Ok, so I'm a little behind on my posts! Anyway, Halloween was great! Dan took all three kids out while I passed out candy. The girls decided to have 2 different costume changes as you can see. We are just finishing the last of our candy!
November 26, 2009
November 22, 2009
Week 12 Reflection
Web 2.0 Technologies
Honestly, I didn't even know what web 2.0 was until I looked it up just now! I found this great definition:
The use of World Wide Web technology and web design that aims to facilitate creativity, information sharing, and, most notably, collaboration among users. These concepts have led to the development and evolution of web-based communities and hosted services, such as social-networking sites, wikis, blogs, and folksonomies.
So, knowing that, I think web 2.0 technologies are incredibly vital to today's classroom. Students need to be able to collaborate with classmates as they complete assignments and projects, using the web. Just from my experience in working with classmates in this class, i have been able to finish projects much more quickly and efficiently, by using tools like google documents, google presentations. These tools are so great because of the ability to change, edit, and update information instantly online.
I plan on having my future students use wikis and blogs as an outlet to express their thoughts in a creative way that can be shared with classmates. This helps the class connect to each other in an exciting way. Social networking sites are also a great way to collaborate with peers and share information. Today's student has to know all about these tools in order to stay afloat of this ever changing world. we as educators need to utilize these tools in our everyday assignments and lesson plans.
Video "Do you believe in me?"
Wow, who is this Dalton Sherman kid?? He is adorable and such an amazing speaker! I loved his speech, it's so moving. Sometimes we forget how important it is to believe in our students, our colleagues, ourselves. These kids need their teachers to care about them and take the time to listen and be there for them because like he said, sometimes it feels like no one else cares. Everyone involved with the school is important and makes an impact on the future of its students.
Honestly, I didn't even know what web 2.0 was until I looked it up just now! I found this great definition:
The use of World Wide Web technology and web design that aims to facilitate creativity, information sharing, and, most notably, collaboration among users. These concepts have led to the development and evolution of web-based communities and hosted services, such as social-networking sites, wikis, blogs, and folksonomies.
So, knowing that, I think web 2.0 technologies are incredibly vital to today's classroom. Students need to be able to collaborate with classmates as they complete assignments and projects, using the web. Just from my experience in working with classmates in this class, i have been able to finish projects much more quickly and efficiently, by using tools like google documents, google presentations. These tools are so great because of the ability to change, edit, and update information instantly online.
I plan on having my future students use wikis and blogs as an outlet to express their thoughts in a creative way that can be shared with classmates. This helps the class connect to each other in an exciting way. Social networking sites are also a great way to collaborate with peers and share information. Today's student has to know all about these tools in order to stay afloat of this ever changing world. we as educators need to utilize these tools in our everyday assignments and lesson plans.
Video "Do you believe in me?"
Wow, who is this Dalton Sherman kid?? He is adorable and such an amazing speaker! I loved his speech, it's so moving. Sometimes we forget how important it is to believe in our students, our colleagues, ourselves. These kids need their teachers to care about them and take the time to listen and be there for them because like he said, sometimes it feels like no one else cares. Everyone involved with the school is important and makes an impact on the future of its students.
November 14, 2009
Birthday Girl!
So El turned five! We had a fun family party with her little cousin, who turned one (their Birthdays are 1 day apart). We went to kangaroo zoo and out to Chinese, which El requested as her favorite food! She got a lot of grown-up gifts: a digital camera, a CD player, CD's, a watch, make-up, and some DVDs. She requested a castle cake this year and it turned out really cute!
November 11, 2009
week 11 Reflection
PowerPoint Activities & PowerPoint
I kinda love power point! It's really fun and addicting! The activities that my partner and I made were so interesting, I want to do them at home too! We made bookmarks to print out with a mini biography of our favorite author. The next activity was to make up titles for books that were never written, such as The Brain by Sarah Bellum. So cute!
There are some great ideas that I'd like to try on power point from the activity book. The basic activites at the beginning of the book are great for students who are just learning how to create power point presentations. They can learn how to harvest pictures, sounds, and video from the internet and put them onto their power point slides. Students can make books, posters, bookmarks, comics, and the list just goes on and on! I'm really excited to make some of these projects.
I definitely want to use power point activities in my classroom to enhance curriculum. What a fun way to get students involved in creating and learning at the same time! I really think that pretty much all lessons should be on power point slides with colors and pictures to enhance the lecture. It's much more engaging than just talking to the class without any visuals. It helps the students to see the large words too, so that they can take notes and make sure they hear the teacher.
Video "I'm just a Bill"
An idea becomes a bill and then goes on a long journey to become a law! It's so cute, fun, and just catchy! I love schoolhouse rock! It's classic, educational, and fun for kids to learn basic subjects. I plan on using these videoes with my students to enhance various lessons.
I kinda love power point! It's really fun and addicting! The activities that my partner and I made were so interesting, I want to do them at home too! We made bookmarks to print out with a mini biography of our favorite author. The next activity was to make up titles for books that were never written, such as The Brain by Sarah Bellum. So cute!
There are some great ideas that I'd like to try on power point from the activity book. The basic activites at the beginning of the book are great for students who are just learning how to create power point presentations. They can learn how to harvest pictures, sounds, and video from the internet and put them onto their power point slides. Students can make books, posters, bookmarks, comics, and the list just goes on and on! I'm really excited to make some of these projects.
I definitely want to use power point activities in my classroom to enhance curriculum. What a fun way to get students involved in creating and learning at the same time! I really think that pretty much all lessons should be on power point slides with colors and pictures to enhance the lecture. It's much more engaging than just talking to the class without any visuals. It helps the students to see the large words too, so that they can take notes and make sure they hear the teacher.
