My name is Sonja Kreps and this is my fifth year as a teacher. Prior to having my own classroom I was a substitute teacher for two years and traveled to Kursk, Russia for my student teacher/pre-clinical practice. I currently work for the Lakewood City Schools (Sonja.Kreps@Lakewood.K12.Oh.Us) as a 5^th grade language arts and social studies teacher. I have also taught middle school language arts and social studies and gifted 5^th grade math, science, social studies and language arts. Being a gifted teacher is my passion and I would love to be teaching gifted students next year. Due to additions to my licensure, but then budget cuts in my district, I have been moved almost every school year to a new teaching position, placing me at six different schools in the last three years. Yes, I have traveled a lot! However, I have put all my changes and transitions to school use and feel it has broadened my experiences. Some of my favorite lessons have been teaching immigration and conducting an Ellis Island Day, complete with costumes, food and ethnic dancing; Winter Olympics 2010 study of countries and creation of sports able to be played in the classroom; science plant experiments; and Mock Trial with a parent jury sworn to not show favoritism towards their child. My philosophy of teaching, as stated in my resume, is to help students want to learn through motivation and encouragement. Like the saying, you can lead a horse to water but can’t make them drink, students are similar in that you can be the best teacher, but if you don’t connect with your students and find a way to relate to them, they will not respond. My teaching style is to plan thoroughly, have many outlets prepared, then see where time and the class takes me. I like to introduce the class, explain the topic, then sit back and hand control to the students. When they take charge, they are learning and accomplishing more than just sitting and listening and taking notes. Yes, that is sometimes necessary, but you learn more when you are active and hands-on. I am motivated to teach by my students. When they come in and are excited to see me and can’t wait to start a lesson I know I am doing something right.

Professional development activities I have taken place in include getting my Master’s Degree in Gifted Education from Cleveland State University, renewing my license with Integrating Technology in the Classroom, Adolescent Literacy Strategies, and countless development sessions offered through my school district. These include trainings with new technology, creating common assessments for math classes, teacher based teams and bi-weekly meetings about curriculum and planning. Because I have moved from school to school, grade to grade, I have not received any honors but have obtained all positive/excellent principal evaluations. On a two year assessment cycle, and leaving the district for another my third year, I have five years straight of quarterly principal evaluations.

Module 1 Reflection:To begin, my virus protection is a yearly updated Norton product that keeps me running smoothly! Reacting to the readings on the website, the book and my ideas:Technology Integration really hit home with me in regards to how technology savvy our students are and how little computers are used in our schools. My class last year was constantly on rotations between me, at seat work and a station at the computer. The kids and I enjoyed the rotation and it helped learners of all methods a chance to show what they could do. However, this year in a new school, I see the computers in a lot of room just sitting gathering dust. Our school system has a lot of technology included in each building, but it is not being used to its potential and our students will suffer because of it. Why Integrate Technology and Best Practices make me hope that this class will give me new ideas and make me confident to share what I learn with teachers who are reluctant to include computer time in their rooms. I agree 100% that using technology (the right way) increases student performance. Teachers can benefit through sharing and communicating and the more effective the teacher, the more effective the student. While most of the information I read about online and in the text book sounded familiar (I could definitely relate to early teaching experiences!), I was not really aware of NETS before this module. I know about standards and benchmarks and know there is a book of standards for technology, but I never have looked through it. Even though our school is trying its best to get new technology, it is not really being regulated. I know that I will be more sensitive now about how much I teach and use within my classroom. As per my email to you, I was concerned about the QuizStar assignment. But, as a good, reflective educator, it helped me put myself back into my students’ shoes, being nervous for quizzes or tests. Sometimes as teachers we get too confident, teaching the same material year after year that we forget what it was like learning it the first time. It helps to be sensitive (and have sympathetic instructors as well!) The three websites I visited for this assignment were: The Interactive Star Charthttp://www.iste.org/inhouse/starchart/index.cfm?Section=STaRChart&CFID=5892998&CFTOKEN=69383275I picked this site, one because I skipped over the “Beginner’s Guide” thinking it might not help much, as I hope I am not only a beginner! Two, I was curious to see what a Star Chart was (similar to a KWL?) Then I was disappointed when I found the link was no longer active. I almost skipped over the link altogether and figured I wouldn’t be able to use it, but then I realized, this is a common problem. All too often sites are down, moved or no longer active. My biggest problem with finding sites at school is that they are blocked through the filter and I don’t have the access codes to bypass the filter. I did think it was nice that this page at least kept other links on it to help guide you to another page instead of an “error” or “link broken” message. Best Practices of Technology Integrationhttp://www.remc11.k12.mi.us/bstpract/bstpractNew/IntegratedAreasEL.htmlI was very excited to look at this page because I am constantly trying to find websites to use in my classroom. While I teach 5^th grade and some of the links didn’t apply to my class however I was interested in the state brochure page as I am using a similar lesson in my social studies class. I find it very helpful to be able to add on to a lesson by borrowing from someone else’s ideas. I don’t feel comfortable taking someone else’s lesson plans in their entirety (makes me feel too much like a substitute teacher) but I do like to add on great ideas to my own. I also really liked the “reporting classroom activities on a web page” link as well. I have a teacher web page and can sometimes feel burdened with keeping it as up-to-date as possible- why not let the kids help out? Online Crosswordshttp://www.englishpage.com/games/games.htmlI also looked at the online crosswords webpage, but was not very excited by it, or wouldn’t recommend it. It was nice to have some ready made materials, however, I like to use the Discovery Channel’s webpage where I can tailor make word games to fit my lessons with vocabulary words, chapter summaries, study guides, etc. http://www.discoveryeducation.com/free-puzzlemaker/?CFID=10618263&CFTOKEN=52934023 Some puzzles available here are crossword puzzles, word searches and cryptograms. They are very easy to make and are free! After being used to their page, I don’t think I would change. Being in my 5^th year as a full time teacher, but with my 4^th assignment, I have used technology in many different ways. My first two years with at-risk students, it was used during computer time where I found appropriate websites for them to use as ‘learning games.’ My third year of teaching I was lucky enough to write a successful proposal for using netbooks with my gifted students. That school year I conducted my classroom on GoogleDocs and accessed information from wherever I was, which was handy as a traveling teacher. Last school year I had a computer time once a week where all my students were on at the same time for a project, research or using appropriate website to supplement learning. However, I also incorporated typing skills into our writing class and computer rotations during math for added practice.

This school year I have not had as much luck using computers as I am a traveling teacher once more and see each class for one subject a day. As a 5^th grade teacher my schedule resembles more of a middle school teacher. While every Monday I start the week off with a website of the week, I have not had as much luck integrating computer time into my reading classes and miss how I used to use technology. Hearing about NETS makes me more motivated to start again! (The quiz about NETS was a little confusing- at first I didn’t see the “choose all that apply” and missed a few. I did take it several times in a row and improved, but not too 100% so I made myself stop until I can look over things more carefully!) A few days later…I messed up at school trying to take it and blew one whole attempt by hitting ‘start’ instead of ‘review.’ So much for that 100% grade, although we already talked about that :-)

Module Reflection #2While doing the reading, there were a few parts that really stuck out to me. The first “Learning, boiled down to its essentials, is a combination of behavior, thought process, and experiences,” made me think about how I teach some of my classes. Having a range of high students and low students, I definitely teach them in different ways. This quote says nothing about sitting and reading quietly and memorizing, but made me think of ‘doing.’ Experience to me is doing something. Like another quote from the reading, “Throughout history, people have learned by doing. In the workforce, project-based learning is called an apprenticeship.” While I am nowhere near old enough to even be part of a colonial history joke, I can remember classes back from first grade because I was actively involved and learned from them. I know school bells ringing got a bad reputation (like factory whistles churning out assembly line workers) but why not use school as a real world model? But, this needs to be in moderation. Having student taught in Russia where students were 'tracked' from as low as 12 years old showed me that students need to be challenged and not definitively ability grouped. Which brings me to my next topic: “There are two types of instruction, teacher centered (Obstructivist) and student centered (Constructivist).” I got really mad when I read this. Yes, teacher centered classes where the teacher talks at students just to tell how great he/she is and how smart he/she is are AWFUL and the students don’t come away with much, but without moderation, student centered (in some cases) are just as bad. Having taught 3-8^th grade, gifted, average, low, behavior, at-risk students, I feel I have just about seen it all. As bad as it sounds (and I wouldn’t consider myself a control freak) but sometimes the classes HAVE to be teacher centered. If the students aren’t motivated, or just don’t comprehend the material, centers and student run discussions just aren’t going to work. Just like the last quote that hit me, “Furniture in a Kindergarden classroom.” Argh. Sorry- I am a nut about spelling J (But again, reminded me of Russia where a student called it the "child garden" while trying to translate the room for me. Explain your opinion of filtering software used in schools. While I agree that there needs to be filtering on software used in schools, I also think that this shouldn’t necessarily apply to teachers. The Board trusts us enough to be in charge of children’s educations, well-being, self-esteem and safety, but we aren’t smart enough to know what is safe to look at? To not download illegal music on our computers? To not lock our computers when we walk away from them? To not share our passwords? Teachers should not be on the same level as students when it comes to the filtering system. Describe how you can model and enforce cyber ethics in your classroom. Just as teachers need to address cheating, bullying and plagiarism (and a million and half more things), cyberethics should be addressed in the classroom. While it is mentioned in the AUP students have to sign (all 5 pounds of it) I’m sure students don’t read through and know what it means. However, it would be easy to enforce hand in hand with plagiarism. Having elementary students (although some are more crafty than others) there are a lot of things I don’t need to discuss with them quite yet, but citations are definitely a yes. I really enjoyed the Rules in CyberSpacehttp://www.cybercrime.gov/rules/kidinternet.htm website and would start with that each school year. Depending on the group, then have the students create their own PowerPoint and post it on my teacher webpage. The more doing, the more learning. Include your opinion of essential Web site evaluation techniques. My criteria for essential web site evaluation techniques include:1). Sites that can be found at home, but also work at school. The district I currently teach with blocks a TON of websites. I understand the reasoning behind it, but get a little aggravated when, as a teacher, I am not given the right to decide if a site is appropriate or not. With certain training, offered through my district, I can be given passcodes to “override” the system, but I have not taken those classes yet. 2). “.edu” or “.gov”As per #1, I find that most, if not all, of these sites are available through the filters at school. It’s great to know that the site won’t get blocked sometime throughout the project, but it also is great to know that the information on these sites is reliable and accurate. Young students will believe anything they read or hear and it’s important to provide them with accurate sites. As they grow older (middle school) they can begin more of the filtering process (which they already do with social sites, but maybe not with school subjects).3). Citation ReadyAs a responsible citer, the websites I want my students to use should have an author or sponsor to cite, a last updated time stamp and for bonus material, additional resources or additional sites linked to the page. Usually, by the time a site has passed requirements #1 & 2, this is a given, but sometimes sites can slip through the cracks!4). Age AppropriatenessWorking with 5^thgraders, I want sites to be age friendly and interactive. I don’t need dissertations, or inappropriate images to appear. This is another reason why it is better to have links on my teacher website and just have students go there. The older they are, the better they can search, but I don’t want to get fired for a student looking up one thing and getting another inappropriate one! However, as long as it is previewed beforehand, I would like to think that if it does not have an .edu or .gov after it, I would know if a site is accurate or not. I think Wikipedia gets a bad rap sometimes (which it does deserve occasionally) but it is an extremely helpful tool as well if the information can be verified. Online Assessments WebsitesI love the “Learning Strengths Inventory” page and immediately thought of my gifted classroom last year. They were always so fascinated with learning, and learning about themselves that I could have used that page whenever: before report cards, the beginning of new lessons, just for fun! This year I could incorporate it into the lesson before group work. “Find Your Multiple Intelligences Strength” would definitely fit in with this webpage as well- group work. And it never hurts to know more about yourself and who you would work well with!The “Instructional Methods Dis/Advantages” page I would keep more just for myself, as a check list to make sure I am teaching lessons/units in different ways and gauging how students do with certain learning styles. It is good to have a round classroom with different activities meeting different learning styles.

