Chapter 11

Collaboration tools help people learn information or talk/work together. This can be a nice feature especially if you live far away from someone or maybe you can't make a meeting. When I was in college in the mid 1990's my class was on a listserv. We all had to email our thought for online discussion. Every time you sent an email it was sent to every one the list and if you replied it was sent to everyone on the list. I liked this share feature at first...but as more people emailed it was hard to follow at times. I feel that it is great to be able to learn via distance and use of various programs...to discuss, learn or even teach info.

Chapter 9 & 10

Learning Management systems...I remember working at a certain "home improvement" center. I had to go through these computer based lessons and be tested of each area after I went through the "computer course". If you passed the test at the end of each section you would get a certificate. I really did not get to much out of it. Most of the experience that I needed was out in the store doing "hands on learning" out in the store! Although I did well, I did not feel that this was an accurate way to assess someone. Since there are so many employees, I guess that this type of learning is a great way to track the employees knowledge. I am a bit confused about the difference between LMS and LCMS. Is it that the basics are already set up for you...that you use what they have, to create your personal content??

Social Networking Slide

Here the slide that I worked on with Carol and Heather, it is not complete. I just wanted to see if I was able to figure out how to add a PowerPoint slide to my blog. It took me awhile to figure it out but I did. I had to save the slide as a JPEG and bring it in via the compose add photo menu in blogger. I had to upload it and accept bloggers conditions...here it is. I am glad that it worked. I would like to learn how to enter a whole presentation.

Chapter 7

Media players are used to have then learner experience more than a web browser. Media players are sometimes within the web browser. Media players are devices/software that enable the viewer/browser to listen to audio or watch video. As well as the combination of both. There are many different types that you can use, this might depend on a personal preference or what your computer is compatible with. I use Itunes almost every day to download or listen to music files. I prefer not to download or watch videos at this time it uses to much space on my Ipod. I enjoy listening to music while surfing or blogging. I find myself becoming more and more of a multitasker while using the computer. I also use Windows media player and You Tube(adobe flash) to borrow commercials to show my video students. I think that I will start using more video examples from these sources to share with my students. It is to the commercials off the computer, it takes me more time to record them to tape or DVD at home.

Chapter 6

This chapter was about web browsers which are just a means for people to view and find or be provided with information. They are pretty much similar although they might share different types of content. Internet Explorer is the web browser that I use most often. I am starting to like Mozilla fire fox, I am having some problems at home using Explorer on my home computer to access my web mail via my phone service. They told me to try FireFox and for some reason I am not having problems with FireFox as my browser. To sum it up you may choose the browser that you prefer to use..maybe its the graphics that interest you, or the content that the browser provides. Used mostly for learning of info....is it accurate info....not always.

Technology Forgotten

I was using PowerPoint today...and although I use it often...I can't believe how quick I forget to use certain functions. It took me awhile to figure our how to use custom animation on some of the text and images. I use it primarily for presenting information and usually it is not to fancy. I had a student help me..we both forgot how to use the timing feature, but within minutes we had it working. Without practice I and I know my students as well tend to forget how to do certain things in a particular program. Most of the time you can sit and figure or re practice your what you forget and it comes relatively easy.

http://www.weblogg-ed.com/ Reflection

I like the fact that within a blog you can add so many other types of functions besides text. I was looking at the http://www.weblogg-ed.com/ and I noticed the other types of authoring tools that are on this blog. There are podcast to listen to and photos to look at. I think that this blog is more interesting to look at. I also noticed advertisements or links to advertisers...it makes you wonder if the creater is sponsored by or has contacts in the business...a free way to advertise???We are such a visual society...I personally prefer the blogs with more visual or interactive features.

ThinkQuest

I was interested to explore the ThinkQuest website, after one of the students in class were discussing it. I was a bit overwhelmed with the amount of information that the site has to share. I definitely has a lot to offer regarding sharing of information. It is nice that there is a variety of subjects that students can explore. I like that with the rules content should be original...and produced solely by the students. This could also be a great website...to use not only for the creation of a website...but to use the website project samples as a research to share with your students. I also like the fact that the website has tons of examples...I think that it is important to show students other students work...it helps them relate to other kids...and maybe motivate them to want to create a website. I might want to try this site in my technology class.

Educational Blogging

Even though the article was about "educational blogging" I was more interested in the section about how blogging became important or used more. I did not realize that an event like 9-11 created a better way for people to communicate news or thoughts in response to the unfolding events. Because it was difficult to find out what was happening in the news..this gave people the experience to share "what happened or what is currently happening" with a blog this type of information is shared instantly. Although it might not be authentic. People became part of the event happening instead of watching it on the news. As for the educational factor, it is a great tool if you are willing to embrace technology. It might give students a chance to voice their own opinions on line instead of speaking in class. This I feel can be a positive and negative issue. A blog is a great way for a student to reflect or speak about issues in a subject area. It can even help them improve on writing skills. But at the same time...are we starting to become less personal..what happened to having to speak about our thoughts in class. Is our verbal communication skills/person to person interaction declining and are our computer skills improving??? Or do I have to think of a blog as just being a tool to work on certain skills.

