End of Semester Reflection - required

Ah, here we are. At last. So complete. So fulfilled. So learned.

This semester has been challenging in the area of technology. I have yet to experience a presentation without technical difficulty - which is quite frustrating. But alas, I will press on. I definitely understand, see, and have tangible knowledge of how important technology is to the classroom. It is near essential.

But I think it's also important to remember that it's just an aid. I still have to teach. And sometimes I won't have technology. And at those times I will REALLY have to teach. I can't be afraid of the new and improved technology, but I also can't be afraid of not having the technology in the first place. There has to be a balance. That's what I've gathered the most. - and a strange inferiority to the vastness of knowledge and resources that are out there - there's just SO MUCH. It's really great though. :)

Catching up with my NET*Ts -

2.a2 - I really feel like this is the essence of the tech in ed initiative: make everything relevant and understandable through technology. Throughout the entire semester I have been both physically and mentally transferring knowledge, ideas, and information into technology - how can I make learning about prepositions enjoyable and include technology? These ideas were written in posts, notebooks, comments, etc. etc. etc. etc. it's great.

3.b3 - I think choosing this for my NET*T goal is kind of cheating - I mean this class as a whole satisfies this requirement. Listening to other students and gleaning new information has been the collaboration that the NET notes. Also, my other classes have been super helpful in this area as well - almost every presentation I saw/watched involved technology and showed me new things I could do. It was accidental collaboration! :)

Until next time.

Reflection #11 - Technology for the Hearing Impaired

What?:

So the other day in Special Needs in Education, Dr. Kress brought in a boy who was born deaf and when he was 3 had a cochlear implant placed in his head/on his ear. When we met him in class he was 13 year old, I believe, and was present with him mom, dad, and an old teacher. It was interesting to hear about the kinds of technology that he used in class to aid in his learning.

Not only is the cochlear implant an incredible piece of technology, but so is the speaker and microphone that he has in class. I suppose the mic and speaker aren't THAT interesting, but still. So his teacher wears a mic that rests around his/her neck, like a necklace. The sound is the transmitted to a speaker that is placed by the boy's desk and faced in his direction. Essentially, it simply amplifies the sound and creates more opportunity for the implant to pick up the sounds that are more difficult to understand ("b", "th", "sh", etc.).

So What?:

Well, that got me thinking about what other types of technology can be used to aid those students who have learning, physical, or behavioral disabilities. I feel that the physically disabled have a more apparent disability and are therefore, easier to take care of in this regard. But what about the behaviorally challenged? Is there technology that can help them focus and learn? Or the learning disabled? I know that almost all technology (when used correctly) creates a better learning environment, but is there specific things that can aid specific disabilities.

I don't have any answers to these questions - they're just questions. Things to get the thought process going.

Now What?:

Now, I want to research these questions. I want to find the answers. And I think we all should. The whole point of teaching is getting the individual to learn - and if there's a piece of technology that can improve a disabled child's chances to soak up knowledge, then I want to find it.

Until next time.

Assignment #4 - Technology Project; Part TWO (required)

the STUFF:

• Webs.com site
• Del.icio.us account
• Box.net (not really a link I can give you)

STUFF i learned and used:

• I learned that webs.com is better than weebly.com and that it's okay to change website programs mid-project because it's better to be satisfied and pleased, than frustrated and annoyed. I also learned that uploading video, documents, links, and images onto webs.com is super easy; there's a youtube.com search - you type in a search for a movie, it gives you the listings, you pick one, and webs.com uploads it for you!!! FANTASTIC!
• I learned the wonderful and mysterious ways of Box.net. Oh, to have learned of your existence two years ago!!! What a great site - what a great aid. I totally love it. So easy. So understandable. So simple (simple and easy are different; simple refers to the carefree, non-complex nature of the program; easy refers to how it's not difficult to use, probably because it's simple...). So accessible. Truly fantastic (esp. since there's a box.net app for the iPad - which if you read my reflections, you would know that I want one).
• I learned that Del.icio.us is better than Diigo and much, MUCH less infuriating.

issues with STUFF:

• Well, I was originally going to use Weebly.com and Diigo.com. There were problems (which I address in my reflections) with both that left me frustrated and wanting more less (meaning I wanted there to be more stuff that is less complicated - more less; not more-or-less). So at the beginning, the process was slow, unorganized, and frustrating. But I fixed it. I fixed it by just switching web 2.0 tools and pressing forward. It was a great transition and I feel great about how everything turned out.

what STUFF means to me:

• As a teacher, creating this website really gives me confidence that I could do this for an actual class. It means I've warmed up to the idea and that I'm capable to accomplish it.
• This specific website could very possibly be used in an actual future classroom - I can see myself truly teaching a unit on Lewis Carroll and giving it its own website.
• I definitely see myself using Box.net in the future - in fact, try tomorrow - haha!
• I like the idea of using del.icio.us and other toolbox sites - but I have struggled with the organization of each site I've used - so I might just stick with plain old bookmarking. :)

STUFF about NET*S/T:

• For Teachers: 2.A - the website "promotes student learning and creativity" using technology, by being technology itself. Not only does the website use technology to teach and present resources, but it gives an example of something that a student of yours might decide to do for a project. It gives insight into how students can use the internet to portray their learning and knowledge; 3.C - this NET*T is especially relevant. The ideas, resources, and concepts presented to the students and parents are found in the form of video, image, text, website, link, and blog - which is great! This project is the essence of NET*T 3.C!!!
• For Students: 3.C - based on the specific assignments of the unit (not all are posted), students can reference the site and determine which information is applicable to the assignment. They have to decipher which resource list to use, what page to go to, and what links would be applicable.

Ah, twas a good project. I hope you enjoy.

Until next time.

Reflection #10 - EVOKE, "a crash course in changing the world"

What is an EVOKE? from Alchemy on Vimeo.

What?:

Well, watch the above video. But the basic gist (as far as I can gather) is that EVOKE is "a crash course in changing the world." In my own words though, it is an online game created for persons 13 years and older that is challenge-based. It is a learning project that nearly 19,000 currently take part in. Each week a new challenge (a global issue) is posed and participants must understand and research the problem, find a solution, resolve the problem, and post to their EVOKE blogs about it. Ah... there's no use in me explaining it, here's a bit of info from the site:

EVOKE is a ten-week crash course in changing the world.

It is free to play and open to anyone, anywhere.

The goal of the social network game is to help empower young people all over the world, and especially young people in Africa, to come up with creative solutions to our most urgent social problems.

The game begins on March 3, 2010. Players can join the game at any time.

On May 12th, 2010 the first season of the game will end, and successful participants will form the first graduating class of the EVOKE network.

Players who successfully complete 10 game challenges will be able to claim their honors: Certified EVOKE Social Innovator – Class of 2010.

Top players will also earn online mentorships with experienced social innovators and business leaders from around the world,seed funding for new ventures, and travel scholarships to share their vision for the future at the EVOKE Summit in Washington DC. (Learn more about these rewards.)

EVOKE was developed by the World Bank Institute, the learning and knowledge arm of the World Bank Group, and directed by alternate reality game master Jane McGonigal.

EVOKE is for all ages; recommended age 13 and up.

So What?:

So this online game is amazing. It's fantastic. It helps raise awareness, create unity, and expand minds. Imagine having your entire class participate and each week the students give a presentation on what they learned and the resolution they came up with. Imagine the possibilities. I think a game like this has the opportunity to not only expand and enrich minds, but stir up goals and inspire dreams. Obviously, it would be difficult to get all students into the game. So I'm not really sure how it would work. Sometimes it's hard to get students excited about this kind of stuff - but with the game format and possible classroom time to work on it, I think the game could be a real hit. Also, if you read the above blurb from the site, you might have noticed that there are online mentorships, seed funding, and travel scholarships for players who receive the most points. Imagine one of your students attaining that level. How fabulous.

Now What?:

I think we should take this innovative idea and run with it. Even if you try it once and it falls flat on its face (which is entirely possible), at least you gave it a try and you set a high bar. I think it's important to present this kind of information and opportunity to students - even if you do it as extra credit and not a whole-class project. Getting students involved in the bigger picture helps them grow more than any amount of time in the classroom.

This is a screen image capture that I took of the page "Agents" on the site. It was amazing to me to see how many students/people were from so many different places. This is a great way to connect with other students around the world as well.

Until next time.

