Voice Thread

Working with this program was a lot of fun. I could see many different age levels working with this project and really enjoying it. I could see myself using it in many different subject areas. It would be a great way for children to describe, for example, pictures of the life cycle of a plant. I think it would be neat for students to create easy lessons for their classmates to view. I believe one of the best ways to learn something is to teach it. Not to mention, kids love to hear there own voice! Similar to the the storybook project the end result of this project is very rewarding. I also think that it would be a great way to share classroom activities with parents.

Panraven Story Book

Working with Panraven was fairly easy. I found that inserting the photo's and text was not difficult. I would have liked to expand the narrative of the photo's but of course was limited by the text box options. That was okay I simply tried to think of exactly what I wanted to say about each photo. I know that I would use this program again. As far as for a classroom I think that it would be useful to allow students to create a narrative of either a place the class visited or create a "story." The resulting book was quite rewarding in that the pictures and layout were something to be proud of. I could see a class really liking the outcome of their work. Younger children would perhaps do best working in a group with the teacher or an aide but I think an older class say fifth and up could work with this program on their own.

Flickr Slide Show

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

While working on this project I was able to visualize several useful applications for the classroom. A teacher could possibly use this to help explain class projects. Having a step by step example visualized would be useful. I could see this working in a differentiated classroom giving the teacher the opportunity to allow students to return to the slide show for help or further explanation. This would eliminate the teacher having to explain procedures several times.
While I feel like this tool would best be utilized in a classroom of third graders or above I think it would be fun for teachers of younger grades to create slide shows for their students to remember field trips or class parties/events.

Sense of Place Poster

Making this poster was a really fun project. I was challenged to look through my collection of pictures and find ones that were really indicative of where we live. In Kodiak we are surrounded by water. We smell, taste and hear it every day. That's why I chose so many pictures of the ocean and beaches.

I was intrigued by the idea of using this in the classroom. I could see how a teacher would be able to let his/her students use this as a way to communicate to communities outside their own classroom. This would be a great way for students to show a "pen pal classroom" pictures of where they live. It could also be used to document fun classroom events and make posters for parents to see what their child's classroom did each week and or month. Thanks Skip for introducing us to such a neat tool.
Melissa

Digital Video

I had a lot of fun making this video. I really don't think students would have a hard time creating a video like this. The movie maker was very easy to operate. I had a bit of difficulty timing my overlays just right but with the atomic videos and our class time I was able to manage. In fact, I was quite proud of myself for figuring it out. One of the things that this class has really impressed on me is that technology doesn't have to be intimidating. I don't think I want to learn HTML code just yet but playing around with the built in tools on my computer has proved very rewarding. I plan to make up a Christmas slide show....as soon as all my other classes are over. I hope you enjoy the video I made.

My Favorite Time of Year

We are fast approaching the end of 2008. I can't believe that this year has gone so fast. Looking back over the last ten months I am reminded of all the memories that were packed into this year. My first child turned 8 this year and became an awesome helper to me around the house, he became my right hand man when his dad is at work. My second son Caleb learned to read. I was able to watch him go from sounding out letters to reading books. There is such magic in that.
My husband and I celebrated 10 years of marriage and were able to spend 10 days in Hawaii just us. We reconnected and remembered how much we love and need each other. We also fell deeper in love with our children as we reflected on how much joy they bring to our lives. We came back missing them which I thought was exactly how it should be.
In August our baby girl turned 4 and we have officially turned the corner from the road of toddlers to.....I don't even know what they call the ages between toddlers and pre-teens. Wait, I know "Hold on for dear life because the roller coaster of life is about to really take off."
As the year comes to a close I hope we all can remember the memories that we made and look forward to the opportunity to share with each other the simple, everyday events that make our lives so rich.

PowerPoint As An Instructional Tool

I just finished my assignment! Wow, Skip I can see how you would feel nervous about doing this assignment by distance. Reading some of the other students entries from the blackboard examples made me wish that I could of been in class. Even if only to see and hear the other students. I hope I wasn't the only one pulling my hair out. Thankfully, I was able to make it through and I didn't loose much hair......or sleep.
Now, as far as using PowerPoint as an instructional tool. I found that as I created each slide I needed to think about each action that needed to be accomplished by the end of the instruction. Sometimes, it was difficult to put into words where I needed my student to go on the screen. Action arrows and call outs really helped to direct attention. I can see how having a lesson saved and ready to play would really help students. In a differentiated classroom, where a student may need extra help, a lesson such as this could fill that need.
I could also see it being used as a reinforcement for a student that is ready to move beyond the basics. Some students are very technology wired (ha, ha) and would benefit from this hands-on approach.
I know that I could find myself using PowerPoint to teach lessons and to provide continuing instruction for various subjects. PowerPoint is an amazing presentation tool and can be applied to many different areas of instruction.

