I forgot about this one and did the final reflection as my post :)
So, that movie was really really interesting for me. It really made me realize how important it is that I teach my students the basics of technology, because that is all that will be the same in 3 years with the turnover rate of technology. It is really important because I realized because of this movie that I have to train my students for jobs that haven't been invented yet. How crazy cool and amazing is that? And how much more important is it that I make sure my students know the basics before I send them into that unknown?
I also was impressed with how much technology has changed in the last few years. The turnover rate is really astounding. 12 years ago my parents had a brick cell phone that would occasionally work. Now cell phones are smaller than three inches tall and less than half an inch thick - how amazing is that? Technology is changing the world, and it is important that we adapt with it and motivate our students by choosing technology to use in the classroom that will make a difference for them.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Final Reflection
Honestly I have to say that I got more out of this class than I expected to. I learned about many new technologies, and learned that there are thousands more that I never knew about! I had quite erroneously believed that I knew all of the big technologies that could be used in the classroom, and now I'm so glad that I've learned about many others, like google sites and wikis and diigo and prezi. I'm also really glad that I learned how to use imovie - I feel confident that I can make a basic movie for anything now :). I learned some of the basics of photoshop - a program that someday I hope to have mastery over. I know how to make a website, and how to use that in connection with the classrom. I even made a website for a class I'm in right now :).
I really have learned about a lot of really good ways to include technology in the classroom. Prezi is a really awesome way to do a powerpoint, but without the boring-ness of a powerpoint. Powerpoints can be made on google and shared between group members - how cool is that, and how easy is it to assign a group project about something now? For sure I will use what Google has to offer with google sites and blogs and google documents in the classroom. For everything else, I don't have a real concrete idea of what to do with it yet, but I'm excited that I have those as possible resources. Technology is a great way to increase motivation for students.
I really have learned about a lot of really good ways to include technology in the classroom. Prezi is a really awesome way to do a powerpoint, but without the boring-ness of a powerpoint. Powerpoints can be made on google and shared between group members - how cool is that, and how easy is it to assign a group project about something now? For sure I will use what Google has to offer with google sites and blogs and google documents in the classroom. For everything else, I don't have a real concrete idea of what to do with it yet, but I'm excited that I have those as possible resources. Technology is a great way to increase motivation for students.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Internet Safety
For my 30 minutes of learning about internet safety I signed up for I-SAFE. Wow - I couldn't believe how intense the website is, and was really impressed with how committed they are to educating students and parents about internet safety. It is a big deal - and it should be a big deal. I'm really glad that there are people out there working hard to educate everyone about how to be safe.
As for teaching about internet safety, I taught my husband. I was lacking time and so were my parents, so I went with the next best thing :)
It was a really good lesson - just like in our class there were things that surprised him about internet safety that he hadn't ever realized. Three of those things were "bcc" option on emails, blogging safety and privacy, and the importance of keeping information safe and professional on facebook.
I started teaching him about email and his eyes started to glaze over a bit, but then I mentioned that there was a way to keep his friends and family's email information safe. We talked about what "cc" and "bcc" mean, and what each one does and why that is important. I was surprised that no one had ever told him before about those options, and why they were so beneficial.
When we started talking about blogging and I used some of the examples from the in-class slideshow of tips from the Ensign. I mentioned that blogs have a variance of privacy settings, from being public and viewable through a basic Google search, to being public but only viewable with the right url, to being completely private with readers requiring invitations to read the posts. I told him that our family blog is public so friends of friends can read it, but not searchable so complete strangers couldn't find it. We were able to discuss perhaps going private after we have children, and why. It was a good discussion about the availablity of blogs.
The last thing that was most interesting to him was how many employers will check facebook, myspace, and google for potential employee information. It made both of us think about our facebook pages and what it said about us, and how we could present better images of ourselves. My husband was especially interested in this because he will be going into business, and wants to make sure that he is very well portrayed publicly.
All in all it was a good lesson, albeit non-formal.
Our lesson, the lesson I taught, and the things that I saw when I was looking at internet safety really made me reconsider what I put online. I've been very free - I googled my name and my address came up from a friend's group wedding announcement page. I will never post to group pages again!!! Good thing we're moving . . . yikes. I have even done the phone number and address change, because now I'm thinking more about why someone would need that info and how they could use it.
All in all, I feel much wiser.
As for teaching about internet safety, I taught my husband. I was lacking time and so were my parents, so I went with the next best thing :)
It was a really good lesson - just like in our class there were things that surprised him about internet safety that he hadn't ever realized. Three of those things were "bcc" option on emails, blogging safety and privacy, and the importance of keeping information safe and professional on facebook.
I started teaching him about email and his eyes started to glaze over a bit, but then I mentioned that there was a way to keep his friends and family's email information safe. We talked about what "cc" and "bcc" mean, and what each one does and why that is important. I was surprised that no one had ever told him before about those options, and why they were so beneficial.
When we started talking about blogging and I used some of the examples from the in-class slideshow of tips from the Ensign. I mentioned that blogs have a variance of privacy settings, from being public and viewable through a basic Google search, to being public but only viewable with the right url, to being completely private with readers requiring invitations to read the posts. I told him that our family blog is public so friends of friends can read it, but not searchable so complete strangers couldn't find it. We were able to discuss perhaps going private after we have children, and why. It was a good discussion about the availablity of blogs.
The last thing that was most interesting to him was how many employers will check facebook, myspace, and google for potential employee information. It made both of us think about our facebook pages and what it said about us, and how we could present better images of ourselves. My husband was especially interested in this because he will be going into business, and wants to make sure that he is very well portrayed publicly.
All in all it was a good lesson, albeit non-formal.
