Another Way to Use Ppt

http://escrapbooking.com/projects/scrapcomic/index.htm
This is a bit off topic...I found this neat site that shows you how to create a ppt slide to look like a comic strip (with bubbles).Students would have fun creating a sequential story. They could create a storyboard, take pictures of themselves, upload them and add the comic bubbles.
Looks like fun!

More student samples of ppt

http://www.spa3.k12.sc.us/PowerPoint.htm

I think that the more exposure our students have to ppt presentations created by other students gives them some confidence that they can also use ppt and create just about anything! This site offers some more student samples from Air Pollution to Civil Rights.
What is also useful about having our students look at these samples is having them come up with a list of characteristics or do's and dont's of creating a ppt presentation.
Have the students come up with their own list of qualities that make a great ppt!

Using Ppt Handouts

http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/teachlearn/tutorials/powerpoint/handouts.html

I'm not sure if someone else had posted this site or not. There are so many! If I've repeated it, I guess great minds think alike :)This site had some interesting information about using handouts for a ppt presentation to guide students' study and encouraged active participation. I know for me personally, I find it beneficial to receive the ppt handouts during a presentation as I find it easier to follow along and see what's coming up next in the discussion. I'm a visual and kinesthetic learner, so I prefer the ppt presentation and the handout. The article goes on to say that "when used appropriately, PowerPoint handouts can improve student learning by structuring study time, encouraging critical thinking, preparing students for lecture, and providing opportunities for active learning during the course of the session". This would be more applicable for older grades.
They also provide visual samples of what the ppt slide would look like in compared to what the ppt handout would look like.I absolutely agree with the point that students shouldn't be "mere stenographers". With the help of the handout, students are encouraged to take notes on what's important–application, synthesis, evaluation. The site also provides a mini-workshop via video on how to effectively implement a ppt presentation into your class.
Again, it's geared to older grades and post-secondary lectures, but there are countless ways to adapt the information. I also liked the "12 Active Learning Strategies". Many of those strategies we are encouraged to use in our elementary classrooms!

More Useful Powerpoint/Presentation Sites

http://web.princeton.edu/sites/mcgraw/oral_presentation_skills.html
Oral Presentation Skills

http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Fisher-PowerPoint.html
Classroom uses of Powerpoint/ESL Teaching

http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/subjects/literacy/powerpoint/halfway.html
Benefits of Ppt for Primary Literacy

http://www.microsoft.com/education/storytelling.mspx
Multimedia storytelling

http://powayusd.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/teachers/dhogan/wkshp/LskellyPPT/pptE050.TMP_files/frame.htm
Humorous slides on technology

http://www.cgu.edu/pages/762.asp
Evaluation Forms for Powerpoint Presentations

http://presentationsoft.about.com/od/firststeps/a/ppt_terms.htm
10 Most Common Powerpoint Terms

Evaluating Multimedia Presentations

I know we're probably not suppose to focus on evaluation for this discussion, but I came across this site that has some great samples and templates for assessment and evaluation of our students' ppt presentations. Some might work for you and your students, some might not. I know, personally, I like coming across sites like these so I can add some of these rubrics to my collection. It seems when you need to find them, you can't! These rubrics might also give you some ideas of how to plan your assignment for your students.There is also an open-ended type evaluation, where students can be more reflective in self-assessing their work.

http://www.cgu.edu/pages/762.asp

Comprehension, Ppt and Humour

http://powayusd.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/teachers/dhogan/wkshp/readingcomprehension.html
Some good ideas on how to use ppt for something other than a visual presentation.There are also some interesting ideas on effective uses of ppt. My favorite was the Kids and Adult Technology slide. It humourously draws attention to how in tune our students are with technology, and how many adults are just not on the ball!
Great slides, very funny, could be interesting to show to parents to have them appreciate the necessity for our children to be technologically literate!
Slide 12 is a good representation of how many teachers feel about technology: they'd rather have a root canal, as the slide suggests, rather than have to learn about the up and coming tech advances. I had a student last year that was chosen for a pilot program on a new initative from the board. He received his own computer and color printer as a result. The problem I had during the year was battling the reluctancy of the EA who worked with the student to actually use the program. It's a shame. But again, technology is only as good as those people are eager and willing to use it!
Slide 16 pretty much sums it up!Check it out!This ppt would also be good to show the students and assign one slide to a pair of them. Have them discuss and share with the class what that slide is saying about technology in the classroom, in the world and its users.

