Web 2.0 Tools

Well... this class is giving me a renewed interest in trying this with my students.  Because I teach ELL, I have smaller numbers.... so it may make it easier to get into the computer lab, or let my students use my computer on a rotating basis to do things online.  The problem comes if I want to get them all on at the same time to do something.  I introduced them to TweenTribune.com at the beginning of the year with hopes of doing   more with it... but unfortunately, it's so difficult to get computer time.  

The articles I've been reading for class gave me a few ideas on how to make it work as well.  I have a few students who really don't care how poor their writing is... but if I can get the principal or the vice-principal on a class blog site or forum, I think that would help.   Even if they don't really ever look at it, just knowing that they're members might encourage them to write.
I also found another site recently called pixton.com which is for making online comic strips and is all drag and drop.

Which reminds me, I keep meaning to make a google doc with my non-school account for all of the links that we all use. I think it would be great to get all of my classmates to post the links that they've actually used for something so with some comments instead of finding what we thing is a great site, bookmarking it and then forgetting it.  Plus,when this class is over, I (and anyone else) who used a different account to link to it will be able to access it.

My mind is on the holiday... so that may explain why I'm all over in this post.

Session 6 - Digital Therapy

Wow.... class went by quick. Being busy at school and home sure makes your head spin.  I look forward to having a little more time over winter break to play with some of the sites we used in class, as well as another site I found during class.  I was looking for a fun way to get kids to write.  Prezi is defiantly high up on the list in my eyes, but I also found Pixton.com, which is a really, really cool drag and drop comic strip website.  Best part is individual accounts are free, although you can sign up as a teacher and get a class in for about $50 if my memory is correct.

It is also interesting to listen to the reviews of all of the keen gadgets out there.  The one that I really thought was super cool was actually when Louie pulled up that printer that would scan an insane about of paper into PDF files in a short time.  I see this as being the future.  The only problem is, all of the digital book readers can't change the font size on PDFs like they can with digital books. You can zoom in, but then you have to scroll left to right in addition to up and down to read it. I want a hand held device that will allow me to zoom in and adjust the number of pages, just like a digital book does.  Then, I would be the first in line to buy one.  I've got a TON of PDFs.     Does anyone out there use a Kindle, Nook or other device that can comment on how PDFs look on them?

Class #5

I've been soo busy this week I forgot to blog.  So I apologize to those who were looking for a place to comment.

I really enjoyed seeing all of the differen Prezis.  I really like them and want to figure out a way to use them in class.   The only problem is that we don't have enough computers in our school to actually get it easily or frequently enough for a project like that.  I am also one of the few teachers w/out a Smart Board in my school.  Ironic since I'm such a nerd.

I have really enjoyed this class and there is a lot I will be taking away with me. Some will end up in the classroom and other stuff will just be for me.

Class #4

Whew.... that was a lot of info.  I am looking forward to the week off to do a little work.  I like all of the sites we've been learning about and can think of many different ways of using several of them in class.  

I think making a Pecha Kucha will be challenging, yet fun.  I also am looking forward to the Prezi one where I get to "brag" about how cool my photos are.

All that being said... I still wish I had a little more time to play around with all of the websites we've been going to.  

Session Three

Well... I'm liking the class.  We've got a lot of fun, creative people and there is a lot of information and ideas being shared.  The websites we've been sent to for class have been really good for the most part.  It's great seeing various examples of what we're learning about.
That being said, I am beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed.  There are so many websites to visit and write about that I feel like I don't have the time to appropriately check out each site. I don't want to have to skip some of them or not spend enough time on them because I've got other things going on at work or at home.   I'm sure we all have the same problems... and I don't want to make excuses, but I think you understand my position.

