Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Week 6- GAME Plan Progress

I have learned many things that can improve my instruction and better prepare my students for the future workplace. I must infuse my existing lessons with technology to not only better prepare them but to increase motivation for learning. I have achieved some of my goals already, but there is still much that I want to do with technology. For instance I am planning on creating a wiki or using NING, so I can collaborate on a project with another teacher in my school district. This week’s resources addresses the benefits of using NING because it allows students to create blogs, upload media, manage their work, and interact with one another (Laureate Education, 2010). We are planning a field trip in May and we what students to work on and discuss the topic before we go on our field trip to see an exhibit on Pompeii. This way, they have the prior knowledge to really enjoy and understand the exhibit. Since one of my goals to collaborate with another teacher, I believe that collaborating with someone in my district first is a great start but I have to extend my collaboration to other schools and even countries.

Another goal I have for myself is to research and practice with Windows Movie Maker so I may use this software in my class as well. I am planning on using the extra time I have on my spring break to practice using it before I introduce it to my students.

Learning with technology never stops. The positive side of this is that technology is constantly changing and improving, making our lives easier, but the negative is that it takes time to learn how to use new technology. My biggest obstacle at the moment is to find time to learn and become proficient in these new skills, but this is a goal I will accomplish.

References
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). “Spotlight on Technology, Social Networking and Online Collaboration, Part 1”.[Motion picture]. Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas. . Baltimore : Author

6 comments:

  1. Arianna,

    Are you using Movie Maker or the new Live Movie Maker? In many ways, I prefer the old Movie Maker. With Live Movie Maker if I import a video I have to manually splice portions of the video in order to isolate the small portion I want. Movie Maker, when a video was imported, already spliced the scenes and I could drag down the portions I needed. It was also easier to isolate overlapping music and other sound bites on certain sections.

    If at all possible, I recommend working only with Movie Maker.

    Good luck,

    Shawn

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  2. Arianna,

    You always do the coolest activities with your social studies classes. I regret that I had not had a teacher to bring the past to life or make it relevant as you do for your students, and adding technology to your mix makes your curriculum all the more powerful. I am so impressed that you have found a way to step outside of your classroom to collaborate with another teacher from your district. Plus, I think it’s a fabulous idea to engage students in building background before taking off on the field trip. I know that we will no longer share this particular Walden class by the time your field trip rolls around, but I hope that you will share your collaborative experience via your post. I live vicariously through the teaching experiences of others, and I’m also searching for inspiration. I hope that you don’t mind sharing.

    Good luck with your project and your field trip,
    Mary

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  3. Arianna,

    You are certainly integrating a great deal of technology into your classroom. How great! I am a fan of Windows Movie Maker, it's fairly easy to use to make a simple movie or even a more sophisticated one. Have you even used a flip cam? These are great little cameras that are fairly inexpensive to purchase. They are small, lightweight, and will plug right into a USB port with no cords. You can make small film easily and these work great for kids to use around school because they do not require lots of cords, or space in the classroom.

    Good luck!
    Ellen

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  4. Arianna,
    It sounds like you are working in the right direction with how well you are achieving your goals. I really like your idea about your students participating in a Wiki before they go on a field trip. I have actually done something very similar to that. Instead of my students communicating through a Wiki, I set up a virtual field trip for my students as a preview. They loved it. It was kind of like a “movie preview.” Another comment I can relate to is how you mentioned learning technology never ends. You are absolutely right. It seems like just as soon as we think we mastered a new tool, something better comes out. We just need to remember to keep a positive attitude and keep striving and growing with technology.
    Caryn Letts

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  5. Robert to Arianna:

    It sounds like you are using the right approach when it comes to starting small with the NING with one other teacher in the district. I think we are all excited about the possibilities this new class has opened up for us, and not the challenge lies in building the expertise so we can design valuable learning experiences for our students. However in my case, sometimes I wait too long and the computer labs are booked.

    We are going to the Museum of Natural History in May, and your post has sparked a lot of inspiration for me. I can think of many ways students can use technology to enhance their experience of the trip. Now I will have to see if they can bring cameras or cell phones with them!

    Best of Luck,
    Robert Newell

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  6. My last response:
    Thank you for all your comments. I have not used flip cams but I am interested to see if our department could invest in some for Social Studies projects. I am also interested in trying NING but I have to research it a bit more to become more familiar with it. Good luck on your field trips. Anytime we get a chance to take out the students and allow them to become an active part of their learning, we truly show them how education can continue beyond the classroom.

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