Week Five: Educational Technology

This week in class, we focused on learning about Visual Literacy as well as how to implement online communication sources in the classroom.

As we explored in the article entitled "2009 Horizon Report: The K12 Edition," there are various ways to communicate via technology and to use this concept in the classroom.  I learned through the sites that we explored that there are two types of communication styles - synchronous and asynchronous.

Synchronous is when individuals communicate at the same time and have "live" conversation with one another. This can take place through face to face communication, telephone, and through programs like Google Chat and Skype. This type of communication can be implemented in the classsroom through having students use Skype to talk to peers in other countries. Google Chat could also be useful for teachers to talk to other teachers in their school or district as a means to bounce ideas off of one another.

Asynchronous communication is when individuals communicate on their own time. The most common example of this type of communication is email or text message.  Other types of educational technology that use asychronous communication is Edmodo, which I will discuss more about later.  Email in particular is a great way to communicate with parents, as it allows both teacher and parent to communicate with one another on their own schedules.

Visual Literacy was the largest component of our lesson this week.  We explored some examples of Visual Literacy and how using it can be beneficial for students. One of the items that we explored was an interview with famous filmmaker Martin Scorsese.  In the video of him, he speaks candidly about how being exposed to Visual Literacy as a child greatly impacted his life.  In the video, he mentioned that he grew up without many books and without reading much. Instead, he spent much of his time watching television and going to movies.  These visual mediums impacted him and became the primary way in which he learned, ultimately becoming his passion and career. 

I learned this week that it is important not to focus only on specific types of learners.  I have always been an avid reader and lover of books, and so sometimes I am guilty of focusing on that too much and not realizing that other people have other learning styles and interests. I think that using Visual Literacy in my classroom will help me reach the students, like Scorsese, who are more visual learners, and give them a chance to become engaged and interested in class. 

There are many ways in which Visual Literacy can be used in the classroom. Students can create posters or Glogs, which I will explore in the Technology Exploration section below. As instructor, I can assign projects that allow students to watch videos or create their own videos. They can create presentations using different types of Visual Literacy technologies to present to the classroom.  There are also numerous online games and puzzles that students can use to enhance their learning about specific subjects.  I also think that using visuals on a classroom website or Wikispace would be helpful as a means of Visual Literacy for the class as a whole.

 

Prezi

1.

After exploring www.prezi.com, I found that this resource is a new and great way to create presentations. PowerPoint, as we discussed in our Lesson Four lecture, can definitely become boring and stale when used too often or when used the wrong way. Too often, teachers just create standard, text-heavy slides and read them aloud to the class. This is not an effective way to teach. However, after learning about Prezi, I feel that this program takes presentations up a notch.  Though this resource could be used for almost anything, the website had a whole tab for “Prezi for Education.” Once I clicked this, I came to a screen that explains how it can be used in the classroom. I learned the most, however, when I looked at the Prezi “If You Put It That Way” by Leticia Cavagnaro that is listed on the education page. This Prezi showed me how they really look and was a great example to explore.

2.

Prezis could be used in various ways in the classroom.  The example that I mentioned above, “If You Put It That Way,” shows how easily Prezis are manipulated, and how much more exciting they are to view than PowerPoint slides.  I like that the presentation said we should stop thinking so “laterally” and start thinking in a different more “whole” way.  The Prezi was interesting and captivating, and the zooming and images were fun and drew the audience in.   They could be used in the classroom primarily for presentations. I think that students are so bored and tired of PowerPoint slides that this resource would be like a breath of fresh air for them.  It would be a fun way to present information rather than just reading off of slides.    I also think that Prezis could be used by students when they are to create a presentation for the class. Oftentimes, students get bored creating PowerPoints, as we discussed in class.  This would give them the opportunity to have more creativity and autonomy with what they want to do with their presentation.   I also noticed on the Education page that students are able to create “Prezumes” and Portfolios using this resource. I love this idea! I think the Portfolio idea would be a really neat way to display students’ work such as a book of poetry with accompanying drawings or a presentation about an author with appropriate images. It would also be  a neat idea to have students create a “Prezume” along with a paper resume at the end of their senior year. That way, they are prepared for applying for college and/or jobs after graduation. It is an interesting way to get them excited about such a mundane task.

3.

