Throughout this semester, I have learned countless new things that I would have not otherwise. At the beginning of this course, I really was not sure what to expect. I think that I expected to learn a little more about the latest technology and how I could apply this in the classroom in the future. Well, I learned all that and more. While I was familiar with some of the tools that were used throughout the class, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of how to use them. Furthermore, I was able to gain a lot of knowledge about current technology trends and how that was affecting students today. I learned a lot about myself as a teacher that I also did not expect to learn. Overall, I gained more knowledge in this past semester that I had expected.
Coming into this course, I had already some knowledge of interactive white boards, Wikis, and a handful of basic computer programs. While I had an understanding of how to use these in basic terms, I learned how to really expand upon my prior knowledge. First of all, not only did I learn how to create a wiki that was also a curriculum page, but I learned how to use other programs with is such as Prezi and SlideShare. These two programs I had never heard of so it was great to learn how to use these in my classroom. In addition to these programs, I had never created a curriculum page and found this project to be extremely beneficial. Creating a wiki that is also a curriculum page is something I can expand upon and use every day in the classroom.
Not only did I gain a better knowledge of software and internet tools, I also learned a lot about how technology directly affects teachers and students. For example, during my time in my undergraduate degree I had many professors who felt it was better to have zero online presence. I learned through this particular class that it is much better to have an online identity than none at all. As an educator I want to put myself out there on the internet in a positive way. What this means is I should create wikis or blogs that I can use in my profession. This topic was a key discussion during this course. I now understand that it is beneficial to my career to create blogs, wikis, and info pages that reflect my knowledge of education. Learning about online identities was not something I expected to cover much in this course. In addition to understanding my online identity, I learned about the importance of filtering (or not filtering) websites in schools. I feel that this is something that is often looked over by educators. Through readings and blog discussions, I realized that this is actually a topic that can almost polarize people. Personally, I did not think about this issue very much until the blog discussions, so I was happy to gain a better understanding of why schools filter and how this affects students. On the whole, I actually learned a lot of things that I did not expect to learn. I always like when I am able to learn more than expected. I know that all the things I have learned this semester I can take into a classroom one day and apply it.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Assessment, Testing, and Rubrics
Traditional vs. Authentic Assessment
If you are a teacher you are definitely familiar with the two terms above. Assessment refers to “any method used to understand the current knowledge a student possesses; it can range from a teacher's subjective judgment based on a single observation of a student's performance to a state-mandated standardized test” (Shelly, Gunter, and Gunter). When most people think of assessment, they automatically think of a test, standardized test, or other form of written testing assessment. This is the more traditional form of assessment. With traditional assessment, the teacher is creating a type of assessment tool that will be given to the students. On the other hand, authentic assessment means the students creates something that the teacher will then use as a tool for evaluation. For example, having students create a final project, a digital story, or science fair project. These type of activities allow students to have more control of what grade they get, show what they can do, and provides for a real-life assessment. Another example is a student created portfolio. In the past, I have used this for student evaluation rather than giving a test. This way, students are allowed to show me what they can do outside of just a written test.
For my curriculum page and final project, I am having my students create a digital story about an influential American. Since this project has several components to it, the best way to evaluate students is through a rubric. What I love about rubrics is that students can essentially choose their grade. It shows students what they must complete in order to get an A, B, C, D, or F. Rubrics also “spell out” for students what they are expected to do. Personally, I think it also makes it clear to students why they received a grade so there are no questions about it. During my internship, I had my students work on a very extensive project that took about a month and a half to complete. At the beginning we not only went over all the directions and expectations, but we went over the rubric I had created. It seemed to clear up a lot of questions the students had. It also worked great because the students used it as a check list.
For my influential American’s project I chose to create a rubric that would assess my students in multiple areas of the assignment. Not only are they going to be assessed on the content of the project, but also the planning and creation of the project. When doing something like a digital story, there is a huge range of things to evaluate your students on. I chose to evaluate my students on grammar, purpose, voice, duration, research/citations, and storyboard. I felt for my class these would be the best areas to assess my 4th grade ESOL students. I used RubiStar to create my rubric. Through RubiStar, you can create your own rubric or you can use the templates that they offer. I used some of the information from one rubric that they had created, but edited it to fit my needs.
If I were to do something different, I would have modified/added a few more areas to the rubric. I found it difficult to make the wording of it easy for my students to understand. Also, on RubiStar, you cannot add information outside of the rubric boxes. When I downloaded it, I was able to add to the bottom a grading scale and the maximum number of points available for the students. For next time, I may try to just make my own on Excel or use another free site.
