K12Web2Tools

=**Welcome to the** Web 2.0 Tools to Amplify Elementary Students’ Creativity and Initiative Wiki.=

Presentation Title:** “Web 2.0 Tools to Amplify Elementary Students’ Creativity and Initiative” (**20:40) __2 CATNIP HOURS__**
 * Category: Getting Started
 * Webpage:** http://k12onlineconference.org/?p=277
 * Description:** This presentation describes projects designed for students, ages 8 to 12, to use emerging technologies for engaging, thinking, learning, collaborating, creating, and innovating. It has its foundations in social constructivism whereby students drive their own learning experiences through educational networking using emerging technologies. An additional goal is using free, open-source, or minimal cost tools, so the project can be replicated.
 * Presenter:** **Jackie Gerstein,** Tucson, Arizona, USA

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 * Essential Questions and Summary.** (Please follow this format.)

1. Your name: Steve Goldberg Session Title: ** “Web 2.0 Tools to Amplify Elementary Students’ Creativity and Initiative” ** Essential Question 1: **How can technology be used to facilitate learning experiences based on a social constructivist philosophy?** Response: Students are very quick learners but learn in many different ways. One of the best ways that students learn is based on the constructivist philosophy. The students need to actually participate in their learning by discovering new things and actually applying their knowledge of those things and demonstrating their knowledge. By using technology the students are able to research different topics in which they are interested in and then create a web page that others can view. This is important because it upholds the constructivist philosophy in that students are responsible for their research as well as constructing and applying their knowledge. Essential Question 2: **What skills should be taught to elementary level students to prepare them to become 21st century learners?** Response: The skills that should be taught to our 21st century learners are basically how to be tech savvy. The students need a great understanding and time to play around in the technological world to be prepared for the future. As time goes on things will just become more and more advanced with technology and students need to be prepared for this. By giving them time to research and apply their knowledge as well as the teacher participating as the tour guide or facilitator students can have a great future with technology. The teacher can show the students how to use programs they don’t understand or just answer questions the students may have. Essential Question 3: **How can learning technologies promote creativity, innovation, personal and group flow and social awareness?** Response: By using technology and allowing the students to learn things first hand they can grow immensely. Students will work together to solve problems and answer questions that they may have. It will help build the community because different students will be better at different aspects of research and design and they can then become the consultants for their most knowledgeable area. Also by using these different technologies as well as avatars students can freely search and be creative without fear of rejection or scolding by their peers or teachers. Students will also become more socially aware as they have to present themselves to their peers and possibly other classes through web cams and their websites. If the students are unaware of their actions they will not be successful in their endeavors. Therefore it is important for the student to gain an awareness of themselves and how they should positively represent themselves.

Summary: **How I can utilize what I have learned in my teaching?** I think there were a lot of really great ideas in this video that showed how great the constructivist theory can really be. One of the greatest parts about this use of technology is that it is all student driven and little teaching is actually done by the teacher. Students really need to discover their learning and then apply their learning individually. This is a great way for them to do it and I believe I could implement this kind of technology into my classroom. The students would be able to get a great deal of information from working with this technology and they would be really engaged. I really feel, much like the Ramapo Islands video, students need a place to converse and try out their ideas without any criticism. The Ramapo Islands might be a little more difficult to implement in the classroom but having students create their own avatars and web pages is a possibility. Students can really take off and lessons can become a process of learning and then applying, much like Bloom’s Taxonomy, where they can create web pages on the topics taught. They can then present them to the class and students can be free to participate on the different websites and learn more in-depth knowledge about the topic. Overall this video was great and it contains a vast amount of information which I really think I will implement into my classroom. I feel that I could get the process set up and then have students begin using these technologies by next school year as a regular daily exercise.

2. Your name: Teresa Belnap Session Title: Web 2.0 Tools to Amplify Elementary Students

Essential Question 1: How can technology be used to facilitate learning experiences based on a social constructivist philosophy? Response: With the many different ways that students learn, it is important to provide as many experiences as possible so that we can reach more students. Constructivist learning is student driven and allows students to use the method that best suits them. The many tools available on the computer help to reach many different students and allow students to explore and find what works best for them. The teacher can then be there to support the student when needed, ask questions to encourage thinking and further exploration, and assist students in finding answers when needed.

