Final Exam

Today, we had a group final. I had the pleasure of working with Patrick and Kira- I got lucky - they rock. We were to create 2 activities incorporating 21st century technology and our three disciplines - Math, Science, and History. It is usually difficult to do a project that involves more than one subject matter but we really put our head together and created two awesome activities that could actually be used in a school setting. Our topic was renewable resources where one activity involved creating a Wind Farm and discussing all that goes with it. The 2nd was to create an advertisement for a solar power car using a wiki. I like the fact that we worked in groups of three. I think that amount of people works best in a group effort. Overall, we were successful and met all the requirements given by our professor.

Nick Donofrio

I haven't attended a forum where I listened to a profound speaker in a while. Overall, I grade this experience with a B-. Like anything, there was the good and the bad. It started off with two gentleman (there names escape me) touting our upcoming speaker, letting us know why he is so important and why he is speaking to us today. I see the importance of this, but because it was premeditated, it just seemed strange. Anywho, Nick Donofrio is definitely a compelling speaker. He had my attention right from the get go. He did not try to be too funny and did not blow me away with mumbo jumbo that I would not understand. He stated why he was here, what his intentions were, and what he was going to talk about in the upcoming hours. In the beginning, I was all ramped up with excitement and inquiry but found myself feeling rather disappointed when I left the auditorium. He talked about how we as a people need to be able to change as quickly as the world around us - which seemingly is not the case today. He talked about many things, many ideas such as the ever growing world of technology, globalization, and the VALUE of innovation. The thing that bothered me was that he never gave specifics. He said we as teachers need to teach out of the box. That sounds GREAT. That is what many of us want to do. That is what many of us are taught to do- BUT how should we go about it. I know how I want to change the classroom but I am one of many. I can't change the curriculum. I can't change the structure of our school system. I don't want to be a person that says I CAN'T but these are major topics that need to be addressed by a larger authority. I didn't expect him to have the answers to everything but if you are going to give a talk, I felt it a necessity to give the answers to the questions that you pose. Also, I felt that his answers skated around many of the questions asked by the audience. I am sure it is difficult to answer questions on the spot but I just found that his answers left me unfulfilled. Overall, I am definitely glad I went because I learned a whole lot and thought about things I never would have if I hadn't gone.

Our almost Last Class

This was our last class - kinda. We have a lecture to attend to in our next class and after that we have our final. We did some miscellaneous things this last class. There was a lot of discussion which I enjoy because it makes time fly and I get to hear what everyone else thinks about certain topics of the day. We were shown the wordle.net website which is completely awesome. I can see students using this and having fun being creative as I did. It is a good form of self expression. Also, I got to take a look at a couple of google sketch ups that my classmates have done. I have started to think about what I want my classroom to look like but just have to get on google sketch and start rocking it out. We also clarified some of our final assignments and I am feeling pretty good about the end of the semester. We reflected on the class as a whole in discussion board. Reflections allow me to dig deeper into things. Actually writing it down forces you to really think. I enjoyed this class overall. I did alot more with technology than I would have done if I did not take this class.

Copywrong

Unfortunately I did not enjoy our last class very much. We started listening to Linda Smith talk about 2nd Life which seems interesting but I did not feel like I was absorbing any of what she was presenting us with. I will understand the nuances of 2nd Life when I play around with it a little bit. It was fairly boring but class got a little better when we started discussing copyright infringement and all that goes on when using "somebody's ideas". It is such a gray area and is extremely frustrating for a student who is trying to put a project together or write something factual. I believe that you should give credit where credit is due to a certain extent. Using logos and icons can be a messy proposition if you do not get the proper approvals which could lead to empty pockets after a law suit. IS IT EVEN WORTH IT? Frustrating is the only thing I can really say about this whole mess - Frustrating !!!!

Technology Survey

Today I received an email from New Paltz which included a request to take a survey about the technology at the University. I thought that this was pretty relevant to this class so I decided to blog about it. I think that New Paltz does care about technology or else they would not survey everyone. Although I take many classes where smart boards are accessible, close to zero teachers use them at all. It is kind of sad. The survey asked many good questions about what technology you use, are there enough computers on campus, overall satisfaction questions about the existing technology, software inquiries, and laptop inquiries just to name a few. I thought all the questions were relevant and if acted upon could make the student experience much better.

Classroom Tech. Project Day

On our last class we spent much of the time introducing our creative projects to our group. My group was Patrick, Kira, and me. Patrick did a really cool power point that included interviews with a couple different teachers who really incorporate technology into the classroom. Kira did a nicely crafted movie of her experiences with technology. Both were really interesting and kept my attention. I did a mock Pardon the Interruption(PTI) skit where the focus was on technology in the classroom at the school I observe. I had a ton of fun creating it. I love the show and watch it everyday so it felt pretty natural for me to imitate Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon. Those guys are two of my favorite sports personalities.

