gps geochaching

We recently embarked in a journey using GPS navigators. Nichole and I were given two points on campus to search for an object. As you can tell by my picture I did not find my point. Well, I did just not the object.
I could possibly use this if my students were studying treasure island. I could have them use it as a project to find a buried treasure.

professional port...gag

I have been working on a professional portfolio all semester long. I have finally decided on a layout that I liked, however, the more I sit and look at it..the more I hate it! Most of the semester has been devoted to reading about usability in web design. What makes it difficult, is that everything was in the old professional portfolio is everything I'm NOT suppose to do. So, where do I go? What do I do? I don't want to dismiss everything that has been already done, but at the same time..I was the most accessible website that showcases my teaching ability and knowledge of web design. These nights are going to be very long..so long..which means that I could be so grumpy up until Thursday. ICK!

Zotero

So, we recently learned about a bookmarking tool called Zotero. This would be a great tool to document various tools to use throughout the school year.

prezi

I created a jing to show my little presentation on Delicious by using Jing

twitter

I have used twitter for a while, but recently got a new account. It is not my favorite thing but it's a good connection with others. I use to tool called "twirl" that allows me to log into several social networking sites at once but keep it organzied.
It can be downloaded at twhirl.org. Twittering can be useful in the classroom in a lot of different ways. It could be an interesting way to have a classroom continue a conversation about a subject, or discuss for groups. Twhirl would be an interesting tool for students to use various tools and maintaing their seperate identities.

There are tons of tools out there that could be used with twitter, but one must really consider the credability of those sites and the people using them. That is my biggest worry for it.

sketch up

and there we go.

twitter? What? google, where?!

So far we have learned twitter and google sketch pad. I have used twitter for several months and it was interesting to watch others get so confused in the beginning...because I think everyone hits that point. Twitter can be so addictive, so it will be interesting to see which one of my peers gets sucked in by twins, tweets and becoming twitterific!
Google sketchpad is very Sims meets Cad developing. It is not difficult to use, but it is not the best tool to use. It would depend on how much time you have to create something and how detailed you want to be. Looking through the image archives to see what others have already created and available to download is interesting because there are the most intricate items..and there are some really crappy ones. This is also a tool that depending on your creativity level will show what you are capable of or what you want to spend your time on.

I can see myself using twitter in my classroom, but maybe not google sketchpad. I could possible use the sketchpad to have students create various scenes..but I think that could be a really long process and depending on their knowledge of the tool and the time available..would this be a real project I would want to start in the classroom.

I learn better...from him

We are beginning our teaching projects. After looking at the projects, Nicole and I teamed up to teach De.li.cious...oh boy. This is a really useful tool that anyone could use. Its a social bookmarking tool that can go anywhere with you. I have an account where I have been bookmarking all of the usability websites and articles that I am using for my media project for my professional portfolio. I am pretty excited to learn about these tools from my peers.
I truly think that co-teaching, or peer-teaching is very important. Students tend to learn better from their peers for various reasons. Students might be too scared to ask the teacher a question infront of all their peers, but asking questions to their peers allows for a better understanding of which ever topic. I think peers understand better teaching tactics then teachers do sometimes...if that makes sense? So, I am pretty pumped to listen to what my peers have to tell me about their projects.

My ideal classroom

The closer I come to graduation, the more I think of my ideal classroom. I have searched the web for various items I would like to have in my own classroom and then something hit me....what if I don't get a classroom?! I was recently at a local high school, and the teacher I was observing informed me this was the first year she had a classroom....for the last five years she traveled with a cart to an open classroom to conduct her classroom. I do not want that. That would be so stressful, but it makes me appreciate anything I get a lot more!
My ideal classroom would have books, books, and oh yeah...BOOKS. I want my students to really enjoy reading and writing. So, my classroom should be conducive to this. Allowing many genres of literature to grace the presence of my students could be conducive. Computers and technology..everywhere. Maybe I should get my Dad to donate one of the 50 computers he has, we could do a computer drive. Oh boy. I'm getting so excited.

My Professional Portfolio..its never ending

I have spent a long time questioning what all I want to put in my portfolio. There is a list that I have created where I am slowly adding things and crossing things off as I am beginning to really dig into this portfolio. This like: are those things really worth showing off?, what is the best way I can portray this piece of information, and my biggest article on the list is written in large writing: MUST FIND *insert various name here*. I think I might be taking the task of making this portfolio a little bit differently then others, however.
Why? Well, because I am using this portfolio as a base for another project. I am extremely concerned with aspects of usability for this portfolio. We looked at other portfolios during the previous class, and I was not that impressed with them. After creating website after website, the term 'usability' never really occured to me..particularly in terms of a personal website. Thinking of what the website might look like in another browser, alignment issues and so on was not my biggest concern..simply because it looked fine on my screen. Well I have dug much deeper into the aspects of a website, and this portfolio will showcase my new knowledge.
As Nicole and I began to discuss which artifacts we wanted to use..its some what difficult beccause as secondary English majors..there is not much to showcase. We have papers, tons of them actually, that we have written. Luckily, there have been a few classes that have assisted me in creating units, study guides and some of those things (thank heavens).
So, I suppose one of my artifacts will be my unit layout and study guide packet I created for a pretend group of seventh graders over The Giver. I worked extremely hard on this assignment, and would definitely use it in the classroom. It shows my knowledge of the book and different critical aspects that can be taken with the book.
There are a few other things I am considering putting in there, but I think my TWS (teacher work sample) would be a prime piece of information that I would put into my portfolio. I suppose I just need to keep digging for these artifacts. We sha'll see.

Let's learn to swIsh

So, I was recently introduced to a software called: SWiSH. I have been obsessed with learning, or having a better grasp, of Macromedia Flash. Well, both my brother and father have messed with SWiSH and they sent it my way.
For anyone that knows nothing about the platform, it can be extremely overwhelming. However, the layout of the template makes the whole ordeal a little more simple. It has a lot of things already created for you, so that is nice. I don't have to worry about picking things a part and just allow a template to do all the hard work. I have not tried to create to much within this software yet. But, I could definitely use it within a classroom for advanced desktop publishing. Oh, yeah, that would be fun!

Nothing new,

I have begun my search for some ultimate blog for a future English teacher to read...and have been left with nothing. Maybe my expectations are too high. However, I have found "The English Teacher Blog" which is pretty interesting. I particularly like the entry on Jan. 30th about the picture the little girl drew...HILARIOUS.
I don't really know what I look for in a blog, especially one that is devoted to English or Language Arts. What to read, what not to read, how to read it and utilize it in the classroom? I am really not sure.

In class last night we began to talk about the importance of reading, or maybe the importance of enjoying to read? Someone brought up this concern about books being made into movies which leads children away from the literature and more too the television screen. I can't say that I totally agree with "oh this is horrible" but I don't disagree with her concerns. I suppose the only real aspect that I worry about is how much a movie can be different from the actual book. For example, Marry Poppins..if you have not read it..do, and it will scare the bajeezus out of you. Then we began to discuss the importance of 'liking to read'. I personally hate reading. Well, that is a lie. I love to read. Just not very much that comes out of a text book or anything that involved Romeo and Juliet (ew). So, finding ANY book that my students will enjoy will be wonderful. There is so much more out there then what, for example, I have had to read in school. While Tennyson and Shakespeare are talented famous ..dead..writers, please, will someone just let Romeo and Juliet die already? I know the story, I do NOT need to read it again.

Wow, really...

I have not blogged on this blog since last year for Ed. Media. Maybe this one will go farther then the last one. However, I am horribly distracted by the save now/saving button located under this block. Oh, auto save. Thank heavens.