Reflections and Musing on My Personal Blogs

 It’s easy for me to review my older posts on Blogger as if I’m reading someone else’s writing. I practically am someone else. This person who has been blogging under my name uses words to review technology that I would not have believed myself capable of. While I can think back to when I wrote each blog and remember why I wrote the things I wrote it still always feels surreal to read my own writing. Sometimes I’ll read something and think, “Hmm, interesting choice of words. What was I thinking?” Sometimes I’ll think, “Wow, this sounds intelligent.” It’s like once I start writing I become capable of thinking in ways my normal conscience has not acquired.

 The theme I found most often in my review of my personal blogs was my desire for every activity to be fun for my students. This really makes me feel like I’m reading a stranger’s blog. In theory, I really do want my students to have fun learning but I rarely feel “fun” these days. I guess this is just at the heart my teaching philosophy so hopefully that shines through in the classroom. Rereading my blogs gave me the opportunity to reflect on how frightened I was of technology in the classroom at the beginning of the semester and how I write about it like it’s commonplace for me now. It’s still not commonplace but I’m clearly beginning to understand and use the language associated with incorporating technology in the classroom and that gives me hope for my ability to actually use what I have learned.

Technology and The Young & Restless

  I chose this video as an example of technology being used in the classroom because while it's short and sweet,  it instantly impressed me. Tell & Show Skype! The majority of the five year olds I know enjoy show and tell time and I feel it's important for teaching public speaking skills and allowing the children to ask one another questions. Imagine using Skype to accomplish this! It just took the show and tell excitement level up astronomically! I think I underestimated the usefulness of digital cameras in the classroom. I guess I was thinking that in this day and age digital cameras are not really exciting technology compared to all of the fancy equipment available to classrooms today. Thinking outside of the box (with the help of this video) reminds me that it is not necessarily the USE of the cameras in the classroom that will be the rewarding, exciting part but the FINAL PRODUCT on display. It really is magical for anyone, let alone a five year old, to see their finished product on display for all to see. For a unit plan on body parts it would be fun to allow the children to take pictures of activities they associate with certain body parts or they could scavenge and take pictures of items or activities involving each of the five senses. One important obstacle I can foresee for using YouTube in  a kindergarten classroom, specifically, is that many parents are going to associate YouTube with television viewing and not understand or appreciate the educational component. I think allowing parents to preview some examples of the types of videos I will be using would be helpful. Of course, it might not always be possible to preview the videos too far in advance because videos on YouTube come and go. At the very least, though, providing examples would help parents and administrators to invest their trust in my judgement.

Using Spreadsheets in the Classroom For Fun and Learning

OH HOW I LOVE SPREADSHEETS!! Due to my obsessive love with spreadsheets I feel that people of all ages should love them with me! Even young children can have fun with spreadsheets. With the use of an electronic whiteboard, I can enlarge the image on the screen so the entire class can see the spreadsheet fill in. We can create a spreadsheet to graph the favorite colors in the class, the various eye colors in the class, the number of siblings the students have. The topics we can graph are limitless and by graphing them we are effectively bring statistics to life for (even) preschoolers. The letter of the week is T. Wonderful. How many students in here have last names beginning with T? We are getting Language Arts, Mathematics, and maybe even some Social Studies in. The advantages are that the students are exploring and researching information even if it is only through asking each other questions and they are then using this information to reach a higher level of thinking. For instance, from this graph we can answer questions to help us make certain assumptions about the population represented in our classroom. I just cannot see a disadvantage to this. Well, except that it is sometimes difficult to keep the children focused on the topics we are supposed to be graphing. For instance, Kevin has two sisters but his mom refers to his dog as his brother so can he graph that? Or is that supposed to go on the pet graph? This sounds like a silly example but it is my job to make this fun and easy for the young students to comprehend. They have the lovable, unique ability to break down any lesson until it’s shredded into itty bitty pieces and ask a question about each piece. One has to repeatedly remind the students what we are focusing on and what our goal for the spreadsheet is supposed to ultimately be. Communication and collaboration is fundamental for making this fun! The kids want to work together and laugh together to build a spreadsheet. This is using technology to organize research in its most basic form. The children are able to explore the NET-S by critically thinking and problem-solving in how they interpret the information we gather on the spreadsheet. Students who are given the chance to input information on the spreadsheet themselves are really receiving the opportunity to learn about Technology Operations and Concepts and they don’t really have to feel like they are “learning” about the computer. 

Using Databases in the Early Childhood Classroom

The most important way I can think to use a database in my early childhood classroom is to keep myself organized and to have information at the ready for my parents whenever it is needed. I can keep a database of birthdays in my classroom that the children can check daily. I can keep a database in my classroom with student information such as allergies and special needs as well as their guardian information so I have it to easily access when needed. More than an advantage, this is a necessity really. A huge disadvantage is that this entire concept of building and using a database is not really something my preschoolers will be able to wrap their heads around so it is best used on a professional level. However, I can incorporate Communication and Collaboration in my classroom by encouraging them to help build the databases. 

