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.

ABC Scavenger Hunt on a Picasa Web Album

This is the Picasa Web Album with the images from the scavenger hunt that my group completed. Our task was to do the ABC Scavenger Hunt by finding things on campus that went along with letters A-L of the alphabet. I think the images and the album turned out quite nicely. Tell me what you think!

Digital Scavenger Hunt

As part of this weeks lessons we did scavenger hunts!  When I heard that we were doing scavenger hunts I was really excited because I love scavenger hunts!  We split up into teams by content area to complete our hunts.  My team had four different Elementary options for the scavenger hunt project. We chose the ABC project.  With this we went out onto campus and searched for things that began with the letters of the alphabet.  We then photographed one object for each letter.

When first looking at the projects I thought that this would be a relatively simple scavenger hunt, but I was a little surprised at how hard it was to come up with objects for some of the letters.  B, for example, was really easy.  We instantly thought of bricks, bicycles, and a few other things that started with B.  Other letters such as I and K took a little more creativity.  After dwelling on what we were going to do for these letters we realized that two really good options were already in our pockets: the iPhone and Keys! All in all it was a really fun project and was a nice change from setting in the classroom and working on the computes the whole time.

To continue our scavenger hunt project we are now going to take our images that we collected and edit them, and then put them into a Picasa Web Album and into a Google Presentation.  Using a presentation we could help children learn and polish their ABC's and letter sounds by showing them things that begin with those letters.  Collecting images and making a presentation could be helpful for teaching many different things to children of all ages across all of the subject areas.

Using similar techniques we could use scavenger hunts with our future students.  While younger children would have a hard time splitting up into groups and doing one, a teacher could take the whole classroom on a tour through their city with a scavenger hunt in mind.  When I was in the 3rd grade my teacher took us out on a walking tour of our city and made a local field trip out of the day.  She gave us questions to answer and things to look for as we did our tour.  I remember really enjoying this because I learned things that I never knew about the place I lived.  I remember taking a disposable camera with me and taking pictures of things that I thought were interesting.  I believe that I could do something similar with my future class.

Wordle

As we continue to learn about Web 2.0 tools our groups have started to teach the entire class about specific tools.  This week one of the groups taught the rest of the class about Wordle.  Wordle is a Web 2.0 tool that allows one to make a word cloud of their own words, and then print it out or save it to their computer.

I had previously used Wordle several years ago, but was not very familiar with it and did not know how advanced that it could be.  In the above image I made a simple word cloud of the vocabulary words of the water cycle.  Using some of the tips from class I made "The Water Cycle" stay together and made it larger than the other words.  And then, I was able to make the more important words a little larger than the least important words.  Using the randomize tool I was able to go through various designs until I found a layout that I liked.  I then finished it off by changing the colors.

Wordle is a tool that could be used in many different ways in the classroom.  Teachers could make word clouds of vocabulary words or key words from a specific lesson.  They could also let their students make their wordles that included the main points of a book or lesson, or maybe as a get-to-know assignment in which the students made a wordle that included some references to their favorite things.  I believe the possibilities are really endless.  I think students would enjoy using this tool, and that teachers could come up with many different ways to incorporate it into their classrooms.d

A Closer Look at Web 2.0 Tools

We all rely on the internet quite a bit.  We use it to stay connected, look up information, entertain ourselves, and work.  This week we have been looking at Web 2.0 tools in class.  These are tools that allow a user to create a project or a task completely on the internet without using a separate program downloaded to the computer.  The great thing about Web 2.0 Tools is that they are accessible from almost anywhere and they are for the most part free.  You can start working on something on one computer and then go back and complete it on a different computer thousands of miles away, all without having to have some sort of special program.  All you need is the internet.  To better understand tools we were put into groups that were assigned different tools to research.  Some of these included Google Docs, Pixlr, and Wordle.  My group was assigned to research Strorybird.

A screen shot of my Storybird in progress.

Storybird is a tool that allows users to look at and read virtual storybooks.  It can be used by anyone, but could prove especially useful in the classroom.  Besides being able to read virtual storybooks you can also create your own!  You find artwork that you like on their website and then draft a story around that image, using other pictures from the same artist to complete your story.  Once you choose one image the tool automatically gives you images from the same artist that will go along well with the one you chose so that you can make multiple pages.

I really enjoyed getting to learn how to use Storybird, and am excited about being able to teach my class about it in a few weeks.  I am in the process of completing my first story and am having a lot of fun with it!  As a future elementary teacher I see Storybird as a valuable tool that I could use in my classroom.  I could find stories that relate to something I am teaching, or make my own that would be customized to my class.  Students could also search for Storybirds that they would enjoy, or get creative and make their own!

Inquiry Based Lessons

During the last couple of weeks we have used and learned about inquiry based lessons.  This is a lesson in which students are given an assignment, on a worksheet or wiki website, that directs them to go to a website(s) and research a specific topic.  Then from their research they apply what they learned and answer the questions on the assignment.  Through this they are using technology and are learning how to research, all while learning about a specific topic that they need to learn about.

