Spicy Nodes URL for Final

Link to my Spicy Nodes assignment.

Final Thoughts

     Jean Piaget once stated “The principle goal of education is to create men and women who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done”. Teachers need to adapt to change. Technology is changing, and we should change and grow with it. This class has helped me to prepare to do just that. Before taking this class, I was unsure as to how to implement Web 2.0 tools successfully and effectively into the curriculum and the classroom. I only thought I knew a lot about technology and how to use it successfully in the classroom, until I took this class. 
     I have completed projects using tools I have never even heard of such as Comic Life and Voice Thread. I have been able to grow as an educator and a student. This class has helped me to learn by completing hands on projects. I need to take that with me and remember that students learn the same way. I have learned how to create and focus on students lead projects, rather than teacher lead. My main goal is to work on incorporating more project-based learning activities now that I know its important position in education. I am walking away a better, more prepared teacher, with a higher confidence in knowing that I have the tools to challenge my future students.  

Our Group PBL

Link to group website: http://groupapblmedt7464.weebly.com/

     Wow! What a project challenge. I was the lead disseminator for our group. Basically, I was in-charge of the technology part, and creating either a wiki or a website for our group to display our PBL proposal. For this project, our group collaborated using Google Docs. Using Google Docs was much easier than having to e-mail constantly, and possibly missing something. The Google Docs allowed us to communicate instantly, almost like a chat, and we were able to stay organized by having everything in one location. I created our group website using www.weebly.com 
     This is a free website creating tool, and is very simple to use. It offers great tools and creates a very professional looking website. I enjoyed having the task of setting up the website. It was challenging, but I enjoyed the learning experience. 

     Our group created a PBL for an elementary school of one of our group members. In our write up we would pretend to go out to schools and train the team member of each grade level on how to use Voice Thread, and Comic Life. I found this project to be the most challenging project of all. I enjoyed collaborating with a group and being able to depend on other members for help and guidance. This task has helped me grow in the area of Project Based Learning, when before I knew nothing about. In completing our project, and reviewing the other projects, I have gained more than enough knowledge to be able to effectively implement some form of PBL in my future classroom. I will save the lesson plans my group created, as well as the others, to put into my education resource file. I wasn't expecting to learn as much as I did going into this project, but am glad that we were faced with such a profitable project.
     Overall, this project was time consuming and challenging, but I enjoyed the challenge. I enjoyed seeing the different ways each group interpreted the directions and how we made our PBL projects our own. I could see school systems wanting to use and be able to incorporate something from each group. I found this project to be very beneficial to me as an educator because not only helped me become more aware of what PBL is, but how to be able to effectively implement it into my future classroom.

Insights Gained for Discusssion 8

     I found discussion 8 to be somewhat challenging. Before the discussion, I was still unclear as to what PBL was, what it entailed, or how it needed to be properly implemented into lessons. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to read it as Project-Based Learning, or Problem-Based Learning. After reviewing some of my peers postings on their PBL lessons, I began to research what a good PBL lesson was made up of. I read over so many lessons plans ranging for all grade levels, Pre-K - 5th. After I came up with two lessons, with the help of my book, and some online resources, I began discussing PBL with my peers. I quickly found out that PBL was more important than I thought. I talked with some peers that had administered PBL activities/lessons before, and with some who had never heard, nor used it, like myself. I enjoyed reading over the broad range of experience levels and gaining insight as to what exactly PBL was. The discussion helped me to realize that PBL could be used in any grade level, any subject area, and is more student lead than teacher lead.

Using MovieMaker

     The purpose of this project is so show upcoming Pre-K students what we (their teacher and assistant teacher) expect from them, and how we expect them to act. Since it is their first time in school, they have no clue as to what to do, how to act, how to play correctly (unless they have siblings), share, or speak to one another. This video will give them a quick introduction on how and what we are going to expect from them. I think it will help to bring some reality to the upcoming student’s because they are getting to watch other student’s that are just like them. 

