Through out the past couple of weeks, I have learned so much about Web 2.o. Not only have I taken the initiative to make my own podcasts, jing movies, and YouTube videos, I have also created an account on Imbee that I plan to use with my students this school year.
I feel as though my eyes have been opened not only to the possibilities that Web 2.o provides, but of the issues I should be watchful for. Being that I have grown up around technology, I've never really questioned the authenticity of a site, or a program. However, after taking this class, and looking into each of these technologies in depth, a whole new world is revealed to me. I know that as a teacher I can use these tools, but I must do my research ahead of time in order to protect my students and myself.
To close, I wanted to embed a Verizon Wireless commerical, but the commercial is too new to be on YouTube. Last night I was sitting and talking with my husband about Web2.o when this hilarious commercial came on. It was of a family, a mom and dad, and two kids. The kids are "taking the role" of the parents saying "okay mom, this is called texting" and "dad, this is your bluetooth and it works like this." The parents look scared (almost like a kid on his/her first day of school) as they get into the back of a taxi cab. The kids (who can't be more than 15 years of age) say "bye, we're so proud of you!" It perfectly portrayed this new generation we have on our hands.
Thursday
Wednesday
A Social Network Site for Kids and Teachers!
Recently I was speaking with some co-workers about some of the work I have been doing in ET630. As the subject of incorporating blogging in the classroom came up, the topic of internet safety came up. I decided to do some searching to see if there are any websites that promote social networking in a safe environment. Not only will I need to know these sites for classroom use, but I can also recommend them to parents as social networking is becoming more popular.
So I did some searching, and I found a website called Imbee. It allows parents, kids and parents to set up accounts on their sites.
Taken right from their website . . .
Each account allows the user to share pictures, audio and movie files, create social groups and chat sessions. Depending on the type of account the user has, restrictions can be set to limit the user's access to these features.
So I did some searching, and I found a website called Imbee. It allows parents, kids and parents to set up accounts on their sites.
Taken right from their website . . .
Kids! Sign up now and start using imbee right away. When your parent approves your account, you'll be able to use the great imbee features!
Imbee makes it easy to guide your child's interaction with others. Register now to create an account for yourself and your child.
Register now and easily create accounts for all your students.
Each account allows the user to share pictures, audio and movie files, create social groups and chat sessions. Depending on the type of account the user has, restrictions can be set to limit the user's access to these features.
Overall, I think this site can be used in the classroom between teacher and students, and also at home between parent and child. As long as the child is supervised while using this site, and has restrictions set on his/her account, he/she will have difficulty seeing or doing something that is inappropriate.
This is a very interesting YouTube video that shares the numbers of people involved in some type of social network.
This is a very interesting YouTube video that shares the numbers of people involved in some type of social network.
My Jing Movie
After playing around with Jing, I realize that there are so many ways that I could use it in the classroom. I can give my students directions for a particular assignment by not only telling them, but by showing them. This is useful for so many reasons! For one, students can see it as a video, which will make it more "real" to them. Secondly, it allows students to move at their own pace. Students' abilities on the computer can vary greatly so having this freedom to pace themselves allows them to take an active role of their learning.
I think this program can be particularity useful as an alternative to lecturing. Sometimes, teachers stand and lecture what's written on a PowerPoint or a website. Instead, how about pre-recording yourself giving the lecture, so that now students can either view it on their own, or as an entire class. If you choose to do it as an entire class, it frees the teacher up to walk around the classroom to help students, or manage classroom behavior.
I really like Jing a lot and hope that I will have the chance to use it in my classroom this year. My only concern right now is that this program is momentarily free to download online. However, I have a feeling that one day soon the owners will charge users because it is such a good program.
I have taken the liberty to download it, and make my first Jing movie. Below you will find a very short video I made explaining how someone can hyperlink text to a website in PowerPoint.
I think this program can be particularity useful as an alternative to lecturing. Sometimes, teachers stand and lecture what's written on a PowerPoint or a website. Instead, how about pre-recording yourself giving the lecture, so that now students can either view it on their own, or as an entire class. If you choose to do it as an entire class, it frees the teacher up to walk around the classroom to help students, or manage classroom behavior.
I really like Jing a lot and hope that I will have the chance to use it in my classroom this year. My only concern right now is that this program is momentarily free to download online. However, I have a feeling that one day soon the owners will charge users because it is such a good program.
I have taken the liberty to download it, and make my first Jing movie. Below you will find a very short video I made explaining how someone can hyperlink text to a website in PowerPoint.
Podcasting - My first Published Podcast!
