I am really excited about this digital storytelling class. The Presentation Zen book is fabulous! If I follow Reynolds' advice, I think that my presentations will become more streamlined and effective. I have always been someone who loves to talk, and can get off topic easily. The strategies offered in Presentation Zen are already useful to me as I begin to plan for the quickly approaching school year!
VoiceThread is another application that I hope to use in my classroom this year. My freshmen will be doing a project on immigration, and I think that VoiceThread will be an awesome way for them to present their material. I especially like the fact that they can have someone record from the phone. It might be a way that they can get their (great) grandparents to collaborate on their projects!!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
530 Week 1: Take 2
The past few weeks have been really busy. After teaching middle school German for the last five years, I am moving on to the high school level. I will be teaching freshman US History, as well as junior/senior sociology. I am very excited to begin my new position, and I think that this digital storytelling class has come at the right time!
I used powerpoint in my German classes fairly effectively. But, I have concerns about my use of presentations in my social studies classes. I think that it would be very easy to load up powerpoints with words, and try to talk over what is up on the screen. The Presentation Zen book has really made me re-think how I want to present my new material.
My brother and I were both at our parents' house this weekend to attend the wedding of a family friend. I had Presentation Zen out, and my dad assumed that it was my brother's! Tom has a degree in industrial engineering, and works as a consultant. My dad assumed, without really thinking, that the book had to be my brother's. It never crossed his mind that I used presentations while teaching!
I used powerpoint in my German classes fairly effectively. But, I have concerns about my use of presentations in my social studies classes. I think that it would be very easy to load up powerpoints with words, and try to talk over what is up on the screen. The Presentation Zen book has really made me re-think how I want to present my new material.
My brother and I were both at our parents' house this weekend to attend the wedding of a family friend. I had Presentation Zen out, and my dad assumed that it was my brother's! Tom has a degree in industrial engineering, and works as a consultant. My dad assumed, without really thinking, that the book had to be my brother's. It never crossed his mind that I used presentations while teaching!
Monday, August 10, 2009
530: Digital Storytelling Week 1
I am really excited to learn more about digital storytelling!! So far, I have really enjoyed taking so many pictures, and I think I that my picture taking skills will improve. I also found Presentation Zen to be very informative. I have been guilty of zoning out during others' presentations, and it caused me to rethink the presentations I give to my students. I put too many words on my slides, and include cheesy graphics at times.
After looking at others blogs this week, I am intrigued by Danelle's use of Glogster. I wonder how I can include it in my classroom!
After looking at others blogs this week, I am intrigued by Danelle's use of Glogster. I wonder how I can include it in my classroom!
Friday, July 31, 2009
525 Final Reflection:
After taking this course, I realize that I could improve my teaching by providing more feedback and reinforcement. I think that I provide feedback. But, I think that it could be more thorough and timely. When prioritizing what I need to get done on any given day, I make sure that I have a dynamic lesson planned. A great lesson is the best classroom management strategy I have found. So, at the end of the day, I sometimes do not take time to offer as much feedback as I should.
In addition to feedback, it is also important to recognize students for their efforts. This coming school year, I would like to display more student work in my room. In addition, I need to remember how much secondary students enjoy stickers and stamps. A little scratch and sniff sticker can make even teenage boys smile!
After taking this course, I realize that I could improve my teaching by providing more feedback and reinforcement. I think that I provide feedback. But, I think that it could be more thorough and timely. When prioritizing what I need to get done on any given day, I make sure that I have a dynamic lesson planned. A great lesson is the best classroom management strategy I have found. So, at the end of the day, I sometimes do not take time to offer as much feedback as I should.
In addition to feedback, it is also important to recognize students for their efforts. This coming school year, I would like to display more student work in my room. In addition, I need to remember how much secondary students enjoy stickers and stamps. A little scratch and sniff sticker can make even teenage boys smile!
Monday, July 13, 2009
525 Week 3: Graphic Organizers
This week, I looked at Exploratree, bubbl.us, and Inspiration. I thought that each of these three programs were quite easy to use, but there were distinct advantages to each. I really liked the extensive pre-made templates that existed at Exploratree. Students sometimes have issues deciding how pieces of information relate to each other. Exploratree tries to simplify the entering and connecting of information through its templates. It is also web-based, which makes it especially easy to get started!
I also liked Inspiration, a program that I use with my seventh graders. It is user-friendly, and there are two features that I especially like. The first is that it is extremely easy to switch from the concept mapping view to an outline. (I had my students make webs, and then give speeches from their outlines.) The second thing that I really like about Inspiration is that it is very easy to add additional "notes" to further clarify points. One of the drawbacks to Inspiration is that the user needs to pay after the free trial, and it needs to be downloaded to a computer, as opposed to being completely web-based.
The program that I liked the best was bubbl.us. It is web-based, and does not have to be downloaded. Students can share documents by giving others full access, or read-only access. The relational terminology (sibling/child/parent) is easy for students to understand. And, it is easy to turn the sound, background, and other effects on and off easily.
I mentioned that I have used Inspiration in the past. However, I am interested in looking into bubbl.us further. I think it could be an even better resource than Inspiration.
