Here is the original version of my monster- so fun to see that you both drew something so similar to what I had. I can see that I did leave out a few details (feet/hand colors) that I just overlooked.

Isabelle's drawing of Rachel's monster

Here is my computerized version of Rachel's monster.

Here is my daughter's 8th year old version of the same monster. She did it by hand.

We both had a great time drawing with our different media. It is a great thing to see how similar the drawings are if you consider that we did not look at each other's drawing as we did them. It goes to prove that Rachel's description was excellent with details. Nice job Rachel! Glad we were partners.

Monster...

This seems like a fun assignment. I'm looking forward to posting the picture. :)
 

Claire was always told there was no such thing as monsters, so when she slowly slid the closet door open, she was shocked when she saw what had been making so much noise during the night.

Sitting at the bottom of her closet was a large fuzzy monster- about the size of the desk chair on the other side of the room, and the shape of a giant pear. The monster was a bright rich red, like the crayon that Claire’s little sister uses on her homework.  His red fur covered his body, and was long and stringy on his belly and arms, but short and trimmed on his head, hands, and feet. His face was in the center of the head, just like it should be. The ears, at the top of his head, were like a cats- pointed and alert at all the sounds in the room.  There were three small patches of black fur on his head above his actual eyes, which gave the impression of 5 little beady-eyes in a circle. His nose almost blended in with the rest of his body- it was small and round, and bright red. It was only distinguished by the lack of fur and three small holes.

His arms and legs stuck out of the body, just where you would think arms and legs should be. He seemed to have two small balls for feet, which were about the size of the soccer ball sitting in the corner of the room. They were attached to his body by long skinny barber poles- complete with red and white stripes. His arms looked similar, red and white striped poles that had small balls on the end. His hands were about the same size as a tennis ball, and had 4 small fingers on each hand that looked like straws.

The last thing that Claire noticed was his mouth- it was large and wide- and took up most of his face. She noticed the lips looked like licorice- bright red and textured, and they opened into a big smile full of pointy shark-like teeth…

Claire quickly slid the closet door shut and ran, yelling for her Dad. 

 

Finally Finished!

I finally am done with this project and presentation. It was fun to actually go through the process, but I'm glad the stress of it is over. :)

I really enjoyed listening to other projects and seeing how the other students used the same programs so differently. I will definitely be using Prezi again for other projects- it's a good tool for classroom use, even for students.

Here are my links to the projects:


CP:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/18jU30vSCA1sXyJM3HNa4CYPMHCnN-pu0RnSkHL4uhz4/edit?hl=en_US&authkey=CImaq6AH
Key Assignment:
http://youtu.be/uOQ3tAny_Jg
Prezi (with both parts included):
http://prezi.com/hhmoi4xu7icc/an-introduction-to-japan/

Assistive Technology

I'm a bit late on posting this response to this video clip- I was really impressed by the video, there was a lot of great information and resources shared within the video on what was actually assistive. I was surprised to find that small things such as highlighting tape would be considered in this group, but when I think about it that a student may in fact have a better time in school using a note taker, or a reading ruler, it makes me understand even small things can make a big difference for students.

I had a facebook friend post this video,  which I thought was really interesting in regards to teaching using technology in special education. I know this may not be the case with everyone with Autism, but it's an interesting case involving assistive technology.

Curriculum Project Proposal...

Expected timeline to complete the project: This will be a 10 day unit, extended depending on students ability to edit/produce presentations, and to make adequate time for student presentations.

Tentative title/ theme: Explore the World!

Goals/ Objectives:

•Students will work in a group of 3 to research one of ten pre-selected countries using library books, encyclopedias, and online resources.

•Students will use the library book resources as well as the Internet to find information about the people, culture, religions, and traditions of their country.

• Students will create a flow chart using Inspiration.

• Students will write a 1-2 page research paper using Word, which will require insertion of images.

• Students will present one of the following about the people and culture of their selected country:

-       A 3-minute (minimum of 10 slides) Powerpoint presentation

-       A 3-minute video presentation

-       A 3-minute audio podcast presentation

(Unit aligns with the following Nevada State Standards)

Technology

2.C.5.1- Use digital resources to research about places, people, and world cultures.

