Classroom Digitial Education!

Promethean Boards VS Smart Boards

That is the Question?

http://www.educationbusinessblog.com/2009/07/smart_board_vs_promethean_duel.html

Samsung-TV

We just purchased a flat screen TV. LED-32inch.
We can read the bottom of the screen now!

Nasa-To infinity and beyond!

http://www.nasa.gov/

pc vs mac

microsoft vs apple

Grephew's Digital Learning

We had a 2 year old grephew for a couple of days. It is amazing how he can easily maneuver through a cell phone, keyboards on a piano and how to work a bubble maker.

Jonathan also can handle a tv remote. He is so inquisitive!

Reading is Forever!

After using google.com and typing in readingisforever, what next? A young friend, Becky, visited me and helped me learn some easy tricks on my MacBook Pro Baby III! I learned to zoom in by using ctrl and scroll, how to start Skype when my computer is turned on and many other tricks of the trade. Thanks Becky. I still feel I need to communicate more digitally with friends, family, and associates. What's next? Ipad, Iphone, I, I,,,I,I!

Blackberry VS IPhone 4

Blackberry

http://www.blackberry.com/



IPhone 4

http://www.apple.com/

Digital Kitchen Technology

Kitchen computer

http://www.thestar.com/sciencetech/article/277610

Oven

http://www.wolfappliance.com/BuiltInOvens

Flip down computer screen

http://davidszondy.com/future/kitchen/kitchencomputer.htm

Stove Top

Microwave

Heated Tile Floors

Digital Scrapbooking Tutorial - Creating digital paper

Scrapbooking for Beginners : Design Principles for Scrapbooking

Digital Scrapbooking

Some people call it "crapbooking" and even though I understand what they mean, I'm hooked. I have been scrapbooking for the last 10 years and I want to try and bring it to the 21st century by using the computer to enhance my layouts. I will be investigating the internet to find out what are my best choices.

http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/university/Scrapping101/basics.shtml

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1Q24JFFm4Q

http://digitalscrapbookpages.com/digitals/

Books on Tape! How Passe'!

Listening Libraries

Scholastic Playaway

It comes with a pre-loaded audio book.

http://listbuilder.scholastic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/HomeView?storeId=10001

http://www.playaway.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playaway

Reading is Forever...at Reading Quest!

Reading Quest

The following site is an ultimate resource with graphic organizers!

http://www.readingquest.org

http://www.readingquest.org/strat/

http://www.readwritethink.org/

RTI-Response to Intervention

RTI-Response to Intervention

Reading To Improve

The "I" Team - Intervention, Independence, Intelligence!

I had a RTI meeting today. Reflected on the past year...

-Systemic Implementation of RTI

-Problem Solving Process

-School wide model of instruction and Intervention

-Use of Screening and progress monitoring assessments to make data-based decisions

-Shared Responsibility

We also received RI RTI Technical Assistance-2009-2010

Increasing Instructional Intensity and Framework of Alterable Components for Instruction and Intervention.

Starfall.com was a website that was used in a case study for aid in building literacy skills.

R.A.F.T.

R.A.F.T.

This is a strategy to help in the reading/ writing connection.

The first presenter last week in class used it in his lesson.

Acronyms are great ways to help students and all... remember

important steps or information.

Role

Audience

Format

Topic

http://www.somers.k12.ny.us/intranet/reading/RAFT.html

ABC Book Lesson: Steps to get to lesson

Reading is Forever!

ABC Book Lesson: Steps to get to lesson

1. Type in http://readingforever.wikispaces.com/

2. Click on “Teacher Page” in navigation

3. Go to “Phonics” section in chart

4. Click on “Alphabet Books”

Alphabet Book Resources

1. http://www.readinga-z.com/

2. http://www.enchantedlearning.com/Home.html

3. http://www.readwritethink.org/

Reading Resources

1. http://www.fcrr.org/

2. http://www.hubbardscupboard.org/

3. http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/home.jsp

4. http://www.carlscorner.us.com/

Components of Reading

1. Phonemic Awareness

2. Phonics

3. Fluency

4. Vocabulary

5. Comprehension

Jennie -Spring 2010-5/10/10

EDU 839-https://edu839.wikispaces.com/

Learning to Read and Write in the Computer Age

Professor: (cdidonat@providence.edu)

