Reflections.......at last....:> :>

You might say that things are starting to "click" for me. (Just a little computer humor.)

This training has been great for me. I have really enjoyed it and I have learned a lot. It was kind of like a break through for me. If this had not been a required course I would never have spent this much time playing around on the computer, but I would also never have learned so much. Thanks to someone for creating this great training. I feel more empowered to use technology in the classroom. I now have more resources, ideas, and several forms of help for when I get stuck and don't know what to click next.

My favorite tools are Wordle, PhotoShop3, and i Pod Touch. I plan to use PhotoShop3 to create a video using pictues of students working in the classroom or pictures from a field trip. Students can describe the photos and select music for the video.

The very first 2 videos in Tool #1 kind of wowed me. We have already moved away from traditional forms of communication like newspapers and magazines to computers and technological devices. To me it's a little scary to rely so much on the internet but I have learned that there is so much you can do and learn from computers and the web.

It is clear to me that we all have to learn this technology stuff to keep up and to function in the future. There really will not be much of a choice.

Tools #11 blog Digital Citizenship

Digital citizenship means being responsible with technology and it is very important. I would talk with my students about moral issues, legal issues, and privacy issues. I think they are not too young to begin to know about and think about these things.

Tool #10 i Pod Touch and Apps

Looks like there are lots and lots of opportunities to use the i Pod Touch in PreK and all grades. A few that I reviewed are working with tangrams and spacial relations, name writing, etcha sketch for drawing, working with pod casts, spelling words, word salad to create words, wooden labyrinth, and fling free puzzle game. I will know a lot more after my training on the i Pod Touch. Looking forward to that.

Tool #9 blog Jing and Skype

New words and new applications for me. Jing looks fun. A good communication tool for teaching using visuals. A good application would be for teaching "how to". Skype could be used for professional development and really fun to use with a guest lecturer.

Tools #8 blog Video resources

Videos are great for PreK because they are so engaging and they can be used across the curriculum. I am looking forward to when I get a flip camera so I can make my own videos to post.

I found some cute songs on http://www.youtube.com. This ones shows PreK students singing and acting out There Were Ten in the Bed. On YouTube do a search for DaddyRossPreschool.

I moved it to the very bottom of my blog because it is oversized and was covering up my blogging space.

Tools #8 Video Resources

I searched for a video at www.Blinkx.com. I searched within that site using Prekindergarten Math and found a video called Pre-K Pages Math Die with math activities for number concept and one to one matching using a gift box and ice cube trays. To watch the video go to this link: http://www.blinkx.com/watch-video/pre-k-pages-math-die/yKlihpZ6ICCldG8C7NG5fw
I also found out about a new web site for PreK; www.Pre-KPages.com.

Tools #7 blog Digital Stories

I definately had more fun with this than anything else which means I will try to find a way to use it with students. I loved creating my video of my summer vacation.I used Photo Story. http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/photostory/default.mspx. One PreK teacher blogged that she created a video of her students to show parents as they arrived for a PreK program.
Like they say, "A picture is worth a thousand words."