I was away this weekend and did have my laptop, but no Internet connection. This was a good thing because it forced me to plan and create a storyboard template of what I would like to do for my PowerPoint presentation instead of doing more research. It also gave me a chance to read all of the materials that I had on hand.
Tomorrow I will create a few pages to use as my background templates. I know exactly what I would like to do and the materials are at work. I will then scan those pages and start creating. This has been a real weekend of planning and organizing my ideas. I hope everything comes together the way I am hoping it will, but the one thing we all know about technology is we must always have a back up plan just in case.
When I got back I was reading the forum and thinking about what I would like to do next in the classroom. I am hoping to create a digital story book using PowerPoint this week too. I think that would be great for a read aloud on the SMART board.
As far as PowerPoint goes, I haven't used it very much with my students because I did not use the program too much myself. Instead I have done storyboards using kid pix and then created slide shows with them. Now I see where this would be a great transition to PowerPoint through the year. Also our lab is acting up a lot these days as we wait for our new computers and KID PIX crashes a lot. I am interested to see how PowerPoint works in the lab. Perhaps I will move the Grade 4s on to PowerPoint second term instead of using Kid pix.
This blog has been good for me to record reflections as well as next steps. Even when I am not blogging now I am reflecting and looking ahead and thinking about how I will blog these thoughts. This has been a very good project for me as the reflection helps me think about how to improve and that is ALWAYS a good thing.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Friday, November 27, 2009
This week...
... has been a thinking and preparation week. I keep thinking of ways power point can be used in the classroom and then I brainstorm ideas that can be used. Now it is time to pull it all together. I am away from the Internet for the weekend, but will have my laptop with me and be putting all of the ideas and files I have together. I have a storyboard of sorts set up with sites and sound and visuals, so it should come together easily.
I am excited to see how this will work in my classroom as prior to this year I have limited time for preplanning things like power point lessons.
Let's hope for a GREAT weekend for everyone:)
I am excited to see how this will work in my classroom as prior to this year I have limited time for preplanning things like power point lessons.
Let's hope for a GREAT weekend for everyone:)
Monday, November 23, 2009
..another fork in the road
Okay, tonight I have spent a lot of time researching ideas and sites for a presentation about nouns. Then I reread some of the PPP pdf files and realized that the idea had come to me from them. OH MY! So now I am looking at another direction.
I really am wanting something that will work with this grade 4 class. They are a true test as to whether it works or not. After brainstorming with a nursing friend on msn I came up with a few other ideas: she suggested adding and I switched that one to division and then I also keep coming back to the Social Studies Canada Unit. There is lots that can be done there. The only problem is there are already a lot of Canada ppps out there.
So, what I have decided is that I will perhaps try a Canada one for fun and play around with it, and then create a division one. If the Canada one is going well I may stick with it. If I do both then that works well for the Grade 4s, so it is a win win:)
I am excited about the division because I can take digital photos of classroom items and then use the SMART board software to divide the items into groupings. This actually fits in well with the division with remainder unit we do second term.
Since my friend and I brainstormed I have bookmarked some other sites and am ready to go with the other ideas.
I really am wanting something that will work with this grade 4 class. They are a true test as to whether it works or not. After brainstorming with a nursing friend on msn I came up with a few other ideas: she suggested adding and I switched that one to division and then I also keep coming back to the Social Studies Canada Unit. There is lots that can be done there. The only problem is there are already a lot of Canada ppps out there.
So, what I have decided is that I will perhaps try a Canada one for fun and play around with it, and then create a division one. If the Canada one is going well I may stick with it. If I do both then that works well for the Grade 4s, so it is a win win:)
I am excited about the division because I can take digital photos of classroom items and then use the SMART board software to divide the items into groupings. This actually fits in well with the division with remainder unit we do second term.
Since my friend and I brainstormed I have bookmarked some other sites and am ready to go with the other ideas.
..heading in a new direction!
Wow, I must say I really am getting a lot from the forum and others input. Someone the other day said to make sure that when creating our first PowerPoint presentations that we choose a topic that we are already confident with. This was a GREAT learning for me. I know I should have realized this, but I was off and running with several ideas that would be whole new units. Really this is not a good idea. So with this advice I changed the direction that I was heading in and feel so much better.
Then I read about someone who is trying out in class presentations. Another very thoughtful idea, especially for someone who has not used PowerPoint very much.
A special thanks to those who put their thoughts into words in the forum or on their blogs. You have been VERY helpful!
