Day 28

Why didn't anyone tell me all this stuff was out there for me to use? I feel like I have been living in a cave these last 6 years. Now, if I can only confront my fear and figure out how to use my little flip camera to videotape my classes and post them on my website. . .

Day 21

I read today's blog on Dr. Z reflects and could have stood on my chair and applauded. As teachers we need to let go of our notions that the only way a child can read is through a basal textbook or paper novel. Our students want their reading to come at them in a variety of ways and they want the flexibility to read it in whatever format they have . . . Kindle, Iphone, whatever. I think we need to change with our students instead of demanding that they do things the way WE DID it.

Day 14

I am trying to figure out how many ways I can fit different media into my project for Dr. Copeland....I have to create a flipchart for Promethean Board that presents all of the different genres of books I have in my class library (I have over 1,000), I want to use clips of people reading selections from some books (clips from Teacher Tube has many of them), I want to create some flipcharts that have movable sections to reveal different elements of the different books, I want to download interviews with authers, and somehow make it interactive. I have lots to do! Me and Atomic Learning are going to be intimate before this project is done!

Day 13

Today I learned about Odiago (spelling), and will have to investigate further to see how to work it with my Promethean Board. I teach several sections of reading and have to read the same selection out loud each hour. It would be nice to do it once, post it, and then replay it each successive hour. It would also enable me to monitor students' attention better as I could walk around the room while they are listening and check for comprehension cues, see if they are writing down notes, and attentive. I could be my own second set of eyes.

Day 9

I looked at so many things yesterday and today, my mind is in a blur. I would like to use multiple forms of communication with my students and give them the opportunity to experiment with technology, but that requires me moving beyond the "I know what it is" stage and into the "I know how to manipulate it" stage. I finally have my user name and password for Atomic learning, and I am going to be getting on there and trying to get a more secure handle on the more sophisticated functions of the active boards, create a blog for my classroom (I got that cleared through the district office), google docs, and Animoto. We do a multi-genre research paper as an end of the quarter project, and I think we could really use technology to engage our students on levels that we have never seen before.

Day 8, per Dr. Z

Okay, yeah, I am all over your blog. Normally, I try to be systematic in my approach, but when I try to back up screens and try to be linear, by computer keeps freezing up. So, I decided to just start reading what looked good to me from the posts listed on the top right of your blog. So, today, I read about Animoto (2/24/09), ZOHO (another world I did not know even existed), and google.docs. I am most exited about google.docs as our school is moving to more project oriented, team based semester culminating assignments. I think we are supposed to have a computer lab in each of our acadamies, so I should have more access to technology. Currently, we have one computer lab for the WHOLE SCHOOL. Not a very effective system.

Day 7, per Dr. Z

I have read and learned so much this last week. I am frustrated that I did not learn about all of these possible classroom options before. I am most excited that the fine state of Iowa has licensed Atomic Learning and I have access to all of their informational videos. I am going to put together a monster of a project for my Young Adult Literature Class and bring in much of the new technology I have been learning. I am also going to check in with the district offices and find out if I can set up a blog for my students to respond to class activities and get resources. My classroom is going to be so different than it was last year.