We used a part of Google Docs in the classroom that is comparable to Microsoft excel (spreadsheet). With this application, information was easy to organize and follow, and we were able to follow along on the same sheet from different computers. My group mates and I could work on the project simultaneously, and Google Docs would save automatically.
I really liked working with this application. I have yet to use the other features on Google Docs, which include “document” (like Microsoft Word), “presentation” (like Microsoft Power Point), Drawing, and Collection. These applications share the same features as the spreadsheet. Students may view and work on documents together on any computer with internet capabilities, both in the classroom and at home. This can save time during student group work, and cut down on confusion. Google Docs is also completely free! This will save the teacher/school system an amazing amount of money. I am glad that I got to learn about these free Microsoft alternatives and look forward to using them in my classroom.
https://docs.google.com/
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Book
I felt like the I learned a lot about the book activity. I never knew that word would print pages out like a book. I also never knew how to puts words around photos. I always did it the long and hard way. It is very frustrating doing it that way. This was a simple and easy way to make a book. I do not know exaclty how it could be used in a high school biology class, but it is great for elementary and middle school. I like to learn new things about word since I use it so much. Therefore, it was nice to now know how to write a book.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Publishing
In this section of the course I enjoyed making a book out of an already published one. It was great to work with new settings and show how to produce a book on word. It really wasn't as hard as you would think and it was easy to print; even though we weren't supposed to. I chose a kids fairy tale and inserted pictures into the story to help narrate the story.
Glogster
Glogster was a great tool to use instead of a poster board for a show and tell session or a presentation. It is a website that lets you easily access pictures and videos to import them to your page. I chose to import music and videos into mine to show the importance of the work ethic in the gym and the work out facility that your school provides.
I chose to also import and attach links to help the students see how to properly do certain things in the gym and help most benefit their experience and utilize their time. I would love to use this in my classroom but it is hard to get a projector and access to computers for a physical education course. But I love the idea.
I chose to also import and attach links to help the students see how to properly do certain things in the gym and help most benefit their experience and utilize their time. I would love to use this in my classroom but it is hard to get a projector and access to computers for a physical education course. But I love the idea.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Website blog
For the website creation we did we used the google sites application which very easily navigated you through the site and how to create your own website. It can be used in a classroom and probably higher end grade levels to show their own opinions and express themselves while creating a full functioning website. The thing which I like is how after you create your site it becomes functional and open to the public if you so choose.
Biography blog
For our biography project we used the powerpoint application. It was easy to use and helped out by adding slides and pictures to better explain myself. This software can be used in any grade level to further explain lessons or to show examples. I really like this software because it is easy to use and easy to transition it from place to place.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Blogging on Classroom Sites
By adding blogs to our websites, we give parents the opportunity to be part a community that surrounds the classroom. At first, I didn’t understand why I should create a blog. I had made an announcement area on the home page. I figured that the homepage would be a good place for parents to quickly see what was going on. I had felt that a blog area was a little redundant. But, after I wrote the blogs I realized that having a blog page would encourage parents to comment and participate in the building and modifications of both the classroom and the website.
Plannr
Our group did our Web2.0 presentation on Plannr, which is an application that helps you create a trip. Plannr was very easy to use, and worked very quickly. After choosing a city from the list, the user will be given a wide range of activities that will be available on the dates selected. The user can also specify how active they would like to be on the trip, pick out locations, and map out their entire trip. Plannr could be used in various ways in the classroom. Such assignments might be to plan a class trip, create a budget, create a travel agency and much more. The fact that there were only a limited number of cities was a downfall, but altogether, Plannr proved to be a great tool.
I have just found out, however, that Plannr was purchased by Google and shut down, so there is not actual web address for this application!
I have just found out, however, that Plannr was purchased by Google and shut down, so there is not actual web address for this application!
Book
The book project was done using Microsoft Word. The book page layout in Microsoft Word allows you to print out pages for a story in a book format. It separates the page into different sections, which represent the different pages of your book. You can insert images, colors, and change your font. It allows you to be creative while creating your book. In a classroom it would allow students to be creative with their writings. I would use this in my future classroom, because it's fun and easy to use. I would also use it, because it allows students to create story books without using multiple pages.
Web 2.0 Voicethread
My group did our Web 2.0 presentation on Voicethreads. It's free and easy to use. A voicethread is a collaborative, multimedia slideshow that holds images, documents, and videos. It allows people to navigate through slides and leave comments in 5 different ways, using voice (with a mic or telephone), text, audio file, or video (via a webcam). Users can share a VoiceThread with friends, students, and colleagues for them to record comments too. Users can doodle while commenting, use multiple identities, and pick which comments are shown through moderation. VoiceThreads can even be embedded to show and receive comments on other websites and exported to MP3 players or DVDs to play as archival movies.
Voicethreads is a great way for students to do group presentations, because they can comment on their group members work. You can also do a classroom voicethread where all the students put their work onto one voicethread. Voicethread is also a great way for students that have a hard time reading, because teachers can use the voice comments to help. I intend to use voicethreads in my future classroom, because it's fun and easy to use. I think that my future students will enjoy using voicethreads as much as I did.
Voicethreads is a great way for students to do group presentations, because they can comment on their group members work. You can also do a classroom voicethread where all the students put their work onto one voicethread. Voicethread is also a great way for students that have a hard time reading, because teachers can use the voice comments to help. I intend to use voicethreads in my future classroom, because it's fun and easy to use. I think that my future students will enjoy using voicethreads as much as I did.
Web Site Creation
Google sites is a great way to create your own site. We used this as if we were teachers. It was a way for us to show the public or parents what we are doing in class, what upcoming events we have, or anything we want to show or tell. I posted pictures of my class doing various activities. You can also use this site creation for other uses. You can make a site for ANYTHING! It is very easy to learn how to construct the web site. I will most definitely create more sites.
Bubbl.us
Bubbl.us is a great web tool. The more our group used this, the better and easier it got. It is a simple way to map your thoughts and ideas. This mind mapping tool would be useful in the classroom, for writing papers, or even for something as simple as deciding where to eat. It just puts all of your ideas in one simple location. It also had many shortcut buttons that you could use. If you remember the short cuts, it can cut down on your planning time. It a quick tool, and i would definitely use it again.
Website Creation
The website creation was a neat idea. I was extremely intimidated by it at first because the thought of creating a website just sounded so beyond my technical capabilities. After fooling around on Google Sites, the site creation tool we used, I found out creating a basic website wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I appreciated the simplicity of Google Sites, however, there was one major thing I would have changed. I wish I could have had more appearance options. For example, I wish we could have had more font and color options. Also, I wish I could just click on an area of the screen and be able to place an image there, rather than only have a few places where I can place the image. Being able to change the size of the picture to small, medium, large, or original size seemed a little old school after normally being able to size an image however I want.
As a project, I'm glad I learned about this. I knew people in high school who were creating websites and always thought that was something I would never do. It's nice to be able to say that I am capable of making a website. I think if I would have put more time into the website, I would have become more familiar with the different tools and options and would have had a better site. However, I can take this basic information and use it in my classroom. There are so many teachers who have websites that I don't want to be left in the dust. This is information I will definitely take advantage of and I will probably use Google Sites again in the future.
As a project, I'm glad I learned about this. I knew people in high school who were creating websites and always thought that was something I would never do. It's nice to be able to say that I am capable of making a website. I think if I would have put more time into the website, I would have become more familiar with the different tools and options and would have had a better site. However, I can take this basic information and use it in my classroom. There are so many teachers who have websites that I don't want to be left in the dust. This is information I will definitely take advantage of and I will probably use Google Sites again in the future.
Google Docs
Google Docs is a very useful site. It is great for individual use, but even better for group use. When we used it we did an M&M activity. It was really nice because the whole class can be on their individual computers and see what everyone is recording. It is used for keeping track of information, planning trips, making graphs/tables, etc. This would be useful in classrooms and for personal use. I would definitely use this. I could make an activity for my students to do, or just for my own personal use.
