That was a really cool project. It really widened my view of the possible application for the PowerPoint program. Usually I have only used it for presentations while speaking and for visual aids. Making this interactive lesson for students was a fantastic idea and really opens up PowerPoint into an instructional tool that is effective and useful.
In general I am very comfortable with this Microsoft tool, I have used it many times for UAF classes and presentations. This project really showed me how much I didn't know about the program. It really has unlimited possibilities both for students and teachers.
Students can use this program as a tool for their own presentations, with visual aids for speeches. But I think it can also be used to explain processes like in science. PowerPoint used in this more interactive way can be used with language arts, with students recording stories or poems and having pictures and other elements that compliment the activities. I think it is great that PowerPoint can really be used as an assessment tool in this interactive fashion instead of just a tool for the students to use.
Now, I can incorporate PowerPoint as another way to assess projects in my lesson plans, plus it will give more options for differentiating the assignments.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
Never enough TIME
It is Friday! HURRAY!!!!
I am gone with all my classes for the week, every thing was turned in.
But................... now there is a new set of assignments and tasks to do for the next week that I need to get started on. It never ends.......
I have five classes this semester and one of the best schedules for school and work that I have ever had. I am so grateful that God was able to work it out that way. I have been able to keep up with my classes, which is nice and I hope I can keep it up. It is so cool, but I think I even like all my classes this semester. There are four ED class and one ENGL, but my teachers are great and my follow students are totally awesome. The way it worked out, I know at least one person in each class when I went in the first day... which has never happened to me before. Usually there is one class that you know someone, but not all of them. And if you are in my 422 or 410 classes, 3/4th of the class knows each other and will be doing their internship year together. I think it is really cool that we will have people we know and are comfortable with to support each other.
Good Luck EVERYBODY on the next week of stuff!!!
I am gone with all my classes for the week, every thing was turned in.
But................... now there is a new set of assignments and tasks to do for the next week that I need to get started on. It never ends.......
I have five classes this semester and one of the best schedules for school and work that I have ever had. I am so grateful that God was able to work it out that way. I have been able to keep up with my classes, which is nice and I hope I can keep it up. It is so cool, but I think I even like all my classes this semester. There are four ED class and one ENGL, but my teachers are great and my follow students are totally awesome. The way it worked out, I know at least one person in each class when I went in the first day... which has never happened to me before. Usually there is one class that you know someone, but not all of them. And if you are in my 422 or 410 classes, 3/4th of the class knows each other and will be doing their internship year together. I think it is really cool that we will have people we know and are comfortable with to support each other.
Good Luck EVERYBODY on the next week of stuff!!!
Friday, February 15, 2008
Why Not?
Okay, this will be my first personal entry on this blog, but why not?
The last class was really cool and I have to say that the gadgets are really cool. Has anyone seen the movie Agent Cody Banks? I felt like I was in the at movie and the gadget were being shown to me one by one and all I could saw was: COOL! WOW! and AWESOME!
Each item has a spectacular range of applications. I think the camera microscope is fantastic, the idea you can take movies and put data right into graphs. These kind of applications really being meaning and real life application to teaching. Plus the students have a blast because they are creating their own learning.
Being an artist, my favorite was the the art pressure sensitive pad. This tool is the coolest and it can work on PCs as well as on Macs. There are so many specifics that can be chosen in the painting program that the pad comes with. These include medium, color, blenders, brush/pencil size and shape and well as more graphic oriented functions. These choices make it really well designed for instruction and texture.
My only caution I have about this tool is that when doing all the motions your hand is in the "holding a pencil position". And one of the things in painting and drawing you want to do is to use big arm motions. That way you get out of thinking with your left brain, like with the little details and analytical aspects of drawing. It is important switch more into the right brain, to create the line and shape of the object you are trying to represent on the paper. Of course that is only my opinion, but it is something to consider.
The other thing is that this program gets the students out of touch with the paper and the feel of the paint and brush.
But I can see the art pad as a great extension of other art lessons done in the real media, or a quick activity that you can all do much faster on the program rather than getting all the materials all out and the project take half the day.
Also it gives the students another way to see art. There are graphic designers and computer artist out there and some students might really connect with this kind of art. Where they balk at using water colors and such.
