The most interesting assignment this week was reading up on microblogging. I do have a facebook account, but I have held off on signing up for Twitter for some time now. I do update my status on facebook a couple of times a week, but sometimes I wonder about those who must update theirs multiple times a day. This became a problem for me when a "friend" from high school, someone I had not talked to in nearly a decade, befriended me. I was fine with being her facebook friend, but she updates her status ten times a day. We barely spoke after freshman year in high school, and frankly, I am not concerned about what shows she is watching on television.
So, I decided that I was not someone who was going to Tweet. Honestly, my life is not so interesting that my friends need to know about the awesome dinner I just made. And, when it does get intersting, I update my facebook status! At this point, I don't see a need for me to microblog, either personally or professionally. Perhaps I will change my mind by the time this course is over.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
535 Week 1
The assignments this week involved blogging. I read about blogging, I compared blog hosting sites, and now it is time for me to blog about blogging. I am a very long winded person in real life, and I have been known to ramble. This is the first blog that I have ever written, and I really have no desire for others to read about the thoughts which spin through my head. I do write in a journal, to clear my head, and get thoughts down on paper, but, I would never share those writings with anyone. So, the idea of blogging in my classroom forces me to rethink purposes of blogging, as well as the different forms it could take on.
A teacher who I taught with for five years at the middle school has her students keep a blog about what is happening in their orchestra class. She has a small group of them update the blog, and then parents can read about what is happening in the class. I have thought about having my students keep a blog, so that we can keep their parents updated as to what is going on in class. Now that I am teaching high school, my students rarely talk to their parents any more. And, the parents want information! So, a student blog, moderated by me, would be a great way to give them ownership of something in the room, and not give me too much more work!
A teacher who I taught with for five years at the middle school has her students keep a blog about what is happening in their orchestra class. She has a small group of them update the blog, and then parents can read about what is happening in the class. I have thought about having my students keep a blog, so that we can keep their parents updated as to what is going on in class. Now that I am teaching high school, my students rarely talk to their parents any more. And, the parents want information! So, a student blog, moderated by me, would be a great way to give them ownership of something in the room, and not give me too much more work!
530 Week 5
The two assignments this week were to create a rubric and to complete the pecha kucha. I have created rubrics in the past, and I usually have multiple revisions before I am satisfied with what I produce. I think the reason is that I know how much easier things are going to be to grade with a great rubric. A well-laid out rubric takes so much subjectivity out of grading. Objectivity can be wonderful. But, sometimes I wish I took the time to grade a few, tweak the rubric, and then re-grade those that I have graded. Because the material that I am teaching this year is new to me, I often find myself dissatisified with the former teacher's rubrics. I think they are great, until I start grading with them. It is only at that point that I see how much better they could have been. Then, I end up wanting to change the rubric on my students at the last minute. However, I am not sure that this would be fair, even if the new rubric is far better than the old one!
The second assignment was the Pecha Kucha. I think that creating a presentation that is 20 slides long, and speaking for 20 seconds a slide is a great way to keep from rambling on and on about whatever it is one is presenting. However, I think that it is also very limiting. Well, perhaps I won't see it as so limiting if I were better at putting together presentations. But, it was really difficult to decide what made the cut, and how I could condense what I had down to exactly 20 different slides. So, while Pecha Kucha was in intersting assignment, I am unsure that I would use the idea in my classroom in the future.
The second assignment was the Pecha Kucha. I think that creating a presentation that is 20 slides long, and speaking for 20 seconds a slide is a great way to keep from rambling on and on about whatever it is one is presenting. However, I think that it is also very limiting. Well, perhaps I won't see it as so limiting if I were better at putting together presentations. But, it was really difficult to decide what made the cut, and how I could condense what I had down to exactly 20 different slides. So, while Pecha Kucha was in intersting assignment, I am unsure that I would use the idea in my classroom in the future.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
530 Week 4
I really struggled with Prezi this week. I thought it was difficult to manipulate the images and text that I had added. I also had issues creating the path of images. I did it a couple of times, and I thought it worked, but it did not really work. At this point, I would need to spend quite a bit of time with it, before I would take my students into the computer lab to have them create their own Prezi.
I am still excited about voice thread. I am encouraging my students to complete their immigration project using voice thread. They also have the option of creating a power point, or a scrap book. However, if they create a power point or scrap book, they will have to present in front of the class. As freshmen, they are not too keen on presenting individually. But, if they create a voice thread, I will simply play it for the class! So, I am hoping that many of them take me up on the offer of creating a voice thread. I am going to force them to use voice thread. I am just trying to encourage them to use voice thread!!
I am still excited about voice thread. I am encouraging my students to complete their immigration project using voice thread. They also have the option of creating a power point, or a scrap book. However, if they create a power point or scrap book, they will have to present in front of the class. As freshmen, they are not too keen on presenting individually. But, if they create a voice thread, I will simply play it for the class! So, I am hoping that many of them take me up on the offer of creating a voice thread. I am going to force them to use voice thread. I am just trying to encourage them to use voice thread!!
530 Week 3
I loved working with animoto this week! I think it is a great tool to organize pictures to music. I am not sure that I would have my students make an animoto, but I think that I might make one to introduce a unit. It would be a great way for students to see what the unit is going to be about, and then to replay it at the end of the unit as a review of what we studied before taking the test.
I am excited to start working on my Pecha Kucha. I think that it will be a great way to introduce the syllabus to my students. Students must sit through a handful of presentations explaining syllabi the first day of school. And, this would be a great way to share the information in a more creative and interesting way!
I am excited to start working on my Pecha Kucha. I think that it will be a great way to introduce the syllabus to my students. Students must sit through a handful of presentations explaining syllabi the first day of school. And, this would be a great way to share the information in a more creative and interesting way!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
530 Week 2
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!!
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 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!
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