After many "hours" (and I mean hours), I have uploaded my first podcast! This is the first time that I have ever uploaded an audio file to the internet, and I must admit I was very stressed. It appears that my Mac computer doesn't support the common programs or files that it takes to make a podcast. Because I had these struggles, it made me think about how it would be if I were having my students make podcasts on computers that did not work. This solidifies the truth even more that foremost, technology is never 100% reliable, and that teachers should always play around with their technology before using it in the classroom setting. Once teachers know that the computers are working effectively, using podcasts in the classroom can be very beneficial.
I have linked my first podcast below. On the podcast, I read the introduction to the article on my blog entitled, "8 Reasons why Non-Teachers don't Understand Teachers' Jobs."
I have linked my first podcast below. On the podcast, I read the introduction to the article on my blog entitled, "8 Reasons why Non-Teachers don't Understand Teachers' Jobs."
Monday
YouTube - Video Sharing
As I am uploading my video onto YouTube, I find myself curious to its history. According to Wikipedia Encyclopedia, YouTube is available in twelve different languages and takes 45 terabytes of storage space! That is about 500,000 user accounts and 83 million videos! It's hard to imagine but it is estimated that more than 100 million videos are watched on a daily basis. While most of these videos appear to be inappropriate for school use, there are some that I could use with my class. The only thing is YouTube is a restricted/blocked site on the Howard County Public Schools server. I wonder if there is anything like YouTube for educational uses, or if there is a way to download certain videos from YouTube onto your computer?
Well, I have uploaded my first YouTube video and have embedded it to my blog! Take a look at it. It is a video of my toy poodle opening junk mail! It's pretty funny, just ignore her bad hair day!!
Well, I have uploaded my first YouTube video and have embedded it to my blog! Take a look at it. It is a video of my toy poodle opening junk mail! It's pretty funny, just ignore her bad hair day!!
Podcasting
1, 2, 3 . . . Action! Nope, it's not filming, it's podcasting! What is podcasting? Podcasting is a way of sharing audio content such as stories, directions, music, talk shows, interviews, etc. online. There are so many benefits to using podcasts. Listeners like using podcasts because files are available to them anytime, anywhere, and they can listen to them multiple times. For speakers, podcasts are a simple way of sharing their message(s) rather than recording it and copying it onto cd's or tapes.
Podcasts are also useful for keeping people connected. I once knew a girl who could not physically attend church for four months due to massive re-constructive surgery on her legs and hips. She was saddened, but because her pastor recorded his preachings and then uploaded them as podcasts, she was able to keep up with news, and hear God's word.
Podcasts are also beneficial to classroom teachers and students. Teachers can upload directions, read stories, or give a lesson through podcasting. Students can use podcasts to share findings on a particular investigation, conducting interviews, etc. The possibilities are endless!
I have never made a podcast myself. I have heard from my peers that Garage Band is the program to use. I think I'll take a look and make/upload a podcast on the blog.
Podcasts are also useful for keeping people connected. I once knew a girl who could not physically attend church for four months due to massive re-constructive surgery on her legs and hips. She was saddened, but because her pastor recorded his preachings and then uploaded them as podcasts, she was able to keep up with news, and hear God's word.
Podcasts are also beneficial to classroom teachers and students. Teachers can upload directions, read stories, or give a lesson through podcasting. Students can use podcasts to share findings on a particular investigation, conducting interviews, etc. The possibilities are endless!
I have never made a podcast myself. I have heard from my peers that Garage Band is the program to use. I think I'll take a look and make/upload a podcast on the blog.
Saturday
Jing
Wow! Until the other day, I had never heard of Jing before. I don't know much about Jing yet, but it appears to be a program that allows people to take screen-shots of their active computer screen, and/or take videos of it. Taking videos, may be useful for people who need to see on-screen instructions on how to do something. I think I'll go download it and make my own video.
YouTube
I still remember the day when I first discovered YouTube. My twin brother, Jesse and I were playing around on the internet when he asked me to go to YouTube. I had never heard of it and was quite weary of it at first. Within minutes however, I realized how much fun I could have on it. I was listening to songs, and watching clips from movies that I hadn't seen in years! For almost a year and a half now, I've been watching videos and listening to songs on YouTube on a daily basis. For those who've never been to YouTube, you should check it out (Click Here to Experience to YouTube) It is a video sharing website where people from all over the world can upload videos. You do not have to register to see most videos, however some videos cannot be viewed unless you have an account. To upload a video, you do need to have an account. As I experiment more with Web 2.o Technologies, I realize that I myself have been using them, but I've never really created my own. I think I will try and upload my first video onto YouTube.
Tuesday
Welcome!
Welcome to my Technology blog! In this space I will share with you my experiences using Web 2.0 I have some experience using HTML, and have only blogged a couple of times. During the next couple of weeks, I will learn how to incorporate different technologies so that I can make a telecollaborative classroom.
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