CEDO 540 Decision Making Using Data Collection & Analysis: Week Five

This week we go to explore a new tool, Google Trends.  This is an application through Google where you can compare the world's interest about any topic.  I found that this was almost addicting.  I tried searching basic things such as education and then searched entertainment topics.  It was surprising to see how many people in Europe searched for reality TV.  Apparently we aren't the only people on the reality TV bandwagon!

CEDO 540 Decision Making Using Data Collection & Analysis: Week Four

During this week we spent a lot of time focusing on our survey that I mentioned in our last post.  We decided to focus our survey around people's use of the computer and internet in their homes.  Our survey was then distributed via Facebook (most of us just shared a link via our statuses).  I was surprised that we only got 23 responses because I thought more people would've been willing to complete the survey. 

All in all we concluded that everyone of our respondents owns a computer and all but one had internet access.  The survey also concluded that our respondents use their computers and internet access for personal use way more than business or school. 

It was interesting to take a look to see how people's use of the internet.  In the beginning we always seemed to look at the internet as a source of all of our information.  Now it seems that it has shifted to a more entertainment purpose (from our survey). 

Bill Tancer focuses his job on finding our such information as to why people are using the internet.  I would be interested to see if he compared previous studies of the use of the internet to today's use of the internet and what would be concluded. 

CEDO 540 Decision Making Using Data Collection & Analysis: Week Three

This week we started taking a look at surveys.  Our groups will be responsible for creating a survey and distributing to a sample group of about 15 people.  We have decided that we will keep our survey focused around technology, use Google Forms to create it and use a social network to reach our sample population.  Though we have not figured out exactly what we want to survey our group about within the means of technology.

CEDO 540 Decision Making Using Data Collection & Analysis: Week Two

This week in class we continued with our guided practice and took a look at different survey software.  One of the  survey software websites that we looked at was Capterra.  The website offers 173 different survey software options for companies to purchase.  The one thing that I really liked about the website was the fact that you could filter your search right down to exactly what it is the company is looking for.  For people that are looking to purchase survey software, this seems the best route to go as you can see all your options on one site.

Our group was also in charge of looking at 5 different online survey software options; 3 free and 2 paid.  I took the time to look into Survey Monkey.  This site is one that I have used in the past, but to take a survey.  The site was very user friendly.  Creating surveys seemed to be very easy and the free version allowed for many different options.  Though there was a paid version, the free version is the route to go for creating simple surveys.  This version did limit you to a number of questions and responses per survey, but in the classroom setting I see the free version being more cost effective.  

CEDO 540 Decision Making Using Data Collection & Analysis: Week One

This week was our first week of "stats" class.  I have to admit that I am a little apprehensive about this class because the only math skills that I tend to use are the basic ones.  Stats are something that I have not visited in a very long time.  I am sure that if I sat down and looked at what I do on a daily basis, there would be encounters of statistics, but as far as collecting and analyzing data; that is something that I hardly ever do. 

As I worked through our worksheet, reread the PowerPoint and watched the YouTube video, I began to remember all that I had learned in the past when it came to statistics.  My only hope is, as we continue to progress within the course, that I remember more and it helps me in completing what is required for the course.  

Digitial Storytelling-Week Five

The three main things we covered in class this week were the art of creating a rubric for multimedia projects, what to look for when shopping for the perfect hardware and finishing our Pecha Kucha.

As far as creating a multimedia rubric, this was something that was pretty easy for me.  All of my classes that I currently teach involve lots of projects, most of them multimedia projects, so creating rubrics is something that I do on a regular basis. For me, when creating a rubric, especially for a multimedia project, I like to focus more on how they used the software/hardware and not necessarily the content.  This is important because I want them to spend time exploring the software/hardware and get more familiar with it than be so worried about the content of their project.  Content of course is very important, but it usually is a smaller grade category in the rubric.

When it comes to shopping for new hardware, this is something that I personally always do a lot of research on first.  Hardware is such an expensive investment that I feel if you just buy a piece because it looks cool you could be setting yourself up for disappointment.  Anytime I look into buying new hardware, I always read consumer reviews, ask around, and look for product reviews.  Most of the time I take into deep consideration what the consumer reviews are.  People often tend to tell their experiences good or bad because they either want people to buy the same product or not have the bad luck that they did.