Book
Learning how to create the book was helpful because it is something I can use in my classroom when I become a teacher. To create the book we used Microsoft Word and changed the formatting. We put a short story with pictures from Google into our book. The short story I used was Rapunzel, and I used pictures from the movie Tangled, which is about Rapunzel. This could easily be used for any elementary grade level. I think children would really love to make their own book to take home and read. I think it would give them a sense of accomplishment. I liked learning how to do this and will be using it in my classroom.
website creation
I think a classroom website is a great idea. I think is a great way to contact students and their families and keep them updated on what is going on in the classroom. I will use my classroom website to keep in contact with the students families. I will use the blog on my website to share with the families what their friends are doing. I thought creating a website was hard. I had to ask my boyfriend for alot of help. I'm not very good with technology so maybe that is why I had a hard time creating the website. Now that I know how to create one I don't think I will have any problems creating one in the future. I did like that I didn't have to html code to create a website. I also liked that it was easy to personalize and change the colors.
Book
The book project was a page layout in Microsoft Word that allows you to print out pages for a story in a book format, splitting the page into two separate pages that can be printed out and assembled like a book. You can add images and adjust the fonts and colors just like any other Word document. This could be very useful for younger students; helping them to express their creativity with a story and printing it off and putting it together. This could also be used on a lengthy research paper for high school students, which would allow them to create something that they might want to keep! The book format is just a creative design application, but it can be a very fun thing for students to do with their writings.
Children's Book Creation
Creating a children's book in Microsoft Word was simple and could be a great resource teachers could use. As a future history or government teacher, creating children's books will not apply. In no way does making a children's book offer something to a high schooler's history or government class. However, for an elementary school teacher, making a short children's book is a great way to get creative. The children could make come up with a story together as a class and the teacher could put it in the format of a book like I did with this assignment.
Glogster
Glogster (http://www.glogster.com/) is a website that allows students to create virtual poster boards. The website is free and easy to use. Glogster has tons of cool features that students can use such as: text, images, links, video, and etc. Glogster allows students to be as creative as they want while making their glogsters. Glogster saves students money, because they no longer have to go out and buy a poster board, markers, glue, and other supplies to decorate the poster board. Glogster can be used in all grade levels, and in all different subject matters.
When I made my glogster I thought it was easy and fun. I had some difficulty at first, but I after I played around with it I had no trouble. I think this is a great new website for students to use in the classroom. I'm excited to incorporate glogster into my future classroom. I think it will allow me to make my assignments fun, and it also allows students to get some hands on experience with the internet.
When I made my glogster I thought it was easy and fun. I had some difficulty at first, but I after I played around with it I had no trouble. I think this is a great new website for students to use in the classroom. I'm excited to incorporate glogster into my future classroom. I think it will allow me to make my assignments fun, and it also allows students to get some hands on experience with the internet.
Book: Microsoft Word
In class we learned how to create a book using the application Microsoft Word. The assignment was to find a short story of the internet and paste it into Microsoft word, then converting into book format. We also had to paste images in the story, having the text wrap around the words. The process of creating a book in Microsoft Word is very easy to do would be great way to present handouts to a class. While this feature would probably be most effective in grade school levels to create students sets of short stories. Teachers could also use this feature to print off their notes they use in class to hand to the students.
Blogging on a website
Having a blog on your classroom website is a great tool for getting parents and teachers involved in classroom activities. This could be used to keep parents and students up to date on activities going on in the classroom or be used to enhance classroom discussions. I created a blog that asked students to respond to questions about a book that was being read in class. Parents were encouraged to read the book and give their input on the book as well. This is great for creating a connection between home and school. I like the idea that students who may not want to speak out in class are given a way to participate in classroom discussions. I also like the idea that students can respond to the ideas of other students online. The difficult part might be in monitoring that the material is appropriate for the classroom. Overall, I think that Blogs are a great tool for the classroom.
Blog/Newsletter Kirsten Smock
I thought the blog feature of our website was a great feature. This would be very useful on a real classroom web page. This would be a quick way to make announcements and to answer questions that many parents may have. It would also be good for parents to blog about homework help or other things that many people may want to know about instead of sending a private email. I will have a blog on my classroom website in the future.
Glogster
I made my Glogster on Helen Keller. I posted a link to a video of her favorite song. I also postd three pictures of Helen Keller and some information about her life. I found this Software was a little hard to navigate at first. After I played around with it for a while I figured it out and I really liked it. I would use this software in a classroom by having the kids make a Glogster about a historical person for history class, or use it to present the data they gathered durring a science classroom. Also I might use this software to present information on a topic to my students as an alternative to a lacture or a powerpoint. http://www.glogster.com/
Blog/Website
Adding a blog to our website was a very simple process, but it is very helpful. When using Google Sites, teachers have the ability to create a Blog as an Announcement. This way, students and families can always be updated about what is going on in the classroom. For instance, in my website, I created 3 blogs about an upcoming field trip, extra credit opportunity, and community service opportunity. These blogs can also be edited and updated any time, and the include the date and time stamp for extra reference. I really enjoyed the ease and convenience of having a blog. Regardless of grade, blogs are definitely a benefit in the communication between school and home.
Website Creation
Creating a website was much easier than I expected. I feel like not very many teachers make websites because it takes up too much time, and is hard. That is partly true, it does take a lot of time, but it is not very hard. This was my first experience making a website, and I actually liked it. It was fun to be able to use my own expressions, and act like my own class right now. It was fun to think of different projects, and things that I could put on my actual classroom website today. I did not really like using the google sites software for various reasons. It did not have enough fonts to choose from, backgrounds, and just things to make it your own. I would much rather use the Weebly software that the class used last semester. I liked making a website and can definitely see myself making one for my actual classroom someday if I have the time. Although, I will more than likely use the Weebly software because it is much cooler than the google sites software.
Book
We used Microsoft Word to create books that were printed out in a format ready to fold and print. This was done by changing the view. We found a short story online and were to put it into this format. We also added pictures to the story that we selected from Google Images. I did my book on the Little Match Girl, my favorite childrens story that is very beautiful albeit very sad! I then printed out my story at home and lamiated it creating my own little version of the complete story. This was a very easy activity to understand and complete.
Website Creation
The website creations was a fun idea, and overall I enjoyed the project. I have never created a website before, so it was definitely a learning experience. I had some difficulty with the site at first, but I think if I would continue to make websites I will improve my skills. I think a classroom blog is beneficial, because it is an easy way to share information going on in the classroom with the students parents, and it makes the parents feel connected to the classroom. The website is also a fun way to showcase some of your students work and activities online so everyone can see. Another benefit of classroom websites would be the fact that as a teacher, I could go to other teachers websites and find fun lesson plan ideas, or see what kind of speakers and activities are going to their schools, and invite them to my own school. Overall, I think a classroom website is a fun and beneficial tool to incorporate into the classroom.
Website
For my website I did a website that involved United States History. On my home page I opened with a famous quote from president Roosvelt because of his importance to American history, it draws the readers attention. History is not everyones favorite subject but big American events is something that everyone is interested in. The image on the home page is also important because students can be captured with an image because a picture is worth a 1000 words. I thought it would be important to put a class schedule on the website for communication purposes because now both students and parents know what the students will be learning for the week. Classroom reminders was also something important that I included in the website because now instead of the parents calling or e mailing me on a daily basis, they can go to the classroom reminders and know that all the important information is posted to it. Students also do not have an excuse for forgetting important information because all of it is online. The fun facts tab was a personal addition that I thought would creative. Students are always wanting to get extra credit to boost their grade and this is a productive way. The students that want to better their grade will go to the website and look at the information and find their own facts. Students learn better when they want to learn it, instead of me lecturing about it.
Bubbl.us is a great software to use. It is available to everyone and anyone who is interested in using it. It is very easy to access. All you have to do is go to its website and make up a user name and password. Once you have done that you are ready to start using the application. It so simple and it really helps when you need a mind mapping tool.
This software is easy to use. There is a really great “help” page that can walk you through almost anything you might want to know about bubbl.us. There are tons of shortcuts that you can use when you start to mind map. These shortcuts make your mind mapping experience much simpler as well as quicker than other websites that are out there. I would use bubbl.us any time!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Kiddeos
Kiddeos is an amzing website for not only teachers but for parents as well. It was built by parents for their child so that when they were to get on the computer and try to search a video, they knew that it would be safe to watch. Now a days when you try and search for anything, there is always something rude or inapropriate that pops up instead of what they are really wanting. There are not only educational videos on this website, there are also fun videos for children to watch in their spare time. I still go to the website for a good laugh because the videos are so cute.