Presentation-Final Project

We learn by reflection. After completing yesterdays final project presentation I have learned so much new digital information in the class "Learn to Read and Write in the Computer Age". One success with the presentation was I completed a lesson on a wiki and passed out a handout on how to navigate to the location. A difficulty was a plan to stay focused under pressure and remain confident. I wish I had my outline right in front of me instead of at my seat! Ca sari, sari... what ever will be will be.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs. Cindy and the class for giving me a sense of belonging, competent, and validated in this class. Godspeed to all!

ABC Book Lesson-Presentation

1. My name is Jennie D –Grades K-3

2. My unit is the 5 Components of Reading which are Reading-a.Phonemic Awareness b.Phonics c.Fluency d.Vocabulary e.Comprehension I chose Phonics. Phonics is reading words and pronouncing them(letter/sound connections)-ABC song- alphabet principles

3. A person needs a sense of Belonging, Competent and validated. Using abc book helps students to make ownership and connections.

Show Steps to get to wiki from hand out- on how to make the abc book.

Essential Question- Why is it important to know letter names and their sounds automatically?

4. Successes – a.ease of navigation by putting alphabet link on the bottom of each page. b. success is using images from the computer instead of a magazine. Difficulties – a. PDF files don’t bring you back to the wiki, images and works cited lost and found.

5. Technology enhanced this unit by using images and clip art instead of magazine cut outs. Also using video ABC books with paper books. Developing a slideshow or putting it on Teacher Tube.

6. This unit will be utilized in the class phonics building(letter/sound relationship, vocabulary and work stations.

7. This unit can be used as a template for other units by incorporating the booklet format and picking a different phonics skill, for example, using it for blends, digraphs or putting a topic skill in the ABC format. For example ABC analogies.

8. My future unit planning activities will be more technology based than in the past. This experience has affected me so much that when I look at lessons for my students I will be thinking of ways to incorporate the computer. For example, we do a student timeline with pennies and paper photos and now I have researched other technological options by using a timeline program from the computer. Abc books aren’t just for kids!

9. Teachers need a sense of A, B, C and v!

Sense of belonging, feeling competent, and validated. Thanks!

May Day, May Day!

Happy May 1st! What a day for a bike ride!

Spent the morning and afternoon on my Final Exam Project Lesson.

I feel I did get a lot accomplished. If I google- "readingisforever" with no

spaces I am #1, 2, and 3 on google site and C3 Age Blog! Big time.

Big success today putting "Alphabet Book" on each page of my lesson to

be able to return to the previous page without going back to home page.

http://readingforever.wikispaces.com/

http://readingforever.wikispaces.com/Alphabet+Books

What Do Good Readers Have In Common?

In order to fulfill the criteria of distance learning or collaboration, I tried to brainstorm ideas that I could implement on my website or wiki. Epals came to mind and I also thought of a place where teachers could have questions/conversations about strategies that solved struggling reader's difficulties. Working collaboratively and cooperatively to make a difference in a child's reading would be the ultimate goal of this blog.

http://goodreadingstrategies.blogspot.com/

Wiki Women See How High She Flys!

Below is a wikispace site that I created for class. Although I'm leaning to the google site for the final project at this point. I was so surprised when I was checking my "Reading Forever" wiki, on the blog link(my blog), the daily calendar that I put on had a google ad above it and the calendar was larger. Oh well, thanks for the open space google. Yes, you are in charge.

http://readingforever.wikispaces.com/

Google.com

wikispaces.com

Reading is Forever Fun!

Below is a link to my first official website. Yahoooo! I am so excited! I just can't

believe the different "teckie functions" I am doing! I'm not really over thrilled with

the name of the site. I was playing around with the title and the computer saved that title. I might want to change it. I googled Readingisforever and boy the list goes on and on...630,000 results.

