Kerpoof website

Kerpoof is new site that some of my students told me about that I had to check out I checked it out and wanted to give you my thoughts.Kerpoof is aiming to become a leading site for children through a suite of activities that are enriching as well as entertaining. On Kerpoof, kids can create art, stories, and animated movies using a simple 3D interface, and when done, can save it to their gallery, share it with others, and vote on their favorites.. Most of what kids do today is mindless, a waste of time - Kerpoof wants to change this. Goal: to be a site where fun is not separate from learning, but integral to it. Kids can create art through the site, write their own stories, create their own movies. Parents are no longer buying software for their kids with the explosion of broadband - they are turning to websites for them. Neopets and Club Penguin are very popular, but are not as educational as they could be. Easy tool for kids to make their own picture scenes - cool effects when you add particular elements to the scene (add a moon and it becomes night, etc.). You can share your pictures with friends.To make a movie, pick a scene then a backdrop. You put objects in a scene and then make the objects do things (objects and method). You can add music to the background. You can add multiple scenes to an entire movie.If you want to add interactivity to a movie, you can have prompts at different points in the movie that change how the movie proceeds (makes it more like a game created by kids).Kerpoof is live and freely available now. It appeals to most kids who are into Avatar or Pokemon type settings.

Web Based project / amazing technology

I am so excited! While reading the book I came across a web based activity that links students all over the world for the purposed of exchanging information. The link to this is
http://www.iecc.org/
I found a class in Australia with students the same age as mine, so we will begin to match up the students to correspond and exchange information. I have visions of collaborating on some group projects with the children - I can't wait.

I will be using Skype to set up some voice to voice collaboration with the students. My goal is to have the children learn more about Australia AND to be able to communicate more about their own lives.

I also discovered the amazing technology in my new Garmin navigational device. I can program in any location (even Europe) and head out - this amazing device will take me turn for turn right to the front door of the destination. If I decide to take an alternate route for some portion of my trip, the Garmin will patiently tell me that it is recalculating. I love this device - it makes me much more willing to strike out to areas I am not familiar with. Lindsay - I am now ready to come to your house!

What is learning?

I think this is a question that every educator needs to ask themselves. I really thought about this for a long time and even checked the dictionary just to see what it said.
Learning- defined in the dictionary is to gain knowledge or understanding of or skill in by study, instruction, or experience. I had to think about this because as with most definitions in the dictionary we don't understand the definition they give us. The first part that I noticed was the part about "to gain knowledge or understanding". If this definition had stopped at to gain knowledge I would not have considered that learning because students can memorize and gain knowledge but have not done any true learning. I feel that true learning comes in the understanding. Students have to understand what they are doing to have long lasting learning. For example students can memorize multiplication facts but if they do not have the true understanding then I feel they have not really learned but memorized. Those memorized facts will likely not be long term knowledge but short term. But with understanding, the knowledge is long term and they can apply that understanding to other similar problems. I guess I am saying you can not have true learning without understanding. I also thought about how student memorize all of the information in science and social studies but if they do not have understanding of why these things happened or what was happened to cause things then I feel they have truly not learned. Another member of my group also helped me think about not just the understanding that students have to have but the application of the knowledge makes learning occur. If we constantly "TEACH" students things but never give them time to practice or apply this learning then they will more than likely not have permanent learning. Most of our learning comes from our experiences.

Tech lesson plan critique

As we looked at lesson plans this week I thought about how I wished I had this type of time and could review every lesson plan as thoroughly as I reviewed these. In looking at the one I reviewed I looked at the objectives that would be met and what technology I would be using. It was evident to me that this plan was very good and would accomplish many teaching points that need to be accomplished. As I read other lesson plan reviews from members of my group I also was very interested at how they chose and critiqued their lesson plans. I thought the number of topics that were intergrated in these lessons where amazing. When teachers complain that there is not enough time to teach everything then I can't help but think about these lesson plans were several objectives are being covered at one time which saves teachers time. I think teachers are going to have to think about lessons and the objectives that are covered. There is hardly a time that I think one objective should be covered in a lesson...we need to intergrate many objectives. I also thought the websites that were given to us were wonderful sources for lesson plans. I had used the Alex one before but not the others...they are great!

Chapter 4 response

This chapter was easier for me to understand because it dealt with information I am more familiar with using: wordprocessing, spreadsheets, and databases. In fact I have used all three of these software tools in the last week. The software tool that I use most and in the chapter it made reference to it was the most used software in education is word processing. I recently went through the National Board process and I can not even imagine what writing all of those papers would have been like without Microsoft Word. The option years ago would have been to do this with pen or pencil. I used this software tool to make corrections, to insert text, check spelling...this list could go on and on. I know even in our lower grades we have a word processing software tool called MaxWrite which is just like Microsoft word but more user friendly for young kids. As I think about this I realize that the range of people and the uses vary so much but is accessible for everyone.
I do think that it is important for young children to use pen and pencil so I do not think wordprocessing should take the place of handwriting. I thought the chart on page 124 about the review of word processing in education was very good. I thought it was very interesting that according to the studies done the quality and quanity of writing improved with the use of word processing.
One of the things that is difficult with word processing is teaching the students all the "shortcuts" or components of this software tool. I know I have relied on students to show other students how to insert pictures, cut and paste, change font size, check spelling and so on. I know they do not have to learn it all at once but all the components of wordprocessing are so important that there is no way to decide which one should be taught first.
I think one sentence in this section that helps an educator understand the importance of word processing is "A teacher can use it (word processing) to support any kind of directed instruction or constructivist activity." To me this means in every learning activity you could use word processing.

