Final Reflection

Well, well well....TPTE 486 is over for me. This class was very helpful and a very interesting class that I'm glad I got the opportunity to take. Having this as a required class for teachers is a huge asset for them because it teaches so many different techniques to provide a more entertaining teaching style. I really liked working with inspiration and the digital stories. I feel like as a future educator I want my classroom to be fun and exciting but very hard working. The inspiration application was so interesting and would be great to use in any classroom teaching any subject. I like that is was very mobile to what the user wanted and very colorful and different than the normal powerpoint. I liked iMovie and working on the digital story because I am a journalism major and I like creating stories that have a purpose. For teaching, each movie would obviously have a purpose I could just add pictures and creative aspects that I might not be able to use in other applications. An application that I enjoy but won't use in my classroom would probably be wordle or twitter. As much as I liked both of these, twitter is more for personal use in my mind and wordle seemed confusing and I feel would be confusing to the students. Overall I learned a TON about technology and how to make my classroom more technology friendly for my students and me. It really showed me that there are easy ways to make things more interesting. oh yea and the teacher was great too!!

Digital Story and IMovie

I had worked with IMovie a little bit before but never done this much work for a story, it is probably because the other movies I created were much shorter and not worth a grade. But working on this digital story gave the opportunity to see the many benefits to working with IMovie. I like that I can import my own pictures or someone else's photos in order to complete my story. I created a story about the new My Plate. This is what has taken place of the old food pyramid in America. I liked this storyline because there are many different ways I could of done this story and IMovie lets the user do whatever they please. From the length, to the direction of the photo, to the font and style it was all up to the user. My project which should be below really helped me understand how useful this site can be. I really think I could create some very interesting stories for my students. This gives teachers the opportunity to be creative and keep the attention of students. This is so important because teachers are struggling now more than ever with so many outside distractions and providing entertainment in teaching is a new very important area. I liked creating the digital story and it took me back to my journalism days when I created stories as a reporter in my class at UT. 

My Digital Story about The New My Plate

Spreadsheets

Microsoft spreadsheets is something I have worked with before, but never with this much detail. I knew I could organize and keep things a specific way through my previous knowledge, but being able to create quizzes and practice questions through spreadsheet was new to me. I still think that entering the formulas to figure out correct answers can be rather difficult, but with practice I feel like it could easily be figured out and become something that is easy. I created a quiz about the ten largest rivers in the U.S. and it lets me type in a formula for when the student types in the correct answer. I was so amazed at how this worked and how useful this would be in the classroom. It would be helpful in any subject area to give a short quiz or for students to practice on. I like that any teacher or student can create a project with spreadsheet. Students and teachers both would benefit from this because it is very organized and easy to use.

Google Forms

Google just keeps on providing more and more materials for people to use and Google Forms is no different. I'm amazed at how much that google allows users to do now. Google forms allows users to created quizzes, practice, or other things that can be used in a variety of ways. I created a quiz that had some random questions on it about your favorite book, favorite flavor of ice cream, or favorite vacation spot. There are different types of questions that can be asked where it is multiple choice, true/false, essay form or other. After I had several of my classmates take my information survey, I was able to click on a tab that allowed me to view their results. It was great to know that my simply pushing a button I can see the response of every single person that had taken the survey. I think this would be a great resource for teachers to use throughout the year. It can be used at the beginning of the year to get to know the student or it can be used as quizzes for students to take while at home. A great resource for any age level.

Inspiration

I was really amazed by inspiration and how modern it was. I was used to normal microsoft powerpoint and having everything in a specific order and it being very plain and simple. Inspiration blew me away. I had never heard of inspiration before this class. I really liked that I was given a blank slate to do whatever I wanted with anything I wanted. I was creating a powerpoint type slide show into one big picture that could be moved. The effects, the pictures, the movement, the color schemes and overall idea of inspiration was something I really enjoyed. Creating a presenation about the different regions of the U.S. on inspiration was a lot of fun. I got to choose exactly where I wanted my information to go and the colors, size, and position. I think this would be an excellent tool for teachers to use in the classroom. Most teachers still use the same ol microsoft word which is completely fine and an excellent resource. But as a teacher, I want to spice things up and make my classroom as intereresting as possible when I teach and present information and inspiration will provide that. I can teach any subject and any idea using this because I can import pictures and colors and ideas that will blend well with my topic.

