1. In this case study, a copyright violation could be perceived according to Section 106(3) of the Copyright Law of 1976. This section specifies that the owner of the copyright has the exclusive right to distribute copies of the work to the public by sale. In this case, the alleged copyright holder, who sent the cease and desist letter, does not own the copyright. Rather, the teacher who created the graphics is the legal copyright holder because according to Hobbs' book, "A work is automatically copyrighted at the moment of creation, as long as it exists in a fixed, tangible form." (16)
2. The pro for the teacher presenting her graphics was helping her colleagues as well as the students they would teach. The con was the risk of someone stealing the work she had created. The pro for the alleged copyright holder was to have legal rights to the work and to receive credit in the text for the images. The potential con is that the original creator would not allow this to happen, and could sue for legal copyright.
3. From a business perspective, the alleged copyright holder is obviously trying to make a profit, and therefore there is a copyright violation present. He or she is also after the recognition of having created the images. This can be contrasted to the teacher who created the graphics, who simply wanted to help her colleagues and students.
4. Since this case study has taken place in an educational setting, we can see that "taking the high road" is simply sharing your ideas for educational purposes and the scholarship of your students, without seeking personal gain or profit. In this instance, there has been a copyright violation on the part of the alleged copyright holder, who was impersonating the real copyright holder and stealing her work. Unfortunately, the real copyright holder may have to go to court in order to defend her work.
5. As a future teacher, I cannot wait to have colleagues! I think making friends with my co-teachers is going to be a wonderful experience. However, it would be heart-breaking to have formed those bonds and then to have one of them betray my trust in such a way. I hope to be inspired and uplifted by my colleagues--not cheated by them.
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Case Study #6: AlumNet
1. In this case study, a possible copyright violation could be perceived because there is question regarding the ownership of the name "AlumNet." If a violation, then this instance would have violated Section 106 of the Copyright Law of 1976. However, from the short description of the case study, it appears that the school came up with the name, and is therefore the legal copyright holder.
2. The pro for the school is that they get to use a cute name for their website. Another pro is that the school gets an online communication platform on which past and present students can communicate, called "AlumNet." The con for the school is that some unidentified, alleged copyright holder could claim that they invented the name first.
3. From a business perspective, it appears that the school came up with the name "AlumNet" first, and therefore is the legal copyright holder. Hobbs' book states that "A work is automatically copyrighted at the moment of creation, as long as it exists in a fixed, tangible form." (16) Therefore, unless the alleged copyright holder can prove that they created the name first, then there is no copyright violation in this case.
4. This case study has been presented in an educational perspective. The name is not a form of profit for the school, but rather is simply used as a means of communication among past and present students. Since the name appears to have been originally created by the school, there is no copyright violation.
5. From my personal perspective, it makes me nervous that as a teacher I may come up with some cute name for a class newsletter, a website, etc. and receive a cease and desist letter, even though the name was my own creation! It seems that many people are simply seeking a way to profit by intimidating others, and I hope that as a teacher I am not found in that position.
2. The pro for the school is that they get to use a cute name for their website. Another pro is that the school gets an online communication platform on which past and present students can communicate, called "AlumNet." The con for the school is that some unidentified, alleged copyright holder could claim that they invented the name first.
3. From a business perspective, it appears that the school came up with the name "AlumNet" first, and therefore is the legal copyright holder. Hobbs' book states that "A work is automatically copyrighted at the moment of creation, as long as it exists in a fixed, tangible form." (16) Therefore, unless the alleged copyright holder can prove that they created the name first, then there is no copyright violation in this case.
4. This case study has been presented in an educational perspective. The name is not a form of profit for the school, but rather is simply used as a means of communication among past and present students. Since the name appears to have been originally created by the school, there is no copyright violation.
5. From my personal perspective, it makes me nervous that as a teacher I may come up with some cute name for a class newsletter, a website, etc. and receive a cease and desist letter, even though the name was my own creation! It seems that many people are simply seeking a way to profit by intimidating others, and I hope that as a teacher I am not found in that position.
Case Study #5: Pooh's News
1. This case study could be perceived as a copyright violation because of Section 106(4) of the Copyright Law of 1976. This section specifies that the owner of the copyright has exclusive right to publicly perform the work, which in this case was a literary work. The school did not seek or receive permission from the copyright holders to use the trademarked name of "Winnie the Pooh."
2. The pro for the school was a cute name for their radio program which encouraged students to read. However, the con was the risk of using a popular Disney character's name. The pro for the copyright holders was to make a profit off their Winnie the Pooh books and other products. The con associated with said pro was someone else making a profit off their property without legal permission.
3. From a business perspective, I do not detect a copyright violation. The Fair Use Doctrine, which is Section 107 of the Copyright Law, states that the copyrighted work could be used for teaching or scholarship. In this case study the use of Winnie the Pooh's name is not being used to make a financial profit, but rather for a student literature class to interest children in reading.
4.This case study already takes place from an educational perspective. I have already concluded that the use of Pooh's name has been covered by The Fair Use Doctrine, and therefore there is no copyright violation. The cease and desist letter was simply used as a scare tactic to intimidate the school.
5. Again, this case study makes me more thankful for the Fair Use Doctrine. As a teacher I know that I will want to use cute characters, like Winnie the Pooh, to get my students engaged, excited and interested in what we are learning! Using familiar characters and names is also a fantastic way to help students feel more comfortable and safe in my classroom. I am also a huge Disney fan, so if I am using it for educational purposes then I am not in dangerous territory as far as a copyright violation!
2. The pro for the school was a cute name for their radio program which encouraged students to read. However, the con was the risk of using a popular Disney character's name. The pro for the copyright holders was to make a profit off their Winnie the Pooh books and other products. The con associated with said pro was someone else making a profit off their property without legal permission.
3. From a business perspective, I do not detect a copyright violation. The Fair Use Doctrine, which is Section 107 of the Copyright Law, states that the copyrighted work could be used for teaching or scholarship. In this case study the use of Winnie the Pooh's name is not being used to make a financial profit, but rather for a student literature class to interest children in reading.
4.This case study already takes place from an educational perspective. I have already concluded that the use of Pooh's name has been covered by The Fair Use Doctrine, and therefore there is no copyright violation. The cease and desist letter was simply used as a scare tactic to intimidate the school.
5. Again, this case study makes me more thankful for the Fair Use Doctrine. As a teacher I know that I will want to use cute characters, like Winnie the Pooh, to get my students engaged, excited and interested in what we are learning! Using familiar characters and names is also a fantastic way to help students feel more comfortable and safe in my classroom. I am also a huge Disney fan, so if I am using it for educational purposes then I am not in dangerous territory as far as a copyright violation!
Case Study #4: Movies All Day
1. This case study could represent a possible copyright violation of Section 106(4), which states that the owner of the copyright has the exclusive right to publicly display the work. This section of the Copyright Law includes motion pictures. Here, the school did not seek or receive permission to publicly show the movies. Additionally, the movies were not being shown for educational purposes, which would have been covered by Section 107 (The Fair Use Doctrine) which states that a copyrighted work can be used for "...criticism, comment, new reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research."
2. In this situation, the pro for the school was attracting people to their fall festival. However, the con was being caught in a copyright violation by using the movies without sufficient permission by the copyright owners. The pro for the movie copyright owners is to make a profit off of their movie sales. The con is the risk of people using those movies without permission, and therefore negatively affecting the profit.
3. From a business perspective there is definitely a copyright violation in this instance. The violation is the fact that the movies were not being shown for educational purposes, and also that the entirety of the movie was shown rather than just a portion. Additionally, by showing the movies in this way, the school is affecting the market value of those movies. Although cease-and-desist letters can be used as a scare tactic, in this case the copyright holder was correct; their rights had been compromised.
4. If this instance had occurred in an educational setting, and for an educational purpose, then it would have been covered by the Fair Use Doctrine. If the school had sought permission to show these movies for a purely pleasurable experience, then that would have been acceptable. However, the movies were shown just for fun, and therefore a violation occurred.
5. From my personal perspective, I am so thankful for the Fair Use Doctrine! In my field experiences I have witnessed multiple usages of movies for an educational purpose, and I saw how movies can be effective for teaching certain concepts. Also, in the ECLC where I have worked for the past four years, we often watch educational videos. We also watch non-educational videos but for an educational purpose. For example, last week we watched Nemo, but it had an educational purpose. Our weekly theme was the ocean, and so by watching Nemo, the students were able to get excited and curious about learning ocean concepts.
2. In this situation, the pro for the school was attracting people to their fall festival. However, the con was being caught in a copyright violation by using the movies without sufficient permission by the copyright owners. The pro for the movie copyright owners is to make a profit off of their movie sales. The con is the risk of people using those movies without permission, and therefore negatively affecting the profit.
3. From a business perspective there is definitely a copyright violation in this instance. The violation is the fact that the movies were not being shown for educational purposes, and also that the entirety of the movie was shown rather than just a portion. Additionally, by showing the movies in this way, the school is affecting the market value of those movies. Although cease-and-desist letters can be used as a scare tactic, in this case the copyright holder was correct; their rights had been compromised.
4. If this instance had occurred in an educational setting, and for an educational purpose, then it would have been covered by the Fair Use Doctrine. If the school had sought permission to show these movies for a purely pleasurable experience, then that would have been acceptable. However, the movies were shown just for fun, and therefore a violation occurred.
5. From my personal perspective, I am so thankful for the Fair Use Doctrine! In my field experiences I have witnessed multiple usages of movies for an educational purpose, and I saw how movies can be effective for teaching certain concepts. Also, in the ECLC where I have worked for the past four years, we often watch educational videos. We also watch non-educational videos but for an educational purpose. For example, last week we watched Nemo, but it had an educational purpose. Our weekly theme was the ocean, and so by watching Nemo, the students were able to get excited and curious about learning ocean concepts.
Case Study #3: Gap Steal?
1. In this case study, a possible violation of copyright law could be perceived because Baby Gap used an image found online and used it, without permission, to make a profit. This would be considered a violation of Copyright Law Section 106(3), which states that "To distribute copies...of the work to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease, or lending..." is the exclusive right of the owner; in this case, the photographer. The man who took the original picture of the car and put it up on Flickr did NOT give anyone permission to use it.
2. The pro for the photographer was receiving recognition for his good picture. However, the con associated with putting that picture online was the risk of someone using it for their own profit. The pro for Baby Gap was an adorable baby onsie of which they would make a profit, but the con was that the original photographer (the owner of the image) would find out and take them to court.
