Google Site

This week we worked on creating Google Sites. I have come to have mixed feelings about this. I think it's a great addition to the class and really helps with keeping parents informed. Since I am a big computer/technology person I would love to see what is going on in my child's classroom and be able to pull something up, like a document, if my child misplaced theirs. It's also great because if anything new comes up, the website could be edited as the week goes on. While this idea is convenient it is not so ideal. As a teacher there is so much to go in and outside of the classroom, is it really realistic to create a website? It requires a lot more site navigation and editing than a classroom newsletter. I also can't help but think that parents would go on it once in a while and would barely use it. I feel as if the teacher would spend so much time on it and parents would just look at it every once in a while.
What I would think about doing is putting up the home work for parents to see daily. Students aren't always trustworthy and sometimes forget to write down certain parts of their home work. Again, I don't know if that is ideal for a teacher to have to sign into the website everyday and type in the home work. Teachers don't always know what will be for homework that week and often there is tweaking as the week goes on. While it's a nice idea I think that the google site will just create a headache for the teacher. I think Monthly newsletters are simple and easier to create, and offer the parents the same information.

KidPix & Pixie

For this weeks assignment we were asked to use wither KidPix or Pixie to complete it. Since KidPix was not available  for at home use I used Pixie for the assignment. Pixie really reminded me of a "flashier" version of Powerpoint. Pixie and Powerpoint both give you the ability to create slides/slide shows, add music, put in information and pictures. The added bonus with Pixie is that one can show their artistic side. Even if you aren't artistic, Pixie makes it easier for you with stickers, shapes, and other small things like that. This can be used for really any subject in a classroom. There are so many backgrounds, stickers, shapes, etc, that could be used to facilitate any lesson. I really like how everything can be individualized and therefore able to fit to any subject and grade level.

While a teacher could find this useful to make lessons more interesting, fun, and relevant, students could also benefit from using this program. Just like we were assigned to do, I would ask students (depending on grade level) to write their own story or How To book and include sound and pictures/stickers. It allows them to have fun with the lesson and helps those who may be artistically challenged. Also unlike many of the other programs we've used for this class it never crashed or made my computer slow! 

Spreadsheets & Databases in the Classroom

I never really though about using spreadsheets and databases in the classroom, but this weeks assignment really made me away of the possibilities. Spreadsheets and databases are so easy to use, and with a bit of playing around you can find some really cool features It's a great way to organize information you want students to be aware of, or insert themselves. For example, the president assignment for this week. Having 10 presidents up there (with little pieces of information)  at a time can help the students visualize the information being taught. Spreadsheets can also be used for the teacher to calculate grades and other information. Playing around with the Interactive Spreadsheets was so cool! I really loved how the answers were corrected and graded then and there (either with a 'correct' or 'incorrect', or a 'try again' message). I also really think students will be more inclined to do their work. It's fun, interactive, and motivational. I would love to find a way to have every student have the opportunity to use an Interactive Spreadsheet in my classroom, but will have to split them and create a list/line based on how many computers I have. I definitely want to learn how to create my own Interactive Spreadsheets for my future classrooms!

Nowadays, everything is online. It used to be that we would go to the library to borrow books for research. Now, all the information we need are just a few key strokes away! I think using the web is essential, especially for up to date information. Databases and Spreadsheets facilitate the learning and allow the teachers and students to easily spot and organize information.

Webquests

I found this weeks assignment a mix between power-points and internet use. The "Critical Attributes" of a webquest reminded me of a lesson plan format. The Introduction and task can be viewed as the motivation and introduction for a lesson. Information sources can be viewed as a material for the lesson, the Process is the steps, guidance is the modeling, and the conclusion is just like a conclusion in a lesson. I like that webquests are most likely to be group activities, which students seem to enjoy most, and that they each receive a specific role, which helps the organization and function of the activity. If the webquest is planned out well (but sticking to the 'rules' and rubric) and reviewed by the teacher, it can be really successful, engaging, and fun! But if thinks are placed in an unappealing way or worded incorrectly, it can become uninteresting, confusing, and boring. My biggest problem with webquests is that it may not be possible to use from year to year. Web-pages expire or don't exist anymore, which makes many of these lessons invalid.

The exemplary webquest that I found was “Native American Museum” by Lauren Kaufold and Allison Weber  http://questgarden.com/131/17/6/111017202714/index.htm. In short it was organized and visually appealing. Only one of the links were 'broken', but Google can always be used with an adult around. There were clear and fair expectations of the students, all listed on a detailed rubric. The activity was fun and I'm so glad I stumbled upon it. I will be bringing up the idea of a "Museum" of Native Americans tribes to me cooperating teachers (since we are focusing on Native American tribes in social studies and writing/reading).