     During this video the only challenge I encountered was with the students. I had to film my own Pre-K students and have to tell them what to say and do. They would stumble on some words, or get shy when I raised the camera up, but overall they overcame their difficulties. I added some bloopers at the end of the video to show some of the messes I had while filming my students. 

     I learned so much while experimenting with MovieMaker. I really had a lot of fun while creating the video. I had the pleasure to work with four year olds and try to help them remember short and simple lines, and make sure their voices were audible. I didn’t realize that as soon as you put a camera in front of a four year old, that is normally wild/crazy/loud, suddenly clams up and won’t talk over a whisper. However, my students did a great job at helping me. They love that I need their help to complete my work at college. I found the article, Enter Here: Personal Narrative and Digital Storytelling to be a great read. It was informational, but the story behind it was very touching. I loved how the author’s students excelled and surprised themselves at their accomplishments. It’s great to hear/read success stories in children because they are put down so many times. The author stated that her students were selective about effects, and chose ones that drove the story farther as opposed to those that mimicked what might be seen in the films/TV. I found this to be so true while I was completing my video. I could see how one could easily get caught up in the effects/transitions, but lose the movies content. I struggled with choosing certain effects/transitions because I wanted them to add to my movie instead a take away from it, or clutter it too much. I learned a lot in this assignment, and hopefully will be able to use my video several times over in the future. My students can’t wait for me to bring it to the school so they can watch themselves.

Citation: Kajder, Sara. 2004. Enter Here: Personal Narrative and Digital Storytelling. English Journal. Vol. 93, No. 3 (Jan., 2004), pp. 64-68. Retrived from http://www.jstor.org/stable/4128811

 

Project Based Learning Assignment:

Link to our group's website: http://groupapblmedt7464.weebly.com/

     I found this project to be the most challenging project of all. I enjoyed collaborating with a group and being able to depend on other members for help and guidance. This task has helped me grow in the area of Project Based Learning, when before I knew nothing about. In completing our project, and reviewing the other projects, I have gained more than enough knowledge to be able to effectively implement some form of PBL in my future classroom. I will save the lesson plans my group created, as well as the others, to put into my education resource file. I wasn't expecting to learn as much as I did going into this project, but am glad that we were faced with such a profitable project.

     In reviewing the three projects, I learned what other ways/tools can be involved in creating a good PBL lesson plan. I was able to see the benefits of PBL in all subject areas. Our group created plans for Music/Science/Language Arts/Social Studies. Also, In reviewing the other PBL projects, I noticed some things that our own group could have improved upon, where we interpreted things differently from the other groups. However, I would have to say that my hats are off to group D. I found their PBL to be very thorough and concise. They went over and beyond what the requirements were, and I could see from their wiki, that they put a lot of hard work and effort into making their PBL come together. Their wiki didn't even look like a wiki. It looked like a web-page with all the color and features that added.

     Overall, this project was time consuming and challenging, but I enjoyed the challenge. I enjoyed seeing the different ways each group interpreted the directions and how we made our PBL projects our own. I could see school systems wanting to use and be able to incorporate something from each group. I found this project to be very beneficial to me as an educator because not only helped me become more aware of what PBL is, but how to be able to effectively implement it into my future classroom.

Pre-K Character Traits: Digital Story Project

     The main objective of this video is to help make the upcoming Pre-K students more comfortable during their transition from home to school, and show them what we, their teacher and assistant teacher, expects of them in Pre-K.

     The purpose of this project is so show upcoming Pre-K students what we (their teacher and assistant teacher) expect from them, and how we expect them to act. Since it is their first time in school, they have no clue as to what to do, how to act, how to play correctly (unless they have siblings), share, or speak to one another. This video will give them a quick introduction on how and what we are going to expect from them. I think it will help to bring some reality to the upcoming student’s because they are getting to watch other student’s that are just like them. This video would be shown on the T.V. during the first week of school. I would show it several times because repetition is key in Pre-K. Hopefully the video will help them to feel more comfortable, and will help guide them through such a huge and important transition in their life. 

