TechToolsNAEYC09

=Tech Tools Showcase 2009= =Blogs, Wikis and Other Web Wonders: Using Innovative Technologies to Build Networks and Inspire Learning=

NAEYC 2009 Annual Conference Presentation:
(November 20, Washington DC)

Welcome to Everyone: "The Future is Here..."

Mark Bailey: Professor, Pacific University, Oregon. Director Pacific University Child Learning and Development Center. baileym@pacificu.edu Diane Bales:Associate Professor and Human Development Specialist, Cooperative Extension,The University of Georgia, dbales@uga.edu Bonnie Blagojevic; Research Associate, the University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion & Disability Studies (UCEDD), bonnie.blagojevic@umit.maine.edu Warren Buckleitner, Editor, //[|Children's Technology Review]//

We are members of the National Association for the Education of Young Children Technology and Young Children Interest Forum. Learn more about how you can get involved in our work! Visit the Technology and Young Children website today.

This wiki site is our place to share summaries of some of the different ways we have integrated Web 2.0 technology into various areas of the early childhood field. Our conference session examines a range of innovative web-based technologies, and helps you experience the variety of ways they can support your work and children's learning. Tech tools such as wikis, blogs, social bookmarking, and photo and video sharing are transforming the way people are learning and communicating. We used to go to the web to find and read/receive information. These tools allow us to collaborate, co-author, create resources and expand virtual social and community networks.

Based on my work with children of all ages, I will begin the presentation by introducing what the shift from a Web 1.0 to a Web 2.0 world has meant, and then presage the transition we will be making to the world of Web 3.0. In my focus on the current 2.0 world and the implications for teaching and learning with young children, I will focus on the idea of collaborations and interactive participatory tools that enable communication and empower community building.
 * Mark Bailey:** I am a professor in the College of Education at Pacific University in Oregon. I oversee a new school I created at my university, a 60 student preschool and kindergarten program called the Early Learning Community . I also collaborated to develop the Oregon Technology in Education Network, a consortium of private university education faculty exploring the use of technology to support learning K-16. Come visit my [|homepage].

I will focus specifically on a cluster of tools, beginning with Blogs in early childhood. Here is an excellent video on what a blog is - []. I have selected some Kindergarten blogs based on the different elements they contain, as well as their ability to represent student work. As you explore them, notice the variety of special way they use images, video sound and other representations of student work. Ms. Aja’s Classroom - [] Strathcona School - [] Daily Dolphin - @http://elcdolphincommunity.blogspot.com/ Kindergarten Tales - [] Manaia New Zealand - [] Kinderkids Classroom - []

To start blogging I would recommend you visit the following three sites to Learn more. [|Learning and Leading] - Article on Blogging __[|Learning To Blog]__ - Kim Cofino __[|Blogging It’s Elementary]__ - Webquest 4 Students

Next I will take you to an engaging new program that will allow students to write online stories, as well as collaborate with others across the Web to co-write these creations. This is called Storybird and it is referred to as a collaborative literacy tool. Authors combine preloaded images provided by the site and text that they write into a story that is visually quite striking. It is the collaborative element of the tool that is the most interesting and as such it is a classic web 2.0 tool. You can read about their work on this tool on the [|Storybird Blog].

Finally I will touch on a fun and intriguing new program that is hot off the press. Storykit is a new app for the iPhone and it is considered by its creators to be a tool for intergenerational mobile storytelling. Stories are created through audio recording, photographing, drawing or writing on the iphone and then these elements are put together into a story. Stories can then be sent to a secure webpage where you can invite others to view. Here is a link to an interesting paper about [|Storykit] as well as a link to [|Ben Bederson's Blog].

In the afternoon during our WIKI workshop I will show a video that is a great explanation of Wikis: [|Video] Then I will show a fun Wiki designed as a collaborative Math site. The final site is another [|Wiki] developed to share counting. It is an interesting site, and a cautionary tale, as the clutter of commercial ads make it a distracting site. More will be added

• My trip to [|Google] I'll talk about some of the things I learned about how Google works and provide a look at some recent features, such as how to turn on the strict SafeSearch setting. • My trip to YouTube (which is owned by Google). What it is, where it is going, and why it can help you do your job. How to make a channel, turn on the filters and a playlist, cameras, uploading video tips and so on. • The child of 2040. What will "childhood" be like for our grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and what role will technology play in it (if any)? Should we be exploring multitouch techniques, and //Kinesthetic// Computing? What would Piaget say if he were around today? I'll show [|this video], from last year's NECC as a conversation starter; also refer to project [|Natal].
 * Warren Buckleitner:** I am the Editor of [|Children's Technology Review], where I look at and list technology products for young children. My theory is that we can move the field along by providing high quality reviews and news of the products. I'm working on a book on using technology to enhance early childhood settings. I'm going to introduce a few gadgets, such as a Pico Projector plugged into a microscope (or vice versa), plus some iPhone apps and some browser tools that you might want to know about. Topics will include:


 * Diane Bales:** I am an associate professor of Child and Family Development at the University of Georgia, as well as an early childhood specialist with UGA Cooperative Extension. I am using technology tools to help undergraduate students in teacher preparation programs see the ways that technology can support young children's development. We have been using technology in early childhood through the Creative Activities for Young Children class. Most students are pre-service teachers of children birth through grade 5, or students studying child life in order to work with young children and families in hospital settings. I will share three main tools we are using in our "technology project" - all of which could help early childhood professionals collaborate.

Diigo is a web-based tool for bookmarking, annotating, and sharing websites. I'll share a brief introduction to Diigo's features - including bookmarking, sticky notes, and sharing links with a group. (To learn more, check out a YouTube video about Diigo and [|a tour of Diigo features].) I'll also highlight the ECETECH group on Diigo, where early childhood professionals from around the country are building a growing collection of links related to technology and young children. I'll also share some lessons we've learned from using Diigo. //(You can learn more about Diigo and see how it works in our "hands-on" afternoon session, Friday at 1 pm., or watch this Diigo tour video)//

Here are a few examples of technologies we have bookmarked and reviewed on Diigo that could support young children's creativity:
 * DoInk, for creating and sharing animations (an example)
 * VoiceThread, for sharing and commenting on photos and videos //(an example)//
 * Mr. Picasso Head, a site for creating faces //(an example)//
 * Tikatok, which allows children to create and illustrate a book and have it professionally bound (an example)

[|Wikispaces] is a place where we collect our group insights and examples of tech tools that could be used in early childhood. Our class has two specific wikis: the CHFD 5130 wiki, which contains a variety of information, and the CHFD 5130 Tech Examples wiki, which highlights the newest examples of web-based technology that students have identified during fall semester 2009. A group of students has also created a wiki to teach parents about creative cooking experiences for young children.

Flickr is a photo sharing site; we have used it to share photos of prop boxes that students have created to support children's dramatic play.

**Bonnie Blagojevic:** I use web-based tools in my work as a Research Associate at The University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion & Disability Studies. Currently, I am working as a tech integration specialist for an Early Reading First project. I am actively involved with the NAEYC Technology & Young Children Interest Forum, which anyone can join, and am an @Apple Distinguished Educator (Class of 2007). I learn alot about technology from being part of these online communities.

__Google for Educators-__I use Google Search/websites, images, videos, news, custom search and more, Google Docs (create a shared document),Google Calendar, and will further explore Google Sites (create a website), Picasa (photo management) and many more tools. __Twitter__: What are you doing? Microblogging (In 140 characters or less). [|NAEYC on Twitter]. Post and follow others, get information, ask questions... __[|Tokbox]__: video email and videochat with several people at once. [|DIIGO] and [|Prezi]: This afternoon, I will use Prezi, a presentation tool to tell the story of [|The Diigo project](The Diigo Project text only). How do you find out about these tools, learn how they work and how to apply them to help with early education projects? Join us here at 12:30 for a How-To Session: Getting Started with Wikis and Diigo (social bookmarking). You can learn more about tools discussed at these sites:

Google for Educators: Tools for your classroom [|Google Workshop for Educators for ACTEM in Augusta, Maine]‎(check out the ebooklet “handouts” below the “Lead Learners” section.) Tapping the Power of Google [|Twitter Support] Twittering, not Frittering, Professional Development in 140 Characters by Suzie Boss [|Teach Digital: Curriculum by Wes Fryer- Twitter] (Lots of good information on Wes Fryer's website and [|Handouts section].) [|NAEYC/ Social Media]- info about current NAEYC Social Media initiatives. List of Social Media resources (coming soon...) Toxbox- Demo providing some info about Toxbox. Prezi- [|Prezi Manual] [|Skype]- used Skype to video or audio chat for free, with "tech learning buddies" to learn more about these tools.

NAEYC Technology & Young Children Interest Forum: [|Tech Tools for Educators/Web-based Tools]

__Concluding Discusson__ Jump into the NAEYC Technology & Young Children "sandbox" wiki, visit[| our website], participate in online discussions on [|our listserv], and/or [|Diigo group]. Hope to meet, collaborate with you, and continue the conversation there!