Journal #1: About Me
Hello everybody, my name is Patricia Madrigal, but I like to be called Patty. I am 25 years old, and I was born and raised here in El Paso, Texas. I'm hoping to graduate this December with a degree in Education and Community Studies. I have six birds: two parakeets named Blue and Frost, three cockatiels named Thunder, Sky, and Hawk, and one lovebird named Beauty. I also have two dogs named Jax and Jaylen, and I enjoy spending time with my family during my free time. My learning expectation for this educational technology course is to gain more knowledge about how I can incorporate technology into my classroom. In addition, I am aware that there are a ton of great websites that can elevate my teaching to the next level. Therefore, I would like to work with and learn new technology tools that can help further my teaching and that can help students in their learning. In my personal opinion, I view the role of technology in education as an excellent and important tool. I believe this because nowadays, children have become so accustomed to using technology that I feel like I could use this tool as an asset in my classroom to further their
development. In addition, I believe that by using technology, children will be able to develop their technology skills, which will be excellent for them as they get older since technology has become an integral part of our lives. Technology has also played a significant role in my own learning as a student. I say this because growing up, I didn't really use technology as much, but now, since starting college, I have been able to expand my knowledge of Word, PowerPoint, and Google as a whole. Additionally, if I struggled to understand something in one of my classes, like math or science, I was able to watch videos or do research to understand the material. Lastly, I plan to use technology whenever I can. For example, if I were teaching a first-grade class, I would incorporate technology like Istation or an interactive math game during their time in stations.
Journal #2: Presentation Tool
There are many ways I can integrate different presentation tools, such as Canva, Genially, and Google Slides, into the classroom. One way I would maximize the students' learning would be to create an interactive game. To do this, I would make an escape room on any of the presentation tools and integrate various math problems. I would do this so that way my third-grade students can have fun, be engaged in the activity, and work together to escape the room. If I implemented these resources into my lesson, I would address standard 2.5, otherwise known as the "Designer," from the ISTE standards for Teachers. This standard talks about utilizing digital tools to create learning experiences that will be engaging and takes into account the student's preferences and needs. Therefore, this standard connects with my lesson because I incorporated a game in my lesson that will be fun and engaging for my students and will help them further their understanding of the math problems we have been learning in class. In addition, if a student is struggling, they will be working with their classmates to help them better understand how to solve the math problem. The new skills and abilities that my students will acquire from the 21st Century Skills would be critical thinking skills, collaboration, and effective communication. I believe this because students will have to think critically to be able to solve the various problems given to be able to escape the room. Additionally, students will develop collaboration and effective communication skills because they will have to work together and communicate different ways they can solve the math problems. Some advantages of using these programs would be that they would further their knowledge of technology, and they would have fun working with tools that are exciting and show their creative side. A disadvantage of using these programs is that students may struggle to figure out how to work the tools.
Journal #3: Newsletter
Many teachers can integrate newsletters into a lesson by having them use fun tools like AdobeSpark, Microsoft Word, or Crello. One way I would integrate the tools AdobeSpark, Word, or Crello into my lesson would be by having the fourth-grade class create a newsletter over a topic in science we have been learning. For example, the students will be asked to create a newsletter with the information they have learned about frogs. They will be asked to write about the frog's habitat, diet, how they look, the life cycle, and what animals eat them. The ISTE standard that connects to my lesson would be 2.6, also known as the Facilitator from the ISTE standards for educators. The reason why I believe that standard 2.6 addresses the lesson is because my students' learning will be supported while they are interacting with these tools. This will be the case because the students will take charge of their own learning by explaining what they learned about frogs. In addition, this standard addresses the lesson because I would allow the students to be creative while they are expressing their knowledge. The three new skills and abilities that the students will acquire from the "21st Century Skills: 6C's of Education" would be critical thinking, developing creativity, and clear communication. The students will develop critical thinking skills because they will have to do research and determine what is important to apply to their newsletters. Moreover, the students will develop creativity because they will be able to decorate their newsletter the way they want to. Lastly, they will acquire clear communication skills because they will be asked to type the information in their newsletter in a way that is understandable to the audience. An advantage of using these programs is that they have the ability to show their creative side. These tools have a plethora of designs and visuals that will allow these students to express themselves in their work. However, a disadvantage of using the tools is that the students may struggle at first with how to work these types of programs.
