Digital Story Telling

I probably would not use this tool very often in my classroom because I think it would be more personal and to be used to share with family and friends. I could use it to help demonstrate something to the class, but I would probably use PowerPoint where I could take my time and explain a little more in depth the material. I would need a program that I could go at my own pace. Although, at the level I would be teaching (around second grade) I do not think that a presentation would be needed because there would not be a great deal of information that the students would be learning other than still working on the basics of their subjects. Technology could definitely be utilized, but in different ways through different visual aids.

Week 7 - Visual Literacy

This week we learned about Visual Literacy in which we equate visual symbols and signs with words or ideas in our heads. For example, if we see the golden arches of McDonald's, most people probably think of fries. There are other forms of visual literacy though, such as tables, graphs, charts, maps, trees, and graphics. As humans, we have visual literacy because we have the ability to evaluate information in the form of something visual. With our Photoshop project, we use our visual literacy of one image to create a new one.

This relates to my major because most people are visual learners, which would mean that I would need to use images for my students to learn material. Whether it is through a graph or through a funny cartoon, it will usually benefit my students to use visuals. Not only will it help them learn, but it will make them more visually competent and recognize images faster, thus inhibiting faster thinking and recalling of information.

This one frame cartoon just seemed funny to me because that is not what students want, but actually quite the opposite. Although students never can articulate it or stand up and say they want more visuals in the classroom. Half of the time, they do not realize what they are missing in school. Society has put such a large emphasis on media outside of school and schools have put stress on teaching as much hard. raw facts as possible, it is only natural that children desire visual aids in the classroom.

Extra Blog Post 2 - Concept-Map

Week 5

This week we learned about using different types of tools and other software. This included open source software, using Wordle, and using other internet tools. There was also a section in our lesson about learning theories and different ways of thinking and learning. Bloom's Taxonomy is an example of how we develop the skills to think critically. Also, we learned how to make concept-maps in order to organize thoughts, activities, assignments, or just about anything.

Some of these tools will help me, but I do not think that most of it will with the teaching profession. The teaching styles and the ways we think critically would definitely be helpful. The teaching styles give me different ways to educate my students and formulate lesson plans. Plus, showing my students how to think critically and how to approach their work and situations with a critical mind set.

I used this image, Bloom's Taxonomy, because it shows what I hope my students will be able to achieve. That would be going from Lower Order Thinking Skills to Higher Order.

Week 4 - Extra Blog Post - Copyright

I really just like this video, it is simple, short, and to the point. I found it on YouTube when I was just looking at different copyright videos and this one was the most enjoyable and explained upfront the premises of copyright laws. Other videos I watched had montages or tried to explain the law through an example or lesson, instead of listing the points of copyright. I enjoy information and lessons that are straightforward, instead of beating around the bush for an eight minute video just to wrap it all up in thirty seconds at the end. That is why I chose this video and I hope you enjoy it too!

Week 4 - Copyright and Multimedia

In class this week we talked about designing media that is used for instructional means. The PowerPoint presentation about designing media discussed how to make the media that you create attractive, yet effective. As well, we learned about hypermedia and multimedia, including definitions, the difference between the two, and examples of them. There was also a PowerPoint that provided more depth about them and Web Based Resources. An activity that we had to complete this week was about information literacy, which basically means knowing how to find information on a website and determine if it is a legitimate site or not. The last, but probably most significant, thing we talked about was copyright issues and issues surrounding educational technology. This section explains the complications that accompany teaching technology in the classroom.

There is definitely a use for this with my major because when I teach it will be helpful to know how to make a presentation more effective. As our world is growing in technology, we have to teach our children these new technologies. This means it is mostly put on teachers to make sure that students become literate with computers, the internet, and other devices. Plus, teaching students that copyright laws are in place is very important so that students know how to produce a paper without infringing on those laws or plagiarizing. It is also good for teachers to know about technologies in the classroom and how do know what is too much and not enough. This shows that this pertains to my major for sure being an Elementary Education major.

Top Ten Myths About Copyright
I decided to use this website because it was awesome that there were direct quotes that people say about copyright that is not true. Plus, Brad Templeton, who wrote the page, used factual support to back up his answers for the myths. This is a quick way to answer your questions about copyright if you are not sure about what is copyrighted, when to post certain works, and more. I thought it was really useful for me personally.

Week 3 - Web Technology

This week the main focus of class was to talk about the history of the internet and discover the future of where our internet is going. In class, we watched a YouTube video about how the first internet connection was utilized and how we came to where we are today. There were many new terms that were introduced that I personally did not know about. They ranged from the beginning of the internet to the most common terms we use today, but they were taught more in depth than before. There was also this pretty cool video done on Frontline called Growing Up Online, which was really true for generation and a little bit scary how dependent we are on the internet and just electronics in general. I liked the Web 2.0 information that was posted for us to read because it gave insight into the tools that our generation will be using for education, communication, and other various aspects of life.

The future of the web definitely relates to my major because it is good to know where the next generation is going so that I can understand the technology my students are using. Also, many of these tools and programs and new innovations in technology and the internet will most likely end up in the classroom somehow, so I should be comfortable using them and knowing about them. The history aspect is kind of important, but I do not think it will be very vital to what I am teaching. Technology is a tool for students to learn, so I do not really need to harp on tools of the past, but encourage my students to keep learning and looking ahead. The terminology that I learned will help though because it will be good to have a strong vocabulary basis for technology so that my students can learn effectively.

I decided to use this video entitled "1967 Future Predictions - PC" because I thought it was funny how the video correctly portrayed what would happen now. It was a very outdated way of envisioning what would happen, but the online shopping and sending mail from computer to computer was really what has become of the internet and so much more. It was definitely correct on how far the computer would develop by 1999.