The final blog!

Here is my Google Document Link

In this document, I have demonstrated numerous examples of how I have met the standards 6.35 and 4.13. Thank you for an incredible class...I have learned so much!

OTEN 2010 Conference Reflection

 As you can hear, I went a little overboard on my explanation of the OTEN conference, but luckily Yodio cut me off right when I was finishing up! It really was fun making the trip to Forest Grove in order to see all of these informational sessions. I especially enjoyed the session on whiteboards, and I wish that every school had the funding to afford one. There are so many possibilities with the direction that technology is going, and I am happy that I got to be a part of this progressive conference.

Here is the link to my reflection: OTEN!

Assignement #6

Watching the video I posted I almost laughed out loud because the ideas presented are still just as strong today! Technology can help students reach out a level of understanding that transcends a chapter in a textbook. After reviewing the technology standards, I am convinced of the importance of weaving technology into many aspects of the classroom environment. We must be preparing our students for a world driven by technology, and the benefits gained from a classroom valuing technology outweigh the negatives.

As standard #6 says, students must “use technology to learn, live, and work.” The fact is that education is enhanced by the use of multiple materials, including technological tools. More and more each day people are using e-mail as a means of communicating, and internet phone call programs (i.e., Skype) are taking the place of phone calls. If students are illiterate in terms of working with the technological advances then they will struggle with “learning, living, and working” in the United States.

Below I will list some specific standards and particular strategies that I can use in an English/Language Arts classroom that incorporates technology into the lesson:

1. Creativity and Innovation: Although I love the idea of my students making posters and other artwork to tap into their creativity, I am ecstatic about the idea of students using a computer to create projects as well. For instance, I could have students create a creative comic strip (e.g., Howtoons) after reading a book that deals with the main points in the novel.
2. Communication and Collaboration: As I’ve said in previous blogs, I value classroom discussion in and outside of the classroom. I will make sure that my students are discussing what we’ve read in class in a classroom forum that I will create. Also, I will encourage my students to work collaboratively on book reports within google documents, where they can chat together while working.
3. Research information and fluency: A wide variety of materials are available on the Internet, so I will give a lesson on locating appropriate research-based resources to provide support for a critical analysis of a book we’ve read in class.
4. Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making: This idea sort of ties into the communication and collaboration portion of my plan to involve students with my classroom on their own time via the Internet. I will challenge my students with open-ended questions pertaining to a piece of literature that we are reading and ask them to blog about it online. Blogging allows students to express themselves, and their ideas, through the process of writing, and responding to, blogs.
5. Digital citizenship: In order to help students feel more connected to the digital world, and to help students become more familiar with using the Internet as an invaluable resource, I will require students to get a g-mail account and e-mail their papers to me, in order to save paper. I will, of course, have expectations for students who do not own computers or have access to technology, but in a world that is focused on protecting the earth’s resources I want to model appropriate ways of preserving these resources in every way that I can.

More and more I am beginning to understand the importance of preparing my students for the technological advances in our world that are taking place each day. In my English/Language Arts classroom I see many opportunities where I can utilize technology to engage my students, and enhance their learning in certain areas.

Spreadsheet project

The following is my embedded Student Data spread sheet.


Manipulating the data was the easy part, but there is a good reason I've been enemies with spreadsheets for a long time. I must have watched the video 4 times and followed the directions exactly, but I still struggled. I’m glad that I got help from Barry on this issue! You were so helpful, and I love the new “TeamViewer” program that you introduced me to. I could definitely see myself using that program in the future to help others figure out how to use a program like you helped me figure out Sheets!

I basically charted the students progress who were below the average, and the graph was useful to assess this. To use sheets when grading would be particularly effective, as a large amount of data can be overwhelming and the visual aspect of a chart would make it easier to analyze student performance. The chart shows the possibility for a gradual raise in grades. I noticed that the student average was quite low at test 6, but that there was an overall rise in grades by test 10. Student Queen didn’t show much growth, but there was a slight increase nevertheless. The most interesting achievement goes to Katherine, as she raised her score on test 7, then had a massive decline in her score for test 8. As a teacher, having this visual data would help tremendously as I could discuss with Katherine what was working for her when she raised her score, and how we could continue this pattern for future tests.

