Final Video_Technology is the Prescription

Technology for Motivation

In this short commercial, technology is recommended as the prescription to cure unmotivated students.  

W4_ Reading

1.  Managing Multimedia Mania: Taming the Technology Beast

In this article, students are frustrated when they do not see immediate results from their one-click technology search.  Students want instant satisfaction and not take the time use technology as a learning tool.  Many students look at the computer as a toy and not use this resource for reading information or for higher order thinking strategies.  Many educators do not know how to assess student learning when it comes to assessing technology implementation.  Teachers need to model 21^st century skills so students can focus on utilizing technology as a tool for learning. 

2.  Motivating Students through Project-Based Service Learning

Educators have realized that project-based service learning enhances collaboration and integration of real-world issues, lowers disciplinary problems, and applies lessons that are student centered.  These hands-on, authentically engaging technology lessons motivates student learning.  Students make connections to life outside of school that coincides with various subjects to create projects that address real-world problems.  There are three examples of technology project-based service learning that California students were motivated and engaged while increasing academic standards.

3.  Motivation and Satisfaction in Internet-Supported Learning Environments: A Review

Studies in higher education taken from previous research on student motivation in Internet-Supported Learning Environments (ISLE) did not provide comprehensive analysis of methodological and theoretical issues.  A qualitative study was conducted to examine the following questions:

1.     How did ISLE overall impact student motivation and satisfaction?

2.     What specific motivation and satisfaction sources were identified?

3.     How was motivation measured in ISLE?  What research designs were employed to investigate the phenomena?

Analysis received from ISLE studies supported motivation taken from technology attributes, engagement, and support services.  These studies measured task choice, cognitive effort, skill, persistency, and achievement.

4.  Using Technology to Promote Self-Efficacy for Healthy Eating in Adolescents.

The purpose of this study was to determine if the World Wide Web and eating healthy would affect student self-efficacy.  A pre-test and post-test were assessed between two junior high schools.  Two methods were tested among these adolescents.  One test consisted of five hours of web research; will the other tested group was ten hours of instructional lecture time.  Students were given the same six questions to find correct data to answer the questionnaire.  The web research group had significantly higher scores with self-efficacy to find information about eating healthier.  Students displayed signs of wanting to find information that pertained to their lifestyle.

 

PE_6 Google Drawing Pick a Pumpkin

Practical Experience 6 Google Drawing

Pick a Pumpkin

I found the scribble tool!  With this tool, I was able to include more color to my graphic.  I did this by changing the dimensions of the pixel.  A larger scribble pixel took less time to color in empty spaces. 

Another tool that came in handy was the Order tool.  With this tool, I was able to change the placement of a shape or line drawing.  This was especially helpful when I worked on the pebble path.  I had to color around the stones, but the green paint was covering my pebbles.  The Order tool allowed my pebbles to come forward and send the green paint behind the stones. 

I added the pumpkin patch with the circle shape tool, and the smiley face tool.  The text was created in Word Art, which is located in the Insert tab.  I was able to change the font color and line color, but noticed the options are not the same as Word Art in Microsoft Office. 

Beautiful Autumn Day - Created in Google Drawing

I am really not sure if Google Drawing is meant for free drawing art creations.  There is an option to add images, then modify the image with Drawing tools.  

I enjoyed creating my Beautiful Autumn Day masterpiece, and gained quite bit of knowledge about Google Drawing tools. 

PE_5 Google Drawing Leaves are Falling

Practical Experience 5

Leaves are Falling

Well, I thought I could add a little color to my Beautiful Autumn Day Graphic.  This way, I could see what needed to be included to finish my Fall picture.  However, that didn’t work out the way I planned.  So I am trying other options to color my picture.  

I wanted to add a tree with falling leaves.  I added a tree trunk with the square shape feature. 

Shape is the Box and the Circle Image

Google Drawing offers a large variety of shapes for designing.  

Then I add leaves with the lightening bolt.  

I changed the colors of the leaves by selecting the paint can and the pencil.   

In order to change the leaf colors, I had to click on the shape tool each time, then choose the colors for the leaves.  Yes, it took awhile, but I wanted to make a colorful tree for my Autumn graphic.  

