Have A Great Spring Break Everyone!

Hello Again!!!!

Hey everyone! I know it has been a long time since I've posted but I'm definitely not going to abandon this blog. I'm proud of what I accomplished last semester and I'm going to continue to make my blog better. I'm glad to see that some of you have kept up with your blogs as well!

Right now, I am a student mentor for Dr. Baylen's new class. I'm in charge of 2 different blogs, each consisting of 2 bloggers. My job is to offer advice and suggestions to my 4 bloggers on how they can improve their blogs. My focus, in particular, is helping them create a classroom activity. I'm amazed at how much my bloggers have been able to do in such a short time period. Almost all of them have come up with wonderful ideas for activities and have developed them into something great. They really have thought outside of the box! I'm going to use some of their ideas in my elementary classroom in the future!

This whole process has been a great experience so far and I'm looking forward to seeing how my bloggers progress by the end of the semester. I've felt really good about myself every time one of my bloggers took my advice. Some of them have even taken my ideas directly into their classroom activities! It's exciting to know that I really did learn a lot from Dr. Baylen's class and I can now teach what I know to others.

Amanda's Goodbye

OK everyone, we made it! We actually survived Intro to Computers! The best part is, we survived by working together. Thank you to all of those who have helped me throughout the semester and helped make the class more enjoyable (Tony and Eric...need I say more?!). I'm actually really sad that this is over with. I've met some great people and it's weird to think I won't see most of you again. Saying goodbye to this experience is definitely hard.

I wish the best of luck to everyone. Afer this class, I'm pretty sure we can handle anything! Have a great vacation. We all deserve it, especially after that final! Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Image source: http://www.web-site-and-graphic-design.com

My Life As A Student Blogger

Wow! Where do I even begin?! When I first found out that we were creating our own blogs, I was extremely excited. I had never heard of them before and I couldn't wait to see how they worked. However, after the first day, I almost had a nervous breakdown. I seriously thought I was going to die from stress! I had no idea how to do anything and because the entire class was in the same boat, I felt completely lost. We were given multiple tasks right from the start and I didn't have a clue how to do them. But, now look at me! I can create posts, I can insert links and images, I can manipulate the template so that the blog looks the way I want it, and I can make comments and suggestions on other students' websites. I have accomplished so much in such a short amount of time and I am proud! I never thought I would be able to do something like this.

Overall, this experience has been very enjoyable for me. Yes, at times it was pretty tough to devote so much time to one class and one assignment, but it was all worth it. I am so glad that I was given the opportunity to use such an incredible technological tool. I have learned so much just from blogging alone that I feel like I am better prepared to become a teacher. This blogging experience has opened my eyes to so many new possibilites and, for that, I am thankful. Not only is blogging a great way to connect students in a particular classroom, but it is a great way to communicate with people all around the world. I will definitely integrate blogging into my curriculum when I become a teacher.

Image source: http://www.librarystuff.net

Website Evaluation

"The content of this website is just not presented well. The layout is not convenient; there isn’t a table of contents, a list of resources, or a site map, and there are quite a few dead links, which means that the information probably isn’t very accurate. In addition, something doesn’t match up with the way the content is presented and the website’s targeted audience. I can’t decide if the targeted audience is supposed to be young children or young adults. The “How to Use the 1492 Exhibit” link on the homepage opens up a page that would seem to be child-friendly; it describes in very simple, basic terms how the miniature ship icon can be used to navigate through the website and where the icon will be located. The EXPO Shuttle Bus idea also appears to be directed more toward young children. However, the rest of the content seems to be too advanced for young children; the information would go right over their heads. If the targeted audience was supposed to be young adults, then those same features would seem inappropriately childish."