Social Studies

G5.[6-8].7 Compare Earth’s physical and human features using maps, fieldwork, graphic representations, aerial photographs, satellite images, and technological resources.

C16.[6-8].1 Define the characteristics of a country:

-sovereignty

-territory

-population

-organized government

Rationale : Many students are not familiar with other countries or cultures. I feel it is important to know where people are from in order to better understand our differences. This unit will allow students to research and produce a video or PowerPoint presentation that will give an overview of a countries culture and traditions, as well as any other information that the students find interesting.

Medium: Students will be able to decide between producing a PowerPoint presentation, or will be allowed to create a video presentation, depending on what they have experience with. Students will also be working in Inspiration to create a flowchart of their ideas and information. Each task will be posted to the class blog, where they will receive honest peer feedback.

Target Audience: 6^th grade Social Studies

Lesson ideas or lesson plans that you searched in this topic.

http://www.infoplease.com/countries.html - basic country information

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0855613.html - religion information by country

http://www.zunal.com - contains many webquests on different countries. Depending on what the students pick, this could be a fun resource for research.

Teaching Strategies and Methods: Students will be mostly self-guided during this unit. They will have previously had basic internet search lessons, as well as experience in Inspiration and PowerPoint. The teacher will be available for guidance and assistance in all steps of the assignment.

Evaluation Methods: Assessment strategies: The students will be provided with a simple rubric of the requirements and expectations of each of the specific tasks of the unit. They will also be grading each other’s assignments, using a rubric as a guide. In addition, because they are working within a group, they will be grading each partner, considering their contribution to the group.

WWYD?

This weeks assignment is asking what we usually do when we receive emails like the following:


Target: anyone all ages can sign!

Please read, sign your name at the bottom and pass it on.

Went to a party Mom
(read all the way to the bottom and sign your name)

I went to a party,
And remembered what you said.
You told me not to drink, Mom,
so I had a sprite instead.

I felt proud of myself,
The way you said I would,
that I didn't drink and drive,
though some friends said I should.

I made a healthy choice,
And your advice to me was right.
The party finally ended,
and the kids drove out of sight.

I got into my car,
Sure to get home in one piece.
I never knew what was coming, Mom,
something I expected least.

Now I'm lying on the pavement,
And I hear the policeman say,
the kid that caused this wreck was drunk,
Mom, his voice seems far away.

My own blood's all around me,
As I try hard not to cry.
I can hear the paramedic say,
this girl is going to die.

I'm sure the guy had no idea,
While he was flying high.
Because he chose to drink and drive,
now I would have to die.

So why do people do it, Mom
Knowing that it ruins lives?
And now the pain is cutting me,
like a hundred stabbing knives.

Tell sister not to be afraid, Mom
Tell daddy to be brave.
And when I go to heaven,
put ' Mommy's Girl' on my grave.

Someone should have taught him,
That it's wrong to drink and drive..
Maybe if his parents had,
I'd still be alive.

My breath is getting shorter,
Mom I'm getting really scared
These are my final moments,
and I'm so unprepared.

I wish that you could hold me Mom,
As I lie here and die.
I wish that I could say, 'I love you, Mom!'
So I love you and good-bye.

MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers) IS HOPING TO GET 5,000
SIGNATURES ON THIS, THEN PASS IT ON TO SIGN.

When this petition has reached 5,000, please return it to:
MADD
P.O. Box 54168 8
Dallas , TX 75354-1688
1-800-GET-MADD (1-800-438-6233)

If
you receive this petition and do nothing but delete it, your
selfishness knows no bounds. Signing is such a small effort to make.
After you have read the poem, please add your name at the bottom. And
never forget, DON'T EVER DRINK AND DRIVE, not even once, thinking that
it won't matter. IT DEFINITELY WILL MATTER!!!

How to set it up:
* Click on Forward
* SIGN YOUR NAME AT THE BOTTOM.
* Then send it to everyone you know.

