Social Networking

What is Social Networking?

Social networking – environments for people to register and establish profiles that provide personal information and photos. After creating their profiles, the user can make connections with other members that are part of the same social network. Most social network services are primarily web based and provide a collection of various ways for users to interact.

Information Sharing Includes:

• Chat
• Messaging
• Email
• Video
• Voice Chat
• File Sharing
• Blogging
• Discussion Groups

Examples:

• MySpace
  
• Facebook
  
• Xanga
• Live Journal

Advantages

• Very attractive environments for teens, as well as for adults
  
• Allows creativity for creating web pages
  
• Self-expression and friendship building
  
• Youth “play time” in such environments can build skills that will be a foundation for career success in the 21st century
  
• Many teens are safely and responsibly engaged in such communities
  

Disadvantages

• Unsafe disclosure of personal information
  
• Addiction
  
• Risky sexual behavior
  
• You don’t always know who you are talking to
  
• Beware of sexual predators
  
• Cyber bullying
  
• Dangerous communities
  

How to Be Safe When Using Social Networking

• Be aware of personal information you give out – don’t put addresses or phone numbers and never give out your social security number or other passwords
  
• Make your profile private, so only your “friends” can see your profile
  
• Know who you are talking to – some people aren’t who they say they are and never arrange to meet someone in person that you do not already know
  

Schools and Social Networking
Even though social networking might not be appropriate to use at schools, schools should be aware of these networks and inform students about the dangers of using them. If a school wishes to use social networking sites in the classroom, they need to be aware of what the students are doing. Some sites should be blocked and all profiles should remain private. The school should also come up with rules on using these sites.

1. A clear policy with a strong focus on educationally valuable use of the internet – not using them to just “play around”
   
2. Student education about online safety is a must
   
3. Effective monitoring of students when using social networking
   

Opinions and Thoughts
“I am a huge fan of social networking. I am from Oklahoma and I use it several times a day to keep in touch with people back home. I also use it to interact with other students here at the college, to get help on assignments or just go over notes that I might have missed in class. I think social networking is a great tool as long as it is used in an appropriate manner.”
– Lindsey Newpher

“I think it is a good thing to have in schools because it can help with certain research papers. In my school, we had restrictions so we could not go on sites like Myspace, Facebook, and online games so students would stay on task instead of going off task.”
– Samantha Miller

“I think that social networking can be both a very good, and a very bad thing. Websites like Myspace and Facebook can be a great social tool for kids to talk to friends on. They can talk to friends in different states that they have moved away from, ask homework questions to people in their class, and be invited to social activities. There are a lot of really beneficial activities they can participate in! But bad always comes with the good. There is always the danger of predators accessing there pages. I think that as long as the proper precautions are taken and children are being supervised and informed of these dangers to look out for, that social networking is a wonderful activity!”
– Khrystine Bosland

“I like the idea of social networking for students our age. It lets me keep in touch with friends that are all over the country that I don’t get to see everyday. I don’t think it is necessary or appropriate for schools (elementary and high school) to use social networking in the classroom. I think the schools are just setting themselves up for something to go wrong. It is known that there many dangers in using these social networking sites, so I think schools should educate their students on these dangers, not bring them into the classroom.”
– Ashley Tremblay

“I love Social Networking and would like to applaud a thank you to the people that came up with such great ideas; such as Myspace and Facebook. I am originally from Michigan and love to communicate with my old friends from there. Plus, I enjoy talking to my new friends and looking at their pictures. I also like adding my own pictures and spicing up my profile with interesting facts about me. It is a great way to meet new people and stay Also, you have to be careful and understand thatJin touch with the old ones some people could be lying about stuff on their profiles and make the right decisions to either accept their friendship or not. Another positive thing about social networking is it can be great for school use; if you missed or need some assistance in a class you can search/add someone from your class and get help.”
– Lindsay Boyer

“I personally love social networking! It is a great way to keep in touch with old friends and to stay in touch with new ones as well. However, I do not believe that schools should be allowing students to use these networks during school hours. It will be too much of a distraction and take away from lecture time. Because computers should be used within school, school boards should block any access to social networks.”
– Leah Zaremba

“I think social networking is great for out of school socializing. I do not think that schools should allow them or use them for any communication but they should definitely educate students of the risks and how to avoid them. I think social networking is great for meeting people and can also be very helpful if you have missed school or don’t understand certain assignments because it is easy to find other students in your class that can help.”
– Ashley Kemler

Virtual Classrooms

Virtual Classrooms

What is a Virtual Classroom?
A Virtual Classroom is private online space in Blackboard that teachers can use to support student learning. It is accessible via the Internet, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Just like your face–to–face classroom, a Virtual Classroom is a busy place.

