This week in class, we started on our final assignment. We were instructed to create two of the three documents explained in class (brochure, newsletter, or flyer). I chose to create a flyer and a brochure.
I have really enjoyed learning about all the different programs available to create interesting, colorful documents. I had never thought of creating a class newsletter or even making my own brochure to outline a particular subject until starting this assignment. It makes me really excited to use these programs to create documents for my classroom and even for myself. I love using all of the Microsoft programs and while creating my final projects, I discovered the numerous templates offered by the programs. It is such a time saver and they are awesome!
Once again, this assignment helped me realize that the possibilities of collaboration are endless. I love the idea of sharing documents that I have created with other teachers and vice versa. It would also be fun to work on a document with another teacher and bounce ideas off one another. Using programs that have such great features such as Microsoft Word helps to make each document creative, colorful, and informative all at the same time.
My favorite part of this final assignment was creating a brochure. It allowed me to research a topic that I am very interested in as well as create an individual, informative document for elementary students. Using the ocean as my topic for the brochure came to me after watching Planet Earth and realizing how the ocean is such a huge part of our Earth yet we know very little about it. I think living in Utah doesn't really give students the opportunity to experience the ocean up close and personal. However, creating a brochure or newsletter could be a great way to provide kids with loads of information about the ocean or any other topic.
I never imagined all the information that I would learn from taking this class. There are so many things I picked up that I am excited to share with my future students and their parents. I love the idea of collaboration among teachers and I know it is something that I will be implementing wherever I end up teaching. Technology will continue to evolve and I love that using it in education will help prepare our students for their futures!
Video Reflection:
I absolutely LOVE School House Rock. It is such a fun, interactive way to introduce kids to topics that can sometimes be a little boring. This video is actually one of my favorite segments because it is so catchy and helps you to remember that a noun is a person, place, or thing. These videos are awesome tools that I think could be used to teach basic subjects like nouns in younger classrooms.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Using Educational Videos & Video Reflection
This week we focused on finding and using educational videos in the classroom. We were instructed to find two educational videos we would use while teaching and post them on UEN/in our blog. My two videos will be posted at the end of this blog.
Before using Teacher Tube, I really had no idea that there were so many great educational videos available for free on the internet. Especially for younger students, videos can be a great interactive tool to get the attention of your classroom. There are often things you would like to teach in your classroom, but since time is limited in each subject, it could be helpful to find a science experiment or a difficult math concept and show it to your students on video. I really like the idea of using videos to make difficult subjects much more interesting and exciting.
I chose one mathematics video and one social studies video. For math, I picked Mr. Duey's fraction video. Math was one of my most difficult subjects, especially fractions. I definitely think a video like this could have been helpful for me and may have even allowed me to get a little more excited about doing math. It is entertaining and also very informational. I think it would be perfect to use in 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade. The social studies video that I chose uses Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire" to present a brief world history to students. I think this video could be an awesome introductory tool to teaching the history of the last century. You could also allow students to pick one event that is included in the song to do their own presentation on.
The more I learn about the tools available to use technology in the classroom, the more confident I become about using it to teach. I love that there are so many tools available for teachers and students on the internet. Teacher Tube is a great place to collaborate with others as well. You could upload the educational videos you use in your own classroom to share with teachers in your school, district, or state.
Using a video to teach can be a great introductory tool or also a great reminder for students who seem to be struggling with a certain topic. It allows students to have fun while learning a new concept. I especially like the idea of using videos to make math an easier subject for students to become engaged in since this is something I have always struggled with. It is so helpful to learn about the numerous sites that provide these videos for teachers. I now know that using videos in my classroom will definitely be a possibility.
Video Reflection:
The more that technology evolves, the more kids/students become dependent on it. This video illustrated just how technology-smart kids are becoming. It also seems to be happened at a younger age now. I didn't feel like this video reflected the ideas of students, but rather just the technological generation. However, it made me think of a video that was sent to me in an email a few days ago. Here it is:
Before using Teacher Tube, I really had no idea that there were so many great educational videos available for free on the internet. Especially for younger students, videos can be a great interactive tool to get the attention of your classroom. There are often things you would like to teach in your classroom, but since time is limited in each subject, it could be helpful to find a science experiment or a difficult math concept and show it to your students on video. I really like the idea of using videos to make difficult subjects much more interesting and exciting.