3. I have concluded that from a business perspective there is a copyright violation in this case. The violation is in reference to the Copyright Law Section 106(3), which implies that the photographer of an image has fill ownership to his or her photos, and exclusive rights to make a profit from it. However in this situation, Baby Gap did not seek permission to use the image, and basically stole the photo off the internet in order to make a profit.
4. In an educational setting, this situation may look like this: an art teacher wants to use an image found online to teach his or her students how to modify an image using Photoshop. In that case, this action is completely covered by the Fair Use Doctrine. Because the image is being used to teach a concept and benefit the students (and without making a profit), then the teacher has a fair right to use the image. However, if the image was used by the school to make a profit, then that would be a different story because of Section 107 of the Copyright Act.
5. My automatic response to this case study is that Baby Gap had no right to the photo. I sympathize with the photographer, because that photo was his artwork! It was completely unfair for Baby Gap to profit off this artist's work, especially without the photographer's knowledge.
2. The pro for the photographer was receiving recognition for his good picture. However, the con associated with putting that picture online was the risk of someone using it for their own profit. The pro for Baby Gap was an adorable baby onsie of which they would make a profit, but the con was that the original photographer (the owner of the image) would find out and take them to court.
3. I have concluded that from a business perspective there is a copyright violation in this case. The violation is in reference to the Copyright Law Section 106(3), which implies that the photographer of an image has fill ownership to his or her photos, and exclusive rights to make a profit from it. However in this situation, Baby Gap did not seek permission to use the image, and basically stole the photo off the internet in order to make a profit.
4. In an educational setting, this situation may look like this: an art teacher wants to use an image found online to teach his or her students how to modify an image using Photoshop. In that case, this action is completely covered by the Fair Use Doctrine. Because the image is being used to teach a concept and benefit the students (and without making a profit), then the teacher has a fair right to use the image. However, if the image was used by the school to make a profit, then that would be a different story because of Section 107 of the Copyright Act.
5. My automatic response to this case study is that Baby Gap had no right to the photo. I sympathize with the photographer, because that photo was his artwork! It was completely unfair for Baby Gap to profit off this artist's work, especially without the photographer's knowledge.
Case Study #2: Controversial Billboard
1. In this case study, a possible copyright issue could be perceived because the image of a young girl was publicly displayed in a way that her mother did not expect. The girl's image was used on a three-story tall billboard promoting one side of a very controversial issue: abortion. Additionally, the ad (posted by the organization Life Always) was negatively targeting African Americans. Similarly to case study #1, the portion of the copyright law that could be violated is section 106(5), which states that the copyright owner has exclusive rights to publicly display an image.
2. As far as the pros and cons of this case study, there are really three parties involved: the mother, the modeling adjacency, and Life Always. The pro for the mother was that she most likely was paid for the rights for organizations to use her child's photo. However, the con was that she had no control of how those pictures of her daughter would be used. The pro for the modeling agency was profiting from the sale of the stock image. The con was the risk of the image being exploited in some way. The pro for Life Always was that they got to use the image of a beautiful young African American girl to send a strong anti-abortion message. However, the con was the risk of offending the African American community and enraging Planned Parenthood.
3. From a business perspective, there is no copyright violation here. The mother signed a release form, signing away her exclusive rights to her daughter's image. Therefore, she had not legal ownership of the image. The modeling agency legally sold the stock image to the Life Always organization, which then used the photograph as they saw fit.
4. If this situation had occurred in an educational setting, it most likely would have looked like this: at the beginning of the year, parents signed a release form allowing their children's photographs to be used to promote the school. Then, after a child's photo has been used for that purpose, a parent sees the picture publicly displayed and becomes enraged. In that situation, no copyright law has been violated. This is because the parent was aware of the risk involved with signing the release form, and chose to sign the form anyway. Therefore, she has no legal case.
5. From my personal perspective, I do not think that the mother had a case. It is definitely unfortunate that her daughter's photograph was used in the way that is was, however the mother was fully aware of such risks involved with using that modeling agency. I think that what the organization did was completely fair. They received permission, and proceeded to use the photo to promote their organization.
2. As far as the pros and cons of this case study, there are really three parties involved: the mother, the modeling adjacency, and Life Always. The pro for the mother was that she most likely was paid for the rights for organizations to use her child's photo. However, the con was that she had no control of how those pictures of her daughter would be used. The pro for the modeling agency was profiting from the sale of the stock image. The con was the risk of the image being exploited in some way. The pro for Life Always was that they got to use the image of a beautiful young African American girl to send a strong anti-abortion message. However, the con was the risk of offending the African American community and enraging Planned Parenthood.
3. From a business perspective, there is no copyright violation here. The mother signed a release form, signing away her exclusive rights to her daughter's image. Therefore, she had not legal ownership of the image. The modeling agency legally sold the stock image to the Life Always organization, which then used the photograph as they saw fit.
4. If this situation had occurred in an educational setting, it most likely would have looked like this: at the beginning of the year, parents signed a release form allowing their children's photographs to be used to promote the school. Then, after a child's photo has been used for that purpose, a parent sees the picture publicly displayed and becomes enraged. In that situation, no copyright law has been violated. This is because the parent was aware of the risk involved with signing the release form, and chose to sign the form anyway. Therefore, she has no legal case.
5. From my personal perspective, I do not think that the mother had a case. It is definitely unfortunate that her daughter's photograph was used in the way that is was, however the mother was fully aware of such risks involved with using that modeling agency. I think that what the organization did was completely fair. They received permission, and proceeded to use the photo to promote their organization.
Case Study #1: A family Christmas card
1. There is a copyright issue in this case because a family's personal photo was exploited without the family's knowledge or permission. This specific instance represents a possible violation, or could be perceived as a violation, of section 106 of the copyright law, which states that the owner has exclusive rights to the copyrighted work. Specifically, section 106(5) mentions using copyrighted pictures, and the fact that the owner of the picture has the exclusive right to display it publicly.
2. The pros of this case study from the shop owner's perspective is using the photograph as a way to advertise for his business, and therefore make a profit. The cons he is faced with as a result, are the risks of getting caught for his copyright violation. The pros for the family are allowing their extended family and friends to enjoy the family picture. However, the con of the family posting their personal picture on the internet was the risk of someone taking advantage of the picture and using it illegally, which is exactly what happened.
3. From a business perspective there is a copyright violation because the copyright owners (the family in the photograph) did not give permission for their family's photograph to be publicly displayed. According to the copyright law, the copyright owner has exclusive rights to display their intellectual property. Additionally, the shop owner was using this photograph as a way to advertise his business and make a profit. Therefore, my decision in this case is that the shop owner violated copyright law by displaying the family's personal photograph without their permission, and for financial gain.
4. If the scenario presented in this particular case study had occurred in an educational setting, it would look something like this: a teacher shows his or her class a picture of a family. The teacher has not received permission by the family to use the photograph, however the purpose for this usage is educational. Based on the concept of transformativeness, the teacher has the right to show this picture in order to serve an educational purpose, which is different from the original intent of the photo. In section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976 it says, "The fair use of a copyrighted work is not an infringement of copyright. This includes reproduction in copies for purposes such as...teaching..."
5. I personally feel that in this case, while I feel a little bad for the shop keeper who claimed that he thought the photograph was "computer generated," he still violated the copyright law. Although his violation was accidental, it was unfair for the husband and wife whose faces (and their children's faces) were posted for the world to see. While this is a fairly minor and relatively harmless situation, it could have been worse. For example, the shop keeper could have stumbled upon a picture of the husband with a different woman, and while the photograph could have been an innocent situation, the exploitation of the photo could have misconstrued the situation and led to disastrous repercussions.
2. The pros of this case study from the shop owner's perspective is using the photograph as a way to advertise for his business, and therefore make a profit. The cons he is faced with as a result, are the risks of getting caught for his copyright violation. The pros for the family are allowing their extended family and friends to enjoy the family picture. However, the con of the family posting their personal picture on the internet was the risk of someone taking advantage of the picture and using it illegally, which is exactly what happened.
3. From a business perspective there is a copyright violation because the copyright owners (the family in the photograph) did not give permission for their family's photograph to be publicly displayed. According to the copyright law, the copyright owner has exclusive rights to display their intellectual property. Additionally, the shop owner was using this photograph as a way to advertise his business and make a profit. Therefore, my decision in this case is that the shop owner violated copyright law by displaying the family's personal photograph without their permission, and for financial gain.
4. If the scenario presented in this particular case study had occurred in an educational setting, it would look something like this: a teacher shows his or her class a picture of a family. The teacher has not received permission by the family to use the photograph, however the purpose for this usage is educational. Based on the concept of transformativeness, the teacher has the right to show this picture in order to serve an educational purpose, which is different from the original intent of the photo. In section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976 it says, "The fair use of a copyrighted work is not an infringement of copyright. This includes reproduction in copies for purposes such as...teaching..."
5. I personally feel that in this case, while I feel a little bad for the shop keeper who claimed that he thought the photograph was "computer generated," he still violated the copyright law. Although his violation was accidental, it was unfair for the husband and wife whose faces (and their children's faces) were posted for the world to see. While this is a fairly minor and relatively harmless situation, it could have been worse. For example, the shop keeper could have stumbled upon a picture of the husband with a different woman, and while the photograph could have been an innocent situation, the exploitation of the photo could have misconstrued the situation and led to disastrous repercussions.
Saturday, May 28, 2016
Friday, My experience with Google Forms
To begin my adventure with Google Forms, I read pages 122-127 of Classroom in the Cloud. This reading gave me a great foundation of understanding on which to build my experiences, however after the reading my understanding of Flubaroo was still pretty vague.
Google Forms is an online platform that teachers can use to create quizzes for their students. (The tool can also be used for additional purposes, such as parent surveys, etc.) Students or parents access the quiz through email or by using a URL code. The amazing thing about Google Forms is that data is automatically saved and sent to an attached spreadsheet, to which the teacher has access. This is a quick and easy way to collect information and assess student understanding. The spreadsheet created also allows for teachers to go through the quiz to see what questions each student answered incorrectly, and the wrong answer that was written instead. This can help teachers evaluate what students are missing and therefore plan future instruction accordingly.
Rather than continuing to review information I gained through the reading of the text, I want to now transition into a discussion of my personal experience with Google Forms. Each instructional stage of the process was written out in the form of six packets of information, called Help Sheets. The objective of Help Sheet 1 was setting up the self grading quiz. I went to my Google Drive and selected "New-More-GoogleForms." These few clicks brought me to a blank quiz page. From here, I added all the necessary information for my quiz including the quiz title, the file name, a slot for the quiz-taker to input their first and last name, and the questions. For each question I was given the option of choosing my question type (true/false, multiple choice, short answer, or essay question). For my quiz I chose multiple choice for all 10 questions. There is also a "required" option, which communicates to the quiz-taker that the question is NOT optional. I chose to set all 10 of my questions, as well as the first and last name, as required. After creating my Google Form Quiz, I skipped over to Help Sheet 6 because it included instructions on choosing a visual "quiz theme." As my visual theme I chose a bookshelf.
