Tracy Purdy's 20% Project

My 20% project for this course consisted of many different tasks. My goal was to spend time learn many new different web 2.0 tools and trying to use them with my students. I played around with glogster and had my students create character posters for a book we read in class. I also spent some time learning more about how to use Window's Movie Maker and had more success this year because I had time to learn how to save everything correctly so that the program works properly.I had my students create hero poems using Voice Thread and also created a video called "In 3 Words" to sum up our school year. The last thing that I had the students do was to create a portfolio to show all the technology projects that they have done this year. The link to the portfolios is below. I had a great time playing around with all these tools and feel that I have become more efficient in using many of the technology tools that are out there.

Here is a link to a student portfolio:
https://sites.google.com/a/apps.edina.k12.mn.us/caroline-s-4th-grade-portfolio/
In Three Words Video:
http://www.schooltube.com/video/a4c3eb4253af93f0a330/In-3-Words

The 20% project allowed me to become more efficient in the NETS*T standards. I had more opportunities to design and develop digital learning experiences for my students. I was able to spend more time perfecting the lessons which allows me to be more effective in modeling and facilitating the use of digital tools. I feel that this self-directed time inspired me to be more creative in my use of technology in the classroom. Because I had to write in a journal each week, I had to stop and reflect on my use of technology and how effective it was. I got to think how I could improve my practices as a teacher. I am continually learning more about how to use technology more effectively and am continually coming up with new creative ways to inspire my students with technology.

Tracy Purdy's 20% Project

For my 20% project I spent some of my time creating a Blue Screen Movie for my students State Studies Unit.  The video was a hit.  The kids absolutely loved it and parents were amazed at how cool it was to have this video as part of the unit.  The rest of the time I spent working with other fun web tools.  I used Voki and created Avatars with my class for their state research projects.  I also spent time playing with Quia and Quizlet.  I love these sites and think it will be great for my students to practice vocabulary and state capitals.  

The 20% project allowed me to create real, creative, and fun components to lessons that I teach.  I was inspired to take time to try a new tool with my students and then analyze how effective it was.  The technology tools that I used helped me to engage and interact with my students in a new way.  It can be overwhelming how many technology tools are out there and if you have the time to look at a few new ones and try them, you realize how helpful they are in your teaching practices.  

The 20% project helped me to grow in all three of the NETS*T Standards.  My classroom has become more technology enriched and students are able to follow their own interest in the classroom.  While using Voki and the other web tools that I used during this time, students were able to see technology in use.  They were introduced to new technologies and tools they did not know about before.  I was able to take time to journal and reflect on my use of these tools which is very important in order to grow as an educator.