Shareware, Freeware & Software

PROGRAM NAME	PUBLISHER	AUTHOR	DESCRIPTION	USEFULLNESS	URL
FREEWARE   Plume Creator	Source Forge	Cyril Jacquet	It is a program that allows students to easily organize writing into scenes, character details, & notes so that writing a novel is an easy step-by-step process.	This would be useful for a creative writing project. It can also be used to aid students in novel reading by keeping notes and organizing information as they read.	http://sourceforge.net/projects/plume-creator/
FREEWARE   Argumentative – Argument Map Software	Source Forge	John Hartley	Using mapping software, students are able to mind map using a tree structure that is designed to display premise, reasons for, objections and “helpers”, examples to support reason or objection.	Students are able to Map their reasoning to arrive at thoughtful answers for arguing their beliefs.	http://sourceforge.net/projects/argumentative/files/
SOFTWARE   Grammar for the Real World	Knowledge Adventure		Students work their way up the ladder at a Hollywood studio based on their writing and grammar skills. As their skills become better, they are promoted.	This program assists in increasing students’ skills in writing and grammar through real world application. Students are able to see a connection between their writing abilities and their value for promotion.	http://www.academicsuperstore.com/products/Knowledge+Adventure
SOFTWARE   Clicker 6	Crick Software		Based on principles of Universal Design, students are provided with individualized writing and reading activities that are proven to create dramatic increases to students’ abilities.	Since the programs are individualized, you can have students work at their pace while working with a larger group to provide instruction.	http://www.cricksoft.com/us/products/tools/clicker/home.aspx

Reflection Standard 5

Reflection Standard 5

 

            Standard 5 of ISTE-NETS for teachers is to engage in professional growth and leadership. Being a professional, teachers should seek ways to better their instruction. They should model that learning is a process that continues throughout a person’s life. Teachers should also display professional leadership in the area of technology by promoting its use through demonstration among their peers and within the school environment.

            Teachers are able to meet this standard by focusing on four key components of the standard. First, teachers ought to seek to discover ways to improve student learning through the use of innovative applications of technology; teachers may gain this knowledge via local and/or global learning communities. Second, teachers should infuse their instruction with the use of technology to demonstrate their leadership in an instructional vision. While moving forward in their vision, they should assist others to develop in this way. Third, teachers should make it routine to review current research in the areas of technology and education so they may incorporate new practices in their instruction to further student learning. Finally, in order to grow their profession, school and community, teachers need to be key contributors in determining educational needs and providing up-to-date methods that are effective.

            I am able to meet this standard in its entirety.  I currently participate in a local learning community that reviews and discusses current technology applications that aid in student learning. Although I have a local learning community, I am not participating in a global community. I feel confident that I can find and become a participant in a global educational community by taking time to research existing online sites that are available to educators. Within my department, I often share my uses of technology in instruction with other teachers. Teachers often ask for my assistance in using new programs, and I always assist them. I feel strongly that the future of education will rely heavily on the use of technology. With this idea in mind, when given information or opportunities to use new digital applications or tools, I always accept. Prior to beginning a master’s degree, I would occasionally read current research when it was provided at staff development meetings. I typically would not independently seek out research to drive my instruction. After participating in two graduate classes, I know that I have to make it a ritual to continually increase my knowledge by keeping abreast of new research. By doing this and incorporating what I learn into my instructional practices, I will increase my effectiveness by maintaining an educational environment that seeks to be better.      

Reflection Standard 4

Reflection Standard 4

             Standard 4 of ISTE-NETS for teachers is to promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility. In order to comply with this standard, teachers must stay up to date with digital concerns that are local and global. With this understanding, teachers carry a responsibility to show and teach their students appropriate ways to use technology and ways to conduct themselves while using technology so they may not become engaged in illegal or unethical practices. Some areas that should be of primary concern for teachers are teaching student s to respect copyrighted material, intellectual property, and, if using those types of materials, appropriate documentation of sources.  Also within this standard, the teacher must provide all students with access to digital tools and resources from which they may select in order for them to experience and showcase their learning in a way that is most advantageous for their individual needs.  Furthermore, it is also the teacher’s responsibility to ensure that students know and understand digital etiquette and how to engage in appropriate social interactions while using digital tools. Finally, teachers need to socially interact with colleagues and students whose cultural backgrounds are diverse. The teacher needs to collaborate through digital communication applications and tools. Through this collaboration, teachers are able to model for students and help them develop an understanding of cultures in a global sense.

