Screen Recordings would be a helpful tool to show students and teachers how to use different software we have. I find it's much easier to learn how to use new software when I am doing it step-by-step following along with someone, and I can see this being helpful for both the teacher and the students.
It would also be there for them to refer back to in the future. I feel they would appreciate that because I am not always available right when they need me, but if they have that tool right at their fingertips, they could reference back to it, and solve their own problem.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Flickr
One way I can see flickr being used is as a writing prompt. The teacher could show one of more images and have the students write about it. They could write detailed descriptions, how they felt about what they saw, something the picture reminded of them - the possibilities are endless.
Another idea was to go on a virtual field trip. This would be great when you are studying a certain place in Social Studies. Obviously the school corporations don't have enough money to take a field trip anywhere, but the teacher could compile pictures from a certain place, and create a virtual field trip around these photos.
One idea I found online was to create a digital storytelling project. An individual posts a picture and begins a story with a comment. Then other students add more to the story through their comments.
Another idea was to go on a virtual field trip. This would be great when you are studying a certain place in Social Studies. Obviously the school corporations don't have enough money to take a field trip anywhere, but the teacher could compile pictures from a certain place, and create a virtual field trip around these photos.
One idea I found online was to create a digital storytelling project. An individual posts a picture and begins a story with a comment. Then other students add more to the story through their comments.
You Tube
Our internet filter at school blocks youtube videos but I know several teachers who would like to be able to use them. For the past two years our school has been able to access the embarq CCC educational videos, and the teachers have loved using them in their classrooms. It gives them one more way to reinforce the material, and the students enjoy watching them as well. However, they do not provide the same variety that youtube does.
Getting started with the mimio board
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLKtQpntYbw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7vNB8eV9Xo&feature=related
At the end of the year last year every teacher in our building received a mimio board to use in their classroom. I thought these videos would be good as they beginning working with the mimio board, and I could add to the videos as we get into it more, and have other questions.
This video is about the vowel rule when two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking. I thought this video might help my struggling Title One students. I know that I often remember anything put to song, so I thought it would be a good way to teach them this rule, and have them enjoy it as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75KAgF0NhHI&feature=related
This is a video of Dr Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham. Every year the first grade teachers have a Dr. Seuss day, and I thought this would be a good introduction for them to use.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdR0LXOiEB8
Getting started with the mimio board
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLKtQpntYbw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7vNB8eV9Xo&feature=related
At the end of the year last year every teacher in our building received a mimio board to use in their classroom. I thought these videos would be good as they beginning working with the mimio board, and I could add to the videos as we get into it more, and have other questions.
This video is about the vowel rule when two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking. I thought this video might help my struggling Title One students. I know that I often remember anything put to song, so I thought it would be a good way to teach them this rule, and have them enjoy it as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75KAgF0NhHI&feature=related
This is a video of Dr Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham. Every year the first grade teachers have a Dr. Seuss day, and I thought this would be a good introduction for them to use.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdR0LXOiEB8
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Podcasting
Since I do not have a microphone I have not been able to experience this first hand, but I saw many ways podcasting might be useful in the classroom. One of my favorites is being able to record a lesson, or helpful hints for the students to go back to when they are working on their homework. Some students do not have people at home to help them, or their parents might even struggle with the work they are doing, so I can see this being a very useful tool.
Another idea I really liked was recording book narrations for beginning readers to read along with. This allows them to hear the inflection in your voice, and will help them as they learn to read. This would be great for a listening center. Here are a couple websites I found where the students can listen to people read stories to them. http://www.robertmunsch.com/storytime.cfm , http://storynory.com/
Another idea I had was that students could record their oral presentation. There are always students in your class who can excel in their work, but get so nervous when they have to get up in front of their class, that they almost faint. I thought they could record their presentation, and present it in podcast format. This would help to reduce some of their stress, and show their true potential, but it might also help them gain confidence so one day they won't be so afraid of public speaking.
