For this assignment, I began by asking myself: What do I REALLY want my students to be able to do this year on computers, and WHY? The school I work at serves a lower-income population (2/3 of the students eat free/reduced lunch) and I have found that most kids don't have reliable computer access outside of class. I had been thinking for awhile of using edmodo or a similar social networking and blogging site, so I decided to look at the research on these technology tools. I was hoping to find that we could occasionally go to the computer lab as a class, post essays in the form of blogs, have some Spanish "conversation" about the results, and in this way, get more students to participate and learn! I found that computer mediated communication (CMC) supports this idea. It has been around for quite some time (albeit in simpler forms), and lots of language teachers have been on board all along. I just never had a teacher/professor/colleague use such methods! Chatting/blogging/commenting enhance the learning opportunities for a language student. Classroom constraints such as shyness, high student-to-teacher ratios, and varying levels of language experience seem to be less important in the virtual world. Because of this, and high student interest, participation increased in the classes using CMC. I am hoping to experience similar results when I begin using blogging and chatting with my Spanish students this year.
In researching for this assignment, I read about many successful implementations of CMC, as well as possible pitfalls. There were quite a few good activities in the research I found, and I will definitely be using those ideas. I liked seeing how beginner/intermediate language-learners were using higher-order thinking skills, and in the target language, too! Now that I know how to use Google documents and the built-in research and citation tools, I have another way of finding good ideas for my classroom. I was really amazed with how easy and efficient this process was. I wish it had been an option when I was in school before! I also plan to set up a Google Scholar alert so that I don't miss out on anything new.
To read the annotated bibliography for my research, click here!
Thanks for reading!
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Sunday, June 23, 2013
RSS in Education
Here is my video, which should get a true RSS beginner up-to-speed on what RSS is, how to use it, and how it could support a teacher who wants to stay informed. I also (briefly) discuss some other ways that RSS could be used in education.
This task forced me to learn quite a few new skills, which was frustrating and good at the same time. Up until this assignment, I had never created a tutorial with voice-over, never "recorded" a slideshow with set timing, never captured video from a screen, never used Jing to capture and annotate a screenshot, never layered so many multimedia components in a slideshow, and never published a slideshow to the web. I'd also never used RSS, so there was a lot of learning at my house this week!
So that I can remember what I ended up doing (and hopefully not repeat the mistakes of my past!), here's a run-down of the specific technologies that I used:
-The overall presentation was created in Keynote, and I inserted the multimedia.
-Screen shots were created using Jing to capture and add little red arrows (totally unnecessary, but I wanted to try out this program).
-Video screen-casts were captured using Quicktime, then also inserted into Keynote.
-Once the presentation was together in Keynote, I used the "record presentation" feature of this program to record a voice-over/narration. This, I think, was a mistake. I got super-annoyed with the fact that I couldn't hear the narration from, say, 3 minutes on. Every time I wanted to check how something sounded and how it matched up with the slideshow, I had to watch the entire presentation from the beginning. Maybe I missed something, but there is seemingly no way to fast-forward/skip a "recorded" presentation or the audio that goes with it. I searched all sorts of help sections and could NOT figure it out. So by the time I was done recording narration, I was VERY tired of my own presentation.
-Once the timing and narration came together (yesterday) and I told myself "it's good enough!", I tried repeatedly to "share" the Keynote presentation to YouTube. It's in the menu bar as an option and should have worked. However, after 45 minutes or so each time, I would get an error message saying "Upload failed because of an unrecognized error". I tried this 4 times, searched YouTube help pages, got even more frustrated, tried a few minor changes (like reducing the file size), then decided to employ Quicktime.
-I tried exporting my Keynote file to Quicktime, and that also failed. The timing of the slides and the narration were inexplicably shifted every time. By a LOT. Argh.
-I tried converting my Keynote file to any one of the accepted movie file formats for YouTube, but again... failure.
-Sooooo... I did what any desperate grad student probably would do and decided to lower my standards again. Using Quicktime to capture video of my screen, I let my Keynote presentation play all the way through. I had to plug headphones into my computer so that the audio didn't have an echo, and I had to plead with the other 4 mammals in my teeny house to PLEASE BE QUIET FOR THE NEXT TEN MINUTES! It helped that it was nap-time. Anyway, Quicktime did capture the video, and obviously the timing wasn't affected with this method. I trimmed the beginning and end of the resulting file so that you wouldn't see the setting up of the screencast, and was able to upload this to YouTube. FINALLY!
Despite the tough times, I'm glad that I was required to push my comfort zone (yet again) for this assignment. I can definitely see the applications of RSS as well as the ability to create a tutorial. I hope that it won't take me so darn long next time! I suspect that it won't, since I shouldn't have to read all the same help sections. (Right?)
