In class this week we spent more time exploring with PowerPoint. The assignment was to get in groups and choose two projects from our text to complete and present on. As my group began looking through the text to decide on our projects, I was astounded at all of the possibilities.
I have always considered PowerPoint to be a presentation tool. That is, a tool to assist in disclosing information using a presentation method. In my mind, PowerPoint was to be used as a visual aid. This assignment helped to shift that paradigm.
Many of the projects in this text were not brand new ideas to me. However, the idea of using PowerPoint to accomplish these tasks WAS a novel idea. My group chose to use PowerPoint in creating examples of acrostic poetry and a list of books never written.
The following are several advantages to using PowerPoint to do these types of projects:
* Ability to incorporate animation
* Facilitates creating a class slideshow from individual projects
* Opportunity for collaborative group work
* Enhances computer literacy skills
* Provides source of documentation
As much as I enjoy working with PowerPoint, I still feel that other programs (such as Microsoft Publisher or even Word) are easier to manipulate with similar end results. But I am intrigued by using PowerPoint as more than just a visual aid in my classroom.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
More Digital Photography
This past week we delved a bit deeper into digital photography, so I'd like to elaborate on my relfection from last week. First, a quick recap. Digital cameras have simplified the art of photography and made it easily accessible & adaptable for all users, including teachers and students. There are many uses for digital cameras in the classroom, including:
1) Documenting classroom activities such as field trips, groupwork, experiments, etc.
2) Using photos to illustrate stories
3) Using photos in creating books
4) Displaying student work through digital means (i.e. class website, blog, newsletter)
5) Taking photos of specific curriculum concepts
Some of the advantages to using digital cameras in the classroom include involving all children, catering to their individual strengths & interests, and the development of pre-writing skills. The location & supervision of the computers, reaching & supporting the reticent learners, and ensuring equitable use by all children may present challenges at first but can all be overcome with careful planning, observation, and reflection. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
There are many image editors available for digital photographers. I have always preferred Adobe Photoshop for its widerange of editing options. However, this week I had the opportunity to work more with Picasa. I like Picasa because of the ease of creating albums and web albums. These programs facilitate the ability to truly capture the moment. But it is important to remember that not all images can be "fixed" so it is important to do as much as possible during the actual picture taking.
The following websites provide some helpful hints about digital photography:
Digital Photography Help and Tips
Photography Tips, Tricks & Techniques
Digital Photography--Tips & Techniques
1) Documenting classroom activities such as field trips, groupwork, experiments, etc.
2) Using photos to illustrate stories
3) Using photos in creating books
4) Displaying student work through digital means (i.e. class website, blog, newsletter)
5) Taking photos of specific curriculum concepts
Some of the advantages to using digital cameras in the classroom include involving all children, catering to their individual strengths & interests, and the development of pre-writing skills. The location & supervision of the computers, reaching & supporting the reticent learners, and ensuring equitable use by all children may present challenges at first but can all be overcome with careful planning, observation, and reflection. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
There are many image editors available for digital photographers. I have always preferred Adobe Photoshop for its widerange of editing options. However, this week I had the opportunity to work more with Picasa. I like Picasa because of the ease of creating albums and web albums. These programs facilitate the ability to truly capture the moment. But it is important to remember that not all images can be "fixed" so it is important to do as much as possible during the actual picture taking.
The following websites provide some helpful hints about digital photography:
Digital Photography Help and Tips
Photography Tips, Tricks & Techniques
Digital Photography--Tips & Techniques
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Digital Photography
Digital cameras have advanced the art of photography and made it simpler (and cheaper) than ever to take, edit, and reproduce pictures. So why not take advantage of such a marvelous tool in the classroom? The answer is that teachers SHOULD be open to using digital photography in their classrooms.
The possibilities for classroom use of digital cameras are seemingly endless. The article "100 Uses for Digital Cameras" lists a lot of really good ideas. These suggestions include uses for teachers (i.e. using photos for seating charts and to create "my turn cards") as well as for students (i.e. using photos to create an ABC book, to prompt creative writing, and to illustrate stories). Teachers can add their own ideas to this list--ideas that suite their unique situation.
So you can incorporate digital photography into the classroom, but what are the advantages of doing such? I agree with the following eight advantages suggested in the "Digital Snapshot" article:
1) Opportunities to involve ALL children
2) Caters to students' interests, strengths, and talents
3) Opportunities for parental involvement
4) Provides documentation
5) Develops pre-writing skills
6) Children use artistic sensibilities
7) Higher computer literacy skills
8) Student satisfaction
But no teaching method is without its challenges. The same article outlines problems these teachers encountered in their classroom including the location & supervision of the computers, reaching & supporting the reticent learners, and ensuring equitable use by all children.