Benefits of Powerpoint with a Data Projector

http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/subjects/literacy/powerpoint/halfway.html

This site details the benefits of using ppt with a data projector for literacy. The example on the site suggests that using a data projector with ppt reaches all students, regardless of the number of students in the class (as opposed to showing them a picture from a book, whereby, it is not a guarantee that all students will be able to see it).
New slides could be added, created the students, to supplement the lesson.
The site also includes some feedback from the students who received the ppt lesson using a data projector. Some feedback included the idea that words were easier to follow because they were bigger, having it on the computer was exciting because there were different sounds and graphics. Students Jay and Laura made a great comment in stating that it was great to see the pictures bigger and that the teacher didn't have to turn the book around so all students could see it.
There are some downfalls. One being that if pictures can't be scanned into the ppt, then the graphics shown will lose some of their visual appeal that would lend itself to getting the meaning and intent out of the pictures.
I think it's a great tool for the primary classroom. The teacher was quick to mention that it wouldn't replace their mandatory "read alouds", but using it could help to teach some expectations.

Powerpoint Uses in the Classroom

http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Fisher-PowerPoint.html

This article gives some considerations for using ppt in the classroom, not only for a presentation, but to review material, for tests, practices and drills.
There is also a link that provides some tips for using ppt.There is also a link for PowerPoint presentations for ESL/EFL students:
http://iteslj.org/t/ppt/
It offers useful ppts on: root words, pronunciation blends, prepositions, etc. My school just received the "wireless computer lab", bye-bye desktops! My ESL student would benefit greatly from these types of ppt's, which help reinforce skills being taught through other mediums!

Strategies to Improve Presentation Skills

http://www.westga.edu/~bquest/2007/presentation7.pdf

An interesting article. It looks at why students oral presentation performances are poor. One reason, which we can all atest to observing in our students, and perhaps ourselves, is oral communication apprehension. McCroskey defined this anxiety as “an individual’s level of fear or anxiety associated with either real oranticipated communication with another person or persons".
The components of this oral communication apprehension have been attributed to learnedhelplessness and learned negative expectations. Again validating the notion on how important it is for us to know our students, not just their preferred learning style. An outdate study, from 1973 was performed which showed that speaking in front of a group of people is the primary fear among Americans.
The article goes on to state that oral communication apprehension can be reduced with proper training, that which people receive in school. In a report, "How Americans Communicate", 25 percent felt their school training had properly taught them to deliverpresentations or speeches. So what about the other 75???
The article goes on to highlight 5 strategies that can be implemented to improve student presentation skills:1) classroom communication behavior influences students’ communication behavior 2) students needs clear expectations regarding format, content, and delivery 3) rubric should be used to indiciate expectations 4) instructors should videotape a presentation to be used as a model for futre classes 5) teachers should tie in-class presentations to actual work-life scenarios, ifpossible
I enjoyed this article because it reiterates the importance of teaching students how to present. I think sometimes we assume that they know how to deliver an effective presentation. If students had to be taught the formula for area of a triangle before they used and applied the formula, so too do students need to be taught the various strategies to effective presentations! A good read!

Ppt Visual Aid Template

http://www.nwlink.com/%7Edonclark/leader/leadpres.html

This site gives a great visual aid, via ppt, on how to create an effective presentation using ppt.
This would be a great tutorial for students to use.Once you're on the site, on the left side, click on "Powerpoint Visual Aid Presentation" under TEMPLATES.
It also offers a presentation template on how to organize your time and ideas into a 30 minute presentation. Click on "Presentation Outline". The site also offers tips and suggestions on how to deliver an effective presentation.
Before I start telling my students what makes an effective presentation, I would go through a brainstorming session with them to discuss what they think goes into a good presentation. Then I would add ceratin characteristics that weren't mentioned.
Having a student created web on "What makes an effective presentation" could be posted in the classroom as a constant reference for the students.

Presentation Skills for Students

http://www.palgrave.com/skills4study/pdfs/Presentation%20skills.pdf

This pdf gives students some important points to keep in mind when presenting. Some notable examples include:
- good introductions capture the audience
- don't read numbers or specialist terminology too quickly
- don't be afraid to pause, it can help you regain control of your pace
- writing in the margins on notecards to write messages to yourself on when to pause, or introduce new material

http://www.aresearchguide.com/3tips.html

This site offers a "Research Guide for Students". It offers great tips on:- how to reach your audience- using body language- speaking to your audience, listening to their questions, responding to their reactions, adjusting and adapting (I think this is a factor that elicits a lot of anxiety for students because it can get them out of their comfort zone when they are unable to quickly and efficiently adapt to unexpected changes, problems or questions in their presentations- making sure that audio-visual and technical equipment is in good working order before the presentation The site also provides some great public speaking and persuasive writing links.There are way too many links to mention from this site. Worth checking out!

