EDL 518 Spring 08

Merry Christmas

2010-12-18T13:09:00.001-08:00

Merry Montage Christmas

Visit Shutterfly.com for classic photo Christmas cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Presentations

2008-04-16T11:30:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed the presentations on Sunday! There were some great ideas that sparked some things I would like to use/do for our building to recognize accomplishments that are in the building. Thanks to everyone for sharing. It seems like there is a lot of technology out there that we can use to make school more fun, efficient, and educated in the field of technology. Those presentations are things that students would have a great time making and viewing let alone a school board seeing a thank you or information on what is going on in the school district. Instead of just "hearing" about what is going on, they can actually "see" it!

The best is yet to come my friend

2008-04-16T09:45:00.000-07:00

This class has been a great experience. Educators need to be able to utilize technology and incorporate it into their daily lives and classrooms. How better can you get a child's attention and get them interested in a subject. The ability to create something special and to keep a digital copy forever is exciting.

presentations

2008-04-16T08:45:00.000-07:00

It was really neat to see the different multimedia presentations on Sunday- but as we discussed, I think it needs to be specifically mentioned that the presentations should be something other than a powerpoint.

Kevin's animation presentation was AWESOME!!! Thank you for sharing!

Kim Komando

2008-04-16T08:43:00.000-07:00

I love the site of the day from Kim Komando! I have been playing Magic Pen...and telling everyone about it. (My assistant principal was even playing it after work yesterday...) Too cool!

Presentations

2008-04-13T20:25:00.001-07:00

The presentations were very entertaining and informative. Everyone did a nice job using the technology and I was very impressed with the variety of videos that were presented. These presentations are a great way to usher new technology into our schools.

Last Sunday Class

2008-04-13T16:36:00.000-07:00

Today was interesting watching all of the multi media presentations. Since some people utilized movie maker while others focused on power points I get to see the real differences between the two. It was hard not to notice how much more attentive I felt when individuals were using multiple means of media. I need to remember this feeling as a current classroom teacher and future administrator.

Last Weekend

2008-04-13T14:53:00.000-07:00

Again this weekend provided some valuable information for future administrators. The websites from Saturday each hold resources and information that will assist any principal.

Today's multimedia presentations were great. I can see many ways in which moviemaker or another program will be helpful in presenting information to school boards, rotary groups or even staff at a staff meeting.

Overall this course was quite insightful. I learned a lot about a variety of topics - most of which will help me as an administrator. Thanks.

Last Sunday

2008-04-13T14:31:00.000-07:00

The multimedia presentation showed me many ways that they could be used both as an administrator and as a teacher. Each person had their own unique idea. Using still animation was a great idea. It seems to be a form of media that students of all ages could utilize.

Sunday-final session

2008-04-13T12:34:00.000-07:00

During the final class session, I got to see many different ideas for the mulitmedia projects. Each project was unique and gave me many ideas to use. Looking back at EDL518, I have been given many different tools to use in the classroom. These tools will be very valuable. I have more confidence in using these tools than I did at the beginning of the class.

Thirs weekend

2008-04-13T11:31:00.000-07:00

I forgot to blog yesterday, so I will combine my comments for Saturday and Sunday. While I love my mp3 player for music, I had not discovered it's full potential until this class. Being able to listen to journal articles on my mp3 player opens a new world of possibilities.
On Sunday, there was dual value to the projects. Creating the project pushed me to learn about using technology that was new to me in innovative ways. From the future administrator point of view, watching the other demonstrations helped me learn about innovative things that are happening in other districts.

Thank You!!

2008-04-13T09:54:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed watching everyone's presentations. It was helpful to see what others have done to inspire me to do more. I came away with a lot of new ideas and notes on what I can do next. I feel the multi-media presentations can make a huge impact with a variety of audiences. What a great tool to "Show Off" what we do in education and what we are teaching our children. I can't wait to create a presentation for my board to show what we do in early childhood! Thank you Dr. Closen!!!!

Thank You!

2008-04-13T09:48:00.000-07:00

I truly have learned so much about technology. While I was terrified of facing some of the new technology, I have conquered the fear and am now excited to use it in the classroom! The movie maker proved to be an invaluable tool and a new way to get people excited about learning. Thank you!

Last Sunday

2008-04-13T08:27:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed all of the multimedia presentations. I was introduced to many more concepts that I didn't know about. There are so many things to do with multimedia, and I think I have just barely scratched the surface of the capablilities! This is my last class, so I am so thrilled to be finished! Great class to end the program with!

