It is not televison anymore!Designing digital video for learning and assessment

In this article the Authors tell us that using videos and other technology in the classrooms are very beneficial to our students. It will help them learn, see things in a new way and even get to see themselves. This is a great idea for visual learners like me. If I can see it done, then I can do it. Kids already relate to videos, tv, computer and other technology device outside of school, so lets bring them into the classroom and make it fun from them to learn. One of the authors states that we model what we see on the screen.If we can see someone else doing the right thing then we will simulate them and do the right thing. This is even true with watching ourselves on video. We can see what we are doing wrong and fix it. This for every student, even special needs. Video helps improve skills. I also like how we, as teachers can use video or computers to introduce new material. It takes away from the teacher talking and can be animated, funny or even the students teaching something. The authors say that there are 4 key ingredients to  great and informative video: seeing-if they miss what you told them, then they can see it, engaging- and interesting idea or topic that will keep their attention, doing-having a good attitude toward learning and taking the effort to do it, and saying-different ways to present your information. I feel that it is a great tool for the students/teachers and parents to learn!It gives the students an opportunity to be creative and that is what we as teachers are looking for.

Rubric

Understanding Rubrics

In the article Understanding Rubric by Heidi Goodrich ,she defines what rubric is and how and why you can use it.  A rubric is a list of criteria that is expected in a piece of work.  It is use to support and assess students learning.  A rubric tells the students exactly what the teacher is looking for.  The question is: do we as teachers and students like it?

A rubric is described as a list that is divided into columns labeled from excellent to poor.  The columns are divided into a grid.  Each box has an explanation of what is expected in each column.  It can be looking for: purpose, organization, details, voice and mechanics.  Each of these examples should be specific on what is considered a good  work.

The author gives five reasons of why teachers should use a rubric.  First, it can improve student performance as well as monitor it by making teacher’s expectations clear.  Second, they help students become more thoughtful in judging of quality of their own and other students work.  Third, teachers  can spend less time grading students’ work.   Fourth, it promotes flexibility in learning styles.  It is for every student and their individual learning styles.  Fifth, they are self-explanatory. 

Creating a rubric should be modified to each instructors teaching style.  Here are the author’s seven steps to creating a quality rubric:

1.  Look at models: provide students with a good paper and a bad paper.

 2.  List criteria: what is important in a project.

 3. Articulate gradations of quality: Describe excellent and poor levels of quality.

 4. Practice on models: Practice on example papers. 

5. Use self- and peer- assessment: Have the students get started and observe their assessments. 

6. Revise:  After feedback, let students revise their work. 

7. Use teacher assessment: Use same rubric as students to assess their work.

The NETS for students would fall under Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and Decision Making.   It is this standard because it teaches to students to find out what is expected of them for each project.  

A rubric is beneficial to teachers and students because it is an important tool to support and evaluate learning. It is for all students’ learning styles and with the students and teachers working together to create it there is a greater understanding of what is exactly is expected of them.

3 Method to Create a Site

The Author, Elizabeth A. Baker wrote an article talking about that there are 3 Methods to make your own Web Site as a teacher. Method 1, for those of us that don’t know much about computers or how to make a web site, there are free web sites that have everything all set up for teachers. These sites, help the teachers with step by step ideas for their web sites, they are simple, may not have that many options for design or content but will get the job done.

The second Method is for those that know a little more about computer and are brave enough to go a little further in the "computer world"…These sites have templates that are ready to use. They also provide more flexibility and multiple users can use that same site. The students can add, remove and edit their work. There is also room for online discussion. This is a good method for the students because there are many employers that will expect the students to know how to make a web site when they get into the “job world”. If the students know a little more or feel comfortable to move forward they can link their work to Method 3. In Method 2, the teachers can give permission to the students to change their sites. The students can post their own work and have online discussions. Parents can also get a password to go on the sites to see their children’s’ work.  

Now, for Method 3…this is for the computer savvy. Anyone can get to this point, it will take a little more time. A down side is that software is involved and the student or teacher will have to take more time to learn the software to make the site. There are already some sites that come with some computers so you may not have to download…which may save you moneyJ. As a teacher, you may have to check with the computer specialist to upload the software at the school. All these are great ideas and suggestions for the different computer levels of teachers and students.

I really like how the author broke down the three methods to make a web site and also listed the websites to help the development of a site. It is important to pass information like this to other teachers to make creating websites easier. There are teachers and students that know little or a lot about computers and these sites are for every level.

NETS: Technology Operations and Concepts: select and use applications effectively and productively. The students have to learn to make a web site, collaborate and have online discussions. The teachers and parents can go onto the site (with permission and a password) and add to the discussions. This is a great communication tool for teachers, students and parents!

EVERY book...In The Palm of Your Hand!

Growing up, I used computers to write papers, make clip art and play games, now (for a while) you can get and read books (and now text books) on computers…Well, we are talking about the smaller versions:  Kindle, ipad and other mobile reading devices.  So, you’re  telling me kids these days don’t have try to keep their balance all day long  lugging  around those heavy books like we used to do?!

Although the “Digital Libraries: Shifting the Landscape” article is from 2009, a lot has changed. Some of the authors predictions have come true…schools have gotten rid of physical text books and more and more people are getting, have or will borrow a mobile reading device. I know that not ALL schools and students have these devices now but some day they will (they will HAVE to if they get rid of the physical books). The University of Virginia (as of 2009) paired together with Google and made their text books digital. In the past two years, I wonder how many other schools have gone digital? And when they went digital who paid for the portable reading devices-parents or school? Better yet: what are we going to do with our libraries that have no books in them?...but, that’s another question for another day!

