Reflection 1: Technology Bits, Bytes & NIbbles

Going through the stories on the blogs webpage I noticed a few stories that caught my attention.  The first one that I started reading was titled “History Tools that Have Google Maps/Earth… really amazing”.  I thought the websites that were presented in this blog were pretty awesome especially for social studies and ESL teachers.  History Pin is partnered with Google and works as a place where people can go and see what different cities and places looked like years ago.  While I was reading this, I thought of how I could use this.  I was thinking that as an ESL teacher we are encouraged to collect biography cards from our students in order to get to know them.  In addition to having biography cards I can have an activity where they bring old and new pictures of where they come from so they can make like migration maps of where they come from and then they can present them to the class. 

There were two other stories that I connected with.  I have a niece (Genesis) that just turned four.  She is very sweet and very bright.  This past Christmas, my sister gave her some Disney Princess Barbie’s and also some flashcards of shapes and colors.  She was most excited about the flashcards and she hasn’t put them down ever since she got them.  She gets enthusiastic when it comes to learning, so during winter break I decided to give her my iPod touch.  I deleted everything of mine and I uploaded some learning applications and kid-friendly games.  She really enjoys her iPod and is always asking me to download more applications.  I was really excited to learn that PBS has applications for their toddler shows.  My niece really enjoys watching them and I feel like she would really benefit from these applications.  The other blog I read was about Kindergarteners in Oregon using technology in their classrooms.  I though this was a brilliant idea because times are changing and students learning styles are changing as well.  I know that if they were to implement this in Kansas’s schools my niece would really love it because she is already getting practice at home!