This week in class we learned about the beginning of a webquest. I thought a webquest was a scavenger hunt on the computer. I didn't realize you make the webquest on Powerpoint. The webquest examples we saw were fun to watch. At firt I really wondered if I could come up with my own idea. My mind was totally on nutrition because we just had a lesson on it in Social Studies. When I saw Nutrition was a topic for second grade core curriculum I got really excited because I know there is a lot of fun information including games,video's etc. to make our webquest interesting.
The task at hand is to make the first step of the webquest. I am glad we work in groups because when we start talking and brainstorming our ideas start flowing. I looked on the internet to see if anyone had a webquest on nutrition. I found one but it wasn't impressive. We want to make ours so well that people will find it intriguing and want to watch it and show it to their students. I look forward to week 2 and 3 to see how to put our webquest all together.
In my future classroom I will use webquests. I didn't really realize how many were already there for my student's viewing. Watching a webquest would help me teach any subject in a creative manner. It would make the subjects more exciting because the students are on a scavenger hunt to find information. Of course we know this generation of students are not afraid of computers. Computers are a part of their scheme. It brings a bit of mystery. Everyone loves a mystery. I can really picture boys in my class getting into this that otherwise wouldn't. My students will be excited to solve the mystery. Another great way to energize my students!
This video blew me away. I have seen this kind of technology in the movies. Recently I saw a video where this mega computer tries to take over the world called Eagle Eye. The movie used surface computing. These guys were bringing up all kinds of information on this big screen with their hands. I remember when I saw the movie wondering if there really is technology that exists like that. Now I know the answer to that question. The part of surface technology that really got me was the "Intelligent Surfaces". Anything can be intelligent, even the surface of your favorite furniture. I loved the part in the video when they put the camera on the table and the picture appeared on the surface! This technology would be fun to use in home decorating. Maybe I could have "intelligent walls" in my home. I could change the interior walls whenenver I get tired of them. Wow, this idea is cool, I can't wait to see what they come up with next.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Pod, Vid Cast Blog/ Blogging Video
Class was very interesting this week as I learned about vidcasts and podcasts. I was surprised at the little gadgets you can use to record on. I am excited to learn how to post on U-tube. I love the educational vidoes on U-tube and teacher tube. Last year I showed a video clip of Teacher Tube to a teacher and she wanted to use it for an inservice lesson. She didn't even know teacher tube existed. SAD!!
I went home after class and asked my son if he wanted to be in a video on U-tube for my vidcast. He was so excited he told me he wished I hadn't told him about it yet. I tell you this because he is 11 and kids love this stuff. Kids know about technology. They know what U-tube is and they want to be a part of it. Kids want blogger, U-tube, Educational computer games, etc in their classrooms. They can relate to technology. When we as teachers teach students in their scheme, they do better. Technology is in their scheme.
Podcasts and vidcasts will be fun to use in my future career. My class could use a podcast to sing, rap, or recite a poem about what they have learned. We could put the podcast on our class website or school website. My class could use the podcast to film a clip for U-Tube. Of course we would have to get parental permission. We could use the vidcast to film the rules of the class and the kids could act the wrong way. We could watch it as a class to review the rules once in awhile. There are so many wonderful things we can do in the classroom. The best thing about this is the kids have fun learning, which makes a happy classroom.
The video "Why let Students Blog" was great! The video mentioned so many different things. I want to use a blog in my classroom because it will help my students feel creative. It will bring them excitement. They may even be motivated to learn. Blogging will make them feel empowered which will bring them confidence. Those were just a few things blogging can do for my students. I agree with all of the statements made in the video. I even put blogger on my class technology tools page before I saw this video because I think there are many ways it could be utilized. When I put blogger on my website someone told me that I might want to know that many parents wouldn't like the idea. I told them that it would just be in the classroom. The person said that it doesn't matter because if kids learn how to use it in the classroom, they will use it at home and parents won't like it. I'm glad I saw this video so I will know how to respond to parents who don't agree. I feel they don't have the knowledge of all the positive things about blogging. In every thing in life there is the opposite. The internet can be bad if it is used for that purpose. Parents need to know blogging is a safe, fun way to learn.