Blog

2008-04-13T07:26:00.001-07:00

I was really excited to figure out how to get videos on my Blog without using Utube. It will be great to work more on this and get it ready to go for next school year. I also will continue to work on my wiki so that I can use it with my classes next fall. I did find that teacher tube does not have the selection that utube has for videos. I will have to keep searching.

Last Saturday

2008-04-13T07:13:00.000-07:00

The activity that we did on researching all of the website was insightful! I didn't know about everything that was out there for administrators! I appreciate the time we had to work on finishing things up, and it was helpful for Dr. Closen to be there to offer his support. Good day!

Bloging

2008-04-13T07:11:00.000-07:00

I'm really enjoying my blog. I find it really easy to use and mine is set up for family members to talk to each other. I can see how the wiki page would be very handy for an education setting. As an administrator I wouldn't mind having other administrators in the district share information back and forth.

Audio Education

2008-04-13T07:06:00.000-07:00

I liked the audio education podcasts. At $100-$190 a year that is a cheap professional development tool. Teachers who were not present at the meeting would still be able to listen to the speaker. I would not want to listen to all of the tracks in one meeting but it would allow someone to pick and choose the applicable tracks to spur on discussion and collaborate on solutions.

Late start

2008-04-13T07:01:00.000-07:00

It was great to sleep late this morning. It really has helped my outlook on the day. Thank you.

Online Ed

2008-04-13T06:58:00.000-07:00

Online education is an excellent source of information for administrators, especially with their busy schedules. It is an opportunity to receive information while traveling from location to location or to home. The information can be sliced to use for staff development also. Good product for a reasonable price.

4/12/08

2008-04-13T06:40:00.000-07:00

Wikis, blogs, podcast...what great tools I never knew about until this class. You can be assured that I will be using them. The wiki seems especially addicting to me since I figured it all out.
The websites that we visited in class hold much valuable information that I did not know was out there as well and will be utilizing them now that I am aware.

April 12 class session

2008-04-13T06:39:00.000-07:00

Today's class session showed me the creativity you can have with your wiki pages. The examples that were presented in class demonstrated how creative some people are with their wiki pages. The examples were excellent displays of what you can do with wiki pages. I will use those pages as references to revise or create new wikis of mine.

Wow! Wikis!

2008-04-13T06:16:00.000-07:00

I thought that the wiki's that were shared in class were way cool! I was impressed with how others are using these in their class. I taught middle school for 6 years and I think that it would have been great to have a wiki for my students. I decided to use my wiki with my special education students as a way to teach computer skills. We'll see how it goes!

Wiki-mania!

2008-04-13T00:23:00.000-07:00

I think that wiki's are a great teaching tool/social device and a way for people to express themselves. I really thought that the wiki's that everyone showed this morning were good considering a lot of us are creating them for the first time. You could really get the feel that some people are getting into it and see the wiki as another teaching device. I am going to get my students a login next week and get them up and running! Thanks for sharing your wikis today all of you.

Wikis

2008-04-12T18:33:00.000-07:00

The wiki presentations this morning were great. It was nice to see a variety of uses for the wiki pages. Being able to view the pages of classmates provided me with some great ideas for additions to my wiki. Excellent work

Websites, wikis, and blogs

2008-04-12T17:42:00.001-07:00

I think that the website pages that we visited today will prove to be invaluable to us as administrators. Speaking for me, I have a feeling that I will be slightly overwhelmed :) the first months of being a principal. Having the knowledge of where to find the help and the information ahead of time will be wonderful! Seeing other people's wikis today was a great learning tool and a bit of an inspiration. I have learned alot today that will be beneficial not only as an administrator, but also now as a teacher. See you tomorrow!

Web sites

2008-04-12T13:22:00.000-07:00

I feel the web sites that were shared will be very helpful as future administrators. I am glad that we are able to have such easy access to such important information. I learned about a couple new sites from class mates as well. I feel our time working together and networking will also be helpful in the future as it was for this class as well.

Less Frustrated

2008-04-12T12:36:00.000-07:00

Well I'm getting there. I feel like I've been exposed to a lot of technology and have a good start on understanding how to approach a blog and wiki. There's still a lot for me to learn, but its been fun looking at classmates work. It's like most of the things I'd like to try it just takes setting aside time to sit down and practice.

Thanks to all the classmates that answered my emails with additional help.

Saturday April 12

2008-04-12T12:33:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed seeing fellow classmates' wikis. It was very helpful and motivating! I am really excited to use my blog and wikis in my classroom. It will be a tool I will use and share with other staff members in my building.

Professional Websites

2008-04-12T12:31:00.001-07:00

Reviewing and talking about the many professional websites was great. Many of them I did not know about. The information available at these sites is an asset to administrators and students going through the EDL program.