I was not near a computer much to write on my blog over the weekend but I did a lot of thinking yesterday about simplifying my plan. I think I will take a topic as simple as "nouns" and create a PowerPoint presentation about it. Since thinking along these lines I have found several sites that would support this. I could include a podcast and a podcast game: which one of these is not a noun? I could also include a video from learn360 and some digital photos. This brings in the learning we have done throughout this course and would help students learn what nouns are using different modalities.
Now that I have a topic and am ready to add things I will "play" with PowerPoint for the rest of the week and see what I can achieve.
Then I read about someone who is trying out in class presentations. Another very thoughtful idea, especially for someone who has not used PowerPoint very much.
A special thanks to those who put their thoughts into words in the forum or on their blogs. You have been VERY helpful!
I was not near a computer much to write on my blog over the weekend but I did a lot of thinking yesterday about simplifying my plan. I think I will take a topic as simple as "nouns" and create a PowerPoint presentation about it. Since thinking along these lines I have found several sites that would support this. I could include a podcast and a podcast game: which one of these is not a noun? I could also include a video from learn360 and some digital photos. This brings in the learning we have done throughout this course and would help students learn what nouns are using different modalities.
Now that I have a topic and am ready to add things I will "play" with PowerPoint for the rest of the week and see what I can achieve.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Thinking ahead about topics
I know I must play around with some PowerPoint ideas and templates but my problem is where to begin. I have a few ideas that I am playing around with, some I have researched a bit about, some I will look into.
Here they are:
- a webquest: the quest would be from the Social Studies curriculum: Canada
- how to create a jeopardy game on the SMART board: content would be curriculum based and show staff how simple it is to change the game to suit the student's needs
- something literacy based from the inservice I am going to on Tuesday
- staff development: a current hot topic: aka HWDSB proposal to change the "rules"; how to use FIRST class, particularly how to find specific subject material in a conference
Lack of ideas is not my problem as you can see. I must narrow my ideas down and then stick with ONE of them.
I also must play around with PowerPoint and test some of the do's and don't's.
Here they are:
- a webquest: the quest would be from the Social Studies curriculum: Canada
- how to create a jeopardy game on the SMART board: content would be curriculum based and show staff how simple it is to change the game to suit the student's needs
- something literacy based from the inservice I am going to on Tuesday
- staff development: a current hot topic: aka HWDSB proposal to change the "rules"; how to use FIRST class, particularly how to find specific subject material in a conference
Lack of ideas is not my problem as you can see. I must narrow my ideas down and then stick with ONE of them.
I also must play around with PowerPoint and test some of the do's and don't's.
PowerPoint Presentations ..templates??
I like the points you are making about the templates. I was thinking along the same lines. Some templates are very helpful but many are dull and boring, so I guess the big question is how do you take a template and individualize it?
I agree with you about errors on the presentations. A few of the sites that I have been to talk about rehearsing or at least having someone edit your slides to make sure there are no errors. Of course every once in a while there is one that escapes the eye, BUT if that does happen then it should be fixed as soon as it is caught.
I think I need to just play with some Power Point templates and see what happens.
I agree with you about errors on the presentations. A few of the sites that I have been to talk about rehearsing or at least having someone edit your slides to make sure there are no errors. Of course every once in a while there is one that escapes the eye, BUT if that does happen then it should be fixed as soon as it is caught.
I think I need to just play with some Power Point templates and see what happens.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Power Point Presentations
Right now my mind is whirling with all of the possibilities for the last presentation as well as all of the presentations I have seen with and without technology and what makes them GOOD, what makes them bad.
I have recorded a few of my thoughts here:
Good ones grab me. They have at least one thing that I see or hear that leaves me thinking. The sound, pictures, and movement all work together and flow. If there is a speaker they are clear and concise with passion in their voices. The transitions gently carry your eye from one slide to the next instead of leaving you on the verge of a migraine. The font is large enough to read and legible without moving too quickly so I don't get a chance to read what is written.
Bad ones leave me yawning, the backgrounds are repetitive and monotonous or too busy, and overall it lacks a flow. Sometimes the slide transitions are choppy, sometimes the colours clash, and sometimes the sound does not match the overall theme.
Then I went online and found a few sights that support my own thoughts but also give me more to think about. I checked out: Gleez! How to make a GREAT PowerPoint presentation, Death by PowerPoint, and The Seven Deadly Sins of Powerpoint Presentations.
Death by PowerPoint is very clear and concise. It tends to deal more with business presentations but really does give clear information. I particularly thought Slide 47 was a great one after our last assignment. It says, "Less text, more imagery, wild imagery." The Gleez site is well laid out and has great ideas and the Seven Deadly Sins site has good ideas but is very boring to look at and read.
This research and what has already been on the forum gives me a starting point as to what to do and not to do when creating a PowerPoint presentation.
