What? So this week we started on our final exam. We were asked to make a flyer, brochure, and a newsletter for our "Water's Elementary class." The flyer will be announcement of some kind to be given to our students and their parents. The brochure is also announcement or a advertisement, if you will, of an up coming activity. Finally the newspaper can be a monthly, weekly letter sent to the parents so that they will not what is going on in your classroom.
So What? This something we will have to do as teachers. We will need to keep our student's parents informed, while keeping our classroom upbeat and exciting. I think this is a great idea to practice this now and use all the of the tools technology has given us. I can also use these skills in other aspects of my life such as, making a flyer for a cause I want to support. If we use the tools to create items such as these we will be able to make our students and their parents more involved and altogether make our school environment better.
Now What? Now that I have started this assignment I have found so many great tools to make it look great! I am so excited to have these technologies at my disposal. Not only will it benefit me but it will make my students more aware and excited to be involved at school and in my classroom. I want to be so organized that I can make up a newsletter to show my student's parents how professional I am and how serious I am taking their child's education. I can also uses these tools to have my students get involved in a cause. They can make flyers and pass them out and learn to be passionate about something important. As a department, newsletters can keep everyone aware of what is going on and as teachers we can collaborate our efforts to make our school the best. I want to keep making things exciting for my students. I want them to like school and like learning. I know how important a good start in education can give you. If you teach your students to like learning and that school is important they will succeed all throughout their schooling and lives.
Video Reflection: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2iLAI0gUW0
This is a classic School House Rock video. I loved these as an early student. They teach you all about the English language. I think this was because the songs were catching and fun to watch and then it unwittingly helped you remember something. These songs have stuck with me even now. It would be great to create something like this so that my students could understand and really remember something. I know that these tools and technology can help me to achieve this goal.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Reflection
What? Alright so this week we had thanksgiving break. Of course this time of year gets you to thinking about what you are thankful for. This year I can say for certain I am thankful for the effect technology can have on the classroom. I am thankful for this class and the knowledge it has given me so that when I become a teacher I can make a difference.
So what? As a teacher I want to be someone my students will learn and grow from. I want to be someone my colleagues will look to. I want to be someone the parents of my students admire. I am going to pull all my resources together and do everything I can to make my students understand. Technology is something that students can now relate to because they are growing up in a technologically friendly world. They say that a student learns best when they can see, hear, and interact with the subject given. I know I can use the technologies I have learned in class to do that.
Now what? So for example, when I teach my future students about washing their hands I can show them how step to step through a vidcast. Or what better to learn something than to teach something. So I can have a group of students teach the class to understand something by making a PowerPoint. When my colleagues see how technologically advanced my class is they can take points and find a better way to teach their students. I want to change lives and make my students want to better themselves and be someone incredible when they grow up. I know I can only do this if I use all the resources available to me.
Video Reflection: http://teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=24266&title=Mr_Duey___Fractions_Official_Video
I think this video is great because it show us teacher how we can really get our students to understand fractions. You can apply this to any subject and just make a video using a vidcast. I can tell that this teacher really cares about his students because he is going above and beyond to make sure his students understand about fractions.
So what? As a teacher I want to be someone my students will learn and grow from. I want to be someone my colleagues will look to. I want to be someone the parents of my students admire. I am going to pull all my resources together and do everything I can to make my students understand. Technology is something that students can now relate to because they are growing up in a technologically friendly world. They say that a student learns best when they can see, hear, and interact with the subject given. I know I can use the technologies I have learned in class to do that.
Now what? So for example, when I teach my future students about washing their hands I can show them how step to step through a vidcast. Or what better to learn something than to teach something. So I can have a group of students teach the class to understand something by making a PowerPoint. When my colleagues see how technologically advanced my class is they can take points and find a better way to teach their students. I want to change lives and make my students want to better themselves and be someone incredible when they grow up. I know I can only do this if I use all the resources available to me.
