Reflection Technology Standard III

Standard III states to “facilitate technology-enhanced experiences that address content standards and student technology standards” (Williamson & Redish, 2009, pg. 67). On October 12, 2011, I worked with one of the 3^rd grade teachers on my campus. The third grade teacher is a first year teacher so I helped her set up her students’ accounts for VoiceThread. I created 24 student accounts in VoiceThread. I met with the students to help them work with the tool. On our first day to learn VoiceThread, the students learned to correctly type the URL, log in using their email address and appropriate assigned password, create a new VoiceThread, upload saved pictures, and begin narrating their pictures. By the end of the first forty-five minute session, the students had their pictures uploaded and only needed to complete the narration and set moderation restrictions for their following computer lab time.  Overall, the students worked well with navigating to their network drive, creating folders, etc. I was also impressed that our server could quickly handle the number of photos being uploaded at one time. The students appreciated being able to go home and show their parents the work they completed. Many of the students shared their VoiceThread with relatives in other countries.

Our school has a class for students who work on the Autism spectrum. The students need to see appropriate behaviors and how to behave during specific events. During a computer lab class, the special education teacher in charge of several of the students with Autism came and we recorded a student showing correct behaviors in the lab. The teacher then was able to use the video to show the students who needed this assistance what proper computer lab behavior “looks like.” We also create videos for drills such as fire, bad weather, and lock downs. We have created videos for what is termed “social skills.” The videos have helped the students to “see” the correct behaviors expected of them.

At the end of the 2010 school year, the fourth graders in the talented and gifted program use the Lego Mindstorms Robotics program. The TAG teacher was new and had never used the robotics kits. So I went in and helped her the first few times with her students so she did not have to do the whole project on her own. With the help of “how stuff works” website we were able to show the students what they were about to accomplish. I helped the students get their kits set up and was there as an extra set of adult supervision. It was important to let the children problem solve and follow the specific directions they received with their kit. It was interesting to see the students’ personalities show during this group project. Each group had a leader, programmer, designer, etc. By the end of the unit, it was amazing to see the robots and how the students had programmed the robots to run. It was fantastic to see how capable nine and ten year old children are when they

One of the second grade teachers wanted assistance with a Web 2.0 skill. I found that the lesson she was working on, poetry, would work well with Glogster. Since she had not utilized it before, I helped her create her student accounts. I decided that it would be better to assign student accounts instead of allowing Glogster to assign the second graders accounts with nonsensical usernames and passwords. I decided to use the students’ school usernames and passwords for Glogster Education. The students were to bring a poem they created when they came to the lab. Once in the lab, I instructed the students to log into Novell and then type in the Glogster.edu URL. Once they were able to go to the site, I showed them briefly how to log in. Once the students logged in, I had them come to the carpet by the Promethean board for a Glogster tutorial. I wanted them to be close and have the ability to see the tutorial better than from their seats. I asked the students to sit “criss cross applesauce, with hands in their laps.” I showed the students a quick Glogster tutorial I had downloaded previously so we would not have to sit through any buffering. I called on students to “show” everyone on the Promethean Board specific things they had learned in the instructional Glogster video. We created a quick and easy preliminary Glog. I sent the students back to their seats to begin their own Glog. From the previous tutorial they knew which steps to do first. As students started asking questions, I told the class to always ask the people sitting to their left and then to their right whenever they had a question. If neither those two students had the answer, then they could ask the teacher for help. This simple step helped to alleviate the teacher being torn in many different directions. By the time their forty-five minute lab time was completed, many of the students were close to finishing their Glogs. They completed their Glogs in class during their classroom computer time.

I find that the students are more engaged when lessons integrate technology. Ensuring teachers utilize technology as a part of their curriculum is a little more difficult. I emphasize when planning with teachers that the curriculum must always come first and to find areas where technology will enhance the lesson.

Reference

Williamson, J. & Redish, T. (2009). ISTE’s technology facilitation and leadership standards: What every K-12 leader should know and be able to do. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education.