So apparently there are some newer features on Google Earth that I was unaware of... specifically, the flight simulator. How cool! In addition, you can view under the surface of the ocean, view historical imagery to see how it has changed over decades, and even take guided tours of the Moon and Mars! Wow! What endless possibilities this creates for the classroom! I went to Google maps just to explore, since it had been awhile and I was able to click on webcam icons all over the country and view random videos. It was funny to hear the dialect in the Crossville, TN video. I can see how this would be a useful tool in seeing the landscapes, and even hearing the different accents around America!
I was curious to know how educators are taking advantage of such powerful technology and bringing it into the classroom. For the youngest learners, they can be asked to identify things in their neighborhood, or things in the community, such as hospitals. Elementary students have been asked to identify community leaders (police, firemen...) create placemarks about life at home (birthdays). Middle school students were learning in the classroom about human migration/ethnic groups and were able to pinpoint and mark this locations! Such a powerful visual tool for the classroom!
I checked out GoogleEarthGoods and learned additional ways in which this tool is used in the classroom. You can view with your class the place you are going before the field trip, maybe a fun little treat to get them excited. You can embed voice/audio onto google maps or take a virtual drive with your students! Anywhere in the world! It would be a fun activity to select a location, drive duration, things to look for, notate things you saw, and other exploratory details. Older students could use google earth and sketchup to contruct a new city. I feel certain this could be a group project that would be fun for all students!
I was very impressed with the newest features on Google Earth and excited to find out the extent of usefulness it has for the classroom! I never would have thought of these uses had I not GAINED tonight ;)
Friday, June 10, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Maps Ya'll
I searched a few places of interest of Google Maps and it's always interesting. I was a little disappointed to visit some areas in which you could not view 360 degrees at street level. I am curious at how often the visuals are updated, as I noticed it has been 3 to 4 years, judging by vehicles in driveways. I was trying to zoom in a make legible the vehicle tag numbers or mailbox numbers, but with no success. I wonder if this is intentional?
I am the WORST with directions, I can see how this is an extremely useful tool in getting from point A to B. My GPS can direct me and once I get so far it keeps claiming "you have reached your destination" however, I have not! And so it would help if I knew what exactly I was looking for.
I like the feature that you can create maps and even add little icons. This is a helpful tool for visitors because they are always asking "where should I go?" and "whats good to eat?" How easy would it be to have a map. you wouldn't have to tell them its the same map you use for allll visitors ;)
This is a great tool for classroom lesson to learn about other regions or countries, especially with the icon feature.
I am the WORST with directions, I can see how this is an extremely useful tool in getting from point A to B. My GPS can direct me and once I get so far it keeps claiming "you have reached your destination" however, I have not! And so it would help if I knew what exactly I was looking for.
I like the feature that you can create maps and even add little icons. This is a helpful tool for visitors because they are always asking "where should I go?" and "whats good to eat?" How easy would it be to have a map. you wouldn't have to tell them its the same map you use for allll visitors ;)
This is a great tool for classroom lesson to learn about other regions or countries, especially with the icon feature.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Long running joke...
So my cousins and I have an ongoing joke about this restaurant we've created in our minds. Its a fine establishment hidden in the back woods of East Tennessee and it is called Pecan's. Pronounced Peee-cannns with a nice little southern drawl. So, when given the chance to create a website tonight in my tech class, I thought how funny would it be to create this comical website and send it to me cousins! It's one of those 'had to be there' kind of jokes and to give a little background on just how much we love to idealize this little piece of Heaven, we do impromptu Pecan's commercials that sound like car lot commercials. Fast talking, ridiculous deals, and of course, the best southern accent we can pull. Anyway, enough with the excuses, here is the URL to have a little looksie :) Pecan's
Unfortunately, this site is still under construction. I wasn't able to completely edit the original template and make it my own. Hopefully, it will be complete in the near future. I was having some difficulty inserting my own pictures from Picasa. And for whatever reason, I have been unable to edit the heading of the homepage. To be continued....
Unfortunately, this site is still under construction. I wasn't able to completely edit the original template and make it my own. Hopefully, it will be complete in the near future. I was having some difficulty inserting my own pictures from Picasa. And for whatever reason, I have been unable to edit the heading of the homepage. To be continued....
