Vidcast

Mr. Duey/Web 2.0 Videos

This week was Thanksgiving Break :) It was a great week and these videos just added to the great week!

Mr. Duey

I found Mr. Duey back during the zamzar assignment. He is AMAZING!!!!!! I went to his website and found some awesome information about him! His website is like really exciting blog with current events, how he came to be, pictures galore for holidays and other things, and so much more! He has more videos on his website and tips for teaching new media in the classroom. What an incredible teacher! He makes learning fun through things the kids like such as rap. His video reminded me even of how to do fractions. He also has one on how to do long division. He has made it so his videos are entertaining and excited yet very easy to understand and learn from. What a cool dude!!! I am so impressed! I could definately use his video in my classroom if my students were struggling with math. I could even use his ideas to create my own videos for my students. The most inspiring part about Mr. Duey is that he used his own dream of becoming a rapper to inspire his students to learn. On his website he tells of how he had always wanted to rap since he was a little boy. Even as he went to college, he wanted to rap. His mechanical engineering teacher inspired him to become a teacher so he went to school for becoming a teacher instead of rapper, yet he still used his own passions in teaching to inspire students to learn. He tells of how he let his students first listen to some of his music and they loved it so he continued with it. His rap songs are so effective that when students took a test without the songs, they struggled, but after memorizing one of his songs and taking the same test after, they all aced it!!! How cool is that?! I am excited to be able to possibly use some of his music in my own classroom one day.

Web 2.0

I talked a lot about web 2.0 last week, and I've seen this video before, but one thing from this video I really liked is that is makes me think of how web 2.0 is so important for the classroom. There are many ways to use blogs, wikkis, tagging, podcasts, R.S.S. Not only does this video explain what all of these great technologies are, but it gives examples of websites that as a teacher, you can go to and figure out how to use these tools, then apply them in your classroom. Web 2.0 is so important and I believe that more and more teachers will begin to implement it into their classrooms so it is important to keep up and learn of these technologies so I know how to use them when I need to and want to in my classroom.

Web 2.0

Web 2.0 is an INCREDIBLE THING!!!!!!!! It is people! We are using the internet constantly. Web 2.0 allows people to put information through the web and allow others to view it more easily and technologically upgraded. People share, trade, and collaborate information through the internet constantly. It has become so advanced with web 2.0!! Web 2.0 only started in 2004! It is a new phase of the internet to us all. Web 2.0 allows for mass publishing on the internet. But it is important to be careful with copyright and ethics and so forth. It is such a great tool to have so much information from others on the web and ways to get our own information out there so simply. The exact meaning of web 2.0 has not yet been reached, but to me, it seems like it is just newer and better technology that we use on the internet to put our message out there or here others' messages. Blogs, wikki's, podcasts, and you tube are just a few of the new things on the web sprouting from web 2.0.

There are so many new technologies for the classroom because of this incredible new tool! We can more easily communicate with distant areas and those who live there. We can view endless educational videos and listen to podcasts which are great for a variety of classroom uses. We can have our students write in their own blogs which are like online journals. Students can communicate with their teachers and friends easily through places on the web like facebook. How great that people came up with web 2.0. We would not be anywhere close to how advanced we are without it. It is definately being used in the classroom for the good!

VIDEO-Do You Believe In Me?

How inspirational this video was to me! WOW! It most definately confirmed my decision to teach. Teaching is not easy!!! I have observed various teachers in their own classrooms throughout my life and have also worked at an Elementary School for three years now in an after-school program with struggling students. I KNOW it is nowhere near easy. But his inspirational young boy helped me feel so good and confident about my career choice. I learned that I must believe not only in my students abilities to be whatever they want, but in myself to do great things! I must believe that I am making a difference. Sometimes I will be the only one that my students will have to care about them....this itself completely boosts my passion in this career. I KNOW I will make a difference in my students' lives for the better! This adorable young boy was a terrific speaker! He truly inspired me and thousands of other teachers out there to believe in themselves, their colleagues, and their students! GREAT VIDEO!

Powerpoint

This week in class, we learned about powerpoint. It was short and sweet, but great because I already use powerpoint and know how it works. Powerpoint is a learning tool that can be used for many things in the classroom. I've used it for many uses in my own education. Mostly presenting and teaching a class a concept is where I have used it. I like it because it adds the visual concept of learning with words. So if a student is a visual learner, you can add pictures. But if they learn from just reading, they can also learn.

Some uses I found for it in the 50 Quick and Easy Powerpoint Activities Book are to use it for a journal each day for students. Another use it to have students create biographies with pictures on it and present it to a class. You could use it to teach your family history and make a family photo album on it. You could create your own story on it and read it with pictures to the class. You could use it for simple steps on how to complete a math problem. There are countless uses of powerpoint and its a great tool for students to know how to do because it is used in classes all the time.

It is great for teachers because it adds direction so the teacher does not get side tracked as easily. You can also teach a variety of subjects with powerpoint. You can use it to teach math, history, science, etc. And you can easily copy and paste pictures into it. You can be as creative or as simple as you wish. Its so easy to use that students can learn it quickly and teach others with it.

Podcasts/Video

This week in class we learned about podcasts and video in the classroom. Podcasts and videos are electronic technologies that can be used in various ways to teach. Podcasts are an audio way to teach. You record your voice on your i-pod or any recording device and make it available for your students to access by posting it on the web. There are tons of websites that give instruction on how to create a podcast and its free to do! Podcasts can be used in many ways in the classroom. You could use them to give instruction to a substitute or to give instruction to your students if they miss class. You can also use it to create a song that will help students learn better. They can be used for students to create their own audio journal. They could even be used to communicate with parents online and help them to know what you are doing in class each day and what the homework is, etc. Podcasts are not hard and a great teaching tool!

