Weebly Group Website

Had a fun time creating a website with Jon and Carla, we each took two pages, I did Home page and Parents Page, Carla did Teachers and Special Populations and Jon did How To.... and Digital Citizenship
We shared all our information with each other via a google doc on google drive, Click here to check out our website.   http://csjvideoproductions.weebly.com
http://csjvideoproductions.weebly.com

Principles of Design when looking at a Ethopian Bible

This week I looked through the British Library website's "Online Gallery". Using the  "Turn the Page", I was able to look through the pages of a Bible from Ethiopia. This book is hundreds of years old and of course I could not read the language, but was able to know exactly what they were talking about by looking at the beautiful pictures. The design elements that were used kept me interested in what I was looking at, even my son, was amazed and could tell what we were looking at and reading.

The first design element, contrast, is noted on almost every page with the use of different colored words to distinguish the importance of different lines of text and the colors of the borders and pictures. The second design element was that of repetition which was noticed in the layout of typically having a picture on the left page and the text on the right, except in a few cases, but the repetition was definitely noticed. The third element was the alignment, it was seen in the pictures and the text boxes, where everything was centered, even with the pictures the biblical character was larger than other objects in the picture. The fourth and final element was proximity, is seen in the way the pages portraying the life of Jesus are presented together, before going into the gospels of each disciple.

It is very interesting to me to see how we are still use some of the old ways of communication.  By using the same design elements that they used back then we are now incorporating them into todays ways of communication. Funny to realize that they were actually used hundreds of years ago to make the message or story understandable and meaningful to all who saw it back then.

Reflections on my Web Coferences with Ms. Abernathy for EDLD 5363

REFLECTIONS ON THREE OF THE WEB CONFERENCES

I ATTENDED FOR EDLD 5363

Web conference 6-4-13

This web conference started late, she had her times off but once we did get started then we made our groups for our final project, she also gave us some sites to use on our final project. we discussed what we need to write about in our first assignment. We didn't need to turn in our pre-evaluation online but we can email it to our IA and Ms. Abernathy if we wanted. but no need to post on our blog or google site. It was a very informational web conference about what we need to use and where to go to find what we needed. The best and easiest part was getting to go ahead and form a group for the project, my group ended up to big and we had to split, because she said if you get to six you must split, but in the end I think it was for the best, it was so easy to work with my group, like they say too many cooks..... in this case it was hard with so many people to get people together, but easier once we had split.


Web conference 6-10-13

I felt this conference was rushed, she had another web conference to go to in the 30 minutes, I felt like we were being rushed and at times felt stupid to even ask a question.  We did hear more about Creative Commons and Screencast.  we were told to use YouTube, and she told us to be resourceful, ask Google if we don't know something, look on YouTube for tutorials, look in your search engines to find your answers. we were to figure everything out by looking at tutorials, so then I was like ok do I ask a question or keep my mouth shut for fear of looking stupid for not knowing something. I was so discouraged at this point, was not a good web conference for me.

Web conference 6-16-13

In this web conference we learned about Google hangout and Google docs. we were told to find an assignment for a core subject, and that someone in our groups needs to know the core standards of the project. we needed to share our Google doc and make sure to share with her and our IA. All 5 assignments were due this week. Nothing due for week 4 and then in week 5 don't forget to turn in our link to our Google site on TK20 at the end and we must use a video tool, for example YouTube capture or screencast. We need to make sure all the names of our group are included in everything we do.

EDLD 5363 Final Project - To Regroup or Not to Regroup

To Regroup or Not to Regroup

http://www.screencast.com/users/StaceyGove/folders/Default/media/33069657-7de9-4979-8168-5767d636c0d2/embed

Multimedia Technology Class - My Life Storyboard Assignment

 

Week 5 Thoughts and Reflections on What I Learned in this Class.

When I first started this course I was not sure what to expect, I have been exposed to a new way of learning that has challenged me and made me aware of all the needs of others and how I might be able to impact education with all that I will be learning this next year with my internship and my action plan. Some things I heard from the lectures or read in the reading were new to me and then just participating in the blogs was a new way to look into other ideas and concepts that might in the end help me in my education endeavors.

The lectures from the professors gave me a good insight into what I was going to be learning each week and sometimes help clarify what I was questioning. I have to remember that I am going to make mistakes but right now is the best time to make these mistakes and learn from them. I liked when in the lectures they told me of some of the challenges I was going to meet while working on my internship and action plan and that I was not going to be alone that everyone will meet different obstacles.

The readings were from two books, Leading with Passion and Knowledge: The Principal as the Action Researcher by Nancy Fichtman Dana and Examining What We Do To Improve Our Schools by Sandra Harris, Stacey Edmonson and Julie Combs. I am learning many new things from both books, I enjoy learning about the nine passions of an action research plan the most, as I read about each passion I was able to several of the scenarios and then question my studies in technology. I also loved the eight steps involved in research; I really need this in helping me figure out what and how I was going to approach my action plan. Even when you have to go back and forth between each of the steps. I always thought that it was a series of steps and am glad that I will discover ideas and research and then go back and make changes. I always thought you had to do exactly in a set order nice to know you can deviate from the normal.

The discussion boards have made me think, and then to figure out how to get my point across to everyone. Sometimes it took me more than once to figure out what I was going to say and then to reply to someone without just a one word or sentence answer and to help and encourage them while discussing the weekly topic.