Website
For me the website creation was extremely hard. It took me forever to figure out how to work everything but once I got the hang of it, it seemed like a lot of fun. I am more excited about the Webquest though. It is good for teachers to have websites so that parents can see what their students are doing during class and see what their childs teacher is like. It is also good because students can keep up to date on their work. There are hundreds of things that you can do with a website.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
CoSketch
CoSketch, the online multi-user whiteboard, is easy and free. It runs with most browsers without having to install or download a thing. You also don't have to register for anything to use it.
It makes sharing edited images, such as maps and pictures, very easy with friends or coworkers online. One could e-mail edited images, but on CoSketch.com multiple people can interact on the same image at the same time in real time without delay.
I will be a history/government teacher and will probably use CoSketch.com if my school provides computers. It will be an easy and fun way to interact with students while in class.
It makes sharing edited images, such as maps and pictures, very easy with friends or coworkers online. One could e-mail edited images, but on CoSketch.com multiple people can interact on the same image at the same time in real time without delay.
I will be a history/government teacher and will probably use CoSketch.com if my school provides computers. It will be an easy and fun way to interact with students while in class.
Vuvox
Vuvox is a multimedia presentation software. It consists of three types: Express, Collage, and Studio. Vuvox is still in its beta stage, so many of the applications are not currently functional. You can add background pics, videos, and sound effects. It is not as useful as a presentaion within itself, but it could go along well with a powerpoint presentation. One way I could use this in a history classroom is to use the background with pictures and sounds while lecturing to give students some visual learning to keep the classroom creative and not boring.
Vuvox Web 2.0
My group presented on Vuvox. Vuvox.com is a site that allows users to make multimedia presentations in the form of interactive slide shows. It has several different capabilities, of which are Collage, Studio, and Express. Collage is the most effective application on the site, as the other two don't seem to be finished applications yet. This website is great for providing a background or an introduction to your presentation, but could not be used in place of powerpoint.
For example, I plan to teach 5th grade. If I were to do a lesson on the American Revolution, I could begin by introducing the topic, playing pictures and text from a presentation on Vuvox Collage. It is more of an enhancement tool, rather than something that sustains your presentation. I really like that fact that Vuvox is so different from other software, but I didn't like the fact that a lot of the site seemed "up and coming", rather than finished. It was hard to understand what you would use parts of the site for.
Here is a link to Vuvox:
For example, I plan to teach 5th grade. If I were to do a lesson on the American Revolution, I could begin by introducing the topic, playing pictures and text from a presentation on Vuvox Collage. It is more of an enhancement tool, rather than something that sustains your presentation. I really like that fact that Vuvox is so different from other software, but I didn't like the fact that a lot of the site seemed "up and coming", rather than finished. It was hard to understand what you would use parts of the site for.
Here is a link to Vuvox:
Bubbl.us
I really enjoyed this project. I like to speak infront of people and I was able to do this. Our web.20 project was over bubbl.us. It is an organization tool. It is designed to do quick webs. It is very easy and fast. All you do is make bubbles! Any subject can use this at any grade level. By the end of the week our whole group had mastered bubbl.us. I really like it because there are so many short cuts to make new bubbles, to connect bubbles, and etc. We could make several webs in minutes. I feel that the class enjoyed our presentation because we were relaxed, we knew are material, and we had a good time presenting it. I would definatly like to do another project like that. I will also definatly use this tool when I become a teacher. I greatly believe in learning technology early.
Kiddeos
Kiddeos is a great website for parents to let their children explore. Kiddeos has about everything for a children to watch from educational to entertainment. The age groups are to 10 years old. This website was specifically designed for children. The website does not post any videos on here that are not child safe.
Kiddeos started when this little girl was in the hospital and loved to watch cartoons but kept running into inappropriate content. Her parents created the website so children can explore all they want to find and learn new activities and videos with out the parents having to worry about inappropriate activities. This is a great website so children can feel their freedom with out their parents standing right behind them at the computer.
Kiddeos started when this little girl was in the hospital and loved to watch cartoons but kept running into inappropriate content. Her parents created the website so children can explore all they want to find and learn new activities and videos with out the parents having to worry about inappropriate activities. This is a great website so children can feel their freedom with out their parents standing right behind them at the computer.
Web 2.0 tool - Cosketch
Cosketch is the Web 2.0 tool that our group presented on. It is defined as a multi-user online whiteboard, which was designed to help you quickly visualize and share your ideas as images. There are several benefits of using this tool. Most noteworthy, It’s FREE. Also, it runs on all common browsers without needing installation. On using this, anything you paint will show up for all other users in the room in real time, and one click will save a sketch as an image for embedding on forums, documents, blogs, etc.
Different members in our group could find different ways to make use of Cosketch in teaching our subjects. In my case, I’m teaching English as a second language, so my purpose of using the tool is mainly to reinforce the visual aspect of the learning process. My learners will enrich their vocabulary; practice using the language in practical situations; study the cultures of English – speaking countries, as well as share ideas in groups – all by using Cosketch. For example, I would let the students draw pictures of the words or phrases they are learning and have their partners guess the meanings by putting in written words. At the end of the semester, they may have a portfolio of drawings that illustrate their vocabulary bank. This activity is easy, and can become interesting for children and adults alike as soon as the purposes of doing are all defined and agreed on.
Another application of using Cosketch is to have students specify different countries in the world using Google map, and provide additional information about the capital cities, nationalities along with unique cultural traits of those countries. They would then share this as pictures among the class. Similarly, I would let students choose the map of a certain area within their residence and practice giving directions to each other, so that they could gain some hands-on experience with speaking English.
Just a few ideas, to say that Cosketch can work quite effectively although some people may think its features are poorly developed especially in comparison with other comprehensive web tools. However, I personally think that simplicity is a good policy. The fact that learners of any age can start using this tool right away without spending time on following the instructions, and they can share it quickly on the web without further installing any supportive software has assured me that I’m going to incorporate this tool into my future classroom as a "change in the atmosphere" when students want something classic, apart from the "fancy" softwares that they've fallen too much into.
Different members in our group could find different ways to make use of Cosketch in teaching our subjects. In my case, I’m teaching English as a second language, so my purpose of using the tool is mainly to reinforce the visual aspect of the learning process. My learners will enrich their vocabulary; practice using the language in practical situations; study the cultures of English – speaking countries, as well as share ideas in groups – all by using Cosketch. For example, I would let the students draw pictures of the words or phrases they are learning and have their partners guess the meanings by putting in written words. At the end of the semester, they may have a portfolio of drawings that illustrate their vocabulary bank. This activity is easy, and can become interesting for children and adults alike as soon as the purposes of doing are all defined and agreed on.
Another application of using Cosketch is to have students specify different countries in the world using Google map, and provide additional information about the capital cities, nationalities along with unique cultural traits of those countries. They would then share this as pictures among the class. Similarly, I would let students choose the map of a certain area within their residence and practice giving directions to each other, so that they could gain some hands-on experience with speaking English.
Just a few ideas, to say that Cosketch can work quite effectively although some people may think its features are poorly developed especially in comparison with other comprehensive web tools. However, I personally think that simplicity is a good policy. The fact that learners of any age can start using this tool right away without spending time on following the instructions, and they can share it quickly on the web without further installing any supportive software has assured me that I’m going to incorporate this tool into my future classroom as a "change in the atmosphere" when students want something classic, apart from the "fancy" softwares that they've fallen too much into.
Web 2.0
This was a really neat project. I had fun doing it, so I imagine with all the different options, teachers could come up with numerous lesson plans that are fun for students as well. Web2.0 links were very accessible and simple and the links varied enough that it could fit a lot of different needs or even educational standards.
My group presented on Plnnr. Plnnr is a free trip planning website that gives suggestions as to what attractions to visit and hotels to stay in based on personal input. We felt like teachers could really use this to present history, math, and english in fun, interactive ways. My favorite site that another group presented on was a site that had books that students could have the computer read to them and they could interact with the pictures.
Overall, this was probably my favorite activity we've done all semester. It gave us the chance to discover new sites without being so difficult we felt lost.
My group presented on Plnnr. Plnnr is a free trip planning website that gives suggestions as to what attractions to visit and hotels to stay in based on personal input. We felt like teachers could really use this to present history, math, and english in fun, interactive ways. My favorite site that another group presented on was a site that had books that students could have the computer read to them and they could interact with the pictures.
