Electronic Portfolio

I have created an electronic portfolio containing professional information and samples of my educational projects while in Graduate School at Albright College. It is a site that will be under construction for the next two years to show the progression of growth and aptitude in the Educational field . The link to this site is http://pdougherty.weebly.com/

Please feel free to visit my webfolio and enjoy!

Edu 610: A Reflective Piece

My last assignment for EDU 610 is to tell what I have learned in this class that will make me a more effective teacher, if I will make a conscious effort to integrate technology into my classroom and if I feel technology is important.

First of all, I was extremely excited about taking this course because I am-scratch that-was not the most computer savvy person around. I have since created and uploaded videos, adding sound and special effects, worked on a Smartboard, created a Smartboard presentation with interactive elements, and posted my own e-portfolio web page- all for the first time. The information I have received and the hands-on activities and projects assigned may have been second nature to many students in the class, but for me it was truly a rebirth into the new land of the Net generation. I may not be as fast at texting, but I now know my way around many innovative tools that will surely make me a better teacher. I waited to go back to school until my children were older and I am so happy that I did. Had I started earlier, I feel I would have

kind of missed the Smartboard wave that has really taken over in many school districts. I would have had to learn it second hand through a trainer - and while that is very important, I probably would not have received the intense attention to detail that was given to us in class. I hope to be using all the information handed to us in this class to make learning, and teaching more fun and motivating for everyone, despite diversity in the classroom.

I will absolutely make a conscious effort to use any and all technology available to me. Before taking this class, I was inspired by 3rd graders whose eyes "lit up" when I took them to a computer to show them real pictures of a submarine they had just read about in their Reading books. Imagine how excited they would be to go on a virtual field trip to the moon, or be a pen pal to a student who lives half way around the world!

Technology is not only important, I believe it is essential! I feel if teachers do not use technology when it is available to them, they are cheating themselves and their students out of some wonderful opportunities for learning and growth. It may take extra time to research what is out there, but the time is worth the fun and excitement in teaching and seeing the motivation level rise in the classroom.

Before this class, I knew there were some cool activities and fun educational games on the internet, but I never realized the magnitude of all the tools (hardware and software) that are available now and are being developed to enhance the learning process. Thank you Michele!

great websites/infor I found from Journals...FYI

I'll be adding these with reviews to my diigo site in the near future!!!!

Good Stuff from Journals

Websites:

http://podcast.eusd4kids.org/groups/iread/

http://www.eusd4kids.org/edtech/project_live.html

SOFTWARE RESOURCE LIST:

Choose options that support your school's curriculum focus.

Angel: www.angellearning.com

Angel allows educators to offer online interaction or classes. Teachers can create class Web pages with it.

Blogger: https://www.blogger.com/start

Google offers free blog space and directions on how to set up a blog. Since many of today's students already use blogs, give clear expectations for classroom blogs.

DyKnow: www.dyknow.com

DyKnow supplies a computer-monitoring segment as well as interactive teaching components. Start with monitoring and then expand to the other components.

Email: www.gaggle.net/gen?_template=/templates/gaggle/html/index.jsp

Gaggle.net makes available a free, filtered email service for schools. Educational email expectations for students need to be clearly defined.

PBWiki: http://pbwiki.com

PBWiki provides a free format for creating a collaborative, accessible Internet space. Students may have already used this space, but will see it in a new light when it is used educationally.

Hardware Resource List:

Each company sells a variety of equipment See which pieces fit your educational plans.

Acer: www.acer.com/public/home.jsp

Compaq: http://h18000.www1.hp.com/

Dell: www.dell.com/

HP: www.hp.com/

IBM: www.ibm.com/us/

Mac: www.apple.com/dotmac/

Sony: www.sonycomputers.com/

Toshiba: www.toshiba.com/tai/

Interactive Whiteboards aka "Smartboards"

I really enjoyed working with "Smartboard" technology in class. Unlike many of the students in our class, I have never done so before, so it was a lot of fun. I learned a lot from the readings as well. I definitely would want one in my classroom and would use it as much as possible. I cannot wait to download the "Smartboard" application to my computer- and play around with it- in all me spare time(which, I hope, is sooner, rather than later!) I sincerely hope that the seasoned teachers will embrace this technology and are motivated to learn all it can be, if they take the time to learn. I also hope that the Net Genner, incoming teachers, take the time to share this wonderful resource, not only with students, but with the older teachers, who may feel intimidated and uncomfortable by this valuable resource. I know a few who would fight it tooth and nail! The students would benefit tremendously and I believe, we can keep many more students engaged in school, dramatically decreasing dropout rates! I am very excited to be in the middle of this exciting time in education and look forward to following the studies and statistics of how technology affects the entire educational system.