Chapter 3 reading

This chapter was about instructional software. I found the chart on page 78 of the textbook very informative. I like the way the chart showed the functions of the instructional software. I know there is different software but I had never thought about the functions in the terms they used: drill and practice, tutorial, simulation, instructional game, and problem solving. I also thought that the way the chapter discussed the functions of the instructional software was good. I like that it had criteria for selecting good instructional software and benefits from each software function. I think teachers and technology specialist in the schools need to think about the function that software will serve when purchasing it. I thought the criteria checklist was a useful tool for educators to use when looking at the functions and benefit of software. I thought the simulation software is probably one that we do not use enough. As I was thinking about this I thought of all the things we could show students through simulation instructional software that we cannot possibly show them in reality. I would be very interested to see how much instructional software is purchased for schools. I feel like at my school teachers do not use as much software because of all the things available through the internet. I know of great free websites that meet the software functions that were listed in this chapter. Software can be very expensive so if teachers can find websites with free activities, games, or information why would anyone spend a lot of money for software?

Amazing

WOW - I am so impressed by your blog. I feel like such a zero as far as technology is concerned. Would love to sit down with you sometime and have you show me some tricks. This class is a huge challenge for me.
Enjoyed talking with you the other night. Will let you know what I come up with - I am still in the exploratory stage. susan

Categories and sorts of digital technology (Jan.29)

I will say this assignment seemed easy but it really got me to thinking. First I had to really think about the technology that was in my school. I could have easily gotten a list from our principal but first I wanted to try to generate the list myself. I had to think about what we have and I really surprised myself with how many items I named. I then cross referenced my list with the inventory list from my school. All I can say is we are so fortunate to have all the technology we have at my school! Then my groups started talking about the list and thinking of categories. But as I went back to look at the directions for the assignment I noticed it said "digital" technology so I had to think about what that would be. I'm still not sure I understand the definition of digital technology but I did look up the items on my list to make sure they were digital. After being okay with the digital technology phrase it was time to think of categories. There were many possibilities for categories. Our group tossed around ideas from the simple, hardware or software, to more difficult categories. Realizing that this needed to be categories that would be useful to us we decided on uses. Still more thinking was involved to determine the usage of the technology, but also to recognize how some technology can have several uses. I realize for this "simple" assignment I had to really "think" about technology.

Wow!

Wow! Your blog is sooooo neat. I'm really impressed with all the pictures and the slideshow. You've gotta teach me how to do some of these nice things. I believe you're better at technology than you think. :0)

Your blog is really neat! You have been working hard! I love all of the added features! Your slide show is sweet. I especially LOVE the moms! How cute! See you tomorrow.

Hey Renee!

I'm so glad we are in the same classes! Thanks for adding me to your blog. I love your blog and pictures!

Technology is nothing without the teacher! (Jan.22)

In my reading of Chapter 1 I agree with the point the textbook made about “teachers always will be more important than technology”. I am old enough (unfortunately) to remember people talking about how one day computers would replace humans in the work place. I am sure many people thought this would be true in all areas even teaching. But the computers in the classroom are only equipment, it is the teacher who can making the use of the computer meaningful and useful to a student’s learning. This leads me to another point that I found interesting which deals with the importance of the teacher as well. The chapter stated “Having students use technology does not raise achievement scores…The impact depends on the ways the technology is used.” Some educators are unaware of how to use the technology available to them in the most effective way to enhance student performance. I have seen many students in classrooms on websites that essentially is “game based” and students are not acquiring knowledge from these websites. Sure it may be fun for the students, but it is not the best use of the instructional time we have with students. There are great technology resources available to teachers but teachers have to know how to implement them effectively in their classrooms.

Tonight's class

Only 3 hours of class and I am amazed at how much I learned. Once I got over the problem of being able to log on, everything else went very well. I was so excited about setting up the blog that I went home and started "playing" around with my blog. To me it is just fun to click on something to see what will happen...from changing font colors to posting a entry. If I can be taught how to use the computer to set up blogs, I can only imagine how easy it would be for kids to do this since they grasp things about technology so much faster than I do. One use I could see for a blog would be that students could blog to each other about books they have read. .. almost like electronic book reviews. I am sure other teachers are doing this but since blogging is new to me I was trying to think about how I could use this aspect of technology in the classrooms. Can't wait to see what we learn about next!

First attempt at blogging

Today in class we set up our blogs. Not too difficult but I hope I can remember how to get back to this space tomorrow! :) I have heard about blogs but really didn't realize what is was. I think it will be a valuable tool to use when reflecting on information that I learn.