Wordle and Tagxedo

Worldle-I really enjoyed Worlde because of the unique and crazy designs that can be created. I like that I can enter any text that I choose and it can be turned into a design that would fit the needs of my students. It was not that hard to figure out either which would be very easy to use in a classroom. The color schemes, words, and designs are all up to the user. Giving the user complete access to everything that happens is excellent for a classroom setting. Students need to be able to express themselves and this is an excellent choice. The images I create with Wordle are mine to use however I like. I could give students the oppotunity to create an autobiography about themselves or give them specific material for the next day to present in a unique design to the class about that information. Another plus about Wordle is that it can be used in the younger grades. All the websites we have looked at before are not elementary appropriate but Worldle fits into that category very easily.


Tagxedo-
Tagxedo was a lot like Wordle in that the user gets to create their own design. I put the lyrics to rocky top in Tagxedo and it gave me a ton of options to use for these words. I could print them on a t-shirt, cup, or just use it on the computer for classroom use. Tagxedo also shows a gallery of pictures that other users have created that I can take and use for any type of activity I am planning to do. I can change the font, sizes, colors, themes, and then simply place it on a design that I like and it can be ordered for purchase. This would be a great site for student use because students could create a design on this site to their favorite paragraph in a book, favorite poem, favorite song, or favorite lesson we learned and create a design at home. The students could then come into class and do a presentation or have partner share time about why they chose that specific color scheme, theme, size etc. I really like that this is another elementary level website that gives students the opportunity to be creative. That needs to be stressed so much at a young age....and who knows maybe I could get class t-shirts made!

Inspiration Project-Regions of the United States

Twitter and Delicious

Twitter


Well what can I say. I was not a huge fan of twitter until about a year and a half ago when one of my teachers required me to get twitter for a journalism class. I thought it would be pointless and I would not be interested. But since I like keeping up with friends in other ways I decided I would actually "get into" twitter and start following people. I am so glad I did because twitter is a great source to keep up with friends, family, icons, or just anything you are interested in. It does have a lot of humor to it as you are only given a certain amount of room to type, but thats what makes twitter so different from all the others. I am glad I got involved in twitter and think that the uniqueness of only being able to add a certain amount of information in the best part about twitter. It is also a very secure sight for classrooms. I probably wouldn't use this in an elementary classroom for myself, but high school students could use this to find assignments if they missed a day or just be expressive about themselves through social media. It gives the teacher a picture of what the student is interested in and possible writing skills. But hey follow me...@jrideno5


Delicious


I had never heard of delicious before this class. It was a little more difficult that I thought it would be but I can tell it would be a very helpful source for a classroom. Through typing in different ideas and what the site had to offer, it can link you to anything in the world that you chose to type it. I checked out some recipes and some teaching websites to see what they had to offer and they were very helpful and reliable websites. I think delicious would be great for a classroom because teachers can bookmark certain websites that they think will be helpful while teaching a lesson and pop them up right on the page. It is also a good way to show students how easy it is to find out information for things such as research papers or just topics the class is trying to cover. Overall it is confusing at first but could be very useful in the classroom. 

Scavenger Hunt around Campus

This is a scavenger hunt of the colors around the UT campus! Lots of colors and lots of fun!

Smilebox and Storybird

Smilebox is an application that is geared towards creating posters, cards, and a variety of designs. Smilebox has a ton of different options for students to choose from whether it is sports, graduation cards, get well cards, or classroom activities. Students will find this useful because they are able to include their own personal pictures or pictures they find online. They can arrange the photos in the order they prefer and add music to make it more entertaining. Smilebox would probably be best for older elementary and above because it requires lots of time and for students to include their own pictures.

A digital slideshow by Smilebox

Storybird is a much different application than Smilebox, but is still very easy to use for teachers, students, and others. It provides a blank template with a variety of options to choose from to form a creative story. The students could think of an idea or the teacher could create one and give the students the opportunity to add photos that they find interesting or use the ones provided. Creating personal stories is an exciting way for students to express themselves. Teachers could easily assign this as homework for students to complete throughout the week and have all the students present at the end of the week. Being able to provide words and follow a sequence is also a huge benefit. I like that is it easy to use and has easy access and already provides ideas so students can get their creative juices flowing.




http://storybird.com/books/big-belly-billy-hears-a-sound/?token=4e49cu

Glogster and Picnic

These two applications are very beneficial because students have many different options when making designs. I like that students can include pictures and make things different sizes in both applications. The fact that they are free and can be easily downloaded to any computer will be helpful in a classroom because students will have easy access to explore different ideas. I know that through my experiences with these I liked that there were lots of color and the steps to use were very easy and would be easy for younger students. Being able to give students the opportunity to express themselves through their creative side would be a great asset to any teacher because it allows students to be individuals.

