Blog Post #6

I made my Powerpoint presentation on the Rainforest and specifically on the different animals of the rainforest. By using the critiquing criteria in chapter 8, I can see that I have successfully created a useful presentation. I made the writing and grammar standard for an elementary grade level and used numerous fun colors and images. Each slide contains clear information and an understood lesson. For the animal slides, I wrote the animals name large along with a large photo and also added a fun animation to go along with it. For example, for the Red-eyed Tree Frog, I made the picture bounce in, like a frog would, and for the Sloth I made the picture slowly crawl in. This is a fun way of keeping students interested and learning. Also on the animal slides I have kept them simple and have written all the information in the teacher box for me to say aloud. I felt that this way the information will really set in while they take notes, instead of just having them copy all of my slides without thinking. Altogether, I feel that I have made a great presentation that successfully displays the rainforest in a creative way!

The way that I would include peripherals into my classroom would be having an assignment such as a photo scavenger hunt where students would have to take certain pictures and then upload them onto the computer and put them into a presentation. This assignment would teach them how to use such peripherals, such as a camera, in a fun and creative way! It will also help them with team building and Powerpoint skills. Also they would need to print their slides for me to look off of as they make their presentation. This could also be made into a race between groups and whichever group can find and take pictures of all the certain objects first gets extra recess time or some candy.

The skills that we have learned in the part week that I believe will personally help me the most in my classroom has been Powerpoint. I have always known how to create a Powerpoint presentation but I have just learned all these new skills and new animations that I will make my presentations in my classroom so much better. I enjoyed learning how to create and personalize your own background without having to just use a template. Also, I have just learned how to make objects on the slides move in a certain direction, which will be great to use if I make a story book slideshow. I look forward to making some quiz presentations where my students will be able to come to the board and participate, as well as work separately on computers. I am thankful for having learned such neat aspects of Powerpoint and can not wait to apply them in my classroom!

Blog Post #5

I critiqued the educational website called Kids Know It Network. This website is very organized and easy to understand. There are many large pictures depicting numerous activities that the students can participate in. They offer activities in checking your memory, applying number skills, and reviewing history and biology. In the side tab, the site has a different historical quote and fact each day! Which is a fun attribute that kids can learn from. The site as a whole uses bright colors and a fun format which is very appealing for children. The audience for this site would be an elementary age, most likely fourth and fifth graders.

Using presentation software in K-12 classrooms comes with many advantages and disadvantages. It is a very good tool to use while explaining a subject or giving notes because it is clearly read and understood. Presentations appeal to students because it is shown in an organized manner and structures the information very well. Students are more likely to understand material taught to them in a clear format, such as a presentation, rather than just reading sloppy notes off of a white board. The only disadvantage that I can think of is that it does not get the classroom involved with hands on learning. Maybe if you have a smart board you could include some class participation in your slides and call on students to come to the board and work it out. I know personally one of the best ways I learned was to try it first hand.

An example where I would use PowerPoint to support student learning at each knowledge dimension on a particular lesson would be if I had my class make a powerpoint on endangered species. I would expect to see detailed graphics and supporting facts from my more advanced students. And maybe I would expect less information and more simple images from my less advanced students. I would keep the tasks simple for both knowledge dimensions but I would expect them to be researching about ten different species and including at least three facts and two pictures on each. My beginner students will most likely have more difficulty finding the facts and instead just add more images. They are more than welcome to come to me with questions though, and I will be sure to lead them to websites with the correct information.

Blog Post #4

In my classroom I will be sure to incorporate many concepts, such as developing outlines, story boards and idea maps. Learning and applying these tools will help my students make sense of ideas and stay organized. By creating an outline of the material learned, students will be able to fully comprehend the objectives and have clear notes to refer to. Story boards also enhance learning and help with confusion. All of these concepts can easily be made on Microsoft Word and I can teach them how by showing steps on a Microsoft Powerpoint presentation. A can also show them how to incorporate videos and pictures to visually help their learning.

I would definitely encourage my students to develop outlines, idea maps, and story boarding skills. Not only will it help them understand their material and stay organized but they are tools that they can use all their life to make things more clear and comprehendible. All three are great ways to make students see relationships and connections among the information. Also, students can make outlines, idea maps and story boards for any subject material to make their information more organized.

Learning how to mail merge is a very beneficial skill that I have learned in the past week that I will be sure to use in my future career. I had no idea that you could do that on Microsoft Word but it makes sending information to parents and/or teachers SO much easier! Also, recently learning what a legit website is compared to a website with false information is a great skill to know and apply to being a teacher. Now I will be able to direct my students in the right direction and teach them too how to determine between good and bad websites. I am excited that I have learned so much thus far that I can use towards my career and am looking forward to learning even more skills!