The educators’ version of Prezi is free which creates even more of a reason that I would recommend Prezi to other educators. I am excited about this one. I feel slightly intimidated, as the example I looked at was impressive, but I feel that with enough practice and tinkering, I would be able to grasp this resource and use it effectively in my classroom.  The price tag is also a large positive for me, as I mentioned above.  I also like that it has a whole section on Education, which shows how useful it can be in the classroom.  I look forward to having an official school email address so I can register for this resource!

Spicy Nodes

1.

At first, I had no idea what www.spicynodes.org was going to be.  After exploring it, however, I feel that it could be a very useful tool to know about.  The website explains that “spicy nodes” are organizers that are used on websites to help with organizational purposes.  For example, a website administrator could use Spicy Nodes to organize their website’s information.  The Spicy Nodes can be organized by shapes such as a bubble map or a tree. Their primary purpose is to make users or viewers more capable of finding information.

2.

This could definitely be used in a school setting. I browsed some examples, and one that I found to be relevant and interesting was the example “Exploring Calendars through the Ages.” This was located on an educational website, and the user was able to click through the Spicy Node resource to discover more about calendars. It was a fun and interactive way to engage the viewer.    Another example I liked was the Clinical Placement Q&A. I liked instead of just listing the questions and answers, they were placed in a bubble map format and the user could click on the question that they are wondering about. This is just a more interesting and engaging way to answer these questions. I think that this would be a neat idea to implement on my classroom website or Wikispace. I could potentially use Spicy Nodes to create my own Q&A bubble map that answers questions students might have such as my email address, office hours, and more. I could also make them for specific assignments that explain the assignment and list the due date so that students have access to this information easily.  I think that using Spicy Nodes in a presentation would also be useful. As instructor, I could incorporate them into a presentation on whatever topic I am presenting on at the time. These would be fun for students to see since they are interactive.

3.

I would recommend Spicy Nodes to other educators. I think that they are interesting since they are interactive and easily customizable. They could also be implemented into the classroom in various ways, which is a plus. I also like that the single person use is free of charge. If I were to use it for more than only me, however, I don’t believe I would pay the $24 per month fee. I did also feel that they would be somewhat of a challenge to create, so if I were going to make one, I would want it to be one that I could use for more than just one quick lesson.

Edmodo

1.

Wow – I really, really like the idea of Edmodo! I think that this resource could be extremely valuable in a classroom and school environment. After exploring the website www.edmodo.com, it seems to me that Edmodo is sort of a combination of Facebook and Twitter, but with only students, teachers, administrators, and parents. The teacher can organize their Edmodo by class, and each student can sign up and have access to the class at all times.  I think that this is a genius product that is sure to become more popular in schools as time passes. In my opinion, it is a great way to keep students engaged, especially since they can access Edmodo on their phones or tablets. I think it would be useful, as the teacher, to be able to post things on Edmodo to enhance instruction.

2.

Edmodo could definitely be used in a school setting. It could primarily be used by creating an Edmodo account for your particular classroom, and have your students join and engage in the conversations and assignments you post. After watching the “about” video, I can tell that Edmodo feels “current” and that students would be excited about something that they are familiar with that is a form of social media. As a teacher, I would use this in my classroom in the ways that were shown on the video. For example, it would be a great way to take classroom “polls” about subjects and gauge student understanding about the particular lesson. It would also be a fun place to post the games and applications available that would help enhance student learning. I also think that the idea of posting reminders and inviting parents to join and see what is happening in the class would be very useful and effective.    I really think that Edmodo would serve to create a great classroom environment where the students feel closely knit to one another. It would be such a positive think to provide for my class, since I could post positive feedback, images, and photos from great projects done by students. In short, I can’t wait to use this in my class!

3.

I would absolutely use Edmodo as well as recommend it to other teachers. It would be helpful to see other teachers’ classroom Edmodos to help enhance my own. Since the resource is seemingly free, this is even more of a reason to use it. I think that it is such a great resource- not only for organizational purposes, but for creating a comfortable and fun classroom environment. I love that as a teacher, I could post things from my phone or home computer and my students could do the same. This is current and accessible for students.

Math Dictionary for Kids

1.

At first site, this resource is a great way to implement math games and activities into the classroom. At second glance, however, this site also concentrates on vocabulary. At the top of each game, they define the word so that the student doesn’t just mindlessly click and play. I learned that this was a fun and engaging way to help students either become introduced to these mathematics ideas or for them to review and test their understanding of these concepts. I liked that the website was extremely simple to use and the bright colors would be engaging for young students.

2.