Essential Question 2: What skills should be taught to elementary level students to prepare them to become 21st century learners? Response: Students need as many opportunities as they can possibly have with technology. Technology is constantly growing and expanding and the more experience the students have the better prepared they will be for the future. They should be given some basic ground rules for use and instruction when needed but the more they are allowed to explore the more they will discover. Students are not afraid to explore and try new things unless they have been taught to be afraid, we should encourage them to explore and be open to limitless possibilities.

Essential Question 3: How can learning technologies promote creativity, innovation, personal and group flow and social awareness? Summary: As students are able to see the results of their work and others they try new things and take pride in the end product. Technology allows freedom with creation that students in the past did not have. Before if a student was unhappy with the results of their project they would typically have to start over and this meant wasted time as well as materials, and frequently mom and dad or the teacher did not provide an endless supply of materials. Today students are able to change and manipulate using technology and see the end result and change it as many times as they want without the waste of materials. Being able to explore and try new things leads to new and original ideas. Many times students turn to each other for ideas and problem solving which encourages interaction and builds a stronger classroom community. Working together is good experience for the students that they will be able to use in the business world throughout the rest of their lives.

Bari Candy Response: Students are very quick learners but learn in many different ways. One of the best ways that students learn is based on the constructivist philosophy. The students need to actually participate in their learning. By discovering new things they can actually apply their knowledge of those things and demonstrate their knowledge. Through the use of technology students can research different topics in which they are interested in. They can then create a web page that others can view using the information that was found. This is important in upholding the constructivist philosophy in that students are responsible for their research as well as constructing and applying their knowledge.
 * Session Title:** **“Web 2.0 Tools to Amplify Elementary Students’ Creativity and Initiative”**
 * Essential Question 1:** **How can technology be used to facilitate learning experiences based on a social constructivist philosophy?**

Response: The skills that should be taught to our 21st century learners should be building blocks to which they can climb through to become versed in technology. Students need to acquire an understanding of technology to help prepare for the future. Teachers can aide in the acquisition of an understanding by giving them time to research and apply their knowledge. Teachers who model help guide students on a path to a great future with technology. This can be accomplished by demonstrating to the students how to use understand new programs or answer student questions and concerns.
 * Essential Question 2:** **What skills should be taught to elementary level students to prepare them to become 21st century learners?**

Response: Independent learning of technology allows for first hand gaining of knowledge and aids in student growth. Through collaborative learning students can solve problems and answer questions that they may have. It will help build the community because different students will be better at different aspects of research and design and they can then become the consultants for their most knowledgeable area. Also by using these different technologies as well as avatars students can freely search and be creative without fear of rejection or scolding by their peers or teachers. Students will also become more socially aware as they have to present themselves to their peers and possibly other classes through web cams and their websites. If the students are unaware of their actions they will not be successful in their endeavors. Therefore it is important for the student to gain an awareness of themselves and how they should positively represent themselves.
 * Essential Question 3:** **How can learning technologies promote creativity, innovation, personal and group flow and social awareness?**

Summary: **How I can utilize what I have learned in my teaching?** I gained a lot of knowledge on how to apply the constructivist theory when teaching technology. Having the activities driven by the students involves all sorts of differentiated instruction that the teacher would normally implement. This sort of teaching allows for the student to apply their knowledge individually. I enjoyed learning about the site Rampo Island application because of the tools that can be applied to the art program. For example, studying a period in art can be demonstrated through galleries and libraries that are all student created. The information and materials that are created by the students, and viewed by others can guide to critical thinking and analyzing based upon another students response. Rampo Islands would be a great application and tool for the art program because of the variety of ways a student can demonstrate, apply and respond to a particular subject matter.

4. Your name: Ashley Long Session Title: “Web 2.0 Tools to Amplify Elementary Students’ Creativity and Initiative”

Essential Question 1: How can technology be used to facilitate learning experiences based on a social constructivist philosophy? Response: Through the use of various emerging technologies students can be much more self-directed in their learning. The presenter shared how she previously used web quests to have students research information on the internet, but now prefers to setup a menu of links. By giving them a list of links she lets them choose those that interest them. I think this is a great example of a learning experience that is based on a constructivist philosophy, because the students are making choices about what they are learning. As for the social aspect, the students share what they are learning through all sorts of technologies like PBWiki(?). The students create their own personas and include links that provide more information on the topic they are learning and sharing. Then they also communicate with students from other states or countries and share what they have created. These interactions are definitely providing learning experiences that are based on social constructivism. The technology allows them a modality to demonstrate what they have learned with one another which creates learning opportunities for their classmates and vice versa.

