Voicethread: Tech Case

Voicethread in the classroom can be very beneficial although it is likely to be blocked by administration or school internet filters. As an administrator, I think I would definitely question the substance on the website and the content the students would add. I would worry that students would say obscene things, post them, and then other students would immediately have access. Through the eyes of an administrator, Voicethread could be a breeding ground for problems with students and with parental concern. Also, students can make a false ID on the website, say inappropriate things, and then not get caught. Overall, I think it’s a bit too tempting…

Voicethread is awesome for students to interact and participate in class discussion, in a little less intimidating fashion. Perhaps, this can be assigned for homework, and students can go home and complete a class discussion without taking up class time. Although all students will not have internet access, it is important that students have ample class time or library opportunities to complete their Voicethread response.

Surprisingly, Voicethread is much more popular than I thought. After learning about Voicethread in my Tech class, I completed a field experience where the students actually used Voicethread in the computer lab. It was so funny to see this used in the classroom right after I had learned about it. In my field experience, I observed at a private school where each class consisted of 8 students or less. Perhaps this type of classroom environment is more suitable for such a tool.

They only way teachers can keep students out of trouble is monitor them and only require students to use Voicethread in the classroom. However, this possibly hinders the effectiveness of Voicethread and even may prevent creativity. Overall, it’s a tough tool to use in the classroom.

Mabry Middle… not too shabby

Let’s just say that I was more than impressed with Dr. Tim Tyson’s website and blog. He brought something to that middle school that was new, fun, and helpful. He incorporated a fun, new approach to the boring district website that appealed to all visitors, those of the parents, students, and staff. After watching Dr. Tyson’s Keynote address, anyone can see the passion and hope that he has for the school. In the video he states, “We need to put our very best projects out there so people can see it.” Awesome. By doing so, students can actually want to learn. Say what? Yes, according to Tyson,  ”schools can now have access to immediate global distribution.”

Due to his website, Mabry is producing 4 million, (YES, 4 MILLION!) files served on this website. Tyson’s innovations allow access through iTunes which gives people the opportunity to subscribe to the projects and get automatic downloads. Ultimately, Tyson’s influence on Mabry Middle school has given his students the “international voice, that matter.” Heck yes.

Web 2.0 sites

PicLits, Scratch, and Voki are fabulous resources we can use in the classroom. I really enjoyed PicLits, as a future teacher as well as a students. This program allow you to drag words onto a selected picture to create sentences. I think our visual learners would greatly benefit this program as it can break up the traditional lesson plans that are mundane. This program is free and extremely user-friendly. Perhaps students will enjoy this program to the extent that they will even use it outside of the classroom. In my mind, the more technology you incorporate in the classroom, the more your students will engage with and enjoy the assignment. Kudos PicLits!

In my mind, I think Scratch is geared more towards the elementary school-aged students.

Voki is interesting in the fact that you are allowed to personalize a character, something a student would absolutely love. This program is a bit more detailed and take more time to set up. But, it is more like a game and something that could be assigned on a Friday for students just to have fun. Fun is something we often forget…

Free Educational Resources

There are so many sites out there that can assist teachers with creative ways to present concepts to their class. These resources can also serve as alternative book reports for students, engaging them in something that isn’t the standard five paragraph essay. Two of the sites that I thought were phenomenal are Music Box and Wordle.

Music Box allows you or your students to create a rubix-cube type of project that can contain a Powerpoint, document, images, or videos on either side. This is a great resource to have to keep a class presentation organized. Music Box can also be helpful in assisting students create a class presentation on assigned topics. Of course, though, teachers would have to provide adequate class time to work with this online resource.

Wordle is a very interesting program that could also be beneficial to students. This program can definitely aid students with vocabulary or even a project in which students pick main words to highlight in  word jumble. Wordle provides variety in the classroom and can provide students with an opportunity to be creative.

Overall, there are plenty of resources online for teachers and students to utilize at home and in the classroom. We must make our lessons fun!

Media Literacy and Your School

In today’s world, we learn so much from the media and technology. We are no longer the “pen and paper” sector that engulfed our schools only a few decades ago. We now learn primarily through sounds, videos, computer programs, television, and various other media forms. We have access to knowledge around the world. But have we mastered media literacy?

Media literacy is ever-changing. However, by incorporating it into our schools, we can engage our students and provide various learning pedagogues to appeal to our diverse students. We can give our students the knowledge and the tools to be actively involved with the world around them. Now if that’s not a good deal, than I don’t know what is.

But the question remains: How can Media Literacy be implemented in the school? First we, as teachers, must be excited and optimistic. Then, we must explore and meet the GPS. We must continually realize that the media is not always beneficial and could perhaps be inappropriate for the classroom. Finally, we can create a reference resource center and network with others around us. Our resources are each other.

Video Clip Assignment

Click here!

