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.

week 6

Reading about more efficient ways to do research on the internet was very helpful for me and I can definitely see how important it is to teach these tools to kids in school now. I thought it was interesting to look at the URL and think about where the information is coming from and how biased it could be. I had always known to look at the URL to make sure it was coming from a real site, but sometimes even those real sites can misconstrue information. Finding credible sites can be difficult and it is nice when the University supports the free access to journals and other sites to their students. Moreover, I never knew about using multiple search engines to find more information, I had always assumed one was just like the other. I figured that search engines were the best means to find relevant information and I have always depended on sites like Google to help with my research. It would be nice for students to become familiar with better search engines in order to do more comprehensive research.
I like the idea of using a directory that is more organized with credible sources. A directory seems like a good way to get the most out of internet research without wasting a lot of time going through sites that do not reference other authors or where the information came from. I think that schools should constantly try to get kids away from just typing in key words and teach them to quickly turn their attention to better sites like JStor or publications in that field.

After going over spreadsheets this week in class, it was helpful to learn how to better utilize formulas. Learning the basics like Sum and Average were helpful formulas. Though I have used Excel for many other things, it was generally lists and did not involve real numbers that needed to be calculated. It was nice to be reminded that formulas need an equal sign in front of the formula. Also, relearning how to do different graphs was helpful. I like being able to change the colors or to be able to present graphs and ideas in more vivid images. It would be nice to do another Excel project where more techniques are taught. However, learning about the simplicity of how the software works was very beneficial. I think its important that teachers utilize Excel for grading because it keeps a record and ability to track a students/classes progress on assignments. This can be a good indicator of whether the students are really being taught something or if the teacher needs to do a better job on instructing. Also, Excel is a way to have proof of grades to present to students, parents, or other administrators.

week 5

This week in reading about bloom's taxonomy, I learned his theory on how different types of thinking and questions correlate to teach at certain levels. Blooms theory can be seen in a pyramid shape that corresponds to having Knowledge on the bottom with Evaluation at the top of the pyramid. This pyramid is supposed to help teachers create better questions that make students think deeper. The taxonomy shows a list of word in each category that apply to that level of thinking- such as under the Analyze category, words that correspond to it are categorize, compare, contrast. These different levels of thinking will help teachers to make a larger variation in questions such as simple recall, as well as, utilizing these different categories to engage the students. This theory is exploring a range of cognitive processes that are used.
I like that this type of categorization helps to explore different aspects of the reading or activity that is taking place. I remember having to do flow charts or posters to reiterate what was going on in the stories. I liked having more interactive activities than simple recall of facts that are going on. The questions that ask to evaluate or how I would feel about a certain instance in the story would be more interesting and perhaps make the book feel more personal. Using higher level questions mixed in with lower level could help keep tests and activities more interesting as well as challenging.

This week after learning and personally utilizing Powerpoint, there are many highly applicable uses as a teacher to help yourself as well as the student. Using powerpoint as a teacher can keep lectures on track and organized. Powerpoint allows the teacher to be able to face and engage the classroom at all times. Whereas previously, writing on the overhead projector took time and having your head face down as you are writing. Powerpoint is also more exciting for the student because it can be a good learning tool for different learning types. Having ideas bulleted while the teacher lecture facilitates note taking and the ability to do two things at once. Powerpoint oculd be used by the teacher to show how research can be done and put into a concise form to present to the students. Moreover, the Poewrpoint is an effective tool for the students to have to organize reports and learn to do presentations in front of groups of people. Having the students do group projects and using Powerpoint to organize and reflect on their topic is also a helpful learning tool.

week 4

After reading "Mapping Student Minds" I liked seeing the use of outdoors to educate students on the varying environment. I thought it was important that they went at least twice a year because it did provide some substantial data on how the ecosystem of the river does vary depending on the time of year. I think going twice and having to input data keeps the learning hands on and very interactive. The extension of using causal maps to link data helps students expand their learning into writing and placing ideas in a more cohesive way. I like how the project transitioned into groups for the causal maps as well as generating debate and discussions about how these maps should be laid out. This kind of discussion helps to facilitate ideas and make kids more confident in themselves. Also, the fact that these causal maps are used to present ideas to people outside the classroom is a great experience in public speaking which again can boost confidence. Using this tool of causal mapping seems to allow a variety of different learners to feel involved and challenged.
On a side note, I learned some good things about powerpoint this week in lecture. I learned to create slides that are simple and colors that contrast but are not hard on the eyes. Chargers colors do not work!. Moreover, to have an effective powerpoint, keeping things simple in terms of the bullet points I want to make. More than 8 words in a sentence and I have said too much. Keeping animation and sounds to a very very low roar is appropriate.
I also learned this week in class about the different kidns of learners. I realized that I fit in a couple categories very well such as Naturalistic and Intrapersonal. I already knew I was intrapersonal because the idea of having to work in a group at the end of the semester for a group video project kills me.

