http://http://thejournal.com/articles/2011/02/23/ipad-no-longer-optional.aspx
This is an amzing article about a Tennessee school requiring students in grade 4-12 to have an ipad. I can't believe how much schools are evolving! Looking back when I was in fourth grade compared to now, or even compared to when I teach in the future.. It's amazing..
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Integrated Tech. Lesson Plan
I really enjoyed using the tools to make a digital story, so I would like my students to use this technology to make a mini-lesson that they will present in front of their classmates. This mini-lesson will be for third grade, and will be focused around health. I will divide the class up into four groups, and give each group a topic (which I chose from the third grade GLCE's). These topics include 1) explaining the benefits of positive friendships 2) describing characteristics of safe and unsafe places 3) describe ways people help each other. With my help, each group will form a digital story that they will present to the class. The digital story should contain about 4-6 pictures and everyone in the group should be given the chance to explain or talk. This lesson would require us to have at least 3 computers in the classroom. Each group will develop a plan, research their topic on the internet using search engines, and put all their thoughts and research together into their story.
I think this technology goes well with this lesson because it gives all the students a chance to learn about developing a digital story as well as using this technology to teach others about something important. As a teacher I could easily cover these three topics, but I think it would be fun for the students to do it themselves.
I think this technology goes well with this lesson because it gives all the students a chance to learn about developing a digital story as well as using this technology to teach others about something important. As a teacher I could easily cover these three topics, but I think it would be fun for the students to do it themselves.
My Trip to Florida at OneTrueMedia.com
For this assignment I decided to tell a story through OneTrueMedia. This story is one that carries a lot of memories with it, which I thought would be cool for students. In my classroom I could have the students create a story that informs us of who they are, something important that has happened in their life, or something that means a lot to them. This will give the teacher and students a better idea of who they are. I would like to do something like this in the beginning of the year so we can all be more familiar with each other. There are many ways a teacher can use this in their classrooms. Another idea I had was to have students tell a story about what they learned throughout the year. The students could pick a focus area and tell everything they learned about in the story. At the end of the year the teacher could use this as a form of assessment.
OneTrueMedia was super easy to use. Right when you enter the website you are already 'making' your story which means you dont have to go search for it or search for how to start making one. I really liked this about it because after using Photoshop I was confused on even how to start a slideshow. This website would make it easy for students to use in the classroom or even at home.
The only thing I disliked about OneTrueMedia was not having access to other features. Members have to pay for these features, so non-paying members only have access to the really simple tools. I wanted to put text at the bottom of each slide but I would have been charged for that. It would have made my story much better because I could have explained what was happening throughout. Im sure many sites charge their members to use special features, so as a teacher I would have to think about what to do. I definitely wouldnt make my students pay for this, so we would possibly have to look around at different tools.
OneTrueMedia was super easy to use. Right when you enter the website you are already 'making' your story which means you dont have to go search for it or search for how to start making one. I really liked this about it because after using Photoshop I was confused on even how to start a slideshow. This website would make it easy for students to use in the classroom or even at home.
The only thing I disliked about OneTrueMedia was not having access to other features. Members have to pay for these features, so non-paying members only have access to the really simple tools. I wanted to put text at the bottom of each slide but I would have been charged for that. It would have made my story much better because I could have explained what was happening throughout. Im sure many sites charge their members to use special features, so as a teacher I would have to think about what to do. I definitely wouldnt make my students pay for this, so we would possibly have to look around at different tools.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Cell Phones in the Classroom?!
"Banning the tool rather dealing with the actions may not be the best option".
I like this quote from Elizabeth Green's article "The Value of Using Cell Phones to Enhance Education and Some Concrete Ways to Do So" because she's not only thinking outside the box but she's thinking about a different way to approach the problem. When we first think about cell phones in the classroom, it’s a disastrous thought. We’ve learned that cell phones are a major distraction of learning, and we’ve also learned that students use cell phones as a means of communication for coordinating drug deals, after-school fights, etc.
Green feels different about this on-going problem. She lists her ideas of using cell phones in the classroom which includes using sms for a dictionary, math equations, currency conversion, using cell phones to read books or look up research articles, or also using the cell phone as a polling device for student’s responses. Although I can see this as a great resource for students I still feel as if they will cause too many distractions and interruptions. Teachers will not know when students are actually using their cell phone to learn or whether they’re just pretending they are and they’re actually texting friends in other classes.