I haven’t read a book on a portable reading device yet but those that I know have really liked it. You can enlarge the type, use the built-in text -to-speech option and if you don’t know a word you can touch the word and it will define it for you…No more hearing: GO LOOK IT UP IN THE DICTIONARY!! These features are great for every student especially those that need bigger type, to be able to hear what they are reading and looking up words. In the article, the author didn’t know of too many programs that the portaable reading devices would be good for in the class but in the last two years, they have made programs for every type of student, for every subject and grade level.

Another great point the author makes is that digital reading devices can synchronize with other brands of reading devices. They can also be used for collaborative knowledge…the books can be simultaneously displayed at different sites and worked on at the same time. Also, if you want to read something the “old school” way, you can print it out and read it.

 I am for the use of Digital Learning Devices in the classroom, there are so many opportunities to learn on them and they will be forever moving forward with information. In the future I would to have the portable reading devices for each student.

NETS: Communication and Collaboration. The students can find any text book, article, journal or essays on the portable reading devices, share the information and even collaborate.

Computing in the Clouds.....No Flash Drive needed (maybe)

While reading the Article: "Computing in the Clouds" I was unsure what cloud computing meant. It means that you can do the same work on a computer offline then with a computer that can go online.

The author was talking about having a cheap computer that was off line that was just as good a fancy computer that could do it all online. He weighed that pros and cons about both computers and even traded in his fancy computer for a cheap one that was only offline and showed us that it can do virtually the same thing but much cheaper. He went to free websites or went to word docs and did his work. He showed us how school could save money by getting the cheap computers and staying off line, not having to buy the most updated and expensive software and we would not even have to buy a flash drive to save it.(I would, got to make sure there is a back-up)At the end he stated that it was a great idea, but we have to decide.

I really like the idea of the cheap computers that stay off line and pretty much do the same thing as those that can go online.Doug, the author, showed us that we could save money by going to free websites instead of paying to use the sites.Another good thing about the cheap computer is that if they forget their computer, they can access their work from any computer. Also, if there is no internet access, they can work offline and it will sync up when it comes back online and everything will be saved. And since it does not save it on the hard drive, that means the computer can work a little fast(We all hate slow computers).

The author does bring up a great point about  saving data, is it going to be saved? Will it be shared? Can I erase it? How long will it be saved? That is something that all websites work on...(at this point I deffinatly would save it on a flash drive).

One thing I didn't like about the cheap computers, is that you can't use CD's or DVD's. I guess we will have to rely on the fancy computers and internet for some things:)

Schools are now doing everything on computers but unfortunatly they can't afford them and neither can the parents.The cheap computers that are offline are a fantastic alternative. Yes, they are very basic and may be a little different from the computers and software that are most popular, but they pretty much do the same thing and every student could have one. The parents may be able to afford it and the school could have some computers that the students could borrow.In the next few years when I become a teacher I hope that every child has acess to a computer. If we can save the schools money now by gettingthe cheap computers, then maybe, later we can get the upgraded ones....I said maybe.

I think this idea fits in the NETS for students is: Creativity and Innovation, apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products and processes. Most students have some knowledge of computers and with cloud computing they will have to learn another way to use this computer system. It is a good idea to know how different computer systems work because all computers are not the same,especially when offline.

Blog About it...or Not.

Before reading Point/Counter Point I was all about Blogging, even though I didn't have a Blog, I have read others. It is a great way to communicate. It is how most people communicate today, either: blog, text, tweet, facebook, and all the other social network sites. It is electronic communication.

After reading the article, it opened my eyes to how even technology can become construed. Lisa Neilsen, the author of not liking blogs, put her blog address on her email signature because she thought it was a great idea to have students, teachers and parents communicate with her. But, it back fired when the school told her  it was not a good idea because they thought she might have negative blogs about the school.

I still feel like blogging is a great idea but we just have to know when to use it and who can have access to it.  The Teachers should start off small and only have their students blog as a class, then open it up to the parents and then maybe other classes. This will help with students that may not be comfortable speaking in class get their ides and feelings out. When writing a blog we have to keep in mind that others, who read it, will have something to say about it be it positive or negative. This is a good thing because then it will spark other ideas and responses. We also have to remember, as a reader, that it is someone else's idea, just one person. It is OK to like it or not like it and the blogger is looking for a response. So now is your chance to say something.

Just starting my new blog, I am more and more for blogging in schools. Let's remember to keep the blogs to the point, keep it positive, don't attack and even though you may agree or disagree leave the reader with something to think about. Blogs are ideas and a great way to spark discussions.

Contact Me!!

Say what you mean and mean what you say..I have always be bad at leaving messages on phone, I feel the need to say more then I should and then end up getting off topic and not saying what I was calling for or I would not even leave a message at all..sorry if it was important-hopefully you call back again!  Growing up I really haven't gottin any better at this and most of the time choose not to answer the phone unless I  know who is calling. When I got my first cell phone few years ago (i am way behind in technology) and it came with texting I was so excited that I didn't have to talk on the phone all together! I can keep what I have to say short and sweet and we don't we don't have to talk,does that sound bad?!

So, if you want to get a hold of me...text me and I will text you back!