Finishing up my Pecha Kucha was a task in itself.  I knew that I would have a hard time with the narration part and I did.  I found myself stumbling over my words multiple times and even forgetting what I was saying.  Though in the end, I had a lot of fun creating the Pecha Kucha.  This is definitely a project that I will do with my own students because it is fun and not something that they are used to doing.  I thought it would be great for a vocabulary reveiw or even a get to know you activity at the beginning of the year.

We only have 1 week left of class and I can honestly say I've learned a lot so far and cannot wait to implement it into my own classroom. 

Digitial Storytelling-Week Four

In class this week we took a look at a program called Prezi.  After looking at a bunch of different examples and getting a chance to play around with it, this program seems like a lot of fun.  We made a Prezi from our 28 Photo Challenge and what it takes to capture a great picture.  Taking great pictures is something that I really need to focus on at times.  All too often I like to catch the candid moments and not really focus on how great a picture can be. 

We also started to storyboard for our Pecha Kucha.  As stated in my previous blog, I'm doing mine on family/friends/hobbies and while storyboarding I found it hard to only talk about the topic if for a minimum of 20 seconds.  There is just such much that I wanted to say!  Hopefully when it comes down to making the actual presentation I am more successful.  Though I am sure it will take me a few takes before I get it right. 

As we've now approached our halfway mark through the class and completed our readings, I've realized how much there was to learn about the art of giving a presentation.  Even in the past few weeks as I've created presentations I found myself looking more closely at the content and images I was using.  More than anything I want my presentations to have an effect on my students and for them to walk away with something.  Honestly, now I think the only reason they listen is for the sole purpose of filling out their note packets.  Hopefully with these changes and applying what I've learned from Presentation Zen, things will change. 

Digitial Storytelling-Week Three

Hmm...logged into the blog for week four and realized my week three blog never posted.  The joys of blogging from your cell phone!!

This week we've looked at a program called Animoto which is a video slideshow maker.  Before this class I had experience with Animoto because we had a professional development snapshot of it at a staff meeting last year.  A snapshot was all that is was.  We had 10 or so minutes to mess around with it after given a short tutorial by our librarian.  After that, I never really felt the need to use it, though I was constantly reminded of the program from the monthly e-mails.  Now, in this class, we had more time to play around with the program and I really enjoyed it.  At first, I felt that it was a bit finicky, but after a while I got a hang of it.  I also liked that you could use pictures from Facebook; which made it easy to access images.  I do wish that the program allowed for more editing, but maybe that is something that will happen in the future. 

We also talked about a Pecha Kucha (still working on the pronunciation!!).  This concept is the art of giving a presentation where you have 20 slides and each slide is only on the screen for 20 seconds.  We will be making a Pecha Kucha for this class and I have to admit I am a bit nervous.  I'm one of those people that talks A LOT, so only being able to talk for 20 seconds per slide, might be a bit of a challenge for me.  It will be interesting though.  I plan on doing mine about my family/friends/hobbies because it is a topic that I know lots about and maybe I could use it as a beginning of the year introduction for my students. 

Digital Storytelling-Week Two

This week we had a lot to accomplish!!  We spent time looking at and creating VoiceThreads, learning about the six principles of presentations, and continuing to take pictures for our Posterous.

It was really great to learn about VoiceThreads.  I had heard for VoiceThreads before this class, as we had a small presentation done on them at a staff meeting last year.  After getting a chance to play with this application, I definitely see the benefits of using it.  The one benefit that I saw from it was the ability to create a presentation and reaching homebound students or sick students.  Unfortunately there are those cirrcumstances where sometimes kids cannot come to school due to illnesses.  VoiceThreads would be a way to reach them while they are home and allowing them to still be able to learn the information.  I also thought they could be used if I had a sub one day.  Often, I plan "simple," for a lack of better word, assignments when I have a sub.  It just seems easier because I don't know what their background knowledge is.  Creating VoiceThreads of all my presentations and having a worksheet to go with them, would be a great way for students to learn information without having to count on a sub to deliver it.

