Looking at my journey....

A few short months ago I was a little nervous about starting this class, TPTE 486, which focuses on technology in education.  I thought that I was pretty up to date on technology and that I knew enough about it to be successful in the classroom.  I was wrong!

Throughout the semester I have actually learned a lot about technology that I had no clue about prior to the class.  A big change for me that caught me off guard when the semester started was that we would be using iMacs in our class.  I had used Apple products in the past, but had somehow dodged ever using an Apple computer.  I had no idea how to do anything on them the first couple weeks of class and the entire semester has been a learning experience in this alone!  I have actually really enjoyed them and can see myself leaning towards macs in the future.

As I mistakenly thought, I was not quite as up to date on technology as I wanted to believe.  Out of all of the subjects we covered in class the only one that I knew that much about was digital images.  The rest of the things I have learned in class have been for the most part completely new!  I learned how to create websites, how to blog, all about using Web 2.0 tools, how to design and implement interactive whiteboard lessons, how to use a wiki, how to use iMovie, and how to make digital diagrams.  I am sure I am leaving out some of the topics we covered, but these are some of the high points.

All in all I have really enjoyed the class and that challenges that it provided.  While it was not easy, it was a really nice change from some of my other classes.  I love technology and this class strengthened my knowledge and love for technology.  Although it was fast-paced, it is great to look back and realize how much I have learned in a relatively short amount of time.  I never expected to learn this much or to enjoy this class to the extent that I did.  I cannot wait to get out into the classroom and use some of my newly gained knowledge on technology!  I feel as though I am prepared in this arena to do well with technology in the classroom.  I hope to be able to take more technology classes during my masters degree.  I am also considering looking into specialized fields and positions in education that focus on technology.

Web Authoring

(http://oktaweb.net/blog/world-wide-web)

During this semester we have been required to create a mock classroom website that would serve as a communication link with students and parents if we were already in the classroom.  We used Google Sites to make our websites and I have to say that it has been a really positive experience.  I always looked at web authoring as being really complex and difficult to do, but this has not been the case with Google sites.

Google sites allows the user to create their site with a pre-made layout and design that makes your website come together really nicely.  After creating the site and choosing a them you simply create and edit individual pages.  The editing process works a lot like an on-line word processor and I feel as though just about anyone could do it with little trouble.

Back in August I created my site on Google Sites and have been working on it periodically ever since.   Originally I created all of the pages that I would be making and left them blank to come back and finish later.  Slowly I have finished them as we have completed projects throughout the semester.  Now, my site is nearly finished and has come together quite nicely.  It features a section about the teacher (myself), a supplies section, a resources section with interesting websites for students, pages that display my tech projects, and a page that shows examples of completed Web 2.0 projects.

I think that the experience of using Google Sites and making a classroom website will be very valuable in the near future.  When I finish school and go out into the classroom I think I will already be comfortable with creating my own classroom site and will already have some good resources that I can put onto it.  Who knows, I may even be able to edit this page and actually use it as my classroom site.  Either way I know that I will be equipped to communicate with my students and parents online.  

I am posting a link to my classroom site below so check it out and leave me your thoughts!

https://sites.google.com/site/mrbrownselementaryclassroom/

Public Library Digital Story

Our final technology project for the semester was to create a digital story that we could use in the classroom.  I chose to create a digital story about how to use a public library by doing a virtual tour of my local library.  I started by going to the Clyde W. Roddy in Dayton, TN, and taking photographs of all of the different sections that the library has, and then taking pictures illustrating how to search for books, find them, and check them out.  I then designed a project around these images and created a digital story using iMovie software.  With this software I was able to organize the photos, use transitions, add captions and caption slides, and add music.  After planning the whole thing out well it was really easy to create on iMovie.

After creating a digital story of my own I see how useful they could be in the classroom.  It would be a great way for start off the school year by showing them one about your own life and then having them to create one about their own lives.  It could also be used by students to create book reports.  Teachers could also use it various different ways to teach new material in a different fashion.  Although I used iMovie on a Mac for my project, Windows Movie Maker is a similar program that comes on Windows computers that can be used in the same way.  I have used it in the past and it works in the same way with similar end results.  I think that either program could be easily used by older elementary students to create short videos.  I look forward to making use of digital stories in my future classroom.

Digital Diagrams

An image of my Digital Diagram on the Four Seasons

This week we have we worked on and completed our Digital Diagrams assignment.  For this assignment we used the Inspiration software to create our own Digital Diagrams.  This is a great program that is really easy to use.  I was able to create my own diagram with little time and little trouble.  The program is very straightforward and simple to understand.

Not only is the program easy to understand, but so are the diagrams built on it.  The program includes multipe different personalization options for diagrams and a little creativity can go a long way.  After consulting TN state standards and finding a text book I chose to do my diagram on the four seasons.  This is part of the second grade science content in Tennessee.  This was a really good choice to use for this project.  With Seasons as the main point on the diagram it was easy to branch off into the four seasons and then to describe each season with a few important aspects of them.  I was able to make mine attractive by using a dark grey background behind bright colors that pop really well against the grey.  This makes the diagram really stand out, and also makes it easy to read.  For better understanding I added notes to a couple of the text bubbles.  I also added an image to represent each season and added arrows that show the order of the seasons.  

I really enjoyed this project.  I was able to create a professional looking diagram in a short amount of time.  It literally took me more time to think of a topic and gather my information than it did to make the diagram.  I can see how this tool could be really useful in my future classroom.  I think elementary students could definitely benefit from diagrams that will increase their understanding.  Since diagrams are usually simple they allow for a wonderful introduction to a topic, yet still leave it open to build on the basics.  I hope to get the chance to use this tool more in the future.

