Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Jing Video

I've created the following tutorial using Jing. Hopefully, I've embedded it properly. Also, I have a new found respect for voice-over actors. It's especially tough when you need to maneuver things on the computer at the same time. This is my first attempt at making a Jing video. I'm hoping to get better.
Unable to display content. Adobe Flash is required.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Resource Website

Thanks to the Personal Learning Network I've built on Twitter, I was informed of a relatively new resource site for science teachers. It's called Spongelab.com. The site includes images, animations, games, simulations, and a few lesson plans. The games and simulations will cost you credits. You earn what seems like a good bit of credits when you register. If you need more, you can buy them. I don't plan on buying any credits, but I will definitely use some things from this website.

Reflection: Week 3 Readings

 I’ll start off talking about Chapter 2 from Technology in the Secondary Science Classroom. The chapter was very simple and short, but I thought it brought up some great points. I really like the idea of having students use digital images to capture data. This fits perfect in some labs where qualitative data is extremely important. Plus the kids get instantly motivated by using technology in the lab. I was amused every time a student asked to use their phone as a stop watch and then proceeded to nearly shout with joy about being allowed to do so (talk about easily amused). I think taking digital images would add greatly to some of my labs. The reading provided a lot of research that shows observing images and videos can be very helpful learning. I’m a firm believer in this. Many biological concepts are difficult to picture. By providing an image or video, the students often have a much better understanding of difficult concepts. Not all images and videos will instantly improve learning. In fact, if the images don’t supplement the learning objectives, research has shown that they can actually be distracting and take away from the objectives. Finally, the chapter mentioned the concept of “picture reading.” Many students lack the ability to read pictures. I’ve never really thought of this, but I myself can be bad at picture reading at times. Who hasn’t read through a book, came across a reference to a figure, and then glanced at the image for a few seconds before moving on? I know I have. Students are even more likely to do this. As teachers, we must constantly remind students to invest mental effort into reading and comprehending pictures and figures.
I like the concept of “In Plain English” videos. They are relatively simple and quick. I think the time put into will generate a good reward in terms of learning. I’m trying to think of some ways to incorporate this into my classes. I’ll spend some more time thinking about this during the week.
I found the copyright information to be a lot to wrap my head around. I learned a couple of things. Number one; it’s complicated! Number two; it’s better to be safe than sorry. I’m looking forward to reading more comments on this topic, so that I can get a better understanding about what all that information means to me. I did like the Creative Commons website. It makes searching for images that are acceptable for use very easy.
I’m looking forward to hearing some comments. Let me know what you think.


Monday, June 20, 2011

Reflection- Top 20 Web Tools Countdown

I just went through the top 20 web tools countdown. I came  across many tools that I hadn't even heard of before. I'm going to list some of my reactions here.

1. Glogster
I've used Glogster before and have found value in it. My students created a glog on cell organelles. Not only did the kids enjoy creating the glogs (the learning curve was minimal), they were able to create great visuals to go along with analogies they created for each organelle. I will most likely continue using Glogster in the future.

2. Prezi
Prezi is a tool that I've heard about before but never got the chance to explore. I've seen presentations created through Prezi. To me, Prezi is much like slides on a PowerPoint except that it provides a lot more flexibility. Based off of the examples that I've seen, the presentations flow much better and do a better job showing connections between topics.

3. Blabberize
This is a tool that allows you to take a picture and have the picture move its mouth according to the text you provide. I think of this as more of a gimmick tool. I don't mean that in a negative way. This could be used as a great hook. I don't see this as something you would use a lot, but it could really get the attention of students at the beginning of a lesson or really hammer home a central point at the conclusion of a lesson.

4. ToonDooSpaces
This is a website that allows students to make comic strips. This tool I know very little about. I plan on exploring this during the week. I will give you an update on what I learn/think.

5. Xtranormal
Here's another one that I know very little about. You create a dialogue between characters. Then, you can use this tool to create an animation to fit your dialogue. I read on a blog (my new knowledge on blogs helped out here) about how he used it his foreign language class. The teacher provided a positive review on the use of this tool. I plan on exploring this one a little further this week.

