TeacherBlog

Final Notes on the Benefits of CultureQuest

2006-08-07T06:50:00.000-07:00

CultureQuest provides three benefits for teachers and students. It provides the opportunity to study another culture, it is a means of incorporating project-based learning into the classroom, and it is a way to integrate technology into the learning process.

The CultureQuest project allowed us to study another culture. I learned a lot about the poetry of India. I had no idea that there were so many languages in the country, although with a population of one billion people and such a long history I should not have been surprised. I really enjoyed getting a sense of the perspective of Indian poets, which often fused religion and politics with their poetry. I hope to continue to visit some of the sites that I found.

The CultureQuest will be a way to inject project-based learning into my English curriculum. Students enjoy computers, and I think that they will also enjoy using the computer to complete a project in which they explore the work of a poet or a theme as expressed in the poetry of a country. CultureQuest can also be linked to other technologies such as PowerPoint, which students could use to present their work.

Finally, CultureQuest provides a way to integrate technology into the classroom. Technology is always developing, and it will be increasingly important for students to learn to use technology in the workplace. Courses in school will be an opportune time to introduce students to technology so that they feel comfortable with it. In addition, it will give students the opportunity to explore a possible career path. Some students will find it easier to express themselves in terms of technology than through traditional methods. It will also provide teachers with an additional means of assessing student comprehension and progress.

The Importance of Updating and Reviewing: And: What's in a Name?

2006-08-06T22:04:00.000-07:00

This post is regarding the Filamentality assignment. Through this assignment I learned a lot about websites relating to educational technology. I also learned the importance of updating somethign like a hotlist. Using Carroll and Witherspoon's lists of websites, I created my own hotlist. In the course of doing so, I found that a few addresses no longer existed, and some were no longer supporting a link to a K-12 component. In addition, some were described by Carroll and Witherspoon in ways which no longer applied.

Beyond this, I am seeing the importance of naming your website accurately. I was not going to go to Net Day Compass at first, but when I did, I found that it is a comprehensive website on educational technology for people who make decisions about technology in schools. It would be somewhat difficult to tell that mission from the title!

I am excited that I have almost completed the course.

Sony Lab; Filamentality; Webquest

2006-08-05T19:06:00.000-07:00

I went to the Sony Lab today. I think that the introduction that it gives to kids regarding the technology of tv, cameras, camcorders, and all of the other new technology is really great. The only thing I am concerned about is the grade level for which a class trip would be appropriate. I think that in the end, this would make a great trip for elementary school kids, but not the grades above that. I would also be somewhat wary of the video games at the end, although maybe they would deserve to explore those having gone through the activities on the earlier floors. I had also been to the Apple Store and the Samsung Center, but I think that I would recommend these to high schoolers as places to go on their own. I'm not sure that a class trip would work - these are more consumer-oriented than Sony (although Sony does have a store within the public space complex). A quick note regarding Filamentality - I note that the Carroll and Witherspoon book has online resources for teachers such as comprehensive lesson plan sites and sites for specific subject areas! This is a big help as I strive to finish the course! Still working on the Webquest - the idea of bias in the media...

Further Thoughts on the Digital Story

2006-08-03T09:51:00.000-07:00

I redid the digital story on PowerPoint. PowerPoint seems to be a little more user-friendly because you can insert pictures between two that you have already done. In MovieMaker it seems that you have to absolutely know the order that you want to have the pictures in, and after you publish it, that's it. At some point I may investigate I-Movie, but at the moment I am not a Mac user...

Webquest

2006-08-03T09:49:00.000-07:00

Found a lot of material on bias in the media in terms of webquests already done. My thought process has gone from a webquest on 1984 to one on propaganda to one on media bias. I would still like to connect these ideas, but it will be helpful to get some ideas from other people rather than creating everything from scratch!

CultureQuest!

2006-08-02T09:02:00.000-07:00

I am waiting with bated breath to see whether my contribution to the CultureQuest works. I worked hard on it, creating an index page and three sub-index pages for individual poets. I think that a lot of the problem with computer work is the repetition of certain tasks. It is okay to make mistakes (ha, ha)! I think that the CultureQuest would be a fun activity for students. Is it really true that I can design webpages?

