Week 10 - Web Design Continued

As I imagined...I forgot how the heck to get anything done in dreamweaver. Luckily, Denvy was available to give a few of us a mini review. I made another good dent on the creation of my pretend class website, which I'm actually kind of enjoying. Although it's a bit complicated, I'm surprised at myself and proud at how I'm moving along with my pages. I don't know that I'll remember all this in the future but it's a good start towards creating my very first website. I would like to have a classroom website in the future; however, it will depend on the SES of my students as to whether they will have access or not. Now that I have created my own website, I won't feel as intimidated when I create the real thing.

Week 9 - No Class

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Week 8 - Website Design

We learned about some free online programs for creating a website, which seem pretty easy to use. I explored lifeyo.com, and it seemed user friendly. We also learned how to create a website with html in dreamweaver. Now this one seemed overwhelming, and I was afraid I would forget the steps on how to get things done. Surprisingly I got a good start to my website without too much difficulty, but we'll see how it goes after the Thanksgiving holiday. I think it's pretty cool that we can create our own sites on dreamweaver; however, I wonder how many schools would actually have the program available. I also wonder how much input a school has on a teacher's webpage, if any. I like the idea of having a classroom website for getting information out to students and parents. It's a good resource for them to use, if they have a computer with internet access. Since not all schools will have the dreamweaver program, it's good that we explored the internet to make use out of the free sites out there that let you create your own website. I haven't explored with google, but I hear that is an option as well.

Week 7 - Mobile Learning (lesson using an ipod app.)

I had never used an ipod before, so initially I was unsure of what to do with it. I was able to look at some applications that had already been downloaded and even downloaded a couple free ones myself. I have to admit some of the stuff on there is pretty darn cool. It would be cool to own ipods or ipads for the classroom, so kids have another avenue for learning with technology.

I created a lesson using storybuddy jr which allows the user to create their own story and drawing. This would be a great motivator for students to begin writing sentences for "publishing" giving them an authentic audience.

Week 6 - Podcasting (Garage Band)

Podcasting can be very useful in the classroom. Like imovies there are many ways to incorporate podcasts in the classroom. In addition to viewing podcasts, students can make their own. I felt that GarageBand was fairly easy to use and enjoyed making this podcast using pictures, jingles, and my own voice (didn't like that part). Podcasts are a fun way to get students to work collaboratively making their own creations while reinforcing what they've learned.

Week 5 - Hoax or Real (evaluating authenticity of websites)

I was surprised by how legitimate some of the websites looked! It's scary that information like the Martin Luther King Jr. website exist. A website like that could cause a lot of misinformation and confusion for students. That particular website is very racist and, surprisingly, it's like the third hit when you google MLK. It's disturbing, but that is why it is important for us teachers to know there is lots of garbage out there intermingled with good legitimate information. We have to be very careful when sending our students off to do their own research. We actually have to do the research first and then give them "safe" websites to explore for their research.

Week 4 - Mapping (Google Earth)

This assignment seemed pretty straightforward and easy; however, I was having trouble with the images not popping up, so I got frustrated and just stopped working on the assignment for a week. When I tried again, the pictures worked fine, but this time I was having trouble with the navigation tools. I got the project completed, but I have to say it was not a fun experience. Actually, it wasn't too bad until I had to record...then it got a bit complicated.

In terms of classroom use I din't think I would use it in the class, but Denvy came up with a nice list of uses. Honestly, I don't think I would have been able to come up with very many ideas. I like the ideas for elementary grades, since that is the age group I will be teaching. I like the idea about teaching neighborhood safety, however, I would hope google earth is up to date for that purpose.

Week 3 - Video (imovies)

For this assignment we had to create a commercial to sell an "idea." The project itself was sort of fun, and I can definitely see myself using it in the classroom for numerous projects. I could also use imovies as a way to prepare students to give speeches or presentations in front of the class...sort of like a warm up to the real thing. This might be especially effective for the really shy students.