I went home after class and asked my son if he wanted to be in a video on U-tube for my vidcast. He was so excited he told me he wished I hadn't told him about it yet. I tell you this because he is 11 and kids love this stuff. Kids know about technology. They know what U-tube is and they want to be a part of it. Kids want blogger, U-tube, Educational computer games, etc in their classrooms. They can relate to technology. When we as teachers teach students in their scheme, they do better. Technology is in their scheme.
Podcasts and vidcasts will be fun to use in my future career. My class could use a podcast to sing, rap, or recite a poem about what they have learned. We could put the podcast on our class website or school website. My class could use the podcast to film a clip for U-Tube. Of course we would have to get parental permission. We could use the vidcast to film the rules of the class and the kids could act the wrong way. We could watch it as a class to review the rules once in awhile. There are so many wonderful things we can do in the classroom. The best thing about this is the kids have fun learning, which makes a happy classroom.
The video "Why let Students Blog" was great! The video mentioned so many different things. I want to use a blog in my classroom because it will help my students feel creative. It will bring them excitement. They may even be motivated to learn. Blogging will make them feel empowered which will bring them confidence. Those were just a few things blogging can do for my students. I agree with all of the statements made in the video. I even put blogger on my class technology tools page before I saw this video because I think there are many ways it could be utilized. When I put blogger on my website someone told me that I might want to know that many parents wouldn't like the idea. I told them that it would just be in the classroom. The person said that it doesn't matter because if kids learn how to use it in the classroom, they will use it at home and parents won't like it. I'm glad I saw this video so I will know how to respond to parents who don't agree. I feel they don't have the knowledge of all the positive things about blogging. In every thing in life there is the opposite. The internet can be bad if it is used for that purpose. Parents need to know blogging is a safe, fun way to learn.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Reflection #3 & Web 2.0
I really enjoyed working on google presentations. I really like how google presentations allowes me to work with the other students in my quad together at the same time. As I was looking for backgrounds to suit our personalities, Sandie was setting up the presentation and Bonnie was looking for cute pictures. Working on something together is a good thing. There were a few times when we may have disagreed on a picture but we soon were able to come to an agreement. I know we work with others a lot because that is what we will be doing when we are teachers. I am glad for this experience because I have learned you can have different opinions and still get along.
It will be important for me to be able to work with all personalities because I have seen an example of a team of teachers not get along first hand. I used to work at an Elementary School as an aide. One of the teachers confided in me about her team. This teacher was upset because she wanted to do a program for the parents. One of the the team members didn't want to but felt if she didn't she would look bad. The other teacher just wanted to stay out of it. This caused many feelings. It was hard to work together because of the feelings. One of my goals is to have a close team. Using google tools such as google docs will help with this goal. Teachers on the same team usually use the same information sheet for the beginning of the year. Google docs would be perfect for the teachers on the team to do the document together.
Google presentations would also be a great tool to use to unite my future team. My team could use Google Presentations to do a lesson plan together on any subject. For example my team could make a presentation on fractions. As a team we could create this presentation in the comfort of our own homes. I could be in my pajamas and slippers eating Bon Bons and who would ever know? Yes, thats right, nobody! Working together is one big piece of the pie when it comes to teaching. This technology allows my future team to accomplish this task with ease.
Web 2.0 had many ideas of how many different ways we can collaberate. I was amazed at all the technology that is available to us. As a teacher I can use blogger to keep in touch with my students, parents, faculty, and principal. Wiki, can help me or my students make websites easily just as I have on my site. There are great uses for podcasts in education. At the Elementary I worked at they had a podcast on their website. Each 6th grade class got to make up a song about one subject the class has learned. The students loved the opportunity. The podcast gave the parents a little glimps of what their children are learning. What amazing tools are available to us. Knowlege is power!