I would like it as an addition to the classroom, but not a replacement of all art.
The last class was really cool and I have to say that the gadgets are really cool. Has anyone seen the movie Agent Cody Banks? I felt like I was in the at movie and the gadget were being shown to me one by one and all I could saw was: COOL! WOW! and AWESOME!
Each item has a spectacular range of applications. I think the camera microscope is fantastic, the idea you can take movies and put data right into graphs. These kind of applications really being meaning and real life application to teaching. Plus the students have a blast because they are creating their own learning.
Being an artist, my favorite was the the art pressure sensitive pad. This tool is the coolest and it can work on PCs as well as on Macs. There are so many specifics that can be chosen in the painting program that the pad comes with. These include medium, color, blenders, brush/pencil size and shape and well as more graphic oriented functions. These choices make it really well designed for instruction and texture.
My only caution I have about this tool is that when doing all the motions your hand is in the "holding a pencil position". And one of the things in painting and drawing you want to do is to use big arm motions. That way you get out of thinking with your left brain, like with the little details and analytical aspects of drawing. It is important switch more into the right brain, to create the line and shape of the object you are trying to represent on the paper. Of course that is only my opinion, but it is something to consider.
The other thing is that this program gets the students out of touch with the paper and the feel of the paint and brush.
But I can see the art pad as a great extension of other art lessons done in the real media, or a quick activity that you can all do much faster on the program rather than getting all the materials all out and the project take half the day.
Also it gives the students another way to see art. There are graphic designers and computer artist out there and some students might really connect with this kind of art. Where they balk at using water colors and such.
I would like it as an addition to the classroom, but not a replacement of all art.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Software Resources
This activity was great. It is just amazing how many resources are available to teachers and students. I had so much fun looking for instructional sources and educational games. And of course playing the games was fun, too! I can't wait to see what every one presents on, Monday.
Here is what I found:
Software Title: National Library of Virtual Manipulatives
Grade/Age level:K-12
Subject Area(s):Mathematics
Platform: Mac/Windows (download week long trial)
Purpose: This program allows the students to practice math concepts with manipulatives. I saw many of the manipulatives that we used in the Math for Teachers class, like geoboards, base blocks, and many others. This program does not explain the concepts, so the site would only be good of teacher examples and for the students to practice after they understood the concept. It is a lot of fun. If you want to buy it, you can. There is even an options to have it download to a CD, so that you can use it on multiple computers.
Software Title: AAA Math
Grade/Age level: K-8 (It should be noted that there is reading, so the younger children would need help to read it.)
Subject Area(s): Mathematics
Platform: Mac/Windows (website - with links for downloads)
Purpose: This website is great! It is very basic. Under each category there are explanations and examples of the concept, which are great for review or just reinforcement. After the instructions there is a place to practice. There is a link for the game TIMEZ ATTACK that you can download. It is a multiplication game that is set up like a video game. COOL!
Software Title: National Geographic Kids
Grade/Age level: K-6 (That is my guess, the grade level was not given)
Subject Area(s): Science and Geography
Platform: Mac/Windows (website)
Purpose: This is a great site for science, geography and world news. This lets the students be connected to the world around them. There are games, experiments and videos for them to use as sources of information and practice.
Software Title: The Grammar Gorillas (FUN BRAIN)
Grade/Age level: 5th grade
Subject Area(s): Language Arts
Platform: Mac/Windows (website)
Purpose: This game brings up different sentences and the player has to identify the word that is a certain part of speech. This activity lets the students practice. However, it is also good for review because there is a section that defines each part of speech and the definitions are there for reference.
Extras: Internet 4 Classrooms
Here is what I found:
Software Title: National Library of Virtual Manipulatives
Grade/Age level:K-12
Subject Area(s):Mathematics
Platform: Mac/Windows (download week long trial)
Purpose: This program allows the students to practice math concepts with manipulatives. I saw many of the manipulatives that we used in the Math for Teachers class, like geoboards, base blocks, and many others. This program does not explain the concepts, so the site would only be good of teacher examples and for the students to practice after they understood the concept. It is a lot of fun. If you want to buy it, you can. There is even an options to have it download to a CD, so that you can use it on multiple computers.
