Final Technology Project

1st Grade Writing and Technology Project
NETS For Students:
Creativity and Innovation
Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.
NETS For Teachers:
Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments

Students will be graded on how well they follow instructions, essentially. The NETS for students will be accomplished in this project because students are thinking creatively to create these paragraphs. They will use knowledge from their own work and the work of others to develop a product, which will be their wordle. The teacher will facilitate experiences that advance student learning and creativity in a face-to-face environment for the portion of the project when students are working together to create paragraphs. The wordle is a virtual activity that advances student learning. Students are using many EALR’s and GLE’s for writing in this project.
1. The student understands and uses a writing process.
1.1 Prewrites to generate ideas and plan writing.
1.3 Revises to improve text.
1.4 Edits text.
3. The student writes clearly and effectively.
3.3 Knows and applies writing conventions appropriate for the grade level.
4. The student analyzes and evaluates the effectiveness of written work.
4.1 Analyzes and evaluates others’ and own writing.
Tech Project Plan
1. Students will write five sentences about why they like winter.
2. Students will identify and underline all of the nouns in their paragraph.
3. Students will be paired off and will edit one another's work.
4. Students will turn their five sentences in to the teacher to be looked over once more.
5. Students will create a finished project from template in wiki that has a hand-drawn picture in the top box and a typed paragraph (their 5 sentences) in the bottom half of the page. They will use Microsoft Word to complete this assignment. Students may use whatever font they desire. All the nouns in their paragraph must be underlined.
6. The class will create a wordle document together using all the nouns from students' paragraphs.

Comments

Angela-Technology Project
Stephanie-Reflection #9
Peter- Reflection#11
Jodie- Week 14 Reflection
Drew-Reflection 9

End of Semester Reflection

This semester, I have learned so much regarding technology! To begin with the basics, I learned how to operate a SmartBoard and a document camera, two things I was terrified of when the semester began. But more than that, I learned that technology is important. When it is incorporated into the curriculum in a thoughtful and constructive manner, it engages students and gets them involved in their learning! At the beginning of the semester I felt strongly that technology was scary and difficult to incorporate into lessons, and that it took away from education. Which it can if used incorrectly. But when used correctly, education is an important educational tool.


Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments.

I incorporated my NETS for teachers into my lesson plans and final project well. I created projects that allow the teacher to experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments.

Creativity and Innovation
Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.

The projects I created for students to complete allow them to do just this: demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.
I will carry on the NETS for students and teachers into my curriculum when I become a teacher. They are a useful tool for identifying whether technology is being used as a tool or becoming a hindrence to learning.

Reflection #12

http://faculty.tamu-commerce.edu/espinoza/s/ellis-b-657.html

I enjoyed browsing the links on this site that go to different online magazines, experiment ideas, museums, online organizations and programs, and links where students can ask a real-life scientist questions! Using this site as a resource gives the teacher an opportunity to allow students to participate in their learning and it makes learning fun! Students will love hearing back from a real life scientist, and looking at other students' experiments for ideas for their own!

Reflection #11

http://www.edzone.net/~mwestern/elemath.html

I decided to share this website because it shares a bunch of different ways to incorporate technology into elementary math, from computer games to online flashcards, to class projects. Often times math is a least favorite subject of students and teachers, and if teachers can incorporate fun and engaging learning tools for students, students will learn better.

Reflection #10

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/schools/tweeting-vs-reading-the-row-over-technology-in-primary-schools-1659591.html

I found this article to be very interesting. The idea of teaching technology to elementary school students surely has both pros and cons. Teaching students about Twitter and allowing them access to handheld technology can help their research and self-expression skills, but at what expense? Will students stop reading books for fun in favor of picking up a phone or laptop and browsing the internet? The article also points out that children are not instinctually digital natives, a matter that is debateable. As teachers, we must figure out what the balance is between incorporating technology into the curriculum and over-using it at students' expense.

Reflection #9

The other day in class Chelsea shared a story about a little girl. Her mom asked the daughter what time it was, and the child said, "I don't know, I don't have an iphone with me." The story was cute, but it made me think...this is the ugly side of the rapid technological advances we are seeing in society today. Skills such as learning to tell time, and even learning to read and write could become less important as time goes on, and eventually some of these things may not be valued by the educational system at all. Students are typing much more than hand writing things, and it is rare to see a house without a digital clock. Now I realize it is unlikely teachers will ever stop teaching students how to read and write, but what about telling time? Will there come a day when no one really finds that skill useful, when a clock without a digital display becomes an out-dated, out-of-use antique? It is important to keep up with the advances of technology, and to teach using technology. But at what point does technology begin to take away valuable aspects of education?

Reflection #8

The child in the Ted Talks video completely blew my mind. Here is another example where a child does something with technology that I would never dream someone in sixth grade could accomplish. In this instance, however, I believe I am not alone in being shocked. The thing is, now this child is passing on his knowledge to other kids, and soon no one will think twice about a 3rd, 2nd, even a 1st grader creating apps for the ipad. If at all financially possible, more schools should create programs that give children an avenue for learning more about technology and physically creating things. This is a wonderful way to get students excited about learning!

Reflection #7

It really is amazing how much more children know today about technology, and how quickly they catch on. The other day I was babysitting Jodee's son Grayson, who is just beginning to learn how to read. We were watching legoland movies on my laptop and without being able to read any of the text on the screen, he was able to completely navigate the page without any of my help. He figured out how to make the screen full screen, moved back and forth between the home page and video pages...he just figured it out. Students today can do far more than I personally would expect, even young students. This means 1) I need to constantly be up on new and upcoming technology and
2) I need to be sure not to underestimate the abilities of my students.

Tech Project Plan

1. Students will write five sentences about why they like winter.
2. Students will identify and underline all of the nouns in their paragraph.
3. Students will be paired off and will edit one another's work.
4. Students will turn their five sentences in to the teacher to be looked over once more.
5. Students will create a finished project from template in wiki that has a hand-drawn picture in the top box and a typed paragraph (their 5 sentences) in the bottom half of the page. They will use Microsoft Word to complete this assignment. Students may use whatever font they desire. All the nouns in their paragraph must be underlined.
6. The class will create a wordle document together using all the nouns from students' paragraphs.