Overall, this was probably my favorite activity we've done all semester. It gave us the chance to discover new sites without being so difficult we felt lost.
Web 2.0: Vuvox
For my group's presentation we explored the multi-media presentation software Vuvox. While this application may still be in its' beta stage, with not all elements completely functional, the site allows the users many unique options on how to present material. From my viewpoint the Collage creation tool is by far the best aspect of the website, which also is completely functional.
In Collage students can put together a presentation of pictures that will scroll through one after another. Students can also put in text between pictures if they wish to add context to the pictures being seen, or on the pictures if students want to add a caption. Collage is a very simple and easy to use, anyone with basic computer knowledge would be able to pick up the controls in no time at all.
While Collage is a great application it does have its' shortcomings. One the biggest faults of Collage is that there is that there isn't an option to set the presentation on loop, which is major letdown because this software would be best used in supplement to somebody is lecturing and letting Collage endlessly scroll behind them.
Overall Vuvox is great presenter application that is easily accessible to students of any grade level. The Collage application would be a great option to utilize while giving a report to show pictures to supplement a presentation. For a history teacher it would be great to have pictures about the day's topic scroll behind as you speak to the students.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
B Purdue Web 2.0
My group and I did a presentation on a website called voicethreads. The website was very easy to use, and I really enjoyed learning about it. One great thing about it was that if we could not figure something out there were videos that showed us how to use the site. We used the site to create a user and upload a picture, and also to record our voice onto the presentation. You can also add comments to the project through a text box. The software would mainly be used in a classroom as an alternative to a power point presentation. One example provided on the website was a teacher posting her student's poetry as a picture, and having them record their voice so it was read aloud on the presentation.
One great way to use this is for a struggling reader in your class. If your school does not have the budget to get all of your books on tape then you can use the free website to record the book yourself. One thing that I loved about the site is that it is easy to work on from a home computer. If you forget to take your microphone home with you from the class, you can have the site call you and record your voice directly to it through the phone. The only downfall is that it only allows for so many minutes and then you have to pay for that feature. Other than that, it is a great website that I highly recommend. You can also look at the voicethreads that other people have made and posted to the site. So go check it out!
Plannr
Plannr is a web-based application that allows you to pick a location around the world, and then plans a vacation for you based on location and how many days you will be there. Plannr also allows you to pick the level of activity you want on your vacation and if you are traveling with children there is an option as well.
Plannr could be used in many different grade levels and incorporated into many different lesson plans. Plannr would work well with a History lesson, you could ask your students to plan a fictional trip around a Historical location, or you could use it in a Geography lesson to show different landmarks around the world. The only downfall of Plannr is that there are a set amount of locations that you have to choose from, but everything else on Plannr proved to be an effective and fun web 2.0 activity.
Plannr could be used in many different grade levels and incorporated into many different lesson plans. Plannr would work well with a History lesson, you could ask your students to plan a fictional trip around a Historical location, or you could use it in a Geography lesson to show different landmarks around the world. The only downfall of Plannr is that there are a set amount of locations that you have to choose from, but everything else on Plannr proved to be an effective and fun web 2.0 activity.
Empressr
Empressr is a web-based application that lets you create, share and store presentations online. It goes beyond current presentation applications by enabling you to incorporate rich media features, like streaming video and animation, to create the most dynamic presentations possible. At the moment you can create and save up to five presentations.
It can be used in various grade levels (K-12) the same was as powerpoint or other applications similar to it can. The thing which I like about Empressr is that it's 100% free which means it's avaliable to anyone. The thing I dislike about it is that it seems to be a little more complicated than other similar applications.
http://www.empressr.com/
It can be used in various grade levels (K-12) the same was as powerpoint or other applications similar to it can. The thing which I like about Empressr is that it's 100% free which means it's avaliable to anyone. The thing I dislike about it is that it seems to be a little more complicated than other similar applications.
http://www.empressr.com/
Bubbl.us
Bubbl.us was a great website for creating a flow chart. The example we showed in class was a family tree. There are many shortcut features and other gadgets that makes this a fun experience and very easy to use. The help button is located at the top of the screen and shows you all of the shortcut features. Not only can you make family trees, we showed in class that you can make a flow chart about other things as well. The example that Lexi made was the anatomy and physiology of the body and the 11 organ systems. She then branched off to show all of the functions and features of each system. The last example we used was fast food. I couldn't decide what I was going to eat that night so I went back and forth and made a flow chart. The last feature that I enjoyed was signing in and being able to add your friends and chat with them throughout the process. I give this site a great review and would recommend this to anyone.
Empressr
This is a program that allows you to create power points. It's very similar to Microsoft but it is better! This program has the ability to link videos and pictures in a simple way. It also has the ability to allow you to change very small details on a side the Microsoft word doesn't. The best part about Empressr is that it is FREE!
This program can be used in the classroom by teachers to present information during a lecture or students can present a project using it. This is a great tool I plan to use in my classroom when presenting information to my students.
Empressr
Empressr is a free online service that allows you to make presentation slide shows online. The technology is a lot like Microsoft Powerpoint. The advantages to using empressr is that it is free and it stores your slideshow on the their website. One of the features I like about this program is the direct ability to link to many social media sites like Youtube, Facebook and Twitter.
This software could be used by teachers and students alike. It would be a great way to have students do a presentation. Empressr is very easy to use and students would be able to understand the technology quickly. For
a teacher in would be a great way to present lessons and would be a good way to integrate technology in the classroom.
To visit the Empressr website click on the link below.
http://www.empressr.com/
This software could be used by teachers and students alike. It would be a great way to have students do a presentation. Empressr is very easy to use and students would be able to understand the technology quickly. For
a teacher in would be a great way to present lessons and would be a good way to integrate technology in the classroom.
To visit the Empressr website click on the link below.
http://www.empressr.com/
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Web 2.0 - Voicethreads
Voicethreads is a different kind of presentation website. You can make your own powerpoints by uploading pictures, comments, and your voice. You can also call into it with your phone, and record your voice that way.
I personally think that this is alright, but I would rather stick with regular powerpoint. I think that Voicethreads would work great in college courses, such as online classes, where you could record the lecture and add comments and things like that. It would be just like if you were in class. As for me, I want to be an Elementary Teacher for the younger grades, and I don't think this would be one of the best things to use. It may be cool to put their artwork on, or things we have done in class on, and then put it on my website, or classroom homepage, but I wouldn't actually use it to teach the students.
I think that Voicethreads is okay, but for teaching Elementary students I don't think that this is the best thing out there. I think the Kideos, or Prezi would be much more interesting for the students.
I personally think that this is alright, but I would rather stick with regular powerpoint. I think that Voicethreads would work great in college courses, such as online classes, where you could record the lecture and add comments and things like that. It would be just like if you were in class. As for me, I want to be an Elementary Teacher for the younger grades, and I don't think this would be one of the best things to use. It may be cool to put their artwork on, or things we have done in class on, and then put it on my website, or classroom homepage, but I wouldn't actually use it to teach the students.
I think that Voicethreads is okay, but for teaching Elementary students I don't think that this is the best thing out there. I think the Kideos, or Prezi would be much more interesting for the students.
Prezi
Prezi is a non-linear, zooming presentation software. Instead of presenting similar information on one slide, as PowerPoint does, Prezi allows users to group these ideas together visually. Pictures or videos can be inserted between sections, and this factor, in addition to the corkscrew zooming abilities and colorful templates, make Prezi an exciting classroom resource. It may be accessed at http://prezi.com.
As a high school English teacher, I could utilize Prezi to create fun, informative presentations and I could encourage my students to do the same for their book reports, research presentations, or skits. It definitely requires more creativity and effort from students than PowerPoint, but students will get more out of Prezi than PowerPoint.
There are a few drawbacks, however, but they can be overlooked since Prezi provides such pizazz for free. If you want to use images, they must be large, at least 600 X 600 pixels. Otherwise, when the presentation zooms to full screen, the image will be blurry. The templates are nice, but they are not many color or font options. If you forget to add a "stop" in the path, fixing it is easy, but if you miss several or if they are far apart on the screen, it can be difficult to do so. When this happens, it is often easier to delete the whole path and start again.