Here is my Autumn Tree.  

PE_4 Google Drawing- Beautiful Autumn Day

Practical Experience – Google Drawing

A Beautiful Autumn Day

Before I started my Full Sail journey, I had little experience with Google Docs. Other then designing my survey for the Training and Motivational Development course, my brief Google Docs encounter included a group project utilizing the document tool.  I wanted to become familiar with Google Drawing.  

Since my previous Practical Experience was about Halloween, I thought I would stay with the same theme.  Here are the steps I took to completing my Practical Experience 4 Autumn/Fall graphic.  With these tools, I:

• ·      added a Large square with the shape tool.
• ·      adjusted the square to provide a background effect.
• ·      used the curve tool to draw a road. I realized that I needed to only click once to make the road curve, as well as quit using the tool.
• ·      created a pebble path with shape Flowchart: Connector, circle.
• ·      added a 3D box for house by using shape tool.  Clicked on the 3D box, then the green dot, and moved the box to slant against the pebble path. 
• ·      used the Line tool to add a 3D roof.  (That was tricky to line up.)
• ·      included windows with the shape tool.  To make them as even, I drew them on top of each other then moved them to the specific location.  Clicked on the window, then the green dot, and slanted the windows to fit the house.
• ·      using the line tool, I added a door.
• ·      added steps with the shape tool.  This was difficult, since the house was not straight, or the door. 

What has helped me adapt to Google Docs is the layout is similar to Microsoft Word.  Google Drawing is easily assessable to maneuver. 

W3 Reading

Week 3 Action Research Readings

I saw the linoit.com Web 2.0 tool in my classmates blogs.  Wow, what a great tool!  I wanted to try it out for an organizational tool.   My intentions are to add past and future readings to this weeks reading assignment.  

1. Rubrics:  The Key to Fairness in Performance Based Assessments 

Technology can be a distraction when it comes to submitting technology projects.  Rubrics are a fair scoring guide to assess different learning styles and skill strengths to guide students of teacher expectations. This study will guide teachers with effectively using rubrics for performance-based assessments. In this study, the rubric outcomes focus on students' creative efforts, due date expectations, and self-assessments in place of traditional proofreading.

2. Using the Internet Assessment Tools for Health and Physical Education Instruction

In this study, physical education programs developed programs to increase student health-related awareness, by utilizing Internet assessment tools. Middle school students are held accountable for assessing their own nutritional intake and physical activity habits by using Internet assessment health-related tools.  The study focused on if technology motivated students and if technology was effective in this web-based project.

3. That’s Blog Worthy: Ten Ways to Integrate Blogging into the Health Education Classroom

Blogs are becoming more popular and are used for social interaction with strangers and peers for learning.  In this study, blogs are used for student engagement, and combining ideas and thoughts on health education content.  The objectives of this study are to have high school health students understand the the importance of blogging by defining the tool, creating a blog to learn health content, and post and respond to other students'.  Assessment strategies included detailed instructions and a rubric with clear expectations of the health blog project.

4. Using Technology in Helping Achieve 21st Century Skills: A Pilot Study

This pilot study examined 21st century technology skills of high school and university students in the Maine Administrative District.  It focused on eight  curriculum appendices. This eight appendices included:

-Results of the Education Testing Services ICT Literacy Assessment

-Project timeline and tasks

-teacher guides and resources

Pre-post assessments

-Websites used

-Student and teacher interview questions

-Rubric

Results demonstrated that students were better prepared for the 21st Century and display continuing progress of these skills. 

PE_3 Adobe Flash CS5- Don't Get Spooked

Don't Get Spooked

In my third Practical Experience, I experimented with Adobe Flash CS5 timeline.  I continued viewing the lynda.com tutorials to guide me in the Flash application.  I added another layer for a new background and an image to my Happy Halloween .fla file.  I inserted a spooky house .jpg image on my stage.  After I converted the spooky house graphics to a movie clip, and added a new layer, I  experimented with inserting a new .png black cat file. I tried inserting this cat image, but I needed to work in photoshop in order to adjust the size.  I am not familiar enough with photoshop to change the size, (that application will be for the future).

