Monday, November 28, 2011
Google Sites
To be completely honest, at first google sites made me want to cry. I could not for the life of e understand how to use it or which buttons did what. However, after playing around with it for a little bit and through A LOT of trial and error, I figured it out. I really enjoyed the process of making my class website, but I know this would be a different story if it had been an at home, no teacher help, kind of project! I am proud of my finished project and can actually see myself using google sites to make my real classroom website when the time comes!
Final Thoughts
Through the course of the semester I feel like my technology knowledge base has grown an enormous amount. I have learned how to use multiple Web 2.0 tools, which I plan to use later in life once I have my own classroom. I feel that through this course I have gained knowledge that I would not have learned without taking this course. I am extremely grateful for the information I have gathered in TPTE and cannot wait to take my knowledge and improve the education system!
Monday, November 21, 2011
Storybird
Storybird:: Storybird seems to be a helpful tool. I like that it is interactive with the students in the class, I see this as a clever way to stay in communication with students. The idea of posting assignments on the website reminds me a lot of UT's Blackboard. I think that this type of program forces the students to be responsible. I can definitely see using this is higher grades. I also think that this tool would be great in 4th and 5th grade classroom. Storybird would be very helpful in teaching parts of speech and also parts of literature (plot, climax, etc.).
Monday, November 14, 2011
Animoto
Animoto: This seems like a neat tool to implement within the classroom to introduce topics to students. I can also see how students could use this for project to help teach their peers about various topics.Animoto seems simple to use and the multiple options for where to retrieve your images from this an amazing classroom tool! I can definitely see myself using this tool daily in my own classroom.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Google Forms
Google Forms: This seems like a great tool to use within the classroom! There seem to be an endless amount of ways to use this tool! Using a Google Form to survey BOTH parents and students! I can also see this being used for take home test and chapter reviews. Google Forums is a great tool for acquiring feedback, as well as for testing and quizzing. I really enjoy this tool and its possibilities! I can definitely see using this within my class!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Podbean
Podbean: I love the idea of using Podbean as a pre-class introduction to a topic. I can also see using Podbean to introduce projects, therefore enabling parents (for lower grades) to view the podcast and better understand the assignment there child must complete. I enjoyed the use of the podcast within the music classroom to show students music-center vocab words. I think Podbean is a useful classroom tool and I can definitely see using it to give more specific instruction!
Monday, October 24, 2011
Monday, October 17, 2011
Picnic and Smilebox
Picnic: I enjoy Picnic as a website and it is an excellent tool for editing and improving pictures! The site is easy to use and the free tools and applications seem to be enough. However, I can certainly see the appeal in the premium (paid) version. Unfortunately, I do not see this be an extremely helpful tool within the classroom. Yes, of course it would provide fun editing for student pictures, but I am not so sure as to how it would be as great of a tool in the classroom as the others we have learned about.
Smilebox: Smilebox seems very similar to Picnic. However, with the video capabilities I can see Smilebox being much more useful. I really like the idea of using Smilebox to create interactive news letters and presentations. There seem to be several different options and hundreds of personalization opportunities! I really like Smilebox and can definitely see myself using this within my own classroom.
Smilebox: Smilebox seems very similar to Picnic. However, with the video capabilities I can see Smilebox being much more useful. I really like the idea of using Smilebox to create interactive news letters and presentations. There seem to be several different options and hundreds of personalization opportunities! I really like Smilebox and can definitely see myself using this within my own classroom.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Wordle and Timetoast
Wordle: I like the concept behind wordle. The uses within the classroom seem almost endless. Using a word cloud to display information bout specific event or to spice up historical information is a brilliant idea! I can see using world not only for educational and teaching word cloud but also fun little "star student" awards and things of that sort. Wordle is fun to play around with and I think students would really enjoy using it within the classroom.
Timetoast: Timetoast is a virtual timeline. I LOVE the idea of using a timetoast with in a classroom. Having students research individual topics and create a timeline that can be done quickly would be a great in class activity. Additionally, because your timetoast can be save to your timetoast account, it could be accessed at home as well, this enables student to work in multiple location before sharing. I fully plan to implement timetoast as a classroom tool within my future classroom
Timetoast: Timetoast is a virtual timeline. I LOVE the idea of using a timetoast with in a classroom. Having students research individual topics and create a timeline that can be done quickly would be a great in class activity. Additionally, because your timetoast can be save to your timetoast account, it could be accessed at home as well, this enables student to work in multiple location before sharing. I fully plan to implement timetoast as a classroom tool within my future classroom
Monday, October 3, 2011
Delicious and Glogster
Delicious: I really enjoy the concept of Delicious. It seems incredibly simple, almost a "duh" website...as in "duh, why didn't I think of that." I especially liked when Vincent and Bethany explained that students could use the site as a research tool. It seems to completely simply the process of research at home and at school. The site would be incredibly useful within both high school and elementary aged classrooms. I am slightly uneasy about the freedom the site provides, just in the first seconds of signing up there seemed to be a few racy stacks that were suggest. I see this as the only con.
Glogster: The digital poster concept that is Glogster is fantastic. The site seems like a great solution to the messy hassle that scissor and paste posters can often be. The possibilities that are provided for uses of a glog seem endless. I will definitely try and implement use of glogster within my classroom. Even if students cant get the hang of it (which is not likely) it will be a great tool to use as a teacher!
Glogster: The digital poster concept that is Glogster is fantastic. The site seems like a great solution to the messy hassle that scissor and paste posters can often be. The possibilities that are provided for uses of a glog seem endless. I will definitely try and implement use of glogster within my classroom. Even if students cant get the hang of it (which is not likely) it will be a great tool to use as a teacher!