Other than showing each other our projects we talked a lot about our upcoming project which is to create a technology based assessment. Everytime I think I understand what is expected of me on this one, I get a little more confused. I Of course, I'll give it my all and with hope and a little luck I will nail it down - maybe. This was by far the quickest class to date.

Windows Movie Maker

HAYYYYYYYYYYYOHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MovieMaker rocks. It is very similar to photostory but has more bells and whistles which can make a huge difference when you are creating a school presentation or a nostalgic collage of memorable moments. Its great incorporating music with pictures - talk about capturing the attention of the viewer - you got it with this program. I always wanted to learn to use this program and I'm glad this class gave me the avenue to do so. By far one of my favorite pieces of technology this semester.

P h o t o S t o r y

Awesome. I tried out photostory3 two weeks ago and it was a lot of fun. Today in class, we used it with some meaning and I really like it. I can see utilizing this technology all over the place. Such as school projects where we are always pushed to be as creative as possible. I want to use it to commemorate my father who passed away last year. Using pictures of him with my family incorporated with his favorite music will really be something to cherish forever. Like Wendy said, it is a great avenue for showing your vacation pictures. I went to the Bahamas two years ago and have some priceless pictures that I could use in Photostory3. I really like the different options you have when it comes to being able to caption or narrate where you see fit. This is by far one of my favorite projects we have done to date.

Cool Video

I was shown this video in my curriculum and assessment class. It really speaks to parents, teachers, and just about everyone alike. Check it out:

http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/


Which animal are you?

w i k i

I created a wiki and am pretty excited about it. Here is the link:

http://brainbreaker.wikispaces.com/

It is meant for anyone who likes a challenge !!

"u @ 50"

This video was so cool that I thought I should post it on my blog. Dammit -Why didn't I think of this???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42E2fAWM6rA

Pseudo Class 8ight

On our Tuesday class, we spent a lot of time creating our wiki's. I have to keep working with it, but I don't think that I am the biggest fan - so far. When I feel I really know my way in and around the site, I'll be able to judge it better. For now I think I have my concept down but I just need to continue to finish it until its finished and ready for action. I'm trying to make it as fun and entertaining as possible while being educational. I want to give people a reason to want to come visit it. There is a trazillion websites out there with so much to offer - Talk about competition !!!! Unfortunately I had to leave class an hour early because of the day switch, but plan on catching up on what I missed.

The Project Triple

This last class seemed to fly by. Normally we finish learning a particular project and we then discuss different elements of that project or other things. This class was different in that we did not seem to have enough time to get everything done or at least I felt that way. We were the last group to use the SmartBoards and I was only able to present my Probability project to one person and unable to see my groups'. I really like the SmartBoard and I noticed that I am already better at using it the second time around. I can't wait to become a somewhat expert at it. The wiki spaces I thought were ok - its just another type of communication media. I can see that it has its upsides and downsides. The camping supplies example that was provided in the mini tutorial was very informative and I really got the gist of what wiki's are all about. I then proceeded to work on Google Sketch Up. This was a ton of fun. The possibilites are endless. I like anything where I can be creative and put my own personal spin on things. For the most part, that is what this class is all about. On a side note - I loved the chocolate cookies and Hershey's chocolate pieces. They were handed out at the right time. I needed a boost of energy. Late classes are always tiring after a long day - especially 3 hour ones. I was a little dissapointed with my groups PodCast grade and my personal midpoint grade but what can you do. Overall, I liked this class a bunch because we kept busy the entire time and got much accomplished.

PICS

I added some cool pictures that I have taken over the years. Feel free to comment on them. I love nature shots - especially sky shots with awesome clouds.

Day 6 Review

On Day 6 the ocean parted and the heavens came down to meet the earth on what would infamously be known as D A Y S I X. I'm still getting the Smartboard technology out of my system and in doing so my head got smashed with more new technology. This class is like a freight train of new technology. Today we were introduced to Skype and Elluminate. From the looks of it, they have their practical uses and I can see how effective they can be- under the right circumstances. I like how Professor used Skype to talk to her fellow administrator for effect and for information on the technology. She killed two birds with one stone - and to be clear I think it is wrong to kill birds for all the PETA nuts out there. The coolest thing about class was the interaction she had with her daughter. The fact that you can share documents and work on each others projects through the internet is awesome. I can really see the practicality of this for school and work- Teachers can help students , students can help students, Managers can help associates, etc etc ..... With the many things we do in this class, hands-on is the best way to actually understand and figure out how it works. Simply watching a tutorial is not always the best use of our time.
The rest of class was cool for me. I worked on one of the movie making programs(the name escapes me becuase I don't have the software on my computer). Those are fun for school projects or even making a family album with pictures and nostalgic music. The possibilites are endless. I love that kind of stuff.