A Virtual Classroom might contain:

Class Activities:
Group and individual learning activities
Discussions and chats with students, parents and guests
Quizzes and surveys
Homework activities and assessment documents
Full online courses with modules of work
Forums and synchronous chat sessions
Web Quests, Hotlists, Scavenger Hunts, etc.
Class Organization:
Important information for students and parents
Calendar and timetables
Unit overviews
Student grade/mark book and criteria sheets
Student homepages

Why use a Blackboard Virtual Classroom?
Many of the activities listed here are possible to provide in other online contexts. School websites, school intranets, and personal websites are all places where staff and students can access online content. So, why use Blackboard?
You do not need web authoring skills. Content such as lesson overviews, assessment tasks, criteria sheets, links to web resources, downloadable files, worksheets, tutorials and mark books can all be easily created through the site control area of Blackboard using templates.
Curriculum resources for students are available during and outside school hours, unlike most school intranets.
Students can only access their own Virtual Classroom via a unique Learning Place username and password.
Teachers absent on sick leave or attending a professional development activity can leave work for their students in their Virtual Classroom and check progress. Students on holidays can also check in with their class.
Assessment items can be tracked through the use of self-marking quizzes and short answer items in the grade book.
Students’ progress during collaborative projects can be tracked. Students can work together conveniently after class hours.
Students can submit drafts, plans and assessment items through the digital drop box.
Promote substantive conversations and deeper understanding through discussion with invited guests

Why Wasn’t This Available Before?
During the first year in operation, The Learning Place Blackboard license was limited.
Education Queensland was committed to ensuring that online learning was developed in a supportive learning environment and our Online Learning Coordinators facilitated hundreds of courses in writing online courses.
The license has increased, as there are now over 21,000 registered users in the Learning Place.
It has become clear that many teachers do not want to develop full online learning courses. They would however, like to use the internet to support student learning and create clear and open forms of communication between the school, students, parents and community members. An Open House Trial was successfully run in Term 3, 2003 with over 120 teachers participating. Many teachers just wanted to explore Blackboard and see how this e-learning environment could support what they do in the classroom.

How to Start Your Own Virtual Classroom:
For steps to see how to set up your own virtual classroom using Blackboard please see the directions from this link:

http://education.qld.gov.au/learningplace/onlinelearning/courses/gettingstarted.html

Personal Opinions

“I think this is a great thing to have available because not everyone can attend classes. I know for me I love taking virtual classes it really helps me in the summer time. I take classes during the summer online to stay ahead.” –Samantha Miller

“I think the perks of online classes are huge. It gives so many students more opportunities to succeed in when they may be in an unusual situation. Say if they become very ill, or they have a family tragedy that might cause them to miss substantial amount of class they would be able to keep learning and being part of the class. I know I am benefit greatly from virtual classes because I am on the basketball team and by me taking virtual classes I am able to keep up with my schoolwork even if we are traveling to an away. I love virtual courses.” –Lindsey Newpher

“Virtual classrooms are great for teachers and students because they help accommodate both their lifestyles in a learning environment 24/7. They are less time consuming, and instead of meeting for a class; you just work individually or in-group effort and then you have a deadline in the end. When I am a teacher I don't think that I will be using Virtual classrooms, since I want to teach elementary students. If I was to teach older children, then I would love to teach virtually:) I think we should include those links that were apart of the article-they were very useful.” –Lindsay Boyer

“I love the idea of virtual classrooms. I work over 40 hours a week and I’m also a full-time student, so completing my work whenever I have the time is very nice. It's also very helpful not to actually have to attend an actual classroom at a certain time. It makes for a more flexible schedule. There are also disadvantages to virtual classrooms. I don’t really like the group work aspect of it. When students are required to complete assignments together it makes it very difficult. Trying to find a time to meet with all group members at one time is very hard and is next to impossible. The virtual classroom is also very impersonal and this makes it very hard to work with people over the Internet. Even through all the advantages and disadvantages, I think all teachers and students should try this new phenomenon and see if its for them.” –Ashley Tremblay