Blog

2008-04-12T12:28:00.000-07:00

I think my favorite, yet most challenging assignment that I did in this class was the blog page. It has been something that I have utilized in my own classroom. I had my students do a podcast and then uploaded it onto the blog for parents and other stakeholders to view. It has been very beneficial and I hope to hear more feedback from those who view it!

surplus of information

2008-04-12T12:26:00.000-07:00

If I had to summarize today I think I would have to comment on all of the resourceful websites we visited as student groups. Specfically, I had the chance to take a closer look at the school board web site. Since this was site geared towards school board members, I probably never would have taken the time to explore it for information useful for me. However, there were lots of links on school laws and guidelines for administrative evaluations. I need to remember there is a plethora of educational resources and I need to always be looking to learn.

Saturday April 12

2008-04-12T11:53:00.000-07:00

The wiki pages were very cool, I hope that I am eventually able to get my own wiki where it can benefit me and my classroom.

Lance Hawkins

WIKI

2008-04-12T06:28:00.001-07:00

I really enjoyed doing the WIKI page because I now use the one I created in my classroom. I will keep adding to it, but for now it has everything that my students and parents will need for the 4th quarter in Social Studies.
I look forward to extending it to other subjects and allowing other teachers to use it as well.

Organization

2008-04-12T06:16:00.000-07:00

Access is a useful program if your job description requires you to use it. I do not see myself using it at all in the future. However, I like the idea of what the program can do with spreadsheets and data.

Blog/Wiki/Podcasts

2008-04-09T17:04:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed the group web site. It was a great way to look at more resources. I look forward to making my own wiki and blog. I really had fun making the podcast and look forward to making more on my own. What a great tool to learn.

Spreadsheets

2008-04-09T17:02:00.000-07:00

I found the spreadsheets to be frustrating. I am learning more and more. It has taken me some time but I think I am learning and learning the formulas will be a great tool with budgets.

New Vocab

2008-04-09T17:01:00.001-07:00

I always find new things very interesting. The new vocabulary I learned today was very interesting and made me wonder what will technology look like in just a few years. I look forward to learning more this semester!

Sunday Class

2008-04-06T08:49:00.001-07:00

Learning to use Access was confusing but it would be beneficial if you had the time to set everything up. Learning how to do the Wiki page was a fun thing. I have enjoyed learning how to navigate through the Wiki page and hopefully have a very useful tool for our team.

2008-04-06T08:46:00.001-07:00

Saturday the review of Excel was a good thing. It made me remember and reflect on the assignments I had done. If we wouldn't have reviewed, I think that I may have totally forgotten how to do it. However, with the review, I was able to remember and go back. Then, at school this past week, I was able to go right to Excel and create some of these types of documents for my job.

I also liked Saturday experiencing the Podcast and seeing how that could be used in a classroom setting. It is something I have access to on my computer at school and all of our computers in the lab have Garageband as well. Hopefully, it is something we will be able to use in our classrooms soon.

Web Pages

2008-04-05T18:18:00.000-07:00

I want to thank Dr. Closen for providing me with a new addiction! Creating the blogs and wiki pages has been so much fun! I am still working on them because I have had to limit myself on time or I would be up all night playing around with them! I also really liked going through the iGoogle webpage. It has a lot of fun and interesting add-ons. I recently found a similar thing on yahoo called widgets. The widgets I have are on my desktop and stay on my desktop as long as I am online or if I close them. I guess now if anyone asks me how I relax I can say I creat blogs and wiki's! :-)

Microsoft Access

2008-04-05T18:16:00.000-07:00

I was very overwhelmed with Access but in a good way...because it can do so much! I was amazed at the capabilities of that program. I hope that the activity page that was put up for us to 'play' with Access will stay up for a while. I think that going through that tutorial and taking trying some of the assessments would be very helpful. Learn by doing!

Sunday EDL 518

2008-04-05T13:11:00.000-07:00

I had the same reaction to access as many others in the class. I think the real benefit of this class is being forced to leave our technology comfort zone. I was inspired after one of our classes to create an excel spreadsheet to report scores for teachers and students for our ACT practice test. ( I would be happy to share it if anyone else runs a practice ACT at their school.) This week my brave move was to learn how to convert dvd so it can be used in moviemaker. I knew I could do these thing if I tried, I just needed the push.

