Midpoint Check

So far, TPTE has provided me with a vast amount of information about technology.  I have learned how to use several tools that I can definitely see myself using in my future classroom.  At this point in the semester, I am feeling good at my progression of knowledge about technology.  I would consider myself "tech-savvy" but I have definitely learned a lot of new things in the past couple of weeks.  All the projects we have completed thus far seem to be great tools for use in the classroom, especially  the Web 2.0 tools and Webquests.  Overall, I hope I continue to learn more new things about technology use in the classroom.

Scavenger Hunt

For this week's activity, we focused on doing a digital Scavenger Hunt.  This activity proved to be both fun and informative.  I especially liked this activity because it can be adjusted for all grades levels.  This activity takes learning outside of the classroom, but still makes incorporates an educational aspect.  My group focused on doing a Scavenger Hunt for the ABCs.  I thought this was especially great because I can definitely see myself using this in my future classroom.  Since children today are so technologically advanced, having them takes pictures of things could make learning fun.  By having a child take pictures of things in a specific category, this could help the child recognize things that belong in a group, such as finding objects that begin with the letter "A" or finding objects that are the color yellow.

Overall, I think the whole activity went well.  It provided me an opportunity to learn about changing the resolution of photos for web use, as well as creating an online slideshow.  Google Presentation is a great way to create a slideshow on the web, especially since you don't have to remember to save your work after you finish.  I definitely see myself using this tool in my future classroom.  I will be able to split my class into groups to search for shapes, colors and letters.  This activity is great for all ages and I'm glad that I had a chance to discover this.

Here is my digital slideshows:

Google Docs

After discovering Google Docs, it is definitely hard for me to switch back to my normal Word documents on my computer.  Google Docs is a useful tool to cut down on the use of copying documents and sending them as attachments on email.  With using Google Docs, many users are allowed to collaborate on a single word document at the same time.  This cuts down on the confusion or sending emails and waiting on responses.  Think of Google Docs as an "chat room document".  It is very simple to use, and could be very useful in classrooms.  Although this tool is great and very useful, I seldom see a use for it for my future students.  Since I want to work with Elementary grades, this tool may be too complex for student to use on their own.  On the other hand, me as a teacher could use this to keep all of my assignments and worksheets online, and have them easily accessible.  Overall, I love Google Docs and I am amazed that I have went this long without using them!

Below is an example of how I used Google Docs to create a worksheet:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hviqTDxtdkXumIXALC9FTMNBoMzat-v2jYXdRv10rh4/edit

Here is a short video description of Google Docs:

Source

Wikis

At this point in the classroom, we have used Wikis in 3 ways and all times it has proved to be a very useful tool.  A wiki is a simple way to create, modify and personalize your own website.  Wikis can be used collaboratively or for individual use.  The great thing about using wikis is that they are a variety of way that you can use them.  Most importantly for me, I could see myself using wikis in my future classroom.  Wikis are a great tool that can be used at any grade level.  It can be used to teach a lesson, or for group projects.  Of course, with any only tool, there are pros and cons.  The only cons to this website are that only one person can edit a page a time.  Besides that, there are a plethora of options available to design a wiki page.  They are very simple to use and can be used for even the simplest of tasks.  Upon first using pbworks.com for wikis, I was hesitant at the amount of work that I would have to put into a page, but it was very simple.  Overall, I will definitely continue to use Wikis in many ways!


Here is a great video that describes Wikis:

Source

Web 2.0: Glogster

For my Web 2.0 Project, my group was chosen to work on Glogster EDU.  A Glog, or graphics blog, is an interactive visual platform in which users create a “poster or web page” containing multimedia elements including: text, audio, video, images, graphics, drawings, and data.  Glogster is a useful tool in so many ways, especially for use in the classroom.  There are many strengths of this website, but most importantly it allows for the creativity of students as well as teachers.  Glogster allows users to create visual aides easily as well as making learning fun.

I really enjoyed using Glogster, although it did take a while to master the program.  When first using this program, it can be very overwhelming.  There are so many options a user can use to create their glog.  If used in a classroom, the teacher should have clear instructions and guidelines for the student to follow, otherwise the assignment can turn into a difficult one.  Creativity is greatly emphasized in this program, which allows any user to express themselves.

Although Glogster is a great tool, I don't see myself using this program often in my future classroom.   Since I want to work in the lower elementary grades, this tool seems a tad bit complex to let students on this age level to use.  If used, I would have to thoroughly guide the students through this activity.  On the other hand, as a teacher, I could use this activity to teach a lesson, much like the example I created.

You can view it here: 
http://aneisha.edu.glogster.com/weather/