I am really torn about this whole technology thing. I love the idea of having so much information right at your finger tips with the web and all, but sometimes it just feels like there is so much out there, finding the good stuff (whether it be information or teaching tools) can be extremely overwhelming. I guess I need to be a little bit more patient and be willing to ask for help...that being said, SHAYNE...I NEED YOU HELP! :o)
On the positive side, I love the idea of using technology in the classroom, not just as a teaching tool, but to allow students creative ways to show what they know. Using blogs as a way to communicate with my students and assess their knowledge has proven in the past to be a great tool. It takes some time to teach the students how to do what is expected of them, but in the end it is worth it. Tools like Movie Maker are also great tools for creative assessment.
I am looking forward to finding new ways to infuse technology in both my instruction and assessment and hope this PLC is going to help me do that. If anyone else has ideas, please let me know! I'd love to hear them.
And by the way, Shayne....are you ready for that artifact project? Because it is just around the corner!
Freedom is Not Free
Freedom is Not Free
Monday, January 24, 2011
Week 3, Thing #6: Flickr Fun and Mashups
Personally I think this was more frustrating than anything. After spending a couple hours fooling around and exploring, I found that most of what was out there was either useless for teaching purposes or I couldn't get things to work. I really like the concept of Bubblr, which was a mashup that allows a person to take images from flickr and put them into a comic strip with speech bubbles. The idea is great for having students demonstrate their creativity and higher level thinking of different topics connected to history and how different events of geography might impact them. Students could also use images found on flickr to tell a story using that app. However, I couldn't get the site to load any images. I am not sure if it was a problem with the site or a problem with me. Very frustrating because I would have liked to play with it a little.
Another idea I liked was Mappr, but that mashup said it no longer uses images from Flicker. The concept was to link images from flickr with a map. Again, I could see how this could be used as a method of teaching and evaluating students' understanding of geography. Unfortunately it no longer works. Sigh.
Another mashup I liked was the Trading Card one. I like the idea of having students search for images connected to something I am teaching about in the classroom and creating trading cards that show how the images relate to their learning. I also like the idea of having students create a card game using the trading cards. This application/mashup/whatever you call it is a great idea, but I can't figure out whether these can just be printed or if they have to be purchased.
Clearly there are a lot of tools out there...almost too many I am beginning to think. If anyone else tried Bubblr and was able to get it to work let me know how...I'd love to try it out!
Another idea I liked was Mappr, but that mashup said it no longer uses images from Flicker. The concept was to link images from flickr with a map. Again, I could see how this could be used as a method of teaching and evaluating students' understanding of geography. Unfortunately it no longer works. Sigh.
Another mashup I liked was the Trading Card one. I like the idea of having students search for images connected to something I am teaching about in the classroom and creating trading cards that show how the images relate to their learning. I also like the idea of having students create a card game using the trading cards. This application/mashup/whatever you call it is a great idea, but I can't figure out whether these can just be printed or if they have to be purchased.
Clearly there are a lot of tools out there...almost too many I am beginning to think. If anyone else tried Bubblr and was able to get it to work let me know how...I'd love to try it out!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Week 3, #5: Exploring Fickr
Okay..this is the first time I have ever taken a look at flickr and there really are some amazing photos on there! Why is it that no matter how hard I try, my photos stink and yet here are all of these people that can take these beautiful pictures with just the right lighting and color! I'd like to blame it on my camera, but I am not so sure that is the problem...could it be the photographer? Hmmmm...
Below are several photos I found while exploring that I really liked, all for very different reasons. I would have posted the images directly but could not for the life of me figure out how to do it. I tried using the "Insert Image" button when adding a new post, but it kept saying the link to the URL wasn't correct even though I know it was, so if you want to see them, you'll need to click the links below. I know they work because I tried them.
The first image is a beautiful picture of a camel in the middle of the Arabian Desert. Not only are the colors and lighting amazing, but since I teach about the geography of the Arabian peninsula, the image is great for teaching purposes as well. The photographer actually took a whole series of images that I could use in my classroom next year.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tariq-m/5380922742/
The second image is just plain funny. I can't even remember how I came across it, but once I saw it, I had to post the link. Evidently some dog owners have WAY too much free time on their hands and find it necessary to torture their animals by dressing them up in tutus and putting make up on them. This was just one of the photos I saw of dogs in tutus...kind of scary!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/andy_bernay-roman/2288658857/in/gallery-upyerbum-72157622686859724/
The final photo is of my favorite restaurant in Williamsburg (which by the way is my favorite place in the world...in case you didn't know)...Christiana Campbells...ahhhhhhhhh...the food there is amazing and I can't wait to get back there this summer...counting down the days until the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute. It has been four long years ans I cannot wait to get back.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jwsem/4008678505/
Hope you enjoyed the images.