After creating my quiz (and making it visually appealing) I moved on to Help Sheet 2. The objective of this Help Sheet was grading the self-grading quiz. From the quiz page, I chose the option "Responses," and then the green box icon, which took me to a spreadsheet. The spreadsheet had the first row filled out for me. Columns A, B, and C said "Timestamp," "Last name," "First name," and D-M had each of the 10 quiz questions. After a couple of quick adjustments, I created my answer key which showed up in Row 2. After having my answer key applied, I then impersonated 5 students who took my quiz, for the purpose of practicing exercises with the response spreadsheet. This was accomplished by emailing the quiz form to myself. After having my information entered, I followed the Help Sheet carefully to set up my question numbers and average in columns P-Z. This was accomplished by typing in a formula (=Q1+1, where Q refers to the specific column.) Then, in cell Q3 I typed a second formula (IF(D3=D$2,100,0). This formula was necessary in order to compute the student's correct or incorrect responses. Lastly on this Help Sheet, I typed in one last formula into cell P3 (=Average(Q3:Z3). The purpose of this final formula is to calculate each student's average score.
The objective of Help Sheet 3 is question analysis. Only one action was taken in response to this Help Sheet, and that was to input the formula =Average(Q4:Q10) into cell Q11. This formula is included to aid in analyzing student responses. This Help Sheet also discussed the actions that should be taken in a classroom when the majority of students miss the same question, only one student misses multiple questions, many students miss multiple different questions, etc.
The objective of Help Sheet 4 was establishing a Grade Sheet. This is where I began to run into some confusion. I understood the visual representations shown in this Help Sheet, but making my own computer screen to look similar was a struggle for me. I understood the Help Sheet's discussion on the different grading scales (from CHIP, TEAM, GAIN and TECH, the four tracks from the same class), but was unable to apply that information to my own Grade Sheet. I began my attempt by creating a blank spreadsheet and inputting my own information. In place of CHIP, TEAM, GAIN, and TECH I created Track 1, Track 2, Track 3 and Track 4. I also added three additional columns for total, percentage, and final grade.
I admittedly was unsuccessful in applying the content from Help Sheet 5 to my own Grade Sheet. The objective of that Help Sheet was posting to a grade sheet. After much trial and error, I finally figured out how to input the code (=IMPORTRANGE("1n5rMABo_A0r6lhvU9vTgtIPtoX4oRMgfDIHpJvVOe-E", ResponseForm1!P3:P7") in order to transfer the information on my Response Spreadsheet to the Grade Sheet, and figured out how to alphabetize my response form. I also applied the six different formulas into the correct cells (B6, C7, D8, E9, F10, and G11). However, that is about as far as I got. The instructions seemed to cut off there, but my Grade Sheet still looked nothing like the example grade sheet in the back of the Help Sheet packet. I believe part of my confusion was the fact that I only had the data from one quiz, rather than having a whole class set of assignments completed, making grade processing impossible. I did notice that each track had a different formula in order to accommodate to the different grading point scales.
For the most part, I found Google Forms a fairly quick tool that seems like it would have effective assessment results. I found creating the quiz and the response form very simple, but I did experience difficulty when trying to understand the ins-and-outs of the Grade Sheet. With the exception of the Grade Sheet (which I will clearly need further instruction in order to use effectively) I can see myself using Google Forms in my classroom. I see the value in using the online quiz system as a way to analyze my students' progress and needs. Page 124 quickly touched on the tool known as Flubaroo, which is an assessment add-on to go along with Google Forms. This feature apparently allows for the quizzes to be self-grading. Without a full understanding, Flubaroo appears to be another option that would help make assessment more doable.
Below are the links to the quiz, response form, and grade sheet I created as a part of this experience:
Quiz: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1xuWED7knGvif8JdJD4oEPKb6zaJ3BemGkgkiw2QWi7U/edit
Response Form: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1n5rMABo_A0r6lhvU9vTgtIPtoX4oRMgfDIHpJvVOe-E/edit#gid=1049752692
Grade Sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1UfgRY9znpKxWOmf9M62dftMrcADzhvSmSpucER1QwZw/edit#gid=0
Google Forms is an online platform that teachers can use to create quizzes for their students. (The tool can also be used for additional purposes, such as parent surveys, etc.) Students or parents access the quiz through email or by using a URL code. The amazing thing about Google Forms is that data is automatically saved and sent to an attached spreadsheet, to which the teacher has access. This is a quick and easy way to collect information and assess student understanding. The spreadsheet created also allows for teachers to go through the quiz to see what questions each student answered incorrectly, and the wrong answer that was written instead. This can help teachers evaluate what students are missing and therefore plan future instruction accordingly.
Rather than continuing to review information I gained through the reading of the text, I want to now transition into a discussion of my personal experience with Google Forms. Each instructional stage of the process was written out in the form of six packets of information, called Help Sheets. The objective of Help Sheet 1 was setting up the self grading quiz. I went to my Google Drive and selected "New-More-GoogleForms." These few clicks brought me to a blank quiz page. From here, I added all the necessary information for my quiz including the quiz title, the file name, a slot for the quiz-taker to input their first and last name, and the questions. For each question I was given the option of choosing my question type (true/false, multiple choice, short answer, or essay question). For my quiz I chose multiple choice for all 10 questions. There is also a "required" option, which communicates to the quiz-taker that the question is NOT optional. I chose to set all 10 of my questions, as well as the first and last name, as required. After creating my Google Form Quiz, I skipped over to Help Sheet 6 because it included instructions on choosing a visual "quiz theme." As my visual theme I chose a bookshelf.
After creating my quiz (and making it visually appealing) I moved on to Help Sheet 2. The objective of this Help Sheet was grading the self-grading quiz. From the quiz page, I chose the option "Responses," and then the green box icon, which took me to a spreadsheet. The spreadsheet had the first row filled out for me. Columns A, B, and C said "Timestamp," "Last name," "First name," and D-M had each of the 10 quiz questions. After a couple of quick adjustments, I created my answer key which showed up in Row 2. After having my answer key applied, I then impersonated 5 students who took my quiz, for the purpose of practicing exercises with the response spreadsheet. This was accomplished by emailing the quiz form to myself. After having my information entered, I followed the Help Sheet carefully to set up my question numbers and average in columns P-Z. This was accomplished by typing in a formula (=Q1+1, where Q refers to the specific column.) Then, in cell Q3 I typed a second formula (IF(D3=D$2,100,0). This formula was necessary in order to compute the student's correct or incorrect responses. Lastly on this Help Sheet, I typed in one last formula into cell P3 (=Average(Q3:Z3). The purpose of this final formula is to calculate each student's average score.
The objective of Help Sheet 3 is question analysis. Only one action was taken in response to this Help Sheet, and that was to input the formula =Average(Q4:Q10) into cell Q11. This formula is included to aid in analyzing student responses. This Help Sheet also discussed the actions that should be taken in a classroom when the majority of students miss the same question, only one student misses multiple questions, many students miss multiple different questions, etc.
The objective of Help Sheet 4 was establishing a Grade Sheet. This is where I began to run into some confusion. I understood the visual representations shown in this Help Sheet, but making my own computer screen to look similar was a struggle for me. I understood the Help Sheet's discussion on the different grading scales (from CHIP, TEAM, GAIN and TECH, the four tracks from the same class), but was unable to apply that information to my own Grade Sheet. I began my attempt by creating a blank spreadsheet and inputting my own information. In place of CHIP, TEAM, GAIN, and TECH I created Track 1, Track 2, Track 3 and Track 4. I also added three additional columns for total, percentage, and final grade.
I admittedly was unsuccessful in applying the content from Help Sheet 5 to my own Grade Sheet. The objective of that Help Sheet was posting to a grade sheet. After much trial and error, I finally figured out how to input the code (=IMPORTRANGE("1n5rMABo_A0r6lhvU9vTgtIPtoX4oRMgfDIHpJvVOe-E", ResponseForm1!P3:P7") in order to transfer the information on my Response Spreadsheet to the Grade Sheet, and figured out how to alphabetize my response form. I also applied the six different formulas into the correct cells (B6, C7, D8, E9, F10, and G11). However, that is about as far as I got. The instructions seemed to cut off there, but my Grade Sheet still looked nothing like the example grade sheet in the back of the Help Sheet packet. I believe part of my confusion was the fact that I only had the data from one quiz, rather than having a whole class set of assignments completed, making grade processing impossible. I did notice that each track had a different formula in order to accommodate to the different grading point scales.
For the most part, I found Google Forms a fairly quick tool that seems like it would have effective assessment results. I found creating the quiz and the response form very simple, but I did experience difficulty when trying to understand the ins-and-outs of the Grade Sheet. With the exception of the Grade Sheet (which I will clearly need further instruction in order to use effectively) I can see myself using Google Forms in my classroom. I see the value in using the online quiz system as a way to analyze my students' progress and needs. Page 124 quickly touched on the tool known as Flubaroo, which is an assessment add-on to go along with Google Forms. This feature apparently allows for the quizzes to be self-grading. Without a full understanding, Flubaroo appears to be another option that would help make assessment more doable.
Below are the links to the quiz, response form, and grade sheet I created as a part of this experience:
Quiz: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1xuWED7knGvif8JdJD4oEPKb6zaJ3BemGkgkiw2QWi7U/edit
Response Form: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1n5rMABo_A0r6lhvU9vTgtIPtoX4oRMgfDIHpJvVOe-E/edit#gid=1049752692
Grade Sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1UfgRY9znpKxWOmf9M62dftMrcADzhvSmSpucER1QwZw/edit#gid=0
Friday, May 27, 2016
Classroom in the Cloud, ch. 4
From chapter 4 of Classroom in the Cloud I have chosen to research and review the Yogile function. The reason I chose Yogile is because I had never heard of it until reading this chapter of the text. The book discusses the functions and features of Yogile on pages 99-102.
Yogile is a tool used for sharing photos online. Users can access a single album by using email addresses, and can decide whether online albums are "public" or "private" through the use of passwords. Interestingly, photos on this online album are only kept for 14 days through the free account. This would give enough time for users to share and download desired pictures, if you act fast! However this is obviously not a reliable resource to use as a means of actually storing photos. Long-term photo storage is not the main function of this tool.
