MindyWitt

=== Welcome! Hello, my name is Mindy Witt. I recently relocated in Nashville, Tennessee. I work at J.E. Moss Elementary as a pre-kindergarten teacher. I love it! My school is very diverse and full of culture. The majority of my students are EL and speak many different languages. (Spanish, Arabic, French, Wolof, Farsi) My year has been challenging, but I wouldn't trade it for any other assignment. ===

**My learning goals are to learn:**

 * ====== how to incorporate technology into my daily lessons ======
 * ====== how to actually use a wikispace (have heard about it) ======
 * ====== what technology is currently out there besides, Microsoft Office and Utube that I can use with pre-k ======
 * ====== how to create and maintain a website for school use ======
 * ====== way to communicate with my parents through technology ======

Fodeman, D. & Monroe, M. (2009). Social Networking.//Safe Practices for Life Online//.1-13.Retrieved from [].
==Morehouse, J. (2011). Students Dig Up Dirt to Learn About Internet Security. //Learning and Leading with Technology,September/October.//34-35.Retrieved from [].==
 * The authors explain the importance of being careful what personal information you share while online. Both authors stress how easy it is to find information on someone. It also stresses that employers, school districts, and colleges monitor potential hires and students behavior for college acceptence. Your life is an open book when it comes to online. A future employer can learn all about you by simply clicking on your facebook, myspace or twitter site.
 * This article was very interesting and gave an excellent way to convey the importance of keeping your personal information private while online. The teacher explains how she teaches her students why it is so important by allowing them to be noisy. It discusses that by allowing the class to snoop around for information about their teacher, they can in a few hours learn tons of personal information about them such as their name, age, birthday, home town, current city, and family history. After doing such research students realize the importance of keeping personal information private. I like how after the lesson, the teacher walks them through changing their social networking settings so that others can not gain so much information. Using a real life scenario puts this topic in perspective for sure.

Witby.W.(2011).//World’s Simplest Online Safety Policy.//Retrieved from [].
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 * This article helped give suggestions of where students can go while searching online as well as the importance to not isolate or completely block using the internet in schools. The author did an excellent job explaining all of the child acts that are currently in place to help protect students while online.

**Assignment 2: Gadget Report**
** Gadget Report: I would like to learn how to use my personal iPad to aid my instruction with my pre-schoolers. I understand how to use it, because I have had an iPhone for years. However, I am unfamiliar how to use it in a school setting. I would like to learn how to implement this device in a whole group setting or small group settings. Hopefully one day I will have enough for a small group to use during their independent rotations during reading and or math times. Since this is my personal iPad, I would feel uncomfortable letting a student work independently unless I was working one-to-one with this student. **

> == ==
 * Individual Scoring Guide **
 * 1. About My Gadget (research 20 pts) **
 * An iPad tablet inspires creativity and hands-on learning with features you won’t find in any other educational tool. Applications from the App store allows student to engage in interactive content in interactive ways, find information instantly, access an entire library wherever they go on a device that students really want to use. It is used as a portable platform that can be used to play games, surf the internet, take pictures and or videos, watch or listen to audio-visuals such as books, utube videos, music, and movies. ([|www.apple.com])
 * Research Websites
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 * 2. Learning Plan (5 pts) **
 * Research online how to use in pre-school classroom
 * Research an application that is age appropriate for pre-kindergarten students
 * Load an age appropriate application for pre-k students
 * Play around with application before teaching my lesson
 * Teach my lesson whole group (allow each student time to use iPad) using an LCD projector.
 * Teach my lesson whole group (allow each student time to use iPad) using an LCD projector.


 * 3. Lesson Plan and Teaching Materials (15 pts) **


 * School:** JE Moss Elementary
 * Teaching Assignment:** Locally Funded Pre-Kindergarten Teacher
 * Date:** March 22, 2012
 * Subject:** Early Language Arts, Technology


 * NETS: Student** Standard 1.0 Creativity and Innovation

and issue
 * 1) Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes
 * 2) Use Models and simulations to explore complex systems


 * Materials:** LCD Projector, iPad, AVG Adapter, Dora’s Skywriting ABC’s Application

Students will begin singing the ABC song on CD. The teacher will point to each alphabet letter (located above the opening bulletin board) as the children sing along with the cd. The teacher will then review the alphabet A-J using the sound cards. The students will first name the letter, then use movement and sounds to create the letter sounds.
 * Motivational Activity/Warm-Up**:

I will begin by explaining that today we will be practicing our alphabet in a different way. I will hold up the iPad and I will ask, “Does anybody know what this piece of technology is called?”. I will call on a volunteer to answer. I will then further explain that I have a special game application that we will further explore to review our alphabet letters. Once this iPad is plugged in and loaded I will let the students listen to Dora explain how to play this application. After the introduction, I will begin the application with the letter A. I will ask the class, “What is the letter name?” and I will call on a volunteer. I will then ask, “What sound does A make?” and I will call on a volunteer to answer. That same volunteer will walk up to the iPad and trace the letter while the whole class makes the /a/ sound. Then I will ask, “What do you think cloud object is?”. I will remind them that the cloud will turn into something that starts with the /a/ sound. I will call on a volunteer to guess and come to the iPad and trace the object to see if they are correct. The previous steps will be repeated for alphabet letters B-J. After all students have had a chance to come up to the iPad, I will again review letters A-J.
 * Procedure:**

Inclosing, I will review letters A-J with the students using alphabet cards. I will pay close attention to who is making the correct sounds and who is not. I will assist if needed**.**
 * Closure:**

Students will be continuously assessed throughout my lesson by their participation and demonstration. I will be listening for their correct letter writing formation, letter sounds and whether they can think of words that start with the same beginning.
 * Evaluation:**


 * 4. Evidence of Implemented Lesson (5 pts) **
 * Will see in PowerPoint during presentation. I have included pictures as my evidence.
 * 5. Presentation (5 pts) **
 * Use a PowerPoint during my presentation.

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**Assignment 3: Technology Projects**
**Tech Project 1: Google Resource Web Site**

**J.E. Moss Pre-K Study of Plants Website**
[|Pre-K Study of Plants]

**Tech Project 2: Instructional Video**

1. Pick a mini-lesson to teach. I decided to make a mini-lesson on how to plant a seed. 2. Plan an instructional video for this mini-lesson. 3. Shoot your instructional video using a digital video camera or a digital camera. If you know how to edit, add a title page. (For Flip cameras, you can use Flip Share to add the title page and producer information. 4. Upload your video on YouTube, TeacherTube or Google Video. Publish it. Post the video on our Ning. (See link to a tutorial on how to upload below) 5. If you publsh on YouTube or Google Video, you can embed your video within your classroom site. If on TeacherTube, you can add a link to your video.
 * How will you start?
 * My video will start in my classroom. I will have all of my supplies layed out and explain exactly what is needed to plant a seed in school.
 * Proceed?
 * After explaining the materials that will be needed, I will go step-by-step on how to plant a seed in the soil. I will demonstrate on the video as I actually go through these steps.
 * End?
 * I will end my video by, explaining that it is very important to water your seed everyday until a seedling starts to grow.
 * I shot my video using my digital camera in my classroom. I could not figure out how to make a title page for it.
 * I loaded my video onto UTube.

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Tech Project 3: Desktop Publishing Goal: Apply design principles to improve a pre-existing newsletter, brochure or poster. Rationale: Teachers are involved in creating informational documents such as newsletters, brochures, or posters. It is important to apply design principles that will make your informational document more appealing to your viewers, ensuring a better chance of being noticed, read and remembered. In this assignment, I'd like you to learn and apply basic design principles.

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**Assignment 4: Technology Integration Plan**

 * Unit Plan on Plants **




 * Overview of Unit Plan:** This is a science unit on plants for Pre-Kindergarten. After completing this unit, students will better understand how to plant a seed, what happens to the seed they planted, what daily steps need done to allow for the seed to grow, and what does that seed turn into. Students will participate in a variety of learning experiences and technology-embedded activities to explore the life cycle of a plant.


 * Organization of Unit Plan:** This unit will be divided into five activities and one assessment. Lesson plans will be written up for each activity that will start on a Monday and end on a Friday.


