Reflections

__ Module 1 - Overview of 21st Century Skills __ NETS addressed: 1. Discuss 21st Century skills with students and colleagues. 2. Analyze and state good practices in technology integration and 21st century pedagogy by relating an example to the //Range of Use// chart.

Reflection about our readings and video assignment:

I think that it is amazing how many learning opportunity ideas were protrayed through this assignment. It was also evident that these technological teaching methods can be used with very young children and even with adults. The video Kindergarten Collaboration was really of most interest to me since I teach Preschool. I can see ways in which I, with the proper tools, could incorporate a similar project within our Preschool program. I think that the article on Authentic Learning is very relevant for the age group of children I work with. The best learning experiences that occur in my classroom involve hands-on activities involving several different learning styles. As an example: When we introduce the colors for green, orange, and purple we do color blends. To experience this, the students are given water with drops of food coloring in it for red, yellow, and blue. Using eye droppers they blend two colors to create another color (red+yellow= orange). To me this is authentic learning, but through the article, I can see where technology can play an important part in authentic learning for all ages of children.

__**Module 2 - Communication and Collaboration **__

While reviewing the video Wikis in Plain English, I was thinking of the possibilities of making the Wiki user friendly for even young children by making it interactive. So that, children could manipulate the pictures for story sequencing, acting out or role playing a scenario, or even using association and sorting skills. These aspects of the video would be valuable in a Preschool setting. The Wiki I like the best was Bookleads. The graphics were great the lay out was appealing and the way you could interact within the graphics would definitely encourage young children to want to investigate it more. It included Links that not only were really neat, but they encouraged use of other digital resources. The NETS for teachers it addressed were 1. Facilitate & Inspire student learning and creativity - this wiki radiated creativity and was definitely inspiring. 2. Design and develop digital-age learning experiences and assessment. 3. Model digital -age work and learning - it is evident that the students did research and allowed them to experience and discover information pertinent to the wiki. 4.Promote and model Digital Citizenship and responsibility - the students should have learned about this during the process of creating the wiki. In conclusion: I was inspired by this wiki - I sort of wish we had others to collaborate with on one wiki so that it wouldn't seem overwhelming. I know that throughout this class we will be adding to our wikis and I look forward to seeing just how creative and inspiring my wiki will become.

__Module 2 - Collaboration Possibilities__

I reviewed the Flat Classroom Project. I thought it was awesome! The endless possibility these teachers have created are phenomenal. I guess I knew about teachers collaborating from one school district to another, but I never realized how global collaboration can be and already is among educators. The best part of the video was watching the expressions on the students' faces as they contributed their part of the assignment. The enthusiasm they had about sharing with other students across the world about their opinions and ideas on the topic that was being taught. It really made the project personal for them and they were excited about learning. It seems to me that any classroom would benefit from collaborating with another classroom even in a nearby school. But the learning opportunities quadruple when you collaborate with a class in a distant area of the world that your students may never have even heard of. The social skills that are addressed are only a small aspect of the big picture. The integration of curricula like geography, social studies, math, science, language arts, etc. are less limited when you are communicating with students and teachers who can give their personal experiences as an example of the culture in which they live. Although this particular project was geared toward older students, this video really made me think about the possibilities of integrating a similar project into my current Preschool curriculum. I'm not sure where I will go with this in respect to my students and classroom, but I'm excited to explore the idea. The NETS addressed are: for teachers: 1. Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity. 2. Design & Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments. 3. Model Digital-Age Work & Learning 4. Promote and model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility 5. Engage in professional growth and leadership. It also addressed each of the NETS for students.

​ __**Module 3 - Enhancing Core Teaching Skills Through the Use of Technology**__

I don't use Project-based learning in my Preschool classroom as described. We do have class projects and everyone participates, has input, and shares what they have learned. However, this usually involves me doing all of the research and providing the students with the tools and materials they need to be successful in the project. This kind of learning makes a lot more work for the Preschool teacher. I do see the benefits of using project-based learning with students at the intermediate, middle school, and high school level. I think it would appeal to most students to be actively engaged in what everyone is learning. It would be exciting to see the creativity and problem-solving this type of learning would allow for students. Some students may not have shared their creativity or prior knowledge in other learning situations. The downsides would be that you would need the support of other teachers and administration to succeed. Also, depending on the project, funding may become an issue. Also a drawback may be that the classroom teacher would have to put a whole lot more work into preparation and planning for this. I would be able to use this type of learning on a much smaller scale. I'd use small groups of children and give them a topic, materials, and information and then just see where they take it. For example, I could use earthworms as a topic. We could discuss and draw out prior knowledge about worms that children may have experienced. We could list and compare the benefits of worm and the problems worms may or may not cause. We could start a worm farm and collect data about the life of a worm via the internet and through hands-on experience. We can create graphs (on a Smartboard) and illustrations. Through video conferencing or voice threads we could share what we've learned with other Preschool classrooms. I feel a little leery, because I know it will be difficult to manage, but the benefits definitely surpass my worries. NETS addressed: T1a-d; T2a-c; T3d; T4a,c; T5a

__​ ​Module 4 - Social Bookmarking__

Social Bookmarking is a great way to explore the internet without having to weed through so many links. Generally if you use a search engine on the internet you are provided with so many links that aren't really relevant to what you are looking for. Yes, you can narrow your search, but this way you can go directly to the topic you are looking for. It will be interesting to see how I can contribute to the social bookmarking as well. I used Diigo to create a bookmarking account. I used my name as a title. I'll be able to add to my bookmarks and/or lists as I work on the integrated plan as part of this class, but I can also continue to add to them as I teach and find websites that are beneficial. NETS addressed: 1a-d; 2a-b; 3a,b,d; 4a,c,d; 5a,d