I really enjoyed the We All Scream for Ice Cream webquest. It's so interesting to learn about the world around you and children will remember that project every time they eat ice cream. It teaches them patience, it connects them to their food processes, it teaches them math and science, and it's delicious. I remember making paper as a third grader with my teacher. We measured water and ripped up newspaper and made a pulp then we stuck it back together on cheesecloth and let it dry and it turned into paper. So cool!
I didn't really care for the Where is My Hero project. I feel like it could become to political for elementary students and also I think it runs the risk of children admiring people that are actually bad influences on them. Then it puts the teacher in a awkward spot on deciding what's appropriate. I also think the project feels more like writing a research paper which is not fun for an elementary school child.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Evaluations
There is a very important evaluation that is missing from the rubric; Ease of use. If something is complicated or takes too many steps to figure out then students get frustrated and want to stop using it instead of gaining knowledge from the software.
I think the most important evaluation points would be; Grade level because you don't want something above or below the abilities of the people you are trying to teach.
Active Learning because without interaction the site becomes boring.
Cost is a big issue with budget cuts.
Save features are important. If you are working on a project and get powered down or need to come back to it later it is very frustrating to have to start over again.
Hardware compatibility. Nothing is more annoying than needing to update adobe, flash, etc etc to use a program.
I chose Photoshop for graphics. This is a program where students can make flyers, stencils, edit photos, etc.
TypeMaster which is a game that I used growing up to learn how to type proper and not have to look at the keys or screen to type accurently. It also helps with typing speed.
Microsoft Office is very important for reports and powerpoints and it is a tool that can be transferred to real life experiences out of the classroom.
I think the most important evaluation points would be; Grade level because you don't want something above or below the abilities of the people you are trying to teach.
Active Learning because without interaction the site becomes boring.
Cost is a big issue with budget cuts.
Save features are important. If you are working on a project and get powered down or need to come back to it later it is very frustrating to have to start over again.
Hardware compatibility. Nothing is more annoying than needing to update adobe, flash, etc etc to use a program.
I chose Photoshop for graphics. This is a program where students can make flyers, stencils, edit photos, etc.
TypeMaster which is a game that I used growing up to learn how to type proper and not have to look at the keys or screen to type accurently. It also helps with typing speed.
Microsoft Office is very important for reports and powerpoints and it is a tool that can be transferred to real life experiences out of the classroom.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Five ways to use video
I mentioned in the previous post about using webcams to reach students from around the globe. The same idea can be used with video. If students made daily bloggings to their global partners they could learn the other language and be able to pause the video and rewind to re-listen to a word the might have missed or might need to look up while learning another language.
Another way video is used in the classroom is with Children with Autism. You can put a video on for the children that displays someone washing their hands step-by-step. Children with Autism need to know what to expect when they perform a task and this will help ease their stresses about washing hangs because they can learn in the video exactly what to expect.
Watching a video in another language in the classroom is especially helpful when using a movie the students are already very familiar with in their own language. They know by heart what the script of the movie is so they can translate and pick up on the new language.
Online students can participate in an online lecture posted by their professor. With a lack of face time with the instructor in a classroom setting a student can benefit from a lecture just with the click of a mouse. If the professor gives extra information in their online lectures it really helps the students to hear and see the information as it's being taught to them.
Time lapse videos can help students in a biology or other science class see the growth of an animal or plant that would otherwise take days or even months to observe. Through this observation they can gain an understanding of their subject. Examples would be a chicken hatching or a plant growing. The time lapsed videos in BBC's "Life" series would be excellent resources.
Another way video is used in the classroom is with Children with Autism. You can put a video on for the children that displays someone washing their hands step-by-step. Children with Autism need to know what to expect when they perform a task and this will help ease their stresses about washing hangs because they can learn in the video exactly what to expect.
Watching a video in another language in the classroom is especially helpful when using a movie the students are already very familiar with in their own language. They know by heart what the script of the movie is so they can translate and pick up on the new language.