I will spend some more time exploring these. I'll provide some updates as the week goes on. If you have any experiences with these tools before, don't be afraid to comment. I would love to hear if you felt they were worthwhile using or not. Also, don't be afraid to brag about the cool lesson plans you've used them for.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Guiding Principles for Technology Use

Here are my guidelines for using technology. This is still VERY much a work in progress. But here’s what I came up with after doing some brainstorming:

The purpose of technology is to:
1. Allow for student centered learning
            -Technology allows for increased opportunities for student centered learning
2. Allow for increased collaboration with others.
            -What excites me most about technology is the ability to collaborate with others.  Students can discuss content and activities with other classes, students taking the same course with a different teacher, experts in the field, and so much more.
3. Allow students to gain valuable learning experiences not previously available.
            -Technology can allow students to analyze real world data that they wouldn’t be able to   collect on their own. Simulations, animations, and images to difficult concepts are right at their fingertips.
4. Differentiate instruction for students.
5. Increase motivation of students
            -In age where students are constantly using and surrounded by technology, technology can be used to connect with students, to increase motivation and increase participation. I’ve put this at the end of the list. Technology shouldn’t be used as gimmick to get students’ attention, but can be used a great hook into lessons.

Possible uses of technology:
1. Post and evaluate work
            -Students can post their work, and then other students can comment. This allows for increased discussion and sharing of ideas.
2. Classroom blog
            -This can be used to supplement class discussions, provide example of student work, and  serve as an informational center. (I’m sure there are many more that I will be able to add to this list over the next few weeks.)

Caveat: With all of benefits of technology mentioned above, there is one main guideline that should always be considered; is technology enhancing the learning experience? Is the focus on the learning of content and problem solving skills and not on the mechanics of the technology? When incorporating technology into my lessons, I must ask myself this question every time.

That’s what I have for now. Any questions, comments, or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Setting the Stage Reflection

I enjoyed reading the articles on the use of technology in the classroom. At my school district, there has been a big push to incorporate technology into our instruction. Most teachers in my district agree that the integration of technology is, on the surface, a good thing. Unfortunately, the push for technology has been too much for some. Many teachers feel that the focus has been shifted from the content to the technology. With that as my background, I looked forward to reading these articles and putting some more thought into this topic.

The “Web 2.0 is the Future of Education” article brought up a great point about students and their connection to technology. Yes, kids today are always using technology and may often know more than their teacher, but students must learn how to use this technology and how to get the most out of it. I believe THAT is our role as educators. We need to get students to take the technology they’re using in their personal lives, and showing them how to use it efficiently and effectively in the academic world.

The other sources focused more on why it is so important for students to be learning and using technology. “The times they are a-changin’.”  Thomas L. Friedman and the “Did You Know 2.0” video provide startling facts and anecdotal evidence that support the previously mentioned quote. Although I do agree that information found in sources like this can be fear-mongering at times, it doesn’t mean we should ignore it. Regardless of what other countries are doing, we should be preparing our students for their future. The future will surely be different than what we are dealing with today.

So how do we prepare students for a future that we can’t predict? That’s where the last article comes in. I feel that we need to prepare students with the skills that will allow them to compete for college seats and global jobs. I thought this article provided a great outline of those skills. The five skills listing in this article were adaptability, complex communication skills, non-routine problem solving, self-management, and systems thinking. These skills have always benefitted people in the past.  Those with these skills probably tended to be more successful than a person lacking some of these skills. No longer can we just hope our students have these skills. We need to incorporate these skills into our classrooms. Lessons and activities that work in these skills will help prepare the students for 21st century skills. The book suggested that inquiry based learning is a great way to accomplish these skills.

Overall, I found the readings very thought provoking. I agreed with most of what was said. Technology is not an end, but it can be a means to an end. Technology should be used when it supports and benefits the instruction, not merely for the sake of using technology. I’m looking forward to learning more about how to use technology to support my learning objectives.

Monday, June 13, 2011

First Post

This is my first post to my blog. I've heard a lot about blogs. It's time I join in and see what all the buzz is about.