Monday, November 16, 2009
PodCast Participation Part II
I loved the podcast! It was exciting to hear the final product! I found it very interesting to hear other people's idea and perceptions of different tools they would find useful to use in the classroom. I also got some great idea's for different podcast and am excited to listen to some of them. I really appreciate all of the knowledge that I have gained from the class because to be honest, I didnt even know what I was getting into when registering for it. I had no idea that I would learn about such valuable web-based tools. I cant wait to pull some of these ideas and concepts into my classroom, it will be so FUN!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
PodCast Blog
In this blog I am describing 3 educational podcasts that would be useful in my elementary classroom.
The first podcast that I found is called, "A 5Th Grade Tutor". The program is a collection of curricular lessons and quizzes that focus on the skills and material typically found in 5Th grade classrooms. I would incorporate it into my classroom by allowing my students access to it if they have finished their assignment early or are looking for something to keep them busy for a few minutes.
The second podcast I found interesting is called "K-12 Science in MI". This podcast is dedicated to improving science education. The podcasts were created by a man by the name of, Dave Bydlowski, a science consultant. He has some very interesting podcast and I feel like when doing science lessons I could incorporate his podcasts. Whether to introduce lessons, or to get my students thinking about what science is.
The third interesting podcast I found is, "Jean-Michel Cousteau: Ocean Adventures". He explores the oceans mysteries and documents audio and video recordings of his findings. I watched a podcast about an Albatross that had a deformed wing, and therefore wasnt able to fly. They rescued the bird and moved it to a facility that the bird could rehab at. I think this type of podcast would be awesome to have in my classroom and we could incorporate it into many different types of lessons. Whether it's a science lesson about natural habitats or a litature lesson in which we could use supportive video to tag with it, I think my students would gain valuable knowledge and have fun doing it.
The first podcast that I found is called, "A 5Th Grade Tutor". The program is a collection of curricular lessons and quizzes that focus on the skills and material typically found in 5Th grade classrooms. I would incorporate it into my classroom by allowing my students access to it if they have finished their assignment early or are looking for something to keep them busy for a few minutes.
The second podcast I found interesting is called "K-12 Science in MI". This podcast is dedicated to improving science education. The podcasts were created by a man by the name of, Dave Bydlowski, a science consultant. He has some very interesting podcast and I feel like when doing science lessons I could incorporate his podcasts. Whether to introduce lessons, or to get my students thinking about what science is.
The third interesting podcast I found is, "Jean-Michel Cousteau: Ocean Adventures". He explores the oceans mysteries and documents audio and video recordings of his findings. I watched a podcast about an Albatross that had a deformed wing, and therefore wasnt able to fly. They rescued the bird and moved it to a facility that the bird could rehab at. I think this type of podcast would be awesome to have in my classroom and we could incorporate it into many different types of lessons. Whether it's a science lesson about natural habitats or a litature lesson in which we could use supportive video to tag with it, I think my students would gain valuable knowledge and have fun doing it.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Social Software Tool - Voice Thread
I love the idea of incorporating a media tool like Voice Thread into my classroom and that's why I chose it for this assignment.
A Voice Thread is a collaborative slide show that contains images, documents and videos. It allows people to navigate through the pages and leave comments. There are five different way to leave comments on homebody's Voice Thread - through voice, text, video, or an audio file. You can also doodle on the pictures while viewing them!
One way I would love to use this tool in my fifth grade classroom would be to post a variety of interesting topics on a Voice Thread and allow my students to comment on the subject. I would not require my students to comment, only to do so if they were inspired by the topic. I would hope to get a lot of participation this way and feel that without being pressured my students would be able to interact on their own. From that point forward I might consider presenting a Voice Thread everyday and opening up the topic up for thought and converstation to the whole class. At that point I would already have comments from students and I would hope I could evolve the topic and comments into a thoughtful discussion among all my students.
A Voice Thread is a collaborative slide show that contains images, documents and videos. It allows people to navigate through the pages and leave comments. There are five different way to leave comments on homebody's Voice Thread - through voice, text, video, or an audio file. You can also doodle on the pictures while viewing them!