The last link didn’t seem to be connected to anything… but the name of it makes me think it would have fit in well with the first and third link- something to show the students and work with them.

Revised Lesson from Module 2 and Activity/Handout:Technology Integration/Cooperative Learning Activities Lesson Plan5th Grade Social Studies: Identify and Categorize Regions of America: Midwest & WestThe original lesson that I taught for the Northeast & the South was just to read the chapter section of the social studies textbook, make a t-chart comparing the two regions and discuss in class. For the second sections of regions, this was altered to ‘spice it up’ a bit. Instead of just reading, and writing, I used some creativity and technology. (I swear this was before I saw the website about making brochures!) Each student was to pick the region they liked more and create a brochure on the computer using Microsoft Publisher featuring a cover page, plants & animals section, landform section, why you should visit section, contact information & logo, and facts page. The cooperative learning section for this lesson is a little skimpy- while we were in the lab, the students helped each other with questions on font, clipart, etc while I monitored as well. In the future, maybe a more in-depth presentation with partners competing over which region? A region travel agency debate? Ooh- it could be interdisciplinary with math- ticket prices, lodging, tours… The students really seemed to get more out of the lesson the second time and took more ownership with their learning.

After the brochures were finished (and graded using a rubric from Rubistar (love it!), the students each gave a persuasive presentation about why I should visit their region & use their travel agency. Fun lesson!

Website ReflectionsTekMom’s Search Tools for Students http://www.tekmom.com/search/I thought this site was helpful but at the same time overwhelming. It is great to have so many different search engines on the same webpage, but realistically are they necessary? Using search engines like Google, Yahoo or Bing, you get all kinds of results as it is if you search correctly. And, as teachers, we are supposed to have already limited down the websites we want our students to look on. Maybe as a parent this would be a helpful site, and as a teacher looking for sites to use, but at school I would still be wary of letting students search for anything. (I teach 5th grade). Rules in CyberSpace http://www.cybercrime.gov/rules/kidinternet.htmThis site seems like a great “kick-off” to the internet! It seems young enough to be used at the elementary level, but has situations aimed at higher ages too to be appropriate for middle school as well. The “.gov” part of the URL lets me know it is a legit site and were I to be doing a big research project with computers I would definitely use this in class. Maybe at the start of next school year? Popcorn http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson324.shtml

I love, love, love the ideas here! As one of those kooky teachers who knows wacky holidays, I spent last January 19th (National Popcorn Day) just showing a slow motion video of popcorn popping, discussion how popcorn pops and then popping popcorn in my “Stir Crazy” air popper I brought in to class. The ideas on here were more linked to standards (oops) and gave way to a whole day’s worth of activities! Not having a self-contained class this year I didn’t really celebrate in any way at school, but look forward to next year!

My criteria for essential web site evaluation techniques include:1). Sites that can be found at home, but also work at school. The district I currently teach with blocks a TON of websites. I understand the reasoning behind it, but get a little aggravated when, as a teacher, I am not given the right to decide if a site is appropriate or not. With certain training, offered through my district, I can be given pass codes to “override” the system, but I have not taken those classes yet. 2). “.edu” or “.gov”As per #1, I find that most, if not all, of these sites are available through the filters at school. It’s great to know that the site won’t get blocked sometime throughout the project, but it also is great to know that the information on these sites is reliable and accurate. Young students will believe anything they read or hear and it’s important to provide them with accurate sites. As they grow older (middle school) they can begin more of the filtering process (which they already do with social sites, but maybe not with school subjects).3). Citation ReadyAs a responsible citer, the websites I want my students to use should have an author or sponsor to cite, a last updated time stamp and for bonus material, additional resources or additional sites linked to the page. Usually, by the time a site has passed requirements #1 & 2, this is a given, but sometimes sites can slip through the cracks!4). Age Appropriateness

Working with 5th graders, I want sites to be age friendly and interactive. I don’t need dissertations, or inappropriate images to appear. This is another reason why it is better to have links on my teacher website and just have students go there. The older they are, the better they can search, but I don’t want to get fired for a student looking up one thing and getting another inappropriate one!

Technology Responsibility Lesson: 5th Grade Web Site Citations In this lesson, you will be evaluating 5 websites about the 13 colonies. The websites are all different in terms of context, but similar in other aspects. It is your job to rank the web from 1- 5 based on the following:1. Website Title & Author: How easy was it to find this information? Where did you find this information? 2. Copyright & Last Updated: How easy was it to find this information? Where did you find this information?3. Layout of Webpage: Graphics included: What would you change about this page?4. Reliability: How accurate is the information on this website? How can you tell? Why is this important? Read the following page. How many people think they may be guilty of improper use? Don’t worry, I won’t turn you in; I’m here to help! http://fairuse.stanford.edu/Copyright_and_Fair_Use_Overview/chapter6/6-a.html Now let’s look at some websites and evaluate them! (Put your final ranking next to the website after you have evaluated all 5 sites)____ http://www.softschools.com/social_studies/13_colonies_map/_____ http://www.mapletreelearning.com/stamphistory/first13colonies.html_____ http://www.mrnussbaum.com/13.htm_____ http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/graphics/13mapnew.htm

_____ http://americanhistory.about.com/library/charts/blcolonial13.htmAUP

FormParent/Student Agreement for the Use of Technology Lakewood City Schoolshttp://www.lakewoodcityschools.org/docs/AUP%20for%20Students.pdf My response:The Internet is an invaluable tool and by its own design accessible to everyone. That being said, it needs to be monitored in schools for students’ protection. Protection from inappropriate sites, viruses and *gasp* non-educational websites. Having worked in two very different school districts, I have seen opposite ends of the spectrum in regards to internet monitoring which helps me put this reflection into perspective. In one school district, there was virtually no filter. Youtube, personal email, and Facebook were all accessible from every computer, teacher and student log-ons. While this could be helpful at times (YouTube actually has a lot of great, educational videos) this can be highly abused and for sue happy parents, a costly mistake. In the other school district, a strict filter that is constantly being updated- sometimes while you are on the site! While I agree with filtering, my problem is with teacher access.Currently, in order to be able to override the system you can do two things:1). Submit a review of the website stating why you would like it unblocked and wait and wait and wait to see if it ever gets changed (it never does)

2). Take district provided classes ($) to be shown how to use the Internet properly and receive in exchange an override password. It’s great that there is a way to override the system, but if you don’t trust your teachers, why hire them? I believe this should be updated to let teachers have access to any site they want. We can all check our email on our phones now anyway, but we should be able to decide what is appropriate or not for our classes to see. I miss my access to searching for sites (finding them at home and then not having them work at school). One of these days I will break down and take their class, but for now, I’ll just submit my reviews and wait, and wait, and wait!

