Kathleen

=Kathleen Freimuth= toc

Hi there! I'm **Kathleen Freimuth** and this is my Wiki page. To give a little background, I graduated from Penn State University in 2005 with a B.S. in Elementary and Kindergarten Education. I moved to Rockville, Maryland in August 2005 and taught in the Montgomery County Public Schools from 2005-07 as a first grade teacher at Harmony Hills Elementary School in Silver Spring. I relocated to Connecticut in 2007 and became a first grade teacher at Braeburn School in West Hartford. I taught first grade for 4 years and am currently teaching third grade.

My interest and passion for educational technology began my senior year at Penn State. I was one of 60 students in PDS (Professional Development School) and completed a year-long student-teaching assignment in the State College Area School District. At that time, we used Dreamweaver to create an ePortfolio, and I also had my first experience using a SMART Board and internet resources like Brain Pop. I was afforded the opportunity to use technology for data collection and analysis in Montgomery County as we used a PALM device to complete our reading benchmark assessments; we used the mClass Dibels program for running records, sight word recognition, etc. When I came to West Hartford, my school valued technology as each classroom was equipped with a SMARTBoard. I use a SMARTBoard everyday, as well as other technology--document cameras and clickers to name a few. I began the Educational Technology program at CCSU last summer and am currently taking my fifth course. My aspiration is to have an Educational Technology/Curriculum position in a school district, working with staff and educators to enrich their knowledge and use of technology in the daily classroom setting.

=**Reflective Essay 1**=

//What I know about Research:// Research is particularly useful and significant tool for an educator. Often, a teacher uses research to find out what are best practices and the most effective tools for their population. I have conducted my own inquiry-based research with first graders learning science, for example, and have also sought out research about resources or materials I have interest in pursuing in my own classroom. I understand that research takes a great deal of time and effort, but can truly benefit those seeking out the information.

//What I don’t know about Research:// It has been some time since I have conducted my own research (about seven years) so my biggest question would be where to find the sources and information to coincide with your research (aside from online or something like the ERIC database). I would also like to know what Educational Technology organizations it would be beneficial to find research from (i.e. ISTA, or are there others?).

//What I want to learn as the result of an Ed Tech study:// As the result of an educational technology research project, I would like to see the positive benefits of the appropriate use of education in my own classroom. I have seen many benefits of using technology, particularly with at risk learners. I would also like to see growth over time, i.e. completing a research project that spans an entire academic year.

=**Social Media Contact Information**=

https://www.facebook.com/PSUkreyn
 * Facebook:**

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/kathleen-freimuth/52/7a3/a75
 * LinkedIn:**


 * Twitter:** @freimuthk


 * Skype:** kathleen.freimuth

=**Using Social Media--Partner Work with Emily**=

Emily and I have begun our work using both Facebook and LinkedIn to find educational technology pages, articles, and research. We have decided to focus our topic to the use of iPads in the classroom, as well as other devices. There is much discussion about "bring your own device" policies being changed within school districts, particularly with the emphasis and shift towards technology competency among learners. Here are a few articles we have found regarding this topic:

[|http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2012/05/ebooks-revolutionizing-students-reading.html#.T6nJ_xOMINY.facebook] This article was all about the use of eBooks revolutionizing students' reading habits. Studies have found that more people find themselves reading with an e-reader (including iPad, Nook, and Kindle, among other tablets), as well as using their e-readers for purposes like research and keeping up with current events.

[] This article described the best iPad apps for those teaching or involved with STEM education. STEM schools (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) are becoming increasingly popular. This is due to the lack of proficiency our nation's students have in those technical areas. Because of this, technology like the iPad makes utilizing STEM principles much easier. These apps are ones which can engage students in hands-on, interactive, and sometimes gaming experiences in the STEM areas.

http://www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2011/06/15/03mobile.h04.html This article explores the benefits of using an iPad in the classroom as tested in states like Virginia, Illinois, and even having administrators use these tools. The thought of moving beyond textbooks often drives this dramatic shift in delivery of instruction. The biggest concern addressed in this article, as with most new technology, is that everyone needs time to get acclimated to using the devices before any positive results can be seen.

=**YouTubing--My Interests**=

I'm approaching a change in my teaching as I shift from 3rd to 5th grade. At that point, I've been looking for various modes of technology I can implement in my classroom in the upcoming year. As a 1st and 3rd grade teacher prior to this opportunity, I have not only utilized the SMARTBoard, but tools such as the Document Camera, Clickers, and other interactive applications that have kept students engaged. Here are a few YouTube links I found that could prove useful:

media type="youtube" key="t6qt-5kAuDg" width="425" height="350"
 * SMARTSlates:** I wrote a West Hartford Foundation grant for this, and unfortunately did not receive one. However, I'm working on convincing my principal this is valuable technology we should purchase for classroom use.