Software Title: AAA Math
Grade/Age level: K-8 (It should be noted that there is reading, so the younger children would need help to read it.)
Subject Area(s): Mathematics
Platform: Mac/Windows (website - with links for downloads)
Purpose: This website is great! It is very basic. Under each category there are explanations and examples of the concept, which are great for review or just reinforcement. After the instructions there is a place to practice. There is a link for the game TIMEZ ATTACK that you can download. It is a multiplication game that is set up like a video game. COOL!
Software Title: National Geographic Kids
Grade/Age level: K-6 (That is my guess, the grade level was not given)
Subject Area(s): Science and Geography
Platform: Mac/Windows (website)
Purpose: This is a great site for science, geography and world news. This lets the students be connected to the world around them. There are games, experiments and videos for them to use as sources of information and practice.
Software Title: The Grammar Gorillas (FUN BRAIN)
Grade/Age level: 5th grade
Subject Area(s): Language Arts
Platform: Mac/Windows (website)
Purpose: This game brings up different sentences and the player has to identify the word that is a certain part of speech. This activity lets the students practice. However, it is also good for review because there is a section that defines each part of speech and the definitions are there for reference.
Extras: Internet 4 Classrooms
Monday, February 4, 2008
One to One Reflection
I was fascinated with this video, I would have loved to see more of it. I was surprised to find that one of the girl in the photo class was someone I know. She is now going to the university.
Anyway, there were several things in the video about the Denali school that really addressed the concerns we brought up in the class brainstorming activity. One of the fears was that there would be problems with the social interaction with the students in the class. However, the photo class in the video proved that the social aspect was still there it simply took on a different form. I do think that to make this socialization possible the class has to be set up in a way to encourage it. So instance, there was a lot of talking and moving around. The teacher really needs to have a different mind set.
The other thing that we talked about with fears, was if the teacher would still be able to get the students' attention. The teachers on the video gave several different ideas on how to go about getting the attention of the students. On way is to give an announcement and than letting them have a few minutes to chat and get some of the excitement out. Letting the students unload their gear and work their way to their seats is done in most classrooms anyway. Another idea in the video was to tell the students to close the laptops when they would not using them. I think this is a great solution, I have even had college teachers who would use this strategy, it is quite affective.
The last thought I wanted to bring up was a hope when we talked but the video gave us cause to worry. In the brainstorming we talked about how we hope that each child having a computer would lead them to learn more computer skills. The students did learn more about how to use a computer and what it could do, but at what cost? The video raised the issue of handwriting. I had not thought about this skill much, but it is a valid concern. With the students and teachers communicating and going assignment on the computer, there will be less reason to handwrite anything. This issue is important and one that should not be overlooked.
I found this video interesting and thought provoking.
Anyway, there were several things in the video about the Denali school that really addressed the concerns we brought up in the class brainstorming activity. One of the fears was that there would be problems with the social interaction with the students in the class. However, the photo class in the video proved that the social aspect was still there it simply took on a different form. I do think that to make this socialization possible the class has to be set up in a way to encourage it. So instance, there was a lot of talking and moving around. The teacher really needs to have a different mind set.
The other thing that we talked about with fears, was if the teacher would still be able to get the students' attention. The teachers on the video gave several different ideas on how to go about getting the attention of the students. On way is to give an announcement and than letting them have a few minutes to chat and get some of the excitement out. Letting the students unload their gear and work their way to their seats is done in most classrooms anyway. Another idea in the video was to tell the students to close the laptops when they would not using them. I think this is a great solution, I have even had college teachers who would use this strategy, it is quite affective.
The last thought I wanted to bring up was a hope when we talked but the video gave us cause to worry. In the brainstorming we talked about how we hope that each child having a computer would lead them to learn more computer skills. The students did learn more about how to use a computer and what it could do, but at what cost? The video raised the issue of handwriting. I had not thought about this skill much, but it is a valid concern. With the students and teachers communicating and going assignment on the computer, there will be less reason to handwrite anything. This issue is important and one that should not be overlooked.
I found this video interesting and thought provoking.
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