Kids on the net

After visiting many websites designed for children, including Fruit Loops, Barbie, and Neopets, I have found that companies target kids in a creative way. These websites are completely colorful and interesting. I guess kids have a sort attention span, so the more graphic and entertainging the games or website is, the better. Kids have such an influence on a company’s success. The “cooler” and more accepted your product is, the more the kids or the parents will buy. Sounds right.

Also, these websites can be beneficial. For example, on the Fruit Loops website, the first thing you read is, “This website is cool, but playing outside is cool too.” So, now I have a love for Fruit Loops. Although the company produces an extremely sugary breakfast cereal, at least they encourage exercise. Good deal.

Read this article!

          After reading Darren Crovitz’s article entitled, “Scrutinizing the Cybersell: Teen-Targeted Web Sites as Texts,” many questions come to my mind about various marketing ads and the influence they have on children, teens, and adults alike. Most media and marketing is geared towards the younger audiences. The teenagers are perhaps the most influence by these marketing campaigns so they can “fit in” and eat the coolest snacks on the market. As a twenty-year-old senior at Kennesaw State University, I feel like I too have been affected by the persuasive “teen-gaged” Cybersell web sites and television ads. I admit that I have bought a certain brand of soft-drink in which I “did the Dew” because they had a fabulous commercial with a catchy song. Sad but true.

            As a “teen-target,” I have made multiple buying decisions based on a company’s web-site appeal to me. One of the main examples about teen-target websites and media ads used in Crovitz’s article reflects the Slim Jim Company. Slim Jim is apparently targeting the hyper-masculine teen audience in which the more times you “snap” a Slim Jim, the cooler and sexier you are. By appealing to their ethos, pathos, and logos, teens are inevitably going to be persuaded to buy a certain product or be seen wearing a certain brand of clothing. Crovitz writes, “Slim Jim is doing more than selling snacks in a funny way; it’s also reinforcing a narrow definition of manhood characterized by stereotypes and silly, if not risky, behavior.” This just goes to show, at a closer look, Cybersell can be harmful to our teenage population.

            Because “nothing is an accident in this text” we can only look at the marketing techniques and pray that our teens won’t be influenced. What else can we do? Stand over our children’s shoulders while they are surfing the net. Block the Doritos’ Web site? No, “we can help students measure and weigh the ramifications of this [textual influence on a targeted audience] even as they are creating texts of their own.” Hopefully, the next time you watch TV or visit a Web site, you’ll think twice about the marketing techniques geared towards adults and teens alike.

Wikipedia vs. Britannica.com and Encyclopedia Americana

We always hear “don’t trust Wikipedia, because anyone can change it!” However, I do find it useful for a quick find. Today in class, Ashley, Jill, and I decided to note the differences of information regarding “Nematocysts.” First we read C.W. Coates’ interpretation of the topic in Encyclopedia Americana. After looking up the information on Wikipedia and comparing the two, I found the information to be similar.

Wikipedia offered examples of Nematocysts in a “dumbed-down” way. This was helpful, but not entirely relevant to the meaning of the word. After comparing the information from the Encyclopedia to the information on Britannica, we found that the information on the website offered very similar information and was much more understandable and factual.

In Chapter 4 of our textbook, we see that that a Wiki is “a Website where anyone can edit anything anytime they want.” Many students today are using Wikipedia as a source in their research, a fact that may make some of us shiver.  Because anyone can edit the site, including your fifth grade brother, many believe that the information is unreliable. However, by incorporating wikis in the classroom, maybe we can have better feelings towards wikis.

According to Richardson, wikis are great for “sharing space” but unfortunately can be abused. However, all is not lost. Just revert the page back to the last correct version. Simple as that. I think the author said it well, “The collaborative environment that wikis facilitate can teach students much about how to work with others, how to create community, and how to operate in a world where the creation of knowledge and information is more and more becoming a group effort.” Amen to that.

See my Wikipedia edits!

Heated toilet seats…

Tuesday, I had a job interview. I’ve been a nanny for almost four years now and I am highly experienced with the child caring arena. I enjoy babysitting and I feel like I’m pretty good at it. For some reason, God has given me a way with children. They listen to me… maybe I just look scary But anywho, I got the job.

I am a nanny now for a family who is fabulously wealthy. I have never been in a house this nice. I’m from Griffin, GA and “mansions” are considered the subdivisions that advertise “from the 200s.” When the children finished their baths tonight, I decided I would use the commode in the master bathroom (which is bigger than my apartment, seriously). As I reached to turn on the light, I saw a button that said “HEAT.”  From the drawing, I quickly realized that this button controlled the toilet seat temperature. The button allows you to notch your way up to the heat level of your liking. The lights are laid out in a Cingular-tower sort of way. Never have I ever sat my fanny on a heated toilet seat. I was in awe…

… and still am.