Week Five in the Diffimooc

What are your overall take-a ways from the methods/tools that you might use to differentiate the classroom environment (for teacher productivity and student progression)? Which of these may you use in your classroom in the future?

Oh, so many tools I’ve been introduced to! The tools I’m using for this class, the accounts I set up, (see week 1). J  All have been learning experiences.  I am more accustomed to using twitter now.  The scariness has worn off.  I don’t know why it seemed scary. Maybe because I was afraid I would miss something. I like technology.  I like Facebook.  I can get on the Internet whenever I want.  I didn’t like the feeling of “having to be on” or I would miss something.  No worries! I’m over that feeling now! I am more relaxed and know that if I need anything, I can text or message one of the people in my PLN.

 Some of the tools that I plan to use in my classroom are utilizing my classroom computers more often.  I have three in my room and would like to use them more for workstations for students to do independent work.  I would love to use KidPix with my students, but need to see about getting the funds to purchase that license.  I do have iPads for my students, but don’t use them often.  They are not easy to get to because they are located in another room.  Second of all, I need to get past the idea that they are not toys for my students.  They need to be seen as learning tools.  Setting up the technology for my students takes time.  And time is precious.  Sadly, time for setting up technology for my students has been low on the priority list for me.  I hope to change this, now that I have great resources here to help guide me. 

 In the future, I would love to use Evernote.  Honestly, I don’t know that much about it yet because I didn’t find it useful in my kindergarten class.  But, have heard how wonderful it can be with older students.  IXL is another great tool.  Again, this is something that the upper grades in my school are using.  I hope to get approval to use it in my classroom as well.  I hear a lot about Edmodo and if I teach older grades this is something I would definitely use.

Week Four in the Diffimooc

How can I use tools “in the cloud” to easily manage and deliver feedback to my students?

Tools in The Cloud… I am still feeling a bit overwhelmed with all of this technology.  I do use technology in my class, but didn’t really think I knew about “The Cloud”.  So, I did a bit of research to make sure I knew what it was.  So, I used a tool in “the Cloud” without really knowing it! Haha! I found this really neat eBook, kind of an “internet for Dummies” kind of thing.  It proved to be very helpful and easy to read for somebody like me.  It was titled ’20 things I Learned About Browsers and the Web’.  http://www.20thingsilearned.com/en-US How appropriate! Basically what I learned is that “the Cloud” is anything accessible on the Internet.  So, I found this information in “the Cloud”!  Anything that is accessed through any computer in any place around the world is in the cloud.  Now, why didn’t they just say that! Could have avoided so much confusion. 😉

 

Okay, so enough about my ramblings about my “discovery”.  Now, How do I use it in my classroom? Do I use it in my classroom? Well, truth is that I haven’t really used it to give immediate feedback to my students, not this year.  I use stickers instead.  I do use tools for myself.  Our school uses Aims Web to track students’ progress in reading and math.  When I taught second grade, I used Renaissance Learning.   We used it mostly for Accelerated Reading.  My students would read a book and take a comprehension quiz about their book.  They would immediately receive a report on how they did. 

 

So, my resources are somewhat limited right now as to what I do in my class using “the cloud”.  I love my kindergarteners and hope to use more technology in the class.  I feel that I’m still looking at everyone else’s blogs and websites to get ideas.  Still haven’t found anything appropriate to my kids’ capabilities yet.  Not giving up hope!  Hopefully, I’ll be able to contribute to others’ learning soon.  I feel I haven’t been much help. 

Week 3 in the DiffiMooc

What technology tools can I use to manage and track differentiated student progress in my class?

I have been avoiding the response to this question.  I guess you can say I couldn’t really answer this question because I don’t use any technology tools to track differentiated progress… unless you count AIMSWeb.  I thought and thought about what to do.  I panicked a little.  I scrambled to see what I could find so that I could answer this honestly.  But, honestly, I don’t have any tools.  I want to.  But, what can I use with Kindergarten?  It all seems to be teacher driven and not student driven.  Is this what my instructors are looking for?  I even went so far as to download Class Dojo for my class.  At least I was using some technology to track student behavior.  But, still, I am not convinced that this is what I need to be doing.  My class has iPads.  But again, how do I make them useful or conducive to learning?  I want them to be used, as tools of learning, not free time. 

 

I asked a colleague of mine at my school about Edmodo.  She uses it in her class of 5^th graders and is doing great.  But she suggested IXL for my kindergartners.  I looked into it, but it is costly.  I’m not sure that our district has the funds right not to “buy into it”.   Another program I remember using is KidPix.  It is another costly program.  It is a drawing tool that has unlimited amount of activities to use in any subject area. It isn’t a way to manage or track differentiated student progress, but a fun tool to use in class.   

 

Not going to get discouraged. I am hoping to find more ways to incorporate technology into my class.