Module 3Part I: Personal Goals to become a LeaderFor as long as I can remember, I have always been a leader. I was a smart student who caught on quickly and helped those around me. I have always been good at explaining things to others. Both my parents are teachers. It seemed obvious for me to become a teacher as well. However, at school, it is a little trickier for me to step into that leader position concerning my peers. Towards my classes, it is no problem. However, I have moved teaching positions almost every year since my full-time hire. Due to this, in 5 years, I have worked in 4 different buildings and met over 100 teachers. It is hard to settle down, know my standards and be prepared beyond my classroom, let alone be a leader in my building. And after this year, I fear I will be moved again. However, I know I am building a great reputation in my district and am working well with those around me. Therefore, my goals to become a leader amongst my fellow teachers will be through my teacher website. While I currently keep a teacher website, its use is mainly for students and parents. My goal is to also use it as a teacher discussion/blog/spring board for lesson plans, field trips, etc. Right now teachers share websites I have posted, but I would like to use it for more. Having moved so many times, I have contacts with so many buildings, it only seems natural to keep up the contact. And what better way than through technology, i.e. a website! Concerning the readings, I was interested in the tech part concerning the ‘clickers.’ One of my schools has recently just been starting to use these, but are coming across problems of students feeling pressured to finish, embarrassed by how long it may take them. However, it is a great way to save time with grading and processes information so efficiently. A compromise was made to have students take the quiz/test, but then put it on the board and have students use the clickers to resubmit their answers. Interesting so far!I also liked, “Giving your students access to a topnotch word-processing program will not magically transform them into better writers.” However, like Dumbo’s magic feather, some students feel they write better on the computer! Last school year I used writing as bell work three days a week, and rotated students between the 4 computers in my classroom and the rest on AlphaSmarts. While I didn’t notice a great change in writing, I did notice their skills at typing improved, which is so important. My students this year, who have access to computers once a week for 30 minutes, type so slowly it is painful. I know, as their reading teacher, I am doing them a disservice by not having them fluent in typing and basic Microsoft Word skills, such as centering or even saving! In some of my other graduate courses I have met teachers who were National Board Certified. I know this is an excellent example of being a leader, but I honestly don’t think it is for me. I am happy in the classroom and feel that if I was certified, I might be pressured to do more- principal, superintendent, etc. I like working with kids, I like making lesson plans, I like being a teacher. I can see how it could be beneficial, but it is just not the right fit for me. As for the extracurricular links, I really enjoyed the template gallery, as I like to make things fun and interesting, but don’t always want to make my own handouts (though I often do!). I like the idea of the Chain Stories website, but have done writing like that before and I think more exciting- poetry or short story. Each student writes one line (with instructions from the teacher) then folds the paper down and passes. This way, everyone contributes to the story/poem and creates very random but interesting ideas! The graph site was also helpful, even though I am not in math this year. Graphs are still vital to social studies and in language arts. I keep bookmarking, bookmarking, bookmarking! Part 2: Web Site ReflectionThe first link I chose was the “pointer” and “pointer trails” link. I found this interesting because I know there are so many shortcuts on my computer but I am blissfully ignorant of many of them. While I have visited my control panel before, I never ventured into it for my mouse before! I think this knowledge would be helpful in my classroom to add to slower readers, following along on the screen like I encourage with their fingers on the pages of books. It could also help with presentations- PowerPoint or even web pages. It does spice things up and even though *gasp* I would never do it at school where downloading anything is blocked, but even to change the pointer to a different icon would grab students’ attention and hopefully keep it! Another link I looked at was the “on-screen keyboard.” While again, something new to me and I’ve had this computer for 6 years now, this I thought familiar and similar to the on-screen keyboard I use with the Promethean Board in the classroom. However, students can be shy coming up to the board and using new technology in front of their peers, afraid of making mistakes. While not the same as “touch technology” it is good practice for being aware of the on-screen keyboard. I liked doing my daily edits on the Promethean Board with this website, www.eduplace.com/kids/hme/k_5/proofread/proof.htm , sitting back and letting the kids run the show themselves. The on-screen keyboard would be a good way for shy students to practice and get ready to be in front of the class.

The last link I looked at was ZOHO writer. This website (the idea, the layout, even the font and color scheme) reminded me a lot of Google and specifically GoogleDocs. When I taught in a different school district with less firewalls and blocked sites, I operated my classroom through netbooks and GoogleDocs. I set up an account for each class with the same log-in name and password, but then created a folder inside for each student. There was also a “Daily Instructions” folder and a “Completed Assignments” folder where students checked for assignments and turned them in. It was run very similar to an online class, but I was there daily with them for assistance and they were in 4^th & 5^th grade. While I am working on this at home and am not positive, I know GoogleDocs is blocked by my current school district and I am thinking ZOHO will be too. I’ll have to check though, because as a traveling teacher again this year, it would be neat to keep in touch with my students through an online database while I am not physically there. (Although I don’t have those netbooks anymore!)

CyberInquiry

Digital Yearbook Page Assignment

Follow the directions to help you complete your online yearbook page. We will be using the computer lab today, which has computers with Microsoft Windows 2007 and higher. Please don’t write on the printed booklets as other students will be using them in the lab this week as well.

CREATE A NEW DOCUMENT1. To begin, you need to create a new document. First, check your desktop to see if there is a Microsoft Word icon there. If you don’t see that picture on your desktop screen, then click on the START button in the bottom left corner, hover your mouse over ALL PROGRAMS, hover over MICROSOFT OFFICE and finally, click on MICROSOFT WORD.

*Always use the LEFT side of your mouse to click to direct you places.*

NAMING AND SAVING A NEW DOCUMENT2. Before we go any farther, let’s NAME and SAVE our document. There are two ways to do this. Please read both descriptions and practice both ways. A. Go to the top left corner of the screen and click on the circle with the Microsoft logo on it. Move your mouse down to “SAVE AS” and click once with the left side of your mouse. At school you ALWAYS need to save to your name. Double click “My computer,” then double click your name. If you don’t click fast enough it will highlight what you are trying to click. If that happens, click on any blank spot on the screen, or click the icon (picture) to the left of “My computer” or your name. On the screen that comes up, name your file “(your name)’s digital yearbook page. You should see your newly named file read across the top of your blank document. Success! You should use “SAVE AS” for any NEW documents that you want to name.

B. The other way to save is to left click on the DISC ICON in the upper left-hand corner. Double click on “My computer,” double click on your name. On the screen that comes up, name your file “(your name)’s digital yearbook page. You should see your newly named file read across the top of your blank document. Success! Now that you have saved once, you will only have to click the disc to save again.

CHANGING FONT STYLE AND SIZE

3. At the top of your Microsoft Word document titled “Your Name’s Digital Yearbook Page” please type your first and last name. Because there is nothing else written on this page yet, hold down the control button (Ctrl) on the bottom left of your keyboard and the letter A at the same time. This will select all the text in your document. You should see your name highlighted. Now, look at the top of the screen ABOVE your document. You should see a box that reads “Times New Roman” and has an arrow pointing down to the right of it. These are your font selections. Please choose which font you want your name to appear in by scrolling through the list and clicking to change fonts. When you are happy with your font, move your mouse to the right where you should see a box with a number 12 in it. This box controls how big your font is. Please choose a font between 24 and 48 for your name. After you have changed your font and size, please click the disc to SAVE your work.

FORMATTING TEXT: 2 parts4. Part one: Next, hit Ctrl and A again to highlight your name. To the left of the font size should be the letters B, I and U. If you click the “B” your words will become BOLD. As long as that box is highlighted, whatever you type will be bold. Click the “B” again and it will stop. If you click the “I” your words will become italicized. As long as that box is highlighted, whatever you type will be italicized. Click the “I” again and it will stop. If you click the “U” your words will become underlined. As long as that box is highlighted, whatever you type will be underlined. Click the “U” again and it will stop. To format your name you are welcome to use the bold, italics or underline feature. You can use two or all three, but you must have your name bold, italicized, underlined or a combination. Part two: Next to the letters B, I and U are four boxes with lines in them. These boxes control WHERE your text will be on the screen. If you hover your mouse over them they will read: Align Left, Center, Align Right and Justify. Making sure your name is highlighted (Ctrl A if it is not), click the furthest button to the left. This is your ALIGN LEFT button and will move all your words to the left side of the screen. Now click the next button and your name should move to the center of the screen. The next button will move your words to the right side of the screen and the furthest button to the right will align your words to look like a book page. Please CENTER your name at the top of the screen.

After you do choose how your name will look, and have centered it, please save again.

SETTING MARGINSLet’s start working on your yearbook page! Please type in your short answer responses that we worked on in class. Once you have typed in your answer to question one, stop and do the following: 1. Highlight the all the words you have just typed, but not your name. To do this, click your cursor so that it is flashing to the right of the last word. Holding down the left side of your mouse, move your mouse to highlight your answer. Please Left Align your first answer.

2. To set your margins for the paper, follow these instructions from Microsoft Word Help, “Change page margins.”

1. On the File menu, click Page Setup, and then click the Margins tab.

2. Under Margins, type in 1.5 for the top, 1.5 for the bottom, 1.5 for the left side and 1.5 for the right side. This will space your paper out nicely.

NUMBERED LIST & BULLETED LISTPlease type your title “Top Five Activities to do in the Summer” onto the page. Choose your font, size it between 12 & 28, and center it. Hit enter, and then click on “left align.” Then, type in your number one thing to do this summer. Highlight the words (cursor at the end of the last word, left click and hold while you move the mouse over the words). When you have your number one activity highlighted, please go to the top of the screen where it says “Format” and click there. Click on “Bullets and Numbering.” When that box comes up, click the tab that says “Numbered.” Choose the style you like best and click it. Then, proceed to type in the rest of your list, hitting enter after your activity. Microsoft Word will do the rest!

Next, type in “Favorite Things About 5^th Grade.” This will be a bulleted list since I know there is no way to decide what was the best this school year! Just like making a numbered list, type in your title and center it, then enter and left align. Then, type in your first favorite and highlight it. Then, click on format at the top of your screen and go to “Bullets and Numbering.” This time, click the “Bulleted” tab and choose your favorite. Continue typing in your list, hitting “Enter” and Microsoft Word will do the rest!

CREATING HYPERLINKSPlease type in the title and descriptions of your favorite websites from your written version. Let’s have some fun! Open the internet and go to your first favorite website. Highlight the website address, RIGHT click and copy the website address. Minimize the page, and then go back to Microsoft Word. Highlight the title of your first website, and then RIGHT click on it. On the menu that comes up, choose Hyperlink… Your title is going to become a link to your website! At the bottom of the box, RIGHT click in the text box and choose “Paste.” Your web address should have pasted into that line. Hit “okay” and you should return to your document. If your title has turned blue, it is now an active link! Yay!

