Kerpoof Eval Website Online Tool for Teaching (Working)

After looking over the site Kerpoof and letting my son play on it for the last 20 minutes I have to give Kerpoof 5 stars out of 5 stars! The site allows you to make books, movies, pictures, and more. My son was hooked after I sat with him and let him explore it for 10 minutes. We tried the Storybook and Movie maker. It allows younger and older students to use there imagination to make what ever they can imagine. We made a collaborative project about a 2 cats talking and farting.

This program can be used in all Bloomerberg's Taxonimys. From Knowledge and comprehension to synthesize and evaluation this program if used in the right ways can be used to make it all. As a teacher you can use it to make topics interesting and funny to allowing students be creative and make there own. It can be used to cover all the NET-S if incorporated properly and creatively and works well on individuel and collaborative projects. I will be using this program in my classroom!

I have looked over what a few others have made and its not exactly easy to search for items. Someone needs to set a delicious style of bookmarking. Here is an example of a movie someone made. I wish I could post my sons but I guess movies must be reviewed before made available to the public.

20 minutes by my son from sitting down to finished product-
http://www.kerpoof.com/#view?s=2gs11abOmgo3dMg7-c-1a6cb1

Panda vs Rabbit- I'm estimating about 1hr to 2 hrs to make this movie-
http://www.kerpoof.com/#/view?s=g3739x65e201-0196b7-x6

Save me- about 3-4hours to make if the person who made it just started-
http://www.kerpoof.com/#/view?s=f507b706d311-baafe3-x2

http://www.kerpoof.com/

"You will also complete the related Blog Assignment 2 in which you will provide a written review of your chosen web-based application. Be sure to explain how you think you might be able to incorporate the tool into your unit plan. You should discuss the extent to which the program can be used to enhance your students' cognitive and/or social abilities, address different learning styles and abilities, and provide a developmentally appropriate use of technology." (Gayla S. Keesee)

Eggheads Weather Observation and Forcasting

http://www.edheads.org/activities/weather/
This Game is Free and Online. I played it for about 15 minutes and it's great for learning and having fun. I wish they had a more indepth program that encompassed more weather data but they do have the following links to information-
Weather Glossary
Fahrenheit to Celsius &
Celsius to Fahrenheit Converter
Interesting People in Weather
Weather Class Lesson Plans

Not quite as good as NASA's weather videos or some of NOAA's information but close. This is a good game for about 4th grade and up.



PS- Here is the Blackboard free link I'll be setting one up soon. (Not a requirement for this class but I'm dieing to make one!)
https://www.coursesites.com/webapps/Bb-sites-course-creation-BBLEARN/pages/learn.html

Week 6 Blog #1 NET-S?

Assignment-
"Choose one of the NETS for Students and relate it to what you learned this week and how you could implement it in your classroom. Be specific and cite examples. Be sure to title your blog post to represent the topic/NETS*S you chose..."

I think I understand that NET-S is(pages 106-107 compared to the ISTE website) and I've been to the NET-S wiki even but I wish it was more indepth and I'm not buying the 3 books. I've tried signing up on the ITSE website but it won't let me and If they are trying to sell it why would I wan't to buy it? Anyway enough griping the 6 NET-S is http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-students/nets-student-standards-2007.aspx
NET-T
http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers/nets-for-teachers-2008.aspx

Under the NET-S ISTE site the 1st Concept in NET-S is "
1. Creativity and Innovation
Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. "

I would like to say Using Powerpoint in the Classroom is one of the best parts of children demonstrating creative thinking, constructing knowledge using technology. I'm not talking about teachers making powerpoint but those little rug-monsters making Powerpoint. I've only seen my kids in middle school do it but I think we strongly underestimate grades 4 and 5 in computer applications. I showed my son in the 4th grade how to make a powerpoint slide and he went to it like it was a video game. I wish I could show you what he made but it's late, he has the flu, and I have to get up at 0500 to go to work and it would take to long to download into Powerpoint sharing.

Here is a site of at least one person that would agree with me-
http://www.suite101.com/content/create-simple-power-point-presentations-a60525
It tells how to teach kids to use powerpoint. I'm sure If I searched longer I could find a great site that gave and actual Lesson Plan for Powerpoint for 4th Graders. That will have to done later.

The NET-S just seem too simple kind of like a Mission Statement for a company but no meat or examples until I found these (Learning Standards being adopted for teaching Technology like it's English, Math, ect...


I found a great website I think that has the same concept at NET-S but as Standards. http://www.learnnc.org/scos/
It's under the Computer and Technology Skills.