The end product, my tutorial, strikes me as a bit cheesy, and I am soooo tired of hearing my own recorded voice! (I swear I don't sound like that normally!) I also hate that I had to take that final step of "re-recording" my final Keynote presentation in Quicktime, because the audio lost a lot of quality. Oh, well. You can only hear my daughter yelling ONCE in the background, and the neighbor dogs as well as my dogs only forced me to re-record a COUPLE sections. I never knew I'd want a sound-proofed room for this master's degree! Does anyone have suggestions on a microphone that might pick up less background noise? I'm currently using my iMac's internal mic, and I think those days might be numbered.
I may end up sharing this tutorial (or at least my new knowledge) with some of my colleagues. I'm certain that RSS is not being used much in my school, and I think other teachers would like to know about this efficient way of staying current. My husband is a teacher and didn't know about RSS, so I had him watch my tutorial last night (I know, exciting Saturday night!) and now he has his feedly all set up and it's streaming him info. Hooray! :-)
If anyone who reads this has recommendations on how I could have made this project come together easier/better, PLEASE tell me! I welcome any and all feedback, criticism, and help. Thanks!
This task forced me to learn quite a few new skills, which was frustrating and good at the same time. Up until this assignment, I had never created a tutorial with voice-over, never "recorded" a slideshow with set timing, never captured video from a screen, never used Jing to capture and annotate a screenshot, never layered so many multimedia components in a slideshow, and never published a slideshow to the web. I'd also never used RSS, so there was a lot of learning at my house this week!
So that I can remember what I ended up doing (and hopefully not repeat the mistakes of my past!), here's a run-down of the specific technologies that I used:
-The overall presentation was created in Keynote, and I inserted the multimedia.
-Screen shots were created using Jing to capture and add little red arrows (totally unnecessary, but I wanted to try out this program).
-Video screen-casts were captured using Quicktime, then also inserted into Keynote.
-Once the presentation was together in Keynote, I used the "record presentation" feature of this program to record a voice-over/narration. This, I think, was a mistake. I got super-annoyed with the fact that I couldn't hear the narration from, say, 3 minutes on. Every time I wanted to check how something sounded and how it matched up with the slideshow, I had to watch the entire presentation from the beginning. Maybe I missed something, but there is seemingly no way to fast-forward/skip a "recorded" presentation or the audio that goes with it. I searched all sorts of help sections and could NOT figure it out. So by the time I was done recording narration, I was VERY tired of my own presentation.
-Once the timing and narration came together (yesterday) and I told myself "it's good enough!", I tried repeatedly to "share" the Keynote presentation to YouTube. It's in the menu bar as an option and should have worked. However, after 45 minutes or so each time, I would get an error message saying "Upload failed because of an unrecognized error". I tried this 4 times, searched YouTube help pages, got even more frustrated, tried a few minor changes (like reducing the file size), then decided to employ Quicktime.
-I tried exporting my Keynote file to Quicktime, and that also failed. The timing of the slides and the narration were inexplicably shifted every time. By a LOT. Argh.
-I tried converting my Keynote file to any one of the accepted movie file formats for YouTube, but again... failure.
-Sooooo... I did what any desperate grad student probably would do and decided to lower my standards again. Using Quicktime to capture video of my screen, I let my Keynote presentation play all the way through. I had to plug headphones into my computer so that the audio didn't have an echo, and I had to plead with the other 4 mammals in my teeny house to PLEASE BE QUIET FOR THE NEXT TEN MINUTES! It helped that it was nap-time. Anyway, Quicktime did capture the video, and obviously the timing wasn't affected with this method. I trimmed the beginning and end of the resulting file so that you wouldn't see the setting up of the screencast, and was able to upload this to YouTube. FINALLY!
Despite the tough times, I'm glad that I was required to push my comfort zone (yet again) for this assignment. I can definitely see the applications of RSS as well as the ability to create a tutorial. I hope that it won't take me so darn long next time! I suspect that it won't, since I shouldn't have to read all the same help sections. (Right?)
The end product, my tutorial, strikes me as a bit cheesy, and I am soooo tired of hearing my own recorded voice! (I swear I don't sound like that normally!) I also hate that I had to take that final step of "re-recording" my final Keynote presentation in Quicktime, because the audio lost a lot of quality. Oh, well. You can only hear my daughter yelling ONCE in the background, and the neighbor dogs as well as my dogs only forced me to re-record a COUPLE sections. I never knew I'd want a sound-proofed room for this master's degree! Does anyone have suggestions on a microphone that might pick up less background noise? I'm currently using my iMac's internal mic, and I think those days might be numbered.
I may end up sharing this tutorial (or at least my new knowledge) with some of my colleagues. I'm certain that RSS is not being used much in my school, and I think other teachers would like to know about this efficient way of staying current. My husband is a teacher and didn't know about RSS, so I had him watch my tutorial last night (I know, exciting Saturday night!) and now he has his feedly all set up and it's streaming him info. Hooray! :-)
If anyone who reads this has recommendations on how I could have made this project come together easier/better, PLEASE tell me! I welcome any and all feedback, criticism, and help. Thanks!
Monday, June 17, 2013
Elements of Educational Technology
“Educational technology is the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using, and managing appropriate technological processes and resources.”