Do this with the remainder of your websites, and then click the disc to save!

GRAPHICS: Clip Art and Saved PicturesUsing Clip Art, let’s add some spice to your page! Go to the top of the page and click on “Insert.” Scroll down to “Picture” and click on “Clip Art.” The top should say “Search For.” In the white text box, type what you pictures you want. These pictures should represent what your text is about! When you find a picture you like, click the picture! If the picture comes out too big on the page, please resize it, using the CORNERS of the picture. If you resize it from the top or the side it will skew the picture and make it look funny. Please add between 3 and 8 pictures to your page from Clip Art.SAVE, SAVE, SAVE! Next, go to “Insert” again and choose “Picture” and “From File.” Go to “My Computer” and then your name, then “My Pictures.” Double click on your school picture. Place your school picture somewhere on your Yearbook Page. SAVE, SAVE, SAVE!!

For extra help, click on “Help” on the top tab, or see the following site for more practice. http://www.instruction.greenriver.edu/avery/activities/skills/writing/Writing_main.htm

(I have the computers for 2007 & higher because that’s what we have at school, however I am doing this from home with 2000 on my computer, so if some things are not exactly right, that’s why! I was very familiar with everything except where to go to set up page margins, so I have no citations except for that one. The rest I made up from constantly repeating it over and over at school!)

Assistive Technology Training Online Project (ATTO)http://atto.buffalo.edu/registered/Tutorials.php

http://atto.buffalo.edu/registered/Tutorials/talkingBooks/powerpoint.php

Creating Talking Books

One use of assistive technology I thought was neat was the one above about creating talking books. This could be helpful in multiple ways in my class this year. One, I could use this with my lower reading group to have them practice reading, record it and compare it throughout the year to check progress. Two, I could use it with my ESL or ELL students for the same reasons. Three, I could use it with all my 5^th graders in conjunction with their kindergarten book buddies. Each 5^th grader could read their story of the week on the computer and have the kindergartener listen and watch the words on the screen. As the 5^th graders get more advanced with creating PowerPoints with their voices recorded and words on the screen this could progress to the kindergartener helping out as well.

While I was somewhat aware of this, I was not sure exactly how to do it. Could ask my tech buddy at school, but why not be proactive and find out for myself? A 4^th grade teacher used a program similar to this last school year (at a different school) to monitor reading and helped spark this idea. I like the idea of adding more technology to it and not just have it as a reading on the computer, just one step up from a tape recorder.

Research Support for Word Processing

To find the research article I used Google as my search engine. I like Google even though a lot of sites that show up are not necessarily helpful. In order to find an appropriate site, I included some key words. The words I used in the search engine were: research, word processing, writing skills. I found a few potential sites using those key words, but I liked the following page the most:

http://www.donjohnston.com/pdf/cowriter/cow_wol_research_study.pdf

This research was based on determining “if a talking word processor and word prediction program (will) impact the writing outcomes of students with disabilities during their daily district-mandated writing activities.” Areas focused on were:

• Accuracy percentage (average percentage of correctly spelled words)• Mean number of misspellings• Mean number of word

with seven students in the 5^th grade from a school in Ohio (Whoo-hoo! 5^th grade and Ohio! This is definitely my demographic!)

The article goes on to state that in each category scores went up and included graphs to show the results. Overall it was concluded that word processing is positive for students and that students needing the most help gained the most with the word processing program.

While I agree that word processing helps students because it is a one on one teacher for spelling and grammar errors, it is possible to manipulate any data. Also, when conducting research, teacher may unconsciously skew results by wanting to prove their theories and working hard to create lesson plans to help prove their thesis.

I think a healthy blend of reading books, answering questions, writing papers and creating projects is the way to go to well round out a language arts class with practice all over. However, I don’t teach special education so may have a different sense of what my students need as compared to other classes.

Module 4

1. Review at least 3 of the Links provided in Module 4. (5 Points) In an email to your professor, evaluate the 3 Module 4 Must See links. http://www.sdst.org/shs/library/evalwebstu.html

1. Content specialist:	2. Authority/Credibility specialist:
3. Bias/purpose specialist:	4. Usability/design specialist

The Springfield Township Virtual Library was a neat site set up to help students learn about cataloging web sites. It reminded me of literature circles where they needed to decide about the content, credibility, purpose and design. I think students are more into an assignment when they are the judges and are often more critical than teachers! Three sites from this page I liked:1. “I can do that!” Cloning, while not in the news as much as back when I was in high school and the sheep cloning was BIG news, is still a draw for students to learn about. Cloning can be used as an interdisciplinary tool as well- the science behind it, the history behind it, the math involved and the writing/research about whether it is ethical or not. This page looked basic enough that students could understand it, however there are no citations or sites marked to verify credibility, so criteria for 2 and 3 are not present for judgment, but it looks user friendly and has fun graphics. As a high schooler, I would think this a good site to start off with, but would be wanting more information and use it as a base point. http://www.eurekascience.com/ICanDoThat/cloning.htm2. “Tobacco Free Kids Website” This site I picked because my 5^th graders recently have finished their DARE program about keeping kids off drugs and alcohol. While the name of the site include “kids,” at first glance, the site does not look kid friendly. It is an imposing site (meant to scare?) but includes lots of links. Rating this according to the 4 criteria, there is excellent content covering a lot of angles about tobacco usage, there are many citations stating where information is from, most of the information is biased, but the site is called ‘tobacco free’ so that is a given and finally it is user friendly, besides the fact that I don’t think “kids” should be part of the title- why not “Tobacco Free Teens?” Was that already taken? http://tobaccofreekids.org/ 3. “Zoom Dinosaurs” by Enchanted Learning I chose because I am somewhat familiar with Enchanted Learning. While I am not a science teacher, I still don’t believe dinosaurs are part of the science curriculum for middle school, so I am assuming this is a page ‘just for fun.’ Concerning content, there is A LOT! Link after link after link, which is good if you are looking for something specific, but if you are just looking around, it can be overwhelming. Most of the links are backed up with some citation or research, but not enough to make it credible. The bias is low because the site is factual, not trying to persuade you about dinosaurs. As for usability, I would say it is not very kid friendly (even middle school friendly) because of the link. I also don’t like all the ads and subscriptions. Really? Your information is that important you want people to pay for it? Next site please. http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/dinosaurs/index.html Module 4 ReflectionConcerning the readings this week, the part that stood out the most to me was the section in the textbook about the Urban Academy. This struck me for several reasons: one, it was painted as a great success and two; it is very different from the alternative school where I taught my first two years.At first, the students described were the same- dropped or kicked out of every other school throughout the district for various reasons. Check. Not having a feeder school or having students enter as freshmen, check. Small school, check. Teachers creating lessons but making sure they are modeled on state standards, check. However, the big difference that has me cynical is the success of the school. The students I encountered at my alternative school, where they went as a last resort before a juvenile facility or jail, were not motivated, were not interested in school and treated school as a joke. If we tried to organize a mock trial, no one would participate. If you assigned work out of school, it was not done. The students were more there for a warm environment and free lunch paid for by the government due to their low socio-economic level. I think a school like this is a great idea but having taught in one, I don’t understand their level of success compared to the school that almost made me want to quit being a teacher. Administration? Concerning the online reading, I made a connection between the six facets of learning and Bloom’s taxonomy. I hope throughout my class I am using each level appropriately, but some classes are harder to move forward than others. As long as each class is making progress that’s what counts, right?The same is true for project based learning. Great idea, not always possible. Alternative assessments- easy to fit in any class. Authentic assessment- easy to fit in any class. Project based learning? Sometimes too involved and too much responsibility for some classes to handle. Even though I teach three 5^th grade reading classes every day, I have VERY different lesson plans for each class because of their levels, even different books. In regards to rubrics, I do use them, but not very often. Our school district’s big push lately is for target standards and “I can” statements, so instead of using a rubric to show everything they will be graded on, tests and assessments are already broken into categories for grading based on standards. Rubrics I use more for projects, when we get to do them!Module 4 Lesson Plan and RubricMy 5th grade reading class just finished reading either White Fang or Where the Red Fern Grows where they used Literature Circles throughout. This I feel is the first use of alternative assessment because instead of just reading and answering questions after each chapter or section of assigned reading, the students were to complete one of the roles, such as Discussion Director, where they create their own questions from the reading; Artful Adventurer, where they draw, sculpt, paint, etc a scene from the section, label it and explain why they chose that part; Investigator, where they decide on a part of the chapter they want to know more about (setting, author, skill) and do research on the computer; Word Wizard, where they pick 5 or 6 of the hardest words, define them and use them in an original sentence. There are more roles and each help the student demonstrate their understanding in a different way. Every Tuesday and Thursday the students would then run their own book talks and share their roles. I feel this helped, especially with harder leveled reading books such as these. After we finished reading the books with literature circles, with my help, each student filled out an outline for a theme paper. I narrowed down the themes to “love, family, sacrifice or friendship” and gave them a skeleton outline and introduction for their paper. While this met the writing standards, each student has some wiggle room to show their ideas to be assessed.

Finally, the last bit for this book, the students were to break into groups of no more than 5, and choose between three projects (or combine them). One, create a talk show featuring the characters from your book. Two, create a PowerPoint presentation about your book (not a book report!). Three, create a puppet show about your book (not a book report!). I used Rubistar to create rubrics for each of these presentations (pretty much ready made- just click and choose) and gave them a min/max time limit of 5 and 10 minutes. So far, the students have produced great presentations and have demonstrated their understanding of the book. They worked together throughout reading the book, worked on their writing skills in describing themes of the book and got to “play” with the book to show their classmates. Assessment in many different forms!

