ETC Reflection

 

After reflecting on my experience in Rena’s ETC class, I found the greatest impact on me as a learner was how to apply what I have been learning by using new and innovative  emergent technology tools to create products of my own while documenting the process through blogging.

This month I feel I have learned how to commit to myself and follow through with what is important to me in the midst of daily challenges that throw curve balls my way, even when planning and structure were intended for the day.  I have learned to do my work in various ways that have made my self adaptable and flexible where and how I will get my work done.

Taking a fast pace class requires planning ahead , communicating with other’s and making myself aware and prepared for challenges I might face ahead.

If I had to take this class again, or just for my next class, I will make an investment into my own sanity, effectiveness, and backup for completing my work by hiring a babysitter and person to help clean during the following months! A couple times this month I was able to step away from my three children and work  quietly by myself. What a difference in the quality, focus and time it required  to start or finish those assignment I worked on.

I really enjoyed blogging, and it has been something I had wanted to do for a while. I will continue to blog and use photography throughout the process to capture reflections and connections to the things that bring me passion, joy and stillness throughout my journey. I am finally going to move forward with my trademark for sharing my inspirations freely within the virtual community in my own expressive way that motivates and focuses me on the present moment awareness and stay positive even on those challenging, unexpected moments life brings teachers and mothers each day.

BP10_RILS Commenting and Linking_Educator Studio

Digital Storytelling

If you are interested in motivating your students to write in an innovative, creative, engaging and tech savvy  way, my classmate Chrissia Haughton created a Relevant and Innovative Learning Scenario (RILS) that demonstrates how to introduce ComicLife in primary grades, K-2 , in a fun, unique  and comical kind of way!

Visit Educator Studio to see how Chrissia Haughton

• Introduces the software ComicLife to teachers and students
• Creates a unique storyboard about penguins using students very own pictures
• Receives comments about what I and others thought about her innovative lesson that is adaptable for any classroom in so many ways

Here is the link, just click and read your way to making your own comic today!

http://educatorstudio.com/lessons/lets-make-comic

While you are at Educator Studio, you might as well check out another fun lesson on using emergent technology for digital storytelling in the primary grade classroom.

Read another classmates RILS that shares an additional tech savvy way 1st grade teachers can teach sequencing and retelling  using a  cool  emergent tool found at  www.storyjumper.com  . See how April Woosley takes a fundamental primary grade activity for assessment and  upgrades the old cut and paste version of ordering  parts of a story  in a tech savvy 21st century way.

Visit Educator Studio to see how April Woosley:

• Step’s up her authentic reading comprehension activities by going digital
• Uses Story Jumper to connect Digital Story Sequencing purposefully within students everyday life
• Foster’s collaboration and communication in the classroom using digital story telling to retell their story in their creative  way.

Here is the link to April Woosley’s “tech savvy” lesson. Send her a comment and let her know what you a think!

http://educatorstudio.com/lessons/clever-1st-grader-who-swallowed-story

BP9_RILS Reflection

My RILS  implementation was on using PhotoPeach to teach young children how to create a digital story that was displayed a purposeful and meaningful story that they would like to share with others. The most valuable part of this experience was that I learned how to use a new emergent technology that can integrate photography as a tool for documenting the users experience and fostered innovative communication through digital storytelling.

For myself I learned more about the process of my own learning while seeing where my motivation and engagement peeks with educational media and technology. Photography is what pulls my attention and focus into full force and the enjoyment I experience from it leads me to want to integrate this within the field of education to enhance learning for other’s.

For my learners, a sense of pride and accomplishment was felt from capturing their own photo’s and creating their own shows to share a story.

I liked that I was able to share a passion of mine with my learners and it increases both the teachers engagement during implantation as well as engaged the participants while being able to have user control and creatively express their own voice with digital slideshows, captions and music.

If I was to implement this scenario again I would use it in the classroom to demonstrate a variety of other uses PhotoPeach offers, such as creating quizzes for students, or collaboration amongst students, or for delivering lessons within the classroom to increase engagement and motivation.