The “Not-So-Good” webquest I came across was “Buying a New Pet” by Samantha Marsh (http://questgarden.com/117/18/7/110117201934/index.htm). While it was visually appealing, that's as far as it went. It was confusing and even I (a 22 year old college educated woman) was unable to easily follow along and found myself confused countless times. The rubric had irrelevant subjects the teacher was evaluating the students on. Most of the links were broken or just sent the students to one main website that they had to navigate themselves. The directions and process were not clear and frustrated me.

While I see why teachers may use webquests while teaching, I truthfully do not see myself using it much (if ever) in the future.
 

Inspiration & Kidspiration

This week in my Technology course we had to create a presentation using Inspiration. We also had to use Kidspiration and complete an exercise. This assignment was definitely different than what I was used to because it was actually fun.

The program Inspiration is definitely a useful tool that I would consider using in the future. I found that it is very similar to Powerpoint with some added bonuses. Powerpoint is mainly for presentations and doesn't really foster the ability to become as creative and involved. Inspiration on the other hand has this really cool "snapshot" option. This allows you to take a pre-made template and edit it to your liking. I used it for the topic of comparing and contrasting. I was able to move around boxed, delete and add things, change the colors and fonts, and much more! It's a great thing to have when you want something pre-made (to give you ideas, for easier use), but also something that can easily be tailored to your needs and your students. The way I would use this program would be in subjects where there is a lot of wording. For example, I probably would not use this often for math. I could write mathematical problems easily on the board, but would definitely consider using it for subtopics such as bar graphs and charts, where visuals are needed. I think that subjects such as science and social studies could use this application. The teacher doesn't have to worry about writing out all the notes, and I think that students enjoy technology and would enjoy viewing the lesson on a screen and in color.

The program Kidspiration was really fun! Even for me, a 22 year old college student. There is a wide variety of topics and subtopics for children (different ages/ranges fall under these subtopics). It is a very "hands on" (in the technological sense) and pretty simple to use. I see myself using this in my future classroom. Although every child would get the same assignment, the look of it will vary, which I think the students will enjoy. It's not just a boring homework assignment. They can change the font and colors within the assignment. I would have parents sign up for this program and use the pre-made templates to assign as homework as often as I can. Students could then print out their sheets (hopefully in color) where we can check it in class and hang it around the classroom! It's a perfect way to show students progress, knowledge, and creativity! I would also use this during a lesson. Teachers need feedback to see where their students stand. Students also LOVE to be involved in the lesson and show what they know. Kidspiration is a perfect program for that. I would also strongly consider using this with students who need extra help. They could use this program on the classroom computers to help them out. I think it's a great motivational tool that will definitely come in handy!

Classroom Newsletters

This past week we focused on 'Classroom Newsletters' in our EECE 220 class. I had never created a newsletter so I thought it was pretty exciting and fun. In elementary school we were given weekly newsletters that were printed up for the whole school. It wasn't specific to any class or grade, and now thinking back I don't think it was as efficient as it had meant to be. This past weeks class made me think back and realize that the newsletters should have been more specific to each class or grade. Teachers could have inserted whatever general information the school wanted the students to know, while also putting in specific information each teacher wanted their students to know (test dates, projects, etc.). It may be hard to create a weekly newsletter, but a teacher can create a bi-weekly or even a monthly newsletter. Adding goals, dates, and important information into a newsletter is a great way to keep parents informed. Teachers should also make sure to add their contact info for any additional questions.

I don't see any downside to having it in the classroom, especially if you already have a pre-made template, like we did. Sometimes it may be hard to fit two pages worth of information, but that why it's just a template. It can easily be changed/edited when necessary. I definitely see myself using a newsletter in my future classrooms and will make use of this assignment/newsletter. I would try to change it up every month, maybe adding some school-themed jokes or pictures of the students. In this assignment I added "Overheard in Room 4-202" as a 'fun' little way to end the newsletter. I thought that adding positive personal quotes said by the students would make them and their parents happy. As stated before, I believe that classroom specific newsletters definitely have a place in the classroom.

Beginning of the End

Shalom!
I have set up this blog as part of my Technology course at Queens College. This is my last semester as an undergrad, hence the title "Beginning of the End". It seems like I will be updating this blog weekly so check back soon for updates!