Sunday Class

2008-04-05T12:46:00.000-07:00

Access is a great tool and it was interesting to learn about, but without being able to use it on my Mac, application at this time is not possible. I will keep it to file for future use in my career as it has many possibilities with the right computer. It never ceases to amaze me what all is out there if one is only exposed to it and open to try. I have gained much new insight from this class and many new skills that are beneficial to my current and future job(s).

open sources

2008-04-03T08:10:00.000-07:00

For the first time, I just really had a chance to look for available programs that are open sources. Why is it not more well known just how many opportunities are out there on the internet for free programs? I remember someone in class making the comment that people stay away from open sources because of fear with viruses and spyware. However, free is free. I wish I would have known about a lot of this stuff when I was an undergrad.

microsoft access

2008-04-03T06:47:00.000-07:00

I was really amazed at everything one could do with the microsoft access program. At first, I thought it was simply a program very similar to excel. However, I couldn't believe how many different ways information could be sorted and viewed. I can definitely see how it would be a very useful tool if a person was dealing with an incredible amount of informaton.

Access

2008-04-02T18:53:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed learning more about Access. (I was even happier to learn the tutorial and assignment were optional - thanks Dr. Closen). Access is powerful software, but I'm not sure it's very practical for day-to-day use.

I appreciate the ease of use of these programs - I just wish I could devote a lot more time to discovery and play!

Multimedia Project

2008-03-31T19:43:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot to blog my second response. I am sort of stuggling getting my presentation put together being that I have to make pictures out of Inspiration webs. I am however having fun playing around with the software (audacity, photostory 3, and windows movie maker). It is amazing what you can do with free software. I am going to start making photostories of my sons pictures so the grandparents can see them, I am also going to use my Wiki for my classes.

class 3/30

2008-03-31T14:50:00.000-07:00

I continue to be surprised by the ease of which some of the programs that we are exploring are used. The wiki page and the blog page that we are creating all are set up in a way that makes it easy and kind of fun and challenging to navigate and create. Before we had done these assignments I was a little apprehensive about the difficulty some of these programs would pose to the user. Blog pages and wiki pages are a great way to keep students and parents informed on the things taking place in the classroom. I could see using a blog as an extra credit device where you might have a question of the day and an optional response to those that choose to comment on the question. It also gives parent and students a nice way of finding out some information on the teacher and some activities and links that may be to educatiional sites that would coincide with the lessons that are being taught in class.
-Dave Martin

March 30th class

2008-03-31T14:45:00.000-07:00

I thought the information presented on Access was very interesting. It was neat to see what you can do with access. I don't know how viable it would be in a classroom setting because we have apple computers and not PC. I was also glad we learned how to download different things to our wiki's. That was a lot of fun!

Class 3/29

2008-03-31T14:42:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed the podcasting assignment. I was surprised at the ease of the podcasting procedure. The tools were all very user friendly. The only problem that we had was that we downloaded a piece of music that was not mp3. We figured that out eventually. I can definitely see some uses in the classroom for podcasts. Group projects are a definite possibility. You could have the members of the group presenting different parts. That way you would really get a good idea as to who was pulling their weight. Another idea would be to have the students go to the sight to check on homework and other classroom activities. Parents could also get access to what is going on in the classroom through podcasting.

Sunday March 30 class session

2008-03-31T14:08:00.000-07:00

Today in class was a presentation on microsoft access. This presentation show what access can do. I feel that Access and Excel will be very powerful tools for us to use as administrators. Both of these programs will display the information that we need to have successful schools. These tools will also help us compare test scores for our students. Although the presentation was short, it showed the power these tools have. Even though we just scratched the surface of access, I can see the benefits of using this software.

Sunday 3-30-08

2008-03-31T06:43:00.000-07:00

Today we learned about Microsoft Access and helpful (unbeknownst to me) websites that I can use not only in my daily life, but in my classroom (Stumbleupon.com and iDesktop.tv). I am excited to play around with the Blog and Wiki assignments. I probably should have taken this class at the beginning of my degree instead of at the end.

Saturday 3-29-08

2008-03-31T06:34:00.000-07:00

I really liked the presentation on Open Source. What a great resource for districts like mine. I have always been a "Namebrand" type of guy, you know Nike, Microsoft, Kellogs, Etc. , but sometimes the best things in life are free. I have already told a few teachers about the products and websites we learned about Saturday and they were just as shocked as I was.

Sunday weekend 2

2008-03-30T20:39:00.000-07:00

Access could be a valuable tool to know how to use. I don't know how much I would use it in the classroom, but I could see the value in using it as an administrator for things like ISAT/PSAT test data.

I would like to start using wiki pages in the classroom. I think they would be valueable resources for parents and students.

I have been amazed by all of the free technology available for use. Why don't more people know about these free sites/technologies?

