This week we have been studying presentation design. I had no idea how much thought needs to go into presentations. I have created a lot of power points for different purposes, and I have always used the templates given and called it good. I never really realized how BORING my presentations were. I feel terrible for all those parents that have sat through my back-to-school night presentations. Yuck!
I loved the idea of using "stunning images". I can't wait to play around on istockphoto.com or flickr.com. I know that when a presentation has a lot of visuals, that make sense, I am so much more excited to listen. I also liked the idea that the audience reads much faster than I can talk. I vow never to type everything that I am going to say on a slide, ever again! It is kind of insulting and I never thought of it that way before.
I also loved the idea of connecting it all through use of a color scheme. There is a reason we are drawn to magazines and print. They are creative and visually appealing. They attract our eye. Why wouldn't we want our presentations to do the same thing?
I have a lot to learn about presentation design, but I am really excited to begin the process. I know that creating strong presentations will be fun and time consuming, but worth it!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Week 6: Tagging and Social Bookmarking
I loved signing up for a Delicious.com account. My user name is lauren_dawson if anyone wants to look me up! I am excited about the possibility of not having to search the entire internet for good links to sites I could use with my students. I spend so much time aimlessly wandering the world wide web and I usually come across a lot of junk. I am also excited to share some of the best sites that I have found with other teachers. I also love the fact that this bookmarking is not tied to your computer. I find sites all the time at home that I would like to use at school. This will be a huge time saver!
Week 5: RSS and Feed Readers
Activity One:
I chose to use Google Reader because I already had it set up. I use it to keep track of my friends blogs. I decided to add "tales of a fifth grade teacher" and "expeditionary learning". I chose these two because they don't post all the time, but when they do, I want to be informed.
Activity Two:
To add this blog to your google reader, go to http://technicallyteachingdawson.blogspot.com/ and click the share button at the top. It will be added to your reader.
Activity Three:
My blog does not have a RSS feed link on the homepage that I can see.
RSS and Feed Readers are still confusing to me. I am working through how to use them efficiently.
I chose to use Google Reader because I already had it set up. I use it to keep track of my friends blogs. I decided to add "tales of a fifth grade teacher" and "expeditionary learning". I chose these two because they don't post all the time, but when they do, I want to be informed.
Activity Two:
To add this blog to your google reader, go to http://technicallyteachingdawson.blogspot.com/ and click the share button at the top. It will be added to your reader.
Activity Three:
My blog does not have a RSS feed link on the homepage that I can see.
RSS and Feed Readers are still confusing to me. I am working through how to use them efficiently.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Video in the Classroom
a. Based on Prensky’s descriptions, are you a digital native or a digital immigrant?
I think I am a mixture of a digital native and a digital immigrant. My students have always had computers and internet access from the time they were born. I remember when my family got their first computer. However, I do feel like I have grown up with using technology and exploring the web. I don't feel as if I am as native as my students. They brains are wired for all things digital. It takes me more time to figure it out, but I have much more experiance then some of my colleges who are digital immigrants.
b. How are you equipped to teach the “digital natives” in your classroom?
I believe that some of the things I do reach the digital natives. We watch videos, create powerpoints, and us technology everyday. However, after reading the article, I am a long way from reaching them completly. I don't use video game like activities in my room and I have never had them actually create a game. The article was very daunting to me. I agreed when it mentioned that there are many things our students could do, but who is going to teach it?
c. What further steps could you take to learn the “language” of multimedia?
I think it is important to keep up-to-date on the newest technology. I also think it is important to learn best practices when it comes to teaching with technology. Our school just got a cart of i-pads that I am dying to use, but I haven't yet because I am not sure even where to start! I think it is important to not let our lack of knowledge prevent learning opportunities for our students.
d. What steps can you take to keep students safe from undesirable YouTube content?
Many times when I use YouTube, I show it whole class on the smart board. That way, I am in control of the material and what links they can view. I also like the idea of getting software to "rip" the video so that is all the students have access to. I do think that educators should take all possible steps to prevent inappropriate use of YouTube, but I think it is equally important to teach our students the importance of responsible use of our computers at school.
I think I am a mixture of a digital native and a digital immigrant. My students have always had computers and internet access from the time they were born. I remember when my family got their first computer. However, I do feel like I have grown up with using technology and exploring the web. I don't feel as if I am as native as my students. They brains are wired for all things digital. It takes me more time to figure it out, but I have much more experiance then some of my colleges who are digital immigrants.
b. How are you equipped to teach the “digital natives” in your classroom?
I believe that some of the things I do reach the digital natives. We watch videos, create powerpoints, and us technology everyday. However, after reading the article, I am a long way from reaching them completly. I don't use video game like activities in my room and I have never had them actually create a game. The article was very daunting to me. I agreed when it mentioned that there are many things our students could do, but who is going to teach it?
c. What further steps could you take to learn the “language” of multimedia?
I think it is important to keep up-to-date on the newest technology. I also think it is important to learn best practices when it comes to teaching with technology. Our school just got a cart of i-pads that I am dying to use, but I haven't yet because I am not sure even where to start! I think it is important to not let our lack of knowledge prevent learning opportunities for our students.
d. What steps can you take to keep students safe from undesirable YouTube content?
Many times when I use YouTube, I show it whole class on the smart board. That way, I am in control of the material and what links they can view. I also like the idea of getting software to "rip" the video so that is all the students have access to. I do think that educators should take all possible steps to prevent inappropriate use of YouTube, but I think it is equally important to teach our students the importance of responsible use of our computers at school.
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