Video is also an awesome way to teach, especially for those visual learners! It isn't hard to record video footage with a digital recorder or a new technology that has come out-a flip video hd. The hardest thing with video is editing it if needed to make it flow. You can even take video footage with the new i-pod nanos! They are coming out with so many new incredible technologies that are easier to take videos with. Videos have so many uses in the classroom! You could use them to show geographical locations to students and take them on a virtual "field trip." You could use an educational video from youtube as an attention getter. You could make a "how to" video to give instruction. My Mother is a teacher and she teaches home ec. so she uses video to teach her middle school students the steps to sewing a project or baking something and then she creates a few dvds on it and when students miss class and need instruction they can refer to them or even if they don't miss class and need that visual of how to do it, the videos come in very handy! She even has a couple of small tvs spread throughout the classroom so students have plenty of room to see it. Videos are easy to publish on youtube! One of my teacher's in high school used a video of himself as a wizard to teach math. He just recorded himself teaching it up on the board. We loved it because it was humorous and taught us exactly the steps so it was like he was still there teaching us without being able to actually be there. Educational videos can be a lot of fun! They don't have to be boring! I found a youtube video where a man named Mr. Duey has come up with an awesome way of rapping to teach math. He has a couple of AMAZING videos!! I think students would eat it up!

There are so many different ways to use podcasts/video in the classroom! Its incredible how much different technology there is out there! Podcasts and videos can be very important accomodations to those students who learn different also. I am excited to create my own video in this class as a teaching tool to use later in my own classroom :)

Technology Article/Video Blog

VIDEO

Introducing Web 2.0 was a very cool video. I thought it was great how it introduced what each tool was and then a whole variety of different places on the web that each tool is offered. I haven't ever really used podcasts so it was interesting to see different places where I could go to look them up and find them on the internet and learn more about them. It also really helped how it had a definition for each tool and it was an easy to understand definition so I could understand each tool better. I've known of most of the tools and used some of them, but I've never really thought of a definition for them so it made it more clear to me exactly what each one was and what it can be used for. This age is really becoming more and more advanced technologically and its great to learn of just a few popular sites for where to find these great classroom tools.

Technology Article Blog

PLANET FOSS (FULL OPTION SCIENCE SYSTEM)

There are so many tools in technology. It was difficult to decide on just two, but the first

tool I came upon is called Planet FOSS (Full Option Science System). I decided that I wanted to

find a cool way to teach science and this technology tool is an INCREDIBLE way!! I am so

excited to have found it! FOSS is completely interactive. Everything on each page does

something when you click on it or drag your mouse over it. There are many different parts of

Planet FOSS. Some of these include: An interractive GPS for the human body, a virtual lite brite,

and video-conferencing between teachers, parents, and students. FOSS also has a place where

students take, share, and view scientific photos from other students all over the country! There

are worksheets already made up to go along with activities and there is a place to order all kinds

of science materials for your classroom. The best part though about FOSS is all of the online

tools. There are countless tutorial videos and online interactive learning games. Not to mention,

FOSS has a search engine where students can type in any word and it will bring up tons of

different games to teach what that word means, books to teach, ask a scientist interactive

activities, quick tips, etc. I can't brag enough about this AMAZING new tool I found! It is easy

for kids to get around on and its fun! Also, under each different topic of science such as "air

and weather" there are videos, images, audio stories, and a list of websites to teach more about

each one. The possibilities are endless with planet FOSS. Also, it has an additional parent letter

already made up where you can insert your name as a teacher and send home to make sure the

parents are aware of what FOSS is and the media/digital pictures involved. It asks the parents

give consent with their signatures also. FOSS fits in with curriculum for each grade level and

specifies what activities are under which grade level. The only cons to FOSS that I can think of

is how much information there is! It contains so much that it will take the teacher quite a while

to find their way around and organize it. Also, not all students will own a digital camera which

can be a disadvantage to them. Parents will love it because its easy to use and can be done at

home also. I've chosen this tool because it has proven stats that FOSS increases student's

science test scores and it is a fun way to learn about science. It is a tool that will help kids

want to come to school and participate at home also. I love it!

References

Integrating Technology and Science

http://www.education-world.com/a_tech/tech/tech233.shtml

WEBQUESTS

I think webquests are great because they really help students to learn how to use the

internet. Some pros to webquests are that they help students use their imaginations and

problem-solving skills. They must discover the answers for themselves. Webquests are

also a great way to get students into groups so that they can communicate with one

another. It is way more interactive than just memorizing. Students can sort out ethical

issues on their own and pick a side after they have "discovered" the topic with guidance by

their webquest. Webquests also are adaptive. You can make the adjustments needed on them

for those students with special needs or make them more advanced for the students at a higher

level. You can make webquests go right along with your curriculum and encorporate flexibility

into them so students have more room to personalize it. With today's internet focused world,

webquests will give students the chance to learn how to use the internet and become experts.

The cons to webquests are the time they take to build. Parents will find webquests helpful in

teaching their children creativity, allowing children to go at their own pace yet challenging

them, and teaching them how to use the internet. I think webquests are great! Mostly because

of the technology and many different websites they allow children to discover on their own.

References

Using WebQuests in the Primary Grades: Joy’s Thomas’s Planet WebQuest

http://www.education-world.com/a_tech/tech/tech247.shtml

Creating a WebQuest: It's Easier Than You Think

http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech011.shtm