Final Portfolio

Well, I can't say that this was an easy class for me but I learned a whole lot! I am glad I had the opportunity to take it. Here is a link to my final portfolio. I hope you like it!

Think Aloud

Scratch

I would like to use this activity from SCRATCH. Here is the link:

I didn't make significant changes. I changed the size of the sprites, the color of the mouse and the background, and added a surprise sprite.

Here is the link to the revised game: Revised Scratch

Thoughts About Blogging 5th Graders

I thought that blogging with 5th graders was fun and it was an activity that all have enjoyed. I was surprised that the students were so good at something that I am just learning about. I think the students enjoyed being able to express themselves, give thier imput, and observe what college students are doing as well. This was a positive experience and I think that this should continue in the future.

Convergence Culture Video

I had some problems viewing this video and found the content somewhat dry but as far as I can tell, the convergence (or coming together from different directions to reach the same point) of technology, the media, and the consumer has had great impact and has thus led to a shift in our culture and changes that were impossible to fathom even a few years ago. Though media and technology are changing very rapidly, the consumer is right there waiting, even eager, to be a part of it. How does this impact our educational system? Look around! I have started student teaching this semester and the relationship between student, media outlets, and technology is almost a necessary, symbiotic one. I don't think this will change any time soon. If it does, it will only be to a higher degree. Schools (libraries, etc..) can limit this relationship in a number of ways, including (perhaps not intentionally) having a limited number of technological/media type outlets or by simply limiting,blocking,or banning the type of resources and materials that they do not want the children exposed to.

Website Evaluation/Validation

I decided to evaluate the website DHMO . I accessed it on Thursday, October 22,2009. It seemed fairly credible to me. The information was recently updated, it contained legitimate links to credible organizations and so forth.The only thing that caught my eye at first was the fact that they were asking people to send money or buy things to "support the cause." It looked to me like the organization was an official part of the Environmental Protection Ageny. As I proceeded to investigate the EPA, I found good credentials. However, after googling the organization (DHMO) and finding some information on Wikipedia, I discovered that the whole thing was a hoax. Although I did become skeptical when I found a link on this page that spoke of how the EPA denies DHMO's claims (which is what really led to further investigation),this page would have really fooled me if I hadn't looked further into it and discovered the truth.I found out that the hoax is designed to illustrate how the lack of scientific knowledge and an exaggerated analysis can lead to misplaced fears.However, this kind of thing is very dangerous for students who may have been doing research and did not bother to go below the surface and discover the truth.

Magazine Cover

Graphs

My Survey

Survey

Delicious Bookmark

In class today, we were asked to bookmark a technology based thought would be useful to us as teachers. I chose Teachertube. I have heard many things about this site and it seems like many of my peers are using it and finding it very helpful. The goal of this site is to provide an online community for sharing instructional videos. It is intended to be a safe place for teachers , schools, and Home based learners. This sit also helps teachers with professional development and a place for tachers to safely post an new concept or skill for students to learn.

Creating a sudent artifact

The students' task was to create a photostory using the letters of the alphabet. Each student was supposed to find something that started with each letter of the alphabet to include in the photostory. Here is the finished product.

Finished WebQuest (maybe)

This is the finished version of my WebQuest. I am sure that, with a little more time and a whole lot more knowledge this would have been better. To some extent this has been like learning a foreign language to me and I certainly hope that my professor and peers have patience with me as I am learning these things.
Click here to view my finished WebQuest: http://sites.google.com/site/triciaparkerswebquest/home

What would Socrates say?

Would Socrates approve of WebQuests? After all, wasn't it Socrates that said, "The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance". No, I do not believe that Socrates would approve of WebQuests. Socrates believed that evil should be avoided at any cost. He was a moral rationalist and a naturalist. Even though much good can come from the knowledge a student can acquire using WebQuest, at its very root is the Internet itself, a virtual cesspool of evil thoughts, words, and actions. Most of the time one does not even have to look for it to find it. I believe Socrates, like myself, would prefer to have students gain knowledge the old fashioned way-by putting out a whole lot of effort and not taking the easy path to find all of the answers. Our reliance on computers these days is staggering and sometimes frightening.
As far as my WebQuest goes, If I had to assign a taxonomy to it I would say it more closely resembles the Creative Product Tasks, although certain features of the other tasks may be included therein.