Essential Question 2: What skills should be taught to elementary level students to prepare them to become 21st century learners? Response: The video had a slide show at the beginning with some interesting quotes and tables providing insight on how kids learn today and what they need to enter the job field. Kids are exposed to digital media regularly and learn from it, so learning is occurring daily and not just in a classroom. It is necessary for educators to recognize this and use technology to give students learning opportunities that will help them develop skills in areas such as problem solving and critical thinking, innovation and creativity, and information, media, and technology skills that will be required in their future employment. As educators it is crucial to have students become very familiar with technology and the willingness to learn from it and explore it. As new technologies are developed, kids needs to feel comfortable with technology to continue to learn how to use it. Essential Question 3: How can learning technologies promote creativity, innovation, personal and group flow, and social awareness? Response: There are virtually endless opportunities for a student to use learning technologies in creative and innovative ways. For instance, the web pages the students were making gave them the chance to express ideas, interests, and their learning in their own way. They then shared with one another in the classroom and students from other schools which promoted personal and group flow as they learn through collaboration. As they communicate their learning to others they will inevitably become more socially aware of the perspectives of others. Especially when they have the chance to Skype with students from another country as the students in the video have done with a class in Turkey. This elevates their social awareness to global awareness. Using the internet and the emerging technologies communication is a skill the students are developing while they learn about topic or issue. It also allows for them to teach one another as they become more experienced in one area. Suumary: Technology is as commonplace for kids today, as the television was for past generations. Most kids are very motivated to learn when it involves use of technology. They are quick to explore it as much as they are permitted to do so and find all sorts of ways to express the new knowledge they gain from their explorations. Educators need to facilitate learning in creative, innovative ways that help their students become problem solvers, good communicators, and self-directed learners while developing technological skills. Fortunately, as they use technology it will cultivate these skills and motivate them to learn.

5. Your name: Danielle Robb Session Title: Web 2.0 Tools to Amplify Elementary Students’ Creativity and Initiative Essential Question 1: **How can technology be used to facilitate learning experiences based on a social constructivist philosophy?** Response: The ways in which technology can be used to facilitate learning experiences seems to be endless. Each and every day I hear about new technologies that teachers are using to facilitate learning for their students. Webquests are a great way for teachers to "set up" a constructivist learning experience for his/her students. Students can also connect to people in different parts of the world to collaborate on topics given the cooperation of both teachers. The more that students are DOING rather than seeing or hearing the more the students will gain from the experience. Essential Question 2: **What skills should be taught to elementary level students to prepare them to become 21st century learners?** Response: I believe that students need to be exposed to as many experiences as possible. I believe that technology needs to play a bigger role in education than it currently does. I watched a video clip on the internet that said something about a percentage of kids in school right now (I can't remember the exact percent) would have careers in things that have not yet been invented. That really struck home with me. If these careers don't even exist then how good of a job are we doing preparing these students for these jobs? I think that students need to be able to think outside of the box and think for themselves. My teachers always gave me a strict rubric to follow when doing projects until one college professor just told me to "be creative". I honestly had no idea what to do! I think that if my teachers in K-12 had given me opportunities to learn for myself and be creative I would have been much better off! Basically I think that teachers need to let their students be creative, use new technologies, and experience as many things as possible by DOING. Essential Question 3: **How can learning technologies promote creativity, innovation, personal and group flow and social awareness?** Response: The most advanced technology I remember using in elementary school is Hyper Studio. I remember being able to create stories with pictures on the computer and thinking it was the coolest thing in the world. I could show my teacher what I had learned using pictures and words instead of just typing up a story. These days kids can make their own videos, wikis, voicethreads, and so much more to show the teacher what they have learned. I hope to let my students think outside of the box on projects and show me what THEY can do rather than just limiting them to my ideas. I think that exposing kids to new technologies and letting them show me what they can do is one of the best things I can do for them!

Summary: Through this video clip I learned that there is so technology many online tools out there that I had never even heard of before that could definately benefit the students in my classroom. The one thing I am having trouble with is how do people find these resources and learn how to use them effectively in their classrooms? I really hope to integrate more technology into my future classrooms!