Yogile was created specifically as a way for students to share concept learning through the use of photos. Clint Stephens explains why photos ought to be shared in a classroom: "...photos taken by the teacher or by students are used for many reasons: to document group or project work, to show evidence of learning, to identify real-world examples, and so on" (100). It has been a struggle in the past to establish a quick and effective method of sharing photos such as these. Unlike Facebook of Flickr, personal information does not have to be shared through this application, which is a great feature for a class of students.
The special features of Yogile described by the text include "One click to start," customized URL, and password protection. The "one click to start" feature is self-explanatory. The chapter was simply proving how fast and easy it is to create an online album to which photos can be uploaded immediately. The customized URL is the key for students to send their photos in. Without this specific URL, students will not have access to the album. Another positive aspect of this system is that the teacher could potentially share this URL with another teacher, a principal, or teachers so that more than just students can post photos. This is also a great way to ensure that only those who you give the URL code can access the photos. That kind of control is crucial to student safety on the internet. Lastly, the password protection is essential because it protects your students' pictures. The internet can often be a vulnerable place, especially for young students, so this password is to ensure that nothing unsafe happens to your students on Yogile.
A negative aspect of Yogile is the fact that to extend the online photo album to existing longer than 14 days, teachers must pay a fee. If you don't want to do that, then this application is only good for two weeks of time, witch for most school projects would be a sufficient length of time.
As a teacher, I would live to use Yogile as a way to allow my visual learners to express themselves and view other visual examples created by their peers. It would also be a great assessment tool, if Yogile was used in place of an exam. Lastly, as the chapter points out, this would be an awesome way to share memories of the school year of photos from a field trip with parents! Parents love having photos of their children (obviously), so with a simple URL code any parent could access these pictures.
Yogile is a tool used for sharing photos online. Users can access a single album by using email addresses, and can decide whether online albums are "public" or "private" through the use of passwords. Interestingly, photos on this online album are only kept for 14 days through the free account. This would give enough time for users to share and download desired pictures, if you act fast! However this is obviously not a reliable resource to use as a means of actually storing photos. Long-term photo storage is not the main function of this tool.
Yogile was created specifically as a way for students to share concept learning through the use of photos. Clint Stephens explains why photos ought to be shared in a classroom: "...photos taken by the teacher or by students are used for many reasons: to document group or project work, to show evidence of learning, to identify real-world examples, and so on" (100). It has been a struggle in the past to establish a quick and effective method of sharing photos such as these. Unlike Facebook of Flickr, personal information does not have to be shared through this application, which is a great feature for a class of students.
The special features of Yogile described by the text include "One click to start," customized URL, and password protection. The "one click to start" feature is self-explanatory. The chapter was simply proving how fast and easy it is to create an online album to which photos can be uploaded immediately. The customized URL is the key for students to send their photos in. Without this specific URL, students will not have access to the album. Another positive aspect of this system is that the teacher could potentially share this URL with another teacher, a principal, or teachers so that more than just students can post photos. This is also a great way to ensure that only those who you give the URL code can access the photos. That kind of control is crucial to student safety on the internet. Lastly, the password protection is essential because it protects your students' pictures. The internet can often be a vulnerable place, especially for young students, so this password is to ensure that nothing unsafe happens to your students on Yogile.
A negative aspect of Yogile is the fact that to extend the online photo album to existing longer than 14 days, teachers must pay a fee. If you don't want to do that, then this application is only good for two weeks of time, witch for most school projects would be a sufficient length of time.
As a teacher, I would live to use Yogile as a way to allow my visual learners to express themselves and view other visual examples created by their peers. It would also be a great assessment tool, if Yogile was used in place of an exam. Lastly, as the chapter points out, this would be an awesome way to share memories of the school year of photos from a field trip with parents! Parents love having photos of their children (obviously), so with a simple URL code any parent could access these pictures.
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Classroom in the Cloud, ch. 3
From chapter 3 of Classroom in the Cloud, I have decided to look further into Edmodo. My reason for choosing Edmodo over Wikispaces is that I am semi-familiar with Wikispaces, however I had never heard of Edmodo before reading this chapter.
Edmodo is described by the text as "...the 'Facebook' for education...a social media platform that allows students and teachers to connect in a private and secure environment outside the classroom" (73) The purpose of Edmodo is to extend learning outside of the confines of the classroom and into students' after-school lives, and to share valuable educational resources. Edmodo provides a closed, and therefore safe, environment for teachers and students to share comments, videos, handouts, ask questions, etc. One neat aspect of the Edmodo resource is that students can have peer conversations with one another under the supervision of the teacher. This can also provide a place for students to turn in work, and in return receive online teacher feedback to assignments. The teacher possesses all ultimate editing rights to all posts uploaded onto Edmodo. Through Edmodo, students can access additional educational apps.
Another useful feature of Edmodo is that it can be accessed through any device that has internet access. The text even says that through Edmodo teachers can have access to their gradebooks, and to any comment left by a student. Apparently, teachers have the freedom and ability to customize their Edmodo page for the class, although in order to obtain certain features you have to pay a small fee.
Edmodo also includes the option for students to add assignments or photos to their "Edmodo Backback," which is essentially a digital, Cloud-based folder in which files are saved and stored. These files that are saved into the Edmodo Backpack have been saved for good, and students or teachers are able to access that storage at any point in the future.
Another right that is available to the teacher of the Edmodo page is the ability to create small groups within the main group.
As a future teacher, I am potentially interested in using Edmodo as a tool for my classroom. For one, Edmodo creates a positive online community (which is desperately needed in our society!) that extends communication beyond the classroom. It is also a great way to keep all my resources in one central location, including gradebook, student work, student comments, etc. It can also be as equally useful for the student as it is for the teacher. Edmodo allows for students to keep all their assignments in a central location as well. Lastly, Edmodo classrooms can collaborate with other Edmodo classrooms all around the globe. What exciting possibilities this educational globalization creates!
Edmodo is described by the text as "...the 'Facebook' for education...a social media platform that allows students and teachers to connect in a private and secure environment outside the classroom" (73) The purpose of Edmodo is to extend learning outside of the confines of the classroom and into students' after-school lives, and to share valuable educational resources. Edmodo provides a closed, and therefore safe, environment for teachers and students to share comments, videos, handouts, ask questions, etc. One neat aspect of the Edmodo resource is that students can have peer conversations with one another under the supervision of the teacher. This can also provide a place for students to turn in work, and in return receive online teacher feedback to assignments. The teacher possesses all ultimate editing rights to all posts uploaded onto Edmodo. Through Edmodo, students can access additional educational apps.
Another useful feature of Edmodo is that it can be accessed through any device that has internet access. The text even says that through Edmodo teachers can have access to their gradebooks, and to any comment left by a student. Apparently, teachers have the freedom and ability to customize their Edmodo page for the class, although in order to obtain certain features you have to pay a small fee.
Edmodo also includes the option for students to add assignments or photos to their "Edmodo Backback," which is essentially a digital, Cloud-based folder in which files are saved and stored. These files that are saved into the Edmodo Backpack have been saved for good, and students or teachers are able to access that storage at any point in the future.
Another right that is available to the teacher of the Edmodo page is the ability to create small groups within the main group.
As a future teacher, I am potentially interested in using Edmodo as a tool for my classroom. For one, Edmodo creates a positive online community (which is desperately needed in our society!) that extends communication beyond the classroom. It is also a great way to keep all my resources in one central location, including gradebook, student work, student comments, etc. It can also be as equally useful for the student as it is for the teacher. Edmodo allows for students to keep all their assignments in a central location as well. Lastly, Edmodo classrooms can collaborate with other Edmodo classrooms all around the globe. What exciting possibilities this educational globalization creates!
Wednesday, review of Book Creator app (Language Arts)
The purpose of the Book Creator app is the allow the user to create a digital book. I was originally drawn to this app because it gives students a chance to incorporate visual creativity with creative writing, and to have a finished product to show and to be proud of. This app may not be suitable for the youngest users, but probably a second grade audience or older would be ideal.
The app opens with a tutorial, given in the format of a digital book, like one that will be created later on. This tutorial gives seven steps to creating your own digital book, which I will explain in more detail. The first step is to add content to the page. By pressing the + button, content such as pictures, videos, sound, text, or a drawing may be inserted. Step two is to position the content you have just inserted. By using simple finger adjustments the image or textbox can be rotated, enlarged, or moved around the page. Step three explains the process of syncing your imaged with Book Creator in order to give you more image options to add to the book.
Step four is about using the Inspector. The Inspector is a menu option shown at the top of the page, represented by an i with a circle around it. This option allows the user to adjust specifics such as font, font size, font color, background, alignment, etc. Step five on the tutorial is called "Give it a go!" and is an invitation to experiment with the app for yourself. Step six is building your book, and gives details on how to view your book, your pages, or to undo. From here, you can reorder your pages or even share your finished product via email or other social networks.
The final step is Step seven: reading your book. Once your book is completed it can be saved into your library of books, so that multiple books can be created and stored on the app.
As a teacher, Book Creator would be an awesome tool to allow my students an outlet of creativity after a language arts lesson. Students could use Book Creator to implement some of the concepts gained through the lesson, or just to practice creative plot writing skills. For those students who are gifted in artistic areas, this would be a great project to incorporate creative writing with visual art. This app would also allow students to have a finished product that they could read over and over again, save, and be proud of. They could even email it to their parents at work! Students could work in partners or individually to create a book, and once the entire class has finished we could have a book reading in which each student or partnership could present their final product.
The app opens with a tutorial, given in the format of a digital book, like one that will be created later on. This tutorial gives seven steps to creating your own digital book, which I will explain in more detail. The first step is to add content to the page. By pressing the + button, content such as pictures, videos, sound, text, or a drawing may be inserted. Step two is to position the content you have just inserted. By using simple finger adjustments the image or textbox can be rotated, enlarged, or moved around the page. Step three explains the process of syncing your imaged with Book Creator in order to give you more image options to add to the book.
Step four is about using the Inspector. The Inspector is a menu option shown at the top of the page, represented by an i with a circle around it. This option allows the user to adjust specifics such as font, font size, font color, background, alignment, etc. Step five on the tutorial is called "Give it a go!" and is an invitation to experiment with the app for yourself. Step six is building your book, and gives details on how to view your book, your pages, or to undo. From here, you can reorder your pages or even share your finished product via email or other social networks.
The final step is Step seven: reading your book. Once your book is completed it can be saved into your library of books, so that multiple books can be created and stored on the app.