This is an excerpt from my Website Evaluation project. We were required to compare and contrast two different websites provided by the instructor and decide whether or not they could be used as an educational tool in the classroom. The website I referred to above was a nonprofit organization website that provided information on the history of America from the year 1492. However, I didn't like the website at all because it wasn't credible, it wasn't visually appealing, and it contained several dead links, which meant it wasn't updated. The only link the website provided that I thought was of any use was the “free” EXPO Shuttle Bus, which took viewers on virtual EXPO tours to various places all around the world. I thought it was a neat concept from which teachers could gather ideas on how to create their own virtual Shuttle Bus, like the EXPO Shuttle Bus. They could organize electronic field trips, which would correspond to the subjects they were teaching in class.

The problem I had with this assignment was that, honestly, I did not care for it. It was extremely tedious and time-consuming and I was left with one big headache. If I had been able to pick one of my own websites to evaluate, I could have maybe picked a website that interested me and I felt I could have elaborated on more. As it turns out, history is my least favorite subject! Oh well...you win some, you lose some!

If you'd like to read more of my Website Evaluation, click here: Website Evaluation

Kiosk Project

Differences in Technology: Let's Start With Birth!

"Grandma--When I was 25-years-old, I had twins. In those days, they didn’t have ultrasounds, sonograms and all high tech stuff in the hospital or with the doctor. I was told I was going to have one big baby. Well, I was on the table and I gave birth to a little boy. I was about to hold him in my arms and relax when the doctor said, ‘Move the camera back, move the mirror back! You are having twins Fran’. I said: 'Twins, but how will I feed them?!'”

"Grandpa--I was working for Pepsi Cola at the time and I was in the middle of a delivery. I called the hospital and asked how she was doing. They told me, ‘Your wife just had twins!’. I said ‘My name is Bosland, B-O-S-L-A-N-D!’ I just couldn’t believe it. I thought they had to be talking about someone else!”

This is an excerpt from my Kiosk Project. We had to create a PowerPoint presentation using the material from our 18 Going 80 interview and our Technology Autobiography. The goal was to compare my generation's experiences with technology to theirs. It's amazing how much our lives have changed over the years. Back then, everything was so much more simple! They had party line telephone systems, a far way off from cell phones, and iceboxes instead of refrigerators. They listened to music through a phonograph, not through a blasting stereo system or a CD player, and entertainment was mostly provided by the radio and the outdoors. Our society is so technologically advanced today, it's incredibly. It was extremely interesting to see how current technology has affected my grandparents' lifestyles since their childhood. Both of them frequently use the Internet but my grandma, especially, is very much "with the times". She constantly talks to her friends through AOL Instant Messenger and chatrooms, sends her friends pictures she's taken via e-mail, and plays games on POGO.com. Grandpa is currently learning how to pay his bills online and he is ecstatic that he'll save money on stamps for envelopes and won't have to wonder whether or not his bills will get where they need to on time.

Making the PowerPoint with the information was also educational. I was surprised to find that there were a lot of things I didn't know about using PowerPoint, such as inserting buttons and incorporating an outside music file. I am so proud that I learned how to incorporate music into my presentation and time it perfectly with the slides!

If you'd like to read more of my Kiosk Project, click here: Kiosk Project

Image source: http://photos1.blogger.com

Classroom Activity:Final Draft

I really wanted to do an activity that required my students to globally interact with other students their age. So, for my activity, I decided to create a classroom blog and then arrange to work with another classroom from a foreign country, such as England. Each one of my students would have a partner from the other classroom.

Title: It's A Small World After All

Objective: Besides learning how to use a new technology (Blogger), my students would be able to share thoughts and ideas with peers that are used to different teaching environments and different customs, which would be extremely educational. Not only would the activity be new and exciting, but it would also help prepare my students for future relationships and make them more comfortable in such a large and diverse world. Since it involves reading and writing components, it would also help them to better develop their communication skills.

Prerequisite Knowledge and Skills: My students would probably have to have very basic computer skills, such as using the Internet. However, I would give short step-by-step lessons each day leading up to the project so that my students could easily learn what was expected.

Materials and/or Tools: They would need access to a computer (through the school) and a journal/notebook and pencil to write short reflections on the interactions between them and their blog partner. They would also need a signed consent form from their parents giving them permission to participate in the activity. The final project they would create at the end of the blogging experience would require construction paper, markers, glitter, stickers, etc., but the school would provide that.