            My readiness to meet this standard is very strong and is certainly increasing. Most of the standard, I already address with my students. For instance, I always address the appropriate use of copyrighted material and intellectual property. Now, I am able to provide students with wizards that assist them in accurately citing material that they do use in their work. I also have discussions with the students about digital etiquette and their social interactions; we often discuss the consequences of having poor etiquette and interactions. Students provide personal examples which make for a very interesting conversation. My weakness in this standard is in addressing a diversity of cultures and providing a global awareness. I see now that I could use the conversations about social interactions as a segue to cover other cultures which would make for a perfect opportunity to cover this portion of the standard. Other ways that I could address this portion of the standard is by using web sites that provide virtual tours in other countries. As a class, we could connect with students and teachers from other countries via email and collaboration on online documents such as Google Docs or Prezi. It would be great to use Skype to communicate; however, our computers are not equipped with cameras so we wouldn’t have a visual. I am not sure that Skype is allowed through the school internet security, but it is a topic that could be addressed with administration in order to gain permission and access.   

ISTE Standard 3

            Standard 3 of ISTE-NETS for teachers is to model digital age work and learning. Accordingly, teachers should be professionals that are innovative in their use of technology so that they may become mavericks of digital tools as they are used in a society that is linked globally. Teachers are able to demonstrate this ability by gaining knowledge and skills that may be then applied towards the usage of a variety of technologies. Not only should they demonstrate their abilities in their current technologies in use, but they should also be able to apply their knowledge to new technologies as they are presented. Also, when situational changes occur such as individual student needs, district mandates, school initiatives, or departmental changes, teachers should be savvy enough in their knowledge to fluidly address these changes.  Maneuvering through technological resources, teachers should increase students’ personal success and creative abilities by providing a collaborative digital environment that is connected with students, parents, classmates and members of the community. This collaboration should provide all individuals with information that is authentic, current and clear; this information should be disseminated in multiple digital formats such as texts, emails and web sites to increase the overall ability for individuals to correspond. Finally, teachers should be able to model and assist students in the use of new technologies so that they may become more effective in their learning and research as it pertains to accessing information from technological and digital resources.

            My readiness to meet this standard is gaining momentum as I further my studies in the use of technology. Reading current journals that discuss the use of technology in education, collaborating with my peers on the usage of applications that are new to me and participating in class technology readings/projects are all contributing greatly towards moving me closer to meeting this standard. I definitely see the need and student gains that can be had when providing educative opportunities using digital tools. Hindrances to meeting this goal are more personal issues tied into motivation, but are also student related in that not all students have digital devices that tie into the internet while out of the school setting due to financial reasons. Currently, I use Smartboard technologies to engage students in direct instruction activities. I also have students use the internet for interactive learning, research and project development. I email a few students’ parents, but have lacked the motivation to attempt this with all of my parents. I plan on making it a goal to not only set up an email group for parents, but also set it up with student email so that all can be participants in receiving and discussing current class goals and objectives. The current research motivates me to use these tools to become more communicative with parents to add another dimension to the collaboration but not to take the place of personal communication.  

 

            Standard 2 of ISTE-NETS for teachers is to design and develop digital age learning. Accordingly, teachers should prepare and assess lessons that provide real-life learning and experience. Teachers should use up to date learning resources that most benefit the students’ learning of content specific material. Teachers can achieve this by having students use digital media. The teacher is required to create environments that are laden with technologies from which the student can select from to move through their learning. Students may select from the provided technologies that most fit their needs in order to actively engage in the learning experience. By providing students technology options, they will be most likely to participate in their personal learning, goal setting, pacing of their learning, and determining their progress through personal assessment. Since students’ learning styles, capabilities and work strategies vary, teachers should build activities that provide students the ability to showcase their talent in their areas of strength in respect to digital media. Finally, teachers should provide students with a variety of assessments that are both formative and summative. Based on the assessments given and the data gleaned from students, the teacher is better able to design instruction and increase learning to bring the students in line with current standards in technology and content.