As a teacher, Book Creator would be an awesome tool to allow my students an outlet of creativity after a language arts lesson. Students could use Book Creator to implement some of the concepts gained through the lesson, or just to practice creative plot writing skills. For those students who are gifted in artistic areas, this would be a great project to incorporate creative writing with visual art. This app would also allow students to have a finished product that they could read over and over again, save, and be proud of. They could even email it to their parents at work! Students could work in partners or individually to create a book, and once the entire class has finished we could have a book reading in which each student or partnership could present their final product.
Wednesday, review of Stack the States app (Social Studies)
The Stack the States app is an app designed to help students practice their geography skills and understanding. To play the game, students are asked a question. For example, "Which of these states is Nevada?" The answer choices are given by state shapes, and the student must select which state they believe is Nevada. If the question is answered incorrectly, then the correct answer is given and explained. If the question is answered correctly, then the student gets to "stack" the state. This is where the "fun" of the game comes in, as students try to stack their states without falling over. Stacks of states have to reach a certain height in order to pass a level. Each sequential level grows to a higher height to reach. Question types vary from state recognition to state capitols, which states share borders, and so on.
Part of the reason I love this app is because it help students gain a spatial understanding of the sizes of each of the states in relation to one another. One you choose a state to "stack," that state grows or shrinks into its relative size. This helps students visualize which states are bigger and which states are tiny. Additionally, state shape is emphasized repeatedly, allowing students to practice recognizing specific states based upon shape. I also love the fact that after each level is completed, as a prize the user gains a new state to add to their U.S.A. map! This may not seem like a big deal, but to students it is enormous. After all, there are 50 possible prizes to win, and students generally will feel compelled to earn all 50! It is also a sneaky way of teaching students the locations of each state. By looking at their prize map daily, and slowly adding new ones, students gain an understanding of general state locations.
I was in a third grade classroom for my General Field Experience, and I remember these students using Stack the States as a sponge activity when their work was completed. The students got really into the game, and I was impressed at the amount of state knowledge they possessed just because of playing the game! As a teacher I would definitely use this app as a sponge activity for my class. I believe this would be a good app for multiple grades because of the variation of question types. It would be a great way to introduce young students to state shapes, sizes, and location in a fun and interactive way.
Part of the reason I love this app is because it help students gain a spatial understanding of the sizes of each of the states in relation to one another. One you choose a state to "stack," that state grows or shrinks into its relative size. This helps students visualize which states are bigger and which states are tiny. Additionally, state shape is emphasized repeatedly, allowing students to practice recognizing specific states based upon shape. I also love the fact that after each level is completed, as a prize the user gains a new state to add to their U.S.A. map! This may not seem like a big deal, but to students it is enormous. After all, there are 50 possible prizes to win, and students generally will feel compelled to earn all 50! It is also a sneaky way of teaching students the locations of each state. By looking at their prize map daily, and slowly adding new ones, students gain an understanding of general state locations.
I was in a third grade classroom for my General Field Experience, and I remember these students using Stack the States as a sponge activity when their work was completed. The students got really into the game, and I was impressed at the amount of state knowledge they possessed just because of playing the game! As a teacher I would definitely use this app as a sponge activity for my class. I believe this would be a good app for multiple grades because of the variation of question types. It would be a great way to introduce young students to state shapes, sizes, and location in a fun and interactive way.
Wednesday, review of the Weather Channel app (Science)
I have chosen to review the Weather Channel app because I plan to teach in a lower elementary classroom, and I firmly believe that these young learners need to develop an awareness of the natural world. So much of our classroom instruction happens inside classroom walls, and while this instruction is immensely valuable, I believe that some of the most valuable learning can happen straight from God's beautiful world outside. I am a combination of three learning styles: visual, tactile, and naturalistic. I think that there are lots more students out there who are naturalistic learners, like myself, but have not had the opportunity to discover and experience that gift. I am a huge advocate of naturalistic learning, and the Weather Channel app seems to be a great springboard into such awareness and appreciation.
To begin, the app asks for your location. Students would need to type in their city and state. For the city and state applied, two options are given: Now or Forecast. Under the Now option, the app lists the current temperature, wind pressure, dew point, humidity, visibility, pressure, UV index, and time of sunrise and sunset. Of course, not all these would be relevant to a young audience, but they would be a great introduction to concepts to be explored in later elementary grades. Under the Forecast option, students get to explore what the projected weather conditions of the following days will be. This presents a great opportunity to let students make weather predictions based on the forecast, and see what actually happens. This option also shows the hourly forecast for the remainder of the current day.
The Weather Channel app provides additional features such as Radar, News, Video and Health. Under Radar, students are able to explore an interactive map representing the geographic area and the weather conditions represented by different colors. Young learners may not know what a radar is, but this app is an awesome way to let them explore the concept by zooming in and out using simple finger movements. The radar also allows the user to hit a "Play" button that will play the radar like a short video, showing the weather movement throughout the day.
For the youngest students, the News option may need to be screened before allowing viewing. However, with a teacher guidance it would be a good way to teach students about current events going on the the community and in the country. Under the Video option students can watch recent weather reports, not just from the area but from all over the nation. Students would love getting to watch tornado warnings, tropical storms, and other exciting weather happenings. The app presents the options of Editor picks, Local, or Latest Weather as a way to filter video content.
The Health option has two main screens: Pollen and Flu. This would present a great opportunity to teach students how the weather affects our health.
To begin, the app asks for your location. Students would need to type in their city and state. For the city and state applied, two options are given: Now or Forecast. Under the Now option, the app lists the current temperature, wind pressure, dew point, humidity, visibility, pressure, UV index, and time of sunrise and sunset. Of course, not all these would be relevant to a young audience, but they would be a great introduction to concepts to be explored in later elementary grades. Under the Forecast option, students get to explore what the projected weather conditions of the following days will be. This presents a great opportunity to let students make weather predictions based on the forecast, and see what actually happens. This option also shows the hourly forecast for the remainder of the current day.
The Weather Channel app provides additional features such as Radar, News, Video and Health. Under Radar, students are able to explore an interactive map representing the geographic area and the weather conditions represented by different colors. Young learners may not know what a radar is, but this app is an awesome way to let them explore the concept by zooming in and out using simple finger movements. The radar also allows the user to hit a "Play" button that will play the radar like a short video, showing the weather movement throughout the day.
For the youngest students, the News option may need to be screened before allowing viewing. However, with a teacher guidance it would be a good way to teach students about current events going on the the community and in the country. Under the Video option students can watch recent weather reports, not just from the area but from all over the nation. Students would love getting to watch tornado warnings, tropical storms, and other exciting weather happenings. The app presents the options of Editor picks, Local, or Latest Weather as a way to filter video content.
The Health option has two main screens: Pollen and Flu. This would present a great opportunity to teach students how the weather affects our health.
Wednesday, review of MathBoard app (Math)
I have chosen to explore and experiment with the math app called MathBoard. This application does require a bit of teacher preparation before students can play on the appropriate level. Before students begin, the teacher can go into the app and choose what kinds of problems he/she wants his/her students to be performing. For example, options such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, squares, roots, and cubes. Multiple options can be chosen rather than just focusing on a single concept. Teacher may also choose the number of problems on each quiz, the problem style (horizontal or vertical) and the answer style (multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank or keypad.) Again, teacher may choose multiple options so that quiz questions are varied. Finally, teacher can choose the digit limit, equation types, and time limit. After teacher prep is finished, MathBoard is ready for students to use.
MathBoard is set up in a quiz format. The screen looks like a chalkboard, and students are given a little space at the bottom of the screen to work out problems. One of the complains I heard on the Youtube tutorials was that this space given for scratch work was too small for students to use effectively. However, this problem was only found on the iPhone version of the app. The iPad version offers the option to "expand" this work space so that students can have additional room.
As students work through the quiz, results are kept in a list next to student work space. Students can glance over to see which questions they answered correctly and which were answered incorrectly. Of course, this can be a positive or negative feature depending on the student. Some students want to see their scores, which this could stress out other students. Students are given the option to skip and come back to a problem if need be.
Once a quiz is completed, a score will pop up. This score will tell the percentage out of 100 that the student answered correctly, as well as an exact ratio. (For example, you answered 9 out of 10 questions correctly.) After the score is given, students can choose the option of saving their results for teacher viewing. As a teacher, this is a fantastic assessment method, after students have had individual work time. Along with saving the quiz score, students are also able to go back through the questions answered incorrectly. Each incorrect answer comes with the option to "show problem solver." This feature takes the student through the steps to answer the question correctly. This would be a useful tool as a teacher, so that students could self-teach rather than needing constant teacher guidance. Another useful feature of this app is that after the student is finished taking a quiz, the teacher can email that student's results straight from the iPad to the teacher's email to have a digital record of student results.
I believe this app is good for multiple grades because of the many options that can be chosen. The difficulty of each quiz can quickly and easily be modified to reach a wide range of academic performance. The app's ability to keep score records, show the correct steps on incorrect answers, and to give the students a work space make this app very appealing to me as a future teacher. It would work very well as test prep or review after a unit of mathematical study.
MathBoard is set up in a quiz format. The screen looks like a chalkboard, and students are given a little space at the bottom of the screen to work out problems. One of the complains I heard on the Youtube tutorials was that this space given for scratch work was too small for students to use effectively. However, this problem was only found on the iPhone version of the app. The iPad version offers the option to "expand" this work space so that students can have additional room.
As students work through the quiz, results are kept in a list next to student work space. Students can glance over to see which questions they answered correctly and which were answered incorrectly. Of course, this can be a positive or negative feature depending on the student. Some students want to see their scores, which this could stress out other students. Students are given the option to skip and come back to a problem if need be.
Once a quiz is completed, a score will pop up. This score will tell the percentage out of 100 that the student answered correctly, as well as an exact ratio. (For example, you answered 9 out of 10 questions correctly.) After the score is given, students can choose the option of saving their results for teacher viewing. As a teacher, this is a fantastic assessment method, after students have had individual work time. Along with saving the quiz score, students are also able to go back through the questions answered incorrectly. Each incorrect answer comes with the option to "show problem solver." This feature takes the student through the steps to answer the question correctly. This would be a useful tool as a teacher, so that students could self-teach rather than needing constant teacher guidance. Another useful feature of this app is that after the student is finished taking a quiz, the teacher can email that student's results straight from the iPad to the teacher's email to have a digital record of student results.
I believe this app is good for multiple grades because of the many options that can be chosen. The difficulty of each quiz can quickly and easily be modified to reach a wide range of academic performance. The app's ability to keep score records, show the correct steps on incorrect answers, and to give the students a work space make this app very appealing to me as a future teacher. It would work very well as test prep or review after a unit of mathematical study.