Reflection #9 - Del.icio.us vs. Diigo

What?:

Well... when we, the students in Ed. Tech, were supposed to make a toolbox online, I used Diigo.com and completed my toolbox successfully that way. I wanted to try something different from del.icio.us because everyone else was using that and I wanted to see if there was a better site. Well, if there is a better site, Diigo isn't it. At least not for me. It displayed the links with too much or too little information. There was the option to create sticky notes and highlight certain parts of the pages - which was a great feature, but I just could not get the hang of it. It was supremely hard and frustrating to get exactly what I wanted to show and then get it all organized after that.

So when I started creating a toolbox for my final project, I decided to switch over to del.icio.us and give it a try. Definitely better - way, way, way better. It displays it more clearly and allows you to group things with more ease. Although it doesn't have the fancy tools like highlighting and sticky notes, I feel like the simplicity and ease of understanding totally makes up for it - like, 10-fold. :)

So What?:

So what, I challenge you, if you have not yet tried del.icio.us, I urge you, implore you, give it a try. The page is laid out nicely and it's easy to tag and bag pages (yes, that was a CSI reference). But definitely don't disregard Diigo based on my difficulties - I just prefer simplicity (hence my love for Macs).

Now What?:

I feel like this last piece will be like my post on "Weebly vs. Webs," but again I say, don't be afraid so swap programs or try different things. So far for me, the switch has been increasingly beneficial. And also, don't judge a website or program based on its cover - that's what I did and I ended up switching twice! :)

Until next time.

Reflection #8 - Ahhhhh, the iPad

What?:

The iPad. Made by Mac (amen) and blessed by the words of Dr. Kowalski. I was so stoked to hear Dr. Kowalski talk about his iPad and bring it into class - he is a man of many technologies and I knew that he'd be able to impress me. And he did. :)

I love how easy it is to upload files and store documents. It's fast and accessible. As a teacher, fast and accessible creates flexibility; flexibility is absolutely essential. I was intimidated by the amount of information and the variation in Apps - only because I wanted to be able to take it all in and remember everything, but that just wasn't possible.

So What?:

In the classroom, I can see the iPad's use and aid. I can see students taking notes on it - the teacher can see the screen but the students can still write on it like a computer or a notebook. A teacher can use it to pull up information, assignments, videos, etc., and have it plugged into a projector. I can see how incredibly useful it would be for the teacher to have just one of these within a low-income school/classroom. That classroom might not have a projector or a computer or a SMARTBoard, etc, but if the teacher can bring in an iPad, the class's attention will be wrapped around that 9.5"x7.5" chunk of technological genius in a matter of seconds. Imagine the excitement for a low SES student to be able to work with, come in contact with, and learn from an iPad.

Anyways, that was a tangent. Regardless, I think the use and capabilities of the iPad would make it completely helpful in the classroom - perhaps not for every student in the classroom to have one, but definitely for the teacher.

Now What?:

Now, when I graduate, I'm going to create Digital Wish account and get me one of these for my classroom. Yes, that's right. I'm going to do it. :)

Also, I think it's important for educators to take a look at a new piece of technology like this - analyze and evaluate it, see if it can help improve the classroom. After all, what's the use of the technology if isn't not going to better a student's education.

Until next time.

Reflection #7 - Weebly vs. Webs

What?:

So I originally was going to create my final project website using Weebly.com, but I was struggling with the format. Although there were a lot of options and room for personalization, the options weren't really what I was looking for. I switched to Webs.com.

So What?:

So... after I switched I found it way easier to format the pages and keep myself organized. On Weebly each entry on a page had to fit a certain format within their options - this made it difficult to manipulate things and adjust items to fit your own needs. Also, there was no true organization and it made it difficult to remember what I had and hadn't done. It also made it hard to know what to place where and keep it all straight in my head. Webs.com was super organized and had "pages" already created for within your entire site. This made it easy to decide what to put where and to have it place and formatted just like I wanted it to be.

Now What?:

I think the most applicable lesson I learned from this experience is that it's definitely okay to swap formats, but also that in the first place, check out the software or program you're going to use. Make sure you like it and check your options before you put too much time into it. Having website-building.

Until next time.

