Tah-dah!!!

I am currently doing a major dance of joy because I have completed my final Scratch educational game. Actually, I completed it early this morning a little before 3 AM. Needless to say, I wasn't in the mood to post at that time!

My final assessment of using Scratch in the classroom? Well, my opinion has not changed since my last post. I am amazingly proud of my final product, but, then again, it did take me 8+ hours to create it (not counting the time I spent deciding what to do and researching how to operate the program), so I'd better be proud!!!...Which leads me to my next point. I already griped about this in my last post, but I'm going to complain again!! This project took me so long. I know it didn't necessarily have to take me that long. I set my expectations too high to begin with, and after I'd taken so long on the first part of the game, the rest of it had to match! Stupid perfectionism.

In short, I can see the benefit of using games in the classroom. I may even use some in my future classroom if I find some that fit with the curriculum. I really enjoyed the Voices of Spoon River game, which surprised me. However, I do not plan on ever making another game. (At least that's how I feel today;-)

Final Project Falling Flat

This post is dedicated to what I should have posted on November 11th.

On this date, our class started learning about and working on our final project, an educational video game created using Scratch. Early on, I felt extremely overwhelmed--for real this time.

I can definitely see the value of creating a game for students that used the alignment theory (starting with the objectives and moving backward). I can see that using games in the classroom would have a lot of benefits. Students would probably be more excited to learn the content--especially because gaming would be a unique way for them to learn. It would also be a good, new assessment tool--if the game were properly designed, you would be able to tell whether or not a student reached the learning objectives based on whether he/she mastered the game.

However, I have learned that creating a game--even using a program like Scratch--is so time-consuming!!! I don't think I could realistically plan, create, and implement a game into my curriculum. At least I couldn't do it often!

Webmeistering ;-)

This post is dedicated to what I should have posted on November 9th.

On this date, our class worked on yet another program to create a personal web page. We used My UEN to design a web page that we could theoretically use in our future classrooms. I really enjoyed this assignment because I could picture myself as an in-service teacher using the program to create a class website.

We were required to work on four pages for the site: a home page, an assignments/homework page, a daily activities/announcements page, and a student/parent information page. I really appreciated knowing specifics about what was required for the assignment. I also really appreciated the fact that my final product was something I could easily see myself actually using in the future. I think this would be a great way to provide students and parents access to information about your classroom from the comfort of their homes. It would also be important, however, to keep in mind the fact that not all students have access to internet in their homes. I just thought I needed to add that!!

Flash Focus

This post is dedicated to what I should have posted on November 2nd.

On this date, our class was in the midst of creating a file in Flash that had "a purpose, text, an image, and tweens". I created a file that was essentially a 7-second advertisement to "Consult Grammar Girl" on the web if you had questions about grammar.

I'm going to be perfectly frank--I personally did not see the benefit of using this program in the regular (non-technology-related) classroom. It took me sooo long to complete the final product, and I wasn't even very satisfied with it! I know that some students would catch on better than I did, but I didn't think the program itself offered enough benefit to rationalize dedicating a lot of class time to it. That's probably not what Jon (my teacher) wants to hear, but I'm just being honest. I want to implement a lot of what we've learned into my future classroom, but I don't want to include Flash.

Caught in the Web

This post is dedicated to what I should have posted on October 26th.

On this date, our class worked on creating personal web pages using Google Sites. When I first heard that we would be required to create our own web pages--naturally--I almost freaked out. Web design!?!?! However, it really wasn't bad at all. Once again, Google has succeeded in making a program that helps people like me be less intimidated. In fact, by the end of the day I actually wanted there to be more possibilities and options. That is not typical for me; usually I want anything related to technology to be ASAP (i.e. as simple as possible).

Even though I wanted more options with the program, I can definitely see the benefit of using Google Sites in the classroom. It was so simple to use that students could create assignments (websites) using the program without much stress. For my personal Google Site, I created a web page that documented the books I have read this semester--I think that would be a perfect example of an assignment I could expect my English or Library students to complete.

Podcasts and Google Docs

As you can see from the above title, we learned about podcasts and Google Docs this week in class. I could see the benefit of including both in a high school English classroom.