I am getting a little excited to make my own digital story.  Looking at the suggestions in the digital story telling book, they say no more than 500 words.  Wow.... 500 words... that's it.  That's not a lot of words.   Plus I'm trying to think of what kind of story to do.  Should I do one I can show my students (and then have them make their own), should I do one for family or one for my zombie march site to help promote it.  It's really hard to say.  Even after I decide what... I'm not sure what really to talk about that has a surprise or twist to it or emotion.  There is definitely a lot to think about.   I'll be doing a lot this weekend on that, along with lesson planning, delivering Cub Scout popcorn, etc.

Why can't we have 4 day work weeks w/ 1 day to catch up!?!?!

Digital Stories & My Class

I am trying to get my students to write more and not think of writing as a chore.  I think the ability to use technology as a vehicle to help the reach the goal of writing.  Right now I am thinking that posterous.com would be a really great way to get kids to keep a visual journal with a few sentences or paragraph explanation. Or using some other site that would also be equally stimulating to get them to write.  A great site for online news stories that appeal to younger kids is TweenTribune.com.  Not only can kids read the stories, they can post their thoughts and respond to other comments.  All these tools have awesome potential...but the only wall I hit is the lack of available technology for my students.

I also like the ideas in the PresentationZen book.  I think all of the ideas make sense.  However, putting them into practice is a whole other thing.  There definitely is the temptation to sit down and do everything on the computer from the get go.   However, a lot is lost, too.   When you type, you can go back and delete whole sections that may have included a really good idea kernal that will never see fruition because it was deleted, never to be revisited.  I myself have beeing trying to do journaling everyday after my classes about how class went and what I can do to make it go better.  Sitting down and writing about the day, away from a screen is defiantly theraputic.  Especially when you're trying something new or teaching something new for the first time. It's that reflection time that is missing when I type that is the difference I think. I definitely think a little more before handwriting something then when I type something.  


Needless to say.... I'm excited to see where all of these new ideas and resources take me, and eventually my students and how they learn.

Digital Storytelling (CEDO 530 MEC AA 0034) Class #1

I am super excited for this class.  Thus far it seems to have serendipitously connected with several things I've been kicking around the back of my mind for awhile.  Ever since getting my mac and playing with some of the multi-media features, I've thought it would be fun to do some sort of video/photo/media projects with family photos, etc.
 I've also been thinking a lot about  oral story telling in general over the past couple of years, so I'm very excited about that aspect as well.
I am looking forward to learning more about the approaches discussed in Presentation Zen and applying them.  I also am looking forward to a new, creative way to present information in a away that isn't death by PowerPoint and actually have meaning.

Furthermore,  am excited to be working with new group members and having fun collaborating.  I think a lot is gained from collaboration when you can be creative and have fun while working on something in a fun way.

As for what I hope to accomplish, I want to turn some of my family photos and some of the zombie march event photos into digital stories that can then be used a examples for students.  I also hope to learn of new online resources that can assist in making the whole process easier from the technological tools aspect. I don't want to recreate the wheel if someone can share an easier way to achieve the same end.

Here's to a great class!  *clink*

Principles of Teaching and Learning & Me

     I found this article to be really interesting and several things jumped out at me.  First I will address the learner side of things and the particular points that jumped out at me.
     The first was point #2 How students organize knowledge influences how they learn and apply what they know.  I think this is a huge challenge in today's classroom. Kids today, I think, have shorter attention spans because of all the options available to them.  They have over 250 digital cable channels, MySpace, Facebook, millions of YouTube videos, downloadable content, online TV, streaming video and audio, MMORPGs, virtual battles with opponents half-way around the world.... and more.   I definitely think this affects how the learn, process and store information.  I imagine alot of their connections are more random connections than organized systems, especially for middle school children who are all about learning who they are and very social to boot.   This defiantly will have an impact on the classroom.
     I also found 4 and 5 about teaching the skills and then the students how to know when to use it challenging. I find perhaps to be the most challenging thing we do as teachers.  I especially think middle school is probably the hardest level because the kids are so social and all over the place.  Actually, looking back at the article now... pretty much all of them are so intertwined that I'm impressed the researcher was able to pull them apart and describe them so well.