After looking at the six principles of presentations, I learned that not only will I always need to continue to enhance my presentations, but these six principles really do make a presentation great.  From now on, my goal is to focus on creating presentations away from my computer and trying to apply all of these principles to make truly great presentations.

As we continue to take pictures for our 28 Day challenge, I am truly enjoying every aspect of it.  I find that I'm really learning a lot about myself.  This activity has allowed me to stop and embrace the moment of a day, for just a minute, but it's also allowing me to see how much I really do throughout a day.  It definitely is a really fun activity, one that I might apply in the classroom.

In the next few weeks, I'm excited to see what we continue to learn and hopefully have time to tackle everything as the days get nicer...well hopefully get nicer!!

Digital Storytelling...Week One

I really enjoyed reading Presentation Zen. Personally, I hate that I have to teach PowerPoint because I think that it is WAY overused and that we can teach other technology that does the same thing. Outside of our PowerPoint unit, I encourage students to use other software that can convey the same message. Presentation Zen is one of those books they should require all teachers to read. I’ve seen some pretty content heavy presentations.


Learning about the concept of digital storytelling was also very cool. It was something I had never heard of before and definitely different than what I thought it was.
In this class I hope to learn how to embrace (if that’s the right word) PowerPoint and how it make it better than it really is. In my eyes, it’s dead, but I just use it because I have nothing else. I’m also very excited about incorporating digital storytelling into my classroom and learning more about it works.

Identifying Similarities and Differences, Homework and Practice, and Generating and Testing Hypotheses

As our time in this class comes to an end, we are asked to look at Identifying Similarities and Differences, Homework and Practice, and Generating and Testing Hypotheses.  

Similarities and Differences

In business classes in particular, I find myself using this technique a lot.  Most recently I've had my students look at the similarities and differences between wants and needs, fixed expenses and variable expenses.  I had never thought to use Venn diagrams even though I know they are a great resource to implement this technique.  I definitely will be using them in the future to have students compare the topics that we have been comparing.


Homework and Practice
Personally I do not give homework because I know that I would never get it back.  I do spend a lot of extra time doing more practice on topics to make up for that.  Recently we've looked at checkbook registers and I made the students complete multiple registers.  They definitely complained about having to do so, but in the end realized that it got easier as they did more.  I think that giving extra practice for the students to complete not only reiterates the topics, but it also helps them to learn the material on their own.  Each student learns their own way and sometimes they need that extra practice to find a way that works for them to remember the material.  

Generating and Testing Hypotheses
This is something I feel we do as a teacher on a daily basis.  Our lessons are constantly changing based on the students we are teaching.  We're also constantly creating new lessons and not sure how they are going to work out.  As we go through, we have to change, and tweak to make the lessons work for our students.  Even though I teach 2 sections of each grade level, I don't necessarily teach the second section the same way I did the first.  I make note of what worked during the first session and then either change it to make it better or eliminate it all together.  Sometimes things don't work out as planned and we need to change it for the better of the students.

Cooperative Learning and Reinforcing Effort

This week we were asked to take a look at cooperative learning reinforcing effort.  We also took a look at a TED video.


Institutions vs Collaboration
Clay Shirky talked about institutions vs. collaboration.  He talked about the issues of having groups work together to solve problems within a company.  What caught my attention the most was when he talked about how when people are put into groups, the goals of the task go out the window and individual members automatically resort to self preservation.  Each group member wants to be better than the next, so the whole idea of working together to solve the problem is out.  I feel like this happens in our classroom all the time.  We put students together in groups and there is always that one group member who goes above and beyond by taking control and making sure things get done their way.  This in essence is only to make themselves look good.