Week 14 - A FINAL Post Vomiting All This Info Back Out of Me

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh, technology. My friend and rival. My buddy and my adversary. Mi amigo y mi sustantivo.

Oh to be a teacher in the 21st century. Glorious. The future - who really knows what it holds. I know that the information that spews out of the mouth, minds, fingers, screens, wires, and projectors these days blows my mind. It makes me feel sick to my stomach with excitement.

Moogpal.

urgentevoke.com

iPad.

Windows 7 (bleh).

etc. etc. etc.

Did You Know 4.0:

The future of technology and education. It just goes up, up, up, up. You have to be on your toes. Be informed. Be aware. Be seeking the new and the improved. Because that's what your class is going to need. Your students are going to need. They need stimulation their way. The tech way.

The future of technology and education. Everything is changing as I write. Advancements are put into place. Ideas are formed. Concepts pitched. Stats collected. Tests run. Etc. Etc. Etc.

The future of technology and education is bright - we just have to be willing to jump on the band-wagon and put in the time. It will be rewarding. Completely. Significantly. Unbelievably. Irrevocably. Undeniably. Presently rewarding.

Until next time.... oh, wait, that's my last post like this. Until my next reflection post... :)

Week 13 - A Post Converting PC Users

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA. My evil plan.

No, I'm pretty sure there will be no converts - you just have to like Mac.

A little background on me - I grew up a PC, but always knew I wanted a Mac. Sleek body, cool symbol, simple complexity, sweet name, rad programs, built-in webcam; they were the Swarovski Gems of computers. Although I grew up obsessed with right click and "alt-tab," I knew the grass was greener on the other side.

And it was.

I got my MacBook last August. It was a gift (of sorts) for free, from my boyfriend's dad. Praise Jesus I didn't have to buy my own! I have since learned the general ins and outs of my beloved Mac (aka MacDaddy). P.S. you don't need a mouse to right-click on a Mac - just hold "ctrl" and click. "Alt-Tab" (to toggle windows) has been exchanged with "apple symbol-tab" and "apple symbol-tilde" (apple symbol = command key). It took me a month to readjust to my new key-commands, but it was worth it. My Mac was 4 years old when I got it and still works PERFECT. Yes. Perfect. I only had to get my battery replaced - which, by the way, the Mac Store did for free: free battery and installment. Amazing.

Ok. Awesome customer service is something else to add to my list of "likes" about Macs. The "Genius Bar" at the Apple store really know their stuff. Amen.

Three programs I love on my Mac:

1. Photo Booth: Pshhhht. Anyone that has a friend that has a Mac understands the joy that Photo Booth brings. 16 different effects and an unlimited amount of fun. For school, it could be useful for documenting projects, self-portraits for assignments or journals, and overall classroom enjoyment - "Best Photo Booth Picture of the Week" (that'd be a sweet contest).
2. DASHBOARD:

I freaking love my dashboard: calculator, Michael Scott quotes, games, calendar, STICKY NOTES, Sudoku, weather, dictionary, clock (currently at Sydney, Australia where my friend is). I have dozens of other "widgets" downloaded for my dashboard but those are the ones I currently have up. Endless hours of fun and convenience, all you have to do is click "F12." Beautiful. Simply beautiful.

3. Okay, some little simple things that I appreciate: the "dock" - yes, Windows 7 now has this, but know, understand, and be in awe, Mac had it first; don't be surprised, Mac has everything first. I can personalize my "dock" and put whatever programs I use the most in it. Love it's simplicity. Next, "system preferences": everything you need to personalize, configure, change, update, destroy, and otherwise control your MacBaby is in ONE place. That's right people, ONE place - bahahaha! Last, convenience and cohesiveness: yes, iTunes is an Apple manufactured program; yes, iPhoto is an Apple manufactured program; yes, your iPod and iPhone are Apple manufactured; yes, Mac's are Apple manufactured. My point: all these are so easily configured and combined that it blows my mind! They are so intricately woven that everything is easier! Gosh, if only all of you could experience the joy that my Mac brings me.

Side note: don't be confused, Mac had all the ideas first. PC/Windows 7 is a far cry from Mac and is still lagging behind even after its near identical changes to its programming. A comic to make my point - bahahahahaha.

