(u06a2) Digital Story Created With a Cell Phone

Here is the link to my cell phone project on Animoto, When I Grow Up...  I've also attached it below for you to view easily.

Enjoy! =)

(u06a1) Cellphones as Learning Tools

First of all I’m for the use of massive technology in the classroom, and I would fully consider implementing cellphones in my classroom as well.  Although I had never actually seen it in action or hear comments from the students themselves, after watching the video Cellphones as Learning Tools it is to no doubt the great impact that cellphones have over our students.  It’s the newest fad and must have for every student especially teens. 

Positive Educational Values

This video truly shows the great impacts that it has created on the students who participate in a classroom where cellphones are used in the daily lessons by their teacher.  The following lists the positive educational values for teachers and students:

1.      Students are fully engaged and participating actively

2.      Students show greater interest in learning

3.      Students demonstrate a higher responsibility role

4.      Greater collaboration amongst peers

5.      The teacher and principal have direct contact and collaboration with students instantly

6.      Stronger and healthier teacher/principal relationship

Potential Pitfalls

Although cellphones are of a great impact to this group of students, and student everywhere it does show some pitfalls which can suppress the actual values.

1.      Only students with cellphones can participate and this might cause those who do not have cellphones to feel left out/neglected

2.      Students can easily go off topic and use their phones for other reasons instead of staying on task in the assignment

3.      Students can take advantage of the situation and cause negative/serious problems

4.      Bad criticism can offend students

5.      There is no ideal control (firewall) over the use of cellphones

6.      Too much freedom

I truly liked the impact that cellphones created in the classroom as a learning tool, I really love the fact that students are well engaged and extremely active in the learning experience.  I would love to incorporate this in my classroom, but I know that in my 3^rd grade classroom not many of my students have cellphones yet, but I know that they do own Nintendo DSis and PSPs.  I know that it may not be a cellphone, but the Nintendo DSis give the option to chat and everyone can join.  This would be easier for me to incorporate in my classroom because I could see exactly what my students are typing while I use my own DSi to control the learning experience.  This is something I think I will try out after the state assessment pose questions and have my students collaborate using the texting feature on the DSis while I also collaborate with them.  I believe that DSis have the capability for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, saying so I can look for a Web2.0 site to incorporate this gadget and see if they can be seen via computer as well.  Just thinking about it gets me anxious to start!

Cellphones and other electronic devices which include Nintendo DSis, PSPs, and IPods are not allowed at our campus, it breaks our school policy that students and parents are fully aware of.  I know that I can ask and explain my project to my principal who may give the “Green Light” to try out.  If so I would send a letter home to parents explaining our upcoming project and ask for permission to let their child participate and let them take their electronic device to school when asked.  I’ve created many projects with the help of Web2.0 tools, my students’ parents are fully aware and I send them a copy or email with the link of our project.  I surely have their support and we are always in contact.  I do feel that it may cause a problem and challenges with other students in other classes who might not understand what we are actually doing, or feel simply left out then parents of those students can cause a great problem.  I would have to sit down with my principal and discuss how we can have control over this future project.  A technical challenge might be the versions of Nintendo owned by students, not all my own the DSi or the DSi XL or 3D or whichever version that is up to date.  I wouldn’t like for my students to feel ashamed for the one in which they own, but I know that this is something that I can truly take care off before we start the project. 

Future Project NintendoDSi innovator! =)

(u05a1) Broadcasting Assignment: Retention Decisions

For some reason I cannot embed my USTREAMtv live video into blogger.  I've googled to find help on this topic, but it is to no doubt that it Blogger does not accept the embed codes from USTREAMtv.  No matter the issues, here is the link to my USTREAMtv brodcasting channel. 
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/retention-decisions.

(u04a1) Integrating Social Networking

Project: Reading Skill: Sequence.  Sequence is an important reading skill that my students usually have trouble in because they don't see it when they are reading,  through this re-teaching lesson I plan to reinforce their sequence mastery and make it easier to understand after hands on experience.  I've created a Sequence Prezi (embedded below) for my students to view and follow to achieve content mastery and test what they have learned. 


Project: Reading Skill: Sequence Lesson Plan

This Prezi presentation is intended to introduce and foster sequence of events in a variety of ways.  This lesson is designed to re-teach, reinforce, and strengthen their knowledge of Sequence at individual computer stations. 

Texas State Standards (TEKS)/Student Learning Objectives:

• 3.8.A.1-Sequence the plot's main events. (Obj. 2)
• 3.8.A.2-Summarize the plot's main events. (Obj. 2)
• 3.10.A.1-Identify language that creates a graphical visual experience. (Obj. 3)
• 3.3.A.1-Locate specific information in graphic features of a text. (Obj. 1-3)

Goals:
TLW:

• Examine sequence and its clue words through various projects. 
• Produce examples of sequence throughout the lesson while constructing graphic sources, and
• As a final test and teacher evaluation, students will reply on Edmodo under the Test Your Skill: Sequence Assignment, replying on a personal order of events in which they do daily, with  step by step instructions. 

