Photo Collage

This is a photo collage I made using a shape collage program that can be downloaded from  this link. All you have to do is drag photos from your computer into the program, choose from a variety of shapes and click create. This is such an easy and fun idea!

NETS Standards

The International Society for Technology in Education has provided NETS standards for the use of technology for students, teachers, administrators, coaches, and computer science. For teachers specifically, it outlines exactly what teachers need to address for each school year concerning technology. It offers the standards for evaluation as well. Some of the standards for teachers include facilitating student learning and creativity by using technology, model digital work and learning, and promote digital citizenship. Some examples of NETS standards for students include communication and collaboration using digital media, researching, and problem solving skills. The website gives specific examples of how to evaluate if each standard has been met.

Doc Cam and Smartboards

A Doc Cam and Smartboard are very popular in classrooms today. Although this equipment can be very helpful, it is a bit outdated. The iPad can actually do what both of these things can but is much smaller and easier to use. It also allows for much more movement around the classroom. By linking the iPad with the projector, the teacher can walk around and take video or pictures of student work, or examples of what they want to students to do similar to a Doc Cam. Teachers can also use a whiteboard app on their iPad to write things while walking around the room that will show up through the projector. There are also many apps that the students can use that would be similar to the things they could do on Smartboards. Although Doc Cams and Smartboards are great tools, the iPad is an awesome option to allow more mobility and variety in teaching with technology.

Special Project

This exploding box is a special project for students to make or give to someone. They will love the unexpected surprise when they open the box. It can be made using different colored card stock or scrapbook paper. For the project above we filled the inside flaps with pictures but there are many possibilities for this project!

Flickr Photostream

KatieBartram's photostream on Flickr.

This photostream shows the pictures that I have taken for the ED300 Photography Challenge.

Apple in Education

The Apple in Education website offers many helpful resources for using Apple products in the classroom. The resource that I found especially helpful was the apps in the classroom. It breaks down some of the best educational apps divided by different subjects. I found this easier than going through the app store to find things. This site also gives information on how to use Macs, an iPod touch, or an iPhone in the classroom. Finally, it has links for options on how to fund the use of their products and the financial services the Apple offers. Overall, this is a very useful site for those considering the use of Apple products or those that are already using them and would like further suggestions.

Cupcake

This cupcake was edited using Photoshop. Using the magic wand tool, the entire cupcake can be selected to make the background transparent. Then, I used to the magic wand tool to select different parts of the cupcake. Once I selected a section, I used to paint bucket tool to fill in the area a different color. Finally, different colored sprinkles were added using the paintbrush tool.

iPads in the Classroom

iPads are becoming more and more common in elementary classrooms. They are an awesome learning tool that really fosters the use of technology! Teachers are using iPads for many different things in the classroom. There are many apps for behavior management available in which teachers can reinforce positive behaviors. Teachers can also take attendance, keep track of student progress, and record grades. Another thing that can be extremely helpful is using a whiteboard app that can correspond with what is being projected to the front of the room. This way teachers can walk around the classroom while still writing information that all students will be able to see. It is also beneficial for teachers to be able to take photos and videos easily at any given time throughout the school day. For the students there is an extensive list of educational apps and games available to foster learning. This could be used within a lesson, at centers, or as a reward for students.

Snagit Video

Snagit offers an easy way to make tutorial videos on how to do something on the computer or internet. The video above is an example that Kelsey Fercho, Casie Antony, and I made about how to use Fakebook in the classroom.

Blurring Out Faces

Blurring out faces is a great option when you would like to show certain images on a class website but want to respect the student's privacy. It is very easy to do using Gimp. You simply need to use an oval or circle shape around the faces and use the blur effect.

Forms in Powerpoint

PowerPoint is an easy to use tool for making forms or worksheets for the classroom. Simply find a blank slide, change the size to 8.5x11, and add whatever shapes and text necessary. I chose to make a worksheet on the main parts of a story with allowing space for students to draw their own picture from the story. This is a great way to customize what your students are working on so that it fits perfectly with your objectives. It is also an easy way to make forms for the students or parents to fill out.