My site mentor has been supportive, although this is a stressful time in schools with STAAR testing they have listened when I emailed or texted or talked to them during school. I have enjoyed the challenges this class has given me but in the end made me a better questioner and to look more in depth at my research and where to look and what questions to ask while working on this action plan.

Action Plan

Technology has come so far in the past few years especially involving our students and their smart phones, and iPads, etc. but my question is: Has it developed as quickly into the classroom for these students? Some of this I think is the lack of technology being taught in the classroom to the kids is the time they have to teach it,  because they have so much to do in the classroom with teaching to the test, that new technology is pushed by the wayside or that veteran teachers aren’t using the technology to teach with because it is foreign to them and they don’t have time or want to learn the technology. Some teachers just don’t want to give up on their old school style of teaching: chalk and blackboard. Districts have developed technology TEKS for the teachers to implement into the classroom, but some teachers don’t apply them or accomplish them. Classrooms that are using technology in the right way are making dynamic learning environments for the kids, when used improperly the kids are just bored with the technology. I want to focus on the kids learning what they need to learn in order to be successful in the future grades with technology.

Some of the problems are that once these elementary students head off to middle school that they are not ready for all the technology thrown their way in regards to reports or presentations, thus their self-esteem may go down due to failure in their technology skills.  My question is what can we do to help these students be more prepared for middle school in the way of technology and make sure they are on the path to success.

So my research is going to center on:

1.     What motivates the teachers to use the technology to teach these students how to be successful in the future with their education and their future?

2.  What motivates the students to want to use the technology that is offered and what more do they need to learn in order to be successful in education and be prepared for their future education?

Action Planning Template

                                                                                                           

Action Step (s)	Person Responsibility	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
1.Discuss Action Research topic with site supervisor	Myself and Kay Ford	4/20/13 to 4/24/13	Intern Plan	Formulate a topic and figure out question
2.Survey Students and teachers to see what they are using in regards to technology and what they want to learn in technology	Myself and teachers involved in helping me do surveys (Mr. Lanier and Ms. Moss)	4/25/13 to 5/1/13	Surveys created on survey monkey	Evaluate data received in surveys
3.Develop ways to help students achieve what they want to learn and be successful.	Myself, technology leader, and teachers	September 2013 to April 2014	Software programs	Match the needs by looking at the surveys and seeing what the kids want the most
4.Implement ways to help these students learn what they have specifically requested to learn.	Myself and technology leaders	September 2013 to April 2014	Software and training	Evaluate the skills they are learning by getting feedback from the students and teachers
5.Have the students complete a survey to see if they learned what they wanted and are satisfied with the technology that they can take with them in their future education.	Myself	May 2014	Online Survey with survey monkey	Compare the survey with the survey given to outgoing grade students last year and those that have taken the survey this year and gone thru the new technology.

Week 2 - what I have learned

This week we listened to three different interviews about action plans and then read about 9 different areas to look at or action plans. When I first started the week I wasn't sure which way to even go towards. I  had many ideas but no way to figure to how to put any of them into an action plan without just a yes or no or simple response to my question. I am slowly figuring out with the help of my site supervisor and fellow teachers about which direction to go in. It really helped reading all the discussions and listening to our web conference hearing other ideas. I hope this week to really tweak my ideas into one or two and then figure out which one to use. I am beginning to think a good one might be about students bing ready for technology when they enter middle school so many can text and play video games but many are still hunting and pecking. I am also interested in the reason veterans teachers don't use technology but not sure how to measure it. So many ideas but need to figure it all out.

How Educational Leaders Might Use Blogs....

Here are some ways I think Educational Leaders might use blogs....

1. Teachers have blogs to connect with kids, ask a question and have kids blog thier answer,
2. Teachers have a blog to connect with the parents, they blog what is going on in the classroom and the parents can see and interact with their children about what they see on the blog.
3. Teachers can use it within thier campus or district to get insight on ideas or questions that other teachers might have and that might help others.

Let me know if you have more you would like to add to my list. Always love new ways of using blogs.

What I learned about Action Research Plans...

Action research is "the process of engaging in systematic, intentional study of one's own practices and taking action for change based on what is learned as a result of the inquiry." (Dana, 2009). Basically, it is used by many who want to reflect on the work that they are doing and see how effective it is for whoever may be involved in the inquiry. As a teacher, I would use this process to review what I have just taught and see if it worked or helped them understand the concept. Sometimes one way of teaching is always the way that they kids understand. Reflecting on what has worked and what doesn't will help me to grow as a teacher so I will be a better teacher to the students in my classes. Lets say that if I have a group of students who are struggling with a math concept, I may look at how I taught it and see if there is a better way to get them to understand the math. I would look for other ways of presenting this concept to them and then that will help me decide if I can change, or improve, my teaching to better meet their needs. Maybe more time is needed in organizing my thoughts so I can express myself better to them, or perhaps a better way to present it so that the students understand they already have it and can be confident in thier math. The process of researching and reflecting is continuous as I strive to become a better practitioner of the craft of teaching.

Ever since I began this Masters Degree, I am seeing the need to look at things so that I can understand them better. I hope to show others how to be better in technology and if they have questions to ask me, or we can research things together to make our school a better learning environment for the kids.

References
Dana, N.F. (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press