I really didnt care for the Flickr project because the topic was a little harder for me to write a story about the pictures I took after going on a campus tour. I think if the topic was a different one then I may have enjoyed it more, but overall I didnt necessarily care for it more than other similar projects we might do. I think it may be a topic that is a little too advanced for the age of children that I will be working with.
I had never even heard of WebQuests before we were assigned to read the article about them and then started to explore them in class today. First, I thought the article was very informative and could really help someone who would be working with children who have learning disabilities. I also think that something like a WebQuest could be good for them since the steps are broken down more and there is a lot of explanation involved with what they are to do. I dont know if I am personally going to be working with children who have learning disabilities but I could see me working or interacting with a child who will be slower in learning possibly after they have a large amount of treatments done or do through some extensive surgery that has altered their life.
After getting a brief look into some WebQuests, I think it is a really cool idea and something that I could see myself using in the future. The one that sticks out the most is the one that had to do with children making their own board game up and focusing on a part of the body and a system and ultimatly becoming a "doctor". I could see using this to have the child create a game that focuses on the part of the body they are having the treatment or operation done on. This would let them get to know their body better and how that system works. The more the child knows about their body and what is going on, the less likely they will be to be nervous about everything and unknowing of what is going on. I think these can be very helpful for young children to learn about a variety of topics through technology and not just me talking to them about different things. I look forward to finding more and more WebQuests that can be applicable for my job in the future.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Just a little fun...
HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU ARE A TEACHER?
by Jeff Foxworthy
1. You can hear 25 voices behind you and know exactly which one belongs to the child out of line.
2. You get a secret thrill out of laminating something.
3. You walk into a store and hear the words 'It's Ms/Mr. _________' and know you have been spotted.
4. You have 25 people that accidentally call you Mom/Dad at one time or another.
5. You can eat a multi-course meal in under twenty-five minutes.
6. You've trained yourself to go to the bathroom at two distinct times of the day: lunch and prep period.
7. You start saving other people's trash, because most likely, you can use that toilet paper tube or plastic butter tub for something in the classroom.
8. You believe the teachers' lounge should be equipped with a margarita machine.
9. You want to slap the next person who says 'Must be nice to work 7 to 3 and have summers off.'
10. You believe chocolate is a food group.
11. You can tell if it's a full moon without ever looking outside.
12. You believe that unspeakable evils will befall you if anyone says 'Boy, the kids sure are mellow today.'
13. You feel the urge to talk to strange children and correct their behavior when you are out in public.
14. You believe in aerial spraying of Ritalin.
15. You think caffeine should be available in intravenous form.
16. You spend more money on school stuff than you do on your own children.
17. You can't pass the school supply aisle without getting at least five items!
18. You ask your friends if the left hand turn he just made was a 'good choice or a bad choice.' 19. You find true beauty in a can full of perfectly sharpened pencils.
20. You are secretly addicted to hand sanitizer and finally,
21. You understand instantaneously why a child behaves a certain way after meeting his or her parents.
by Jeff Foxworthy
1. You can hear 25 voices behind you and know exactly which one belongs to the child out of line.
2. You get a secret thrill out of laminating something.
3. You walk into a store and hear the words 'It's Ms/Mr. _________' and know you have been spotted.
4. You have 25 people that accidentally call you Mom/Dad at one time or another.
5. You can eat a multi-course meal in under twenty-five minutes.
6. You've trained yourself to go to the bathroom at two distinct times of the day: lunch and prep period.
7. You start saving other people's trash, because most likely, you can use that toilet paper tube or plastic butter tub for something in the classroom.
8. You believe the teachers' lounge should be equipped with a margarita machine.
9. You want to slap the next person who says 'Must be nice to work 7 to 3 and have summers off.'
10. You believe chocolate is a food group.
11. You can tell if it's a full moon without ever looking outside.
12. You believe that unspeakable evils will befall you if anyone says 'Boy, the kids sure are mellow today.'
13. You feel the urge to talk to strange children and correct their behavior when you are out in public.
14. You believe in aerial spraying of Ritalin.
15. You think caffeine should be available in intravenous form.
16. You spend more money on school stuff than you do on your own children.
17. You can't pass the school supply aisle without getting at least five items!
18. You ask your friends if the left hand turn he just made was a 'good choice or a bad choice.' 19. You find true beauty in a can full of perfectly sharpened pencils.
