Homophones Presentation

Here is my Homophones presentation. However, my video and animations do not play in this version, so I will be playing it off my flashdrive in class.

Homophones Presentation

View more presentations from TeachinGal13.

Final Project - Portfolio

Here is the link to my final project - ISTE Standards Artifact/Reflection Portfolio:

http://sites.google.com/site/justinebrownsportfolio/home

Presentation Idea

My plan for my presentation is to teach about Homophones. I am seeing this lesson be taught in my Clinical I Second Grade classroom, and I've seen how the students have understood it some, but have also struggled. I'm hoping that a presentation with more pictures and such would help. I am going to use this website some, as long as looking for a few more.

Edited Scratch - Moon Phases

Click here to view my edited project.

Blogging with Fairview Middle

I thought this was a very neat activity. It was fun to see how the students responded to the magazine covers that were made, and to see what caught their attention/what they liked most. I have never seen blogging used in a classroom before, so it was neat to see how good the children were with it, and how they seemed to enjoy the communication with others. I am still just unsure of whether or not this is something I would want to use in my classroom. I can see how it can be educational, but it worries me that it is taking away from learning some. I am seeing through my younger sister's learning how certain technologies are taking away from her learning things that were mandatory when I was her age. I know that technology is "the way of the future", but I often feel we are becoming too dependent on it, and using blogging in the classroom, to me, just adds to that. I don't know; I have a lot of mixed feelings about this, and I'm just not sure how I really feel about any of it, even though this was a neat activity/experience.

Scratch

As I looked through the Elementary Education projects on Scratch, there were several that caught my attention, but one really stood out to me. The one I liked was Moon Phases. I think I liked this one for several reasons. One, this was neat to see because it is something we have just learned about in exosphere, and it is neat to see a way it can be taught to elementary students, instead of just learning about it and thinking of your own ways, which can sometimes be difficult. Two, I liked it because the students in my clinical classroom have also learned about this recently. In fact, I was able to teach them this lesson, and I noticed how it was difficult for some of them to fully grasp the concept at the second grade level. This is a good way for them to play around and see how the moon phases change. There could also be a second part made that is a little more interactive for them in some way. Maybe asking them to identify without seeing names with the phases, having them use a drawing tool to illustrate the phases, etc. There are many possibilities in how this can be expanded on/improved, but overall, it was a very good learning tool.

Think Aloud

Click Here to View my Think Aloud.

Convergence Culture - Henry Jenkins Video

Convergence Culture is a sort of process that combines old media with new media with the intent to make a better media for the present day. Convergence culture's implications in education are basically how teacher's are able to use technology in their classrooms (Powerpoints, TeacherTube or YouTube, blogging, etc). This class is a great example of convergence culture, because we are learning hands-on how technology, old and new combined, can be used in the classroom. Some schools, however, limit kids use to these forms of technology, mainly to protect them from the dangers and the non-educational areas of the internet, etc. Some schools are also having trouble financially updating and being able to provide these technologies. I know from personal experience, I had not been able to use much of this technology until now. I live in a very rural area without accessible internet, and my school did not use much technology in the classes, at least to the extent I have in college. I think it is good for students to be able to use technology/convergence culture in the classroom, but I don't feel it needs to be the main focus. This could possibly because I didn't use much technology in school, and the idea of using it for everything seems odd to me. This is also because a lot of students now use so much technology everyday, that if they had a lot of access at school and it was not moderated properly, they could be doing other things (Facebook-ing, talking to friends, etc.)

Website Validation

The website I looked at was Martin Luther King Jr. - A True Historical Examination. As I read further into the details and looked at the links provided, I feel that this is not a true examination. It says things like "Martin Luther King Jr. was a fraud", "woman beater", and many other horrible things. The website is hosted by Stormfront-A White Nationalist Community - and their homepage is just a forum site, and a lot is said about donating money. I believe that this site is not a very legitimate source, and that they are really trying to make some money. They have flyers on their page for students to give out in their schools saying all these horrible comments about Martin Luther King Jr., and I'm afraid that children will see this website and believe it without really studying about Martin Luther King Jr. and learning about what he did while he was alive, relating to Civil Rights.

Magazine Cover - Teacher of the Year

"They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel." - Anonymous

Survey Results

- Made at KidsZone
- 13 Teacher Candidates Responded

My Survey

My Resource from Delicious

As I was looking at the search results for the Web 2.0 Education, one of the first results caught my attention, and stayed in my mind as I looked through all of the results. The resource I chose was SlideShare, a sight to upload Powerpoint presentations, Word documents, and much more. I felt that this would be a good resource to, not only access these documents in the classroom without having a laptop or flashdrive, but to also share these documents with teachers of the same classes/grade levels, etc. This way teachers can see what you are using in your classroom, apply it to their classrooms, and so on. This is a very interesting tool, and I'm excited to try it out.

Until next time...

Parts of a Book Student Artifact

This is a Powerpoint presentation, but I was having trouble uploading it. So, I turned it into a Photostory. I would prefer, however, that the students create a Powerpoint presentation. It is simpler and will work better for the K-2 students.

Would Socrates approve of WebQuests?

Yes, I believe that Socrates would approve of WebQuests. Socrates was not one for learning in the same environment all of the time, and I believe that he would find WebQuests a great way for students to learn in the classroom, at home, anywhere they could access the internet. I also feel that, even though he wouldn't want us to completely focus on just the internet and its resources for learning, he would love it and use it as much as he could. It would help to answer his questions, and lead him to more questions from those answers. He would also be able to grasp what others may be learning, and share that with those he was teaching. The internet is an amazing tool, and as long as it is not the primary learning tool, it can lead to great learning and assistance in that learning, and I believe that is what Socrates would say.