OMGosh! I googled Readingisforever and my Cosmic Communicating Computer Age(C3 Age) blog was #5 on the results list out of 37 results. Too funny! Everyone wants to leave a legacy, belonging, or validated especially with this "here today, gone tomorrow" mentality. I'm so fortunate to understand a little corner of our digital world!

https://sites.google.com/site/readingisforever/

My Future Website

Chapter 12-Web Authoring

I plan on developing a classroom website as an informational resource for teachers. In the future I would like to have the website for parents and students also. It will contain information such as: my bio, classroom rules, curriculum information, student publishing and a calendar of news, including upcoming events. The site will either be a Google site or Wiki that highlights “What Do Good Readers Do?” First and foremost would be a student’s interest level and the notion that Reading is fun, followed by the 5 components of reading: Phonemic Awareness; Phonics; Fluency; Vocabulary and Comprehension. For struggling readers the website Sign Smith is a good resource for looking up words in sign language for teaching them to become efficient, active readers through the use of sign language. Using this web site will promote that reading should be active, with movement and bodies in motion by using sign language models. I always try to have students learn reading skills or strategies by using multi-sensory methods. When using gross motor signs students are more apt to remember a reading strategy. An example is: reading is thinking (students put hand on head), remembering (sign remembering) and understanding (hands out stretched forward). I use sign or body actions to explain what a syllable is (A syllable is a word or part of a word with one vowel sound). This sign web site (although it is not free) can help model or visualize the body in motion to reinforce reading skills for students. Phonics will be highlighted the most out of the five components of reading on my website or wikispaces.

O, Blanche, and Kathleen Puckett. Preparing to Use Technology. 2nd ed. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 2009, (O and Puckett, ch.12, pg.248-272.) Print.

Websites

Google Site

http://www.google.com/sites/help/intl/en/overview.html

Wikispaces

http://www.wikispaces.com/site/for/teachers

Mr. Leahy’s Class

http://www.beavton.k12.or.us/jacob_wismer/leahy/leahy.htm

Top 10 Mistakes in Web Design (Jakob Nielsen’s Alertbox)

http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9605.html

Sign Smith Studio

http://www.vcom3d.com/signsmith.php

http://www.vcom3d.com/index.php?id=illdictionary

Reflections on Multimedia Tools

Chapter 11-Multimedia Tools

After reading Blanche W. O’Bannon and Kathleen Puckett’s Chapter 11-Multimedia Tools from the book “Preparing to use Technology”, one verse that kept on resonating in my head was“ time to orient self with” learning the available features of the software. When we think about it this is what our students need to connect the old information with the new information and create a schematic folder for new learning. Time to orient themselves…Three new bits of information that was learned after reading about Multimedia tools was the fonts to use in text, the 10% rule of copyright, and the steps to make a digital story and podcasts.

The text or printed information should be clear for a typeface that has a good readability level. Some fonts that were suggested was San serif - Arial and Verdana. Safe and ethical use of digital information was discussed and the 10% rule was something that I never heard of. The following is the 10% rule for copyright information.

1. Text -10% or 1000 words

2. Illustrations and photographs- 10% or 15 images

3. Music – 10% or 30 seconds

4. Video – 10% or 3 minutes (whichever is less)

The Center of Digital Storytelling (DS) in Berkeley, California (www.storycenter.org/index1.html) has deemed there are seven elements for digital storytelling. Digital storytelling are narratives that are mixed with still images, video, music, or audio narration of the author’s voice. The seven elements of storytelling are:

1. 1.Point of view

2. 2. Dramatic question

3. 3. Emotional content

4. 4. Gift of your voice

5. 5. Power of the soundtrack or music

6. 6. Economy-enough information to tell story

7. 7. Pacing-rhythm of the story

Alan Levine offers “The Fifty Tools for Telling a Story” at http://cogdogroo.wikispaces.com/storytools

Steps to create a digital story

1. 1. Get ready-take some time to orientate self to learn about available tools-OK! Hee, hee.

2. 2. Locate the media-organize a folder for resources on the topic

3. 3. Select the media-select images, audio, and content for the creation of the story

4. 4. Write the script-determine the point of view and content that should guide narration

5. 5. Record the script

6. 6. Import the media-using the software I movie or Photo story

7. 7. Preview your movie and upload to the web

Podcasts were named by using a portmanteau - using the words IPod and broadcast. Using podcasts gives individuals the opportunity to create digital audio on a variety of subjects.

