The Actual Last Blog

There were many valuable things that I learned in this class as well as many things that I did not feel were useful to me. I think understanding the idea behind content standards was valuable because if I am working as an SLP in the school district is is important to be familiar with how classes are taught and expectations of teachers. I also found using Excel as a gradebook with formulas to be very helpful and a clearer understanding of what is considered to be the best way to use PowerPoint. I will try to use those to my advantage and perhaps engage different kids with using interactive PowerPoint. I enjoyed using Imovie, though its real value to me seems to be more of just learning to use more than word processing programs on a Mac.
Overall, it was hard to find everything in this class as valuable because I do not aspire to be an actual teacher, though I will be a teacher in most respects. I did not find Backflip or the Rubric valuable because I do not forsee using those programs in the future though it was good to know organizational programs like that do exist. Doing the assignments from a teachers perspective was something that took me a while to do but I do appreciate how much work goes into teaching now.
I'm not sure how I would improve this class only that I wish it was somewhat more relevant to the field that I want to pursue. As I said in my email, I wish that we had spent more time becoming familiar with the more complex programs such as Excel and Imovie but know that this was just supposed to be an overview of them all. I liked working on the computers everyday in class rather than just sitting through a lecture and having to go home and remember. I overall thought this class was fine and I learned to use valuable programs but am definitely looking forward to taking classes more specific to my field.

Last Blog

The process to filming the movie is somewhat longer than I think it needs to be but very helpful in staying organized. I would have a tendency to just go with it as the filming progresses rather than sticking to a set storyboard. This is probably not always a great idea because I would probably get lost in tangents and the main point behind the filming. I think designating roles on the storyboard sheet and having a script kept me on track and more focused on what we needed to accomplish in each scene.

From a teacher’s perspective, I see the movie making process as a good way for group collaboration and a way to show students’ organizational strategies. There could be some difficulty in implementing the creation of a video with an entire class because of technology resources. As well as what happens when most of the writing and beginning processes are over, the part that would seem to involve the whole class. Once filming is started, it seems like there would be more students with nothing to do but wait to edit. This could lead to problems, unless it is a very small class.

In reading about using video technology in the classroom, I saw how far a lesson plan can go. Because students in this era need to be computer literate as well as learn the appropriate curriculum, using a video process to include both seems like a great idea. The way that they introduced how preplanning creates a good dynamic in the classroom, was something that I had not thought about. Having students negotiating creatively in order to all complete the same goal is a great benefit to them. However, I just have overall concerns with how to have different scenes filmed and at what point does the video project have to and be deemed completed? How do 20 people go to film a scene outside? Though the entire process in creating a movie is very beneficial, I think using clips already available and asking them to edit it using Imovie is another way to utilize technology. This could be film related to the curriculum and have to work in groups to organize it in the correct order.

Imovie week

Our theme for the movie that we have to create and edit on Imovie is going to center around the sound /f/. As future speech therapists and keeping in mind some content standards, we choose to think about phoneme pronunciation that correlates with kindergarten. Our movie will involve the idea of having someone who cannot pronounce /f/ and having the other person instruct on the proper way to make this pronunciation. This involves having the front teeth meet the bottom lip and pushing air out. One way to help kids to get used to using this technique is placing a straw in their mouth and having them blow through it. Many kids do not realize they are having fun and learning to make the correct articulation. Though I am not particularly fond of having to do a group project in order to film and collaborate on the project only because I do not live very close to campus in order to get together, I think it will be a good experience to work on the Mac to edit movies. I would have preferred to take clips already on the net and edit them but it will be more interesting as a class to see us creating our own films.

Blog 10

This week I learned about Web Quests and filamentality in class. The idea behind using Web Quests is a way to engage the students in using technology to enhance a learning assignment. I liked the idea of being able to leave an assignment for a substitute teacher to be able to come in that is beyond watching a movie. Having a substitute teacher come in a run a Web Quest assignment can allow for students to feel more independent and in control of their own education, hopefully promoting more learning than just memorizing of facts.

In addition, I learned this week about the how to start thinking of the NETS in terms of the students’ point of view. Looking at the NETS from the students’ point of view means to be thinking about what education I would be getting for myself. Would I be apt enough to use certain computer programs or to analyze different data and then compile it in a database? Would I understand different research techniques or search engines? Where can I find the most useful information? Looking at learning from a student’s point of view can help to evaluate a teacher’s lesson plans and efforts.

