Reflecation Weekend Two

I learned so much this weekend. I love, love, love Power Point 2007. It is so much fun! I feel that I've reached my goals for this weekend and then some. I enjoyed Kidspiration alot as well. I think my students would love it; it is very visually stimulating:).
The most important/fun things that I've learned this weekend are:

• How to custom animate in Power Point
• How to edit clip art
• How to make a concept map in Kidspiration
• How to use more Microsoft Office 2007 programs

This has been a successful weekend! I have accomplished alot.

Final Project

My final project is a Power Point. I will use this Power Point at Open House and it will loop continuously during my meeting with my parents. It will contain important information regarding classroom and school policies and procedures. I am pleased with my work so far and I know this Power Point will be beneficial to my parents.
I think my Resource Coordinator and Principal will like this very much; we have never used a Power Point at Open House before! I love Power Point 2007 and am glad that I have begun to discover it this weekend. As for my final project, I know that we learn better when information is presented through pictures/images, etc. This is going to make the beginning of my school year great!

Bear Page

Here is a concept map I made in Kidspiration! I will use this map when we do our unit on bears. I love the visuals - I think they will be very helpful to the students.

I loved that you could change the colors of the arrows, the background, and lines. I also liked being able to pull up clip art easily and insert clip art from other sources.

I think it would be fun to make a concept map with my students. We could use this for all themes. I so want this in my classroom!

Goals for Weekend Two

My goals for weekend two are:

• To explore and learn about Inspiration and Kidspiration. I have never used either of these and heard so much about them. I hear they are awesome and fun. I am really looking forward to this!
• To begin working on a Power Point to scroll during my Open House. I have always wanted to do this, but have never gotten around to it. This will be something I will use for many years to come.
• To know what Pod casting is. I have heard the term, but have no experience with this.

I think weekend two will bring many new experiences. I am ready to learn some new technology!

Technology and MI Article Summary

The article MI & Technology: A Winning Combination! is a wonderful resource for teachers. It shares numerous ideas, websites, programs, etc. that can help teachers integrate technology into their classrooms. The articles also shows how these technologies can be used under each multiple intelligence to reach all students' interest and levels.
My group worked on and discussed the part of the article that had to do with "flow". Flow is basically when students get so involved and interested in what they are learning that they don't even realize that it's work. Flow should be a goal for all teachers. After all, if students enjoy what they are learning they are more likely retain the information and truly understand it.
Our group gave examples of personal experiences and student experiences with flow. Here are some of the things we shared:

• We gave the example of our Lesley Class playing and learning about Photoshop Elements during weekend one - many of us were in a state of flow:)
• Students using a Virtual Disection web site
• Using Microsoft Office programs: Excel and Power Point
• Using community web sites: Facebook and My Space

Overall, the article was very informative and it was an easy read. I would suggest my co-workers read it and use some of the ideas. Integrating technology is always a plus!

Weekend Reflection

It's the last blog of the weekend! I can't believe all the stuff we've learned. I have so enjoyed working in Photoshop Element. I could so see getting addicted to it. I am looking forward to creating a Power Point next class. I will be using it for Open House - I think my principal will love that.
Overall, this weekend has been productive. I definitely did better and caught on faster than I thought I would. I loved playing with the pictures. One of my favorite tools was the special effects.
I am leaving class today shocked that I never had a freak out moment. I am proud of myself. I hope to continue blogging throughout the next month - when I find the time. Until next time...

Hallway pictures

I liked this one:).

Photoshop Elements

Having fun with photoshop! Love it:).

Using photoshop was so great! I started with a few digital photos and chose some fun ones - my hand and foot. I loved the filters! I used special effects, text warp, backgrounds, and editing tools (crop, rotate). In photoshop it was so fun to play with the frames, backgrounds, text colors on numerous photographs. I felt like a real photo editor;). I could easily lose a day playing around on this program. I am so glad we explored it this weekend!

Lesley Group

We are so awesome!

PICTURES:)

Here are some pictures from today.

Article: Using Digital Cameras for Multidimensional Learning

This article was very informative. It discussed the importance of digital cameras for teachers as well as students. The article had three main points: it explained the impact of using digital cameras, the effective use of digital cameras, and multidimensional learning provided for students.
Here are some important points:
*Students are visual learners; using digital cameras/photos helps to produce critical thinkers.

*In order to use a digital camera effectively we must align its use with our curriculum and assessments. As teachers, we also have to get proper permission from administration and parents. We must take and study appropriate images for our grade levels.

*We should use digital cameras and images to go beyond "just the visual". Photos can spark topics in all subjects.

*Digital cameras can document student progress or projects. For example, a photo portfolio for younger students to show growth. For high school students cameras could be used to document the steps of a project or to examine something in a new way, from a different perspective. Cameras can take these students so much further than just writing a paper. They are so Multidimensional!

Goals for Weekend One

My goals for weekend one are as follows:

1. Figure out blogging. I'm actually doing better than I thought I would, so hopefully by Sunday I'll be a master:). I want to add a picture before we leave.


2. Learn more about my digital camera. Want to upload pictures with my camera cord. Never done that before.


3. I want to not feel so lost and frustrated when it comes to computers. I feel like the class is off to a good start.


4. I want to learn stuff that I can use in my classroom. Easy and fast - nothing time consuming. I already have too much to do.

Born Into Brothels

The movie Born Into Brothels had such an impact on me. It really made me realize how far removed we are from the life shown in the movie. As a teacher and mother I was so amazed at the strength of the children and all the trials they faced in their everyday lives. It made me think about how different our lives could be just by being born somewhere else. Watching Born Into Brothels made me so thankful and it really put things into perspective. The movie was so inspiring and truly showed how one person could make such a difference in so many lives. I was so glad to see at the end of the movie that most of the children were doing well and the majority of them were in school. Because of Zana's help they now have a chance at a better life and will hopefully grow up to be very sucessful.
I am looking forward to sharing this story with my friends and family. I think it is important that people are aware of what is going on in Calcutta. This was a beautiful film - well worth the time.
Truly uplifting!

Image found on www.kids-with-cameras.com