Slideshow of my Favorite Sports Teams

Having fun with Picnik

So many fun things to do with one picture!

WebQuest

Being able to actually anaylze and see the different arrangement and setups of the webquests was one of the most interesting part to me. Each webquest was different and set up to fit to the information provided and who would be viewing it. I liked the ones best that gave a good amount of information and were easy to access. I like that webquests were all different. I like that it was very individualized and there were different amounts of information for the specific topic.

I think webquests would be a great assest to any age classroom. Giving students the opportunity to explore and create their own site is a big bonus. Students need to have the chance to be creative and express themselves through their information they use. I like that students can have easy access to other webquests and the teacher can provide many different examples to the classroom on the setup and how things can be organized. Overall it would be a great tool for a classroom to give assignments that are easily accessible through the internet.

Wiki

I have really enjoyed working with Wiki so far. I had never worked with Wiki before so the ability to work together with people without ever seeing them was a new concept to me. I really like that other people can go and edit and change information. As I have gotten to add information, it is very easy to access and add new things. To edit information is also very easy and all the tools associated with Wiki are easy to use. It is very quick and it is set up so that it meets the need of the user so that it can be adjusted to what works best.


I have been very impressed with Wiki and would definietly use this tool in my classroom. It gives students the opportunity to connect with other classmates outside of the classroom. Since I am elementary, I could give students a project or assignment to complete at home and students could contact each other for help. This also gives the teacher a way to access students outside of the classroom by answering questions and providing examples. The teacher can also edit any information that needs to be corrected. It can also be used in the classroom to connect students who may be on different computers but need the same information.

Scholastic Website Evaluation

http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/teach.jsp

Scholastic is a well-known site in any school in America. What Scholastic is known for is their books. This website surprised me because it provided much more information that just information on how to purchase books. The website gave tools and tips that would be helpful for teachers, parents, students, administrators, and librarians. I like that it gave lesson plans, recommendations, games, and other useful tools that could be used in any type of classrooms. This website could be easily accessed by students in the classroom to help with reading or to find materials for the classroom. I would highly recommend this website because it can be used in any type of setting and meets the needs of a variety of individuals as well as providing materials and resources. 

I think this website would be helpful as a teacher because it lets parents and students be involved outside of the classroom. Reading begins at home and continues after the school day is over. As a teacher, I can encourage students to access this site for games and reading material that will continue the learning at home. I think that it connects lesson plans with books and resources that are easy to access. I know that books are an item in every single classroom. Books are essential to every subject so using a website that includes information on books is very beneficial. Overall I think this would be a huge help for me as an educator because it provide connections inside and outside of the classroom. 

Website Evaluation Tools

http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html


The Evaluating Websites from the Library at UC Berkley is very beneficial because it is used to evaluate books, internet sites, and journal articles. This website provides a guide for rating the curriculum content on web sites and a guide for rating the design of a website. It provides different examples of evaluations tools and how each site is viewed. It provides links to other sites that offer information on website evaluation. The study focused on two essential questions which are to train your eye and your fingers to employ a series of techniques that help you quickly find what you need to know about web pages and to train your mind to think critically, even suspiciously, by asking a series of questions that will help you decide how much a web page is to be trusted. It is helpful because it gives the reader specific examples of what to analyze and focus on while doing an evaluation. 

Expectations

 My expectations for TPTE 486 are very high. I have heard great things from several of my peers of how beneficial this class was. I am eager to learn new things about technology that I can incorporate into my classroom. I think that there are some new things that I need to learn in order to stay current and provide my students with the most up-to-date technology. My students will be exposed to this technology whether I know it or not so it is important for me to help them with different types of technology and how to use it.



I am very excited to see how different things are created and how this class can affect my teaching style. In my presentations, I use the normal powerpoint. Through this class, I am excited to see how I can use different technology that is out there in order to improve and provide a new style of teaching. Overall I think I will learn several new techniques, shortcuts, and ideas that will provide my students will new and exciting ways of learning.

Informal Bio

My name is Jordan Ridenour and I am from Alcoa, Tenn. I have wanted to work with children since I was in high school working through vacation Bible school and various activities. There has always been a strong connection between me and children. This was re-emphasized when I worked at a Christian children’s camp in Texas and my eyes were opened to the exciting life of working with children. I have received by B.S. in Communications with a focus on Journalism and Electronic Media from UT in May 2011.  I will be working towards my graduate degree in elementary education this fall. Through graduate school, I will be student teaching at Ridgeview Elementary School in Roane County. I love working with technology, but struggle with knowing short cuts and staying current. I enjoy being able to learn new things and see how technology has changed in just the last few years.