Creating a Website

For the past couple class sessions we have been working on creating our own website. I had never heard of DreamWeaver before, and I really didn't have any idea how to go about creating a website. I knew a little code, but other than that I had no idea how to go from scratch.

Now that I've been using the program for 2 sessions so far, I think I'm getting a better grasp on it. However, I'm still struggling with the process and trying to understand DreamWeaver, but I feel like I'll get it done to a basic level by the time I'm done with it.

In terms of using this in the classroom I can't really see elementary students creating their own websites from scratch. I mean, maybe in the future technology will be so prevalent for young children that they are able to do that at an early age, but from what I've seen today I don't think that elementary age children would be able to use DreamWeaver productively. However, I think that the program would be a good tool for teachers in terms of creating class websites, or using it to create educational websites that students can use safely to obtain information.

iPads and Smart Boards

I thought that today's class on iPads and smart boards was interesting, and definitely applicable to the classroom.
Electronic whiteboards can be very useful, in my opinion. I think that they are a great way to get students engaged in the material and excited to learn. Today's children are much more technologically advanced than we give them credit for, and giving them access to a variety of technologies will only increase their literacy in that area, and also show old material in a new light.
I also liked using the iPads and finding educational applications that could be used in elementary classrooms. My experience with iPads has really only been going into the Apple Store and playing around on their demo iPads. If I had more money I would probably get one for myself, at this point I'll just have to wait until the prices go down.
In my group we found a lot of good apps that kids could use for educational purposes. For example, we found some good puppet show apps, where kids could create and record their own puppet show and then share it with the class. This would be a good way to get students in a writing state of mind, where they need to keep track of beginning, middle, and end. Another app we found that I liked was called Sushi Monster, which is a math game app that involves addition and mutlipication. This is just a fun way for students to practice their math skills. There were other social studies related apps that were good as well, however, they didn't contain enough content for it to be very helpful in a class.

Podcasts

Podcasts are definitely something I can see myself using in my future classroom, if the resources are available. I think that they would be beneficial for both students and myself to use. 

For me, I could use it to put together introduction presentations that students can access again and again for a refresher. I could also share it with parents, so that they could get a glimpse at what is going on in my classroom. Another way podcasts could be used for parents is through a weekly podcast that students can be a part of. For example, every week a different pair of students would be in charge of doing the podcast. Depending on the age of the students you can have a template they can follow, or if they are older you can have them come up with their own podcast that summarizes what the class has been up to for the week. 

Podcasts could also be used as a different way that students can do presentations. Students can work in groups or individually (depending on the age of the students and the project) and come up with their own podcast presentation, then these can all be shared with the class.

I'm glad that we learned about podcasts because before this class all I'd ever known about podcasts were that they were something my dad listened to instead of talk radio. Now I can see the versatility podcasts have as a medium, and their usefulness in the classroom. 

Literacy and Hoax Sites

I really enjoyed the discussions we had in class today about literacy and the need to teach our students how to recognize when a site is reliable or not. I feel like getting our students ready, technology-wise, is very important. The world we live in is relying more and more on technology, and in order to be successful it is vital that they are ready and able to use technology.

The site that I had to evaluate was: http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/flikfx/default.htm (FlikFX)

There were a lot of things about the site which I noticed that led me to deem it a fake. However, the things I saw were not things that a young student might be able to identify as false. For instance, the claim that the site had won an Oscar for its work in recomposition of films. But, there were other things that a student could investigate that could lead them to the conclusion that the site wasn't for real. By going to the "Email here" link, one would find themselves redirected to a page that introduces them to the curator of the American Widescreen Museum (which also makes it seem legitimate), but if you google the American Widescreen Museum, you would find yourself taken to a site that is not FlikFX.

I also was able to determine that the site was a hoax by googling the url, and looking at the various sites where they talked about how the site was fake.

Overall, class today was informative and definitely gave me new insight into technology in the classroom.

Google Earth

Before this class I think I had used Google Earth once, maybe in high school, so it was a nice refresher to have an assignment that had to do with this program. I really enjoyed looking at my house, and being able to go back in time to watch as it was constructed. I know that kids would enjoy doing the same thing, and it would help get them familiar with Google Earth and how it works. I also liked how the assignment had us come up with a theme that had to do with locations in Oregon. This is something I can see students doing in my class, and could be tied to so many different content areas depending on the theme of their Google Earth tour.

Update on the last 3 weeks

I've been learning a lot in these past few weeks in ED 421. For one, we spent a good amount of time studying Photoshop, and how to use flickr.com.

I've owned my MacBookPro (which my dad had put Photoshop on) for over three years now and I never once learned how to use it. My friend, who goes to the Art Institute of Portland, is a pro, and I always marveled at how well she utilized the program. To me, Photoshop always seemed like a daunting application, with a multitude of different features. I didn't think that I would ever be able to successfully use it, and so I never tried. However, after these past couple of weeks in class, I feel a whole lot more comfortable with the program. I now know how to manipulate images, incorporate other images onto backgrounds, and play with color schemes.

Another program I've had on my computer, but never bothered to learn how to use, was iMovie, which we've been using in class recently. Again, the thought of editing a video was something that I didn't think I would be able to do. But, I'm slowly getting more familiar with iMovie, and editing the video that my group is making for class. As I work in the program more, I feel like I'm getting better at using it.

Both of these programs are things that I know I could use in my classroom. Although, I don't think I would be having the younger students working on their own Photoshop and iMovie projects, but I could use these programs in order to make visuals or videos that could enhance student learning. With older students I can see them learning about these applications in a technology class, and then being able to use that knowledge for class projects.

First Class

After my first day in ED 421 I learned quite a bit for just one session. Already I learned about tools I could use as a teacher in my classroom, ways I could use those tools to help me in my work, my students, and the families of my students. It was cool being able to use the smartboard, I hope eventually we'll be able to use it in more detail since it seems like a piece of technology that is becoming more prevalent in classrooms. I look forward to learning more about the different technologies I could utilize in a classroom and how to use them.

I went to the site go2web20.net and took a look at some of the sites they offer. One that caught my attention was called Headmagnet. It's free, so I signed up for it, to check it out further. The site is basically a tool for studying. You can design your own lists by making questions and answers. Then when you want to study you can choose to have the question presented to you, and then you give the answer, or the other way around. I thought it was a cool alternative to note cards for studying.

The other site I went to was called CarrotSticks. This was a site that was designed specifically for elementary age children. Kids can log on and play math games with other kids. Or they can choose to practice their math skills on their own. I thought it was a fun site that kids could use if they had some spare time, or if they were struggling with math computation.