Google Forms

Using forms in the classroom....

This tool is a fabulous way to introduce students to technology in the classroom. This is great because a teacher can have the students individually go to the classroom computers to do surveys or even a test or quiz. This is great because a teacher can get the results from the spreadsheet to see how her students are doing in the classroom in comparison to other classmates and then from there can decide what things he/she can change in order to get desired results. This is also a great tool for upper level classes because you can use google forms to get peer reviews/responses without having to feel bad about the feedback. Google forms can give the teacher feedback as well on her teaching style as well as student responses for the curriculum being taught in the classroom. You can also learn a great deal about your students by using forms like a survey to find out their special interests, talents, or person information and then can use the data to incorporate these items into the classroom.

Google Earth Tour

My personal tour of around the world using Google Earth!

click here for my tour

Video 

Fryer Chapter 6 Ideas

Video is a valuable resource for teachers and students in a classroom setting. For teachers knowing the necessary tools for showing, making, and exploring videos as lesson is an essential secondary resource for lesson planning. There are a variety of ways in which a teacher can incorporate videos effectively for students that were discussed in Fryers chapter on Video. Showing videos in a classroom can be frustrating because of slow technology or trying to weed through thousands of clips in order to find ones suitable for your class. I like how this chapter provides teacher with other options for website that are reliable and safe to use in the classroom such as www.schooltube.com. This website can help to save teachers the hassle and is a resource that I plan to take advantage of. I also like the idea presented in this chapter on Digital Storytelling Projects. I think this is a fantastic way a teacher can have students use technology with a lesson. This not only lets student create their own videos, but can also be an excellent way to incorporate a variety of subjects while using audio, images, and video. This allows for students to use creativity while providing them with a unique way to approach a subject or theme addressed in the classroom. These are also great for a historical research project or for students to create storyboards or personal memoirs. I also like how Fryer discusses how videos can be easily shared for students to evaluate and explore many diverse forms of video from their peers as well as the rest of the world. Teachers having a background in websites such as www.youtube.com is a fabulous way to help students get their video uploaded and available for many to view, whether it be family, friends, or students from other schools. This website gives students the ability to save and share files without having the hassle. Because videos are so large this website is a great way for teachers to evaluate students work without having them overwhelm the email system.  Now days it is becoming easier and easier for students to use their imagination and create videos for assigned materials. Most computers come with a variety of software to edit and create videos as well as software to view virtually any videos on the web with programs like Windows Live MovieMaker or iMovie. With these types of software available it should be easy and fun for both teachers and students to incorporate video technology into the classroom. Video is a new and exciting medium for students that replaces the typical forms of projects that we see within the classroom. 

Virtual Field Trip:

Virtual Field Trip inside Volcanos

This Virtual Field Trip PDF was created using GoogleDoc

Technological Applications 

Throughout my observations in the classrooms so far as well as my own applications, I have had the opportunity to explore a diverse variety of technology. Last spring I volunteered at an elementary school in town where they were working on implementing iPads into their classrooms. This was a very fun experience for me because it involved the parents, teachers, administration, and students. I was introduced to how they would use the iPads in the classroom with the smartboards and using apps that would integrate lesson plans. Another usage of technology that I had experience with was the SmartBoards. I utilized the website http://exchange.smarttech.com/search.html that provides lesson plan templates that are absolutely amazing. This definitely helped in my teaching experiences. The other technology that I have been introduced to was the clickers that calculates testing scores in the classroom with the SmartBoards. This is a fantastic way to get students involved with technology while also a new and "technological"way to incorporate testing.

SmartBoard Lesson Plan

Science: Living vs. Nonliving 

WebQuest

Google Forms and WebQuests

The use of google forms is an excellent tool to use in the classroom. This gives students and teachers an efficient way to provide feedback to classmates or individual students work. This can also be used for students to evaluate what they take away from a teachers instruction. The fact that this also allows a teacher to see cumulative responses allows the teacher to see data collectively. It can help to make improvements in your own work or a students work. It also gives a student the opportunity to see the positive aspects of their work from their peers as well as a teachers own instruction. 

The use age of WebQuests is an excellent way to incorporate technology in a creative manner. This tool is a fabulous resource for other teachers as well as students and parents. Not only can teachers share lesson plans but students have the ability to access the pages from their home too. This is an excellent thing for parents who chose to homeschool as well. I think that the fact that WebQuests provide all the links, PDFs, and images required for making a lesson successful, it makes executing the lesson simple and easy. Children love to get on computers too so this is a fun way to get them online doing activities.