6. Your name: Keri Hargrave Session Title: Essential Question 1: Essential Question 2: Essential Question 3: Learning technologies promote discovery and creativity for students in the classroom. As students use desktop computers or the Smart Board, their curiosity motivates them to try “the unknown.” What may be unknown to one child, may be known to another, and they consistently search and try based on their own interests. These trials with the technology promote personal growth and innovation. Once students tries something, and likes it, they are motivated to create and learn more. For example, I had 2 second graders who were learning how to type their reports on the computer. Once they figured out how to capitalize, they not only used the capital button at the beginning of sentences, they created a title with capitals. Then, that led them to want to bold the title too. Once they discover one thing, they get excited, and want to discover something else. The social awareness comes in as they discuss their discoveries with one another and teach each other what they are learning.
 * How can technology be used to facilitate learning experiences based on a social constructivist philosophy? **
 * The ideas of the social constructivist philosophy are that the learning is student-driven and the student creates his/her own meaning from their experiences. Technology can be use to facilitate learning experiences in many ways. As Jackie showed us in her video, webquests are great ways for students to use technology to create their own learning experiences. They can research information or click on the information that interests them. By giving the students choices, they are driving their own learning. Another way technology facilitates learning is in its ability to capture the different intelligences of a student. Technology is great for visual, auditory, and tactile learners and students can hone in on their learning style through technology. They drive their own instruction based on their “intelligence,” which keeps them engaged and wanted to learn more. **
 * What skills should be taught to elementary students? **
 * I believe that students should learn about word processing, spreadsheets, presentation. These are some basics that they should know for college as well as many jobs. It’s important to teach these skills at school because some students don’t have the luxury of having computers/software at their homes. Just as reading and writing are crucial, in today’s society, a basic knowledge of technology is critical too. When students are in the 4th/5th grade they should learn how to utilize the internet for research as well as accessing videos and podcasts. **
 * It would also be great to have a historical element about technology taught so that students understand how fast technology changes. With this understanding, they will know how important it is to keep up with technology. **
 * How can learning technologies promote creativity, innovation, personal and group flow and social awareness? **

Summary:**How I can utilize what I have learned in my teaching?** **I understand that we must let our students discover on their own. It’s one thing to have a website or the reading program open for them to use, but it’s important to give them more options as well (like Jackie did with the webquest). When they have options, they will drive their own learning based on their interests. This will motivate them to learn what they want to learn independently. I also need to arrange for my kids to have the proper management and teaching of the computers so that they can use them in meaningful ways. Sometimes if you give the younger kids full access, they abuse it because they don’t know any better. If we set up a good structure from the start, they will use technology as a tool to learn and not just play. **

7. Your name: Rob Lazarus Session Title: **“Web 2.0 Tools to Amplify Elementary Students’ Creativity and Initiative”** Essential Question 1: (type the question)**How can technology be used to facilitate learning experiences based on a social constructivist philosophy?** Response: As teachers, we need to be aware that the way we teach the curriculum should directly help the students with becoming positive, confident, and **skilled in technology** for the 21st century world. For this to happen, one of the best scenarios to occur in classroom learning is one in which the students drive their learning experiences with the emerging technologies. Students who are in charge of creating technological projects, reviewing websites-that the teacher approves, and networking, become engaged in the subject matter. At the same time, they learn to appreciate the skills needed in regards to ever changing technologies for the 21st century. Discovery and exploration are open to the students to become more creative and interested in the subject matter.

Essential Question 2: (type the question)**What skills should be taught to elementary level students to prepare them to become 21st century learners?** Response: Technology is playing a larger role in classrooms each year. The way students obtained information and communicate are much different than how students did so ten years ago. Technology is changing exponentially with each passing year, and teachers need to keep up with the ever changing technology to help student acquire the skills necessary for the 21st century. Skills such as project based wikis and personalized webpages that are developed by students for students, with safety in mind, allows the students more freedom in their learning and understanding of the content curriculum. I think though that students need to be able to be in charge of their own learning. Being able to explore and discover through **teamwork** is going to give students a great starting point for their future endevours, while the teacher becomes the facilatator in the classroom.

Essential Question 3: (type the question): ** How can learning technologies promote creativity, innovation, personal and group flow and social awareness? ** Learing technologies helps with learning new and interesting ways of solving problems and sharing information. It allows for a more a creative approach to learning and more engagement in the learning of curriculum. It allows for more of a team approach to learning, since some students may have more knowledge or accessibility to computers or other technologies, they can teach the educational technology skills to other students (as well as their teachers). Computer programs, such as Voice Thread allows for students to work together on teams to create stories and practice content skills. Students can also share their voices and knowledge through the use of the technology program.