Wednesday, review of Doodle Buddy app (Art)
Doodle Buddy is a great art app for the younger grades, especially. This app is simple to learn and use, and creates a space in which the user is able to be creative. Also, with the assistance of a teacher, this app can be an incredible way to work with young students and students with disabilities to practice the small psycho motor movements of writing letters and numbers.
Doodle Buddy starts you out with a blank slate. At the bottom of the page is a menu of options, including brush color, size, texture, etc. You may also type text into a textbox, use an eraser, add stickers, a background, and even trace patterns. With these simple features, students could be occupied for hours! However, to take the app a step further into an opportunity to learn, an instructor can draw a line down the middle of the blank page. On one side, the instructor writes a number, letter, a simple picture, etc. On the other side, the student is expected to copy the brush strokes of the instructor in order to create an identical image. As seen on one of the Youtube tutorials, this exercise can be especially helpful for students with learning disabilities. These students may struggle with the small muscle control of forming written characters. By watching an instructor form the letter in front of them, and then having that letter as an example, the student would feel more confident in trying for themselves.
As a teacher, I hope to be teaching the younger elementary grades, preferably kindergarten-second grade. Especially in kindergarten it is essential that students are constantly practicing proper letter formation. I could use this app much in the same way the tutorial did, by allowing a student to mimic my brush strokes to form a number or letter. However, this app can also be used to nurture student freedom of creativity.
Doodle Buddy starts you out with a blank slate. At the bottom of the page is a menu of options, including brush color, size, texture, etc. You may also type text into a textbox, use an eraser, add stickers, a background, and even trace patterns. With these simple features, students could be occupied for hours! However, to take the app a step further into an opportunity to learn, an instructor can draw a line down the middle of the blank page. On one side, the instructor writes a number, letter, a simple picture, etc. On the other side, the student is expected to copy the brush strokes of the instructor in order to create an identical image. As seen on one of the Youtube tutorials, this exercise can be especially helpful for students with learning disabilities. These students may struggle with the small muscle control of forming written characters. By watching an instructor form the letter in front of them, and then having that letter as an example, the student would feel more confident in trying for themselves.
As a teacher, I hope to be teaching the younger elementary grades, preferably kindergarten-second grade. Especially in kindergarten it is essential that students are constantly practicing proper letter formation. I could use this app much in the same way the tutorial did, by allowing a student to mimic my brush strokes to form a number or letter. However, this app can also be used to nurture student freedom of creativity.
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Classroom in the Cloud, ch. 2
I have chosen to explore the feature known as Remind, which can be found in pages 50-55 of Classroom in the Cloud.
Remind is defined by the text as "...a text messaging system between teachers, students and parents," (50) but without having to share contact information such as phone numbers or email addresses. This tool is free to use. The ultimate goal of Remind is to create an environment of efficient communication. This tool can actually send out mass "text messages" without needing to have everyone's phone numbers, which is a useful feature. An access code, however, is required. With the exception of the Chat feature, Remind does not allow recipients of texts to respond. Remind can be used for teachers to keep parents in the loop on day-to-day classroom happenings and updates, or to send out an urgent message that will reach a large audience almost immediately. Remind is not just for parent-teacher communication, but is also available for student use as well. The privacy of all involved on a Remind message is heavily protected. Not only can Remind be accessed on mobile devices, but also on any web browser.
The text lists and describes several special features that help make Remind an efficient tool. These features include photos, voice clips, documents and PDFs, presentations, stamps, and chat. Three of these special features that stood out to me were documents, stamps, and chat. It is important to have the document sending option on Remind so that as a teacher, you can be certain that all parents receive forms or other important papers. We all know that sometimes papers placed in the hands of students do not always make it to the hands of parents! Secondly, I thought that the stamps feature was a great way for students to add input into the conversation. Students have the options to send a check mark, star, question mark, or an X as a way of expressing his/her feelings about the conversation or information. This also gives the teacher a quick way to assess student needs and feelings. Lastly, I thought the chat feature was a great tool to have. Chat allows for one-on-one communication between the teacher and a parent, OR the teacher and a student. This communication system is a two-way setup, meaning that messages can be sent back and forth, much like a text message conversation.
An additional feature that I discovered while reading through the chapter is the fact that all transcript history is available. All history that happens on Remind is forever saved, allowing teacher or parent to access that history at any time. This could come in handy if a parent could not remember exactly what the teacher said, or vice versa.
As a teacher, I feel like Remind would be an awesome tool to have in my toolbox. Not only is it a completely free service, but it allows for more steady communication outside of the classroom. This communication is not just for teachers and parents, but is open to students as well, which I think is valuable. I am a very organized person who likes to have a plan, and having a tool like Remind would give me peace of mind that all my students and parents are on the same page with me! It would work well to send out quick homework reminders, field trip permission slips, or to use Chat and have a one-on-one conversation with a student or parent. I believe Remind is a service that I would be interested in using in my classroom.
Remind is defined by the text as "...a text messaging system between teachers, students and parents," (50) but without having to share contact information such as phone numbers or email addresses. This tool is free to use. The ultimate goal of Remind is to create an environment of efficient communication. This tool can actually send out mass "text messages" without needing to have everyone's phone numbers, which is a useful feature. An access code, however, is required. With the exception of the Chat feature, Remind does not allow recipients of texts to respond. Remind can be used for teachers to keep parents in the loop on day-to-day classroom happenings and updates, or to send out an urgent message that will reach a large audience almost immediately. Remind is not just for parent-teacher communication, but is also available for student use as well. The privacy of all involved on a Remind message is heavily protected. Not only can Remind be accessed on mobile devices, but also on any web browser.
The text lists and describes several special features that help make Remind an efficient tool. These features include photos, voice clips, documents and PDFs, presentations, stamps, and chat. Three of these special features that stood out to me were documents, stamps, and chat. It is important to have the document sending option on Remind so that as a teacher, you can be certain that all parents receive forms or other important papers. We all know that sometimes papers placed in the hands of students do not always make it to the hands of parents! Secondly, I thought that the stamps feature was a great way for students to add input into the conversation. Students have the options to send a check mark, star, question mark, or an X as a way of expressing his/her feelings about the conversation or information. This also gives the teacher a quick way to assess student needs and feelings. Lastly, I thought the chat feature was a great tool to have. Chat allows for one-on-one communication between the teacher and a parent, OR the teacher and a student. This communication system is a two-way setup, meaning that messages can be sent back and forth, much like a text message conversation.
An additional feature that I discovered while reading through the chapter is the fact that all transcript history is available. All history that happens on Remind is forever saved, allowing teacher or parent to access that history at any time. This could come in handy if a parent could not remember exactly what the teacher said, or vice versa.
As a teacher, I feel like Remind would be an awesome tool to have in my toolbox. Not only is it a completely free service, but it allows for more steady communication outside of the classroom. This communication is not just for teachers and parents, but is open to students as well, which I think is valuable. I am a very organized person who likes to have a plan, and having a tool like Remind would give me peace of mind that all my students and parents are on the same page with me! It would work well to send out quick homework reminders, field trip permission slips, or to use Chat and have a one-on-one conversation with a student or parent. I believe Remind is a service that I would be interested in using in my classroom.
Tuesday, review of the Strip Design app
From the Stories section I have chosen to review the Strip Design app. I have chosen this specific app because it is fairly simple to use, but I believe could have powerful results for students.
Strip Design allows the user to choose from a large variety of templates to begin. There are simple templates with only one or two picture slots, and there are also very complicated designs involving multiple picture slots. After a template has been chosen, the user may insert an image into each box or can draw a picture straight into a box. Pictures are easily modified using simple finger movements. After pictures have been added, user can insert a thought or speech bubble and type in dialogue to animate the comic. Thought and speech bubbles can be modified by size, rotation, color, and shape. Stickers can also be added on top of pictures, and even stretching across pictures boundaries. I adore the sticker options that are available! There are special effects, exclamations, hats, eyes, mustaches, moving objects, an option to create-your-own, and several others. I feel like young boys would go to town with the "POW!" and "CRASH!" exclamation stickers, making them feel like they were writing a real comic strip. Pages can also be strung together into a collection to create the comic book effect. Students would absolutely love writing story lines to go along with their pictures and characters.
The Strip Design app is quick and easy to learn. As I was sitting in the Resource Center fiddling with the app, a couple of young campus girls came to sit with me. I let them experiment with the app as I observed to see how quickly they picked it up, and I was impressed with the results! Without my guidance they figured out how to choose a template and add drawings into each box. They took turns creating a comic of a garden, which I have included below. They also figured out how to add a speech bubble and type in text to create dialogue. They had so much fun creating their own comic, and they only played with it for five or ten minutes. Imagine the possibilities in a classroom setting if students were allowed half an hour to come up with a plot line with characters and a setting. What a creative way to teach students the elements of a fiction text!
Strip Design allows the user to choose from a large variety of templates to begin. There are simple templates with only one or two picture slots, and there are also very complicated designs involving multiple picture slots. After a template has been chosen, the user may insert an image into each box or can draw a picture straight into a box. Pictures are easily modified using simple finger movements. After pictures have been added, user can insert a thought or speech bubble and type in dialogue to animate the comic. Thought and speech bubbles can be modified by size, rotation, color, and shape. Stickers can also be added on top of pictures, and even stretching across pictures boundaries. I adore the sticker options that are available! There are special effects, exclamations, hats, eyes, mustaches, moving objects, an option to create-your-own, and several others. I feel like young boys would go to town with the "POW!" and "CRASH!" exclamation stickers, making them feel like they were writing a real comic strip. Pages can also be strung together into a collection to create the comic book effect. Students would absolutely love writing story lines to go along with their pictures and characters.
The Strip Design app is quick and easy to learn. As I was sitting in the Resource Center fiddling with the app, a couple of young campus girls came to sit with me. I let them experiment with the app as I observed to see how quickly they picked it up, and I was impressed with the results! Without my guidance they figured out how to choose a template and add drawings into each box. They took turns creating a comic of a garden, which I have included below. They also figured out how to add a speech bubble and type in text to create dialogue. They had so much fun creating their own comic, and they only played with it for five or ten minutes. Imagine the possibilities in a classroom setting if students were allowed half an hour to come up with a plot line with characters and a setting. What a creative way to teach students the elements of a fiction text!
Picture by Eleanor Wolf and Charity Davis
Tuesday, review of Educreations Interactive Whiteboard app
From the visual presentation section, I have chosen to explore the features of Educreations Interactive Whiteboard. This application allows the user to create a digital tutorial to explain and visually demonstrate a concept.
