Goals Accomplished in Weekend 2

1- My first goal was to refresh and learn new skills in powerpoint. This goal was accomplished as I learned how to add sound, transitions, and video clips to my powerpoint. I know how to hyperlink for jeopardy and these skills will be very useful in my classroom.

2- I became acquainted and familiarized with Kidspiration and Inspiration this weekend and I enjoyed both programs. If my school had these programs, I would use them frequently. I would love to allow the kids to move freely within the program to practice skills learned in class adn also to create graphic organizers to assist with prewriting. It was fun!

3- I learned how to burn a CD! Yay! Kristle showed me and I can finally burn music or documents or whatever! So happy!

Goals accomplished in weekend 2! :)

Final Project Plans

For my final project, I will be completeing option 2, a powerpoint presentation. I hope to use this presentation at the beginning of the school year and at Open House for parents. I plan to have this show loop continuously for waiting parents to watch while I speak to other parents who were in line first. I also plan to show this during our sixth grade orientation. I have found that the more information you give the parents up front, the less they are to have problems with the way you run your classroom AND when you call them due to problems with their child, not only was the kid aware of the expectations put before them, but the parent is too! A little CYA, I like to call it.

So, for my final, I created the presentation with transitions and colors and pictures, With Keith's guidance, I set the time to loop continuously after 30 seconds.

I plan on writing the paper that goes with this project soon so that I don't forget my inclusions, challenges, etc. Also, I found that the story board was a big help when mapping out my powerpoint.

Kidspiration Diagram

I created this in class on this cool program. It would be very cool to have this program to sue in my classroom for brainstorming and graphic charts.

Goals for Weekend 2

1- I already use powerpoint on a daily basis for instruction and review, but I would like to become more familiar with its' features.

2- I have never used Kidspiration or any of the Inspiration programs so I am very excited about learning them. I really hope that if I learn them and love them, that my school will purchase them for me to use. :)

3- Lastly, I want to learn how to burn a cd. Call me retarted but I don't know how. I know how to burn a lot of other stuff but not a cd! Oh well, I guess I get to learn this weekend.

Answers from Friday Night

Technology can assist students with special needs in various aspects. There are programs available to assist the visually impaired by blowing up or magnifying words on a page and highlighting as read aloud. There are also programs for the hearing impairing that teachers can use to adjust pitch sounds so that these students can follow along in a text.
The program Inspiration- Crosspad is a useful tool for students with delayed fine motor skills. This could be useful in my middle school to assist students with note taking and creating outlines and maps.
Last night, we also explored several websites that can be used in the classroom to address students' multiple intelligences as we teach concepts. Sites like Brainpop.com and Edheads.com are not only educattionally rich but fun for students too. These sites talk to the students and provide them a break from the teacher's voice. They can be used for motivation, introduction, teaching, reteaching, etc.

Sunday

Today has been a long day in class. We worked in Adobe Photoshop almost all day. While I enjoyed the program, it was a little extensive and there is SO much that can be done to pictures. This is definitely the reason that pictures are no longer permissable in court as evidence. And, I can see using a lot of photoshop elements to create really unique gifts. I was actually thinking of combining several USC gamecock images to create a collage to iron on a pillow case from my cousin's high school graduation gift.

As far as accomplishing my goals for this weekend, I accomplished two out of three goals. I completed my midterm in class and became comfortable with photoshop. However, I did not get as much information on literature field trips- but, there is always next weekend!

The Browns (the family-not the team, duh!)

Photoshop Elements

When creating this entry for the blog, I used several pictures that I retrieved from my digital camera memeory card. I experimented with the photoshop tools and added a background to the pictures. I explored the filters and artistic effects and made one pictures a sepia print and used a text feature to write the text. (I can't remember which one!)

This entire process, from developing a midterm to creating this project has been overwhelming. There is just SO much to do in photoshop elements- I can't believe I used photoshop in high school and used to liek the bigger program.

I feel I demonstrated each of the elements in the rubric and used the effects artistically.

My Babies: Fluff and Cocoa!

My Lesley University Cohort!

Article Review

Ashley and I worked together to review an article about effectively using powerpoint presentations in the classroom. In the old days, teachers would load information onto overhead screens for students to take notes, rarely thinking or making applications to the content at hand. The downside to powerpoint is that it can be done to do the same thing. Powerpoint can limit teacher's flexibility and printing out the slides for students can give them the impression that they only information they need to know is what is written in the powerpoint. Some teachers can over-use the bells and whistles which may distract the students. Powerpoint is not the only way to engage students; it is intended to be a small part of the whole package. Of special note, 43% of presenters are more effective with the use of visual aids.

Powerpoint has many features which make powerpoint a potentially effective tool. Flexibility makes it easy to change and adapt to various situations, grades, and ability levels. Enhancibility is good because of the clip art, transitions, animation and timing used to raise student's interest. Shows can also be set up to run independently. Powerpoint can be interactive with action buttons and then make jeopardy review games. (I use this a lot!) You can even add multimedia effects like music and hyperlinks, and even videos.

I use powerpoint almost everyday but I always remember to put information in a logical sequence, explain information ambiguously and completely, use examples and illustrations that can be understood by students, and model appropriate application, inquiry, and discovery practices.

Goals for Weekend 1

Goals for Weekend 1 Technology Class:

1. Learn more about accessing internet sites and blogs for educational use in my classroom.
2. Learn how to do literature field trips as briefly discussed yesterday.
3. I'm interested in learning Photoshop Elements 5 and using it to make slideshows with effects and music.

8:41am

This is my first blog as Stamp Queen! It is 8:41 and honestly, too early for me to make any sense. Sorry! Come back later!

Just kidding!

Anyway, It's cold in this room and that is keeping me awake. In fact, that's the only thing keeping me awake! LOL Last night, there was a really big roach in this computer lab and it freaked us all out. Oh my gosh, I jumped on top of a chair! Cindy had the guts to try to kill the bug with her flip flop, but she missed and then the bug got away. So, now, I forbid us to turn off the lights and everyone needs to watch their back because a critter is on the loose. I'll keep you updated.

Last night, before the roach spectacle, we watched a movie about children and their mothers as prostitutes in India. The documentary was interesting because an outsider (Zana Auntie) gave all the children cameras and photodraphy which became their outlet from the horrible things and filth happening in their red light district. The kids eventually pursued educations at universities and beyond and most touching, they didn't become prostitutes.

Okay, so the roach just reappeared. Cindy missed it again but the teacher stomped it and even threw it away so hopefully, the nasty sconudrel is gone forever. However, I'm sure the brat has brothers and sisters wandering around here... I'll keep you updated.

This school is nasty! Bugs are now running out in broad daylight!!! Last night, when we left, roaches were everywhere outside the school building. I almost lost my cookies and couldn't sleep last night. I am terrified. When bugs come out in broad daylight, you know there is a problem!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!