“In my opinion I think Virtual Classrooms are a great idea! I have been taking virtual classrooms for the past 2 semesters and even though at times I think it may be harder then a in person classroom, I love the fact that most of the work I can do in my own home where I can do the work on my own time by the deadline. I also think it prepares students for life after an education, where most will be expected to do their work by a deadline, where they won't have their boss by their side the whole time.” –Leah Zaremba

“I think virtual classrooms are a fascinating thing! I love being able to keep up with my work at my own pace and not worry about having to go to a classroom at a specific time each week. One thing I don’t like is the group work aspect. It is tough to get everyone on the same page when you can only type messages to him or her and wait for an answer, sometimes not until days later. I still think they are a great idea and think they are extremely beneficial!” –Khrystine Bosland

The Website We Used: http://education.qld.gov.au/learningplace/onlinelearning/virtual-classroom.html

Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality (VR) – is a cutting-edge technology that allows students to step through the computer or television screen into a three dimensional, computer-simulated world to learn.

• Places students inside of a simulated environment that looks and feels like the real world
• Students interact in VR like they interact with the real world – objects can be picked up, turned around and examined from all angles
• The learning potential of VR is great because it is “learning by doing”
• Learning requires a first-hand experience to understand- words, pictures, and videos are not enough for students to get a full understanding and learning.
• At the heart of VR is an experience

Engaged Learning
• Virtual Reality is based on “Engaged Learning”
• Students explore bodies of knowledge
• Students control learning process
• Students carry out “authentic tasks”
• Teachers use VR to create environments for exploration and experience


Understanding Virtual Reality
• Think of a child exploring a forest for the 1st time
• A child will best learn about the forest not from reading or listening, but by walking into it and becoming a part of it.
• The child is free to explore the forest any way he or she likes
• Discovery and experience are the best teacher


Unlimited Choices in Virtual Reality
• Students make real-time decisions
• Students can fly, drive, swim, or walk anywhere
• The number of possible combinations of real-time interactive choices available are infinite
• No matter how many choices are pre-computed, there are always more possibilities available
• Not possible with other computer programs since the images have been previously generated

Gear You Need For VR
VR Headset

• Lets us see new views of virtual worlds as we turn our heads
  
• Three-dimensional depth perception is created by “stereoscopy,” where slightly different views of the same image appear to each eye

VR Glove

Students see their hand in the virtual world, enabling them to pick up and manipulate objects

• Provide a new, natural way to interact and communicate with the computer

Head Tracking

A tracking mechanism registers any head motion by the student

When a student moves her head, the scene changes accordingly, just as in real life

VR Stereo Sound

• Recognizing objects in the virtual world through 3-D sound greatly adds to the realism of the VR experience
  
• The volume of an airplane in a virtual world decreases as it moves away from you, just as in real life.

Virtual Reality and Students

• The age old problem: how to better involve students in their studies
• New ways must be found to engage students
• The videogame era has changed students’ attention spans
  Students have a great natural interest in VR

Virtual Reality and Teachers

• New teaching methods must be pioneered to relieve growing burdens on teachers
• Teachers assist and guide while students explore and discover
• No distractions in the learning environment when students have VR headset on
• Students are focused on learning

Virtual Reality Costs

• VR is now based on off the shelf PC’s: every school can now afford to use it
• VR Headsets $500 - $1,300
• PC $500
• Graphics Card $140
• VR Glove $130

Opinions

Leah Zaremba: I think Virtual Reality is a great method; every teacher should take into consideration and start applying it more to their courses! I defiantly believe I would have learned a lot more throughout school if I were able to be more active in learning. It makes it more interesting and students will want to learn instead of feeling as if they have to.


Ashley Tremblay: I would suggest that all teachers try to incorporate virtual reality into their classrooms, if they are given the materials needed. Virtual reality is a great new technology that brings a new aspect and view to the classroom. It is something that will grab a students’ attention and keep it throughout the entire lesson. I will definitely use virtual reality in my future classroom.

Samantha Miller: I think that virtual reality is a good source to have in the classroom because it opens up some doors for exploration of teaching.

Khrystine Bosland: I never had access to virtual reality when I was in school. If that had been available to me growing up, I think I would have been more interested in learning. I am a hand on learner and VR is an activity that you learn through doing. I think it is a great educational breakthrough!

