Friday, February 27, 2009

Web Album

I used Picasa Web Albums to make My Web Album. It took forever to load the pictures. I don't know if it was my Internet connection or the site. I liked it because all of the pictures I had on my blog were automatically there.

You could use these in our classroom to share photographs from locations. If i was teaching about Mount Rushmore I could upload my photos from my vacation there and share them. You could do this with many lessons.
Or you could use it to upload pictures of the class doing activities to reflect on them later.
You can allow the students to explore their creativity with the sites editing tools.

ISTE NETS
c. promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes.

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

Monday, February 23, 2009

Photoshop Express

I have created my online web album using Photoshop Express.


I cropped, touched up, red-eye reduction, sharpened the puppy and softened the background. I also adjusted the lighting. I wanted to edit a photo of each of my dogs. I got two finished. The site started to freeze up. I will still edit the other 3 later and add them to a blog.
This is a neat tool. I always wanted to know how to make the picture black and white with a pop of color in the background!

In the classroom:
You can allow the students to explore their creativity with the sites editing tools.
Share photos from areas you are studying.
ISTE NETS
customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources.
promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Online Graphics - Crappy Graphics

Below is my "Crappy graphic". I created it for my first graders as a supplement to our Reading story, which is about dinosaurs. We are also learning about sorting in Math so this came at a good time because I can share the Venn Diagram as a way to sort information.


This assignment gave me the chance to learn something new. I have never made a Venn Diagram any other way than to draw it. I wish I could allow my students to actually make their own online, but I wouldn't trust them not to navigate away to inappropriate material. Plus the name is inappropriate for first graders. Even though, just showing them the diagram from the computer (projecting it) will hold their attention better. Anything from the computer is "so cool".



The following ISTE/NET were addressed in this assignment.
1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity. Teachers:
c. promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes.
2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
a. design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Online Graphics - Kids Zone (Graph 2)

I used the same process for this graph as I did for the first one.
I determined that the 4 states I would compare would be West Virginia, Utah, Arkansas, and Mississippi. Their Per Capita Income for 2006 were as followers.
WV 28,206
Utah 29,406
Mississippi 27.028
Arkansas 28, 473

They were all very close.
Then I search from google for the number of students on IEP in each state. I used the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The amount of students on IEPs were also very close, as my graph shows.

I used KidZone again to make this graph.

In the classroom:
Graphing can be used in every subject. There are endless possibilities for what your students could graph.
Also you can use graphs to relay information to parents, co-workers, administration etc.

ISTE NETS
c.promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes.


c.communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats.

Online Graphics - Kids Zone (Graph 1)

This is my graph comparing the WV and the National 4th grade Math scores for 2000 - 2007.
I used KidZone to create the graph.
It was very user friendly and only took 5 minutes to create.
I saved it as a jpeg file on my desktop then uploaded the file onto google documents. From here I published it as a web page and the link is provided above.

From these statistics I can conclude that WV scores were always below national average. I also
The differences between WV and National scores are as follows
2000- 1pts.
2003- 3 pts.
2005- 6 pts.
2007- 3 pts.

Source- I got my information for the graph from NAEP.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Image Capture



I approached this assignment as if I was using the print screen function to show students how to publish a document using google documents. I am responsible for teaching my students how to use a somputer now that technology class has been cut. I normally have the students follow along as I project the steps, but if a child was absent this method of printing the screen would do well to help clarify the directions.

I simply opened the print screen in Paint. Then I resized and cut some things off the sides. Next I added text and an arrow. I saved it as .bmp. I also used the print screen technique to share the attributes with you ( top of page).




Graphic Link

I went ahead and published the graphic to my blog because I wanted to check it out and see how it worked. Here is the link to the actual web page http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dd38kvk5_21czfbmzhb .

President's



President’s Day


February 16, 2009










Feb. 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865


 


16th President of the United States of America


 

  

 









Feb. 22, 1732 – Dec. 14, 1799


 


1st President of the United States of America


 


Desktop Graphic

This assignment went pretty well. I do things like this a lot. I decided to use Microsoft Word this time because it is something all my students are familiar with. I made a simple graphic about President's Day. I will use this in my classroom when teaching my students about President's Day. I didn't want to use too much text because I am just using it as a visual aid. I simply found two images on google image search and saved them in my files. I used paint to add the text. Then I used Word Art in Microsoft to make the title. I saved the document as a RTF and them uploaded it to google documents.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Cone of Experience and FTP

Describe what Dale's Cone of Experience is?
Simply put, it is a visual aid that shows how much we remember from the different ways we learn.
Is Dale's Cone of Experience logical? Factual?
Looking at the original image, without the percentages; it does seem logical. I can say from experience that I remember more information if I see it and read it as opposed to just reading it. Even further I remember more of things I actually participated in than anything else. For example, if I read a book I sometimes forget parts. When I watch a movie I remember much more of it. However, I strongly believe that not everyone learns the same. Therefore reading my result in a larger amount of information retained for some more than others. So a percentage could never be assigned to it. The percentages are a little “fishy” because they are all tens.
How does Dales' Cone of Experience comport with current research on teaching and learning in the assigned reading. After the reading, comment on your opinion of the validity of Dale's Cone of Experience.
Current research suggests that higher level thinking skills need to be engaged in learning. Some ways to do this is to engage the student in the lesson. Make it a personal experience. I do not believe in the percentages.

FTP
I was succesful in saving a document in FTP but have not been able to open it through a link.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Skype

I am having some Skype issuses. I got a microphone, but Skype was installed on my old computer. I had to replace that computer. We still have it to do basic internet searches and I was planning on using it for Skype but the microphone won't work on it. I tried to upload Skype to the new computer, but I would lose all my contacts and my username. My husband thinks he has a solution and hopefully the microphone will be up and running tomorrow.

My Electronic Resume

You can view my resume at http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dd38kvk5_0vqmvwtfb. I really like how it turned out, and I needed to update a couple things on it.