An Addition to Learning Grids

i should note that the images in the learning grids are not digital images. however, i'm pretty sure you can download pictures from a digital camera and use them to create your own learning grid!

Learning Grids

i'm not sure if what i'm going to share is what we're looking for here, but it's great! i've used learning grids before (part of Clicker 5 program). i'm not sure how many of you have used it or are familiar with it. if you visit the link below, you can register FREE (i always like the free ones!) and have access to so many resources:
http://www.learninggrids.com
if this one doesn't work, visit the UK site:
http://learninggrids.com/uk
then click on the "north american site" at the top of the screen.

the learning grids provide information and e-texts (or e-books) on many categories from arts, citizenship, math, and science to language arts.like i said, i've used this is school quite a bit last year, but i've having some difficulty opening files on my computer at home. maybe some of you will have better luck, or can offer me some suggestions.

anyway, i will share with you some examples of what's offered on the site. firstly, once you click on a category it lists all the grids available. for each, it provides the ages that are appropriate for the grid and a brief description of what the grid is about.for example, i found an on-screen book about weather. each page shows a weather symbol and its name, followed by a page showing the type of weather in a picture context, and a sentence about it using the construction "It is...".

for some categories, they do not have resourcees available yet. i tried to get into history > first world war (since i just covered that part of the curriculum last month), but there are no resources yet.aside from e-books, they also provide grids to support writing tasks. for example, under history > black history > the underground railroad, this set of Clicker Grids is designed to support writing about the Underground Railroad. students choose starter sentences about the railroad that connect to word banks to support further writing.they also have an ESL category with further links to writing, talking books, sentences, and high frequency words. in the talking books section, there is a Clicker Grid Set that allows students to write and illustrate their own on-screen book about a trip to the beach, appropriate for ages 4 to 6, or older users with special needs. i get pretty excited when i go through this site because there are so many uses for ALL of my students.

especially in intermediate grades (as i've stated before) the resources available for special needs and ESL students are not age appropriate. a site like this helps to conquer those challenges. you really have to navigate through the site to appreciate how it can contribute to your planning for all your students.once i'm at school, i'll get a better chance to get reaquainted with the site!i strongly recommend to check this out!

Students Polled for Camera Use

so i asked my grade 8's to help me out a bit on this topic. i have come across some great ideas on how students and teachers can use digital cameras in the classroom, but i thought it would be quite relevant to ask my students how they would use a digital camera in the classroom.

i gave them some examples from our postings in this discussion to give them a framework to work within. the responses were varied. since graduation is just around the corner (my, how time flies!), many of them suggested that they could take photos of themselves for the year end slideshow...we do this anyway, so i wasn't satisfied with these particular answers.

others commented on how they could take pictures of diagrams that i draw on the board (graphic organizers, examples for math problems...currently, we're doing angle properties of parallel lines, so there are always lots of diagrams). that way, they could refer to the picture to clarify their understanding.

for geography, one student suggested we take the cameras outside. we're studying the three patterns of human settlement: linear, scattered and clustered patterns. they have diagrams in their workbooks where houses, farms and buildings are represented by tiny black squares. this particular student suggested that we divide into groups and try to take pictures to represent the three different patterns. this is a great idea, one in which i may use. i would actually book a bus and take the students on a little road trip. in the city, we would only be able to capture one type of pattern. if we took a trip east (toronto bound) and/or west (port dover bound) the students would have ample opportunity to take pictures of relevant examples of settlement patterns.

i'm still sifting through some of their answers. so far, i'm impressed. i think they were surprised that i asked for their input! but then again, our students drive our instruction!on a lighter note, some students said, and i'm hoping they were trying to be funny, they could take pictures of the notes from the board or overhead so they wouldn't have to copy them :)

Differentiated Instruction Workshop

i had a workshop this afternoon on differentiated learning in the intermediate classes (lucky for me, it continues all day tomorrow for our PD day!)
most of what was presented was material we were all taught in teacher's college, if it wasn't already obvious: all of our students have different learning styles and our job/challenge is to deliver our lessons effectively to reach all our students. HOW....through differentiated instruction.
we all do it on a daily basis, but we probably never gave too much thought as to placing certain labels on activities and procedures. we do them because we know our students and how they will learn best. in many of the examples the instructor shared, she used visuals as one way for some students to represent their work.
for example, if your focus was on character analysis in a novel, some students may write a descriptive paragraph, others may choose to write a poem, others may choose to draw/paint the character. rather than drawing/painting, why not have the student create the visual image of the character on themselves, or someone else. students love to use costumes. they could dress themselves in the proper clothing, sport the necessary hair style and facial features as well as posing with the appropriate facial expression to capture the true essence of the character.
perhaps the character goes through many changes in the novel. these changes can be captured with a digital camera. when the photos are placed beside one another, a better example is shown of the character has developed through the novel.
perhaps, even better than a written description. the point of the idea was to give students a choice as to how they wanted to represent their information. some students may prefer to use pen and paper, but others may prefer to display it visually. let's try to expand our limits beyond pencil crayons and paint to the use of the digital camera! if students are given options, they can take more ownership of their work.
can't wait for tomorrow's workshop:)

