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.