     During this video the only challenge I encountered was with the students. I had to film my own Pre-K students and have to tell them what to say and do. They would stumble on some words, or get shy when I raised the camera up, but overall they overcame their difficulties. I added some bloopers at the end of the video to show some of the messes I had while filming my students.

     I love using MovieMaker. I am taking a film class that requires me to use MovieMaker a lot. I am nowhere near proficient in using the tool yet. It seems like every time I use MovieMaker, I learn something new. I am still working on using the transitions between shots. I want to try and make the movie smooth, and tone down on the choppiness. MovieMaker is a challenging, but fun tool. I think older students would also enjoy using this tool. Most of my students enjoyed being filmed, and had fun in helping me make the movie. They can’t wait till I show them the finished product. 

PBL...What is it? What does it mean for teaching?

According to Google Web, problem based learning in education is a student-centered instructional strategy in which students collaboratively solve problems and reflect on their experiences, or learning that is driven by a question or problem and uses various methods of inquiry research to address the question or problem.

Some of the things I learned while researching what problem based learning is:

     Specific tasks in a problem-based learning environment include:

• determining whether a problem exists;
• creating an exact statement of the problem;
• identifying information needed to understand the problem;
• identifying resources to be used to gather information;
• generating possible solutions;
• analyzing the solutions; and
• presenting the solution, orally and/or in writing.

PBL is used to engage students in learning. This is based on several theories in cognitive theory. Two prominent ones are that students work on problems perceived as meaningful or relevant and that people try to fill in the gaps when presented with a situation they do not readily understand. Teachers present students with a problem set, then student work-groups analyze the problem, research, discuss, analyze, and produce tentative explanations, solutions, or recommendations. It is essential to PBL that students do not possess sufficient prior knowledge to address the problem. In the initial discussion, students develop a set of questions that need to be addressed. These questions then become the objectives for students' learning.

My Experience with Voice Thread:

Link to Voice Thread project: http://voicethread.com/#q.b1364321.i7238700 
     I have learned an abundant amount of information while working with Voice Thread. When I first started putting together my voice thread, I was really confused as to how to make it all work. I think that students would really enjoy using Voice Thread because you get to see yourself if you use the web-cam, you get to talk on the phone to make a comment, and it is simple to use once you have figured it out. Also, this is a neat and exciting way for teachers to interact with students, rather than always talking in the class. The teacher could do a Voice Thread if they knew they were going to be out, and the substitute could share the Voice Thread with the class, and that students could complete their work that way. Voice Thread would be beneficial for all student levels, and could be adapted to all student levels. This could also be adapted to fit almost any academic subject. It really allows for personal creativity and individualization, which I think students crave.
      I am so excited to have been introduced to the exciting tool, Voice Thread. I cannot even begin to describe what I learned while experiencing Voice Thread and creating a lesson/activity to go along with it. I learned and discovered how much fun and useful Voice Thread would be in a classroom. This was my first time experiencing Voice Thread, and I loved it. It helped bring in more classroom/student skills than just creating something fun. The students are able to learn/work on technical skills, writing skills, social skills, and language skills. If the teacher were able to find some way to incorporate Voice Thread into a lesson/activity, or at the beginning of each unit, I think the teacher would find more of a learning connection with the students rather than just learning information from the book. Students want to learn and think “outside of the box” and I think Voice Thread helps do just that.

What I Have Experienced from Comic Life...

     What a great tool! I have learned an abundant amount of information while working with Comic Life. When I first started putting together my comic, I was thinking how in the world it this going to be beneficial in the classroom. Now, I can see that it would be an outlet for the students to be able to create something of their own, where they can add their own expression and personality into the project. Also, this is a fun and colorful way for the teacher to get an activity/lesson plan started because I think the students would enjoy reading the comics instead of just listening to the teacher talk the whole time. Comic Life would be beneficial for all student levels, and could be adapted to all student levels. This could also be adapted to fit almost any academic subject. It really allows for personal creativity and individualization, which I think students crave.