It will be important for me to be able to work with all personalities because I have seen an example of a team of teachers not get along first hand. I used to work at an Elementary School as an aide. One of the teachers confided in me about her team. This teacher was upset because she wanted to do a program for the parents. One of the the team members didn't want to but felt if she didn't she would look bad. The other teacher just wanted to stay out of it. This caused many feelings. It was hard to work together because of the feelings. One of my goals is to have a close team. Using google tools such as google docs will help with this goal. Teachers on the same team usually use the same information sheet for the beginning of the year. Google docs would be perfect for the teachers on the team to do the document together.
Google presentations would also be a great tool to use to unite my future team. My team could use Google Presentations to do a lesson plan together on any subject. For example my team could make a presentation on fractions. As a team we could create this presentation in the comfort of our own homes. I could be in my pajamas and slippers eating Bon Bons and who would ever know? Yes, thats right, nobody! Working together is one big piece of the pie when it comes to teaching. This technology allows my future team to accomplish this task with ease.
Web 2.0 had many ideas of how many different ways we can collaberate. I was amazed at all the technology that is available to us. As a teacher I can use blogger to keep in touch with my students, parents, faculty, and principal. Wiki, can help me or my students make websites easily just as I have on my site. There are great uses for podcasts in education. At the Elementary I worked at they had a podcast on their website. Each 6th grade class got to make up a song about one subject the class has learned. The students loved the opportunity. The podcast gave the parents a little glimps of what their children are learning. What amazing tools are available to us. Knowlege is power!
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Video #2 Dewy Fractions
The Dewy Fractions video is a strange yet interesting tutorial on decimals. It was cheesy, yet intertaining. Parts of the song were hard to understand because of the quickness and lack of precise pronunciation of the words. The dance moves in the video were amateur. The floating fractions were eye catching. I think students would get a kick out of it. It would be a good way to introduce the topic just to get the kids excited about fractions but I don't think it teaches well enough alone. I would start the lesson with it and show it again later for a review.
Reflection #2
In my teaching career it will be important to stay up to date with current technology. There are many things available to me to use in my teaching career. The google pages will be great to use to keep in touch with my students and parents. It will help my class run more efficiently. My husband is a principal of a private school. He didn't know about google sites. He wants to use google sites to help his school run more efficiently. I know a teacher that was very old school. She used a big piece of paper with her lesson plans on them. When she makes changes she uses an eraser. She would be much more efficient if she used technology instead of paper and pencil for her lesson plans.
One great reason to use technology is because it is cost effective. Last year my sons elementary school changed the school newsletter from hard copy to online. The parents can read the entire newsletter online. Just think of how much paper and postage the school has saved. Teachers don't have a lot of money to work with so I am so grateful to google for letting us use their tools for free. Google calendar will help me be organized in my career.
Google Docs is someting I look forward to using with my future team. It is fun to see how my team in this class change or add to my document. Collaberation is one of the keys to a successful career so this tool will be a way to strengthen the unity of my fellow team of teachers. I love the part of google docs that translates English to Spanish. (My daughter was really excited when I told her about it because she has a missionary who speaks Spanish.) This tool is a great tool for me to use in the classroom because their are more and more students who speak Spanish. It would be neat to have my students learn some simple greetings to make those students feel like we care about their background. You know what they say, "Knowledge is power!" Well I would like to change it to "Technology is Power!"
One great reason to use technology is because it is cost effective. Last year my sons elementary school changed the school newsletter from hard copy to online. The parents can read the entire newsletter online. Just think of how much paper and postage the school has saved. Teachers don't have a lot of money to work with so I am so grateful to google for letting us use their tools for free. Google calendar will help me be organized in my career.
Google Docs is someting I look forward to using with my future team. It is fun to see how my team in this class change or add to my document. Collaberation is one of the keys to a successful career so this tool will be a way to strengthen the unity of my fellow team of teachers. I love the part of google docs that translates English to Spanish. (My daughter was really excited when I told her about it because she has a missionary who speaks Spanish.) This tool is a great tool for me to use in the classroom because their are more and more students who speak Spanish. It would be neat to have my students learn some simple greetings to make those students feel like we care about their background. You know what they say, "Knowledge is power!" Well I would like to change it to "Technology is Power!"
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