Grand Marais Minnesota

Introducing Me

This is the beginning of my adventure into vlogging. One discovery I have already made, is that in using Windows Movie Maker, the video must be published, not just saved as a video. 

Reviewing a vlog

Vlogging. This will take me some practice, but the example I have attached here I think shows the value and possibilities for education purposes. Students can historically document an event. This one I found interesting from the 3minuteegg.org production by artists in the Twin Cities. What I found interesting, was the film angles and the sepia tones. This event was filmed in the recent past, yet the combination of the music and visual effects gives it a documentary style that appeals to the emotions and solidifies the historical importance. I think this vlog shows some of the possibilities of taking something from every day life and enhancing it. The audience appeal might be the 20-30's age group? What are they called, the x generation? I forget. It reveals in a visual way, far more powerful than written words, the author/creator's perspective on work and perhaps expatriotism.

A newbe (or wannabe) at blogging

My search methods and the databases I employ to collect information are pretty primitive right now. I am having a whole new world opened to me and I am beginning to understand the value of Diigo and google reader. I have had scraps of paper laying around and filed away where I have written down web addresses I've wanted to save. These organizational sites are going to be very helpful, as I begin to understand how to use them. Typicallly, I have used my public library's data bases for searches. In determining validity of a site, I have often tried to find state or federal historical society sites or sites that represent a state educational institution. Another check for validity I have used is if the site is endorsed by or representive of the author of the material I might be researching. I think in terms of teaching students to engage in effective searching, it is important to begin with a credible database. As far as podcasts, a starting place is the Education Podcasting Network and podcast.com. In the literature content area, www.learnoutloud.com has a pretty large collection of free materials. I think that's one of the questions - is there a budget or am I looking for free material. My current use of podcasting I am pretty excited about. I've used Audacity to record a book some students I'm working with were requested to read and made it into an MP3 file that they can download off my website. The book is not one that has likely been made into an audio book, nor is it one they'd likely go out and buy but I think it's worth listening to. Plus, it's good practice for me.

Mountain Biking

This looks fun. I tried Mt. biking for the first time this summer in Colorado and really enjoyed it. So when I saw this on the Sierra Trading Post blog, I wanted my son, an avid Mt. biker, to see it too.

Toy Story - A Technology Change Era

My son and I were eating frosted flakes together, looking at all the wonderful free stuff you could get by downloading codes that are inside the box. He asked me how old his older brother was when the first Toy Story movie came out. I recalled him being pretty little (the year was 1995 to be exact). My son said, well that makes sense because in Toy Story 3 the kid goes off to college - just what my son is about to do. Of course I couldn't help but reflect on the fact that when the first movie came out, we were digging the free toys out of the cereal box, compared to now, when we send kids to the computer to get their toy. Reading Will Richardson's book on web tools is proving to be a very helpful guide for me as an educator to understand the reponsibility associated with web use among students and the dramatic changes that computers continue to bring to bear on education. What a dynamic change in 15 years. If I can get to the empty box first, I'm going to take the code and eventually order the Alien Desk Light. It comes with a USB cable! What a perfect representation of the changes within this era.

Crazy Cat Game

Well, today's post is all about me learning how to link. So enjoy!

Thinking about digital writing

How I might use a blog?  I work with Junior Great Books at the private elementary school I work at.  I might start using a blog on the website I'll have the students use so we can interact about the literature we're reading.  I can see that as being really fun because the stories we read can be pretty crazy.  And the kids have the most profound things to say, not only about the literature, but about life in general.  I am also one of the recess "teachers."  That's what the kids call me, anyway.  Sometimes, over the years I've thought that I should record some of my observations/interactions at recess.  They can be pretty funny.  I've thought I'd call it "The Secret Life of the Recess Teacher."  I've never done it because I  didn't have an outlet.  Well, blogging seems like the perfect outlet.  Why didn't I think of that before?  It would be perfect.  Kind of an "Art Linkletter" approach.  The kids really are delightful and I have always thought that some of our delightful interactions should be shared somehow.  So definintely, blogging would enhance communication in both these instances.  Also, my daughter is away at school and this way I could vicariously communicate our family dinnertime conversation with her.  In otherwords, I usually tell my family what transpired during my school day during our dinner conversation.  I can have my daughter check my blog and she'll be right up to spead but I won't have to repeat everything through email.  What I want to learn in this course?  Everything possible about blogging, twittering, etc., and all the possibilities of interacting that goes on with all these elements.  My goal in entering the MEd program is to be the best possible Lang. Arts teacher I can be and I think learning all these elements is a step in that direction.