Class shouldn't be this fun!
Now, I've got pictures to edit in picnik! I was laughing out loud looking at the fun "touchups" for pictures! You can tan, whiten teeth, thin or fatten yourself, add mascara, even a wrinkle remover! I mean seriously, the fun is endless. I can't wait to use this for personal and educational purposes! As you can see, I edited my first picture quite a bit! From distortion to limelight to adding text. There is the option to upgrade and create/edit more with pictures, but I refrained. (i.e borders) With the second picture, I simply changed the color effect.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Marco? Polo!
Searching the web can be frustrating and overwhelming when 50,000,000 results come back for a TN state facts search. I don't think this is ideal for a student in a limited amount of class time.
That being said, I LOVE Google Squared! It was like entering a search and the most important details that would come from the website are right in front of you. For example, I searched Sevierville, TN Spas and an image, the description, business hours, and email contact came back to me in a list. So, if I didn't want to know contact info returning in my search I could "x" it out or if I wanted to know additional info such as year established. I was so impressed with the directness and efficient search! This is a great way for students with a computer time limit to search, or obviously, get more useful info from a single search!
I then Googled Sevierville, TN golf and clicked on wonder wheel to break down the info and sift through the results. And as I sifted through the information that was pinpointing a better search result the right of the screen was updating as well with a more accurate site to my search request. I could see how this would be more useful if you were searching in an area you didnt know or a topic you were unfamiliar. That way it's kind of doing the brainstorm work for you.
I checked out the timeline on Google and I must admit I am not understanding its usefulness. Needless to say, I'll discuss the usefulness of advanced searches on Google. This type of search is one way to eliminate sites that arent actually what you are looking for. Not to mention, filtering words that you do not want to return in your search results. The ability to chose reading level is a great tool for filtering classroom searches.
That being said, I LOVE Google Squared! It was like entering a search and the most important details that would come from the website are right in front of you. For example, I searched Sevierville, TN Spas and an image, the description, business hours, and email contact came back to me in a list. So, if I didn't want to know contact info returning in my search I could "x" it out or if I wanted to know additional info such as year established. I was so impressed with the directness and efficient search! This is a great way for students with a computer time limit to search, or obviously, get more useful info from a single search!
I then Googled Sevierville, TN golf and clicked on wonder wheel to break down the info and sift through the results. And as I sifted through the information that was pinpointing a better search result the right of the screen was updating as well with a more accurate site to my search request. I could see how this would be more useful if you were searching in an area you didnt know or a topic you were unfamiliar. That way it's kind of doing the brainstorm work for you.
I checked out the timeline on Google and I must admit I am not understanding its usefulness. Needless to say, I'll discuss the usefulness of advanced searches on Google. This type of search is one way to eliminate sites that arent actually what you are looking for. Not to mention, filtering words that you do not want to return in your search results. The ability to chose reading level is a great tool for filtering classroom searches.
i scream, you scream, we all scream for iPads!!
Today I took the time to "study" three apps on my iPad. First, I checked out a News app called Newsy. You are able to filter the types of articles you wish to view or flip through the pictures and descriptions at your own pace. I clicked on a sports link and silly me, thought I would be directed to an article....nope it was a video. This is me, still not use to the wonders of an iPad. Now, I understand why there is a playlist. You are able to directly "like" this on Facebook, post a comment on the video, share to Facebook, Twitter or through email. There is also a great feature to drag the video into a library. This is a great app for students to easily navigate through current events and find videos they are interested in and share. Pretty impressive.
Next, I navigated my way to the Language Arts icon and chose an app called Lazy Town. What a great interactive book for elementary students! The sound gets me interested immediately from the start. You are able to chose a book off the shelf (or purchase). I was curious to see how much they cost and the book I was looking at was $1.99 and you could view customer ratings and reviews. Since my iPad doesn't have any books, I was able to "try" them. The music doesn't stop at the intro, it continues throughout the story, along with sound effects. There is a narrator that reads as the words highlight along the page. Great reading tool! At the bottom of the screen, there are options to translate to Spanish, have a pop up screen for sign language (very cool!), a play my voice option, bookmark, play, stop, and pause! You were able to skip back and forth through the book, similar to skipping a DVD. Great listening activity for younger kids!