Video Reflection: http://teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=24266&title=Mr_Duey___Fractions_Official_Video
I think this video is great because it show us teacher how we can really get our students to understand fractions. You can apply this to any subject and just make a video using a vidcast. I can tell that this teacher really cares about his students because he is going above and beyond to make sure his students understand about fractions.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Web 2.0 Technologies
What? alright so this week we did not have class so it's time to take a breather and reflect. We were asked to talk about Web 2.0 Technologies. So what are Web 2.0 Technologies you might ask? Well those are just the tools we have been learning about all semester. For example google docs, PowerPoint, podcasts and vidcasts, Picassa, and many more technologies we use in the classroom today.
So What? well as a student I like that I am learning how to use the tools to expand my knowledge. As a teacher I am just glad that I have many more methods at hand to explain a point so that everyone can understand. I think we are learning these tools so that we can be prepared for the future. I know that now that I have the knowledge of these tools I use them all the time in my classes today. Technology means that we have a simpler, more accessible way to find the answers we seek.
Now What? so it obvious that our world is technologically advanced meaning that we have got to start teaching our student how to move in our world. I think that if we want to find the best way to teach our students we have got to start pulling together all our resources and all our knowledge we have available to us, like technology. As a teacher I can use all of these tools to get my students involved and understanding the assignments. I hope that these tools can make me a better teacher and if nothing else at least I will have an easier, less complicated life.
Video Reflection: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAMLOnSNwzA
So What? well as a student I like that I am learning how to use the tools to expand my knowledge. As a teacher I am just glad that I have many more methods at hand to explain a point so that everyone can understand. I think we are learning these tools so that we can be prepared for the future. I know that now that I have the knowledge of these tools I use them all the time in my classes today. Technology means that we have a simpler, more accessible way to find the answers we seek.
Now What? so it obvious that our world is technologically advanced meaning that we have got to start teaching our student how to move in our world. I think that if we want to find the best way to teach our students we have got to start pulling together all our resources and all our knowledge we have available to us, like technology. As a teacher I can use all of these tools to get my students involved and understanding the assignments. I hope that these tools can make me a better teacher and if nothing else at least I will have an easier, less complicated life.
Video Reflection: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAMLOnSNwzA
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
PowerPoint
What? Okay so this week we learning all about PowerPoint. We have this book from class that is called 50 PowerPoint Activities, I think the name is pretty self explanatory. The book is really great for giving you ideas on how to teach a certain subject through the use of PowerPoint. So this week we had to make two PowerPoints from the list of activities in the book. We worked as partners and the first one we worked on was a PowerPoint on smoking and the second was on Earth vs Mars. 
So What? I think this assignment was mainly to get a feel for PowerPoint because it is great tool to use when teaching. As a student I like PowerPoint because I think I understand what the teacher is trying to explain better because I can see what they are talking about and see the words he is using to explain which is proven to stay in your memory longer when you can actually see the words instead of just hearing them. As a teacher I can keep myself on track using the PowerPoint as a guide. I can explain something to colleague by using charts this tool has to offer.
Now What? I think this tool will be extremely useful for my future students. I have had some my own teachers try to explain something through a PowerPoint and I feel like it was helpful. Although I think some of the teachers would just go off the PowerPoint and not really do any teaching by themselves; it was like they were reading off of a script. I think it would be good to have my own students make a PowerPoint to explain a subject we a learning in class and then teach the class about it. That way they are learning more about it by teaching. I think that if my colleagues are not aware of this excellent tool they will probably see me using it in class and then they can benefit their own students. I really want my students to understand what I am teaching so that I can be a better teacher and if I have to use this tool to achieve that then I will.
Video Reflection: http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=2443&title=The_Future_of_Computers
So I really liked this video because it shows you how much the world of technology is changing. I think that as a teacher my students would be really excited to see this video so they can see what the future holds for them. What they will have to use in class, when they research a project, make a PowerPoint, and use other tools. They computers will probably always be apart of our lives but how they work and how we use them will probably always be changing and surprising us.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Podcasts & Vidcasts
What? So this week we learned about Podcasts and Vidcasts. A Podcast is a tool that allows you to hear something through a computer, ipod, etc. A Vidcast is another tool that allows you to see something through a computer, camera, etc. So to show we know how to use these tools we must teach something through the use of a Podcast or a Vidcast.