Other challenges include the equipment itself. The "Top 10 Tips" article suggest ten tips that make using digital camers less of a hassle. They include:
1) Using a camera suited for your needs
2) Using a high-resolution file format
3) Having extra, charged batteries
4) Having enough memory cards
5) Turning off the camera before removing the memory card
6) Learning the camera's timing
7) Using the "continuous" mode for fast-action shots
8) Creating a digital workflow
-take picture
-transfer & organize photos
-edit photos
-print & share photos
9) "Fixing" photos isn't always an option, so plan ahead when taking pictures
10) Always make copies of the photos
I think that these tips are useful for teachers, students, parents, and anyone wanting to use digital cameras. I've unfortunately experienced much anxiety as a result of NOT following these tips. I'd prefer to pass these along to my students and co-workers so that they do not have to learn through experience.
Digital cameras are wonderful tools, when you know how to use them properly. As a teacher, I can give my students the chance to gain that knowledge in my classroom.
The possibilities for classroom use of digital cameras are seemingly endless. The article "100 Uses for Digital Cameras" lists a lot of really good ideas. These suggestions include uses for teachers (i.e. using photos for seating charts and to create "my turn cards") as well as for students (i.e. using photos to create an ABC book, to prompt creative writing, and to illustrate stories). Teachers can add their own ideas to this list--ideas that suite their unique situation.
So you can incorporate digital photography into the classroom, but what are the advantages of doing such? I agree with the following eight advantages suggested in the "Digital Snapshot" article:
1) Opportunities to involve ALL children
2) Caters to students' interests, strengths, and talents
3) Opportunities for parental involvement
4) Provides documentation
5) Develops pre-writing skills
6) Children use artistic sensibilities
7) Higher computer literacy skills
8) Student satisfaction
But no teaching method is without its challenges. The same article outlines problems these teachers encountered in their classroom including the location & supervision of the computers, reaching & supporting the reticent learners, and ensuring equitable use by all children.
Other challenges include the equipment itself. The "Top 10 Tips" article suggest ten tips that make using digital camers less of a hassle. They include:
1) Using a camera suited for your needs
2) Using a high-resolution file format
3) Having extra, charged batteries
4) Having enough memory cards
5) Turning off the camera before removing the memory card
6) Learning the camera's timing
7) Using the "continuous" mode for fast-action shots
8) Creating a digital workflow
-take picture
-transfer & organize photos
-edit photos
-print & share photos
9) "Fixing" photos isn't always an option, so plan ahead when taking pictures
10) Always make copies of the photos
I think that these tips are useful for teachers, students, parents, and anyone wanting to use digital cameras. I've unfortunately experienced much anxiety as a result of NOT following these tips. I'd prefer to pass these along to my students and co-workers so that they do not have to learn through experience.
Digital cameras are wonderful tools, when you know how to use them properly. As a teacher, I can give my students the chance to gain that knowledge in my classroom.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
PowerPoint Intro
This week I was re-introduced to the basics of PowerPoint. This amazing program provides the tools to create "slideshow" presentations that can be used for a variety of purposes. I have previously used PowerPoint extensively both as a student and as a teacher.
As a student, PowerPoint proved useful in countless group projects and oral presentations. It provides a visual for the rest of the class and allows for easy notetaking. However, one of the dangers of PowerPoint is the tendency to simply read the slides aloud, creating a dull lecture instead of an interactive presentation.
As a teacher, I have used PowerPoint both as a lecture tool and a student-based learning tool. In lectures, just as in group presentations, the PowerPoint provides a fun, easy-to-read visual aid. The same danger of reading the slides is present though. This can be overcome with practice. One of the best PowerPoint presentations I created for the classroom was a Jeopardy gameboard that incorporated links within the project. The students enjoyed using this familiar game for reviews.
I also encouraged my students to use PowerPoint presentations for some of their asignments. The largest, most successful one was when each of them created a presentation to accompany their science fair projects. This familiarized them with the fundamentals of PowerPoint, gave them a tool to use in presenting their projects, and was fun for them to do. I did find it necessary to establish clear rubrics and expectations of the presentations so that the kids would challenge themselves instead of sliding by with minimal effort.
I think PowerPoint is a wonderful tool to use in schools. However, teachers should be careful that it does not become a crutch to stand on as anything gets mundane after repeated use.
As a student, PowerPoint proved useful in countless group projects and oral presentations. It provides a visual for the rest of the class and allows for easy notetaking. However, one of the dangers of PowerPoint is the tendency to simply read the slides aloud, creating a dull lecture instead of an interactive presentation.
As a teacher, I have used PowerPoint both as a lecture tool and a student-based learning tool. In lectures, just as in group presentations, the PowerPoint provides a fun, easy-to-read visual aid. The same danger of reading the slides is present though. This can be overcome with practice. One of the best PowerPoint presentations I created for the classroom was a Jeopardy gameboard that incorporated links within the project. The students enjoyed using this familiar game for reviews.
I also encouraged my students to use PowerPoint presentations for some of their asignments. The largest, most successful one was when each of them created a presentation to accompany their science fair projects. This familiarized them with the fundamentals of PowerPoint, gave them a tool to use in presenting their projects, and was fun for them to do. I did find it necessary to establish clear rubrics and expectations of the presentations so that the kids would challenge themselves instead of sliding by with minimal effort.
I think PowerPoint is a wonderful tool to use in schools. However, teachers should be careful that it does not become a crutch to stand on as anything gets mundane after repeated use.
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