Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Thing #11.5 Evaluation

1. What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?
I loved the online poster-makers, the screencast, and slideshare. I know I could use those directly i my class this year. I do want to try out creating and having my students create teaching videos that can be uploaded to TeacherTube & YouTube.

2. How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?
I love how it keeps me informed of the latest tech tools. I even created a page on my website that list all the links to these tools for future reference. I don't want to ever be so far behind tech-wise that my students don't view me as a valuable role in their education.

3. Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?
Not really. I enjoyed the whole process.

4. What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?
Ummm.... I love the online, in-your-own-time format. I'm not sure I'd change it. I might add different curriculums to this idea. Math, science, LA/SS related stuff not just tech.

Thing #11 Digital Citizenship

This is something close to my heart. When I was young, the authority was my dad, encyclopedias, or another library resource. Now, students just "google it" when they need info. Alas, I do this too.

One difference I have noticed between my students and myself is that I tend to search many sites, consult colleagues, etc. before making a determination that the information I sought out is indeed valid. Our students need to be reminded that sometimes not all resources are reliable. Our students need to be coached and encouraged to seek out multiple resources, check for validity, and confer with colleagues and teachers. It would be great if we could find professionals "on call" that would be willing to verify the findings via a conference call, email or chat. Talk about connected learning!

Our students need to also remember internet safety and responsibility. It is our job as parents and educators to coach and monitor positive internet experiences.

Thing #10 Virtual Worlds

YIKES! While I thought this was "cool" (I managed to find out how to sit and walk around). I had trouble w/ maneuvering around and doing stuff. I'm really not sure how this benefits our students. Perhaps I'm "old" or just not creative enough.

The only real benefit I could currently see would be using it as a preferred activity reward for students who complete all work and have "free time". Our students love online gaming so I can see how this would be a nice incentive for them. Perhaps they could even create their world to match activities they are doing in school.

I guess I will really have to play around with this one more, but I feel like it's more of a video game type activity. I not sure I have the amount of time it looks like it could require.

Thing #9 Slideshare

Wow, I wish I had known about this last year. I did a menu-style unit and power points were one of the choices. You guessed it... they were not that great. Power points are not all they are cracked up to be. It'd be awesome to find some and use them in class to show students what a snazzy slide show can be with the right perspective.

I think our students could really get into this. The ability to add voice, music, photos, etc. as well as upload them and share them with the world is right up their ally. It's almost like YouTube for PowerPoints.

I'd like to have student groups try this function out this year. I know they'd get a real kick out of it.
Perhaps my teaching partners and I can make one for back-to-school. Our students and parents would surely appreciate something "cool" rather than the same old "same old".

Thing #8 Screencast

Many of our students are ultra tech-savvy. I feel it would be a great benefit for educators to have current students create screencasts on how to navigate the student servers, create and upload videos, podcasts, etc. and use online tutorials. Students have a different perspective than educators. They can address questions that we would not necessarily think about as an adult. An added bonus would be that educators would learn tech skills from students. We need to remember that we are not always the experts on everything. Sometimes are students and their experiences are the best educators.

I tried to use several of the online screencasts tools, but had a little difficulty figuring them out. I could get them started, but couldn't finalize the video. I guess I will need to try again at home. Perhaps that is the issue.

I would like my first screen cast to be one that walks students through my personal math website. It would be great to have a permanent "tutorial" on all the parts of my website and what they do. I also want to make one that showcases the online text that I provide as a resources for my students. Many don't use it as much as they should b/c they have difficulty navigating and understanding all the parts of this valuable resource.

Okay.. I tried it at home and it worked GREAT! I don't have audio b/c I didn't have the microphone headset w/ me, but I can always add that later.

Thing #7 Video Resources

I found the Fair Use info dry, but helpful. As teachers, we love to use and borrow and we need to be diligent that we are not breaking any copyright laws. We also need to help our students understand these laws. I included a link to FAIR USE on my website for my students and myself to refer to throughout the year.

Depending on what you are searching for full episodes or just clips can be very useful in the classroom. I like PBSVideo b/c I know I don't have to "filter" as much or worry about stumbling across inappropriate content. The videos under Be Green and the Economy would be great for a math/science class. We could explore and discuss how science impacts our world and the math behind that science.