Moviemaker project

Being a MAC user, I was very unimpressed by the Movie maker program on the PC, and I found it very difficult to edit clips and do what I wanted it to do. That really frustrated me. Otherwise, my partners and I had several good laughs at what we ended up with and how it all came together. The three of us are definitely "Immigrants" in this "Net Genner" class, but are also learning so much as we go. I think an intro course to this would be beneficial to those of us who are not as computer savvy as others. I think I now know enough to be dangerous, and I feel with more practice (especially on MAC's) I can become more effective and actually feel comfortable and want to use this tool in my classes.

Video in the Classroom

Using video in the classroom is a very powerful tool! Actually using the computer to show any information to students shows them the "realness" of what they are learning and that we are not just spouting out facts for our own good. I have seen a group of learning support students get truly excited when I pulled up just an article on the computer and pictures of what we were reading about. I think some students feel that school is boring and so is everything they are supposed to learn. If we connect real life,( ie, streaming videos, youtube, or just internet information) to the subject matter, to the net-genners, it makes the information become pertinent in their world.

I have had only one methods class so far, and during the lesson plan I was to teach, I did use a video (The VHS kind). In the future I would streamline the video from youtube or one of the other sites.

As an Elementary and Special Education Major, I will be teaching all different subject matters, so the possibilities are endless.

I can see:

*Watching Science experiments that may be too dangerous for the classroom

*Taking virtual field trips that are too costly or unattainable for Social Studies

*Broadcasting news reports and interviews or acting out plays from our reading books

*Using youtube videos like schoolhouse rock, to teach multiplication tables, history, grammar

It is a very exciting time to be entering the teaching profession and I am grateful, at age 40 something , to be using technology to keep students motivated to learn.

Being Successful with the Net Generation

I remember, in the last month of High School(1983), being taken into a classroom that was just equipped with computers. They were very large with black screens and green numbers and letters. We just looked at them, turned them on, and were told what they could do- we were amazed! In college('83-87), there was a computer room but to get anything printed, you would have to go to another room wait in line(there was only one or two printers and tear your paper off of a large sheet of green lined paper). Yeah, I'm old! Anyway, even though that was 20 some years ago, I do feel we are in the infant stages of having a fully integrated classroom, where using the computer is just a natural part of the day, like taking out a pencil and paper. I believe the best way to be successful with the Net Generation is to use the technology available-and use it often. The Net Genner students and teachers of today still are using computers and technology mostly for social uses(emailing assignments, questions, etc.). Slowly we are integrating things like "Smart Boards" into the classroom, but even those are being kept in the closet by the teacher who is to set in their ways. As we read in the Chapter there are so many tools online for every subject imaginable. NOT to use technology, in all its forms, when it is available to most schools, should be reprehensible. The best way to to be successful with Net Genners is to learn with the Net Genners. Find activities, movies, songs, games, projects, that will motivate and excite the students. As more and more "new teachers" enter the schools with this knowledge, and more and more schools embrace the daily use of computers in their classrooms, the students of tomorrow have a better chance of realizing the full potential of being educated into well rounded individuals with a new view of education through the world wide web and beyond!

EXCEL 's Many Uses...

I would use the smart board along with the Excel spreadsheet in many different ways...

1. In the morning, I would have the lunch choices listed on the Smart Board. Each student would come in and enter their choice(with their clicker). This would allow the teacher to take attendance and lunch count at the same time- Along with this- we can see the "trends" of favorite food choices to graph for math.

2. I believe in having a "Morning Meeting" everyday to help the kids get in the right frame of mind for the rest of their day. As a part of this activity, I would use the above mentioned system for asking a question of the day- Something that makes the children think about how they are feeling today, issues going on at school, ideas, problems, etc. The question would pose a yes/no/maybe type of answer that the students would submit/via clicker- and we could see how the class on the whole responded. During our meeting we could use this to further discuss the "why" to the answers received on the spreadsheet. Since the answers can remain anonymous, the kids can feel safe with their answers, but may also see that other people feel the same way.

