BP14_2009103_Reflective_Media_Asset_Week_3

60 Second Commercial for Photoshop Express

also posted at http://web.me.com/crafts6100/FullSail/Commercial_Photoshop_Express.html

BP14_2009103_Web_20_Comment

Musings About Education: BP12_2009103_Reflective_Media_Asset2_XTimeline

Awesome tool, thanks for sharing. In the past in my computer multimedia classes I have always tried to create a mental timeline and scaffold that timeline with events I think they should know from history. I would like to use this tool in the future to have create a tangible/observable timeline with not only the cross curricular historical events but perhaps memorable events from their personal lives, or the lives of people who mean something to them.

BP13_2009103_Web_2.0_Technology_#6

Lucidchart.com – We learned about two tools last month lucidchart and dabbleboard that allow participants to collectively work on graphic organizers. The primary function is for flow charts but also lends itself to diagrams and organizational tables. We learned two months ago about an intelligence that specializes in visual understanding and literacy. These two, online and free, web applications were built to communicate information for a visual learner as well as allowing a visual learner to communicate what they have learned. Our school used to purchase licensing for a program called Inspiration, which starts with a single license at $59. The problem is not every computer needs it and not every teacher used it. Another solution would be to allow students to use LucidChart, which they can do from the schools computer lab or a computer connected to the internet outside school. This is of course also the web applications drawback, you need access to the internet which is only becoming more and more prolific every day and therefore less and less of an issue. These applications may be of use to those who like the picture but are looking for a 21^st Century solution.

Image from Flickr Creative Commons

BP12_2009103_Web_2.0_Technology_#5

Slideshare.net – Is used to share presentations created in Powerpoint, Acrobat Presentations and Word Documents. It can be an interface for your audience to view your presentations or a hosting place where you can embed shows into your site or blog. Content can also be linked to from social networks such as linked in or facebook. Presentations you share can be public or restricted based upon several variables.

Much like any site open to the public some presentations are better that others. The first show I viewed had no audio and consisted of about 35 slides that contained text and pictures to teach the audience a process. The next two were essentially slideshows of pictures set to music. The first was Hawaii wallpapers for computers and the images were stunning but no information was provided as to whether the person who posted them was the photographer or simply assembled the show from found images. The second of these was more interested because while it was still just pictures set to music you are informed that it is an artists portfolio of work and they composed the music as well which made it a much stronger presentation for me. After viewing two more that I thought were very informative and possible useful to colleagues, I used the embedded share feature to email the colleagues links to the show so that they could evaluate for themselves whether they could use it.

BP11_2009103_Web_2.0_Technology_#4

Photoshop Express Icon - Copyright © 2009 with express permission from Adobe Systems Incorporated

photoshop.com/express – Photoshop Express (PSX), provides my photography students 2GB of online storage for free. If they need more room they can upgrade up to 250GB. It allows them to tag their picture with searchable words and create custom albums. There are four primary sections of Photoshop Express: Upload, Organize, Edit and Share. The online editing tools allow color tweaking, distorting, adding “decorations”, some basic filtering choices, crop & rotate, and exposure correction among others. Sharing tools allow you to export to Facebook, Flickr, Photobucket, Picasa and other photo gallery web hosting sites. You can even use this tool with mobile devices and they have an app specifically for the iPhone

This tool has a very different interface than the professional version of Photoshop and is not a replacement for it. However, the full version of Photoshop retails for around $600 and the student price is about $180 while PSX is free.

BP10_2009102_Reflective_Media_Asset

60 sec Commercial for RSS Feeds in Schools

blogger's video conversion squeezed the video funny and lost the audio/video sync so I've also posted the movie here http://web.me.com/crafts6100/FullSail/Commercial_RSS_Feed.html

BP9_2009102_Flickr

As a high school photography teacher there are many ways we could use Flickr in the classroom, if it were not blocked by our district firewalls.

A google search turned up http://www.jakesonline.org/flickrinclassroom.pdf, which suggested Single Image Analysis, Single Image Writing Prompt, Virtual Field Trips, Visual Documentation of Student Artwork, Creation of Digital Visual Portfolios, as possible lessons that I could use in class. But, since Flickr deals with images these are just some of the ideas that would relate to our class curriculum.

After creating an account students can even use their iPhoto to upload directly to Flickr. In our AP 2D Design Class, students could be uploading their Concentration works to Flickr and allow other students to log-in and comment on their technique, quality or direction. Students peer evaluating each others work in this and the Breadth and Quality sections tend to drive the quality of the artists growth and discipline. Evaluating others work also tends to improve the focus of the evaluators' work as they learn from the mistakes of their peers.