Set Up/Context: This activity would be used in a 4th grade classroom. It would last from about the second month of the school year to the end of the school year. Hopefully the school I'd teach at would have a computer lab, so I could reserve the computer lab for a certain amount of time each day for my students to blog.

Process/Instructions: I would create a classroom blog to interact with the teacher from the school in New England as an example for the students. Each day, I would take a certain amount of time to show them some of the features of the blog and how to use it. Then, I would have the entire class help me develop the blog I created and make it our own. Every student would become a member and create a post from which they can begin correspondence with their blog pal. I would set aside a certain amount of time during each school day for my students to create a post or respond to a comment from their partner. Students could talk about what they learned in class that day, what they liked and didn’t like, books they read, what they did the weekend before, etc.

Outcome: At the end of the school year, my students would create a class book. Each student would have two adjoining pages in the book - one describing what they've learned in the blogging process and one containing a picture that captured one of the memorable interactions between them and their partner. After putting the book together, each student would go up to the front of the class, introduce their blogger pal, and briefly describe their pages in the book.

Evaluation and Feedback: I will look over their journals at the end of each week to assess what they've learned and to see if they are doing what they are supposed to do. I will make comments on their progress and offer suggestions at the bottom of each journal reflection. In addition, I will look through their daily interactions on the blog to make sure they are truly participating and getting as much as possible out of the activity.

Follow Up: As an out-of-class assignment, at the end of the project, students would be required to show at least one of their parents their blog and then teach them a few things about blogging. Parents would need to sign a contract saying that their child completed the homework assignment and include a short paragraph describing their experience and what they learned.

Image source: http://photos1.blogger.com

18 Going 80

"When I asked my grandpa if he thought there were any negative social consequences of using technology, he responded with the following: 'I think there is technology in this country that has not been used that should have been used and can be used. A perfect example is Hurricane Katrina. We had plenty of notice that it was coming. They had days, almost a week, to get people out of there. They knew the area where it was going to hit. It might have been a 200-mile wide area but they should have had those people out of there. The government took a little bit too long to get the troops in there. Things happened to people that shouldn’t have happened. We have no idea how many people have died. Some children will never be identified. And, as much technology as we have, that is sad, very sad. It doesn’t make any sense to me.'”

This is an excerpt from my 18 Going 80 project, one of my favorite class assignments. The assignment was to interview someone 65+ and ask them about their experiences with technology so that we could compare them to ours. I decided to interview my grandparents because I had never really just sat down and talked with them before. I’m happy that I had the opportunity to do so before it was too late because I was able to hear a lot of priceless stories that weren’t related to technology, such as my grandparents’ prom night and my dad’s childhood. The opportunity to interview them has made me realize that they have a whole life’s worth of experience and has helped me to see them as more than just my “grandparents”. And, being the sentimental person that I am, I am saving the tape from the interview for memories. I couldn't help but smile as I played it back the first time because throughout the entire tape, you can hear me, my sister, my parents, my uncle, my cousins, and my grandparents laughing and joking in the background. I even have my grandma singing some of the songs she used to sing to me when I was little on tape. It brought back a lot of great memories from my childhood.

If you'd like to read more, click here: 18 Going 80 Interview

Classroom Activity Part 2

I want to teach second grade, so I would like to target this activity toward that age group. I also like Heather's idea of working with a school overseas. It would be a great way to learn about other countries' customs and learning styles. I've been thinking about my book report idea and I think maybe that would prove to be too difficult. Instead of a group book report, I was thinking I could do something similar to the PowerPoint project we had to do in our class, which would require the students to read a book and create a quiz using PowerPoint. I'm not sure how many different classrooms would be involved yet or how many different countries, but I'm thinking that groups of like 3 students could read the same book and then work together to create the quiz with PowerPoint. I would love everyone's opinion on this...should I stick to the book report idea or change it?

eBook Review

"As I started reading the first e-book, I thought to myself that it was kind of sad how picture books are starting to become less appealing and a dying trend. Like everything else in society, technology, including e-books, is becoming the preferred norm and I suppose I just have to get used to it. Honestly, in the beginning, I thought the idea of e-books was appealing but, deep down, I had predetermined that I was going to whole-heartedly support the original picture book to the end. However, after I finished reading the first e-book, I became more open-minded to the idea of e-books and realized that they offer features that can motivate young students to want to read and learn."

