Jackie Behr 20% Project

Throughout the course, I jumped around a bit when it came to my 20% project.  I spent the first couple weeks creating screencasts using Screencast-o-matic.  I created screencasts for the new 6^th graders that demonstrate how to access their teacher websites, online textbooks and resources for math, science, and language arts, and grades portal.  I plan to continue to create additional screencasts this summer.  After creating these screencasts, I realized I had no where to put them.  During the next week, I created my own YouTube channel as a hub for my screencasts.  I also spent time finding Khan Academy videos that matched with concepts we were learning in math.  I put these on my YouTube channel as well.  I also spent time becoming familiar with the SMART Board recording feature.  I invited some of my students to make recordings of math examples that we could post to our classroom website.  Finally, I spent the last couple weeks creating and modifying a classroom Google site.  I currently use Wordpress and have decided to switch over to Google Sites because of our Gmail switch for next year.  Although the course is coming to an end, I plan to continue working on the various components of my 20% project in order to have everything up and running for the start of the 2012-2013 school year!

            NETS*T #2 and #3:  Before beginning this cohort, my technology integration consisted of daily use of the SMART board and my classroom blog.   There was little student interaction with technology.  Students were not using technology to create and collaborate.  This was partly because I had no idea where to begin with student technology.  I felt overwhelmed by the online resources available and had no guidance as to what direction to go.  After dabbling with online resources each week during this course and discovering how the resources could be used to enhance student learning, I was fired up!  I began to have my students use Google Apps (forms, documents, and presentations) on a weekly basis.  I created online student polls, increased my use of video clips in my lessons, I invited students to make SMART notebook recordings of math examples, and encouraged my students to use digital story-telling as an alternative format for a science project on matter.  Much of the work I did was in front of my students so that they could learn how to create with the web tools.  Since increasing student-technology in my classroom, my students are eager to learn and use more web tools in our lessons and at home

            NETS*T #5:  I have begun sharing what I’ve learned during this course with my 6^th grade science colleagues.  I have requested time for curriculum writing this summer and plan to create additional online learning experiences.  Everything that I create will be shared with my team during our science curriculum writing time later this summer.