3. Use an Excel spreadsheet to create a timeline- this can be done using clipart pictures to show what the youngest student does each day (wakes up, brushes teeth, etc) or you can use it for the 3-5th graders for a time line of their lives and compare them to how different their youth compares to another youth from a different historical time. Older students can use this to get a feel for major events throughout history.

4. I found an awesome game called "Shopping Sprees with Spreadsheets" You are told that you have just won a $1000 shopping spree- but there is a catch- you have to spend between $995-$1000. If you don't- you lose it all. If you spend exactly$1000, you win an extra $500. The catch is that you use a spreadsheet to calculate what you spend. I would definitely use this in a Math or a Computer class. The site is http://www.ncwiseowl.org/kscope/techknowpark/FreeFall/ShoppingSpree.html

A variation of this can be used based on your curriculum needs.

5. Working in Learning support for the past 5 years, I have seen many types of Behavior Plan Folders that the student carries with them. I would use an Excel spreadsheet to document- and even have the child document behavior for all teachers/parents to see immediately. There would be no more excuses for leaving the folder behind and if parents did not have access to a computer, the teacher could simply print a page with the data to send home on a weekly basis. (Or whatever suits the situation). The child knows their behavior is being documented as such and this may act as a deterrent to bad behavior. The teacher(s) have information at their fingertips and can use this when completing IEP's, report cards.

I hope you can incorporate these ideas into your classroom!

Social Bookmarking-My views

I think Social Bookmarking is a great way to keep a groups' ideas at your fingertips. It is almost like a library of you favorites that can save a lot of time. Individual Elementary schools can have their own site to keep lists of sites that would benefit them and their curriculum. Teachers can use these for their classrooms not only to give students places to go for information, but to show them how easy it is to use such a device. I would use a social bookmarking site to access reference sites, math, reading, and any other topics that may be covered in class. The students can learn how to add to it throughout the year and make it their own! I think this could be as important a tool as learning to research information through an encyclopedia (the paper kind!!!).

I chose diigo. The address is: http://www..diigo.com/user/pauladoc

Come visit anytime!

Two Lesson Plans using Google Apps

Graphing with Google Docs and Forms is the first Lesson Plan I chose. It is for K-3 rd graders and is used to learn more about each other while gathering and interpreting data. The teacher creates a sample question form, using Google Form and convert it to a LIVE Form on the day of class. The students will completed the previously brainstormed questions from class and create graphs to help to "quantify" the data. The ISTE standards are: 2a.; 3b.and d.; and 4c

This plan can be found at: http://docs.google.com/View?id=ddv49vkt_13vwgvzxhm

The second Lesson Plan I chose is the Historical Novel. This is for the older students ranging from 4th to 9th grade. Students use various Google Apps, such as Google Blogger, Google Book Search, Google Docs(word processing/presentation, etc) to gather information from their peers about the time period, the setting, characters, main idea of an historical novel. This can be used for a Social Studies or Language Arts classes, as there are so many variations that can be adapted to your specific goals. I think this is great way to "spice up" what may be a very boring project for some students. The ISTE standards are: 1a.,2a.,b.,d.,3a.,b.,c.,4a.,d.,5b.,6a.,b. This can be found at: http://docs.google.com/View?id=ddv49vkt_3d986mbc9

Google Apps in the Classroom

I was amazed by all the innovative things you can do on Google Apps. As a Learning Support Assistant for the past 5 years, I have seen the LS Teacher go crazy year after year with writing up IEP's (Individual Education Plans). She would go back and forth with the Speech Teacher, Counselor, and homeroom Teacher, trying to collect data and information. It would take her hours, if not days, of trying to get all the information together in one document. This past year I believe, the school has purchased such an app( or created one) such as the Google app's because now , she is able to look at the document on screen, and share her updates with everyone- they can also add to the document. What a time saver!

Google apps could also be used as a behavioral tracking device with students- if the teacher assigns a calender to a specific student, everyone that needs to see his behavior for the hour, day, etc can see his progress- they can also keep this as data for IEP meetings to show parents progress or setbacks.