Here is another link to my rubric: http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php?screen=ShowRubric&module=Rubistar&rubric_id=2042936&
If you are a teacher you are definitely familiar with the two terms above. Assessment refers to “any method used to understand the current knowledge a student possesses; it can range from a teacher's subjective judgment based on a single observation of a student's performance to a state-mandated standardized test” (Shelly, Gunter, and Gunter). When most people think of assessment, they automatically think of a test, standardized test, or other form of written testing assessment. This is the more traditional form of assessment. With traditional assessment, the teacher is creating a type of assessment tool that will be given to the students. On the other hand, authentic assessment means the students creates something that the teacher will then use as a tool for evaluation. For example, having students create a final project, a digital story, or science fair project. These type of activities allow students to have more control of what grade they get, show what they can do, and provides for a real-life assessment. Another example is a student created portfolio. In the past, I have used this for student evaluation rather than giving a test. This way, students are allowed to show me what they can do outside of just a written test.
For my curriculum page and final project, I am having my students create a digital story about an influential American. Since this project has several components to it, the best way to evaluate students is through a rubric. What I love about rubrics is that students can essentially choose their grade. It shows students what they must complete in order to get an A, B, C, D, or F. Rubrics also “spell out” for students what they are expected to do. Personally, I think it also makes it clear to students why they received a grade so there are no questions about it. During my internship, I had my students work on a very extensive project that took about a month and a half to complete. At the beginning we not only went over all the directions and expectations, but we went over the rubric I had created. It seemed to clear up a lot of questions the students had. It also worked great because the students used it as a check list.
For my influential American’s project I chose to create a rubric that would assess my students in multiple areas of the assignment. Not only are they going to be assessed on the content of the project, but also the planning and creation of the project. When doing something like a digital story, there is a huge range of things to evaluate your students on. I chose to evaluate my students on grammar, purpose, voice, duration, research/citations, and storyboard. I felt for my class these would be the best areas to assess my 4th grade ESOL students. I used RubiStar to create my rubric. Through RubiStar, you can create your own rubric or you can use the templates that they offer. I used some of the information from one rubric that they had created, but edited it to fit my needs.
If I were to do something different, I would have modified/added a few more areas to the rubric. I found it difficult to make the wording of it easy for my students to understand. Also, on RubiStar, you cannot add information outside of the rubric boxes. When I downloaded it, I was able to add to the bottom a grading scale and the maximum number of points available for the students. For next time, I may try to just make my own on Excel or use another free site.
Here is another link to my rubric: http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php?screen=ShowRubric&module=Rubistar&rubric_id=2042936&
Friday, April 8, 2011
SlideShare and Digitial Storytelling
Last week’s task was to create a curriculum page. This week, I was to take the ideas on the curriculum page and create a storyboard/example project for my students. My first step was to think about how my students would be doing this project. I quickly realized I would need to make a few modifications. For example, I have a list of questions I want the students to answer, but when I tried to incorporate that into a digital story, I had a hard time. So, for now the questions are still there but I let my students know they could answer them in any order. This is where creating an example of the project became a key factor. For my students to truly understand this, they would need an example. Even I need examples of projects to totally understand! ESOL students are also better able to learn information through visuals which means creating an example for them is going to be the most helpful. Furthermore, these students are in 4th grade and have limited access to PowerPoint, digital storytelling, and movie creation.
So, I continued on with this example project. First, I created a generic storyboard that could be used for each project. Using this storyboard, I figured out how I wanted to set up the order of my story. I then created a story through PowerPoint. I put the pictures I wanted on each slide and then recorded narration for each slide. Once I had done that, I uploaded it into SlideShare. SlideShare allows you to embed the final project into your webpage. Once movies are able to be embedded into a webpage, you can put all the students’ finalized work on it for viewing. This is great for the kids or their parents if they want to view it at home.
The great thing about making a sample project is that it gave me a lot of perspective as to what my students would be doing. I quickly realized the parts of the project that needed to be changed. I realized also that I need to find a way to make the directions more clear for them. Personally, I learn better with hands-on things, so I don’t think I am the greatest at writing directions! If I were to do things differently, I would change the directions some. Also, I would make sure the students understood that they are telling a story, not just information. There really is an art to telling a story and I think that some of my kids would have a hard time with this. Overall, I feel that the sample project came out the way I wanted it to. I tried to make it fairly simple since my students are only required to make a fairly simple digital story.