Unfortunately, I didn't learn a whole lot about how to actually use imovie. I did give it a try but I didn't want to be the "slow poke," so I allowed my more knowledgeable peers to take over. Since I do see this tool as being very useful in the classroom, it is one that I will be dedicating more time to learning about to understand how to use it myself before introducing it to my class.

Week 2-Images-Collage Assignment

I'm not sure how I would use photoshop in the classroom at this point. I was in awe by the tools and features of photoshop, but it was also a very frustrating experience for me. I was able to get through the assignment but it took me a while to do something that probably shouldn't have been that complicated. Unless I had more practice with it, I don't think I would use it in the classroom with students. I would also be hesitant to use it due to how time consuming this task was. Teachers don't have a lot of extra time to fiddle with stuff. On the bright side, I know that this tool is available, and am familiar with some of its capabilities. Down the road, I would like to learn it better and with more time.

First Day of Class Experience

It was nice to hear about the different web 2.0 tools that exist out there. Instructor Saxowsky made a good point about the time it would have taken each one of us to go through those sites on our own, so I appreciated the time saver and hearing about it from my peers. I had heard the term RSS before but didn't know what that meant until Denvy explained it in class. I have created a blog in the past but other than its required classroom use/posts, I didn't use it beyond that. I still don't know that I would become a regular blogger. Maybe once I have a classroom of my own, I would see the purpose for having one. I definitely like the function of using the blog for photo and video sharing. Now that's fun! I explored the pocket photo album site from "big huge labs" in class. Check out their site:
http://www.bighugelabs.com/pocketalbum.php
The pocket album is free, and it appears easy to make. I can definitely see myself using this tool in the classroom for a variety of purposes. One example is to have students download pictures of animals they have been studying and give a report on it in pairs. The photo album allows for 8 pictures, but you can use four for pictures and leave space next to each one to write in informational text.

Experiencing Web 2.0

1st website explored:
Storify.com: Storify is a way to tell stories using social media such as Tweets, photos and videos. You search multiple social networks from one place, and then drag individual elements into your story. You can re-order the elements and also add text to give context to your readers. This seems like it might work with older students as an entry into an authentic writing lesson/assignment. I had a hard time understanding how to use the site to create my story, and I'm not sure how it would print out. It appears this is a free service with a twitter account.
2nd website:
CarrotSticks: http://www.go2web20.net/site/?a=CarrotSticks
I got to this site by clicking on the "game" tag in the go2web20.net website. I thought this would be a good site to explore since its brief description mentioned math games. The intended audience for this site is children. It allows them to practice their math skills (levels k-5) in a fun game format. Players can choose to practice alone or compete live with another user. For students who are motivated by competition this could be a good way to get them practicing their math skills. The site allows you to try the addition practice for free, but they charge for all others (subtraction, multiplication, and division). The cost is $3.95 per month for unlimited use (comprehensive: + − × ÷). I think a classroom could sign up for the same cost but would have unlimited student use. In the classroom I think I would allow students, during math, to use the game if they have finished their assignment early and need to work on something. Also, I could use it as a form of differentiation to change things up for students who are low level and need a little extra motivation. This could also be used with higher level students who need to be challenged.
3rd website:
StoryJumper: http://www.go2web20.net/site/?a=StoryJumper
I got to this website from the "kids" tag on the go2web20.net site. The name caught my attention and after reading its brief description about publishing your own children's book, I immediately thought of using it for an authentic writing activity. I went through the tutorial, and it seems simple to use. The service is free to create and publish online; however, there is a fee for a hardback book, which starts at $24.95. In the classroom I could have students create their own stories and share them online with each other. The site does have story templates and pictures to choose from, but I would not allow them to use those features, so that they could create the entire book themselves. Then again depending on students' needs, we could look at the site examples for ideas or as starting points for struggling students. Parents would have the option to purchase the books.