Currently we use class time to have these discussions, moving this discussion online to Flickr would allow the conversation to continue and constantly evolve throughout the school year rather than the times selected in class. Plus, Flickr supports RSS feeds so students can subscribe to each others Photostreams or to a group one and automatically get fed new photo's to be commenting on as they are posted.

BP7_2009102_Web_2.0_Technology_#3

RSS Feeds - The principal came into my room the other day and was asking what I knew about Twitter. Her main focus was on whether or not the audience could subscribe to the twitter or had to go looking for each post and whether or not the viewer could comment. I tried to explain to her what I knew about twitter when I realized what she really wanted was an RSS feed. She was looking for a way to broadcast information to parents and staff via the internet and web enabled devices for campus updates. She was looking for a newer technology than the autodialer we use now that calles parents home telephone numbers at night and plays a recorded message. But, she didn't want to get bogged down in technology and she wasn't excited about 3100 parents writing comments back that she would have to read. Now I have to put together a proposal for how she could use an RSS feed from the school's website to reach her audience. I'm actually excited about the prospect of several feeds for particular audiences. A Campus News for parents, Campus Update for staff, School Closure notice for both groups when we have a snow day, maybe even the department chairs could assemble information that was for staff students and parents interested in say art shows, musical performances, athletic could post game scores...

Image provided by http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/free-rss-feed-icons-the-ultimate-list/

BP6_2009102_Web_2.0_Technology_#2

Blogging - I've tried to blog what I do in class for a few years now but students weren't going to the website or signing up for the RSS feed so I was only keeping a record for myself. Because of this class I talked it up a bit at the beginning of the semester and have a few students who are using it. Basically to avoid questions like "What did I miss last class?" or "What was that website you said", I trey to put an outline of what I'm teaching that night into a blog in iWeb. Due to this semesters marginal success I'm going to try and advertise it a little more next term and start implementing the same system in my high school classes.

BP5_2009102_Web_2.0_Technology #1

MobileMe Gallery - iPhoto and Aperture, Apple software products, allow one to publish a web gallery of their images to the internet very easily. But, what is really cool is that visitors can not only view and download images but submit images to the gallery as well. So, as a photography teacher, I created galleries for each of the assignments we are going to do for the rest of the quarter and will ask students who have better images to submit them. This will give students an incentive to do better work, give them a place to publish their work and since it synchronizes to the library on my desktop, I get a copy for future classes to see as examples.

BP4_2009102_Social_Bookmarking

Bookmarking websites has been around for quite a while. The problem with bookmarking is you have to have your computer. Well, until services such as Apple's mac.com allowed you to sync your bookmarks. But maybe you do not want to register the computer you are using to the service, for instance a public terminal, then you could use your iPhone... if you have one. Along comes the service to store your bookmarks online. Hey wait a minute, since they are now online why not share your bookmarks with your family and friends, heck why not share them with the world. One thing is I may not care what your bookmarks are and you may not care about mine, but we do not have to look. A nice thing is if I like one thing you found on the internet and bookmarked, I may like more. From the point of view of an educator, I can publish a list of links to the websites I use to do my job effectively for colleagues to use as well. I can also publish a list of links that my students may find can come in handy when they are doing their research.

EducationWorld's Sites to See article on Social Bookmarking also notes that these sites allow you to tag your bookmarks with meta information that is then searchable. If you have a website address that could be in multiple categories you can tag it as such, a trick not possible in your computers bookmarks folders. An interesting idea from Educause's 7 Things you should know about social bookmarking is "It may become less important to know and remember where information was found and more important to know how to retrieve it using a framework created by and shared with peers and colleagues." One issue stemming from this is that someone needs to verify the sites authenticity, validity and reliability. A serious issue we face with anyone being able to publish anything on the web is the accuracy of the information. Of course if it is the teacher that is using the social bookmarking site to share resources with their students as CR 2.0 suggests “Lets students choose from a variety of acceptable links, making for productive research that still allows for variability.”

Resources

Educause Learning Initiative (2005, May) 7 Things you should know about social bookmarking. Retrieved from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7001.pdf

Classroom 2.0 (n.d.) Social Bookmarking Retrieved from http://wiki.classroom20.com/Social+Bookmarking

Jackson, L. (2009) Sites to see: Social bookmarking, Education World. Retrieved from http://www.education-world.com/a_tech/sites/sites080.shtml

BP8_2009102_My Comment on Emily Dales Blog

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2009

BP#5_20091002_Web_2.0

I researched many sites. As a matter of fact, I got so engrossed into what I was doing that I lost all track of time! It was really hard to come up with only 3 of my favorites. So, here is the 1st of the 3 Web 2.0 tools I will be reporting on.

