Sink or Float Unit for PreK

Sink or Float by Aga

Sink Float Record Sheet by Aga

"If we teach today's students as we did yesterday's, we are robbing them of tomorrow." — John Dewey

1:1 class in Preschool? Shouldn’t 4-year-olds just run around and explore the world as it is? Well, the reality is that technology is a part of our world today, and the best way to prepare for kindergarten and school is to have technology at your fingertips.

This is My 1:1 iPad Corner Behavior Expectations post. At this point, it’s very hypothetical, but I’m hoping for the best!

During the first week of school I introduce iPad to the students, by demonstrating how it works (touch screen, simple navigation to 1 application). Then we talk about some rules they have to follow when using the iPad. We create a poster of basic behaviors that are expected during the “iPad Corner” time. It includes:

·      Washing their hands.

·      Sitting on the floor and not walking with the iPad.

·      Only one child per device.

·      Staying on task (within the designated app).

·      Using the iPad for maximum 15 minutes at the time.

·      Carefully stowing away iPads in the cart (with teachers help, I‘d like children to have a certain sense of responsibility).

·      Don’t use iPad without permission.

·      Always using the iPad that is assigned to the student (we mark them by colors and each student has a different color slot in the cart)

Each time before using iPads we read the rules from the poster to enforce the expected behavior.  

When the apps are used is during work time, I choose one or two apps that focus on the skills that are being taught that day. Students are responsible for showing integrity and only using the apps chosen for that work time.

I make sure all the iPods are charged before we start the activity. Additionally, I instruct kids to let me know if the battery is low (they will learn to recognize the ‘low battery’ image and point to it on the screen).

iPad Corner Behavior by Aga

Sink or Float Lesson Instructions

Rubrics for iPad animation activity

Sock Puppets Movie Rubrics by Aga

Rhyme Rap animation using iPad Application called Sock Puppet

Activity for PreK3 / PreK4 class

Alhphabet Rhyme for Sock Puppets Instructions

Alhphabet Rhyme for Sock Puppets Instructions by Aga

What is your favorite tool you've learned about in the class so far?

I have two favorites so far. First is the Screencast. I love it for two reasons: it’s simple to make (in QuickTime it’s a matter of 2 clicks) and it’s a quick way to explain and model instructions to students. When we use interactive tools (like games, apps), it’s much easier for students to understand my directions if they can follow them on the screen.

The runner-up is Xtranormal. It’s a website where you can create fun animations, and it’s simple enough for students to use. It’s free too! I used it while creating animated instruction for preschoolers. It’s a fantastic way to jazz-up traditional instructions and presentations.

“We do not need to be offering degrees in electronic page turning.”

We are surrounded by technology without even realizing how much it’s integrated in our daily lives (ubiquitous smart phones, software controlling the traffic lights, personal computers etc.).

'The World Is Open'

Scott Jaschik

(http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/08/25/bonk)

This is a great interview with Curt Bonk - an author of The World Is Open: How Web Technology is Revolutionizing Education.

Bonk explains how technology changed higher education, and what great opportunities it creates for students.

Education now is open, which means there are more opportunities to learn. However, Open, doesn’t mean equal, but there certainly is more access to education than ever before.

Bonk talks about open course are projects (OCW) and open educational resources (OER), and the freedom they provide to (potential) students. Leading universities are putting course materials or even entire courses online – free!

Thanks to technology, distance education has become widely recognized. However, as I was searching for a graduate program in education, I was very skeptical of choosing one that would offer all the classes online. I just simply didn’t believe it could provide equal quality learning experience as traditional face-to-face interaction with the professor and the other students. With so many ‘for-profit’ universities offering online courses, the responsibility to find a quality program falls on the student. The problem is that not all the information is transparent enough to make this decision. I like Tom Reeves view on what online education should be: “…online courses should offer interactive elements such as animations and contextually rich simulations, extended video and audio resources, engaging discussion forums with peers and experts, and multiple learning format options. They should not simply be pages of digital content to click through. We do not need to be offering degrees in electronic page turning.”