Reinforcing Effort
Reinforcing effort is a very important part to any classroom because not only does it show that you're recognizing good student behavior/work, but it also shows the student the importance of good work ethic.  I try to "praise" my students for their good work especially in difficult classes.  This week, my group of 8th grader, who are usually bouncing off the wall by 9:45 in the morning, took initiative by getting to work right away on their projects.  I was so impressed with their effort and willingness to work.  A few minutes before class ended, I stopped class, commended them on their great job and told them how much I appreciated their hard work.  They didn't even realize class was close to being over!  The next day, I made sure to tell them how much I appreciated their effort the day before and hoped it carried into today.  Unfortunately that wasn't the case, but it was the thought that counted!!

Cooperative Learning
Cooperative learning is important in any subject area because I feel that is it the best time for kids to learn from one another.  There are those students out there who have a hard time focusing on what the teacher is saying, but as soon as their peer explains the concept it automatically makes sense.  That is a huge benefit to cooperative learning.  I also find that when working in groups, I can tell which students not only paid attention, but go it.  All too often it seems that those that weren't paying attention or don't get it have a lot more questions and need more explanation.

On a side note, in college, I had a peer who protested cooperative learning because he felt that there was no benefit to it and that he would learn better on his own.  Anytime we had groups, he refused to be apart of one.  To each his own I guess, but in those instances you can't help but wonder what did he miss out on and what did I miss out on because of his lack of wanting to try something new.

Cues, Questions, Advanced Orgainizers; Nonlinguistic Representation; Summarizing Notetaking

This week we took a look at cues, questions, advanced organizers; nonlinguistic representation; and summarizing notetaking. 

Cues, Questions, and Advanced Organizers
I do not use advanced organizer in my classroom.  A lot of the teachers that I work with use them as a component to their notetaking, but that is not something I do.   I think there are a few instances when advanced organizers would come in handy, but at this point most of our activities are hands in so it is hard to utilize such a technique.  Though, I do make sure, when questioning students to lead them on the path of finding the answer out themselves.  Giving them the answer is what they want, but I want them to be able to tell me how they got to that point.


Nonlinguistic Representation
We use this a lot in my classroom since all of my classes are technology based.  A lot of the assignments in my classes are geared toward the visual learner.  Being a visual learner myself, I find it easier to teach this way, which must make it easier for students to learn.  I know that this isn't true and do add an non-visual component to lessons.  Last week we started with the creation of web pages to show the lay out of how students would arrange an apartment.  They have to "purchase" everything and then describe why they picked the particular items, how it fit into their budget, etc.  To me, this is a not only better than having them write a paper because they get to use technology, but they're also getting to let me see through their eyes their take on the assignment.

Notetaking
Like I've said previously I don't do a lot of notetaking in my classroom.  Though, when we do, I usually do guided notes.  The students are given an outline of the notes, but have to fill in specific sections while I'm lecturing.  I find this not only keeps them in line, but it does help them remember those key words.  I took a class in college on notetaking and it was the best class of my whole undergrad.  It taught me how to take notes efficiently and how to pay attention while taking notes.  I think there needs to be more classes like this at the secondary level because there are so many notes being taken in college and we're not prepared enough. 

Setting Objectives, Providing Feedback and Providing Recognition

This week we were asked to reflect on the strategies we addressed in class this week, which were:  Setting Objectives, Providing Feedback and Providing Recognition. We also had to read the article, Feedback that Fits. Below you will find my reflection of the previously stated topics.


Setting Objectives:
Setting objectives is something that I find extremely important as a teacher.  Each unit that I start, I like to let the students know of the overall objective and what I expect them to learn.  Some days I give the students our objective for the day.  I do this so that students know what we are covering for the day an so they can also see how we will reach our final goal.  Setting objectives not only lets the students know what we will be doing, but it also teaches them that using objectives can keep you on track to your final goal.  


Providing Feedback:
What kinds of technologies can I use to help students provide feedback?


On a daily basis, I use the same 2 technologies to provide feedback to my students.  All work is put into our online grade book, Zangle.  Each student receives a grade for the assignment and I also try to note why points were taken off.  Another way that I provide feedback through technology is through an online resource called My Big Campus.  Students use MBC to submit their assignments or discussions.  I, in return, give them instant feedback on the site based on what they completed.  All of this feedback is efficient and very timely.  