To be honest, I felt like I needed someone to "hold my hand" as I worked through the sheets application. Frustrating would be an understatement! However, once Barry showed me how easy it was to publish and embed my project, I feel much more confident to work with sheets on my own. I will definitely use Sheets to track the progress of my students in the future.

Dropbox: My multimedia assignment

Here is a link to dropbox. I had a lot of fun with this particular project, as I was able to add a creative element to the process of demonstrating how to use Dropbox. I've learned that Dropbox is a very useful, and easy, tool that provides a lot of security. I always worry about my computer crashing and losing everything, however, this is no longer a worry if I use Dropbox because everything can be accessed on the internet!

I have to say that I redid this video several times. I had my husband look at it each time, and he helped me see ways that I could be more clear in my explanation of how to use Dropbox. Although I was resistant to sign up with Twitter (I have been avoiding it since it became a widespread phenomenon), I'm glad that I created an account simply to have access to Screenr. It's a particularly useful tool, and it created a clear video of what I was trying to capture. I really liked that the video outline stayed in my screen while I was recording so I could stop recording at any time.

Overall, I just really enjoy this Dropbox because of the possibilities it will create when I use it as a teacher. I like the idea of creating a public file in which my future colleagues and I can share ideas.

My Favorite Web2.0 Tools

1. Web2.0 is basically a space in which all of your documents, personal applications, pictures, programs etc. can be accessed online. Rather than relying on these tools being available on your personal computer, you can access any of your files, documents, etc. at any time through Web2.0, or cloud computing. No longer do you need to worry about a computer crash, because everything you need is online!

2. TinyURL.com: this website hosts a handy little devise that can condense those pesky, long URLs (website addresses) into short, functional URLs. This is helpful in the long run because an individual isn't bombarded with a long, daunting URL. Instead, it is deliver nice, neat, and short, and allows your viewer to click quickly and efficiently.

3. Voice thread: A very cool devise that can accommodate any type of individual. If you have a Power-Point, or slide-show, that you need to present to a group, you can record your voice and add it to the presentation. I could see this as being especially helpful for some students who have problems with public speaking. Voice thread would allow a teacher to assess that student's ability in this manner. Using this tool could help a shy public speaker eventually become more confident with public speaking.

Spreadsheet mania!

Here is our spreadsheet


Hello everyone! Here is my brief explanation of Google Sheets:
Google Spreadsheet - has all the bells and whistles of the popular spreadsheet programs, but is accessible by multiple users at the same time.  It also allows all users to access the most recent version so there is no confusion as to if the user has the most recent copy. In addition, users can create a document to present pertinent data in a variety of forms--whether this be though a bar graph, pie chart, map, picture, or other, Google Spreadsheet offers users many options in which to present their information to groups of people.
 
How it might improve productivity and enhance learning:

• The group can work together without having to be in the same place
• Can use as a to-do list for multiple people; each person signs in and determines what still needs to be done
• Could use for agendas in meetings, in which each member of the meeting puts a topic they want addressed into the agenda, which makes the meeting go faster since everyone can do it at the same time instead of going around one by one
• Group members can chat  and communicate ideas together while working. Also, if members are not working together, comments can be left on the spreadsheet for members to look at later
• Data, pictures, graphs, and a variety of information can be presented in this user-friendly program. With having all of these handy tools available in one location, information can be presented in an aesthetic fashion (whether this be in a classroom, during a meeting, etc.)

My learning curve and how I contributed to the group:
I feel that my group worked very well together. When I first signed into our documents and spreadsheet, Denise had provided an excellent scaffolding in which to work off of. After adding to the definition of a spreadsheet in Google Docs, and including some additional bullets on how Sheets can enhance learning, I began to play with the spreadsheet document I had created. I learned how to create a pie chart (which I dedicated to how many hours each person slept), and added some pictures, drawings and text for flair. Betsy joined me later and she eventually figured out how to use the Gadget tool, which assisted me with. It was fun talking back and forth with her, and screwing up together, so that we could eventually learn how to do it the right way. I enjoyed seeing the additions that James had made the next morning as well...we had had a difficult time figuring out how to make our graph specific to the list of activities we were tracking. Overall, I had a wonderful group experience!