Podcast

2008-03-30T20:34:00.000-07:00

I thought the podcast was going to be more difficult than it was. As with most technology, the anxiety with using it is caused by being unfamiliar with the technolgy. Podcasts will soon be used in classrooms everywhere. What a valuable tool this could be.

iDesktop.tv

2008-03-30T18:32:00.000-07:00

I was really impressed with iDesktop.tv. My high school students really relate to youtube videos. The download feature is great. I use video clips during a lot of my lessons (mainly tutorials/demonstrations), they give students alternate perspectives and I feel like the students are a little more engaged. We usually have trouble streaming the videos and we lose a lot of valuable educational time waiting for videos to load. It will be great to download them prior to a lesson.

Sunday March 30th

2008-03-30T18:01:00.000-07:00

Today's class brought some interesting information. I think the web sites we explored each have some relevance to our current and future positions, but honestly I feel kind of overwhelmed when they are added to the blogs and wikis we discussed this weekend.

I believe Access can be a valuable tool, but the task of putting all the data in seems very daunting.

As for the wiki creation, I'm anxious to attempt to use this in some sort of group project similar to the podcast activity we took on during this class.

Websites and Wikis

2008-03-30T17:58:00.000-07:00

The website investigation was extremely helpful today. It is a wonderful tool to have a website like "furl" at our disposal. There have been far too many times I've used a wonderful website for a class project one year and then the next it is gone. This is definitely a website that I will take use! To often I rely on websites I already know and don't take the time to find new ones that could be even better than what I already have. Today's activity helped me find new ways to find those sites. I am also looking forward to making the wiki. This could be an invaluable tool in my classroom. Last, but not least, seeing how Access is used was a great experience. It could potentially be a valuable tool as an administrator. See you in two weeks!

Websites

2008-03-30T17:11:00.001-07:00

The amount of resources available online is constantly increasing. It seems that many of these resources are valuable for teachers and administrators, but many probably should not be used by students. I think the furl website is an excellent tool for students. Many times students forget to write down all needed information and furl makes it easy to save the pages and view the information again. This elements the problem of students writing down the wrong web address.

Software and Web Sites

2008-03-30T15:26:00.000-07:00

The Access presentation was something I can see using to help analyze data as a principal, but many of the data systems we use already have tools to filter or sort the data. I really enjoyed hearing the podcasts everyone did because it is something I see kids really getting into. Also, the web sites that we evaluated are great places to have access to as teachers. I can tell you that the pages all have something on them that I would like to explore more about. I really like the idea of using www.joost.com. There seems to be some fun stuff that I might be able to bring into a class lecture/presentation as well as clips for students to use in some of their multi-media projects that I have them do for class. Along with Excel review last week, I feel like I am getting a good brush up on some of the software I am familiar with along with some new ideas to try out such as the blogging and wiki pages.

Second Sunday Post

2008-03-30T15:07:00.000-07:00

I really liked learning about all of the different resources out there! There were so many sites that I didn't even know existed! The access presentation was very informative, but I don't think I will ever use it as an administrator. I do see how it can be a great tool for studying certain topics. Good day!!

ACCESS

2008-03-30T12:18:00.000-07:00

ACCESS is a powerful tool for being able to identify students that are struggling with school. I am going to attempt to get a copy to track the students in the department.

Sunday

2008-03-30T10:50:00.000-07:00

I have learned a lot about programs that I would like to use in the classroom. I definitely want to incorporate the podcasts for the students to use as an alternative method for learning. The Audacity program that we downloaded will come in handy since I do not have Garage Band. However, every computer in the building has Garage Band, so now I have some familiarity with that program.

I am sure getting more acquainted with my computer throughout the period of this class. I am glad to finally see some use from the programs and files that I have had on the computer that just sit there.

I look forward to the last weekend.

MARCH 31, 2008

2008-03-30T10:16:00.001-07:00

I learned about a program that I haven't explored at all before. Danielle did a wonderful job sharing her experience and expertise with us using ACCESS. I really learned something new, but thought it was a little bit much to add to a already full plate of things that we are working on. Her time was very valuable to me and I will definitely explore this sometime in the future when I have money to buy my own computer and not use a school district IMAC.

2nd Sunday Class

2008-03-30T10:10:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that I am extremely relieved that the Access assignment is "optional." It is nice to have that information available if we need it. I did like the Access presentation and how to filter the information. I am interested in doing the Wiki page and the blog page I think will be beneficial. My friends have been trying to get me to set one up anyway. I don't know if I will have the drive to keep it updated though!

PODCASTS

2008-03-30T10:08:00.000-07:00

I really had a great time working with my group on our WIKI page and putting our podcast together. I really learned a lot exploring and using Garage Band. I have always had Garage Band on my computer for years, but to be honest with you I have never used it before except to play around and create/edit music. I will definitely use it more now that I know.

