Remind 101

Seriously, what teenager is without their smartphones? 

How about their parents?

Time to face it, smartphones are here to stay, and they are in the the hands of almost all the students in our classrooms. Most teachers like the idea of using technology for their classrooms, but smartphones are often one device that teachers either love or hate. There is often very little middle ground.

Remind101 offers an easy and practical use of smartphones for the classroom while providing an easy, fast, economical, and safe way to communicate needed information.

Have a look at this video that gives a nice overview of what Remind101 is and what it does:

What do you think? Would you be able to use this in your classroom? As a student or parent of a student, would you find this helpful? Let me know what you think.

Secured Web Gateways

I'll admit, this was a new concept for me. I mean, I knew there was some way schools and other organizations protected their networks. I have seen the log in screens, the "None Shall Pass" blocked pages, and felt the limits of bandwidth management, but never gave the technology behind it a second thought.

If you're like me, you may benefit from watching this basic tutorial (and I mean basic! I'm new here too, remember) on how secure web gateways work.

Was this helpful? Anything you could add? Let me know in the comments section.

Thanks for viewing!

The Conclusion of EDCI 505

My class is drawing to a close, but my interest in technology in the classroom has not. I can now add the following to my teaching toolkit:

1. Wordle
2. Wiki's
3. Prezi
4. Glogster
5. Twitter
6. Inspiration
7. Google Docs
8. Hypermedia
9. Slideshare
10. VoiceThread
11. Windows Movie Maker
12. WebQuest
13. (and of course) Blogger

Some of these were completely new to me. Others I have known about and used for some time, but had never thought to use in a classroom environment.

While learning about these emergent technologies, I have developed some favorites along the way. I can imagine using Prezi, Wikis, Glogster, WebQuest, Movie Maker, Twitter, to name a few, in my future classrooms. Others I will have to wait and see what value I can find in them as my lessons progress.

Overall, I really enjoyed this class and am thankful for the experience.

Update

I've been working hard in my EDCI 505 class and so I thought I'd give an update on some of the things that have stuck out so far.

Twitter

I happen to like Twitter. I know there are many who don't get it, but I haven't looked back since starting it. I already had my own account and managed the accounts of a few businesses in the past. I believe it is an absolutely must have source for teachers. Maybe not so much for working with the class itself (yet there are uses for that tool, but I think getting ideas for the classroom and socializing with other educators is a big plus. You can follow my education Twitter account in the sidebar to the right.

Glogster

I love the idea of Glogster. I think it's cute, creative, and that it will really stand out with kids. But I hate, Hate, HATE, the interface. What a major pain in the rear!  Uploading photos and videos is similar to pulling my teeth out with my fingernails; it'll work eventually, but you gotta keep at it till it happens.

Here is the Glog I created:

Wiki

I'll admit, I didn't even understand what a wiki was before starting this class, but now I really like it. I can see how I can use it as an easy resource of information for my students or how it could be used as a class project. It is very easy to use and I think kids would enjoy having control over information in this kind of environment. You can see the wikis I've created by clicking HERE and HERE. 

EDCI 505

What is this strange post title, you ask? 

Is it the combination to unlock my cell phone? The answer to the new Dan Brown mystery novel? Nuclear launch code? Key to life as we know it? Ok, it's nothing quite so dramatic. 

As I failed to state in my previous post, I am starting this blog as a project for my class, EDCI

 505, which is all about using technology in the classroom. A subject that may be less dramatic then those previously stated, yet no less important if you ask me. 

I have always loved the use of technology, especially in schools, and I thought I had a pretty good idea of what kinds of technology was out there. I have recently found that my knowledge was incredibly infantile. So far I have bee exposed to several new technologies that can enhance classroom learning more than I had realized. 

First, I have learned about Glogster, which I envision as a new way to do book reports. Glogster is a social network based on creating and sharing interactive posters. People can use text, music, videos, and other graphics to create posters on any topic, interest, writing, or idea.

Then I learned about Wordle. This wasn't entirely new to me, as I know one of my own kids have used this software. Wordle is an online cloud generating software. Users enter words or text they wish to display, select from various layouts and color schemes, and then share their creations or print hard copies for use. The software makes words which are entered more frequently greater prominence in the displayed product. I can see how this may help students learn about vocabulary and themes within literature. 

But I think my favorite so far is Prezi. Prezi is a presentation software that classifies itself with the likes of Microsoft Power Point, but instead of slides, the software works similar to a video. 

I look forward to learning about new technologies and the different ways they can be used to teach language arts. 

Technology in the Classroom: My Initial Thoughts

I remember having a computer class in high school were we had to create a computer game. We did it in DOS... yeah, not MSDOS, but it's predecessor (yes, there was something that existed before). Some of the computers ran on Microsoft Windows 3.0 and that was good technology for the day (yes, I am painfully aware that I am dating myself here...).

In only 20 years, our kids not only have computers in every classroom, but in almost every palm of hand as well. Of course, there are those who would lament this fast-paced and ever-changing world of technology. After all, it is hard to keep up with changing technology and the expense that comes with purchasing and maintaining classroom equipment. However, I believe that the investment will give us a big return in the end.

Think of the education received by those who otherwise would have been left out.

Without the Internet and advancements in computer technology, I would not have been able to return to college after starting a family. Now I'm on to graduate learning and am glad to see that instructors are not ignoring the changes that have occurred in the years since I last stepped foot in a classroom.

It seems that colleges and universities were the first to pick up on the idea of technology in the classroom. Perhaps it's because of many of those advancements were invented in institutes of higher learning, or perhaps money is a factor in all things. Finally, as cellphones, iPad's, laptops, and more are reaching the hands of our children, more and more technology is trickling into the K-12 classrooms.

I believe that embracing the new ways in which children communicate will only help education in the long run. We have the ability to foster creativity like never before and to engage children that would have otherwise been lost.

Any thoughts?