In the new, fast-paced, technological society in which we live, it is beneficial for teachers to understand and use this technology to their advantage. This blog is the process of my learning to do so.


Thursday, December 9, 2010

Voki

Today we signed up for a Voki account. Voki is a site where you can create an avatar and make it speak. You can enter whatever text you want. Our assignment was to answer two questions emailed to us and make our Voki say our answers. You can see my Voki here.


Get a Voki now!



Get a Voki now!

Final Webquest

This is my final version of my webquest.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Self-Grading Google Quizzes

Today we learned how to make a self-graded quiz using Google spreadsheets. The instructions are on this site. You can find my quiz here.




This fits the following NET Standard:
3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning
a. demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations.
Rather than having students complete a test on paper, students will complete it online in a google self-grading quiz. This is new technology.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Google Forms

Today we learned about Google Forms. You enter questions on it and when you have others fill them out, all of their answer go into the same sheet.
We created a form and mine can be found here. There are two different views for forms. This is the form the user uses to enter their data. The spreadsheet format of this form can be found here. This is the form that I use to see the data.


My Webquest

I completed my webquest on the epic hero. It can be found here.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Multimedia Tools

Today we learned about a couple of free multimedia tools available on the internet. The first tool was ISSUU. The tool ISSUU is a PDF viewer online that can be used as a presentation tool as well.
The next tool we used was Prezi , which allows you to do zooming presentations. Unlike power point, Prezi is created on one "slide". As you move through the presentation, Prezi zooms in on a specific aspect of your presentation, from one to the next to the next. It's much easier to understand by seeing.We created a sample Prezi. You can see mine here.



If you would like to include slides from a power point in your Prezi, you can go into the power point you want, click save as and save it as a jpeg file. You can then upload them as pictures.

Prezi fits the following NETS Standard:

2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
a. design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.
Prezi allows students to use digital tools to be creative in making presentations.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Intel & Webquest

Today we are going to talk about online tools from the Intel corporation. The first tool can be found under "Thinking Tools". We used the ranking tool. We ranked the webquests we viewed on a Webquest About Webquests from best to worst.

Next, we filled out a survey about the webquest we are going to create.
My webquest is centered on the qualities of the epic hero. Each student is assigned a hero. Before they read, they are to create a list of qualities they think the epic hero might have. Then, they are to read the stories associated with those heroes and make a list of qualities they have that might be the qualities of the epic hero. Compare the two lists. Then, they will get with the other members of their group and compare the lists. Comprise one list for the whole group. Then, all together, they are to write a short story with the main character possessing the qualities of an epic hero.

This falls under the NETS Standards:

1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
c. promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes.
Students will complete a Webquest, a collaborative project that will help them understand the concept of the epic hero.
a. promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness.
Part of the webquest requires students to write their own story about the epic hero.


2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
a. design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.
This will be a relevant learning experience, as we are going to be talking about the epic hero in class, and the students will use digital tools to gather this information and compose their own story.