I moved my graphics around by unselecting the pasteboard.  My pumpkin's mouth had a mind of it's own, so it looks a little distorted then the original.  I saved my file to begin working on the timeline.  The little black dots are Keyframes.  To build layers for a movie clip effect, I inserted blank Keyframes at different timeline frames.  I clicked and dragged the black dot to have my black cat appear after the Happy Halloween graphic.

Since this was the first time that I have worked in Flash, I wanted to review my newfound Flash knowledge and add the same features, but change a few things.  The recap involved adding:

·      

•             a background and Color to my stage.
•       an orange button and black text.
•       a lightning Deco Tool.
•       a spray painted ghost.
•       a painted brush tool mouth.
•       a black oval tools for eyes.

·   

I changed the Keyframes to begin after my black cat.  I also inserted a blank keyframe to have my lightning strike and ghost appear and disappear.  My last step was test my movie.  These are the results of my .fla Happy Halloween file.

                              Asplosh (Spooky House) Image courtesy of Creative Commons. Author- Phil
                                        Pump the Beat English; Cat? Acourtesy Creative Commons. Author Unknown

My intentions are to continue learning and working with Flash for Practical Experience 4, 5, and 6.  I am excited to work with this application.   

PE2_Adobe Flash CS5 Happy Halloween-Extra Goodies

Adobe Flash CS5 Happy Halloween Extra Goodies

I wanted to use my previous Happy Halloween graphic, and add more animation.  

I continued Adobe Flash CS5 tutorials located on Lydia.com. I closely followed the tutorial, but made adjustments to fit my festive graphic animation.  The next step was adding a new layer to my Happy Halloween graphic. I named this layer Trees.  I used the Deco Tool, and clicked on properties panel.  I selected drawing effect and experimented with Fire Effect, but it wasn’t what I expected.  I then tested Drawing Effect- Decorated Brush and Advanced Options- Thick Leaves, and changed the Pattern color to orange.  I experimented with this effect until I was satisfied with my Thick Leaves creation.  I investigated other Deco Tools to cheer up my graphic, and decided to check out the tree Drawing Effect.  I chose Tree Brush, then Maple Tree, and adjusted the colors to enhance the autumn season. 

I experimented with the pencil drawing tool and created a pumpkin.  The carvings of the pumpkin’s eyes, nose, mouth, and stump were tricky to free draw and color.  At one point I some how changed my background color, but I like it black instead of green.  Now my next step is to make this graphic animate.

PE1_Adobe Flash CS5 Happy Halloween

A Little Halloween Cheer with Adobe Flash CS5

I thought I would acquaint myself with the creative tool Flash. When I opened the program for the first time, I was amazed at how many features are associated with Adobe Flash CS5.

With Flash the user can design animated graphics, or embed short movies for web design. It has been awhile, but I have prior experience with Fireworks, and Dreamweaver, but when I opened Flash, the many tools immediately took me by surprised.

I thought I would try to figure this application on my own, and selected animation. Looking through the selections, I chose Random Ease Candle because it looked fun to try.  I basically got nowhere. So, I tried again with another animated option, this time I went with Animated Mask Motion Tween, it looked really cool, but once again, I was instantly confused.

Fortunately, Lynda.com came in handy. Even though it took me a couple of hours to stop and start chapter one, I was able to create a basic graphic. I followed the very helpful tutorial, but tweaked the presenter’s instructions to spread a little Halloween cheer.

In these tutorials, I created my Halloween animation with an ActionScript 3 file. I started by adjusting the workspace and changed the window to classic. My properties, and library panels are on the right side, and my tools are located on the left side. I resized my document and changed my pixels with the dimensions and selected my background color to green. I learned to move my workspace around by holding down my space bar and drag the item to a specified location. I also saved my file to a .fla file.

After I set up my stage, I created my first graphic. I named my first layer rectangle and changed the stroke color to red and fill color to black. I added another layer for an orange colored button, and included the Happy Halloween text in black, and October 31, 2010 in orange. Overall, I was happy with my little Happy Halloween graphic. I am excited to use Adobe Flash CS5 in the future.