One way I would love to use this tool in my fifth grade classroom would be to post a variety of interesting topics on a Voice Thread and allow my students to comment on the subject. I would not require my students to comment, only to do so if they were inspired by the topic. I would hope to get a lot of participation this way and feel that without being pressured my students would be able to interact on their own. From that point forward I might consider presenting a Voice Thread everyday and opening up the topic up for thought and converstation to the whole class. At that point I would already have comments from students and I would hope I could evolve the topic and comments into a thoughtful discussion among all my students.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Mrs. Bett's 5th Grade Netiquette Guidelines
The guidelines listed below are examples of good internet "netiquette" or etiquette. These are simple rules I expect my students to go by when communicating online.
Avoid hurting someones feelings:
Avoid hurting someones feelings:
- It's hard to grasp emotion through email, chat, or other forms of online communication. Always be courteous, and be careful about what you say, as it can easily be taken as negative. It's hard to tell if someone is joking through email, so make sure they are aware of your mood.
- Be careful when using all CAPITAL letters, it can be considered "SHOUTING".
- Do not send inappropriate material or emails to people.
- Never post passwords or any personal information on forums, or through email.
- Be very careful when downloading files. Get my permission before you download files, music or video, there is a lot of junk online and some can be harmful and contain viruses.
- Never send a message that you wouldn't want to be shared with others.
- Appropriate classroom behavior is still mandatory when online. Respect for fellow classmates and the teacher is as important as ever.
- Always be kind enough to respond promptly to emails. It is rude to ignore somebody who is trying to communicate with you.
- Avoid using language that may come off as harsh or rude.
- Keep your emails short and precise and give them a meaningful subject line.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Spreadsheets
I chose to watch the "Do Pumpkins Have Larger Seeds?" project. This project was designed to show the relationship between pumpkin seeds in small pumpkins vs. pumpkin seeds in larger pumpkins, based on the number of seeds. Mr. Oliver, the 2nd grade teacher used spreadsheets to predict, collect data, anaylze and conclude the information gathered from the project.
If I were to adapt this lesson into my grade level (5th grade), I would follow the same principle as Mr. Oliver, however incorporate the project into different subjects as well. One thing I would do for sure is teach the students about scientific research and have them write a short scientific paper based on the information gathered. I could also use the numbers from the speadsheets and work them into a math lesson. I really enjoyed this lesson, and think students would LOVE a hands on activity like this to incorporate into different subjects.
If I were to adapt this lesson into my grade level (5th grade), I would follow the same principle as Mr. Oliver, however incorporate the project into different subjects as well. One thing I would do for sure is teach the students about scientific research and have them write a short scientific paper based on the information gathered. I could also use the numbers from the speadsheets and work them into a math lesson. I really enjoyed this lesson, and think students would LOVE a hands on activity like this to incorporate into different subjects.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Jigsaw Cooperative Learning Activity
Using the Jigsaw Cooperative Method I could make 5 groups based on the topic, "How to Care for a New Puppy." One expert group could learn the process for bathing a dog. The second expert group could be the process on how to feed a dog. The third expert group could be the process on how to clean up after a dog. The fourth expert could be the process of how to clip a dogs toenails. The fith expert group could be the proper ways to walk a dog.
Having only 5 computers in my classroom I could make each computer relative to each of the 5 topics. I would have two experts from the "ways to walk a dog" topic come to one computer, while the rest of the group is using different resources such as, encyclopedias, books from the library, one group utilizing prior knowledge based what the already know about dogs, maybe using a graphic organizer to document their ideas. Basically i would have 10 kids working on the computers while the others are using other resources to gather information.
One advantage of this method would be that it's a huge time saver. Not every child would be researching ever topic. They have to inturpret the information and be able to summarize what they have learned. Being able to summarize is a form of high level thinking and a very important skill for children to learn.
One disadvantage would be that some kids get off task easily and may not get enough infomation to teach the other kids what they have learned, causing a gap in the activity.
Having only 5 computers in my classroom I could make each computer relative to each of the 5 topics. I would have two experts from the "ways to walk a dog" topic come to one computer, while the rest of the group is using different resources such as, encyclopedias, books from the library, one group utilizing prior knowledge based what the already know about dogs, maybe using a graphic organizer to document their ideas. Basically i would have 10 kids working on the computers while the others are using other resources to gather information.
