Digital Technology

This past week we were assigned to research different types of technology used and/or issues/controversies surrounding technology in the classroom. In class last week we were able to play around with a lot of different types of technology, like iPods, iPad, digital and document cameras, interactive whiteboards, etc. Playing around with them, I thought of many ways to those things that would be so fun and amazing, like recording a book reading so the kids to listen to at a listening station or while reading out of a novel project it on the screen with the document camera so everyone can follow along without having to have the book in front of them. The interactive whiteboard was cool, too. I imagine it would take some training to learn the most effective was of implementing that into a classroom, though.

With so many topics to choose from, it was hard to choose. I wanted to spend time learning about all of them, so I did a little on everything. But what interested me the most and what has been on my since the beginning of the semester was the One to One Computing program and controversy. In this class I've been giddy about all the fun we have with technology in the class and I would really like to be able to send that fun home with my students, but worry about not all students having access to a computer. This program eliminates a lot of that hassle. It also creates a way for parents to have more access to the classroom as well. I understand that there are legitimate arguments against the programs such as cost and effectiveness, but overall I think it would be a great thing!

Week 11

The new program for this week is Publisher. Again, I've always used Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop or a word processor for these kinds of projects. Using these programs include a lot of work, which usually I don't mind because I like being original, but Publisher is nice because it's meant to create projects like flyers and brochures and newsletters so the formats are already created for you and you just have to plug things in where you want them. The downside to Publisher that really was an inconvenience is that it's not accessible, like Picassa. When I bought my computer I wanted to make sure it had all the software I would need, but my Microsoft bundle didn't come with Publisher. I tried finding a trial version online, too, but couldn't find one. Hopefully it's a program that most school have available.

I was happy to be able to use Publisher for a project for another class this week, too! Yay! And it saved me like four hours!I love being able to still use a template that already been created and mix it up just a tad by changing colors, adding extra images, etc..., and making it very original. That's always nice.

Week 10

This week in class we learned about and played around with GoogleDocs, a program I've never used or even heard of. It's amazing! It was so fun to do our assignment all together just right there online, working together to discuss things and layout every one's ideas. It made it possible for everyone to contribute. I could see this working well with students possibly working on a group project so that they don't have to spend so much designated time outside of class to get the project done. They could just arrange a time to all be online and work on it from home. So nice!

Week 9

Picasa is a beautiful thing. I've been using Photoshop for years now and love it, but there is something very attractive about the simpleness of Picasa. For quick, great-looking fixes it's perfect! And the ability to upload quickly to the web to boot!! Amazing, great software! Can't wiat to play around with it more.

Week 8

The articles I read about cameras in the classroom really opened up a whole new world to me! I think it's great! I loved all the ideas about what you could have students do with them. Some of my favorites for students were to define vocabulary, spelling words, or parts of speech; illustrate a story; and make a photo collection of books they've read. Also there was a list creative ways for specific teacher use. I've always been a proponent of class websites. I love it when my kids' teachers have one and use it regularly. I love how it is an easy tool to keep families involved and informed about classroom happenings. But also, displaying pictures on the website would be a great way to show parents all the wonderful things their child is doing in the classroom, kind of a personal lens into a part of their children's life that they don't get to see very often. I also loved the idea of using photos to "catch" children doing good and displaying them as an example to others, as well as letting the parents know. I think it would be a great idea to take a photo of each student the first day of school and use those photos to assist in taking attendance as you get to know neames and use them throughout the year in projects that require graphing and voting.

I appreciated the articles that suggested ideas and tips in taking better pictures. I've heard of the rules of thirds but had never seen it illustrated and now it makes much more sense. I think I might be a bit more adventurous with the camera and play around more with lighting and angles. Children love to see themsleves in pictures and the suggestion to get up close and personal made me giggle as I thought of my own daughter once when she wanted me to take her picture. She kept telling to come closer so I could "really" see her.

Week 7

Can I just tell you - I'm so excited about this upcoming assignment! I love photography. My family and I just love to take pictures. And I don't know why, but I've never thought of using a camera in the classroom, but it seems a natural thing. I know how my own children love using the camera and the pictures they take are amazing - sometimes. Our teacher shared with us about how she used a camera and had the students find and take pictures of shapes in everyday objects. How fun would that be for kids! And especially to get them observing and seeing that shapes actually are a part of our lives. I've already thought of ways I could use the camera in subjects like earth science, geography, and math. I haven't made it through all the reading yet, but I'm excited to read through more materials for more ideas.

Week 6

This week in class we worked with a program called Kidspiration. What a fun program! I could imagine so many things you could use it for. I love all the math application, especially the fraction boxes. It's so much easier to teach (and understand) fractions when you can see and manipulate them for your self. I also liked how you could create your own writing tree and how you can add your own notes in the writing view. That's something that's very hard to do just on paper when you're trying to keep all your thoughts organized! It's also neat that you can totally create your very own "worksheets" and make it interactive for the kids. So much fun!

We've also been working on our CultureGrams page. That is a really fun resource as well. I've been playing with the comparison tables and graphs to compare different countries. It's quite interesting to see where different countries stand in certain categories and sometimes very surprising. I've also enjoy reading the different culture facts of different countries. I think I might even use this for a culture presentation I have to do in my Spanish class! Great information and some really great photos, too!