Week 9 - Animation and static images

This week we were asked to reflect on when we prefer animated graphics over static images. I've come to appreciate animated graphics when used to demonstrate detailed steps to complete a given process like when I am trying to learn a new dance move or some time of science process. Animated graphics can be very engaging because of the anticipation that builds in knowing something is going to change if you continue to watch the graphic representations being presented. 

   

I do think static images also relay information and have their place in helping direct us in the real and virtual world. I look to icons displayed as I enter buildings, travel through airports and fill out forms everyday. When I utilize websites to purchase things, I look for icons that inform me on what methods of payment are accepted within the site. I think my former background in graphic design will always help me appreciate the simplicity and power that a static image can convey and if it is done well that image can be recognized around the world. 

Week 8 MSTU 4036 - Interesting and Educational Video Clips 

I am a frequent visitor to sites I am sharing in this post because of the resources they include for teachers, students and in some cases, for parents too.

They all have educational value with strong visual and interactive content. Many allow users to reflect of post commentary through blog posts. The last few years, I have used some staple clips from BrainPop Jr. but I've noted this as a well-designed, resource in other assignments so I wanted to share a few different ones in this post.

site:

http://www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning

This video clip in this series is chock full of ideas for educators.

http://www.edutopia.org/grade-level-k-2

This site also incorporates opportunity for visitors to make blog posts: 

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/community/

video clip I use with my students to raise awareness in an area where they can affect change.

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/kids/green-kids/norton-bag-kids/

Have to highlight the Lynda.com instructional tutorials which have been a lifeline in getting through lots of content. Most of the sections I have viewed have been easy to navigate and the pacing user-friendly.

http://www.lynda.com/iMovie-11-tutorials/essential-training

Student Artifacts to Evernote Notebooks

Week 5 - interesting educational podcasts

Well I am a big fan of the npr TED radio hour podcasts. I think they provide a diverse and eclectic mix of presenters who go out on a limb to share innovative ideas that help us consider different possibilities in the realm of educational topics and beyond.
http://www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/

I also subscribe to the a variety of tech-related podcast to try to stay in step with tech advances and ways I may be able to utilize some of the information with students in our classrooms to boost student engagement and overall understanding. This weeks assignment gave me a chance to research a few new podcasts I would like to subscribe to and explore over the summer and beyond.  

http://www.edutopia.org/

http://www.harvard.edu/

Week 4 - Visualization with Images / Hypermedia and Education
This week's post includes a links to two websites...one good one not so good.  The first website below is geared to pre-k-8 grade students, teacher and parents and it demonstrates solid use of dual coding theory while providing students a site to practice math skills and work on enrichment activities in the area of math curricular content.

http://www.ixl.com/

This site is easy to access with its simple to remember web address and its overall design and layout are user friendly for visitors to navigate. Users can create a new account or log on to an existing account and engage in clearly labeled areas of math content. As an incentive for reluctant mathematicians, students are coached to work through selected modules to receive reward tokens which help them track their progress. Students receive timely and useful feedback to help them practice and ultimately master the skill they selected and teachers can access detailed reports regarding student participation and areas that need review or areas that students have mastered on the site. This site is a favorite for students, parents and teachers alike.

The next site a stumbled upon doing a search of some of the worst poorly designed websites and I have to agree it is pretty awful. I had trouble getting it to stop playing its background music once I had entered the url for the site, which was a turnoff from the beginning. Overall, the site includes distracting flashing, background pop-up images that make it very difficult to read any of the content included on the screen. There are lots of moving elements to distract visitors from trying to read any of the type which is really small in most of the subsequent windows. Here goes...sorry to inflict this on anyone...

http://www.constellation7.org/Constellation-Seven/Josiah/Index.htm

Hypermedia & Ed. Summer 13'

This is where I will be sharing reflections to course readings for mstu4036. 

Week 1: Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants

The assigned Prensky reading just reaffirmed the idea that one of the biggest obstacles schools face in engaging students today is helping experienced teachers change their ideals regarding what they feel students learning looks and sounds like. The readings mention how seasoned (digital immigrant) educators often reflect on the way things used to be...students sitting engaged on the content they were presenting. It could be that they were so busy presenting content that they did not see the amount of disengaged students mounting as new technology tools and the language that goes with it started to emerge around them. I say they in that last sentence but I include myself as a digital immigrant, the only difference I have to the educators noted in Prensky's article is that I embrace the potential of the ever-evolving tools we have at our disposal to engage students in collaborative learning experiences. I found it also helps if the learning goals link to parts their everyday lives which automatically injects technology into the mix. 

As a proactive digital immigrant, I admit change is very hard. People proposing any change need to present results and lots of evidence to support people buying in, but as the Prensky piece notes, there is plenty of evidence to support anyone who is an educator to utilize technology tools available to engage students in learning.

group project & mindtools

Thanks to Kellie, Kim and Itewari the group project we had been throwing around was in Wiki form and was well in motion when I jumped in . In reading their posts unit ideas I've been able to zero in on some mind tools that I might focus on in developing a broad Needs vs wants topic. I am trying to direct my mind tools paper to focus on a rebuilding a community that's been destroyed by a natural disaster. In sharing some ideas I had for lesson plans through the wiki, I started to really think about what mind tools would help students share their understanding of community needs vs wants. Concept maps, podcasts and even a webQuests to do research on community rebuilding could all prove useful in helping students and learn about their topics and ultimately present their findings. Even the groups setting up Wikis to divide tasks and share their findings as we are would add another tool for them to work collaboratively.