Another sources I've found for video resources is The Futures Channel. This site ties closely to content and has 3-6min videos for a variety of curriculum units. TFC also has teacher resources for each video and student activities. You can access many of the items for free but a teacher subscription is only $35/year. Their videos are also on DVD. I really like this resource. I don't always "like" their activities, but they are a great jumping off point for tailoring things to the needs of the individual classroom.

Thing #6 iTouch

Last year my teaching team and I wrote a grant request for the iTouch - Power to Learn grant. While we were not the winning team, we did learn a lot about iTouch's.

Several of our students had iTouch's. We decided to start posting items on our website and asking them to download them on their iTouch's to use. The downloading worked okay. The students did complain about the sizing and orientation of the documents and how they displayed on the iTouch. In the end they asked us for the paper version.

However, I think the iTouch still has merit in the classroom. They can use it to access the internet at school and at home. They can tweet, FB, and create/upload photos, videos, etc. We all know the iTouch's have more apps than we can keep up with. Posting a running list of apps in the classroom (and our website) that benefit our students educationally would be a great idea. Teachers could list general apps, fun apps, and apps that directly relate to their content. Students can also text and microblog to submit answers, etc. to teachers. We can turn the 730-3pm learning in to 24/7 learning. Most teachers are life-long learners. We need to inspire and instill that in our students.

A few apps I've investigated for use in the math & science classrooms are:

facebook, google earth, weather channel, brainteaser, skype, dictionary.com, sudoku, twitter, popmath, ACT math foundation, math tutor, flash cards, math drills, math formulas, math references, hubble pictures, science facts, science hangman, science trivia, science news... just name a few.

Students can download these in iTunes and load them onto the iTouch.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Thing #5 Microblogging

For a long long time I only had a MySpace and used it very limited. I found that I didn't have the time to continually update the hmtl and add stuff to make my MySpace interesting. I also found that some people are very "free" with what they post on their pages as well as mine. I still have it and use it occassionally.

I LOVE Facebook and Twitter. I created a FB to keep up w/ my sister in Salt Lake City. I have found that I use FB daily. I update things going on in my life and the lives of my family and friends. At the end of last year I created a "teacher" FB account to give to my students when they ask if they can be on my friend. I have found it is important to keep students on their own seperate page from my family and friends. I love connecting w/ my students on FB. I really get to know them as people and they love the attention. Building those relationships naturally evolves into students sending me messages, questions, etc. about the coursework, homework, and class stuff. I created a group to go w/ my teacher FB account. I am hopeing to turn this group into a forum of sorts for our class. Posting class happenings, calendar items, reminders, pictures, videos, etc. would be valuable to my students. Students are on FB... let's meet them where they are.

Twitter is cool. I used to think it was dorky. That's really funny, considering I'm the biggest nerd that my friends and family know. LOL. I started using Twitter after I watched a story on CNN. This doctor was performing a knee replacement. He had another doctor in the OR twitter every 10-15mins describing the procedure at that point and how it was going. The family sat in the waiting room keep up with the tweets. How awesome!!! Anyhoo. I started using Twitter. I follow only a few people and a few of those I have the text update for my phone on. So, when they tweet, I get a text. It's fun to tweet on vacations, caravans, etc. I think there is an interface that updates Twitter and your FB status as the same time. I think it's called Twhirl (sp?). I'm not sure about it. I need to investigate it. I'd love to be able to send ONE update that would update my FB and my Twitter at the same time.

Twitter would be useful for classes b/c as things are happening, you can tweet a few words about it. You can also tweet important content concepts that you dont' want students to forget. Many times, students have trouble w/ note-taking. If you "tweeted" key concepts, definitions, etc. they could review and update their notes to make sure they didn't miss anything. One of my teaching partners gave me a GREAT idea about notetaking for my kids. I plan to use it this year and could create a twitter to go along with it. Hmm.... I better log on and create that new account now! I'll be needing it this year.

Thing #4 Video Hosting

I have created an extensive website for my math students. It has almost every resources, document, etc. they need to be successful in my class. It's almost like having me in their living room! I have toyed with the idea of creating and uploading teaching/learning videos. First I need a video camera that allows me to upload my videos to my pc. Any ideas (it needs to be "inexpensive") ?