Module 5 Assignments 1. Complete this project (24 points). Email your project to your professor with the Subject Line Module 5 Project. (attached)2. Module 5 Reflection Part A - Write an informal 200-300 word reflection on Module 5 focusing on what you learned and a 50+ word reflection on each visited Web site (3). What I’ve learned from this module is that I am pretty advanced with technology thanks to my school district as a student and as a teacher. PowerPoint presentations were new information when I was in high school ten years ago and a big draw. One of my college professors only used PowerPoint to teach his class (I get it know- easily saved, every lesson ready to teach and re-use) and we were bored to death everyday. Colleagues of mine have said they love using PowerPoint to teach lessons and I feel bad for their students. They are fine once in awhile, or as student generated projects, but to teach everyday using them takes the teacher out of the equation. Where is the interaction? The room for tangents? The spontaneity that happens from great lessons and teachable moments? I do feel that I could be more fluent with the charts and graphs section, but there is always time for that and I’m sure I will be teaching math again someday and will feel the pressure then to incorporate more computer knowledge of charts and graphs through Word, PowerPoint and Excel to use with projects in the classroom. Being spoiled with technology, I already feel that Flipcharts for Promethean Boards are much better than PowerPoint. There are so many more options (and easily downloadable software and packs to accompany) available on the internet. Like a Wikipedia, anyone can upload to it (which means check your resources carefully!) so it is constantly changing and being updated. Website 1: http://simplythebest.net/sounds/WAV/cartoon_wavs.htmlAwesome!!!! I love the ‘soundbites’ on this site. I always have a random or saying come into my head and wish I had a file saved with all of them to play at the drop of a hat. Some days I feel silly and will sing the students out the door- most recently to “So long, farewell” from the Sound of Music. If nothing else, I would use this site for entertainment purposes. I hope it’s not blocked at school! Website 2: http://webopedia.internet.com/TERM/a/animation.htmlI was frustrated with this site because first it was just a definition of animation- hello I grew up watching cartoons! Then I clicked on promising sites below but was just taken to more sites and most were no longer accessible. What I did find was background information, and not very student friendly. Website 3: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/I liked the templates site because it was very easy to read and see what I was looking for. It was nice to have all the categories defined which makes it easy to find what you are looking for, or get ideas if you are just starting out on a project and not sure what you are going to create (some of my best lesson plans start out with no purpose in mind!) Module 5 Reflection Part B -

Throughout this class, I have not really made any significant changes in my classroom. I have always used technology in my classroom (Promethean Board for attendance, lunch count, daily lesson plans, timer, teacher website for homework and website of the week) that to add more would be hard. I try to provide as many opportunities to my students to be on computers (Study Island, typing papers, creating PowerPoints) and using technology so I enjoy the links from each section and am storing them away, waiting for them to be relevant to what is going on in my classroom to be able to use them. I have plans for the future of some small group sessions where we rotate between computer research in the classroom (4 for 22 students), reading a novel, working on a project and completing additional worksheets dealing with the novel. I feel confident with computers and often explain how I use them to other colleagues. I know I have a lot to learn (why I took this class!) but am glad I am not being overwhelmed by the content of this course. We do have ‘tech buddies’ in each of the schools in my district and I feel confident enough that I might apply to be one soon!

Module 6 Reflection1. Module 6 Reflection -- Write an informal 200-300 word reflection on Module 6 focusing on what you learned and a 50+ word reflection on each visited Web site (3). “Lessons that integrate technology require planning to be successful” struck a chord with me immediately, as on Friday I showed a 20 minute clip about early colonists on my Promethean board. I had downloaded the clip from Learn360 and while it had worked previously, for some reason in class kept sticking at 2 minutes, 30 seconds and restarting. After the third time, I handed out a worksheet (that was to be homework) and told the students to work on it until the video caught up again. Always have a back-up plan! A graphic organizer that I love using technology is Inspiration. It allows for concept mapping, creativity with icons and graphics, and if set up correctly, transfers to outline form in Microsoft Word. It has been my experience with elementary schoolers that outlines are a hard concept to grasp in terms of organization. Technology is essential in any classroom, and easier to use than interdisciplinary lessons, especially if you don’t have a self-contained classroom. Self-contained classrooms are simple to create math & science lessons, and social studies & language arts lessons. Last school year I combined disciplines with an Ellis Island/Immigration unit, a Winter Olympics themed unit and in the past have used a Create Your Own Historical Themed Amusement Park which incorporated all subjects. That school year was when each of my students had their own laptop and could easily conduct research and create PowerPoint presentations and type up research. I enjoyed the ‘hotlist’ of websites from the Project Based Learning Online portion of the reading and can’t wait to see if those websites work at school and how I can incorporate some into my lesson plans. Website 1: http://www.oswego.org/ocsd-web/games/SumSense/summulti.htmlI chose this site because we give an 8 minute math quiz three times a year to gauge student learning and this seemed like that at first. I chose 40 questions in 8 minutes because that is basically the number the students have. While I experienced the same panic as the students to trying to finish, I was confused at first that I was CREATING and solving the math problems. Pretty neat! Will definitely add to my math websites! Website 2: http://www.sdcoe.net/score/actbank/torganiz.htmThis is a great website that incorporates all kinds of graphic organizers! Instead of looking through books, they are right at my fingertips online and can be brought up on the Promethean Board and used over and over. Go green! These could be used in language arts, social studies, science and even math! Writing across the curriculum is always a big push and this will make it easier for accessible tools. Website 3: http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/desertdwellers/index.html

This website I chose because I am reading the book “Holes” with one of my classes and thought this would be a great extension activity since the setting is in the desert. However, upon looking at the site, the first thing I see is 9-12 making it a little out of league of my 9-12 YEAR OLDS. However, there are lots of educational links and ideas (including pronunciation and journal topics) that I could pick and choose and make this appropriate for my advanced 5^th grade students.

Hot ListSelect a theme you currently use, or would like to use with your students. Create a Web Page Hotlist of at least 5 Web sites that relate to the theme. I am currently reading the book “Freedom Train” with my 5th graders. It is a great book for Black History Month and leads into my famous American research project for the 4th quarter. A lot of slave songs are mentioned throughout the book, and while a lot of links exist on the internet, I had to search and search to find those that were not blocked. I feel all the sites could be used with gifted, regular ed or inclusion as they are songs, background information and a "Choose Your Own Adventure" point and click website and add to the content of the book. Site 1: http://www.buffalostatepac.org/uploads/docs/harriet_studyguide.pdf This is a fantastic site using the songs, codes, maps and historical background about Harriet Tubman. This I plan on using during our 20 minute class trip to the computer lab and will let students read and explore at their own pace.Site 2: http://www.mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=2549&c=12This is an okay site that holds one of the most important songs that captures the theme of the story, “Go Down Moses.” While the YouTube video is blocked, I did play this song for my class when it was mentioned in the reading. Some students mentioned they recognized it from church and started a great discussion over where the songs were from and why no overseers or masters became suspicious when the slaves sang.Site 3: http://www.kididdles.com/lyrics/d039.html This is an okay site that plays “Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel” but does not include vocals. While I am familiar with the song from choir, it is a little different and I didn’t feel like singing it to my class. As much as this is a learning experience, I am still wary of the whole church vs. state situation. I played this in class after it was mentioned in the book to the same reaction as above, some students recognized it. Module 7 Reflection I love the idea of Inquiry Based Learning, but think that it applies to higher grade levels, or gifted students. Many students I have encountered have a hard enough time learning the information, let alone processing it and really dissecting it. It is a great way of teaching, but needs to be done in correct situations. I found myself agreeing with the section about spreadsheets and preconceived notions, some of which I had remarked about in the previous module. I shy away from spreadsheets because I am not a “math” person, but the examples shown there were from other subject areas and sounded neat! I love teaching about immigration and can’t believe I didn’t think about using spreadsheets as a way to create graphs about backgrounds! I did use spreadsheets during my study of the 2010 Winter Olympics where each student was given a country to represent and had to chart their gold, silver and bronze medals won. It brought a nice bit of competition to the room! I found the reading from the book interesting this week, but disjointed from the website reading and activities. Maybe it is because I am still a new teacher (in that 0-5 years category) or have been moved into a new grade/subject each year that I am still overly concerned with teaching to the standards in an attempt to please a new principal each year. Remembering back to my years at a charter school, I think that the mediation is a necessary part of healing and would bring motivation to students but I still find myself cynical. Inquiry based learning seems more student focused, instead of teacher focused, and the students I taught were most interested in doing as little work as possible.

Since I left that school I have become more optimistic and found my niche with gifted students. Living near Lake Erie we often get snow days due to lake effect snow, cold weather and winter in general. I think an interesting inquiry based learning project could focus around snow days given to schools. A site I found to help start is: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/son/winter/index.html

With a self-contained class this would be great to combine social studies, science and language arts together with a study of the water cycle, climate and then persuasive letters asking for our 5 ‘calamity’ days back due to inclement weather! This is more of a unit study though, and not my lesson for assignment 5 of this module. That would take way too much time, and I’m not in the position to use that this year anyway!

Website 1: http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/inquiry/

I liked this website because it went into depth about what inquiry based learning is. A lot of times learning is the same thing with a different label tacked onto it, but inquiry based learning is pretty close to what it says it is, without bells and whistles attached. While I agree with a lot of the website, part of me keeps pulling up some of my slower learners and thinks that these kinds of lessons would be over their heads, at least at the elementary school level.

Website 2: http://ablemedia.com/ctcweb/consortium/ancientolympians.html

I love this website, one because Greek gods are exciting and interesting and two, because I know this curriculum comes up in 7^th grade language arts (which I once taught!). I like how all the information is handy and showcased together. If I ever teach 7^th grade again (which is likely) this would be a valuable website to use with my students for research!

Website 3: http://inquiry.illinois.edu/index.php

I liked the Inquiry page because it branched off into many different directions. I liked the interactive aspect of letting teachers add their own units and browse through already created lessons. How did teachers teach without the internet? This page could be used with the class to help them ‘learn about learning’ and the steps in the process, or as a teacher resource (although it does look a little skimpy. I wonder if it is just getting started?)