Lindsey Newpher: have never really heard of virtual reality in classrooms, but I have experienced learning through virtual reality. When I was in junior high I went to a science museum and actually wore one of these virtual reality shields, I got to explore the solar system as if I was an astronaut. I really enjoyed it and it kept my attention because it you actually feeling like you are there. If I were able to have this type of equipment in my class, I would definitely incorporate it into my curriculum

“I hear and I forget. I see and I understand. I do and I remember.” – Confucius

Steaming Video

What is steaming video? Streaming media is the simultaneous transfer of digital media (video, voice and data). Streaming video is a sequence of "moving images" that are sent in compressed form over the Internet and displayed by the viewer as they arrive. Streaming media is streaming video with sound.

How does it work? Streamed data is transmitted by a server application, and received and displayed in real-time by client applications such as the Microsoft's Windows Media Player or the QuickTime Player. These applications can start displaying video or playing back audio as soon as enough data has been received and stored in the receiving station's buffer

Some benefits of streaming video:

• •Allows teachers to make their own videos from previous material
• •It allows students to learn by a different method other than lecture or reading.
• •Helps prepare students who may work in a job field where streaming video is used, thus preparing them for their future.
• •Video Streaming is available schools all over the country.
• •Video Streaming content is usually current.
• •With content accessible from anywhere, lessons are simple to plan from home.

Some disadvantages of streaming video:

• •There are so many different videos available; it could take a teacher an enormous amount of time to find a video that is appropriate to use in the classroom.
• •Teachers have to be aware of the content that is shown on the video. It might not be age appropriate.
• •If the internet server is busy, a teacher might not be able to access the internet on that given day.

Steps for using Streaming Video:

• A simple keyword or concept search of the database can locate grade- and subject-specific content in science, social studies, language arts, math, and health.
• Each video is indexed, which gives the option of viewing the entire program or watching a shorter clip.

Article Website:
http://www.ripbs.org/Education/video_streaming.html

How teachers can use Video Streaming in the classroom.
http://www.ripbs.org/Education/VideoStreaming/vs.mov

Podcasting in the Classroom




What is Podcasting?

-Podcasting is a term used to describe a compilation of technologies for automatically distributing audio and video programs over the internet.

-Using Podcasting in the "real world" enables independent producers to create self-published, syndicated radio shows, and gives broadcast radio or television programs a new distribution method.

-Podcasting in the Classroom is the use of language to produce child centered content. Teachers and students can use podcasting to hold interviews, talk about research, interpret news stories, read aloud, or respond to literature.

The possibilities are as limited as the student and teachers imaginations!




What are the benefits of using podcasting in the Classroom?

-Podcasting is thrilling because anyone can get involved, express themselves, exchange ideas, or pitch their products. Whatever interests students have, there is a place for them in podcasting.

-Podcasting puts the power to communicate into the hands of the individuals.

-Thousands of people are already involved, each as unique as their podcast.

-The price of using podcasting is some basic equipment and a desire to communicate - that's all!

-Students can learn skills that will be valuable in the working environment, such as communication, time management, and problem-solving

-By using podcasting in the classroom, it teaches students how to research, how to communicate in print, and also how to speak effectively and hold peoples attention with sound.

-By learning these valuable tools at an early age it can only increase their chances of success in the future, as the world becomes more technologically advanced!





How to create a podcast:

-First, you will want to record sound using a digital audio recorder or an MP3 player with a recording function. Some options for these devices would be an iPod or a microphone. You can also completely eliminate this step by recording directly onto your computer's hard drive via the machine's imbedded microphone.

-Secondly, you will transfer the sound from your recording device to your computer.

-Next you will need to edit the sound and add music, voice-overs, or other audio elements. You can do this by using production software such as open-source software like Audacity.

-Then you will want to compress the finished product into an MP3 format.

-And lastly, you will post the audio on a Web server.

Podcasts are relatively easy to create, so it enables students and teachers to use this new technology!





How to use Podcasts in a Classroom setting:

-The first idea for using podcasting involves the idea of "Radio Stations".

-"Radio Stations" is just that. Radio stations are used within the class that students work at to research and create the elements of your "Radio"/Podcast broadcast.

-The teacher could separate the class into several groups and then work with each group as needed.(FYI: It is suggested that the teacher uses thorough modeling and explanation of what is expected for each "Radio Station").