Here is my digital story example of an Influential American:
Check out this SlideShare Presentation:
So, I continued on with this example project. First, I created a generic storyboard that could be used for each project. Using this storyboard, I figured out how I wanted to set up the order of my story. I then created a story through PowerPoint. I put the pictures I wanted on each slide and then recorded narration for each slide. Once I had done that, I uploaded it into SlideShare. SlideShare allows you to embed the final project into your webpage. Once movies are able to be embedded into a webpage, you can put all the students’ finalized work on it for viewing. This is great for the kids or their parents if they want to view it at home.
The great thing about making a sample project is that it gave me a lot of perspective as to what my students would be doing. I quickly realized the parts of the project that needed to be changed. I realized also that I need to find a way to make the directions more clear for them. Personally, I learn better with hands-on things, so I don’t think I am the greatest at writing directions! If I were to do things differently, I would change the directions some. Also, I would make sure the students understood that they are telling a story, not just information. There really is an art to telling a story and I think that some of my kids would have a hard time with this. Overall, I feel that the sample project came out the way I wanted it to. I tried to make it fairly simple since my students are only required to make a fairly simple digital story.
Here is my digital story example of an Influential American:
Check out this SlideShare Presentation:
Rosa Parks
View more presentations from cathanne1024.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Wikis and Curriculum Pages (AR#5)
The task: Create a curriculum page using a wiki or a webquest.
Last week my task was to create a wiki. A wiki is a webpage that can be easily edited and accessed by students and teachers alike. It is also (for me) one of the easiest ways to create a webpage for my classroom. You can change information easily and create a lot of interactive tools to go along with any lessons you post on the wiki. So, my next task was to use my newly created wiki to make a curriculum page. A curriculum page helps teachers “by giving their students a simple list of pre-selected, teacher-approved, educationally relevant, "safe" Web sites” (Thompson, 2011). Rather than have your students search all over the internet…which we all know can be a disaster…you can set up a lesson on your wiki.
The basics of a curriculum page should include: an introduction, task, process, and resources for students. Also, there should be some type of evaluation included. Usually I include a rubric because it is easiest for students to follow. In the past I have create a WebQuest based on the Everglades which had the students research by clicking on linked words.
Here is the link to that WebQuest: http://www.zunal.com/webquest.php?w=77287
For my wiki, I created a curriculum page/WebQuest based on influential Americans. One of my former classes was actually assigned this, but at the time I did not create a WebQuest. I set it up so that the first page explained what the project was and how it was to be done. Since a list of influential Americans could be endless, I set it up with the 5 people my students last semester decided on. The great thing about a wiki is that I can change this at any time. I can add/change/delete any information that would change each time I do this project. Furthermore, I linked other pages in the wiki to the first page so that everything was easy to navigate. I learned this recently, because I found it confusing myself when the pages were not all linked together. It is much easier to link them rather than hit the back/forward button on your browser. If I were going to improve upon my wiki, I would want it to be a little more creative. I think that I could make it look more fun and interesting, now that I am looking back on it. Also, I think that I would like to change it so that the instructions, evaluation, etc would each be on their own pages. In my previous WebQuest, this is the way I did it and I think it makes it look a little nicer. Good thing is that since it is a wiki it is very easy to fix!
Below is the link for my wiki:
http://msernstsplace.wikispaces.com/
Friday, March 25, 2011
Digital Storytelling and the 4th Grade
The curriculum based project that I would have my students work on is researching an influential American. . In this week’s readings, curriculum is described as “the knowledge, skills, and performance standards students are expected to acquire in particular grade levels…” (p. 324, Shelly, Gunter, and Gunter). The fourth grade curriculum requires that this be covered so what a better way to share the information than through a digital story. Integrating current curriculum with technology is not always as simple as creating a digital story. Technology integration is not only about using technology but also using the proper technology for the task. The idea of picking the proper technology is something that was explored in great detail throughout my readings. While some teachers currently do use the proper technology, I think that many often do not. This is one of the several reasons why it is difficult to integrate technology into education. Teachers need to be taught how to pick proper technology based on the curriculum and the assignment that is to be completed.
Continuing on with this assignment I decided to expand on this idea of digital story telling with my hypothetical class. Given that this hypothetic class is a fourth grade ESOL classroom, I would want to keep this project as simple as possible—especially this being their first time using digital storytelling. Rather than just giving out the assignment and having students create a digital story, I would want this project to be multifaceted. To start off the project, I would have students in groups of four with assigned influential Americans. I would create a WebQuest where the students would go to specific sites to find specific information. (If you are wondering what is a WebQuest then click here). Creating a WebQuest will help the students not only find information, but become familiar with the internet and how to search for information properly. Guiding students this way shows them what types of sites provide valuble information and also how to use them. Once they have found all the required information, I would want them to think how they could present this information in a story format. Since it is about a person’s life, they could create a timeline or storyboard first.
