Final Class Reflection

This class has FLOWN by (much like my summer).  I wonder if I can make a police report for stolen time...

With only a day left in the class, I find myself at the moment playing catch-up from where I was gone for two classes due to Advanced Placement training.  Minus the digital story that I have yet to complete, I feel that I have been very productive with my class time and worked very hard to get the most out of each assignment.  With this class, and other classes that I have taken in order to complete my transitional K-12 license, I have tried to make sure that each project is something that can be immediately brought into my classroom, otherwise, I find little value in it because it will not necessarily serve me later.  This class has been great in that everything we have created is something that can work in my classroom and I am excited to put these new things in place NEXT WEEK when my students return for a new year!  Overall, this has been a very rewarding class and I have learned a few new tricks and applications that I will be able to use in the future.  Thank you Jeff!

Digital Stories: More than just a YouTube Video

For this fifth blog, we were asked to reflect upon what we learned when exploring the Digital Storytelling website created by the University of Houston.  Storytelling has been around for thousands of years, traditionally in an oral form.  Our region of Appalachia has a long tradition of storytelling.  In fact, the International Storytelling Center is just right up the road from me in Jonesborough, TN. Every year, they have a huge festival that keeps the traditions of this historical, oral narration alive. Attending one year is on my bucket list.

 

But I digress...The notion of digital storytelling is definitely a brand new baby in the scheme of the long oral history that I just elaborated upon.  I learned from the website that the advent of the digital format dates to the 1990s.  However, accessibility to the masses was definitely limited.  In the past decade (and this is my own hypothesis), digital storytelling has boomed.  Much of the population now has easy access to computers, the internet, and video cameras (often right on their phones).  Phrases such as "Just check it out on YouTube" have entered our everyday conversations.  I cannot begin to mention how many people I know, myself included, will go to YouTube to find a video on how to do something, like replacing the p-trap under your sink.  And what are these videos?  They are a form of digital storytelling!

The possibilities for incorporating digital storytelling into the curriculum is limitless.  It can be such a fun and quick way to disseminate information to your class in a multimedia format.  I see great potential in my own classroom to have a selection of digital stories that would be quick tutorials on mixing paint colors, cleaning up supplies, and showing approaches to art making, just to name a few.  I know for this project on Digital Storytelling that I plan on starting to create some of these tutorials for my own classroom and create digital demonstrations for the things that I find myself repeating the most.  While by no means do I plan on allowing a digital story to take the place of hands-on classroom demonstrations, I see them as a great way to document a demonstration that could then easily be reviewed by students as needed.  I am very excited about the possibilities!    

Alright, lets go make a video...ACTION!!!

IWB: An Introduction

We were assigned to read and reflect upon Chapter 1 "About IWB's" for this blog post.  Something that I found very interesting upon reading chapter one was just how little research had been done on the success of IWB use in the classroom, as well as how contradictory the results were from the research that had been completed.  I came out of reading this particular chapter with a feeling that IWB use might not be that significant to begin with, especially when considering the subject area that I teach.  Art already requires high engagement through hands-on, project based activities.  Is the IWB really going to further advance the students in my classroom?

This is really the first time that I have come away with a negative perception of a particular technology tool just based on what I read.  I work very hard to find ways to engage students in my classroom through a wide-variety of resources that are available, and I realize that a lot of technology integration means trial and error, constant revision, and lots of training. However, for my lessons, the amount of time that is actually spent "front-loading" information to students (aka lecture) versus daily interactive activities (aka working on projects) is a very small percentage.  Therefore, is spending hours developing specific IWB activities for just a 20 minute project introduction really worth it?  Would not just a plain, old Power Point be better suited to my needs?

The chapter goes into addressing these concerns of mine just a little by stating that "no educational tool is perfect [and] all tools have their benefits and challenges."  They note that many challenges arise in classrooms that use IWBs stem from lack of resources and training available to teachers, or technology malfunctions.  These challenges cause teachers to lose their confidence in implementing IWB integration.  While I can definitely see the potential benefits for IWB use and integration, I do not believe at this moment that full integration of IWBs will be present in my classroom. Depending on the lesson, I will definitely work on creating IWB activities, but for other lessons, it is not cost-effective with my time.  I can honestly say that the contradictory findings presented in chapter one have influenced this decision.

The Wide World of Promethean

Last week, I spent almost an hour going through Promethean Planet, which is a free online teaching resources for interactive whiteboard users.  This site is massive when it comes to the resources that are available for teachers of all grade levels and subjects.  There are searchable

lesson plans available with a downloadable interactive whiteboard (IWB) presentations for a variety of topics.  The ease of navigation through the site allows for a very user-friendly experience. 

I was interested to make note of their professional development opportunities that they offer as well through the website as well, including webinars and downloadable manuals.  If I was not taking this

class and receiving direct instruction in using an IWB, this would be an excellent way for me to train myself in how to use and integrate IWB activities into my lessons.  They also have a calendar of conferences and other "real-world" opportunities for learning about IWBs, their potential, and uses. 

Something that is very useful about this site is that besides being free, it allows to you keep a profile and files of favorite lessons and activities, as well as download at no cost previously made IWB activities.  They also have a blog and forum resource area which is great if you are looking for help or suggestions from other Promethean/IWB users.

My only concern about Promethean Planet is the platform and how compatible it will be with an interactive Smartboard, which is what I have in my classroom.  I know that there are ways to convert the Promethean packets and resources to Smartboard friendly ones, but I still have my reservations about how much will be lost in translation and how limited I may possibly be.  This will be something that I will have to explore further on my own, and probably with the help of the Promethean forum.

Halfway there

As a reflection on my progress to date, I feel confident with my abilities and knowledge.  What questions I've had have been easily answered and any small roadblocks quickly overcome.  I have worked very hard to be sure that the projects that I create in this class, including the website, will them immediately transfer into my classroom.  I feel that it is essential for this to not only be a learning opportunity but a curriculum development opportunity as well.