2. Create an original spreadsheet and select and customize at least one of the resources offered on theInternet4classroms Microsoft Excel Modules. In an email to your professor, attach the spreadsheet file, and describe how you would use this spreadsheet offered by Internet4classrooms with your students. I chose to make a weekly grade sheet report of one class. I put students’ names on it for the purpose of showing a clear example, but if used in the classroom, each student could be assigned a number so their ‘anonymity’ would be protected. Although, in elementary school, I don’t remember too many students being ashamed of their grades, and honestly, we all kind of knew who would get what anyway! In addition to creating the spreadsheet, I also utilized the keyboard shortcuts. Some of the more popular shortcuts are:

Ctrl + A to select all items	Ctrl + C to copy selected text or items	Ctrl + V to paste the contents of the clipboard
Ctrl + P to print	Ctrl + Z to undo	Ctrl + X to cut selected text

http://www.internet4classrooms.com/winkeyboard.htm

I chose the shortcuts because my students always seem to learn some new, annoying trick (sticky keys?! Who thought that was a good idea?!) and I need to be aware of them to turn them off! (Incidentally, shift 5 times: on, shift 5 times: off). I had a hard time creating an Excel lesson from the materials given and decided on a grade sheet because most of what I looked like did not resemble Microsoft Excel to me, but more like Inspiration. With a regular Excel chart, I could have students survey each other, then fill in and graph choices (for a yearbook page?) about what activities they will do most that summer, what they liked best about 5^th grade, favorite foods, etc. I had a hard time connecting any of those to the tools from Internet4Classrooms so I stuck with the grade chart and keyboard shortcuts.If I had used Inspiration, I would have had students create a graphic organizer to model a rough draft outline, most recently with “Number the Stars” and their theme: love, danger, friendship or action. I wasn’t sure how that fit into Excel though, so I decided against creating something for that. I love that there was a Little Red Riding Hood link though, as that story is alluded to throughout “Number the Stars.”I do enjoy making my own materials. When I find something I like, I always tweak it anyway because no two classrooms are ever the same and no matter how many standards thrown at us, each teacher will teach them in a different way with alternate stylings. How can the same test ever make sense in mass classrooms? 3. Create one or more inquiry based lessons and directions for a teacher to manage the lesson(s). Email your lesson(s) and methods for managing the lesson(s) to your professor.Invasive Species in Lake EriePart One: Allow each group access to a computer. Print off copies of this article (or of enough computers are available, have them go to this link http://www.gma.org/surfing/human/zebra.html ) to first read and discuss zebra mussels. This should take one class period. Name: Date: Read Zebra Mussels, and then answer the following background questions: 1. What is the history of zebra mussels? 2. Where did zebra mussels come from? 3. What is their impact on humans? 4. What is their impact on the food chain? 5. Using the map from http://nationalatlas.gov/dynamic/dyn_zm.html#answer the following: A. How far south have the zebra mussels spread? North?East?West? B. Have they reached New England? What infested body of water is closest to Maine? C. Once they are introduced into a body of water on boat hulls or in ballast water, how can they spread? D. Where do you think they will spread to next? How? 6. Chlorine has worked effectively to kill zebra mussels, but it also harms everything else. Brainstorm some ways to effectively, but safely remove zebra mussels from our Great Lakes.

Part Two: Have students use the computers to research invasive species of Lake Erie using the following websites: http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/invasive/ or http://www.glsc.usgs.gov/main.php?content=research_invasive&title=Invasive%20Species0&menu=research Research and find 5 invasive species to Lake Erie with at least 2 plants and 2 animals. Create flashcards using either paper or a computer resource complete with picture and defining characteristics. http://www.flashcardmachine.com/ http://quizlet.com/ This should take two class periods

Part Three: Have students brainstorm ways to solve this problem, one by making it public concern, and two by offering solutions to help fix it. This should take three class periods, then be finished at home. Brainstorm ways to make make this situation more public and come up with one solution to help fix it!Create a product/poster/PowerPoint/PSA that demonstrates these attributes. Rubric: Public Awareness Campaign : Invasive Species in Lake Erie

Teacher Name: Mrs. Kreps

Student Name: ________________________________________

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Brainstorming - Problems	Students identify more than 4 reasonable, insightful barriers/problems that need to change.	Students identify at least 4 reasonable, insightful barriers/problems that need to change.	Students identify at least 3 reasonable, insightful barriers/problems that need to change.	Students identify fewer than 3 reasonable, insightful barriers/problems that need to change.
Brainstorming - Solutions	Students identify more than 4 reasonable, insightful possible solutions/strategies to encourage change.	Students identify at least 4 reasonable, insightful possible solutions/strategies to encourage change.	Students identify at least 3 reasonable, insightful possible solutions/strategies to encourage change.	Students identify fewer than 3 reasonable, insightful possible solutions/strategies to encourage change.
Research/Statistical Data	Students include 4 or more high-quality examples or pieces of data to support their campaign.	Students include at least 3 high-quality examples or pieces of data to support their campaign.	Students include at least 2 high-quality examples or pieces of data to support their campaign.	Students include fewer than 2 high-quality examples or pieces of data to support their campaign.
Campaign/Product	Students create an original, accurate and interesting product that adequately addresses the issue.	Students create an accurate product that adequately addresses the issue.	Students create an accurate product but it does not adequately address the issue.	The product is not accurate.

Module 8 ReflectionI remember back to 4^th grade when we had our first attempt at penpals- other 4^th graders from our district. I was paired up with a girl named “Sonya” because it was close to my name. Little did the teachers know that I despised whenever someone would misspell my name with a “y” and then found out that she even pronounced her name differently from mine: Sone-yuh vs. San-yuh, which was also like nails on a chalkboard to me. However, I could see why they matched us up. 5^th grade saw an increase in ‘technology’ when we each had a 45 second biography videotape made of us and was sent to another school. See my benefits of the internet to look at my revamped pen pal idea! Ways that technology can help teachers is evident with electronic grade books. Working in two different school districts I had become familiar with two different online gradebooks- Progressbook and Pinnacle. Progressbook has a lot of great features: grade book, averages, attendance, personal information (parent contacts, email) but does not compare, in my opinion, to Pinnacle that really fit with the whole standards based report card push of late. Pinnacle let you put in grades according to standard, then when grading time came, you could print out assignments according to standard and really assess strengths and weaknesses. Distance learning is a great way to bring experiences into the classroom for a fraction of the cost of actual field trips (although you do need some bus trips to round out students’ lives and memories!) See my lesson ideas below using the Underground Railroad. Teaching a gifted class last year, I realized how involved parents can be, and the best way to win them over, is to open your door to them. Last year I had parents invited in to watch simulations (they participated as my Mock Trial jury, and also were staged to play Ellis Island doctors during immigration), they helped judge contests (innovators of the Industrial Revolution), accompanied us on field trips, of course helped cater holiday parties. In addition, I created and used daily a web site for posting assignments, helpful study links and weekly newsletters. In addition, I kept in contact with parents through phone calls and e-mail, although the district is very strict (for legal reasons) on making sure that the email is confirmed and we acknowledge that anything in an email is public record. Website 1: http://www.emergingedtech.com/2009/06/6-examples-of-using-twitter-in-the-classroom/This website inspired me to use “Twitter” in my classroom in a couple different ways. One, students need help with summarizing and picking out the main ideas. If they had to summarize paragraphs in a Twitter format, they would have to limit their words. This could also be used as a literature circle role. Two, the Twitter scenario would fit as a perfect complement to Andrew Clement’s book, “No Talking” where the students see who can communicate with less words- boys or girls.

Website 2: http://www.field-trips.org/index.htm

I would LOVE to have my students create their own virtual field trip! This could be a year long project- taking pictures from each season, activities to do in each. It could be used as a time capsule documenting the year for milestone years (2000 has come and gone, but 2012 does have a lot of hype!) or as an extension for a pen pal! Website 3: http://www.epals.com/E-pals sound like a great idea, but make me nervous. With the anonymity of the internet, I would be afraid to allow students unmonitored communication without my knowledge of who they are actually speaking with. I have a great network of teacher friends throughout the country and would feel comfortable buddying up that way, but I would not want anonymous contact with a class. Students have so much access to the internet at a young age and email addresses that I would be nervous that something inappropriate could happen.

3. Critique the FlashCard Exchange, Quizlet, and Activities, Games, and Quizzes from Syvum. In an email to your professor, explain how you would incorporate these types of applications into your curriculum.

Flashcards created online help students with typing abilities and if they are like me learn more through repetition (writing things down help me remember, so does typing!) Other than that, we already use flashcards with social studies that are pre-made with the book, but I could use this with language arts. Quizlet I liked better because you could play with the flashcards online and use pre-made sets of cards (I typed in colonies and found a bunch immediately!). And the Activities, Games & Quizzes from Syvum? What couldn’t I do with that page? I already added a bunch of links from that site to my teacher webpage and plan on using them for my website of the week, in particular, the map puzzle of Europe to accompany “Number the Stars.” Previously I had been using www.SheppardSoftware.com but for some reason the Europe map puzzle on that site often has trouble loading.

4. Complete this CyberInquiry. You've just received a $5000 grant to purchase printers for your school. What printers should you buy? Why did you choose particular models? How do you expect the printers to be used?One of the printers I chose to buy is the Lexmark Pinnacle Pro901. I chose this printer because it has a great average user rating, the price is reasonable enough ($300 each) that I could buy multiple printers ensuring a longer life span for each printer, and enough teacher access to them. I would buy 6 of these, one for each grade level in my building (K-5). The qualities I like are copying, printing, scanning and faxing in color or black & white. They are available at a number of different stores so if there is a problem with one it shouldn’t be too hard to get it fixed or replaced. $1800.I would also buy one HP LaserJet M4345x MFP - multifunction ( fax / copier / printer / scanner ) ( B/W ) for around $3,000 to handle all miscellaneous needs and place it in the main office. This printer would be able to handle the bigger jobs and be more efficient.