Having said that, I love what the Web has to offer. Not only in the aspect of formal education, but also in the social aspect. It’s amazing that I can research, collaborate and learn with and from others at any time, anywhere!

The World is Open, indeed.

My class website

I haven’t used it with my students yet. At this point it’s just a skeleton that needs to be added to.

http://ivillagesprouts.wikispaces.com/Welcome

Don’t let the schooling interfere with your education.

We are living in the ever-changing world. It’s not enough to just read the book, do your assignments, and pass tests. In the 21^st century, learning extends far beyond the walls of the classroom. What I was taught in school 20 years ago became almost irrelevant (new discoveries in science, new technologies and even history books had been rewritten since then).

From Beyond Laptops Essential Readings list, the 9 Essential Skills Kids Should Learn by Leo Babauta (http://zenhabits.net/kid-skills/) caught my eye.

In this article, Leo Babauta talk about 9 essential skills kids should learn:

1.    Asking questions.

2.   Solving problems.

3.   Tackling projects.

4.   Finding passion.

5.   Independence.

6.   Being happy on your own.

7.   Compassion.

8.   Tolerance.

9.   Dealing with change.

We should help the kids establish those skills, in order to prepare them for the future. Babauta doesn’t focus on the methodology, but rather emphasizes the ideas and encourages the reader to experiment with his/her own.

I agree with his approach. Both, as a mother, and as a teacher, I want to give my kids the best possible education. I understand education as a lifelong skill of ongoing desire to search for the answers. If I can establish this type of curiosity in my students, then I’ll succeed as an educator. I especially relate to ‘dealing with change’ idea, as I believe this kind of flexibility can come a long way in life. It will allow the kids to embrace new ideas, without unnecessary anxiety if something doesn’t work out as expected.

Luckily, schools are shifting from the static, rather boring model of teaching, and becoming more relevant to students.

The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows. --Sydnay J.Harris

Teaching at preschool where English is a second language has it’s challenges, especially when it comes to language arts. Not every lesson goes as planned, sometimes they are not even close to my expectation. It’s difficult to engage (and keep focused!) a bunch of 3-4 year olds, who might not even understand me most of the time.

My favorite lesson so far is connected to reading Jane Yolen and Mark Teague’s series How Do Dinosaurs… The children respond to those books with sincere interest.

The winner of the series in my pre-school classroom is How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten?  We read this book while introducing numbers 0-10. It’s illustrations are captivating, the rhymes are easy to repeat and of course the magic of the dinosaurs! Each number is associated with a different rhyme in order to help the child remember it. I was pleased, that after a week of activities with How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten? each student in my class (12 children) recognized the numbers, was able to count to 10 and they understood the order in which the numbers go. Once the kids reached the objective and were fluent in numbers, we did a simple activity by creating our own dinosaur sticker book at http://www.iknowthat.com/com/StickerBook?World=Dinosaurs. We focused primarily on numbers, but this activity can be expanded to advanced level and it’s a lot of fun for students regardless of their age.

Within that week, by simply modeling certain behaviors (reading, playing with visual and spatial aids) and playing games, I saw an amazing transformation in my 4-year old students. They were confident, and proud that they could count for themselves, and were able to ‘read’ the book.

Seeing them so happy helps me remember that those little things in life were at one point the most important and valuable achievements.

Evaluate your online reputation/digital footprint.

My digital footprint as an educator is practically non-existent. I’ve always tried to keep my privacy, and was very reluctant to join any social networks, forums or online communities for professional reasons. Having said that, I realize that it’s impossible to exist in the 21st century without any Internet presence (intended or not). I might as well start building a positive digital footprint that would work to my advantage. After last night’s lecture and discussion, I can see the benefits of professional online presence. It can enhance my career opportunities and my professional development. So far, I’ve been taking advantage of other people’s knowledge, by reading blogs, and listening to podcasts. It’s time I start collaborating and contributing in a more meaningful and direct way.