Digital Story With MovieMaker; other projects

2006-07-26T16:42:00.000-07:00

Today I worked a lot on the digital story. MovieMaker is not hard to use, although one thing I learned is that the collections of photos that you import from your file are not saved as a separate file. In addition, the order of the pictures is fixed, and you can't simply insert another image between two if you want to change the order in that way. In fact, at the moment I don't see any way to revise other than to delete all of the images and then reinsert them. This seems to go against the idea that creating "art" (or at least a class assignment) requires several drafts.

I am also hoping that it will not be too difficult to time the audio and the video.

I am in good shape with the CultureQuest and the digital story. I have ideas for the WebQuest, but now I really have to work on it!

CultureQuest and beyond

2006-07-24T13:24:00.000-07:00

Initially I had some difficulty with CultureQuest - creating a WebPage using Netscape Composer. However, at this point I understand the basics of creating pages and links, as well as using graphics. In general I have certainly gained a new appreciation for the work that goes into creating a website that is visually appealing and easy to navigate.

Another thing that I have gained an appreciation for is the wealth of good information available on the Internet. Maybe it is because I am looking at educational websites that I am finding many sites that offer useful information, as well as information that can help me to be more creative (!) in my teaching (something of a challenge for me).

The Web and The Writing Process; Web Page Design; CultureQuest

2006-07-18T11:28:00.000-07:00

We learned how to show revisions to a text and to post comments to a text. I think this second strategy will be useful when a student has e-mailed a paper so that I can provide feedback.

We learned the basics of designing a web page. It is hard to believe that you can basically learn how to design a web page in 15 minutes! However, given the scope of the course and our short timeframe, I'm glad that we have a set of cheat sheets to remind us of what we learned.

I have found a few sources of information for our group's CultureQuest, relating to the poetry of India. I have to figure out how to organize the information so that it can be presented effectively.

Notes from 7/17 - Teaching Vocabulary With the Web

2006-07-18T11:20:00.000-07:00

We looked at web applications for learning vocabulary. It was useful to be reminded of Puzzlemaker, particularly the WordSearch puzzle. We discussed how kids need to be prompted with the words that they are going to learn so that their minds can be focused. We also discussed different strategies for teaching vocabulary. The main point, though, was that WordSearch puzzles can make a great D0 Now activity because kids will be interested in completing the puzzle and will compete with each other.

PowerPoint, CultureQuest, and WebQuest

2006-07-13T11:32:00.000-07:00

A decent draft of a PowerPoint presentation on rhyme. I think that PowerPoint would be a good way to either introduce or review concepts as part of a lesson. CultureQuest will be a useful way to introduce students (and myself) to other cultures. WebQuest seems like more of a challenge at the moment, because with my current bias I feel that literature does not lend itself as well to the Web as other subjects might. I may have written about this earlier, but I am hoping that we will learn more about how to create interesting websites beyond a template form.

Back to work!

PowerPoint!

2006-07-12T09:20:00.000-07:00

Today was very interesting. I can't believe how much I learned in 10 minutes about PowerPoint. Technology is still somewhat overwhelming because there is so much of it and there are so many possible applications. However, using PowerPoint to create a Jeopardy game would be fun for the kids, and knowing how to use it more formally can help teachers to become more involved in creating a technology-friendly school.

Using the Technology!

2006-07-11T09:10:00.000-07:00

Today I created a HotList using Filamentality. It is really exciting to be able to use technology without being afraid of it, or afraid to make mistakes. It is also really gratifying to see results very quickly. I think that there can be many applications for technology in the classroom, and that kids will be excited about it. The trick will be to come up with lessons which are very directed so that the kids know exactly what to do and what is expected of them.

I also like the fact that editing is fairly painless, so that if I make a mistake it is not life or death.

I would like to learn more about how to use graphics to make websites interesting.

Starting Out

2006-07-10T09:08:00.000-07:00

I was a little apprehensive at first. I haven't really used technology in my classes yet. However, I think that this class will ultimately be very helpful because there are many ways that technology can be used to help teach literacy.