Video "I'm just a Bill"
An idea becomes a bill and then goes on a long journey to become a law! It's so cute, fun, and just catchy! I love schoolhouse rock! It's classic, educational, and fun for kids to learn basic subjects. I plan on using these videoes with my students to enhance various lessons.
November 8, 2009
Week 10 Reflection
Podcasts & Vidcasts
Podcasts and vidcasts are great educational tools. There are a huge variety of subject specific casts that can teach the average person a new language or how to write a poem. Again pod/vid casts are another great tech medium that can enhance any lesson. Students love being able to use technology for assignments and they'll be having so much fun, they won't even realize they're learning!
I really enjoyed the assignment to create an educational podcast for my "students". My partner and I decided to make a podcast that teaches children the sound that each letter in the alphabet makes. We recorded ourselves saying the letter, its sound and a few exmple words that begin with that letter. We then told the children to repeat the letters and sounds. I think this is a great way to help students memorize and internalize information, especially when they are not at school.
I'd use pod/vid casts as homework assignments for my future students. I would assign them a pod/vid cast to listen to/watch at home that ties into the week's curriculum. That way, the subject material becomes more interactive and interesting. Students can write a 'how-to' from what they learned from the pod/vid cast or even act out the info they listened to, for the class.
Video
Why Let Our Students Blog?
I agree with the video, blogging is a great way for students to practice writing and creativity. They can receive feedback from comments, which helps them feel connected to people. Blogging helps students learn to process their thoughts into words. It's a way for kids to organize and understand 'all that stuff' in their head! Great video, very cute!
Podcasts and vidcasts are great educational tools. There are a huge variety of subject specific casts that can teach the average person a new language or how to write a poem. Again pod/vid casts are another great tech medium that can enhance any lesson. Students love being able to use technology for assignments and they'll be having so much fun, they won't even realize they're learning!
I really enjoyed the assignment to create an educational podcast for my "students". My partner and I decided to make a podcast that teaches children the sound that each letter in the alphabet makes. We recorded ourselves saying the letter, its sound and a few exmple words that begin with that letter. We then told the children to repeat the letters and sounds. I think this is a great way to help students memorize and internalize information, especially when they are not at school.
I'd use pod/vid casts as homework assignments for my future students. I would assign them a pod/vid cast to listen to/watch at home that ties into the week's curriculum. That way, the subject material becomes more interactive and interesting. Students can write a 'how-to' from what they learned from the pod/vid cast or even act out the info they listened to, for the class.
Video
Why Let Our Students Blog?
I agree with the video, blogging is a great way for students to practice writing and creativity. They can receive feedback from comments, which helps them feel connected to people. Blogging helps students learn to process their thoughts into words. It's a way for kids to organize and understand 'all that stuff' in their head! Great video, very cute!
October 23, 2009
October 20, 2009
Week 8 Reflection
Using Video Media in the Classroom
What?
I thought that the educational simulations on National Geographic were awesome for classroom use. It's a great way to easily recreate an experience or trip, when an actual visit or experience might be too dangerous or costly to actually perform. It was fun exploring teachertube and finding so many great teaching videos that can be used to explain concepts and subjects to students.
So What?
It would be fun to have my students go on a virtual field trip one day to a volcano or a rainforest. I really liked the idea mentioned in class about bringing in something real to enhance the virtual field trip, such as a real starfish or perhaps a fossil of some sort. Kids love learning with visual, hands-on tools like that. It would be great to show different video clips from the web, such as the life cycle of a frog. The students can then go online and virtually disect a frog. It might be fun to do a spotlight on different countries and have students "travel" around to different countries (stations) and experience each culture, climate, etc. through a simulative video on National Geographic.
Now What?
I think that using such media in the classroom really helps children understand subject material in a fun, hands-on way. As teachers we need to keep up on technology and take advantage of the great educational resources that are available. It's important to bring education into reality for students to really understand what's being taught. For example, when teaching students about different environments, it would be very helpful to actually show students what each environment is like and use as many of the six senses as possible, to really bring home the lesson.
Millennial Generation Video
Educational Videos
October 14, 2009
Week 7 Reflection
Picasa
It's funny because I was just telling my husband that I needed some kind of program to edit my pictures, write text on them, and just make them look cool. And then in class we learned about Picasa! I love it, it's so user friendly, I've already downloaded it (for free) to my home computer and am now importing all of my pictures onto it.
I think Picasa would be a great tool to use in the classroom. Students can create sideshows, time lines, picture collages. It's simple to use, so students can learn how to crop, edit and add effects to photos they have taken with digital cameras. Students can also create a web album, with all of their photos in one place.
I'm excited to play around with Picasa a little more and become more familiar with it. I've already been having a lot of fun with my pictures! There really is an endless amount of projects that I can think of doing with this awesome program!
Here are some of my creations...
It's funny because I was just telling my husband that I needed some kind of program to edit my pictures, write text on them, and just make them look cool. And then in class we learned about Picasa! I love it, it's so user friendly, I've already downloaded it (for free) to my home computer and am now importing all of my pictures onto it.
I think Picasa would be a great tool to use in the classroom. Students can create sideshows, time lines, picture collages. It's simple to use, so students can learn how to crop, edit and add effects to photos they have taken with digital cameras. Students can also create a web album, with all of their photos in one place.
I'm excited to play around with Picasa a little more and become more familiar with it. I've already been having a lot of fun with my pictures! There really is an endless amount of projects that I can think of doing with this awesome program!
Here are some of my creations...
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