P.S. I'm the only Mac user at my house - it's okay to set yourself apart, people will still love and accept you, even if your laptop is a MacBook and therefore infinitely better than anything they have. HAHAHAHAHAHA! Yes, I am that proud of my Mac and yes, I am that ridiculously and illogically immovable and un-persuadable as to any inkling of "better" that the PC MIGHT, hypothetically have. I'm a Mac lover and I'm proud of it.

P.P.S. if God had a laptop, it'd be a MacBookPro.

Mac, FTW.

Week 12 - A Post Re-digesting "Moogpal in Action"

"Moogpal in Action"

Welcome to Moogpal - Moodle + Google Apps + Drupal.

I was unbelievably confused when I watched this video, not to mention that I found myself bored for a while. But then Chris Fitzgerald Walsh started talking about it with the direction of education. It was AMAZING.

Moogpal is still in developmental stages and will be a free, open source internet program for teachers and students. The home page will be similar to the Facebook home page, in that it will provide a "News Feed" that announces assignments, test dates, notices, reminders, etc. from each class that the student/teacher is a part of. It's single-sign-on and connects to each class and teacher. There will be multiple apps available just like in Google Apps. It won't be an open community, meaning that people who aren't registered for the program and such won't be able to view things.

OKAY, OKAY - I know you're like, "Jordan, I don't really care, what you're saying doesn't really make sense, and it seems really lame." WAIT! THERE'S MORE! Haha.

GRADE PORTAL - yes, "oooooo" and "ahhhhhh". Grades by course, grades by SKILLS, recent activity, colored grades, feed of activity. Yes, that's right - Grades by SKILLS. So not only do you tell the student their grade, but you then grade them according to more specific behaviors, work, techniques, etc. So cool. What brilliance!!!

Watch the video. DO IT!

What I learned??? I DON'T KNOW. I didn't even know there was such a thing as Drupal or Moodle - so I learned that. I learned that developers could combine programs! And I learned that those developers love me, because they're taking care of my needs as a teacher; future teacher. Yes, they love me. And I love them. :)

Anyways, the screen shots that they've developed make Moogpal look fairly simple and easy to use. Which is good. I'm excited to see where this all leads. I'm especially excited about the Home Page and the Grade Portal.

Until next time.

Week 11 - A Post Commenting on "Edutopia: How to Make Research Papers Relevant for Students"

Edutopia + my comment

I learned that even when teaching the fundamentals of English (one being research writing) that it is still important to integrate technology. But I suppose I already knew that. But it was encouraging because I haven't heard much discussion about research writing which was disappointing because I especially love that.

I wrote about an idea for a lesson that I had - which will be written about in a reflection here sometime soon. I hope it was supplementary!

Overall it was just generally encouraging.

Until next time.

Assignment #4 - Technology Project; Part One (required)

Alright-y.

For my final project I will be using the following Web 2.0 tools: Weebly.com (to make a website), Box.net (to convert normal word documents into files for a website), Vocaroo.com (for podcasts), and Delicious.com (for resources).

I will be creating a website on Weebly.com that is dedicated to a lesson unit that I'm basing on the life and works of Lewis Carroll. I am creating the unit for my Childhood Literature class and decided to use this project to supplement that project. The plan is to create links from the website to Delicious lists and different podcasts as well. Also, for the Childhood Lit assignment I will be creating assignment documents and rubrics that I will then convert, using Box.net, into files to put on the website. I really want the project to be all-encompassing and if it turns out anything like I think it will, it should be fabulous.

Until next time.

Part #2 - Friends' Blogs I've Posted On

Bethany P

Matthew W

Sarah W

Shayna P

Daley L

Week 10 - A Post Preparing for Tonight's Panel Discussion (required)

Well, here I am again. Just writing out my thoughts and concerns. More like, writing out my questions. And so, without further ado, my three requests for knowledge:

1. Based on my knowledge of the SMARTBoard Software, it seems a rather daunting task to create your own activities. Has this been true for [fill in the blank]? And what would you suggest as far as decreasing the amount of terror the idea of creating my own idea brings? A.K.A. what works best for you?
2. As far as your students' responses to using technology in class, what would say has been the biggest, technological success?
3. If you could add one more piece of technology to your classroom what would it be, and why? OR If you could integrate one more piece of technology/online program into your classroom what would it be, and why?