The task that I feel my WebQuest falls under is the Retelling Task. Although it is not just retelling to the students the parts of the book, it is just teaching and allowing the students to teach me, as well as other classmates and family, about what they knew, what they learned, and what they would like to know, along with some other creative tasks.

Until next time...

WebQuest Rough Draft

Here's the link to my WebQuest! Feel free to leave me comments here with questions, concerns, etc. :)

The WebQuest I Plan to Edit

Click here to view the link to the WebQuest I would like to edit. I plan to make changes to the introduction, task, and process. The WebQuest is good and has a great lesson, but is not as kid friendly as I think I could be. I want to make it a little more fun for the kids, instead of just words on the page.

(Sorry this posting is late. I was at home and was unable to access the internet.)

Digital Essays Vs. Written Essays

After reading Orchestrating the Media Collage by Jason Ohler and watching The Power of One, as well as creating my own photo essay, I have a new respect and understanding of the topic of whether or not digital essays should be allowed in lieu of written essays, at least once. In my own opinion, I believe that it would be a great experience for students to create at least one digital or photo essay. The Power of One proved that it can be successfully done, and that the students can learn the information just as well, or even better than they would by doing a written essay. The NETS for Teachers also shows that through the following standards:

2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessment incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS•S. Teachers:

a.	design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.

-and-

4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility

Teachers understand local and global societal issues and responsibilities in an evolving digital culture and exhibit legal and ethical behavior in their professional practices. Teachers:

a.	advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources.

With digital essays, teachers not only get to tap into a student's creative potential, but also teach about copyright laws, proper use of multimedia, etc.
I believe that, in my classroom with the proper age level, I would like to incorporate at least one digital essay because our children need to learn about technology with the changing times, and this is one great way to teach them.

Until next time...

WebQuest In-Class Activity

The best WebQuest was Poetry of War because of it's creative idea, along with it's well organized web-site with great multimedia use to set an atmosphere for the site. The second best was Creative Encounters for it's child-friendly site, creative theme and ideas, etc. Our worst were John Wilkes Booth, because of it's chaos and having too much information for the children to really take in and remember. The other was the landfill because there was not much information for the students, such as websites, and it was very plain.

My Best Teacher

You can also view my video here.

Resume

Please click here to view my resume.

A Look Into Using Blogs In The Classroom

As this class began, I found myself wondering just how a blog could really be used well in a classroom. When I was in elementary school, some technology was used, but it was not very advanced and was used very little. So, of course, the idea of blogging in the classroom seemed very odd and wild to me.
However, as I read The Joy of Blogging by Anne P. Davis and Ewa McGrail, I began to see just how a blog could be used. The students in Georgia were so excited to hear from teachers around the world, and share what they were learning with their families, friends, and other children across the continents. I was also glad to see some of the blogs that are being used in classrooms today.
One in particular, however, caught my attention. Indiana Mysteries was from elementary school students in Connersville, IN who were preparing for the visit of an author/scientist name Ron Hirshi. They decided to create mysteries about their native area in Indiana to share with Ron and the rest of the world as they visited their blog. It was so neat to see the pictures of objects they would post, as well as the clues they would give for people to guess at the objects. They were very creative with it, but learning in an interactive way as well. As I looked at the NETS for Teachers, I began to see several that fit with this lesson idea, but two stuck out to me.
The first is 1a) Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments. Teachers: a. promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness. The teachers that were involved in that project gave the students an outlet to reach their creativity, not only through thinking of the mysteries, but also through developing the blog, choosing the pictures, etc.
The second NETS standard, 2a, also went along the same lines: Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessment incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS•S. Teachers: a. design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity. The teachers could have just told the kids to bring an object in and see if anyone knew what it was. However, they decided to have the students branch out more. They were able to discover what an object was, learn about and do research on that object, then share it with those around the world and hear their ideas. It was almost a little lesson plan each time they chose an object because they would have to learn about it and share it with others.
I commend the teachers in Connersville, Indiana for reaching out and helping their students learn as much as they can about the new technologies available. I bet their 1-6 graders know more about technology than I as a 19-year old college sophomore do. This was a great learning idea, as well as use of technology and creativity. Hats off to you!

Until next time...

Links to the sites mentioned above:

The Joy of Blogging - http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/mar09/vol66/num06/The_Joy_of_Blogging.aspx
Indiana Mysteries - http://authorvisitsindiana.blogspot.com/
NETS for Teachers - http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_for_Teachers_2008.htm

And So It Begins...

Well, I'm not really sure what I need to put here. This is my very first post to my very first blog, unless you consider Xanga which most people have probably forgotten about. I am looking forward to this semester and all it will have to offer. It's already been a wonderful week, with Welcome Weekend and Freshman Counseling, and now classes. I'm such a nerd, but I love school. As much as I may get stressed out, I love it. I guess that's why I've always wanted to teach and be apart of that amazing journey with my own students. There's nothing else I would rather do with my life. My goal is to be able to touch someone's life in a way that is similar to the way teacher's have touched mine. I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for several teachers who believed in me, loved me, and showed that to me everyday in the classroom, and even outside the classroom many years later. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm so thankful for everything I have and everyone that's helped me get here.

Until next time...