Blog Post 8.

I think my Little Mermaid project followed the guidelines of Ch. 8. The spelling was correct, the content was varied, like in this screen shot. Most of my slides were set up differently, with the text and images working together to form a cohesive picture. I used the same navigation button in all of my slides (the logo with 'NEXT!' on it :) ), but it varied based on the location of the text and images.


I've always loved overhead projectors, and I know they're so outdated, but I think I'd use it in my teaching! Especially for math, seeing the problem being worked out by hand with accompanying explanation always worked well for me. Also, anyone can use overheads, and kids can come up to the projector and work problems out themselves. Sometimes with the more advanced technology, students can't get involved as much, which can be a shame. I always paid more attention when my classmates and I were involved in the lesson. I think I'd use this in combination with Power Points as quizzes-- present the material on the Power Point, and then work it out by hand on the projector.

As much as I love overhead projectors, I have a new appreciation for Power Point! I loved the 'show' option, and making the story all come together. Now, that could have something to do with my project on the Little Mermaid, but I had a blast doing it! I will definitely use Power Point in my teaching!

Blog Post 7.

I think presentation materials are actually a really great idea in classrooms. Writing on the board gets boring, repetitive, and causes students to lose interest really quickly. I know I did, and the only time I ever really paid attention in class is when I had something interactive to work with, like a specific study guide or worksheet/outline to follow along with. My high school teachers really never used powerpoints, and they were rarely used in middle or elementary school. I think that a visual presentation of the information, in a way that can be customizable and exciting for students is a really good way to keep students interested as well as teachers. Doing the exact same thing for 180 school days a year gets repetitive for teacher and student alike. Of course, there can be a downside to relying heavily on presentation materials. Teachers can not give the class the attention they deserve if they're focused on the computer/screen/what have you, and students might not feel they are able to ask questions or interact as much as they might in a traditional setting.

I used my PowerPoint to create a history lesson on World War I for my assignment this week, and I think it addressed all of the knowledge dimensions. The information was reformatted to match my specific theme, and organized in a chronological order. This would help to keep the students organized and focused while I lectured. I also might provide a supplemental outline for them to fill in. I'd provide spaces and all of the information on the slides, but more room for the rest of the lecture that isn't on the slides. I'd be asking many questions throughout the slide, so I'd also provide an area for the students to write down their own answers, even if they didn't say them out loud to the class. This would help with all three dimensions, conceptual, factual and procedural.

A technology issue that interests me at the moment, is still Web 2.0! I really am interested in how teachers are going to integrate the technology more over the coming years, and whether or not it will be as effective of a teaching tool as I believe it can and will be! I know a lot of people don't agree that Web 2.0 should be a big part of classrooms (and I don't either, but I think it's great in small doses!), so my question is.. if you don't intend on using Web 2.0 technology, what will you use to get messages across quickly? There's always email, of course, but how often do third graders check theirs (: ?

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Blog Post 6.

I think that Web 2.0 technology has become SO integrated in our society, that it would likely be counterproductive to not use it! My nine year old cousin has a Facebook, and clearly creating a wiki uses a simple interface that almost all K-12 students will be familiar with, even if they've never seen the programs before. Collaborating is also an important skill for students to learn, and working together on a project that doesn't require individuals to get together outside of school takes a load off of a lot of people. Of course, Twitter and Facebook weren't actually created for educational purposes, but there's nothing saying they couldn't be! I think I would encourage a study group page on Facebook, or even a class Twitter account. I've used EME2040's with our Inspiration assignment! I definitely needed the help and got a quick reply, which is what a lot of students would need too!

Regarding Wikipedia, I don't entirely know how I feel about it. I am an avid 'Googler' and when I'm on my Blackberry, Wikipedia is usually the first link that comes up. I wholeheartedly agree with most when they say that the online encyclopedia is not always accurate for research papers, but with some extra work, it wouldn't be the worst thing. As long as the information is cross-referenced with a more trusted source. Most of the time, when I use Wikipedia, it's to check a quick fact that I already know, but need confirmation on, not for new information. Without the 'According to Wikipedia' clause, I rarely move on in conversation. I don't know that I would use Wikipedia as a source for my own teaching, but as long as another reliable source is referenced for accuracy, at the elementary school level, it wouldn't be a problem for me.

I loved the Wikispace pages we made! It was SO easy to see why the website is both useful, practical, and easy to adapt for any multitude of situations! With our society using the computer so much, providing an electronic basis for homework, and even assignments for students is such a good idea! I really hope to continue using Wikispaces in my teaching, as well as having my students do the same! It's definitely one of my favorite programs/sites we've used so far this year!