Looking back Looking ahead

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This class has been a tech ed adventure!  Did I learn a lot, absolutely!  Was it what I expected, not really.  I do feel more confident incorporating technology in my classes.  I used a few of the tech tool as soon as I learned them.   I have already incorporated Linoit, Wordcloud, Blabberize, Symbaloo and i-Movie.  Soon I plan on using Thinglink, Telegami, QR codes and even an assignment using Prezi. 

I also patted myself on the back since several of the the tech tools that were introduced I use daily; such as Edmodo, Quizlet, and Kahoot.

I love how my students take an assignment incorporating technology and just run with it. Even if they have tech obstacles they begin to problem solve and ask each other for help.  This is one aspect I would have liked to have more of in our class; problem solve together.  This would have saved me hours. From trying to figure out how to embed a video to being able to line something up correctly on my website - a group question answer session would have been invaluable.

When it comes to technology and learning/planning TIME is a major factor! I don't want to throw a tech tool into an assignment without really seeing how it is beneficial to the end product.  Time is also needed to create new assignments and since I teach multiple grades I find myself trying to divvy up my time to sure all grades levels receive equal amounts of technology tools. 

I appreciate signing creating a Twitter account and will try join in a live chat more often to share ideas.  I also like receiving the trending now messages through email.  I wish I had more time to read all the awesome articles on the educational feeds!   I will probably catch up during the summer months. 

I loved creating a blog and found Blogger easy to navigate and use.  I have a new respect for bloggers! It takes a lot of work to make blogging seems effortless.

I wished I loved creating a website.  I found Weebly almost archaic to use, Often while editing text and pictures would not ge where I wanted.  Also changing fonts size, and colors took several clicks and I could not even select a font size number.

I will always try to improve and learn new tech tools and use them if I see they fit into my Italian curriculum.

Digital Tattoo... TMI

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To share or not to share?  I sit here thinking about how to put my thought into a legible post and my mind keeps going from pros to cons about having a digital presence online. I believe having an online presence is like saying “HELLO world I am alive and an active member.”  I feel an online presence should be professional and almost read like a resume or business card.

I don’t really need to know what political party you belong to if you are pro or anti NRA.  But as soon as I finish writing this last sentence I remember how I felt when I saw a picture of parents from my children's school on a hunting trip.  After seeing the picture I knew they had rifles in the house and I needed to have a conversation about gun safety with my own children and the parents when they had playdates.  Then I think it a good thing people share online.

There are often times when I read something posted on social media and I think -was that really necessary to share. I feel that in my profession posting personal views and conversations online is not appropriate.

I would also like to note that it is not only the young I see over sharing but the older generation as well.  This week my close friend called to tell me she had to call her 80 year old uncle to un-post a message he had written to his sister about a private matter.  He did not understand that his post was public and that all could see his private conversation.  She had to walk him through the steps of un-posting.

I was not at all surprised about all the information we able to gather through our in class assignment. Over the years I have let my guard down about being able to find so much personal information such as salary, where I live or even what taxes I pay.  If people really want to look up how much we payed for our house it is ok with me.

I can recall one instance last year that could have some cringe or smile depending on how they view the internet and privacy. I had former students locate my address online and show up at my doorstep with flowers and a card. Since I had left for my new job over the summer, I was not able to say goodbye to students who I had taught for numerous years.  They were determined to find me, give me a final hug and goodbye.  I could have freaked out but instead laughed, opened the door, and let them vent about how the school year was going and how much they missed me.

It will be interesting to see in the future if people will grow tired of posting and viewing what everyone is sharing online and what the next new fad for online sharing will be. 

Web 2.0 Tool QR Codes

A QR (quick response) code is a scannable code that allows the user to receive information on a mobile device.  This 2.0 tool was the easiest to create and use.  Now this is the way technology should work for teachers!  I used qrstuff.com to create my QR codes.  In about a minute I created 3 to 4 QR codes that got my creative juices flowing on how I could use these codes in my lesson plans.  I love how the site has all 4 steps numbered and all the various data types you can plug in are displayed on the front page.  I also love how you can create color QR codes.