     I am so excited to have been introduced to the fun world of Comic Life. I cannot even begin to describe what I learned while experiencing Comic Life and creating a lesson/activity to go along with it. I learned and discovered how much fun and useful comic life would be in a classroom. This was my first time experiencing Comic Life, and I loved it. Comic Life helps bring in more classroom/student skills than just creating something fun. The students are able to learn/work on technical skills, writing skills, and language skills. If the teacher were able to find some way to incorporate Comic Life into each lesson/activity, or at the beginning of each unit, I think the teacher would find more of a learning connection with the students rather than just learning information from the book. Students want to learn and think “outside of the box” and I think Comic Life helps do just that.

 

Web 2.0 Applications - What in the world are they and how do I use them in a classroom?

Web 2.0 tools offer teachers great outlets for students. These tools are changing the way we teach, the way students learn, and the way we can impact student's lives. They have seemed to become more and more popular because classrooms are becoming more technology savvy. They offer great ways to incorporate group work, classroom and home projects, student/teacher/parent communication, and most importantly, they are helping students to become more individualized. The Web 2.0 tools help students be able to create their own personalized work that represents them. The teachers are able to let the students have free reign over the project, whenever before, it was so structured that all the projects wound up looking the same. These tools help break up the monotonous projects that bore students. With the tools, the students are able to add in their own style and still get the point of what they are learning about. Also, most of the time the Web 2.0 tools are FREE!! In times like these, and education funding being cut, teachers need free tools that their students will enjoy. I think these reasons are why teachers are finding the Web 2.0 tools to be so popular amongst their students. Some examples of Web 2.0 tools that are available to teachers are:

• Blogger
• Wordpress
• Myspace
• Youtube
• Metacafe
• Del.icio.us
• Digg
• Furl
• Twitter
• Flickr

These just barely scrap the surface on what's out there for teachers to use. Search Web 2.0 tools for education, and you will be amazed at what you find!

Using the Correct Time Zone:

I just realized after my recent post, that it was not 7:29 in the morning. I didn't know that the blog defaults to Pacific Time Zone. I went in and had to change it to Eastern Time Zone. Now at least I can be on track time wise. :)

What Do I Think About Blogging So Far:

So far, I have found this experience to be an interesting and sometimes frustrating one. Coming into this project, I thought I knew how to use blogger. I quickly realized I was mistaken. The things that are required of me are challenging and require much thought. I have enjoyed getting to know how to use some of the gadgets that blogger has to offer, where before I didn't even know that gadgets existed! Deciding how I want my blog to look has been my biggest challenge yet. I had to review three of my peers blogs and I really took the time to examine their backgrounds, color themes, and what their design consisted of. I am still working on getting my blog to look the way I want it to. There are so many options that it makes it hard to just stick with one. I finally get my blog the way I think I want it to be, go visit someone else's blog, and then come back wanting to change something again. This will be a great learning experience and I feel that I will learn a lot about blogs and how to use them effectively throughout this course. I hope that I can take away most of what I have learned and be able to implement it into my future classroom as well.

Not Having Technology Period at School:

I realized today that I can't stand not having computers at school. I'm currently long term substituting at a Pre-K center, that is supposed to be technology geared for the 2010-2011 school year, and we have no technology in the classroom other than a CD player. We are supposed to be getting two computers this year, but I feel that the students would really benefit from being able to access a computer at school and play educational games. I think starting children at an early age would be successful for when they move into a school system they would already know how to use technology to some degree. This would also help stimulate the students that aren't able to access a computer from home, or use technological toys due to low income. If we had the computers like we are supposed to, it would make for a great learning center. I don't understand the fact that the GA Pre-K Standards say that each classroom must have two computers, and we have none, and no progress seems to be underway to match that standard. It really makes me frustrated as a teacher.

