Partnership for 21st Century Skills

Overall, I thought the website was good. It gave a wealth of information on the use of technology in the classroom as well as formative and summative assessment information. My favorite part was the section on snapshots. I liked the link to edutopia which had video clips of how students used and integrated technology into their core curriculum. I wished the clips included more for the elementary age student and how they use technology in the classroom. I wish the website included more videos with more hands on ideas and just about the program in general-I think it would have made it more interesting. I liked how the state standards were outlined and the amount of information that was provided to go along with each. I thought the website to be beneficial with a lot of information, though, there was a lot to read.

Blog Idea for the Classroom

I teach 4th grade, all subjects, with math and reading as the most critical when it comes to passing the standardized test coming up in the spring. I have thought of a blog idea that would place emphasis on reading skills being that it is the one area in which my students perform at a low level.

I would like my students to read a chapter book as a class or a story from their reading book and use blogging to interact with one another about the various aspects of the book/story. I would like them to communicate on the author's purpose for writing, what type of genre it is, the characters and what roles/feelings they brought to the story, the setting, the plot, and any cause and effect events that might have occurred.

I feel this would be a good way for students to interact and comment to one another and for each of them to share their view points of the story and how it affected them. It will also help in their written communication skills and allow them to truly think about what they read.

Technology Ready?

Technology Ready?
by Rebekah Thompson

Having an associate degree in computer science, I thought I was computer savvy. What little did I know? Technology has changed over the years and seems to be changing daily. Looking at what my children and friends can do with the computer, cell phones, and other media, I have realized I am behind the times! There is so much I don't know when it comes to various technology devices and web applications. This year, my school put interactive white boards in all of the classrooms. I decided it was time to catch up with my students and start trying new strategies that meet their learning needs and interests while increasing my knowledge in Internet/computer applications and other technical devices that they are participating in daily. I plan on taking it one day at a time and hope to be fairly sufficient before it all starts changing again.