Digital Storytelling

The creation of a digital story was one of the most rewarding projects that I have worked on during my Masters of Arts in Teaching. For this assignment, we were asked to create a story in our content area that was interesting. Although "interesting" was not the only requirement, it was the most important element covered. It is easy to create a boring story, but to create a truly compelling story, there must be conflict, and hopefully a moral learned at the end.

To create a story with these very important elements, a story map is a useful tool. When using a story map, changes in the plot are drawn out using visuals and main ideas. When a story begins with a good map, it is sure to be a success. As a teacher, using this in a classroom, I would require my students to have their story maps approved before production to ensure a quality end product.

When deciding to use technology in teaching, thought must be given to how the project will be graded. To help with this I created a rubric. This rubric would be handed out at the beginning of the project to give the students an idea of how they would be graded. I wanted my rubric to be specific enough to encourage the creation of good stories, but not so specific that the students would not be able to be creative.

This process helped me to understand the pitfalls that may effect students who would be part of a project like this in one of my classes. Some troubles I had were a poor camera to take pictures of my drawings, and also an out-of-order scanner at the University. This effected the quality of my pictures, and might be a problem for others as well.

Even with some minor problems in production, I was able to create a story that I am proud of called Bear Finds a Place to Sleep.

Philosophy of Education

Article Assessment 3

Tools for the Mind

Because there is no body of research unequivocally linking student technology use to improved learning, technology use has been put on the back burner as a tool for use in education past the use of low-level skills such as word processing.

Why?

• Many educators see computer based learning as an exception, not the rule. Teacher share learning skills for computer use instead of learning how to best use computers for teaching.

• Many schools have not invested in the long term upkeep of skills for teachers in the realm of technology.

• Schools have not really done much study on whether they are really teaching students.

• Not all software is cognitively and instructionally equal.

Although students are encouraged to seek out information on line, they are not often engaged in the collaborative aspect of the internet. There is a lack of content-oriented simulations being used. Students are set free on the internet and not given enough of a structure to use technology to its true instructional power.

More challenging uses of technology can create opportunity for critical thinking skills. They increase the use of abstract thought. Classrooms generally use low-level operations, or use tools with potential for higher learning in their basic form.


Teachers today are faced with many questions:

• What kinds of software do I want and why?
• When should I allow students to use computers? When shouldn't I allow use?
• Does the technology in my classroom help to deepen understnading of the content?
• Is there measurable learning taking place?
• Does the technology used improve learning?

One strategy that should be incorporated in the classroom includes four steps:

First - Teachers should be lead through the learning process so that they can understand and reflect on the activity and include their understanding of the project they are teaching.
Second - Teachers should be taught to understand the uses of the technology used with students.
Third- Teachers should be exposed to technology that has a specific learning goal in mind
Finally - Teachers should know how to manipulate specific software applications, and it should be used to support the four areas of teaching: content knowledge, curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

Technology is not being used to its potential, at the expense of the higher learning of students. With some help, teachers could become more knowledgeable about the ways to use technology in the classroom. Students could be a larger part of their learning experience, using technology as a tool that leads them through problem solving, analytical thinking, and finally to develop skills that lead to the making of educated decisions. For students to be more prepared for the decisions of life, this technology use could be part of their preparation toward graduation.

Article Assessment 2

An Educators Guide to the Read/Write Web

According to Will Richardson, the Read/Write Web is a "phenomenon that is changing the face of journalism, politics, business, and other areas of society". School is one of these aspects of society being changed.

Some of the tools of the Read/Write Web are:

• Blogs - a person or group web site that can be set up with little need of instruction or experience.

• Wikis - collaborative web sites that are information sites. These sites are self monitored in that they are edited by those who visit them. Falsities and mistakes are edited out quickly by those who contribute.

• Feeds - really simple syndication where a person can subscribe to various feeds of information.

• Social Bookmarking - users can save site addresses, but also save a copy of the Web site in a search able folder. It is social in that you can subscribe to another person's feed.

• Pod casting - amateur home radio programs and widely distributing them on the Web.

A Student's awareness of an audience creates a need within them to create a more quality product.

Should education change now that the audience is far broader than before? Teachers and students must learn how to be more able to navigate through a publishing environment that is far broader than ever before. These new tools require that teachers consider the usefulness of traditional ways of teaching, and consider changing them to be more appropriate for the connected world provided by the internet.

Some teachers worry that the freedom provided by use of technology will pose a temptation to students to be off task, or worse yet, to be indulging their own tasks. This is perhaps one of the largest hurdles that will need to be overcome by teachers and students alike. To culture students who can be trusted with this freedom, and teachers who allow it in the classroom, is the first step toward true integration of technology in the classroom.

Educational Philosophy

Technology should be incorporated into the classroom in the same way that it is being incorporated into our lives. Not as a separate subject, but as an integral element of every class curriculum.

Energy Awareness Project

I get a cup of coffee every day, and I get it in a paper cup. This means that each week I use up to five paper cups. Living in Juneau, where we do not have much room to build as it is, how am I adding to the space issue by throwing a paper cup away, and into the landfill, each day?

How am I effecting my environment by using a paper cup each day?

• How do I effect the size of the land fill by throwing a paper cup away each day?
• How is my use of paper effecting biodiversity on the planet?
• How am I effecting the remaining islands of old growth forest by using a paper cup each day?

Methodology

• How much paper does one cup consist of.
• How many trees are needed to make that much paper.
• Where are those trees coming from.
• Was any naturally occurring forest destroyed (biodiversity) to create the paper, or to create a place where a homogeneous environment exists.
• Do the cups biodegrade
• How much space do the cups take up in the landfill

Through research, my paper consumption can be seen by examining my use of cups.

Anthrotech Project

Floyd Dryden is full of useful technology for students and parents alike. I had imagined that when I became a teacher I would be able to inform parents of up coming events in the school through a web page where they could respond with concerns. I also envisioned that I would be able to have a tutorial set up that parents could be a more active roll in educating their students, and students could feel more connected to their parents. I thought that all of this was a futuristic idea that would come in the future. Little did I know that this is the reality at Floyd Dryden. Teachers have a bio posted on the school web sight where they can create links to information pertaining to their students. Parents can track their child's grades, attendance, and the amount they are reading through a one stop account set up by the school. Parents have a great opportunity to be involved if they are willing to take the initiative. My host teacher posts student's pictures on the web page when we go on field trips, or do special projects. This is all done with consideration to parent's wishes, and a parent permission form is sent out at the beginning of the year.

Although quite a bit of technology is available for teachers differing ability and comfort levels, not all teachers are as willing to use what the school provides. I have used the SmartBoard at least twice, and new SmartBoard technology has recently been introduced. I am excited to find out other ways that I can utilize the tools provided.

I am hoping that my experience as a student teacher will lead me to be more comfortable with technology in the classroom. Currently in our homeroom, the assignment is for students to create a Power Point that shows different types of geographic features. This includes using Google to define words and find images, and the skills for manipulating Power Point. I am hoping that my experiences using technology will lead to an exciting teaching career.