Journal #4: Mind Mapping
I feel that there are many great ways to integrate tools, such as Bubbl.us, Mindomo, and MindMeister, into the classroom. A way I would incorporate these tools in my classroom with my third-grade students during science. For example, I will have my third-grade students create a mind map of the planets in our solar system. In this activity, the students will have all planets on their mind maps and will have facts related to each planet, such as how many moons they have, how many earth days in a day, how many earth days in a year, etc.
The ISTE standard that connects with my lesson is 1.3, which is known as "knowledge constructor" in the ISTE standard for students. I chose this standard because the students will be using credible sources to find information about each planet. In addition, another ISTE standard that matches my lesson is 1.6, "creative communicator." I believe that this standard connects with this activity because the students will use any of the three tools given and be allowed to use their creativity when creating their mind maps.
When looking at the 21st Century Skills: 6C's of Education, I believe that the students will gain new skills in three different areas. The first new skill that I believe that the students will develop is to think critically. I believe this because students will be required to research information about each planet and add key details to their mind maps. The next skill set that the students will develop is to communicate clearly. The students will acquire this skill because the students will be required to add information clearly so that all readers will be able to understand. Lastly, the students will develop creativity. This is the case because students will be allowed to express themselves on their mind maps.
One advantage of using these tools is that they will help students organize their thoughts and will help students visualize the information. A disadvantage of these tools is that students may struggle to understand them and may need more help figuring out the mechanics.
Journal #5: Timeline
Integrating tools such as Tiki Toki, Sutori, and Time Toast into the classroom is a great way for students to create a timeline where they can clearly visualize the order of events. One way I can integrate these tools would be during history class. For example, I will have my fifth-grade students create a timeline about an important figure, such as Franklin D. Roosevelt. In this activity, the students will be researching Franklin D. Roosevelt, and any important information they find will be required to add to their timeline.
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The ISTE standard that connects to my lesson would be 1.3, also known as the knowledge constructor from the ISTE standards for students. The reason why I believe that standard 1.3 matches my lesson is because the students will be using digital tools such as Tiki Toki, Sutori, or Time Toast to create their timelines on Franklin D. Roosevelt, and while they are completing this project, they must show their comprehension of crucial events. In addition, this standard addresses this lesson because the students will be required to research to find credible resources about Roosevelt that can be added to their timeline.
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When looking at the 21st Century Skills: 6C's of Education, I believe that the students will gain new skills in two different areas. The first skill that the students will develop is to think critically. I believe that the students will acquire this skill because the students will be required to research Franklin D. Roosevelt, such as any important facts about him or any contributions he has made. The next skill that students will develop is to communicate clearly. The students will gain this ability because they will need to add all important information to their timeline that is clear and understandable to the students and others.
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An advantage of using Tiki Toki, Sutori, and Time Toast in the classroom is that students will be able to organize information in chronological order, where they will be able to understand past and current events. Some disadvantages I have found with these tools are that there are some limitations, such as Tiki Toki only allowing one timeline on the free version.
Journal #6: Interactive Multimedia Poster
When it comes to interactive multimedia posters, I feel that there are many ways we can integrate them into our classroom using Thinglink, Glogster, Smore, Piktochart, or Canva. One way I can incorporate these tools into my lesson would be during Science. For example, I can have my fourth-grade class create an interactive multimedia poster on the water cycle.
By implementing this lesson into my class, I would be addressing standard 1.3, otherwise known as "Knowledge Constructor," from the ISTE standards for students. Standard 1.3 will be met because the students will be asked to research information on the life cycle so they can add it to their posters. In addition, I believe that standard 1.6, known as "Creative Communicator" from the ISTE standards for students, connects with my lesson because it allows the students the creative freedom to express themselves in their interactive multimedia posters.