Teacher Responsibilities

while the focus of this week's discussion is on student uses for the digital camera, i feel it's important that we don't neglect the obvious responsibilites we have as educators. the article on the following site:

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Using+digital+cameras+for+multidimensional+learning+in+K-12+classrooms-a0148367623provides

us with a few reminders:
(1) make certain the available documentation is in place before allowing individuals to be photographed
(2) teachers should stress the importance of taking appropriate images ( numerous discussions should be held regarding this!)
(3) establishing guidelines with students' input assists them in being selective about their photographsteacher responsiblities also include:"(a) providing the instructional tasks for the students' engagement, (b) providing an understanding and knowledge base for the use of digital cameras, (c) providing access and instructions to students for the handling and use of this technology, and (d) providing instruction and guidelines for using this technology to provide feedback"
the article concludes with Evelyn Woldman of the Massachusetts Elementary School Principal Association. she emphatically states, "I think the only obstacle to using a digital camera is not having it" .

Digital Cameras and Bullying

every year, the grade 7's in my board go to tim horton's camp on onondoga farms in st. george, ontario (just outside brantford) for a diversity conference.

the students learn about the diversity of living things and visit their farm (with real animals!) and greenhouse, they talk about the "masks" people wear to fit into certain cliques and bullying. their bullying component requires the students to create a 6-frame storyboard. the students work with students from another school, in groups of 3-4 and take turns creating scenes to map out their storylines.after, the students go into their computer lab, download the pictures and they each get a color copy to take back to their schools.

using digital cameras is a great way for them to explore and become more self-aware about such a sensitive topic. the students always enjoy this part the best.this can also be performed in the classroom.

Digital Camera in the Gym???

i teach phys-ed to the intermediates, and also coach the basketball teams at the school. so, i've been thinking about how students could integrate the use of the camera in a meaningful way. we just finished our unit on basketball in phys.ed. for some reason, students always think they're going to get in the gym and play basketball for 6 weeks. when they realize that they will actually be learning different skills and fundamentals, they are even more enthused.

students can work in groups and be assigned a certain skill (bounce pass, chest pass, dribbling, defending a dribbler, shooting, rebounding, etc). (be sure to teach the skill first!) then students are responsible for breaking down the skill into steps. they would take a picture of each step in performing the skill: for example, the chest pass, one frame would be the student's beginning position with their elbows out, knees slightly bent, ball at chest level. the next frame would feature the student taking a step forward with their dominant foot. next, they would take a picture of the student releasing the ball, continuing to step into the pass. then, the picture would be focussed on the student's hands and arms to ensure that their elbows are out, and thumbs are pointing down.

the students can then use these photos to create a "how to" poster (eg. how to make a chest pass). brief, written descriptions can accompany each step/picture. they can also be laminated and posted in the gym, or used in previous years. if you have a reliable group of students, you can have them teach some of the younger students, perhaps in an intermural format, or have them teach the younger students the skill as part of their knowledge, understanding and communication of the content.

the possiblities are endless. any sport or activity would benefit from this type of use of the digital camera.what about stretches and circuit training sessions? students could pose for those exercises as well, and those posters could be used in gym class to demonstrate a certain stretch or exercise.i'm starting volleyball in 2 weeks...hmmmmm....!

kids with cameras

Kids with Cameras is an organization that believes that photography is an "effective tool in igniting children's imagination and building self-esteem...they believe in the power of art to transform lives, for both the artist and the viewer".
the children are from Calcutta's red-light district.the site provides a gallery of the children's photos that they have taken. what a collection! it's quite refreshing to see the world through the eyes of these children. being half way around the world, i think we forget, or don't care to acknowledge, how children live around the world. they have books, and a dvd and use the profits to help the children.
the founder of the project and film, "Born into Brothels" writes:"It has been my dream, since the beginning of the project, to inspire others to feel, to notice, to challenge, to take action. Some of the most inspiring moments I have had are at screenings of Born into Brothels at schools across the country. American children are riveted by the kids from Calcutta. They connect with them through the film in a way only kids can. Kids want to share, to know more, to get involved. This is why I wanted to build a curriculum around the film, so that it can be a catalyst for awareness and change. Amnesty International, in partnership with Kids with Cameras, has made this happen. I am deeply grateful to them for this."
i don't think i ever gave digital cameras, the benefit of the doubt with respect to having this type of social impact. it gets me thinking about how my students can take the camera "outside the classroom" to bring awareness to social injustice. the possibilities are endless. this site enabled me to think outside the box! to see the world through the eyes of a child is quite humbling for all of us!