I chose one mathematics video and one social studies video. For math, I picked Mr. Duey's fraction video. Math was one of my most difficult subjects, especially fractions. I definitely think a video like this could have been helpful for me and may have even allowed me to get a little more excited about doing math. It is entertaining and also very informational. I think it would be perfect to use in 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade. The social studies video that I chose uses Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire" to present a brief world history to students. I think this video could be an awesome introductory tool to teaching the history of the last century. You could also allow students to pick one event that is included in the song to do their own presentation on.
The more I learn about the tools available to use technology in the classroom, the more confident I become about using it to teach. I love that there are so many tools available for teachers and students on the internet. Teacher Tube is a great place to collaborate with others as well. You could upload the educational videos you use in your own classroom to share with teachers in your school, district, or state.
Using a video to teach can be a great introductory tool or also a great reminder for students who seem to be struggling with a certain topic. It allows students to have fun while learning a new concept. I especially like the idea of using videos to make math an easier subject for students to become engaged in since this is something I have always struggled with. It is so helpful to learn about the numerous sites that provide these videos for teachers. I now know that using videos in my classroom will definitely be a possibility.
Video Reflection:
The more that technology evolves, the more kids/students become dependent on it. This video illustrated just how technology-smart kids are becoming. It also seems to be happened at a younger age now. I didn't feel like this video reflected the ideas of students, but rather just the technological generation. However, it made me think of a video that was sent to me in an email a few days ago. Here it is:
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Podcasts/Vidcasts & Video Reflection
This week in class we learned about different ways to use podcasts and vidcasts in the classroom. My group created our own vidcast to portray a "lesson of the day". We posted this vidcast on our UEN homepage.
I am a huge fan of podcasts, but I had never thought about using them as a teaching tool. I never realized what a great idea it is to use podcasts and vidcasts in the classroom until we explored this lesson in class. I definitely think that podcasts especially could be a great review tool for kids who have difficulty taking notes or need help going over a subject again. To test this idea, I recorded my daily notes from my Thursday psychology class onto a podcast so I could review them before my quiz on Tuesday. I was able to upload this podcast to my iPod and now I can review my own notes through audio whenever I get a minute. With technology such as iPods and MP3 players becoming so readily available to kids today, I think using them as a learning device could be a great idea for parents and teachers.
While creating our vidcast from a teacher's point of view, I also began to think of the collaboration possibilities of this technology. For example, among an elementary school's second grade staff, each teacher could create a two or three minute vidcast on a science topic. Then the teachers could email them to one another and show them in the classrooms. It would be fun for the kids to see other teachers explaining science besides their own. By doing this, it would cut down on work for teachers and also give a great opening activity for a new topic to be presented in class.
I also began to think of ways using podcasts could help the teacher. Each student could record a one minute "all about me" summary and then the teacher could listen to them in order to get to know the students better. It would also be a great way for the kids to get to know each other at the beginning of the school year. You could also complete the same activity with vidcasts. This would help the teacher learn names quickly as well.
As always, I think the possibilities of using this technology in the classroom is endless. It is a fun idea for showing a quick educational video by vidcast or recording lessons for kids when they miss school. I love the idea of using the podcasts and vidcasts as a tool for myself in order to become a better teacher.
Video Reflection:
I thought the video this week was a great reminder of why letting our students use computers is so valuable. There are so many great benefits kids get from learning to use programs such as blogging. It is such a great communication tool and it also allows the students to post their own individual thoughts. I like the idea of using blogs to collaborate as well.
I am a huge fan of podcasts, but I had never thought about using them as a teaching tool. I never realized what a great idea it is to use podcasts and vidcasts in the classroom until we explored this lesson in class. I definitely think that podcasts especially could be a great review tool for kids who have difficulty taking notes or need help going over a subject again. To test this idea, I recorded my daily notes from my Thursday psychology class onto a podcast so I could review them before my quiz on Tuesday. I was able to upload this podcast to my iPod and now I can review my own notes through audio whenever I get a minute. With technology such as iPods and MP3 players becoming so readily available to kids today, I think using them as a learning device could be a great idea for parents and teachers.
While creating our vidcast from a teacher's point of view, I also began to think of the collaboration possibilities of this technology. For example, among an elementary school's second grade staff, each teacher could create a two or three minute vidcast on a science topic. Then the teachers could email them to one another and show them in the classrooms. It would be fun for the kids to see other teachers explaining science besides their own. By doing this, it would cut down on work for teachers and also give a great opening activity for a new topic to be presented in class.
