EDTC 601 Virtual Communication and collaboration
Reflection
This course was a whirl wind of one learning opportunity after another. It was challenging to narrow my artifacts down to just two. The first artifact I am proud to share is my presentation on Bloom’s Taxonomy. I wanted to try a new program I discovered in my multimedia class called Knovio. I was able to share my PowerPoint presentation while recording my voice and picture. I was familiar with Bloom’s taxonomy of higher level thinking skills, but not the digital version. After comparing the two, I can easily see how technology lends itself to Blooms Higher Level thinking. I uncovered many tools even Kindergarteners could use that promoted these higher level skills like Puppet Pals, Dance Mat Typing, Voicethread, Geomery 4 Kids app, Popplet, SpiderScribe, Wordle, Doodle Buddy, Lino it, Little Bird Tales, Fotobabble, and Kidblog. Here is a table I created that suggests ideas of how to incorporate the above tools into a Kindergarten classroom. By applying Blooms to my lessons I can create an environment where students deepen their understanding of knowledge along with their understanding of themselves as learners.
My next artifact is the Digital Citizenship Poster I created with another Kindergarten teacher in my class. I learned something new about Digital Citizenship. I assumed it meant acting responsibly on the Internet, like not giving out personal information and applying “The Golden Rule” by treating others the way you would want to be treated. However, it is more than just that. It also refers to HOW we use technology. For example, if you are talking face-to-face with someone and your phone rings, should you answer it? (I know I have answered my phone!) Is this good etiquette? When students see adults using technology inappropriately, they might assume it is the norm. This can lead to inappropriate use of technology. It is important for teachers to teach digital citizenship. When creating this poster my colleague and I used Google Docs, Google Chat and Word to communicate and simultaneously create a child friendly version of Digital Citizenship.
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NETS*T Standards
*Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
*Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
*Model Digital Age Work and Learning
*Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility
*Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership
21st Century Skills
*Creativity and Innovation
*Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
*Communication and Collaboration
*Information Literacy
*Media Literacy
*Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
*Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
*Model Digital Age Work and Learning
*Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility
*Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership
21st Century Skills
*Creativity and Innovation
*Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
*Communication and Collaboration
*Information Literacy
*Media Literacy
Research
The most important realization I’ve come to throughout this course is that technology can enhance any grade level. I am a Kindergarten teacher and I was a concerned that I would be learning lots of really neat Web 2.0 tools, but not be able to use them in my classroom. After researching, I soon learned that even the little ones have the ability to create podcasts, blogs, wikis, and contribute to publishing videos. This course has been a real eye opener for me. I was amazed to see so many teachers already using blogs and even twitter in the classrooms. I watched a video of a Kindergartener telling why they love blogging. It inspired me to think, yeah, why not! What I liked most is that it gave me TONS of great ideas of how I can blog in my own classroom. This research has impacted my teaching by giving me a variety of great ideas of how I can blog in my own classroom. This year my Kindergarteners will be blogging buddies with Mrs. Moran’s Kindergarten class, another teacher I met through my Regis classes. We have already Skyped about our class field trip we took to Miller Farms, and will soon be pen pals as well. By putting our heads together and tapping into our passion for technology and learning we are going to be creating lots of unique experiences for our Kindergarteners.
After researching I learned that an AUP is an Acceptable Use Policy for devices at school. My school did have one, but it was lacking three of the six elements of an effective AUP. I was alarmed in my research to discover that there was not a good example from a district in Colorado to have an exemplar AUP. All the AUP’s I found were lacking some of the elements. Revising my own school’s AUP was a challenge, but I persevered, because I think it is important for schools to have an AUP. The AUP should reflect the school’s beliefs and how they approach technology. I feel the entire student body needs to be familiar with this policy.
Resources