Here is my filamentality link: http://www.kn.att.com/wired/fil/pages/listsocialskc.html

After doing the reading assignments, there appears to be a graciousness of relief dedicated to Bernie Dodge and his creative idea of WebQuests. Using WebQuests to facilitate group work and economically using the availability of computers is something well addressed in a WebQuest. The idea of a WebQuest can take one to three class periods or even longer term projects that require complete classroom cooperation. I like the idea of creating WebQuests for the students that allow for more information to be retained, such as the example of learning about whales and finding recent newspaper articles on it through the Web. The combining of current information that can be relevant to curriculum and using technology seems to be a great way to further learning. I do not necessarily like the idea of having to create a WebQuest because it seems like it could take a long time to create and really functional, clearly defined, and appropriate one. However, there seem to be many, many available WebQuests that are already created on the internet, so there is no need to reinvent the wheel. I like the idea of having the kids interested in a project like the Pumpkin patch article where they can get the local community involved in raising funds or finding companies to donate. I think that project is very real world geared. It could be something that they would have to do after high school or learn to work with other age groups.

Midterm Reflection

Before taking the midterm I was pretty apprehensive on how detailed and tricky the test was going to be. After having the class period to go over the programs and look over the assignments I had already done I felt better about the test. I reviewed the basic steps of doing a screenshot and the extensions for the various applications. I thought that using Inspiration was a good reminder and a reminder on how basic software programs work. I interpreted that I could describe each software program in terms of benefits for the teacher and the student. I at first kinda struggled with the excel pie chart until I realized that I was over thinking how to set up the spreadsheet. I was trying to make it more complicated than it was. I thought that having to format the clipart with the word text around it was a good question because I somewhat questioned if I had properly wrapped the text around the picture. I thought that the Inspiration and using the Wordart were the easiest parts of the midterm. The formatting of doing the margins was something I had to think about and explore which tab I could change it on. I knew how to do it but it did not pop out to me right away. The trickiest part of the midterm would have to be the advanced search on the ISTE website. Advanced search did not immediately come up. I am not actually sure I remember how I found it but I went into publications and found it through the L and L journal. The minute I did find where there is a tab for advance search, I knew how to find the article the midterm was asking for. Overall, I think the midterm was very fair.

week 8

In the reading “The World Wide Web: Interfaces, Databases and Applications of Education”, the article discusses the evolving use of software to be able to allow easier interaction through web sites. The article discusses how web forms allow users to submit files or text in forms on websites. The information is processed through hypertext markup language and enters into the websites database through Common Gateway Interface Script. I liked learning how to do an anonymous feedback on the teacher and classroom using the Web interface design. I think being able to let students speak freely without the threat of consequences helps the teacher and learn and lets the student feel more empowered. The article also offers the pros and cons for using web interfaces and HTML interfaces.

In the second article discussing how one teacher used databases to organize the Presidents reassessed how teachers should now start thinking about what their students need to learn. Students now have to be able to analyze, compute and organize all the information presented to them from the vast array of sources. The database is great as a collaboration tool between students and a way to be able to search all of their collaborative information at the end of the project. Using the database as a forum for collaboration will help to keep kids involved in the classroom. Having teachers learn technology and employ it in the classroom seems to be a great way to learn old curriculum in a new light.

With the third article on databases it goes over again, that students define fields or categories and have to use a higher level of thinking. This article went further than the other two by discussing popup menus, value lists and check boxes. Popup menus seem to be a great way to distribute and classify information in a different category than just yes or no. The value list is a good combination of being able to have different categories, leaving something blank or putting yes/no. The idea of having a check box to keep information simple is another good tool to utilize in the database. Like the article states, simply allowing for someone to search by a picture or no picture can be time saving. Also, I like the idea of designing a rating system on how they feel about that particular source or allowing for a comments part in the database. Being able to search for a source with more user friendly wording that comes directly from the students might make that information even more useful.

Week 7

As part of our assignment and in class work, Wikispaces is a collaborative environment that allows for various users to interface their ideas into the web page. I had not previously known that Wikipedia could be changed and edited by outside users. I like this idea of a collaborative community. In my eyes, the idea that the facts can be changed and update makes the source seem somewhat more relevant or credible, even though that is not always the case. Using Wikispaces to discuss policies for effective Speech classes is an enjoyable assignment because I like working with someone else interested in my field and to be able to explore their ideas as well as mine. Being able to have discussions through the website and to see the changes that someone else makes to your work can move the information and thought processes further. As much as I do not really enjoy group work, collaborating to create this and being able to edit in once place, rather than swapping information back and forth, is much easier and interesting. There are three levels of sites on Wikispaces, one that anyone can join and change, protected-where only members can change but everyone can see. Lastly, there is private where a fee is charged every month for privacy and protection of the space.
In the reading on having computers in classrooms, I learned that there are ways to work with having access to just one computer in the classroom as well as just a computer lab. It is the job of the teacher to make every student feel included in their use of the computer and that it is not a "special" privilege to use them, but rather an integral part of the classroom. Placing computers in open areas that are inviting will encourage students. Also, the article discusses how teachers need to improve on their own skills with technology to better be able to present it to their students. Allowing students to create their own publishing's rather than just using the same software will also broaden their abilities. The Digital Divide is discussed as a real problem but with solutions and options that teachers have to help with their lack of resources and funding can still make a technological difference in the classroom, persistence is part of the solution.