1. www.storysomething.com- Storysomething is a personalized and customized storytelling site that busy parents can use use to write interesting stories for and about their children. Stories can be told using your cell phones or the web itself. I found that this particular tool was mostly for busy parents who did not have time to read to their children like they would like to. Storysomething makes bedtime stories easy. All parents have to do is record their personal story for their children and wha-la, a personalized, custom bedtime story their child will remember forever.

I didn't get a chance to play around with storysomething because it is a new site, so it was not up and running. But, as a teacher I saw that the site did have educational value and it did capture my interest enough for me to bookmark it so that I can visit it periodically to see if the site has been launched. I can not wait until it does! It's almost like waiting to open presents at Christmas. I am thinking it will be totally worth the wait.

As an educator, I believe Storysomething will be the perfect site for me. I am planning to use it to write stories that would relate to the content I am teaching. I will also use it so that my students can write their own stories. Another idea I plan on using is I am teaching about text features. My 2nd grade students are having a hard time grasping the importance of captions. My plan is to post a picture and my students will have to use storysomething to write or record a caption that would relate to that particular picture. Here's an example.

There was an old lady who lived in a shoe

She was so tired she didn't know what to do

Using storysomething, educators can have students write or records customized stories about their families, combine them into a class audio book that can be viewed during an open house or a PTA meeting with classroom visitations. Image how proud their parents would be seeing the final produce being shared with others. Imagine the boost of confidence that child would have sharing his/her life story with friends.

In Science, we are learning about animal habitats. I plan on having my students research the habitat and write or records their findings. For instance, if there is a child researching the layers of the Tropical Rain Forest, that child can write a story about the layers by describing them and the types of animals that reside there.

Even though I have not been able to play around with this Web 2.0 tool, I would highly recommend it because it does have potential to become something great!

My Comment

Hi Emily,
I'm with you in that there are so many tools out there that it is easy for time to fade away while researching them. I hope you are having more success than I at finding the time to take what we've been learning and implement it in your classes. So far I have been cataloging ideas for implementation next year.

October 11, 2009 7:35 PM

My iGoogle ETC page.

iGoogle AR/CBL Page

Here is my Action Research Page.

iGoogle WGO/Home Page

This is my iGoogle WGO page.

BP2_2009101-Anti-Teaching

The educational system as it is, is not working. Everyone seems to know it. Students, Parents, Teachers, Administrators, Employers; people from all aspects of the problem are mostly unhappy with the results. Lots of people are trying to address the problem: teachers in the trenches, school board policies, states in teacher credentialing, Universities in acceptances, politicians in law, all frantically striving to find the answers. Several solutions are offered from:Multiple Intelligences, Brain-Based Learning, Instructional Design, Environment, Co-Curricular, Cross-Curricular, to teacher training. Some new ones I had never heard of before this class are virtual learning environments, course management systems, Personal Learning Environments and Web 2.0 tools. From what I have read I'm sold! But, I am easily convinced as I am one of those teachers in the trenches desperately seeking the answer. Those pretty big words and successful statistics do it to me every time. The at the conclusion of the article or video I start to ask myself if I am smart enough to decide what the answer to the question is since all these other smart people are struggling with the same question. One thing is certain, technology has and will continue to irrevocably change our world and the way we live our lives.

I think the key is for teachers to address the skills and tools that they are passionate about with their students. Take what they can from the great minds and theorists touting the holy grail for education and implement it as fast as they can. Don't be afraid to fail, and try try again until you find the solutions that start working for you. I don't think there is one single answer for any one student, one teacher, one class, one school... The answer like most things in life is in the gray areas. Some teachers and students will respond better than others to the different things that are attempted. The goal is to have more arrows in your quiver for the next group of students that come seeking knowledge.

BP3_2009101_Google Reader Gadget

I have set up five (5) RSS feeds in my Google Reader Gadget.

1)Edutopia - is a publication and website of the George Lucas Educational Foundation. I have been a subscriber to the magazine since its inception and have been a paid member of the organization for the past two years. It is one of two magazines that I read that I feel supports me in my career and the only one I read cover to cover.

2)Introduction to Computer Graphics - is a RSS feed that I created for my Digital Media 101 class at Antelope Valley College. I have started blogging the highlights at the end of class for students who: came late, left early, missed class, didn't take notes, just want to review, etc.

3)Antelope Valley College Campus News - is the college where I am an adjunct instructor in Digital Media. At one time our program was highlighted by Apple computer as being one of the top three in the nation.

4)Apple Hot News - is the latest greatest news in regards to Apple Computer: Corporate, Hardware, Software. For Apple Geeks like me it's the only news that really matters. For the past eight years I have been teaching computer arts classes at both the high school and community college level.

5)Dealmac - a great site for helping the busy teacher find great deals on technology and great resource for teachers trying to find students deals. While Mac is in the name most of the site deals with technology that is cross-platform in nature and is therefor useful to PC users as well.