We were first introduced to inquiry based lessons last week when we worked in groups and completed an assignment given to us by our professor.  For our project we had to research a specific gemstone and answer a few questions after our research.  We then compiled our answers and put them into a classroom wiki so that we could share them with the rest of the class.  In this way we all learned about all of the gemstones because we could look at everyone's responses to their questions about their gemstones.

Our next task in working with inquiry based lessons was making one that we could use with students.  To do so we were required to research state grade level standards for a topic of our choice, look at a textbook that  showed what we were supposed to teach to students about that topic in a way that was on their level, and find a website that our students could use for their research that lined up well with the standards from the state and the textbook.  We then would make a worksheet that directed the students to go to this site and research their topic so that they could answer the questions on the assignment.

I chose to do my inquiry based lesson on the water cycle.  I really enjoyed making the lesson and looking through the standards and the textbook.  I had never had the chance to look at state standards so this was a new experience for me as well.  Luckily I picked a topic that was easily researched on the internet so finding a good website that worked well with the assignment was not a hard task.  For my assignment I had the students to use this one site and then answer five simple questions about the water cycle in complete sentences.  Although it was pretty simple, and would not take very much time, I feel it would be a great project for fourth graders.  They could learn about an important topic that happens around them everyday, all while learning to research using the internet.

In general, I really like the concept of the inquiry based lesson.  I feel it will be a valuable classroom tool when I get my own classroom.  It would be a really good way to introduce a topic to students before diving deeper into it.  I also feel as though the students would enjoy it more than just being taught about it on the board or reading about it in their textbook.

Using WebQuests in the Classroom

In class this week we learned about using WebQuests.  I had never heard of a WebQuest and knew nothing about them.  A WebQuest is an inquiry based activity in which students go to a specific WebQuest on the internet that guides them through a project in which they research information on the internet.  They then use this information to do some sort of a project.  Teachers can make their own WebQuest to be used by their students, or they can use one that has been created and shared here.

From the few WebQuests that I have had the chance to look at this week, I can already tell that they would be very useful in the classroom.  We spent some time this week critiquing WebQuests and finding ones that encouraged group work and higher-level thinking, used time wisely, and made good use of technology.  These are all very important criteria for a WebQuest because without any one of these a project can quickly turn into a waste of time.  I was assigned the task of looking over several WebQuests and checking to see how technology was used in them.  I was glad to see that most of them had the students to use multiple programs and activities on the internet to complete their projects.

Looking forward to my future classroom I hope I am able to incorporate WebQuests into my lessons.  They seem like a really good way for students to learn while taking advantage of all of the good information found on the internet.  With the amount of WebQuests already made and shared on the web there are endless possibilities of lessons across all of the subjects that can be incorporated into a classroom.  I really like the WebQuest format because it allows for the students to gather and use information on the internet, yet it still gives them specific guidelines and instructions for doing so.  I especially think I could use them as tools in Science and Social Studies to get students to dive in and learn about the world around them.

Evaluating a Website

As part of this weeks activities we were required to each choose a website that could be used for educational purposes, and then evaluate it.  We evaluated the site to see how useful it would be in the classroom.  We looked at different aspects of the sites including what types of plug ins were needed, how easy it was to contact the site, how credible the authors and publishers are, how easy it is to navigate, and how it can be used by students.

For my evaluation I chose www.nationalgeographic.com.  By evaluating it using the above criteria and other aspects I found it to be very educational and useful in the classroom.  It could easily by used by anyone wanting to learn about the natural world, with special sections dedicated to various topics including a section for kids and one for education.

The process of evaluating the site was something that I had never done before and included questions that I had never really considered when checking out a website.  I had never considered website accessibility or the fact that some sites have special features integrated that allow for people with disabilities to use them better.  I had also never thought of the importance of knowing what plugins a sight uses.  By doing this activity I am better equipped to find websites that are usable in the classroom because I better understand some of the requirements that websites need to meet to be good educational tools.

My Expectations for TPTE 486

Welcome to my blog for Theory/Practice in Teacher Education 486!

The last few weeks have been exciting, yet busy, as I have started back to school for another semester.  It seems as though I am having the hardest time getting back into the swing of getting up and coming to class everyday!  This semester I am starting to take my first education classes after being admitted into the Elementary Education program.  I am taking two of them: TPTE 486 and REED 430.  In both of these classes I will be blogging.  This is new for me as I have never done it before.  It already looks like it is going to be a technology filled semester as I have already had to make my own webpage, work in wikis, make two blogs, and begin to use twitter for one my History courses.  With my long reading lists for all of my classes it is sometimes hard to find time to get on the web and work on all of these new things, but it is a nice change and something that I enjoy.

I look forward to learning more and more about technology as the semester goes on.  I think I will really like blogging, and may even get into doing a blog for something that is not school related.  I cannot wait to learn about all of the different ways in which technology can be incorporated into my future classroom in the years to come.  As it is ever changing, I hope this class gives me an even better foundation for learning and using tools on the web.

As mentioned above one of my first projects was to create a website.  Take a look at it!