Another idea I really liked was recording book narrations for beginning readers to read along with. This allows them to hear the inflection in your voice, and will help them as they learn to read. This would be great for a listening center. Here are a couple websites I found where the students can listen to people read stories to them. http://www.robertmunsch.com/storytime.cfm , http://storynory.com/
Another idea I had was that students could record their oral presentation. There are always students in your class who can excel in their work, but get so nervous when they have to get up in front of their class, that they almost faint. I thought they could record their presentation, and present it in podcast format. This would help to reduce some of their stress, and show their true potential, but it might also help them gain confidence so one day they won't be so afraid of public speaking.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Social Networking in School
My school corporation does not allow students to access social networking sites while at school. They are blocked by our webfilter. The exception would be if a teacher uses it for educational purposes. There is one teacher who has a classroom full of computers, and his students use a moodle to publish their assignments.
I think social networking sites have gotten a bad reputation because you only hear about the negative aspects, but I think administrators would be more open to allowing them if they were presented with all of the educational benefits. The teacher would have to keep up on it, and monitor the content, but I think a blog would be a great way to keep parents and students informed about what's going on in the classroom. It could also be used to set up pen pals with a classroom of students in another part of the world, or to dialogue about current world events.
I think social networking sites have gotten a bad reputation because you only hear about the negative aspects, but I think administrators would be more open to allowing them if they were presented with all of the educational benefits. The teacher would have to keep up on it, and monitor the content, but I think a blog would be a great way to keep parents and students informed about what's going on in the classroom. It could also be used to set up pen pals with a classroom of students in another part of the world, or to dialogue about current world events.
Internet Safety
I believe it is important for every parent/teacher to have guidelines for how children use the internet. I don't think anyone should be afraid of using the internet because it has so much to offer, but I also realize the dangers that are out there. Parents/Teachers need to talk with children about staying safe while surfing the web. Children need to know that they should not give out any personal information. This would include, but is not limited to - their full name, parent's names, phone number, address, or school they attend. They also need to know that they are not to open an email from someone they do not know.
I don't think any child should be surfing the internet without adult supervision, so I feel it is important to have the computer in an open area so an adult can monitor how it is being used. It might even be helpful to set a password so a child cannot access the internet without an adult entering the password in.
Once these guideines have been set in place, and the children begin using the computer, the adults need to stay up to date on the websites children are visiting, and who they are interacting with online. Parents/Teachers need to keep an open line of communication with the children so the children feel comfortable talking with them about things on the internet.
I don't believe you can ever be too careful when it comes to internet safety. I am by nature a very cautious person, and I never thought I would fall victim to an internet scam, but I did run into an issue about this time last year. I was using ebay to purchase a couple different items, and I received an email asking me to verify my information. I am usually pretty cautious about these things, so I looked over it a couple times, and it appeared to be legitimate. I didn't want my account to be closed, so I responded to the email. However, a couple days later I logged into my bank account and immediately knew something was not right. My grandma and I began looking into it, and the bank tellers were able to locate where the money had been taken from. The money was withdrawn from an ATM in a country I had never been to, and it was taken at a time when I was at work, so the bank was able to recover all of my money. What a relief! This incident has shown me that even those who feel they are being careful can be taken advantage of.
I don't think any child should be surfing the internet without adult supervision, so I feel it is important to have the computer in an open area so an adult can monitor how it is being used. It might even be helpful to set a password so a child cannot access the internet without an adult entering the password in.
Once these guideines have been set in place, and the children begin using the computer, the adults need to stay up to date on the websites children are visiting, and who they are interacting with online. Parents/Teachers need to keep an open line of communication with the children so the children feel comfortable talking with them about things on the internet.
I don't believe you can ever be too careful when it comes to internet safety. I am by nature a very cautious person, and I never thought I would fall victim to an internet scam, but I did run into an issue about this time last year. I was using ebay to purchase a couple different items, and I received an email asking me to verify my information. I am usually pretty cautious about these things, so I looked over it a couple times, and it appeared to be legitimate. I didn't want my account to be closed, so I responded to the email. However, a couple days later I logged into my bank account and immediately knew something was not right. My grandma and I began looking into it, and the bank tellers were able to locate where the money had been taken from. The money was withdrawn from an ATM in a country I had never been to, and it was taken at a time when I was at work, so the bank was able to recover all of my money. What a relief! This incident has shown me that even those who feel they are being careful can be taken advantage of.
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