Kiss the Day Goodbye . . . .

and point me to a few weeks off!

So I made it! My overall experience with Integrating Technology into the Curriculum was not nearly as traumatic as I thought it would be! I not only survived, but I also learned some new skills and concepts that I hope to use. Project Based Learning was a huge part of this semester. I had to read and design many lessons under the PBL umbrella. Although I didn’t like doing so many discussion posts, I understand the importance of them. Those posts kept me tuned in to my classmates, which is something that I probably would not have done otherwise. Our PBL group project was frightening at first, but my group worked hard and we did a great job. Although we all taught different subjects and levels, I think our project came together nicely. I am officially halfway through completing my degree in Instructional Technology and I can’t wait to see what lies ahead.

PBL Experience . . .

Thinking back over my PBL experience, I have to say that it was frustrating, but overall positive. The frustrating part was the fact that I am not really good with working in groups. I was a bit weary when anticipating people clashing with each other. . Everyone has their own ideas on how and when things should be completed which aren’t always aligned with my own. What really had me worried was the fact that this was all to be completed online This was a huge project, so there was no way to complete all of the work on your own in the time frame given. I have to say that I did all of that worrying for nothing because my group rocked! We all worked together to formulate a plan and stuck to it! Everyone made this experience so much easier than I expected. I am also grateful we had the use of Google Docs to help keep things organized.
I did not fully understand the instructions in the beginning. I was very grateful for the face to face class with Dr. B. He really helped explain a lot of the roles of each group remember. We also got a chance to glance at a few examples from previous groups. After completing the project and reviewing others, I feel we did a good job. The other group’s projects were also very well put together. I think after completing this project, we are all prepared to not only work in groups, but to also help teach others about the tools and PBLs we’ve learned this semester.

My Movie Maker Project . . .

I had a few challenges with this project. The first challenge was in coming up with a topic. I told myself that each project I produced in the IT program would be something I could take back and use in my music room. Although I correct behavior on a daily basis, most of that has nothing to do with music itself. I struggled in coming up with concert etiquette.
Another challenge I faced was in using Camstudio/Camtasia Studio. Camstudio was my good friend this summer, until one day it stopped working. It would no longer let me save my projects. So I downloaded the trial version of Camtasia. Well, this program would not allow me to upload my project onto Youtube for some reason. I had to save it and manually upload it (after about two hours of trying to upload it with Camtasia.)
I have a love/hate relationship with Movie Maker. I love it because it enables me to produce really cool projects. I hate it because it takes so much time! When I think I am finished, I find another effect or audio I could add. Or I think I am finished only to realize that I forgot to add something and have to start all over again. Another lesson I learned with this project is to ask for help with your classmates! I am lucky to have someone who is willing to help me whenever possible, even at 10pm!

Google Docs

Google Docs is an amazing tool I was introduced to this summer. But this semester is when I really had a chance to use it! We used it as a way of sharing documents within our PBL group as well as communicating on our project. It is so much easier to use Google Docs than it is to email each person an attachment of our portion of the project. Instead of clogging each other’s emails, you simply logged into Gmail to access everything at once. What’s really neat is that I could see if another group member was logged on. We could edit documents at the same time . . .in real time! I remember speaking to one of my group members on the phone while we were both editing the same document. It had us both thoroughly entertained. Another great feature is its autos save function. You don’t have to click “save” after you edit because it automatically saves the draft every few seconds! If only I’d had this feature when completing my undergrad!! Now that I really understand Google Docs, I do feel that it is something I will use in the future.

PBL Activities

This week's discussion required us to create two PBL lessons integrating different subjects. The first lesson needed to include math, social studies, and art. The second one included science, English, and music. I think PBL pretty much requires integration between different subject areas due to the nature of the lesson. In my classroom this type of integration is much easier because it doesn't necessarily have to include technology, which I’ve stated is somewhat of a struggle to use at times. Although many of us had a hard time creating our lessons, I think it came together nicely in the end.

Mimio Board!!

I am now the proud "owner" of a Mimeio board! I have never even heard of this before but I am so excited! It's basically a device that turns your white boared into an interactive smart board! The only downfall is that in order to use it, you have to have both your computer AND an LCD projector. The computer isn't a big deal becuase I always have access to that. The LCD projector could be a bit of a problem. Not only would have I to check it out of the media center, I also have to set everything up properly for each use. Don't get me wrong . .I am extremely grateful, but it is a bit of a process. Has anyone ever used one before? Let me know what you think!

Mimio Board

Voice Thread

Voice Thread was something I’d never heard of before. It sort of mimics Youtube in that people can create and upload different videos and projects. It takes it a step further by also allowing users and viewers opportunities to comment with text or narration.

My main challenge was in creating a presentation that includes discussion. Because I see many children every week, deciding on which grade level and which activity to include was also challenging. I decided to do my voice thread on instrument families because it is something that I can use from grades 2-5. I am finding as I go further into my master’s program, that with each project I create, the more students I can use them on, the better. I also got a bit turned around when uploading my different slides.

Even with all of these challenges, I did enjoy using voice thread. I was able to use some of the materials I’d created in my Multimedia course for this project. Some of the slides were created for my Kiosk project, which focused only on 3rd grade students. The project was to help the 3rd graders prepare to join either band or orchestra. What I really like about technology, is that once you create something, you can use it in many different ways. This saves time and it also gets the information out to many more students.