I also began to think of ways using podcasts could help the teacher. Each student could record a one minute "all about me" summary and then the teacher could listen to them in order to get to know the students better. It would also be a great way for the kids to get to know each other at the beginning of the school year. You could also complete the same activity with vidcasts. This would help the teacher learn names quickly as well.
As always, I think the possibilities of using this technology in the classroom is endless. It is a fun idea for showing a quick educational video by vidcast or recording lessons for kids when they miss school. I love the idea of using the podcasts and vidcasts as a tool for myself in order to become a better teacher.
Video Reflection:
I thought the video this week was a great reminder of why letting our students use computers is so valuable. There are so many great benefits kids get from learning to use programs such as blogging. It is such a great communication tool and it also allows the students to post their own individual thoughts. I like the idea of using blogs to collaborate as well.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Powerpoint & Video Reflection
This week in class, we were assigned to create a powerpoint project for elementary students. We created instructions and an example/template. We also used google documents to collaborate back and forth. My group created a "county report" on Powerpoint that we believe could be used at a fourth grade level.
As an educator, I think it's very important to realize not only how using technology will affect you as a teacher, but also how you can let your students use it to learn. Letting students play with computer programs such as Powerpoint can be such a positive experience. Putting together their own slideshow on a desired topic can be such an accomplishment for an elementary student. I loved creating a project from a student's point of view and trying to understand how my instruction would be interpreted by a fourth grade student.
Completing this project helped me to realize how my ideas are interpreted by others, something that I think is very important to remember as a teacher. We might think that just because we understand something, everyone does, but it is important that we create projects that are the appropriate grade level. If this isn't done right, it is something that could make using technology a negative experience for students throughout their education.
I really like the idea of using Powerpoint because the possibilities are endless. I loved looking through the Powerpoint book we used to see all the different projects available to use in the classroom. Looking at those projects was a great inspirational tool that allowed me to think of several projects on my own. It would be fun to let your students create an "all about me" presentation on Powerpoint. I think all of the options available on Powerpoint would allow the students to make their presentation very original because they could pick their font, colors, backgrounds, pictures, transitions, and so much more.
I also think using Powerpoint in the classroom would be a great way to create a paperless project. This is one of the things I love most about using technology. It would make it much easier for teachers to stay organized and accept students' work. With everything becoming so paperless, it would be a great tool to help acclimate students to using the internet/email to turn things in.
Video Reflection:
I really enjoyed this week's video. It was awesome how Jordan went through each school subject and told why that subject has helped her learn about chickens. The things she is learning in these subjects are helping her right now and will help her in her future career. I think when students are able to learn more about their own interests in a particular school subject, they are more likely to excel in school.
As an educator, I think it's very important to realize not only how using technology will affect you as a teacher, but also how you can let your students use it to learn. Letting students play with computer programs such as Powerpoint can be such a positive experience. Putting together their own slideshow on a desired topic can be such an accomplishment for an elementary student. I loved creating a project from a student's point of view and trying to understand how my instruction would be interpreted by a fourth grade student.
Completing this project helped me to realize how my ideas are interpreted by others, something that I think is very important to remember as a teacher. We might think that just because we understand something, everyone does, but it is important that we create projects that are the appropriate grade level. If this isn't done right, it is something that could make using technology a negative experience for students throughout their education.
I really like the idea of using Powerpoint because the possibilities are endless. I loved looking through the Powerpoint book we used to see all the different projects available to use in the classroom. Looking at those projects was a great inspirational tool that allowed me to think of several projects on my own. It would be fun to let your students create an "all about me" presentation on Powerpoint. I think all of the options available on Powerpoint would allow the students to make their presentation very original because they could pick their font, colors, backgrounds, pictures, transitions, and so much more.
I also think using Powerpoint in the classroom would be a great way to create a paperless project. This is one of the things I love most about using technology. It would make it much easier for teachers to stay organized and accept students' work. With everything becoming so paperless, it would be a great tool to help acclimate students to using the internet/email to turn things in.
Video Reflection:
I really enjoyed this week's video. It was awesome how Jordan went through each school subject and told why that subject has helped her learn about chickens. The things she is learning in these subjects are helping her right now and will help her in her future career. I think when students are able to learn more about their own interests in a particular school subject, they are more likely to excel in school.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Picasa
This week in class we were instructed to find pictures and practice using Picasa to edit, improve, or alter them. I did both of my video reflections last week so there is no video this week.