Week 3

After reading "Oh the Changes" I can vividly remember what it was like going into the computer labs in elementary school. I remember first being introduced to the mouse as my computer at home had to be navigated by DOS. I can relate to this article when it discusses having interactive games to have students start problem solving and interactive thinking. On page 16 "The Oregon Trail" and other games like it is discussed in this context. I remember being introduced to the game and thinking of life on the prairie and the best moves to make to keep my wagon train alive and on its way. Going to the computer lab was definitely one of the more exciting things that we got to do at school. As an interactive source, I enjoyed playing math games and writing games. Moreover, page 15 discusses how Print Shop and other media tools were used to start creating and integrating design into the classroom. I can relate to using this tool and finding it fun to be able to create different templates with backgrounds and borders so much so that I went home and made my parents buy this program for me.
The use of computer technology has come a long way since I was in the elementary classroom and it will be very exciting to see where it progresses too. I think it is important to keep curriculum up to the standards of the current technology as well as keeping the teachers up on it as well.
In terms of class this week, I learned to not reinvent the wheel by seeing how to find a rubric that might already have been created for me by using the rubistar website. Also, it was brought to my attention how beneficial it can be to have a newsletter to better communicate with parents and the students. In terms of creating newsletters, I have realized that only having Microsoft word is sufficient enough to create a great looking newsletter. I was taught how to use drop case and insert wordart into a header and footer. Though I am not particularly looking forward to creating three newsletters, I now have the tools to create templates that are easy and enjoyable to read.

Week 2

In class this week, I learned about the active desktop that Mac's have and that a program that has frozen is easier to close than on a PC. The colorful, swirling circle that lasts longer than thirty seconds is an indication that the program is no longer responding. Also, I learned that my 2gb flashdrive has to be plugged in to the back of the computer. To remove the flashdrive, I can drag it into the trash can, pulling it straight out of the computer can cause damage to the computer and flashdrive.
In the reading about changing a students preconceived notions, there are ways using technology, for a teacher to address and help change. The reading discussed how just presenting facts does not always help to change the way a student learns. However, through perhaps interactive sites that can be manipulated, help challenge already present ideas with the ones they are seeing come into motion in front of them. The reading was helpful in addressing that straight factual teaching is not alway the most effective. The article helped to provide ideas for utilizing technology and different assessments to enhance learning. By providing a student with the opportunity to grow, adjust and expand on current ideas, facilitates even higher levels of learning.
Netiquette rules were fun to read and be reminded me that even though I am not having face to face interaction, I am still communicating with a breathing, feeling human being. Also, it was interesting to learn about shareware and that providing a little bit of money does promote more products to be developed that I might benefit from later. Netiquette is important for people to look into once they enter the world of online communication. I know that I cannot personally stand when a "reply all" is hit so one person can complain about someone else on that list. After having that happen with the parents for my girls soccer team, I think it would advisable for some of them to read Netiquette rules.

Blog #1

This week in Education 422 I have learned many different things. It was brought to my attention before I took the class that there was a lot of work involved, and this was reaffirmed when I first attended the class and was finally able to view the syllabus. At first I was confused why I had to take this class as I'm not looking for my teaching credential and had already completed my computer class requirement at UCSD but realize that knowing how to use more programs, instead of creating them, will still help me to be a better Speech Pathologist. I think it will be very beneficial to be able to use technology more effectively and to especially learn how to create videos and edit on a Mac. I am excited by the prospect of becoming proficient on a Mac because my PC constantly disappoints me. In addition, I had previously been aware how to do a print screen with a PC but have now learned how to do one on a Mac. First, Microsoft Word has to be opened. Then pull up the screen that you wish to make a print screen of and hold control, apple key, and shift, and the number 4 to get the print screen. The next step is to paste that into the word document. Using the number four with the numbers to the right of the main keys, does not work- the four above the qwerty keyboard has to be used. Also, using the module in Webct will be the easiest way to manage all of the assignments and expectations of me. Going step by step will save me from missing anything. However, I need to keep reminding myself to check the announcements page as well as my San Marcos webmail.