First step was taken yesterday when I signed up to Twitter, as I understood there is more to it than following Hollywood celebrities…

Additionally, when commenting on other educators’ blogs I’ll use my real name, so the contribution I’m making is more significant.

I regularly post photos to Flickr to stay in touch with the family and friends, but I never thought of Flickr to be a tool of building a professional presence. I’m going to look into using this and other web 2.0 applications to connect with my students, parents and other teachers.

I want to take control of my digital footprint, but I have to remember that ‘digital is forever’, so it’s imperative to do it wisely.

How can you become a more effective presenter?

My first serious public presentation took place about a quarter century ago! I was 8 years old and was a part of a team in the regional science competition in Poland. It was a memorable experience for 2 reasons: 1. I had to drink Lugol’s solution just a couple of hours before (yes, due to the Chernobyl nuclear disaster!). 2. I was so terrified of speaking in front of hundred of peers and teachers that I mistook Antarctica for the Arctic.

My presenting style came a long way since then. I moved on from a bare memorizing/reciting with the only visual aid being pictures I copied from the book. One thing, however, remained constant: I’m still an embodiment of stage fry.

So, how can I become a more effective presenter?

I can definitely improve this trepidation if I prepare for my presentation adequately. Today I learned few tricks of successful presentation by using slides (like Power Point, Keynotes). Those tips are adapted from Garr Reynold’s Presentation Zen.

He points out several elements like:

- Proper use of images;

- What is the message and why does it matter;

- Simplicity is powerful;

- Knowing the audience;

- Visual tips (text, colors, graphics)

What I find especially relevant is ‘less is more’ idea. I’ve seen many PowerPoint presentations that didn’t register with me at all because of the visual clutter. Secondly, for becoming an effective presenter it’s important to understand and know your topic. Despite my fear of public speaking, I don’t want to be one of those presenters who just read everything of their slides. Hence, practicing my presentation in advance, but also I can use technology to overcome this problem. Which leads me my last, but not least point: to be familiar with the software I’m using to prepare my presentation. I’m rather comfortable with PowerPoint, but I’d like to broad my knowledge to other programs. I’m hoping to work on the presentation using Prenzi and Keynote. Learning by doing. I’ll keep you posted on how that turns out.

In what way would you like to improve as a teacher? How do you think this course will help you to improve?

I’ve been anticipating this Monday with a mix of trepidation and excitement. Coming back from maternity hiatus and diving into teaching/learning mode can be quite overwhelming.

I’m glad and relieved that the M.Ed courses resumed for me with Multimedia in Education  as I hope this course will give me a good overview of how technology is applied in education. I believe this class will benefit me instantly while I'm working with kindergarten students, as well as if I were to teach at the college level.

As a teacher (as well as a person), I seek to improve my skill set throughout my entire life, and I know there is always room for advancement. I constantly strive to improve my ability to engage my students and stay relevant. With the world changing so rapidly, and kids becoming computer savvy at increasingly  younger  ages, it’s crucial that I, as an educator, don’t fall behind. Even my 2-year-old daughter knows how to navigate an iPhone. She was able to get to her favorite ‘baby piano school’ application, before she could pronounce ‘I’m hungry’!   It only shows how ubiquitous the technology is. I’m hoping this course will help me catch up on what is ‘hot’ and I’ll learn how to apply multimedia in my teaching methods.

Being a kindergarten teacher doesn’t give me many 1:1 opportunities, but I believe I can implement in my lesson planning what I’ll learn during EDUC 932. It can help me to be more efficient in my prep work (no more ‘scrapbooking’, lesson plans can be managed and created online, together with fun and engaging activities) and more appealing to my students. Videos, graphics, animation, sounds - these are just few areas that can help me to engage my current little learners.

If at the end of this class I’ll be able to move from my traditional flashcards to something more creative and interactive, I’ll consider this a great success!