As for the digital story I would want them to include text, sound, and be able to show a complete story. Considering that this hypothetical class has never done a digital story, I would provide them with how-tos along with examples from sites such as The Center for Digital Storytelling. Furthermore, I would want to show them examples of other students their age who have created a digital story. I found a bunch of great examples from Scott County Schools in Georgetown, Kentucky. Not only would I want to provide the students with online resources, but I would also create some of my own that fit their grade level. I would create a PowerPoint about the basics of Digital Storytelling and also one about the basics of researching on the web. Many young students have not yet mastered the basics of the internet search so I feel that it is really important to cover this before starting to make a digital story.
Overall, if I were to create a project where my students would use digital storytelling, I would want to make sure they understood all the elements before beginning. I would also create a project that would be easily doable for their grade level.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Once Upon A Time....(AR #4)
…there was a world where stories were only told by word of mouth. Parents would pass on stories from their childhood to their children and the tradition continued. Eventually, books were created and stories could now make their way around the world to just about anyone. With the creation of the computers, software, and the internet storytelling began to take a new digital form. Digital storytelling allows for stories to be told using video, sound, graphics, or any other type of digital element. While digital storytelling is something that is relatively new to many people, it is an extremely effective tool for the classroom. Don’t know what to do with the kid who won’t talk in class? What about the kid who had problems at home? The student who is so afraid to talk in front of the class that they refuse to? All of these problems can be solved with digital storytelling. This type of storytelling allows students to tell someone just about anything they want by creating a movie, PowerPoint, or Photo Story (this is a very small list of the available software that can be used).
Throughout my reading this week in Integrating Technology and Digital Media in the Classroom, I learned not only about a wide variety of media that can be included in the class, but also digital media authoring software. Digital media authoring software is a broad term that includes any type of software that can be used to create presentations for the computer. So, creating a digital story goes hand in hand with any digital media authoring software.
Hmmm…so what do I do with all this new information? Create a digital story using PowerPoint! I created a small slide show that just covers the basics of digital storytelling. Using SlideShare, I was able to embed the video into my blog. As for how I could grow with my use of digital storytelling, I would like to become more comfortable with it and be able to add sound, music, or voice over. Also, I would love to try to get my future students to use the idea of digital storytelling as a way for me to get to know them better.
Below is my SlideShare... :)
Friday, March 4, 2011
Classroom Software and Inner Computer Workings
Here is the scenario:
-You are a classroom teacher with only one internet connected computer. Your principal has given you the opportunity to pick any type of computer program for your class and you have up to $1000 to spend on said program…oh, but you can’t do any upgrades to your computer. So, what type of software do you choose?-
This would most likely be an awesome scenario for teachers, but I on the other hand almost had a heart attack trying to decide on ONE type of software that I would find suitable for my hypothetical classroom. First, I had to decide on a grade level and what type of classroom setting. For this assignment I decided on a 4th grade ESOL (English Speakers of Other Languages) classroom. Furthermore, these students are also inner-city children with very little knowledge of computers and many do not even have a computer at home. Okay, so what type of software would best benefit this group of students? The one program I found that I could actually see using regularly is Clicker 5. Clicker 5 is a reading and writing tool for multiple grade levels. The main reason I picked this for my class is because I can see where it would really benefit ESOL students. Through Clicker 5, students can create stories using sounds, words, and pictures. The students can also hear their writing before being done with it so they know if the grammar is correct or not. ESOL students often need pictures or other manipulatives to help them understand new words and this software does just that.
Next, I had to see if this software would even work on my “classroom” computer. My first step was to find out how much memory (RAM) my computer has, screen resolution, video card, processor speed, and my operating system. Well, I knew my operating system was Windows XP, but was unsure of the others. I went to the control panel on my computer, searched under performance and maintenance.
I found that my computer contains:
· Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T5250 @ 1.50 GHz.
