliographies......Oh My!

A whirlwind week full of new technology experiences, learning how to use new tools, exploring possible websites for future classrooms and creating a personalized website to assist us with next semester's student teaching.

For me, one of the most standout moments from last week was our visit from Dr. McCammon and Ms. Gimbar to tell us about the concept of flipping a classroom and how Ms. Gimbar has successfully been able to completely flip her middle school mathematics classroom.  

The concept and idea truly fascinate me as a future teacher, however, as a future Elementary School teacher I am still unsure as to how the concept of flipping a classroom would work in an Elementary setting.  I would love to see it in action as I have several questions about what the difference between using technology in the classroom and completely flipping the classroom would be.  I will admit that it seems a bit overwhelming to think of placing all lessons online but possibly starting out with videos offering remediation or extension for students could be a start.

I have also enjoyed learning more about various websites and apps that are available to educators.  Anna Dodd's presentation of Toontastic had me going home and engaging in the app with my own children.  I could see this app being a great tool for all students to use; especially ESL students who may feel more comfortable speaking over writing assignments.  The website can be accessed here: http://launchpadtoys.com/toontastic/ or by visiting Anna's blog: http://learningtoknowtocreate.blogspot.com/

Another great website, that I have yet to personally explore, is Glogster http://www.glogster.com/.  I enjoyed Caroline's presentation and see this tool as a great way for student's to present book reports, conclude literature circles or even share information related to a Science or Social Studies topic.  I am looking forward to the other presentations and learning about more websites that can be incorporated into the classroom.