Poster Programs

QR Codes

The item on the left is an activity that I created for the classroom using QR codes. For this activity I printed this worksheet out on sticker paper, cut them out, and put them on poker chips. The problem was put on the front with the corresponding QR code on the back. Using their iPads, students can figure out the problem and scan the QR code to see if they got the answer right similar to using flashcards. There are endless possibilities for using QR codes in the classroom that the students will love!

Polaroid Photos

Polaroid photos are a fun project for students! After being given the templates, the students can add their own digital photographs into the frames. This is great because it gives students practice in using digital photography and Photoshop. Once the students have added their photos, they can be printed using standard 4x6 photo paper. This would be perfect for an about me project in the beginning of the year!

Instagram Images

The photo strips above were made using Photoshop. The photos could have been taken from Instagram so that they will fit in the frame without needing to do any cropping. These photo strips are great as they are or cut into the individual pictures. Another idea for this is to cut out the pictures, use mod podge to stick them to inexpensive 1'x1' tiles, and hot glue a magnet on the back. This idea could be used with student photos for many things like centers, lunch choices, or student jobs.

iPad Rules

iPads are a great tool for the elementary classroom! They offer many educational apps and foster the use of technology. However, since they are very expensive, it is important to make sure there are clear rules for use. The image to the left shows an example of iPad rules for the classroom.

Germ Cover

Keeping kids healthy in the classroom can be a bit of a challenge! One way to encourage students to stay healthy is to give them hand sanitizer. I made this cover for a spray on sanitizer using Photoshop. All you have to do is print and use mod podge to stick it on. When kids can't wash their hands they can spray the germs away!

iSpy

By putting together a variety of small, cheap items, classrooms can put together their very own iSpy book. This is a fun option for students to work on their writing. It also fosters the use of technology by using digital photography. Once all of the photos are done, they can be printed off and bound into a classroom book. Overall, this is a very fun way to get the children involved in a variety of areas and the final product is something the children can enjoy the entire year!

Magazine Cover

The image above is a magazine cover I created on Photoshop about thrill-seeking activities such as bungee jumping and skydiving. This is a great project for learning the basics of Photoshop, especially different layers!

Thanksgiving Plans

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! This is one of my favorite times of the year. What can be better than a day to gather with family, reflect on all of the positive things in your life, and celebrate by eating lots of home cooked food? This year for Thanksgiving I am going to my grandma and grandpa’s house in South Fargo. I am very thankful to be celebrating with them this year because they usually go to Texas from October to April but decided to stay in Fargo for winter this year. It is nice to be with them for the holidays again this year! My dad, brother, aunt, and uncles will also be there to celebrate. We usually don’t do anything too fancy for Thanksgiving. It is nice to just catch up on each other’s lives, reminisce on old times, and enjoy a meal together. I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season! J

Paperless Education

I think that paperless education is a very positive practice. It encourages the use of technology and is good for the environment. However, there are still some situations that require paper paper in my opinion. I don’t think that students should solely rely on technology. There are some situations in which using paper allows for more creativity. I think that most things involving art need paper as well. Also, we should not completely get rid of paper because students will not get the required practice for handwriting. That being said, there are many ways teachers can cut down on the use of paper in the classroom to be more environmentally friendly. The following is a list of ideas that teachers could try:

• For writing, instead of using journals that use a lot of paper, students could write a blog. An added bonus is that parents can have access to their child’s writing!
• Use Google Docs or email as a way for students to turn in assignments
• Use Microsoft word or applications like Evernote to take notes in class
• Give tests or quizzes online. Zoho offers an easy way to do this.
• Create presentations online by using a website like Prezi

Build Your Wild Self!

The build your wild self website allows students to create themselves as a mix of many different animals. It is a fun and educational tool for students. Students start out by making a character that looks like them. They can choose from things like different hair and eye colors, hairstyle, and clothing. Then, there are options for different animal parts. Students can add tails, ears, and other things unique to many different animals. An example of the wild self that I created is on the right. This could be used when doing a unit on animals in science. Students can identify the different animals that they chose and identify if they are mammals, birds, reptiles, etc. Overall, I think students will really enjoy this creative 
website!