Wendy, Liz, and Kira's PodCast

I liked your PodCast a lot. You gals brought up the age old question - Where did the earth come from and how old it is? I personally feel that science has a play with everything compared to the religious philosophy; but I'm not throwing that out completely. I liked the way that you explained exponential decay and growth. You made it easy for all ages to understand - We all love money, even when we were 2 years old and love the shine of a penny. I also liked how the 3 different segments all meant something to each other. I learned what zircon is and heard the word geochronology which I haven't heard in about 13 years. I wished you would have used some music our sound effects - that always makes things more interesting. And the only other thing I would say is that the editing between speakers could have been a little more polished. Overall, I was very entertained.

Patrick and Jeanne's Podcast

Cool Podcast. I liked a whole bunch of what you guys did. The banjo gave it a nice nostalgic feel and the topic you choose was interesting. I definitely learned a few things such as the info. on the Tuskagee airmen and about Borack and Martin Luther King Jr. The transition between people talking could of used some fading in and out so you don't hear any abruptions but overall it was well put together. I also like the songs you used between conversations. They fit well together. Nice Job ! ! !

Don't Feel So SMART*

Holy Canoli !!!!!!! SmartBoards are A M A Z I NG. After playing around with the SmartBoard today I feel that there is so so SO much to learn. This was the first time that I ever used a Smartboard before and they are truly as amazing as they are hyped up to be. I think that like anything - practice makes perfect but I can see how many awesome activities can be done with a class using a SmartBoard. The possibilities are endless and I look forward to playing around with the software when I create a mini-lesson for our homework assignment. I wonder how many of my teacher friends use them? I will surely be finding that out. I know that they are rather costly but when I become a teacher I need to have one. I would even pay out of pocket to get one if I had to.

Don't Blink

. . . . . because you may have missed something extremely useful. Thinkfinity.org has a ridiculous amount of information. Almost too much for my brain to handle. It was kind of like riding a bike while juggling a book that you were trying to read all at the same time. But in all seriousness there was some great information for educators such as lesson plans, activities, archives, state standards, world maps, ESL instruction, parenting tips, after school activity suggestions - should I stop or keep going because I could write F O R E V E R. I do plan to use this link which I never heard of before yesterday and plan on sharing my knowledge of this link to all my friends who are teachers and parents.
Unfortunately I had to leave class early so I missed the rest of our lesson but do plan on finding out what it was that we went over.

Cool Edit

By the way - Cool Edit is a program that needs to be purchased. I would not be able to post a URL for it.

The Capacity for Audacity

Audacity is without question a cool audio program. I am a mix cd making machine so I am pretty familiar with a program such as this. I use CoolEdit which I have used now for over 2 years and I LOVE IT. You can mix songs together. I can sing on top of the song. If you can think it - You can do it. I love to mix songs together or mix a movie quote into the beginning of a song. If you like music , it is so much fun. I can literally spend hours on that program. I will have to play around with Audacity in order to get familiar with all the nuances. In regards to our PodCast assignment, I feel ahead in the game but I know that Professor Murphy-Genter will be expecting a higher quality finished product. I am definitely up for the challenge. My group and I have a pretty good idea of what we want to do for our PodCast. I am looking forward to the finished product.

Podcast Realization

I just watched the videos that explain what podcasts are and how they differ from normal audio and video files. After surfing the web and taking a look at different podcasts, I can see how useful and fun they can be. It is like taping your favorite TV show via your computer except it doesn't have to be a "TV show". It can be anything from an instructional video to an audio interview with a band. The best part is that your computer downloads it for you when you are not around- how cool is that ??? I always assumed that I knew what a Podcast was but now I actually do know and it is pretty radical.

Day 2 in Computers

Day 2 seemed to fly by - probably because we were working with the computer which always makes time fly. I learned a couple new things such as: How to create a quiz with excel - Excel is one of those programs I've used sparingly but want to use much more as I go on with school and teaching. There seems to be so many applications that excel is good for. I also learned that Microsoft Word is capable of making a table. I always use Word for writing papers but it seems there is a whole other realm to Microsoft Word. I look forward to playing around with Word and Excel to see what I can do. I find that trying things on my own helps me get acclimated with the program much easier. Overall, I didn't enjoy the ID card assignment. Besides the fact that I didn't like my picture, I felt that my finished product wasn't the grandest. Our class was less talkative than our first class. I think this was the case because everyone was preoccupied with creating our ID cards and working on the excel Quiz- but I'm just guessing.
We also identified our groups for the PodCast Project. I am working with Marta and Greg. Since Marta was absent, Greg and I came up with some pretty cool ideas: A Spanish Recipe from a point in History with all of the ingredients, a recreation of Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, A Game Show involving technology, Math, Spanish, and History questions, A Commercial for something technological that relates to Math, History, and Spanish. During the next class we will begin to finalize our thoughts when we get some input from Marta.

Day 1 in Computers

My first day in this class seems very interesting. I already learned many things. I learned the term "Digital Native". I learned what club penguin is. I also created my own Blog for the first time.

The only expectation that I have for this class is to learn how to incorporate technology into my classroom. Anything else that I learn will be a bonus.