Learning and Applying New Tricks :)

During the summer 2-week technology Workshop, I learned so much as far as being technology literate! I doubted my own ability to remember how to do all the new things. I planned easy activities so not to overwhelm myself. I put my classroom rules and expectations on PowerPoint. I created a class newsletter for the start up of the school year. This had my supplies and policies on it for the students to take home. I also had planned a few computer activities: a web quest that I created web searches to be completed in the computer lab and researching a disease.

However, I surprised myself and a few of my colleagues, by achieving those plans and beyond! I have used PowerPoint for notes in the classroom, filling in the slides with each class. I can then print them to have for absent students and each class has notes in the words they used. I have used inspiration with the classes filling concepts from the genetics unit. I have used word documents displayed through the v-brick system onto my whiteboard. Then the students come up and write answers on the white board but I can erase the board for each class.

With my BGSU student teachers, we have had groups of students use laptops to create their own biome power points and present them to the class. We also used inspiration for students individually to create food webs and food chains using pictures of animals in clipart folders.

I exclusively use the “Making the Grade” program for my class attendance and grades management. I have explored and figured out programs within the program that I have specialized for my classroom needs. I like being able to print missing assignments for students with a current grade average at anytime it is needed or requested for a conference. I now send most of my copy center requests via internet! I never knew how to send attachments or add links to emails. I can do either with no problem. I have used my personal digital cameras memory card to create files, select pictures and print and or send them via email. I also used my camcorder to tape my class. I then edited the film to the correct time limit, saved to the selected space within my power point and my flash drive. I was so excited! I have moved files and saved to flash drive to use the information at another site with ease. Lastly, I learned to create watermarks!! (NOTE: watermark on document)

Traci Rathman

Tech Use Continues to Grow

During this school year I have been able to use technology extensively. Hardly a day goes by that we don’t use it in some form or fashion. Power Points have become an almost daily routine for students. I teach with them and through them all the time. I can tell every single time they are used that their attention pops up. They also love the PP games for review. They are time consuming to create but worth the time in the end.

I have not used Inspiration as much as I would have like to. I did use it but not often.

The students used Word often to complete project. We did several big projects using this program.

Web quests were a huge hit. They love them. My new one for this year was on school violence—bullying. I will continue to use them as often as possible. I am, however, upset that we won’t have a computer lab next year. I’m not sure how that will work???

We did two IMOVIES thus far---and I am planning for one more during May. Students get so excited. I did the biography project in October and propaganda/ persuasion unit—small group commercials. The students were given a copy of the Imovies on a DVD. The last project will be a “good bye jr. high—hello high school.” I do this every year—they love it. It’s a nice end of the year project.

The only pain in the butt this year was redoing all the transparencies for the projection system since I no longer have an overhead projector. That was very time consuming. Some things from the past I no longer use and wish I could. Perhaps over the summer I can do some more work on this.

Overall I would say my year has been quite successful with technology. I know my computer usage and student usage will continue to increase over time.

Cindy Kregel

Tech in My Social Studies Class

Andrea Beach – Social Studies

At the time of the summer sessions I was laid off and unsure where my placement would be and what subject area. I made my goals for the position I held last year, which was language arts/social studies. When called back from lay off, I came to EBMS as a Title 1 Reading teacher. During that time I was only able to use technology for student lists (class lists, phone numbers, etc) and minimally for students. This is because I was in a different classroom every period. In the end of September, I returned to a regular classroom teaching 7th grade social studies. Below are some of the things I have used technology for since then.

Teacher use of technology
• Power points for student note taking – vocabulary, Roman Emperors, etc.
• Power points for review games – Jeopardy, Hollywood Squares
• Microsoft Word for student note taking, including maps – students are able to write on white board to fill in blanks or identify spots on map
• Microsoft Word to create worksheets
• Excel to create worksheets
• Inspiration for student note taking – they have a blank web and we fill in the blank together with my computer on the screen
• United Streaming to show content related videos
• Resources from United Streaming to complement the videos
• (Note: the people at United Streaming are very helpful if you need something – I notified them that there was a problem for closed captioning on a video and notified them by email. I was then answered that they checked and would correct the problem)
• Gradebook kept in Making the Grade

Student use of technology
• computer lab for student webquests
• computers in my classroom to look up items for projects, type information for the projects and find pictures for the projects
• help with power points by having students operate while teacher instructs
• student video taping of each other while reading a play

This may not be an all inclusive list but is meant to give an idea of some of the things we have been doing. I feel that my use of technology has been greatly enhanced by my participation in this series of meetings.