Comic Life

I had a really good time with this project! Once I figured out exactly what I wanted the story to be about, it was a breeze. My students also had a great time helping me by posing and basically being the hams that they are! I can not wait to show them the results when I see them later this week.

What was tricky about this was deciding what the comic strip would be about. As I discover more tools to use, I am discovering that it is sometimes not as easy to use it in my classroom. There is no point in using a tool if what you're using it for has no real relevance to what you are teaching. With some tools, it is much easier to cater it to your specefic needs. I had a hard time figuring out how to make Comic Life work for me. But now that I have created this one about the hand drum I realize that I can use it in may ways! You can check out my submission for the Comic Life Project by clicking here.

PBL Reflection

Project based learning (PBL) is not something I really thought of before. I can honestly say that I didn’t really know what it was before the readings. I sometimes feel that if you aren’t a classroom teacher, you don’t get the same amount of training. Although it’s awesome to not have to sit in faculty meetings on math curriculum or new language arts standards, I think more often than not I miss a lot of important information shared at these meetings that relates to everyone. After reading about PBL, it makes a lot more sense to me. I interpret it as “learning by doing” which is my favorite way to teach! For instance, I teach my 4th and 5th graders how to read music. I could do it by simply showing them the notes and having my students commit it to memory. But they way I prefer to teach it is by starting them off on recorders. They learn to read the music because they have to in order to play the instrument. I use project based learning all the time, but not with technology. This is something I would like to work on in the future.

Blogging So Far . . .

So far, the blogging process has been beneficial to me. It has been a way for me to reflect on the course so far. I have blogged before, but they have been on more personal topics instead of academic topics. What I’ve really enjoyed is viewing my classmate’s blogs. Hearing their thoughts about this course has been very insightful. I have also seen some really cool layouts and tools included that I would like to try myself in the future.

Reflection (VENTING)

Having the knowledge to use technology and the ability to use it don't always come hand in hand. Take today for example. I was preparing to teach a group of 4th graders about ballads and how they relate to stories. Because I know I have limited resources, I only planned to use a CD player and an overhead projector. Yes, an overhead projector, which sadly enough is the most technology I can typically use on a day to day basis. I don't have access to a Smart Board or an Activboard like some of my fellow teachers. Even using the overhead engages my students more because it causes them to focus on what I want them to instead of their sweet little fingers flipping from page to page to page in the book.

Back to my point. While setting up, I realized that i did not have enough working electrical outlets in my classroom nor did I have a cart to place my overhead projector on. It was only because I had extra planning time that I was able to rearrange my classroom in order to accommodate this situation. What I find frustrating is that even with the very LITTLE technology that I do have, being able to use it effectively is sometimes challenging.

As the world become more and more technologically advanced, I feel that many of our schools fall behind. Those that do have access to the latest technology are extremely lucky and it frustrates me to no end when I hear of a teacher not using it. If only I could trade places for a day!

What Does Technology Integration Mean To Me?

My definition of technology integration is technology that not only aids in learning, but teaches about technology itself. As a music teacher, the kinds of technology I use regularly in my classroom relate to music. I use things like cd players, and mp3 players daily. I not only introduce different songs using these things, but I also try to show the students how to use the technology. I created my definition based on several assigned readings.


Chapter 1 of “Supporting learning with Technology” begins by discussing a group of teachers wanting to know why they needed to take a class learning about technology. Many of the teachers expressed their use of technology in the classroom, but admitted that they were using it in ways that did not aid in student learning. The chapter also gives us a peek into the 21st- century skills as well as the ISTE national technology standards. The 21st- century skills are learning goals that focus on content learning, critical thinking, communication, problem-solving, production, and creativity. Egbert goes on to emphasize the importance of using technology effectively in the classroom and how teachers: understand realities of technology use, examine equity and access for students, and consider student differences.

The article in Roger’s book focused on tips to help with technology integration. It focused not only on classroom integration, but also school wide integration. The three tips for the classroom were:
1. The learning objectives should drive the selection of technology.
2. Technology should provide added value to the lesson.
3. Technology should assists in the assessment of the learning outcome.
For each of these tips, the technology used in the classroom should have an actual impact on student learning. It should not just be used as a filler.
The three tips that should be used school wide were:
1. Teachers should have access to technology.
2. Professional development should available. There should be a support system set up between the teachers.
3. Teachers should be able to provide honest feedback to discover new ways to use technology.

The article I found is titled “Technology Integration: A Best Practice Perspective.” It was a study that focused on technology coordinators teaching students in the schools. The technology coordinator collaborates with school leaders to integrate technology into the curriculum. The coordinator must be familiar with the curriculum and suggest ways for integration. The findings of the study showed that students had an increase in learning as well as developed technology skills by being taught by the technology coordinator. Some of the problems addressed were having the technology available to the students in elementary school as well as finding times to access the computer lab.

Lesisko, L; Wright, R; O'Hern, B. (2010) Technology Integration: A Best Practice Perspective. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of Educational Research Association, Savannah, GA. Retrived from Eric Database.

Egbert, Joy. (2009). Supporting Learning with Technology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Welcome to my madness!

This blog will serve not only as my submission for our first project, but this is also where I will come to post my findings, thoughts, and frustrations when it comes to integration of technology. This is not the first blog I’ve created, but it will by far be the most detailed and in depth blog I’ve ever made. This process has been a bit difficult in the beginning. Much like everything else, there is a learning curve. Once I was able to understand not only the instructions, but the process of creating this blog it has been fun!