Final Reflection

What did you get out of this class? Will you use tech in your classes? How will you use tech in your classes? How has this class changed the way you think about teaching? About technology?

I think I learned a lot in this class. Not only did I learn how to use a few new programs, but I also learned how to troubleshoot (which is actually probably more helpful knowledge than just knowing how to use the programs). I also learned to be super paranoid about internet safety (thanks a lot Dan), but I think it's a good thing because I won't get myself into trouble now (hopefully). I will definitely use technology in my class, but if I have the students use something that's a little more advanced, I will have to determine whether the time it'll take to teach them to use the technology is worth it. I'll probably use a lot of video, some photo editing, stuff like that. Maybe I'll set up a website to keep students (and parents) on track.

I think this class has helped me see that I can use a lot more technology than just PowerPoint. You can use so many different technologies to teach a concept, and this class has helped me to become more aware of the technologies that are available. When I started this class, I said that technology and I have had a rocky road. I can't say that we're best buds now, but we do get along better now :)

Shift Happens

How did the video or the concept of collaboration change the way you think about the world? About education and using technology in your classroom? OR did it not change how you feel? Why?

Also, here's the link to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egnjm0B6DFI&playnext_from=TL&videos=pH1Zvzt4nBw


I had seen this video before, and it is not only surprising but maybe a little startling. It is true, though. I don't remember very many specific things I learned in high school. I did learn a lot, though. I learned how to think and learn and be organized. I learned how to deal with people and even use the limited technologies that were available at the time. I think it will be the same way with what I teach, as far as technologies go.

Ten years from now, everything will be different, and most of the specific technologies we use today will be better, different, or gone. This doesn't mean that we shouldn't teach and use technology in the classroom; it just means that we need to make sure we are teaching concepts and skills, too (not just, "this is how you add in excel."). I was observing a Financial Literacy class where the teacher was having the students balance a checkbook on paper. One of the students asked her, "Is this method even applicable with all the new technologies we have?" Well, is it? Many people still use the paper method, even though online banking is much more widely used now than ever before. But the concept of planning and keeping track of where your money goes is still just as important. I think the students benefit from learning to do it on paper, but the teacher probably should have included some online budgeting lessons, too. After all, that is what most of these students will be doing.


So to sum it up, technology will change and there is really nothing we can do but try to keep up. We still need to teach our current technologies, but we also need to explore the newer options (and discuss options that have yet to evolve). The most important thing we can do as teachers is teach students the underlying concepts so that they understand what they need to do regardless of the technology required to do it.

Internet Safety

In about 1 page describe your opinions about internet safety, what changes, if any, you will make about how to use the internet. How does this apply to teens or the students you would teach? Also, tell about the internet safety lesson you gave – who you taught, highlights, etc.

I enjoyed this topic a lot in class. Then I went to isafe, and in order to view the modules you had to create an account. It asked for full name, phone number, email address, and address, which I thought was weird. If the site is about internet safety, why would they have you break all the rules? I created an account (with fake information), but after watching 30 minutes' worth of sales pitches, I gave up on the site.

I ended up watching a few videos and viewing other sites about internet safety, and they basically reiterated what was said in class. It is hard to keep from putting your information on the internet; I am pretty careful about what I post to the internet, but sites like Facebook make you feel secure. You're just sharing with your friends, right? Wrong. What's even worse is that teens don't even know about potential dangers.

I talked to my little sister about internet safety. I asked her what she thought it meant, and she didn't know. I asked her about identity theft, and she didn't know anything about it. I asked her about crazy online stalkers, and she didn't even know what I was talking about. That was scary. That is why so many teens just put WHATEVER on the internet -- they don't understand the implications. They don't understand how easy it is for someone to find their information and use it against them. I didn't realize I would have to start from scratch teaching my sister how to protect herself online, but I did. Sheesh.

Here are the basics: don't put your full name out there. Don't put your phone number or address. Don't even put your email if it is connected to something that might have your personal information. Never assume that any information you put online is secure. Photos, videos, financial and personal information. All of it, once it's put out there, stays out there.

Who Won?

I went to the Innovative Instruction contest finals yesterday, but I had to leave at 4 so I didn't see who won. If I had to choose, though, I might have picked the mega-overachieving group who created a website that basically ran an entire class on its own. It contained sources, homework assignments, lesson plans, everything you'd need to run a class. However, because it was so huge, I didn't really get a feel for what the point of the project was.