The first QR code I created was to my Blabberize.  After scanning my QR to make sure it worked I noticed that the code would only get me to the Blabberize website, this was a bit of a let down.  I also created a QR code to link to a fruit vocab. Quizlet which worked great.  The last QR code sample I created was a link to my digital story on YouTube and it worked!

Some ideas I have for using QR codes are to have them on top of a verb activity worksheet and if a student is stuck with verb conjugation they can scan the code to reveal the verb conjugation or a link to a verb chart on-line.

I can also create vocabulary review worksheets with QR code links to my vocabulary Quizlets that can aid students.  I could also QR codes around the classroom at various stations where students would have to watch a video clip or song and answer questions.  QR codes would also work for ice breakers and trivia or cultural units.  Students could could create their own QR code trivia game, the possibilities are endless!

Lastly, I could use QR codes to showcase students work to parents 

and other students in the school. It would be fun and educational for all students to be able to view a presentation or project created by the Italian classes at Roosevelt.  I rate this 2.0 tool 10 out of 10 for being user friendly for both teacher and students!
                                              Sample QR codes:

Web 2.0 Tool Wordle

My second 2.0 web tool is Wordle.  Wordle creates “word clouds” from texts that one provides.  There are numerous ways to edit the design of the Wordles, from color schemes to font style to how the words are displayed by size and direction.  I have seen world clouds for a few years now and over the summer I even created a few with another program, but I have not used word clouds in my classroom. I plan on doing a few Wordle driven activities this year.  There is a lot to like about “word clouds” especially for foreign language class.  Students can turn those boring lists of nouns, adjectives, and verbs into something creative and pleasing to look at!  Students could also personalize their Wordle by using adjectives that describe him or her.   There is a cool feature on Wordle that allows certain words to to stand out more in the word cloud the more it is typed in the text box.  I made a sample below by typing my name 10 times and other words I feel describe me, numerous times.  It is so inspiring to look at a picture created by words!

I did have a  few small glitches when creating a Wordle.  I had to download Java which took a few minute and I was not able to pdf my Wordle.  I did a bit of research but nothing seemed to work so I just ended up taking a screen shot of my Wordles.  I feel students could use Wordle easily, the only reminders I would make when creating a Wordle are not to have a black background if you print so as to not waste ink and also double checking spelling. I rate it a 9 out of 10 for being user friendly.

I can see my students creating Wordles in the target language about:

• Foods they like
• Adjectives that do or don’t describe them
• Regions of Italy as a review project
• ARE, ERE, IRE verbs
• Irregular past participles 
• Articles of clothing that go with each season
• Items that go in each room of the house 

Web 2.0 Tool Blabberize

I love the idea behind Blabberize and I could see it being used in the foreign language classroom in countless ways.  Blabberize takes a picture and let's you add a moving mouth and voice to the picture. I chose to try it out using the face of Venus from the Birth of Venus painting by Sandro Botticelli.  I have to be honest and say it took me over 2 hours to get this done from beginning to end. At first I was excited to find out that my foreign language department already had a Blabberize account so I thought GREAT I won’t have to waste time setting up an account.  I quickly located a picture, did some research on the painting and wrote up a script. I uploaded and cropped the picture, pressed the crop mouth button and put the pink oval over Venus’s mouth.  I then hit the record button.  I found the record button difficult to navigate and I really could not tell if I was recording or not because the mouth keeps moving either way ?!?