Online students can participate in an online lecture posted by their professor. With a lack of face time with the instructor in a classroom setting a student can benefit from a lecture just with the click of a mouse. If the professor gives extra information in their online lectures it really helps the students to hear and see the information as it's being taught to them.
Time lapse videos can help students in a biology or other science class see the growth of an animal or plant that would otherwise take days or even months to observe. Through this observation they can gain an understanding of their subject. Examples would be a chicken hatching or a plant growing. The time lapsed videos in BBC's "Life" series would be excellent resources.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
digital technology
I would love to have a classroom that uses graphics tablets instead of paper and pens. Actually, I think I'd like the students to use that concept, but with an Ipad. They could write, save, store, and share their assignments without using paper. This is kind of a mix of the graphics pad and the PDA. They could even do art class via the graphics tablet. That would save the school a lot of money in art supplies.
I would like the students to use the digital camera as well. I currently speak to a classroom in Salaverry, Peru via FB chat so they can chat with someone in English. My boyfriend is from that town and my Aunt used to live there so it holds a special spot in my heart. I started talking to my boyfriend's friend on facebook chat to practice my Spanish and he owns the English school in Peru. That is how that all came about. Anyway, if the students had webcams in the classroom they could participate in languages across the globe and other students could practice their English as well. It could be beneficial both for language and culture. I know I am learning a lot about Peru and we even have started sending care packages of traditional things from our towns.
I would love an electronic white board as well. Did you know there is a hack on the internet to turn your Wii into an electronic whiteboard? You could use graphics on the white board which would enhance the learning. You could draw on a diagram you teaching about. It would be very helpful and easy to clean!
Wireless devices would be wonderful as well. Wires bog you down and you can't move around to show your peers or your teacher what you are doing. You can't take your electronics on the go either. Imagine having a science class where we were using a wireless computer to look up types of plants or butterflies in the area. If you could take the computer outside to compare butterflies and plants as you look at them it would be so fun and informative. Especially while you click around after identifying them to find out more about them. For example after you identified a plant you could google what health benefits the plant has and how it can be used.
Ebooks are wonderful. A professor used a free E textbook last semester and I was so grateful for the money saved and also it made it so I could sneak in some school work at work. with the text book on the computer I didn't have to lug a book around or make it obvious I was reading for a class. I think it would be nice for the kids backs to have Ebooks. I remember lugging around LARGE textbooks in my backpack every day. It was awful.
I would like the students to use the digital camera as well. I currently speak to a classroom in Salaverry, Peru via FB chat so they can chat with someone in English. My boyfriend is from that town and my Aunt used to live there so it holds a special spot in my heart. I started talking to my boyfriend's friend on facebook chat to practice my Spanish and he owns the English school in Peru. That is how that all came about. Anyway, if the students had webcams in the classroom they could participate in languages across the globe and other students could practice their English as well. It could be beneficial both for language and culture. I know I am learning a lot about Peru and we even have started sending care packages of traditional things from our towns.
I would love an electronic white board as well. Did you know there is a hack on the internet to turn your Wii into an electronic whiteboard? You could use graphics on the white board which would enhance the learning. You could draw on a diagram you teaching about. It would be very helpful and easy to clean!
Wireless devices would be wonderful as well. Wires bog you down and you can't move around to show your peers or your teacher what you are doing. You can't take your electronics on the go either. Imagine having a science class where we were using a wireless computer to look up types of plants or butterflies in the area. If you could take the computer outside to compare butterflies and plants as you look at them it would be so fun and informative. Especially while you click around after identifying them to find out more about them. For example after you identified a plant you could google what health benefits the plant has and how it can be used.
