For my research, I typed "digital storytelling" into my yahoo search engine, and clicked the first site at the top of the page. It was a link to the University of Houston that completely explained the idea of digital storytelling. Not only that, but it had a variety of other places you could navigate to within the website that can help put your story together, such as movie and sound editing programs, and how to get started. I think I am going to find this helpful for the project at the end.
On the home page to the site I looked at, there was a short video clip about digital storytelling. In it was a series of video clips that were just pieces of American history, from Neil Armstrong stepping on the moon to the space shuttle blowing up in '86. It also showed a short clip of a larger story that a man had put together about his dad being a pilot in WW 2. Just these brief clips were enough to touch me, as I remembered the events in my life, big and small, that affected me greatly.
Digital storytelling is not necessarily simple. As with anything involving the creative process, it takes time and energy for a quality completed project. I just hope that I will be able to do the medium justice and create something that matters.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Global Education Communities
When I first read the criteria for this assignment, I was unsure of what I was supposed to do. What is a global education community. So, I did what any rational college student working agains a deadline would do: I googled it, and clicked on the first site I came upon.
All I can say is wow! I am pretty impressed with what I saw. For anyone who does not know what a global education community is, it is basically a group of people from around the globe gathering together in an online community, searching for various ways to connect. It might be through an environmental chat thread. Or helping gather research for a project being don around the world. One of the coolest ones I found was a link to a site where teachers could connect their strongest writers to a GLOBAL community of writers. In this particular community, young people can read other young people's writing, gaining inspiration and even lending a helping hand. If I had a place where I could have developed my writing when I was younger, then I wonder how much better I would be now?!
Basically, these global communities are similar in thought to the old "pen pal" idea of my days. Write a letter to a child across the world, telling them about your life in the U.S. Then, they would write one back and tell you about their life wherever they are. It was always a nice thought, but snail mail can be frustrating, and writing when your heart wasn't really in it was always more of a chore. But in these global communities, students can receive near instant feedback from a new friend across the world, download and share pictures, and again an appreciation of what it's like in other cultures. Pen pals for the digital age! What a great idea!
The site I found had a lot of jumping off points for teachers to guide their students as well as become involved in a community they are interested as well. It takes signing up to participate in the various threads, but it's nothing more than we do for hotmail or eLive anyway. The site's address is: http://globaleducation.ning.com/ I really reccommend it. I can't wait to find ways to integrate this into my own classroom someday and see what happens.
All I can say is wow! I am pretty impressed with what I saw. For anyone who does not know what a global education community is, it is basically a group of people from around the globe gathering together in an online community, searching for various ways to connect. It might be through an environmental chat thread. Or helping gather research for a project being don around the world. One of the coolest ones I found was a link to a site where teachers could connect their strongest writers to a GLOBAL community of writers. In this particular community, young people can read other young people's writing, gaining inspiration and even lending a helping hand. If I had a place where I could have developed my writing when I was younger, then I wonder how much better I would be now?!
Basically, these global communities are similar in thought to the old "pen pal" idea of my days. Write a letter to a child across the world, telling them about your life in the U.S. Then, they would write one back and tell you about their life wherever they are. It was always a nice thought, but snail mail can be frustrating, and writing when your heart wasn't really in it was always more of a chore. But in these global communities, students can receive near instant feedback from a new friend across the world, download and share pictures, and again an appreciation of what it's like in other cultures. Pen pals for the digital age! What a great idea!
The site I found had a lot of jumping off points for teachers to guide their students as well as become involved in a community they are interested as well. It takes signing up to participate in the various threads, but it's nothing more than we do for hotmail or eLive anyway. The site's address is: http://globaleducation.ning.com/ I really reccommend it. I can't wait to find ways to integrate this into my own classroom someday and see what happens.