So What? In class we talked about why a Vidcast or a Podcast might be useful as teachers. We came up with a lot of ideas. Really you could probably use either to teach something but using one on a certain topic might be better than the other. For example, say I want to teach the proper way to crack an egg. It would be easier for a student to see it than listen to it. Another example might be teaching a language might be easier through a Podcast. I know I use podcasts in my language class. I think this technology is extremely useful. If I want to see how something is done I can look it up on youtube.
Now What? As a teacher I can use these tools to better myself and make these easier on my students. For example, say I need to take a sick day but I still want my students to get an assignment done. I can simply make a Podcast which would be faster and easier for me and let my students know what they need to be doing. My students can also use these tools. They can use a vidcast to show me and the class that they understand the concept by creating a video. I never thought about using these simply tools that I use daily to incorporate them into my class. I think by my example my colleagues can see what that is better to teach a students something several different ways so that they can understand it because everybody learns differently. I really want to be the best teacher I can be. I know that I feel I didn't get a good foundation in a lot of subjects like math because they teachers were explaining it in a way I didn't understand. This way I know I get the concept out because they can see it, hear it, do it.
Video Reflection
It was on why should we let our students blog. The video suggested to teach communication, literacy, ownership, sharing, collaboration, discussion, empowerment, interaction, motivation, participation, engagement, excitement, conversation, creativity, reflection, to extend the walls of the classroom, to give students a 'voice' and a 'audience', to students a learning environment that is open 24/7, to give them skills useful for their digital futures. Basically it if we think our students can write to learn, they can blog to learn. To see this video go to: http://teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=838&title=Why_Let_our_Students_Blog_
So What? In class we talked about why a Vidcast or a Podcast might be useful as teachers. We came up with a lot of ideas. Really you could probably use either to teach something but using one on a certain topic might be better than the other. For example, say I want to teach the proper way to crack an egg. It would be easier for a student to see it than listen to it. Another example might be teaching a language might be easier through a Podcast. I know I use podcasts in my language class. I think this technology is extremely useful. If I want to see how something is done I can look it up on youtube.
Now What? As a teacher I can use these tools to better myself and make these easier on my students. For example, say I need to take a sick day but I still want my students to get an assignment done. I can simply make a Podcast which would be faster and easier for me and let my students know what they need to be doing. My students can also use these tools. They can use a vidcast to show me and the class that they understand the concept by creating a video. I never thought about using these simply tools that I use daily to incorporate them into my class. I think by my example my colleagues can see what that is better to teach a students something several different ways so that they can understand it because everybody learns differently. I really want to be the best teacher I can be. I know that I feel I didn't get a good foundation in a lot of subjects like math because they teachers were explaining it in a way I didn't understand. This way I know I get the concept out because they can see it, hear it, do it.
Video Reflection
It was on why should we let our students blog. The video suggested to teach communication, literacy, ownership, sharing, collaboration, discussion, empowerment, interaction, motivation, participation, engagement, excitement, conversation, creativity, reflection, to extend the walls of the classroom, to give students a 'voice' and a 'audience', to students a learning environment that is open 24/7, to give them skills useful for their digital futures. Basically it if we think our students can write to learn, they can blog to learn. To see this video go to: http://teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=838&title=Why_Let_our_Students_Blog_
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Technolgy Articles
Tool #1
Okay so I decided that it would be fun to teach my students about astronomy. I took an astronomy class in college and we used a tool were you could look at the stars even in the day. I found a similar tool on the Hayden Planetarium website. There you can download a tool where it gives you lessons to teach in class depending on what age group. This way your students can explore the digital universe. You can see the positions of the stars anytime of the day, anywhere in the world.
My students can explore the nearby stars, star clusters, nebulae, extrasolar planets, nearby galaxy clusters, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, and much more. They can see the night sky as it appears across the spectrum, from radio and infrared, to visible, and even in Gamma rays. This gives the students something they could never see by just going outside at night.
I think is an excellent tool to use in class because it will help my students and your children to fully understand what they are looking at when they look up at the stars at night. The universe can tell us a lot about the world. It teaches us about gravity, position of the world, the seasons of the year, the phases of the moon, and much more. I know that this program is very advanced and it might be too much and too hard to understand. This program is more appropriate for a higher age group but I think even the younger grades can find more understanding with this program.