However, there are also some ways that cell phones could be used for classroom purposes, but not in the classroom. This may include sending a mass text to the students reminding them of homework or quizzes, having students read the classroom blog on their cell phones each night at home, or also listening to a voice text which could also remind them of assignments or any anything else.
Overall, Green lists some great ideas to begin this incorporation of cell phones in the classroom, but I respectively have to disagree with her. Technology is proving to us everyday that we can rely on it, however cell phones are just not something to rely on to enhance a student’s learning. Traditional methods such as paper and pencil, computers, and libraries provide students with great opportunities to develop their understanding, and all this comes without the distraction of cell phones. Same idea with a portable gaming device, someone might say that student might learn hand eye coordination but at the same time it’s of great distraction. Jason Levy responded and said “Just because someone CAN learn from a device doesn’t mean they WILL learn from a device”.
I like this quote from Elizabeth Green's article "The Value of Using Cell Phones to Enhance Education and Some Concrete Ways to Do So" because she's not only thinking outside the box but she's thinking about a different way to approach the problem. When we first think about cell phones in the classroom, it’s a disastrous thought. We’ve learned that cell phones are a major distraction of learning, and we’ve also learned that students use cell phones as a means of communication for coordinating drug deals, after-school fights, etc.
Green feels different about this on-going problem. She lists her ideas of using cell phones in the classroom which includes using sms for a dictionary, math equations, currency conversion, using cell phones to read books or look up research articles, or also using the cell phone as a polling device for student’s responses. Although I can see this as a great resource for students I still feel as if they will cause too many distractions and interruptions. Teachers will not know when students are actually using their cell phone to learn or whether they’re just pretending they are and they’re actually texting friends in other classes.
However, there are also some ways that cell phones could be used for classroom purposes, but not in the classroom. This may include sending a mass text to the students reminding them of homework or quizzes, having students read the classroom blog on their cell phones each night at home, or also listening to a voice text which could also remind them of assignments or any anything else.
Overall, Green lists some great ideas to begin this incorporation of cell phones in the classroom, but I respectively have to disagree with her. Technology is proving to us everyday that we can rely on it, however cell phones are just not something to rely on to enhance a student’s learning. Traditional methods such as paper and pencil, computers, and libraries provide students with great opportunities to develop their understanding, and all this comes without the distraction of cell phones. Same idea with a portable gaming device, someone might say that student might learn hand eye coordination but at the same time it’s of great distraction. Jason Levy responded and said “Just because someone CAN learn from a device doesn’t mean they WILL learn from a device”.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
Picnik.... basket
This is a picture of my cousin that I edited in Picnik. My friend introduced me to this photo editor and ever since then I havent been able to stop. I only resized this image and added the black and white 'Holga-ish' feature but it's amazing what kinds of things you can do to a picture. Also included just in the holga-ish feature is the option to blur the edges, fade, or add grain to the picture. Numerous times I've added text, fixed red-eye, cropped, rotated, changed the color to sepia/black and white, and overall just made the picture look 10x better.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Tweet Tweet!
I couldn't seem to grasp the concept of Twitter at first but after working with it for a couple weeks im finally getting the hang of it. My friend informed me that Twitter is all 'status updates' but what I didn't realize was that I could learn so much just from everyones tweets. I follow many educators (along with lots of celebrities, of course) and I can honestly say that I was surprised that I received so many tweets from these older men and women. These tweets come in consistently and many of them are providing me with information on lesson plans, seminars, informational meetings, etc. Now, I strongly believe that Twitter is a great tool that I can use now and in the future. I am already excited to begin my teaching career and to follow other teachers from the same school so we can communicate and inform each other of everything thats going on.
There are some things I havent quite figured out yet and thats the RT. I understand that people are re-tweeting what others have said but I dont know if I like this option. It's interesting to think about RT after learning about the copyright information because I feel like these can be related. If you RT what someone else has said, and you dont have permission, does that mean you are stealing what they have tweeted? I understand that you put @ so they get credit, but that doesnt necessarily mean they have allowed you to use it.. I guess it's just something to think about..