One of the assignments for my Intro to Computers class was to review several e-books online and compare and contrast them to traditional picture books. At first, it was challenging for me to write my review because I already had a somewhat negative mindset towards e-books before I even started. Why? Because I remember reading picture books with my parents throughout my entire childhood. I loved cuddling up in their laps with my favorite Winnie the Pooh blanket and reading stories together. It's an important part of the child-parent bonding experience and it's much more personal than sitting on a hard chair in front of a computer screen by yourself. I thought e-books took away from that experience and could never be better than the traditional picture book. However, I quickly learned that e-books can have a great deal of educational value both inside and outside the classroom, just as long as traditional picture books aren’t completely replaced and both forms of books can be used together.

If you'd like to read more of my e-book review, click here:
eBook Review

Image source: http://library.kent.ac.uk

Classroom Activity

I've been trying to think of an activity I could use in the classroom that involves technology and I think I've come up with a pretty good start. I'd appreciate any comments or suggestions.

I would like to see students collaborate with classes from other states on a group book report. All of the students could be assigned to read a particular book. Then, they would be required to work together to develop the book report. This would be accomplished through blogging, instant messaging, and e-mail. The final project would be submitted to each of the teachers for grading. All of the participating students would earn the same grade for their project. This strategy would help the students learn to interact with others, to become more comfortable with ideas outside of their own classroom, and to help them build confidence in being part of a team.

Image source: http://www.southampton.liu.edu

Harvest Blessing Snack

I found this recipe for a Thanksgiving snack and I thought it was a cute idea. Teachers could bring the ingredients into class and ask their students what they thought each ingredient represented before explaining it to them (and eating it). Families could sit down at the kitchen table after mixing the ingredients and eat together while discussing each ingredient and how it relates to Thanksgiving. If you babysit, it could be a great way to have fun with the kids plus impress the parents!

2 cups Bugles Brand Corn Snacks
2 cups Pretzels
1 cup Candy corn and/or Corn Nuts Brand Snack
1 cup Dried or Candy Fruits
1 cup Peanuts and/or Sunflower Seeds

In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together.

Here's what the ingredients represent:
Bugles Brand Corn Snacks - represents a cornucopia, a horn of plenty.
Pretzels - represents arms folded in thanks and prayer.
Candy Corn and/or Corn Nuts Brand Snack - during the first Winter, the pilgrims were each allotted only 5 kernels of corn per day because food was so scarce.
Dried or Candy Fruits - Thanksgiving is the celebration of the harvest.
Peanuts and/or Sunflower Seeds - seeds represent the potential of a bounteous harvest for the next season if they are planted and well tended.

Image source: http://www.fullerton.edu

Ah, The Life of An Undergrad

So, who else is extremely stressed out and ready for Thanksgiving vacation? I swear, there is just never enough time in the day to get everything you need done plus take a moment to breathe. Monday night, instead of being able to watch the football game between the Colts and the Patriots, I had to write a 12-page paper and study for a test, all due at 9:30am. Needless to say, I was up the entire night. I guess it was worth it, though, because I got an A on the test. If you ever have to stay up all night working on homework, I suggest eating a big piece of pie. Seriously, it works! Drinking coffee never did anything for me, but I happened to have a piece of pie that my roommate brought home from Perkins and I was wired!

Image source: http://www.mrssmiths.com

Technology Autobiography

"The popular gadgets in my house while growing up were Super Nintendo (of course), the TV and VCR, and the stereo. The most important gadget, though, was our video camera. My parents videotaped every holiday, occasion, special event, or touching moment! We have so many home videos and now that I am older, I really appreciate all the effort they put into making them. I love to watch them and see how I was as a little girl. The video that always stands out in my mind is the one that captures my 4-year-old birthday party. My parents videotaped my cousins and me playing musical chairs while my favorite song (back then) played in the background, True Blue by Madonna. I always did this little dance when it came on because I was so excited to hear it."