Another project that impressed me was one that included a website that contained documents about the patriots vs. the loyalists. This website allowed students to read these documents and formulate their own opinions about whether they would have sided with the patriots or with the loyalists. They then post their ideas on the site, and dialogue starts. I thought this was a great idea, because as teachers we often tell the students the information but never let them form their own ideas about it. Personally, I don't think you can really learn something until you are able to think about it critically and form opinions. Although this project was not as huge and impressive as the first I mentioned, I think that the overall idea is much more applicable and beneficial. Just because you have technology, doesn't mean you have to use it. Technology doesn't always make things better.

Update

Well, due to "communication" errors, my video wouldn't upload from iMovie to YouTube. So, I exported the movie to my flashdrive and uploaded straight to YouTube from there. And it took FOREVER! Here it is:

The video is (finally) done

Embed your video on your blog. Then, in the same post talk about your experience making this video. Was it positive? Negative? Did you find it a valuable experience? Do you think you could make another video without help if you were asked to do so? Do you think you would do some type of video project in your classroom? Other thoughts or comments?

Creating this video was an interesting experience. I can't say I enjoyed it, but I did learn a lot doing it. First, I learned that technology can be really annoying sometimes (like when I had to restart my project because it was somehow "lost in translation"). Second, I did learn how to use iMovie and how to better use Macs (I still prefer PCs). I could probably help someone else make a simple video, but I don't know how great it would turn out. However, using something like this in class could be beneficial, especially if the students are already familiar with the program or don't have to do anything too complicated.


So, if the darn thing ever loads to YouTube, it will end up a success. If it doesn't, well, I've got a bone to pick with iMovie. It's been a pain in the #%!. Okay, it won't load. !$#^$!#%.

Working on it...

I started on my video/film/movie last week in class, and it's going alright. It is definitely not professional looking, but that's okay. My big problem is piecing all the different parts together. I'm using transitions, but the videos were all taken in different places, so I'm having trouble making it look cohesive. It doesn't help that I sped up one portion and slowed down the next ... we'll see if I actually keep it that way...

done.

I've got it!

Explain what you plan to do for your video. What’s the subject, basic outline of what will happen, etc. This will help you start to get ideas for your storyboard. Remember the storyboard is due next week!

I've had a slight creativity block trying to come up with a subject for my video. Don't get me wrong -- I've had a lot of ideas. But not many of them are very feasible or simple enough for a first-timer to do. I've also had to consider my limitations:

• I don't have a real camcorder, so I'll have to use my camera to take video.
• My camera might not have very good sound, so the sound quality of the resulting video may be poor.
• I would have a hard time taking video in public places.
• I don't want anyone to see the inside of my apartment, so I can't take the video there, either.

 Finally, however, I have come up with an idea that would be relatively simple to do AND be a useful teaching tool. I decided to look through the core standards to try and get my creative juices flowing, and this is what I found:

20.0101-0504 Study the Dietary Guidelines and/or Food Guide Pyramid:
National Standard 14.3.1
C AIM for fitness: aim for a healthy weight, be physically active each day
C BUILD a healthy base: let the pyramid guide your food choices; choose a variety of grains daily, especially, whole; choose a variety of fruits and vegetables daily; keep food safe to eat
C CHOOSE sensibly: choose a diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and moderate in total fat; choose beverages and foods that limit your intake of sugars; choose and prepare foods with less salt; if you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation

This is not a super complex concept, so a 2-3 minute video would be perfect for teaching it. Here's what I've got so far:

1. I will not use sound when I record. Instead, I will use background music and text to narrate my actions.
2. I will shoot video that illustrates each idea
3. Aim for fitness: running, choosing stairs over the elevator, playing volleyball
4. Build a healthy base: eating whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Drinking milk, etc.
5. Choose sensibly: choosing an apple over a candy bar, eating small portions of "less healthy" foods, etc.

I think this will work. I just need to start shooting! ...video.

Done.

Video in the Classroom

What are some different ways that you can use video in your classroom? What kind of video would you use? How could using video benefit your students?