All in all, Prezi is a great resource for any classroom in which the students are at least moderately computer literate. It is free and it provides an eye-catching method of information presentation.
As a high school English teacher, I could utilize Prezi to create fun, informative presentations and I could encourage my students to do the same for their book reports, research presentations, or skits. It definitely requires more creativity and effort from students than PowerPoint, but students will get more out of Prezi than PowerPoint.
There are a few drawbacks, however, but they can be overlooked since Prezi provides such pizazz for free. If you want to use images, they must be large, at least 600 X 600 pixels. Otherwise, when the presentation zooms to full screen, the image will be blurry. The templates are nice, but they are not many color or font options. If you forget to add a "stop" in the path, fixing it is easy, but if you miss several or if they are far apart on the screen, it can be difficult to do so. When this happens, it is often easier to delete the whole path and start again.
All in all, Prezi is a great resource for any classroom in which the students are at least moderately computer literate. It is free and it provides an eye-catching method of information presentation.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Cosketch
After using Cosketch I believe that Cosketch is something that I may not personally be able to use in my classroom. Wanting to be a high school teacher Cosketch seems to be a program that is better suited in either elementary school or middle school. Cosketch does have some cool features though in that it allows you to draw circles and rectangles around objects of importance. This is what I did in my presentation with the world map and giving the students of an assingment of naming different countries and bodies of water.
Overall my opinion of Cosketch is that it has good features but that overall it is a very basic program. Because it does have such few features it makes it hard to be able to use in the classroom. When it becomes more advance and the number of features available expand the program has the opportunity to become a great program. As a future teacher I would not recommend cosketch to use in the classroom but if cosketch becomes more advanced I would like to explore it once again in the future.
Overall my opinion of Cosketch is that it has good features but that overall it is a very basic program. Because it does have such few features it makes it hard to be able to use in the classroom. When it becomes more advance and the number of features available expand the program has the opportunity to become a great program. As a future teacher I would not recommend cosketch to use in the classroom but if cosketch becomes more advanced I would like to explore it once again in the future.
PREZI
Prior to the Web2.0 assignment, I had not ever heard of or used Prezi. After having worked with prezi and learning some of the features it has, I think it is a great substitute from Powerpoint or other common presentation softwares. The non linear flow of Prezi offers a lot of visual interest and provides a more engaging presentation. Some of the features on Prezi are very cool and make for a very unique presentation. Also, Prezi could be used at any grade level kindergarten through college.
Some downfalls I see with Prezi is that the path tool can sometimes be complicated if you have a large presentation and you are wanting to reorganize the order the path follows. Another odd glith we found was that your 1st "slide"/path does not show up when presenting and you have to take that into consideration when setting up your presentation. Also, I think when first switching from PowerPoint to Prezi people may have difficulties learning all the different features and would be tempted to switch back to using the familiar PowerPoint.
Some downfalls I see with Prezi is that the path tool can sometimes be complicated if you have a large presentation and you are wanting to reorganize the order the path follows. Another odd glith we found was that your 1st "slide"/path does not show up when presenting and you have to take that into consideration when setting up your presentation. Also, I think when first switching from PowerPoint to Prezi people may have difficulties learning all the different features and would be tempted to switch back to using the familiar PowerPoint.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Kideos
I really enjoyed learning about Kideos. I think that this website would be a great resource for different subject areas that are being taught, and it would also be good to use for computer time. I would recomend this site for teachers to use in their classrooms because it is not only educational, but children will really enjoy it too.
This website could be used in any elementary school classroom. By searching for certain categories, a teacher could find videos that strictly relate to the subject being taught. There are many areas to search for. There are videos about different languages, holidays, animals, activities, how-to-videos, and even read alouds. This website would work great for students in an elementary classroom.
This website could be used in any elementary school classroom. By searching for certain categories, a teacher could find videos that strictly relate to the subject being taught. There are many areas to search for. There are videos about different languages, holidays, animals, activities, how-to-videos, and even read alouds. This website would work great for students in an elementary classroom.
Web 2.0 - Prezi
Prezi is a like a kind of powerpoint presentation site. It was very easy to learn (I had never even heard of the site prior to this assignment) and was actually very fun! It has aalot more visual interest than the commonly used powerpoint and I can see how it could be used for presentations in a class room as a substitute. I would reccommend everyone at least check it out and play around to have some fun.
The "pathways" are not linear but can go all over and you have more variety with what you can do with images and videos. There is not, unfortunately, the large collection of colors to choose for backgrounds and font and images may not be made into backgrounds. I believe it is approprieate for all grade levels and even tried it out on my first grade class and they found it fun and entertaining as well (Yay for excitement over the small things!). Overall I am very glad I had the chance to learn about and utilize this software as I'm sure I will put it to further use.
The "pathways" are not linear but can go all over and you have more variety with what you can do with images and videos. There is not, unfortunately, the large collection of colors to choose for backgrounds and font and images may not be made into backgrounds. I believe it is approprieate for all grade levels and even tried it out on my first grade class and they found it fun and entertaining as well (Yay for excitement over the small things!). Overall I am very glad I had the chance to learn about and utilize this software as I'm sure I will put it to further use.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Lesson plan using Google Docs program
It’s really a pity that I didn’t know about Google Docs earlier. I was struggling with group work all years long, sending papers back and forth between group members and it took a tremendous amount of time to wait for the papers to be returned for another round of editing and feedback.
No longer! Now I know I can use Google Docs, and my future students will definitely benefit from this, too. At a cost of nothing, one could hardly expect anything better. First, this application has a lot of practical usages. It’s like a wise combination of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, not to mention such interesting and practical functions as “Form”, “Drawing” and “Collection”. With a reasonably large range of document options, Google Docs does a really good job of assisting students in writing their assignments. Second, Google Docs ensures a safe storage of data for any on-going work. Losing a document or having it “automatically closed” due to some technical errors of Microsoft Word is really not a fun experience for users. By saving the documents automatically while they are being created, Google Docs easily becomes our reliable secretary.
Most significant of all, in my opinion, is the fact that works can be viewed, commented and edited among many authors at the same time. I remember working on the same spreadsheet with my classmates when Google Docs was first presented to us. We hadn’t talked much before, but thanks to working together on the same document, we came to exchange more and more ideas, and felt more comfortable talking to each other. So to speak, the chance offered by this application for users to cooperate with each other not only enhances the quality of the final product, but also helps users improve their social skills in various ways.
I will surely make use of Google Docs in my future classroom, especially when my subject is English, one that requires a lot of writing and cooperating between students. Another plus for this application is that it’s free and easily accessible, which is a bliss for teachers who live on a tight budget while wanting to do so much for their classroom.
Users can access Google Docs from their Gmail accounts, or go to https://docs.google.com/ and sign in directly from that site.
No longer! Now I know I can use Google Docs, and my future students will definitely benefit from this, too. At a cost of nothing, one could hardly expect anything better. First, this application has a lot of practical usages. It’s like a wise combination of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, not to mention such interesting and practical functions as “Form”, “Drawing” and “Collection”. With a reasonably large range of document options, Google Docs does a really good job of assisting students in writing their assignments. Second, Google Docs ensures a safe storage of data for any on-going work. Losing a document or having it “automatically closed” due to some technical errors of Microsoft Word is really not a fun experience for users. By saving the documents automatically while they are being created, Google Docs easily becomes our reliable secretary.
Most significant of all, in my opinion, is the fact that works can be viewed, commented and edited among many authors at the same time. I remember working on the same spreadsheet with my classmates when Google Docs was first presented to us. We hadn’t talked much before, but thanks to working together on the same document, we came to exchange more and more ideas, and felt more comfortable talking to each other. So to speak, the chance offered by this application for users to cooperate with each other not only enhances the quality of the final product, but also helps users improve their social skills in various ways.
I will surely make use of Google Docs in my future classroom, especially when my subject is English, one that requires a lot of writing and cooperating between students. Another plus for this application is that it’s free and easily accessible, which is a bliss for teachers who live on a tight budget while wanting to do so much for their classroom.