The Gift of a Good Friend

Since we were allowed to post freely today I thought I might reflect on what a gift it is to have good friends. As opposed to Why I think Learning Set Notation is Not Only Pointless it Makes My Headache, oh I digress.
Most of us taking this class live in relatively remote areas of Alaska, some of us may not live near family of whom we can depend on for support. In fact, many of us live thousands of miles from our family. What this causes, at least for my family, is an opportunity to find those relationships in people we may not have ever had the chance to meet.
Living in Kodiak these last 6 years, away from family has brought out an ability I didn't even know I had. The ability to form intimate personal relationships with people outside of my family group. As a result my family has found itself in a position where we spend all holidays and even most weekends with those people who bring fulfillment to our lives. We laugh together, cry together support each other both spiritually and physically. They are sometimes the first person we call when we need to vent or share a special moment. We partner in the raising of each others children.
Now, you might think so what no big deal, but we live in military community. Building relationships like this takes time, but here time is not always on our side. We form these relationships knowing that someday, someday maybe soon, this family will move on. Job transfers come all to soon and we must say goodbye to our new found family. The challenge it to remain in touch to fill each other in on as much as we can and to try and maintain the bonds we have created.
Living in Kodiak has forced our family to reach out beyond our own family bonds to accept other people into our lives to fill the holes that are created when we live in Alaska away from our family.

Software Resources

Software Title: PBS Kids
Grade/age Level: Pre-K through Grade 3.
Subject Areas: All subject areas with a greater focus on phonics.
Platform: MAC/PC
Purpose: This site is based on many of the popular educational TV shows that kids are familiar with. The site uses the characters to teach fundamentals of phonics in a fun, interactive way. The site is easy to navigate and young children could work independently simply by following the voice prompts. I think that students would like the idea of "playing" with their friends from TV. I love PBS!

Software Title: Free Rice
Grade/Age Level: Grade 2 through Adult
Subject Areas: Grammar, Geography, Foreign Language, Math
Platform: MAC/PC
Purpose: This is an interactive website that uses educational games to fight hunger. The site is most known for its emphasis on vocabulary. Participants are asked multiple choice questions ranging from vocabulary to multiplication, a correct answer will cause your rice bowel to increase by 20 grains of rice. Every correct answer adds rice to your bowl. The rice grains you earn are then donated by site sponsors to feed hungry people worldwide. Students love the idea of being able to give to others in a tangible way. There are no download fee's and the site is simple to navigate. Students can play as often as the teacher allows. Perhaps, the teacher could let the students track how much rice there class had earned with a graph or bar chart. I could also see where the teacher could use this to lead a discussion about world hunger and what we can do to help.

Software Title: FunBrain
Grade Level: K through 8th
Subject Area: Math and reading
Platform: MAC/PC
Purpose: These are basically fun "arcade" style games. The student can choose from many different kinds of games and levels. There is also an option for teachers to choose the games they want their students to play according to a subject area they want to emphasise. I did notice a few adds but they were mostly adds for teachers for online grade books. In order for student to get to these pages, they would need to navigate into the "for teachers" section of the website. Children wouuld have a lot of fun playing these games. However, I would limit the exposure of these games because sometimes children can be overstimulated by all the bells and whistles.

One to One Reflection

I watched the One to One video last week and left it to sink in. I rewatched it tonight and these are some of my reflections on the video. I liked the teacher who brought up the fact that the computers should not be used simply as a research tool. The teachers interviewed seemed to be able to move beyond that and were using the laptops as another tool to be used in all aspects of the teaching experience. I also was encouraged by the idea that all of the teachers didn't use the computers for everything but provided other ways for student to learn without turning to technology every time. I clearly see that the Denali School District seemed to have a firm grasp on almost all of the "issues" that would come up with using laptops for every student. I wonder if the One to One initiative could be used in the same way in every school where it is applied? The only thing that would worry me or raise a concern, would be the power of the teacher to impart his or her personal experiences to the students. How many of us can remember the really great teachers we may have had? The personal contact and interaction that make teaching great is what shape and mold future generations. I would only hope that the students could still receive that same kind of education.

Personal Introduction

Hello Everyone,
It is nice to "see" so many people from the other Education classes I have taken. I really enjoy getting to know each of you more and more as we go. We sure have some Girl Power in this class!
Anyway, my name is Melissa Griffin. My Husband and I are raising three children ages eight, six and four on Kodiak Island. I have lived in Alaska my whole life although I grew up on the mainland in Eagle River. I started taking classes last fall in an attempt to finish my education degree. I took an 8 year vacation but I am really glad to be back in school. I hope to finish in about 2 years.