I believe they are the same as this site http://www.sd281.k12.id.us/curriculum/Subject%20Areas/inform%20lit%20committee/ilit/nets/netsstd.htm

Goal 2: The learner will demonstrate knowledge and skills in the use of computer and other technologies.

Week 6 Blog 2 advantages and disadvantages of incorporating mobile computing devices

After going through the Week 6 Module on Hardware:Beyond Computers I was pretty amazed at some of the technology's and a little skeptical on others. I know were suppose to be discussing Mobile Computing Devices like Ipod(An overprice POS if you ask me). I personally see many of these devices as want-to-be laptops. They do less than laptops and are not designed to be upgraded. Bad choice if you ask me. I just did a quick search to compare prices of Laptops vs Ipods vs Ipad vs Kindel. Here are the Results-

Laptop- Acer New with more than enough HD, RAM, and Processor- $248
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Acer-Aspire-One-10.1-AOD255E-Netbook-PC-with-Intel-Atom-N455-Processor-Windows-7-Starter/15739065

Ipod- about $209 dollars not expandable except with 8gb slot
http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_query=ipod&search_constraint=0&tab_value=Online&ic=48_0&ref=244741+4294074289&search_sort=4&selected_items=+

Ipad-$499
http://www.apple.com/ipad/

Kindel 6" -$139 cheapest
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002Y27P3M

Sorry but the New Laptop win! If they really wanted to make something for education thats portable they need to make a Laptop like the Nintendo DSi with a Nerf Case. Portable, practically indestructable, trackable with Wifi if Lowjacked, you can type on the DSi, pictures, communicate, record data, and with the right software surf the web. But our society is based on the consumer concept that you have to throw something away to buy something new. Stupid.

Anyways loved the Whiteboards, Personal Response system/mouse mischief(this has some major potential!), GPS (I'll be doing landnav in my classroom), and using your printer creatively. Creative printing is probably the most under looked at easy to use resource that could be making schools money. That and creating a WIFI center around schools. Instead we get studid fundraiser where our kids sell us junk. Why not let google set up an internet cafes in or next to our schools or set up libraries like a Barnes and Nobles.


http://www.edutopia.org/tips-protect-laptop-computers-theft

8 of 8 Identifying Lesson Topics (working)

8)Identifying Lesson Topics
How should teachers identify lesson topics to include in instruction?

Pages 12 through 16 cover how curriculums are made.

Taking a break after working all day trying to catch up, spending some time with the kids, going to school full time, working 40+ hours, raising 4 kids and doing foster care is about to break me. Now with having to create a curriculum for my son because they are overcrowded, underfunded, and don't know what a nurse is... is just too much. 1 Nurse for every 3 schools how stupid.

7 of 8 Meeting the Needs of All Students

7)Meeting the Needs of All Students
What should guide teachers' planning in order to meet the needs of all students?

Student's learning and overall well being. I find this to be funny in light of No child left behind and teachers teaching to the standardized test to ensure kids pass no matter what. LOL! It's so funny it makes me sad. So much for learning just make sure they pass the test. My son was the top reader in 2nd and 3rd grade. Within the Top 2 in the entire grade level. This year instead of focusing on learning the teacher is focusing on ensuring all kids will pass the test. I've watched my son cry at least 2 days a week after he leaves school. He has gone from loving to go to school to HATING it with a passion. Yesterday I disenrolled him and were going back to enjoying learning! Needs of the students are something in the past now schools focus on needs of funding no matter what.

6 of 8 Instructional Cycle (Working)

I'm beginning to think these were all do on one post.
6)Instructional Cycle
Describe three stages of the instructional cycle.


Stage 1: Intended Instructional Outcomes
Stage 2: Planning
Stage 3: Assessment

5 of 8 Components of Good Assessment (working)

5)Components of Good Assessment
Name three components of a good assessment.

Individual-referenced- Individually based test where the student is compare with himself for grown in knowledge and understanding.

Norm-referenced- Individually base test where the student is compared with a group using standardized test.

Criterion-referenced - Student is evaluated gains performance with an objective. Project based learning.

4 of 8 Adapting Instruction (working)

4)Adapting Instruction
Adapting instruction is important. Discuss two reasons why.

http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/cnm/cnm_08.html

Children and Adults with learning disabilities or psychological imparements need to have instructions and lessons adapted more to fit thier needs. Some examples are children in wheelchairs, ADHD children, social anxiety and children with traumatic events.

3 of 8 Information-Processing Model

3)Information-Processing Model
Describe the information-processing model of learning.