http://www.kids-with-cameras.org/education/

more ideas for student use

this site has very useful and relevant ideas on how students can use digital cameras in the classroom.

one idea is for students to create "tall tale" and illustrate the scene and the background. then, they take pictures of each other, posing in that scene. print the picture, cut it out and place on their illustrated background. the site also provides a picture to see the finished product.
http://powayusd.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/projects/EdTechcentral/CamerasScannersLiteracy.htm

this site is very valuable as it gives tips on how to use a digital camera and how to take and create great digital photos. while the text may be appropriate for intermediate or highschool students, teachers can modify the text to suit their grade level:

http://www.shortcourses.com/use/

so what do you use when your school doesn't have the money to fund digital cameras to be used in the classroom? this site provides digital images, categorized into many topics, like countries, weather, living, tools and machinery.this same site offers some lesson plan ideas. one that i found particularly interesting was a fractions lesson. after the concepts had been taught, students took pictures of different objects with a digital camera. then, they used an image editor (Image Blender) to create fractional parts in the objects. sounds pretty fun:

http://www.pics4learning.com/

e-texts by kids for kids

although i've commented before on e-texts, i think the topic is quite relevant in this discussion. on my board's e-mail system, we have links to these online books, called e-texts.the great thing about these books is that they are created by students. there are probably over 100 of them. students were given a digital camera and took pictures based on the topic of their book.
for example, one e-text is about pizza. the student clearly loved to eat it and took pictures of a whole pizza, a pizza with different toppings and a pizza with different portions of it already eaten.
i find many things valuable with this example. firstly, it's authentic since the student created it themselves. there is a strong literacy component to it as there is text to accompany the digital photo. the best part is that these e-texts are created by students FOR students!
i have several special needs children in my grade 8 class. we often use these e-texts to supplement a lesson, or they log on to the e-texts and read for personal enjoyment. which gets me to thinking about having them create their own e-text. while my grade 8's are currently studying geography, they are working on their directions (left, right, north, south, east and west) and symbols on maps.
my wheels are turning right now as to the number of ways they can create an e-text, using digital photos!the best part is that these students love to be on the computer, so it's right up their alley!

1001 uses for a digital camera

if you haven't heard enough ideas already, this site will be sure to give you some help!
http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/%7Eucfcasio/qvuses.htm

visual learners and digital cameras in the classroom

this article deals with visual learners and new technology. VDTs (visual display technology) are among the tools most rapidly being adopted in schools across the UK, for example, interactive whiteboards (IWBs). significant funding, support and promotion have been made available to encourage the use of IWBs in the UK.
According to a recent DfES report, IWBs assist teachers in:"Delivering exciting and engaging lessons to children of all ages and abilities. They enable teachers to deliver lessons interactively using a variety of methods, including video clips, use of the internet, interactive presentations, colour visuals and traditional blackboard skills.
Additionally, they allow for manipulation of text, objects, calculations by children as well as teachers."
this makes me wonder what my board and other boards across ontario are doing to help raise funds for new technology to reach all of our learners! the article states that a possible downside is the students losing their interest with this type of technology. really??? in my class, my students haven't lost interest in using the computer and that's been around for years!

http://www.futurelab.org.uk/resources/publications_reports_articles/web_articles/Web_Article556
another great site. this deals with visual literacy in the classroom, gives support research, implications for use, curriculum benefits, and the benefits of using digital cameras to support visual literacy in the classroom. it also provides great links to resources that are worth checking out!
http://www.zardec.net.au/keith/visual.htmthis one is actually a BLOG (i guess they are everywhere!!!) about ideas on how to teach the visual learner in your classroom.http://successfulteaching.blogspot.com/2007/11/how-to-teach-visual-learner.html