Monday, July 11, 2011
The blog I'm following: Tech Fridge
I decided to follow TechFridge because it has so many links to helpful information about the subject of teaching. Of course, I have struggled with this in the past, because sometimes, it is hard to make a lot of sense out of a blog that mainly lists links and does not do a lot of actual blogging. However, this all changed when I got my new iPad. A lot of the links were about how to use the iPad in education. And a lot of those links had even more links with even more information! It was incredible as I read what my iPad can do for me in the classroom. I spent a good amount of time downloading new whiteboard apps and even a networking app it was talking about. I look forward to more uses as time goes on.
The blog did do a lot of talking about this year's ISTE, which is the International Society for Technology in Education is just now over, and the blogger had attended, so I read some updates about his interactions with many participants he had met over Twitter. This, if nothing else, cemented in my mind the fact that whether I like it or not, I probably need to get on Twitter, or I could mis important networking opportunities. As late in life as I am picking up this career, I need all of the extra help I can get if I want to become the best I can be. For me and my students.
The blog did do a lot of talking about this year's ISTE, which is the International Society for Technology in Education is just now over, and the blogger had attended, so I read some updates about his interactions with many participants he had met over Twitter. This, if nothing else, cemented in my mind the fact that whether I like it or not, I probably need to get on Twitter, or I could mis important networking opportunities. As late in life as I am picking up this career, I need all of the extra help I can get if I want to become the best I can be. For me and my students.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Assistive Technology in Education
All children have the right to a free public education. Sometimes, due to special needs, some students might be at a disadvantage. In fact, according to most statistics, over 6 million kids receive some form of special education. In some of these situations, students may need something to help them along. In order to accomplish scholastic tasks, assistive technology devices have been created to meet these special needs. Assistive technology comes in all types, from low tech, to super high tech.
So what is assistive technology? The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 defines assistive technology device as "any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of a child with a disability" (IDEA, 1997, 20, USC, Ch. 33, Sec. 1401 [25] US) (www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te7assist.htm). While the list is too long to go over, assistive devices can mean anything from a simple pair of headphones to something as complicated as a braille note-taker/printer. The main point is that as long as the device is determined suitable for the child's needs, it is considered an assistive device, and allowed to be used in the classroom.
So, how is a device considered "suitable"? While rules vary slightly from state to state, a decision must be handed down from the student's IEP team that the device is necessary for the student's success. These decisions are made based on need, disability, and whether or not an assistive device would actually help the situation. These devices are provided free by the school district for use in the school. Once again, while rules vary amongst states, if the device is purchased by the school district, the device stays with the district once the child leaves.
One device that I found particularly interesting was the braille note-taker/printer. Portable and small, Braille note-taking devices allow students to take notes during lectures and also to complete word-processing tasks. With a Braille note-taking device, students can store a class's notes just as other students would store notes in a traditional notebook (www.ehow.com/list_ 6001006_examples-assistive-technology-school.html). This machine is able to help blind students take notes and refer back to them at a later time. It also acts like a translation device, converting braille into text so that the assignment can be turned in for the teacher to read. I like this device because I have always been interested in Braille, and the process that people go through to write it. The integration possibilities are endless, and I think it could be a tremendous asset in a classroom that deals with visually impaired students.
So what is assistive technology? The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 defines assistive technology device as "any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of a child with a disability" (IDEA, 1997, 20, USC, Ch. 33, Sec. 1401 [25] US) (www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te7assist.htm). While the list is too long to go over, assistive devices can mean anything from a simple pair of headphones to something as complicated as a braille note-taker/printer. The main point is that as long as the device is determined suitable for the child's needs, it is considered an assistive device, and allowed to be used in the classroom.
So, how is a device considered "suitable"? While rules vary slightly from state to state, a decision must be handed down from the student's IEP team that the device is necessary for the student's success. These decisions are made based on need, disability, and whether or not an assistive device would actually help the situation. These devices are provided free by the school district for use in the school. Once again, while rules vary amongst states, if the device is purchased by the school district, the device stays with the district once the child leaves.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Dance Mat Typing
For my tech tool, I chose Dance Mat Typing. As a person who still uses the "hunt and peck" method, I have always been kind of jealous of those who can type with out looking at the keyboard. I just never learned. Never took a typing class, never had a reason to learn. I have tried, but my fingers are huge, and constantly hit the wrong keys. One of those things that if I had learned earlier, then maybe I would see things differently.
