After 11 Tools: Reflections

1. What are your favorite tools you now have in your personal technology toolbox? Briefly describe a particular activity that you will plan for your students using at least one of these new tools.
My favorite tools were: iPods applications, Big Huge Labs, Photo Story 3, and You Tube educational videos. I will use “Photo Story 3” to create photo story videos to introduce new vocabulary to the children
2. How have you transformed your thinking about the learning that will take place in your classroom?
I am very impressed of all the technological tools that I learned in this training and I am planning to use them in my classroom. I think that my children will learn in a fun way and will get more motivated to gain knowledge.
3. Were there any unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you? The outcome from this program that surprised me more was the iPods applications in education.

Tool 11

I will explain to my Pre-Kinder students that a good digital citizen is a person who:
1-Knows her/his responsibilities when using technological tools such as computers, cell phones, tape recorders, digital games, iPods, etc. The responsibilities include taking good care of the technological tools and taking turns when using them.
2-Uses technological tools such as instant messaging, cell phones, social networking, etc to communicate with others avoiding using inappropriate words
3-Stays away of talking with strangers when he/she is using a technological communication tool such as Skype, Yahoo messenger, etc.

Tool 10

I would like to use some iPod apps in my Pre-Kinder class. The app “Alphabet Tracing” by Oncilla Technologies Inc. would be a fun way to learn how to write alphabet letters and numbers. Also, I would like to use the app “Read Me Stories-Children’s books” by 8Interactive Limited. This app provides talking picture books that teach to the children new concepts, new words, and how to say them. Furthermore, I would like to use the app “Spanish Alphabet Flashcards” by Download A to Z. This app is an entertaining way to learn the Spanish alphabet. Each flashcard has an alphabet letter associated with a word and a picture. Another interesting app would be “LetsTans DELUXE” by Grabarchuk Puzzles that allows the children to solve problems by creating figures with Tangram puzzles.

Tool 9

In my pre-school class, "Jing" can be used to make narrated videos of children’s explorations of living things in their natural environment, to narrate pictures of community workers, to make narrated videos explaining how to work in centers, etc.

"Skype" can be used to conduct parent-teacher conferences, to have teacher trainings, to meet with other teachers to collaborate in lesson planning, etc

Tool 8

I selected the followings videos as useful resources for my students:

1- Numbers 1 to 10 - Kids + Children Learn English Songs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZZGIw7FZgQ

This video from “You Tube” will be very useful to learn to rote counting from 1 to 10. I will use this video at the beginning of the school year. My students will learn the numbers easily by singing the number song.

2- Sonidos de las letras con musica.wmv
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WhjQbGpSd0&feature=related

This video from “You Tube” will be very helpful to learn the name and sounds of the letters in a fun way by singing the letter and sound song.

Tool 7

I used Photo Story 3 to create a Photo Story about baby farm animals. I think that Digital Storytelling is an important teaching tool in the classroom. For example, Digital Storytelling can be used to introduce new vocabulary through Photo Story videos. The videos can show new words in written and oral form. Photo Story videos can help children to learn new vocabulary in Science, Social Studies, Math, and Language Arts. This application is especially important for children that are learning English as a second language.

Tool 6

In my case that I am a Pre-Kinder teacher, a wiki could be used by a team of teachers to collaborate in lesson plans, share ideas for learning activities, notify about meetings, discuss about field trips, suggest holiday’s crafts, recommend ideas to manage behavior in the classroom, propose fine and gross motor activities, share songs and poems, etc. For example, a wiki is created to be used by a Pre-Kinder teachers’ team. Teachers join the wiki and use usernames and passwords to access it. Then, teachers can create pages dedicated to different topics, such as: Language Arts, Math, Fine Motors Skills, Crafts, Songs, Meetings, Trainings, etc. Teachers can add comments to the wiki’s pages and receive e-mail updates of any changes to the pages.
Also, for Pre-Kinder, a wiki can be used as a parent information tool to notify the progress of the children and to post individualized suggestions to help each child at home.