· Memory: 1.50 GHz, 1.99 GB RAM
· Screen Resolution: 1280 x 800 bits
· Video Card: Mobile Intel 965 Express with 384.0 MB memory
· Removable Media Options: 4 USB ports, DVD/CD drive
Wow, I am sure that sounds so confusing to you if you are reading this and not in my class! But, really knowing what is in your computer is important when purchasing any type of software. The basic system requirements for Clicker 5 are as follows:
System Requirements
Windows:
· Pentium II 400 or greater
· Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Windows 7
- 128 MB RAM
- 400 MB free disk space
Mac :
- Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) or above
- Power PC or Intel processor
- 128 MB RAM
- 400 MB free disk space
From this, I can determine that Clicker 5 would work on my computer since I have more than enough RAM , free space, and I have Windows XP. I had to do a little research about the processor but found that an Intel Core 2 Duo should work fine.
Back to the inner workings of a computer, I learned a lot in this week’s reading from Integrating Technology and Digital Media in the Classroom by Shelly, Gunter, and Gunter. Personally, I feel that I am fairly comfortable with the inner workings of a computer because when I was in elementary school, I attended a summer camp each year at a place called Whisker’s Computer Kids. We learned how to use word processing, create drawings, and we also learned about the different parts inside of a computer. In the text it explores these topics on a much more detailed level. For example, the book explains the difference between “volatile and nonvolatile” memory. Volatile can be lost or erased where as nonvolatile is not lost when the computer is turned off (p.208). Additionally, the text also explored what to look for when purchasing electronics. This special section of the text interested me because I have never actually purchased my own computer. The current computer that I own was purchased for me by my parents as a gift. While I do like my computer, it is definitely a lot larger than I would like. I have been contemplating purchasing a netbook for class and just because it is more portable. The book explains the average hard drive (160 GB) and other features.All in all, I found the buying guide portion of the text to be the most helpful .I never have had the opportunity to really research the different specs of computer/netbooks/smartphones .
Friday, February 25, 2011
Getting to Know You, Getting to Know All About You....Online Repuations AR#3
How important is your online identity? This is an idea that I had not thought much about up until this week. All I have ever been told in the past is that it is better to have nothing on the web than have something negative—such as inappropriate pictures of social networking sites. The week, however, I was able to explore the idea of an online identity in a way I never have before. Now, some people might wonder what I mean exactly when I say online identity. Your online identity is the information about you that can be found on the web. As an educator, it is important to have an online identity that reflects positively on you. Numerous teachers have classroom websites, wikis, or blogs. This is one important component to your online identity. By creating a class page, wiki, or blog, you are showing others how you run your class, what your students are doing in class, and what you are doing in your professional life. It is also important to think about what information you are putting on the web because it all factors into your online identity. Furthermore, we must remember that any information on the web can also be distorted and misrepresent us. MIT’s persona project is a great tool that shows just how web based searches can distort information. All you do is type in your name on the site and it complies any information it finds that has your name linked to it. So, how important is maintaining a good online identity to your reputation? I would say it is extremely important. In The Future of Reputation by Daniel J. Solove --a law professor at George Washington University—the correlation between the internet and reputation is discussed. Solove states “our reputation…affects the very core of our identity” (p. 31). What this says to me is that our online identity directly affects our reputations. In order to maintain a “good” reputation, we must maintain a “good” online identity…and vice versa. I think this is something that is even more important in this day in age because whatever happens almost always ends up on the internet which means it is then permanent. As an educator I feel that it is going to be important to put myself out there on the web, but also make sure what is put out there is something I can be proud of. Another favorite quote I found in Solove’s writings is “in the urban jungle, we are lost amid a sea of unfamiliar faces.” Why do I like this quote? I like this quote because it completely explains the way of the world now. We no longer communicate face to face for everything, but rather we use the internet, phone calls, and texting. In order to be known for something you have to be out there online or in the media or else you are just another unfamiliar face.
Along with researching online identities I was also tasked with making an “About Page.” An “About Page” is a page where some of you can explain your teaching philosophy while also letting others get to know you. A page like this is a great way for educators to show who they are and give insight into what they are doing as professionals. Rather than create an entire webpage, I used Google Profiles. I had never heard of this so I thought it would be fun to try something new. Google Profiles is easy and self explanatory. There are boxes to fill in such as name, where you live, and a box for a bio. Creating an “About Page” is so simple using this tool that an educator can easily begin to build their online identity. Finally, I linked my Google Profiles page to my blog so that people can learn a little more about me as an educator. I enjoyed this project because it gave me a clear knowledge and understanding of what my online identity needs to include. Also, I really think I could use this in the future when I am in classroom. It is a great tool to help your students or parents get to know you on a more personal level. I think next time I would like to try something a little more complicated than Google Profiles so I can have the ability to create a more unique “About Page.”
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