Dance Mat Typing is a website put out by the BBC that uses cute little interactive videos to teach kids to type. It's best for younger kids, but I did the lesson on the homerow, and found it pretty fun. The characters are way British, so their accents were fun to listen to. The whole program is set up around music, and at every step of the way, the characters will pop up and celebrate major milestones that the student accomplishes. Even mistakes are okay, because instead of telling you you are wrong, the proper key (in a picture on the screen) asks you to hit it instead. So kids are positively reinforced from every direction.
Computers are not going anywhere. As our lesson plans rely more and more on computers and their proper use, it is only responsible of us to teach them the basics. Since most older kids already know these basics, this program would work best for lower grade levels. Coupling it with reading and/or writing would work great, so that kids are learning multiple skills at the same time.
Dance Mat Typing is a website put out by the BBC that uses cute little interactive videos to teach kids to type. It's best for younger kids, but I did the lesson on the homerow, and found it pretty fun. The characters are way British, so their accents were fun to listen to. The whole program is set up around music, and at every step of the way, the characters will pop up and celebrate major milestones that the student accomplishes. Even mistakes are okay, because instead of telling you you are wrong, the proper key (in a picture on the screen) asks you to hit it instead. So kids are positively reinforced from every direction.
Computers are not going anywhere. As our lesson plans rely more and more on computers and their proper use, it is only responsible of us to teach them the basics. Since most older kids already know these basics, this program would work best for lower grade levels. Coupling it with reading and/or writing would work great, so that kids are learning multiple skills at the same time.
Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks
For our assignment, we were supposed to introduce three people to the commoncraft videos. For the first person, I tried my son. I showed him the video about Twitter, because he is always asking me about it. He seemed to think the video itself was entertaining. But when I asked him if he wanted to start a Twitter account, he looked at me and said "No. I just wanted to know how it works," and promptly left the room.
The next person to show a video to was my mom. As the least computer literate person in my family, she regards the computer as some magical box. I sat her down, and asked her if any video interested her at all. She decided on the video about BitTorrent, since my brother is always downloading music for her using BitTorrent. She watched it, and I wasn't sure she was getting it. But after the video was done, she asked to watch another one. So I set her up with the list, and she spent the next hour watching videos. While I am pretty sure she still can't DO any of it, at least she understands the idea behind most of hat she watched.
The last one happened by accident. When my mom started watching videos, she called my dad in, and he started watching it. Of course, being my dad, he insisted he already knew all of this, but found the animations to be quirky and worthy of his time. Personally, I think he was learning a couple things, but he'll never admit it. Overall, my experience with Commoncraft videos has been positive. Everyone in my family learned something, even if they didn't mean to.
The next person to show a video to was my mom. As the least computer literate person in my family, she regards the computer as some magical box. I sat her down, and asked her if any video interested her at all. She decided on the video about BitTorrent, since my brother is always downloading music for her using BitTorrent. She watched it, and I wasn't sure she was getting it. But after the video was done, she asked to watch another one. So I set her up with the list, and she spent the next hour watching videos. While I am pretty sure she still can't DO any of it, at least she understands the idea behind most of hat she watched.