Sharing Reflection Week Two

I really did not get to share to much with what I learned to my classmates. I was helping Danielle and Dana create a blog. They were both very hesitant. I told them that it was very easy and that I actually had fun creating it. I never enjoy writing and this I found to be a fun tool to use to help me write. They were afraid to use their names...I told them that you can make up a fictitious name if they wanted to feel anonymous. I helped them through the steps of setting up their blogs...they both thought it was easy and fun. What I shared with them was my experience of setting up a blog. As for reflection on class discussions...it made me think "how am I going to be able to use some of the authoring tools mentioned within my classroom??" How will I get permission to use some of the tools. Will I be supported at my school??

YouTube & Video Class

I was talking to my intro to video 1 students. I was teaching them how to use the video camera and we will be practicing how to shoot video. We were talking about good video vs bad video (regarding the shots). Somehow we got on the topic of YouTube. The students were telling me that they can recognize that some of the video work ---shots and editing---is not necessarily the best footage that is put out on the web. I am not talking about content but about the quality of producing good video shots. My students see videos on YouTube all the time. It would be great to maybe use this as a critique tool. Also, it was nice that they could understand the difference between good quality and bad quality. My goal is to have them work on their shooting skills for the entire year. As well as developing video productions. If their shot work is better by the end of the year. My goals and objectives will be met. I never thought about using YouTube for examples! Just a thought.......

NETS Continued....

I did not get to finish my last thoughts regarding how NETS and the current NJCCCS in technology compare/contrast. It seems that the tech standards from NJ are more generalized. Not as specific and detailed as the NETS. The nj standards (8.1) focus more on using the computer to gather information or create work such as presentation or about using the computer applications. It does not really focus on the other uses of tech within the classroom for example use of a digital camera or use of scanner etc. The 8.2 standards relate to design and problem solving as well as the impact of technology the w0rld today. The NETS do focus on design and problem solving as well..but there seems to be so many other areas addressed, such as how to operate tech systems and equip (maybe using tech as more) working in collaboration also appears to be strong.

To sum up my random thoughts....the NETS standards are more specific than the NJ tech standards.

Podcasting

Tonight I went on to ITUNES to download some music to put on my IPOD. While I was there I started viewing podcasts. I was amazed. I am a video teacher and I was thinking...what am I missing..why aren't my students creating one of these. I always thought for some reason that you had to have an IPOD to create a podcast. I did not realize that you could create a video or audio...in almost any video program or window media player etc. and post your podcast to itunes. At that point it becomes available for people to download. And some people choose to download podcasts to their IPODs. A podcast is just a video or audio file created and posted on Itunes to share you information to the world. You can also share info via video through YouTube another internet based program. I am excited to try to make a podcast or youtube clip for a project in one of my classes this year.

NETS

Today I started reading about NETS, the National Education Technology Standards. NETS seems to focus on design, development and problem solving for students. There are six different areas for students to learn while being a studnet in grades K-8. The focus of NETS is to have the students survive in todays "Digital World". I was surpriesed to read the word "digital" all over the place. Digital Citizenship, Digital Media, Digital Resources, Digital Presentations, Digital Technology, Digital Instruments. Digital means storing information...it was just interesting to see the word all over the place. I teach video, photography and technology...we do use the word digital often in class with regards to maybe a picture or signal..I never really thought of learning about the tools that I use every day. These tools that are digital. Digital Citizenship we talk about all the time in class, especially since my students use cameras and video camera " having them with cameras brings up a lot of ethical issues". I never realized that I was teaching to the NETS until I read them. I guess the word "digital" surprised me because we use things from this digital world. I might not call or name things digital (digital citizenship, digital presentations etcs. I think the word is just becoming understood without having to say it.

9/5/07

Wow! I am really psyched to learn about different types of authoring tools. I did not realize how many I do use daily and how some of them have become...boring or habitual. I am inspired to find some "new to me" authoring tools to learn and most important to share with my students. I am getting tired of using powerpoint or the smartboard all the time. I am hoping to learn from my colleagues new ideas or techniques with the use of various authoring programs. I am also not one to that likes to write or keep a journal, so this will be a challenge for me. I am finding it easy to set up and use the blog. Maybe I will learn how to enjoy keeping a journal for my thoughts!