Last, I played on the Doodle Buddy app. It was much like a paint program on Microsoft, but much, much better! You could use your finger to write/draw on the screen and select colors. You could choose a background, text font, decals, and stamps. Don't forget about the fun sound effects, for example, placing a chicken leg stamp on the page makes a "yummm!" sound and a cat goes "meow" and well, you get the idea. You could easily save the image to your album or email it. This is great for an introductory iPad activity for younger students that are not yet able to read.
Thank you iPad for reminding me, once again, why I need you :)
Next, I navigated my way to the Language Arts icon and chose an app called Lazy Town. What a great interactive book for elementary students! The sound gets me interested immediately from the start. You are able to chose a book off the shelf (or purchase). I was curious to see how much they cost and the book I was looking at was $1.99 and you could view customer ratings and reviews. Since my iPad doesn't have any books, I was able to "try" them. The music doesn't stop at the intro, it continues throughout the story, along with sound effects. There is a narrator that reads as the words highlight along the page. Great reading tool! At the bottom of the screen, there are options to translate to Spanish, have a pop up screen for sign language (very cool!), a play my voice option, bookmark, play, stop, and pause! You were able to skip back and forth through the book, similar to skipping a DVD. Great listening activity for younger kids!
Last, I played on the Doodle Buddy app. It was much like a paint program on Microsoft, but much, much better! You could use your finger to write/draw on the screen and select colors. You could choose a background, text font, decals, and stamps. Don't forget about the fun sound effects, for example, placing a chicken leg stamp on the page makes a "yummm!" sound and a cat goes "meow" and well, you get the idea. You could easily save the image to your album or email it. This is great for an introductory iPad activity for younger students that are not yet able to read.
Thank you iPad for reminding me, once again, why I need you :)
Monday, June 6, 2011
Finger Painting for Grownups :)
Finger painting for grownups can be found in Google docs drawing. Fun! Fun! I just created an award winning picture, but unfortunately I haven't figured out how to upload it to the blog. Anyway, I'll just give you a visual. First I inserted an image of hydrangeas by searching Google images. Next, I used the scribble pen to do just that all around the border. Lastly, I added a splash of color and inserted text (my initials) and ta-da! An award winning drawing! I watched a tutorial and noted there was a chat feature in Drawing. I can see how this would be a usable feature when a class project in going on, but otherwise, not sure. This is a great way to enhance presentations and it's free!
I looked at a Language Arts lesson plan that required students to create a drawing and write a story with the assistance of an older "book buddy". This is a great lesson plan to for literacy, creativity, and partnership. Of course, there were certain guidelines about the drawings and criteria for the writing. The finished work was turned into a Google Presentation, or printed to create a book. Great project for first grade!
I looked at a Language Arts lesson plan that required students to create a drawing and write a story with the assistance of an older "book buddy". This is a great lesson plan to for literacy, creativity, and partnership. Of course, there were certain guidelines about the drawings and criteria for the writing. The finished work was turned into a Google Presentation, or printed to create a book. Great project for first grade!
i heart iPad
I'm really excited about the use of iPads in schools! I read lots of articles and the students seem to be just, if not more, excited about the deployment of iPads in the classroom. A school in New Jersey is using iPads in all of the Algebra classes. I struggled in math and could really appreciate the use of technology that is providing students with step by step instruction, instant feedback on questions, and access to over 400 video tutorials. It's like a one on one tutor! Another school in Rhode Island is even using the iPad to evaluate teachers in the classroom. I am interested to know how, but there were no details. The article went on the discuss the benefits of purchasing one book for $6 and downloading it on the other iPads. Students are able to email their homework to teachers... so never again will the "my dog ate my homework" excuse work! Brilliant! This same school also noted there has yet to be any damage to the iPads which proves students are stepping up to the responsibility. A Credit Recovery Program was created using the iPad for distance learning. This was saving high or at risk students from never receiving high school diplomas. A school in California admits that iPads have increased test scores and that students are more engaged, can view work from anywhere and email teachers at anytime. The only disadvantage I read about was the cost of the iPad, but school systems were suggesting local businesses and community organizations could help by donating. All in all, the articles were a convincing argument that iPads are necessary in the education process.