     For the teaching piece, #4 (Effective teaching involves prioritizing the knowledge and skills we choose to focus on) is the one that strikes closest to home for me. I am teaching in a relatively new subject area for me and trying a lot of new things this year.   My school is trying making a big literacy push across the board.   I have been reading a lot of books and talking a lot with our school reading specialist.  My thing is how much to bite off this year... because I know I can't do it all and also struggling with the feeling like I should be doing more. 


    Additionally, my school is also making the switch to standards based grading (or really... shouldn't it be called assessment).  We all need to cover X amount of standards in each class in each grade.  This ties into the piece about having a universal set of expectations.  So while I think it's a great idea and I love it,  I'm still concerned about how it will all work.
  This is what I was thinking about after reading the article.  I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Enhancing Learning Materials Through Technology, Class 1

     Alrighty,  I'm really interested in this course now... not that I wasn't already.  But I am interested to see how a lot of the traditional paper items get translated to a digital format.  I know you can do KWL charts and venn diagrams on a computer but I'm more interested to learn about the impact those have vs. their paper counter parts.  
The only thing which will be more challenging for me this year is that my classroom doesn't have a smartboard, like 90% of the classrooms in the school.  Plus, as many of us already know, it's hard to get into the computer lab at times.
     I'm hoping to tie in what I learn in this class to my schools literacy push.  I think there is a lot of potential for taking what I have here and using in the classroom.  It should be a good class and I look forward to applying it as we learn applications.

Isle of the Dead

     So, the other day I am walking around Ikebukuro in Tokyo with a friend when I see a HUGE poster for Island of the Dead (Romero's Latest Film) advertising that it's playing in the theaters.  I thought to myself, "If I could find a theater today, I'd probably go see it.'
    A little later, my friend had to go and I still had another 4 hours to kill.  So I went back to look for a coffee shop so I could take a break, read my book and kill some time when I see the theater playing the movie.  I know that Island of the Dead came and went with out anyone realizing it was even made.  You had to be a fan to know anything about it.  Anyway , I forgot all about the coffee and immediately bought a ticket.
     The theater was small and I had a reserved seat. It was towards the back, but it wasn't an issue because I was going to get to see Romero's latest film.  I'm jazzed up.  While I'm sitting there, a young Japanese couple comes and sits behind me on my left.  The boyfriend starts talking to his girlfriend in a conversational tone and since I have nothing else to do, I'm half listening.  Then he says, "I always feel a little awkward watching movies with foreigners because the timing when they laugh at something is different (from when I do reading the subtitles). "  Seeing my window of opportunity I turned around and said, " You are soo right."  His girlfriend was the first to realize that I was a foreigner and she looked really surprised. It wasn't until after I comment again that I understood and he was right on that he realized that I was a foreigner.  Needless to say, he looked surprised and a little embarrassed because he hadn't seen me there when he was talking.
    After the initial shock, we talked a bit about zombies and I gave them both zombie stickers. After the film we even talked some about Zombie Land, which comes out here NEXT month.  Can you believe it?!!   Needless to say he was really jelous that I had not only seen it once but 5 times and had the DVD already.  We parted ways with him saying he'd find me on the internet.
    So, the moral of this story is always be careful of what you say.  You never know who is listening. That and there are really cool zombie fans all over the world.

How has this course helped me...

     Before taking this course, I have always thought of myself as being pretty tech-savvy and pretty geeky, too.  That being said, a lot of my friends are way geekier.  This course helped me catch up to their level of geekiness.
     I was familiar with many of the parts of a computer, but now I am definitely more confident with what they do and how they work together.  This class totally demystified building your own computer. I feel I could probably do that now by going back and watching the video Dave had posted about doing it, along with re-watching all of the student made videos.
     Up until now, I also kind of assumed that you couldn't home build a Mac, for whatever reason.  That I see now isn't true.  Not to mention the plethora of other operating systems available. While I tried a couple out, I still think I will stick with the two major OSs until another system like Unbuntu becomes a mainstream choice, more so than it is now.