Providing Recognition:
Providing recognition is an area where I need a lot of work.  I all to often give the students their assignments and grades, but forget to recognize those who are excelling.  Ways that I could do this could include a simple phone call home to parents, certificates or maybe even a monthly newsletter showcasing what we've done for the month and maybe the top students.  By providing more recognition to my students, they might have a more positive response to the work we do in class and feel accomplished.  


Feedback that Fits
This article discussed a number of important topics regarding feedback and students.  The one thing that I gained from reading the article is that not only does the feedback have to be understandable to the student, but they have to be able to use it.  As a teacher, it is important to provide our feedback to the students so that they can run with it.  We need to be specific and let the student not only know what they can do to improve, but also what stood out to us.  This will only help the students to further excel in their work.  

Principles of Teaching and Learning/A Meta-Analysis of the Effectiveness of Teaching and Learning

For 525 we read two articles.  The first was Principles of Learning and Teaching and the second A Meta-Analysis of the Effectiveness of Teaching and Learning.  Below you will find my reactions to the articles and how they apply to my world. 

Principles of Learning and Teaching
This article addressed 7 principles of Learning and Teaching.

Principles of Learning
1.  Students' prior knowledge can help or hinder learning
2.  How students organize knowledge influences how they learn and apply what they know
3.  Students’ motivation determines, directs, and sustains what they do to learn
4.  To develop mastery, students must acquire component skills, practice integrating them, and know when to apply what they have learned
5.  Goal-directed practice coupled with targeted feedback enhances the quality of students’ learning
6.  Students’ current level of development interacts with the social, emotional, and intellectual climate of the course to impact learning
7.  To become self-directed learners, students must learn to monitor and adjust their approaches to learning

Principles of Teaching
1.  Effective teaching involves acquiring relevant knowledge about students and using that knowledge to inform our course design and classroom teaching
2.  Effective teaching involves aligning the three major components of instruction: learning objectives, assessments, and instructional activities.
3.  Effective teaching involves articulating explicit expectations regarding learning objectives and policies
4.  Effective teaching involves prioritizing the knowledge and skills we choose to focus on
5.  Effective teaching involves recognizing and overcoming our expert blind spots
6.  Effective teaching involves adopting appropriate teaching roles to support our learning goals
7.  Effective teaching involves progressively refining our courses based on reflection and feedback

As an elective teacher, I agree with most of the principles of learning.  A lot of what I teach is technology and business based.  When the students have prior knowledge on a topic we are studying, not only is it easier for them to make connections, but also for us to enhance their knowledge further.  Even as a student myself, I found it easier to learn about a topic when I have some sort of background knowledge on it.

Another thing that I agreed with is that students need to acquire their skills, practice them and know when to integrate them in order to obtain mastery.  This past week, in 8th grade, we spent 4 days calculating sales tax and income tax.  The students complained over and over as to why I was making them do so many problems.  I had to explain to them that not only did they need to understand why their jeans didn't cost 29.99 even though the tag said, but also why their paycheck would be less than they thought.  To me, the repetition not only helps instill the task in their minds, but also will help to better make sense when they are in such a situation.

Not only do I agree with the principles of teaching, but I also implement some of them.  The first two principles, acquiring prior knowledge and aligning the three major components, are practices I like to use especially at the beginning of a new unit.  To acquire prior student knowledge, I often do some sort of a pretest when we study something new.  These pretests may consist of a vocabulary quiz or an informal raising of hands to answer questions I ask. This helps me to know what areas I need to spend more time focusing on and what areas I can just skim over.  I also like to let the students know the overall objective of the unit, how they will be assessed and different activities we will complete.  I've found that it eliminates student questions, but also lets them know what to expect as we further with the units.

