The Video is Behind Us, Now What?

Now that our video is completed and has been shared with everyone, I am left to reflect on how my feelings have changed about how I can use this in the classroom effectively. What I have realized is first of all how time consuming it is. In order to do this in a high school the students would have to be given ample time to think up ideas, assemble those ideas, film and finally edit the content. I would recommend my students working in groups because I saw how valuable it is to have multiple minds working together to accomplish a similar goal. Although getting together in groups can be difficult, in the end it is an endeavor that's worth pursuing. I could see having students use iMovie to cover different science topics that they would then introduce to the class through their movie. These ideas would correlate with the tasks we need to cover for the year but would also be varied to fit each group's interest. I would encourage humor as it helps us to remember things and it makes watching the movies more enjoyable. With that being said it will also be important especially at a high school level to put emphasis on content but also to remember that it's the underlying principles of a project such as an iMovie that is important. We want students to become familiar with technology and how it can be used not only for a project in class but also for the rest of their life. Technology is not going anywhere and will only keep progressing forward. We must continue as educators to prepare our students for the real world and all that that entails. I will also continue as a future teacher to stay on the cutting edge of the same technology so that I can relate to my students and keep them moving forward.

Google Docs/Apps in Education

The most useful thing I have noticed so far involving the google docs and apps for educational purposes is how useful they are for setting up all of our tools for the classroom such as websites, wikis and blogs. There are so many creative ways to get information across to students. I learned that the forms can be used to make surveys or practice quizzes. It's possible to track spreadsheets where students can see how their answers to practice quizzes etc. compare to their classmates. The students can also set up their own forms for data they are collecting and wanting to compare. The google documents allow students to all work in the same place without having to physically be sitting next to each other. They are able to edit, critique and comment on their classmates' ideas in real time.  I have already designed certain images and tools using the google apps and documents in order to add useful tools to my website. There are so many things that you can do with all of these tools, yet it's not too overwhelming and still easy to use. All important aspects to any tools that teachers will want to use in their classroom. The ease of use also makes them ideal tools to teach to students and allow them to use themselves as well.

iMovie and Project Work

Today was a busy day trying to get adapted to iMovie and all of it's components. I remember people saying they thought it was more difficult than Garageband but I'm feeling like after you've done one mac program you can do them all! That's probably a really good thing since I am feeling the crunch on all of the projects we have going on right now.


Our video project is off to a pretty good start. It just takes a really long time to first design your ideas (which you will eventually change), film, make slides/extras, do audio and then finally edit. I knew a lot went into making a video but it's that much more challenging when you only have 3 days in which to do it. I am glad that I decided to have a partner, even though I know groups can be hard to organize on such a short notice. Working in groups always allows for immediate feedback and opinions during the creation process. It's always nice to have someone thinking of the things your not. I think this movie will pay off in the end but it's going to be a long road getting there.

Websites, videos, classroom sites OH MY!

Today I was exposed to the idea of creating a video that portrays education and technology. I also saw what other teachers and schools have done with websites for their classrooms. It was nice to see how these sites can be used in a classroom so students can check on assignments, get announcements and more. I am excited to make a website for my future classroom because of the many possible implications.


Despite how useful all of these new tools are, I still can't help but feel a bit overwhelmed at this point. I hope that I will be able to feel confident in using everything so that I can make it effective for my future students. I am glad to be exposed to all this new technology, because it's important to me to be able to hold my own in the technological world.

Horizon Report

The part of the Horizon Report that interested me the most is the part on mobile computing. I have a smartphone and am addicted to all the things I can do with it. Sometimes I am baffled to think that I can be on a boat in the ocean and take a picture of me with the fish I just caught and have it posted on Facebook 30 seconds after it all happened. It was also interesting to see how much further this particular technology is going. To be able to hold your phone up when your at a historical site and to see how that site looked long ago is simply amazing. Through programs like that students will be able to take subject content so much further than when I was in school. Mobile computing is where it is at, information anytime, anywhere!

My Podcasting Experience

Podcasting was a hard thing for me to do. I'm not too keen on the sound of my voice so it was difficult to listen to myself speak. I do see all the opportunities it give students in a classroom. There is a chance for individual voice and it is a way for students to expand their creativity. The other big frustration I had with podcasting was in my fear of copyrighted materials and doing my best to make sure I was citing what I used correctly. My fear of not giving someone proper credit for any of their materials I used was so bad that I feel like it inhibited my creativity in the end.

I think I would still use podcasts in my class especially in a science class because I could see students going out with a voice recorder and doing field notes that they could later edit and put together for other students to listen to. I think it would be a chance for everyone to share how and what they observed in any given location which is essential to learning as we don't all see things the same way. Another interesting way I may use podcasts in my classroom would be to have students pick a certain topic and in groups explain that topic through podcasts to other students. I think if students have information presented in multiple ways they will be more likely to understand it better.

My Movie

My first experience with digital storytelling, and I must say I am proud!!

 

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/6915991/