Video Teaching Mini Lesson

This is a video of Aimee, Zach, and myself teaching our classmates about the uses and functions of an interactive whiteboard.  I felt that our presentation went well and we did a good job of showing the many features that are included in most interactive whiteboards.  It is weird to watch a video of yourself teaching and it really shows you some of your strengths and weaknesses while teaching.

fine motor skills podcast

Lost Generation

Analyzing Student Data in a Spreadsheet.
This post is in regards to an assignment to use a spreadsheet to manipulate student data from test scores into a more valuable format for evaluating your students.  I have taken some classes in the past on the use of Microsoft Excel, and I found that using Google Spreadsheets was similar in its way of operating.  I felt that it was easy to find the different tools needed to sort data and make graphs for this assignment.  I feel that being able to use a spreadsheet is a valuable tool for every teacher so they are able to keep track of all kinds of classroom data and organize it in efficient ways.  Here is a link to my spreadsheet and chart that I created.
Below is my student data sheet that shows the averages for each student and for each test as a class.  Looking at the averages from each test we can see that the average went up on every test as they progressed.  When looking at the growth of the students, it is obvious to see that they all improved over the course of each test, and this is even true for the students that were below the class average.  The students that scores were below the class average are seen to me as not improving to the same level of the higher scoring students in the end.  As the teacher of this class it is nice to see that everyone made progress but we would need to find something to help the lower scorers move farther along than they did.

Multi-Media Project

I have been recently experimenting with the web based tool called Screenr. This tool is used for creating screen cast for others to watch what you did on your screen. Screenr could be used to give examples of what you would like others to do or learn. It could be used as a tool in the classroom if you need to have your students navigate their computer to a site or program that is difficult to explain without seeing it done. You can post your screen cast through many different options like twitter or embed it in your personal blog. There is no need to install software on your computer and the user interface is very friendly and easy to operate. You simply click on the record button and the stop button when you are done. You even have the ability to take and re-size the screen that you want to record so that people are not able to see all of your screen. Overall Screenr can be a great teaching tool if used properly in the class room. I have attached a screen cast of me embedding a screen cast into my blog.

OTEN Conference

The 2011 OTEN conference took place at Willamette University on Saturday the 24th of September.  This conference is a place for educators in training to get an overview on current trends in technology for teaching.  The key note speaker was Joe Morelock, who is the director of technology and innovation for the Canby school district.  He did a great job of explaining the need for new technology in classrooms today.  Canby is a school district that has put technology as a very important piece to education and they show some very impressive results due to their commitment to innovation.  I went to two speakers presentations after the keynote speaker and I have included my thoughts to them on a yodio presentation that is attached here.

Google Presentations

In my ED Tech class I was assigned to a group to learn about the google application called Presentation.  We as a group were to create a google presentation and then talk about what features are available and how this program works.  This tool is a great alternative to power point because is is web based and free to anyone.  You are also able to work on it anywhere because it is web based which is a great tool for any educator that is on the move.  I felt that this program was very easy to get to learn and maneuver through.  The one thing I noticed was different was that there is no animations, which is fine with me because they can be distracting sometimes.  It was easy to get materials on to the presentation as well.  I contributed to this document by setting it up and adding most of the slides and the backgrounds.  I placed the group picture on the page and started the typing on each.  Overall this is a great productivity tool.  Here is a link to my groups google presentation talking about the pros and cons of the web based program. Click Here

My Favorite Web2.0 tools

If I were to define web 2.0 tools, I would describe them as programs that are all on the internet and need no special software installed on a local computer to use besides an internet browser. Many people talk about the cloud and I would describe the cloud as information and data that is web based so that you may access it anywhere at anytime. I have found that the web tool called Dropbox is an extraordinary tool for file sharing. I would define Dropbox as an internet storage site for any files you want. These files and folders can be shared with others or can be kept private. Dropbox is accessible from any internet based tool, such as IPads and IPhones. This application can be installed on multiple computers so that you can drag and drop files into your dropbox folder and they are automaticly updated online and on all of your other devices. This eliminates the need for emailing files and the need for flash storage. Here is a link to a guide on the use of Dropbox http://tinyurl.com/Dropbox-Guide1 This tool could be invaluable to any student or teacher for many of the uses that I have already stated above. For a student that might be working on some large research, they would be able to keep all of their large files that could be hard to keep track of all in one place. They would also be able to access and work on their project wherever they are even without their main computer. As a teacher you might use this tool to manage files between your work and home computer so that there is no need for portable storage.

Google Docs Group Project

Google Docs Group Project is an assignment from our Ed Tech class that is showing us the capabilities of Google Docs and how they can be used in education.  Here is a link to my groups document, Click here 
I think that Google docs is a great tool for collaboration and is even fun to use at the same time.  I would love to use this tool more in my personal life for creating and sharing docs between my family and I.  If I can get this type of doc to open on my Iphone, I would like to use it to create list that can be changed from my phone or my wife’s phone so that we can both be on the same page for things like a grocery list.  I feel that goggle docs are fairly easy to use and navigate.  It didn’t take to long to find any of the features that I would like to use in the future.  In the classroom the google docs app can be used in the same way that we have as a group in compiling all of our own personal thoughts and data in one location.  I personally added around 6 bullets to the list and then added a link to my blog and a picture of a Bearcat logo.

Class Blog Possibilities

Blogs have many possibilities for classes today; this is due to the Internet becoming so accessible to most everyone.  A blog allows the classroom to follow people anywhere the Internet is available.  The ability and easy to have discussions and to collaborate make the blog an invaluable tool for countless teachers.  Students are also put in a position that they can mentor each other and help other students grasp the content of lessons.  I personally like the idea that a teacher can open up a discussion and oversee it take place and be as involved as needed or not.  The effectiveness of being able to take and post the notes or directions from a lesson in class online for students to access and use all in one spot where they can have links to other resources is a great learning tool.  The added capacity to take and have discussions between students gives them all the needed tools to learn the material being presented.  The ease of use is the other big point to why a blog could have big possibilities in a classroom.