I really like the idea of using video in the classroom. You can use a clip from a movie or tv show to teach different concepts that might be easier to understand when watching characters act them out. Also, you can utilize educational videos or documentaries (e.g. "how stuff is made" for foods, fashion shows for clothing, etc.). You can also use video conferencing from tokbox or similar resources to have guest speakers or give feedback to students. You can also have the students themselves create video as part of a learning activity.

I think that video benefits students by allowing them to see things they might not have been able to visualize, allowing them to see other places they might not have been able to visit, and allowing them to use their creativity when they create their own things.

Fin.

Color Schemes

What challenges you have had trying to implement your design? Also, if you have found a way to fix the problem post that as well. If you have thought about other ways to use the technology you are learning, share them. Basically, help us learn about the technology you are using and how others could use it as well.

I've had a few challenges implementing my lesson plan. First, I had trouble choosing a project. Finally, however, I was able to come up with a project that used technology and would be a useful learning tool for students.

My Plan:

Basically, students will find a photo on flickr that they like, edit it using Photoshop, and use it as the foundation for a color scheme. They will find images of fabric, flooring, paint, etc, that fits with their color scheme, and then they will display these using Microsoft PowerPoint or Publisher (preferably Publisher). They also have to tell me what type of color scheme  they chose and how their colors fit.

My Project:

I actually really liked using Photoshop. It was so easy to edit my selected photo (found at flickr). Once in Photoshop, I changed the hue, intensity, and lightness of the photo, then I added a "diffuse" filter, which made it look like a painting. I loved how it turned out!

 

Original Photo

Edited Photo

After I found the photo, it got a little more difficult. I went to several paint websites (Behr, Valspar, etc.), and every time I found a paint color I liked, I could not figure out how to save the image (darn those flash applications). If I was using a computer that had "Snag it", I could have saved the picture in a screen shot-type method. Finally, I opened my photoshopped image in paint, used the "pick color" option to obtain a color from the picture, filled the screen with that color, then saved that image to use in my project. What a pain. 

Finding the flooring, fabrics, etc was a lot easier. 

I put the project together using Microsoft Publisher. I have never used Publisher, and I have extremely limited experience with Photoshop, but my experience with these programs was actually very positive. I enjoyed using them. The only real snag I experienced was obtaining an image of a paint color.

My final product has two paint colors, four fabrics, a wood floor, and a sisal rug. It is a simple complementary color scheme (orange and teal are on opposite sides of  the color wheel).

 

The Finished Product

End

My potential plan...

We've been challenged to create a lesson plan that involves having students use technology to create a product. It's been a little difficult trying to think of something, because while I love learning about new things and using new things, I don't ever know about the resources that are out there.

Right now, I'm considering a design project. Color schemes are a basic, essential topic in Interior Design, so I'm thinking about creating a lesson plan that has the students create their own color scheme. We learned about http://colorschemedesigner.com/, which allows you to experiment with different color schemes -- monochromatic, analogous, triad, etc -- and I think that would be a great tool to use in the classroom. I might have the students visit this website and come up with a color scheme, then create a piece -- a rug, a painting, or a fabric -- using photoshop or some other technology that brings all the colors together.

I've only used photoshop once in my life, so I don't know how plausible this is, but we'll see.

Bye.

Copyright Laws

What do you think of copyright laws? Are they helpful or harmful? Do you think changes need to be made? If so, what would you change?

I don't really have much of an opinion on copyright laws. I think they are good because they encourage people to create things without having to worry that their creations will be "stolen." However, there is so much red tape that it is difficult to know whether I'm actually breaking copyright laws or not. Fair Use allows people to use copyrighted material not only for educational purposes, but also in commentary or criticism, or in the news. The way I interpret that is that if I am writing in my blog about, say, Modern Art, I can post pictures of artworks that I am talking about. But I don't know if my interpretation is correct...

Copyright laws of helpful, unless you are really trying to keep them. I don't go around printing photos off the internet and framing them for my house, and I don't download songs from the internet. However, I do save photos that I like and listen to music for free online (Grooveshark is awesome). Does that mean I'm breaking copyright law? I don't think so. There are a few examples I can think of when copyright laws were harmful/annoying:

1. BYU had to enforce rules barring students from showing movies in public places (outside, in the dorms, etc).
2. They closed Clean Flicks because they were "breaking copyright law" by editing movies. See this site.