To test out the theory that iPads are necessary, I tried reading from the iPad and discovered all the great features it has to offer! I will say that when I am reading, there is a highlighter in my right hand and a dictionary in the left. Wa-lah! iPad offers a highlighter and a dictionary with the touch of a screen! Couldn't get much easier than that! And of course the bookmarking feature is a must have. Aside from the reading aspect, I really like that the iPad offers a map application. I can't function without my GPS. Seriously. The other thing I need on a daily basis is a to-do list, aka notepad... well fancy seeing you on the iPad! I really like the facetime application, even though I am a skyper, I know how important this feature is when traveling! Great bonus! This thing has got it all! I'm sold.
To test out the theory that iPads are necessary, I tried reading from the iPad and discovered all the great features it has to offer! I will say that when I am reading, there is a highlighter in my right hand and a dictionary in the left. Wa-lah! iPad offers a highlighter and a dictionary with the touch of a screen! Couldn't get much easier than that! And of course the bookmarking feature is a must have. Aside from the reading aspect, I really like that the iPad offers a map application. I can't function without my GPS. Seriously. The other thing I need on a daily basis is a to-do list, aka notepad... well fancy seeing you on the iPad! I really like the facetime application, even though I am a skyper, I know how important this feature is when traveling! Great bonus! This thing has got it all! I'm sold.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Easy A
Making a Google form, I must admit, was fun! I worried my partner that the quiz would be difficult. Little did he know, if he were able to count on two hands, he was going to make an easy A. Before creating this little jewel of a quiz, I watched 2 videos about making a Google form. seriously, the process of making a form is ridiculously easy! You are creating a form using a step by step form(at)! The best part about finishing the quiz is the direct link to email to students and the click of a button to view the results. Talk about a time saver! I'm not going to deny the fact that inputting the formulas to create a self grading quiz was a bit confusing! Maybe I am completely number challenged and this is just some trial and error practice in my future.
However, the only disadvantage may be a classroom without enough computers for everyone to take the quiz together. This could result in students sharing the quiz questions. I also don't know how effective an at home quiz would be due to the assumption that all students have a computer. Am I overlooking a way to do this in the classroom??
I checked out a Science lesson plan for a human dimensions project. This is a fun group project that requires a lot of data entry. Great use of the Google docs! I'm sure the students enjoy comparing the results from the form. Great follow-up exercise to have students use the findings to fill out an evaluation.
However, the only disadvantage may be a classroom without enough computers for everyone to take the quiz together. This could result in students sharing the quiz questions. I also don't know how effective an at home quiz would be due to the assumption that all students have a computer. Am I overlooking a way to do this in the classroom??
I checked out a Science lesson plan for a human dimensions project. This is a fun group project that requires a lot of data entry. Great use of the Google docs! I'm sure the students enjoy comparing the results from the form. Great follow-up exercise to have students use the findings to fill out an evaluation.
Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers
I wasn't extremely impressed with many of the sites I looked at tonight. However, the one site I did like and could definitely see myself using again was delicious. I watched the Atomic Learning intro so that I could understand what exactly was going on. I had fun searching topics and finding ranked sites and reviews! I searched 5k training and the number one ranked site was one I have actually heard several friends reference. Obviously, a popular training guide and delicious agrees! Even more fun was searching for the most delicious brownie recipe. Boy did I find some great sites with baking advice from users, great pictures and videos! Delicious will remember sites you want no matter what computer you log in and this solves my problem of finding something I like and emailing the URL to myself. Very impressed with this helpful site!
Next I visited reader.google.com and was surprised that I already had subscriptions. I realized this is because I linked my blogger account with my Google account. Duh. This is not exactly a benefit because it is exactly as if I had been logged into my blog and saw my blog list. I cannot really think of many things that I track on a continual basis and not sure how beneficial this is for me. However, I can see how this will be a great tool for continuous education links. For example, keywords such as elementary, language arts, group activities, games... and so on.