Sunday 30

2008-03-30T09:54:00.000-07:00

The access presentation was fantastic. I really am excited about the possibilities of using this with my students. At the same time I am overwhelmed with what it would take just to get the charts ready to go for the students to use. I am also getting very concerned about the time it will take to complete all of these assignments that we have for this class. I am glad that we have until April 21st to get these turned into you. Will we have any class time to work on our group multi media presentations on the last weekend?

Less Frustrated

2008-03-30T09:09:00.000-07:00

I think I'm less frustrated. Wait until I try my homework though. I really enjoyed working with the access information and how (once its set up) easy it is to manipulate the information. I'm going to have to save those folders into another document so I can use it after this class is over. I think that wont be hard to do. I'll have to practice that this week. It's amazing how many different sites are out there to manipulate and use.

EDL 518 Sunday March 30

2008-03-30T08:43:00.000-07:00

The Access stuff was really neat, and learning about the new web pages was cool.

3/29/08-Saturday Class

2008-03-30T07:08:00.000-07:00

The information from Sara on Open Source software was very helpful. I fell this will be something that I use now and in the future. The information she shared on the podcasting was very helpful as we recorded out own. I will use the information she shared on free play music and audacity. These resources will be useful in the classroom. The Generations powerpoint gave everyone an overview of generations. This will be useful information as we work with teachers of all generations as well as parent and guardians. It is always helpful to see others' perspectives.

Like everyone else, the podcast

2008-03-30T06:26:00.000-07:00

The podcast section of the day was very exciting. I really started to get a lot of ideas on how this technology could be exploited by educators in the classroom and adminstrators to increase the ecducation of the students and the relationship with the parents.
I also find the making of the podcast to be rather simple, gargeband and even aduacity seemed like very user friendly and functional programs. I can't wait to use these programs in my school.

2nd Saturday Class

2008-03-30T05:59:00.000-07:00

I thought yesterday's class went by very fast. It is amazing how fast the time goes when you're playing around with the technology. I enjoyed making the podcast and think that I am going to try and do one for my first graders with their insect reports. We shall see!

Podcast

2008-03-29T21:02:00.001-07:00

Wow! How easy! I figured that you would need some kind of expensive program to create a podcast. So how suprised was I to learn more about Open Source Software and Audacity/Garageband. My group and I figured it out, felt successful, and laughed our way through the process. I'm looking forward to finding ways to incorporate podcasting into my current position.

March 29 podcast

2008-03-29T19:04:00.000-07:00

I was nervous about making the podcast today, but it was easy and fun. Having the script prepared ahead of time really made the process go smoothly. Also, my group was great. I like the idea of using podcasts for advanced students. I often feel like I could do a better job challenging my gifted students. The other thing I left class with was a plan to introduce open-source software to students in our district. I think it would be a great service project for my NHS group to create open source-CD's for families who need them.

What A Day!

2008-03-29T18:23:00.000-07:00

Today was a great learning opportunity for me. I was exposed to podcasts and free programs! The podcast was interesting and I can see how I could use it in my classroom. I like the idea of making a podcast for my class on a day that I may be gone. I don't know that would use it like we used in class today, but more as a resource for my students. I wasn't at all aware of the open source programs, so that was enlightening and worth checking into at my school. I am still a bit unclear on the excel assignments and would like more direction on those, but I imagine I can figure them out on my own. One negative comment that I would have is that I feel like I should already know how to do a lot of this stuff prior to being in this class and that I am just expected to do assignments with certain programs without any instruction. It's been a bit frustrating, but still a good experience.

Podcast and Open Source

2008-03-29T18:18:00.000-07:00

Today was very interesting and fun. I had taken a class on podcasting but had difficulty using garageband to actually do a podcast. Today helped me figure it all out! I also didn't realize that there were so many different things that open source had. I have always wanted photoshop so I am going to look into GIMP for my home computer. I do wish we had more time to perfect our podcasts and add more stuff to them. WIllow Web is a site I have been to before and have really thought about setting up the same sort of thing in my own school. I didn't realize how inexpensive the head sets are! I am going to talk to my principal about this next week!

Everything new continued....

2008-03-29T18:07:00.000-07:00

Today's class once again thrust me into the land of the unknown. I think that all of the topics of discussion today were extremely useful. The podcasts were something that I thought were so far beyond my understanding. I realizes today not only how useful they can be to me in the classroom, but what a fantastic project this would be for my students. I am looking forward to trying Audacity, because I am not a Mac user. Hopefully, it will be as easy to accomplish. After creating my blog for this class, I am toying with the idea of having introducing my students and their parents to my blog. I think it could be very useful and informative. My next task will be to talk to our tech guy. Last, but not least, I'm starting to understand open source material. I'm still a little leery of some of the potential negative consequences, but I think it's a fantastic way to try out potential programs without spending a fortune. All in all, it was another learning day for me!

