I admit. I loved acting in school. I took a Performing Arts class my senior year and just loved the spot light. So, when we created our own video in grad class last week and had to edit it using Movee Maker, I jumped at the opportunity to be silly and a little crazy, so I'm thinking my students, who are only 10 and 11 years old, would love to play with a video camera and edit their own.
Anywho, I introduced treatments today to my students. Amazing how they immediately wanted to jump into acting out their commercial. I explained that we had to identify the purpose, audience, style, and length first. THEN, PLAN! No one wanted to plan. They had an idea and wanted to run with it. Wait until I introduce storyboarding! Some of them might just fall over with the amount of detailing and planning that goes into that!
The one thing I struggle with is TIME. There is seriously never enough. And if students are creating from the very beginning with a blank slate, it seems to take even longer. For my unit, I'm not actually having students create their commercials. It's more for practice to get storyboarding down. And, when I begin my next unit in S.S., then they actually will create their commercial. They'll have treatment and storyboarding under their belt, and perhaps it won't take as long...I guess I'll just have to wait and see.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Podcast- some more thoughts
My mom asked me what I learned in grad class a few weeks ago...I know, I'm almost thirty and she still asks me that. Maybe it's because she's in grad school too, and she is currently taking a "Nursing and Technology" course, which is lovely because somehow I always end up on the phone with her for 30 minutes listening to her ask questions and tell me what research shows about technology and online learning. I always end up saying, Mom. I know. Seriously. I'm living it. Some of the articles points I agree with, but others I totally disagree with...I guess that's a whole other conversation.
Anyways, I was telling her about podcasts, and she started asking me all sorts of questions, because the hospital where she works is into finding the latest technologies that will make the hospital run smoother. When I explained that podcasts were audio, and the benefit was that they were mobile if downloaded into an iPod or MP3 player, I think I lost her interest. She works with elderly, like patients in their 70s, 80s, and 90s, with congestive heart failure. She thinks they are better off with visuals...so the audio portion of podcasting didn't appeal to her or her clientele. I had a funny image in my head of my mom trying to explain what a podcast was to a 90 year old patient with heart issues....funny to think about. I guess it just goes to show you that podcasting isn't for everyone...but then again, I've heard of some hip' old grannies who like to surf the Internet. Maybe those are the ones my mom should be talking with about podcasting.
Anyways, I was telling her about podcasts, and she started asking me all sorts of questions, because the hospital where she works is into finding the latest technologies that will make the hospital run smoother. When I explained that podcasts were audio, and the benefit was that they were mobile if downloaded into an iPod or MP3 player, I think I lost her interest. She works with elderly, like patients in their 70s, 80s, and 90s, with congestive heart failure. She thinks they are better off with visuals...so the audio portion of podcasting didn't appeal to her or her clientele. I had a funny image in my head of my mom trying to explain what a podcast was to a 90 year old patient with heart issues....funny to think about. I guess it just goes to show you that podcasting isn't for everyone...but then again, I've heard of some hip' old grannies who like to surf the Internet. Maybe those are the ones my mom should be talking with about podcasting.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Podcasts
Well, I must admit that this whole blogging for class thing is a lot harder than I thought it'd be. I do not like being forced to blog about specific topics! I guess that's why it's always the last thing that I do before Wednesdays class...anyways, enough complaining and on to writing!
Podcasts. Prior to last Wednesday's class, the only experience I ever had with a podcast was listening to my church's sermons online. With a 10 month old, it's a lot easier to "do church" at home in our kitchen. We eat breakfast in our pajamas, drink coffee, and fire up the computer. We select a podcast and listen for 20-30 minutes, occasionally pausing it to change a diaper, heat up a bottle, or grab an extra handful of cheerios for the little pumpkin. (Here is an example of my church's podcast!)