I have recorded a few of my thoughts here:
Good ones grab me. They have at least one thing that I see or hear that leaves me thinking. The sound, pictures, and movement all work together and flow. If there is a speaker they are clear and concise with passion in their voices. The transitions gently carry your eye from one slide to the next instead of leaving you on the verge of a migraine. The font is large enough to read and legible without moving too quickly so I don't get a chance to read what is written.
Bad ones leave me yawning, the backgrounds are repetitive and monotonous or too busy, and overall it lacks a flow. Sometimes the slide transitions are choppy, sometimes the colours clash, and sometimes the sound does not match the overall theme.
Then I went online and found a few sights that support my own thoughts but also give me more to think about. I checked out: Gleez! How to make a GREAT PowerPoint presentation, Death by PowerPoint, and The Seven Deadly Sins of Powerpoint Presentations.
Death by PowerPoint is very clear and concise. It tends to deal more with business presentations but really does give clear information. I particularly thought Slide 47 was a great one after our last assignment. It says, "Less text, more imagery, wild imagery." The Gleez site is well laid out and has great ideas and the Seven Deadly Sins site has good ideas but is very boring to look at and read.
This research and what has already been on the forum gives me a starting point as to what to do and not to do when creating a PowerPoint presentation.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
My learning style
Well I am learning a lot about myself throughout this course. The blog has certainly taught me that I think a lot and my ideas float around in my head with no real organization at first and then I sift through them and finally I write them. For essay writing or report writing this has always worked for me. I research or mark and grade, then I think and ponder and look over things but I do not write until almost the deadline.
This does not mean I have left things until the last minute or that I am not doing any research or thinking, only that I am not one to record things. This is not a good strategy for a Blog because then there is this feeling of having to catch up.
What I learn is that different people learn different ways and writing journals or blogging are not my strengths. As I tell my students, this does not mean I give up on blogging, this means I have to put more effort into writing blogs.
This weekend is a very busy one as I finalize my essay and get my reports underway.
This does not mean I have left things until the last minute or that I am not doing any research or thinking, only that I am not one to record things. This is not a good strategy for a Blog because then there is this feeling of having to catch up.
What I learn is that different people learn different ways and writing journals or blogging are not my strengths. As I tell my students, this does not mean I give up on blogging, this means I have to put more effort into writing blogs.
This weekend is a very busy one as I finalize my essay and get my reports underway.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Graphers
Graphers is a great program for data management and probability. I begin by guiding the students through a sample lesson. Then the students must create 2 graphs successfully using data from premade cards. In the notebook section the students must analyze the data on their graphs using math vocabulary like: more than / less than, etc. Once students do this they get to move up to the next level. They are motivated to analyze the data correctly in order to move up. They then use the themes from Graphers to create a graph independently. This means they create their own question and tally chart, collect the data, create the graph and then analyze the data.
This has been a very successful unit because I conference with the students after they analyze the first graph, then they know exactly what they are missing and must do better on the second one in order to move to the challenge. It is also an excellent unit for students who have difficulty with fine motor skills because all of the graphs look perfect!
This has been a very successful unit because I conference with the students after they analyze the first graph, then they know exactly what they are missing and must do better on the second one in order to move to the challenge. It is also an excellent unit for students who have difficulty with fine motor skills because all of the graphs look perfect!
Digital Cameras in the Primary Classroom
Today I thought about having students be investigative recorders and go on a scavenger hunt to find a variety of "things" in the classroom. Things like: number patterns, geometric patterns, 2 D shapes, 3 D shapes, etc
I had been online and found another site with great ideas: Using the Digital Classroom in the Primary Classroom and this site helped me start to make an extensive list. Now I cannot wait to take my camera in to try this out.
I had been online and found another site with great ideas: Using the Digital Classroom in the Primary Classroom and this site helped me start to make an extensive list. Now I cannot wait to take my camera in to try this out.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
..a very visual day with the SMARTboard
I think sometimes we add a lot more visuals in a day to enhance learning than we realize. Today I was thinking about that throughout my lessons. First we did our daily math practice question and took it up on the SMARTboard. This is awesome because the question gets scanned in from the text and so the teacher can model the key things to highlight in the question and the students can watch.
Later, during a math lesson I used a template that I have with base ten blocks and the infinite cloner. This helps students see exactly how you trade a 100 flat into 10 rods. The lesson included a chart which again was scanned in and modeled right in front of all students. Students also come up to the board to record their answers and they LOVE writing on the SMARTboard. It is so motivational. (Errors can be swiped off and corrected so easily.)
