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1) Did this course meet your expectations? Explain? (ok, that counts as 1 question :))

Absolutely. This course taught me so much about the different things you can do with free software and online programs. What we learned was not useless at all. We can actually use this new knowledge in our classrooms in the future. Even though this class was on Saturdays, it was not disappointing at all.

2) Why do you think this course should be required for all ED majors?

Technology is not our enemy. Teachers have a lot of other things to do, and technology can help with the other stuff. The world is changing, and we have to change with it. Teachers must take advantage of the tools that are available to make lessons more fun, more meaningful, and "teachable" to students who could not otherwise participate without technology.

3) How will you implement technology into your future classroom?

Well, let's say I got a grant for unlimited funds in technology---I would go nuts with it. I really liked that microscope that connected to a large HDTV, which enabled everyone in the class to observe, and I think that every student should have a laptop...Why not? Since we will have our own website and everything will be posted online... Podcasts are also something that can be used. No more scrambling for lost notes! Audio learners can benefit tremendously! The phonic ear was also one of my favorites. No more teachers screaming at the top of the lungs so that the student in the back could hear. My list goes on and on....One last thing would be digital cameras. Students should be able to take pictures... What a great tool for learning!!!!!

Extra credit: Absolutely Mr. Jenkins!!!! LOl

Video Advertisement

We were given the task of creating a video advertisement on one of the software that we have used in our class. Our group, which consisted of Jovanna, myself and Rita, chose to advertise Weebly.com, for online portfolios. We made a funny movie about the advantages of having an online weebly portfolio, and uploaded it to flickr.com. The experience with video was good, but not everything went as planned for everyone. I learned from my classmates that uploading videos was a difficult task all in itself, which took hours and hours withe the internet connections here on Saipan. Perhaps this would be a good thing to do in another area of the world, with lightning fast speeds. Anyhow, the movie was funny and we were not disappointed.

Weebly

What was the assignment?

our assignment was to create a professional portfolio web page using weebly.com.

What did you like/dislike about assignment and the weebly.com software?

I liked the website because it was really user friendly. I especially like how you can post files. I also added a song to my page, as well as a fun crossword puzzle. The features were easy to use and the page is something I am really proud of. The only thing I did not like was that it sometimes took forever to load.

How would you compare/contrast a web page like this with a blog?

I liked the features like add a file, music, etc. I did not like the fact that the templates are limited. Also, in blogs people can log in and leave comments, which are important also. I guess they are equal since they both have their good and bad sides.

How would you use this as an educator in the future?

I think it's a great way to keep your class informed about assignments, or even just to introduce yourself to your class, or to introduce your class to the world. Wonderful if your class is working on a community project, for instance, and can show the world what they are doing. I really liked this site...I am going to create a weebly site for my ED471 instead of a blog.

Elluminate Live

Our assignment was to spread out on campus and log on to Elluminate Live. Two guest speakers for the class: Bree Reynolds and Maryann Campo. Although logging on was difficult for some people, I found it quite easy. Our guest speakers talked about different sites that they use. I was not aware that you could "mini" blog. The session lasted the entire class time, and it was good to experience Elluminate successfully. Aside from the minor glitches that people were experiencing, it was okay. I don't think we'll be logging on from other locations anymore, since we only have a few class sessions left.

Slideshare Presentation

1. How was the experience of presenting using slideshare?

It was interesting, and since I have never tried that before, it actually went smoothly. It's nice to know you can access these presentations whenever necessary. It's a great way to do distance learning.

2. What were the challenges?

Probably the biggest challenge was typing in the URL for every presentation because some of them were really long. Another challenge was the internet speed, as with any other presentation using internet connections.

3. What was helpful?

I believe that watching everyone else's presentations was very helpful because they were informative. Also, if I really liked the presentation and decide to use it later, I can always go to slideshare and check it out. I remember back in the day when I would have to hunt down the person whose powerpoint I needed.

4. If you had the chance to do it over what would you do differently?

Definitely more links to more sites. Also, more slides. I really tried to limit myself because i thought it would take to long.

5. Any other feedback?

What did you like as an audience member of others' presentations?