I also noticed I could not get Venus to open her mouth realistically, after trying a few times I left well enough alone.  I ran in to difficulty after I completed the recording.  The website said it's main server had crashed that day but was back up and running, unfortunately it was running very slow and not allowing me to save my recording.  I must have tried over 10 times and each time I tried I had to re download the picture and re record the script!  I then closed down my computer, walked away, and had dinner.  An hour later I tried the website through Firefox.  I reread my script and in the end I was able to save it!  Since I know my students are tech savvy I am sure they can figure out how to maneuver the mouth cropping and then go on to show me.  I also did not figure out how to embed the video on to my blog so the link will have to do.  I give this 2.0 tool a 6 out of 10 for being user friendly.

I can see my students using Blabberize for Introducing:

• Famous Italian Designers
• Animal projects
• Family members
• Famous historical figure
• Famous Italian Artists
• Famous Italian painting

  

  Venus from the Birth of Venus painted by Sandro Botticelli

My Blabberize

My First Digital Story ... Basic and Usable

When I heard our next assignment was a digital story I quickly started to brain storm on how I could use my movie as a teaching tool for my Italian classes. While I began to brain storm with my fellow language teacher we paused to view sample digital stories in our class.  I have to admit that while watching the digital stories in class I began to feel a bit intimidated.  They were moving, had great pictures and music and so well done!  Could I get my video match up to the sample ones?  

After thinking about various topics such as a day in the life of an Italian teacher, creating a cooking segment or even making a collage of family pictures to share with family over the holidays. I decided to create a digital story for my 8th grade Italian class.

Since we had just completed a chapter on the home I decided to have students view my digital story as an example.  The language I use is basic and understandable for a middle school language class.  I also repeat words often so students have ample opportunity to listening to vocabulary words they have already learned. I also turned the digital story into a listening activity and students wrote down all the action verbs and rooms of the house they heard.

Students are now making their own digital story using iMovie. They are taking pictures of their home with their iPads and with cues that I provided, students  are also writing up a script on google docs. We will share the videos in class at the end of the month.  I am certain their digital stories will be creative and well put together!

I used iMovie on my iPad to make my digital story. The process was fairly straight forward and user friendly once I figured out how to time my script to the pictures.  I decided not to add music because I was excited to have my voice actually record and I was scared that adding on another layer  I would get stuck fiddling with it for hours.  In my next film I will try to use music.

Uploading is where I found problems. I tried to upload the video on to YouTube.  This did not work the first time so I went to a tech person and she advised me to upload it to my Google drive.  From there we created a link on the class Wiki page.  We tested the link a couple of times, I also asked a fellow teacher to see if she could see it on the Wiki page.  She could.  I was happy the assignment was complete!  Fast forward 4 hours later and I notice that the video does not start from the beginning and the link seems to be broken.  At this point I was in class, frustrated, and just ready to go home.  When I got home that night I tried up load it up to YouTube again.  Listening to the instructor in class that evening I realized I had YouTube account since I have a school Google account.  In class I also learned where the embed button was on YouTube. I was then able it uploaded it to YouTube and then went on to embed it to the Wiki page by 10pm that night.  Better late then never, I guess.  I am happy I was able to figure it out myself even if it was after class.  I was also excited to be able to use this project in my classroom.  On to the next technical adventure!

#Langchat

First Tweet in #LangChat!

Mission completed! I just participated in my first live chat.  It was not as scary as I thought it would be. I jumped into #langchat. It was interesting to see people from all over the world join in. The chat was well organized and one teacher went on to explain how to answer the various questions being posted.  For example A1 to answer the first question A2 to answer the second and so on.  After having class last night I understood that after each tweet I need to add the #langchat.  I would not have done this prior to last night!  I also made a slight faux pas on my first tweet (as you can see in the screen shot). I tweeted to several participants as well as to the chat.  I soon realized this and corrected my following tweets.  I was excited to see 3 people favorited my second tweet!!  

The chat lasted an hour and 3 question were asked.   I am glad I waited a couple of weeks to participate in a live chat so I was able to get a handle on how to tweet, retweet, refresh, and know the difference between top and live. I would definitely participate in a live chat again.

Second Tweet