Day 2=Twice the Fun!

Ed. Tech. Debate

We read an article about educational technology (Transforming Schools with Technology) and the ways to be effective in classrooms with the use of tech. Class discussion covered ideas like making sure that the right students are paired with the right tech and figuring out which tech is truly beneficial and how to know. Another good point was that tech is often used to perpetuate the traditional teaching methods.

Tech Tools

                                                                    "I pity the fool,
                                                          who won't use tech tools!"

Today I heard about so many cool (and mostly free) tech tools. I'm going to put a list below, mostly for myself. I tend to take notes and then lose them. This blog can help me keep notes that I know that I will want to find later. Cool, right? Here's the list:

Schoolology- Curriculum organization/presentation. Allows teachers to put their curriculum in a digital format. Looks cool!

Edmoto- Looks like the same thing as Schoolology. I wonder which one is better. For me, it will be the one that is free! :)

Google Forms- Okay, I already know about Google Forms, but why haven't I used them yet? I am a SPED Teacher. I am always inventing new data collection tools. My colleagues are always like, "Hey Jared, sweet data collection tool. Can I have it?" This would make it so easy to use, share, and store.

Diigo- A digital bookmarking app. Way cool! I love how it also saves bibliography info as well as the selected text. I'm downloading that fo' sho'!

Quicktime- I always thought this was just a digi media player. I didn't know that I could use it to create screen-based instructional videos. This could be a big help for online teachers everywhere!

Makin' Videos, Son!

Oh man! I love making videos. I do love me some imovie. If you were wondering why I was hating on Windows Movie Maker, it's mostly because of the limited amount of audio tracks that you can use. I want to put in music, voiceover, sound effects, and original audio. Sometimes even more. MovieMaker allows for only two audio tracks. What?

I enjoyed making the video. Good times as always. I apologize for my immaturity in subject matter. Here's my video:

Reflection

Another great class! I think what I learned today that is something to really work towards is taking the time to save me time. That sounds really weird, but I kept thinking that there are so many awesome tools that I can use to make my instruction more interesting, fun, and effective. Why don't I use them? The answer is time. It takes time to learn the tools. But, if I take the time, I will save myself time in the future with all of these time-saving options. Gotta do that!

Also, we talked a lot about appropriate implementation of tech in classrooms. Sometimes I do opt for what is comfortable for me and let tech sit while I talk for ever. I owe it to my students to abandon my comfort zone and try new strategies. I know that they learn from my example. If I am afraid to venture away from what is comfortable for me, how can I ask them to change?

I have always believed in the power of video. Last year, I created an animated movie to help the online students get started successfully as my summer project for my online school. The result was being assigned a team and creating even more videos this year. I'll post the old video below. The new ones will be better. I have created new character designs and better art (and I have been given more time). I want to remember to use these tools in life after online school and especially if I ever score a job in admin.

 

 

Thanks for another great class, Todd!

                                                   The new and improved Tsunami Syd