Final Evaluation

1. What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?

My favorite discovery exercises all involved experimenting with new online tools.  I especially like Animoto, Voki, and Go Animate.  The interactivity makes these ideal tools for my first graders.  I also enjoyed learning more about collaborative tools like Wikis and Mikogo.  With a team of teachers as large as ours (we are 14 strong!!) I know that collaboration can be a challenge, and using these tools would make it easier.

2. How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?

First and foremost, this program has made me aware of my learning goals, and required me to commit to some in writing.  I think I'll be more likely to work toward them because I made a commitment in writing.  This program has also helped me to actively pursue knowledge and new skills.  The knowledge and skills gained not only amplify my teaching, but also the act of learning helps me to relate better to my students.  I hope to continue on thsi journey for the rest of my life! 

3. Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?

I was surprised by my aptitude for learning new skills.  I sometimes feel that it is too late for me to learn new things and that I don't have the mental capacity for it anymore.  This program showed me that, when challenged, I have the capacity to learn and grow.  You've heard the old saying "you can't teach an old dog new tricks", but the truth is that we can always learn new "tricks" if we continue to challenge ourselves. 

4. What could I do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?

Include more examples in the explorations and practical uses for the exercises.  I know that each new skill can be applied in my daily life, but it would be nice to see how others are doing so.

Thing #16

Here's my PhotoPeach slide show:

African Safari

It was easy and fun to make!

Thing #15

Skype is an awesome tool.  I have been using it almost daily for the past 4 years to talk with parents who live in Chicago.  It was a god-send when we first discovered it, because we all missed each other so much!

I was very interested in the article about using Skype to video chat with an author of a book the students were studying.  Last year, we had an author visit our school.  He did a presentation in front of the whole school, read to the students, and talked about the process of writing his book.  It was great.....except no one could hear or see him clearly.  There were over 200 children in the gym!  I felt the message in his book was lost, and so was the value of having the author actually visit.  Perhaps if we could set up a video conference with the author and have a few classes tune in at a time.  This way, they would be able to interact a lot better.

Mikogo is a collaborative tool for sharing your screen with people who all log into the same cyber meeting place.  It would be great to lead a professional development using this tool!  For me, it would reduce my anxiety of having to speak in front of an audience, and the attendees can log in from home.....in their PJ's if they want!

Thing #14

One of our classmates, Rob Wiser, blogged about listening to a Geometry podcast.  I followed the path he gave: Mathematics > How Children Think About Math
I found a podcast called "Using visuals in Mathematics instruction".  It not only told the importance of using visuals when teaching primary/elementary math, but also the types of visuals that work best.  For example, the podcast says that suing real photographs, instead of cartoon type pictures, helps create a more authentic feel for math lessons, which in turn emphasizes the practical uses of the skills being taught.

I found a lot of different resources and look forward to sharing these with my colleagues at work!

Thing #13

Here's a video clip of my kiddos doing a spelling lesson.  Enjoy!

Thing #12

I use YouTube a lot at school to find short video clips to enhance my lessons.  YouTube offers a lot of educational videos that are short and entertaining.  Does anyone remember SchoolHouse Rock?  I used to watch it on Saturday mornings!  Now, I show it in my classroom over relavent topics.

Here's a couple of classics that I've used recently:

Thing #11

I enjoyed working with Go Animatefor a recent presentation in class.  It was so easy to use and I enjoyed representing information through the medium of conversation.  I think this would be a great tool for presenting information to my students, as it is very engaging!  I plan to use this with my ESL students, as they become more and more comfortable with conversational English.

Here's a link to an animated video I created for a lesson on honesty:

Lincoln and Washington discuss honesty