Who wouldn't want to be in the audience as opposed to presenting? Seriously though, it was fun to check out the links (especially funbrain). It was also nice to hear other information on topics that I have always wondered about. But I definitely enjoyed the links.
Ed480.Powerpoint.Special Education

View more presentations from tsubono4life.

Slide Show Presentations

Today we explored three different sites and were tasked with creating a slideshow. The slideshow would have to tell a story, and our group chose a legend. We were given www.rockyou.com, and our story was "The Legend of the Red Plumeria (A Tragedy)." Our group went outside and took photos, uploaded them, added captions, and clicked on a song that was readily available on this site. It was an easy site to navigate, and the most time consuming part of our project today was taking the snap shots. Everything else was easy. There are also many templates to choose from, that fit just about every occasion. Our group chose a plain slideshow, given the tragic nature of our story. I really enjoyed this activity, because I have always wondered how to do this.
In the future, I see myself using this in the classroom to show the students their progress with their work. Another way I would use it is have the students present certain information in this format. It is a fun way for the class to teach each other. Pictures are always more exciting than the plain old chalkboard (or whiteboard), and you can incorporate many appealing special effects, transitions, music, and much more. This site was great!

Crosswords

Today we visited http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com and generated a word search. It was really easy, and I think that students would have no problem logging on and creating their own puzzle. What a great way to make a study guide! Afterwards, we went to www.crosswordpuzzlegames.com and I created a crossword about Ancient Rome, which is what I will be teaching in ED471. It was also very easy, but when I printed my puzzle there were no gridlines. That was a bummer. Online puzzles are a great way for children to learn because they are fun and can be interactive. They are an excellent way for students to also be creative....

Teachnology vs. XTimeline

Well, the first assignment was to generate a timeline using Teachnology. The second one was to generate a timeline using XTimeline, using the computer history handout in class. Personally, I enjoyed XTimeline more than teachnology because it wasn't so limited with features. You could upload an image for each date, and insert tags and keywords. I liked this site because it is user-friendly and not so limited.

WebQuest

A WebQuest is a webpage/website that is used for educational objectives. Our webquest assignment was to choose a topic, and develop a webquest on that topic. Our group chose Social Studies, 6-8th grade, and the topic was World Religions. The demos really helped put the assignment into perspective. It was a very easy site to use, and I really enjoyed the assignment. I really liked this site. The only thing I did not like was that there was no "help" or "FAQ" option. I did not know how to insert a link. So, I guess you need a bit of computer knowledge when creating a webquest. I think webquest can be used for every subject and every grade level. Our group chose 6th-8th, and another chose kindergarten. It's really an all around tool for everything. I think that this would be a great tool for the annual book fair that takes place on island. You can insert links to sites for children to research their book topics, check definitions, search for images, etc. The possibilities are practically endless.

Timeline

Today we used www.teach-nology to generate a timeline of 8 major events in our life. Mine was titled "Livia's Life," and my timeline was about my educational career. I found that site very useful for the elementary level, but personally it was too limited for me. I would like to be able to add more personal flavor to my timeline. It would also be more convenient if the site could automatically put the events in order..... I think this would be a great assignment for the first day of class. What a good ice breaker!!! Also, this could be used in Social Studies (A timeline of the discovery of the Americas), Science (A timeline of inventions), etc. This was a good assignment.

Online Word Processing Software

Today we were broken up into 3 groups. Our group, #2, was given buzzword.com. We were to log in, create an account, explore one feature, and rate the site from 1-10. We found that the features were very limited, and the program would only be useful for simple documents. It was nearly impossible to get in, but we blamed that on the computers and the network connection. Afterwards, Mr. J invited us to use google.docs, and showed us how to use it. It was a really neat thing because we could all log in and edit the same document at once. I think this will be a great tool for group work.
In the future I believe that google docs will be very useful in group projects. Even everyday assignments can be done using this wonderful tool. To check the students' editing skills, perhaps I could do something similar to Mr. J's assignment. Have each student edit a section of the document. We can all talk about it as a group and everyone can see what's happening. It's a great thing!