Literacy Project

Please go to the link below to find my finished lesson plan for my literacy project.  The experience itself was certainly worthwhile and has had a lasting effect on my students.  We will continue to use kidblog in the future to enhance our literary experience!

Literacy Project Lesson Plan

The Digital Story Finale!

I am officially finished with my digital story.  This has been a long process because I became a stickler about matching the voice to the slides precisely. Please enjoy this beautiful piece of work!

Reflection on the experience:
This process was a bit more tedious than I expected.  I really became very concerned with matching the images to the narration precisely.  Once I realized that you can expand each image for certain time frames, the process became much easier.  I really enjoyed taking the time to share this experience in a digital story format.  In the process of completing this I realized that none of the teachers actually take time to photograph the students creating the vessels!  We are typically so hands-on with helping the students that we don't think to take pictures. 

Peer Reviews:
My classmates are really impressed with the video that I have created and said that my narration works really well with the images. You can view their original responses to my first attempts at completing this project on my previous blog posts:

Thoughts of a Proud Woman: Digital Story Start Up

What I Would Do Differently:
I don't think that I would do anything differently.  This was a learning process, so now I know certain tips and tricks that will make creating the next digital story much easier.  For example, how to increase the length of a particular image so that it fits my narration, not adjusting my narration so it fits the image time frame! In the future I would like to use digital storytelling with my students to help them summarize texts that we are reading.  I think this would be a fun way to practice a literacy skill that is sometimes a struggle for my students. 

Kidblog-aholics!

 

My students have officially become blog-aholics!(Click the pic above to see what I mean)  I have integrated blog posting into our weekly center work and the kids are really enjoying it.  What I also enjoy about kidblog is that it allows you to see the location of people that have viewed your blog.  Interestingly enough we have had visitors from as far away from California and Texas look at our blog posts.  Although only my students and other classes that I approve can reply/comment on our posts, seeing that other people from around the country are interested in what my students have to say have inspired them to write even more!  What I would like to continue working on is my student's ability to reflect on and reply to other student's blog posts.  They are still in a "the sun revolves around me" kind of world. This is such a cool way to get students involved with technology while practicing literacy skills! 

 

Check out Elena's blog to find out more about how to use the Kidblog App at

 "5th Grade is Fun (Really, I Promise!): There's An App for That!"

 

Help!

Ok, so I've figured out how to input the pictures, the audio and narrate the clip.  However, I can not use audio and narration at the same time in Moviemaker. As of right now, my narration goes along with the pictures and the audio won't play until the very end, so frustrating! Anyone have any helpful suggestions?

Free Music for Projects

As I've been working on the various assignments for this course I have come across an issue with music.  All of the music that I currently own has lyrics or is slow moving jazz that doesn't necessarily fit with what I'm working on.  Additionally, I want my students to begin to use some of this media to create their own projects and would like them to have access to music they like as well.  So, I went on a mission to find some websites that might provide some variety and came across these free websites.  Please be sure to utilize the rules listed in Elena's post about copyrighting here.  Click on the picture to check out the site and let me know if it's beneficial for you!

Digital Story Start Up

Digital Story created with

Windows Movie Maker

So, I've made digital stories before, but only for friends and family.  I have never made one that included narration and am struggling a bit with this task.  It's tricky to talk at a rate that isn't too fast or too slow.  The storyboard helped a little, but when it came down to it, the timing of my plan was off so I had to go back to the drawing board.  For now, here's my sneak peek, no narration or sound yet :)

Diigo

Diigo is an interesting website.  I like the idea, and it's definitely beneficial. I have been using the library in Edmodo because it allows me to share the websites directly with my students.  Diigo is much more organized and allows you to do much more.  I didn't quite realize how much more until I searched for some videos that might help me fully understand the benefits within the program.  This is what I found:


Although it is very basic, it led me to some questions, such as:  How do I get that bar across the top of my screen?  How do I find friends to connect with?  Once I work through these mini bumps, I'm sure Diigo will become a much more useful tool for me.

For your perusal: My Diigo Page

Blogging Addiction

So, it's official, I'm kind of addicted to the idea of getting my students to blog.  I started a new blog on kidblog, not sure if you'll be able to view it, but try selecting the link and let me know if you're able to get through!

Team Inspiration Blog

February Vacation

Please select the link and add your name and dates of vacation!  Thanks!!


February Vacation Spreadsheet

Aritcle Reflection

Fabulous ideas shared within the article, and I want to do it all, but I'm concerned about the amount of time I have to do it.  I know it sounds like a cop-out, but truly, how do you fit all of this into the classroom.  I would love to incorporate blogging, but with only 5 computers and other technology requirements to be met within my district, the question that continues to float through my mind is "How?".

Clearly technology is very important in this day and age.  Anyone that isn't using some form of technology in their classroom on a daily basis is doing a disservice to their students.  However, when you are only given a limited amount of supplies and time, how do you make the most of it all. 

Additionally, I still have many students that do not have access to the Internet from their home.  This is disheartening to say the least.  While many of the examples you give prompt students to go online at home to complete projects, I only have the time during the school day to truly reach them. 

In essence, I would love to be a part of all of the forms of technology introduced within the article, but it seems a bit daunting and I'm not sure where to start.  Additionally, I would love more information on how to find grants/funds to purchase more Ipads/laptops so that my students can participate in these activities on a regular basis.  Anyone have any ideas?

On a brighter note, I signed up for Kidublog and plan to have my students start using it this week!