After looking at the "21st Century Skills: 6C's of Education," I believe that the students will gain new skills in three different areas. The first skill that students will develop is to think critically. Students will develop this skill because they need to research the water cycle and add all important information to their posters. In addition, students will acquire the skill to communicate clearly. Students will get this ability because they will need to be sure to add their information in a clear manner so that others can read and understand the information. Lastly, students will develop creativity. They will gain this ability because they will be allowed to make it their own by adding pictures and designs.
The advantage of using these tools in the classroom is that it allows students to be creative and allow them to have fun while they are doing different activities, such as an interactive multimedia poster. A disadvantage of using these tools is that many students struggle with not knowing how to use the tools.
Journal #7: Word Clouds
Word cloud websites such as Wordclouds, WordArt, ABCya, and WordItOut are excellent tools that can be integrated into the classroom. These are great websites because they can be used with so many lessons. For example, I would incorporate these tools with my first-grade students during science class. I will have the students work together as a group with the people at their table. Each group will either be given day or night. From here, I will ask the students to make a word cloud about different things they would see during the day or night. For instance, if group one has daytime, they will have things like clouds, sun, planes, etc., on their word clouds.
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By integrating this lesson into my class, I would be addressing standards 1.6, known as "Creative Communicator," and 1.7, also known as "Global Collaborator," from the ISTE standards for students. Standard 1.7 connects with my lesson because students will be working together as a team to determine what they see during the daytime or the nighttime. In addition, I believe that standard 1.6 will be met because the students will be able to create their word clouds the way they want to.
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Upon looking at the "21st Century Skills: 6C's of Education," I believe that the students will gain new skills in three different areas. The first skill that the students will acquire is to communicate clearly. Students will develop this skill because they will need to communicate with their peers in a clear manner so that they can understand. The next skill that I believe students will gain is to work collaboratively. Students will have this skill because they will be required to work with their peers at their table to determine what words can be added to their word clouds. Lastly, students will develop creativity because they will be allowed the creative freedom to express themselves in their word clouds.
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The advantage of using Wordclouds, WordArt, ABCya, and WordItOut is that it can be used as a visual aid to help students better understand keywords in a topic they are learning. A disadvantage of using these tools is that students may struggle to use them because they have to pay to save a picture. In addition, the students will have to manually count since they don't tell you how many words have been added.
Journal #8: Digital Storybook
Educational tools such as Storyjumper, Little Bird Takes, My Story Book, and Digital Storybook can be incorporated into the classroom to help students learn an important topic. For example, I would integrate these tools with my second-grade students during their science class. I will do this by having my second-grade class create a storybook over the four different seasons. To do this activity, I will ask all students to be sure to add all four seasons, the type of clothing that could be worn, the activities that could be done, and the specific characteristics of each season. For instance, the students can add that it's hot and sunny in the summer, so they will be wearing shorts and flip-flops at the beach.
By implementing this lesson into my class, I will be addressing standard 1.6, also known as "Creative Communicator," from the ISTE standards for students. The reason why I believe that ISTE standard 1.6 connects with my lesson is because students will be able to create their storybooks in the way they want to.
When looking over the "21st Century Skills: 6C's of Education," I believe that the students will be gaining a new skill in two different areas. The first skill that all of the students will be acquiring is to communicate clearly. The reason why students will develop this skill is because the students will be required to write their digital storybooks in a manner that is understandable to the readers. The second skill will be for students to develop creativity. I believe that students will achieve this new skill because they will be given the freedom to express themselves through the colors, texts, designs, etc., of their digital storybooks.
An advantage of using Storyjumper, Little Bird Tales, My Story Book, and Digital Storybook in the classroom is that it's an engaging tool that allows students to have fun while they are being creative in their storybooks. A disadvantage of using these tools is that students may struggle to figure out how to work them.