There you have it folks, my three inquires into the lives of today's educators of tomorrow.

Until next time.

Assignment #3 - Teacher Resources

For my toolbox I used the ever-so-trendy Diigo.com. It was relatively easy to use and had some pretty handy-dandy tools (highlighter for online text, sticky notes you could put on the web page, etc). I think if I had more time I would have dove deeper into the odds-and-ends of the site… but oh well! I think I’ll probably end up using this site for a different class project so I’ll take more time to get to know the site then… unless I decide to use a different site – WHO KNOWS!

Here’s my toolbox.

I decided to put up sites that would be resources and sites that I would send my students to. Basic criteria: none. I just went through different elements of Language Arts and looked for sites that I thought would be useful AND enjoyable for the students: vocabulary games, essay outlines, MLA citation sites, punctuation helpers, etc.

The links/resources are organized by "tags." My list contains 32 different tags - the top tags are: Reference, English, Literature, Reading, Book List, Tools, Writing, Grammar, Essay, and Punctuation. That's basically my organization.

Use of toolbox: I don’t really have anything specific in mind. Right now I think I’ll just use it to help me gather information and sources for my future classes. I want to store helpful and fun resources for teaching on this site. That’s my current goal or use for it. Sorry that’s not more interesting.

Sharing is caring. How could I share it with other teachers? Well, technically, I would share it through the same means that I share it with my students - through the direct link to the toolbox. Creatively though, I’m not super sure. I could definitely post it to my blog and if I have a future class blog or website then I could put it there too. I think there’s a way to print off a condensed list of the sites and that could be helpful to other teachers – just print it off and hand it out. Yeah, that’s all I got.

Three Sites + Annotations:

1. Purdue OWL - This is a great site that has been recommended to me by a few of my professors here at NU. It contains a vast amount of information covering a plethora of topics. There is a special link (the one provided here) that is specifically for Students and Teachers in grades 7-12, which just so happens to be what I want to teach. The site is laid out with links to more information but it's all really easy to find. Everything is true and perfect. Oh how I love thee, Purdue OWL site. :)
2. Thinkmap Visual Thesaurus - Unfortunately this site costs money! BOO! BUT, it's so amazing! It's somewhat like the option on the Google search to make a word "web" so-to-speak. But in this case, it's a word web consisting of words, synonyms, antonyms, and definitions. It's a tangled web of woven vocabulary goodness. CHECK IT OUT!!!
3. Essay Template - This is an excellent essay template! It's big enough to fit in notes and information, but not so detailed that you feel crammed into a box. Although I would say that essays normal could and probably should have more in them than the outline gives you, but hey, it's only a template... :)

Week 9 - A Post Chewing on "Caught on Video"

"Caught on Video" by Bob Spankle

Oh Bob Spankle, what curious wisdom you have.

I was challenged, confused, turned upside-rightside-downside-up, and all over unsure about video recording in class.

Bob (as I will call him so informally because I prefer Bob to Mr. Spankle), discussed using video cameras in the classroom. This can DEFINITELY be helpful. But I found his suggestions less helpful than I would've liked. Things I think would be counterproductive (or at least not as productive as Bob would like to think):

• "Film a completed product from a student before it is sent home." - how would I do this Bob? A 2-dimensional art project, a poster board, an in-class essay... I don't know how helpful this would really be. What if I didn't record it well enough, the student took it home, by the time I realized I needed to see it again it had been recycled to save a tree??? I just don't know Bob, I just don't know.
• "Film the progression of fluency on a weekly and monthly basis." - How? I want to see Bob do this so I know what he means. Fluency... what does he mean by that? How would I videotape that? Frustration Bob, frustration.
• "Create video time capsules." - Where would I sign this virtual yearbook for my friends? How would we compile this? What would make the cut and what would be labeled a level of importance too low? Forget yearbooks Bob? Forget yearbooks?????
• "Film all teacher/student writing conferences." - Okay, so this makes sense - mostly. Except that writing on the paper, using sticky notes - that's all actually helpful. If you record the session but don't use SOME sticky notes the student may not understand the specifics of the information being spoken. I like sticky notes Bob, I like them.
• "Never write another long note for a substitute teacher." - what if they forget what I said in the video - should they watch it again during class? Perhaps I should write a note and record myself Bob, perhaps I should do both.

