VoiceThread

What is a VoiceThread? If you want to use a video for your classroom, would you use VoiceThread? Why?
Voicethread is another form of communication through technology. It allows you to post your own pictures and videos and/or make comments about other pictures and videos that are all ready posted. There are numerous ways to comment to these for example: type, through your phone, webcam, or record your voice. You can also draw on the picture or video clip while it is loaded. You can zoom in and look around at the picture or clip very easily. I found this to be very easy to navigate and I can see how this would be fun to use. I would consider using this in my classroom because if I find this easy and fun then it should not be a problem to explain and show enthusiasm about to my students. I could upload a clip about the unit I am teaching and have my students take turns making comments about the clip. I could also have certain groups make comments using a webcam, typing and some recording their voice. This is definitely something I will be using in my future as an educator.

Week 10 assignments

Our activities this week were fun. I enjoyed using the Microsoft Publisher because as a teacher this program will be useful for many things. As a physical education teacher and coach, you constantly have projects and meetings so using Publisher will be an effective way to relay any messages. Being able to make flyers, brochures, news letters and calendars for your students and athletes is great and Publisher has the templates to make them.
Creating the brochure was beneficial and the whole time while making it I was thinking about how I will be making a brochure "for real" this time next year (hopefully). If everything goes as planned I will graduate in the Spring and I will get to use what I learned with the Publisher for my meet the teacher night.
Like I stated above, I really enjoyed the Desktop Publishing. I also used this program to create a nine month calendar layout of my lesson plans for my HHPK 316 class. Last semester I created a newsletter for my HHPK 444 (budget management class) and now that I am more comfortable with the desktop publishing I would like to create another one. I think as an educator being comfortable with the desktop publisher can only have a positive effect. One of the most challenging parts of being a teacher/coach is communication with the students and parents. The desktop publisher is just another tool to have to help with this challenge.

Games With Learning

How far should educators go in matching the technology used in instruction and classroom activities to the technology their students use?
If a teacher combines technology in the classroom to the technology that their students use is a wise decision. It is an obvious way of relating the information needing to be learned to something that the students of today's society are very comfortable with.

Are online chats and instant messaging of value in the classroom? Do they add to student learning, or do they distract from “real” instruction?
On a personal level, I would not allow this form of technology in my classroom during instruction. After the instruction has been given I think it would be okay to allow the students to use instant messaging (IM) as long as it could be monitored by the teacher. It is important to encourage the students to communicate through writing. It would be a good idea to inform the students that while using the IM, to not use "text language". Let them know that they need to write correctly and use proper grammar and punctuation.

Are there benefits to asynchronous, text-based communication over synchronous, face-to-face communication? In what situations?
I think there are benefits to asynchronous text-based communication because you can respond at your own pace. This allows thinking before speaking compared to face to face where people tend to speak before fully thinking about their thoughts.

Does using podcasts with students really enhance learning, or is it simply a newer version of passively delivering information?
It seems the use of podcasts is something that most (if not all) teachers and students could understand and relate to. Podcast would enhance learning because it is integrating another form of technology into their lesson and it would encourage the students to be more excited about the assignment because they can share their final product with their peers.

Does videogame help develop your studying? Why or why not? Explain. What skills can you gain from it? Do you agree with the article? If you have children, would you let them play videogame every day? Why/why not?
I think that videogame would help with developing your studying because it makes the students feel they are a part of creating the lesson rather than you giving the lesson and they do the work. Although the students are actually doing work, they do not feel like they are. Like stated in the article: http://thejournal.com/articles/21483_3, it says that being aware of videogame developing can make you more marketable as a person, better at math and possible increase your self-esteem. I think the research done on this topic is great and I do agree that videogame developing would be a positive tool to use in the classroom. When my husband and I have children I do not see harm in letting them play video games daily. There will be restrictions, for example, homework and chores will need to be completed before he/she is allowed to do so. I think that video games are stimulating for the brain and not to mention, my 26 year old husband plays his XBOX 360 almost everyday so it will be hard to argue with my children. =)

Delicious

The delicious website I found a little confusing. If CK had not included the website: http://novemberlearning.com/images/stories/Documents/HowTos/Delicious%20Instructions.pdf I think I would not have been able to figure out what to do. I did create a username and I intend on having bookmarks. I think this would be useful in the classroom because a teacher could quickly find the link he/she is needing to present for the daily objective. Something that is constantly being said to me in my college courses is to use class time effeciently and I think having bookmarks would help with that. It is also great because you can show your students how it is worked and then you and the students can share bookmarks. Being able to see what others have as bookmarks would be a good way to see each others interest. The students could also use delicious on any kind of group work because they can find information needed, bookmark it and then share what they have found.

Excel Spreadsheets

I love using excel, but I usually get really frustrated when I can't get something to do what I am wanting it to! As a coach, you are usually not granted enough practice time with your athletes, so I would use an excel timeline to show my athletes practice times and how practice will go. This way they visually can see what is expected of them and we can use our practice time wisely. With a spreadsheet, it is so great for a teacher because you can enter a formula to average grades and once it is entered you can change numbers as you wish and the formula will automatically update the outcome. If a teacher had to use a calculator for all his/her grades, it would be a difficult task to constantly go back and make changes. Some teachers let students make up work, correct bad grades and/or give extra credit and with the spreadsheet entering those grades is easier because of the formulas.

Inspiration in the Classroom

I went to the Inspiration quick tour at http://www.inspiration.com/Videos/Inspiration. I have a few comments about this program. First, it is very obvious that it is targeted for the students. The abundance of graphics and pictures are meant to make organizing their thoughts more entertaining. Secondly, a main cause to poor grades is that students do not have proper study skills. This program seems to be something that could help with making it easier with encouraging students to take the time to study. Inspiration would be a great form of encouragement in the classroom. What interested me most is that the templates can be used by the students or the teachers can use them to help with creating lesson plans. It is great to use a program for both the students and the teachers. One way I would use Inspiration in the classroom is the tour said the students can print any of their "creations". I would let the students print and then share their work with other students in the class to encourage teaching and answering their peers.

The best writing activities that Inspiration could be used for would be research papers. They can enter any keyword to pull up numerous symbols and can outline a timeline clearly. Allowing the students to have neat and clear notes/outlines will make writing the finished product easier and less stressful for the student. Like I mentioned before, to encourage peer feedback the students could print their outlines and notes off and ask their classmates to read them. If the notes and outlines are easy to follow then the students know their thoughts and research are ready to be in written form. Once they write a rough draft they can allow their classmates to read and correct if needed. A way to use technology with peer feedback is the students could create a diagram and have one of their peers add text to the links that they have between each symbol they made using the rapidfire.

Tim Tyson blog

I think that it is important to incorporate technology into students curriculum because our society is driven by it. Having a blog as a teacher would encourage the students to use the internet, improve typing skills and develop communication skills. It is easier to communicate in person so asking your students to communicate via blog it forces them to use a different outlet for getting their ideas and thoughts out. You could use your blog to encourage students to share their thoughts and answer each other's questions while you help guide them in the right direction. Having a blog is also a great thing for a teacher because you can post your homework assignments, notes for parents and what you will be covering for days to come. As Tim Tyson says in the podcast, it can also help with cutting down on paper. The only catch to having a blog as a teacher is you can not "assume" that all the parents and students refer to it. Some students may not have interent access at home. With that said, it is important that anything you post on your blog to make it clear in the classroom as well.

I do not feel that a blog is a waste of time because it can only help with communication with your students and parents. I do feel that the internet is not monitored close enough by some parents and explaining what information should and should not be given is something that should be discussed.