 * Summary:** With an everchanging society that is exponentially changing regarding technology, it is imperative that students have the technolgical skills and knowledge for the 21st century work force. It is so important that these technological skills be taught in the classroom setting. It allows the students to have choice in how they want to share their knowledge, and in turn, become more in charge of their own learning. They increase and become more comfortable in using technology, sharing ideas and becoming part of the global community.

8. Your Name: Alec Fick Session Title: ** “Web 2.0 Tools to Amplify Elementary Students’ Creativity and Initiative” ** Essential Question 1: **How can technology be used to facilitate learning experiences based on a social constructivist philosophy?** Response: As we all know, every student is as unique in their leaning process as they are in their personal character. Constructivist philosophy of learning is certainly a way of learning that allows each student the freedom of creativity and expression to optimize their education. The use of technology gives the students the tools to research on their own and then use that information to create something of their own. Essential Question 2: What skills should be taught to elementary level students to prepare them to become 21st century learners? Response: When my 5 year old knew more about working on the computer than I did, I realized that today's technology is as critical to her generation as picking up a book was to mine. Computers and the world wide web have become such an integral part of modern society that the sooner our children become fluent in the language of techo-speak, the easier the learning process will be for them.

Essential Question 3: **How can learning technologies promote creativity, innovation, personal and group flow and social awareness?** Response: When students are able to research a subject on their own, using the amazing technologies that are available today, they gain confidence in themselves. Moreover, it exposes them to ways of expressing their thoughts that stimulate the creative process. Being able to interact with other students and teachers from around the globe exposes them to new cultures as well as other modes of learning. As technologies advance, so will the opportunities for more creative means of learning.

Summary: The internet often gets bad publicity it seems; but this session has shown us that is a great benefit to access the world wide web. It it not only a source of boundless information, but a teaching tool that surpasses all other means to date. Even the creation of a simple avatar, a skill that is basic to many video games such as the Wii, stimulates the creative juices flowing. I am very excited to be a teacher in this day and age and look forward to the next generation of teaching tools that technology will bring to the profession.

Your Name: Summer Izatt Session Title: **“Web 2.0 tools to Amplify Elementary Students’ Creativity and Initiative.”**

Essential Question 1:**How can technology be used to facilitate learning experiences based on a social constructivist philosophy?** There are so many different types of technology available for students and teachers now. Through technology students can begin to direct their own learning. Students can begin to work together and even create their own websites. In the video the woman talks about how kids can search, and explore but you must give them the websites they are to explore. You also have to realize that students have a learning curve and not all tools come naturally to all students. My favorite part about this video was showing how through technology it is much easier to communicate and work with other kids from all around the world. If you are willing to put the effort in and get in contact with other teachers you can provide learning experiences that are based on the social constructivist philosophy.

Essential Question2:**What skills should be taught to elementary level students to prepare them to become 21st century learners?** I believe that students should know how to work the basics of computers as well as basic programs such as word, and excel. In the video one of the kids talks about how helping with technology is helping them prepare for their future jobs. No one knows the kind of technology there will be when these elementary kids are getting a job so we need to prepare them for not only how to work programs and a computer but how to explore and learn on their own so that in later years they are not left behind. They need to begin to facilitate their own learning.

Essential Questions 3:**How can learning technologies promote creativity innovation, personal and group flow and social awareness?** It puts kids in charge of their own learning and helps give them a choice of how and what they learn. Technology gives kids confidence especially when they are able to go home and teach their parents something they don’t even know how to do. I really liked the quote they gave in the video that said, “Education must shift from instruction, from imposing of stencils to discovery- to probing and exploration.” I believe that is what technology has given us. Technology gives us endless opportunities to promote creativity, innovation, and social awareness.

Summary: **How can I utilize what I have learned in my teaching?** I find that technology is a great thing to put into my classroom because kids love it. It has become part of their lives and most of them are very comfortable using it. They thrive to learn more and understand and to do more on it. If I can help facilitate and teach about technology the results are endless.