This resource could definitely be applied in almost any math classroom. The concepts that are listed on the site range from simple math to algebra to geometry. These could be implemented, therefore, in elementary to middle to high school math classes. I think that a math teacher could use these as a review for their students before upcoming tests or as an activity to ensure that the students are learning what they have been studying. It would also be a fun homework assignment (if all students had access to the internet).  I think it is especially useful since the site incorporates both math and vocabulary.

3.

I would definitely recommend this to math teachers, since there are tons of free games for students to play to enhance their learning of a subject. The site is extremely simple to use, and with some guidance, even elementary aged students could operate it successfully. I think that the fact that the resource is free is also a positive. I think that the games that are included on the site are fun visuals that would help students to grasp a subject since they can personally engage in the activities.

Glogster

 

1.

I honestly had no idea what to expect from the Glog website, and it took me a bit to actually understand what a Glog was. Once I explored the site, though, I saw how useful this resource could be for me in the future.  The part of the website that I found the most informative was the blog section that was entitled “40 + Ways to Innovate Teaching Using Glogster EDU.” This section listed all of the different ways that Glogs can be used in the classroom, and it used extremely specific examples.  I was unaware that a technology like this existed, but I think using Glogs would be a great idea.

2.

Glogs can definitely be incorporated into a classroom seamlessly.  Like the Blog post on their website mentioned, this resource could be a very valuable resource in my classroom.  I think that one of the best ways that Glogs could be used would be as an introductory tool from me, as the teacher, to my students and their parents. It would be a nice and fun way to post and/or email my information out to the upcoming class.  It could also be posted on my class’s website or Wikispace, so that students and parents have immediate access easily.   Another way that I would use Glogs in my classoom would be to have my students make Glogs for certain lessons. As we have been discussing this week, typical PowerPoint presentations can often be overused and unsuccessful.  That being said, having students make a Glog for a presentation on a certain subject would be much more engaging and exciting for them than a standard PowerPoint. Since Glogs are able to be posted and shared on almost all types of social media, it would be fun to post them on a WikiSpace or on your class’s Edmodo.

3.

I would definitely recommend Glogs to other educators. I thought that the website was helpful in explaining how useful Glogs could be in the classroom.  It would be helpful to have that resource to help you come up with ideas for how to implement Glogs successfully in the classroom.  I also feel that the price isn’t unreasonable. The price is $39 for one year for one secondary teacher with 125 students. This is definitely affordable, especially if Glogs became something that you used in your classroom on a regular basis.

Jing

1.

The TechSmith website mentions Jing, which is a tool that allows its user to take a screenshot of their screen or a recording on their screen and display it to a classroom or on a website or through email. I actually have a tool similar to this that I use at work in order to copy information and maps for reports that I enter data into. I definitely get a lot of use out of this tool, but I have not seen a resource that allows the user to copy a video as well as an image. I also think it is useful that this tool is compatible with both a PC and a Mac.  That way, it is compatible with any computer that you have at work or at home or that your students have at school or at home.

2.

Jing could potentially be very useful in the classroom.  The example video on the website showed that this resource could be used very successfully when the teacher has to be out of the classroom.  The example listed showed a teacher that, when called for jury duty, used Jing to record himself speaking to the students so that they were able to watch and listen to him present the new material for the week. The teacher mentioned that instead of taking a risk with a substitute and not knowing if the lesson would go over in his absence, he just recorded himself teaching and had the students watch it in his absence. I think this would be the most useful way to use this resource in the classroom. I also think that it could be used simply as a way of copying information that you need to have ready for a presentation or to email it or post it to a website or Wiki.  Similar to the way that our instructor recorded a class session during the Memorial Day holiday, this resource would be best used as a means of communicating to students when you as the teacher are absent or when students are absent.

3.

I would recommend Jing to other educators, but mainly for the reason that I discussed above of using it when you or your students are absent. It, in my opinion, would be best used for make up work or in situations like these.  Since Jing is provided by TechSmith free of charge, it would be a good resource to remember in these situations. I am not sure that I would pay a fee for this resource, but since it is free, it makes sense to use it when applicable in your classroom.

YouTube for Education

1.

Before exploring this resource, I was unaware that there was a section of YouTube exclusively for educators and students.  I often use YouTube in my everyday life at this point, as do most people.  With that being said, YouTube seems like a logical method of teaching enhancement, since most people are familiar with how to access and view YouTube videos.    On the teaching tab of the education section of the website, there are many specific examples listed that explain how to use YouTube to help with instruction.  There are examples listed like “get struggling students up to speed, and push strong students ahead,” “review for upcoming exams,” and “create quizzes to accompany videos for instant feedback.”   I like that not only does the website explain in specific steps how to incorporate videos and make videos for your classroom, it also gives you, as the teacher, specific examples of how to use this resource in the classroom.