Steps to Create a Podcast:

1. 1. Plan the podcast

2. 2. Record and edit: Audio

3. 3. Create an MP3 File

4. 4. Upload to the Web

I II wish I had too much “time on my hands” that I could orientate myself to learn the available features on digital stories and podcast software programs. This weekend I did spent some time orienting myself to Google Site and Wikispaces for my final project on, “What Do Readers Do?” I hope time goes slow so I can become familiar with the terminology and navigation through making a web or a wiki.

O, Blanche, and Kathleen Puckett. Preparing to Use Technology. 2nd ed. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 2009.(O and Pucket, ch. 11,pg.225-247.) Print.

Digital Storytelling

Digital Storytelling: Time for Orientation to Learn the Available Features

http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/index.html

http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/intro/DS-Intro.mov

http://teachdigital.pbwiki.com/digitalstorytelling

Read-i-cide: A Conversation With Kelly Gallagher

http://voicethread.com/share/303482/

Reflective Technology Blog

Reflective Technology Blog

Chapter 7: Digital Images

Ways to Integrate Digital Images into Learning Activities:

Pictures or illustrations can be very effective when related to the text, so as to assist students in understanding text-based instruction materials. Some ways in which I would integrate digital images into Reading learning activities would be: use of digital images as prompts for writing activities such as sequencing books and digital stories; vocabulary words and pictures game (match word with picture); diagraph word recognition-sh, th,wh,ch, with pictures that contain those sounds; create a slideshow to illustrate compound words, rhyming words, word families, action words, synonyms, antonyms. The use of digital images is another resource of technology as a strategy for meeting the goals for student achievement in a fun and exciting way that creates a positive learning environment.

O, Blanche, and Kathleen Puckett. Preparing to Use Technology. 2nd ed. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 2009. 154-80. Print.

Chapter 8: Diagrams, Maps, and Webs... Oh My!-Diagrams, Maps, and Webs...Oh My!

Ways to use Diagrams, Maps, and Webs in the classroom:

Diagrams, maps, and webs are visual learning tools that help students clarify thoughts, organize and analyze information, integrate new knowledge, and to think critically. Some ways in which I would use diagrams, maps, and webs in the classroom are:

Diagrams – science information (nonfiction); story book text

Maps – idea map; KWL; brainstorming (story map, setting, characters, events, problem solution).

Webs – literacy; Kidspiration to strengthen word recognition, vocabulary, comprehension and written expression. Use of pictures and words to retell stories or compare literature.

These visual tools enhance thinking and learning skills by improving student performance in the areas of literacy development, critical thinking, retention and recall of information, problem solving, and organization.

O, Blanche, and Kathleen Puckett. Preparing to Use Technology. 2nd ed. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 2009. 181-96. Print.

TTCR(Technology: Teaching Children to Read)1-2-3

http://teacher.scholastic.com

This Scholastic website is so important for my preparation of teaching students
to find their "just right level" in reading! Using leveled readers on this webpage is a great
resource to have students find a book of interest. Readers read about what they know and what they are good at. This Scholastic website is teacher, student and parent friendly to use.


http://starfall.com/

Starfall.com is my lifesaver when I need a quick workstation for a pair of students that need practice and review on a certain skill. The videos are so useful for a set induction for the introduction of a new skill. Another great feature of this website is each skill is on the phoneme level, word level, sentence level and culminating a story that the students can apply in text.

http://www.readwritethink.org/
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/picturematch/

Wow! Thanks so much Ms. Cindy for the time to explore with this reading website on the powerpoint! I have used the "Readwritethink" teachers resources yet have not had the inquiry or constructivism time to find that this site also has games for beginning readers to use. This week I will be using picture matches of short vowels with my first graders in Response to Intervention.

Word Solvers!

These two websites are helpful

with word work.

http://www.visuwords.com

http://www.wordle.com

Reading is a Fun Puzzle!

Phonics Video -Digraph "Wh"-Questions that start with "wh"!