BP_12_OMM_Museum Box

Museum Box

A great way to change that boring portfolio into a 21st century technology production. Check it out! You will be amazed at how easy and fun this Web 2.0 tool will be for educators and students.


References
Image 1- Notebook- Courtesy of Creative Commons. Author Cote's Photostream
Image 2- Leonardo Notebook- Courtesy of Flickr. Author Twid's Photostream
Music- iMovie iLife Sound Effects

BP_11 Comments for Jamie

Follow this link to my comments about Jamie Steele's Linoit posting

We all use post-it-notes.  Jamie found a way that we can still use them without covering up the computer screen. 

BP_10 Comments to Bruce

Please follow this link to Bruce Neubauer's Web 2.0 tool - DoInk

Bruce found a replacement to the old standard flip book.  

BP_9 Museum Box

Museum Box

     If a student can design a handcraft portfolio, why not have them create an eportfolio on the computer?  Students can construct digital interactive eportfolios with Museum Box. This Web 2.0 tool is easy, doesn’t require notebooks and supplies, and it’s free.   The Museum Box intentions are for the user to describe his or her life, an infamous person, or maybe a historical time period.  But, in the Museum Box examples, I did notice that educators utilized this virtual box for just about any curriculum. The user can add an abundance of information, just like a trapper keeper, with text, images, videos, sound files, and links to enhance their eportfolios topics.  At first the eportfolio looks like a box, but others can view the contents located inside the box, with a simple click.

     Museum Box could be utilized at any grade level with any curriculum, but I think this tool would really benefit older elementary, middle, and high school students.  To use this tool with the younger grade levels, students could view teacher created boxes, while older students could design their own assigned Museum Box topic. 

http://museumbox.e2bn.org/gallery/

     Since I have Kindergarten through sixth grade students, I would have my older elementary students construct an Eating Healthy Museum Box for my younger students to open and view in my health classes.  This way my older and younger students would increase their healthy eating habits.   I would have my students layer their food pyramid Museum Box with the food groups.  Students would create questions and answers about each food group, and provide examples.  I would also have them include one video, link, and sound to their food pyramid box. 

http://museumbox.e2bn.org/creator/viewer/show/256

     Even though you can upload your own images, videos, and sound files, a big Museum Box plus, is that this Web 2.0 tool has an enormous library of images and sound files, so copyright is not a concern for students and educators.  It also has recording capabilities for video and sound.   One of the best advantages are students and educators can save their Museum Box and work on it at school or home, and when the box is completed, others can comment on the finished eportfolio.  

http://museumbox.e2bn.org/creator/

W2 Reading

Building the Cognitive Bridge: Children, Information Technology and Thinking

     In the United Kingdom, the Department for Education and Skills categorized three areas for supporting and increasing student thinking. The three areas that teachers and researchers are focusing on are philosophical, cognitive intervention, and brain-based learning methods. In this case study, children ages 10-11 from two elementary schools completed software based graphic organizers. Students worked collaboratively to support exploration of their ideas. The results from this study provided a bridge for individuals to increase cognitive skills for an agreement to a group harmony setting, as well as collaboration for group presentations.

Engaging students in multimedia-mediated Constructivist learning- Students’ perceptions

     Researchers collected data through student observations and a survey to understand students’ perceptions working with multimedia projects in a constructivist-based learning environment.  In this study, students worked in groups and created interactive multimedia applications in Macromedia Director.  Students used critical thinking, communication, presentational, and creativity skills, and demonstrated motivational and team-working abilities to produce a multimedia project.  The results from this study indicates strong support for educators to utilize multimedia technology along with constructive learning to increase teaching and learning in today’s classroom. 

