Working with iMovie to make Shakespeare interesting!

I absolutely loved working with this application.  I can't wait to make more fun intros and movies for my class.  After completing the project, I also realized that this would be a great example to show a class as an introduction to a potential project assignment.  The uses for iMovie can be as broad as I or my students can imagine.  I look forward to seeing what students can create with their interests and imagination, as well.  The great thing about working on a Mac was how user-friendly this program was.  I had only worked with iMovie once before on a very limited basis and this project took time and effort but the functions were fairly easy to figure out and utilize.  

Excel. Spreadsheets.

I've never been a huge fan of excel, what with the numbers and formulas and such. This week we created two spreadsheets to demonstrate excel's usability in our classrooms. I appreciate this option, but am not sure if I will make use of it in my classroom or not. My recent experience in some economically disadvantaged high schools has shown me that many students may not have a grasp on how to use many of the programs and features in Microsoft Office, not to mention no access to a computer from home. Of course, I would like to help them develop these skills, but with everything else to cover in my English curriculum, I'm not sure if I would have a great deal of class time to do so. I guess my decision on whether to use this particular assignment/quiz option would depend on the class or the school I was teaching in at that time.

The assignment below is a grammar practice worksheet that reviews the 8 parts of speech and some other grammatical terms.

Diagrams with Inspiration

Today, we finished our projects using the "Inspiration" program. I had a lot of fun with this project and am especially excited about the ways it allows visual learners to connect information and research from a text into a graphically organized setting. The possibilities for Inspiration diagrams is virtually endless. I chose to do a kind of character map that allows students to find creative adjectives to describe a main character from a play and then site examples from the text that support those traits. I could use this format for parts of speech, learning the elements of a sonnet, comparing genres or various literature, and creating a personal narrative just to name a few! I look forward to using this program in the future to help enhance and expand my students' opportunities to learn and use technology

Literary Scavenger Hunt

In class today, we all made googledocs presentations using the pictures we gathered for our scavenger hunts. In my group, we had a scavenger hunt of literary terms. We tried to find as many terms as we could outside, and to be creative with our choices. As we completed the activity, I thought about how much fun this would be for students, also. I kept a copy of our assignment sheet to use as a reference when I begin my internship. Giving students an opportunity to review literary skills and terms using the technology of digital cameras, uploading and resizing photos, and creating their own presentation allows me to help teach skills on a variety of levels. Not to mention the students might even have a little fun along the way.
Here is a screen shot of my organization for the slide show images in my "hunt" folder:

My Digital Image Collection

This week, we had to complete a digital image collection using 5 different mediums. In the order they appear in the slide show, the mediums I used were a scanner, CD collection, web image, digital camera photo, and a screen shot. I learned that there are so many ways to gather images for me to use in my classroom, and also learned how easy it is to organize these on Picasa and do all kinds of things with them just like the slideshow in this blogpot!

Planning Lessons, Trickier Than You Think

Over the past couple of weeks, we have been working in pairs on completing a lesson plan template that incorporates technology. Martha and I decided to plan an intro lesson for a unit on research papers. Practicing the lesson plan process is so important. Prior to my education classes, I never anticipated the importance of not only being prepared for each lesson, but considering every detail from each material needed to the precise wording of the lesson objective. I also learned the importance of screening and providing acceptable websites instead of just letting students roam the internet. In larger classes, supervising every student at all times just is not feasible. Deciding on accepable websites ahead of time ensures that the class will stay on task and on appropriate and relevant websites.

Do Computers Negatively Affect Student Growth?

One of my other classes this semester is TPTE 517 which deals with trends and issues in education. This week, I reviewed two articles that address the question, “Do computers negatively affect student growth?”. The two opposing articles actually did little to oppose each other. While they both discussed the use of computers and technology in K-12 schools, they focused on two different aspects that were virtually unrelated.

In “The Human Touch”, Lowell Monke passionately asserts his prediction that increased technology in the younger years of education will be the end of all creativity, authenticity, and meaningful experience. He naively claims that youths can learn all computer skills needed in the workplace or college during “one year of instruction during high school” (p. 329). Dr. Monke should try this argument with the thousands of adults who have tried to assimilate to the culture of the technology world without any prior experience. A small fraction, if any, would agree that a one-year (or only a semester, if a school has block scheduling!) course would be able to put them up to speed in the workplace. Technology is complex, and constantly changing, as well as increasing in importance as a medium of our society. In his conclusion, Monke advocates a concentration of “high technology in the upper grades” in order to “honor the natural developmental stages of childhood” (p. 332). This goal is completely defendable. A gradual increase in exposure to technology, just like any other subject in education, makes for a logical progression. Monke sees computers as a threat to creativity and ingenuity, but they can be the exact opposite when used responsibly and correctly. Computers can, and should, function as outlets and encouragements for students’ inner talents and development.