More Tech Fun at EBMS

During the 2006-2007 school year, I’ve implemented more technology then ever before. The reason I was able to implement technology was due to the fact that the computers & network were working 98% of the time. I also was eager to use technology because the cluster of teachers that I work with was eager to use it too. We made time in our classes to teach technology at the beginning of the year. By the end of 1st quarter, all of our students knew how to use Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Power Point, & Inspiration. Also, half of our students learned how to use the I-Movie & Garage Band programs. Making time at the beginning of the year for teaching technology was very beneficial to our students. They could use the technology they learned to complete assignments & projects in Science, Math, English/Reading, & Social Studies classes.
I used technology for learning stations, assessments, research, and for organization. For two quarters, I assigned my students to complete a webquest that reinforced my subject matter. The first one was on internet safety & the second one was on bullying. I learned a lot from the students. They worked better when they worked on a webquest independently. The last webquest that I had my students do, I had them do a separate assessment that incorporated the Inspiration program. I used technology for students to type their essays. 6 of my students used the Criterion Writing program successively. All of my students used Microsoft Word to type their essays. Other ways my students used technology was when they had to do research for their biography project. They were required to locate information on a famous, dead person & then apply it to a Power Point presentation. Finally, I’ve used technology personally throughout the year to keep track of my grades and my seating charts. I’m very pleased with my use of technology this year. I hope to implement more next year.

Susan C. Obee

Tech in Deaf Ed

Greetings



This past year I have used technology in a variety of different ways, but due to the fact that I was on a cart it was difficult to check my mail. My students were in inclusion classes and did use technology in Mrs. Kregel's class and Mrs. Tooley's class



My students made imovies about famous deaf people which were great. Some students signed their essay and I voiced it , then my hard of hearing students voiced their essays. They also made a commercial all in sign about stealing and I voiced it for them.



I used power points to teach new concepts in Math.



The students used web quests online and used the internet to research different topics.



They used inspiration to explain different math terms and concepts.



In my sign language club we found some great sign language dictionaries such as aslpro. My deaf students also use aslpro to find the signs of unknown words. Ny sign club also found sign language games and songs in sign. Currently we are making an imovie of school signs.



I enjoyed the class.

Thanks for being patient with us



Marti

Being Flexible...change happens

I had great plans after the fantastic days spent in our computer lab learning all the technology that would be available to us this year. I'm still very excited about trying many of the technologies on my students that I will have in the future. Although I spent the week preparing lessons for my health classes, I didn't end up teaching health this year. I was fortunate to be the BGSU GEAR UP liason for EBMS this year. This meant lots of paperwork, organizing, record keeping and communicating with others.

So, instead of teaching middle school classes in health, I was blessed with knowledge in all areas of technology that I found very useful in my new job. Excel was definitely the most valuable in my present position, and I was skilled enough to use Excel to keep track of our budget, do quarterly reports, and organize all sorts of data that I needed.

Kap Junge

Overcoming the frustrations :)

When the year began, I had high hopes to wow my students with all of the technology knowledge that I had gained during the Tech Connections class. My biggest fear (technology not connected) was realized when I was unable to use my projector until December.

However.... once it was up and running...

1. I was able to dive into the web world and create wonderful PPT introductions for my students. During planning time, I could copy and paste images from the web into PPT presentations. My feats included: a PPT on Oaxacan Animals, a PPT on Surrealism, a PPT of elements of art, a PPT on masks from different cultures (besides Africa!) and more! The students seemed to really enjoy viewing the awesome visuals.

2. My 8th grade students were able to use the scavenger hunt that I created during the summer class. I did need to tweak the original template in order to make it more effective.

3. The laptop cart is a favorite of mine. My first semester students were able to successfully complete Amazing Artist DVDs. My second semester students are currently working on the assignment.

4. Using PhotoShop Elements, my 8th grade students created self-portraits. They photographed one another, posterized the photo after changing the contrast and brightness, grayscaled the image and printed it. The prints were then enlarged and painted with tempera paint on 18" x 24" paper, using specific color schemes. They were awesome and we were able to give them to parents when they came to school for conferences:)

5. In addition, my 8th grade students were able to create Surrealistic images through PhotoShop Elements by combining photographs and manipulating them.

Overall, I think that the summer class allowed me to improve my teaching skills by implementing more technology in my instruction. I readily send students to the five desktop computers in my classroom to research ideas, prove their viewpoints and/or to spark their imaginations. I feel better qualified to judge appropriate websites and to help the students understand the validity in what they find. I'm sure that I will continue to use technology throughout my teaching career. In fact, United Streaming is still an area that I need to explore! Thanks Savilla!!!

~ Rene' Steingraber

Technology Evolutions This Year

My ideas in August evolved into much more than I originally expected. Our students are getting so proficient in the use of technology, they were able to do much more than what was originally expected. At this point, you can ask students to create a Power Point on a given subject and the majority of them can do it with no problem. My students were in computer lab today and we had them do a web quest on volcanoes. All students had Internet permission and were able to just log onto their own account. I found myself standing in the back of the room watching them maneuver through the sites. I found myself giving them directions such as, “maximize your screen” and I didn’t even have to explain to them what that meant. They automatically did what was asked. I felt at this point that our year was successful. I could speak to the students using the correct technological phrases and they understood them.

I didn’t do the brochure as I wanted to because when I went to do it myself, I found it very hard to maneuver the paragraphs to fit a given space. I am much happier using Excel to do something like that instead of Microsoft Word.

I am happy with my year as my students have been exposed to Inspiration, Excel, Power Point, Word, Webquests, and Puzzlemaker. I look forward to next year going farther with my students and it will be exciting because I know they will come to me with the knowledge they gained from their 7th grade teachers.

Chris Tooley