It is a great tool in the classroom as well. I like how students can track progress during a science experiment or any project and keep each other updated on their individual progress. This would also allow teachers to view the progress of the group as well as each individual, to see that they were all doing their share. Graphing can be used in math as well as science, reading projects could take on a whole new dimension with music/pictures/videos that the students can incorporate and share with the class.

I believe teachers would be so thankful for many of the apps available(if they would take the time to learn).

R/W Tools

What are some of the R/W tools you learned in the readings that you didn't know about? What is Google Docs? Did you ever use it?

Well, pretty much all of them! Only since I began an online course, three weeks ago, did I BLOG, and two weeks ago, when I started this class did I know the term for what I was already doing. From the article, however, I have learned about, and bookmarked, some very interesting sites that will empower me as a teacher, such as online rubric construction, online graphing tools and podcasting in the classroom, to name a few. Now that people are using the web for both retrieving information and submitting information, the sky is the limit for those teachers willing to take the time to reinvent creative classroom instruction.

Google Docs, according to WIKIpedia, is an application offered by Google, where a document is housed and is accessible to those who have been linked to the document, for collaboration and editing purposes. I have never used this, however, I can see how it would help teachers, and others to work with each other without having a ton of emails going back and forth. There is a great Youtube link to watch, that explains the rationale behind GoogeDocs, for people like me...called, Google Docs in Plain English. Check it out!

Net Genners Language

How does my perspective differ from students today, who have grown up with technology all around them? Or are they the same?

Being a 40 something, mother of two (one being a 14 year old), my perspectives of the world and technology are completely different. I didn't notice it much until about two years ago, when my son's Scout troop would send emails about upcoming events, and since I only checked my email about once every two or three weeks, yes, I did say weeks, I was kind of out of the loop. Then I bought a new computer that ran faster, and we signed up for high speed internet. It didn't take long for me to become "attached" to my new iMac. I began taking grad classes and I actually feel almost competent on the computer. I know that I have a long way to go, but I am beginning to feel comfortable with this new language. My son and 10 year old daughter get frustrated sometimes, when I do things that aren't the quick and easy shortcuts they are accustomed to using. I still cannot text, and my kids laugh at my messages when I try, so I feel detached from their generation. One thing I can say is that I am willing to learn, not only for myself, but for the students that will one day be in my classroom. If you cannot talk their language, how do you expect to reach them?

The "Net Genners", on the other hand, can not even comprehend a world without technology. But I was extremely glad to see, in the chapters read, that the kids do not want a completely technology based classroom. It was refreshing to find out that they want technology used as a tool, not a substitute power point lecture, to enhance a teacher's knowledge. They want to see enthusiasm from the teacher and the teacher can use technology to reinvent why he or she began teaching in the first place.

In conclusion, I guess the way technology is used by the net generation and the way I use them differ tremendously, but our perspectives on why and how we CAN use them are about the same.

Views on Digital Natives and the Net Gen. Do they learn differently? How do you feel about these new concepts? Are they radical or do they make sense? Explain.

Being a 40 something Digital Immigrant, I have to say that both names given to these tech savvy youngsters are very ingenious. I especially like the analogy used about the Digital Natives vs. Digital Immigrants. I have a distinct accent of being an immigrant, on many levels. (Including the fact that I am probably not posting this information in the right place!). My eyes have been opened to a new way of thinking about my 14 year old son's constant texting! More than that, though, I have a new appreciation for the youth of today and I am excited to learn their language. Digital Natives and the Net Generation learn differently from any other students through history, and in order to keep them motivated to learn, we, as teachers, must learn their language and incorporate technology and the "hands on" experiences in the classroom. I was still delighted to see , though, that students wanted a 50/50 split of lecture and technology in school. They still derive the social interaction of a motivated and passionate teacher that can also deliver the information with technology and not by technology alone.

I believe to the older folks, these ideas are a bit radical, as well as very intimidating. The research, however, says it all. The Net Gen/ or Digital Natives are wired differently than my generation was. I have a friend who teaches Nursing students, and she has confirmed that the surgeons of today are unbelievable with their hand/eye coordination, because they grew up during an age of video games. She said it is just amazing what they ca do without looking directly into the patient.

I certainly hope I can assimilate myself into this new culture, so I can motivate my students to be the best they can be without them catching on to my many "accents".

First Blog

I am very excited to learn about technology!