Week 5 & Tech Explorations 15-18

Week 5

 

Visual Literacy

This has been a hard week for me.  The volume of material we had to go through and developing the thoughts to go with it has really taxed me.  Our assignment this week  was to dive into the world of Visual Literacy and online communication tools.

I have been a visual learner all my life.  So the concept of visual literacy really interested me. Even though I am a visual learner I never really sat down and thought about how an artist was trying to tell me a story with a painting or how a director was using lighting and camera angles to get at my emotions.  . 

Watching the Scorsese video made me really think about how video and movies have really become the classic literary works of our time.  Directors like him tell you the story with video effects and music.  The way he talks about how the camera angle and lights become part of the story really opened my eyes to the power of visual mediums.

We were also given the assignment to look at 3 additional sites.  I chose FlickrCC, Flickr Storm and findr.  All three of these sites give you high quality images with a simple tag word search.  These sites would be great if you needed a certain photo to really make your presentation or blog stand out.  I like how you can choose which photos you want on your wall and the simple search features.  For use in the classroom a filter of some kind would have to be used.

Technology is everywhere.  Students today have logged more computer hours by Kindergarteners than our generation did in 6 years of elementary education.  The times are changing and we must keep up!  This visual learning goes hand in hand with the 21^st Century skills.  Students today have been exposed to so much media we as teachers must find ways to use this format to engage with the students and keep them interested in learning. 

 

 PBS

We were given the task of finding 2 resources from the PBS archives and investigate.  I chose “Don’t Buy It” and “Parents Guide to Creativity”.  With all this talk about visual literacy we must also talk about the downside of this visualization.  “Don’t buy it” deals with just that.  It gives students a behind the scene look at cover models, TV demographics, and fast food advertisements and how the media is selling you an image even if it’s a fake image.

A “Parents guide to Creativity” gives the reader useful ways to incorporate fun into learning for young students.  Even though this is designed for preK some of these ideas can be used for my special needs students.

After looking at the topics I chose and reading through the sites it reminds me of the insurance commercial with the lady and her “French model” date.  If it’s on the internet it must be true.  That being said while teaching our students visual literacy we must also caution them on half-truths and deceptive visuals.

 

Online Communication

All three articles deal with the emergence and use of online communication tools.  From simple texts and emails to online video chats and whiteboards. The world of education is changing.  Never before have we had more technology to work with in and out of the classroom. 

This communication technology can be broken into 2 groups.  The first is Synchronous communication, this is communication that takes place between 2 persons in real time.  Examples of this include video conferencing, skype and white boards.  The benefit of this synchronous communication is real time collaboration and instant feedback.  This form of communication provides the most bang for the buck and is the most productive.  The drawbacks are higher cost for high bandwidth used, many times the hardware must match in both locations and the most obvious is that all participants must be available at the same time.

Asynchronous communication takes place when one party leaves a message on a discussion board, a text or a static medium like a video feed or slideshow.  Then another party reads and responds to the message later. The advantage to this form is that both parties can receive and respond to communication at their own convenience.  The drawback is there can be a significant amount of time lapse between postings, words can be taken out of context and in some cases like a static video comments cannot even be left for the original poster.  As long as the user can accept the drawbacks either form will work in education. Just imagine, this type of technology has only been around a few years.  What will be our choices in 2015, how about in 2020? 

Teachers must choose the programs he or she uses wisely.  They must also train themselves to use it effectively.  With the power of today’s technology examples like the ones given in The Horizon Report will become standard classroom activities.  Why talk about tornadoes in the classroom when you can instant message with a storm chaser live in Kansas?  Why talk about the space when you can video conference with an astronaut at Kennedy Space Center? The possibilities for using online communication tools are endless.