Our lesson, the lesson I taught, and the things that I saw when I was looking at internet safety really made me reconsider what I put online. I've been very free - I googled my name and my address came up from a friend's group wedding announcement page. I will never post to group pages again!!! Good thing we're moving . . . yikes. I have even done the phone number and address change, because now I'm thinking more about why someone would need that info and how they could use it.
All in all, I feel much wiser.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Last Week's Presentation
Last week I chose to attend the McKay School of Education's Technology Project presentation and awards ceremony. I was there from 3-4pm, and had the following thoughts.
First, I was surprised by how many people I knew from my education classes that had decided to participate in the event. I was impressed with several of my friend's projects and how interesting their projects could be when presented in a classroom setting. Actually, some of my closest friends from my English classes won third place! I am really excited for them. Their project was the diigo and brain-map websites to help students write persuasive essays.
Second, I was interested in all of the different ways that technology can impact the classroom. From diigo to google-docs to asynchronis video presentations. That was the one that I thought was coolest - Amiee and what's-his-name's project with video. I will be sure to use the "basic" technologies of diigo and google docs, but connecting to other classrooms and experts with video I think is what can be really interesting for middle and high school history students.
Third, a small part of me wished that I had done one of these projects as well. Not just for the money, but for the experience getting to be familiar with different technologies to use in the classroom. I basically thought that the whole project was a really cool idea, and I hope that the McKay school will be doing it again next year.
First, I was surprised by how many people I knew from my education classes that had decided to participate in the event. I was impressed with several of my friend's projects and how interesting their projects could be when presented in a classroom setting. Actually, some of my closest friends from my English classes won third place! I am really excited for them. Their project was the diigo and brain-map websites to help students write persuasive essays.
Second, I was interested in all of the different ways that technology can impact the classroom. From diigo to google-docs to asynchronis video presentations. That was the one that I thought was coolest - Amiee and what's-his-name's project with video. I will be sure to use the "basic" technologies of diigo and google docs, but connecting to other classrooms and experts with video I think is what can be really interesting for middle and high school history students.
Third, a small part of me wished that I had done one of these projects as well. Not just for the money, but for the experience getting to be familiar with different technologies to use in the classroom. I basically thought that the whole project was a really cool idea, and I hope that the McKay school will be doing it again next year.
Monday, March 29, 2010
The Lewis and Clark Expedition movie
Lets see if this works. Cross your fingers, everyone!
This was a really frustrating project for me, for a few reasons. First, I don't own a computer with any sort of movie making capabilities, so I had to work in the lab in the MCKB, not at home. My schedule isn't really compatible with that of the Mac Lab, and that was frustrating. Second, once you save the movie on a computer you can't move it to another computer. So I had to always try to get the same computer, which was stress. It took a lot of time for me to assemble all of everything together, so I had to go to the lab three or four times. I also had some problems uploading to youtube, where the movie freezes at 1:03. It only does it some times though. . . .
Overall, I would use this in the classroom only if we had the technology and I felt that using it would enhance the overall learning.
This was a really frustrating project for me, for a few reasons. First, I don't own a computer with any sort of movie making capabilities, so I had to work in the lab in the MCKB, not at home. My schedule isn't really compatible with that of the Mac Lab, and that was frustrating. Second, once you save the movie on a computer you can't move it to another computer. So I had to always try to get the same computer, which was stress. It took a lot of time for me to assemble all of everything together, so I had to go to the lab three or four times. I also had some problems uploading to youtube, where the movie freezes at 1:03. It only does it some times though. . . .
Overall, I would use this in the classroom only if we had the technology and I felt that using it would enhance the overall learning.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Movie Project
I haven't really done anything with my project since last week, but I am excited about it. I've been looking at images and videos and getting ready to assemble all of it together on imovie. Pretty much this means that I'll be spending all week in the Mac Lab in the McKay Building to assemble it all and make it look cool. I guess the only thing that I am still nervous about is assembling all of the pieces together and posting it on Youtube - do you need an account to do that? I'm assuming so.
Basically things are going well, because I haven't done any of the difficult stuff yet :)
Basically things are going well, because I haven't done any of the difficult stuff yet :)
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Video Storyboard Idea
For my video I will do an overview of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Here is my very broad storyline:
I'll start by showing a clip of a forest or a picture of a forest with a river going through it, with a voice over about the importance of finding the Northern Passage across the nation through rivers. Then I'll show a map of the purchase and where the expedition started, and do an animation of the way that they traveled till their first important stop. From there I'll show a picture of their first important stop, and insert a clip from a professor talking about why this place is important. Then I'll do another voice-over animation of the map till their second important stop. I'll show another picture, and discuss why its important, and then go back to the map to show the last important stop before reaching the coast and insert another professor clip or image of the place. I think that doing this through a video only makes sense because the trip becomes more alive and realistic as you see images and distances, and hear from an expert as to why it was so important. The visual nature of the journey and the importance of hearing about it at the same time (through someone different than your teacher) keeps the expedition interesting and exciting.
Here is my very broad storyline:
I'll start by showing a clip of a forest or a picture of a forest with a river going through it, with a voice over about the importance of finding the Northern Passage across the nation through rivers. Then I'll show a map of the purchase and where the expedition started, and do an animation of the way that they traveled till their first important stop. From there I'll show a picture of their first important stop, and insert a clip from a professor talking about why this place is important. Then I'll do another voice-over animation of the map till their second important stop. I'll show another picture, and discuss why its important, and then go back to the map to show the last important stop before reaching the coast and insert another professor clip or image of the place. I think that doing this through a video only makes sense because the trip becomes more alive and realistic as you see images and distances, and hear from an expert as to why it was so important. The visual nature of the journey and the importance of hearing about it at the same time (through someone different than your teacher) keeps the expedition interesting and exciting.
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