TeckLearnEd: October 2012

Monday, October 8, 2012

Wanna know more information about .....

what I found on Web 2.0 Tool education for Preschool regarding music. Check it Out!

https://tecklearned.wikispaces.com

Technology Portfolio

Thought you would want to see more information about technology. Here is a e-portofio I created. Lots of goodies for you to explore. If you find any errors, please let me know:

http://stuweb.hbu.edu/Spring2011-12/educ5306-22/petersa1/index.html

Enjoy!

Monday, October 1, 2012

Thoughts on Blogging or using Web 2.0 Tools

You can use this to present to administration to expand more.
You can definitely use any Web 2.0 tool to adapt to any age or level.
Student can set the bar for themselves on how they want things to be viewed and present. Having students blog will give them more of a passion and eye to proofread and edit their work. They know someone is going to see it and they want it to "look good" and "be good".
You can share these with parents (home resources) to continue to learning process at home.

Other Web 2.0 Tools to use in the classroom:

Build a Website

Evaluation

Please give me your feedback on your experience by reflecting on your learning journey by blogging a few thoughts. Here are some questions to prompt you:

Please give specific answers for each question.

1. What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?
One of my favorite discoveries throughout this process was the learning and finding of more Web 2.0 Tools. There are just tons out there!

2. How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?
This program has given me a chance to embrace and challenge my skills as learner.

3. Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?
I did expect me to enjoy blogging. I do love it. I didn't expect classmates to enjoy my blog and give me such great feedback. Thanks guys!

4. What could I do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?
I would have actually spaced out my time doing the assignment if I had known all that it required. I am upset life outside of school got in the way. But I managed and here I am doing my final evaluation.

I hope this is not the end of our learning journey together but the start of something amazing …Think about you next steps...you can continue this journey by...
I have created 4 other blogs for each of my courses with reflections from books, videos, and other current updates found from web 2.0 Tools...

Check em out:

Science: http://educ5350sciencehappens.blogspot.com/
Theology: http://insidetheclassroom1.blogspot.com/

I really see blogging as an online management tool of ideas, reflection, projects, and interaction.
In my school email, I have added my Blog URL to my email signature line. It is a great way to get the word out and to share my profession, ideas, and passion for education with others.

Exciting kudos for lifelong learning!

Thing 16 | PhotoPeach

PhotoPeach

I just learned how to create slide shows and even quizzes using a great web 2.0 tool called PhotoPeach. I created a slideshow about different Country Flags using the iChat Icons in my Macbook Pro's Photobooth.

Step 1: Upload Quickly


Step 2: Add Music

Would you like to see it? Click link below:

‏@TeckLearnEd

My Country Tis of Thee.... on PhotoPeach - Fresh slideshows to go! http://photopeach.com/album/16yicjr via @photopeach

I could use this slideshow teaching 3rd graders during Culture week about the different countries. How do we identify one flag from another and Can you identify the country?

Thing 15.5 | Twitter

My Professional Technology Twitter

Link: https://twitter.com/TeckLearnEd

My twitter screen name is TeckLearnEd send me a tweet about what you are doing in your classroom.

(Special Tweets to Dr. Wilson)

(My Teck Twitter Account)

Here are some links for you:

50 Ways to use Twitter in the Classroom

Having a Twitter and LinkedIn account has been great. Both are a great network tools for any profession. Having a community of collaborators is a great professional move.

Thing 15 | Things Like Skype

It was nice to use a different element, format, and scenery to introduce the new lesson concept to the students.

Skype

How might Skype be used in the classroom? Blog about your experiences with Skype and ideas for classroom use. Was it easy or hard to make it happen?

I have used Skype in my classroom to talk with my students from another part of the school. The students arrived to the classroom and the teacher's aide was inside the classroom for crowd control and to set up the system.
I was located in the garden as we talked about our "Space" for Public Speaking.

I think Skype could also be used for group or partner projects, school to school collaboration or classroom to classroom collaboration, etc.

I love the idea of being able to do a unit on a book, then to Skype chat with the author of the book and ask him/her any questjions you have. For instance, "What were you thinking when you wrote the book?" "Why did you choose that character?" It would be amazing!

I would love to use Skype in the future to talk with a student who was absent due to an illness at home. Let the absentee know that we miss them and care for them. It builds morale and community for our group of learners. It shares and teaches concepts that the standard curriculum manifesto can't teach.

Thing 14 | Podcasting and Bookmarking

iTunes U

I have used iTunes U before. I really enjoy hearing lectures on topics that interests me from world-reknown speakers from Stanford, Duke, Harvard or Princeton. I think it was intially created for the iPad use in the classroom. However, it still very end-user friendly. As an educator, you can share your ideas in a powerful new way, and your students get a rich, extensive, immersive learning experience. Once again it right at your fingertips. You have can one course in just one click of a button.

Texas's iTunes U channel

The U channel discuss turning iTunes U into a teaching tool.
(iTunes Texas education channel launched http://www.eclassroomnews.com/?p=100) This channel discusses education as it is relevant to the state of Texas. We get to get a fresh look on what is occurring in our profession in our own neighborhood. The podcasts allow you to choose what interests you rather than tuning into a large content that you would have to fast forward or wish to in order to be enlightened.

Bookmarking

Just as fun as podcasting...bookmaring is even more fun!