-Depending on grouping selections, or if the teacher lets the kids choose based on their own interests, make sure that students rotate to different stations after each podcast is produced.





Equipment Needed for Podcasting

-A computer with an internet connection and a big enough hard drive to hold your podcasts.

-A separate microphone. FYI: Many laptops come with already built-in microphones, but the sound quality is very low. So it would be wise to buy a separate microphone so you can obtain a high-quality sound.





Link to the article we used:

http://chatt.hdsb.ca/~magps/boylit/Podcasting%20in%20Education

Mutlimedia In The Classroom

What is Multimedia?
Multimedia is sequential or simultaneous use of a variety of media formats in a given presentation or self-study program. This variety of formats can include an integration of text, graphics, animation, sound, and/or video. Multimedia includes activities that directly engage the students in using multimedia to construct and convey knowledge.

Examples of Multimedia:

• Students using concept-mapping software (such as Inspiration) to brainstorm.
• Students using a spreadsheet or graphing calculator to record data and produce charts.
• A small group of students creating a digital movie to demonstrate a procedure.
• A class website that displays student artwork.
• Students scanning their hands and importing the images into PowerPoint for a presentation about fingerprints.
• Powerpoint is a great way to make presentations/lectures more interesting.

Why Use Multimedia in the Classroom?
Multimedia activities encourage students to express creativity and knowledge in multiple ways. It encourages students to not only work in groups and express their knowledge, but to also problem solve, revise their own work, and construct knowledge. Some other advantages that are linked to multimedia include:

• Real-world skills related to technology.
• The value of teamwork.
• Effective collaboration techniques.
• The impact and importance of different media.
• The challenges of communicating to different audiences.
• How to present information in compelling ways.
• Techniques for synthesizing and analyzing complex content.
• The importance of research, planning, and organization skills.
• The significance of presentation and speaking skills.
• How to accept and provide constructive feedback.
• How to express their ideas creatively.

However, there some minor disadvantages related to multimedia because there are constraints when it comes to technological resources, both hardware and software. It is also imperative to have adequate technological skills, for both the students and teacher. When it comes to the time required to plan, design, develop, and evaluate multimedia activities, there is also an issue because of intricate multimedia can be.

What Steps are Involved in Implementing Multimedia Activities?

Implementing multimedia activities in a classroom environment requires some planning.
Issues that will surface:

• What are the goals of the activity?
• Which standards and benchmarks will be addressed?

To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you're going so that you better understand where you are now so that the steps you take are always in the right direction. – Steven Covey in “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”

Adopting that advice to the implementation of multimedia activities means that you should begin by determining the desired outcomes and defining how they will be measured and then design the learning activity. This is often referred to as "Backward Design" since the process begins with outcomes and assessment measures.

Personal Thoughts on Multimedia

"All of us in this class will be part of a new age of teachers and multimedia will more than likely play a major role in our classrooms. I plan on using multimedia in my classroom I think that it is a great thing and can only help students learn."

"Overall I think integrating multimedia technology in the classroom is neccessary. In today's world, everything is technology based and it is essential that young students build their knowledge of these skills earlier on in their school career. I will definitely use multimedia in my classroom because it is a great way to change things up a bit and teaches students the neccessary skills to excel in today's society."

Links

• http://fcit.usf.edu/multimedia/overview/overviewb.html

How WIKIS Work

What is a Wiki?

Wikis perform a very useful service in a simple way. A wiki allows a group of people to enter and communally edit bits of text. These bits of text can be viewed and edited by anyone who visits the wiki.
This simplicity and the utter openness of a wiki cause many people to instantly reject the idea. They assume that because anyone can edit a wiki at any time, the wiki must be flawed. But wiki supporters claim this is an incorrect assumption.
A wiki is nothing but a collection of Web pages interconnected with each other through internal links.

Introduction to How Wikis Work

The most famous example of a wiki is called "Wikipedia", a massive online encyclopedia. Wikipedia has become so large (more than a million articles) that you run across it all the time in the search engine "Google".

The Creation of Wikipedia Pages

At the top of the page in Wikipedia, you see a tab that says, "Edit this page." That is a wide-open invitation to anyone – any visitor to Wikipedia (including you) can edit any page.
The idea that anyone can come to Wikipedia and edit any page at any time and do so with complete anonymity is extremely disconcerting.
Obvious questions arise immediately:

*What if the person doing the typing has no idea what he/she is talking about?