Poster Programs

Buying posters for the classroom can get to be expensive! There are many great resources online to get ideas or quotes to make your own posters. I found the idea on the left from Pinterest which let me to the blog technology rocks. seriously. I made this poster about thinking before you speak using Photoshop. You could also use Microsoft Word, Photoshop, or Gimp to make your own poster. This way you can add your own personal touch or make sure it goes with the theme of your classroom. Once you finish a poster you can order it online. Vistaprint is usually a good option because it is fairly cheap and offers a lot of options. These posters are great for the classroom used as little reminders for students! You can make them for various things from posting directions on how to use something, rules for the classroom, or positive quotes for inspiration. The possibilities are endless!

Favorite Teaching Blog

    My favorite teaching blog that I have come across recently is The Organized Classroom Blog by teacher Charity Preston. Charity gives endless cheap and simple ideas for organization. I especially like this blog because it gives a variety of ideas from how to set up a classroom to lesson ideas for many subjects and age groups. The layout of the website is very easy to follow and allows for quick searching. It is also a good place to start when searching for ideas for the classroom as it gives links to other helpful sister sites. Additionally, she has links for various other resources such as using QR codes. Finally, there is a link to the Organized Classroom store in which teachers can purchase some of the resources Charity blogs about. Overall, I really enjoy this site and have obtained many great ideas for my classroom in the future!

VCSU Practicum

For our Intro to Education class we have been assigned to a local elementary school classroom to observe and help out for a total of 40 hours. I have been assigned to a first grade classroom in the West Fargo School District. I am really enjoying my time there, getting to know my cooperating teacher and her students! This experience is really helpful because it allows me to see first-hand things that I have been learning about in my classes. I have gained a better understanding of how challenging it can be to manage a class of over 20 children that are at different levels. My cooperating teacher is very good at making sure that each student is on task and trying their best so I have learned many strategies for keeping students involved. I have also learned many behavior management strategies and have gained ideas for setting up my own classroom in the future. 

           Being in a teacher role rather than the role of a student is very exciting for me! So far in this experience I have only worked one-on-one with students or with a small group. However, I really enjoy teaching these students. It is interesting how they all have such different learning styles and habits. My favorite part of this experience is working with the students. I also have really enjoyed seeing their excitement about things like halloween, a school assembly, or a field trip. One thing I have not enjoyed as much is spending time in the workroom. I don’t mind helping out by making copies or working on projects for my cooperating teacher. However, she often has me prepare things for all five of the first grade classrooms which will lead to me being in the workroom for over an hour at a time. The downfall to this is that I feel like I am missing out on things that are going on in the classroom. Overall, my practicum has been a very positive experience and I have learned a lot. I look forward to getting to work with the students more over the next few weeks!

VCSU/NDSU Collaborative Teaching Program

Although I am an NDSU student, I am receiving a degree from VCSU. At first, I was a little skeptical of the idea of getting two separate degrees from two different universities at the same time. The application process and getting everything organized before I could take any classes was a little confusing. However, now that I have started taking Valley City classes, I have been very impressed with how smoothly everything has gone with this collaborative program. Since I love NDSU’s campus so much and most of my family and friends live in the area, I am really glad that all of the professors are able to come to campus so that we do not have to travel to Valley City. I love the education classes, and am really starting to become excited about my future as a teacher.

Through this program we are able to spend some time in an actual classroom. I am in a first grade class in the West Fargo District. I really like that age group and the activities that have been done in the class. It is an awesome way to see what we are going through in our classes put in practice. This leads to a much better understanding of the material covered in class. It is also helpful to compare my peers’ experiences with my own in order to understand how different districts work around the area and learn about even more strategies for the classroom.