I can't even begin to describe how excited I was to discover the possibilities Picasa holds. I love editing my pictures and I had actually been debating about purchasing Photoshop. A big reason I hadn't made this purchase yet is because of the cost. I love the fact that Picasa is free through Google. I can definitely see the ways this program could be extremely useful and valuable for a teacher.
My favorite part of using Picasa was exploring the numerous options for editing your photos. I loved all the color options such as saturation, sepia, black and white, and also "popping" a specific color. Many of the pictures I take are on my phone and are therefore not the best quality. Picasa allows you to upload pictures from any device and fix the grain/pixel quality of that photo. It's nice to know that even though you aren't able to take a picture with a high quality camera or in the best setting, you can still fix it to be a great picture.
I also enjoyed the organization options of Picasa. You can sort your photos into folders by event, season, or even who is in that photo. I love that you are able to tag the pictures because it makes it so much easier to search for a particular picture without having to go through every folder to find it.
I love discussing the uses of Picasa for teachers in class. My favorite idea was using this program to store pictures of your students in order to learn their names more quickly. I also think it would be a great option to have those pictures on hand in case you needed them for an art project or something along those lines. If you were teaching in the upper elementary grades, I think it would be fun to introduce the use of Picasa to your students. With the technology of computers and cameras becoming more prominent, it could be a fun project for students to begin learning about these programs at a young age.
I can't even begin to describe how excited I was to discover the possibilities Picasa holds. I love editing my pictures and I had actually been debating about purchasing Photoshop. A big reason I hadn't made this purchase yet is because of the cost. I love the fact that Picasa is free through Google. I can definitely see the ways this program could be extremely useful and valuable for a teacher.
My favorite part of using Picasa was exploring the numerous options for editing your photos. I loved all the color options such as saturation, sepia, black and white, and also "popping" a specific color. Many of the pictures I take are on my phone and are therefore not the best quality. Picasa allows you to upload pictures from any device and fix the grain/pixel quality of that photo. It's nice to know that even though you aren't able to take a picture with a high quality camera or in the best setting, you can still fix it to be a great picture.
I also enjoyed the organization options of Picasa. You can sort your photos into folders by event, season, or even who is in that photo. I love that you are able to tag the pictures because it makes it so much easier to search for a particular picture without having to go through every folder to find it.
I love discussing the uses of Picasa for teachers in class. My favorite idea was using this program to store pictures of your students in order to learn their names more quickly. I also think it would be a great option to have those pictures on hand in case you needed them for an art project or something along those lines. If you were teaching in the upper elementary grades, I think it would be fun to introduce the use of Picasa to your students. With the technology of computers and cameras becoming more prominent, it could be a fun project for students to begin learning about these programs at a young age.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Digital Cameras Pt. 2/Picassa
This week we worked on putting together a Google presentation with the pictures we took on our desired subject. We were also instructed to download Picasa and practice using it.
I have really enjoyed getting to learn about using digital cameras in the classroom. Putting an actual powerpoint project together was a great experience because it allowed me to see how two of the tools I've learned to use have come together. I loved being able to incorporate pictures of the world around me right here in Utah into a powerpoint that I could potentially use in my own classroom. I love collaborating with other students to create a project as well. It allows a task to be completely quicker and also creates the opportunity to see someone else's point of view.
Picasa was an awesome discovery! I am always having such a difficult time with organization of my photos so I loved the organization features on this program. I love that you are able to use the search bar to find the folder or picture you are looking for. It saves so much time! The ability to tag people in photos is also a really helpful tool because it allows you to sort photos into categories of who is in which photo.
I enjoyed working with both of these tools and I am hoping that later in the semester we will get to experiment with Picasa some more. Using programs like this to set up projects or presentations for your class can be such a great learning tool.
I have really enjoyed getting to learn about using digital cameras in the classroom. Putting an actual powerpoint project together was a great experience because it allowed me to see how two of the tools I've learned to use have come together. I loved being able to incorporate pictures of the world around me right here in Utah into a powerpoint that I could potentially use in my own classroom. I love collaborating with other students to create a project as well. It allows a task to be completely quicker and also creates the opportunity to see someone else's point of view.