One advantage of this method would be that it's a huge time saver. Not every child would be researching ever topic. They have to inturpret the information and be able to summarize what they have learned. Being able to summarize is a form of high level thinking and a very important skill for children to learn.
One disadvantage would be that some kids get off task easily and may not get enough infomation to teach the other kids what they have learned, causing a gap in the activity.
Google For Educators
Three classroom tools that I would use for my classroom would be:
Book Search - I would use this tool if the students were doing a research project and needed addition information regarding a topic. I think it would be a good way to narrow down information from the web. They can get specific information regarding their topic without using random search engines.If students were looking for a specific book that their library didn't carry, or that was out of print, they may be able to find it on the book search.
Picasa - I think this site would be great if I were teaching a media class, yearbook or journalism class. Students could upload photos and create a portfolio of their work. It would also be a great way for kids to scrapbook pictures from a class field trip without me as a teacher, having to make multiple prints for each student. Also as a teacher I could post pictures from different class activities/field trips and create an online website for parents and students to view from home.
Web Search - Useful for teaching students to understand the basic concepts of searching the web. Like what is "URL" and understanding how to use search engines. This would be useful for a teacher because there are documents that show you how to teach the lesson.
One way I could incorporate Google Docs into my classroom would be teaching students to upload research papers, homework, etc and then I can correct/view them without having to print, do it all online. GO GREEN! :)
Book Search - I would use this tool if the students were doing a research project and needed addition information regarding a topic. I think it would be a good way to narrow down information from the web. They can get specific information regarding their topic without using random search engines.If students were looking for a specific book that their library didn't carry, or that was out of print, they may be able to find it on the book search.
Picasa - I think this site would be great if I were teaching a media class, yearbook or journalism class. Students could upload photos and create a portfolio of their work. It would also be a great way for kids to scrapbook pictures from a class field trip without me as a teacher, having to make multiple prints for each student. Also as a teacher I could post pictures from different class activities/field trips and create an online website for parents and students to view from home.
Web Search - Useful for teaching students to understand the basic concepts of searching the web. Like what is "URL" and understanding how to use search engines. This would be useful for a teacher because there are documents that show you how to teach the lesson.
One way I could incorporate Google Docs into my classroom would be teaching students to upload research papers, homework, etc and then I can correct/view them without having to print, do it all online. GO GREEN! :)
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
Chicken Lips
Hey there readers!
My name is Katie Betts, I'm 27 and from Boise. This is my third semester back in college after taking a couple of years off to play around. During that time I met my husband, got married and had a beautiful little bambina. My daughter, Rowan, is 2 1/2 and has me running up walls. Life has definitely changed since my first attempt in college, but it's so much more rewarding now that I'm dedicated and know what it is I want to do with my life.
I'm in the process of acquiring my degree in Elementary Education and have recently decided to pursue an emphasis in Spanish, or ESL
It may sound crazy but, I love school. I love coming to class knowing that when I leave, I will know a little bit more then I did before I arrived. My desire to learn is huge. And believe me, I was NEVER the "school" type of girl. I used to only do the bare minimum...just enough to get by. My life has been enriched by my recent professors at BSU. They have sparked a fire in me that I didn't know existed.
I am here to do something great, and gain the knowledge and confidence needed change the lives of my future students. SO WATCH OUT!
My name is Katie Betts, I'm 27 and from Boise. This is my third semester back in college after taking a couple of years off to play around. During that time I met my husband, got married and had a beautiful little bambina. My daughter, Rowan, is 2 1/2 and has me running up walls. Life has definitely changed since my first attempt in college, but it's so much more rewarding now that I'm dedicated and know what it is I want to do with my life.
I'm in the process of acquiring my degree in Elementary Education and have recently decided to pursue an emphasis in Spanish, or ESL
It may sound crazy but, I love school. I love coming to class knowing that when I leave, I will know a little bit more then I did before I arrived. My desire to learn is huge. And believe me, I was NEVER the "school" type of girl. I used to only do the bare minimum...just enough to get by. My life has been enriched by my recent professors at BSU. They have sparked a fire in me that I didn't know existed.
I am here to do something great, and gain the knowledge and confidence needed change the lives of my future students. SO WATCH OUT!
Here is a family picture (a couple of years old, but still so cute)
And here is a picture of Rowan, look hard and you can see her "party hat" as she likes to say! :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)