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 * Clickers:** Are they useful and effective? At our school, there are a number of sets available. I would love to explore these at the 5th grade level.

media type="youtube" key="ru3_gD9UCOo" width="425" height="350"
 * Document Cameras:** Before this year, I was unfamiliar with the benefits of using a document camera. Now, I can't imagine a day in the classroom without one! This video shows the true uses and benefits to a document camera--for modeling, particularly, a document camera is now an essential 21st century classroom tool.


 * Math Problem Solving: My Own Classroom Use--**Here is an example of a video I filmed on my own Document Camera as I solved a Problem Solver (that correlates with Objective 25) using my own Document Camera. I would email this out to parents after modeling and sharing with students in the classroom.

media type="youtube" key="CbbtIqOk48I" width="425" height="350"

=**Favorite Tech Podcasts**=

I decided to explore NPR Education and listen to some of their podcasts. While I have never utilized podcasts in my own classroom, I know how truly valuable these can be; students can even refer back to them if they need access to information from something that they had learned in class earlier that day.

I have a great interest in science education, so I found this podcast called "Kids Get Hands-On With Science in A 'Dream Garage'.

http://www.npr.org/2012/06/21/155519815/kids-get-hands-on-with-science-in-a-dream-garage

Several years ago, Dan Sudran had a dream to help those children living in lower-class conditions to have access to science in their own neighborhood. Recognizing that budgets for many science programs have been cut in recent years, Dan had a local college donate space and he began sharing collections of taken-apart electronics, animal bones, and other items that comprised his "Dream Garage". Children can essentially "play with" all of the items in the garage and have a hands-on science experience. It is a non-profit organization that does various "science workshops"; it may not be a traditional science museum of sorts, but it does provide less fortunate children with a science experience like no other.

=Grading With Voice on an iPad=

Below is my response to the blog "Grading With Voice on an iPad":

I love this idea! I am an elementary teacher who has taught first, third, and will be teaching fifth grade next year. I am constantly searching for interesting ways to provide students with feedback that is not only useful, but feedback that students will actually pay attention to and use to improve on future assignments. I own both an iPhone and iPad, and would be interested in using this app to allow for document markup along with the voice component. Since students submit only written pieces and not electronic or Word documents at the fifth grade level, I wonder what you would suggest for making this app useful in my own classroom? Can documents be scanned and then marked up using iAnnotate? I am envisioning a way to post their papers (with audio and visual feedback) to my personal webpage and have students (and parents) access the feedback there. Any suggestions? = Final Reflective Essay =

//Were my questions answered?// In the beginning of the course, I wondered where all the research regarding educational technology could be found. Throughout my own research and course-provided research articles, I realized how easily accessible these research are. For example, in doing a simple Google search for one topic, I learned that it will direct you to Google Scholar, another search engine that provides substantive research from various universities and researchers all over the world. Another question of mine was regarding educational technology associations aside from ISTE that prove to be excellent sources of research. I was surprised to learn how many tools, such as Twitter and LinkedIn, can also be significant tools in finding scholars and experts in areas of educational technology. While I am still not proficient in its use, I plan on exploring Twitter more frequently to provide me with research on specific tools and changes in technology standards that will benefit me as a classroom teacher. A final question that was answered was how various forms of technology used in classrooms, such as Wikis and blogs, can be powerful tools to reach out to students and create positive classroom collaboration and discourse. I am excited to begin implementing some of the new technology I have not explored, especially because so much of the research has proven its benefits. One of the key messages, no matter what the technology, is that it must be utilized appropriately and the deliverer (teacher) must be trained in it for it to truly be beneficial to learners. This message affirms why technology is so powerful when the intent of its use is well-thought out by the teacher.

//What were the significant lessons learned about research and using technology?// This course provided many significant lessons about research and using technology. First and foremost, any new technology that is to be implemented in the classroom needs to answer the following questions: In addition, the user of the technology, whether a classroom teacher or staff developer, needs to know the technology and have their own personal experience with it before sharing it with students; if not, the true benefits will be lost. The technology should be researched and student outcomes should be shared so the teacher knows how it will benefit all learners. Technology needs not be used for the sake of using it, but for a specific outcome or purpose. I have learned there are ample technological resources out there and it can be overwhelming, even for someone like myself who is willing to try it and see the benefits with their own students. I hope to keep utilizing research for technology before I attempt and use it on my own. In addition, I hope to see how further research in conjunction with the Common Core Standards will improve student achievement for all learners and all populations.
 * Is it user friendly?
 * Will this help students to be more academically successful?
 * Is it cost-effective and sustainable?