BP12_Google Docs Presentations

Google Docs presentation web 2.0 tool is an easy to learn program. There are a great amount of help topics in a variety of formats that cover a wide learning curve.

Reading Post 3

English, Susan J. (2002). Time for Technology: Successfully Integrating Technology in Elementary School Classrooms. http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2/content_storage_01/0000000b/80/28/0f/9a.pdf

Summary: The hypothesis of this study was that in order to fully capitalize on school’s technology investments, administrators must find creative ways to provide teachers with preparation and development time dedicated toward integrating this technology into their classroom. Surveys were sent out to 38 elementary schools to 142 second through fourth grade classroom teachers regarding their use of educational technology. Out of the 142, 95 surveys were completed and returned representing 35 of the 38 schools. The results of this study show that teachers need more time to investigate implement and fully integrated technology into their classroom curriculums. A strong correlation was found between the amount of time teachers spent utilizing technology and their use of it in the classroom.

Greene, Bernie; Smerdon, Becky; Cronen, Stephanie; Lanahan, Lawerence. (2000). Teachers’ Tools for the 21^st Century: A Report on Teachers Use of Technology. http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2000/2000102.pdf

Summary: The primary focus of this report is teachers’ use of computers or the Internet for instructional purposes. The participants were public school teachers grade 4 and 8, along with students in grade 12. The method of data collection was through surveys. Findings presented in this report indicate that about half of the teachers with computers available in their schools used them for classroom instruction. Teachers were more likely to use technology when the technology was available to them, available in their classrooms as opposed to computer labs. Teachers who reported feeling better prepared were more likely to use the technology than their less prepared colleagues.

Popejoy, Kate. (2003). Technology Integration in an Elementary Science Classroom: It’s Impact on Teaching and Learning. http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2/content_storage_01/0000000b/80/27/de/75.pdf

Summary: The purpose of this study was to explore three questions: 1.What practices develop in the elementary science classroom to nurture development of technology as an imaginative extension of the learning environment? 2. How does an elementary teacher’s practice change as technology is integrated into his/her science curriculum? 3. What are powerful uses of technology that may emerge in the elementary science classroom? Research setting was conducted in Bayside Elementary in a 4^th/5^th grade multiage environment with 24 students. The method used was a researcher participation case study. The conclusion of the study confirmed that technology integration in an elementary school setting enriched classroom instruction and learning.

Vannatta, Rachel; Fordham, Nancy. (2004). Teacher Dispositions as Predicators of Classroom Technology. US: Journal of Research on Technology in Education. http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2/content_storage_01/0000000b/80/2c/af/f7.pdf

Summary: The purpose of this study sought to examine a broad array of teacher characteristics to better understand how these personal attributes work together to predict technology use in the classroom. The following research question guided the study: Which combination of factors best predict classroom technology use among K–12 teachers: teacher self-efficacy, teacher philosophy, openness to change, amount of professional development, amount of technology training, years of teaching, hours worked beyond the contractual work week, and willingness to complete graduate courses without salary incentive? The participants were from six Ohio schools, two elementary and four high schools, with a total of 177 teachers participating. To measure the targeted teacher characteristics as well as classroom technology use, the Teacher Attribute Survey (TAS) was developed by the researchers to assess teacher self-efficacy, teacher philosophy, openness to change, amount of professional development, amount of technology training, years of teaching, hours worked beyond the contractual work week, and amount of teacher and student use of technology in the classroom. Results from this study indicate that the factor combination of amount of technology training, time spent beyond contractual work week, and openness to change best predicted classroom technology use.

BP11_Shelfari commercial

Shelfari is a Web 2.0 tool that allows users to share books on a virtual bookshelf that they are reading, want to read of have read already. It is also a social network that allows users to join groups that hold the same interests or blog with others about books and authors. It is a great tool for educators to help promote literacy.

BP10_Comment to Angela

Follow this link to my comment on Angela's blog about Web 2.0 tool Twisty Noodle.

BP9_Comment to Torrey

Follow this link to view my comment to Torrey's Blog about Web 2.0 GoAnimate

BP8_Shelfari

Web 2.0 Shelfari

www.shelfari.com

Shelfari is a free online program that allows users to create a virtual bookshelf of books they have read, plan to read or currently reading to share with others.  It is a social site where people share and discuss their favorite books, join groups, add friends and make reading fun.  On the home page, your book shelf will appear with the books you added to it showing what you have read, what you plan on reading and books you are currently reading.  It also shows you what groups you belong to, links to your friends shelves, books you have in common and participate in many blogs.  The program is user friendly as you just type in the book title or author and the search brings up all items related to your inquiry.  After choosing a book, you can add it to your shelf, rate it, and let others know if you have read it, plan to read or currently are reading.  It is a great educational tool to use with reading groups or book clubs or with class participation and much more.  As a librarian, I am filing my shelfari with books that I would recommend my high school students to read and then get their feedback on if the book should be in the school media center or not.

Reading

There is such a vast amount of studies and research on the topic of how Web 2.0 has made its mark in education, yet we seemingly are so far behind in making the changes in our teaching style.

BP7_Web 2.0 Commercial

I picked Web 2.0 tool Google Docs because of the various ways it can be used in education and my AR project is focused on the impact Google Docs would have on collaboration within the educational setting.

BP_6 Comment on Ryan's Blog

Follow this link to my comment on Ryan Kelsey's blog.

BP_5 Comment to Bruchetta

Follow this link to my comments on Bruchetta Jone's Blog.

BP4 Web 2.0

Education has always encouraged group projects for students to learn how to collaborate; a real world skill necessary for many scenarios, such as family units, work settings, etc... Prior to Web 2.0 tools, students had to work on their project during class time or had to make time to meet before or after school.  This created a dilemma of where to store the project, who was responsible for the physical project and if the one responsible for the physical project was absent, how could it be completed? Web 2.0 tool Google Docs is a document sharing platform that allows multiple people access to one document and the abilities to edit it from any computer with an internet access.  This tool solves the mentioned dilemmas and allows collaboration to be the focus of the project.  This tool has the potential to change the way students keep and organize their school work, even how teachers grade paperwork.   There will be no more need for papers to be printed or carried around with chances of getting lost.  Teachers can create worksheets, share them with their students and returned without ever printing or trying to decipher handwriting.  This tool opens many doorways to the future of education. 

Reading

BP_Diigo Group

BP2_iGoogle Screen Shots

iGoogle is an amazing web 2.0 tool that organizing all the sites I visit on a daily basis in one spot.  This eliminates me opening several pages, memorizing user names and passwords and so much more of my time.  This is a tool is like walking around with a desktop in my pocket, accessible with any computer. 

BP1_Google Reader

I am extremely impressed with Google Reader since it places all the information that I normally view all on one page.  It was very easy to set up and locate RSS feeds.  I could see using this tool in an educational setting for teachers and students to track information for research all on one page. A great use would be RSS feeds related to the students educational track during the school year. Such as, my school is a magnet school and we have students studying a variety of science. Each science class can keep up with the latest research in their specific field rather than spending hours on an in-depth search for information.  Marine science, biology, anatomy and physiology, chemistry and environmental science can now have the information they need in their study sent to them all on one page.