Scavenger Hunt

Smilebox and Storybird

I absolutely LOVED Smilebox!! I love choosing pictures and themes and getting to create slide shows. There were so many fun themes to choose from, and I like how you can add music to it also. Kelly and Jordan made a great suggestion when they said you could make a scrapbook for your class throughout the year! I love taking pictures and creating scrapbooks, and I think that is a great idea that would be fun for the students and teacher as well. I also thought it was neat how you can save it to your computer and put it on a DVD! I have always wanted to make DVD slide shows as gifts for my friends, and this is a great way to do it!

I thought Storybird was very interesting. It is a neat idea, but I'm not sure I would use it in my classroom. It would probably be a fun activity to put in a center or to let the children make their own stories. I don't really know how a teacher could implement it into the classroom for instruction.

Picnik and Glogster

Learning about Glogster was really neat! I have actually heard about this program in some of my other education classes, and was interested to see what it is all about! Glogster is a great program that you can use when you need to combine a lot of information and pictures - kind of like an online poster! I used to love making posters when I was in school, and Glogster is a unique way to get that experience online!! I think it would be cool to use this in a classroom, probably with some of the older students. You could give each student or group of students a topic to research and let them create and present their findings on Glogster!!

I have actually used Picnik before, just for fun!! I played around on it a long time ago with some of my pictures. It was cool to get back on Picnik and edit all of my personal pictures. I was surprised at how many cool things you could do!! I don't remember seeing so many different options before. I really enjoyed the teeth whitening and instant tan options!!!

Smilebox Slideshow

Make a digital slideshow

Summer Fun Picasa Slideshow

Wikis

This was my first time working with wikis.  I had a great experience, and definitely see how it can be used in a classroom.  I have never actually made a website before, and thought it was cool to see the process of how everything is put together.  At first it took me a while to figure everything out, but after I got used to it, it was a very simple process.


Wikis can definitely be used in a classroom.  I am planning on working with primary elementary grades, but I think this would be a great resource for the intermediate elementary grades.  I think it would be cool to make one for a study/extra practice aid.  If the teacher were to make one (similar to the one we made) with a link to each subject, and then include websites the students can go to for extra practice in each subject.  Games would also be a great thing to include in your wikis - and allow your students to access the wikis during centers to play games on different websites.  Wikis can also be a great resource to use for parent/teacher relationships.  It'd be great to continue posting websites for extra help at home, and websites for parents to access themselves to better understand what they can do to help their child, and know what they are learning in the classroom.

Website Evaluation - Coolmath4kids.com

I would highly recommend this site for use in an elementary school classroom.  There is another section of the site called coolmath.com that would probably be of better use in a 6-12 classroom.  This website was made by a woman who has an extensive background in math education, and taught math for 14 years.  It is obvious in her bio that she has a passion for both children and mathematics.  This would be a great site for a student to go to in a math center to see the concepts written on their level.  As stated earlier, the large colorful icons make it easy to use also.  The author of this site is clearly identified, as well as her background and contact information.  She also provides copyright, terms of use, and privacy policy information.  I could not find exact dates, but I did find exact years of the site – 1997-2010.  The grammar and spelling are all correct, and there doesn’t seem to be any flaws with the website.  The information is definitely appropriate for the intended audience.

 I thought it was really interesting to look at the criteria on evaluating other sites.  I never really thought to do that before, but as a teacher you have to before you present the information to your students.  This was helpful for me because I will be with the younger elementary aged students - and these things to look for when evaluating a website will help me eliminate the weak websites, and find the most accurate and effective sites.

The good, the bad, and the ugly.

This site is called The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.  It is a great website for educators to use when evaluating other sites.  It was made through the New Mexico State University Library.  The homepage of the website gives you four options: examples, criteria, suggestions, and bibliography.  The criteria category is very helpful.  It breaks evaluations down into things such as authority, accuracy, objectivity, currency, and coverage.  The suggestions category is also very helpful.  Suggestions are listed for assigning students internet assignments.  Overall this is a great site for educators!

My Learning Goals

I do not have a whole lot of experience with computer programs and technology, but I can usually explore and figure out what to do when using new programs.  I use facebook and e-mail daily, and I am familiar with programs such as Word and Powerpoint.  In this course I want to expand my knowledge and learn ways that I can use different types of technology in my classroom.  Since I want to teach primary grades, the programs that my students use for individual or group work will probably be more simple.  I want to be able to know a variety of ways to incorporate technology into my lesson plans.

Introduction to the Class

Informal introduction to class:
My name is Danielle DiMeola.  I am from Nashville TN, and went to Beech High School.  I have wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember.  I am in the Elementary Education program, and I would love to teach 1st grade!  I’ve had so much fun in my experience with first graders, because they are still so young and excited to learn.  I love to hang out with my friends and family in my spare time.  Some of my hobbies include shopping, working out, reading, going to the pool, and baking.  I don’t have a whole lot of experience with computers and technology, besides the basic email and facebook use.  I am excited to learn more about technology, and how I can incorporate it into my classroom!