I appreciated reading a thorough explanation of educational technology, as I would have been hard-pressed to explain my new master’s program before I read this article. I can see now how the many interconnected components that make up this field of practice will guide me throughout the MET program and in my career as an educator. As a reflective practitioner, I have been aware for some time that too many of my students are disengaged, fail to master the learning objectives, and/or struggle to transfer their skills to real situations. These frustrating realities were addressed in the article, and I am beginning to feel hopeful that solutions are within my reach. Through the design and integration of environments which facilitate learning, I hope to experience greater success as a teacher. This is to say, I wish to see increased engagement among my students, and deeper, more productive learning as a result. Students of Spanish should develop and improve Spanish language skills that can be applied in any situation. For this reason, I chose to focus my response and reflection on the aspect of learning.
To read my full thoughts, please click on one of the following links. [I am including several ways to get to my writing as a way of testing this process, so thanks for your understanding!]
1. The "full" link to my Google Doc: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxmCDsykl4ShUDZXVTZ1SHdTSFE/edit?usp=sharing
3. A shortened link: http://bit.ly/19K5IfN
Please let me know if any of the above do not work, and I welcome your feedback in general!
~Jenny
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Welcome!
Hi, everybody! I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce myself as so many of you have already done. It's been a pleasure getting to see the diverse experiences we all bring to the table. I think this will be a great community of learners and a really good place for me!
PROFESSIONAL ME: I teach Spanish at Fairmont Junior High, in beautiful Boise, Idaho. This coming school year will be my third at FJH and my thirteenth year as a Spanish teacher. In those years I have taught every grade ranging from Montessori preschool to International Baccalaureate high school classes. Every. Single. Grade. (Sometimes I found myself teaching waaaay too many grades and preps all at the same time, which was ridiculous!) Between heavy teaching assignments and starting a family, my plans for earning a master's degree were put on hold for much longer than I'd intended. But life is funny sometimes, and I have found myself employed at the very school where I started learning Spanish in the eighth grade. Same room, even. It's the most "stable" job I've had in awhile, with the most reasonable workload. I thought it would be a good time to go back to school. Now that I've found a program that seems so useful and timely, I am beginning the MET program after a decade-long "break" from higher learning. I am really excited to improve as a teacher throughout this program.
"TECHY" ME: Until now, I have felt pretty confident and competent when it comes to using technology in education, in part because I see many of my coworkers struggling to adopt new ideas, whereas I tend to embrace the possibilities and find what works for me. However, I am beginning to see that technology has been advancing at a rate much faster than my own, and it seems like a good time to try to catch up! (Can one really catch up to technology?) I've already been challenged with some of the tasks for our 501 class, and that's a good thing. I see so much potential for my teaching and for my students' learning; I just needed this push to get outside my comfort zone. I plan to use this learning log to organize my work, to share evidence along the way, and to reflect on my progress and adventures.
PERSONAL ME: When I'm not working or being otherwise "productive", I love spending time with my family. My husband Mike is also a Spanish teacher, and we have a three year old daughter named Eira, who is just the coolest kid ever! We love to bicycle along the Boise Greenbelt, camp out of our Volkswagen van and hike with our two (very naughty) beagles. Of course, this is all just warm-weather fun; deep down I'd welcome a longer winter because I do live to ski. I alpine, telemark, and cross-country, and I trek into the powdery backcountry every chance I get. This past winter, Mike and I had the joy of introducing our daughter to the bunny slopes and the chairlift... So far, very good!
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My little snow bunny on Easter, which was also our local ski hill's last day of operations this year.
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| Cruising the Boise Greenbelt. |
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| With my husband and daughter at Boise's Kathryn Albertson Park. |
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| Hiking out of Stanley, Idaho, with my dogs Cacey and Mardi. |
I love to travel and see and do new things. Latin America is my favorite destination, but I've also enjoyed many-a-road-trip around the US. I studied abroad in Costa Rica and have returned every chance I get, including my most recent visit when I chaperoned a group of students for two weeks. What a blast! I do consider Costa Rica my home away from home and my host family is my second family. I learned so much when I took the leap to be an exchange student.
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| Visiting a volcano with my Costa Rican host family. |
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| Our van, admiring the Grand Tetons on the way back from a midwest road trip. For those of you who hold true to the Boise State/University of Idaho rivalry and noticed the license plate, please don't judge my husband for being a Vandal. He really is a good guy. :-) |
I have made it a life goal to always be learning something new. I feel it's only fair since I ask the same of my students! It's good to be able to relate to the learning process, and this MET program is definitely a component of my plan. My most recent projects have been learning to play the ukulele, teaching myself to knit, and bettering my skills as an amateur photographer. And then there's my 100-year-old house, which is always forcing me to learn new things like construction, electric and plumbing repairs!
I will close with one of my favorite quotes, which applies to my travels as well as my education and my general philosophy on life:
We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time. -T.S. Eliot
Thanks for reading, and I look forward to learning alongside all of you!
~Jenny
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