Week Five

Weekly Questions
   
- What did you learn this week that you will use immediately in your classroom?

This week was all about visual literacy and online communication. I think that the main takeaway that I have from this week is that their is a huge one-sided discrepancy in my view of literacy, which is more traditional. Literacy has always been kind of my pet issue and, while I suppose I've always known, in a way, that there are divisions of literacy outside of reading, I had never considered how important they are before. Now, I am eager to expand on my broader view of one of the topics that I am passionate about and, just maybe, have a bit of a different approach to a classroom than I would have before! 
  
- What steps will you take to implement this in your classroom?

Last week, I said that I would likely show a TED video to my class once a week and ask them to compose a journal entry to record their thoughts on it. That assignment would also cover the implementation of visual literacy pedagogies into the classroom.
 
- What challenge(s) will you face when using this in your classroom?

As far as showing a video is concerned, I don't think that that in an of itself will present many challenges. I remember from my school days how much we loved seeing that old-fashioned tv cart rolled into the room - I imagine that today's visual presentations inspire students in much the same way!
 
- What will you do to overcome the challenge(s)?  

Like I said, I don't foresee any challenges, per se, but I'm sure that I will have to be attentive as to students who would take advantage of the situation and not watch the video as closely as they should.


Week Five Questions 

- What did you learn (this week) that was totally new to you?

The article on synchronous and asynchronous communication tools was something of a revelation to me. I understand the concept, but had never heard those terms used to describe the different communication methods before.

- How can you use this information to inform your instructional strategies with your own students?

I am not currently an educator, but I think that having the tools with which to think about these two differing modes of communication as separate has given me some insight that I wouldn't have had before. There will certainly be students who are more adept at one method of communication over the other and it will be beneficial to my process if I remember that and adjust for it accordingly. 

Tech Explorations 

Tech Exploration 15 - Prezi and SpicyNodes

1. Describe what you learned from exploring this resource. Be thorough in your response.

Prezi – Prezi is a resource that goes hand in glove with this week’s lesson on virtual literacy; the site is a presentation tool that allows users to create dynamic and animated presentations, into which PowerPoint slides can be inserted in order to add more interest to pre-existing presentations. More than one prezi is created every second! Not only can one create visually interesting presentations within the platform, but there is also a collaborative function as well.

SpicyNodes – I find SpicyNodes to be extremely fascinating, especially the aspect by which it uses algorithms to create layouts and transitions to work with the presented information! Web sites are definitely an application of science, but I had never thought of using algorithms to create a visual experience before! SpicyNodes creates an interactive navigation experience that allows visitors to a site to control their own consumption of the information at hand.

2. How could you use this resource in a school setting? It does not matter if it is in your field or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in educational settings.

Prezi – Obviously, digital presentations have become the bread and butter of the traditional lecture platform. Everyone is used to PowerPoint, which allows for the presentation of lots of information quickly, but is not interactive or dynamic to the point that it provides much visual interest. Prezi adds another layer of impactfulness to the digital presentation.

SpicyNodes – I think that SpicyNodes would be a really good resource to use with concepts that are particularly multi-layered and complex. The resource gives an excellent visual representation to the concept of complexity, allowing one to peel off layers as levels of depth are presented.

3. Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike; Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth. Why or Why not?

Prezi – After our lesson on visual literacy, which I hadn’t really considered the importance of before, I would certainly recommend this resource to other educators. In exploring the site, I didn’t see any fee-based resources and it gives the impression of being quite as easy to use as PowerPoint and similar presentation resources.

Spicy Nodes – I think that I would recommend this resource in specific situations, but not universally. The pricing seems reasonable at $24/month for up to $25,000 page views and $149/month for up to 250,000 page views, but is not practical if the resource isn’t going to be accessed frequently or if it will be accessed more frequently than the range provided, as additional page views lead to higher costs. The concept is good and easy to grasp, so in a situation where the resource particularly lends itself, I would recommend it.

Tech Exploration 16 - Edmodo and A Maths Dictionary for Kids

1. Describe what you learned from exploring this resource. Be thorough in your response.

Edmodo – Edmodo is, basically, Facebook for education. Set up very like the popular social media site, Edmodo provides for collaboration and keeping students engaged in a discourse outside of the classroom. It allows teachers to be part of a larger group of educators; thus, their access to resources is broadened. Also, student progress can be tracked within the program, allowing educators to judge exactly where students may need help and where their own teaching may be not as effective as it could be.

A Maths Dictionary for Kids – The first thing that struck me about this site is how colorful that it is. It’s a simple concept, but color always gets the attention of children! Math is not my subject, but I got caught up in the website, as there are interactive activities that correspond with the terms and concepts for which definitions are provided
2. How could you use this resource in a school setting? It does not matter if it is in your field or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in educational settings.  

Edmodo – Edmodo is an excellent resource for creating a classroom site through which students and teachers can communicate and learn more about one another than is perhaps possible in the traditional classroom setting. I can see this being especially useful during class projects, as groups could collaborate at their own pace without having to be in the classroom.

A Maths Dictionary for Kids – This resource would be particularly useful in a lab setting with early elementary aged students; however, many of the terms are far too advanced for children that small, which would lend itself to use with older students, though I think that the site itself is too geared toward children to be much good with older students.   
3. Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike; Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth. Why or Why not?