20. You are secretly addicted to hand sanitizer and finally,
21. You understand instantaneously why a child behaves a certain way after meeting his or her parents.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Virtual Field Trips
I really like the idea of a virtual field trip as a supplement to a real field trip. I don't think field trips should be replaced electronically because they are so valuable for students, nothing is as powerful as seeing something for yourself, something real. However, I feel that virtual field trips are a great option for a museum out of state, such as the Smithsonian, which have great exhibits but are impossible to get to for some schools. I also think they're a good option for either pre-field trips or post-field trip review. I don't think they can replace field trips for schools that can't afford busses and the other expenses associated with field trips, because if they can't afford bus fares how can they afford computer labs? On the whole I do think that virtual field trips can add to the classroom experience during a single class period.
I also think Digital Images have a potentially great place in the classroom. They can add so much and they address the needs of kids who are visual learners. Digital images can be very powerful in stimulating a students senses. I really look forward to incorporating images into my classroom, I think it is very possible to incorporate images into almost all aspects of English, as long as you're creative.
I also think Digital Images have a potentially great place in the classroom. They can add so much and they address the needs of kids who are visual learners. Digital images can be very powerful in stimulating a students senses. I really look forward to incorporating images into my classroom, I think it is very possible to incorporate images into almost all aspects of English, as long as you're creative.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Digital Images
Digital images are quite useful in a classroom because they have so many uses. I really like the idea of a virtual field trip. As we mentioned, some schools cannot afford to go on field trips and some places are just too far away. With virtual field trips, students can explore without ever leaving the classroom. Digital images also add a lot to lessons and projects. By the time we are teaching, students will be so much more knowledgeable about digital imaging and videos that they will have to be an integral part of our lessons. Many students are learn better with visual aids as well. With all the databases and resources, it is so easy to incorporate digital images into almost any lesson.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Virtual Field Trips
I think that taking a virtual field trip is a great alternative to taking an actual field trip when funds, time, etc. are not readily available. However, I do not think that virtual field trips should take over the real thing. There is just no comparison to up looking at a 2-story dinosaur; seeing a picture cannot do it justice. Teachers need to find a balance between using virtual field trips as a resource in the classroom and taking their students on actual field trips. As one of the articles pointed out, a virtual field trip could be a great way to get students ready to go on an actual field trip.
Digital Pictures
Digital pictures can be very useful in the classroom. They help students experience a hands-on lesson that is interesting and breaks the monotony of classroom activity. Taking the project that we were assigned on Thursday, we were able to get out of the classroom and create something using our own methods and tools. By creating a visual story, students are able to explore many levels of imagination and creativity. The technological benefits are also important in the development of students in a world that is always progressing in terms of innovation.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Digital Images, Virtual Field Trips
I think that digital images are a really useful tool in the classroom. It can make a lesson very clear by bringing it to the outside world. It is also good to incorporate images to meet the needs of visual learners. But in general, I think all students benefit from visual representations of things. It is also a good tool for students to use in their own projects. Using different media types keeps things new and interesting for students. There are a lot of ways to be creative with images and creativity is also a valuable skill to learn.
I think the idea of a virtual field trip is really interesting. While sometimes, it is better to take a real field trip, I think that virtual ones have a lot of potential. I never really had a virtual field trip when I was in school so I'm not exactly sure how it would work, but it sounds interesting. Someone made a point in class about being able to "visit" places that are otherwise unaccessable for a classroom. For example, in Spanish students can "visit" the different countries we study. They can investigate museums in other countries, and do other activities that would otherwise be available to them. I am really excited to learn more about this technology and learn how to implement it in my classroom.
I think the idea of a virtual field trip is really interesting. While sometimes, it is better to take a real field trip, I think that virtual ones have a lot of potential. I never really had a virtual field trip when I was in school so I'm not exactly sure how it would work, but it sounds interesting. Someone made a point in class about being able to "visit" places that are otherwise unaccessable for a classroom. For example, in Spanish students can "visit" the different countries we study. They can investigate museums in other countries, and do other activities that would otherwise be available to them. I am really excited to learn more about this technology and learn how to implement it in my classroom.
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