Technology Integration Article:

The article I found that focused on technology integration was based on technology relating to business students during their practicum classes in college and how integrated technology affected them as a whole. I found this article to be quite interesting because it was still relating to how technology is being integrated in today’s society, but how their findings were so closely related to how students and teachers feel when they are able to integrate technology in an educational setting. The article discussed how the technology enhanced the effectiveness of the instruction in their college courses and how the professors and other students proficiently integrated the technology. With this integration the students were had increased comfort levels on using technology more in their everyday lives other than what they were using it for previously, as well as helping the students to be able to positively relate to technology because we are impacted by it every day. The article went on to say that the students knew that technology was used every day, but they were able to see benefits from using it effectively when it was integrated in a positive manner into their lessons. They were able to learn about software that was available to them for free that they were unaware of that would later help them teach future business courses in a school setting. In the authors’ conclusion, they stated that the success of using technology lies with the students feeling comfortable with using it throughout their lifetime. 

My peers could find this valuable because we are all struggling to include technology into the curricula. I thought my peers would find this valuable because we are always thinking from the teacher side of the spectrum. I found this article to be from the student side of the spectrum and it informs the teacher that having technology helps them to succeed in their class assignments once they were able to use it properly and overcome the fear of incorporating technology into their lives. 

Citation: Cauley, F., Aiken, K., & Whitney, L.. (2010). Technologies Across Our Curriculum: A Study of Technology Integration in the Classroom. Journal of Education for Business, 85(2), 114-118. Retrieved August 24, 2010, from ProQuest Education Journals. (Document ID: 2074244681).

Discussion 1: Defining Technology Integration

For our first discussion we were required to summarize a chapter from our book, an article about eTIPS, and an article that we chose that focused on technology integration. I found this discussion to be quite challenging. I focused on mentioning the main points in the chapter and what educational technology means to me as an educator. The discussion as a whole turned out to be for informative. Lots of discussing went on relating to technology integration and how we as individuals felt about it. I learned a lot from my peers seeing as we come from all different walks of life. We are all not the same type of teachers, but we all offer vast knowledge in our areas and apply our knowledge when taking part in these discussions. I found the discussion to be a success. I was able to distinguish how I may have impacted my peers with my thoughts on the matter by their feedback on my article and summarizations.

Using a Blog in an Educational Setting

A blog could be defined as a shared on-line journal where people can post entries about any topic they choose. Blogs can be work related, school related, sports related, or personal use related, among many other aspects. I have always used a blog, or have been familiar with a blog, but it never fails, I ALWAYS learn something new. For my MEDT 7464 masters class, I am using this blog to posting my feelings and learning's about technology integration. I thought I knew how to work my way around a blog, until I was found out the requirements for this blog. I have already learned how to add a poll, a list of URLs for people to view, and YouTube videos. I was unaware of these new features and enjoyed learning how to use them.

Blogs could be very successful in a classroom setting. A classroom blog could be set up for the teachers, students, and parents to access throughout the school year. Assignments could be posted, videos that needed to be watched, chats that could go and, the list could go on and on. I think using a blog in a classroom setting would help enhance the students knowledge of the Web 2.0 tools that are available to them. I know that blogs are often blocked from school use, but it there were ways to work around the firewall, a blog would be a great asset to add to the curriculum.

What does Technology Integration in Education Mean to Me:

I find that technology is a learning tool for ALL students. My definition of technology integration would be the incorporation of technological resources and technology-based practices into daily curriculum/lesson plans. Teachers should practice collaborative work, internet-based researches so the students can work on and learn the importance of technology integration in their everyday lives. Efficient and effective supporting goals and purposes should be in place when trying to integrate technology in the classroom. We as educators need to make it our duty to be prepared because technology will be in our students future, and we need to help prepare them.

"Leadership is the single most important factor affecting the successful integration of technology. This is true at the state level and at the school level. Schools which have made the most progress are those with energetic and committed leaders."

From a 1998 study by the SouthEast and Islands Regional Technology in Education Consortium

Citation: Gahala, Jan. (2001). Critical Issue: Promoting Technology Use in Schools. North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. Retrieved from http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te200.htm

Welcome to my MEDT 7464 blog site. Here I will be posting my own personal thoughts about projects I will be completing in my masters class. The purpose of this blog is to learn how to use a blog in its entirety, as well as how it can be used in an educational setting. My goals are to use this blog effectively, and for my followers to learn a little about technology integration in an educational setting. I will be posting every week as I complete the different projects required for my class. Hope you enjoy!