The lesson pointed specifically to "why they struggle to learn and remember."
This phase is called primary knowledge phase at work. It's learning in the short term part of the memory center of the brain then making connections to move them into long term memory cells. The lesson says - we organize information into categories, then we must repeat the information, and then group the information
organizing information into easily recognizable categories (e.g., all proper names are nouns), repeating the information (i.e., in-class recitations), and grouping the information.

I call these memorization techniques. I've learned the best way to remeber things is by pictures and creating a emotional moment. Pictures, emotions and smell are the fastest way to recall memory. This is basically grouping made easy. You brain release chemicals that re-enforce memory linked to emotional events(tragic or uplifting) and smell. Pictures can be used to group items to reenforce memory.



http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/strategy.html

http://www.fi.edu/learn/brain/stress.html
Memory-
http://www.sas.calpoly.edu/asc/ssl/memorization.html

2 of 8 Learning Characteristics

2)Learning Characteristics
Which student learning characteristics should teachers identify before developing instruction? Why is this important?

Below are some listed on the page but how you get them is not!
It's important because not everyone has the same frame of reference for learning. Some people remeber numbers better, some cultures emphasize social learning more, as well as grade level is important. I've found some psychology testing that narrows down assestment about "who am I" and "what are my strenghts and weaknesses"-

http://www.teamtechnology.co.uk/mmdi/questionnaire/ - good site

http://www.yourpersonality.net/ - ok mostly love crap


Background knowledge and experience
Learning styles (i.e., visual, auditory, kinesthetic, tactile)
Academic strengths
Academic improvement areas
Responsiveness to instruction and correction
Social and interpersonal behaviors
Interests
Talents
Home language and any second language issues
Cultural, community, and religious factors

1 of 8 Content Standards

Here is what everyone in this class seems to be trying to figure out on the blogs that happened week4. In Week 4 we were to post 8 blogs about the 8 different items in this Iris-(I just realized it when MissusC(Danielle) posted thanks Danielle Yeah for Peer learning)
http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/cnm/cresource.htm
We are now into week 5 with the EVALUATING WEB RESOURCES and SOCIAL BOOKMARKING using the Delicious website. And about to move into week 6(2/14-2/20).

1)Content Standards
What are content standards and benchmarks, and how are they used?

Content standards are the final outcome of what your trying to teach. After spending a few hours trying to open the DVD that came with the book(it requires winzip which I no longer have) I was hoping to compare Content Standards and Benchmarking to Education. Looks like I'm falling back on my Military training yet again.

In the Army you have Tasks, Conditions, and Standards. Standards are what you are trying to achieve. One example is in "Common Soldier Task - 081-831-1023 - Perform First Aid to Restore Breathing and/or Pulse" the soldier standards are "Standards: Take appropriate action, in the correct sequence, to restore breathing and, if necessary, the pulse. Continue until the casualty's breathing/pulse returns, a qualified person relieves you, a physician stops you, or you are too tired to continue." His benchmarks are if he is a Go/No-GO for each of the steps he must do to accompish the standard. Benchmarks are the grades a student recieves based on each step he accomplishes.



Tasks in the Army are broken down into skill level tasks. Each task has a name and number for reference. The Common Soldier Task book has a list of classes NCO's must teach there soldiers and the standards they must achieve to pass that block of instruction. Benchmarks are the way to measure what the soldier accomplished based on a Go/No-go status. If a soldier recieves a go he passes that individual task. In the example above one step is "Positioned the casualty" and a list of steps on how to position the casualty is under that step. If the benchmark of Positioning the casualty is correct the soldier recieves a Go and moves on. In education it would be a worksheet on an individual step of a larger Content Standard.

Is there a book like this for education? I'm understanding that is what NET-S is trying to do?

wk 5, Weather ,NOAA'S Cloud Classification National Weather, evaluation

Website Evaluation Checklist

Student Name: Butch Abling Date of Evaluation: 10 Feb 2011
Name of the Website: NOAA’s Cloud ClassificationsNational Weather
URL of the Website: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/synoptic/clouds_max.htm
Accuracy of the Web Page

1. Can you find the author of the page? Yes

Author Name:
National Weather ServiceSouthern Region Headquarters819 Taylor Street, Room 10A06Fort Worth, TX 76102Webmaster's E-mail: SR-SRH.Webmaster@noaa.gov

2. Can the author be contacted:Yes

Author email: SR-SRH.Webmaster@noaa.gov


3. Do you think this person or institution is qualified to publish this webpage?
X

Why or why not? It's the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


1. Check the domain of the URL, particularly the extension.
Is this a commercial site? No

2. Are there credentials listed for the author(s)? I'm going to assume so since it's a government site.

Purpose of the Web Page - Information about NOAA


1. Read over the information on this website carefully. Can you determine the purpose of this web page? Yes

Why is this web page on-line? To Inform the public about NOAA. Think critically about possible opinions or bias? I think they scientifically research data without bias as best as possible.