Users can access Google Docs from their Gmail accounts, or go to https://docs.google.com/ and sign in directly from that site.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
B. Purdue Google Docs
During class we used Google Docs to do an m&m counting activity. Google Docs is very comparable to Microsoft Excel. The program is a spread sheet that allows you to enter whatever information necessary. It is a good way to keep your information organized and easy to ready. Google Docs can easily be used in any classroom that has access to a computer. It can be used to record answers to math problems, or to type in numbers found during research projects. It can also be used by the teacher to keep track of the student's grades and progress in class.
I like Google Docs more than Microsoft Excel because it can be accessed for free. The only way to use Excel is to purchase it with Microsoft Office, and it can get pretty expensive to buy that program for 30 computers. Another thing I like about Google Docs is that we all turned in our spread sheets to the same place, and we could just click on another persons tab and see what they did. It makes it easy for students to look at what others are doing if they need help or get off task. Google Docs is simple to use, and most of the tools included on the program are pretty self explanatory and easy to figure out.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Google Docs
Google Docs is an awesome resource for teachers in all grades! The software is totally free and can be accessed by any computer with Internet capabilities. Students and teachers can view each other's assignments and documents, so sharing ideas is easy. Google Docs offers "Document," similar to Microsoft Word, "Presentation," a version of PowerPoint, "Spreadsheet," just like Excel, as well as "Form," "Drawing," and "Collection."
Although it offers less features than the Microsoft Suite, Google Docs is a great addition to classroom technology because of its affordability (you can't get better than free!), ease of sharing and viewing, and its numerous document options.
Users will be pleasantly surprised at the variety of options this under-used program has. Changing font styles, adding images, and calculating complex numbers is simple with Google Docs. Additionally, work is saved automatically - no more lost hours of effort because you forgot to save!
As a future high-school English teacher, I will definitely be using Google Docs. Students won't have to purchase expensive programs or go the the library to complete their written homework. They will also be able to collaborate with each other because of the Sharing feature.
Google Docs is easy to access; users just go to the Google page and navigate to the Documents tab, or they can visit this direct link: https://docs.google.com
Although it offers less features than the Microsoft Suite, Google Docs is a great addition to classroom technology because of its affordability (you can't get better than free!), ease of sharing and viewing, and its numerous document options.
Users will be pleasantly surprised at the variety of options this under-used program has. Changing font styles, adding images, and calculating complex numbers is simple with Google Docs. Additionally, work is saved automatically - no more lost hours of effort because you forgot to save!
As a future high-school English teacher, I will definitely be using Google Docs. Students won't have to purchase expensive programs or go the the library to complete their written homework. They will also be able to collaborate with each other because of the Sharing feature.
Google Docs is easy to access; users just go to the Google page and navigate to the Documents tab, or they can visit this direct link: https://docs.google.com
Friday, February 18, 2011
Google Docs
I cannot believe that I have never heard of Google Docs before! This is a very useful resource that I will continue to use. I really like that there is one central page that can be set up for all the students at once. This would be helpful during group work during class, or even for students that are paired with a partner for take home projects. This will eliminate the need for them to meet and work together they will simply be able to use Google Docs.
I think that Google Docs can be used for almost all grades, and most subjects. It would be great for presentations and biographies in history, and it would work well for documenting science projects too.
https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?service=writely&passive=1209600&continue=http://docs.google.com/?hl%3Den%26tab%3Dwo&followup=http://docs.google.com/?hl%3Den%26tab%3Dwo<mpl=homepage&hl=en
I think that Google Docs can be used for almost all grades, and most subjects. It would be great for presentations and biographies in history, and it would work well for documenting science projects too.
https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?service=writely&passive=1209600&continue=http://docs.google.com/?hl%3Den%26tab%3Dwo&followup=http://docs.google.com/?hl%3Den%26tab%3Dwo<mpl=homepage&hl=en
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Glogster
I am so glad I learned to use Glogster. It is a great way to involve technology into your lesson plan. It is interactive and fun and allows students to be "hands on" with an activity. It can be used in many ways, with individual students or groups. You could also use it with almost any lesson and is a less traditional way to make a poster. I think students would really enjoy using Glogster and would see it as a more enjoyable assignment.
Glogster will be useful to me when I begin teaching bc I can either build a lesson around it or build the activity around the lesson. Glogster is very useful and can be used for a wide variety of things. This kind of technology is exciting for the teacher and the students.
Glogster will be useful to me when I begin teaching bc I can either build a lesson around it or build the activity around the lesson. Glogster is very useful and can be used for a wide variety of things. This kind of technology is exciting for the teacher and the students.
Google Docs
I am so happy that I was taught how to use Google Docs. This technology blew my mind. I love learning new applications on the computer. This on was especially amaing because of the use of the internet. Every child in the classroom can see what each other types while being on their own separte computer screens instead of looking up at the projector. I feel like this would be a great addition to a science classroom setting. All the students could store all their data on one shett. This will not only save time, but also will be good for the environment when saving paper.
Google Dogs is going to save me so much time through out my teaching career. I can easily transfer grades on to a letter to the parents with just a few simple clicks. It is also a great took for the sudents to compare project data with each other. Learning this new technology was a lot of fun and very exciting. I cannot wait to try it out when I start my student teaching.
Google Dogs is going to save me so much time through out my teaching career. I can easily transfer grades on to a letter to the parents with just a few simple clicks. It is also a great took for the sudents to compare project data with each other. Learning this new technology was a lot of fun and very exciting. I cannot wait to try it out when I start my student teaching.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Google Docs
I think that Google Docs is a really fun tool for classroom use. I can see how it could be used to help a teacher collect information from students all in one place and also be used to lead to open discussion of a subject. I think that there are many students who would think that responding to a discussion using Google
docs would make them more comfortable than speaking out in class.
I do think that Google Docs is a little bit confusing and I am not sure it would be as useful in a Elementary school setting than other technology that is available. It seems better suited to the High School age level. Still not having much experience with Google Docs I am sure that given the time to explore all of the features available I could find some use for it in Elementary and Middle
school settings.
docs would make them more comfortable than speaking out in class.
I do think that Google Docs is a little bit confusing and I am not sure it would be as useful in a Elementary school setting than other technology that is available. It seems better suited to the High School age level. Still not having much experience with Google Docs I am sure that given the time to explore all of the features available I could find some use for it in Elementary and Middle
school settings.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Powerpoint
Powerpoint is an amazing program that allows you to design an entire lesson in fun and sometimes intertaining slides. You are able to add so much more to a powerpoint then just on a regular piece of paper. You can show pictures with the links, cool transitions, and fun animations. You can even add sounds which for younger children or children with disabilities would really enjoy. Children with disabilities love to hear their own voice with pretty much everything and powerpoint allows you to do that!
I plan to be teaching special education so for certain students that are severe this software could be difficult to use but for others it can be a very good learning experience. Children will be able to work on projects about things that they really enjoy and use materials that really catch their eyes. My favorite part about powerpoint is that you can put your own style on the presentation. Children are different in so many ways, they will be able to change the background to their favorite colors and use font that describes what type of person that they are. There isn't really much that I can find that makes me dislike this application. It seems like there is so much that can be done on one page and I love that. You can use it in a completely messy or organized way.
With other softwares such as word, it can be difficult for children to really get into what they are working on but powerpoint gives them the option to be themselves. To me it is extremely important for children to be their own type of person and to have their own mind. Espically when it comes to special education, these children need to feel like they are independent so it is important to make sure that they get that opportunity.
I plan to be teaching special education so for certain students that are severe this software could be difficult to use but for others it can be a very good learning experience. Children will be able to work on projects about things that they really enjoy and use materials that really catch their eyes. My favorite part about powerpoint is that you can put your own style on the presentation. Children are different in so many ways, they will be able to change the background to their favorite colors and use font that describes what type of person that they are. There isn't really much that I can find that makes me dislike this application. It seems like there is so much that can be done on one page and I love that. You can use it in a completely messy or organized way.
With other softwares such as word, it can be difficult for children to really get into what they are working on but powerpoint gives them the option to be themselves. To me it is extremely important for children to be their own type of person and to have their own mind. Espically when it comes to special education, these children need to feel like they are independent so it is important to make sure that they get that opportunity.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
About Me PowerPoint
In the beginning of Education 214, we were asked to create an About Me activity. We created this activity using PowerPoint. In the PowerPoint we included information about our background, education, and our future goals. We were asked to include a couple of pictures and images that expressed who we were. This activity would teach us the different features that PowerPoint has to offer. This is very important since as a future teacher, I plan on using PowerPoint to get information to the students.
