Tools



__ **Summary** __ **__Topic of Video Chat__: Interactive Literacy**


 * __ Technology Standards Addressed __**
 * __ Maryland __****__ Teacher Technology Standards __**

//A. Use technology effectively and appropriately to interact electronically. // 1. Use telecommunications to collaborate with peers, parents, colleagues, administrators and/or experts in the field. //B. Use technology to communicate information in a variety of formats // 1. Select appropriate technologies for a particular communication goal. 3. Use multiple digital sources to communicate information online.
 * II. Communication **

Demonstrate an understanding of the legal, social and ethical issues related to technology use. 4. Use classroom procedures to manage an equitable, safe and healthy environment for students.
 * III. Legal, Social and Ethical Issues **

Understand human, equity and developmental issues surrounding the use of assistive technology to enhance student learning performance and apply that understanding to practice. 1. Identify and analyze assistive technology resources that accommodate individual student learning needs. 2. Apply assistive technology to the instructional process and evaluate its impact on learners with diverse backgrounds, characteristics and abilities.
 * V. Integrating Technology into the Curriculum and Instruction **
 * Design, implement and assess learning experiences that incorporate use of technology in a curriculum-related instructional activity to support understanding, inquiry, problem solving, communication and/or collaboration. **
 * 1. Assess students’ learning/ instructional needs to identify the appropriate technology for **
 * instruction. **
 * 2. Evaluate technology materials and media to determine their most appropriate instructional use. **
 * 4. Use appropriate instructional strategies for integrating technology into instruction. **
 * 5. Select and use appropriate technology to support content-specific student learning outcomes. **
 * 7. Manage a technology-enhanced environment to maximize student learning. **
 * VI. Assistive Technology **

Develop professional practices that support continual learning and professional growth in technology. 3. Continually evaluate and reflect on professional practices and emerging technologies to support student learning. 4. Identify local, state and national standards and use them to improve teaching and learning.
 * VII. Professional Growth **


 * Description of Video Chat: **

Our class utilized video chat to promote literacy. We paired up with Mrs. Kateri Baker’s 2-year-old class at Chapel Forge Special Center. Kateri’s students have been learning their colors and animals through reading the story, __Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?__ by Eric Carle. Our third graders have been studying reader’s theater and the characteristics of plays. We planned to have the third grade students practice their craft while performing a reader’s theater in the form of a puppet show in an effort to promote early literacy skills. Students chose parts, reviewed the story, and practiced reading their lines in “original voices” to represent their animal. They designed their own stick puppets to use in the production. The two-year-old class had their own copies of the story to follow-along with the actors during the show.

April 21, 2009
 * Reflection: **

This was my first time using a webcam to Video Chat for educational purposes. I have had experience utilizing Skype at home for chats with friends and relatives, but never really considered using it in the classroom. The overall experience was very positive, although there were a few glitches along the way. First of all, Mrs. Baker and I had difficulty finding a time that would fit into both of our busy schedules. It didn’t help that we lost so much instructional time due to snowstorms and MSA testing on my end. In addition, when we finally found a time that worked for both of our classes, Mrs. Baker’s webcam was not being recognized by her computer and we had difficulty making the connection. Of course technology doesn’t always seem to cooperate when you need it most. The children on both ends were so excited, they waited patiently for us to try a variety of “fix-its” attempting to connect. Just when we thought we were going to have to reschedule, Mrs. Baker was able to move her children into another classroom and use a different teacher’s computer. When her invite to video chat popped up, you could hear the cheers of my students throughout the building! The students were just thrilled to put on the show for the little ones and were very motivated to do their personal best. Even the students who did not participate as actors enjoyed watching the looks of enjoyment on the preschool children’s faces. They also enjoyed seeing their classmates perform in the smaller screen off to the side. The two reading groups who were in the audience are already planning out performing a fractured fairy tale from our upcoming unit for Mrs. Baker’s class. It was wonderful to be able to project the chat on the overhead screen through the LCD projector. I am not sure the experience would have had the same effect if it had been viewed by all on just one computer screen. In the future, we are also planning to video chat with a classroom of second graders in our building. Our intent is to have the second graders address our third grade class in the form of a Q&A session. We would welcome them to generate questions or share concerns they have about transitioning to third grade. This could be done publicly via the webcam or prior to the session on an index card. We would have students volunteer to address the individual questions and respond to the whole class. Overall, I feel that with more practice and additional cameras throughout our building, the webcams can become a useful communication tool as well as a method of sharing student work with a wider audience.