Using Word Processing Software in the Early Childhood Classroom

As an early childhood educator, I am most likely to integrate Word Processing software into my classroom as an effective way of presenting material. Beyond worksheets, I can use word processing software to print up large words to label items around my classroom that the children can see from their seats whether they be at their tables or on the circle time carpet. Even very young children will have fun copying written words onto the computer via Word Processing software. This can be done to provide the written story to correspond to their original artwork that I have scanned onto the computer prior to the typing, copying activity. Advantages of using this type of software in my classroom are monumental when one considers how important it is to include young children in the technology sensation. This provides the students with upfront experience with the computer and they get the opportunity to see their work displayed in a professional, grown-up way. Disadvantages are that these types of activities can sometimes be very time-consuming with young children that are still exploring the keyboard and all of its magic. Young students need extra one-on-one instruct to understand the importance of NOT pressing certain buttons and how to use certain other functions of the magical keyboard. Word Processing software allows me to incorporate several of the NETS for Students in my classroom. For instance, this is but a medium for the children to see their creativity and innovation come to life. Technology Operations and Concepts are included in a NET that is important to present to children as early as possible. Technology is going to be a part of their lives so it is best to give them a head start in this realm by allowing them to explore and use software such as this. 

Review of The Magic School Bus and How it Can Be Used to Support a Theme on the Human Body

Recently, I reviewed the web-based program for the Magic School Bus p(ublished by Scholastic, Inc.; copyright 2011)and I found this program to be highly entertaining and both eye-catching and ear-catching. The site even provides video clips on the various topics for the children to preview with information on where to find full episodes. The program is free to use and provides ideas for classroom activities, whole science kits for purchase, and even “pop” quizzes to test the children on their knowledge of the various topics. This is largely a science-based program but the subtopics run the full gamut of everything from adventures in space to kitchen science. Other topics covered include earth science, life science, physics, archaeology, much more. The intended age range is from three years to 10 years and would work wonderfully in a kindergarten classroom. Specifically, this site would come in handy for supporting a theme on the human body. A significant theme used in science for kindergarteners is that of the five senses. This site provides fun activities for the kindergarteners to perform to increase their knowledge base of how the senses work. A fun game on this site is called “Gets an Earful” where the student listens to a sound and has to match it the object that typically makes the sound. This is an easy way to demonstrate the function of hearing and what we would be missing without our sense of hearing. The activities and experiments typically call for small groups to carry out the directions and exploration which is a fun way for young students to learn the art of cooperation and teamwork.  Students can take a quiz regarding their knowledge of the human body either before, during, or after the unit and this will give some of the students a true feeling of success. However, for students who need hands-on activity to learn the material the experiments provided are a true gateway to learning. This website is not necessarily all that interactive so the true purpose or function for the classroom will be the activities and ideas provided. For the group work projects provided I would want to have a loosely structured classroom environment where the students are free to check out the groups’ projects and discuss with each other their findings.

  The fact that this program really isn’t that interactive is the huge drawback for a group of kindergarteners. I feel that the video clips will hold their attention for only a short while but hopefully they will serve to pique the students’ interest in further exploration of the human body. The main advantage of this program is that includes characters from T.V. and books that many of my students will already be familiar with. It can be extremely helpful for students to hear the same, valid, factual information from beloved, trusted characters that they hear in the classroom because sometimes my word just isn’t enough.

Review of The Human Body Explorer Deluxe and Recommendation for Use in a Kindergarten Classroom

  Upon researching information for The Human Body Explorer Deluxe I discovered that many parents and educators found this software to be effective in teaching about the human body. This program is suitable for ages six to nine years and would specifically meet the criteria of what our school is looking for in an interactive program to teach about the human body.

  The Human Body Explorer Deluxe teaches, through interaction, about basic human anatomy including basic function of body organs, the five senses, the Digestive System, the Circulatory System, and the importance of healthy living. The students will be able to test their own progress in fun, lively, timed gaming assessments.

  The children take guided tours through the human body and then get a chance to test what they have learned through interactive gaming provided on the software. The children get the opportunity to piece together a human skeleton and after practicing can piece it together against a timer. The main character for the software is a human skeleton that adds comedy and wit to learning anatomy for such a young age group. There is even the opportunity for the students to decide what the skeleton will do during his day including what he eats, what activities he pursues, and how long he sleeps. The program will start over if he spends too much time in front of the television to reiterate healthy living habits.

  Our K-2 grade levels will benefit from this software in ways that standard model displays have not been able to benefit them. In addition to interactively exploring the human body as a class, the students will be able to play the games and explore the software on their own at their own leisure so they will be learning while having fun. Priced at below $20.00 for a single software unit, the package actually includes The Human Body Explorer and The Science Explorer and was  published by DK Interactive Publishing in 2000. This could potentially save the school money in material costs. As it is now, models of human organs are costly and we do not them in every classroom which is a hindrance when combining the various classrooms for interactive group work. This software is priced at a point well under budget and is affordable enough that when the time comes to upgrade the school will not be taking a loss. Often assessing young children on their knowledge of anatomy can be difficult but this software provides teachers with a way to observe the children’s knowledge and understanding through their gaming.

 According to Discovery Education, this software is highly re-playable so the children will not grow bored with exploring this program again and again. Discovery Education says that through the experiments and interactive gaming, this software keeps the children tuned in and eager to keep learning. Also, Discovery Education found this software to be layered in a way that allows the students to go in depth on any topic they choose. Each level has another sublevel with more information. This helps to ensure a sound financial investment so that children are not just playing through a game, beating it, and done with it. Many parents are impressed by the knowledge their children display after using this software and Discovery Education gave it the Award of Excellence. Following is a link to the Discovery Education Review site.

Discovery Education Review Corner. 2011. Discovery Education. 19 March 2011. <http://school.discoveryeducation.com/parents/reviewcorner/software/humanbodyexpl.html>