Chapter 3&4 Response

I really like this text.  The author has a way of writing that is very conversational.  I find myself responding (not out loud of course) to some of his quirky comments.  I particularly enjoy how detailed he is with his reasoning for why these resources are useful to classrooms.  I've never really thought the way he is encouraging me to think.  What better way to show students how to become critical readers of the Internet than to make them writers!

I've always thought of blogs as ways for people to rant about whatever crosses their mind.  I'm finding through these readings that they can be much more than that.  One particular blog, which is no longer up and running caught my eye because of the purpose behind it, to limit the amount of paper use within the classroom. Shelly Blake-Plock started her Teach Paperless Blog because she wanted to find a way to stop the use of paper within her classroom.  Eventually she allowed other colleagues to become authors and together they created blogs that give other teachers creative ideas to avoid paper use within the classroom.  So this is what I've been missing!  I'm a little worried because I've noticed that blogging or bog surfing can become addictive as proven by the hour that I have been sitting here hopping from site to site.

Wikispaces on the other hand is a whole different battle.  As I spoke about in class, I had a wiki a couple of years ago and was turned off by it because a student abused their privileges and put some really horrible material up.  For all the good it did in helping my students collaborate, I had major clean up duty with a lot of parents and children when things went wrong.  Additionally, students are able to create their own wikis that teachers have no control over, but when children create inappropriate wikis parents tend to blame the teacher because we are the ones that introduced the technology to them. I feel like you can't win for losing!

On the other hand, Richardson's mention of allowing students to do their own research projects and adding to Wikipedia information what they have learned I think is a valuable lesson.  I think that it will teach students a level of respect for how information is formed while they monitor what happens to the information they add to the site.  I'm always looking for ways to get critical feedback to my students about the work that they are doing and this would be an interesting way to test the waters.

First Animoto

The purpose of this Animoto is to share my principal's personal belief about what all people should become, "Good Humans". She has even created a formula to show what aspects she believes creates a good human.  Unfortunately, many of our students don't quite understand the meaning behind the character traits that she uses to describe what a good human is.  This Animoto was developed in order to add visuals to each character trait to help students better understand what our principle is expecting of them.

Animoto Thoughts

The Animotos created by others are interesting and seem like they would work really well for students that are visual learners.  On the flip side, I found it difficult to focus on the message of the presentation with music happening at the same time. I personally tend to pay more attention to the music than the typed message.  On both of the animotos that I saw:

Planet Animoto

Children Learn What they Live

I found that both had great lessons to be learned, but a lot going on at one time.  I know that it would intrigue my students, but I'm also concerned that it may be sensory overload for some.  However, many of my students are video game addicts, so this kind of thing is probably right up their alley!

These both have inspired me to try my hand at creating one for my students based on our school theme of "Good Humans".  I'm a little concerned about finding pictures and music that is appropriate and will add to the lesson instead of take away from it.

Wish me luck!

Testing Youtube

Prosthetics today



Still having trouble embedding youtube videos... 
any suggestions?

Chapter 1&2

Interesting read, quite scary honestly.  Our world is ever changing, and luckily for me, my students are not yet more savvy than I am when it comes to using technology.  I am very concerned that this will not last for long however!  My students are online constantly and have a plethora of websites that they use to communicate, play and learn.  In order to understand where they are coming from I often ask that they share with me what their favorites are during our free time together.  So far, this works! 

In regards to safety on the internet I think the best way is to simply teach students to be aware as Richardson suggests.  We can not feasibly protect them from every lurking danger on the internet, but if we put our efforts into teaching them how to be responsible users than we can feel more confident in their use of the internet. 

I believe blogs for teachers are important mostly for sharing of information and connecting with like-minded individuals.  It is important for educators to stay connected so that they can learn from eachother.  Additionally, blogging can help teachers stay more connected to parents.  One of the blogs Richardson referrs us to Meriwether Lewis Elementary School, was developed by the principal and is updated much more frequently than my school district website ever is!  Some teachers post daily about the goings on within the classroom.  This is a surefire way to keep parents/families involved!

I support Richardson's theory in supporting the use of blogs by students to increase their online literacy skills.  Until reading these chapters I had not truly considered the amount of reading comprehension that has to take place in order to respond to blogs.  Let me rephrase that, the amount of reading comprehension that it takes to respond to blogs and come off sounding somewhat intelligent! Blogging can also help students connect to others in far away places and give them the opportunity to collaborate with children that they never thougth possible.

New Literacies

The world we live in today is constantly changing at a rapid pace. New literacy to me equates to the ever changing ways in which we as people need to adjust in order to comprehend what is happening around us.  Technology engulfs us in every aspect of our day. People are losing their lives because they are less focused on operating a vehicleas they are on communicating through some form of technology.  I think that new literacy is more than simply being able to decipher between what is fact or fiction via the internet, but also how to be responsible users of the new found technology.  There are many people, myself included, who encounter a new form of technology with little to no understanding of how to utilize it.  It is within new literacy that we are charged with the task of figuring out the task of how to best utilize new tools to benefit our own lives.

National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers
National Educational Technology Standards for Students


In regards to what NETS for students and teachers requires, I think that they are ambitious goals.  Unfortunately, and I can only speak for my district, there is not enough training to get us to the point of meeting these standards.  I notice that the last standard for teachers is to "Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership", however it does not say at whose expense.  I am currently taking this course, but I am the one footing the bill.  We can't continue to expect more from our educators and not properly prepare them to meet the tasks set before them.