WebQuest

Yes, I finally got it done!

This was more work than I had anticipated.
I need some time to recover from this undertaking.
It may be a little while before I do another one.

Here's the link if you're interested.

Our Study Trip

I hope you enjoy it.
I learned a lot during this process.
Hopefully, the process is more important than the product.

Techy Teacher

Summarize what you learned in the class, what technologies you plan to integrate into your curriculum and how you might accomplish this. What was the most valuable idea or application you learned from this course?

Where do I start...

So I was a little annoyed that I needed to take this course to clear my credential. I had finished a Master's Program just 2 years ago and had been fighting with the university to own up to their promise that the master's program would do what they promised. But alas, they won and here I am.

I felt like I was fairly confident in my usage of technology, even in my classroom. I use PowerPoint for Back to School Night. I blog regularly, have a Facebook account where I chat with friends, family members, and colleagues, email with other teachers as examples. But there were somethings I learned.

• I know can use a video camera. I can record, upload the film, and edit it to make a film. I can add voice over and music and have fun doing it. I couldn't do that before!

• I know how to make WebQuest. I know how to research, gather information, and create an assignment that should interest my students. I couldn't do that before!

• I know about LinkedIn. I now have 20 contacts and some they bridge many different careers. I couldn't do that before!

• I know about about all of the benefits of Google Documents. I can create a presentation, share it, publish it. I couldn't do that before!

• I know about copyright laws on a more detailed level than I did before. I learned what's legal and what's not. And most importantly, I learned where to access information if I can't remember what I should do. I couldn't do that before!

• I know about how to create a HOTLIST. I even made one about spiders that I am using in my classroom now called Web 8. I couldn't do that before!

So, although I thought I was pretty up-to-date with my technology skills, there was still more that I had to learn. And I'm sure that I will still have more yet to discover. I was worried these past 4 weeks would be a waste of my time but I was wrong.

I also learned that it just takes time, patience, and a willingness to experiment. Go out on a limb and you'll learn something new. Get out of your comfort zone, quickly. Our students can't wait much longer.

I did learn. I will apply. I will be a better teacher.

I am now Techy Teacher!

p.s. i love my iMac

The Filmmaker in ME!

Here's the video Linda and I made together on yesterday.   

I have to say that the process was so much fun, especially when we were editing.  It's been a long time since I've laughed that hard.  It brought back memories of us working on our credentials and master's together.  Thanks Linda of ran that abdominal-workout! I really needed it. I enjoy taking classes with you.   

Copyright This!!

So, I read the materials and took the quiz. I am scared to say that I got 5 wrong! Is that bad?

But here are the things that I learned from my mistakes:

1. You can make back-up CD-ROMs for emergencies.
2. If your classroom website is password protected for family and staff only, then t is only for teachers to post student work there even if it uses copyright material without permisson.
3. Video can be used into your multimedia projects. I thought for sure you'd need permission!
4. I did not know there was a machine that defeats the copy protection on DVDs, CD-ROMs and many others. Nor did I know that teachers can use material that is technologically blocked!
5. Teachers need to get as many laserdiscs they can because they're unblocked.

I do think teachers have a long way to go in regards to Copyright Guidelines as was suggested in the site A Visit to the Copyright Bay. Teachers just assume because they are teachers that they its okay to do so. I really like how this site was set up. Since I am very visual, I appreciated the creativity of a Copyright Bay with Fair Use Harbors, Audio Visual Lagoon, and Murky Waters. I have to laugh though because I found a few typo' s. Here's one for example. It needs a space between ofwhat on the second line and isthe in the second paragraph. I learned the difference between Audio Visual work and Multimedia (hypermedia). However, there was so much nagivating that it became overwhelming and I found myself becoming disinterested quickly.

If I need to look up information quickly, I think I will go to the Stanford University Libraries: Copyright & Fair Use site. I can access information more readily and without to much extra "stuff". You can look up FAQs, learn more about certain topics such as Fair Use or Website Permissions in a concise and clear manner. This is the site I would actually want to reference.

The last copyright/fair use site we needed to visit was really interesting. The Keeping it Legal site by Jamie McKenzie was different from the other because it posed "real-life" situations and then walked you through the process of what needs to be done or the process of finding out the correct information. The only struggle I had was the many links after each case. It required a lot of clicking back to the home site. However, I really appreciated the accurate type of cases proposed as possible situations that could arise.

Unfortunately, there was so much information covered that I do not think I can remember it all to make sure I am not infringing on any fair use or copyright laws. I guess the more you read, the more you learn, the more you try, the more you'll know and do. Sounds like I'll be coming back to these sites to get myself all copyright proof.

I podcast...can you podcast, too?

So, before I tried iTunes, I wanted to check out NPR and KALW. I found it interesting that I couldn't open KALW to check out any podcasts on my school computer. neither could I do I couldn't access iTunes either. See, I moved back in March and still haven't gotten around to getting the internet. So anything I do is from my school computer or a kind and generous family member's computer. I was trying to avoid making a trip to someone's house but...

So, I did NPR at school. I was successful with the first podcast but didn't really enjoy it. I tried another podcast on education put out by KBIA but any week that I chose to listen to I got a screen that said "NOT FOUND - The requested document was not found on this server." This is where I start to get frustrated with technology and the already limited amount of time that I have which is being wasted either in the classroom or in my personal life. I tried to listen to a bunch with a Yahoo site but it wouldn't let me access anything. That's when I gave up and went to someone's house for access to their computer with iTunes.