Lastly, I visited the site Librarything.com and joined as a member just to see what the fuss was about. I took a quick little introduction tour to learn the ins and outs of the site. I think its neat that local events are posted... for example, June 18th an event about the movie Cars. Fun for kids and a great way to inform future students of learning fun in the community. Other events were obviously more literature related. I had a little laugh while reading the introduction of the site. It's setup exactly like a social networking site! A member can customize a homepage, add friends, receive updates on what books friends have recently added, comments, pictures, a profile bio and even a chat! (Does this remind anyone else of Facebook??) I added the book Water for Elephants to my book list. The one thing I did like about this site was that you could view recommendations and reviews on books. That is really the only way I ever get around to reading a book anyway, through a friends recommendation.
Next I visited reader.google.com and was surprised that I already had subscriptions. I realized this is because I linked my blogger account with my Google account. Duh. This is not exactly a benefit because it is exactly as if I had been logged into my blog and saw my blog list. I cannot really think of many things that I track on a continual basis and not sure how beneficial this is for me. However, I can see how this will be a great tool for continuous education links. For example, keywords such as elementary, language arts, group activities, games... and so on.
Lastly, I visited the site Librarything.com and joined as a member just to see what the fuss was about. I took a quick little introduction tour to learn the ins and outs of the site. I think its neat that local events are posted... for example, June 18th an event about the movie Cars. Fun for kids and a great way to inform future students of learning fun in the community. Other events were obviously more literature related. I had a little laugh while reading the introduction of the site. It's setup exactly like a social networking site! A member can customize a homepage, add friends, receive updates on what books friends have recently added, comments, pictures, a profile bio and even a chat! (Does this remind anyone else of Facebook??) I added the book Water for Elephants to my book list. The one thing I did like about this site was that you could view recommendations and reviews on books. That is really the only way I ever get around to reading a book anyway, through a friends recommendation.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Yikes! Spreadsheets!
In all my years, I have never had much experience using a spreadsheet and to my amazement it's not so bad. I definitely had to watch a few video tutorials to get a better understanding than what my middle school computer class allowed. I watched the Atomic Learning presentation first and luckily it showed me how organized your spreadsheet file can be. This is good to know because the thought of a spreadsheet, for whatever reason, was intimidating. Possibly my great phobia of numbers. I was happy to also learn in the presentation why the stars can be useful features, as I have always wondered that when sorting my Gmail.
The next relief was discovering the template feature. What I would have done with out this little helper! I couldn't believe the amount of templates to chose! Luckily, there is a students and teachers group. From there, you can chose which template best fits your needs for grading or what have you. I watched several more video tutorials to learn the very basics like moving from cell to cell, creating line breaks, and adding data. A little refresher couldn't hurt. I noticed a link for a Q & A for managing Google docs with your classroom, clicked on it, and found myself lacking the experience to make this info useful. Moving on.....
On to my evaluation of the Elementary lesson plan... I chose the Science subject area which focused on a consumer product testing experiment. I read through the lesson plan and immediately felt a little jealous that Science wasn't this fun when I was in school. Maybe not to all, but the process of the project was creative and sparked my interest. The students were asked to create Google docs, spreadsheets, presentations, and forms... whoa! whoa! What is a Google form you ask? I did too. I watched the Matt Silverman intro and found out what a convenient little feature this is! Basically an application in which the students are able to enter experiment data, find analysis and all kinds of great info! I don't know about you, but this is my kind of project from start to finish.
The next relief was discovering the template feature. What I would have done with out this little helper! I couldn't believe the amount of templates to chose! Luckily, there is a students and teachers group. From there, you can chose which template best fits your needs for grading or what have you. I watched several more video tutorials to learn the very basics like moving from cell to cell, creating line breaks, and adding data. A little refresher couldn't hurt. I noticed a link for a Q & A for managing Google docs with your classroom, clicked on it, and found myself lacking the experience to make this info useful. Moving on.....