A Meta-Analysis of Effective Teaching and Learning with Technology
I found this article very hard to follow, as it addressed many different studies and used a lot of jargon.  The article addressed how those who learned with technology did better than those that didn't.  I'm two-fold when it comes to this topic.  As I've stated in previous blogs, I teach at a 1:1 Middle School.  Each student has their own laptop, each teach has a laptop and either an iPad or an iPod touch, and a number of teachers have interactive whiteboards.  As a teacher of technology, I can see how all this is useful, but I can't help but ask myself, what good are we doing by allowing them to use these tools when they won't have these in their high school years?  Also, we're teaching them to rely on the tools at hand.  Just like in math, we have to learn how to do it on paper before we are allowed to do it with a calculator.  We're now showing our students a whole new world of technology, but are they really getting the purpose of it?  Do I think our kids learn better with technology?  On any given day that response always changes for me.  Some days I'd like to wipe out what we have at our finger tips and make the students learn how our parents did.  Other days, I'm so intrigued at what my students can do with technology.  Overall, I think it's effective, how it's applied and used on a daily basis puts me on the fence.

New Applications

This week we took a look at a lot of different applications.  Below is the list with short descritptions of what we looked at:

Tools to investigate and critique this week:

• Adobe Buzzword Docs Word Processor - you will need to sign up.  You actually gain access to Acrobat.com which is on office-like suite of online apps. 
• 280Slides A Presenter Tool
• Google for Educators  - critique the site and at least one of the applications
• Google Forms  - a data gathering and analysis tool
• Google Sites  - a simple tool for creating a website
• Survey Monkey is a tool for gathering and analyzing data.
• http://www.pikikids.com/ or http://toondoo.com These are cartooning applications.  
• Xtranormal.com is an excellent tool for making cartoon videos. 
• Poll Everywhere  a survey tool with an interesting twist
• tokbox   audio and/or video communication in realtime
  

Overall, I love learning about new tools to use in the classroom, especially ones where we get to take a look at them and all give our input.  Each one of us teaches or works in a different field, so having different viewpoints on these applications can be very helpful.  We all get to share our different perspectives and show how we see the use of it in our classroom.  This way, we get to see potential for new incorporation of applications or maybe enhancing how we use it now!!

Throughout the program so far, we've had a lot of really great resources and I love seeing how other teachers implement them in their classroom.

NoodleTools

This week we took a look at a number of different websites, but the one that interested me the most was NoodleTools.  I compared the site to being, "as good as the Packers winning the Super Bowl."  Learning about the site was so great because it really does open up so much more to what the World Wide Web has to offer.  So many times we stick to the search engines we know, but then wonder why we can't find what we're looking for.  It also opened my eyes to other search sites out there.

This is a tool that I have passed on to my coworkers to use in their classrooms.  Many seemed very excited to help our search "challenged" students get pointed in the right direction.

Internet Learning Resources

This week was our first week in another new class and our topic of discussion was Internet Learning Resources. When first asked what an Internet Learning Resource is, my mind geared toward sites where you go and get information regarding different topics.  After reading a few articles, I realized that I was focusing too much on the first two words:  Internet and Learning.  Though I was looking at the word resource, I wasn't looking at what a resource truly is.

When I looked at the article about different Web 2.0 tools, I realized that I use an Internet Learning Resource on a daily basis with my students.  The site I use is MyBigCampus and I use this to collaborate with my students, share different resources and provide feedback on assignments.  This site not only allows to students to be more engaged, but allows us all to be connected on a different level.

As the weeks progress, I look forward to learning more about how to use the Internet as a resource not only for myself, but for my students as well.  I also look forward to gaining some different resources to use in the classroom.

Wrapping it All Up

As we've wrapped everything from our third class in the program, I can't help but look back and think of everything I've learned so far.  It amazes me that in such a short amount of time, I've had the opportunity to connect with great people in our cohort and to enhance my teachings.

This class especially has allowed me to explore new applications to use in the classroom and to look at my overall teaching.  After we read the required text for class, I have done a lot of altering to my lessons to make sure that the technology I'm using is not taking away from my overall goals.

I also really appreciated learning about software evaluations.  It is something I have never been exposed to before, but as a technology teacher I feel that it is important to know.  Knowing what goes into choosing different software makes a lot more sense now.  It definitely isn't just going to the store and picking it from the shelf.

Now, as we move forward if different classes, I look forward to continuing to grow in my teachings and explore new applications.  Only time will tell what more exciting and beneficial things we will learn.