Snapshots of Spreadsheet Web Sites

Integration Ideas with Spreadsheets

Creating Charts
The website I chose under the category of “Integration Ideas With Spreadsheets” was Creating Charts. The site provides a “how to” section for web units graphs and charts. I would incorporate in the classroom the section on “How To Make A Bar Graph”. The students will graph their weekly encoding and decoding scores for a month and track the scores from week to week by learning to change the fonts and colors. In this way the students will be able to visually track their numeric scores and differentiate by colors.

http://mathforum.org/alejandre/spreadsheet.html

http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/


Spreadsheet Software Options

Excel 2007
With the category of “Spreadsheet Software Options” I chose Microsoft Office Online under Proprietary spreadsheet solutions. The reason I picked this software option is the availability of clip art images and templates that the students can readily make use of in their reading and writing. Their writing could be easily supplemented with images by browsing the clip art and media categories that are available in the Clip Art section. The students could also make use of the list template by listing their Spelling and Vocabulary words each week and track the books they read with the reading log template.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/default.aspx


Spreadsheet Tutorials

School Spreadsheet Safari
Under spreadsheet tutorials I picked School Spreadsheet Safari because from the student’s perspective it is very user friendly in that the site takes you through a natural progression of “What is a Spreadsheet?”; “Spreadsheet Vocabulary”; “Spreadsheet Tips and How-tos”; and “A Timeline of Spreadsheet History”. Under classroom activities there is a section titled “Reading & Language Arts Spreadsheets” which would enable me as the Reading teacher to become more organized and efficient through the use of spreadsheets for vocabulary words, spelling tests and even a reading book check-out spreadsheet. This reading book check-out spreadsheet would enable me to see what books I have and who has them out. The Spelling test spreadsheet would provide not only a way for the students to practice their spelling words but to also take the test and have it scored automatically by the computer. Talk about a teacher time saver.

http://library.thinkquest.org/J0110054/

O, Blanche, and Kathleen Puckett. Preparing to Use Technology. Second Edition.

Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 2009. 210-24. Print.

Future Webmaster!

Future WebmasterWebsite Wanna-Be: Avoidance, Procrastination, Excuses …

It’s been a long time coming…For many years I have wanted to make a Reading Corner Website. I started to make a blog about 4 years ago yet never posted anything. I just kept posts in the save file.

Extra, extra read all about it! I’ve always wanted to create a reading corner website for many reasons. I wanted to have a place for a resource of all my favorite websites for resources for won purpose. I wanted the students to go to practice reading skills in a fun, motivating, engaging way. A place that students couldn’t resist to go to independently at home, as if they were going to play video games, Playstation, Wii, or DSI. What a dream. An area for parents as a helpful resource to support their children would be included. Enough of my avoidance, procrastination, and excuses. The following is some brainstorming or braindrizzles of a future reading website.

Google Search

The FIVE Components of Reading

Each component of reading will have a spotlight author to

strengthen that certain skill through literature.

Phonemic Awareness

Eric Carle

Phonics

Dr. Seuss

Fluency

Shel Silverstein

Vocabulary

James Preller

Du, du, duaaaa! That’s what reading is all about-comprehension! Reading is… thinking, remembering and understanding. Oh yea, I didn’t remember the most important part of reading---Reading is fun!!!

Comprehension

Mary Pope Osborne

Terrific Technology Tool-Word Processing

The following is an example of a “Story Souvenir” using a word processor.

"Green Eggs and Ham" by Dr. Seuss

A story souvenir from “Green Eggs and Ham” is the green eggs and ham.

Word Processor as a Teaching Tool-A picture is worth a thousand words and typing on a