Anywho, I had a blast creating a podcast in class on Wednesday night about Thomas Jefferson. And, I actually figured out how I could use it in my classroom! For my social studies unit on the southwest, I'm planning on having the students become travel agents. It would be really cool to have students create travel podcasts giving advice to those planning to travel out west...I'm sure I'll be able to think of other things they could add...and of course I'm open to suggestions!
Podcasts. Prior to last Wednesday's class, the only experience I ever had with a podcast was listening to my church's sermons online. With a 10 month old, it's a lot easier to "do church" at home in our kitchen. We eat breakfast in our pajamas, drink coffee, and fire up the computer. We select a podcast and listen for 20-30 minutes, occasionally pausing it to change a diaper, heat up a bottle, or grab an extra handful of cheerios for the little pumpkin. (Here is an example of my church's podcast!)
Anywho, I had a blast creating a podcast in class on Wednesday night about Thomas Jefferson. And, I actually figured out how I could use it in my classroom! For my social studies unit on the southwest, I'm planning on having the students become travel agents. It would be really cool to have students create travel podcasts giving advice to those planning to travel out west...I'm sure I'll be able to think of other things they could add...and of course I'm open to suggestions!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
A wiki wiki
A wiki...I thought that was just a noise that beat boxer make when creating a new concoction of sounds. I guess not. Prior to this class, the only experience I had with wikis was using Wikipedia on the Internet. Now, I know that Wikis are collaborative efforts, sometimes by people who don't know each other, in creating entries about anything and everything.
Educational purpose? Absolutely. What a great way to have students review for a test. An assignment could be to create a classroom wiki on the southeast United States in preparation for a SE test. If a template had already been created, students could fill in the information that they knew, first without their notes and then with their notes, to create a "study guide." Hmm, definitely something that I could see doing in my own classroom.
Educational purpose? Absolutely. What a great way to have students review for a test. An assignment could be to create a classroom wiki on the southeast United States in preparation for a SE test. If a template had already been created, students could fill in the information that they knew, first without their notes and then with their notes, to create a "study guide." Hmm, definitely something that I could see doing in my own classroom.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
A blog about blogs
Until last Wednesday, I never had any interest in blogging. Sure, I saw Julie and Julia and enjoyed seeing her blog. But me? What could I possibly use this for?
Well, it turns out quite a lot. First of all, I was inspired to begin my own personal blog that is completely unrelated to education. It's where I can write about my adventures of living in a very small home in the country and working towards becoming debt free. A place where I can reflect about the lessons I'm learning through difficult times. A place where perhaps others can read about what we are going through and be encouraged.
Second, I learned that blogging can be used in education. I never thought about using it as a tool within my classroom. However, I have several parents this year who are very concerned about their children using the Internet. Prior to implementing a blog in the classroom and allowing children to use it for "educational" purposes, I would HAVE to get approval from my principal and send home a letter informing parents of what I planned to do with blogging in my classroom. (I learned after beginning my unit that I really needed to inform parents prior to starting to be proactive and avoid unnecessary backlash.) I'm thinking I'd have to have standards ready in my back pocket, and have a really great reason for why the lesson required blogging....hmmm, definitely some things to think about.
Well, it turns out quite a lot. First of all, I was inspired to begin my own personal blog that is completely unrelated to education. It's where I can write about my adventures of living in a very small home in the country and working towards becoming debt free. A place where I can reflect about the lessons I'm learning through difficult times. A place where perhaps others can read about what we are going through and be encouraged.
Second, I learned that blogging can be used in education. I never thought about using it as a tool within my classroom. However, I have several parents this year who are very concerned about their children using the Internet. Prior to implementing a blog in the classroom and allowing children to use it for "educational" purposes, I would HAVE to get approval from my principal and send home a letter informing parents of what I planned to do with blogging in my classroom. (I learned after beginning my unit that I really needed to inform parents prior to starting to be proactive and avoid unnecessary backlash.) I'm thinking I'd have to have standards ready in my back pocket, and have a really great reason for why the lesson required blogging....hmmm, definitely some things to think about.
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