Other's Videos and My Oppinions

I got to watch the videos of Nancy, Sam, Keri, Alli, Robin, and Sarah.
Some of the concepts were really cut and dry, and didn't seem like they would be very fun for the students to make or watch.
There were some videos that had good concepts behind them, and could have been extended even more with the help of the students. There was some real creativity to go into it.
I think the most difficult thing about implementing digital story ideas will be getting the students excited about the project. It is obviously very easy to do, and there are countless opportunities to create digital stories. However, some students might not buy into it as much as others, or they might be afraid to use the computer. I believe with the right context of the class, students would love doing digital stories.

Corbin and the Etch-a-sketch

TPACK and Storyboard

I thought it was very interesting to learn about the advantages of having a TPACK mindset while teaching in the elementary classroom. Indeed, it is important to have a firm background knowledge on the subject you are teaching (CK), as well as knowing how to teach it (PK). But the most interesting point of the lesson was the emphasis on being able to incorporate technology into the lessons (TK). I liked getting new ideas and a new drive to master educational technology, and I hope that I will be able to do it with this class. I already feel as if I've learned so many tools for helping me work the classroom.

I compiled a storyboard on a word document, using pictures from the internet. So I sort of did a combination of a paper pencil storyboard and an online storyboard. I might not be using all the pictures that I have in case I find better ones, or create some for myself. But here is part of my rough draft, and I hope my little fractured fairy tale is all right.

http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0Ach0BT0KWsXrZHduOHMyeF8xZDhmd3Z0ZnM&hl=en

And the above link will hopefully take you to it on google docs.

Internet Communications

Here is the chat that I had with Holly. It was pretty fun, you can tell by the way we both have crazy eyes!



I decided to use Tokbox for this assignment. It worked pretty well, and I hope this message reached Nancy. And Nancy, I hope it's alright that I sent you that message that didn't say anything useful. =)

I have really enjoyed learning and practicing how to make the wiki, and to become more familiar with the web cam. I'm not sure if I would use a wiki as a tool when I become a teacher. Even though I have made the wiki myself, I feel as if the tutorials given were a major crutch. When those aren't really available to me anymore, I don't believe that I will have to desire to figure it out for myself. Maybe I just need a little more practice so I can be more confident in my own skills. I am very comfortable with blogs, so at least I won't be completely technically crippled, and I feel that through this semester my skills will increase, and my opinions will change.

Notes from the Videos

It gave an idea to create a "choose your own adventure" story using a wiki, which sounded really cool to me. I love creative writing, so this would excite me.

Classroom blogs would be great for parents who work a lot because you could let them feel involved by posting pictures and videos and summaries of what's going on.

letting the kids make their own podcasts is an interesting idea

it would be cool to have a class wiki and let any of the students edit it in order to let them build each other and get excited about a subject they already like

Delicious Ideas

I was watching one of the tutorials we were given, and del.icio.us.com looked so cool. I'm sure it will help when I need to write big papers, or when I start making lesson plans. I can't wait to add it to my computer!

My Tech Background

My dad is the tech guy at the high school where he teaches, which means I grew up around technology. Because my dad knows so much about computers and things, he would always take care of my computer needs for me, so I don't really know how to do a lot for myself, ironically enough. But I feel that I am tech savvy enough to pass. I know how to make powerpoints and word documents, among other necessities of life.