In order to make sure I become a very effective teacher, there are many things I can improve on before the end of the semester. The most important thing I need to work on is to make sure I keep up on all of my homework. If an assignment is not due right away, I tend to put it off until right before it is due. I need to start working on assignments right way so that I don’t have as much work to do at the end. This will lead to a better final product and less stress along the way. I also think I could do a better job about reading the text in a lot of my classes. Overall, I am very pleased with how the teaching program is going and look forward to my future as a teacher.

   

Winter Fun

It is the fourth day of October and there is already snow on the ground!

Since I studied abroad last semester, I had not seen snow since the beginning of last February so when I opened my blinds this morning and saw snow, I suddenly became excited. These feelings soon changed as I walked outside and felt the instant chill and wet sludge all over the sidewalks and roads.

However, the winter isn't all bad. There are many fun activities to do in the cold and snow. My favorite by far is to go sledding. When the snow is the perfect density and the weather is not too cold, I grab my purple, plastic sled and hit the hills (golf course dams) near my childhood home. This brings back so many fun memories! When taking a break from the hills, I also love making a few snow angels or maybe a snowman. And of course, when I'm done I have to enjoy a nice big glass of hot chocolate.

Although I may not be ready for all of these activities in the beginning of October, I am looking forward to lots of winter fun!

Reflection #4

Copyright Laws

    Both students and teachers need to be very careful in following copyright laws. There are a lot of things regarding copyright that I was unaware of before reviewing this article about 15 copyright rules that students need to know. For example, it states that everything that has been created, even a digital photograph or blog post, has been copyrighted. I also learned that it is crucial to check guidelines for use. Many content creators have strict guidelines for use that require asking for permission to use their work. Finally, the article emphasizes that not everything online is public domain. Nobody has the right to copy and distribute another’s work unless the author directly states that it is acceptable.
   

Another site, Teaching Copyright, gives a lot of helpful information on copyright laws specifically pertaining to teachers. This site emphasizes that there is a lot of misinformation on copyright laws and teachers need to be especially careful when informing their students on these rules. There is a curriculum provided to help teachers guide their students in how to follow and understand copyright laws. There are five lessons that encourage students to reflect on what they already know about copyright laws, learn the history of it, understand the concepts of copyright laws, and master the principles of fair use. Overall, I think this site would be extremely helpful in the future as a way to help my students understand the importance of following copyright laws.

Favorite Technology Lesson

In Educational Technology 300, we have gone over many helpful and fun technology lessons!

My favorite lesson so far has been the scratch offs. I think that these are an awesome idea for the classroom because students would really enjoy scratching off the cards. The cards were very easy to make in Photoshop and helped give me extra practice in using the program. Once they were printed, I had to cut out contact paper to fit over the words that I wanted covered by the paint mixture. In this case, I would cover the area inside the blue box. Then I just painted on the mixture of 1/2 a teaspoon of dish soap and 1 teaspoon of silver metallic paint. Once this dried the scratch offs were ready to use!

This would be a great way to incorporate positive reinforcement in the classroom. For example, if the student is displaying a desirable behavior, they could receive a scratch off that would have a reward such as being a line leader for the day. I definitely plan on using this strategy in my classroom in the future!

Reflection #3

Google Apps

The site Google Apps Education Training Center provides tips for using apps in the classroom. There are many free resources available for teachers to utilize in order to make their lives easier. Some of the apps available include:

• Gmail: provides students with a secure email account with instant messaging services
• Google Calendar: easy tool for students and teachers to organize and share events and schedules
• Google Docs: makes group work simple! students and teachers can share documents, presentations, and spreadsheets
• Google Video: host and share videos
• Google Sites: great tool for teachers to use to organize information and share with others what is going on in their classroom

Overall, using Google Apps is a great way to stay organized and keep everyone informed. It is also easy for students to use and prepares them in using the newest technology available. To get more information or to start using google apps simply visit the link provided above!