     Overall, this class has filled in a lot of gaps in my knowledge. It was like pouring sand in the cracks of your driveway. I learned more about anti-virus protection and data-protection, adding to what I already knew.  Overall, I think the information I learned in this course will carry over to other technological decisions I need to make in the future, providing me with a better decision making process based more on my understanding vs. basing it all on reviews I have read.

Class #4 Parts is Parts

     This class was really interesting for me.  While I've always kinda known what parts of a computer do in a very general sense, I still always felt as though they were still too confusing. Now that is a different story.
     Now I feel as though I might actually be able to go out and make my own computer. It will be more of a hassle but is looking to be more of a challenge I may want to take on in the future.
 
     The presentations about each component, along with the video by Dave on how to build a PC has made it look a lot easier than I once first thought.  I've had friends who've made them, but they're also complete computer nerds.... so "easy" for them doesn't necessarily equate "easy" for me.
    I also completed the anti-virus research and the data back up plan in time for this class.  Those two assignments were very enlightening.   As a Mac user, I still need to worry about viruses, but not to the Nth degree like PC users.  However, as we Mac users get more and more mainstream, we have to start looking out for ourselves.  But, then again, a little common sense goes a long way in preventing viruses.

I don't have a lot to comment on this time, as my comments will be left with the presentations.  But this was one of the best classes for me.  I just may have to make myself a computer one of these days.

(I wonder how much cheaper or better it works out to be?)

What do I already know about computers?

     In the words of that great band 2NU, "This is ponderous."   I definitely have a long an interesting history with computers.  My next door naeighbor had a TI64 Computer.  I had a couple of different friends with Commadore 64 computers.  We mostly used them... or I should say I used them to play games.  I think a couple of my friends actually did do some simple basic programming.  Then, Apple IIe computers came out and my school got eight in our LMC with the "green screen".  I was even fortunate enough to convince my parents, along with my brother, to get an Apple IIe for home home with the amber screen.  Now we we cutting edge.   From there on out I've had pretty regular access to computers for word processing.
     Since high school I've used mostly PCs, with a Macs in graduate school and then more recently, so I feel pretty comfortable with my familiarity with computers.  That being said, there are somethings I would like to know more about.  I know that the higher the number when it comes to RAM, memory, storage space and processor speed is better.  I also know that a TB is bigger than a GB with is bigger than a MB, which is in turn bigger than a KB.  However, I'm not really sure of what all the numbers mean in comparison to each other when specking out a new piece of technology.   Is a 3.0 megahertz processor that much faster than a 2.4 megahertz processor? How much faster?   Or, how about RAM?  I know what it's function is.... but how much do I "need" for my computer to operate smoothly.  The same goes for graphics cards, etc.

      I generally know what I need, but I want to know the specifics on what those numbers mean, besides "larger number = good, small number = not so good".  I want to know more about the specifics needed for each type of computer (i.e. one for gaming vs. one for video editing) and what all of the various numbers mean in more concrete terms.  When I hear "faster", I want to know how much faster like when you talk about cars.  The don't say a Porche can  go 0~60 really fast..... faster than a Camery. They tell you exactly how many seconds.  I would like to learn more about those numbers and how fast they speed things up for the same process, like booting up or rendering video.

    Recently I had a talk with a co-worker about the changing roles of computers.  We were talking about the iPad vs buying a laptop.  My coworker commented on how she views the iPad as a way to make things portable.  Instead of hauling around a much larger laptop, it would be more conveinent. That got me to thinking.  As more and more things go onto the Internet and streaming, we may not need as much "power" per se'.  So, I am also interested in the various and changing roles technology is starting to take on.   I think this will also affect how we as teachers choose the technology we use in our classrooms.