I almost always delete these types of emails. I will sometimes check them out on Snopes.com, and will forward that link to the original senders of the email. (http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/petition/drunk.asp) I tend to think of these types of emails like the ads and credit card offers that come to the physical mailbox- just unsolicited junk that belongs in the trash.

I am having trouble deciding on a final project topic. Gotta get busy on it soon though!

My First Podcast!

This was a tricky assignment! Not so much the actual script and recording, but the editing and uploading were tricky. I had trouble with the length of my clips (I had tried to put it all together in one, which was too large a file to upload to Yodio.com)

I think this would be a GREAT assignment for students. Using Yodio, they would be able to use a phone to record their podcast to a class account, and then they could publish it for friends and family to hear. I can see this being really useful for book reports, reading writing assignments aloud without classroom pressure, as well as many other applications.

Week Two Reflection- Games in Education

John Hunter World Peace Game (TED) - 
I love the idea that John Hunter has developed with the World Peace Game. I know that for me, I always learn so much more when I am involved in something like this- where I have to discover for myself how things work, vocabulary that I don't know, as well as working out relationships with others.

I remember doing something similar to this in a college elementary social studies course- we were learning about materials and trade, and each of us were a country. We were given what was realistic in that country, as well as any trade limitations that we had, and our task was to try and gain the most money or additional resources that we could for our country. It was amazing to be put into that position where we were the decision makers and the ones responsible for the well being of our country.

I loved how John Hunter discussed that through the game, the students "find out what is right- their own way, for their own selves." We definitely need more of that in our school systems, where it has become mostly rote memory and teaching to the tests.

He also hit on the fact that this proves authentic learning and education, going beyond data. I love when students can be assessed through other means than testing. I know as a mom, my second grade daughter is very anxious during testing, and doesn't do as well as if we were just discussing the topic, or if she were teaching it to a younger sibling. Through the World Peace Game, the students are learning all of these amazing things (vocabulary, world topics, war strategies, as well as general world topics. (And I think they were learning about weather systems as well?)

I would love to use games in the future. I know that many students are lost in the books and paper world of education, and by getting them active and learning through a game, they will be a lot more likely to learn the information. As teachers we are competing against the video and computer games that keep the students entertained for hours a day, and by doing something unique like a game, they have a greater chance to stay interested and involved in the lesson.

I don't have a specific game that I have used in a class, but for my own children, I love Starfall.com. I know my son uses it in his kindergarten class as well. Not nearly as involved as the Peace Maker Game, but it keeps my children entertained while learning. Always a good combination. :)

Week One Reflection...

This week we were asked to view and respond to three different advertisements on YouTube. They all had somewhat of a hidden message, and we were asked to identify the target audience.

Good Morning - This commercial is one that if you didn't read the title, you wouldn't know right off what it was advertising. The guy dancing and the up beat song make it catchy, maybe even a little too catchy when you realize that it is advertising Viagra. The target audience would surely be the 40+ generation, most likely males more than females. As an adult, I think this is a funny way to catch attention, but as a mom, I can see HATING this commercial if it were played during the days or on channels that my kids watch. I hate when my kids see ads for things that are catchy and sound fun, but are really advertising something that is much older than what they would understand.

Truth of Argentina - I think the target audience for this commercial would obviously be the voters in Argentina. I loved how it started out with the somewhat depressing music to go along with the depressing message, and then flipped completely in the middle. It would have taken some creative writing to come up with this ad- to make sure that reading it forward would make it sound negative, while reading it backward would make it completely positive. Great advertisement- cheap, but attention grabbing.

I Am Canadian - I love clever ads, and this one was funny. There's so much stereotyping when it comes to Canadian behavior, and this hit on a lot of them. (A-boot instead of about) At the end I realized that it was advertising Canadian brand beer, so the target audience would have to be the 21+ crowd. I think the hidden agenda in this one is that he is not only proud to be Canadian, but to be drinking Canadian beer.

Week One Assignment...

This blog will be used for my ECOMP 6016 assignments. This week we are learning about illustrated posters. It was fun for me to work on this. I used a poem about running a marathon which I've loved lately as I've been struggling to run the miles required to run my first full marathon. Nothing to do with teaching, but I like how the poster ended up. :)