Your name:Catherine Vontsolos Session Title:**Web 2.0 Tools to Amplify Elementarry Students' Creativity and Initiative** Essential Question 1:**How can technology be used to facilitate learning experiences based on a social constructivist philosophy?** Response: The social constructive philosphy becomes apparent through the teaching of cutting edge technologies quite effectively, as demonstrated in this video. Students become active participants in their learning. This is done through creating their own individual and group projects in order to teach and reinforce what they have learned. In this way, students are more apt to buy in to their learning. Students' multiple intelligences are addressed when implementing devices such as avatars. Group participation when working on web based group projects allows for immediate feedback which means that students will increase social and academic interaction. This is social constuctivism in education at its best. Essential Question 2: **What skills should be taught to elementary level students to prepare them to become 20th century learners?** Response:Of course, all students need to master computer basics, such as keyboarding and word processing. Now, however, information access skills are increasingly important, as information we need, both for academic purposes and for every day existence, are available only through the Internet--be it databases or basic websites. Now technologies which are more manipulative in nature are becoming cutting edge (such as wikis, etc.), and are essential to the learning process. Interactive technologies such as Facebook, Twitter, etc, are being used as information portals, and not just social interaction. Students need to learn how to use these technologies safely and effectively. Essential Question 3:**How can learning technologies promote creativity, innovation, personal and group flow and social awareness?**Response:When students become active, rather than merely passive participants in their learning process, the information thay are learning is likely to remain with them. The nature of interactive computer programs promote creativirty, what with the myriad of choices students are offered in creating power point slides, for example, or wikiis, or their own webpages. Many classrooms post their group projects online. The fact that these projects can be viewed by anyone makes students want to use their creativity to their highest standards. When using technology such as I have described, students'creativity and innovation promote an awareness of the global community.

Summary: I am looking forward to being able to integrate technology when teaching Social Studies. I feel that the subject can really come alive for students, considering all of the possibilities. Students can learn how to use current technologies while learning the academic subject. It is imperative that students become fluent in technology in order to become active participants in the 21st century, as more and more of our daily activities, and indeed our world are technology dependent.

11. Your name: Kathy McKee Session Title: “Web 2.0 Tools to Amplify Elementary Students’ Creativity and Initiative” Essential Question 1: **How can technology be used to facilitate learning experiences based on a social constructivist philosophy?** Response: Technology has taken the classroom and to new levels. Providing students with enriching technological experiences increases the level of engagement and allows for greater levels of differentiation to meet the learning and skill levels of all the students in the classroom. The teacher becomes a facilitator of learning the constructivist classroom setting. Essential Question 2: **What skills should be taught to elementary level students to prepare them to become 20th century learners?** Response: Communication skills are basic and essential at any age level and critical to an individuals success in society. Technology has enhanced and broadened the venues that are available to use in the communication process. As a teacher, I feel keyboarding is the number one essential skill students use with most technology available today. The inability to effectively keyboard can put a strain on the entire process. Next would have to be research skills including how to disseminate betweek reliable sources when conducting research using the Internet. Last would be extending and deepening their knowledge and skills with a variety of computer programs. Essential Question 3: **How can learning technologies promote creativity, innovation, personal and group flow and social awareness?** Response: The more technology a student is familiar and comfortable with allows for less stress and promotes higher levels of creativity, innovation, and personal satisfaction. Summary: I use a fair amount of technology with my students and manage to branch out to new and uncharted waters every year and that can be a real challenge for the teacher given the diverse level of skill and abilities that can exist with in any group you teach. It would be refreshing to give an assignment and be able to just let the students go for it. Using technology in the classroom is like sending all your students to art class, all are required to draw but the ability and skill level can span a huge range. Having realistic expectations helps. In my five years of teaching it seems as though the students I teach come into the classroom with more advanced skills each year.

Bobbi Holcomb Session Title: “Web 2.0 Tools to Amplify Elementary Students’ Creativity and Initiative” Essential Question 1: How can technology be used to facilitate learning experiences based on a social constructivist philosophy? Response: We as teachers need to become solid as to the objectives the students need to meet, and then provide relevant links so they can do the searching and creating, and really learn from the process instead of just the product. Because so much of the internet 2.0 is self-driven and not about just receiving information, but CREATING it, it would be a disservice to the students to water it down and have them do anything else besides actually being online and researching and creating. The nature of the technology does not easily allow for teacher-directed activities, because the digital age moves so quickly, and the students are likely to experience a wider range of learning opportunities by just being engaged in the technology, rather than receiving removed direct instruction “about” it. Plus, allowing them to be motivated by doing authentic tasks rather than work that is removed from real world application will be more enjoyable and have a longer lasting effect for them.