In my classroom I will most certainly use PowerPoint. PowerPoint can be used to present information to the students but also it can be used for the students to present information. In my lesson plan that I submitted, I had the students do a group project that required them to make a PowerPoint presentation and show it to the class. As a teacher, I can use PowerPoint to do productive review games also such as jeopardy. The students are learning and having fun at the same time and this can be a hard thing to do sometimes when a high school student's mind is not focused on school. What makes PowerPoint so nice to use in the classroom is the multiple uses it has unlike the old fashion overheads. Overall, I feel more confident using PowerPoint because of the About Me activity we did in class and someday hope to be able to utilize PowerPoint in the classroom to its full potential.
In my classroom I will most certainly use PowerPoint. PowerPoint can be used to present information to the students but also it can be used for the students to present information. In my lesson plan that I submitted, I had the students do a group project that required them to make a PowerPoint presentation and show it to the class. As a teacher, I can use PowerPoint to do productive review games also such as jeopardy. The students are learning and having fun at the same time and this can be a hard thing to do sometimes when a high school student's mind is not focused on school. What makes PowerPoint so nice to use in the classroom is the multiple uses it has unlike the old fashion overheads. Overall, I feel more confident using PowerPoint because of the About Me activity we did in class and someday hope to be able to utilize PowerPoint in the classroom to its full potential.
About Me Activity
We started out this class by doing an About Me Activity in powerpoint. In this activity we had to have 8 slides that told different things about yourself, such as where you're from, what you're plans are etc. Powerpoint is a way to show people/tell people information that is more interesting then doing it some other way. Powerpoint also lets you have a little more freedom and you can put pictures in it, you can just list things (you don't have to use complete sentences), you can pick your own fonts and colors, all the things that will make it more of YOUR type of work, rather than papers can be like other students papers.
In my classroom, I will definitely use powerpoint. I think powerpoint will keep the children interested longer then something like taking notes straight off the chalkboard would. In elementary school there are various ways that you can use powerpoint. You can use it for games, such as jeopardy, or you can use it for classmates to get to know one another just like we used it. Powerpoint is highly used throughout your education so I would want the students to learn how to do it, and get practice with it. When I cadet taught my senior year, the fifth graders I was teaching learned their science animal levels through powerpoint. It would give examples of an animal, then on the next slide go into detail about what type of animal that was and what class it is in. I also have made a powerpoint that integrates PE and Spelling. There are a lot of games, and ways to use powerpoint as an Elementary teacher, and I will definitely be using it, and letting the children get practice with it.
In my classroom, I will definitely use powerpoint. I think powerpoint will keep the children interested longer then something like taking notes straight off the chalkboard would. In elementary school there are various ways that you can use powerpoint. You can use it for games, such as jeopardy, or you can use it for classmates to get to know one another just like we used it. Powerpoint is highly used throughout your education so I would want the students to learn how to do it, and get practice with it. When I cadet taught my senior year, the fifth graders I was teaching learned their science animal levels through powerpoint. It would give examples of an animal, then on the next slide go into detail about what type of animal that was and what class it is in. I also have made a powerpoint that integrates PE and Spelling. There are a lot of games, and ways to use powerpoint as an Elementary teacher, and I will definitely be using it, and letting the children get practice with it.
Glogster in the Classroom
http://s6vw2g3.edu.glogster.com/ -Glogster is an online message board system that allows you to visually create an online poster board, allowing you to copy or link pictures, videos, or clip art. You can also type messages on it and even decorate it to form your own personal layout, allowing you to demonstrate your creativity.
Glogster could be very useful for teaching a high school history class. It could be used as a creative way to give notes, or to link videos or pictures for discussion. It would be very useful for teaching a subject like history, which can seem to lack in creativity and interest for students. Also, it could be used for students to do poster projects on. It would relieve them of the stress of having to buy the materials for a poster board and carrying them around with them all day at school. Students would have almost unlimited amounts of resources to use to demonstrate how they learn the material and what possibly works for them. It is also very easy to learn and a fun way of showing the student's own creativity within their learning. It would also allow students an easy way to access homework assignments, or classroom lecture materials. One problem with using Glogster is that students would have to have access to a computer outside of school.
Glogster could be very useful for teaching a high school history class. It could be used as a creative way to give notes, or to link videos or pictures for discussion. It would be very useful for teaching a subject like history, which can seem to lack in creativity and interest for students. Also, it could be used for students to do poster projects on. It would relieve them of the stress of having to buy the materials for a poster board and carrying them around with them all day at school. Students would have almost unlimited amounts of resources to use to demonstrate how they learn the material and what possibly works for them. It is also very easy to learn and a fun way of showing the student's own creativity within their learning. It would also allow students an easy way to access homework assignments, or classroom lecture materials. One problem with using Glogster is that students would have to have access to a computer outside of school.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Liz Hall: Review About Me Presentation
I have not had computer classes since my freshman year of high school. With that said, I am not familiar with many of the things on our syllabus. When we started out the semester with a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation, I was relieved. I find technology a bit intimidating, but PowerPoint is something I have been using since intermediate school. I appreciated that you opened our class with something simple that many of us were familiar with so it wasn’t overwhelming.
I also really liked that you gave us the opportunity to share about our lives. In my methods class, we are actually learning about how important it is to be more than just a teacher and actually develop a relationship with students. The topic was also nice simply because we didn’t have to do any research on the first day and it kept things light-hearted.
If I could change one thing about this project, I would change how we posted the PowerPoints. In one of my classes we created and posted Photostories under Discussion in Blackboard. This allowed us all to learn about each other and feel a little bit closer as a class. All in all, I really liked this as an opening project.
glogster
I thought this activity was pretty fun. It was definatly different than what I am used to in school. At first, I had trouble because I am a science major and it was difficult to come up with a biology lesson for the poster. Once I came up with a project it became easy. I really liked how you could upload just about anything to the poster. You could change the font, color, size, background, etc.
I am excited to incorporate this website into my class when I become a teacher. Science is usually not considered creative and this will add a little spice to my class. It will also allow my students to express themselves. Maybe my students will hate it. Maybe they will love it. Either way I am interested to see if this new way of doing things will grow.
I am excited to incorporate this website into my class when I become a teacher. Science is usually not considered creative and this will add a little spice to my class. It will also allow my students to express themselves. Maybe my students will hate it. Maybe they will love it. Either way I am interested to see if this new way of doing things will grow.
About Me Power Point Review
In the beginning of Education 214 Class, we were asked to create an About Me activity. We created this activity using Power Point. In the power point we included information about our background, education, and our future life goals. We also were asked to include a couple pictures that depicted our life and incorporate them into our power point presentation as well.
Power point is a computer program where you can make slides, and put information, sounds, and pictures on it to help present your topic. I think that power point is a very influential tool that can be used in classrooms of all ages. Young students would be able to do simple power points about themselves, and add clip art to their pages, while older students would be able to use power point to present information from research papers, book reports, and many more. Power Point is a very flexible tool, which can be used for many different things, and students not only learn from making power point presentations, but they enjoy it as well. I feel like the about me power point presentation was a very beneficial way to start the Education 214 class because it was a fun way to get used to using different forms of technology, I think that I could use the about me assignment as well as many other assignments with power point in my future classroom and it would benefit my students well.
Power point is a computer program where you can make slides, and put information, sounds, and pictures on it to help present your topic. I think that power point is a very influential tool that can be used in classrooms of all ages. Young students would be able to do simple power points about themselves, and add clip art to their pages, while older students would be able to use power point to present information from research papers, book reports, and many more. Power Point is a very flexible tool, which can be used for many different things, and students not only learn from making power point presentations, but they enjoy it as well. I feel like the about me power point presentation was a very beneficial way to start the Education 214 class because it was a fun way to get used to using different forms of technology, I think that I could use the about me assignment as well as many other assignments with power point in my future classroom and it would benefit my students well.
Review of About Me Project
A project that we worked on during the first class period in Technology 214 was an About Me activity. The activity had to be created using PowerPoint. In the PowerPoint we included basic background information, educational history, work experience, and goals. Along with a variety of information we also had to include pictures as well as clip art.