My Computer History

     Let me think..... it seems like 1,000s of years have passed since I first touched a computer.  My school had Apple IIe computers with the really cool amber screens.  I even convinced my parents to get on for home, with a green screen, that we used mostly for games.  I never really got into the programing aspect.
     In college, I used computers for email and accessing the ISCA BBS.  If you don't know what a BBS is, think of an all text-based FaceBook with forums and instant messaging.   Ah.... those were the days. Oh...and I also used them for typing up papers for class. For me, word processing made my life a lot easier since I had bad handwriting and didn't like to write things by hand.
     When I moved to Japan, I used my computer to keep in touch with friends and create activities for my students.  It was during this time that I started dabbling with making webpages.  A friend of mine showed me some basic HTML and I started coding my own pages by hand and had a website.
     After moving back from Japan to start graduate school,  I continued to use my computer for word processing and the internet.  I also started a small internet store.  When I first started my store, I was still writing code until I discovered un time I was still hand coding until I discovered DreamWeaver.  Wow... that was an awesome discovery!  It made my life sooooo much easier.
     During graduate school, my whole Japanese department used Macs, so I ended up getting one as well out of necessity.  At this time I wasn't the rabid Mac fan that I am now.  
     After moving to Wisconsin to start my teaching of Japanese, I continued to use my PC to create learning activities for my students and do various things on the Internet.  Then, about 4 years ago, I attended the WAFLT conference where I saw a great presentation on various things that the newer Macs can do.  It blew me away, but I was still skeptical.  So I borrowed a coworkers Mac laptop for a couple of days to play with it.    Been a convert ever since.  I got my own Mac the following fall.

Since then,  I've used my Mac(s) everyday to create new things and have found some really cool programs to run on it.  I use it to make crosswords (using Crossword Forge), flashcards (iFlash), podcasts/listening activities (Garage Band) and "comics" using Comic LIfe.

I dabble with WordPress and ZenCart as well.  I don't know what I would do without my technology.  I incorporate it into my work, hobbies and free time.

Indocturnating the Unknowing

So, I have been using Google docs for awhile now.  This past week some colleagues and I were working on a list of students we needed to see for conferences.  The original idea was to send out an email to all of the 7th grade teachers and have them check  the names of the kids they wanted to see.   Not wanting to put whomever was going to be compiling all the data under the gun and behind about 20 different emails, all with different answers, said that I'd compile the list on Google docs and then we could all edit it there.
 So I made the list and send out the link.   Well, it worked out really slick I got some really good feedback about how it worked.  On teacher who isn't really tech savvy said that, "Even I could use it.  It was really easy."   So, hopefully with this success, I will slowly begin to convert some people over for when we have to do collaborative documents.

I was also talking to another teacher who lost their jump drive this week about Google docs and online storage ideas.  I do feel terrible for her because she lost the only copy of some of her homework she is doing for some classes she is taking.  Not cool.   But she did say she had a Google account and would be looking into all of the stuff I had showed her.

Class #2: What can I take to my classroom?

       Yesterday's  class had lots of things that I found would be useful for my student and for my classes.  Right now I am re-assessing what I've been doing in the classroom in general and already making notes for what I would like to do differently, and hopefully better, next year.  I want to get myself organized so I can start the year off using introducing technology I think is the most useful.
     At the beginning of the year, I had them all make Google accounts so that they could use Google docs.  Unfortunately,  most of them have forgotten their passwords.  I really believe Google docs is the way to go for them.  The problem is that we have to use so much time to set it up, or in this case, set it up again. But, again, if I spend more time at the beginning of the year doing this, by this time next year it won't be an issue.

    I also actually applied for a Diigo educator's account yesterday after reading a forum reply some one had written.  Then, after hearing people talk highly of it last night, I am sure that will be another thing I will incorporate along with re-discovering my Delicious account.
    Another thing I think would be useful is fur.ly (http://fur.ly) because it allows you to take several websites and create one, really short (but not very memorable) URL.  This could be used if you have several websites that you are related that you want your kids to go to. A great use, I think, would be to use it for web quests and making one for all of the sites they need to go to.

    Lastly is the issue of online storage.  Right now, I don't currently use or teach anything about these.  Google docs takes care of the majority of my storage needs.

