Rah Rah Rah!

I enjoyed watching the different videos that were made by my classmates! They were all so good! The ones that I commented on were: Rebecca F., Mariah, Leah, Carol, Brett, and Kaitlin. I think that although it would be fun to implement this activity into a classroom it would have its complications. I think that it would be hard to get all the students through the project. It is kinda complicated although the program is very straight forward. There are just a lot of little details that go into making a book. It would just be hard for one teacher to be there to supervise the students and answer all their questions. You would definitly need a lot of volunteer support. Plus, you can't really just tell the studetns to go home and finish what they didnt do in class. You would have to complete the whole project in class. I think that it is a task worth trying though. Especially in the older grades. They could probably handle it better and it would run smoother. It would be a great assessment tool for like a social studies unit. It would be a fun way for students to demonstrate what they know. I had fun doing it!

Body Language

Storyboard...Body Language

They loaded in reverse order. It is going to be cute!

TPACK

I think that it is very important for teachers to have a basic understanding (at minimum) of TPACK. They need to know the CK of the grade they are teaching or they will not be a teacher for very long. This CK is vital for them to have an understanding of so they can help their students understand it as well. Teachers also need to be firmly grounded in PK becasue this is what qualifies them to be a teacher. They need to kow how to relay the information that they know to their students in way that will help them to internalize and apply it. Finally, teachers need to have a basic understanding of TK because of the day and age that we live in. The job of a teacher, beyond teaching the core curriculum, is to prepare her students to succeed in the world. Our world is very technological. Children need to understand how to use this technology to their advantage...beyond how to watch a movie and microwave popcorn. If they do not, they will be passed up in the employment opportunities they have and they will not be able to compete or succeed. Giving students the skills and knowledge they need to make it in this world is what I believe is the role of a teacher. We cannot do this without TPACK. This is the integration of all the things children need to learn and truly understand these skills and knowledge. TPACK is how we will prepare our students for their futures.

Most Important Thing I Learned...

Okay, so this week's assignment was ridiculously hard! It took me forever to figure out how to do all of this stuff. I never realized how un-literate I am when it comes to technology. I think that the most important thing that I learned was how to do the video communications and also how to post more things on this blog. The whole website thing still really confuses me but if I ever have to do one for a school that I am teaching at I feel much more prepared to do it. I think even then I will have to make a friend with someone who really know what he is doing and have him help me. But that is okay because we can all use more friends and opportunities to bake them cupcakes when they help you out (thanks Tyson!).

synchronous video communication

asynchronous video message

Oh Technology...

My parents are very different when it comes to technology. My dad is way tech savvy and my mom is not. It isn't that she doesn't like technology but it just takes her a little longer to understand how it works. So growing up I had a mix of "old school" and "new school". I liked this because I learned about computers and how to use them but at the same time I learned valuable skills that technology has replaced. I think that it is important to learn how to do things without computers and all this modern technology so that if something were to ever happen we can take care of ourselves. Don't get me wrong, I sure do love my computer and digital camera and cell phone. I totally think that we should take advantage of what technology we have been blessed with and use it to enrich our lives and have a lot of fun!