This week has been filled with learning about technology and the resources that are available to teachers. I learned about everything you could do with the website http://pbworks.com/education and how you could create your own workspace. This was a great site for storing links to websites that can be useful resources for future use in the classroom.
One thing I will use immediately in my classroom is the www.tumblebooks.com website. This is a great site for my students to be exposed to other books we don't have access to. I will introduce this to the students that I work with and show them on the SMART Board how to operate the website. I see the challenges with my students not having the understanding on how to find books that are appropriate for their reading level, but this can be overcome by giving them visual directions that can be left at the computer for them to follow each time they log on to use the programs. I can write out step by step directions with visual cues, like click on sort by and click on sort by reading level. Then direct them from there where to find books in their level. Working with students from three different grade levels will require each student having their own set of directions for finding books for their level, but adapting directions will not be difficult to do.
Tech Exploration 1: Wiki
With tech exploration one, I found that with PBworks, teachers can publish notes, PowerPoints, schedules, and policies in their workspace. This website also helps keep parents involved on the teachers workspace, allowing them to communicate easily with the teacher as needed.
This site is also a great way for classes to branch out and learn about other cultures by connecting with other classes from around the world. I like how this site operates and would recommend it to other educators.
Tech Exploration 2: E-Books
Like I mentioned above, tumblebooks is a great website for the classroom. It does cost a fee to have this site in the classroom, but it is a great source for reading materials, literacy games, books in Spanish and English, and lesson plans for the teacher. It is also a site I would recommend to other educators if they are willing to spend the money for it and the time to discuss with students how to maneuver around the site.
Tech Exploration 3: Pod Casts
Mr. Langhorst's Classroom Website (www.liberty.k12.mo.us/~elanghorst/) is a great example of pod casts being used in the classroom. The site is set up in an easy to maneuver manner and seems to be well organized, although it is designed for 8th grade American History so it does not pertain to my classroom as an elementary teacher.
This lesson was filled with great resources that I will be sure to use in my classroom.
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