Through my own exploration and experimentation and the direct instructional videos provided, I discovered tons of useful features on this app that would be great for teaching! As you choose to create a "New Lesson," a clean, white page is shown. Above your blank "whiteboard" are tool options such as a pen, eraser, color, and so forth. Once the Record button is pressed, everything including audio and visual is recorded. This means that whatever strokes you make on the whiteboard are saved along with your vocal explanation of the concept. Once you have drawn or written something, you have the option to undo and redo the markings. The Youtube tutorial pointed out that this is a great feature for showing the steps of a mathematical equation. The use of the different colored pens can also be good for math problems. For a visual learner, such as myself, coloring and highlighting can help organization to stand out and be easier to comprehend.
Another great feature of the Educreations Interactive Whiteboard is the flipping of pages. After you have filled a page, or have sufficiently demonstrated a concept, you can "flip" to a new blank page. After you have flipped a page, however, everything from the previous page is saved, and once can easily flip back and forth between pages.
This app also allows you to drop pictures into the lesson you are recording. As you search for the desired picture, the recording automatically pauses allowing no time to be wasted as you find your picture. You can take a picture or simply download an image from your picture library. These images, once posted into the interactive digital lesson, have multiple options such as zooming in and out, rotating, or deleting the image altogether. You also have the option of writing on top of an image, which can be useful for circling, underlining, or pointing out the important part of the image.
The lessons created in Educreations Interactive Whiteboard can be saved and titled once completed. You may also add a brief description of the concepts covered in the digital lesson.
As a future teacher I am very excited that I know about this awesome teaching tool! I know that I will use this application as a way to give my students homework help if needed. That way, my students can have my direct instruction when homework gets confusing rather than trying to guess answers. Educreations would also be useful for students who are absent and miss a lesson. Rather than having to reteach the entire lesson, I could have these students watch and listen to my digital lesson instead. This is also an awesome tool to have if I (the teacher) know I will be absent and will need a substitute teacher. Rather than having the substitute try and explain the concept, I can simply have him/her play my Educreation lesson for the class. This takes pressure off the substitute, as well as give the teacher peace of mind that the lesson is being presented correctly.
Through my own exploration and experimentation and the direct instructional videos provided, I discovered tons of useful features on this app that would be great for teaching! As you choose to create a "New Lesson," a clean, white page is shown. Above your blank "whiteboard" are tool options such as a pen, eraser, color, and so forth. Once the Record button is pressed, everything including audio and visual is recorded. This means that whatever strokes you make on the whiteboard are saved along with your vocal explanation of the concept. Once you have drawn or written something, you have the option to undo and redo the markings. The Youtube tutorial pointed out that this is a great feature for showing the steps of a mathematical equation. The use of the different colored pens can also be good for math problems. For a visual learner, such as myself, coloring and highlighting can help organization to stand out and be easier to comprehend.
Another great feature of the Educreations Interactive Whiteboard is the flipping of pages. After you have filled a page, or have sufficiently demonstrated a concept, you can "flip" to a new blank page. After you have flipped a page, however, everything from the previous page is saved, and once can easily flip back and forth between pages.
This app also allows you to drop pictures into the lesson you are recording. As you search for the desired picture, the recording automatically pauses allowing no time to be wasted as you find your picture. You can take a picture or simply download an image from your picture library. These images, once posted into the interactive digital lesson, have multiple options such as zooming in and out, rotating, or deleting the image altogether. You also have the option of writing on top of an image, which can be useful for circling, underlining, or pointing out the important part of the image.
The lessons created in Educreations Interactive Whiteboard can be saved and titled once completed. You may also add a brief description of the concepts covered in the digital lesson.
As a future teacher I am very excited that I know about this awesome teaching tool! I know that I will use this application as a way to give my students homework help if needed. That way, my students can have my direct instruction when homework gets confusing rather than trying to guess answers. Educreations would also be useful for students who are absent and miss a lesson. Rather than having to reteach the entire lesson, I could have these students watch and listen to my digital lesson instead. This is also an awesome tool to have if I (the teacher) know I will be absent and will need a substitute teacher. Rather than having the substitute try and explain the concept, I can simply have him/her play my Educreation lesson for the class. This takes pressure off the substitute, as well as give the teacher peace of mind that the lesson is being presented correctly.
Tuesday, review of My Spelling Test and Merriam-Webster apps
From the Preparation section, I have chosen to review My Spelling Test (non-dictionary app) and Merriam-Webster (dictionary app.)
My Spelling Test is essentially a digital teacher administering a spelling test. This eliminates the paper-pencil aspect of the typical spelling test and allows students to punch in the correct letters from the iPad keyboard. Some prep work is required by the teacher before this app can be used, however. As the student takes the test, he/she hears the word (it is not shown on the screen for obvious reasons!) and a sentence containing the spelling word. Then, he/she can type in the correct letters to spell the word. Before the spelling test can be taken, the teacher must record his/her voice into the app so that the student can audibly hear the word and sentence containing the word. After each word, immediate feedback is given so that the student can see whether he/she got the word spelling correct or incorrect. If the student misspells a word, the app will show him/her how the word is spelled correctly. After the test is completed, all the spelling words are shown in a list and whether the word was spelled correctly or incorrectly. This app can be especially useful as a means of allowing students to take spelling tests even while the teacher is absent, or is simply busy with other students or other tasks around the classroom. New spelling tests can be created, and past test scores are recorded and kept by the app. This helps teachers assess how students are doing even when teacher cannot be present while the test is being taken. This app can also be done on the SmartBoard.
The Merriam-Webster app is a digital dictionary that can be accessed anywhere that internet is available. This is a useful app because it allows the user to search any word, just like a printed dictionary, by simply typing the word into the search bar. Even if you do not know how to spell the word, as you begin typing, options will pop up underneath the search bar to assist you. Once you have found the word for which you are searching the app provides an audible playback option for you to hear the word spoken. Another useful feature is that the user can touch any word within the definition of the searched word, and can automatically be transferred to the new word's definition page. Each page also includes additional information such as examples, part of speech, origin of the word, synonyms, and the syllable breakdown (pronunciation). The app also allows the user to do a voice search. For a voice search the user speaks the word into the microphone, and the app will look up the appropriate page.
Both the Spelling Test app and the Merriam-Webster app could easily be incorporated into daily classroom use. The Spelling Test app is a great way to have students practice spelling words even when the teacher is unavailable for direct instruction. The Merriam-Webster app can be an awesome motivator to encourage students to look up unfamiliar words rather than just guessing a meaning. It is also a good way to teach students about the printed dictionary and the features that are included for each word.
My Spelling Test is essentially a digital teacher administering a spelling test. This eliminates the paper-pencil aspect of the typical spelling test and allows students to punch in the correct letters from the iPad keyboard. Some prep work is required by the teacher before this app can be used, however. As the student takes the test, he/she hears the word (it is not shown on the screen for obvious reasons!) and a sentence containing the spelling word. Then, he/she can type in the correct letters to spell the word. Before the spelling test can be taken, the teacher must record his/her voice into the app so that the student can audibly hear the word and sentence containing the word. After each word, immediate feedback is given so that the student can see whether he/she got the word spelling correct or incorrect. If the student misspells a word, the app will show him/her how the word is spelled correctly. After the test is completed, all the spelling words are shown in a list and whether the word was spelled correctly or incorrectly. This app can be especially useful as a means of allowing students to take spelling tests even while the teacher is absent, or is simply busy with other students or other tasks around the classroom. New spelling tests can be created, and past test scores are recorded and kept by the app. This helps teachers assess how students are doing even when teacher cannot be present while the test is being taken. This app can also be done on the SmartBoard.
The Merriam-Webster app is a digital dictionary that can be accessed anywhere that internet is available. This is a useful app because it allows the user to search any word, just like a printed dictionary, by simply typing the word into the search bar. Even if you do not know how to spell the word, as you begin typing, options will pop up underneath the search bar to assist you. Once you have found the word for which you are searching the app provides an audible playback option for you to hear the word spoken. Another useful feature is that the user can touch any word within the definition of the searched word, and can automatically be transferred to the new word's definition page. Each page also includes additional information such as examples, part of speech, origin of the word, synonyms, and the syllable breakdown (pronunciation). The app also allows the user to do a voice search. For a voice search the user speaks the word into the microphone, and the app will look up the appropriate page.
Both the Spelling Test app and the Merriam-Webster app could easily be incorporated into daily classroom use. The Spelling Test app is a great way to have students practice spelling words even when the teacher is unavailable for direct instruction. The Merriam-Webster app can be an awesome motivator to encourage students to look up unfamiliar words rather than just guessing a meaning. It is also a good way to teach students about the printed dictionary and the features that are included for each word.
Monday, May 23, 2016
Classroom in the Cloud, ch. 1
I have used Dropbox during my undergraduate work as a means of turning in assignments, however I have chosen Evernote to explore for this blog post because I am completely unfamiliar with the program. The chapter goes into detail on Evernote from pages 29-36.
The text describes the Evernote app as "...a Cloud-based note-taking program..." that can create and hold up to 100,000 notes. The program is web-based, meaning that is can be accessed from essentially any device with internet access. The notes that can be created on this program are not limited to text; they can include images, sounds, and more. A useful feature of Evernote is that the notes created can also be shared with other Evernote users.
Page 30 goes into detail describing each of the "Bells and Whistles" of the Evernote app. These features include reminders, checkbox, attachments, grids, voice memo, tags, and work chat. Three of these features that especially stood out to me were the reminders, grids, and tags. The Reminders feature can be set to send a daily reminder to the user. I go through stacks of sticky notes every semester! By using this special feature I could have my reminders kept digitally on my device, and be sent to me on a daily basis. The Grids feature grabbed my attention as well. I tend to be an organized person, and as a visual learner I thrive when my work space, my notes, and even my thoughts are organized in a visually pleasing way. By using the grid feature I am assured a visually pleasing note-taking platform. Lastly, the Tags feature stood out to me because it is yet another way to keep my online work space organized. Each note taken on Evernote can be tagged. Each tag represents a category, such as "Essays," "Projects," "Ideas," etc. This categorization is basically representative of an online filing cabinet.
Based off the reading I have done, and a recent conversation with a peer who uses Evernote regularly, I have concluded that this would be a fantastic app to be used in a classroom setting. As a teacher, I could use Evernote as a means of keeping my lesson plans in order and within easy access so that I can look at them wherever I am. I could also use it as a means of organizing my brainstorms (and therefore using up less sticky notes!) Not only does this seem like an effective app for a teacher's use, but students would benefit from the Evernote program as well. Through this app, students would be able to access their work through any device that has internet. This would be helpful for the diversity of devices found in students' homes. Evernote could also create an online environment for students to share notes and ideas with peers. By using the Reminders feature, the teacher could send reminders for assignments to students as a way of keeping students accountable and on-track. Evernote would also allow for students to access all notes taken throughout the year when studying for a test or just for reference on an assignment.
