Digital Portfolio

Good: http://sites.google.com/site/murrayportfolio/home

Bad: http://durak.org/kathy/portfolio/

When viewing the two digital portfolios, I immediately preferred Mr. Murray's portfolio format and style. I felt his information was assembled in a better format and I felt that the videos he provided added an aesthetic appeal that the other portfolio lacked. Also, I felt that Mr. Murray's portfolio was more interactive and kept my attention longer. The poorly designed portfolio included a lot of text which explained her philosophies and credentials, which is fine, but the fonts and sizes of the text varied and I felt that it was not nearly as neat and professional as the other portfolio.

Technology Projects

While working on our Technology Notebooks, I really enjoyed reading about how technology was successfully incorporated into many schools curriculum. Technology is becoming a very important in the field of education and it is crucial to understand how to use technology effectively. All of the presentations that were done explained the importance of technology and the steps that are being taken to ensure that technology is being used effectively and appropriately.

When reviewing Katie's video I was reminded of the importance of never putting limitations on students and the technology that can help them learn. The consistent advancement of technology is rapidly being incorporated into special education curriculum and can make a huge impact on a students ability to learn and achieve academic goals.

When reviewing Kevin's narrated "PowerPoint" presentation, I was surprised to see that high education has been quicker to use technology then K-12. One advantage to waiting to implement technology is to review the success and failures of using technology. With K-12 education waiting to implement technology, they are more likely to have success with technology in the classroom.

Melissa's "Glogster Poster" emphasized the importance of giving everyone a voice and getting positive feedback from students and other faculty members. The "Speak Up" program she highlighted explains how students are often not satisfied with the classrooms technology capabilities. Students want digital rich learning and through the guidance of this class I will be able to meet the needs of students.

Interactive Whiteboards

Interactive Whiteboards have always been intimidating to me because I never knew how they worked. Throughout my whole education, this was the only class the actually used the interactive whiteboard. When reviewing the software and how the board works, I was amazed at how user friendly and simple the whole process is. Since none of my teachers and professors used the interactive whiteboards, I thought that they were complicated and a hassle. They are actually very easy to use!

Now that I feel comfortable working with the software and using all of the features the white board offers, I would be more than willing to have a interactive whiteboard in my classroom. I think that as a teacher you must be selective on the types of games and features you use. There are appropriate and inappropriate times to use all of the features and I think the interactive board may actually be a distraction at times.

I would say that if the teacher is creative they can really grab and keep students attention throughout a whole lesson. The students really enjoy using technology because it is something that is familiar and comfortable to them. They often feel like they may know more about technology then the teacher. It is a good way to get students to the front of the room, willing to participate and can give the teacher an opportunity to informally assess academic performance.

I really feel that it is a way to get students more engaged in the material you are teaching and if you want to keep your students attention you are going to have to continue to advance with technology. Other teachers will be grabbing students attention and when they get to your class you want to be able to match or surpass other teachers creativity and ability to engage the students. An interactive whiteboard is just one of many tools that a teacher can use to their advantage.

Technology Notebook Online Presentation

Here is a link to my Glogster Poster:

http://ajb102.glogster.com/edu-tech-class/

Video Project in the Classroom

The idea of utilizing a video project in the classroom is a very unique and valuable tool for teachers. As I was creating my video, I was continually thinking of ways that I could use the same concept in lesson plans for the future. The whole process will be simple for students to execute, but will teach them valuable lessons. We can review brainstorming concepts, the idea of making multiple drafts, using different varieties of technology, the importance of copy right laws and using creativity.

When thinking about how I could incorporate video into my curriculum, I could have my students reenact part of a book or give them an option of making a book report video. Instead of just providing information about plot, setting, time and characters, they could reenact these important concepts. They will have important decisions about what locations they should film at, the clothing of the time period and the language and dialect of the characters. It would be a challenging, but fun activity, which would incorporate technology which they are comfortable with.

Challenges with this project include limitations of technology that the school can provide, as well, the time commitment it will take from the students. I believe some students would take the project serious, where others would view it as an opportunity to fool around and try to be funny. I think the overall positive aspects of the project outweigh the challenges and it could be a very successful project.

Reflections on the Video Project

The video project was very exciting and fun. The whole process of creating a public service announcement was enjoyable, especially because we could showcase some of our creativity. Overall, I felt the key to making a positive and successful movie was to be very organized and thorough. I felt that creating an outline for the whole project was very important and we took the beginning stages very serious. We wanted to make sure that we had a plan in place and weren’t freelancing throughout the whole process.

I felt because we were very thorough from start to finish, the process of making the film went very smooth. We stuck to our plan and I felt the finished product was good. When looking back on the process, I do feel that we shot too much film. We had to spend a lot of time editing and we had more ideas and film then we actually needed for a 90 second clip. Another problem that we faced was the volume of our narration. It is difficult to hear the speaker and I believe that is the one major flaw in the PSA. As a whole, I am very happy with the process and I was surprised how smooth and easy everything went. I really enjoyed myself.