Comic Life Project

The comic life project was much better then the Voicethread project for several reasons the first reason is because we were more experienced as a group. During the first project we had to learn how to work as a team at the same time as we learned how to complete the Voicethread assignment. Its difficult enough to work in an online environment because no one is online at the same time. During this project I was very impressed by the leader’s ability to explain the project to everyone. She seemed to be constantly online and that made me feel very comfortable.
The assignment itself was also very eye opening. I never heard of this software but I will use it because it is something that I am sure students will love because of its comic book format. There is so much you can do with it. I decided to use it to make a fact sheet for class and give it to the student so they could use it study from about the different characteristics of certain planets in our solar system.
All in all I have to admit this was not what I expected I expected to be confused like I was during the first project but I think it is just because we were new as a group. Comic Life can be a very useful tool from kindergarten all the way up through college because it is flexible and easy to use. Its ease of use is what made this project easier

Blog update

OK. We are halfway there we have learned how to use a blog. How to collaborate on google docs to get things done. We have learned to use Voicethread software to get students to participate more in class. We have also used Comic life. This software is good for visual learners.

Egbert Chapter 2 Post 3

In Egbert’s (2009) chapter 2 the topic that stuck out to e the most was about the use of the computer lab (pg. 42). The text states that students should not be working on all the same things at the same time. I may get in trouble for this but I almost think this is absurd. Teachers can try to differentiate the types of work that students are working on but I think that it is crazy to expect the teacher to be able to keep up with all of it in a class of 30. A computer lab is usually a place where the computers are arranged in a circle and the teacher usually walks around the inside. If all the students are working on the same thing I think that the teachers will have a easier time monitoring the students progress and determining what that student needs to be successful. Many times I think this text are not real life enough and in this case it’s not. Every teacher wants to be a good teacher but the overuse of technology in the classroom can defeat the purpose. Egbert, J. (2009). Supporting learning with technology: Essentials of classroom practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

VoiceThread Project

I will be using this idea in my classroom. I think your VoiceThread can be used at any grade level. The students will want to be prepared when they know they will be participating in the VoiceThread.

Voicethread

I have completed my Voicethread sample for my group. This voicethread is about the Solar System and it is used as a way to informally assess students learning over the previous week. It is a discussion that all the students could learn from. When the indivudual students comment n the questions the teacher is able to assess there learning and at the same time they are still learning. The Url to this voicethread is http://voicethread.com/share/609327. Check it out. It is simple but just a sample.

New Technology that supports Content Learning Post 2

I dont know how new this technology is but clickers have just now made its debut in the classrooms at my school. The studetns absolutly love it. It helps the kids to feel like they are playing more of a game then learning. This is a good thing because many times kids will not participate because they think they are learning. The clickers puts things into game format. In this format the students are answering questions from slides that are related to the material that is being studied. The kids pay a lot of attnetion to the slides because they never know when the next slide is going to be a question.

I have found this a very innovative way to create competition. Creating competition creates learning. As with any technology there is a downfall. The only downfall is that the students whisper the anwers to one another. This can take away from the point of the clickers. Very good classroom management has to be used.

Technology Integration Definition

Technology IntegrationTechnology integration is defined as the use of technology to enhance and support the educational environment. The educational environment can be enhanced by allowing the students access to materials and reference that they would otherwise not be able to use. This can be done through the use of the internet. One example would be the use of the internet to put student in contact with first had sources that could give them information about a certain subject they were studying. Many times in education the textbooks are outdated and the internet would allow the students access to much more updated material. Technology integration in the classroom can also support classroom instruction by creating opportunities for students to complete assignments on the computer rather than the normal pencil and paper. The computer has access to graphics and other functions students can use to express their creativity. Technology integration does not always have to do with the computer. It can be the use of the overhead projector, student response clickers, etc. Enhancing how the student learns is very important in technology integration.

The missing piece of Technology Integration Post 1

This article focuses on how visual literacy in technology integration. Visual literacy has to do with the way that a finished product looks. Many times the use of technology has become more important then the visual product. The courses that many colleges or universities have for their teachers to incorporate technology into their classes do not take into account visual literacy. Visual literacy is mainly based on creativity so it is difficult to train formally. The way that PowerPoint’s and other visual instructional tools are used is important to convey information the audience. One definition within technology is a scientific process based on visual perception. Instructional technology is important because all students need to be taught using different forms of technology. This helps students and teachers.

Sosa, T. , (2009). Visual Literacy: The missing piece of your technology integration course.Career and Technical Education. 51 (2). Retrieved August 22, 2009, from http:// proquest.umi.com