I have concluded that the Evernote app would be a positive addition to a classroom environment. Not only would it help me (the teacher) to stay organized, but it would also give students the flexibility of working on the device on which they feel the most comfortable, or the device to which they have the most ready access.
The text describes the Evernote app as "...a Cloud-based note-taking program..." that can create and hold up to 100,000 notes. The program is web-based, meaning that is can be accessed from essentially any device with internet access. The notes that can be created on this program are not limited to text; they can include images, sounds, and more. A useful feature of Evernote is that the notes created can also be shared with other Evernote users.
Page 30 goes into detail describing each of the "Bells and Whistles" of the Evernote app. These features include reminders, checkbox, attachments, grids, voice memo, tags, and work chat. Three of these features that especially stood out to me were the reminders, grids, and tags. The Reminders feature can be set to send a daily reminder to the user. I go through stacks of sticky notes every semester! By using this special feature I could have my reminders kept digitally on my device, and be sent to me on a daily basis. The Grids feature grabbed my attention as well. I tend to be an organized person, and as a visual learner I thrive when my work space, my notes, and even my thoughts are organized in a visually pleasing way. By using the grid feature I am assured a visually pleasing note-taking platform. Lastly, the Tags feature stood out to me because it is yet another way to keep my online work space organized. Each note taken on Evernote can be tagged. Each tag represents a category, such as "Essays," "Projects," "Ideas," etc. This categorization is basically representative of an online filing cabinet.
Based off the reading I have done, and a recent conversation with a peer who uses Evernote regularly, I have concluded that this would be a fantastic app to be used in a classroom setting. As a teacher, I could use Evernote as a means of keeping my lesson plans in order and within easy access so that I can look at them wherever I am. I could also use it as a means of organizing my brainstorms (and therefore using up less sticky notes!) Not only does this seem like an effective app for a teacher's use, but students would benefit from the Evernote program as well. Through this app, students would be able to access their work through any device that has internet. This would be helpful for the diversity of devices found in students' homes. Evernote could also create an online environment for students to share notes and ideas with peers. By using the Reminders feature, the teacher could send reminders for assignments to students as a way of keeping students accountable and on-track. Evernote would also allow for students to access all notes taken throughout the year when studying for a test or just for reference on an assignment.
I have concluded that the Evernote app would be a positive addition to a classroom environment. Not only would it help me (the teacher) to stay organized, but it would also give students the flexibility of working on the device on which they feel the most comfortable, or the device to which they have the most ready access.
Monday, #4: Safari vs. Rover apps
The common denominator between the Safari and Rover apps is that they are both internet browsers, however there are major differences in the two.
Through watching the YouTube tutorials on Safari and Rover apps, the most significant difference I noted was the data usage of each. Safari loads all data all at once, and no additional kilobytes are used while on the loaded page. By contrast, Rover is not actually connecting to a webpage, but rather is acting as the "middle man." Rover is really just streaming video of the desired webpage, causing data to be in use constantly. Because of this fact, Rover is really no good for institutional use because it will eat up the bandwidth (the amount of data available per second).
Unlike Safari, Rover is specifically educational. It was developed by teachers and administrators, and has a built in filter used to block young learners from accidentally (or purposely) visiting inappropriate sites. Another positive aspect of the Rover app is that since iPads do not support adobe flash, Rover can help. However, you still cannot download and install plugins through Rover, because these do not comply with iPad.
A negative aspect of the Rover app is that as an effect of the constant data usage, the quality of picture is a little lower, and there is often a response delay. The "gestures" used to run the app are also slightly different, and would have to be learned in order to use the app efficiently.
I believe that I would prefer the Safari app over Rover. This is because Safari seems to have many more features that can be done, including bookmarking websites, searching specific words or phrases within a webpage, and keeping multiple tabs open simultaneously. Safari also appears to be a more efficient browser, using up much less data than Rover. As a teacher, it would be smarter to use Safari rather than Rover, so that multiple students could have the opportunity to use a browser at the same time.
Through watching the YouTube tutorials on Safari and Rover apps, the most significant difference I noted was the data usage of each. Safari loads all data all at once, and no additional kilobytes are used while on the loaded page. By contrast, Rover is not actually connecting to a webpage, but rather is acting as the "middle man." Rover is really just streaming video of the desired webpage, causing data to be in use constantly. Because of this fact, Rover is really no good for institutional use because it will eat up the bandwidth (the amount of data available per second).
Unlike Safari, Rover is specifically educational. It was developed by teachers and administrators, and has a built in filter used to block young learners from accidentally (or purposely) visiting inappropriate sites. Another positive aspect of the Rover app is that since iPads do not support adobe flash, Rover can help. However, you still cannot download and install plugins through Rover, because these do not comply with iPad.
A negative aspect of the Rover app is that as an effect of the constant data usage, the quality of picture is a little lower, and there is often a response delay. The "gestures" used to run the app are also slightly different, and would have to be learned in order to use the app efficiently.
I believe that I would prefer the Safari app over Rover. This is because Safari seems to have many more features that can be done, including bookmarking websites, searching specific words or phrases within a webpage, and keeping multiple tabs open simultaneously. Safari also appears to be a more efficient browser, using up much less data than Rover. As a teacher, it would be smarter to use Safari rather than Rover, so that multiple students could have the opportunity to use a browser at the same time.
Monday, #2: Box.net
In order to create my account on Box.net I first went to the website. To begin, I was asked whether I would use this account for personal or business plans. I checked "Personal Plans," since it will be used for school purposes. It also asked me for a username and password, which I provided, and then using the verification email that I was sent I followed the instructions to finish creating my Box.net account. After creating my account on my PC laptop, I then used the iPad to create a new folder and upload a photo into the new folder, which I could also view from my laptop.
Monday, #3: iThought as a Mind-Mapping App
iThought is an amazing iPad app which allows you to create a "mind map." For myself, a definite visual learner, this tool could be incredibly helpful! It is often difficult to organize thoughts, and by using iThought your thoughts can become tangible and organized.
Not only can this app be useful for myself as a teacher, but I can use it as a means of teaching my students the skill of thought organization through manipulative graphic organizers. Brainstorming is an essential part of the writing process. I remember as a young student being taught how to draw a "spider web" graphic organizer. This skill was useful, however, by using the iPad students are now able to physically arrange and rearrange thoughts at will. This can help the brainstorming process to be less frustrating and time-consuming. Using the iPad as part of the writing process can also be a motivational strategy to help students become excited about starting the writing process--often a dreaded and daunting task for young learners. The tactile nature of using the iPad can help keep students engaged and interested.
iThought's mind mapping capabilities can be useful in other subject areas as well. For example, as part of a reading literature lesson, students could brainstorm predictions of what they think may happen next in the story. Students could also use the mind-map to organize the causes and effects of historical events as part of a social studies lesson. The iThought app could honestly be adapted into almost any subject area in the classroom.
Another aspect of my future classroom in which I could use iThought would be as a means of cooperative class brainstorming. For example, as a class we could brainstorm positive social interactions or classroom rules. By using this visual organizational tool, all students can be involved in the creation and viewing of the discussion.
Not only can this app be useful for myself as a teacher, but I can use it as a means of teaching my students the skill of thought organization through manipulative graphic organizers. Brainstorming is an essential part of the writing process. I remember as a young student being taught how to draw a "spider web" graphic organizer. This skill was useful, however, by using the iPad students are now able to physically arrange and rearrange thoughts at will. This can help the brainstorming process to be less frustrating and time-consuming. Using the iPad as part of the writing process can also be a motivational strategy to help students become excited about starting the writing process--often a dreaded and daunting task for young learners. The tactile nature of using the iPad can help keep students engaged and interested.
iThought's mind mapping capabilities can be useful in other subject areas as well. For example, as part of a reading literature lesson, students could brainstorm predictions of what they think may happen next in the story. Students could also use the mind-map to organize the causes and effects of historical events as part of a social studies lesson. The iThought app could honestly be adapted into almost any subject area in the classroom.
Another aspect of my future classroom in which I could use iThought would be as a means of cooperative class brainstorming. For example, as a class we could brainstorm positive social interactions or classroom rules. By using this visual organizational tool, all students can be involved in the creation and viewing of the discussion.
Monday, #1: iPad Pages App vs. Microsoft Word
Since I am readily
familiar with Microsoft Word, having used Word daily in my undergraduate
career, I have chosen to compare and contrast Word with the iPad app known as “Pages.”
When comparing the iPad
app Pages with Microsoft Word I noticed a couple of similarities and
differences. The most blatantly obvious similarity in the two tools is that
each is a way of composing a document on a device. A second similarity is that
both Pages and Word offer a collection of different templates from which one
can choose before creating a document. Some of these options include an array
of letter formats, business cards, resumes, newsletters, and many additional
templates. A third similarity is that, like Word, Pages allows you to edit your
document using variations of text (font, size, color, etc.), inserting an
image, and even adding data to a chart template.
One difference that I
noticed between the iPad app Pages and Microsoft Word is in the physical layout
of the screen. It will take a little adjusting to figure out where everything
is located in order to use Pages as efficiently as I have used Word. On Pages,
rather than having a lengthy toolbar that is visually effective (like Word),
one much select an option at the top of the screen for a pull-down menu. I have
noticed that on the iPad everything seems to be more concise. For me, being a
visual learner, this will take some adjusting.
I have discovered one
negative of the iPad usage from my perspective. It is my opinion that the iPad
keyboard is much more difficult to use, since I am used to the physical
structure of my PC laptop’s keyboard. However, I understand that with
additional use I can probably grow accustomed to the iPad keyboard as well,
although this process will take a little bit of time.
A positive that I have
discovered through my brief experience this morning of the iPad is that it is a
much more fluid process to create a document that includes images on Pages. On
Microsoft Word it can often be frustrating to format an image just right, and
sometimes it does not work the way you want it to at all. However, with the
iPad I found it to be much easier to use my fingers directly on the image
rather than relying on my curser to do the work for me.
While working on the iPad
will take a little adjustment, I am glad that there are apps that easily
correspond to laptop tools and programs with which I am already familiar. For
example, the similarities between Pages and Word outweigh the differences.
Welcome
Hi! My name is Allison Reid. This blog will be used as a means of submitting assignments for the course CPED5605.
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