A scanner is like a copy machine. But instead of making a copy on paper, it lets you save a hard copy as an electronic file. How can you incorporate one or more scanners into your curriculum? Scanning can be time consuming. Is it worth your time to scan items for students to use?

Having a scanner is definite plus in the classroom, especially with a Smartboard or a Promethean Board. Yes, it can be used like an overhead, showing worksheets on the screen so everyone can solve them together. However, students can create something with paper and pencil, scan it, and save it on a computer for further use. Pictures (hard copies) from a camera can be scanned in for projects. Graphic organizers can be created by hand and scanned in for computer use (sometimes I find it easier to just draw what I want instead of hunting down the right shapes). Scanning can be time consuming, but once done you have a permanent file saved!

Today’s students (scroll to the middle of the page to read the link, it’s worth it- Nope, it’s another BROKEN LINK) have grown up in the digital age. Thanks to camera phones, picture taking is an integral part of their daily life. How can you integrate digital cameras into your curriculum? Can you meet ISTE Standards by using a digital camera in a lesson? Is there any benefit to student learning?

As mentioned earlier, digital cameras could be used to help create virtual field trips of the students’ hometown. Take a picture, upload it! Create a page about it. Awesome! Cameras can also be used to document events in the classroom to create a digital yearbook of events (I have one from last year with our big events on it- fun to watch on the last day of school!) Pictures can be included into any discipline- math: find an object in the room demonstrating an acute angle and an obtuse angle. Take a picture of it, upload it to a PowerPoint and label the angles. Science: document plant growth by taking a picture daily and creating a time lapse movie. Social Studies: take pictures of historical sites around our city and create a time capsule. Language Arts: backgrounds for poetry themes. The list could go on and on and easily be paired up with any standard. Just be careful of what gets uploaded to computers! We don’t want to infect them with viruses!

Exceptional Education teachers are familiar with Assistive Technology. Assistive technology helps people with disabilities use a computer. Can you think of uses for these products in a non-exceptional education classroom?

Speech Recognition: Reading to book buddies (5^th grade partners up with either kindergarten or first grade to read), fluency with reading (to monitor their own progress throughout the year), recording narratives on PowerPoint projects,

Screen Reader: creating games with sound affects, proofreading papers

The technology committee is responsible for selecting new computers for your school. But first committee members have some difficult problems to solve. Should they purchase computers with CD-RW drives? Or should they purchase computers with only CD-ROM drives, that also require purchasing pen drives for storage?

If I had the choice between the two, I would buy the CD-RW drives because you can burn assignments/projects/lesson plans and continue to add to the discs instead of wasting them with one assignment. Most computers come with CD-RW drives and wouldn’t affect the prices. Many students already have their own pen drives so that wouldn’t be an issue to the schools, and even so, are of minimum cost due to their increasing popularity. However, with the risk of viruses being brought between school and home computers, pen drives are not allowed at many schools, making the choice even easier to make. CD-RW is the way to go!

You’ve been named the sponsor of your school’s Tech Troubleshooter’s Club. As members of the club, students can help teachers with simple troubleshooting tasks when they have a computer problem. Your first order of business is to create a troubleshooting tips guide for the club members. What are the top 5 tips you will include? (Both of these links are no longer available)

1. I would suggest students go to this website for any problems they have. It will teach students to think more and solve problems on their own. They will gain necessary researching skills and can put together their own guide of the top five problems as they come across problems. http://www.computerhope.com/basic.htm 5. Research the available technology for your school or department. Create an online survey using Survey Monkey, Advanced Survey, Survey Builder, or another online survey tool asking teachers at your school to describe ways they use available technology and analyze what other pieces might be necessary to fully utilize the current equipment and integrate technology. Post a link to your online survey to the forum with an explanation how you plan to share results of the survey with the school staff and parents. You do not have to administer the survey. Also, share some ideas on how you can use these types of tools with your students and their parents. Respond to at least one classmate’s post. http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22BXG28JYQD/I chose Zoomerang for my survey site because that is the site that my district uses for periodic surveys throughout our district. If I did indeed give this survey, I would take the results and create a pie chart showcasing the multiple answers results and a bar graph showing the top ways technology is used and what equipment is requested through Microsoft Excel. Zoomerang also has features to let you choose to keep results private or share results. In addition I could involve students and parents by posting this information to my teacher website and letting them voice their opinions through the blog feature. 6. Locate an online resource, remember you can use links provided in the Module, that relates to any of the topics covered in Module 8. Post the URL for the resource in the forum with a one paragraph synopsis of the resource.

http://ssad.bowdoin.edu:9780/projects/flighttofreedom/intro.shtml

This link is perfect!!! For my advanced 5^th grade reading group I am breaking them into four different groups while we read “Freedom Train” the story of Harriet Tubman. Each day one group will be reading, a second group will be working on the packet, a third group will be working on African-American history worksheets and a fourth group will be on the computers. Until now, I had not picked a website for them to be using, but this is great! It takes my previous ‘choose your own adventure’ website to the next level and is great for individual learning and exploring. What a great interactive website! Last school year the 5^th grade took a field trip where they were involved in an actual simulation so it’s great to provide my students this year with the next best thing!

The students will choose a famous person/slave to represent and follow their footsteps to freedom or more slavery. This ‘game’ reminds me of Oregon Trail (which I would LOVE to see available online). The students will need to make choices and see how their actions play out.

7. One of the benefits of integrating the Internet into your class activities is that you and your students have the ability to communicate with practically anyone in the world. Design a project for your class to use the Internet and / or email to communicate with other people. For example, your class can become electronic pen pals with another class, integrate emails or Web conferences with a subject matter expert, or students can become e-pals with soldiers overseas. For help organizing your project, visit Fusion, published by Willard R2 Schools, to learn about various online collaborative projects using different tools and technologies. Submit a brief description of your project in an email to your professor. One of the greatest experiences of my college years was my student teaching which I was fortunate enough to do in Kursk, Russia. I lived with a host family for three months and taught students in grades 6^th, 10^th and 11^th (although they spoke British English and called them ‘forms’ not ‘grades,’ and my 6^th formers were more on the level of English as their foreign language whereas the upperclassmen were fluent!) Even though this year I teach 5^th grade, I anticipate a return to the middle grades where I would love to create a Skype session with my students. The trickiest part of this would be the 8 hour time difference- maybe a before school/after school club would be the solution- or recorded videos sent to each other- virtual pen pals! I think this would be an excellent project 1) because it would keep me connected to Russia and the wonderful time I had there. I’ve only been back once since my teaching experience, but still keep in touch with my family and some students through email and Facebook; 2) it would build connections between two different countries but with similar students. Kids are kids no matter where you go! And 3) pre-conceived notions need to be broken down- American students need to realize that it is not cold in Russia everyday but Kursk was very similar to Cleveland and Russian students need to learn that not everyone in America is a movie star/beautiful/rich/famous. I love that there was a link to using Skype in the “Must See Links” and it only reinforces my belief that one day I will be able to accomplish this lesson. http://www.teachhub.com/news/article/cat/14/item/367 Module 9 ReflectionComputer viruses are terrorist actions- they serve no purpose, they are anonymous and they accomplish nothing but destruction. Schools need to be well-equipped with anti-virus protection and safeguard their computers by educating students on where viruses come from and how they attack. The digital divide (I had never heard it called that before, but was aware of the problem) creates some problems in schools- can you assign papers to be typed? What if a student doesn’t own a computer? Nowadays though, almost everyone knows someone who owns a computer (or two, or three!) and public libraries have computer labs specifically for homework and people who don’t have computers. One of my ESL students this year can barely speak English, but is just as efficient on a computer as I am (and is one student I am trying to keep up with!) I agree that supporting good schools is good business because one of Ohio’s biggest problems (like a lot of states) is retaining graduates for the work force. Give students a reason to return to their communities- have jobs ready and waiting for them! Teach them young and our future will be better for it. With all the budget and union concerns of State Bill 5 that Ohio is currently facing (will I have a job next year? Will I be compensated for it?) policies are being shaken up and schools could be hurt in the shuffle. Teachers need to be able to focus on their students and keep them as educated as possible to compete with other countries. Scaring us out of salary, benefits and making us feel threatened is not the way to ensure successful students! What students are going to want to enter the education field when the future is so uncertain? If teachers need to be reeducated every five years for licensure, then school board members should need to be as well- why does the government think they can run schools better than educators can? AND- where is the money from the lottery that is supposed to be going towards education???Website 1: http://wiredinstructor.com/profdev/multicultural/six/read6ChildSafety.htmlEarlier this school year we had a representative from a local police force deliver a brief training session on internet safety and our children. Fortunately, most everything is blocked at school, making teachers grumble, but also making us safe from lawsuits. Unfortunately, kids have so much access to the internet (on their own) that it is very easy for things to get out of hand fast. Teachers and PARENTS need to continue to stress the dangers of the internet as well as its usefulness.

Website 2: http://www.boxtops4education.com/

This website reminded me of my days in elementary schools when Campbell’s soup labels were saved and brought into school for redemption. With budgets being slashed left and right, it is nice that programs exist to try and give schools support. It’s even easier when points come from products people are already buying- why not participate?

Website 3: http://www.symantec.com/business/products/index.jsp

Norton is the product that I use on my computer, and although I have heard that it is not the best, I haven’t had any problems yet. It is scary to NOT have virus protection on your computer (when my monthly scan goes, I see 50,000+ threats detected. I am familiar and comfortable with this product and don’t feel it necessary to change (plus it automatically renews itself each year giving me one less thing to worry about!)