Lastly, I used the SMARTboard with both grade 1 classes to show them how to write lists. We created a list of classroom rules together. The grade 1 students call it the MAGIC board. Again, the lesson can be demonstrated in front of the students very specifically so they understand what the expectations are.
All in all a very good visual day. Unfortunately the lessons are at school. I will add a couple of samples in my next blog.
Later, during a math lesson I used a template that I have with base ten blocks and the infinite cloner. This helps students see exactly how you trade a 100 flat into 10 rods. The lesson included a chart which again was scanned in and modeled right in front of all students. Students also come up to the board to record their answers and they LOVE writing on the SMARTboard. It is so motivational. (Errors can be swiped off and corrected so easily.)
Lastly, I used the SMARTboard with both grade 1 classes to show them how to write lists. We created a list of classroom rules together. The grade 1 students call it the MAGIC board. Again, the lesson can be demonstrated in front of the students very specifically so they understand what the expectations are.
All in all a very good visual day. Unfortunately the lessons are at school. I will add a couple of samples in my next blog.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Looking Ahead, Visually...
I looked at a number of websites today and saved them so that I can check them out and see it any of them are useful for the next assignment. It is "Technology and the Visual Learner". This is what I have so far:
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=6753
http://www.hardin.k12.ky.us/res_techn/tec/digitalcamera/primary.htm
http://www.wacom-asia.com/casestudy/case/hong-kong-cannosa-primary-schools-digital-art-studio
http://www.wacona.com/digicam/digicam.html
http://www.adobe.com/education/instruction/adsc/
http://themes.pppst.com/digitalcameras.html
http://www.rockdale.k12.ga.us/personal/mholbrook/dig_photos/default.aspx
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/digital-camera.htm
Now I need to go through and weed them out to see if there is any useful material there. At a quick glance there was.
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=6753
http://www.hardin.k12.ky.us/res_techn/tec/digitalcamera/primary.htm
http://www.wacom-asia.com/casestudy/case/hong-kong-cannosa-primary-schools-digital-art-studio
http://www.wacona.com/digicam/digicam.html
http://www.adobe.com/education/instruction/adsc/
http://themes.pppst.com/digitalcameras.html
http://www.rockdale.k12.ga.us/personal/mholbrook/dig_photos/default.aspx
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/digital-camera.htm
Now I need to go through and weed them out to see if there is any useful material there. At a quick glance there was.
Data Management and the Grade 4s
I had Grade 4s in the lab today and was all ready to model the Graphers program. This unit works well because first I model the program, then the students try it out. After that they have to complete step by step cards to finish a graph. Once they have met with success they are challenged to create their own graph beginning with their own question, then gather data, and then creating the graph on Graphers by applying the knowledge they have from the original cards.
It is a very differentiated unit and works well. Students learn to help each other during the "Try It" stage and I am available for extra teaching as well. In the meantime, those who understand can move ahead.
However, today I stuck with review of the Canada material. With the outbreak we only had 10 students in each class. Flexibility is the key in any subject, any grade!
It is a very differentiated unit and works well. Students learn to help each other during the "Try It" stage and I am available for extra teaching as well. In the meantime, those who understand can move ahead.
However, today I stuck with review of the Canada material. With the outbreak we only had 10 students in each class. Flexibility is the key in any subject, any grade!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Reflection
After rereading all of the forum notes last night I became aware of the fact I have not blogged all of the research and thoughts I have had during the audio forum. I bookmarked site after site and kept many jot notes in a word doc, but I did not record them in my blog.
I reflected on how the use of audio could enhance all subject areas at all grade levels. I searched under subjects such as: science, math, phys. ed. I searched under podcasts and audio, and I searched for material for children.
While searching I also read through the Ontario curriculum documents to make sure that my ideas aligned with the curriculum in some way. At this time I realized how much some ideas integrated different subjects.
In the end, I decided that I would like to make podcasting a part of my program. I have begun podcasts that I prepared and the students loved them. I promised them that they will be creating their own podcasts soon. This really excited them.
On Friday I used audacity and realized how simple it is to use, so I do believe this is an attainable goal. A goal that I am very excited about.
I reflected on how the use of audio could enhance all subject areas at all grade levels. I searched under subjects such as: science, math, phys. ed. I searched under podcasts and audio, and I searched for material for children.
While searching I also read through the Ontario curriculum documents to make sure that my ideas aligned with the curriculum in some way. At this time I realized how much some ideas integrated different subjects.
In the end, I decided that I would like to make podcasting a part of my program. I have begun podcasts that I prepared and the students loved them. I promised them that they will be creating their own podcasts soon. This really excited them.
On Friday I used audacity and realized how simple it is to use, so I do believe this is an attainable goal. A goal that I am very excited about.
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