Week Four.

During week four, we learned all about Powerpoints and the impact a Presentation can have on an audience. I am really glad that we had the assignment to explore the TEDtalks website and see some of the presentations featured. I had to watch some TEDtalks on there in my undergraduate years and find it to be such a great and interesting resource to not only learn about technology but gain ideas on how to captivate an audience using technology. It definitely went hand in hand with our lesson on power points. 

Comprehensive Assignment
1) What was the presentation about and to whom did you present it?
I currently work in a first grade classroom as an Aide, and created a powerpoint to use with my EarlySuccess and my math groups that outlines my rules and discipline procedures in a fun way for students. I use ClassroomDoJo and various reward systems so I felt like using a PowerPoint presentation would be a good way to make sure the students understood my expectations.

2) Of which item in your presentation are you the most proud? 
I guess I am most proud of the overall layout and design of the presentation. I tried very hard to use fonts and images that are not only kid friendly, but would keep their interest. I incorporated images and graphics that went along with each rule, displaying either a good or bad behavior. This allowed for interaction with the students because I could ask them if the image was showing a positive or negative behavior. 
 
3) What might you do differently if you could create the presentation again?
I included a section on introducing the students to the behavior management system Classroom Dojo. I used screen shots and images from the website to discuss this but something I would do differently is to include a video on Classroom Dojo, I was just unsure on how to successfully include the video link in the presentation. 

4) How did your students respond to the presentation? 
My students loved the presentation, especially the interactive portion. They loved the images I used and seemed to really grasp the information I wanted them to from the presentation. I feel like using a powerpoint with younger students that is bright, colorful and interactive, is a great way to keep their attention and have them take away something from the presentation.

Tech Explorations:

11. ComicLife

1.	Describe what you learned from exploring this resource.  Be thorough in your response.
	ComicLife is a downloadable software that users can purchase to make their own comic strips. Images can be added from the web, clip art, digitial cameras and images saved to a computer. Templates and ideas are provided to give inspiration. There is also a version for educators for $19.99 to allow digital graphic writing.
2.	How could you use this resource in a school setting?  It does not matter if it is in your field or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in educational settings.
	At first glance I thought ComicLife was not something that could necessarily be a resource in the classroom. After exploring the Education tab, and seeing the examples done by students, I do feel like ComicLife could be used for projects to incorporate technology. ComicLife could be used in a reading group to practice story telling, or in history to document a timeline—either way students can learn the importance of things going in order, while also getting to use their creativity. I also thought the ideas they had for teachers to use were great, such as the newsletters and classroom procedures.
3.	Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike; Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth.  Why or Why not?
	I do feel like this resource would be great in the classroom, if your school is willing to pay the $19.99 Licensing fee. It seems easy enough to use with any age level, but maybe not the lower elementary grades. Teachers could use ComicLife in the classroom as a way to present information to their students in a more entertaining way. Also using ComicLife allows  students to make connections between using technology, creativity, and the lessons they are learning in school.

  

11. iSpeech

1.	Describe what you learned from exploring this resource.  Be thorough in your response.
	I-speech is another text-to-speech program that has won numerous awards for it’s achievements in technology. I-Speech has created numerous applications that can be used on mobile devices as well as speech recognition programs. Under the education portion, the website states that Ispeech was created to help college students listen to the material assigned in their classes.
2.	How could you use this resource in a school setting?  It does not matter if it is in your field or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in educational settings.
	I feel like I-Speech could be used in a school setting with possibly audio learners, ESL students or students with audio impairments. With ESL students, text to speech could be given to them in both English and their native language to make sure they truly understand the content. I feel like I-speech could be used in older aged students, but younger students may have difficulty.
3.	Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike; Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth.  Why or Why not?
	I do not think I would recommend this as a resource to educators, mainly because it does not seem user friendly. I myself was a bit confused when looking at all the material on the website, and I consider myself pretty technologically smart. I feel like there are other text-to-speech options that we have looked at that are more education based and would be better for using in the classroom than I-Speech.