Alright... I did like some ideas.

I like the idea that we should record stuff outside of the classroom that is relevant to the subject and then bring it in to show the students - that's creating connections Bob, that's good.

Filming lesson highlights, study guide discussions, and entire lessons is always a good idea. Props to you Bob, props to you.

Film myself reflections on the school day to send to the parents... alright, I can take that Bob, I can take that.

Podcasts/Videocasts for homework - definitely Bob, definitely.

Recording answers to questions at the start of a unit and then re-asking those same questions after the unit is a good idea - good for the teacher I think. Spectacular insight Bob, spectacular.

Anyways - I can definitely see potential in recording in the classroom. I appreciate Panopto here at NU. I appreciate podcasts from different places when I miss events. I appreciate it - I really do. Just, silly Bob, you took it to too many weird places. But I am content with the ideas and information I have gleaned. My hat's off to you Bob, my hat is off.

Until next time.

Reflection #6 - Daytum.com Online Data Tracking

Hello, my wanna-always-talk-about-myself personality. My name is Jordan and today I'd like to take this opportunity to use you to help myself learn.

WHAT?:

Data. It's all around us. All the time. Especially with all this technology. So why not REALLY use it. Make it about the students. Put them in-charge.

Daytum is an online, Web 2.0 tool that allows users to track data about anything they want. The user creates a data chart (pie charts, grids, flow maps, etc.), titles it, and inputs data whenever they want to. I considered making one: "Television shows and the hours I waste watching them." But I didn't want to face the reality of how much time I actually do waste. It would've hurt my pride too much.

Here's Hayden's daytum. She talks about her TV watching and that makes me feel better.

Daytum is fun. And it seems easy. As far as I can tell.

SO WHAT?:

Teachers can use this site in the classroom to engage students. To get them thinking about their lives. To get them thinking about their potential. To get them thinking about watching less TV. Joke.

Daytum, I think, could be adapted to the classroom in many creative ways. Unfortunately. I have not thought of any of those creative ways. But I will continue to ponder. Sadly, I've been pondering for about 3 weeks now and have still come up with nothing. Nothing but this: track books read, books want to read. Mold it to the lesson plan. If I had a lesson plan in mind right now, I would use Daytum like Play-dough and find a way to use it. Because there ARE ways. For sure. I just have to find them. I have to ponder. Continue pondering.

And ponder I shall.

NOW WHAT?:

Now think of the creative ways you can use this site to benefit your students and your classroom - cause obviously I can't think of any.

Math and Science teachers could probably find more use for this.

I want to use it for English. I will find a way. Write me a comment if you thought of one.

Until next time.

Reflection #5 - Penzu.com Online Journaling

"Penzu is a free online diary and personal journal that is

focused on privacy. You can keep your thoughts and

ideas to yourself and share only if you want to!"

WHAT?:

This is what I see after clicking "Try It Out":

Just lined "paper."

A template for my thoughts.

A canvas for the paint of my mind.

A slate for the arithmetic of my soul.

An empty plate for the cuisine of my conscience.

Oh, the possibilities!!!

Penzu.com is online journaling. Plain. Simple. Priva

te. You can print your journal entries. Access them anywhere you get internet access. Email them to people (teachers, friends, colleagues, etc.). Anyone. Anytime. Anywhere. It could be turned into a simply intricate pen-pal system. Or a monologue of the soul.

Click "Why Journal?" at the top and you are shown this:

I don't know about karma, but inspiration is good. Inspiration. The word itself conjures up something within us that makes us want to enjoy life. Journaling can be the root to an infinite tree of creative writing - fiction, non-fiction, poetry, short story, novel, fable, and folk tale alike. All rooted in the fertile ground of inspiration and watered by journaling.

SO WHAT?:

I'm going to be an English teacher (Lord willing). And I want creativity to flow like the rivers in the Garden of Eden. Rushing, full, clear, and beautiful. Journaling is so helpful. I hate journaling personally. I've just never gotten super into it. But I do confess, when I have journaled, I see myself and my world different. As if I'm some outside spectator looking in. It can be helpful. So I want to encourage that in my students. I want to encourage that in myself. Penzu.com makes it easy (I feel like a sales-person). Don't worry about loosing your journal. Carrying it around with you all the time. Online. Clean. Ready. And waiting.