Frederick M. Hess takes his argument in a completely different direction. “Technical Difficulties” focuses on how educators and administrators can more effectively use technology, spending little time on students’ use or non-use. He points out the tendency for schools to use technology frequently, but inefficiently. The main remedy of the article is for teachers to “spend less time on trivia while adding more value” (p. 338). With the use of assessment software to aid in essay-grading and other assignments, educators will be able to “slash the time spent on rote tasks” and redirect their efforts on more important matters (p. 339). Hess views technology as a tool, not a miracle cure, for a problem vaguely stated, but assumed to be inefficient learning in schools.

Taking Sides: Clashing Views in Education is the book that I have cited in this post.

Sharing Resources

Any student can relate to the lugubrious task of looking up grammar rules and citation guidelines in their trusty, red Harbrace Handbook. My life changed forever when my high school senior English teacher pointed us to a new and exciting alternative.

I felt that this site was especially appropriate to share in this class because it is an online version of this printed-paper book...and so much more! Yet another example of the advantages technology can provide in and out of our classrooms. This site offers over 200 free service for everything from grammar and mechanics to style guide for MLA and APA. They provide strategies and methods for research, and even provide services for ESL students. The website also provides assistance in conducting job searches and tips on professional writing.

Sonnets and WebQuests

To the left, you can see a picture of the first page introduction to the WebQuest I analyzed and posted on my group's Wiki page. The WebQuest is a great tool, but to find the right one takes time and discernment. I finally chose one that focused on teaching students about sonnets, the Shakespearean and Petrarch in particular. The activity was engaging and rich with learning opportunities. Students will be able to research and learn about the topics in smaller groups and later present their findings to the class. At the conclusion of the exercise, students will flex their creative muscles and compose their own sonnets using the knowledge they have acquired during the WebQuest.

Organization

I have included a picture of my files to display the materials I have organized so far for chapters 4 and 5. In chapter 4, I have the photos that I used for the blog, the PLP (Personal Learning Portfolio, and the wiki. I also have saved the file for the biography I used on the PLP. In chapter 5, I have saved the file for my first annotation on my group's wiki page.

Learning about WebQuests

In class on Thursday, we completed a crash course in WebQuests. The activity we used took us through 4 or 5 WebQuests relevant to our subject area and had each team member evaluate from a different perspective. I evaluated the effective and efficient nature of each WebQuest and really enjoyed navigating the pages to see the variety of ways these activities can address lessons and subject matter. I had never heard of a WebQuest prior to this class and it was exciting to learn about yet another teaching tool available for the classroom now because of technology.

I also learned the importance of evaluating and being selective about using WebQuests. Before considering one for a lesson, I need to make sure that it meets all the points I deem necessary from a time, energy, and resources standpoint. Depending on my school's resources, my class's abilities, and the time we have will all determine which WebQuests will be most effective to use. I also learned that their use can extend outside the classroom, as well, for things such as homework or take-home projects that might be longer term.

Sharing Resources

I'm currently taking an "Introduction to Secondary Schools" class. One of our projects was to interview a local teacher in our concentration area and present the interview in a useful way to our class. Because of the local school closings and bad weather over the last few weeks, we had to exchange our interview information via e-mail. This restriction forced me to use technology as effectively as possible by exchanging follow-up e-mails and keeping track of our conversations in my inbox.

The most exciting bit of technology I discovered for our interview was one of her favorite teacher resources. This website was created by a retired educator who desired to collect as many useful web resources in one place so that interns and teachers didn't spend hours searching google and other search engines for tips, ideas, and planning resources. I look forward to using this site in and out of my classroom.

Intro to the Wiki

Today was my first experience with "wiki"s. I have been familiar with everything else we have addressed in class such as blogs, podcasts, and other computer/internet features, but the wiki was new for me. I actually wasn't even sure what a wiki was until we watched the intro video in class and set up to create out own wiki pages. I'm glad to know about this new tool because it seems like such a great way to collaborate with future colleagues as well as a useful tool for my students. When I assign group work or projects to be completed outside of class, I can encourage my students to use wikis to work together and communicate.

Web site Evaluation

I discovered a site that was created by a husband and wife team called Eduscapes. This activity helped me learn how to evaluate websites for the future in my own classroom and for my own professional use. Each category easily broke down the aspects that I needed to consider, and the "comments" section allowed me to explain and evaluate my choices of "yes" or "no" for each category.

Without the evaluation form, I would not have thought to analyze the publishing body as much as I did.

While I would have looked for a fun and creative site on my own, this evaluation also helped me discern what was accurate and professional.

Adventures in Technology

Though I am not new to the world of blogs, this is the first one I have created for academic/professional purposes. I am fairly well-versed in surfing the internet, but my favorite kind of search will always be the old-fashioned kind through shelves like the ones shown in the picture above. When I have my own classroom, I hope that skills for locating books in the good ole library will not be completely obsolete.
Even though I'll always prefer the smell of the stacks in Hodges over that of a computer lab, I'm excited to learn and record my adventures in technology throughout the semester.

If you were curious, you could check out my first blogging attempt from my adventure abroad this past summer!