Podcasts

2008-03-29T17:52:00.000-07:00

I am really glad I had this opportunity to have an experience creating a podcast. Prior to being in this class, podcasts were something that I really no idea about. Honestly, I simply knew it as some term that had something to do with the internet. As I was working with my group today to create our podcast my mind was racing with ideas on how one could utilize such technology in the classroom. I love being a facilitator and having student lead group projects. I think podcasts will be a great way to utilize this approach.

Open Source Software

2008-03-29T17:43:00.000-07:00

The information on open source software was great. I didn't know about any of those programs. I teach a class that relies on Adobe Photoshop. My students always ask me how they can get it for their home computers. Until today, I would send them to the joureyed website for the reduced student rate. I will be informing them of GIMP on Monday.

Podcasting and Open Source

2008-03-29T17:40:00.001-07:00

Open source software is a great way to get needed software for students and parents that do not want to or can not buy Microsoft Products. It was nice to see that there is software available for both PC and Mac users. The podcasting also has many possibilities for use in all classes. I think that if more teachers knew how simple they are to make they would be utilized by all grade levels.

Podcast possibilities

2008-03-29T17:08:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed our work today with Audacity and Garageband. I can see multiple uses for this software for teachers and administrators. One of the possibilities I am eager to try is recording notes to leave for a substitute teacher. I think it would be great to create some extra information and leave it on the computer desktop for the person covering class while I'm away. I think it can also be useful if used like PowerPoint with students. I can see them getting more excited about creating a podcast than a slide show.

I also think the information about generations which was presented to us is useful. These are things we certainly must keep in mind.

Open Source and Podcast

2008-03-29T15:57:00.000-07:00

I found the open source information very helpful as I did not realize there were that many programs available. I was also glad we got to do the podcast in class with some instruction. I don't mind playing around with programs to figure them out but getting the basics is a big benefit. It is amazing how easy the software is to use and I look forward to using it again and hopefully trying to use it in my classroom.

Class Session 3 - March 29

2008-03-29T15:52:00.000-07:00

I think the presentation on the open source programs was really informational. This software provides a good alternative to the microsoft products. I don't know if these products will ever take the place of microsoft software, but they sound like a good alternative. I think one of the major drawbacks to it is that the cost is free. Don't get me wrong, free things are good, but I think many people think that the programs contain viruses, spyware and other harmful elements. If the price of the programs perhaps it would cause the microsoft programs price to drop a little. I also think people would think they are inferior until they tried them. I have not used these products, but I do feel that they offer a good alternative for students (or anyone for that matter) who do not have microsoft products at home.

3/29 Class - Podcasting

2008-03-29T14:38:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed our speaker Sara and appreciated the information she shared with us. Non-techy me was not aware of Open Source...what a valuable lesson to learn. It is an ideal way for districts without big tech budgets to enable all to keep current.
Podcasting, the major topic of the day, was enlightening. I had not seen this done before and obviously not tried it out at all. I knew I had garage band and had played with it on my own with music, but had no idea the extent that it could be used and that one could add voice as well. It wasn't as hard as I had thought it would be and am excited to learn about a wonderful new tool I could easily use in the classroom.
Our group worked well together and had fun putting it together once my computer and the program cooperated. I would like to say a special thanks to Gary for staying late to upload our podcast off the flash drive (not sure why my internet would not work in there today...I'm home and got straight on here). Anyways..."Thank you, Gary!"

Generational Differences

2008-03-29T13:54:00.000-07:00

I will have to say that the generational differences are tremendous in some of the older schools. I see this everyday in my building when it comes to classroom techniques. I find myself spending time everyday with the 6th grade team and helping them through the process of using some of our technology. I have written out the directions on the machines, but they refuse to take the time to learn about it on their own. I finally got fed up and told them to figure it out on their own. I know that I should have approached this differently, but if they will not put forth the effort for their students, I will not keep doing for them.

Frustrated Part 3

2008-03-29T13:22:00.000-07:00

Okay I think I'm slowly starting to understand some of the topics. I really have to focus but now I think I understand the rest of the excel assignments. I only have the link/grade book to go. Again I know I'm spending way more time than most to get these assignments done. I really had fun listening to the generations power point. It's true we need to realize how many different points of view we deal with in education. I felt semi comfortable with the garageband (probably because I was sitting next to sarah) but again the save and upload thing is beyond my ability. Maybe someday I'll understand that part.