All I can say is if it is always this much work, I'm not sure I'm that interested in using it as a teaching tool in my room. I need to use technology which is much more under the age of 10-user friendly. Maybe this is just because I'm new to this. Maybe I just need more practice. We'll see!

So here are my 5 Podcast reviews:

Podcast #1 Michigan Radio - ArtPod - A Disappearing Number

• This podcast was about 6 minutes long.
  


• It talked about a play that is hoped to spark interest in Mathematics.


• I didn't find it especially interesting.


• There was one woman narrating and segments of the play would cut in to get a point across.


• I think maybe I picked a topic that was not extremely interesting to me. If you

Podcast #2 KQED-The Writer's Block

• Amy Tan, author of Bonesetter's Daughter and Michael Wallace, adapter of Amy Tan's book into an opera, called Fate! Luck! Chance!


• It is really hard for me as a kinesetic learner to sit and listen to these podcasts, especially when it is hit and miss on the topic.


• I love Amy Tan but do not enjoy opera so this was another hard one for me.


• I did find it interesting some of the process of creating an opera with the author and the adapter.


• I was a little disappointed. Maybe if i could see something then I would feel a little more connection t0 the information.


• I am worried that strictly auditory podcasts will not be beneficial to my students even if I was teaching High School.

Podcast #3 - RLN (Radio Lingua Network) - Coffee Break Spanish

• This was kind of fun. I could listen to this one, partly because it was interactive and seemed to have more of a purpose than the first two podcasts.
• I like that the lessons build on each other and it tells you exactly what you will be learning in each lesson. I would recommend this to other. In fact, I am going to have my daughter use this. She is a sophomore at ECHS and will be taking Spanish 2 next block (semester). This will be a great way for her to review and get back in to the swing of it all!
• Yes, I have subscribed to this. We'll see how this goes. I only got through the first lesson so...

Since the first 3 podcasts were strictly audio, I really wanted to try a video podcast. I'm hoping this is more my style.

Podcast #4 YOGA TODAY

• I am really disappointed that I couldn't get any of the Yoga Today podcasts to actually show. Not that I am a yoga person but... this is where I get frustrated with technology.
• I tried Episode 1 - Self Care Tips with Nessha and got just a blank screen
  
• In Episode 2 - I stared at a Rethink. Saturn add for about 3 minutes
• Then it finally worked.
  
• I definitely like video podcasts the best.
  
• The only hang up is if you do not have a fast speed Internet. All that buffering wastes a lot of time and chops up the podcast.
• I'd recommend the Yoga Today to people, sure.
  

Podcast #5 2-Minute Chef.tv - Smoked Chicken Naan

• Since I love to cook and bake I though this would be a good one to try out.
• If I can figure out how to teach my mom to do this I think she might like it. She LOVES cooking shows and this would make it more accessible and right at her finger tips.
• I love that iTunes offers Customer Reviews. I'd rather read what other people wrote instead of what those putting it out have to say.
• 2-Minute chef was pretty good. I am interested in what some other shows do also so I'll be checking them out.
• Cool because you can pause it. i live in the dark ages without a DVR so this works for me
  
• Would be fun to give suggestions for things you'd like done on their podcast.

So - all in all - this was a hard assignment. DSL is not great for podcasts. Schools that block so much can really limit what we as teachers can do for the students. Patience, it's all about patience.

Podcasts and Education

Here's where us Digital Immigrants need to get with it.

I am new to podcasts so from what I'm understanding, podcasts are audio or video that are delivered over a network automatically which can then be played back on a computer or an iPod. What I found interesting is that not only can these podcasts be used to learn new information as an observer or listener, but they can be created by students to show their learning! I love the latter idea the most. I whole-heartedly believe in giving students alternative ways to show mastery of a subject. In my class we write reports, make posters and 3-D items, we give oral presentations to name a few. We work in partners, groups, and as individuals. What a great way to incorporate technology with classroom assignments. In the article on the Apple Education Sitem the state "Podcasting allows educatior to take their students beyond traditional assignments by allowing them to include voice recordings, photos, movies, and sound effects to share their knowledge." This is the type of education I want to deliver to my students!

I learned that podacsts can be published on a blog!! This is kind of exciting since I have my own personal blog and will be starting one for my 3rd/4th grade class that the student's will be adding to weekly. Can you imagine the look on the parents' and administrator's faces when they see a classroom learning that incorporates technology to that level? I shocking people that way. I was jsut talking to another 3rd grade teacher about making a homework blog for the students. WE could add assignments so easily and they wouldn't even have to be fill-in-the-blank" type of assignments which I detest. This would make it possible to have more creative assignments.

I appreciated reading the article by Danny Sullivan, Making an RSS Feed, where he outlines what is a RSS and how I can make one. I think I may need help with that but...I'm willing to give it a try. It is still a little blurry but that's when I want to dive in more and figure it out. I just love a challenge. But I think it's a great way to collect the information from the site you are most interested in, if I'm understanding it correctly!

Podcasts are really cool and will absolutely catch the eye of our students. Not only that but they will think we are pretty "with it" ourselves!

If You're Interested...

Here's the link to my 

HOTLIST 

and my 

PHOTOBOOK.

They are both spider influenced.  

So, beware!