I really liked how our instructor provided us with a list of places we can go to start finding educational podcasts. One podcast I found on Podanza was called "One Minute How-to," and it did exactly what you'd expect from the title. The podcasts had people explaining in only 60 seconds how to accomplish certain tasks. I think this could be a great pattern for an assignment--to have the students record in 60 seconds or less how to do something or what they'd learned about something. For example, they could summarize a short story or a chapter in a book in one minute.

Google Docs was also very interesting. I really like the idea of having only one master copy of a group assignment. It would relieve a lot of stress that often comes at the end of group projects when you have to compile everyone's data into one document. I know I have spent hours at the end of group projects trying to re-format everyone's work to make the assignment look uniform. However, I can see potential problems with using Google Docs, as well. In particular, I don't like how everyone can be working at the same time; it just seems like one person could be undoing what another person is trying to work on at the same time. That is why I think it would help to have a rule such as students only being able to touch their designated portions of an assignment (besides maybe being able to fix others' grammatical mistakes). Another possible rule would be to assign different times of the day when students are "allowed" to work on the document. There are a lot of possibilities!!

myMovie

This post is dedicated to what I should have posted later in the day on October 14th.

As you can see below, last week I posted the final version of my iMovie, but I didn't get a chance to reflect on how the whole process of using the program went. Overall, I really enjoyed this project--more than I thought I would.

One of the things that helped me be enthusiastic about the assignment was that we got to choose what we made our movies about. We weren't forced to do something that had no relevance to our studies or interests, so I automatically found the project more interesting. Another thing that helped was the fact that our instructor told us he didn't expect our movies to be perfect. Since this was my first time using the program, that caveat helped relieve a lot of pressure that I often put upon myself.

The thing I was most worried about with the project was the editing--which was the vast majority of the project! It's a good thing it wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. The program was very user-friendly; if I didn't know how to do something, it had enough "help" options that I could usually figure it out. I didn't expect to be proud of the final project, but I actually was (whether I should have been or not)!! :-)

I think movie-making assignments would be a great way to get students to learn subject material. After all, we have all heard that the best way to learn something is to teach it to someone else. I definitely felt that to be true while I was making my iMovie. I had to research my chosen topic, plan out the filming and editing, write a script for my voiceover, etc.

Even before this class, I thought it would be fun to have my future English and/or Library students film short Book Talks to encourage more reading. Now I am definitely planning on having that assignment at some time. The main thing I'm worried about is that my future school may not have the equipment necessary, but I'm sure I'll be able to work something out. I would only really need one camera if I spaced out the due dates for different students/groups. I could even buy my own classroom camera now that you can get something like a Flip Video for less than $100 if you catch the sales right.

In short, I'm glad we had this assignment, and I definitely plan on assigning a similar project to my future students.

Final Feature--Library Research Movie

Here is my final assignment for iMovie. Miriam and I used an assignment we have for another class to illustrate how to go about using research techniques. In the movie, we present the assignment we have in the other class, say what we decide to research, show how to find a book at the library, and check it out. Enjoy!!

Movie-making

This post is dedicated to what I should have posted on October 5th.

We have been working with iMovie since our Photoshop assignment was due. On September 30th, we chose partners to make a movie with. My partner is Miriam Andrus. Since we're both in the Library Media endorsement program, we decided to make a movie on locating resources in the library.

On October 5th, we got to class, got a camera, and headed to the library for filming. I was really worried that we wouldn't have enough time to record everything and download it to our computers, but we succeeded! It was helpful that our instructor had told us in advance how long downloading would take. I am one of those people who likes to know as much as possible about something before I try it, so I appreciated the extra information he gave us before he sent us off to record. I plan on giving as much information on assignments as possible to my future students, and hopefully that will help reduce their stress.

Classroom Drama

Well, I am quite behind in my blog posts, so today you are going to be entertained by my attempts to catch up. It's a good thing I have a good memory about what has occurred since my last post!! This post is dedicated to what I should have posted later in the day on September 28th.