There are some things I havent quite figured out yet and thats the RT. I understand that people are re-tweeting what others have said but I dont know if I like this option. It's interesting to think about RT after learning about the copyright information because I feel like these can be related. If you RT what someone else has said, and you dont have permission, does that mean you are stealing what they have tweeted? I understand that you put @ so they get credit, but that doesnt necessarily mean they have allowed you to use it.. I guess it's just something to think about..
Copyright
Before I read all the information about copyright I actually thought I knew what it was and what it stood for. Now, after reading, I didnt really know anything! Overall, copyright is an entire set of exclusive rights that the owner has after creating something. The owner can be anything from an author, an artist, photographer, one who makes music, etc. Anything that was originally created from someone, receives a copyright. Now that the owner has their product with a copyright, only the owner has the ability to distribute, recreate, or make copies of this product. If someone else were to go ahead and do one of these things, it's illegal.
Copyright is important because you get to have your own work without worrying about people 'stealing' or 'copying' what you just made. This is especially important for companies developing products everyday, authors who write their own books, directors producing movies and video clips, artists, and many more. These people have used their creativity to produce something, and their work deserves the appreciation and respect from others.
To teach young students about copyright I would begin by using recognizeable symbols and logos. These might include the big M from Mcdonalds, a Nike swoosh, or even the Silly Rabbit for Trix cereal. Using these will help children gain an understanding about the use of these logos and why copyright is important so no one else can steal the logo and use it elsewhere.
Copyright is important because you get to have your own work without worrying about people 'stealing' or 'copying' what you just made. This is especially important for companies developing products everyday, authors who write their own books, directors producing movies and video clips, artists, and many more. These people have used their creativity to produce something, and their work deserves the appreciation and respect from others.
To teach young students about copyright I would begin by using recognizeable symbols and logos. These might include the big M from Mcdonalds, a Nike swoosh, or even the Silly Rabbit for Trix cereal. Using these will help children gain an understanding about the use of these logos and why copyright is important so no one else can steal the logo and use it elsewhere.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Digital Denizens
http://www.stockton.edu/~intech/spotlight-digital-denizens.htm
I never realized until reading this article that technology users were categorized. Not only are there 7 different categories but users can consider themselves a digital refugee, digital immigrant, digital native, etc. After reading the information about the digital denizens I feel like I am considered a digital native slowly progressing towards a digital addict. I grew up having a computer and being surrounded by technology. The first computer I remember having was an Apple and the only thing we could do on it was play games. When my family informed me that we were getting a new desktop computer my brother and I were ecstatic. This is also when I was introduced to the internet (dial-up of course), and being able to chat with friends and print anything I saw online. The information I read also considers a person in this category someone who uses technology to execute a wide variety of tasks, which I was becoming real familiar with. Not only was I chatting with friends but I could build my own webpage, play games with my friends, edit and post pictures I had taken, and many other things.
Because I was introduced to technology at a young age I feel as if sooner or later I will be considered a digital addict. Especially because so much of what we do is either on our laptops or our smart phones I feel as if many, many people heavily rely on technology. We’ve all experienced the one day we left our phones at home, or our laptops couldn’t access the internet, and what do we do? We freak out! I’ll admit that almost everything I do daily has some sort of relation to at least one piece of technology. Because technology has improved at rapid speeds I’m excited to see what’s in our future. Consequently, if we freak out now about losing our phones who knows what’s going to happen with this situation in 20 years.
I never realized until reading this article that technology users were categorized. Not only are there 7 different categories but users can consider themselves a digital refugee, digital immigrant, digital native, etc. After reading the information about the digital denizens I feel like I am considered a digital native slowly progressing towards a digital addict. I grew up having a computer and being surrounded by technology. The first computer I remember having was an Apple and the only thing we could do on it was play games. When my family informed me that we were getting a new desktop computer my brother and I were ecstatic. This is also when I was introduced to the internet (dial-up of course), and being able to chat with friends and print anything I saw online. The information I read also considers a person in this category someone who uses technology to execute a wide variety of tasks, which I was becoming real familiar with. Not only was I chatting with friends but I could build my own webpage, play games with my friends, edit and post pictures I had taken, and many other things.