I think this tool can be used to teach many different subjects like, math, science, even history. We can learn about different ancient cultures like the Greeks and how the stars meant to them. I can teach about mythology and how the Greeks labeled the stars. I think that a lot can be learned by the universe and I hope by the use of this tool my students will learn more as well. I think it is great that technology has given us the tools to teach our students something we would have never been able to do before at least not in this dept.Check out this tool at http://www.haydenplanetarium.org/universe/
Tool #2
This next tool might be a bit controversial, one would say that it was more of a game. I think it is a great way to teach students disguised as a game. It's called the CivWorld. This is a game where you can pick which century you would like to play in. It teaches it's players advanced terminology, knowledge of geography, or even principles of history.
While playing this game it takes students back in time. It plays scenarios in the history depending on which time period you pick. For example say you pick the Dawn of Civilization 4000 B.C-1 A.D. In this scenario you will see and create a stable civilization for them. You will learn about geographic map of this time period, certain civilizations like the Babylonians, Egyptians, Hittites, Medes, Phoenicians, Sumerians, and most importantly how they survived in that time period. How they hunted and farmed.
The greatest part of this game is you are not just watch how something came to be like a movie you are experiencing and what is more you are learning while you do it. There are many more time periods to experience as well. You can play this game with multiple players and you can play it in the comfort of your own home as well as school. Parents can watch their kids play at home and even join in with them to see that their child is learning.
There are a lot of cons to this tool too though. It is very time consuming, to complete a civilization takes 2 hours. It takes up a lot of space on your computer. Although you can try some time periods for free, some do cost money. I haven't been able to tell how factual the game is. It requires no teaching from me, the teacher although you could expound on what was played and make sure they learn actual facts. Another factor is difficulty. This game is probably only suited for an older age group.
I think that a lot could be gained by using this tool every once in a while even it is just to get the students excited about learning history. I know as a kid I learned things a lot better when I could experience things first hand and this gives my students a way to do that. You can fine this tool at http://civworld.gameslearningsociety.org/index.php
Video Reflection
This weeks video was introducing web 2.0, the digit sandbox. What that it does is allow users to collaborate tools together. As a teacher this will be extreme useful because we need as many technological tools as we can so that the student can understand the concept fully. This video goes through several of this tools like blogging and google. They believe that because technology is what is today that more difficult and powerful questions are being asked so we need to collaborate our efforts to answer them. See this video at http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=11669
Okay so I decided that it would be fun to teach my students about astronomy. I took an astronomy class in college and we used a tool were you could look at the stars even in the day. I found a similar tool on the Hayden Planetarium website. There you can download a tool where it gives you lessons to teach in class depending on what age group. This way your students can explore the digital universe. You can see the positions of the stars anytime of the day, anywhere in the world.
My students can explore the nearby stars, star clusters, nebulae, extrasolar planets, nearby galaxy clusters, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, and much more. They can see the night sky as it appears across the spectrum, from radio and infrared, to visible, and even in Gamma rays. This gives the students something they could never see by just going outside at night.
I think is an excellent tool to use in class because it will help my students and your children to fully understand what they are looking at when they look up at the stars at night. The universe can tell us a lot about the world. It teaches us about gravity, position of the world, the seasons of the year, the phases of the moon, and much more. I know that this program is very advanced and it might be too much and too hard to understand. This program is more appropriate for a higher age group but I think even the younger grades can find more understanding with this program.
I think this tool can be used to teach many different subjects like, math, science, even history. We can learn about different ancient cultures like the Greeks and how the stars meant to them. I can teach about mythology and how the Greeks labeled the stars. I think that a lot can be learned by the universe and I hope by the use of this tool my students will learn more as well. I think it is great that technology has given us the tools to teach our students something we would have never been able to do before at least not in this dept.Check out this tool at http://www.haydenplanetarium.org/universe/
Tool #2
This next tool might be a bit controversial, one would say that it was more of a game. I think it is a great way to teach students disguised as a game. It's called the CivWorld. This is a game where you can pick which century you would like to play in. It teaches it's players advanced terminology, knowledge of geography, or even principles of history.