Having Our Say: Middle Grade Students Perspectives on School, Technologies and Academic Engagement

     In this study, Spires, Lee, Turner, and Johnson, (2008) focused on what engages middle school students to learn through surveys and focus groups.  Their findings consisted of student perceptions of school, technology usage inside and outside of school, and engagement of academic students.  The purpose of this study was to understand what engages middle school students for successful achievement.  Spires, Lee, Turner and Johnson conducted a survey about demographics to 4,000 middle grade students that participated in a North Carolina after-school program.  The focus group procedures consisted of three geographic areas, with two randomly chosen from each region.  Within this focus group, 8-10 students were selected for an interview process.  Final data collected resulted in four themes for researching purposes.  Quantitative and qualitative results displayed middle school students significantly using computers more at school than at home.  Middle school students had significantly more knowledge of basic computer skills, word processing applications, and spreadsheet abilities they learned at school, rather than at home.  Students reported more usage of PowerPoint, and creation design tools then those did not know how to use these tools.  Students displayed to significantly use the Internet for researching purposes rather than a book.   Students using technology for communication and entertainment displayed high usage of cell phones, video games, Web-based games, and listening music.  Students rated computer usage and completing research on the Internet their favorite activities in the classroom, while teacher lectures and completing worksheets were their least favorite activities.  Student results expressed , “a desire for having more technologies in school for learning purposes” (Spires, p506). 

Digital native, Digital Immigrants

    Marc Prensky stated that today’s students in the 21^st century classroom are digitally native.  Prensky definition of a digital native is a student that has spent their entire lives encircled with technology from Kindergarten through college.  These students process information differently than their ancestors.  They can multi- task due to the usage of cell-phones, computers, video-games and Internet.  Prensky recommended that Digital Immigrant teachers, these are teachers that can seem to speak the same language as digital natives, learn to adapt and modify their lessons to stay in contact and communication with their 21^st century students. 

BP8_OMM_Wordle

BP_7 Comments to Suzy

Follow this link to my comments on Susan O'Day's Blog

Susan O'Day found a safe collaboration site for kids!

BP_6 Comment to Patricia

Follow this link to Patricia Ort's Blog about Storybird.

Patricia found a new Web 2.0 tool for students to tell their own story.

BP_5 Wordle

Wordle

     When I began my journey with Full Sail University, I was introduced to so many technology tools that I could use my classroom. One tool that I remember hearing in MLT, Multiple Learning Theory, was Wordle. With the hectic opening of school, keeping up with my Full Sail studies, and taking care of my family, I was unable to look into the Wordle tool.
     I was excited to see Wordle included on the Web 2.0 Guru list. Wordle can also be found at www.wordle.net.  Wordle is a wonderful Web 2.0 tool that any educator can use in their curriculum from elementary students to graduate students. It’s easy, educational, and fun. The best feature about Wordle, is that it’s free. This tool is so easy to operate, that I plan to use Wordle with my third grade students this Friday.
     I can’t wait to introduce my students to Wordle, because they will be motivated to work on the computer and add their own creativity to their project.  Students will use this Web 2.0 tool as a review for functions of the body unit. My students have been learning parts of the body and the importance of their functions. For instance, lungs (body part) help us breathe (function). After a quick verbal recap of all the body parts and functions, students will include all the body parts and their functions in their Wordle text box. After students have chosen just the right masterpiece they can print their creations. Even though I do not have access to a color printer, students will have the option to color their Wordle art with crayons and markers.

Examples of Wordle Art

Breast Cancer

Holocaust

BP4_Discovering Web2.0 Tools

Web2.0 Tool- FarmVille

     One of my reflections from a previous discussion post was about using gaming systems in the classroom.  In this post, I included my thoughts of using Farmville in my health classes.  Farmville is included in Go2Web2.0 toolbox, in which, I immediately wanted to search through this particular tool and create a lesson for my elementary students to use during health classes.  With this educational game, students plow their land, choose fruits and vegetables to grow, and harvest their crops.  With their harvested crops, students sell their crops in return for coins.  With their extra earnings, students can build more crops to sell.

     My ten-year old son is an advocate player of Farmville.  So my son explained the ins and outs of Farmville.  With a class of twenty-five students, I would provide twelve teams with a Farmville account.  (Students may not have access to computers at home.)  I would have students partner and name their farm.  