Picasa was an awesome discovery! I am always having such a difficult time with organization of my photos so I loved the organization features on this program. I love that you are able to use the search bar to find the folder or picture you are looking for. It saves so much time! The ability to tag people in photos is also a really helpful tool because it allows you to sort photos into categories of who is in which photo.
I enjoyed working with both of these tools and I am hoping that later in the semester we will get to experiment with Picasa some more. Using programs like this to set up projects or presentations for your class can be such a great learning tool.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Digital Cameras & Video Reflection
This week, we have been learning how to incorporate the use of digital cameras into our classroom. Our assignment was to take ten pictures relating to a core curriculum topic for our desired grade in preparation to make a slideshow.
Immediately upon starting this assignment, I realized just what a great tool a digital camera can be for a teacher. I love that we were given an assignment that will allow us to create a "visual experience". I never realized just how much of the world around us can be used to teach our students until I started taking these pictures.
The main thing I love about this assignment is the idea that once I start teaching, I can do this sort of presentation for almost any subject or topic in my own classroom. By using our own pictures instead of random photos off the internet, we are able to show our students how they can see these things in their own state, city, school, or even backyard. It is an awesome way to help the students get interested and relate to a certain topic.
I also immediately thought of the possibility of collaborating with other teachers with the use of digital cameras. If one of you or one of your colleagues to a vacation to a national park or another educational site, that could provide numerous pictures for an entire department. You could use these photos in slideshows or posters to teach about that particular place. I think it will be very helpful to bounce ideas off of and borrow pictures from other teachers.
As an educator, I think it is so important to stay current on and use many of the newest technologies in your classroom. Digital cameras are such a great way to capture the world around us and use it to learn. I know my digital camera is a tool that I will definitely use in my classroom. I also think digital cameras could be a great tool to introduce to your students. It would be interesting to assign a project similar to the one we are doing and see what students would be able to come up with.
I like the idea of being able to create your own slideshows specific to what you are teaching and also using your own pictures. I think by doing this, students will be more likely to look for what you teach them in their surroundings. It is a great way to reinforce information. Before doing this assignment, I never really thought of a digital camera as a tool that I could use to teach, but now I know how valuable it can be.
Video Reflection:
I thought that both of the videos for this week were fairly interesting. I loved the top ten list about the things you don't learn about teaching in college. I think as a teacher, you will constantly find out little bits of information such as the ones they mentioned in the video. The mashup was a really cool idea as well. I know that if half the videos I watched in school were as interesting as that one, I probably would have paid more attention to them. It is a really cool concept that I think could help catch students' attention and get them involved.
Immediately upon starting this assignment, I realized just what a great tool a digital camera can be for a teacher. I love that we were given an assignment that will allow us to create a "visual experience". I never realized just how much of the world around us can be used to teach our students until I started taking these pictures.
The main thing I love about this assignment is the idea that once I start teaching, I can do this sort of presentation for almost any subject or topic in my own classroom. By using our own pictures instead of random photos off the internet, we are able to show our students how they can see these things in their own state, city, school, or even backyard. It is an awesome way to help the students get interested and relate to a certain topic.
I also immediately thought of the possibility of collaborating with other teachers with the use of digital cameras. If one of you or one of your colleagues to a vacation to a national park or another educational site, that could provide numerous pictures for an entire department. You could use these photos in slideshows or posters to teach about that particular place. I think it will be very helpful to bounce ideas off of and borrow pictures from other teachers.
As an educator, I think it is so important to stay current on and use many of the newest technologies in your classroom. Digital cameras are such a great way to capture the world around us and use it to learn. I know my digital camera is a tool that I will definitely use in my classroom. I also think digital cameras could be a great tool to introduce to your students. It would be interesting to assign a project similar to the one we are doing and see what students would be able to come up with.
I like the idea of being able to create your own slideshows specific to what you are teaching and also using your own pictures. I think by doing this, students will be more likely to look for what you teach them in their surroundings. It is a great way to reinforce information. Before doing this assignment, I never really thought of a digital camera as a tool that I could use to teach, but now I know how valuable it can be.
Video Reflection:
I thought that both of the videos for this week were fairly interesting. I loved the top ten list about the things you don't learn about teaching in college. I think as a teacher, you will constantly find out little bits of information such as the ones they mentioned in the video. The mashup was a really cool idea as well. I know that if half the videos I watched in school were as interesting as that one, I probably would have paid more attention to them. It is a really cool concept that I think could help catch students' attention and get them involved.
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