*What if the person is a vandal and inserts profanity?

*What if the person is a vandal and either completely erases the page or corrupts it?

*What if the person is a spammer from a porn site who adds porn links and pictures to the page?

>The key thing that makes a wiki work is its community.<

Understanding a Wiki Community

Each person who arrives is able to play one or more roles on the site. For example:

*The large majority of people who visit Wikipedia are readers. They arrive at Wikipedia for whatever reason and read one or more articles.

*Some people who visit Wikipedia become writers. They add a new section to an existing article or create a brand new article.

*Many people act as editors. If they see an error on a page they are reading, they correct it. If they can make a small addition that is helpful, they will do it on the spot.

*Several hundred visitors who have been contributing to Wikipedia for a period of time are granted administrator privileges. These privileges give them the right to do things like deleting and un-deleting pages, blocking and unblocking IP addresses, etc.

Writers, editors, and administrator’s work together to solve almost all of the problems that you would expect to arise in an open platform like Wikipedia.

Experiment: Changing a Page

The number one best way to understand how a wiki community works is to "Test it out Yourself" and go to a place like Wikipedia and add something. The Wikipedia community will react to your change in some way. Your change could be accepted, altered, or rejected by the community. This is how pages on Wikipedia are expanding and changing all the time.

Community Tools

Wikipedia has a more personal tool called a Watchlist. By adding that page to your watchlist, you will get notified every time the page changes.

*Each page in Wikipedia has a Revision History that anyone can see.

*A list of all changed pages is also compiled on a Recent Changes page. Anyone can go to this page at any time to see all of the pages that are changing in Wikipedia.

Vandalism and Edit Wars

It is easy for a person to vandalize Wikipedia. However, there are tools that make it easy for the community to find and remove vandalism. For example:

*It is easy for anyone who sees vandalism to revert pages back to a pre-vandalism state.

*It is easy for any user to alert the rest of the Wikipedia community to vandalism that is in progress.

*It is possible for an administrator to block or ban users (or IP addresses) who are persistently destructive.

*It is possible for an administrator to protect a page temporarily to keep people from changing it.

*It is possible for an administrator to delete an inappropriate page.

A subtler, less intentional form of vandalism, called an "edit war," can also occur on a wiki. In an edit war, two or more people edit or revert pages over and over again in order to express their point of view.
Edit wars can happen on any wiki, but on a large wiki like Wikipedia, they can reach epic proportions. The best way to understand an edit war is to look at a battleground page and use it as an example – Wikipedia's page about George W. Bush, for example.
It is easy to understand why the George W. Bush page might be a battleground. There are many people who love George W. Bush, and there are many people who despise him. Edit wars like this are completely natural and to be expected.
Both parties have to reach consensus on the page, and that eventually causes the page to achieve a neutrality and objectivity that satisfies both parties.

Many Topics, Many Wikis

There are thousands of other wikis on the Internet now. As a genre, wiki sites are growing rapidly. Here are several examples:
*WikiTravel
*WikiHow
*Wiktionary
*SwitchWiki - a large directory of wikis
Virtually any topic with any sort of active community can, in theory, support a wiki. A wiki gives the community a way to gather information together and modify it as things change.
It is now common to see wikis used inside corporations and organizations. It is quite likely that wikis and other community-based efforts will grow rapidly as people become familiar and more comfortable with the concept.

Wikis in the Classrooms

"Using Wikipedia would be a helpful search tool in the classroom. Teachers could use this resource to create virtual field trips, storyboards, etc. Students could use this sight to do research on the web (with the correct controls of websites). I feel that Wiki could play an important but also a safe role for the classroom," explains Miller.

"I definitely think that Wiki is a very good tool to have in a classroom. It is a good tool to use for research. You could also let older children actually publish on Wiki. I feel that is a tool you can teach young children how to use and then they can carry it on with them as they get older," states Newpher.

Links

• 
  
  http://computer.howstuffworks.com/wiki.htm


• 
  
  Wikipedia.org

Digital Imagery/Photography

Teaching Digital Photography
Digital cameras are becoming more and more popular, especially for classroom use. They have many advantages: pictures are immediately available, pictures are saved in graphic format, and they are easily transferred from the camera to the computer.

