Multi-Media Project

This week I have been using my multi-media project in my classroom. Since the topic was recycling and Earth day was this week it was the perfect time to use it. Not only have I been using it but my entire team has used it. I have heard lots of feedback about it. Most of it being positive. There were a few technical glitches when links weren't working, but now it is all fixed a running well. My kids have learned a lot from the various modes of media I used. I have also found it great to have everything I need to teach is right at my finger tips. I may try and create units like this for each topic that I teach. It would be a great way to keep all the modes of media that I use to teach all in one place!

Digital Data

I guess I thought all there was to know about the way my district stored my data. After my discussion with my technology specialist I have discovered I was wrong. I was unaware how extensive it really was. I did not know how many servers we used. I did not know why I always saved on a certain drive. As for the protection tools we used...I was clueless! I found this assignment to be very enlightening. I think that I will actually think about why I am saving things in certain places from now on. I am also very grateful that my district has so many plan and policies in place for my protection.

Final Project

I have been working on my final project for a while. I am so excited about the content. It is about recycling and saving the earth. Not only is that something that I feel very strongly about, but I also have enjoyed the resources I have found to include in my project. Since next week is earth day I will be using the project with my kids. I am hoping to discover that they are able to learn, while being engaged and enjoyed their learning experience. I can't wait to see how it goes! I will have to post next week about feedback.

Online Surveys

I had never created an online survey. But after my group made one for the assessment class I am very excited about this new capability. I have already thought about ways to use these in the future. I can see how I could use them to get parent feedback. I know it is something that many people have used before. But for me it is a new and exciting tool! I think I love it not only because it is easy, but the best part is the program I am using collects my data and gives me reports with my data.

Learning through Listening

This past week I have been working on my podcast. At first I had no clue what to create. My kids love to listen to books on tape. They love the listening center when they have to listen to tapes and do what the direction tell them to do on the cards that are provided. But none of that would work for my podcast. I wanted something that would be helpful for them to use when at home. Then it hit me. I should make a podcast with our alphabet and sounds. In our district we have have a specific word associated with each letter. The kids must memorize the letter, word, and sound for each letter. Many of my kids have them memorized, but when they say their sounds they do not always say them correctly. If they had a podcast to listen to while they practice they could hear the correct way to say the sounds. I can't wait to see how it works!

Video

Let me start by saying that I have really enjoyed my video project. I am not really sure what it is about the project that I am enjoying. Maybe it is because I used kids from school. Or it might be because it is a subject that I think is fun to learn about. I mean who doesn't like to learn about recycling! I can't wait to finish my video and integrate it into my multi-media project. I think my kids will love to learn from the kids on the video. Many times they learn better when it is not me doing the teaching. I find that their engagement goes up because it is new and different.

Ideas

I have found it very difficult to get started on my video content project. During the past week numerous ideas have floated in my head.

First, I thought it would be fun to tape my kids on "Texas Day" when they come dressed up as cowboy to end our unit on Texas. But if it is at the end of the unit it would be hard to incorporate into my end product to use on my kids this year.

Then I decided to maybe do the topic of ocean and video tape the ocean and ocean animals when I was in Flroida for spring break. But then I realized I may not be able to come up with a enough footage.

Finally, it came to me today! As I sat in my school inservice listening to my principal go on and on about the same old thing...it came to me! I am going to create an interview piece to capture kids prior knowledge about recylcing and Earth day. I can then use my video as an introduction in my big project about recycling and the environment.

It is funny how things come to us at the most random times. Maybe it was something that I saw while I was sitting in the library listening, or something that I heard. No matter what it was I am just glad to have a topic that my ideas can grow from.

Great New Discovery

I have discovered a great new resource for my classroom. My school has subscribed to a program called Tumble Books. It is great! There are many ways to use the program. One way is to have the kids log on and then they pick a book that they would like to be read to them. They can then take quizes or play games about that book. I think that way is great, but another way to implement the program into your daily lessons is to present the book to your class via a projector. I have been using it in that manner this past week and it has been AMAZING how my kids have reacted. I know my kids love when I read stories, but their attention spans are not always that great. When I show them the books from Tumble Books they are completely engaged.

I have also found that I can use this resource not only during my lessons, but also during trasnistions times like when we are packing up I put a book on and they pack up quicker and quieter!

I cannot say enough about how great this program is. For more information check out the website- www.tumblebooks.com

Motivated

I feel very motivated after this last week of reading about multi-media and beginning to think about my culminating paper. It is crazy how excited I am to try new things in my classroom ( it probably doesn't hurt that on Monday we had a district wide staff development day focused on technology).

Anyway during this past week I decided that I am completely capable of making movies with my kids. I figured it couldn't be that difficult. Today I tried for the first time. I had each child find a picture that began with a certain letter of the alphabet in kid pix. Then I saved each of them as jpeg files. Finally...after transferring each of them to photo story, adding music and a few other details....tada...we had our very first movie! I will admit it was a simple silent movie with only music, but for my very first one I have to say I was very excited.

The best part was the excitement from my kids during the process. Seeing the look on each of their faces while we worked and as they watched our "ABC Movie" was enough for me to know that there will be many more movies made in the future.

Uniqueness

I have found that it is usually easier to remember someone if I know something unique about them. So here's a few unique facts about myself that might help you remember me...

* I have lived in four states (Missouri, Alabama, Georgia and Texas)

* Most of my family lives in Poplar Bluff, Missouri- the same town that Charleene from "Designing Women" was from.

* I have celiac disease. That means I cannot eat anything with gluten (wheat, rye, oats and barley) in it.

* My husband and I have been freinds sicne our freshmen year of high school.

* I love the St. Louis Cardinals and go to their spring training every year!

Do you think you can remember me now?