The last one happened by accident. When my mom started watching videos, she called my dad in, and he started watching it. Of course, being my dad, he insisted he already knew all of this, but found the animations to be quirky and worthy of his time. Personally, I think he was learning a couple things, but he'll never admit it. Overall, my experience with Commoncraft videos has been positive. Everyone in my family learned something, even if they didn't mean to.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
The Following
It was a dark and stormy night. As usual, I was up, with a case to solve. I felt like I had my finger on the answer, I just couldn't see where my finger was. You see, the blogs were lighting up all around me. Stories connecting copyright and education blogs were all around me, and one of them was the killer. So here I was, at my desktop, puzzling through each one. JJ's blog was about a magical digital world and the effort of a group of friends regarding copyright. But then, Sheng's was also about a group of friends and copyright, but minus the fairy tale setting. Teresa's blog showed promise, but there didn't seem to be any story, just a lot of words. Which was exactly how Brianna's was as well, no story, but the connections seemed to be there.
I was getting frustrated and hungry, which in my line of work is never a good combo. Harder to think. So I got up from my desk and went over to my tech fridge. I opened it and was astounded at all the stuff I could choose from. "Someone must have restocked it while I was away," I thought. I was always surprised at the usefulness of this particular site. Variety and lots of it. Helps me think. I never walk away without some kind of idea from my tech fridge.
No sooner did the idea hit me than I heard the door close, and before I could turn around, a gunshot rang out. I turned around and sure enough, I was right. She thought she was being so sly, but I recognized that face staring down at me from her blog. But as the warmth left my body, I knew it didn't matter. She had gotten the last laugh. And I was dead.
I was getting frustrated and hungry, which in my line of work is never a good combo. Harder to think. So I got up from my desk and went over to my tech fridge. I opened it and was astounded at all the stuff I could choose from. "Someone must have restocked it while I was away," I thought. I was always surprised at the usefulness of this particular site. Variety and lots of it. Helps me think. I never walk away without some kind of idea from my tech fridge.
No sooner did the idea hit me than I heard the door close, and before I could turn around, a gunshot rang out. I turned around and sure enough, I was right. She thought she was being so sly, but I recognized that face staring down at me from her blog. But as the warmth left my body, I knew it didn't matter. She had gotten the last laugh. And I was dead.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Copyright? Or copywrong?
This week, our assignment was to read an article on the internet about copyright. This is an issue that seems to come up a lot, especially as the internet continues to grow in power, and file sharing programs continue to become more and more popular. While I personally download a good portion of my music from the internet, I have paid for every minute of it. All of my papers are my own, and if I quote something from the internet, I will usually reference my source in a bibliography, so I never thought about copyright very extensively. But after this assignment, I began to think about copyright laws differently. So here are five questions concerning copyright law:
1. What selection did you choose to read?
My selection for this assignment was "Copyright 101 for Educators" by Wesley Fryer. I originally tried reading material from the copyright "official" website, but it was really long and kind of confusing. This article was short, simply written, and easily understood. Many of the issues surrounding copyright were clearer to me after reading it.
2. What is copyright?
Copyright is "a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (title 17, U.S. Code) to the authors of "original works of authorship," including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works. This protection is available to both published and unpublished works." (Fryer, 2003). In other words, it's the way the government protects artists and businesses from others using their creations without consent or pay.
3. What are some of the issues around copyright for teachers?
While there are laws that protect education from extensive copyright law, teachers do need to be aware of the material they are using for classroom instruction in regards to what is used and where it will be stored later on. Teachers need to be aware of what their students are using for their projects/papers. They also need to understand that copyright law is a constantly evolving circus of changing rulles and guidelines, so awareness of current law is important. www.copyright.gov has a lot of information to wade through, but would also be the most up-to-date.
4. What is Fair Use?
Fair use is determined by these factors:
5. What are you going to do differently based on this information?
Personally, before reading this article, I used to steal pictures off of the internet like crazy. I never really thought about the fact that those pictures are the creative property of another human being. WHile I understand that images can be used in projects such as powerpoint projects, I do need to be aware of how that powerpoint is going to be shared. If it is within a classroom or with a small, private, nonprofit audience, then it can be used. So I need to be careful how such projects are even displayed. Private sites are fine, but displaying these images on a public site or non-educational basis is dangerous. If I can do everything possible to document sources in every situation, then I can avoid working in any gray area, or worse, allowing students to see me "steal" copyrighted material right in front of them.
