Welcome
to another awesome experience of Education 422 – Technology Tools for
Education. By the end of this course you will learn a lot about how to
integrate technology into your classroom, as well as a few tricks and
tips for how
win friends and influence people!
I
will use this blog to keep everyone updated on the weekly requirements
for the course, as well as model for you how to create a blog for your
future classroom! I need you to read each entry v-e-r-y carefully, I will be giving away $50 tonight
to the person who finds the hidden gnome in this very post. . .Okay,
not really, but I do need everyone to read each entry please ;-)
Technical Requirements. . .
First order of business: If you do not have a Gmail Address/Account,
you need to get one! (and no, your CSUSM email does not count). Don't
worry, I have worked it out with Google to give you free email
accounts!
You will be asked to join and/or participate in a number of web-based tools, publications, etc. . .I recommend that you find a user name that identifies you, is appropriate for school/parents, something unique enough that you will be able to use it for multiple tools, and one that you can remember. . .
While this course has no required text, you will be required to subscribe to ISTE,
the International Society for Technology in Education (see link on the Clickable Goodness page on this blog), as well as purchase a semester subscription to TaskStream, an online
portfolio generator.
For TaskStream (also linked in "Clickable Goodness"):
You will need to self-enroll in the Local TPE. Here are the code you will need:
Local TPE: 6SG3BA
Move over CougarCourses, welcome to Edmodo!
For
the last 8 years, I have been using the university-designated LMS
(Learning Management System). We started with WebCT/Blackboard and
moved to Moodle a few years ago. While I think both tools are fine, I
have been eager to try out a LMS that my students (e.g. YOU) could use
free and easily in a K-12 environment. I have decided upon Edmodo, a
free LMS/Social Network hybrid that I think you will all enjoy. . .My
only caveat is that you need to be patient with me as I work my way
through the use of the tool for the second time as the sole LMS of my
ED422 course. Go to Edmodo and
sign up as a student. One big benefit for those in elementary schools is
that you do not need an email address to sign up for Edmodo. . .a huge
plus!
Our group code is:
I
will also ask you weekly questions on this blog that you will need to
answer in the form of a comment. Some questions are related to
education and most are related you your lives. . .It allows me to build
community while ensuring that you are reading the weekly posts! To
answer the question, you simply need to be logged in to your Gmail
account, which also doubles as your Google account, and you can click on
the word "comments" at the bottom of the post. . . .
This Week's Question: What is the one technology that you cannot live without?
I would have to say my iPhone. . .I'm addicted to music, audio books, and social media. . .all of which I can access from my phone. . .and make calls too