I feel like this activity was valuable in that we were refamiliarized with using PowerPoint. As future teachers, it is very likely that we will use PowerPoint or a similar software when presenting during our careers. Along with being able to use it to present, it is also something that is simple enough for all grade levels to use. With younger students in mind, they could use it for simple things such as making collages or simple presentations to older students who could do descriptive presentations. I feel like PowerPoint is a great resource in that it is simple to use and yet effective in presenting information. The presentation served as a tool that our fellow classmates could view and learn more about us from. Also, the PowerPoint we created was valuable in that it is something we could use to show to future employers as a way for them to know more about us.
I feel like this activity was valuable in that we were refamiliarized with using PowerPoint. As future teachers, it is very likely that we will use PowerPoint or a similar software when presenting during our careers. Along with being able to use it to present, it is also something that is simple enough for all grade levels to use. With younger students in mind, they could use it for simple things such as making collages or simple presentations to older students who could do descriptive presentations. I feel like PowerPoint is a great resource in that it is simple to use and yet effective in presenting information. The presentation served as a tool that our fellow classmates could view and learn more about us from. Also, the PowerPoint we created was valuable in that it is something we could use to show to future employers as a way for them to know more about us.
Glogster Blog
The Glogster activity was fun and a very good tool to know. It can be applied in a variety of ways in every grade level. I did my page on a kindergarten level presenting what the child (in this case me) did over their winter break.
It is applicable in a kindergarten setting as it is fairly easy to navigate, understand, and has a lot of fun unique options. For this grade level it would probably be best to start out in small groups so that students can help each other and not get overwhelmed. However, after one or possibly two glogs with a group they students would be fine to work on their own. Glogs can be made on the alphabet, numbers, basic addition rules… anything you can teach in a classroom you can incorporate into glogster to make it fun and interactive learning.
The software itself is a new way of show-and-tell, replacing poster boards and messy, glue-together projects. It introduces new technology to children of all levels and is a fun, easy way to share that can be viewed in the classroom, at home, and can even post movies and links to other sites! Visit http://www.glogster.com/?eduwarning=1 to learn more and create your own glogster!
It is applicable in a kindergarten setting as it is fairly easy to navigate, understand, and has a lot of fun unique options. For this grade level it would probably be best to start out in small groups so that students can help each other and not get overwhelmed. However, after one or possibly two glogs with a group they students would be fine to work on their own. Glogs can be made on the alphabet, numbers, basic addition rules… anything you can teach in a classroom you can incorporate into glogster to make it fun and interactive learning.
The software itself is a new way of show-and-tell, replacing poster boards and messy, glue-together projects. It introduces new technology to children of all levels and is a fun, easy way to share that can be viewed in the classroom, at home, and can even post movies and links to other sites! Visit http://www.glogster.com/?eduwarning=1 to learn more and create your own glogster!
Glogster Blog
Sarah Kercher
Edu. 214 S. Penney
Spring 2011
The Glogster activity was fun and a very good tool to know. It can be applied in a variety of ways in every grade level. I did my page on a kindergarten level presenting what the child (in this case me) did over their winter break. It is applicable in a kindergarten setting as it is fairly easy to navigate, understand, and has a lot of fun unique options. For this grade level it would probably be best to start out in small groups so that students can help each other and not get overwhelmed. However, after one or possibly two glogs with a group they students would be fine to work on their own. Glogs can be made on the alphabet, numbers, basic addition rules… anything you can teach in a classroom you can incorporate into glogster to make it fun and interactive learning.
The software itself is a new way of show-and-tell, replacing poster boards and messy, glue-together projects. It introduces new technology to children of all levels and is a fun, easy way to share that can be viewed in the classroom, at home, and can even post movies and links to other sites! Visit http://www.glogster.com/?eduwarning=1 to learn more and create your own glogster!
Edu. 214 S. Penney
Spring 2011
The Glogster activity was fun and a very good tool to know. It can be applied in a variety of ways in every grade level. I did my page on a kindergarten level presenting what the child (in this case me) did over their winter break. It is applicable in a kindergarten setting as it is fairly easy to navigate, understand, and has a lot of fun unique options. For this grade level it would probably be best to start out in small groups so that students can help each other and not get overwhelmed. However, after one or possibly two glogs with a group they students would be fine to work on their own. Glogs can be made on the alphabet, numbers, basic addition rules… anything you can teach in a classroom you can incorporate into glogster to make it fun and interactive learning.
The software itself is a new way of show-and-tell, replacing poster boards and messy, glue-together projects. It introduces new technology to children of all levels and is a fun, easy way to share that can be viewed in the classroom, at home, and can even post movies and links to other sites! Visit http://www.glogster.com/?eduwarning=1 to learn more and create your own glogster!
Glogster
In using Glogster (http://njlattimer.edu.glogster.com/), an online program used to create a virtual posterboard, I found many benefits and only a couple of downfalls. Glogster allows a student to put together pictures, links to websites, descriptions, and clever backgrounds for a posterboard-like page to help teach or present a certain topic. I really enjoy the fact that a student can so easily put together a "glog" on any topic. With the freedom on the internet confined to an online presentation the student does not have to buy supplies or spend as much time on a project as if he/she was using an actual posterboard. Since everthing is done online, no student can boast in resources used on a project, the playing field is leveled with Glogster.
In a middle school social studies classroom, Glogster is ideal. Because of the access to resources the internet provides, how easily it is used and the creativity it allows, Glogster could only help a middle school student put together a collection of facts and links. However, Glogster could pose a problem for certain students. Considering Glogster is a computer-accessed resource, the students must have access to a computer outside of a classroom. Also, an e-mail address is necessary for Glogster, something that most middle school students probably do not have.
On the upside, the two issues presented with Glogster can be overcome with a student going to a public library. Glogster is a great tool for a middle school social studies student!
In a middle school social studies classroom, Glogster is ideal. Because of the access to resources the internet provides, how easily it is used and the creativity it allows, Glogster could only help a middle school student put together a collection of facts and links. However, Glogster could pose a problem for certain students. Considering Glogster is a computer-accessed resource, the students must have access to a computer outside of a classroom. Also, an e-mail address is necessary for Glogster, something that most middle school students probably do not have.
On the upside, the two issues presented with Glogster can be overcome with a student going to a public library. Glogster is a great tool for a middle school social studies student!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
B. Purdue Glogster
http://www.glogster.com/
The above is a link to glogster. Glogster is an online resource that allows students and teachers to make what I call a digital poster board. It allows people to post links to websites and videos, and also post pictures.There are many different layout options to choose from. The program is pretty basic, and most people should have no problem figuring out how to use it. Once people get the hang of the program they may find that it is pretty enjoyable to use and play with.
The program could be used easily in a fourth grade classroom. I did an example of it for my assignment using a fourth grade math skill. The program could be used to aid the teacher while teaching a lesson, or could be used by a student when presenting a project. The program is fun to used and would be a much more appealing aid rather than a poster board or writing on the chalk board.
I liked that the program was easy to use. I also like that everything is saved to the website and the teacher can just check what you have done, that way there is nothing getting erased when trying to transport the file to a flash drive from a computer. I feel the program had very few glitches when i was using it. It did not randomly shut down or erase my work like powerpoint often does. Overall, I am glad I learned of this resource and will try to incorporate it into my future classroom.
Review of Glogster
This week in my educational software class, I was introduced to an online interactive poster making application called Glogster. Before this class I had never heard of such an application online, especially not for free. Going in I was skeptical that a free website would offer enough tools and options to make using the site worthwhile, but shortly after logging in and playing around I was quickly proved wrong. The way Glogster is set up, anyone with basic computer knowledge can quickly get the hang and start creating their own interactive posters.
After creating my first Glog, I can say that it would be beneficial for teachers to have their students create their presentations using Glogster. Planning to teach high school I can see how students would probably prefer to make an electronic poster than mess with scissors and glue, and the results probably turn out better too. Overall the website is a great online tool, but there are a few things that might cause problems in the classroom. While creating my Glog I found myself wondering how my presentation would translate from the computer to a projector screen or smartboard. Another thing I found was that menus when selecting images or text boxes was a little cumbersome, it would be nice to see the menus become bigger to show more choices at one time. While there are a few flaws overall Glogster is a great application.
Link: http://www.glogster.com/
Jared J. Poeling
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