Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Week 7: Learning Portals (interactive website creation: Google Sites, Wikis)



This is a recorded lecturecast of week 7 in Wesley Fryer's spring 2010 class, "Technology 4 Teachers" at the University of Central Oklahoma. To facilitate blended learning experiences for students, it is essential for teacher-leaders to create hyperlinked, media-rich online spaces. These learning portals can serve as digital extensions of the classroom, spaces for student collaboration, lockers for research discoveries and media, as well as online portfolios demonstrating knowledge and skills. (T4T Week 7 links and resources are available.)

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Week 6b: Search and Aggregators (T4T Spring 2010)

(part 2 of 2) Effectively and critically searching the Internet is a vital skill for 21st century learners. Studies show most students tend to perform simple keyword searches on Google and never go beyond the first or second page of search results. Today we will explore a variety of Internet search options, and learn how to use an aggregator as a digital newspaper.

Week 6a: Search and Aggregators (T4T Spring 2010)



Click to Play

(part 1 of 2) Effectively and critically searching the Internet is a vital skill for 21st century learners. Studies show most students tend to perform simple keyword searches on Google and never go beyond the first or second page of search results. Today we will explore a variety of Internet search options, and learn how to use an aggregator as a digital newspaper.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Week 5 Summary

Natalie Locke

T4T Scribes: Week 5
Today Michael Mount from the UCO Office of Information Technology presented an introductory workshop on using the SmartBoard. Michael told the class that Smart notebook software is used to create curriculum and is primarily for k-12 educators. Smart board draws power form the PC, if the computer is on smart board is one. He taught us that sometimes smart boards can get misaligned, so first thing when you use it at the beginning of the day you need to re-orient it. It also has floating tools, which is customizable, and can be moved all across the screen. You also have pen tools on the Smartboard, where you can change the color and thickness of the pens. The eraser tool, you can chose to erase either down at the bottom or on the floating tool. The keyboard button is good for writing neatly on the smart board. Michael’s favorite tool is the clear ink layer, which is one button that erases everything on the page, that you were working on. Something that I found interesting is you can customize the floating tools, which would be a great thing because everyone need and uses different tools. You can save your presentation, and merge notes onto it as well. After showing us some different things on the Smartboard he opened Internet explorer. The magic tool, helps magnify selected images.
Here is a link to SmartBoard training

http://smarttech.com/Trainingcenter/material.asp

The second hour Michael gave a chance for the students of the class to do hands-on practice with the SmartBoard. This was also a chance for all students to get caught up on all their work for chapters 1-4, they could also work on their voice thread project which is due next week. Here is the screencast of how to use VoiceThread.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Week 4 Summary

Richard A. Weeks
Kirsti Parsons

T4T Scribes: Week 4

The first half hour of class was used as an open forum discussion, about how we the students, were feeling about the class. I believe the overall consensus was that we all felt overwhelmed. One student made the comment that she spends more time on the homework assignments for this class than she does for all her other classes put together; she also mentioned that she was taking 16 credit hours. Several students suggested that we need a catch-up day. The overarching things Dr. Owens-DeLong stated she was taking away are number one use of class time. The second thing is amount and maybe class time would help with the amount.

Dr. Ellis spent approximately half an hour introducing us to PASS-PORT e-portfolio. He showed procedures on how to do several items in PASS-PORT. He informed us that we have 30 days to set up our portfolios. The demonstration looked less complicated than chalk and wire. He let us know he would be available for any questions we might have or any help we might need. He also explained the different portals in the new e-portfolio. He walked us through the procedures from beginning to end. You can contact Dr. Ellis at eportfolio@uco.edu for any questions concerning e-portfolio. He also let us know that we can get a copy of any information, on cd, that we have already put into the chalk and wire e-portfolio that was being previously used.

Dr. Owens-DeLong then showed your screencast for the week.



She then discussed the Unit Plan with us. After showing us the template for the Unit Plan, she had us discuss in small groups ideas for the Unit Plan. Dr. Owens-DeLong had a few of the students provide examples of Essential Question Unit Questions Content Questions. Following the Unit Plan she covered a story in five photos. This included ways to get pictures from places like Compfight or Flickr Storm or using our own pictures. Dr. Owens-DeLong directed us to do an anonymous evaluation and then dismissed class when we were finished with evaluation.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Week 3 Summary

Jennifer Mendes
Audra Poole
T4T Scribes: Week 3

We did things a little differently for week three. We started our class with a question and answer session. Professor Fryer introduced us to a backchannel chat room. Here we were allowed an allotted amount of time to reflect back on week one and two. We then typed in any questions or concerns we had. We spent the next 50 minutes addressing those questions. This was a great way to allow people to catch up. We also covered the quiz that our class would be taking on webct. We were told that we would be given three questions and fifteen minutes to answer. We were also going to be allowed the chance to take the quiz twice this time. For those who were unfamiliar with webct we had a brief demonstration of how to take the quiz. The next part of class is typically known as lecture. During this time we watched two videos “I need my Teachers to Learn”, and “ A Day to Remember.” These videos introduced us to our next topic Digital Storytelling.

Digital storytelling was defined in many different ways. Part of our assignments for the next two weeks is going to be to develop our own digital story using voicethread. To do this we will have to have at least five pictures or a video if we chose and then record our voice and add it with the pictures. Wes stressed to the class the importance of using copyrights correctly. The first option is to use your own individual pictures. We were given two websites compfight and zoo-m to use to find copy written photos if needed. At the end of class we were informed that Wes would be gone for two weeks. If any students are still behind or needing help Wes is going to be giving two help sessions on Fridays from 9:00 to 10:50.