Glogster

It is amazing how seemingly user friendly some sites seem but aren't.  When I first went to the website for Glogster I was amazed at all the possiblities the sight offered.  I had no trouble creating an account and finding an easy to follow templete.  I was able to navigate the site pretty well, but I encountered some trouble when I tried to upload a video from Brain Pop Jr.  I watched tutorial after tutorial that showed users simply using the copy and paste method that I love so very much, but alas, it wasn't to be for me.  I finally found a tutorial that showed a user using ctl+c to copy and ctl+v to paste into Glogster for YouTube videos.  I gave up on Brain Pop Jr. and found some cute but informative videos on YouTube.  I think Glogster is pretty cool, but I did find myself irritated at the slow response for typing in text boxes and uploading different types of media.  If anyone would like to watch the Brain Pop Jr. video that I couldn't link, its link is posted below.  Happy Easter everyone!

 http://www.brainpopjr.com/science/animals/classifyinganimals/

Educational Software

With so much available technology today the question of relevance is often asked. I personally use educational apps in my ELA and Math small groups. The apps I use track progress and offer data for progress monitoring. I think like any other resource it must be used judiciously and purposefully. Technology is a tool and not a substitute teacher or a babysitter. My students have personal folders on my iPad and are required to turn in some form of assessment at the end of their time with the apps. An example of an effective assessment would be a listener's evaluation for ebooks. As technology expands, we must make a purposeful place in our instruction for expanded instruction or suffer the consequence of a wasted opportunity.

Introduction

Hello to all.  I'm Jenny Summey and I teach second grade in South Carolina.  I'll be married 8 years on April 2nd (better get on that gift soon.), and we have a soon to be three year old daughter.  I've taught for nine years with 6 of those years in 2nd grade.  I love teaching but my heart is in the library building a love of literacy for everyone.  I pray that my efforts are fruitful, and God will soon lead me to a library position.  I hope to learn and share a lot while working on the blog assignment for Technology in Education.