Currency of the Web Page

1. Can you find a publishing date? Not of the site

When was it published?
2. When was it updated? -Page last modified: January 5, 2010

3. Are the links working and current? Yes

What do you think about the links? I love them and use them all the time!

Looking at your answers, do you think this website would be a reliable, credible source of information? Yes

Why or Why not?
It’s the NOAA Governement Website

Delicious Blog

It took me a minute to figure out how to use Delicious. I was expecting to add a tool bar at the top of my screen but it didn't. I understand the concept of cloud computing but I'm not big on it yet till they let me create my own work page without adding crap that I don't want to it.

What got me was how to add a tag. I didn't understand the tag concept even after watching the video. I finally figured out that what we have to do is add EDU271 as a tag to the websites we found. When you've found a site you want to add Tag(label) it and you can use that like a Favorite or a better description is a MS Access file. It seems to be an ok resource tool but what I really need is a personalized webpage!

Not the best picture sorry I don't have a lot of time but if you look closely on of the Highlighted TAGs is EDU271. That's how you can find it. Type in EDU271 in your search and you've found all the classes Tags.

Group Collaboration AAR Blog 2

AAR- After Action Report. If I had a group of people like Danielle we would have completed this assignment in 3 days. She took the initiative as assaulted this assignment like there was no tomorrow. She shot out a Rough Draft day 2 and we started working back and forth on drafts from that point on. What killed us is we had decided to back off a little in order to allow the others to jump in and start writing. Group Collaborations must be coordinated quickly in order to give people time to work. The problem comes when people procrastinate and then try to jump in later.

Our teams ultimate problem was 1. How to tackle the assignment 2. Who was in charge 3. How far should we go before we just work without the others.

1. How to tackle the assignment. Since me and Danielle did not want to step on each others toes we were skeptical about rewording and working on the other persons writtings. I guess we could have divided up the document into different areas for each of us but that is to much like an individual assignment. We finally decided just to pass the draft back and forth sometimes working on it at the same time.(I wish PBworks had a free IM!)

2. Who was in charge. The great thing about how we worked was we both were. After we got over the problem of being skeptical about offending the other person and just working as a team the drafting, re-writing, finding error, then re-writing went a lot smoother. I do not think either of us wanted to be in charge. Not because we were afraid but because both of us had been in charge of collaboration way to many times and were leaving that option open for some of the other students to jump in a participate. By the time we decided that they were not going to do it we both just passed the document back and forth making corrections.

3. Without initiative the project is doomed to fail. With initiative and understanding that your all working as a team and not to take things to personal it all works out great. I am sure we could have done better if we had a plan from day one but that would have required initiative from all the members. Overall I think this collaboration went well and those that participated learned a lot.

Elluminate tool for Illumination

I got to log onto Elluminate this morning and was amazed at some of the things this program does for online classes and collaboration. For example Prof. Keesee was able to bring up her desktop and walk us through how to do things and where to find them. If not for a separate meeting I had to attend this morning, I would have stayed for the entire session. In my opinion this application should be required of students for the 2nd week of training. That or 1 actual classroom class the student must attend.

The Good and the Bad
The voice chat was interesting but has a few drawbacks. 1. Only one person can talk at a time and if that one person doesn't realize they must unclick the mic button no one else can talk. Using some other voice chat applications for gaming I though this would be more up to date but I can see how in a classroom everyone shouting does not go over well.

The chat window was great you could type questions and responses while the teacher was talking. *Pass notes in class behind the teachers back is still possible!!!*

The teachers ability to show her desktop and step by step instructions was AWSUME! This application alone helps a lot. I wish I would have had longer and I'm looking forward to other sessions. It's like live Video you can interact with. The best applications I've seen online after taking 15 or more courses online have been Course Compass using My Math Lab, Blackboard, Video, now PB works and Elluminate. I'm not much on Blogging since it's much like using a Forum and I prefer a Forum. I would actually recommend the Blogging later in the course.

I'm really looking forward to using Elluminate again and hope to play around with the program on my own time some. With all these forms of technology maybe there should be more prerequisites to this course. I really wish I could have stayed longer and preplanned out some of my questions a little better. Elluminate or some prerecorded videos should be at the start of this course as well as many other blackboard courses.

I'll post the link once I can find the recorded event.