Application+of+the+Tools

 **Application of the Tools

I have used all tools over this course. I see value to all yet when I think of my building and their "place of comfort" with technology, I will attempt to get the staff to use a few of the tools at a time. All are certainly applicable to education and help students become 21st century learners. If I had my own class I would incorporate almost every topic with the daily life of my students. Since I am the Instructional Coach, my job is to support education. Introducing the topics I have learned will take time and fine-tuning. My staff needs support and applicable reasons why new things will work for them and how these new things won't e something "more" to their daily workload.**

I have used multiple tools over the course of the class. Many have been to make my profession easier, to communicate with staff, to just learn about technology for the love of technology. I did not know of online tools prior to this class. GoWeb2.0 is am amazing resource, collecting massive resources for almost any need. This tool will save hours of internet searches as I used to do. I will refer my staff to this, place a link to this site on my webpage for staff, parents, and students. One of the sites I discovered was Activeallowance.com. I could use this not only at home with my children but introduce it to my intermediate teachers. Organizing students' jobs into this site and allowing them to monitor their earned allowances for classroom jobs is invalable. Fifth grade staff could find this a great connection to their economics study with Young Ameritowne. The understandings of wikis and podcasting has been and will be my greatest application to my profession. I have created a podcast for my building: PLC work to share with the community. Grade level staff are interested and have signed me up to help them do the same for their classrooms. The creation of a school wiki for plc and collaboration work was received with surprising acceptance last week. I created the site and gently yet enthusiastically encouraged staff to try the site. Seeing my enthusiasm and finding it isn't difficult AND they will have my help and support, makes this new toll seem slightly less daunting. It seems these items and the ones I discuss on the Persoanl Growth page are what seem to be "exciting and the new technological tool" which staff are being drawn to. With my enthusiasm as well I know I have the opportunity to bring these tools into my building. These tools can only benefit the students. Once teachers can realize students can share in the love of learning through these tools, maybe even helping staff with them through their knowledge, education will seem more of an equal experience. This can only benefit my building. I know students are "digital natives" and many staff "digital immigrants". One can help the other.

Students will provide a 1 page narrative with examples synthesizing all of the web 2.0 tools they have used over the length of the course and of how they intend to apply (one or more) concepts and applications they have learned in this course to transform their classroom instruction and student learning experiences.