Do Schools Kill Creativity and Other Interesting Stuff...

This week for class we were asked to watch the video, "Do Schools Kill Creativity?"  I really enjoyed the video and watched it a few times because Sir Ken Robinson had a lot of really valid points, along with some great comical moments.  Sir Robinson talked a lot about how we have to allow for mistakes and that as youngsters we are extremely creative, but lose it as we get older.  He said this happens because all too often our creativity is limited or we aren't given the chance and then we end up losing what we once were good at.  I found this fact interesting, but as I looked back on my younger years of school, I remember a lot of being given so many specifics and not being allowed to "roam free" with my work.

Besides the video, we also created a Google Site to showcase our work so far.  For me, this was an easy task because I've created Google Sites before in college.  I never thought of using a Google Site to showcase work or even as an online portfolio.  Now, it seems like a great idea, especially with the ability to share with so many or so little people.

In my teaching, I have never thought of using portfolios to showcase work, but I think it is something in the future that I will explore.  Students will have a chance to show their creativity by creating the site, but also to show their best pieces of work.  This would be a great assignment to give at the beginning of the quarter and then allow them to work on it throughout.

We also looked at different software to evaluate this week and how to evaluate it.  I knew that a lot went into picking the perfect software, but I didn't realize how much one really should think about.  When it comes time to be asked to look for new software, I will be sure to take this route because it really does allow for the best possible options.

InTime Video

The InTime Video that I watched for class was titled "Producing a Daily News Cast."   I picked this video because I found it very interesting that this teacher produced a new show with her 6th grade students.  The students write the scripts, do the interviews and even use a editing software program to finalize the video.  This whole video intrigued me because as a middle school teacher myself, I could not imagine actually doing such an in depth process with 6th graders.  I know that you need to give ALL students a chance, but from experience I find that my students have a hard time navigating the simple programs on a computer let alone video editing software.

The idea of a news show is great because it lets the rest of the school not only see what is going on in other classes and around the school, but allows those students to see how fun and exciting technology really can be.   Lisa Carlon (teacher from the video) did a great job of really challenging her students and pushing them to explore technology.  She also incorporates other subjects such as English, with the script writing.

After watching the video, it did open my eyes to how much more I could explore with my students, even the 6th graders.  Our school does produce a news show, but it only comes out once a month and the librarian does all the editing.  I think maybe if I can explore some of the software they use in our schools news show and have the kids plays with it, then they'll become familiar and have a chance to possibly edit the show themselves.

Spreadsheets Galore

Over the last few weeks we've been asked to take a look at spreadsheets.  Spreadsheets are nothing new to me, but I know that they can be really intimidating.  I first was exposed to spreadsheets in high school, but I can't remember what we exactly used them for.  I know in my computer classes we did simple assignments out of the book, but we were never made to use them for organization or input of data.  As I got more into college, I used them more and more for classes, especially my business classes.  We did a lot of data input and for me spreadsheets were a lot easier to organize the data and made everything look nicer.  Besides assignments, I also used spreadsheets for the student organization I was president of.  Now, I use spreadsheets on a daily basis.  For me, I find that when things look nicer, they're easier to read and a better way to communicate.  I also teach my students how to use spreadsheets.  A lot of what I teach them is just the basics, but I want them to realize that spreadsheets can really make life easier.

My favorite feature to spreadsheets is the function feature.  It's great to be able to input data and then use a function to help you get your end result.  I've never really been good with math and it always takes too long to do it on pen and paper or a calculator.  When I learned how to use the functions, I felt that it made the process of doing everything all together.

Using spreadsheets is just another part of technology that can benefit people in many ways as long as they know how to use it.  In class we did the recipe assignment.  Something as simple as putting a recipe into a spreadsheet, creating a formula and allowing the computer to do the work for you, is incredible.  I never thought about using a spreadsheet for recipes, but it makes sense.  Having that function available to help figure out how much ingredients you need for different servings in a huge help.

As I continue to grow with my knowledge of spreadsheets, I hope to learn them for more than just simple data input and put them to use for things such as recipes.