On to my evaluation of the Elementary lesson plan... I chose the Science subject area which focused on a consumer product testing experiment. I read through the lesson plan and immediately felt a little jealous that Science wasn't this fun when I was in school. Maybe not to all, but the process of the project was creative and sparked my interest. The students were asked to create Google docs, spreadsheets, presentations, and forms... whoa! whoa! What is a Google form you ask? I did too. I watched the Matt Silverman intro and found out what a convenient little feature this is! Basically an application in which the students are able to enter experiment data, find analysis and all kinds of great info! I don't know about you, but this is my kind of project from start to finish.
Google the Great
I continue to be amazed by the incredible advantages! I have used my Google calendar once in my life and feel silly I havent taken it more serious! I watched a video on how to create a lesson plan on your Google calendar. WOWWWW! There is not a single reason you should'nt use this! You can create and name calenders by subject area or whatever you chose! Did I mention they are color coordinated?? Once you have created and named a calendar, you are able to specify the date, (did I mention this can be adjusted to continue on your calendar if it is a multiple day lesson?) description, and even add your appropriate Google docs that go with that lesson for the day. In addition, you can share this with other teachers, perhaps you are coordinating a lesson between subject areas. So once you've created ALL the calendars your heart desires you can look at the big picture and see all your color coordinated planned events all in one, very organized, place!
Next, I checked out iGoogle which is an application I had never heard of (I am on my Google account updating emails and chatting a good portion of the day). Immediately, I liked the feeds on the page. I changed the weather setting to Knoxville, for some reason it was on Nashville. There was a great map of East Tennessee and surrounding areas forecasts. There was a link to check up on the world time. Not sure how useful that is but nonetheless.. I also liked the Groupon link from the main page because I only ever remind myself to check out the deals when I see the same ad on Facebook. Bravo for adding that sponsor! There is a news link which happens to be set on CNN and I made sure that was also another setting I could change. Fox News and Knoxnews are my things.
Overall, I continue to be amazed by Google features and am excited about getting more organized with my Google calendar!
Next, I checked out iGoogle which is an application I had never heard of (I am on my Google account updating emails and chatting a good portion of the day). Immediately, I liked the feeds on the page. I changed the weather setting to Knoxville, for some reason it was on Nashville. There was a great map of East Tennessee and surrounding areas forecasts. There was a link to check up on the world time. Not sure how useful that is but nonetheless.. I also liked the Groupon link from the main page because I only ever remind myself to check out the deals when I see the same ad on Facebook. Bravo for adding that sponsor! There is a news link which happens to be set on CNN and I made sure that was also another setting I could change. Fox News and Knoxnews are my things.
Overall, I continue to be amazed by Google features and am excited about getting more organized with my Google calendar!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Presentations
Before viewing a lesson plan, I took a more in depth look at the overviews and introductions to Google docs and presentations. It is similar to office, but is stored online rather than single computer so it becomes accessible anywhere! Documents begin saving as soon as you start typing and I really admire this feature, as I have suffered the loss of some lengthy papers. I like that google docs can be created, shared, and edited with one version, rather than with the alternative of works, which hinders flexibility. While viewing the 'how to create a google presentation' I seriously couldnt believe the video was already over and it was that simple! Same goes with the adding media video.
The lesson plan that I looked over tonight was the "choose your own adventure story" for the elementary level. From the start, I found this a fun and creative way to get the kids excited about creating a story. This was also a great way to add a little flair to the typical 'create a story' assignment, in that the children were asked to create different endings. This is fun not only for the writers, but the children that will be viewing them upon completion.
The teacher created a task that could have possibly been confusing at this age level. However, her instructions were very clear and precise because she created a google doc flowchart and presentation template. This way, Id imagine, less questions and mistakes were made during the project. The teacher created a reflective journal for the students to fill out and this was a great way to get feedback and improvements on future projects. In addition, she created a rubic to evaluate the student project and noted ISTE and NCTE standards. I was very impressed by the thorough plan and the use of google applications.
I will definitely start taking advantage of the great applications that google has to offer!
The lesson plan that I looked over tonight was the "choose your own adventure story" for the elementary level. From the start, I found this a fun and creative way to get the kids excited about creating a story. This was also a great way to add a little flair to the typical 'create a story' assignment, in that the children were asked to create different endings. This is fun not only for the writers, but the children that will be viewing them upon completion.