Tech Exploration # 15

Prezi http://prezi.com/ and SpicyNodes - http://www.spicynodes.org/ 

1.	Describe what you learned from exploring this resource.  Be thorough in your response.
	Prezi is an online presentation and whiteboard program that allows you to collaborate and create presentations in real time or work on them separately and save to a common file. The whiteboard portion of the software is like many of the others we have explored this year.  You can use it in real time and brainstorm with students or peers.  The presentation software looks very professional and easy to use.  You can add clipart, pictures or videos.    Spicynodes is a new way to present topics.  You can create nodes and the links that go with the nodes.  You can add multiple levels to your nodes.  When you choose a topic “nodes” spring up around the topic with related topics.  When you choose one of the nodes a new set of nodes will pop up.
2.	How could you use this resource in a school setting?  It does not matter if it is in your field or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in educational settings.
	I can see teachers and students using this software as a whiteboard in the classroom.  Students can use the presentation part of the software to develop assignments or oral reports.  Teachers can use it to give online lessons or assignments.  Since this software is internet based you can use any brand of computer and the software is always the same version.     Spicynodes can be used in the classroom setting to present information to the students.  You can present the information in a logical format that leads the reader on a path you set or you can let them freely surf.  Students can also learn by creating nodes themselves.
3.	Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike; Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth.  Why or Why not?
	This software comes in three levels.  The first level is free and comes with many of the features of the full blown software.  The only drawback is the prezi you make is not private and you only have enough space for a few presentations.  For under $5 a month you can have private presentations and have a lot more storage space.  Finally, you can get the full version that gives you access to the most storage space but comes at the highest cost.  I can recommend the software since it has a low cost and yields professional results.   Although spicynodes does all it claims, the website runs slow and for all of the clicking you only get to a few levels before you realize it will take quite a bit of work to create a spicynode with several levels and enough information to be interesting.  I’m sure some people will say they like the software but I can’t see myself using the program.

Tech Exploration # 16
Edmodo - http://www.edmodo.com/ and a math dictionary http://www.amathsdictionaryforkids.com/dictionary.html

1.	Describe what you learned from exploring this resource.  Be thorough in your response.
	Edmodo is an online social and collaboration network.  Edmodo has a very distinct Facebook look and feel.  Students, teachers, and parents who facebook should be able to use this software right out of the gate.  There are many apps that have been developed that work in conjunction with Edmodo and are very educational.  Teachers can use Edmodo’s many features to post topics, do polls, or use the social media aspect to deliver assignments.   A math dictionary is a good reference for an elementary student or a middle or high school student needing to look up the definition of something they forgot.  The website gives a good definition of the term and gives examples for some of the words.
2.	How could you use this resource in a school setting?  It does not matter if it is in your field or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in educational settings.
	Like I said Edmodo has a lot in common with facebook.  The look and feel of the software should allow students that use social media to easily transition to this software.  The tools that come with the software make it a powerful tool for teachers to engage and connect with their students.  The apps also are geared towards the students with a fun and educational selection to choose from.   This would be a good reference website for students to look up information on mathematical terms that they need to know.  Although this would not be a program that I would use every day, it would be a good one to keep in the favorites for reference.  You can use this resource for many uses and lessons.
3.	Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike; Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth.  Why or Why not?
	I can recommend this software if the teacher is wanting an easy way to stay in contact with their students.  This easy to use software is very intuitive and there are enough features and add-ons to keep it interesting for the students.   I can recommend the software as a reference tool.  I’m not sure of how many other ways you can use the website but it’s fun and easy to use and best of all its free.

Tech Exploration # 17

Glogster - http://www.glogster.com/ and Jing http://www.techsmith.com/jing/

1.	Describe what you learned from exploring this resource.  Be thorough in your response.
	Glogster is literally a graphic blog.  This is a fresh way to think about blogging.  Usually you have a ton of text telling the story and a few pictures scattered here and there.  With Glogster you can tell the story visually. You can upload pictures, words, graphics, and videos to tell your story to the world.    Jing is screen capture type software, but where most only takes a static picture of the screen Jing can take up to a 5 minute video on everything you do on your screen.  You can also use Jing to capture a video and then narrate what you are doing on the video. Jing is free and you can upgrade it where you can take unlimited length videos.
2.	How could you use this resource in a school setting?  It does not matter if it is in your field or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in educational settings.
	You can use Glogster much in the same way you can use a message board or a standard blog.  For assignments that need visual aids you could use Glogster to “show” the students how to do something.  The format is more youth friendly than most blogs and gets away from the boring lines of text and you can present the pictures in a more youthful way.  I think students would actually use this software and not resist like some other software we have reviewed.   With its record and narrate functions this program can easily be integrated into classroom environments.  You can record step by step instructions to your students on the use of computers or software.  Programs like excel which requires many steps to create spreadsheets could easily be taught using these 5 minute videos.
3.	Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike; Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth.  Why or Why not?
	I can easily see students using this software.  It’s free for general use but if a teacher wants to use it and protect the student’s privacy you have to pay a nominal fee for this security.  Even with the low fee, it’s still a good deal and I can recommend this software.   This is a powerful tool for the teacher and students.  It’s easy to use, it’s free, and you get great results.  Plus it makes lessons visual and easy to follow.  What more could you really ask for?  I can easily recommend this program.