 * Overview of Activities:**
 * Day 1
 * Introduce plants
 * Watch Picasso Web Slideshow and discuss the pictures
 * Watch Tube video “Dr. Jean’s Parts of a Plant Song” & Sing Together
 * Read __The Tiny Seed__ by Eric Carle
 * Day 2
 * Watch Tube video “Dr. Jean’s Parts of a Plant Song” & Sing Together
 * Discuss plant vocabulary
 * PowerPoint “Parts of a Plant”
 * Pretend to be a plant and grow from the ground
 * Day 3
 * Watch Tube video “Dr. Jean’s Parts of a Plant Song” & Sing Together
 * Review Plant Vocabulary
 * PowerPoint “Parts of a Plant” & Discuss Edible Plants
 * Watch Tube Video “Seed Germination Time Lapse” & Discuss
 * Pretend to be a seed and grow into a plant
 * Day 4
 * Watch Tube video “Dr. Jean’s Parts of a Plant Song” & Sing Together
 * Review Plant Vocabulary
 * Watch Tube Instructional Video “How to Plant a Seed”
 * Plant a seed just like the video instructs (During Center Time)
 * Day 5
 * Watch Tube video “Dr. Jean’s Parts of a Plant Song” & Sing Together
 * Review Plant Vocabulary
 * Watch Tube video “Sunflower Time Lapse” & Discuss
 * Bulletin Board Flower parts assessment

**The Technology Integration Planning Checklist ** Assessment of Lessons and Courses
 * Unit Plan Write-Up **
 * Phase I: Determining Relative Advantage--Why Use Technology? **
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Do I have topics, curriculum objectives, or insights I have difficulty teaching?
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Yes, science is a fun topic for students to understand in general. Although, this year I am teaching pre-kindergarten who are mostly EL. My students do not have the background, vocabulary, or understanding at all of plants. I feel this will be a difficult topic to teach them.
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Are any of the above a good match for a technology-based solution?
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Yes this topic is a good match for a technology-based solution. There are tons of resources available online. There are songs, simulations, videos, and games that help children further explore plants.
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">What is the relative advantage of the technology-based solution?
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I found a very neat video on Utube where it shows elapsed time of a sunflower. As a class we are going to plant a seed and watch it grow, but using a technology video, students can see in less than 2 minutes what their seed will transform into right before their eyes.
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Is the relative advantage sufficient to justify the effort and expense of using these solutions?
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Why yes it is. Understanding plants and living things is a science standard I must expose with hopes of them mastering. What a better way to expose them to this standard. Creating an integrated unit will help my students better understand and hopefully master this standard.


 * <span style="font-family: Verdana-Bold,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Phase 2: Deciding on Objectives and Assessments--How Will I Know Students Have Learned? **
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">What outcomes do I expect of students after the instruction to show me they have learned?
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Such outcomes will be:
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">For 75% of my students to be able to tell me the parts of a plant. (roots, stem, flower, leaf)
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">For 90% of my students to be able to tell me if a plant is living thing.
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">For 75% of my students to be able to tell me the stages of a plant. (seed, seedling, adult plant)
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">What is the best way for me to assess students' learning (e.g., written tests, products)?
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The best way for me to assess my students’ learning is through observation and their demonstrations. My students can not read or write their answers on paper. What they can do is draw what they see, answer questions verbally, and help me predict what will happen next.
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Do the assessment instruments (e.g., tests, rubrics) exist or do I have to develop them?
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I am sure there are tons of ideas online. I will have to create my own or look for suggestions online to aid me through this process. My tests will consist of drawing to answer.


 * <span style="font-family: Verdana-Bold,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Phase 3: Designing Integration Strategies--What Teaching Strategies Will Work Best? **
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Will the instruction be single subject or interdisciplinary?
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">My unit will be single subject. It will be a science unit on plants. They will learn what a plant is, the parts of a plant, and what stages a plant goes through.
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Will students work as individuals, pairs, small or large groups, whole class, a combination?
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Students will mostly work whole group. Although each student will plant a few seeds so this part will be individual. There will also be an activity where they will work in a small group setting to label the parts of a flower, and stages of a plant.
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Should activities be directed, constructivist, or a combination of these?
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The activities will be a combination of all pedagogies. A lot of my students are visual learners. I will use a combination so that all my students are successful.
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">What strategies should I use to encourage female and minority student involvement?
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">My class is very diverse and there are a lot of minorities within my classroom. I will incorporate everyone into my lessons and allow each time to process and experience this unit. For my introverted friends, they can show me individually if they don’t want to do it in front of the class.
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">What sequence of activities should I teach?
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I will first introduce the activities, lecture a little bit, have a class discussion, whole/small group activity, and then closure or reflection.
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Will students have enough time to learn the technologies before I begin grading?
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">My students will not be using technology on their own. So there will not be time needed to do so.
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Do I have demonstrations of equipment and the software skills student will need?
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">These are not needed because the only equipment we will be using is a computer using a LCD projector that is hooked up to the internet. This part of the lessons will be teacher led.