Storybird

This week my group and I were able to teach the class how to use a very useful Web 2.0 Tool, Storybird.  Storybird is a tool that allows you to create virtual storybooks online.  The stories can then be looked at on the site with computers or other digital devices, or print versions can be ordered and mailed to the creator.  The stories can also be shared online.

Considering that my group was made up of elementary teacher education students we all found the tool to be really useful.  We enjoyed learning how to use and teaching the class to use it.  We all thought that are lesson went quite well.  We split up the task between the three of us and each took turns talking to the class while the others walked around the class and made sure everyone was staying on task.  Our students followed our directions really well and kept up with the lesson.

Selden started out our presentation by introducing the class to the tool and telling them about it.  She then showed them an example Storybird.  She also made sure made sure that everyone had created their accounts as we had instructed a few days before, and that everyone was logged in and ready to work.  I then took over and guided them through the process of creating a Storybird.  Emily finished up the presentation by telling the class the uses, strengths, and weaknesses of the tool.

I thought the whole group did a great job of presenting, and really felt that our preparation had made for a successful lesson.  I think we got our points across quite nicely.  Storybird is a great and useful tool, especially for Elementary teachers.  We were able to teach them how to create their own Storybirds, and how to publish and share them.  Most importantly we were able to tell them how they could use it, and what limitations that it had.  Without adequate preparation and research on the tool we could not have done this.  I hope that our class is able to take advantage of this tool in the future!

Interactive White Boards

http://www.princetonacademy.org/weblogs/news/archives/2010_07.html

Aside from using the Promethean board in our classroom as a projection screen we really had not used it very much until this week.  This week we started to learn how to use the Promethean board, and other interactive white boards, to their full potential.  We have learned what an interactive smart board is and how useful it can be in the classroom.

Interactive white boards are more than just normal projectors for duplicating what is happening on a computer screen.  With an interactive white board the board becomes the computer and allows you do to many cool things!  You can use an interactive white board with any program on a computer and use it to project the image on the large screen and then use the pen as the mouse and navigate the computer without having to go back and forth to the computer.  You can also use the software that comes with the board and create interactive presentations.

In our work with the Promethean boards we are using ActivInspire software to create presentations.  With this software we are learning how to make interactive presentations.  It works a lot like Powerpoint, but has many more features and options that make it interactive.  With this program you can create elements on the individual slides that move or change with input.  This makes it an especially valuable teaching tool.  Teachers are able to call students to the board and let them interact and answer questions on the presentation.  The students may find the answer by erasing a certain portion of the slide, moving an object to uncover the answer, or they can sort items that the teacher has on the slide.

When it comes to using an interactive white board in the classroom the possibilities are really unlimited.  When used with the correct software they can be implemented into a classroom in ways that will benefit both the students and the teacher.  They are becoming more and more common in classrooms, and it is likely that most schools have some sort of interactive white boards in them to some capacity.  The boards are such a useful tool that it is hard to imagine going back to a classroom that only has a chalkboard or dry erase board.    I hope that by learning about interactive white boards now I will be better prepared to use them in my future classroom, and may even be able to help other teachers that are not taking full advantage of the boards in their classes.

Digital Images

(Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/heritagefutures/5819962079)

Over the last few weeks we have been learning about and then working with digital images.  Digital images are something that most of us work with quite often but do not put much thought into.  I have definitely learned a lot about them that I did not know.  I knew of the different ways to get digital images, but I did not know the importance of copyright on pictures that are found online.  I knew that pictures were resizeable and were of different formats, but I learned what these sizes and formats actually meant.  I feel that this better understanding of digital images will help me greatly when I get into the classroom.

One of the first things we discussed about digital images was how to obtain them.  The best way is of course to take an image with your own digital camera or phone.  You can also get a digital image by scanning another picture through a scanner, using a webcam, or by from an image sharing source.  If you take a picture yourself you never have to worry about whether or not you are breaking copyright by using that image.  It is yours and you are free to use it as much as you want and in any place that you want.  If your scanning pictures you need to be careful to avoid scanning an image that is copyrights that would restrict its use.  A webcam is sufficient for obtaining images of oneself but their quality is not good enough for most purposes.  An image sharing source can be a great way to get images, but again one must use caution when doing this.  There are dedicated sights that allow one to download images free of cost, giving you the rights to use that picture.  An example is Flickr Creative Commons.  You can also obtain disks such as the Big Box of Art that contain hundreds of images for you to use.  For in classroom educational purposes images can also be taken from Google images, or any other website for that matter, but one must be really careful in doing so.  You do not actually have the rights to use these images for any purpose outside of face to face teaching.  You cannot post them in a project online or edit them in any way.

Resizing a digital image can make a big difference in how much space it takes on a disk and how long it takes to load, but may not make a noticeable difference in its quality.  For example, an image that is going to be used on the internet does not have to be in a high resolution or of great size.  It needs to only have a 72 revolution, which means 72 square pixels per inch of the image.  For printing an image out a resolution much higher is appropriate.  By making images smaller for the internet they take less time to load for the user.  I also learned about the different formats in which images come.  Many images are in the JPEG format, which is usually the default format of most cameras.  These images are good for posting online and for printing.  There are also GIF, PNG, and TIFF files that all have their uses on the web.  GIF and PNG are only for small web images, whereas TIFF files are very large and are for web and print based projects.  There is also another important difference between some images.  Raster images, those that are taken by cameras and consist of pixels, can distort when being resized.  Vector images, images that are created in drawing programs, can be stretched and shrunk continuously without distortion.

By spending some time learning about digital images I feel as though it better prepares me for being an educator.  I will be better equipped when working with images and will know which format I need, how to resize it, and the copyright restrictions associated with it.  I will also be able to help my students in obtaining their own images for projects.  Lastly, I will be able to use images in teaching that will help promote understanding and interest for my students.