 

 

 

Tech Exploration #18
Youtube for Education http://www.youtube.com/education and Schooltube http://www.schooltube.com and Teachertube http://www.teachertube.com

1.	Describe what you learned from exploring this resource.  Be thorough in your response.
	I usually review the assigned websites separately, but since these 3 websites are almost the same I decided to review them together.  The whole “tube” craze started with youtube and it’s the most polished of the bunch.  All three do exactly what you would expect.  You can upload or download videos that students or teachers create.  This like many of the other software packages we have looked at allows for the teachers and students to visually see the lesson or assignment.  All three seem to be good but schooltube does not seem to have as much content or as new content as the other two.  Teachertube even lets you upload photos and documents like a file-sharing site.
2.	How could you use this resource in a school setting?  It does not matter if it is in your field or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in educational settings.
	Lessons or assignments can be posted online and shared.  With posting assignments and instructions online you can reach out to the students that need a little more visual aide help and with being online you can watch the instructions over and over again.  These web based programs can run on PC or Mac and are limited only by the user’s content.  They are all easy to use and only require you to sign up to use them.  Youtube and Teachertube seem to be a little more current and follow the youtube format a little more than schooltube so students will probably gravitate towards them.
3.	Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike; Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth.  Why or Why not?
	I can recommend all three of the tube type websites.  They can all host videos, some can host documents and images, and they are easy to use and search through. They are free to use but beware they are not always private.  You can set up classrooms in the software to make it a little more private if need be.

Week 4 & Tech Explorations 11-14

 

Week 4

 

This week I learned a great deal about PowerPoint Presentations.  We had a discussion forum as well as were asked to answer questions about a PPP that we created. 

 

1.     What was the presentation about and to whom did you present it?  Since we are out of school I created a PowerPoint and presented it to my children, ages 6 and 7.  My PowerPoint is geared towards helping special needs students prepare for daily activities at home and at school.  I broke it down into 4 main areas:  morning routine, behavior in the classroom, how to excel in the classroom, and homework challenges.

 

2.    Of which item in your presentation are you the most proud?  I was able to get the information that I wanted into the slides and present the material in a way to keep the children’s interest for most of the slide show.

 

3.    What might you do differently if you could create the presentation again?  If I were at school I would take pictures or videos in the classroom of how to do a few of the topics we talk about and spice the PowerPoint up a bit.  I would also work on the transitions, I chose a lot of the cookie cutter transitions and they are neat but after seeing 20 in a row they get monotonous.  Sometimes simpler is better.

 

4.    How did your students respond to the presentation?  They watched the presentation and really liked the slide transitions.  Most of the content was on a K-3 level so they understood it probably better than some of my special education students.  I kept their attention through about three quarters of the presentation and then they lost interest.  I think if I could go back and put in more pictures or add some videos to the presentation they would have watched the whole thing through.

 

5.    Do you have any new ideas or thoughts on how to use PowerPoint with your students in the future?  Yes, I never knew how easy it was to make PowerPoint Presentations.  I admit that I need to work on polishing them up and adding more multimedia content but I can see doing a lot of classroom activities on PowerPoint.  Plus if you couple PowerPoint with some of the other file sharing multimedia sites we have explored I can easily see putting instructions, assignments, fun activities, field trips, etc. on the web for students to use and parents to view.

 

My mind is literally spinning with all of the helpful resources that this TED.com has to offer teachers to enhance learning in their classrooms.  Since I am a special needs aide, I regularly collaborate with teachers in all subjects.  It has been my experience that middle school students struggle greatly in math and in science so I wanted to look at videos pertaining to those subjects.  I definitely wasn't disappointed by either video.

