Sunday, March 18, 2012
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
You've Gotta Have a Plan!
I was really excited when I had one of my teachers ask me to assist with a Photo Story project. It was going to be my job to demonstrate and teach this class how to use Photo Story. So I came in and did my demonstration and thought the students would begin working on the projects. Turns out I was wrong...the students had not saved images, crafted a organizer, written scripts, etc. Because of this, I have had to hijack this project and take it over. We are making the best out of it, but it could be so much more. The lesson to be learned...you gotta have a plan!
When beginning a multimedia project, there are several items that need to be considered.
1. Some sort of organizer is a must - An organizer can be as simple as post it notes, a graphic organizer, or a flow chart. Organizers can be done on paper, a whiteboard, SMART Notebook, Word, etc. The method of organizing does not matter...students just need a support structure to use for their digital movie.
2. Copyright free/friendly resources - When making a Photo Story, students need to gather their images before beginning the project. This should be tied to their work on the graphic organizer. This is also a great opportunity to teach students about copyright and how it applies to them. Here is a list of copyright free/friendly resources that you can use.
When beginning a multimedia project, there are several items that need to be considered.
1. Some sort of organizer is a must - An organizer can be as simple as post it notes, a graphic organizer, or a flow chart. Organizers can be done on paper, a whiteboard, SMART Notebook, Word, etc. The method of organizing does not matter...students just need a support structure to use for their digital movie.
2. Copyright free/friendly resources - When making a Photo Story, students need to gather their images before beginning the project. This should be tied to their work on the graphic organizer. This is also a great opportunity to teach students about copyright and how it applies to them. Here is a list of copyright free/friendly resources that you can use.
Stock.xchng
http://www.sxc.hu/
Morguefile
http://www.morguefile.com/
Public-domain-photos
http://www.public-domain-photos.com/
PD
Photos http://www.pdphoto.org/
Open
photos http://openphoto.net/
Istockphoto
http://www.istockphoto.com/
3. The sharing of resources - Most classrooms are not equipped with a 1-1 student to computer ratio so there needs to be a plan. Teachers need to consider the amount of time needed for the project, what will the other students be doing while their peers are working on the computers, what do you do if a student finishes early, and how will you support the students who need assistance.
All of these things seems pretty basic but they all need to be considered to have a successful project. Without the preparation, you will have a project like I encountered. Movie projects take time and require the necessary preparation.
When planned and implemented properly, this is technology that actually works!
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Monday, February 13, 2012
Reflections from My First Edcamp
Edcampstl has come and gone but its impact is here to stay. Reflecting over the past couple days, I left edcampstl with a renewed passion for bringing change to my work. Walking into edcampstl, I was totally unsure how this would go and if I would have the guts to sign up for a presentation. I am not a social person but yet I had to mingle and interact with my peers to the most out of edcamp. I took the leap of faith...and it was worth it!
What really set edcampstl apart from every other conference I have attended were the conversations. It all started in the "Bold Schools" session. Everyone was able to express their opinions, build upon the knowledge of others, and really start to come up with solutions to the problems of our education system. We did not leave that session with any concrete answers, but I think each person left with knowledge to carry this discussion forward to their schools. Later in the day, I facilitated a session on bringing innovations to our schools. Unlike conference presentations that I have given in the past, this session was pure conversation. I just kept the discussion going. I was not the all knowing presenter but instead was an equal participant looking for answers. These conversations continued through the lunch hour and in the hallways. It is the power of the conversation that makes Edcampstl so unique and powerful.
If conversations were not your thing and you wanted to be a listener, there were sessions for you too. I sat back and learned many great strategies for integrating social media into school instruction. When attending the Evernote session, I gained knowledge that I did not have before the conference.
So there was really something for everyone and that is the beauty of edcampstl. This conference was only going to be as good as we made it and we made it great! But all of this means nothing if we don't do anything with it. I plan on making edcampstl worth my time by bringing knowledge back to my schools. I have a huge list of resources to review and share with others. I have a treasure trove of strategies for technology integration to pass along with those who did not attend.
But most of all, I have the idea of change and growth to fuel the work in my district. Using the 1% to 99% analogy that was tweeted during the conference, I hope that as the 1% who attended edcampstl, I can motivate and inspire the other 99% to examine their teaching practices, examine how they grow as professionals, and how they engage and teach our students. It is a goal to bring the Edcamp model of professional development to my schools and hopefully to my district. These are lofty goals and will require much work. But without following through and attempting to create change, then this was nothing more than a wasted day...and Edcampstl was far from wasted.
Thank you to all those who made this possible. I look forward to attending again next year!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)