I got turned on to Delicious in my first techonology course with Dr. Wilson. And Pinterest well its a Children's Minister's dream. Here are a look at both of my bookmarking sites.

http://pinterest.com/ahp05a/

http://www.delicious.com/petersa1?link_view=normal

Thing 12 and 13 | Discovering and Using YouTube

It is amazing to learn that YouTube hasn't always been around. Even though at times it feels as if, "What could have life possibly been before YouTube?"
I love the versatility of embedding, downloading, and stripping that YouTube has allowed just within the last 2 to 3 years. Even Vimeo (a counterpart) is coming around.

I love movies that inspire you! Or even challenge you at that moment to DO, THINK, BE PROACTIVE! All the time you are watching the movie, you are thinking, "How can I do better?" or "How can I be better like that?"

Two of my feel good movies:

Dead Poets Society (1989)

Mr. Holland Opus (1995)

It is very end-user friendly to embed YouTube videos into a blog. There are many things useful on YouTube. I use YouTube videos when teaching Speech & Debate or my preschoolers as a Lesson concept Intro. For the most part, I love that I can find motion still and live lyrics (that I can strip into individual mp4) to use for conducting worship at church. In the past, you were able to use YouTube conversions like Zamzar. But now, Zamzar does not allow you to convert YouTube videos anymore. But there is always KeepVid or SaveVid.

Take a Look....

The Cheeseburger Song @VeggieTales

Motion Grunge Still

Live Lyric: Our God By Chris Tomlin

Here is even a video I created with my co-worker to bring invite our Teachers, Greeters, and Small Group Leaders in our Children's Ministry here at First Colony Church of Christ. Please enjoy the animation (wink!)

Thing 11 | Web 2.0 Tools

Current estimates place the number of web 2.0 tools at somewhere between 300 & 500 with only a handful emerging as market dominators. That is crazy! I believe that and possibly more!
Most are duplicates and random versions of each other like the Zoho Writer & Google Docs.

Discovery Exercise: For this discovery exercise, we are asked to select any site from this list of Web 2.0 Awards nominees and explore it.

I looked at the above link for the awards. It is unbelievable that amount of categories for web 2.0 Tools there are. Web 2.0 technologies and social media tools are really every day affecting how public and private institutions function and deliver services.

Exploration

Explore one of these, create and animation and then embed it into the blog.

I believe Free apps, wikis, gadgets, etc are more appealing to the end-user. It strikes you away a lot of times when product providers want you to try for a limited time of 7 days and then after that pay 14.99 monthly. For a teacher, it is not within the budget or the means to do so sometimes. More ways that formats can be available to teachers to find effective, handy, worthwhile web 2.0 tools to use for reasearch and the classroom would be great.

DoInk

I looked at DoInk. I currently have used GoAnimate and decided to choose the Web 2.0 Tool that would have me learn something new. It is a great website that allows you to create flash type animations using your own drawings. I have used DoInk before, however, when I went to the website it mentioned being on a sanitarium rest. I was unable to create a @DoInk Animation (like below).

Voki

What is Voki? Voki is a FREE service that lets you:

Create customized avatars.

Add voice to your Voki avatars.
Post your Voki to any blog, website, or profile.
Take advantage of Voki's learning resources.
You can also make a voki classroom....

What is Voki Classroom? A classroom management system for Voki

Students do not need to sign up!
Add and manage your Classes & Students!
Lesson pages automatically created!
Customized appearance & instructions!

Here is my VOKI! Aren't I cute!!! You can add voice to your voki to. I didn't because I had to pay a fee to get that feature. That is only thing I didn't like about Voki. It was almost like you get touch but you couldn't. I would have loved to add this to my classroom website. It would be a picture of me talking to my class and walking them through their online assignments. Nice!

I also tried Schoology.

Schoology allows teachers to manage lessons, engage students, share content, and connect with other educators. Schoology definitely has classroom uses. I can see myself using this feature not just for the classroom but for managing recruitment and volunteers at church.

How to Use it in the Classroom

My Schoology:

Adding a Gadget

I added a Gadget to my Blog Today:

+1 Button that allows people to had this current blog into their Google Plus
Twitter Updates - which will allow other peers to view my quick technology updates and research
Search this Blog - for easier access and end-user friendly capabilities
Follow By Email - gives viewers the opportunity to access by their personal or professional email
RSS Feed - lets viewers view top Feeds on technology on one location, this blog.

Personal Website or Personal Wiki

Personal Website or Personal WIKI

For this class assignment, I have chosen to create & upload a personal website.
I will a clear purpose and audience. It will contain at least 4 pages, end-user friendly, and be a contribution to the teaching profession and my lifelong learner experience.

10 points educational purpose clearly defined and followed on all pages of the site.
10 points contains 4 related pages with working links around a central theme.
10 points images are appropriate and correctly cited
10 points website design is easy to read and follow
10 points there is at least one interactive component.

Book Study Choice

Book Study CHOICE

Creating Innovators: The making of Young People who will change the world by Thomas Wagner (2012)

Thing 10 | Online Productivity Tools

There are just so many applications and online tools still to learn about. It appears that 5 new appear up in our upcoming and moving fast-paced technology world every day. Zoho Writer is a web-based word processing tool that creates simple documents.

I created an account with Zoho Writer and made a document. It was pretty simple and easy. The only trouble I had was trying to figure out why the shortcut keys for my computer wouldn't align with the hot keys Zoho Writer uses. But you can change the template and keys in their options postings. I love the step by step quick tips guides along the way. It helps to have a little help and cheat sheets as you are preparing a document.

I am still looking for differences between Zoho Writer and Google Docs. I don't believe there really are. The only small difference I can see is that Google Docs let's you translate your online document to any language you need. Other than that, no big difference.

Here is a look at what I created: