Technology Integration: What I've Learned

     This was my first graduate class, and my first course toward my teaching degree and career field.  I have learned a lot about teaching, the relationships between administration and individual classroom behavior, and the importance of technology integration, among other things.  Personally, I have gained a much bigger appreciation for classroom challenges, including the battle between teacher goals and available resources.  More specifically, just because I'd like to integrate multimedia technology into my classroom and teaching, doesn't necessarily mean the required resources, such as iPads or computers, will be available.  
      Learning about state standards and curriculum guidelines certainly helped to put teaching goals into perspective for me.  I have no teaching experience, in education nor practice.  I have learned about state goals, and how specific they are to age and coursework.  I'm interested to take on these content standards in my own classroom, and use technology and other teaching resources to effectively meet such goals.  

Classroom Twitter

https://twitter.com/hcg0321

    Our classroom Twitter feed will be managed by me, with content fueled by students. Students will be able to share with me, parents, and other students what they’ve learned in a concise, yet informational way. Instead of the students telling you “I don’t know” what they learned today, or “I don’t remember”, or “nothing,” check out our Twitter page, where I will post achievements and milestones as they happen. You’ll see helpful hints from me, reminders of key concepts, and shared content from other Twitter users. According to Vanwynsberghe, social media is a critical part of our culture, and is necessary to be integrating into the classroom. Vanwynsberghe states, Content creation itself is too often neglected in media literacy conceptualizations.” Most importantly, tweets will contain student knowledge

References

Vanwynsberghe, H., & Verdegem, P. (2013). Integrating Social Media in Education. Clcweb:          Comparative Literature & Culture: A Wwweb Journal, 15(3), 1-10. doi:10.7771/1481-4374.2247

Educational Value of Animoto

Make your own slide show at Animoto.

Animal Alphabet

Animoto gives visual learners a helpful resource.  In this example, students can recognize pictures of animals that will help them learn to say it out loud, and ultimately type the word into their photo book project. The Animoto helps emphasize key words through photo memory.  It's an example of a simple and straightforward multimedia resource that can be easily accessed by students, teachers, and parents alike.

Education Value of Wordle

This Wordle includes keywords that emphasis the purpose of the WebQuest task for kindergartners.  The WebQuest is for allowing kids to learn about animals and the alphabet, and ultimately combine their knowledge into an interactive storybook medium.  Using skills like typing and recording, students will demonstrate their mastery.  The Wordle also includes examples of animal names, noises, and the importance of learning and creating through technology.  A wordle is a great tool for students to identify key concepts and vocabulary.