The teacher created a task that could have possibly been confusing at this age level. However, her instructions were very clear and precise because she created a google doc flowchart and presentation template. This way, Id imagine, less questions and mistakes were made during the project. The teacher created a reflective journal for the students to fill out and this was a great way to get feedback and improvements on future projects. In addition, she created a rubic to evaluate the student project and noted ISTE and NCTE standards. I was very impressed by the thorough plan and the use of google applications.
I will definitely start taking advantage of the great applications that google has to offer!
Browser
Tonight I played around on several different browsers. I am no computer wiz and I've stuck with my internet browser despite the new and perhaps more efficient browsers. However, I was quite surprised to discover a few Id never even heard of, for example, Sea Monkey. I found that Sea Monkey was really easy to navigate. my favorite aspect of this browser was the 'print' icon on the toolbar. This is something I will keep in mind in the future when Im print happy. Otherwise, nothing extremely impressive.
Next, I took a closer look at Safari. Ive used this in the past, though not nearly as much as my go to Internet Explorer browser. Safari's toolbar is setup with a couple sites I use regularly. For example, Wikipedia, Youtube, and google maps. Of course, this is just as helpful as the 'favorites' tab, in all reality.
Last, I navigated around Chrome which is easy to navigate but has an old school vibe about it. Nothing really impressed me with this browser, however, I did take note that individual tabs can crash but not the entire browser. I didnt experience this, obviously, but read it in the notes ;)
Sunrise is a browser I shouldn't even note that I checked out because I left almost immediately. Why? Only because I am no Apple user, which is all it focuses on. All in all, it has opened my eyes and probably made me realize I should experience ans take advantage of other browsers.
Next, I took a closer look at Safari. Ive used this in the past, though not nearly as much as my go to Internet Explorer browser. Safari's toolbar is setup with a couple sites I use regularly. For example, Wikipedia, Youtube, and google maps. Of course, this is just as helpful as the 'favorites' tab, in all reality.
Last, I navigated around Chrome which is easy to navigate but has an old school vibe about it. Nothing really impressed me with this browser, however, I did take note that individual tabs can crash but not the entire browser. I didnt experience this, obviously, but read it in the notes ;)
Sunrise is a browser I shouldn't even note that I checked out because I left almost immediately. Why? Only because I am no Apple user, which is all it focuses on. All in all, it has opened my eyes and probably made me realize I should experience ans take advantage of other browsers.
Google Docs vs Microsoft Word
I have always used Microsoft word to create documents. I feel a bit cheated that I have never been exposed to Google docs. I am really impressed with the level of organization it provides to the ease of sharing. Why would you create and save a document and then attach to send when you can do this in one simple operation? Frequently, I have experienced expired word or office software and to complicate matters the ability to save a document in a specific format can prove to be impossible. However, Google docs allows you to chose your saving format. One weakness that could possibly make Google docs not as accesible for those under 13 was the need for parental assistance in creating an account. This is when a Microsoft word/works/office could be an easier/ better option. I will share a document with my partner and and keep you posted on how that worked!
As I looked into several lesson plans, I really got to experience the advantages of google docs! Again, as long as your students would be over the age of 13. First, I looked at Carol LaRow's Historical Novel lesson plan. This appears to be a great language Arts progject, but it also incorporates a few other subject areas. Fantastic! For example, the students had to use google maps which is a great way to include geography. The peer editing issomething I wouldnt have thought of as an option to do with a google account. Students were able to notify the teacher via internet that they had papers ready to be graded. The teacher created vocabulary worksheets, a document designed for students to list questions from the readings that would later be used for a class discussion, and a great way to incorporate the blogger for class use. My only concerns were how much of this was actually done outside of the classroom because it did appear to be alot of homework. Maybe she was having students use the computer in her classroom periodically during the day and some was to be done at home?
The other lesson plan I wanted to mention was the "Learning New Vocabulary in a Collaborative Way" Which would work great for any subject area, designed for individuals or pairs. This is a great project for students to apply other skills alongside their vocabulary practice because they were asked to define the word in a slideshow page and add an image. I watched a tutorial on how to add videos, images, shapes or drawings and I thought was was really neat. This is definitely a project I would like to use in my class and once it is complete it would be fun to show everyones work in thre slideshow.