12. Voice Thread

1.	Describe what you learned from exploring this resource.  Be thorough in your response.
	Voice Thread is a free program, not requiring software, that allows for easy collaboration among users. Ideas and opinions can be shared in various ways including text, voice, images, user drawings and more. Voice Thread is like a discussion board forum because a main idea can be identified with threads of discussions and collaborations coming off of that. I learned the most about VoiceThread from the education wiki page.
2.	How could you use this resource in a school setting?  It does not matter if it is in your field or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in educational settings.
	I really liked the example of creating a digital portfolio piece that can be shared not only within the class but with other teachers and the students’ families. A neat way to use VoiceThread would be to assign students to write a poem or personal narrative, record it, post the video, then assign them to review and comment on the work of their peers. From there the digital work could be shared with their families and friends for further collaboration.
3.	Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike; Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth.  Why or Why not?
	I would recommend this as a resource if the teacher had extra funds available. There is a fee to use the program, but if collaboration between numerous people is important then Voice Thread is a good resource.

13. Storybird

1.	Describe what you learned from exploring this resource.  Be thorough in your response.
	Storybird is a virtual literacy tool that promotes creative writing and reading skills by allowing users to create writing pieces that go along with artwork. Anyone can post a writing piece to a selected image, and artists can also post their work to promote it to a greater audience. Storybird promotes creative writing skills in a way that lets students decide what topic and direction they want their piece to take. There is also a free library that users can access to simply read the work of other users.
2.	How could you use this resource in a school setting?  It does not matter if it is in your field or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in educational settings.
	Storybird could be used in a school setting in an English class to challenge students to take an image and writing a creative writing piece, most likely a poem, to go along with the image. From there the work could be printed out to have a showcase presenting the students’ work to their peers and families.  The work could also be displayed around the classroom for the rest of the year, giving students a chance to be proud of their work.
3.	Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike; Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth.  Why or Why not?
	I would recommend this, especially to teachers with older students. I like the idea of letting them choose from a library of artwork, making their options endless. It also promotes the world of storytelling within a community. The site is overall easy to use, and would be easy to let students freely roam the website.

13.Scribblar

1.	Describe what you learned from exploring this resource.  Be thorough in your response.
	Scribblar is an online collaboration and whiteboard tool. It is a multi-user whiteboard that allows for real time audio, image sharing and chatting. Essentially it can be used for multiple users to meet and all share ideas at the same time in the same place.
2.	How could you use this resource in a school setting?  It does not matter if it is in your field or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in educational settings.
	A neat way to use Scribblar as a resource in school is to have students design an image together. They can all work on the image at the same time and each add something special to the image. They can write ideas on the actual whiteboard, talk to one another with audio or chat, then create their image and change it as they go.
3.	Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike; Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth.  Why or Why not?
	I feel like the price of Scribblar is a little much to expect an educator or school to pay for this program. While it is a neat resource to have on hand, I’m not sure how much use the class would get out of it for the money. The program does look user and student friendly though.

14. VirtualManipulatives

1.	Describe what you learned from exploring this resource.  Be thorough in your response.
	The National Library of Virtual Manipulatives (NLVM) provides users with easy to access online virtual manipulatives, in this case mathematics manipulatives. On the mathematics page you can select an age (PreK-2, 3-5,6-8, and 9-12) then a topic (numbers & operations, algebra, geometry, measurement, and data analysis) and see what manipulatives are available on the site. These manipulatives are set up in a games format that are centered towards student use.
2.	How could you use this resource in a school setting?  It does not matter if it is in your field or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in educational settings.
	This resource could easily be used in a math classroom either within a lesson, for homework, or for those students who finish assignments early. Since there are so many different manipulatives and interactive games available, these could easily be incorporated into a lesson plan, or be assigned as extra bonus homework for the week. It would really help with those students who crave learning from technology.
3.	Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike; Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth.  Why or Why not?
	Yes, I would recommend this as a resource to educators because it is free, easy to use, and seems to be a successful option for challenging students.