This is an excerpt from my technology autobiography, the first assignment we had to do for our Intro to Computers class. We had to describe the experiences we've had with technology throughout our lives. When we were first given this assignment, I was not looking forward to it! I had little experience with technology, so I had no clue what I was going to write about. However, as I started writing, I actually enjoyed it and learned a lot about myself in the process. I loved reflecting on my experiences with technology as I was growing up because it brought back a lot of great childhood memories, such as the one described above. The weekend I went home after finishing my technology autobiography, I watched the video of my birthday party. It made me laugh and cry to see myself dancing around the chairs in my favorite pink and gray dress, enthusiastically singing along. I surprisingly knew a lot of the words for a 4-year-old! I didn't even care whether I won or lost the game; I just kept dancing around in a circle with the rest of the kids that were left, happy as can be, despite the fact I was eliminated a long time before.

Since we have completed this assignment, I have learned so much about technology it's incredible. I have learned how to blog (yeah!), how to time music and insert hyperlinks in PowerPoint, how to do mailmerge in Word, and many other things. This class will definitely help me in my career as an elementary school teacher.

If you'd like to read more of my technology autobiography, click here:
Technology Autobiography

Image source: http://cover6.cduniverse.com

Hello November!

November is already here and pretty soon Thanksgiving will be, too. Educators can plan units and activities to teach their students about the history of the Thanksgiving holiday. Students can have fun making Thanksgiving arts and crafts and playing games both inside and outside the classroom. The following are a few good websites to explore:
http://www.edhelper.com/Thanksgiving.htm
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/thanksgiving/
http://www.123child.com/fall/thanks.html

Image source: http://www.bkennelly.com

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Image source: http://www.ezthemes.com

Hurricane Devastation

Hurricane Wilma left hundreds of victims without power and without a roof over their head. Many schools are still trying to recover from Hurricane Katrina. "When the news crews leave, and government officials stop doing their photo ops, educators will still be there-caring for the children and teaching in trailers"--NEA President Reg Weaver. Here's how you can help:

http://www.nea.org/disasterrelief
http://www.flahurricanefund.org/
http://www.redcross.org/

Image source: http://www.redcrossbcnj.org

Remember the Good Ol' Days?

When I was in second grade, I remember making a paper mache globe in social studies class to map out the seven continents. Even from then I was a perfectionist, so laying all those newspaper strips covered in corn starch evenly across the balloon drove me absolutely crazy! Plus, I hated getting my hands all nasty! Did anyone else make a paper mache globe in grade school? What other favorite/memorable arts and crafts activities do you remember?

Image source: http://www.kildeer.district96.k12.il.us

BbyGrl's Blogging Experience

This whole blogging thing is extremely new to me; I've never done anything like this before. So, it does seem kind of overwhelming at times. I don't really know what I am doing, so I'm just "winging it" and trying to learn as I go along. Sometimes I get frustrated because I don't know how to accomplish what I want to do, but little by little I'm catching on. This experience is actually quite fun for me, I just need to learn how to have patience! I'm sure I'll be a blogging expert by the end of this semester. I truly do think that learning how to create our own blogs will help us to become better teachers in our classrooms in the future. I definitely plan on having some kind of blogging activity for my students when I become a teacher. Blogging is not only a great educational tool, it's also something that the young students enjoy because it's new and exciting.

Welcome!

Welcome everyone! Kiddy Corral will contain resources for both elementary school teachers and students. Make sure to pay attention to the links we provide on the left-hand side; we think you will find them extremely helpful. Links for teachers will include websites that provide ideas for lessons, teaching strategies, and field trips. Links for students will include websites that provide educational games, fun activities, and updated news about the world around them. We will eventually have message boards set up for both teachers and students, as well. Enjoy!