I'm an old-school kind of person though. So nothing will ever fully suffice for the good-ol' composition notebooks that you take permanent marker to and script your name on the front of in big, prideful letters that announce your arrival in the coming pages.

But something must be said for this Web 2.0 tool. It's a teacher's dream. No worrying about poor, illegible handwriting! They type. You read. YES!

That's "so what."

NOW WHAT?:

Use this in a class. Assign a journal entry every week. Provide one prompt each week that they must respond to. Encourage them to write more than that. Provoke their minds into vomiting their thoughts out onto these technology bound pages. The teacher reads one entry a week. The rest can be private. The more the merrier. Write. Write. Write. Get them to write.

So, really, truly, now what?

Now you find a way to get them to write - whether it's with Penzu or not - so that they know how to express themselves in words that fold like origami. People like to talk about themselves. So let them talk. Let them write.

WRITE. WRITE. WRITE. get them to write. good writing. thoughtful, inspired, meaningful writing.

Until next time.

Reflection #4 - Looking at What I Learned About the ActivBoard

I just finished observing Mrs. Wageman use the ActivBoard at Lake Washington High School, and this is what I learned and what I think about WHAT I learned:

• The ActivBoard is actually super easy to use!
• You can use your fingers on the ActivBoard like you can with the SMARTBoard.
• The ActivBoard seems less glitchy.
• ActivBoard has fewer pre-made resources than SMARTBoard, but does have different tools and more easy-to-find images.
• ActivBoard seemed easier to create programs/flip-shows on than SMARTBoard is.
• ActivBoard has more academic backgrounds (graph paper, lined paper, handwriting lined paper, etc.).

SO WHAT?:

• I'm not going to say that I'm absolutely sure I like the ActivBoard better than the SMARTBoard, but it does have some wonderful features that SMARTBoard does not. It makes me curious - what's the percentage difference between how many SMARTBoards are in schools versus how many ActivBoards are in schools. I have definitely seen more SMARTBoards in my time, but ActivBoard almost seems easier. I think the main thing for me is ease-of-creation. I know that being a teacher is hard, time-consuming, tiring, and challenging, and I have a feeling that I'm not going to want to be completely reformatting slides so that they fit what I want to teach while using the SMARTBoard. But the ActivBoard seems to make it easier and less complicated. I like the option to "right-click" also. That is very nice. However, the language arts tools in the ActivBoard software are all very elementary level. Fortunately, it's simple to make my own activity... :D

NOW WHAT?:

• I don't really know the answer to that. I suppose either way I would just like to have an interactive white board in my classroom - regardless of what kind (would probably prefer the ActivBoard though). Now, I have thought through this decision and reconciled in my heart that it's okay to let SMARTBoards take second place in the race for my heart.

Until next time.

Week 8 - A Post Praising the ActivBoard (required)

"My ActivBoard Top Ten" by Nigel Pearce

Here are the ten points summarized:

1. 'Mouse Over' - the pen acts and performs exactly like a computer mouse
2. 'Left and Right Click' - the pen can be used like a computer mouse in regards to the option of left or right click
3. Superb Accuracy - great control and precision due to the pen
4. Highly Responsive - write fast or slow, the board can pick up the pen's every movement
5. Durable Surface - it's strong like Muhammad Ali
6. Keeps you in Control - the only recorded input is taken solely from the pen
7. Natural Writing Posture - put your whole hand on the board when you write, rest the side of you palm, it's okay
8. Allows use of Real Objects - ActivBoard only records the pen, so you can touch it with anything else (compass, ruler, hand, etc)
9. Unaffected by Lighting or Line-of-Sight - the pen just works; light doesn't affect the board, write away
10. Multi-input Pen Device - two people can write simultaneously with separate pens; it's fantastic!!!

Okay, from what I just read - I'm beginning to like the ActivBoard A LOT. Especially since more than one person can write at once and you can have other things/objects touching the board at the same time as you write. What genius!

I just want to know if the ActivBoard has software like the SMARTBoard and if you can do all the fancy links and double taps to open things like the SMARTBoard?

Until next time.