Voicebook

What is a VoiceThread? If you want to use a video for your classroom, would you use VoiceThread? Why?

Apparently, VoiceThread is a type of multimedia presentation that includes voice, images and videos. It also allows for people to interact with the presentation, by adding their own text, drawing, and images.

As far as using this in the classroom, I sort of doubt it. While I'm all for new technology in the classroom, this one seems to be a little over-elaborate. If I want to present a video, I'll probably just use YouTube and let my class discuss it aloud.

Week 10

Please tell me how thing went and how you felt about the activities. Please feel free to give suggestions.

The activities went pretty smoothly, to be honest. I didn't have any particular trouble with the assignments.

How did you feel about creating a brochure this week?

Wel, I've never created a brochure before, but I was surprised at how easy it was.

Is there any muddy point that you need to review?

Nope

How do you feel about Desktop Publishing? We have created a brochure and a resume. What
else do you think we can do with Desktop Publishing? If you have to create one thing for your classroom, what would you create by using Publishing and why?

It's not that bad a program, and I'd probably use it if I had to come up with, say, a worksheet or something similar. As far as something for the classroom, I'd use it to make worksheets or handouts, or something similar.

How far should educators go in matching the technology used in instruction and classroom activities to the technology their students use?

While I do believe there is a risk in going 'to far' with matching classroom and student technology step-for-step, I do believe that we as educators should be open to using the same technology that our students use. I'm pretty sure there's a middle ground we can reach.

Are online chats and instant messaging of value in the classroom? Do they add to student learning, or do they distract from “real” instruction?

While chatrooms can be used when students are not in one classroom, I think they do distract from students learning.

Are there benefits to asynchronous, text-based communication over synchronous, face-to-face communication? In what situations?

I think there are benefits to text-based communication. One, it doesn't have the spatial limits that face-to-face communication has, and can be essentially done anywhere. If a student is, say, sick at home, then a chat-room would allow them to interact with his or her fellow students.

Does using podcasts with students really enhance learning, or is it simply a newer version of passively delivering information?

You act like there's something wrong with passively delivering information. Some people learn better when they're able to listen to something, say, a lecture, over and over again. I think that podcasts can be used effectively in some ways.

Do videogames help develop your studying? Why or why not? Explain. What skills can you gain from it? Do you agree with the article? If you have children, would you let them play videogames every day? Why/why not?

Oh boy, this one is a bit difficult. Do videogames help studying? Yes and no. They can both hlp to teach and reinforce certain concepts and lessons, as well as a novelty that keeps the kid's attention. For example, history students can play Civilization to better understand diplomacy, or play one of those silly education games that I played when I was a kid. However, there is a risk with distracting your students with the sheer novelty of the experience. I agree that games can be used in an educational manner, but I don't see my students programming their own games any time soon.

As for my hypothetical children, yes, I would let them play videogames in moderation. I played Mario and other sorts of games a great deal when I was a kid, and I turned out well. Hell, have you SEEN some of the games we have today? I could probably write entire papers on the usage of symbolism and metaphor in, say, the Metal Gear Solid series or the recent Legend of Zelda games.

Delicious del.icio.us

Tell me how you feel about delicious site and what you think about it. Will you use it? Why/why not?

Personally, I don't really have much of an opinion on del.icio.us. I've never had any real reason to use it, as most of what I use online can be found with a simple Yahoo search. I doubt I'll use it in the future, as it seems needlessly complicated and requires me to install software on my computer.

What do you think about Excel Spreadsheets? Is it useful? Would you use it in your classroom?

Well, I'd say it's useful, especcially for applications such as grade books and other calculations. However, seeing as I plan on teaching English, I don't really see much use for them in my classroom.

As a teacher, why do we use Spreadsheet? What is the advantage of a Spreadsheet over a calculator?

Well, the most obvious use for Spreadsheet is for keeping track of grades and averages. Since you can program Excel to do averages, automatic calculations, and various other things, I'd say that Excel is superior to a calculator.

Blog 2: Inspiration Software

Paragraph1: According to the website, please tell what you find, what you think, and what interests you. How and why may you use Inspiration in your classroom?

I looked over the Inspiration program and found it to be surprisingly comprehensive and userfriendly. While I'm not sure if I'd use Inspiration in my classroom as a teaching tool, I might use it to produce visual aids for my students, both to suppliment my instruction and to teach them how to do outlines and brainstorming. Some students are, after all, visual learners.

What type of writing activities would make the best use of technology in your classroom?
Writing is an activity that benefits from multiple revisions and high-quality feedback. Recognizing that your teaching time is limited, how can you have students help each other during writing? How can you use technology tools to support peer feedback?

I'm pretty sure all sorts of writing activities would make good use of technology: what with the advent of word-processors and editing software. With spell check, e-mail, and the ability to save one's work, editing and revisions are as simple as re-opening the file. In terms of having students help each other, there's always good, old fashioned group work. However, this can be supplimented by the use of online message boards and by e-mailing assignments to me, the teacher.

Blog Response

What do you think about using blogs? What and how do you think blogs would be useful for education? Some people think using blogs in classrooms is a waste of students’ time. How would you respond?

Personally, I think that blogs would be an excellent tool to use in the classroom. Not only does it provide a posting board and repository for a teacher's assignments and the students, it also allows for public communication of ideas and interaction from the safety of cyberspace and from their homes. It also allows students to become familiar with interaction online, which is a useful skill considering how much communication is done over the intertubes.

As to those who think that blogs are a waste of time, I can see where they can think that. Blogs are typically viewed as places for idle chit-chat about 'unimportant matters', or they feel that teaching is better done in a face-to-face environment. While I value face-time with a teacher, I would respond that sometimes it's easier to go to a teacher's blog and read assignments there, or leave comments in a discussion thread. There's a lot of use for blogs, outside of opinion logs and fan sites, after all, and we would be fools to not use all the tools at our disposal.