Instructions/Directions:
The instructions and directions are clear on the Prezi presentation and Edmodo for students to follow  and complete with ease.  Below are the directions in which the students must follow to complete the assignment:

1. The student will view Sequence and take notes on information regarding sequence in their Reading Spiral.
2. The student will complete the activities that are embedded into Sequence and turn in at the end of the assignment.
3. The student will be assessed by posting a reply on Edmodo about a personal order of events in which they use daily. 
1. Edmodo Log in Information which I have also placed in their Prezi is:
1. Group Name: Perez
2. Access Code: zkmmck

(u03a1) Research & Analyze: Review & Contact

I've decided to contact StudyIsland on the issue of its reading section.  Although my students and I love to use StudyIsland, I do hear a lot of complaints that they don't like to use the reading section because most of the time they have to read very long passages just to answer 1-4 questions.  Because I ask them to do anywhere from 12-15 questions per area, this plays a large toll on them to complete and doesn't motivate them at all.  Every time I check my class progress math outnumbers reading greatly because of this time consuming passages.  I'm considering that StudyIsland create one paragraph stories instead of long passages, this way students won't feel exhausted and motivated to do and complete the reading section. I'll keep you posted on the feedback.

Contact UPDATE 4/5/11
Melissa Ray from StudyIsland contacted me yesterday on my initial concern.  She delightedly gave me thanks for my concern and feedback to their site.  She let me know that she would pass on my message to the development team for a possible future update to the program and consider the revisions for the reading section.  I hope to hear from the development team soon, but I know that they don't develop and make changes on an everyday basis!  Maybe I'll see a change next school year, but I'm pleased with the information that Melissa gave me up to now, I will surely pass it on to my students and tell them that their comments are being looked at.  =)

(u03a1) Research & Analyze: Human Filters

Human filters is known as what we use to strain, sort, and categorize what goes through our senses and how we perceive things.  Even though all our senses are of great importance and we use them differently depending on our situations, the three that are pertinent to me are hear, see, and touch.  Over the years I've noticed that when it is time for me to learn and attain content mastery I have to implement these three senses in order to fully understand.  The sense of hear and see most of the time work hand and hand together as I learn and aquire new information, yet there are sometimes in which they are used individually, to see I create a picture in my mind of what I hear, and for hearing I create sounds, music, or words in my mind of what I see.  Touch is a very important sense to me, because I'm a very hands-on leaner.  I have to touch and actually create or build what I learn to fully accomplish and understand aquired information.  A lot of information is hard to touch, especially in reading, but what I do to touch, is create and build projects that incorporate the content.  Furthermore, I have learned that when there is no presentation of hear, see, or touch, through the years I have learned to create my own presentation in my mind or as a project to better understand the new information.  I always find a way to have my favorite 3! =)

(u03a1) Research & Analyze: Web2.0 Sites

For my research I decided to analyze the following Web2.0 sites: Vocabulary&Spelling.com, BrainPOP.com, and StudyIsland.com.  I have always used and implemented these sites with my students, but I had never quite evaluated them fully using all the criterion within the Web2.0 for School Use rubric.  What I found was truly amazing, and it is to no doubt why these sites are great tools to use and have. Below is a summary of my evaluations:

 

Vocabulary&Spelling.com
This site is to no doubt a wonderful tool to have in the classroom and is overall effective for students and easy to use.  It received 15/18 in the exemplary category to make it a top notch tool in education.  Although it was very difficult to rate in the credits/citations/copyright criterion, after long though I gave it a substandard rating because it is unclear to determine and it is unknown, yet has its own copyright policy.  Even though Vocabulary&Spelling.com can be used by virtually any grade level, yet it seems to focus more on students who like to engage in games.

 

Overall Score:

• Exemplary-60
• Very Good-3
• Good Rating-2
• Substandard-1

BrainPOP.com
This is also an impacting site to use in the classroom.  BrainPOP is an awesome way to implement and present content to students visually and in a fun and exciting way.  BrainPOP is designed for the whole K-12 level, with concepts from all the content areas.  It even has a search option where you can look for videos for a specific grade level or course.  This can be used by teacher and students in any setting and is easy to navigate around.  It received 14/18 in the exemplary category, to make it a must use tool.  Although, it does not have an option for the classroom response system (clickers) in the quiz mode, it is still a great tool.

Overall Score:

• Exemplary-56
• Very Good-6
• Good Rating-2
• Substandard-1

StudyIsland.com
StudyIsland is an effective tool to use in the classroom, because it reinforces skills taught in class that will be assessed in state assessments.  This tool can be used for tutoring, intervention, and for content mastery.  Educators can see the progress of their students, and students can see what they need to work in.  It is very detailed and shows students what they have to work on to attain the mastery level.  Teachers can set different mastery levels for all students, to help them achieve individual success.  Not only can it be used individually, but as a whole group instruction with the option of using a classroom response system (clickers).  Students also have a game option, where they can play games if they answer correctly, this is a great motivator, because students see it as having fun, when they are actually learning! 

Overall Score: 

• Exemplary-48
• Very Good-12
• Good Rating-0
• Substandard-2

 

Here is a link to my Web2.0 Evaluations with the complete scores and charts to compare each site by criterion and by overall rating.