visual literacy in the classroom

http://www.zardec.net.au/keith/visual.htm
a worthwhile site to visit!
he begins by stating that visual literacy is the "ability to understand and produce visual messages"."Visual literacy includes such areas as facial expressions, body language, drawing, painting, sculpture, hand signs, street signs, international symbols, layout of the pictures and words in a textbook, the clarity of type fonts, computer images, student produced still pictures, sequences, movies or video, user friendly equipment design, critical analysis of television advertisements and many, many other things"
in speaking of some of the implications in visual literacy and the visual learners, he writes that students "need to learn how to recognize and respond to visual and print messages of humor, irony and metaphor". this is a very important skill. especially as the students get older and enter into highschool. the images that support the text they are reading, whether it's in history, science, math or english, have underlying tones and meanings. the article states that digital cameras make a huge contribution to visual literacy.
not only can they enhance lessons, tests and reports, but also record student progress, record weather (types of clouds, part of the Grade 5 science curriculum), and actually learn about photography (lighting, composition, depth of field).
perhaps, students will develop a love for photography and seek to pursue it in highschool...maybe be part of the photography club or yearbook committee!
the possible uses are endless and many more ideas are listed on the website.this site is wonderful and provides links to many, many useful resources.

visual learners and technology

www.futurelab.org.uk
this is a great article that speaks to the issue of providing visual learners with appropriate technology to reach them in the classroom.'Visual Display Technologies' (VDT), and this article highlight some of the more widely used VDTs as well as uncovering some of the hidden potential in this field.in the UK this VDT has widespread us, mostly for interactive whiteboards (IWBs) connected to data projectors. Significant funding, support and promotion have been made available to encourage the use of IWBs in the UK.
which begs the question: what is my board or anyone's board in the province doing to raise funds for this type of technology, or other types (like buying a class set of digital cameras) to help accomodate our visual learners?
The article states that IWBs assist teachers in:"Delivering exciting and engaging lessons to children of all ages and abilities. They enable teachers to deliver lessons interactively using a variety of methods, including video clips, use of the internet, interactive presentations, colour visuals and traditional blackboard skills. Additionally, they allow for manipulation of text, objects, calculations by children as well as teachers."talk about getting the students' attention!
i know for my students and some particular students i've taught in the past, having something that interactive that they could participate in would have definitely captured their interest and in turn increase their motivation to WANT to learn!
however, the article does state a downside to this type of technology would be that the interest from the student would be short lived! i'm not sure if i necessarily agree with that. we've had overhead projectors, tv's, dvd players and cd players in the classroom for so many years.
for many students, it still works to grab their attention.the article goes on further to discuss possible, future developments in technology to assist the visual learner.

digital storytelling & powerpoint

http://members.shaw.ca/dbrear/Digital_Storytelling%231E1B7E.pdf

this site provides a great lesson to get girls to share their personal stories, while using powerpoint.
obviously, an extension of that, which they elude to, is creating a podcast.
they provide templates to organize their ideas, offer ideas on possible topics to write about, and lists other digital storytelling resources.
looking over this site reminded me of how timid students can be when they are not familiar with or comfortable with new technology.
this is an assignment that i am going to try with my entire class.
i probably would start the project on powerpoint to get the students comfortable and more confident in using different computer software. after they have scanned their photos in and written their text, we can start examining the idea of transforming their powerpoint digital stories into podcasts.
the powerpoint presentation would almost be like their "rough copy". some teachers may not need to go through powerpoint depending on their personal technology experience and that of their students.
but i do think there are teachers like myself who would benefit from taking our time and planning more before we created podcasts with our students.

science and podcasting

teachers must be "on the ball", so to speak when it comes to keeping up with current changes in technology.
if you're a science teacher (which i am not), you may find some valuable information on the benefits of using podcasts for your lessons.
it lists some benefits: bringing science experts and professionals right into your classroom, students get access to research facilities and simulations, and nstruction in mulitple languages....could be worth checking out!

podcasting and ESL

http://linguapod.com
this site is all about ESL podcasts.
of course, there is a fee to subscribe.
they offer transcripts of the podcasts, a glossary of terms used in the podcast, they even have other sentences/phrases to substitute for ones that the listener may not understand due to the language barrier. they also provide tips on how to improve your english.
now, while this may not be suitable for our younger students, i immediately thought of 3 of my ESL students and their parents. a great resource to help parents improve their english, and in turn, be able to help their child at home.

podcasting & classroom basics

since my experience with podcasting is limited, i found the following site helpful:

poducateme.com

there is a podcasting user guide, links to different hardware and software. and get this, there is even a blog:)
the site also offers some great links to articles that try to link podcasting in classrooms with attendance. a study at Duke and the University of Washington found that while some educators would like to believe that podcasted lectures would deter students from coming to class, they actually found that students were less likely to drop podcasted courses because the recordings helped the students keep up with the material. they also cited an increase in enthusiasm and stronger student evals of the course.
there is also a great link that discusses technology and class attendance.
while these discussions are more geared to examining the post-secondary habits of students, i think there is relevance to the enthusiasm that we could see in our students from k-12 with have some podcasted lessons.it would be impossible for a teacher to deny the importance and need to keep things fresh, new and interesting in our lessons to captivate and motivate our students to learn and succeed. podcasting could allow for those "at-risk" students to finally find the interest they've been looking for!