Because I was introduced to technology at a young age I feel as if sooner or later I will be considered a digital addict. Especially because so much of what we do is either on our laptops or our smart phones I feel as if many, many people heavily rely on technology. We’ve all experienced the one day we left our phones at home, or our laptops couldn’t access the internet, and what do we do? We freak out! I’ll admit that almost everything I do daily has some sort of relation to at least one piece of technology. Because technology has improved at rapid speeds I’m excited to see what’s in our future. Consequently, if we freak out now about losing our phones who knows what’s going to happen with this situation in 20 years.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Supporting Literacy
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-12366478
Well, its quite obvious, but as the article states, library users become better readers. As a kid, and to this day, I love a good trip to the library! Whether we ran in quickly to return our books and check out a new one, or if we spent a couple hours in the corner reading the back of numerous books, it always put me in a better mood. The article mentions how family plays a large role. Obviously kids arent going to go to the library without an adult, so it makes sense that the most common reason students didnt go to the library was because their family didnt go. I was lucky enough to have parents who encouraged reading.
The article also mentions that the children who didnt go to the library were lower-level readers who wouldnt choose to read outside of school. These students may have had bad experiences with books throughout the years. We talked about this a couple weeks ago in my te402 class. Past teachers and family play a large role in whether children grow up with a passion for literacy. For example, in my placement class, the fourth graders are not reading books that they're interested in. The teacher has given them choices but the material does not draw any sort of interest from them. So, as the students read, they're not actually 'reading' they are only skimming the books, pretending to read, so they can answer the follow-up questions. The students tend to read only to finish the assignment rather than for enjoyment.
Libraries prove to be a great resource for children with the growing number of books and the technology it provides. I believe that all students need to be able to read for pure enjoyment so I will make sure that library time, or silent reading is included in my daily schedules. Some students might go to the library to look at picture books or play a learning game on the computer.. Either way, they're going to walk away from the library having learned something new every time.
Well, its quite obvious, but as the article states, library users become better readers. As a kid, and to this day, I love a good trip to the library! Whether we ran in quickly to return our books and check out a new one, or if we spent a couple hours in the corner reading the back of numerous books, it always put me in a better mood. The article mentions how family plays a large role. Obviously kids arent going to go to the library without an adult, so it makes sense that the most common reason students didnt go to the library was because their family didnt go. I was lucky enough to have parents who encouraged reading.
The article also mentions that the children who didnt go to the library were lower-level readers who wouldnt choose to read outside of school. These students may have had bad experiences with books throughout the years. We talked about this a couple weeks ago in my te402 class. Past teachers and family play a large role in whether children grow up with a passion for literacy. For example, in my placement class, the fourth graders are not reading books that they're interested in. The teacher has given them choices but the material does not draw any sort of interest from them. So, as the students read, they're not actually 'reading' they are only skimming the books, pretending to read, so they can answer the follow-up questions. The students tend to read only to finish the assignment rather than for enjoyment.
Libraries prove to be a great resource for children with the growing number of books and the technology it provides. I believe that all students need to be able to read for pure enjoyment so I will make sure that library time, or silent reading is included in my daily schedules. Some students might go to the library to look at picture books or play a learning game on the computer.. Either way, they're going to walk away from the library having learned something new every time.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
A Quote
"Do not confine your children to your own learning, for they were born in another time" - Chinese Proverb.
Im really digging this quote because I feel as if this is not only perfect for our class but also because of all the technological advancements we are making. Numerous times my professors have told us that as future educators, we are bound to teach how we were taught. However, with all the advancements that have come we are able to use this to our advantage. Although the old traditional way of teaching and learning lacked any sort of technology, it doesnt mean that it wasnt effective. I wouldnt be disappointed if I used some of the same skills that I learned from previous teachers, however, I am really excited to incorporate technology into my classroom and I will strive for my students to learn to love these resources.
Im really digging this quote because I feel as if this is not only perfect for our class but also because of all the technological advancements we are making. Numerous times my professors have told us that as future educators, we are bound to teach how we were taught. However, with all the advancements that have come we are able to use this to our advantage. Although the old traditional way of teaching and learning lacked any sort of technology, it doesnt mean that it wasnt effective. I wouldnt be disappointed if I used some of the same skills that I learned from previous teachers, however, I am really excited to incorporate technology into my classroom and I will strive for my students to learn to love these resources.
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