2.

The website listed various ways that YouTube for Education can be used in the classroom.  I think that the best way that this resource can be used is by creating a YouTube channel specifically for the classroom and then implementing it throughout the year.  As a teacher, I would create a YouTube channel for my class that I private and only seen by my class (unless we decide otherwise at that time).  I like the idea of occasionally having students watch the upcoming lesson outside of class and then coming to class prepared to have a quick review and start applying what they learned in concrete practice situations.  I also think a YouTube channel would be a good place to post a video of important lectures for students who are absent or may need extra review.  I also like the idea of using YouTube for Education as a way to review for exams. It would be useful to post it on the classroom’s channel so that students can look over it for practice before an exam. The options with this resource are really endless.

3.

I would recommend YouTube for Education to other educators. Not only is it helpful to have a channel for your own classroom, but it is nice to have access to tons of educational videos about various different subjects that you can use in your instruction. It reminds me of www.ted.com, except with more instructional videos than speeches.  I also like that this resource is free and easy to use, with easy to understand instructions that guide you through creating both channels and videos.

School Tube

1.

School Tube is a resource similar to YouTube, except that it is made specifically for students and teachers to have a space to safely share videos.  I think that this site is a good idea for a classroom, especially since it weeds out all of the irrelevant videos found on YouTube. Students could easily get distracted on YouTube, but with School Tube, most of the videos would be school or education-related, which would decrease distraction.  School Tube also offers fun ideas like competitions between school channels and videos and the ability to share with others on the site.

2.

The uses of School Tube in a classroom would be similar to the YouTube for Education uses.  For example, teachers and/or schools are able to create their own channels to feature relevant videos for your classroom or school.  This could be used as a school-wide effort to post videos with daily or weekly “school news” which could consist of records of different students in the school reporting on the school’s current events. This could also be used similarly to YouTube for Education by creating and uploading videos that enhance a presentation or lecture or fill in students in the case of absence.  It could also be used as a means of asynchronous conversation between other schools or students so that classrooms can communicate with other students and learn from them. It would be an interesting idea to have something similar to pen pals except in a virtual format using this resource.

3.

Since the resource appears to be free, I would recommend it to other educators. It is definitely suited to schools and students since it is made for them and helps with the problem that YouTube has of distractions and privacy. I like that School Tube allows for only classroom-centric videos instead of having everything. I also feel that the site is easy to use.

Teacher Tube

1.

From exploring this resource, I initially learned that Teacher Tube is sort of a play on YouTube, except meant especially for teachers. The site is divided into different tabs at the top, such as videos, doc,s audios, photos, groups, classrooms, and collections.  The premise of the site is to provide teachers with a place to create their own videos or documents and upload them so that other teachers can critique them or use them. It is almost like a teacher “sounding board,” where other teachers are able to discuss what does and does not work for them.  I also learned from this resource that there are tons of videos that are uploaded to this site that are made specifically for certain classroom lessons. This could potentially be a great resource to use in my classroom. From the “about” tab, I learned that this site was created for teachers by teachers, and that the content is monitored, so it is nice to know that the atmosphere is going to be decent and not full of any type of video the way regular YouTube is.

2.

Teacher Tube could be implemented into my classroom by using the videos and documents uploaded to enhance my instruction. For example, if I were needing a video to add to my instruction about persuasive writing, I could search Teacher Tube under the language arts section and find an appropriate video that would potentially help my students understand the concept. Since all of the videos are education related, it is easier to weed through the information uploaded and find something that is appropriate.   Teacher Tube could also be used as a place to upload videos that I create to help my instruction. That way, I can get feedback from other teachers and bounce idea off of them. It could definitely be useful when trying to find exciting new ideas for teaching.

3.

I believe I would recommend Teacher Tube to others, but I am unsure how much I will actually use it. I think that the YouTube for Education site is more practical for me since I would want to create my own channel and allow students to access what I create. YouTube for Education allows the user to set video to private, so if I didn’t want to students to see it, I could do that rather than managing an account on Teacher Tube. I do think that it is a good place to know about, though, since it is free and there are many videos uploaded that could potentially be used in classrooms.