The Bridge to Generations

2008-03-29T11:14:00.000-07:00

After presentation of generations by Sara Rigg, I was feeling a bit left out of generation X and Y. However I believe the best teachers in the business are the teachers that land at the end or beginning of generation to bridge the gap between the two generations like myself. Tooting my own horn here-being born in 1976, I can relate to generation X and Y. I consider myself as a hy-bred of the generations like a mediator if you will. Also I do not agree the easiest generation to teach is your own, but the one before you. I imagine teaching a technology class to seniors like my 93 year old grandma. I would be considered a hero even if I had the least amount of technology knowledge in my generation.

Podcasting

2008-03-29T10:57:00.000-07:00

The presentation on podcasting was interesting and I am excited about incorporating it into my classroom. I see a lot of possibilities for use with other teachers, parents and students. I just need time to fiddle with the program and get use to it myself. Like you said I need to find just the right project in order to make it work for me. I will be anxious to see how many if any teachers in our building are familiar with podcasting.

Saturday March 29

2008-03-29T09:48:00.000-07:00

Thinking about generation gaps is very fun for me. I just feel like those of us that are blessed with a close nit family and extended family are taught different family values and are taught how people are suppose to act so to speak. The open source information was also very interesting.

Lance Hawkins

Podcasting

2008-03-29T09:19:00.000-07:00

Last year I purchased the Sony program Sound Forge Audio Studio for work I do at a wildlife sanctuary. I created several audio/visual displays. I had no idea that was Podcasting. The entire presentation from Sara was very beneficial.

Assignment Sheets

2008-03-29T06:33:00.000-07:00

The assignment sheets and extra instructions have helped while working of the projects for the class.

Excel

2008-03-29T06:31:00.000-07:00

The first weekend of class let me get refamiliarized with Excel. I enjoyed the opportunity to start using a powerful program like Excel once again.

2008-03-26T20:59:00.000-07:00

I guess this still qualifies as after the class. Two and a half weeks is after I suppose. I was looking to wrong email and missed the invite. Poor excuse. The moviemaker lesson was very helpful. I didn't even know I had it on my computer! The podcast should be interesting. I have always wondered what it was. I always had trouble downloading podcasts and never knew where they were going. The spreadsheets are a work in progress but I appreciated the detailed instructions by Dr. Closen. A good experience so far.

Sunday Class

2008-03-24T20:28:00.000-07:00

I know this is late, but I've been away from work and my laptop has been very "ill!" Sunday's class was a real eye opener to me. There was a lot of information to take in and to sort through! The excel assignments have been a real frustration for me, but the hands-on demo was certainly helpful. I am looking forward to working with the podcast if I could find where my group is putting their info! I really liked seeing the moving maker program and the things that can be done with that. I look forward to presenting my work of art during the last weekend!

Jen Webster

Sunday

2008-03-12T16:29:00.000-07:00

With everything I soaked in on Saturday, I didn't think it would be possible to soak in some more, but it did. I was actually able to build on the Excel skills from the previous day and use even more techniques after Sunday. I enjoyed learning how to use Movie Maker. While I was frustrated with a few things I couldn't manage to do, I worked through it. I think that this will, once again, be a beneficial tool not only as an administrator, but as a teacher as well.

Windows Movie Maker

2008-03-10T20:06:00.000-07:00

I believe that Dr. Closen has introduced me to a new 'habit'! Recently in another class I was asked if I had input a video into my power point presentation. I didn't even realize this was possible and thought at the time it would be so difficult. However, after the lesson on Movie Maker on Sunday, I see that it will not only be simple, but fun as well!! I am very excited to work on this and many of the other projects for this class. The first weekend has already produced an unbelievable amount of helpful information. Looking forward to more...!

Excel

2008-03-10T20:00:00.000-07:00

The lessons we had on Excel Saturday afternoon and Sunday were very helpful. There are so many things that this would be handy as an administrator, especially in disegrating data. I currently use an Excel program for student grades. Our students must pass 3 of 5 academic classes to be promoted. We base this on a yearly grade, which is figured from an average of all four quarters. I input each quarter grade for the first three quarters and then it tells me what the students will need fourth quarter in order to pass for the year. It has been an invaluable tool. I am excited to continue learning more about Excel and other programs.

Sunday

2008-03-10T17:03:00.000-07:00

There is a lot of things that I didn't realize that excel could do. I was glad for the examples of how to do things. I do wish that I would have taken this class before now since I am almost done. I do hope that I am able to complete the assignments with the given time. It will really be a learning experience.

Hopefully this is an early class for most!

2008-03-10T16:55:00.000-07:00

A lot of the topics and things we are using and learning in this class are so powerful and useful. For me this is my last class and I've done a lot of this for other courses (all but the podcast). I'm very excited to get to do the podcast, that will be a learning experience.