Very Rough Draft of Webquest

Here is a very rough draft of the WebQuest that I chose. I would welcome any advice or input on it. Thanks!

http://sites.google.com/site/sites/

Webquest Adaptations Continued

There are a few changes I would like to make to the webquest that I chose. First of all, the introduction is a little stale. There is nothing much going on graphically. The intro. is short and needs more information that is written in a way that will engage the student a little bit more. I like the concept behind the task. I would (perhaps) change the art task and I would definitely change the library task. The art task is OK for the age group, it may just need a little improvement. The library task needs (at the very least) a review of all of the parts of a book and perhaps some other information incorporated. I don't feel that sitting down and looking at a book is an appropriate webquest task. There are very few links on this webquest and although it is clear, concise, and simple, it just needs "more". I like the fact that you can give feedback to the author but the conclusion page lacked closure. It was very short and I would add something to that as well.

Webquest Adaptation

I am going to make some adaptations to a Webquest called "Fun with Letters". Here is the link to this webquest.

http://questgarden.com/84/72/5/090709181839/

I believe this webques if full of potential. It just needs a little more "beef"

My Photo Story

This was a difficult project for me. I am very eager to see how it turns out. I am sure that once I get the hang of it I will use this in the future. I believe this is a great resources for making presentations and preserving memories as well.

Multimedia projects verses writing papers

Jason Ohler's article Orchestrating the Media Collage makes several good points about the fast paced, ever growing, and ever changing world of media. He speaks of its evolution in the past 25 years. I have seen this evolution firsthand and I can say that it is enough to make one's head spin! At one point in his article Ohler states that just being able to read is not enough. This is very true. Children are learning about how to use computers in kindergarten and their knowledge only expands from there. It has become painfully obvious to me (one of the digital illiterate) that digital demands will only increase and Ohler correctly points out that these kinds of skills are and will continue to be a valued commodity in the job market. In other words, active participation in media creation and digital literacy is not a luxury, it is a necessity. Ohler also points out, however that there is still a place for the written word. In fact, he advocates the the use of both, pointing out that they should support each other instead of one clashing with another. This is a good point and I believe a good teacher, one that has a deep appreciation for the wealth of knowledge that each has to offer, will find a way to incorporate both into his/her teachings. Should one replace the other? No! If any one of these two are left out then it will be the student who pays the price because they miss out on a well rounded education. The video "One World" was a simple yet excellent example of how media creation can be used to help educate our children and open their minds to diversity at the same time. These types of resources may be able to reach a broader spectrum of students and encourage the development of critical thinking skills as well.
Some of the NETS Standards addressed here include:
1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
a. Promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness.
2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
b. Develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and abilities using digital tools and resources
4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility
d. Develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital-age communication and collaboration tools
5. Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership
b. Exhibit leadership by demonstrating a vision of technology infusion, participating in shared decision making and community building, and developing the leadership and technology skills of others.

Web Quest

Creative Encounter and Poetry of war were our top two choices. Creative Encounters engaged the students in a group activity and gave them a creative way of learning. Every group would have a different way of creating a number system and everyone in the group would have a different job. Poetry of war was our other top pick because it engages the students in a more critical way of thinking. Children had to read poems and create their own. The Students had to also be creative by drawing pictures and describing it as well. The worst ones were The Diary of John Wilkes Booth and The Problem with Landfills. The diary of John Wilkes Booth provided way too much information and would have lost the students interest. Some of the information was irrelevant. The Problem with Landfills was hard for children to get sources. It could have also been more age appropriate. Best means the one that facilitates the most creative and analytical thinking and processes and the worst means those that lack interest and group interaction

Resume

Please click here to view my resume

Blog Can Be Used to Support Teaching and Learning!

I really enjoyed the Daffodil Delight activity http://rakes.blogspot.com/ . This online project allowed not only collaboration between classrooms but also taught a lesson in teamwork. The students in these classes got the benefit of hands on learning and the satisfaction of seeing a job completed from start to finish. This was also a fun way for the children to learn how things grow, parts of a flower, and so on. This project was well ropunded and seemed to be a big success. I was, however, disappointed to see the large number of disturbing posts that had no place there. The performance indicators that would be met here include:

Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.

Collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation.

Information overload!

Ok, I am in full information overload today. Anyone else feel the same?

My First Experience with Blogging

Well, I must say this is a totally new experience for me. I did not grow up with anything close to this kind of technology. I hope all goes smoothly.