Blogfolio

The first assignment in this course was to complete an introduction video and upload it to our blog.  The video was supposed to tell a little about myself and my hobbies. This assignment falls under NETS*T standard 2.a. to design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.  I could definitely use this in my future classrooms. I would use this on the first day of school as an icebreaker.  By allowing students the opportunity to video each other, they are allowed express themselves creatively.  I liked this assignment. It allowed me the opportunity to get to know a few of my fellow classmates with a creative use of technology.

Creating a concept map was the second assignment.  I created a concept map on Animal’s using Inspiration Software. Creating a concept map falls under NETS*T standard 1.a. to promote, support, and model creative innovative thinking and inventiveness.  I could use this in my future classrooms in many ways. I could use it a review tool, o ruse it as a thinking tool to engage students into class lessons. I could also give students a topic to research and allow them to create a concept map. I liked this assignment. I was able to display the five categories of animals in a fun creative way.  I like that I was able to add picture of the different animals and hyperlink websites with great information on animals.

The next assignment was to create a movie. I created a movie that told a little about my husband and me. The movie assignment falls under NETS*T standard 2.b. to develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.  I could use this in my future classrooms by allowing students to pick a topic and create a movie. This would allow the students to use technology while being creative. I really enjoyed making the movie. I was able to select my own pictures and create a movie to my liking. I also liked that we were able to put a song with the movie that related to the story that was being told with the pictures.

The fourth assignment was to create a speaking avatar using Voki.  This assignment falls under NETS*T standard 3.c. to communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats. Voki would be a great tool to use, because it is a great way to communicate to engage not only students but parents as well. I could use this on the first day of school to give a very short introduction of myself. It would have to be a short introduction, because Voki does have a limit on how much the avatar can talk. The limit on the amount the avatar can speak will definitely contribute to how much it is used in my future.  It was time consuming creating the avatar, and I cannot deliver hardly any information.  Therefore, I may not use it very often in my future classrooms. However, it was fun creating the avatar.

The fifth and final assignment was to create a teacher webpage.  The teacher webpage falls under NETS*T standard 4.b. to address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies and providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources. I will use this assignment more in my future than the others. It was so easy to create and is easily assessable to parents and guardians.  It can be used for parents to see all course information, course materials, course rules, and frequent updates. I liked that we were able to create a resource page. Resources allow students to easily navigate to sites that can help them with the course lessons. I am glad we were required to create a teacher webpage. It is something I want to have for my future classes, and now I am fully capable of creating one. 

Prior to beginning this course, I was very unsure of what I was going to learn.  However, I have learned a great deal of useful knowledge. I plan to use this gained knowledge in my future classrooms and throughout my teaching career.  The assignments throughout this course have enlightened me to all of the technology resources that are available for education.  I believe that I have learned so much about technology. Everything I have learned has better prepared me for teaching technology in my future classrooms. 

Website

https://sites.google.com/site/mrselises1stgradeclass/home

Web 2.0 Tools

PhotoPeach is one of the 50 Web 2.0 sites that can be used for education. It was very user friendly and easy to operate. All that can be created is movie slide shows. However, these slide shows can have quiz questions or subtitles added to them. I think this would be a great web tool to use for reviewing materials. The slide shows can be created for any age group. I do think this would be a useful tool if used correctly. When I explored videos that were already created, they were not all educational videos. There were many photographers who had created slide shows for their proof galleries. However, I did notice that you can pay a monthly fee and have a PhotoPeach Class Premium account. This account allows a teacher to create multiple student accounts. Students can access all videos created by the teacher; however, the students can not alter or delete the account.

PikiFriends is another one of the 50 Web 2.0 sites used by schools. This website is strictly for junior high and high school students age 12-17. In my opinion, it was more like a social network site. However, it is monitored very closely. PikiFriends can be used to create blogs, upload photos, and carry on conversations. On this site a school can have one account. On that account, you can add multiple grades and teachers.  Each teacher can add his or her students an account. The teacher controls the students usernames and passwords. None of the information can be changed by the student. In my opinion, this could be a great tool to use. It can help students communicate with one another as well as with the teacher. The site is basically a online penpal tool.

Ali Carr-Chellman: Gaming to re-engage boys in learning

Ali Carr-Chellman discussed many reasons as to why boys are lacking in education. She also exposed many needs of boys in the classroom. She discussed the 100 Girls Project in the video. The project exposed that there are more boys than girls suspended from school, expelled from school, in special education classes, considered to have learning disabilities, and considered to have emotional disturbances. Boys are also four times more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD.  She gave her reasoning as to why there is such a dramatic range between boys and girls. She suggested that zero tolerance, fewer male teachers, and kindergarten is the new second grade( high and unrealistic expectations) are to blame for this range between boys and girls.  She suggested that boys are expected to sit in class quietly. However, boys have an aggressive nature, and they are not being allowed to show this aggressive nature.

Ali Carr-Chellman suggested a way to help with this problem. Since educators are partly to blame for this problem, educators can help fix it. She suggest changing the mindset of boys. This can be done by changing classroom games to something that would interest boys. Also, Educators should look at their attitudes so that they are more open to boy culture. This in turn could change the boys mind set that the school is a place for females and that they to belong.

At a University Archive, Yesterday's Cutting-Edge Video Games Play On

At Universities, people are beginning to realize the importance of preserving the video game industry. The video game industry is only thirty years old; however, video games have tremendously transformed in those thirty years. The University of Texas at Austin has a video game archive that they have put into place. They are collecting game consoles and sketches of developing games. They hope to make people aware of the gaming history.  In my opinion, this is a great idea. We need to archive the different games before they are lost for good.  Furthermore, I believe that understanding the history of video games will create a deeper respect of gaming for younger generations.  I hope to teach video gaming history to my future students.  Video games are great tools to use in modern classrooms. I think that giving students an understanding of video gaming history will allow them to appreciate the games we have today.  

Why Flipped Classrooms Are Here to Stay

Flipped classrooms take traditional classrooms and transform/ flip them into something new. The teacher in the article gave students a copy of lectures, every other night. The lectures where online, on a flash drive, or on a DVD. The students where responsible for preparing for the next class. This approach allowed them to watch videos and take notes. They could even pause or rewind if needed which allowed them to grasp a better understanding of the lecture. During class, time was spent doing hands- on experiments, instead of rushing through a lecture.
In my opinion, this method would be great for high school students. The flipped classroom makes students responsible and can help prepare students for college. I also believe that the flipped classroom approach can keep students more involved in class time. I do not think this is a method I can use in my future classroom. I plan to teach lower elementary. I do not believe students at that young of a age would be mature enough for this type of classroom method. If I ever teach upper elementary school, I would consider this method. However, I would have to confirm that the class was mature enough first.

Educator's Guide to Cyberbulling and Cyberthreats

Cyberbullying and cyberthreats have increased in recent years. This is due to new technology, and the easier access of technology. Teenagers and adolescents are all aware of how to use technology, because it is so common in today's society. Although teenagers know how to use technology, it is not used for useful purposes. The educator's guide gives several examples of cyberbullying and cyberthreats. It also suggest reasons as to why students use the internet as an easy source to bully other people. The main reason is that a bully never has to be face- to- face with a victim. In my opinion, every educator needs to be aware of this guide. It should be reviewed and kept for future situations that might arise. I hope to use this guide to teach myself and my future students how to properly use the Internet. I also hope to bring awareness to my future students of the things that can occur when using the Internet and how to report online threats.