The first video that I chose to watch was by Dan Meyer.  "Math class needs a makeover" was very interesting to say the least.  Basically he is saying that any problem worth solving is not simple and textbooks in the classroom make problems seem simple without really ever having to "learn" the math.  The textbook has the example and from that you are able to solve the problem quite easily but again everyday problems in life are not like that at all.  You have to sift through information to find what is useful and may even have to research to find more information to "solve" the problem.  What I found most interesting is that he as a teacher changes the textbook problems and works in real life problems.  One example shown was asking "how long does it take to fill this tank".  He actually took a video of a tank being filled up so that they could visually and in real time be able to see and solve the problem.  I only wish that more teachers were like, Dan Meyer.  He stated in the video that he is able to reach students, who have problems in math and normally would not participate in the discussion, are now being quite involved.

I also chose to check out the video by Tyler DeWitt, "Hey Science Teachers--Make it Fun."  In this video, I learned that Tyler is a first year high school science teacher.   He quickly found out that his students weren't learning from their assignments.   They mostly were speechless except for one of his stronger students who told him that she really wasn't able to understand the material.  Tyler suggests making science fun even if you generalize things more.  Like saying all virsus' have DNA when in fact not ALL do, some could have RNA.  But he says with young learners knowing which details to leave out so that they main point comes across can be the difference between a student loving science or hating it.  A lot of time the textbooks are so scientific that its just too hard to understand and therefore the students give up.  Tyler wants science to be fun and he does this by making videos and storytelling.  He leaves out the seriousness, makes people laugh and care about what he is saying by giving examples on middle school terms.  He has gotten great feedback from these in his classes so I know he is doing something right. 

I feel that from both of these examples that you can apply them to any grade level that you teach whether it be elementary, middle, or high school.  In math, the student needs real life examples in order to grasp the concept.  When you are able to do this then they more than likely are going to "get it" and it will stay with them forever.  With science its more complicated but in essence the scientific terms need to be made fun and related to things that they are interested in.  When you do this they won't be able to get enough of science.  I feel that I can adapt both of these videos to teaching special needs children in their math and science collaboration classes.  I can't wait to meet with the regular education teachers and get their input as well.  

 

Tech Exploration # 11

Comic Life http:comiclife.com 

and iSpeech http://www.ispeech.org 

1.	Describe what you learned from exploring this resource.  Be thorough in your response.
	Comic Life is a website that I know the students in special education would love especially the male students who read comics often.  I work with some amazing and creative thinkers who could use this to create a comic and in the meantime enhance their writing skills.  This website is sure to enhance their artistic and creative abilities by allowing them to think out of the box, so to speak.  As I have stated in the previous posts, any time you can incorporate fun and learning together you have excelled as a teacher.  This software works with Mac, Windows, and Touch Screen devices.    Ispeech is another resource that enables you to change text to speech.  However, ispeech is designed for a much broader array of uses.  This software is marketed to app developers and designers.  It also can be used on your moblile device, websites and even “smart” home appliances.  You can also use it so that your blog can be read to your students like a podcast.
2.	How could you use this resource in a school setting?  It does not matter if it is in your field or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in educational settings.
	I can see comiclife.com being used in any subject that is offered in the school system and more specifically in English, Writing, or Art.  I know I have students that struggle in writing and staying focused, but using this website I feel that they would be able to express their thoughts more easily by using comics.  By incorporating this into my teaching, I feel that this might be exactly what they need to want to learn.   Ispeech can be used in many ways in my class.  Like I stated before with the other text to word programs, many of my students have problems reading written words.  With this program they will be able to hear the words and do the work themselves thus improving their comprehension and pride in their work.
3.	Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike; Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth.  Why or Why not?
	I do recommend comiclife.com to educator’s especially those that need to reach certain students that are visual learners.  This might spark an interest in them to open up and let a little creativity out.  I can imagine several lessons that I could use this tool to visually get my point across and with comic strips being in sequential order this would lend very nicely to step by step instructions.  This site is inexpensive at $19.99 so it is fairly affordable to most anyone.  It seems very easy to use as well.   This is a very well written program and comes with many features.  These come at a price through and this program can cost upwards of $2500 to install on computers.  There are many free parts of this software and those could possibly be used in the classroom setting.  There is also a section called creative pricing and a section for educators that appears to let educators use the program at a reduced rate or even free.  In this capacity I can recommend the program.  If you had to pay the full price you would really have to need the program to justify the cost.