Essential Question 2: What skills should be taught to elementary level students to prepare them to become 21st century learners? Response: I believe that critical thinking skills and computer and internet basics are very important skills for students to be taught in elementary school. I also believe there are other important things that a teacher can’t necessarily teach, but can definitely inspire in students, such as the desire to create and the motivation to explore. Like the quote the speaker included at the end of her presentation: “Education must shift from instruction, from imposing stencils, to discovery- to probing and exploration…” (McLuhan). She also said we need to “give kids the tools and get out of the way.” I think the most valuable things we can provide are time (time to play with the tools, so the mental connections can be made) and an example of enthusiasm and determination towards technology. I once had a mentor who told me the secret to a successful life was to “become comfortable being uncomfortable”; that is I should always push myself to better myself, even if the unfamiliar or new makes me a little nervous. I think we should model incorporating new technologies into our teaching for our students, so they can see how important it is to always grow with technology instead of becoming static.

Essential Question 3: How can learning technologies promote creativity, innovation, personal and group flow, and social awareness? Response: The ways that the internet 2.0 allows communication and interaction with people from around the globe is so much stronger, educationally, than learning of those things through textbooks or lectures. Students are able to interact with people with whom they would otherwise never have contact, and learn from those people directly. I also think that because the internet and digital media are changing so rapidly, that creativity and innovation are naturally inherent- students are helping to create things that have not yet been and contribute to a real world interface that has meaning to them and to our culture in general. I think it’s very important for teachers to model acceptable and ethical practices for the students, so that when they reach adolescence and are more unsupervised (both in the physical and virtual worlds) they will already have that internal filter that will guide them in their use of social networks and other online communication tools.

Summary: I feel like as a teacher I have an amazing opportunity to engage kids with technology to make learning more enjoyable and applicable to them. This video had some great ideas for what to do in order to get started including technology and the internet in the classroom. I hope that once I feel solid in my instruction of the basic subjects, I can begin to incorporate technology into those subjects. I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about the management aspects of implementing technology, but I know that, just like the students, the more I use the technology, the more comfortable I will feel.

Your name: Ashley Guggisberg Session Title:Web 2.0 Tools to Amplify Elementary Students' Creativity and Initiative

Essential Question 1: How can technology be used to facilitate learning experiences based on a social constructivist philosophy?

Response: Technology can be used in so many ways to facilitate learning experiences. In order for this to remain inside the constructivist philosophy, we as teachers need to allow our students the time and the opportunities to freely explore technology tools. According to the video, there are many safe ways to set this up for students. So instead of instructing them and giving specific guidelines and expectations, it would be beneficial to allow students to explore the many technology tools on their own to create meaningful learning experiences. For example, the teacher on the video provided her kids with the links that she had checked first and then she let her students explore them. These types of activities can then easily become child-directed. Like the teacher on the video said, we need to “give them the tools and then get out of the way”. This fits perfectly within a constructivist philosophy because it allows students to construct their own learning experiences.

Essential Question 2: What skills should be taught to elementary level students to prepare them to become 21st century learners?

Response: I feel that students need to have basic computer skills, such as knowing how to type and work in the basic programs. Once these basics have been mastered first, I think that students should learn how to use the new communication technologies that are all around us, such as wikis, blogs, etc. I think students, and teachers as well, need to understand that technology is always changing and growing and improving and we have to be prepared to move along with it. Students need to know that there are many technological outlets for them to use in their learning experiences.

Essential Question 3: How can learning technologies promote creativity, innovation, personal and group flow, and social awareness?

Response: I think that learning technology will promote creativity and innovation simply because the possibilities with technology are absolutely endless. It is something that is always changing and improving so there are always new possibilities. Students have the opportunity with technology to express themselves in truly unique ways that are right for them. And there are so many opportunities for social awareness because of all the social interaction technologies available now, such as blogs, twitter, facebook, etc. There are no limitations with technology.

Summary: To be completely honest, I feel that as a teacher, I need to become way more comfortable with the advancing technologies. I am still trying to figure it all out and I am learning all the time as well. Once I begin to feel a bit more confident then I think I will be able to more effectively integrate different technologies into my classroom. I want to allow my students more opportunity to freely explore different technologies. Before that can happen though, I need to learn more so that I can set up those opportunities for them and find ways to embed them into our learning. There are so many possibilities, I need to allow my students the time to explore them. This is also a great way to increase student engagement. With so many unique possibilities students are going to be much more motivated to engage in these learning opportunities.

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