Journal #9: Thematic Unit
The thematic unit I developed is based on the planets in our solar system. When creating this thematic unit, I decided to create it with third-graders in mind. I also decided to connect this lesson to Science, ELAR, and Art. For the ELAR section, I decided to introduce the topic of the solar system with a book called "My First Book of Planets: All About the Solar System" by Bruce Brett. After reading this book, the students will be asked to create their own storybooks by ensuring they incorporate all planets. In the Science area, the students will research facts about all of the planets. Once they have their facts, they will create a mind map and add at least three facts they found for each planet. For the art section, the students will be shown an example of an interactive multimedia poster I created on the solar system. After they are shown this example, the students will then create their own interactive multimedia posters of the solar system.
After creating my thematic unit, I believe that the thematic unit will greatly benefit students and learners. I believe this because it allows the students to learn about a topic, such as the solar system, in different ways. This means they get to learn about a main topic and showcase their understanding through a lot of different types of fun activities that incorporate technology. In addition, thematic units are beneficial for students because they connect well to the state standards and provide activities that allow them to express themselves in their work.
One advantage of using thematic units is that they use various subjects to help students better understand the topic presented. However, on the other hand, the disadvantage of using thematic units is that students may struggle with the activities if they don't understand or are bored with the repetitive topic in different subjects.
Journal #10: Webquest
There are many ways I can go about integrating Webquests into my teaching to maximize learning and engage learners. A way I go about integrating Webquests is by having a theme for the week to allow students to get an understanding of the material. The benefits of using Webquest in the classroom are that it engages students in what they are learning and maximizes their learning because they are developing a more in-depth understanding of various topics.
By integrating Webquest into my lesson, I will be addressing standards 2.3, known as "Citizen," and 2.6, otherwise known as "Facilitator," from the ISTE standards for teachers. These standards are met because the teacher will be incorporating technology into the lessons, which will help them develop their technology skills and help them understand the concepts. In addition, by integrating Webquests into the lesson, I will be addressing standard 1.3, known as knowledge constructor, from the ISTE standards for students. This standard will be met because the students will be able to use technology that will help them research information that will help them build their knowledge surrounding a topic.
When looking at the 21st Century Skills: 6C's of Education, I believe that students will achieve a new skill by communicating clearly. I believe this because students will need to apply what they have learned in a way that is understandable and shows their comprehension of the topic.
There are a multitude of advantages of integrating Webquests into the classroom. One advantage would be that students will be able to learn technological skills. Another advantage of using Webquests in the classroom is that students will be able to use their creativity, and it will help them learn in a variety of ways. A disadvantage would be how much time it will take to complete the Webquest, especially if the web connectivity is too slow.
Journal #11: Final Thoughts
Throughout my time in this course, I have learned a multitude of new things that have advanced my knowledge in teaching. Personally, before taking this course, I was decent when it came to technology. However, this course has challenged me to become more knowledgeable in technology. For example, there were times when I struggled to get certain aspects of the websites to do what I wanted them to do, or there were times when I struggled to get links to work. I would sit there for hours doing my own research to figure out ways to get them to work, but afterward, I felt so accomplished because I had become more experienced when it came to understanding the websites.
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Moreover, this course has also changed my ideas about using technology in the classroom. For example, before this course, I felt that technology was mainly used to submit homework and do research, but now I feel that technology can be used when learning different content. However, a question I still have is how do I go about helping students understand these websites in an adequate amount of time? As stated above, I sat there for hours trying to get an understanding of how to work these websites, but in a classroom, there isn't a lot of time. Therefore, how do I go about helping them understand these websites in a short amount of time?
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Moving along, I am glad I took this course because it introduced me to many wonderful technology tools and taught me how to incorporate them into various lessons for different grade levels. I am glad about this because when I was a kid, I didn't have the opportunity to use technology in school, which is unfortunate because, as we all know, technology has become an integral part of our lives. Therefore, I am glad I had the opportunity to learn about these useful tools that can be used as an asset in my classroom. Another reason why I am grateful I took this course is because it is crucial that we, as educators, know about technology so we can expand our students' knowledge and help them develop their technological skills. Thus, I plan to research and communicate with others on ways I can go about incorporating technology into my teaching more effectively.