Laurie's view of the impact of technology on ESL and Math Lab students.

GRANT IMPACT
I am proud to say that the person that was impacted most by our grant was me. I am of an age that sometimes has trouble accepting change. I was extremely frustrated at times with Word Press at first. It is a difficult program for me.Once everyone was settled it worked out okay. The technology that I was given access to this year changed my teaching methods. I worked hard to have a more green classroom and use less paper. I did that! I worked hard to use technology as a tool in my class and not as a reward. I wanted the students to think of the netbook mini's as they would a book or a pencil or a composition journal. My students do. One big difference. They love the computers and take really good care of them.Not so much with pencils and paper.I have found that even the wildest students can be brought around with a promise of "5 minutes of math choice time when you finish your work."
Student impact: All of my ESL students started and kept up their science blogs this year. They did lots of research about science and in interactive math games throughout the year. They learned and used network etiquette and the reasons for it. Wrote comments to each other in English most of the time and talked a lot about their blogs.

WHAT WENT WELL
The whole year. Our trainings by Karen Justl were phenomonal. She is an inspiring, helpful and can do person. Any time that we had any questions found Karen not on line with us but, at our school, jumping in and helping us get up and started. She was awesome.
The team I worked with was excellent. Everyone tried really hard to take a part in implementing the grant and boosting each other persons morale as we made misteps or mistakes or simply became FRUSTRATED! with something new that we had trouble grasping. Estelle is the queen of aps., Christa and Mary the goddessess of Flip Cameras and Maya and I are the Dames of the Dell Minis. We all found equipment that became our favorite tools. I love those mini's-- Just try and get me to give them up.

PLAN FOR NEXT YEAR
Next year I would like to seamlessly integrate technology into my classroom so that I do not feel so awkward about it. I plan to become more versatile with the ipods and minis this summer. I want to use them so that I can fully appreciate and understand their capabilities. Academically, I want to set up a program for ESL kids much like Library2Play that our district has. I have a few more things that I would like to put into it. I want to have a student directed wiki or website that will walk the students through netiquette. I want to be that teacher that knows and runs a 2.0 classroom.

STUDENT COMMENTS
The following are comments that I have recieved from my students regarding the use of our new technology this year. Remember they are learning English.
M.Noyola "I like the computers because I learned how to make a blog of science. I learned how to use a Flip camera to film things."
A.Escobeda "I like everything computer, camara, I pod touch and I like all of them. I learned more words in English, I learned to type faster, I learned how to google information, and I learned how to use the blog and Jiji."
H.Rodriguez "I like everything; the computer, ipod touch, and the camera. It is good for learning English. I write and speak many words and use the computer more. I go to google, Jiji, blogs and I comment to my friends."
J.Castro "I lke the computer programs, the blog of the science, the ipod touches don't have the other programs. It is very ugly. I like the mini computer better. I learned to write and speak English on camara and on blog."
C.Edwards "What I like most about the computers are the wonderful math games I play so far. I like everything about the computers."
K.Mejia "I like the blog the best on the computer.The ipod touch helps me to learn English. The animal names ap is my favorite. I like the Flip camera because I take it to my house and I have an interview of my family."
S.Guzman "I like that I can use the computers in all of my classes. I like that the netbook mini does not have a mouse.I don't like the mouse. the Ipod touch I can't see very good and I need to move the screen and I don't like it. I really like the Jiji math program."
J.Sarmiento "I love the ecology unit on the computer. I wish all the school has ecology. I love to have the small computers to blog about the ecology. I love the ipod to play games and I can do the aps. I like the flash cards. In the Ipod I learn Spanish to write in Spanish class. I like my blog because I put the things that I learn."
Here is my blog and it will link to my student blogs. thank you.
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