As I looked into several lesson plans, I really got to experience the advantages of google docs! Again, as long as your students would be over the age of 13. First, I looked at Carol LaRow's Historical Novel lesson plan. This appears to be a great language Arts progject, but it also incorporates a few other subject areas. Fantastic! For example, the students had to use google maps which is a great way to include geography. The peer editing issomething I wouldnt have thought of as an option to do with a google account. Students were able to notify the teacher via internet that they had papers ready to be graded. The teacher created vocabulary worksheets, a document designed for students to list questions from the readings that would later be used for a class discussion, and a great way to incorporate the blogger for class use. My only concerns were how much of this was actually done outside of the classroom because it did appear to be alot of homework. Maybe she was having students use the computer in her classroom periodically during the day and some was to be done at home?
The other lesson plan I wanted to mention was the "Learning New Vocabulary in a Collaborative Way" Which would work great for any subject area, designed for individuals or pairs. This is a great project for students to apply other skills alongside their vocabulary practice because they were asked to define the word in a slideshow page and add an image. I watched a tutorial on how to add videos, images, shapes or drawings and I thought was was really neat. This is definitely a project I would like to use in my class and once it is complete it would be fun to show everyones work in thre slideshow.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
I'll Never Make a Career Out of My WPM Skills...
Well... I did not need this Tech lesson to face the fact that I will never excel in a career that requires a better than average WPM score. Maybe it is because I never played the free games and typing lessons online ??
Tonight, I chose to play a game called "Bubbles" it was beginner level and you typed in one letter as it floated to the top... Simple enough.. Now I'm ready for something a little more advanced... I chose to play a Pacman knockoff game. It was more fun than I expected for a typing game but challenged my speed.The great thing about the previously mentioned games it that it allows you to chose the focus of keys whether that be numbers, lower case letters, upper case, or a combination.
I took a typing lesson on the site www.typingstudy.com to practice the home row keys (since I never exactly use a home "base", this wasn't a bad idea). I thought this was really helpful because the screen highlighted the finger that was to do the work. Perfect lesson for a beginner. Now, I am ready for the ultimate typing test. I did better than expected and I do believe it was testing words rather than random letters. 35 correct words out of 39. I will stop while I am ahead.
Tonight, I chose to play a game called "Bubbles" it was beginner level and you typed in one letter as it floated to the top... Simple enough.. Now I'm ready for something a little more advanced... I chose to play a Pacman knockoff game. It was more fun than I expected for a typing game but challenged my speed.The great thing about the previously mentioned games it that it allows you to chose the focus of keys whether that be numbers, lower case letters, upper case, or a combination.
I took a typing lesson on the site www.typingstudy.com to practice the home row keys (since I never exactly use a home "base", this wasn't a bad idea). I thought this was really helpful because the screen highlighted the finger that was to do the work. Perfect lesson for a beginner. Now, I am ready for the ultimate typing test. I did better than expected and I do believe it was testing words rather than random letters. 35 correct words out of 39. I will stop while I am ahead.
The Mac OS
I have been using a computer since I can remember... however, never made the switch to a mac. PC has been my thing since the beginning. So, to say the least, this quick tutorial into the Mac world has been a little overwhelming. I have watched several orientation videos and learned quite a bit! It's still a bit surprising how different the basic functions are on these computers. I have discovered basic navgation and understanding. I really love the text option to setup on your computer. For example, I could type "NS" and hit enter and "Natalie Shope" would appear! What a time saver! I learned that stacks have more icons than sometimes appear and with the click of the mouse you can find them all. I really like the new thesaurus. I am a big fan of leaving a dictionary.com window open at all times... these little function seems to be just what I need!
Monday, May 30, 2011
First Blog
Hello All! This is my first blog! :) As a way to understand the blogging world I just read Curt Bonks latest blog and found it very insightful. Great suggestions for being a great teacher. It was aimed for college students but basic ideas could be adapted to fit any level. I discovered a second great blogger, Judy O'Connell, and she was very interactive. Her blogs included links, videos and pictures. I enjoyed the extra visuals to go along with her story.
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