I also liked Inspiration, a program that I use with my seventh graders. It is user-friendly, and there are two features that I especially like. The first is that it is extremely easy to switch from the concept mapping view to an outline. (I had my students make webs, and then give speeches from their outlines.) The second thing that I really like about Inspiration is that it is very easy to add additional "notes" to further clarify points. One of the drawbacks to Inspiration is that the user needs to pay after the free trial, and it needs to be downloaded to a computer, as opposed to being completely web-based.
The program that I liked the best was bubbl.us. It is web-based, and does not have to be downloaded. Students can share documents by giving others full access, or read-only access. The relational terminology (sibling/child/parent) is easy for students to understand. And, it is easy to turn the sound, background, and other effects on and off easily.
I mentioned that I have used Inspiration in the past. However, I am interested in looking into bubbl.us further. I think it could be an even better resource than Inspiration.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
525 Week 2
The Brookhart article on providing effective student feedback made several good points. It talked about providing timely feedback that how to decide how much feedback to provide. As a German teacher, I often struggle with wanting to correct every misspelling or grammar error. Students need encouragement, as well as direction. I do not want them to be discouraged by the amount of minor corrections I make. So, I try to point out mistakes that were made by many to the class, and then focus on showing individual students the mistakes that they made above and beyond those I already shared.
I liked the two examples of feedback that the author shared. However, I think it is very important to consider the amount of time that teachers have to provide feedback. With 200 students, it is not always possible to write an entire page of feedback. Is timely feedback, with the option of individual meetings more important than writing a page for each student?
I really like using RubiStar to create rubrics. They offer some premade rubrics, and their drop down menus are very user friendly. I often find a rubric that is close to what I am looking for, and then I am able to customize quite easily. And, I am able to save the rubric online, so that I can come back to it, and change it as necessary.
One of the Spanish teachers at my school uses Quia, and she really likes it. She particularly likes that the students can quiz themselves using the flashcards and matching activities. Additionally, she has the option of assessing online, and the potential to spend far less time grading quizzes and tests. However, she mainly uses it as a review tool for her students, giving them extra practice outside of class.
As much as I would like to use online assessments, I have concerns about the logistics. It is not always possible to get into the computer labs, and not all of our students have computer access at home. There is a teacher at my school who uses Moodle for the vast majority of his assignments, and the students who do not have computers at home must use school computers during study hall or lunch. He also encourages his students to take advantage of the computers at the public library.
I will continue to use RubiStar for my performance based assessments. And, I could see myself using Quia as a supplement for students to have extra practice at home. I have used Moodle in the past, and I do not think that using Quia as an additional assessment tool is necessary.
I liked the two examples of feedback that the author shared. However, I think it is very important to consider the amount of time that teachers have to provide feedback. With 200 students, it is not always possible to write an entire page of feedback. Is timely feedback, with the option of individual meetings more important than writing a page for each student?
I really like using RubiStar to create rubrics. They offer some premade rubrics, and their drop down menus are very user friendly. I often find a rubric that is close to what I am looking for, and then I am able to customize quite easily. And, I am able to save the rubric online, so that I can come back to it, and change it as necessary.
One of the Spanish teachers at my school uses Quia, and she really likes it. She particularly likes that the students can quiz themselves using the flashcards and matching activities. Additionally, she has the option of assessing online, and the potential to spend far less time grading quizzes and tests. However, she mainly uses it as a review tool for her students, giving them extra practice outside of class.
As much as I would like to use online assessments, I have concerns about the logistics. It is not always possible to get into the computer labs, and not all of our students have computer access at home. There is a teacher at my school who uses Moodle for the vast majority of his assignments, and the students who do not have computers at home must use school computers during study hall or lunch. He also encourages his students to take advantage of the computers at the public library.
I will continue to use RubiStar for my performance based assessments. And, I could see myself using Quia as a supplement for students to have extra practice at home. I have used Moodle in the past, and I do not think that using Quia as an additional assessment tool is necessary.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
525 Week 1
I really appreciated the straightforwardness and layout of the Teaching and Learning Principles. The first thing that struck me in the teaching principles was how important it is to know what your objectives are, and make sure that what you are presenting, as well as asking the students to produce, match those objectives. Six or seven years ago, when I first learned about setting measurable objectives, I did not realize how important they would be. After five years of teaching, I now realize how helpful it is to me to have a very clear map of where I am going. I leave room for detours throughout the unit, but having a clear picture in my mind, as well as in my students' minds has been invaluable.
The fourth teaching point involves prioritizing what is truly important for the students to know. I am currently teaching first graders German during a summer enrichment class. I only have a total of 12 hours in two weeks to teach them about the German culture and language. It seems obvious to me, with such little time, what I want to focus on. However, it is not always so obvious in my classroom. With much more time, and much more to cover, it is more difficult to prioritize what I need to cover. There are many things which dictate what I need to cover, and I am so concerned with getting through all of the material, that I end up plowing through grammar and vocabulary for the first three quarters of the year. Once I know that I am through a sizeable chunk of material, I take a deep breath and include more culture. My eighth graders seem to really appreciate the "break" at the end of the year. When their other teachers are scurrying to complete district outcomes, my students are doing skits and talking about daily life in Germany.