While playing this game it takes students back in time. It plays scenarios in the history depending on which time period you pick. For example say you pick the Dawn of Civilization 4000 B.C-1 A.D. In this scenario you will see and create a stable civilization for them. You will learn about geographic map of this time period, certain civilizations like the Babylonians, Egyptians, Hittites, Medes, Phoenicians, Sumerians, and most importantly how they survived in that time period. How they hunted and farmed.
The greatest part of this game is you are not just watch how something came to be like a movie you are experiencing and what is more you are learning while you do it. There are many more time periods to experience as well. You can play this game with multiple players and you can play it in the comfort of your own home as well as school. Parents can watch their kids play at home and even join in with them to see that their child is learning.
There are a lot of cons to this tool too though. It is very time consuming, to complete a civilization takes 2 hours. It takes up a lot of space on your computer. Although you can try some time periods for free, some do cost money. I haven't been able to tell how factual the game is. It requires no teaching from me, the teacher although you could expound on what was played and make sure they learn actual facts. Another factor is difficulty. This game is probably only suited for an older age group.
I think that a lot could be gained by using this tool every once in a while even it is just to get the students excited about learning history. I know as a kid I learned things a lot better when I could experience things first hand and this gives my students a way to do that. You can fine this tool at http://civworld.gameslearningsociety.org/index.php
Video Reflection
This weeks video was introducing web 2.0, the digit sandbox. What that it does is allow users to collaborate tools together. As a teacher this will be extreme useful because we need as many technological tools as we can so that the student can understand the concept fully. This video goes through several of this tools like blogging and google. They believe that because technology is what is today that more difficult and powerful questions are being asked so we need to collaborate our efforts to answer them. See this video at http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=11669
Friday, October 23, 2009
Videos
What? This week we viewed you tube, a website where you can see videos made from anyone or were copied from it's original destination. We were then told to find an education video and place it on our blog. How might you ask does one do that exactly? Well there is a great website called zamzar. This website allows you to take videos from places like you tube and convert them to another file so that you might be able to place them anywhere you would like, like your blog for example.
So What? You tube is a great way to teach your students. Kids can watch video from a familiar, interesting source, therefore being more interested in what they are watching. Teachers can also make their own videos and even use their students in them. Parents can then watch the same videos on my class website. Students can create mashups, a combination of several videos, to demonstrate a point. I now feel comfortable that I could make a video and use it for another one of my classes today.
Now What? This piece of technology will be great for my future students. I like this class because it shows me all the new ways that I can influence my students through technology. Lets face this is the new age of technology and if you want to get through to your students you have to use means they are interested. Before this assignment I never thought about using you tube in the classroom but this way my student can not only hear and read about a subject they can watch about it. It is just using more ways to get through to my students. I could set up an assignment where the students need to make a mashup for a certain subject. This way I will know that they are truly learning about the subject. I think using this source of technology will make me a better teacher because I am using a fun and unique way to teach them and get them involved. I also think my colleagues will be able to see what I am doing to teach my students and they will get ideas from me. I really want to be the best teacher I can be and if that means learning to find a way to connect with my students I will do it. I definitely think that using you tube is the way to do that.
So What? You tube is a great way to teach your students. Kids can watch video from a familiar, interesting source, therefore being more interested in what they are watching. Teachers can also make their own videos and even use their students in them. Parents can then watch the same videos on my class website. Students can create mashups, a combination of several videos, to demonstrate a point. I now feel comfortable that I could make a video and use it for another one of my classes today.
Now What? This piece of technology will be great for my future students. I like this class because it shows me all the new ways that I can influence my students through technology. Lets face this is the new age of technology and if you want to get through to your students you have to use means they are interested. Before this assignment I never thought about using you tube in the classroom but this way my student can not only hear and read about a subject they can watch about it. It is just using more ways to get through to my students. I could set up an assignment where the students need to make a mashup for a certain subject. This way I will know that they are truly learning about the subject. I think using this source of technology will make me a better teacher because I am using a fun and unique way to teach them and get them involved. I also think my colleagues will be able to see what I am doing to teach my students and they will get ideas from me. I really want to be the best teacher I can be and if that means learning to find a way to connect with my students I will do it. I definitely think that using you tube is the way to do that.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