4. Module 9 Reflection Part B-- Describe how you can use what you learned in the Module 9 Scavenger Hunt in your classroom. The Scavenger Hunt activity resembled more of a quiz or a webquest to me than a scavenger hunt. Lucky for me, I already have all the technology mentioned in my room. If I was to receive more money, I would lobby for laptops for each student, or at least AlphaSmarts so each student would have something to type on, then upload to a computer. While I was familiar with all the points of interest on the site, I did enjoy the “Four NETS for Better Searching” link. Even shown through commercials, we do suffer from information overload, especially when searching online for information. Having a pneumonic device can really help you remember to keep it simple (stupid). KISS. Also answer the following questions about Internet software: What is your state's law on Internet filtering software? Does your school use filtering software? What is your opinion of Internet filtering software?

Ohio’s state law, applicable to both schools and libraries, “Requires internet- or computer-based community schools to use a filtering device or install filtering software that protects against Internet access to materials that are obscene or harmful to juveniles. Requires the schools to provide free filtering devices or software to students who work from home. As a condition of funding, requires local libraries to adopt policies to control access to obscene materials.” http://www.ncsl.org/default.aspx?tabid=13491

My school also used a blocker that blocks a page, then gives a reason such as “malicious web site,” “unverified web reputation,” or “inappropriate materials.” I agree that some sites need to be blocked, and I appreciate the need for the law, as long as there is a way around it for responsible teachers (which my district offers in terms of taking their own technology class and receiving an override code). Also locate and share at least 3 resources that relate to grants, technology funding, or one of the ideas in your reading.Resource 1: Enhancing Education through Technology Grant· Improve student academic achievement through the use of technology in schools· Technology literate by the end of eighth grade · Effective integration of technology with teacher training and curriculum development to establish successful research-based, instructional methods http://www.etech.ohio.gov/enhancing-education-through-technology/index.dotResource 2: Podcasts for Assessments MiniGrantThe overarching goals are to:· Ensure elementary and secondary students are provided with opportunities to demonstrate their understanding of the curriculum and the ISTE National Education Technology Standards for Students (NETS-S) through the use of appropriate ICT. With the use of NETS-S, in addition to the curriculum, the focus for the students is to:o Demonstrate creativity and innovation.o Communicate and collaborate.o Think critically, solve problems, and make decisions.o Use technology effectively and productively¹.· Build the capacity of Ohio teachers in using ICT in their classrooms appropriately and students in the use ICT.· Expand the use of podcasts by students and in the classroom

http://www.etech.ohio.gov/educators/podcasting-for-assessment-mini-grant/index.dot

Resource 3: Teacher Planning GrantThis work includes, but is not limited to:1. Increasing the use of information and communication technology (ICT) by students and educators in elementary and secondary schools.2. Developing a course or strengthening an existing educational technology course as part of the educator preparation core curriculum or embedding the use of additional and updated components of ICT in existing classes to ensure pre-service educators are prepared to utilize appropriate technologies in the teaching and learning environment during the pre-service placement in schools.3. Expanding communication through a community of practice between pre-service, practicing teachers, Colleges and Universities and public LEAs in order to improve collaboration and communications regarding needed competencies and future educator performance expectations as it relates to use of educational technology

http://www.etech.ohio.gov/educators/teacher-planning-grant/index.dot

5. Create a survey, WebQuest, or Scavenger Hunt about safety and technology use. You can use this Scavenger Hunt and the Module 9 Links for some topic and resource ideas. Write your answers to the scavenger hunt questions in the body of an email message. Email your activity or a link to the activity if it is online, to your professor. Please type, Module 9 Project, in the subject line of your e-mail message. Internet Scavenger Hunt: Safety and Technology1. What does COPPA stand for and why was it created?

(Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, and it was created to keep online predators from obtaining information without parental consent.) http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/net_safety.html

2. What are some products available to protect children online? (NetNanny, Content Watch, IAmBigBrother 9.0, Bsafe, PC Tattletale, and many more) http://www.parentalguidance.org/

3. Name a pro and a con of letting young children have access to a personal computer. (Pros: learning tool for all subjects, independence, technology skills, computer literacy, connections with schools/relatives/etc, addresses special needs studentsCons: isolation, lack of social outlet, eye strain, threat of online predators, time wasterhttp://www.indianchild.com/computers_blessing_or_curse.htm) 3. Find three websites to promote student growth:(1. www.sheppardsoftware.com 2. http://www.e-learningforkids.org/3. http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/ )

6. As you have worked through the first 9 modules, you have learned quite a bit about technology integration and managing technology in the classroom. Describe how your technology integration and management skills have changed during the class. Has any one resource inspired you to try something new or change your teaching style? Do you have questions or issues with computer management or use? While my classroom management has not changed very much (I have always tried to include as much technology integration into my class as possible) I would say I have enjoyed the links from this course, if they are working. A lot of the links sound great, but when I click on them, they are broken or take me nowhere. Some links I have enjoyed are the Skype, Twitter and Create Your Own Virtual Field Trip sites. Since I taught in Russia in 2004 I have been wanting to use Skype to reconnect with my students there. Barring the time difference, with technology fast growing, it will one day be possible! Twitter is an up and coming fad that may last, or fade out. I like the idea of using it as a reference for summarizing, efficient and to the point. Virtual field trips are becoming more popular and interesting, so why not open the door to students to create their own? Have a student leaving for a week on vacation? Have them document the trip and it will feel like we all went! While I know I am not a pro at computer use, I feel I manage my time and activities well and know enough to get out of any jams my students might put themselves into. And if not, I am not too proud to ask for help from my tech buddies! Module 10 Reflection http://lakewoodcityschools.org/olc/teacher.aspx?s=2520This is my school website that I update daily and use to communicate with parents and students outside of school. I love having this page as I travel between schools and this helps me stay connected to students & parents no matter where I am. It also works well in a green manner as I can save my materials online and not have to print more pages. It helps keep me more organized as well and give parents access to what goes on in the classroom. http://mrskreps.educatorpages.comThis is the website that I created for Module 10. I used lessons that I created for previous modules, but put them all together on this website. The hardest parts about this assignment were one: finding a website that I could use at school that wasn’t blocked, and two: figuring out how to use it once I found a good website builder. I chose not to put my module 10 assignment on my actual school page as students look at my Lakewood page everyday and I didn’t want them to become confused between the two pages, as I keep updating my newly created website. I plan to let students work together in their groups (which I will choose beforehand) and will continually circulate around the room checking progress and answering questions. I like the idea of putting the focus off of me and onto the students for learning. Earlier this year I have had the students read books with packets, literature circles and writing theme papers. I wanted to include more technology in this lesson, but with only 4 computers in the room, I needed to create stations (and book the 10 computer lab) so that all students were actively involved with learning. Even though the students are spaced out around the room and doing different activities, they are on a time limit and should take their assignments seriously. It will be easy to monitor because I will have a list and will know who should be doing what and that the ‘talkers’ will be on different tasks. I used the book Freedom Train because it is historical fiction. The students can relate to what they have learned in social studies already this year, I can add many supplemental materials surrounding the Underground Railroad (we may even go on a field trip to Hale Farm and participate in an actual simulation) and use computers for great websites including virtual field trips and music links. Overall Course ReflectionI signed up for this course to fulfill graduate hours for renewing my license, to use the ease of an online, flexible class and to learn more about technology. While I did find some very useful sites to incorporate into my class, I was more unhappy with the class than excited by it. I liked the structure of the class, knowing what assignments were expected of me, the flexible hours I could spend working on my assignments without having to travel to a classroom and the support of the instructor. My instructor Mary Edmonds was very efficient and thorough with getting back to me about questions, offering support and answering any questions I had about the modules. I thought she did a fantastic job with her part of the class. What I disliked about this class was the sheer amount of work and the repetition. I appreciated the website links, but at least two of them were broken in every module, including some links vital to completing assignments. Many technologies were out of date (Netscape references) and I was disappointed that I was not introduced to many new ideas. I liked the idea of the forum posting, but honestly I was too overwhelmed with work and homework to go through and really read what everyone had posted. I appreciated the introduction emails where we all got to know each other, but I didn’t really find anyone in my discipline, so any lessons created by other teachers did not help my teaching situation at all as I couldn’t really relate to their plans. I responded to their lessons because I was supposed to, not because I found them helpful.The last part of the class that I am split on is the culminating lesson. I appreciate that we don’t have much new to do for the final module, but to put all of our assignments together to resubmit seems redundant to me. I have already turned in all of these assignments. Putting them altogether in one place overwhelms me again that I have close to 50 pages of work for a 13 week class.

I am very interested in technology and am continually searching for new ways to incorporate it into my classroom, but feel that this class did little to keep me ahead of my students.

RESUMESonja Nakonecznyj Kreps

21120 North Park Drive, Fairview Park, Ohio * (216) 409-8502 *

Sonja.Kreps@Lakewood.k12.oh.us

Objective: To empower students to want to learn by motivating, encouraging and guiding their studies.

Education:

Lakewood High School – 2000

Mount Union College – 2003 – B.A. Middle Childhood Education Cleveland State University -2008- Masters of Gifted Education

Ohio Licensure:

Grades 4-9: Language Arts, Reading and Social Studies

Grades K-12: Gifted Intervention Specialist

Experience:

Elementary Language Arts and Social Studies Teacher, Lakewood City Schools 5^th grade, August 2010-June 2011Elementary Gifted Teacher, Lakewood City Schools 4^th/5^th grade self-contained classroom: August 2009-June 2010Elementary Gifted Teacher, Sheffield City Schools Reading & Extensions, Grades 3-5: August 2008-June 2009

Middle School Teacher, Lakewood City Schools

Language Arts and Social Studies, Grades 6-8: August 2006-June 2008

Head Gymnastics Coach, Lakewood High School

October 2004- March 2009

Clinical Practice: Lincoln Elementary School 4/5^th grade gifted Language Arts

School 44, Kursk, Russia

Sixth Form: English Eleventh Form: American Studies Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Forms: Public Speech Tenth and Eleventh Form: Conversation

Culminating Project