     Farmville supplies new farmers with a small amount of coins to purchase fruits and vegetables from the market.  The market explains how long it takes for the fruits and vegetables to grow in Farmville, (which in reality takes much longer).  With their hearty purchases, students will begin plowing their farmland, and planting their crops.  Within a few days, students can harvest their crops to sell.  With their earnings, students can continue farming by purchasing more fruits, vegetables, and land.  Other ways to earn more coins are to help neighbors with their crops, if they are unable to tend to their farm.  

     Farmville is appropriate for my second, third, and fourth grade health students.  Since my health classes are in two-week increments, I would hold a contest for the best farmer at the end of the two-week period.  The farm that makes the most currency would be the best farmer of the class.  

     This Farmville lesson would increase students’ health knowledge of the variety of fruits and vegetables; learn about a monetary system and the ability to earn money.  Along with health and math standards, students would increase basic technology skills and interact with other students.  They would also use problem solving and critical thinking skills to insure their farm would be the best farm of the class. 

W1 Reading

Reading One

Reading Two

Reading Three

Reading Four

BP3_Diigo Group

Here is my screenshot of my AR Diigo group and added members.

Here is a screenshot of my Ripples group.

BP2_iGoogleScreenShots

Homepage

FSO

AR/CBL

ETC

BP1_Google Reader

Google Reader RSS Feeds 

I have found a new Web2.0 tool.  I realize that there are so many tools on the Internet that I never even heard before attending Full Sail University.  Yes, I know about blogging, but never really associated my technology skills to blogging before the ETC class.  I am excited and motivated to try this new tech feature, and realize this could also be motivating and exciting for my students too.  Another new tool that was introduced to me was Google Reader.  At first, I thought, how is this tool going to help me?  I was thinking – more stuff to read?  But, low and behold, I believe the RSS feeds that I have searched in Google Reader have already been insightful. 

                                    Image courtesy of Google Reader

For instance, I absolutely love edutopia.org for the educational articles located on the Internet, but did not realize they have a subscription for RSS feeds.  When I subscribed to this RSS feed, I was able to pick a handful of items that immediately caught my eye, such as, educational video tutorials, personal viewpoints on educational matters, lesson plans, and professional tidbits about any subject.  I chose this RSS feed, because I have utilized articles from edutopia.org in the past.  I have found edutopia.org an educational, insightful, and informative site, and would recommend anyone in the educational field to include this feed to there blog.

My second RSS feed that I conveniently stumbled on was Free Technology for Teachers.  What a great feed to receive free stuff.  Just glancing back on the updated feeds, the latest item was a dictionary and vocabulary study tool called Word Stash.  This particular item is a free service that provides audio pronunciation, as well as contextual examples for supporting a definition of a word.  I am always looking for technology ideas and new tools to use.  I chose this feed because of the fantastic technology ideas, the new tools that I, or my students can use, as well as the numerous free items that are available.  Teachers couldn’t ask for more. Who doesn’t like free stuff?

I think Moving at the Speed of Creativity will be a RSS feed that I will check throughout the day.  This feed is awesome. Either educators can polish up on their own technology skills, or get new and improved ideas of implementing technology lessons with their students.  Moving at the Speed of Creativity provides many technology avenues for the K-12 educators.  Just looking over this past week feeds, educators can build a personal avatar through BuiLD YouR WiLD SeLF, read great articles such as utilizing technology in the classroom, or social networking tools increase discussions in the classroom, as well as get other useful sources linked from this RSS feed.

                                   Image licensed under Creative Commons
                                            Author Wesley Fryer

K-12 Learning is a wonderful RSS feed to get insightful ideas about any core-curriculum lesson plans.  Even though the overall content isn’t necessarily technology driven, this feed is still a great location to gather ideas about any subject matter.  I chose this feed because of that reason.  I like to gather other educators take on a lesson plan and tweak it to fit my teaching style. 

My last RSS feed that I chose was ISTE Connect – Education Technology.  This feed makes connections for educators to understand how technology is implemented in the classroom, and includes additional educational technology articles.  I like this site because of the articles, and information that pertains to the ISTE educational site.  For instance, one feed was titled, “Share Your Passion: Submit a Proposal for ISTE 2011.”  This caught my eye.  I just might submit a proposal of how I utilize technology in the classroom.