Photography is not just about pointing and pressing a button; it's a decision-making process. One of the best reasons for working photography into your activities and projects is that it helps kids better understand the media images they're bombarded with every day.

Photography is also just plain fun, and it's a wonderful foundation for community-based projects. If you introduce photography properly, it helps kids look much more carefully at the world around them. Kids understand media images when photography is involved.

Digital imagery and photography is also a great way for teachers to get their students to interact more and "think out of the box." By taking pictures of shapes, objects, and even cultures around them, they can learn more hands on. There are several different ways teachers can use digital photography in their lesson plans and it creates yet another way to break up their lesson plans with fun activities!

Using Digital Photography in Your Classroom
Photography helps students that are visual learners see what they are learning. This type of activity helps kids see the world around them through a different perspective and can also help them be more creative with projects.

Handling the Digital Camera

Step 1: Model by randomly snapping pictures while talking about the project or just talking (w/the camera strap around your neck-be a good role model).

Step 2: Next, model how to pair-share or hand the camera. Plus, show how much you trust the kids with the camera.

Step 3: Demonstrate the pair-share in front of the class using the correct word, such as "hand".

Step 4: Now make a circle on the floor and have all the children participate in a huge pair-sharing experience.

Lesson Plan Ideas
1. Geometric shapes in the real world
Students investigate their surroundings looking for objects/shapes they have been learning about in Geometry.
Have students take pictures of buildings, goal posts, parking lot lines, busses, etc and make flashcards for each shape.
You can take the pictures and give them to students and ask them to find how many of a specific shape are in that picture (think of how many rectangles appear when you take a picture of the front of your school).

2. Create a Photo Book Report
In addition to writing an essay, have your students include photographs of themselves posing as the characters in their story. Edit the photos (if necessary) and insert them into a PowerPoint presentation. 3 branches of government? Pose your students as presidents, judges, and senators and then use those pictures in a PowerPoint organizational chart.

3. Ancient Culture vs. Modern Day
Have students take pictures of modern day objects and compare them to pictures of those same objects from ancient times.

4. Alphabet Photo Book
Have students brainstorm the names of objects that start with each letter of the alphabet. Assign each student a different letter and have him or her take pictures of objects that start with their letter.
Add these to a PowerPoint presentation or scrapbook and show it to parents at Open House. It would make a very nice addition if you took a picture of each student and added that picture to their PowerPoint slide or scrapbook page.

5. Community History – History is All Around Us
Assign students to go out and take pictures of historic or civic buildings, senior citizens, local collections, antiques, and even headstones.
Use these pictures in a PowerPoint presentation or even put together a time capsule full of pictures.
Personal Opinions
“As a student I know I learn better through the eye. I would much rather look at something and learn about it, rather then just sit and listen about something. Much more fun! Learning to use the digital camera to take pictures allows students to learn "out side the box". Teachers can take the time necessary to teach the students the proper way to work the camera and respect the camera this way the camera is taken care of. The camera can become a new way of learning.” -Leah Zaremba

Virtual Field Trips

What exactly is a Virtual Field Trip?
A virtual field trip is a field trip that you can do right in your own classroom. It gives you the same benefits as a regular field trip except for leaving the classroom. Virtual field trips can get students out of the classroom without ever opening the door. They are designed to be entertaining and educational.

Where can you go on a Virtual field trip?
You can go anywhere with a virtual field trip. Students can take a trip around globe right from the comfort and convenience of the desk in the classroom they go to everyday. You can explore other planets or follow researchers across the frozen terrain of Antarctica. The Internet gives you so many choices to help your children learn more about everything and anything. With all the advances in technology virtual field trips make so much sense.

How can you create a virtual field trip?
Anyone who is computer literate can create a virtual field trip. "It's as simple as taking a camera with you on a normal field trip outside the classroom." All you have to do is upload several photos of the topic you want to explore on your trip and add them to your class website. Its as easy as that!

Benefits of Virtual Field Trips:

• Schools will save money, because when you take a actual field trip, you have to be able to take a bus and be able to pay for the gas for that bus and sometimes kids have to pay admission to get into certain places.
• Teachers don't have to worry about finding enough chaperons to accompany the kids on trips.
• Virtual field trips can take kids to places they never dreamed of visiting. For example the Mars, the Grand Cannon, Antarctica, or even Time Square in New York City.

Some Personal Thoughts On Virtual Field Trips?

