Tool #7 Reaching outside the classroom: Online digital projects

 For this part, I looked into iearn.org and decided to do synchronous learning also using skype and joined the "My city and me" project. Here's the plan.

Objective: TSW identify environmental issues in their city.

                TSW use critical thinking skills to come up with solutions and share with a classroom in Mexico thru Skype to better their city and exchange issues serving as active members of society.

Implementation: I plan to implement this lesson during the Fall in my social studies class.

Tools: "My city and Me" blog from iearn.org  and Skype for the classroom.

Description:  First, the students will identify environmental issues in their city ( Houston) such as pollution, toxic waste in landfills etc. Then, they will list them and think of possible solutions to the problems found. Finally, they will exchange information with a classroom in Mexico that I would have set up in advance. ( My aunt is a teacher in Mexico, so I was thinking to connect globally using skype so that my class and her class can exchange information about their "city issues" 

Tool #2

For this one, I commented on 3 other bloggers expanding my PLN on the 11 tools blog.

Additional info : conduct chart

https://docs.google.com/document/d/10PQJEFOl2IWWn3PYmmt291gp10Gi3DF5h4jCaYZxO54/edit

This is a link to a Weekly conduct chart I've created for my summer school class. It might help you

11Tools #9 Student accountability

In the 11Tools blog but here's additional information:

It's important for children to know that their actions have consequences and that only they are responsible for their own. Therefore, I will hold my students accountable by making them in charge of certain tasks in the classroom. In other words, I will share the power so they can feel that their presence matters.

11Tools#8 Devices in my classroom

itouches: I learned how to set up an account in order to download apps for possibly a reading center and students can actually go to the apps not just to "play" but there's a whole world of educational apps available for them!
netbooks: This one is my favorite one. I can definitely see my students using the netbooks for their rough drafts! and using glogster to publish their writing! and that's just one idea. The netbook is a fantastic way to keep students motivated to write.

11Tools #6

My 11tools #6 is in the posts for the 11tools blog.

11Tools #11 Reflecting

My favorite tool: So many to choose from but I got to say Glogster because I am a Language Arts 4th grade teacher, this tool gives students to freedom to create a produce good topics for their writing. 

Thinking transformed: I always thought of myself as a technology oriented teacher but this training has blown my mind with all the different tools that I now have access to. I can't wait to start using them in my classroom. 
My vision remains the same. technology has opened up the world to many of us and it keeps children motivated!

Unexpected Outcomes: Not many but some websites are more elaborate than others which can make it difficult and a bit frustrating to deal with.

Overall, I really enjoyed this training and I now have a blog to share my experiences and ideas with other educators :)

11Tools # 10 Digital Citizenship

3 things I want my students to know.
1) There are people out there that post as other people other than themselves to get information about them. EX: an older person posting as a kid their age. NEVER talk to anyone you don't know!, we always tell children that. Well, now with our digital world, it goes beyond that as I mentioned before.

2) Password safety: Always create a password that is something very personal to you. Something that it's difficult to guess. There's another kind of people called "hakers" this people like to get into people's accounts to steal information (this will be useful for them as they get older and get bank accounts and important things like that)

3) Last but not least, know your source. There are many ways to tell weather a source is a credible one or not. For educational purposes, always go to websites that have an .org, .edu or .gov at the end. this way you know that the information that you are getting is reliable. .com means commercial meaning anyone can post anything without being researched or revise by anyone before posting as "a fact"

Source: A good resource to go to for digital citizenship is The cool Cat teacher blog. She has a good explanation and a very useful chart that it's easy for students to understand.

How to teach it: A discussion based class, showing the chart from the Cool Cat teacher blog and showing a poster that I have about Internet safety rules.

Sharing with parents: It is very important for parents to know what is going on now in our cyber world. If I could, I would like to hold a personal conference with the parents to explain to them how easy it is for children to get into the wrong sites, to get talked into giving information to strangers and everything mentioned above so that they can practice and re-enforce this rules at home.

Learning games for kids

http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/vocabulary-games/antonyms/antonym-or-synonym.html

this is a link to a fabulous website called learning games for kids. Good for every subject! :)

Use of commas

http://www.thinkfinity.org/Captain-Cluck-comma-punctuation-video

short, simple and sweet the use of commas

Pocket full of H's

http://www.thinkfinity.org/Music-Video-Jimmy-Fallon-ch-video

Fun video that promotes literacy

11Tools #6: Going global. Skype for the classroom

http://education.skype.com/
 So, I created a Skype account so that I can use it in my classroom! Skype is a tool that allows you to converse in real time and face to face with people around the world!  How awesome is that? I can have guest speakers, create chats with other classes in my campus etc..I love the Web!

11Tools #5: Producing with Web 2.0 tools

http://wallwisher.com/wall/9a7ltsnrd2

With this fantastic feature, I can share homework assignments with my students who might be absent. We can also discuss topics such as writing ideas and can even cast our vote on some! Awesome way to get connected with student via web!

It's a multipurpose wall :)

Tool #5 continued ...product #2

   I created this one for a potential essay writing. This is a "How to" striphttp://www.makebeliefscomix.com/

I would use this website to prompt students to express their point about an issue for their writing samples in a fun way, by creating a comic strip with 2 characters arguing both sides of a situation. They could use this comic strip as a source for their essay writing.

11Tools #5 continued..Comic Strip for any ocassion

http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix/ This link will take you to a fantastic website called "Make Belief Comix" . Here, you can create your very own comic strip. Kids love this and it's a great educational tool and let's not forget fun! :))

11Tools #4 Moving to the clouds

http://tathiana.edu.glogster.com/meet-your-new-teacher/

How fun! I tried Glogster for the 1st time and I have to tell you all, I LOVE IT! I can't wait to start assigning projects to my students using Glogster ! :) This is truly a fantastic tool.

11Tools #4 continued...Google docs FORM

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AqwJc5kvCMRadHJLOGl5T2VvVC1TanFiNlNZUU1DNlE

This link is for my 1st Google docs FORM. It's a school supply list. Check it out and please add to it :) Thanks

11Tools #4 Moving up to the clouds

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1i37mKudEj98P1gIcr43qxirRwi_WkDyoSjk4ZZ1Izf4/edit

This link will take you to my 1st document on Google Docs. Please feel free to add on it :)

11 Tools #3 continued...Adjectives song

The best video yet! on adjectives. This video makes it very easy to understand what an adjective is after hearing this song. Pretty catchy too. :)) enjoy!

This video came from The School House Rock website in conjunction with you tube.

Verbs video for Tool #3 continued

http://teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=163935&title=School_House_Rock_Verbs

Here's a fun way to teach verbs. This video came from teacher tube

11Tools #3: Link videos from the sites shown3

Here's a fantastic persuasion video that explains it in a very fun way for all of you writing teachers out there !

This video came from You Tube teachers.

11tools #1: Creating a blog.

Hello! this is my 1st post. I just created my own blog and it was easy to do  except I found pasting the avatar that I created from voki.com  a little bit confusing for 1st timers like myself  :) but now I got it! I hope you guys enjoy and find useful what I will be posting.