Tech Exploration # 12
www.voicethread.com

1.	Describe what you learned from exploring this resource.  Be thorough in your response.
	The website, http://www.voicethread.com, details information on a program that lets you upload images, videos, presentations, etc... to the cloud.  Once uploaded you can let your students log on and view the files and make comments or have discussions with other students. You have control on who sees the information.  You also can use the software and create teams where you can put parts of your classes against each other in debates or projects.  You can get a single teacher license for $80 and they offer discounts for whole schools.
2.	How could you use this resource in a school setting?  It does not matter if it is in your field or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in educational settings.
	The uses of this software are endless in the classroom.  The teacher can upload lessons, seminars or assignments.   Students can go online and use the site for discussions, debates and getting assignments or missed lectures.  The good thing about the software is you can limit who sees the posts and who can comment.  It also can use virtually any multimedia source for visually pleasing presentations.
3.	Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike; Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth.  Why or Why not?
	Even with its $80 price tag, I can recommend www.voicethread.com for educators to use in their classrooms.  The ability to place lessons and presentations online where students can view again and again is priceless.  This also lets visual learners watch lessons and assignments rather than have to read a book or write and read notes.

Tech Exploration # 13

Storybird http://www.storybird.com 

and Scribblar http://www.scribblar.com

1.	Describe what you learned from exploring this resource.  Be thorough in your response.
	Storybird is a program that lets students read, write, share and sell stories they write.  The site has a lot of art to choose from that you can add to your stories or you can even sell artwork to the website if you have drawing abilities.  This website allows you to set who sees your work and if they can comment on your work.  This visual way of writing allows the student to open up creatively and may actually inspire students to write more than the minimum number of words you assign!!   Scribblar is a whiteboard program that lets groups of people collaborate and and post online.  With the program teachers can host a virtual classroom and have the students be able to comment and post also.
2.	How could you use this resource in a school setting?  It does not matter if it is in your field or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in educational settings.
	The storybird app would be perfect for a class that focuses on writing or literature, poetry, etc.  The students can create stories and add artwork and really let their creativity shine through.  The program also lets others view their work and leave comments.   Scribblar is like many other whiteboard programs.  The teacher can use the app to present lessons to the students and the students can follow along and comment on the presentation.  You can also attach multimedia files to the pages of your whiteboards for others to see.
3.	Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike; Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth.  Why or Why not?
	I can see storybird being used in selected classrooms.  Writing, literature, poetry and art classes would be a natural fit for this app.  This app has a free section but it limits the user on what he or she can do.  The premium version can be paid on a monthly or yearly basis.  Since a free version exists for one or two time users and the relatively low price for the better versions I can recommend the app for students.   Since scribbler is free I can recommend the software.  It is a pretty solid whiteboard program and has the ability to add multimedia elements so that is a plus.

 

Tech Exploration #14
Xtranormal –http://www.xtranormal.com and the National Library of Virtual Manipulative http://nlvm.usu.edu

 

1.	Describe what you learned from exploring this resource.  Be thorough in your response.
	Xtranormal is a website that lets you create animated movies by simply selecting a character and scene and then typing some text.  It is very easy and free for the online version that comes with limited characters.  You can purchase an upgraded version that unlocks many more characters.   The National Library of Virtual Manipulative is a mathematical website that you can select what you need help in and what grade level you are in.  This site offers help in Algebra, Geometry and measurements from preK to 12th grade. Once you select the subject and grade a program launches with many tutorial and problems to work through.
2.	How could you use this resource in a school setting?  It does not matter if it is in your field or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in educational settings.
	Xtranormal can be used anytime you want to present a topic or subject in video form.  These videos would be great for teaching early elementary education and the students would really like the characters.  The ease of use and professional results are a big plus. I do however think older students would not be responsive to the cartoon characters.     The NLVM website is a very simple program that allows the user to pick out the subject and grade level.  Some of the tutorials lack any direction and you have to work through them trial and error to arrive at the right answers.  It does contain a lot of information in one central location.
3.	Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike; Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth.  Why or Why not?
	Xtranormal I can recommend for preK-to maybe 4th or 5th grade.  Its ease of use and low initial cost is a win-win for this software.  You can upgrade for a very fair price and do a whole lot more than the free version.  Once students get to 5th or 6th grade I think the cute characters will not be effective with them and I wouldn’t recommend for those ages.   NLVM is a great little website.  It’s clearly laid out and pretty intuitive with the controls.  It does however lack directions on a lot of the tutorials.  It does have a free trial version so I can recommend it.  If there were cost involved I would have to think about recommending it though.