I really liked the seventh teaching point, which focuses on flexibility. There are so many teachers who plan out their units day by day, and then refuse to divert from their master plan. It is so important that teachers remain flexible in what they are teaching, and re-teach if necessary!
The first learning point on prior knowledge is really important for me to remember. I teach seventh and eighth graders, who sometimes think they are coming in with more knowledge than they already have. I need to remember to ask questions to assess prior knowledge and make sure to clear up any misconceptions that they have!
The Waxman article looked intimidating at first. I managed to get through college without ever taking a stats class. (I started college in chemical engineering, and then switched to German and Political Science, going back to school for my teaching certification after spending a year teaching in Germany.) I understand that it is difficult to obtain recent data. However, when hypothesising about ever-changing technology, it is important to use the most current data available. So, I was shocked, when I got to page 14.
"A final limitation of our study relates to the recentness of the review. Although we were interested in recent applications of technology, a few of the studies included in the meta-analysis stated that their article was based on projects completed in the early 1990s. In other words, even though we chose only articles that were published within the last five years, some of those articles are still based on technology (i.e., software and hardware) that is nearly a decade old."
The authors are citing technology studies from the early 1990s. So much has changed in the world of technology in the past 15+ years. It causes me to question the validity of the paper as I read it in 2009.
Is there anything that can be done about this problem? Surely, the researchers would like the most up to date, relevant, accurate information. But, in the fields of technology and on-line learning, what can they do to ensure more reliable, current, information?
After reading the first three chapters of Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, I was reminded how much I love using RubiStar with my students. It is a great tool to create clear rubrics for my middle schoolers. I can create the rubric, and then hand it out the same day that I present the assignment. I have had much success using it in my classroom. It provides clear expectations for my students, and then I have them self-assess before I grade their work. It has really taken the surprise for some of them out of their grades! I had them grade their work using the rubric, prior to my grading it. Then, I asked them what grade they think they should receive. A few students whose rubrics showed a 70% said that they should earn "A's," but the vast majority of students graded themselves close to how I graded them! RubiStar was a great tool, that I use in my classroom to create clear expectations and minimize surprises!
The fourth teaching point involves prioritizing what is truly important for the students to know. I am currently teaching first graders German during a summer enrichment class. I only have a total of 12 hours in two weeks to teach them about the German culture and language. It seems obvious to me, with such little time, what I want to focus on. However, it is not always so obvious in my classroom. With much more time, and much more to cover, it is more difficult to prioritize what I need to cover. There are many things which dictate what I need to cover, and I am so concerned with getting through all of the material, that I end up plowing through grammar and vocabulary for the first three quarters of the year. Once I know that I am through a sizeable chunk of material, I take a deep breath and include more culture. My eighth graders seem to really appreciate the "break" at the end of the year. When their other teachers are scurrying to complete district outcomes, my students are doing skits and talking about daily life in Germany.
I really liked the seventh teaching point, which focuses on flexibility. There are so many teachers who plan out their units day by day, and then refuse to divert from their master plan. It is so important that teachers remain flexible in what they are teaching, and re-teach if necessary!
The first learning point on prior knowledge is really important for me to remember. I teach seventh and eighth graders, who sometimes think they are coming in with more knowledge than they already have. I need to remember to ask questions to assess prior knowledge and make sure to clear up any misconceptions that they have!
The Waxman article looked intimidating at first. I managed to get through college without ever taking a stats class. (I started college in chemical engineering, and then switched to German and Political Science, going back to school for my teaching certification after spending a year teaching in Germany.) I understand that it is difficult to obtain recent data. However, when hypothesising about ever-changing technology, it is important to use the most current data available. So, I was shocked, when I got to page 14.
"A final limitation of our study relates to the recentness of the review. Although we were interested in recent applications of technology, a few of the studies included in the meta-analysis stated that their article was based on projects completed in the early 1990s. In other words, even though we chose only articles that were published within the last five years, some of those articles are still based on technology (i.e., software and hardware) that is nearly a decade old."
The authors are citing technology studies from the early 1990s. So much has changed in the world of technology in the past 15+ years. It causes me to question the validity of the paper as I read it in 2009.
Is there anything that can be done about this problem? Surely, the researchers would like the most up to date, relevant, accurate information. But, in the fields of technology and on-line learning, what can they do to ensure more reliable, current, information?
After reading the first three chapters of Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, I was reminded how much I love using RubiStar with my students. It is a great tool to create clear rubrics for my middle schoolers. I can create the rubric, and then hand it out the same day that I present the assignment. I have had much success using it in my classroom. It provides clear expectations for my students, and then I have them self-assess before I grade their work. It has really taken the surprise for some of them out of their grades! I had them grade their work using the rubric, prior to my grading it. Then, I asked them what grade they think they should receive. A few students whose rubrics showed a 70% said that they should earn "A's," but the vast majority of students graded themselves close to how I graded them! RubiStar was a great tool, that I use in my classroom to create clear expectations and minimize surprises!
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