   The one thing I don't like about all of this is that students (and teachers) will have more passwords and IDs to remember.  I really wish more places would use the "Open ID" or something that allows you to do more with out having to keep creating more things you need to remember.  That being said, putting all of your eggs in one basket could be bad if your master identity is stolen. That being said, that won't stop me from using any of this in my classroom.

What the Flock!?!

     Yesterday my group and I "got together" on TokBox and had a blast.  While the technology was a bit quirky at times, it more more than sufficient for our needs. We had a blast talking about the different browsers that we looked into.  We were all sort of surprised that Google's Chrome wasn't one of the ones we were asked to review.  I came away from that assignment with a new favorite browser, Opera. 
     One thing I thought of while we were talking and having grand ol' time is that taking this course online has HUGE advantages over the "traditional" students in the classroom.  Now, I don't know for sure how they do their classwork, but I can say with all of my classmates being far away, we definitely benefit from having to use the technology.  I'm sure they use it in the regular classes as well, but the need to use it isn't there.  I feel like I'm getting a better education for the same price.  Kinda like buying a pop from a machine and having two come out. 

Websites Worth Checking Out

The internet has a lot of stuff on it.  I would argue that a large percentage is irrelevant (to me) or is worthless.   However, amongst all of that stuff lie some real gems.

Here are some websites and programs I like and the reasons why.

http://quia.com   This site is great because it contains tons of teacher created online activities.  You don't need an account to use anything that has already been created. But if you get a membership, then it's extra cool. One of the features is the ability to copy an activity someone else has made over to your account. Once you've done that, you can edit and change it any way.  Plus, you can create classes and keep track of what your students are doing along with online quizzes and surveys.  It really is a cool site.  I fell in love with it during my 30-day free trial.  I suggest you give it a whirl!

http://spelllingcity.com  This is a site which has really cool spelling games that students can use online.  For free, you can create and save spelling lists for your students to use.  Some of the activities even have a print option, making worksheets.  How cool is that.   You can join the site and pay a fee... but I'm not sure what the benefits are as I've been happy with all of the free stuff.

Crosswordforge    This is a program that allows you to make crosswords and word searches.  I LOVE this program.  They have a free demo you can download.   For its price, it's a bargain.  I've had it for about two years now and use it all the time.

http://Bighugelabs.com  This website allows you to use your own photos to make motivatinal posters, trading cards, puzzles and more.  Check it out.

http://aviary.com   This site I haven't used much, but it is an online suite of photo/picture editing software.  There are some amazing things you can do here.  Just see what people have done.

This is all for now.

First Class on 3-3-2010

This was a fun class. It was quite the coincidence that I had a colleague who had just come back from a technology conference and told us about the Ning site today before class. Now that I've gotten a chance to see it, it definitely has a lot of potential.

Actually, a lot of the technology I have seen in general has lots of potential. The problem is being overwhelmed with it. Just because it's there, doesn't mean you have to use it.

An example of this for me would have to me Ning. While I think it has potential for use with study groups and other smaller organizations, I can't help but think, "Why not just use Facebook?" There are sooo many cool websites with cool stuff on them that if we joined them all, we would have a million IDs and passwords and no time to use them. Plus, the middle schoolers I work with already have Myspace accounts and I don't see them utilizing this feature as much as their other online accounts. I don't see this as being something I can immediately use at this time.

On the other hand, things like Googledocs are mana from the heavens for students. I know some of my students can never seem to keep anything for more than 24 hours without losing it. That even includes reports, essays and projects. They end up restarting multiple times. Going to this sort of document storage and word processing would definitely be a benefit to those kids. Also, the ability to work on their work from home if they have a computer, or access to one, is also huge. Unfortunately, the reality of my district is we are over a 50% poverty rate and not all students have access to technology from home.

So I definitely think as we go through this class, and more importantly, how we integrate that we need to keep in mind that all of these things we are learning about are cool tools, but that's all they are... tools. You don't need every tool for every job. Some tools may sit in the bottom of your toolbox and never be used.