Elementary Reading: Drawing

I thought the reading in this chapter was really intriguing. In many classes it's hard for teachers to get students to pay attention while using a computer. Many of them are used to having one at home that they use to play games and surf the web. As teachers we can now show the students that they can have fun with computers while learning by using the drawing programs. I think this is a great transition for students to have.

One thing I loved that this chapter included was the idea of portraits. Self-portraits can be utilized at any grade level and the drawing tool can help with that. The book also talks about growth processes and how drawing programs can be used for that. I remember in science we learned so many processes that can now be easily taught with drawing on the computer. Students can use these programs to interact and learn hands on.

As for the photo story, I'm finding it really cool how you can teach students in different ways. I think this is something I would definitely use and would be so helpful for students who are absent.

Elementary Reading: Drawing

I thought this chapter was interesting. I do not often think about using computers to draw pictures. Thinking back to when I was younger, I remember how much I enjoyed using drawing and painting programs on the computer. Kid Pix used to be my favorite drawing program and I would often use it when I finished my homework at night. Drawing programs are the perfect tool to use for non-linguistic representations as the reading started. These programs would be especially useful for hands-on and visual learners.

The ideas for using drawing projects were insightful. I will be able to use many of the drawing examples when I begin teaching. The four squares project seemed very useful. I could see myself using this project when I taught students about various processes. The drawing programs also are prefect for tessellations. I remember creating tessellations by hand when I was in elementary school, but the computer would make the process much fast.

My photo story project is going well. I could seem myself using this tool when I begin teaching. It provides students with another medium to learn from, which would help keep students engaged in the lessons.

Photostory Project and Readings

I think that the photostory project is very interesting. It's an easy tool to implement in the classroom to enhance a lesson, or provide a refresher on different concepts. You can control the level amount of information you give, and it provides visual connections for the students to make. It was a lot easier to do than I thought it would be. This technology is definitely something I would incorporate into my classroom. I also believe that this would be a great program for older students to use as a tool in preparing for presentations and projects. I think students would really enjoy making their own little movie lessons. It adds a new level of excitement and creativity to whatever concept your teaching.

The reading for elementary this week discussed the use of drawing programs. I had never realized how beneficial those programs like Paint and KidPix were. I remember loving the time we got to play with KidPix when I was elementary school. These programs can help with motor skills and coordination--students have to learn to have control over the mouse and know where they want color and lines. There were a lot of really great suggested activies. You can incorporate vocabulary and have students draw the object and label parts. You can also compare periods of history and have them draw what life looks like today compared to 100 years ago. I really liked the idea of gallery showings, where you have all the students leave their drawings up on the computer and then walk around and look at all the different versions. The kids can see all the different variations of color. Drawing programs are definitely a good idea to include in elementary schools.

Elem. Reading and Photostory

My reading this week was about using computer drawing programs to support student achievement. The reading argues that allowing students to use drawing programs on the computer supports non-lingusitic representation skills (creating visuals to represent things like vocabulary or curricular concepts). At first, I was hesitant to agree with this argument because I believed that students could simply create these visual representations using paper and crayons. To me, letting students create their drawings on paper saves me the time and energy I would have to use to explain how to use programs like Kid Pix or Microsoft Paint. However, after I read further, the argument was made that the computer motivates some students in ways that drawing a picture on paper never will. I had to agree. I know from experience that for some students, getting to use Kid Pix is a real motivator for them. The reading also gave examples of how I could use drawing programs for things like drawing illustrations, creating a hundreds day chart, and making portraits and tessellations.

My photostory project is going well. I just added my commentary to my pictures and I think it looks and sounds pretty good. I am still trying to figure out how to add music over my voice. Every time I try to add a music clip, my commentary disappears. Any help on this would be appreciated!

Reading, project 2

My reading for this week was an article about the incorporation of instructional "soaps" into the classroom to help in language acquisition. I think this is a great idea and I know throughout my Spanish learning experience I have had to watch several soaps, including the one discussed in the article, "Destinos." I didn't really like this show, but I 5 years later I can still tell you the main characters names and the basic plot line...so I guess it was doing its job! It was really helpful in learning vocabulary as well and in offering a first hand view into a part of the Hispanic culture. Another show I watched was "La Catrina," which I found a lot more interesting. That is where I learned that "estoy embarazada" does NOT mean "I'm embarassed," it means "I'm pregnant." I'm happy I learned that through the show rather than making the mistake myself! Overall, both of these shows were useful and educational...but they were also extremely cheesy and lame. I haven't seen any recent soaps, but hopefully within the past few years they have come up with some better ones that seem to flow a little bit more naturally. I think that is the only thing the soaps I saw were missing.

I'm excited to work on the photostory...but I think it is going to take me a lot of time. I'm really not good at all the intricacies of creating a photostory. Also, my voice is not the best for doing all the narrations...so I am not looking forward to that part, so we will see how it goes!

Thoughts on Technology of the week and Imovie project so far

So far I am every pleased with the Technology of the week topics.  Getting to know all of these different tools which can me used in the classroom is really neat.  The examples that each presenter has posted on the website seem to demonstrate the technology very well.  Not only that but also the ability that that certain technology has to cover all content areas. 

            Also it is very cool to learn how all of these different technologies work.  For example I have always wondered about java flash animations and applets and how they work.  Now I know thanks to tech of the week!!

            Another thing that I am very excited about is the Imovie project.  It seems to be a very cool idea and one that can be used for all subjects.  Being a math major the obvious uses for math are not necessarily teaching math, but teaching the history of math and key concepts such as applications to everyday life. 

            With such a simple program to use and create lessons I wonder why I have never been introduced to this technology before.  It seems very advantages in all aspects of teaching.  

Photo Story Project

I am really excited about the photo story project! I have so many ideas of what I want to do, the only thing I am struggling with is how to get all the information in that I want to, in around 3 minutes. The other thing I am worried about is using the moviemaker software. I hahve never used it before so it'll be a learning experience. Luckily I do have an idea of what I want to do so I am really happy about that! It will be cool to see and hear everyones stories!