Below are several photos I found while exploring that I really liked, all for very different reasons. I would have posted the images directly but could not for the life of me figure out how to do it. I tried using the "Insert Image" button when adding a new post, but it kept saying the link to the URL wasn't correct even though I know it was, so if you want to see them, you'll need to click the links below. I know they work because I tried them.
The first image is a beautiful picture of a camel in the middle of the Arabian Desert. Not only are the colors and lighting amazing, but since I teach about the geography of the Arabian peninsula, the image is great for teaching purposes as well. The photographer actually took a whole series of images that I could use in my classroom next year.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tariq-m/5380922742/
The second image is just plain funny. I can't even remember how I came across it, but once I saw it, I had to post the link. Evidently some dog owners have WAY too much free time on their hands and find it necessary to torture their animals by dressing them up in tutus and putting make up on them. This was just one of the photos I saw of dogs in tutus...kind of scary!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/andy_bernay-roman/2288658857/in/gallery-upyerbum-72157622686859724/
The final photo is of my favorite restaurant in Williamsburg (which by the way is my favorite place in the world...in case you didn't know)...Christiana Campbells...ahhhhhhhhh...the food there is amazing and I can't wait to get back there this summer...counting down the days until the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute. It has been four long years ans I cannot wait to get back.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jwsem/4008678505/
Hope you enjoyed the images.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Week 2: Creating a Blog
Okay...I'm not having any trouble with the basics of the whole blog thing...and I had no problem creating an avatar, but I cannot for the life of me figure out how to export it into my blog. I am getting very frustrated...not to mention tired since it is almost 1 a.m. and I haven't even done my lesson plans yet...and it is too late to ask anyone now for help. I guarantee I'll be in the library asking Shayne for help in the morning though! Perhaps my earlier post about my weakness in the 7.5 habits should be changed to the one about looking at problems as challenges instead of just problems. :o)
Week 1: Thing #2 - 7 and a Half Habits of Lifelong Learners
I thought this section was pretty good and I have to agree with the description of a lifelong learner that was presented in the slide show. As for what habit is a strength for me and what one is a struggle, I have to think for a minute. Hmmm....
Okay here it is...I would probably have to say my strength would be with habit number #2: Accepting Responsibility for Learning. When I want to learn something new, I am pretty good at finding a way to do it. I love going to workshops (of my choosing) to learn new content about history (hence the History Geek in the title of this blog) or going to our trusty media specialist to get new ideas for how to use technology in the classroom to extend student learning...and I when I ask for help with a new idea, I actually take the time to learn how to do it rather than simply giving the workload to her completely. I like working as part of a team and pulling my own weight.
My weakness or area of struggle when it comes to the habits of a lifelong learner would have to be either #4 (Have Confidence in Yourself as a Learner) or #6 (Using Technology to Your Advantage). I think I sometimes have a tendency to sell myself short and not give myself credit for my abilities when it comes to technology and need to use the tools that I have been given to make more effective use of the technology available to me. I'm not sure if that made as much sense in writing as it did in my head...but there you are!
I'm curious to see what others have to say.
Okay here it is...I would probably have to say my strength would be with habit number #2: Accepting Responsibility for Learning. When I want to learn something new, I am pretty good at finding a way to do it. I love going to workshops (of my choosing) to learn new content about history (hence the History Geek in the title of this blog) or going to our trusty media specialist to get new ideas for how to use technology in the classroom to extend student learning...and I when I ask for help with a new idea, I actually take the time to learn how to do it rather than simply giving the workload to her completely. I like working as part of a team and pulling my own weight.
My weakness or area of struggle when it comes to the habits of a lifelong learner would have to be either #4 (Have Confidence in Yourself as a Learner) or #6 (Using Technology to Your Advantage). I think I sometimes have a tendency to sell myself short and not give myself credit for my abilities when it comes to technology and need to use the tools that I have been given to make more effective use of the technology available to me. I'm not sure if that made as much sense in writing as it did in my head...but there you are!
I'm curious to see what others have to say.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Week 1: Thing #1
Okay...I'm going to be perfectly honest here. I have no clue what I am supposed to be posting about for thing #1 which was reading the "About" page...so, I'm just going to say what comes to mind. First of all, I procrastinated way too long in getting started with this. Now that I am actually starting, I can honestly say I am excited to get started and learn some new technology and internet resources that could really help me to broaden my teaching methods. I've done some stuff in the past with blogging (Shayne, I promise not to tell anyone if you promise too) and with wikis but I am always looking for new ideas. Hopefully this will give me some good ones!
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