Word Processor is worth a million!
Finding a picture on the Internet, about a story the student has read, is worth a thousand words! Writing a sentence, about a story a student has read with pencil and paper, is like writing a million words for some students. Although using a word processor to type instead of manually writing is extremely engaging for students.
Over the last 18 years of teaching elementary age students, I have used a word processor for many lessons and activities to motivate student learning. Some of my projects the Technology Coordinator, colleagues, and I developed on a word processor were, keyboard skills, phonics, poetry, timelines, reports, travel brochures on the states, spelling patterns, grammar skills, autobiography pictures, biography baseball trading cards, and many more integrated reading and writing activities. These activities enabled the students to learn about the process or progression of writing from drafting, revising, editing, and publishing their written work in a more engaging medium like the word processor offers. Presently I intend to integrate word processing in the lower grades with reading responses after reading a story.
A souvenir is an object, or picture we get from a place we visited to remember that place. A “Story Souvenir” is an item or picture that reminds us of what happened in the story. After reading a story the students will be asked to identify a “Story Souvenir” by writing a two or three sentence statement and draw a picture to go along with the sentences. Although now there will be a medium transfer between writing and drawing to typing on a word processor and image locating on the Internet. I usually have the students do this in their paper print-based journal yet now I will use the word processor and Internet. This activity will be an effective use in word processor learning because it will teach students about responding to literature by communicating ideas and work collaboratively through the use of a variety of digital media.

A concern with using word processors for student assignments, is the availability of computers. The following websites are helpful for Web 2.0 Rubrics and other computer learning tools.

O, Blanche, and Kathleen Puckett. Preparing to Use Technology. 2nd ed. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 2009. 14,129-153. Print.

S.O.S -- Help for Busy Teachers (Site 27 ) : Web 2.0 Tool Rubrics http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/assess.html

Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators on Discovery Education http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/

Webquests

Research on Webquest – Find two webquests about reading

2/22/2010

http://webquest.org/index-resources.php

QuestGarden Search

QuestGarden is an online authoring and hosting system for WebQuests. Since 2005, over 20,000 WebQuests have been created on the site. QuestGarden members can download WebQuests created by other teachers and adjust them to meet their specific needs. Though there is a wide range of quality, QuestGarden WebQuests tend to be more up to date and complete than WebQuests found elsewhere.

Serving Up Green Eggs and Ham

http://questgarden.com/93/64/1/091214092524/

Digraph Decoders

http://questgarden.com/82/84/8/090527190759/

These two webquests tie in with my Reading curriculum resource page because I will be instructing phonics skills through Dr. Seuss literature. I will be using Dr. Seuss literature to instruct phonetic skills. Eric Carle books will be for applying phonemic awareness skills. Shel Silverstein’s poetry will be used for developing fluency. The Magic Tree House series will be the literature used for automaticity of vocabulary development. For teaching comprehension skills I will spotlight the Jigsaw Jones Series.

Timeline of a Techie Wanna-A-Be!

Reflections of the Way Life Use to Be…Before Technology!

Timeline of a Techie Wanna-A-Be!

In 1980 my teacher, Mrs. Van Orden, made me stay in typewriting class to learn keyboarding skills. Thanks!

In 1982 computers becoming more apparent in college.

In 1985 college papers were completed on word processing programs.

In 1993 started using computers in our elementary school.

In 1994 I purchased my first desktop computer (Baby l).

In 1995 email was a part of daily life.

In 1996 my first of 3 cell phones was purchased.

In 1997 I received from RITTI (Rhode Island Teachers and Technology Initiative)

a laptop computer (Baby ll) and instructional professional development on how to use a computer.

In 1998 our technology assistant offers workshops on computers.

In 1999 I purchased my first digital camera.

In 2001 bought my first silver IPOD!

In 2004 my sister gave me a DVD player for Christmas.

In 2005 I purchased my “Baby III”, MacBook Pro.

In 2006 blue tooth technology was used in our vehicle for hands- free access. Two IPOD Shuffles are purchased.

In 2007 bought a car with GPS/ navigation system in car.

In 2008 Blackberry cell phone purchased. I receive Internet/Email access on the cell phone.

In 2009(Thanks to Verizon) FIOS was purchased and dial-up days were history in Foster, RI. It’s a miracle! New car has IPOD system rather than multiple CD players.

In January 2010 I took my first technology graduate course

” Learn to Read and Write in the Computer Age”, taught by Mrs. DiDonato to learn all the digital terminology and applications of technology in our Digital Nation!

In February 2010 I have my own blog, followers, Skypeing with my niece and grephew in Florida, social bookmarking, social networking with my sister’s farm, researching wiki, webquests, and digital professional portfolios, need I say more…