1. What selection did you choose to read?
My selection for this assignment was "Copyright 101 for Educators" by Wesley Fryer. I originally tried reading material from the copyright "official" website, but it was really long and kind of confusing. This article was short, simply written, and easily understood. Many of the issues surrounding copyright were clearer to me after reading it.
2. What is copyright?
Copyright is "a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (title 17, U.S. Code) to the authors of "original works of authorship," including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works. This protection is available to both published and unpublished works." (Fryer, 2003). In other words, it's the way the government protects artists and businesses from others using their creations without consent or pay.
3. What are some of the issues around copyright for teachers?
While there are laws that protect education from extensive copyright law, teachers do need to be aware of the material they are using for classroom instruction in regards to what is used and where it will be stored later on. Teachers need to be aware of what their students are using for their projects/papers. They also need to understand that copyright law is a constantly evolving circus of changing rulles and guidelines, so awareness of current law is important. www.copyright.gov has a lot of information to wade through, but would also be the most up-to-date.
4. What is Fair Use?
Fair use is determined by these factors:
(1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
(2) the nature of the copyrighted work;
(3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
(4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work (Fryar, 2003)
In other words, fair use is the set of guidelines that determines whether or not a copyrighted work can be used legally by another individual or not.
5. What are you going to do differently based on this information?
Personally, before reading this article, I used to steal pictures off of the internet like crazy. I never really thought about the fact that those pictures are the creative property of another human being. WHile I understand that images can be used in projects such as powerpoint projects, I do need to be aware of how that powerpoint is going to be shared. If it is within a classroom or with a small, private, nonprofit audience, then it can be used. So I need to be careful how such projects are even displayed. Private sites are fine, but displaying these images on a public site or non-educational basis is dangerous. If I can do everything possible to document sources in every situation, then I can avoid working in any gray area, or worse, allowing students to see me "steal" copyrighted material right in front of them.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Blog Posts
This week, I was supposed to find four blog posts that interested me. I filtered through a few, and was surprised to find that they were not all as boring as I thought they'd be! While a few were a little more ho-hum, business as usual, I was able to find four that I found interesting, thought-provoking, and even funny. Here's my list:
1. "Dangerously Irrelevant"- I found Scott McLeod's postings at first to be a little on the "blah, blah technology blah" side, but as I got more into his actual blogs, I was actually impressed. His angle is the same one this class is making me think about. Technology cannot be ignored in the classroom. It also reminds me that as teachers, we do run the risk of being "irrelevant" if we turn a blind eye to the technology at our fingertips. A letter he posted from a superintendent of a MI school district, asking the governor of his state to "turn his prison into a school" was disturbing, but made me think. The state ofMI spends 30-40 thousand dollars a year on a prisoner, yet only seven thousand a year on it's students. CRAZY!!!! Anyway, this blog is good for stuff like that.
2."A Passion For Teaching and Opinions"- This blog is great! I really enjoy his matter-of-fact way of writing, and his humor is apparent throughout the material. A lot of his blogs are CA politics based (he is a high school teacher in Ukiah, CA), but they are still relevant, as similar issues in education are popping up all over the country. His entries are down to Earth and personable, almost like you're sitting down with him, over coffee or a beer and listening to him talk about what he loves, teaching. Definitely a blog worth looking at.
3. "Bellringers"- Once again, personable wins my heart. The author of this one posts pictures, and feels relatable. As much as I read, she stays out of politics and stays in "this is my life" mode the whole way though. If I was a parent of one of her students, I would follow this blog very closely (seems like that's mainly who it's for), because she is very informative about things going on in her life and classroom. She posts links to other articles regarding education and parenting, making it a decent site for reading. Overall, I enjoy reading it because it reminds me that teachers are people too, and quite a few are characters too!
