For Week 5 of MTI 562, I was asked to use a rubric to assess one of the projects I did for the class. I used the project rubric provided in class to complete the assessment.  I decided to assess the project I created for Week 2. I used www.screencastomatic.com to create a tutorial for students on how to find a book using the library catalog Destiny.  I chose this one because I am excited to create more tutorials for students, teachers, and parents. This tool was relatively easy to use once I started playing with it,  and I feel the finished product is something that is easy for my audience to understand.
     For the assessment of the project, I awarded myself the full 160 points. I put a lot of thought into my project, demonstrated understanding of how to use the tool, avoided grammatical and spelling errors, and used sequential, logical thinking.
     One thing that I did not see in the project rubric is where the integration of core curriculum is included. I think it is important to teach the tool in context, rather than teaching it in a vacuum.  In my case, the focus was on searching for a book in the library catalog.  The content of the project directly connected to my curriculum. Perhaps this would be an area where the classroom teacher and technology teacher would work together to assess that item-looking at both how the tool is used in relation to core curriculum, and if the content is correct.
     Looking at the  "well-rounded general assessment" list provided in this week's readings, I feel that I addressed most of the items.  I showed evidence of learning the tool, transferred knowledge, completed the goal in the allotted time, saved it to my digital portfolio, used the Internet safely, displayed critical thinking, used core class writing skills-capitalization, punctuation, and used keyboarding skills. I used appropriate vocabulary such as desktop, keyword, title, and author. I also used problem solving skills. It took a few attempts of trial and error before I was able to create the project successfully. I was determined to figure out this tool on my own before asking for help. When I did come across issues I wasn't able to solve on my own, I consulted the help screen and the Internet.
     I used Jingto display the project rubric below. I love how Jing allows the user to not only screen capture the image, but also to add text, highlighting, and arrows to the image. Using this tool for my assessment also demonstrates the transfer of prior knowledge to class.
 

     

     Students as young as Kindergarten should be taught digital citizenship. By kindergarten, most students have had some experience with a digital device, whether it was a parent's Smart phone, a computer at home or the library, or another device such as an iPad.  At school, students as young as kindergarten have been exposed to the Internet and use passwords for assessments such as STAR Literacy and Lexia. It is important to start teaching digital citizenship at the primary level in order to establish a foundation that can be built upon as students mature. It is our responsibility to teach students to protect themselves online, just as they are taught to look both ways before crossing the street. 

     I decided to examine digital citizenship and see how it could be integrated into the curriculum at my PK-2 school.  In the Fall, students will have access to technology like never before. Between iPads in the kindergarten, and Chromebooks in first and second grade, our school will have transformed into a technology-rich environment.  I want to make sure that I am ready for it, and that classroom teachers are as well.  I recognized the fact that I will need assistance from classroom teachers, as I only have my K-2 students once every six day rotation.  So I thought I would create a very simple tutorial for classroom teachers identifying what digital citizenship is, and what we need to teach students at this level in order to make them good digital citizens.  I thought if I provided them with this, they could reinforce the skills I would be teaching in the library each time they used the computers with their students in the classroom. I knew I had to make my point short and sweet or else teachers wouldn't open it.

     I knew I already had an abundance of resources at my fingertips.  I used Common Sense Media, (https://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/scope-and-sequence) and Ask a Tech Teacher (http://askatechteacher.com/great-kids-websites/digital-citizenship/) for my research. I will be using videos and other materials for teaching my own lessons to students from Net Smartz http://www.netsmartzkids.org/, and Brain Pop Jr https://jr.brainpop.com/artsandtechnology/technology/. 

     I decided that I would start with a very basic idea of digital citizenship. As the year progresses, I will integrate more digital citizenship into lessons as I do them.  For example, in my unit researching butterflies, students will learn about using images legally. They will choose their butterfly picture from a site where images are safe to use such as www.photosforclass.com, http://www.pics4learning.com, or even draw/edit a picture of their own. I really liked the idea of having students create their own pictures. It would be very easy for students to do with the butterfly project. They would just have to make sure the colors they use represent the butterfly they researched!

     I am anxious to start going through my lessons to incorporate digital citizenship wherever I can.  I'm embarrassed to say that I should have been doing more to teach it, even without a set of my computers in my library. I will be sure to start making the connection for students every time I use the SmartBoard in the library.

     

Project #3: MTI 562

I created a Haiku Deck to introduce my 2nd grade students to nonfiction text features which they can use as tools to help them when reading nonfiction. This serves as a good starting point. From there, they participate in nonfiction scavenger hunts and work collaboratively on text-mapping. This web tool was pretty easy to use. I downloaded the app to my iPad, but you can create "decks" on the web site as well.

Nonfiction Text features - Created with Haiku Deck, presentation software that inspires



I also created a Haiku Deck about butterflies as a model for my first grade research lesson.  Next year, rather than put their final product on paper, I'd like my students to create a Haiku Deck about the butterfly they researched. They are focusing on identifying the butterfly, describing the color of it, and describing what the caterpillar looks lilke.  They will then compare the butterfly studied in Library class to their live butterfly in the classroom. This is a simple project, but between the reading involved and the use of technology at this level, I feel it is age appropriate.


Butterflies - Created with Haiku Deck, presentation software that inspires

Hello MTI562!

I am creating a slideshow presentation on my Mac for our Second Grade End of the Year Celebration.  I was thinking that my best bet would be to use Google; as the photos are already saved in my Drive and I am playing a variety of background music from a separate file. 

I would like to insert a folder of photos that I have in Google Drive.  I am having trouble selecting all of the photos to insert at once.  I have tried clicking with the shift key held down, control click, and option (alt) click and nothing is working. How can I add all of these photos at once? It seems easier to add all photos, then rearrange the slides and add animation.

On another note, the person running the audio/visual booth has requested that I save it to a flash drive.  I have hundreds of photos, and I am wondering how many I should use to create the slideshow? I was thinking that I should create more than one slideshow so that the photos don't change too quickly, and it would be easier to save. 

Any thoughts or suggestions?

I'm beginning to see what Jacqui means about being a risk taker-trying and failing then trying again!  I find myself going back to what I've done this week and making changes. After reading and rereading the class schedule, I found that what I thought I had done right was not, or was it?
Simple things like embedding a code were trying my patience.  I attempted to embed the code for my Voki so it would show right up on my digital portfolio.  Whenever I tried, nothing came up.  I then watched Jacqui's video on How to Embed and found I was doing everything right.  After several more attempts, I realized that I had not paged down enough and therefore was not copying the whole embed code! Lesson learned.

Hello MTI 562!

I am currently finishing my 5th year as a library media specialist. I teach Library classes to students in a PK-2 school. For the first time, I will be attending the ISTE conference in June.  I am hoping that my experience here will make me feel less overwhelmed with the all of the technology that I will be presented with at the conference!

Up until now, my focus has really been on the librarian part of the job. I enjoy sharing my love of reading and work hard to develop lifelong readers. Next year I will be taking on a bigger role in terms of the "media" part of the job.  In addition to teaching my Library classes, I will also be required to assist teachers with technology.

I am excited to learn new technology skills that I will be able to share with classroom teachers in the Fall. The first and second grade teachers will be equipped with a cart of ChromeBooks and looking for help to make the best use of them! Our Kindergarten teachers will have access to iPads to use in their classrooms, and will rely on me to provide them with new ideas for integration and support.