Tool 11

I really want to teach students to use a library diigo account so they can have safe access to needed URL's and links without having to type the URL into the address bar. Also, I hope to spend more time teaching students how to conduct searches using Boolean terms. This knowledge will help them successfully access online databases and resources online and in our library catalog while helping them refine their research topics.
My participation in the 11 Tools really hasn't transformed my thinking about the learning that can take place using technology. I have long believed that technology will play a major role in the future education and employment of our students. Our biggest struggle will be making it equally available to all students and not just a select few. Having the tools in the classroom can help provide that equity and will happen as long as educators incorporate ways to enhance the learning in their classrooms using the various tools.
One unexpected outcome, and it shouldn't have been unexpected since I work with a great group of professionals, is how readily the majority of our staff took the initiative to learn all they could about the 2.0 tools and how they could use them in their classrooms to enhance the curriculum.

Tool 9

I have never been a teacher who allowed activities in my classroom for the sake of being cute or just for fun. Everything I did in the classroom had to have an authentic purpose in meeting the required standards being taught past, present, and future. Gardening was done to reinforce science standards not just to play in the dirt. We carried out conversations about what the seeds and plants needed to grow. We looked at the various kinds of roots and why some plants would have tap roots vs hairy roots. With the curriculum being packed with standards to be met we just don't have time for fluff! For this reason the technology we use in class must be helping us meet the curriculum and the standards being taught or we just aren't preparing our students for advancement and success. I could just hand students the iTouch/iPads and let them play anything they want or I can be a more responsible classroom teacher and prepare station cards showing the icon pictures of apps that can be used in conjunction with the standards the class is working on such as Soccer Math. To hold kids accountable I could have them write down the number sentences they solve in a journal. Not that I have to take a grade on every app they use but while I am working with small groups I do want to know that students are working and not playing at centers. This concept isn't new because we use to do things like that with paper and pencil.

I really find PhET to be a good interactive website for science and the teacher can select the content to be covered at the station by downloading particular modules. This could be helpful in revisiting experiments that students conducted earlier.



I went into Thinkfinity and selected primary sources since it can be hard for students to understand what constitutes a primary source. I found a piece on the Roosevelt Inaugural Medal of 1905 that the Smithsonian has in its possession.



I can't say that I found anything tonight that I would just give a blanket approval for because our curriculum dictates that we are selective and that is time consuming but necessary! Paper journals, Edmodo comments, blogging are tools teachers can use to hold students accountable for the work assigned at stations.

When it comes to the library there are apps for searching public library catalogs but we don't currently have an app for our school online catalog. That would be a great tool to have to teach students how to look up materials and how to conduct searches using boolean terms. Maybe someday when we get back to being librarians instead of technology instructors.

This past spring we tried the iTouches to make Edmodo comments and that seemed to work fine and is a lot less expensive to provide in classrooms than computers on a 1:1.

Tool 4

Our little PLN is growing by leaps and bounds. I'm so proud of our teachers because they are beginning to reach out and help each other locate, create, and embed when a few weeks ago they were terrified at the thought of doing 11 tools. Today's class saw conversation turn from being overwhelmed by the many 2.0 tools to how, as their librarian, I was there to help support them and help their students be prosumers. Really cool stuff! I've used Google Docs to collaborate with other librarians and district staff but I haven't had much of a chance at school since so few people on campus were familiar with the 2.0 tool available through the district. Now that others are learning about it in 11 Tools I'm excited about the possiblities to collaborate and communicate with our great staff.
I've used Google forms to survey the staff regarding our school publication called the Flashlight. I wanted to see if the majority of the staff felt it was worth continuing. Since I just finished publishing this year's copy you can see that the responses received were positive.
Next year I hope to allow students and staff to complete even more surveys since the tool won't be so new and unfamiliar around our campus.