Edmodo – I would recommend this resource to other educators. As most students are familiar with the social media platform of Facebook, this site would be simple for them to navigate without too much instruction, which could detract from class time. I didn’t see any evidence of fees charged for use of Edmodo and it does seem to have the potential to be truly useful.

A Maths Dictionary for Kids – I would definitely recommend this resource to math teachers of elementary aged children! I do have an issue with “A Maths Dictionary” – unless I am missing something, it should say just Math. I am always put off by the smallest little spelling/grammar issues like that, but I think that any resource that is going to be used by educators, should be help to higher standards of accuracy when it comes to presentation.

Tech Exploration 17 - Glogster and Jing

1. Describe what you learned from exploring this resource. Be thorough in your response.

Glogster – Glogster is the #1 online learning tool in the U.S! With so many out there, it has to say something that this is the most popular one! It is a similar concept to many of the other resources which we have investigated – it is an interactive visual platform where users create glogs, which is a cross between a blog and…well, something that starts with g. The platform has a multitude of features and allows educators to provide multiple means of representation, action, and expression, which is especially useful when there are so many different learning styles presented by a single classroom environment.

Jing – Jing is another resource that is very similar to a lot of the other resources that we have been exploring. It is a collaborative tool that allows users to take screenshots of their own screens. Users can make narrated videos, which provides the ability for someone to create a training video for a particular concept or task and not have to explain something over and over again. 
2. How could you use this resource in a school setting? It does not matter if it is in your field or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in educational settings.
 
Glogster – As there is a division specifically for education and as it is the number one online resource in the U.S., it stands to reason that it has many applications in classroom environments. It seems like Glogster would be most useful with older students as they grow into learners of the world around outside of the classroom and as it becomes ever more necessary for them to apply their knowledge of technology in ways that are more meaningful than perhaps they are used to.

Jing – Many of the testimonials on the website were from educators who had used the resource in their classrooms in multiple ways. One teacher was even using it as a grading system, which allowed her to provide quick feedback to her students, who seemed to enjoy the interactivity of it. There was also an example of a librarian who used it to basically create narrated tutorials that answered questions that she was frequently asked by students.
 
3. Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike; Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth. Why or Why not?

Glogster – I do think that Glogster seems like a useful education tool and there is all of that #1 in the U.S. stuff to consider, but I’m still not sure that I would recommend it to other educators. There are too many other platforms for doing much the same thing. The pricing of Glogster seems very reasonable, so if someone thought that they could justify its purchase and would use it often, I do think that it would be a worthwhile investment. It just isn’t something that I would recommend without knowing exactly how it works.

Jing – Jing is a free resource and, while it is very similar to other resources that we have looked at, the fact that it does not have a cost associated with it makes using it risk-free. I would recommend that educators experiment with a variety of these similar programs in order to find a particular one or a combination thereof that works for them.

Tech Exploration 18 - YouTube for Education, SchoolTube, and TeacherTube

1. Describe what you learned from exploring this resource. Be thorough in your response.

Youtube for Education – YouTube for Education is a collection of videos that apply specifically to, you guessed it, education. Like TED, YouTube for Education features informative videos that allow students to get outside of their own environment for a moment. There are recordings of actual lessons being taught by other educators as well as interesting and informative videos that educators can use to go along with the lessons that they may currently be teaching.

SchoolTube – Very similar to YouTube and YouTube EDU, SchoolTube provides access to a variety of videos related to topics in education. It has the same benefits as the other two resources. With SchoolTube there is the ability to access videos that have been shared from a specific school as well as the ability to upload one’s own videos, which I’m sure is a function that is offered by YouTube EDU as well.

TeacherTube – While TeacherTube is, essentially, very similar to the other resources in this tech exploration, it at least presents itself somewhat differently. Touting itself as something of a professional development site that teachers can utilize without having to travel, TeacherTube introduces itself as geared more toward teachers themselves, as they attempt to grow in much the same way that they are trying to encourage their students to grow.

2. How could you use this resource in a school setting? It does not matter if it is in your field or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in educational settings.

YouTube for Education – YouTube for Education would be a very useful resource for days when a class is being handled by a substitute. As substitutes are often not working in areas that they are particularly familiar with, with YouTube for Education they could be given videos to show that correlate with specific subject matter.

SchoolTube – SchoolTube would be a useful vehicle for uploading a class video. Class videos could be used to document school trips, class projects, and etc.

 
TeacherTube – I personally think that TeacherTube is something that would be more useful to teachers outside of the classroom. It is a place where they can research topics and concepts that are meaningful to them and their lessons.
 
3. Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike; Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth. Why or Why not?



YouTube for Education – Everyone knows about the ease of use and popularity of YouTube. Basically YouTube EDU is a web channel devoted to resources for educators and, as it allows for access to multiple levels of information in multiple topics, there are definitely situations in which it could be useful. Thus, I would recommend it to other educators.

SchoolTube – I would recommend this resource for the same reasons for which I would recommend YouTube for Education. The sites seem to serve exactly the same purpose, so the only reason that I can see for using one over the other is personal preference.

TeacherTube – I would recommend this resource to other educators as one that allows them to develop their own individual bodies of knowledge and skills in order to be more effective in the classroom.