            My readiness to meet this standard in its entirety is somewhat lacking.  I have the ability to design or adapt lessons incorporating the use of digital media and have already done this on several occasions within my classes. A key component in my students’ Individual Education Plans (IEPs) addresses transition; namely, students must work towards a career goal to obtain upon graduation. In order for students to create this goal, they must first complete online interest inventories and career assessments. Based on this information, students complete online research in their areas of interest. Once they compile their information, they may create either a PowerPoint presentation or a Word document report to present their transition information and goal. These activities are very relevant for each student and allow them the opportunity to indulge their curiosities of employment opportunities while giving them ownership of their learning and their future. By providing students with submission options for their final transition portfolio, they are able to present their information in a digital format that showcases their strengths and addresses their style of learning. Unfortunately, I have only been able to show two digital formats in which students can submit their portfolios. This is a personal lack of ability and technological knowledge; however, I am addressing this issue by participating in a technology course designed to provide enhanced knowledge of technology use in the classroom. I also lack the ability to provide a technology-enriched classroom on a full bloom scale. I do have desktop computers and a smart board in the classroom, but I lack a variety of technology such as tablets, smart phones and laptops. If students already have a preferred method of technology that they use outside of class, I could gain permission from administration for them to bring the technology to school to use to complete work. This would provide students with a more enriched environment.

 

            Standard 1 of ISTE-NETS for teachers is to facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity. Based on the teacher’s experience in teaching and learning, they should be able to make learning, creating, and innovating easier for students. Teachers need to have a command of their subject and the ability to use technology in order to carry out this standard. Teachers must model these behaviors in order to promote the process. The teacher should also model and require students to use technology to explore and  solve issues that are occurring in the world today through use of collaboration and student reflection in personal and virtual environments so that their understanding gains more clarity.

            I currently work with a group of special education, self-contained, cross-categorical, ninth thru twelfth grade high school students. Their abilities range dramatically, and I am tasked with increasing their abilities in the areas of ELA, Math, affective behavior and transitional needs. I am confident in my knowledge of these subject areas and currently use technology in my classroom to address these subjects.

            I have had students use technology in my classroom to engage in curriculum based materials, access information, create reports, and create PowerPoint for presentation in the aforementioned areas. Before submitting a final product, students often collaborate during the creation of reports or PowerPoint presentations. The collaboration process evolved naturally without my intervention. Once I realized how the students were more engaged in their work using this process, I began using it for purposeful reasons such as editing as well as clarifying students writing and thought processes within presentations. This collaborative structure is only within a face-to-face environment. Collaboration within the virtual environment is something that I have not attempted and feel a lack of ability to perform. This may be appropriate for some of my students; however, other students may have major difficulties in participating in the online process of collaboration. Students tend to have difficulties transferring skills. Perhaps as I increase my abilities in this area, I will become more appreciative of the process and more open to teaching my students in this capacity. Using this process, I would like to promote further discussion in the class about issues that are relevant to them in today’s world. This is an area in which, as a class, we touch on and discuss briefly without purpose. This skill is another area where I feel weak in approaching with my class in a virtual environment, but I can appreciate the need and benefit it would bring for my students. Although I have not complied entirely to this standard within my classroom for lack of skills, there are other hindrances of which I have no control over.

            Within my classroom, I have a total of six computers. Three of which are outdated, slow and often freeze. There are three computer labs, but they are often booked by other teachers. When I have used the labs, I have had mixed experiences. Typically the computers have not been updated on a regular basis and do not perform properly. The computers in these labs are also a mixture of old and new computers; the older models seldom work properly. I could consider collaboration activities to occur outside of school hours; however, many of my students simply do not have access to computers while at home.

            In order to comply with the standard, I need to work on my personal deficits in knowledge and experience. I can do this by creating a blog with given instructive materials and having individuals post moderated comments. The more experience I have with this type of collaboration the easier it will be for me to teach this skill to my students. I can then assert purposeful issue driven collaboration within my classes with my students.  

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