Possible Criteria for Assignment #2???

I went online to try to get started thinking about some criteria to include in the rubric. Here are some possible suggestions:
ayout of text and elements,
visual appeal (including graphics and photos),
ease of navigation and flow,
mechanical aspects (broken links, grammatical errors),
relevance of content to students and/or staff.
Am I on the right track???

Anyone See Dr. Phil???

Dr. Phil had an intriguing, yet tragic show on a couple of weeks ago that exposed the first ammendment right to free speech and the necessity to draw the line somewhere. The mother of a young teen, Megan Myer was on the show. Megan, became friends on MySpace with a teenage boy who befriended her, told her how beautiful she was etc. Now the catch is that the boy was actually her friend's mother, posing as this young boy, who was trying to see if Megan was speaking badly of her daughter (Megan and her daughter were friends at one point). One day, this "boy" who Megan trusted and thought was her friend, turned on her and began saying horrible things about her. Tragically, Megan killed herself because of the devasting things this boy had said about her.
The Mayor, along with a first ammendment lawyer were on the show too. The big issue that was brought up was where to draw the line with this type of online bullying and the identity fraud supposedly committed by the mother of Megan's ex-friend. It was a very interesting episode and it raised a lot of good questions that need to be addressed to prevent future "Megan's" from resorting to a tragic end. Don't worry, I took in the episode with a grain of salt, being that it's a talk show and they tend to exploit people and their problems. However, I do think there is validity into investigating how laws can be instituted and changed to protect innocent people.
My "a-ha" moment came while I was watching the episode and heard the mayor disclose that there are no laws protecting Megan or others in her situation because that would infringe upon the "accused's" constitutional right. Are you kidding me? Why is it that the victims are "victimized" over and over again? Where is their justice? Why does the law, in Canada or the US, protect the accused or guilty at the expense of the victims? No wonder why vigilante justice is appealing to some people! (Not to me, but to some people!!!)
This is not the end of stories like Megan's.Another man was on the show and he was being threatened online while played PS2 or Xbox (forget which one!). Racial slurs and threats of violence against him and his family were being made while he was playing. He contacted Microsoft and they told him that until there were 10 complaints made against that person, nothing could be done. Shameful! So who protects him and his family? I guess an option would be for him to quit playing, but what about his rights?
I could go on....In closing, it was an eye-opening episode that highlighted not only the dangers online, but the reality of the lack of justice for those persecuted online!

My Students and Facebook

I teach a wonderful group of grade 8 students. We are located on the central mountain in Hamilton. About a quarter of my students do not have access to a computer at home. So I posed the following question earlier this week: What's the big fascination with Facebook/MySpace? Most of the students responded with common reasons such as, "It's easier to communicate with my friends and relatives in other countries", "It's easier to send a message than to talk to them on the phone". I was floored at that last response. No wonder my so many of my students do not understand cursive writing, nor can they do it themselves. The ability to communicate with the technology that we have today has rid our students of the basic ability to write. I wonder how they will learn to sign their names in the future? Perhaps, by that time, we will have resorted to some sort of fingerprint scanning system for authentic identification!

Good online safety sites

http://fc.bryanisd.org/bhs/InternetSafety
This website is from a highschool (available for parents) and deals with on line safety tips and helps to educate the parents on popular mediums like MySpace and FaceBook. I know my parents of my students would definitely benefit from this information.There are also some pretty interesting statistics on this site as well:
60% of teens have gotten an email from a total stranger! Wow! The more shocking stat is that 63% of those teens have actually responded to those messages. Their curiosity, at that age with this technology, I feel is at an all-time. I can understand the appeal to respond to someone who you don't know, when you have the computer to hide behind. As appealing as it may be, the dangers are lurking for these teens!

http://www.commonsense.com/internet-safety-tips/tips-for-parents.php
This page deals with Internet Survival Tips for Parents and Teachers.

http://www.commonsense.com/internet-safety-tips/age-and-stage.php
This page ( a link from the last one ) is titled "Internet by Age and Stage" and goes through different age groups and what their activity level should be like on the internet.
Quite useful for parents!Further Resources and Helpful sites from commonsense.com:
http://www.commonsense.com/internet-safety-tips/further-resources.php

"Educational Benefits to Online Learning"