 * <span style="font-family: Verdana-Bold,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Phase 4: Preparing the Instructional Environment--Are the Essential Conditions in Place to Support Technology Integration? **
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">How many computers and copies of software do I need to carry out the activities?
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I just need one computer that is hooked up to the internet to carry out my activities.
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">How many computers and copies of software are available?
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">My classroom has three computers that are hooked up to the internet. (2 student and 1 teacher)
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Over what time period and for how long will technology resources be needed?
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">This unit will be taught over a 3 week period.
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Do I need to schedule time in a lab or media center?
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">No, I will not need to schedule a time in a lab or media center. I have all the resources right in my classroom.
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Do I need to schedule projection devices or large-screen monitors for demos?
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">No, I do not need to schedule a time to borrow such items. I have a mounted LCD projector on the ceiling and a student computer hooked up to it.
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">What other equipment, software, media, and resources will I need?
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I will not need any other equipment, software, media, or other resources.
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Are the uses I am planning legal according to copyright laws?
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Yes, they are legal according to copyright laws. I am just using resources from the internet.
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Have I provided for students' privacy and safety?
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Yes, because I will be directing all of the internet activities whole group. I have all videos, songs, and demonstrations saved for quick access.


 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Have I made all necessary access provisions for students with physical disabilities?
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Yes, I have made all necessary access provisions for students with physical disabilities. My two exceptional education students will have no trouble during the whole group activities. I will pair them up with teacher helper during the individual and small group activities. I will help or my assistant will help them with their planting seeds activity.
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Am I familiar with troubleshooting procedures specific to the hardware or software?
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I am familiar with troubleshooting procedures when it comes to hardware and software. I also have a very knowledgeable technology teacher and librarian that will assist me if needed.
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Have I built in time to test-run an equipment setup before the students arrive?
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">There is not test-run time needed except to gain access to UTube. That site is blocked in Metro but our librarian can allow me to gain access to certain videos. I will need time to do so.
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Have I built in time to back up important files? Have I trained students to back up theirs?
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">My students are only four and five years old. They will not need to back up important files. I will be doing all of this.
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Do I have a backup plan if I cannot use the resources as I had planned?
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I have them saved on my Google site as well as my flashdrive. I have all resources saved two ways to insure I have full access to them.

**Assignment 5: Second Life Explorations**

 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Avatar Name: Maw2007 **


 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Trampoline Project (write up?) **

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> I enjoyed watching the Second Life Movie. I felt as though I was apart of this virtual movie. I could see all of my classmates, as it was synced to music. It was neat how it quickly changed scenes throughout the movie. The statistics on poverty were interesting. My school is **96% FARMS** so I am surrounded by this daily. The Ruby Payne training I had in the past has definitely helped me better understand how to help those students who are living in poverty.
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Second Life Movie **

<span style="color: #ff00c8; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 170%;">Reflections

Overall Course

I feel that this course was very interesting. I thought I was tech savvy until taking this class. I learned tons of ways to incorporate technology within my daily lessons. After using my iPad in my classroom, my students repeatedly ask me to bring my iPad back in so we can use it instead of the sound cards. I will use technology more often from now on. The Title 1 teacher even came to me wanting to know what an AVG adapter does. She is now ordering some for checkout so teachers can use their iPad’s in their instruction. I feel that this course gave me lots of resources and ideas on how to incorporate technology in my daily instruction. The projects were well planned and explained so that I could work independently. I will be using my unit plan starting this week!

Second Life

When I was told we were going to use Second life in our Educational Technology class, I was a little scared. I had never used such software or program before. It seemed very new and confusing. After all of the sessions, I feel confident on how to use Second Life and how it could be incorporated in secondary education. Since I teach pre-kindergarten, I will not be able to use this software but this could definitely be used for trainings within my school building. I found it very easy to pick up on how to use the icons. The ability to watch a video in a theater where all participates are included is very neat. A teacher can do so much with this type of technology. High school students would learn so much while at the same time having fun. It was interesting to hear the creator of the theater explain why he created all of this and how it can be used to help professionals grow in their field. I feel it was very neat how we could pick our own avatar and create what we looked like to reflect our own selves. This software has endless capabilities and can be incorporated in many educational areas. I enjoyed learning about how to use this in both educational and professional ways.