So many tools, so little time

I have had a wonderful time in my LitEd with Tech class at UNH this week. I read an AMAZING BOOK (Amplify by Katie Muhtaris and Kristin Ziemke) that has changed how I will teach come September, I tried many new tools and made a list of more to try, and I've started dabbling and learning more about all that Google Apps for Education has to offer me. Monday I will start working thru the modules to become a Google Certified Educator!

This morning I made a new padlet for my students to explore some sites and videos for a animal unit that comes early in the year. It will force me to make sure I am using the technology and helping my students become digital citizens, which I can build on as the year continues.

I was also able to play around with the new Google Sites and am working to upgrade from just a classroom blog to something a bit fancier. After watching a interactive presentation Betsy did with Peardeck I am thinking I can use that in math. I could post a simple addition or subtraction fact that they just have to type the answer to, but a second slide they could draw their thinking/process in solving it.

I want to make this reflection coherent but I think I have finally reached the point that I cannot take any more information in my brain. School ended for me on June 20th and here I am on July 15th, still not having taken a day off from summer work or taking classes for myself. So for now, I unplug and head off to a weekend free of wifi. Monday morning I will be back at it trying to organize my ideas and begin to create a clear vision of what a week of learning about inquiry and a week of learning to incorporate technology looks like when implemented in my first grade classroom.