Post #2

 
I'm very interested in the aspect of using a blog to foster a community environment within my classroom. While I really enjoy the idea of classroom discussion, some students are initially shy when it comes to speaking face-to-face and a blog would allow these students to express themselves electronically. Not only could the students learn more about each other, but if each of my students had a functioning blog it would provide me with the opportunity to learn more about my students and their individual traits. 


There are many things I want to consider, however, before deciding upon the usage of blogs in my classroom. The students would need to be a maturity level in which they were able to use the blog appropriately and for classroom purposes only, so I would need to have an in-depth discussion about the purpose of the blog and how everyone is expected to respect the opinions of each student. 

After giving my students an orientation on how to use the classroom blog appropriately, I could see myself using the blog for the following:

1. Online discussions on recent chapters read in assigned books
2. Student questions for me
3. A forum where students can ask questions of each other
4. An area where students can post projects and respond to one another's work
5. A place where I can post the classroom assignments and expectations
6. Group project work, including communication through online interactions
7. Much more!

I like the idea of posting assignments online and having students do communicate outside of the in-class interactions. The time spent in class is so limited, so this gives students the chance to think about topics before discussing them in person. Also, I feel that the aspect of communicating with one another online would appeal to many students and could encourage them to be more excited about becoming involved with assignments. Many students already spend a lot of time online, so I feel that it would be a natural experience for them to complete assignments through a blog once in a while instead of always bringing written work to class. 


As a future Literature/Language Arts teacher, I want to emphasize the importance of my students keeping a "writer's journal." Now, these "free writes" could be done within the class, but it's exciting to think about the possibilities that a blog can provide. Some students struggle with writing on the spot, so completing "free writes" on their blog about thoughts about what we are learning in class could be a very effective method to involve all students I work with. Free writes are very effective in helping create the "community environment" that I am so concerned with, as we can all learn more about one another through writing.


~Marta

Post #1

Hi , everyone :) Well, this is my return to blogging. I used to keep a blog years ago, when I was an undergrad, and I also kept a travel blog while I was living abroad for a year in Japan. I'm happy to return to the blogging world!


I guess I'll just start with the beginning: I was raised in Monmouth, Oregon, but was born in Salem on February 11th, 1985. I've traveled a bit in the past, but have ended up in Monmouth again so that I'm can save money while I attend Willamette. Even though I was raised in Monmouth, I don't mind being back in my hometown because it's a chance to be near my family again, which I really enjoy. 


I live in a small (and I mean small) apartment with my husband of 2.5 years, Cody, and my cat, Hunter. My friends have told me that if I were to be any animal that I would be a cat, which makes sense because they one of my favorite creatures. What describes a cat-person, you might ask? I would say that it depends on the cat and the person, but I'd like to attribute my personality to the independent, but loving, nature of a cat and the sociable and exuberant nature of a person.


When I'm not focusing school, I love to spend my free time watching (and discussing) movies, spending time with my friends and family, reading, hiking, camping, snowboarding, listening to music, swimming, traveling, going wine tasting...my list of interests could go on and on, I suppose. Something interesting that I've discovered about myself is that I consistently love trying and learning about new things. I find it difficult to showcase myself in a blog because it's kind of like talking to myself; I suppose it's easier for me to talk to people and share stories in order to get to know each other. I've been out of the "blog community" for some time now, so it may take some time for me to get used to the nature of writing blogs on a regular basis. 


My ideal position as an educator would be teaching 10th or 11th graders English/Language arts and writing. I used to be completely against teaching middle school, but since entering this program I've been interested in discovering my capabilities as a middle school teacher as well. 


Oh! One last thing people may want to know about me is that I love to spontaneously sing and dance, and will do so if the right moment requires it, so I hope you aren't shocked or appalled if you ever have to witness this! 


Until next time :)


~Marta