"As an aspiring teacher I definitely plan on using virtual field trips in my classroom. Hopefully this blog will help other aspiring teachers or current teacher the see the limitless possibilities in their classrooms with virtual field trips." Below is a link to a website with valuable information on virtual field trips.

Links To Virtual Field Trip sites:

http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech071.shtml

Storyboarding Multimedia

-What is a storyboard?
A storyboard is a plan for teaching and learning activities. For example, one can use visual aids, audio voices, and videos.

-What are the advantages of using storyboarding?
Some advantages to storyboarding are that they help show the "total content" of the program. Also by using storyboards, problems with the program can be spotted more easily, which will save time and money in the long run.
Storyboarding also helps speed up the Content-writing phase because this phase is the most unpredictable. Storyboarding helps the creator view the project as a whole (a bigger picture) rather than several different pieces of the program.
Beware:
Storyboarding is not a substitute for paper-based documentation. It's more of an aid to help better your program (lesson) and helps you sort out the kinks before you present the program/lesson.

I really like the idea of using storyboarding in the classroom because it helps teacher look at the bigger picture, helps sort out the problems with the lesson before its given, and it also adds another dimension to teaching with technology.

If you would like to visit the article and read more about storyboarding the link is:

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/adrian_mallon_multimedia/story.htm

Using Blogs to Integrate Technology in the Classroom

In October 2006, an article was published by “Teaching Today”, an on-line website that provides teachers with lesson plans and teaching tips that can help them in the classroom. The featured article was “Using Blogs to Integrate Technology in the Classroom”, and provided useful information and insight to the future education and teaching has in the world of technology and blogging.

What is a blog?
Blog (blŏg) – noun or verb used like journals and diaries on-line; include text, artwork, links to other blogs or Web sites, and a whole array of other content; read by others and can be commented on; postings are usually in reverse chronological order; Synonym: weblog
“The assignment was posted on the teacher’s blog.”; “I had to blog the teacher for help on the assignment.”
Blogger – noun any contributor to a blog
Blogging – verb the process of creating or maintaining a blog
Multi-Blog – an on-line “conversation” taking place between several blogs

User Friendly Technology
Blogs are surprisingly easy to use and convenient for teachers and students. They require minimum technical knowledge and are quickly and easily created and maintained. Blogs are very convenient for students because they are accessible from any home or library computer with Internet.

Educational Benefits of Blogs
· Motivational
· Easy to Use
· Effective form for collaboration and discussions
· Excellent opportunities for outside of classroom learning and teaching

Using the Blog in the Classroom
Blogs can serve at least four basic functions.
1. Classroom Management – post important class announcements and assignments
2. Collaboration – getting together to further education in cooperative learning activities
3. Discussions – open time to discuss various topics
4. Student Portfolios – organization and developing work

Blog Risks to Consider
**School districts have guidelines and acceptable use policies (AUP) regarding the use of school and division-wide computer networks and the Internet. These terms and conditions identify acceptable online behavior and access privileges. Policies regarding the displaying of any student work must be adhered to strictly. Take the necessary steps to secure parental permission before using the blog in a participatory manner.
**Blogs can be viewed publicly! Students need to be trained on issues regarding access, privacy, security, and free expression.
**Content of blogs should be recognized as the opinion of the blogger, and, therefore, may not necessarily be factual!

Preparing Students for Blogging
· Determine that all students are aware of the AUPs and they agree to abide by them.
· Secure parental permission and inform parents of procedures.
· Teach students safe, acceptable, and sensible behavior as online authors and readers.
· Teach the non-posting rules of no complete names, e-mail accounts, or references to reveal location.
· Set clear expectations and consequences regarding tone and respect.

Steps for Getting Started on Blogs
1. Go to one of the available free blogging sites (Blogger at http://www.blogger.com/ is very popular)
2. Provide the necessary information requested. (username and password)
3. Create a title for your blog.
4. Accept terms
5. Select a template
6. Publish!

Blogging for Us – The Teachers of the Future!
Blogging is increasingly becoming more and more popular with students all over the country. Websites like Myspace and Facebook are based on the same ideas as blogging. In the future teachers may be able to save time and avoid plagiarism through providing and accepting assignments through a blogging system. Overall, this article provided us with effective information on using blogs in the classroom and provided information that makes it easy to apply to our future curriculums.