4. "Technology Fridge"- I figured at least one "useful" site was in order. But a lot of the blogs I went to were full of "Twitterings" (I really don't like Twitter. Very resistant to it...), and other not useful info. But this one had links and explanations of these links (what they were, what they could do, etc.) as well as personable entries about things going on in his district. As much as I appreciate helpful hints and sites that teach me something, I am really more of a relational learner. I learn by watching people, listening to the way they do things, watch how they handle situations. So a blog with a personal touch goes a long way. This one has that touch to it. AND, it's useful.
5. "Right on the LEft Coast"- I have decided to do five, because I feel this one is worth noting. While I personally try and stay away from political labels, I tend more toward conservatism myself. A lot of people tell me this is a counterintuitve stance as "most teachers are more liberal minded". I have met many teachers that would disagree with such a statement, and this blog represents one of them. While his stance is on the right, he believes that teachers are under appreciated and mistreated by the system as well. His thoughts are interesting and I like that he puts a trivia question in everyday (impossibly hard), along with multiple postings. Very thought-provoking stuff.
I have decided that the blog I am going to follow the rest of the summer is Tech Fridge. With useful information AND personable insights, I look forward to applying some of what I've learned this coming fall as I start my internship!!
1. "Dangerously Irrelevant"- I found Scott McLeod's postings at first to be a little on the "blah, blah technology blah" side, but as I got more into his actual blogs, I was actually impressed. His angle is the same one this class is making me think about. Technology cannot be ignored in the classroom. It also reminds me that as teachers, we do run the risk of being "irrelevant" if we turn a blind eye to the technology at our fingertips. A letter he posted from a superintendent of a MI school district, asking the governor of his state to "turn his prison into a school" was disturbing, but made me think. The state ofMI spends 30-40 thousand dollars a year on a prisoner, yet only seven thousand a year on it's students. CRAZY!!!! Anyway, this blog is good for stuff like that.
2."A Passion For Teaching and Opinions"- This blog is great! I really enjoy his matter-of-fact way of writing, and his humor is apparent throughout the material. A lot of his blogs are CA politics based (he is a high school teacher in Ukiah, CA), but they are still relevant, as similar issues in education are popping up all over the country. His entries are down to Earth and personable, almost like you're sitting down with him, over coffee or a beer and listening to him talk about what he loves, teaching. Definitely a blog worth looking at.
3. "Bellringers"- Once again, personable wins my heart. The author of this one posts pictures, and feels relatable. As much as I read, she stays out of politics and stays in "this is my life" mode the whole way though. If I was a parent of one of her students, I would follow this blog very closely (seems like that's mainly who it's for), because she is very informative about things going on in her life and classroom. She posts links to other articles regarding education and parenting, making it a decent site for reading. Overall, I enjoy reading it because it reminds me that teachers are people too, and quite a few are characters too!
4. "Technology Fridge"- I figured at least one "useful" site was in order. But a lot of the blogs I went to were full of "Twitterings" (I really don't like Twitter. Very resistant to it...), and other not useful info. But this one had links and explanations of these links (what they were, what they could do, etc.) as well as personable entries about things going on in his district. As much as I appreciate helpful hints and sites that teach me something, I am really more of a relational learner. I learn by watching people, listening to the way they do things, watch how they handle situations. So a blog with a personal touch goes a long way. This one has that touch to it. AND, it's useful.
5. "Right on the LEft Coast"- I have decided to do five, because I feel this one is worth noting. While I personally try and stay away from political labels, I tend more toward conservatism myself. A lot of people tell me this is a counterintuitve stance as "most teachers are more liberal minded". I have met many teachers that would disagree with such a statement, and this blog represents one of them. While his stance is on the right, he believes that teachers are under appreciated and mistreated by the system as well. His thoughts are interesting and I like that he puts a trivia question in everyday (impossibly hard), along with multiple postings. Very thought-provoking stuff.
I have decided that the blog I am going to follow the rest of the summer is Tech Fridge. With useful information AND personable insights, I look forward to applying some of what I've learned this coming fall as I start my internship!!
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