Monday, September 26, 2011
Nutrition Web Quest
http://pangea.tec.selu.edu/~cmcnabb/etec645/nutrition/Whann.htm
The web quest I found is a nutrition based web quest, the quest is in response to bad reviews of school foods. The students research the food pyramid and nutrition facts all to compile a menu that is healthy and tasty. The students share their findings with their classmates, thus expanding their knowledge. This quest enables student a creative outlet by enabling them to create their own school menu, as well as prviding an avenue in which the can build upon their knowledge of foods. I found this web quest to be not only entertaining, but also educational. I think that it would be easy to keep the students active in the quest. Kids always care about lunch--so this is an easy way for them to gather nutritional knowledge. I enjoyed reading about this web quest.
The web quest I found is a nutrition based web quest, the quest is in response to bad reviews of school foods. The students research the food pyramid and nutrition facts all to compile a menu that is healthy and tasty. The students share their findings with their classmates, thus expanding their knowledge. This quest enables student a creative outlet by enabling them to create their own school menu, as well as prviding an avenue in which the can build upon their knowledge of foods. I found this web quest to be not only entertaining, but also educational. I think that it would be easy to keep the students active in the quest. Kids always care about lunch--so this is an easy way for them to gather nutritional knowledge. I enjoyed reading about this web quest.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Website Evaluation Rubric for Kids!
I did a Google search for "website evaluation rubric for children" and I found this website: http://www.tammypayton.net/courses/print/evalweb2.shtml. I like this because it give rubrics for primary, intermediate and secondary grades. The rubrics are simple to understand and enable students to rate different aspects the website on a 1 through 5 scale. This website also links the websites they used to create their assessment tools.
Website Evaluation
I selected the website, Reading Eggs (http://www.studyisland.com/readingEggs/index.htm) for my website evaluation. I found this website to be very beneficial. The website is design to help readers ages 4-8 develope and improve their literacy skills. The website states on it first page, "Grounded in extensive educational research, Reading Eggs builds on and reinforces the five key reading pillars: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension," as a student in the education program, I have learned that these five points a vital in literacy. I think Reading Eggs is a brilliantly interactive website that will easily engage even the most struggling reader.
I am not sure how the website evaluation will help me in my future classroom. I feel that deciding whether a website is appropriate and beneficial for one's class will depend on the class itself. I do not feel that I would regularly evaluate sites with the website evaluation checklist. However,the evaluation did bring to light multiple things I would not have thought to look for.
I am not sure how the website evaluation will help me in my future classroom. I feel that deciding whether a website is appropriate and beneficial for one's class will depend on the class itself. I do not feel that I would regularly evaluate sites with the website evaluation checklist. However,the evaluation did bring to light multiple things I would not have thought to look for.
Monday, September 12, 2011
My first Wiki..
After completing my first wiki experiences, I am pretty excited. I enjoyed the process and concept of the wiki page. I think the accessibility and how easily a wiki can be altered and edited. I liked that I was able to add links into my wiki to better explain my points and give a more descriptive opportunity. I look forward to doing more with the wiki page and can see it being very useful within the classroom.
Monday, August 22, 2011
My Learning Goals for this Course
Throughout this class I hope to learn:
- how to use all aspects of google/google docs
- how to work a Mac (this is a big one)
- what a wiki is
Informal Introduction
Informal Introduction to class:
I was born in Coral Springs, Florida and moved to Tennessee when I was 3 years old. My parents chose to move to Tennessee after my father completed a little over a year of undercover work with the FBI in Chattanooga. I consider Tennessee my home, it is all I remember of growing up! Technically I grew up in Ooltewah-but who really knows where Ooltewah is? I am the middle of three kids, I have and older sister-she is an anchor for News Channel 9 in Chattanooga, I also have a younger brother, he is a Junior in high school. I graduated in May of 2008 from Ooltewah High School. Ooltewah was an experience, but enjoyable nonetheless. I have wanted to be a teacher from a very young age, only fluctuating between which grade level to teach. My first year at UTK I decided to major in biology..not sure what I was thinking. Quickly (after literally ONE Bio class) I changed my mind. Throwing my interest in forensics aside, I ventured into Elementary Education. I learned a lot about my own reasons for teaching when I actually went through the application program for Elementary Education. I had so many incredible experiences throughout grade school--I feel it is only fair to give back. Each teacher I have had, in grade school and in college, has given me insight into how I hope to run my classroom, as well as think I plan to avoid. I hope to land in a 5th grade classroom in any area, although I have a specific passion for inner city. I am excited to learn more about the Mac systems, as they are ridiculously foreign to me!
I was born in Coral Springs, Florida and moved to Tennessee when I was 3 years old. My parents chose to move to Tennessee after my father completed a little over a year of undercover work with the FBI in Chattanooga. I consider Tennessee my home, it is all I remember of growing up! Technically I grew up in Ooltewah-but who really knows where Ooltewah is? I am the middle of three kids, I have and older sister-she is an anchor for News Channel 9 in Chattanooga, I also have a younger brother, he is a Junior in high school. I graduated in May of 2008 from Ooltewah High School. Ooltewah was an experience, but enjoyable nonetheless. I have wanted to be a teacher from a very young age, only fluctuating between which grade level to teach. My first year at UTK I decided to major in biology..not sure what I was thinking. Quickly (after literally ONE Bio class) I changed my mind. Throwing my interest in forensics aside, I ventured into Elementary Education. I learned a lot about my own reasons for teaching when I actually went through the application program for Elementary Education. I had so many incredible experiences throughout grade school--I feel it is only fair to give back. Each teacher I have had, in grade school and in college, has given me insight into how I hope to run my classroom, as well as think I plan to avoid. I hope to land in a 5th grade classroom in any area, although I have a specific passion for inner city. I am excited to learn more about the Mac systems, as they are ridiculously foreign to me!
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