For me, the best advantage for my students is that when they miss class they can go online and click on the video and print my documents. This would allow them to get the information and do the assignments w/o having to be in class. They wouldn't fall behind and increase their anxiety level. Additionally, parents can watch the videos themselves to see exactly what we are doing in class and how we are doing it. This is definitely something I want to try out this year. I am a huge proponent of online learning as I've taken many classes myself and online videos are the best for visual learners like me. Having these videos online (and backed-up) on CD would also be a great help for substitutes when I'm out and analyzing my own teaching to continue to make improvements.

I've had students create videos for a mathematicians in history project and they were fantastic! Many of our students are very creative and enjoy making videos. In fact, they get more interested in their learning when they are allowed to explore and create through different avenues. Having them uploaded would be a great benefit for other students to see what is possible and for parents and administrators to see the great things our students are doing. Student uploaded videos can also be a great collaborative measure for connecting with students and classrooms globally. I would be interested to see how many professionals would like to see them too and what constructive feedback. How exciting would that be?

I think students should start out uploading to SchoolTube and TeacherTube first then branch out to YouTube, Google Videos, etc.

Here is my attempt to make and upload a video to YouTube. I used animoto and just picked random images from school (no students). Click here to view it at YouTube.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Thing #3 Like Skype

I created a Skype account but had trouble getting connected. However, I can see value in using Skype in the classroom. Classrooms around the country (and world) can connect and students can gain extra experiences. Foreign language classrooms would greatly benefit from this... students could have IM pals from other countries and increase the "total immersion" experience. Other core teachers could have students connect with other classrooms, professionals, and other individuals that can add to the educational experience. Skype could also be a tool to host an on-line chat session outside school hours and proctored by the teacher. This could be an e-learning experiment for classrooms.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Thing #2 Image Generators

Wordle vs. WordSift
I like wordle for main concepts, vocabulary, etc. and have indeed used it in class.
WordSift is VERY cool. I like the idea of having the words become automatic internet tags. The downside to that is perhaps sites might not be as filtered as they should be for our students? Of course, if they are using WordSift at school, they will have the advantage of the district filter. What intrigues me the most is that I can create a document or page on my website that also has a WordSift. It can help generate MORE resources for students than just those I have provided.

Glogster
Wow!! I LOVE THIS IDEA! Students LOVE technology. Most posters I get from students are not that great. I think it's because paper, scissors, and glue don't necessarily hold their interest anymore. I'd much rather have a photo gallery on my website of student created materials and small printed versions hanging in our rooms than large posters that are not very good. I have a saying about math. I created a very basic glog. This could also be used by teachers to highlight main concepts in a vivid way and embed them on our websites. Glogster gets an A+ from me! My "poster" is below, but I need to play around with how to imbed it correctly in my blog. Here is also a link to it. http://txdragnfly.glogster.com/Math-Language/



Voicethread
This looks very interesting. I've used Photostory a lot in the past and like it. I can see the benefit of Voicethread over Photostory due to the multi-media advantage. Additionally, I like the collaborative aspect. It's wonderful to create a product that others can access and leave feedback. I will certainly try this out this year.

Animoto vs. Voki
WOW! I could almost say the same thing about Animoto that I said about Voicethread. I love the idea. This to me would be a better way to make presentations rather than "boring" PowerPoints. Students can take photos of written work and actual experiments and activities. These images of their learning process set to music can be powerful presentations that allow students to shine, others to learn and celebrate the uniqueness of each student.

Vokis could be used for those students who are auditory as well as visual learners.

Bookr
I'm a math teacher, but I can see how this would greatly benefit early childhood and ESL teachers. Many times the materials we give our students are hard for them to understand the decifer, esp. if their reading / english skills are not strong. Other core teachers could use them or have their students create products that summarize and expand on units of study.

Overall, these are some great new learning tools! It's cool to find new and interesting things that bring technology into the classroom. Students will appreciate the wide variety of tools they can use, esp. if they are given overviews of each and allowed to explore and create on their own. Students will end up using the ones they like best and products might be of higher quality than if they are required to use only one type of media, tool, etc. This has also got me thinking that I need to review my original 23 things and make a list of all the resources and brainstorm ways each tool can be used in our classroom. It can be revised throughout the year and can also be made into a large classroom poster. Having a running list in class and on my website (w/ links) would be a great resource for my students as they create the products that will bring the curriculum alive.