Tools 11:

1. What are your favorite tools you now have in your personal technology toolbox? Briefly describe a particular activity that you will plan for your students using at least one of these new tools.

My favorite tools have been learning to create websites and using them to post assignments, notes, and videos - these have been particularly useful during tutorials.  Students would use the iPads to watch and rewatch the examples and they were able to reinforce their learning.  As a teacher, I loved it because I was able to help more students simultaneously and many students became more independent on their learning.  I also like it because it was very useful to students who absent or are assigned to ISS - this way they have access to material they missed in class outside of class!

My websites are:

www.mathematicsmadeez.weebly.com

www.nhsalgebra2.weebly.com

2. How have you transformed your thinking about the learning that will take place in your classroom? How has your vision for your classroom changed? Are you going to need to make any changes to your classroom to accommodate the 21st Century learner?

My vision has changed in the sense that I am more open to using the technology in classroom when I saw how it helped reach and address the individual needs of my students in mathematics.  Nonetheless, I still have my reservations, because I am first and foremost a math teacher with a multitude of math objectives to cover during the year - if technology (the means) helps achieve those math objectives (the end/goal), then I will definitely utilize it, otherwise I won't.  Therefore,  my vision is to utilize technology as much as possible, when I see that it is an effective means to building the learning of math concepts.  I see the use of the websites and videos as a great means to address students' learning gaps in greater numbers.  I hope to better incorporate the website this next upcoming school year.

3. Were there any unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?

The student response to the video lessons - they really appreciated them and made my tutorial times more effective.

For your Tool #10 assignment:
In YOUR blog post:

1. Discuss at least three things you would want to make sure your students understand about being good digital citizens.

I would want to make sure my students understand how to be safe when using social media technology, how to identify possible predators, and develop auto-control as far as healthy use of technology versus excessive uses and dangerous/harmful uses of technology.

2. Share at least one of the resources mentioned above or on the Ed Tech website that you plan to use instructionally.
One resource that I might use is budd:e cybersecurity.  I still need to do some more exploring, but at first glance - it seeems to be very interesting to high school students and informative.

3. Explain briefly how you would "teach" the idea of digital citizenship to your students
I would teach digital citizenship by including guidelines into my syllabus and discuss them in my first week of school, as well throughout the year as opportunities present themselves.  I would also model good citizenship in the classroom by showing examples of it whenever possible.

4. Explain briefly how you plan to share the idea of digital citizenship with your parents.
I would share the idea of digital citizenship with parents by sending information home in the syllabus  and during phone/email communications whenever necessary.

Tool #9 Assignment, create a new post in which you respond to the following:
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Why do you think it is important to tie the technology to the objective?
     I believe it is important to tie technology to the objective so that way it will be incorporated into the student's learning.
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Why should we hold students accountable for the stations/centers?
Students should be accountable for their stations so they will act responsibly and take an active participation into their learning objectives.
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Visit 2 of the applicable links to interactive websites for your content/grade level.
Which sites did you like. How could you use them as stations? How can you hold the students accountable for their time in these stations?
I visited:
-manipula math: it has some interesting demonstration on the reflective properties of conics,
-math interactives: it has some interesting presentations and interactive lessons on parabolas,
- interactive: it some interesting graphs of comic sections where students can explore the different graphs of conics.
In order for me to use these sites, I would create a set of questions or taks they students could accomplish using the tools in these sites - these taks/questions would not only guide them on their explorations, but also hold them accountable as they progress through the taks.
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List two to three apps you found for the iPod Touch/iPad that you can use in your classroom. What do you see that station looking like? How can you hold the students accountable for their time in these stations?

I found the following app worth exploring:
-free graphing calculator,
-Myscript- calculator ,
-numbers.
I need to explore each of these apps to further understand how they would help build greater I understanding of algebra 2 objectives.  I can see how these tools could be helpful in exploring problems and building new knowledges - they challenges lies in bridging these tools with Algebra 2 and time.
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What about other ways to use the iPod Touch/iPad? Share another way you can see your students using the device as a station.

I foresee my students using the iPads to watch videos of class lessons that they are struggling with.  I tried some this year using my websites mathematicsmadeez.weebly.com and nhsalgebra2.weebly.com - students really enjoyed and found them valuable.