September 28th was the day our Photoshop assignment was due. As my last post indicates, I had already completed the assignment by the time I got to class--or had I? Silly me, I hadn't thought of actually "turning in" the assignment. Since I have the program at home, I had done it at home and just emailed the finished product to myself. When I got to campus, I opened my email in a computer lab to make sure everything was okay, and everything was fine. However, when I went to the computer lab my class is in, I couldn't pull it up!! Immediately I started cursing Macs and panicking (again=).

Fifty minutes and a lot of wasted energy later, I asked my instructor to help me, and I was able to turn the assignment in. The process of getting the assignment pulled up successfully was pathetically easy; I just hadn't known what I'd been doing wrong. More than anything, I just wished the instructor had taken a couple of minutes at the end of the work period to help individuals--that would have eliminated my problem and my panic. I know that teachers are always pressed for time, and that was the case this time, too. However, I'm also sure that I am not the only student who has ever wanted one-on-one help and expended a lot of energy stressing because I didn't receive it. Thus, in my future classroom I will try to recognize those "stress-out" moments in my students and respond accordingly.

Photoshop Phantoms

I am a little behind in creating this post, but all's well that ends well, right? Well, a couple of weeks ago my class started working with Photoshop. When trying to think of an alliterative title for this post, "phantoms" came to mind. To make sure that title would work logically, I naturally googled the definition. One of the definitions for "phantoms" that thefreedictionary.com brought up was, "something dreaded or despised." BINGO!!

Okay, I didn't really dread or despise working with Photoshop; my usual panic was just very prevalent whenever I thought about it. Even though the program is frequently used at my house, I had never before been the one using it. However, I can now say that I have used Photoshop all by myself.

My lesson learned regarding the elusive phantoms? Well, I figure that many of my future students will also be wary of trying new things. Their new things might not be related to technology--in fact, their "new" things might be actually reading a book instead of waiting for the movie to come out (novel idea, I know--pun intended). My point is that I need to keep in mind the hesitant feelings I had so that I can be a more patient educator when my students are resistant to what I want them to learn. We'll see how well that works!!

Picture Perfect (in theory;-)

Last week in class we all took pictures using digital cameras and then learned a little about how we could use images in iPhoto and Comic Life. Using iPhoto, we made photo albums and slideshows. Then we went on to make comic strips using Comic Life.

I really liked learning about these new programs. I can definitely see how using them in the classroom could hook students' attention. In particular, I think students would enjoy creating comic strips for a more unique assignment. It would change up the typical English classroom of reading, writing, listening, and talking. I think it would peak the interests of students with different learning styles, especially with the increased popularity of graphic novels over the last few years.

While I did enjoy the things we learned in class, I really wish we could have taken more time on it. As my blog already clearly outlined, I am not familiar with many programs. The class where we "learned" how to use the programs went so quickly that at least half the time I was in panic mode trying to keep up. Oh, well. I know that we don't have a lot of time to learn everything, and we are just supposed to become aware of everything that's "out there" by getting our toes wet. I just wish we could have had more time to learn and play with the programs in class.

DON'T PANIC!

I am currently trying to take to heart this advice penned by a literary genius. (If you don't know who I am talking about, then you have a homework assignment: read something by Douglas Adams!) This semester I am taking a class titled "Technology Tools for Secondary Teachers," which is why I find myself creating a blog. In the class, I have already been required to do things that I don't necessarily do when given the choice (e.g. learning how to use a Mac).

You see, even though I was technically born in the "digital age," I am not a "natural" when it comes to anything dealing with technology. Last week in class we talked about digital natives and digital immigrants. Technically, I am a digital native. What a laugh.

This class will be good for me, though. Logically, I know that I need to learn all of these tools so I can better engage my future students. For example, last week in class we read an article talking about incorporating video games into the curriculum. In particular, the article focused on a game that was created for a high school English class to complement their study of a novel. By the end of the article, I was excited about gaming. (This is no small miracle; just ask my husband.)

I want to reach as many of my students as possible, and I believe my best successes will come when I try to cater to their interests. Therefore, I have my own homework. I need to swallow my insecurities associated with trying new technology and just try it. I'll try not to panic.