Ebooks are wonderful. A professor used a free E textbook last semester and I was so grateful for the money saved and also it made it so I could sneak in some school work at work. with the text book on the computer I didn't have to lug a book around or make it obvious I was reading for a class. I think it would be nice for the kids backs to have Ebooks. I remember lugging around LARGE textbooks in my backpack every day. It was awful.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Learning about learning
Children learn in many different ways. Each child has a unique style of learning based on their intelligence and psychological factors. Some children learn by hearing what the teacher is telling them and then giving feedback. Some students like to think about what they've learned and they make sense of it on their own and other kids need to experience things with outside factors to learn.
I feel the best way to assess your students learning styles is by utilizing the online assessments that are available regarding learning styles. Through these personal quizzes you can assess and address each child's learning style and find ways to reach the majority of your students while teaching the group. If most of your kids learn best with hands on experience then you are not maximizing your lecture time by simply telling them information.
I am very hands on in my learning. I like to show the student what I'm doing step by step while explaining it at my pace. Then I hand over what I'm doing to the student and let them try to remember and figure it out with mistakes until they get it right. If they really need help I'll give them hints along the way. I feel this method helps students from all walks of foundations because I am verbalizing, getting feedback, and implementing a hands on approach.
I feel the best way to assess your students learning styles is by utilizing the online assessments that are available regarding learning styles. Through these personal quizzes you can assess and address each child's learning style and find ways to reach the majority of your students while teaching the group. If most of your kids learn best with hands on experience then you are not maximizing your lecture time by simply telling them information.
I am very hands on in my learning. I like to show the student what I'm doing step by step while explaining it at my pace. Then I hand over what I'm doing to the student and let them try to remember and figure it out with mistakes until they get it right. If they really need help I'll give them hints along the way. I feel this method helps students from all walks of foundations because I am verbalizing, getting feedback, and implementing a hands on approach.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Virtual Insanity
I would say I am not a digital generation kid, although I do attend college online and do a lot to mimic their generation. Computers and cell phones weren't common until I was in my teens. I still remember riding my bike to the neighboring town and knocking on my friends' doors to see if they could come out and play. The closest thing we had to a computer was our Atari and we watched movies on Beta, not our laptops.
When I was a kid I used to make videos with my cousins and we would make special effects. I went on to be a projectionist at a cinema and part of my job was splicing film. The difference between me and those kids is I actually edited the literal film. They are editing images on a computer. The children I know their age always have a smart phone in one hand and an Ipod or an Ipad in the other. It blows my mind. When I was young I wanted to look at everything around me and climb trees and make friends. Kids now are socially autistic with earbuds in and their noses in their phones.
Something the leaders of my church realized is that you can't reach kids when they think you're out of touch. The entire Quorum of the Seventy got Ipads and downloaded their scriptures on them and use them to write their talks so that kids will see them using them and realize they aren't just old men out of touch with the new generation. I think the same thing applies when teaching. If the kids see you understanding and keeping up with current technology they will respect you more. You can find ways to put it to good use, also. I remember lugging around huge heavy books in my backpack and now kids at my very high school are using Ipads with all of their material downloaded onto it.
When I was a kid I used to make videos with my cousins and we would make special effects. I went on to be a projectionist at a cinema and part of my job was splicing film. The difference between me and those kids is I actually edited the literal film. They are editing images on a computer. The children I know their age always have a smart phone in one hand and an Ipod or an Ipad in the other. It blows my mind. When I was young I wanted to look at everything around me and climb trees and make friends. Kids now are socially autistic with earbuds in and their noses in their phones.
Something the leaders of my church realized is that you can't reach kids when they think you're out of touch. The entire Quorum of the Seventy got Ipads and downloaded their scriptures on them and use them to write their talks so that kids will see them using them and realize they aren't just old men out of touch with the new generation. I think the same thing applies when teaching. If the kids see you understanding and keeping up with current technology they will respect you more. You can find ways to put it to good use, also. I remember lugging around huge heavy books in my backpack and now kids at my very high school are using Ipads with all of their material downloaded onto it.
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