So...

Copyright laws can be annoying, but if they changed them to be more lenient, there would inevitably be some people who would exploit their new freedoms and wreak havoc on the market.

That's all.

Website -- Check!

I finished my class website. Here it is.

http://sites.google.com/site/burkefoods1/

"About Me" photo

Yesterday in class I didn't really have anything to work on, so I edited a photo on picnik.com to put in my "About Me" page in my website. I used the "HDR-ish" effect on a photo of myself, and it turned out pretty well. That's all.

Update on the PowerPoint Dilemma

After repeatedly trying to get Slideshare to cooperate, I finally gave up. For the last day, I haven't even been able to log on to my account. I did, however, get a powerpoint presentation to show in on my site. I went ahead and created a very simple presentation in Google Docs and inserted it into my website. I tried to upload a powerpoint I already had into google docs and have it save as a presentation, but it would only let me click on something to download it, instead of showing it automatically. I am still not quite "there" with using all this technology, but I did get it to work (with a lot more work than it probably needed).

Me and my website

Can I just say "grrrr"?  I just wrote a post and it was deleted! Now I have to write another one!

For the most part, putting the website together has been a piece of cake. Creating and editing pages has been pretty easy. Of course, I haven't done anything really complicated...

Until I tried to insert a powerpoint. I really didn't expect it to be so annoying! I created an account on slideshare, uploaded a powerpoint, and now I can't get it to show in my website. I found the gadget for slideshare, but it only shows random presentations -- not stuff you upload. I'm going to keep working on it, but it sure is annoying.

What we learned this week...

Hello all! (All being Dan and possibly Joshua)

I liked class this week. Since class I have already used google docs and doodle. These are great resources for collaboration, and I can use them in class or -- more likely -- in working with other educators, etc.

http://colorschemedesigner.com/ was also a great resource for teaching color schemes in Interior Design, Sewing, or as an added help in making projects. It is a great visual representation of color schemes.

Diigo seemed really cool, too. I could have my students find websites related to a certain topic, make notes on them, and then share them with me. I could also use it to keep track of sites and articles that are good education resources.

Overall, it basically comes down to this: the more I learn, the more I can do. When problems arise, I will have more options because I will know about more resources.

Fin.

I Heart Doodle

You will never guess what happened today! I found out that we needed to coordinate 16 people's schedules in an extremely short amount of time. I thought, now what did I just learn about that can do that? Doodle!!! I flew to the rescue, easily creating a poll and sending everyone the link. Within a few hours, I already have 6 people logged. Woohoo! Sadly, no matter what we do we cannot all get together, but this is so so so much easier than trying to get in touch with everyone and talking through it. Doodle.com. Try it.

Bye.

Look Ma, New Background!

Hey, look. I made a new background. I am so technologically savvy! My coworker always has the cutest blog, and one day she gave me a little help to make my blog un-ugly. Behold!!!

 http://hotbliggityblog.com/

http://www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/

These sites are awesome. They even explain how to put the background into the blog. I chose this one because I like the stylized flowers and was in the mood for yellow.

Bye.

My Experiences with Technology

Oh, man. Me and technology. We've had a rocky road. My parents didn't get a computer until around 1996, and when I was in Junior High I was still typing with one finger. After I learned to type and use Microsoft Word, I thought I was so awesome. That is, until I realized as a Junior in High School that I couldn't make a PowerPoint presentation.

Most of what I know is self-taught, and I can say that if I have enough time, I can usually figure out how to use most programs. I've used Quickbooks, AutoCAD, CLS, and Kronos, as well as most of the Microsoft programs (still haven't quite figured out Vlookup in Excel, though). I took an HTML class  a couple of years ago, but don't ask me to remember anything about that. That said, there is just a lot of stuff I haven't ever used, meaning I don't know how to use it, meaning I'm probably not all that technology-savvy. Yay.

Thus, this class should be pretty good for me. My main goal for this class is just to be exposed to lots of different technologies and know enough about them to be able to chose technologies to use in my future classroom and my life.

P.S. I did learn about Jing, though, which is awesome! If you've never used it before, do try it! It's a program that allows you to take screen captures, including video. Pretty dang sweet, if you ask me. Here's the website: http://www.jingproject.com/.

Adios!