Check out this site for more benefits to online learning:

http://resources.blackboard.com/scholar/general/pages/ictraining/Online_Learning_Benefits.pdf

Online Learning

"Online Learning: Secondary Students' First Experience"
http://www.csse.ca/CJE/Articles/FullText/CJE26-4/CJE26-4-Tunison.pdf

- discusses the notion of "virtual schools" and the benefits of having no geographical boundaries
- school is always open, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- more emphasis placed on practicing and doing, preparing them more for today's changing technological society
- study done to look at the experiences of EOLL (early on line learners)
- found that with respect to communication tools available in on line learning (chat rooms, email, bulletin boards), students preferred email (to get help from their teacher, it was private, they could communicate with other students
- students preferred the bulletin board more as a means of socialization and getting to know each other bettter
- I thought it was interesting that the study stated that the bulletin board "empowered" the students to become teachers to help each other with problems they were having
- with respect to the use of chat rooms, students thought it would be best served if a teacher intervened to ensure it's proper and appropriate use; rarely used, and had to "plan" a time to be in it
- the article goes on to discuss the benefits and concerns with on line learning
- an important conclusion it does make is that adequate support must be in place for EOLL
- they also found that more student collaboration was necessary, as many of the students were content to work independently
- online learning enables and requires students to be self-directed learners

I can relate to the students in the study, because this is the first on line course I have taken. The last week has been a bit stressful trying to make sure I'm on line at certain times, making sure I'm posting my blogs, finding relevant material, etc. But, as with most things, it's getting easier. I've learned a lot this past week and my comfort level in communicating in this on line course is increasing. Onwards and upwards!

Use of Blogs in Education

For some more ideas on how to use blogs in the classroom, visit:
http://www.pembinatrails.ca/program/technology/uses_of_blogs_in_education.htm

Blogs are everywhere...

I've been pretty sick this week, spending two days at home curled up on the couch. However, it allowed me to realize how many references I've seen to blogs: Sports Desk (TSN) allows their viewers to join them in the current banter on the hot topic of sports, wedding websites (of which I've been scouring since I'm getting married in the summer) permit brides-to-be to share heart-warming engagement tales and tips on where to find the cheapest vendors, professional sport team websites allow you to chat with your favorite player. Before January 7, I honestly never paid much attention to the simplicity of sharing your ideas and thoughts via a blog. You learn something new every day!

Why not book clubs for adults???

As I was reading Patricia's message, I began to think of how easy it would be for adults, not just students, to use blogs as part of their book club. An adult, on-line reading response journal, in a way! Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it's being done, I just never thought of it! My friends and I, when we somehow find the time, have a book club. The difficult part always seems to be staying on task and actually sharing our ideas, thoughts and questions about the book. Having the opportunity to post your thoughts and read those of others is a great way to discuss the book without actually having to clean your house and have people over! Now if I can only get my friends on board with the world of "blogging"! Look out Oprah and your fancy little book club!!!

Great Article

I found a great article from:www.techlearning.com/db_area/archives/TL/2003/02/blogs.phpIt's called "Writing with Weblogs".

I once had a student that was communicating with Robert Munsch (successful and popular children's author) online, sharing her ideas about some stories she had written. Had it not been for the opportunity for her share her writing online, she would have never have had the chance.

With respect to encouraging student writing, the article states that "students will write when they have something to say, when they have an audience, and when they get feedback."I completely agree with Goulb's philosophy. It's sometimes challenging as a teacher to get your students to write a personal journal entry in their "notebooks", let alone a creative writing assignment or essay on a topic of their choice. I find that often students write what they think their teachers want to read, not necessarily what the student themselves believes or thinks. If the students have an audience of their peers or an "unkown, cyber" audience, that may contribute to more authentic and quality writing. When students hand in a writing assignment, they have to wait to get it back. Children nowadays are used to, and expect, instant gratification and results. I think the the immediate feedback they would receive is a great incentive to encourage publishing their written work online.

The article also provides some insight on the challenges of assessment. This is a great read and the site (www.techlearning.com) provides additional digital writing resources.

Greetings!

Hello everyone! My name is Christine Garbarz. I teach grade 8 for the HWCDSB. I've also taught grades 5 and 7. At my school, the access to the computer lab is limited (1-40 minute period a week, unless you can coax a colleague for their time slot!).

Personally, I'm taking this course to rev up my computer skills. Technology is changing so quickly, and the students often are teaching us how to use certain programs. So I would like to boost my confidence using computers in the classroom and be able to create a tech-friendly environment. I'm hoping this course will help!

Looking forward to chatting with you all soon. I should add, however, that I do have a bit of anxiety about some of the assignments I've read about.