What?
This video was brilliantly clever. I loved the message it sent without even saying words with the setting and the staging. Having Jordan start out as a would-be movie director in his garage and then advance through his yard which was his movied lot, and finally go home only yards away was terrific. It showed his dreams played out in a small scale with his big dreams pinned on getting his education. His narration was the driving message, but I couldn't help being drawn into the video set up.
So What?
As a student learning technology, I realized that Jordan is right in that I need an education and especially an education in technology. Jordan has used his knowledge of technology to send a message all over the world. Technology is an effective way to communicate. I am using technology know to communicate to my professors my assignments and knowledge. This video topic was an appropriate message for me.
What Now?
I thought how creative a 16 year old can be! What can 3rd and 6th graders do with their writing and acting abilities to convey their knowledge and dreams? This young man used his knowledge of technology as a vehicle to hopefully get his dream job. Technology is the key to many future jobs. I think my students should use it and begin the spirit of discovery!
Friday, April 23, 2010
Digital Story 3
What?
Tyler and I are matching the images with the music and brief narration we have chosen to form our dramatic question and send our inspirational message. I'm still unsure how the Mac software does this process since Tyler is adding in most of what I send him by email. However, I'm having fun on the Photostory I installed on my home computer.
So What?
The topic we chose of the flag has great interest to me now as the country seems to be divided in a political party fued. I'm hoping that the viewer will remember what the flag stands for--one nation, indivisible. Life in America should not be without contradiction and readjustment; however, I wish people could focus on the policies and not the political parties. The digital stories are a good way to use imagery and sound to provoke critical thinking.
What Now?
The digital story we created should be helpful to me as a teacher because it reviews in photos the history of America's significant events. The pictures will create questions for students who have not seen the picture or are not familiar with the events. For others, the pictures may cause the viewer to reflect on those pictures and take pause. Since much of the social studies core in 5th grade includes American history, this would be appropriate for them to view.
Tyler and I are matching the images with the music and brief narration we have chosen to form our dramatic question and send our inspirational message. I'm still unsure how the Mac software does this process since Tyler is adding in most of what I send him by email. However, I'm having fun on the Photostory I installed on my home computer.
So What?
The topic we chose of the flag has great interest to me now as the country seems to be divided in a political party fued. I'm hoping that the viewer will remember what the flag stands for--one nation, indivisible. Life in America should not be without contradiction and readjustment; however, I wish people could focus on the policies and not the political parties. The digital stories are a good way to use imagery and sound to provoke critical thinking.
What Now?
The digital story we created should be helpful to me as a teacher because it reviews in photos the history of America's significant events. The pictures will create questions for students who have not seen the picture or are not familiar with the events. For others, the pictures may cause the viewer to reflect on those pictures and take pause. Since much of the social studies core in 5th grade includes American history, this would be appropriate for them to view.
Friday, April 16, 2010
I Am What I Learn-Renee (video)
What?
This digital story was a great example of using all the elements of text, sound, and visuals to send a dramatic message. Her script was written in text along the bottom of the screen to help the viewer to understand the message and to emphasize the message. (Did she do that texting on the bottom of the screen? She must have had great timing to get the sound and text matched up so well.) I felt her passion as she talked about passion. I felt emotion as she used personal experience to inspire me to create the person I want to be no matter my situation.
So What?
As a student, this message is powerful because enduring to graduation can seem daunting. But no matter the situation, I need to take control of my life and finish. After graduation, I'm sure a new dawn of choosing to succeed will begin. It was nice to see the video as an example of a great digital story. Although her body language and background will appeal to a different generation than mine, the message is timeless. I liked her ideas for script, transitions and emotional appeal.
What Now?
I could use her message to motivate older students. Powerful digital stories like this one can be used as resources in teaching topics in the core. I'm excited to find more of them and add them to my tool box. I need more time . . . There are so many fun things to do!
This digital story was a great example of using all the elements of text, sound, and visuals to send a dramatic message. Her script was written in text along the bottom of the screen to help the viewer to understand the message and to emphasize the message. (Did she do that texting on the bottom of the screen? She must have had great timing to get the sound and text matched up so well.) I felt her passion as she talked about passion. I felt emotion as she used personal experience to inspire me to create the person I want to be no matter my situation.
So What?
As a student, this message is powerful because enduring to graduation can seem daunting. But no matter the situation, I need to take control of my life and finish. After graduation, I'm sure a new dawn of choosing to succeed will begin. It was nice to see the video as an example of a great digital story. Although her body language and background will appeal to a different generation than mine, the message is timeless. I liked her ideas for script, transitions and emotional appeal.
What Now?
I could use her message to motivate older students. Powerful digital stories like this one can be used as resources in teaching topics in the core. I'm excited to find more of them and add them to my tool box. I need more time . . . There are so many fun things to do!
Digital Story 2
What?
Today in class we worked with Photostory learning how to add images, sound, and text to make a digital story. I was impressed with the effectiveness of panning, zooming, and transitioning made easy. The motion made it feel like a movie. I enjoyed the musical sound options built into the software. I thought it was fun to play with. The idea of using power point slides for text was insightful.
So What?
I'm excited to try this out. I think I will download microstory3 (is that what it was called?) on my home computer to have some fun with my own pictures. Tyler has a Macbook and, of course, he wants to do everything on his laptop. So I think our digital story will be done in IMovie or something whatever Mac computers use that is similar. We have worked on the script and sound together and picture ideas. Tyler wants to download the pictures all on his computer; so I'm not sure what they will be for certain until we meet again. However, I'm excited to try out Photostory with some of our pictures to get the hang of it.
What Now?
This idea is wonderful for engaging students in school projects. Besides the purpose we are making digital stories--to teach a topic or address an issue--digital stories could help in skill procedures and in perhaps unit reviews. For example, I think students would love to hear their own voices in a movie or see familiar pictures. I think taking pictures of hands-on learning or showing student successes would be a great unit review using digital stories. The story could begin with the essential question of the unit like: What was the cause of the Civil War? Then brief podcast interviews could be recorded of student's understanding or their answers to the essential question. Then pictures taken of different assessments that they are willing to share with the class could be added to the story. It would make a great review mixed in with teacher review and slides. Mmm. . . my brain is thinking how versatile this tool could be if I have time to use the creative juices as a teacher!
Today in class we worked with Photostory learning how to add images, sound, and text to make a digital story. I was impressed with the effectiveness of panning, zooming, and transitioning made easy. The motion made it feel like a movie. I enjoyed the musical sound options built into the software. I thought it was fun to play with. The idea of using power point slides for text was insightful.
So What?
I'm excited to try this out. I think I will download microstory3 (is that what it was called?) on my home computer to have some fun with my own pictures. Tyler has a Macbook and, of course, he wants to do everything on his laptop. So I think our digital story will be done in IMovie or something whatever Mac computers use that is similar. We have worked on the script and sound together and picture ideas. Tyler wants to download the pictures all on his computer; so I'm not sure what they will be for certain until we meet again. However, I'm excited to try out Photostory with some of our pictures to get the hang of it.
What Now?
This idea is wonderful for engaging students in school projects. Besides the purpose we are making digital stories--to teach a topic or address an issue--digital stories could help in skill procedures and in perhaps unit reviews. For example, I think students would love to hear their own voices in a movie or see familiar pictures. I think taking pictures of hands-on learning or showing student successes would be a great unit review using digital stories. The story could begin with the essential question of the unit like: What was the cause of the Civil War? Then brief podcast interviews could be recorded of student's understanding or their answers to the essential question. Then pictures taken of different assessments that they are willing to share with the class could be added to the story. It would make a great review mixed in with teacher review and slides. Mmm. . . my brain is thinking how versatile this tool could be if I have time to use the creative juices as a teacher!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Cyber Summit on 21st Century Skills (Video)
What?
This video presents the Kansas Technology Rich Classroom used in 3rd to 5th grades. Four teachers and a part-time facilitator use technology to help students experience the virtual world of knowledge. These students were allowed to use their own speed and learning style to achieve through technology.
So What?
As a student doing my curriculum hours I have seen technology used in the classroom by my cooperating teacher and have used technology in my lesson plans. My cooperating teacher used her interactive board to teach measuring area in math. She was able to project a grid on the board and use the tools to drag elastics to the grid to form shapes. Then she could highlight different shapes with colors, inside or outside the shape. This visual enhanced students' learning by allowing them to count the squares inside the shapes in order to check their computations. This format of teaching explained why the formulas for area work. Technology moved the ideas from abstract to a more concrete nature.
What Now?
As a teacher, I feel technology-enriched classrooms will be beneficial for my students. I liked the comments of the students in the video who said it allowed them to go at their own speed and achieve in a non-traditional way. My students will have access to real and virtual experiences like those who explored and reported the world through technology. I liked the ideas put forth that rich technology helped "explode" student achievement scores, produced leadership skills, and new relationships. I would love to see my students have that kind of success!
This video presents the Kansas Technology Rich Classroom used in 3rd to 5th grades. Four teachers and a part-time facilitator use technology to help students experience the virtual world of knowledge. These students were allowed to use their own speed and learning style to achieve through technology.
So What?
As a student doing my curriculum hours I have seen technology used in the classroom by my cooperating teacher and have used technology in my lesson plans. My cooperating teacher used her interactive board to teach measuring area in math. She was able to project a grid on the board and use the tools to drag elastics to the grid to form shapes. Then she could highlight different shapes with colors, inside or outside the shape. This visual enhanced students' learning by allowing them to count the squares inside the shapes in order to check their computations. This format of teaching explained why the formulas for area work. Technology moved the ideas from abstract to a more concrete nature.
What Now?
As a teacher, I feel technology-enriched classrooms will be beneficial for my students. I liked the comments of the students in the video who said it allowed them to go at their own speed and achieve in a non-traditional way. My students will have access to real and virtual experiences like those who explored and reported the world through technology. I liked the ideas put forth that rich technology helped "explode" student achievement scores, produced leadership skills, and new relationships. I would love to see my students have that kind of success!
Field Blog #3
What?
This week we used media clips and power points in our lesson plans. Two effective clips were used in teaching the Gettysburg Address. PBS.org made available an introductory clip of the Gettysburg Address showing the original picture of Lincoln at the time he gave the Address and narrative with a small reflection from former President Bill Clinton. The second clip we showed was a reading of the Gettysburg Address document by actor Jeff Daniels with text on screen for read-along purposes.
So What?
Our technology was an effective teaching tools for our students. Our lesson plan put the media information in the middle of our presentation, which brought our students to focus with the dramatic music, the primary sources, and the use of audio and visual representations together. The students were reverenced by the tone of the video clips and the reading of the document. This technology was helpful and powerful in leading into our assessment to have the students write a journal entry regarding the message of the Gettysburg Address. The students were able to connect why this document was still important to us today. They felt patriotic when we talked about a nation still being "tried."
What Now?
As a future teacher, I can see how technology can make life easier and effective for me with resources. Creative people have graciously made available excellent teaching resources. The students love to watch the past be re-enacted or retold on screen. They are engaged easily by media creations. I would love to have an interactive board available in my classroom. I hope to understand how to work on an Apple computer works as well. My cooperating teacher said that everything in the districts was Apple. I'm used to PC and windows. Here's to the spirit of discovery!
This week we used media clips and power points in our lesson plans. Two effective clips were used in teaching the Gettysburg Address. PBS.org made available an introductory clip of the Gettysburg Address showing the original picture of Lincoln at the time he gave the Address and narrative with a small reflection from former President Bill Clinton. The second clip we showed was a reading of the Gettysburg Address document by actor Jeff Daniels with text on screen for read-along purposes.
So What?
Our technology was an effective teaching tools for our students. Our lesson plan put the media information in the middle of our presentation, which brought our students to focus with the dramatic music, the primary sources, and the use of audio and visual representations together. The students were reverenced by the tone of the video clips and the reading of the document. This technology was helpful and powerful in leading into our assessment to have the students write a journal entry regarding the message of the Gettysburg Address. The students were able to connect why this document was still important to us today. They felt patriotic when we talked about a nation still being "tried."
What Now?
As a future teacher, I can see how technology can make life easier and effective for me with resources. Creative people have graciously made available excellent teaching resources. The students love to watch the past be re-enacted or retold on screen. They are engaged easily by media creations. I would love to have an interactive board available in my classroom. I hope to understand how to work on an Apple computer works as well. My cooperating teacher said that everything in the districts was Apple. I'm used to PC and windows. Here's to the spirit of discovery!
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