About Me

My name is Katie Bartram and I am currently in my fourth year at North Dakota State University. I just started the collaborative Elementary Education program through Valley City State University and will graduate in the spring of 2013 with an additional degree in Human Development and Family Science. I am also working towards a minor in Special Education. I am involved in the Human Development and Family Science Club, Elementary Education Club, and Big Brothers Big Sisters. I also work at a daycare in Moorhead, MN. Last spring I studied abroad in Australia so I had the opportunity to travel all over that amazing country and New Zealand. Besides traveling, I enjoy spending time with friends and family, being outdoors, and baking.

Word Cloud

The above is a word cloud about myself. Word clouds arrange text in a fun way and certain emphasis can be put on more important words that. In the classroom, word clouds can be a great way to get to know new students. Teachers could also use them as an interesting way to describe certain subjects to their students.

Reflection #2

The  following reflection is based off of information I reviewed from Marc Prensky's website.

    The first article I chose to read by Marc Prensky was “Teaching the Right Stuff-Not Yesterday’s Stuff, or Todays, but Tomorrow’s. In this article, Prensky compares the important things students were learning in the past to what they currently need to learn, and finally what they will need to learn to be productive in the future. In the past the focus was on writing letters, reports, and essays. Students of today are learning about writing emails, making powerpoints, and writing a blog post. Prensky states that in the future, students will need to have the skills of working in a virtual community, making videos, and writing a program.
    I agree with Prensky in the fact that educators need to be teaching students skills that will be needed in the future. However, not many teachers have the knowledge in technology to teach things like writing computer programs or working in virtual communities themselves. There is also a question of funding in a lot of schools. I believe that instructional programs should be made available so that teachers can continue to stay updated on current technology and bring it back to the classroom. Also, even though the skills of today and the future are important for students, it is important that students are also learning the skills of the past like writing essays and reports.
    The second article by Prensky that I chose to read was titled “A Huge Leap for the Classroom-true peer-to-peer learning enhanced by technology.” This article focuses on how important it is for students to have one-on-one instruction to enhance learning. However, this is not an easy task when a teacher has many students. Prensky describes a method introduced by  Professor Eric Mazur from Harvard. Mazur had his students watch a lecture the night before class, and answer questions about it during class using the students’ computers or smartphones. The teacher can see the response immediately and can analyze the student’s overall understanding of a subject. Then, the students find another student that had a different answer than their own and discuss why they put down a certain answer. I think that the peer-to-peer component of this strategy is the most important and can be utilized in any classroom. Although I think this is a very good teaching strategy, it may be hard to put into practice in an elementary classroom, since not every student would have a computer or smartphone. Perhaps there is another, more cost effective way to implement this strategy in an elementary classroom.

Reflection #1

Educational Technology Bill of Rights


   
Brad Flickinger makes many valid suggestions in his blog post “Educational Technology Bill of Rights.” In education, people seem to look at certain technology as a distraction for students. Brad Flickinger, on the other hand, advises that teachers take advantage of certain technologies and give students basic rights when using them. I agree with Flickinger when he states that students are not going to stop using technologies like cell phones, Facebook, and Twitter. I think it is smart to reach students through these means, but other ways should be used as well. It also is important to ensure that students are taught appropriate ways to use these technologies and do not abuse certain privileges.
    I believe that the right to learn 21st century technology. It is important to implement these technologies that are as modern as possible so that students can keep up with the demand in their future careers. I also think it is important for teachers to continue learning and finding new and creative ways to use technology in the classroom. In most cases, it is true that students know more about different programs than teachers do, so teachers should be open to feedback and exploring new options. Other points that I fully agree with are that students have the right to be fully protected from things like cyberbullying, and that teachers should use technology to be efficient in planning and evaluating.
    The individuals that commented on this article also made many valid points. Due to financial constraints, not all schools have the opportunity to use the latest technologies. I do disagree with a lot of the comments that state that students do not have rights. Although teachers should have authority and set guidelines, students should still have choices and be treated with respect. Overall, I think that this article is very helpful in understanding the importance of technology and helped get me thinking about how I should implement the use of technology in my own classroom.

The article can be found at this link: http://www.schooltechnology.org/2011/12/29/educational-technology-bill-of-rights-for-students/