For this task, I unfortunately was ill the day the rest of my peers split up into groups to start this project. I was gratefully 'adopted' into a group upon my return to help edit their movie, Elevator Door, with them using the iMovie application on the MacBook.
I was amazed at what this program could accomplish in terms of adding background music and cutting and resizing the video clips. I would definitely use this tool in my classroom in the future and depending on the grade level, have my students create their own videos or pair/group up to collaborate on one large project. In terms of creativity, the possibilities are endless! The sense of accomplishment that one has when watching their movie was so fantastic and I really can't wait to share this feeling with my students in the classroom one day.
Introducing The Elevator Door!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Tech Task #4 - Digital Storytelling
This is exactly what keeps me from diving head first into technology...the fact that I can work days and days on end to get a program to load, then open, then it decides not to save my project...ARGH!! I am really, really frustrated! I see the good of having technology in the classroom, I do but it is so aggravating when you know what you want to accomplish but the technology does not let you do it. To be honest, I have been close to tears with this tech task several times...between PhotoStory 3 loading then not saving my projects to VoiceThread closing for no reason than to give me a heart attack, I feel very drained and not really looking forward to the other projects, if I am going to have to struggle so much to get something finished. I hope I can figure out what I am doing wrong, since I am happy with my end result however, I can't afford to spent probably 5 - 10 hours on a tech task.
Anyways, now that I have gotten that off of my chest. I finally figured out how to work VoiceThread and ended up putting together a digital story of all of the trips I have gone on and one in particular that is yet to come this weekend... I am very happy with the final result and even though I had some troubles along the way, I am proud that I never gave up!
Here is my VoiceThread Video titled Past Trips and Future Adventures:
Anyways, now that I have gotten that off of my chest. I finally figured out how to work VoiceThread and ended up putting together a digital story of all of the trips I have gone on and one in particular that is yet to come this weekend... I am very happy with the final result and even though I had some troubles along the way, I am proud that I never gave up!
Here is my VoiceThread Video titled Past Trips and Future Adventures:
Monday, February 1, 2010
Tech Task #3 - In Class Presentation
1. Are social networks really here to stay?
I believe that social networks are here to stay. Will they always look the same? No, but there is not much in this world that does not eventually changed in one way or another. I believe that we live in a very exciting time for technology (though I bet people before me have said the exact same thing about technology more than once throughout history) and that we shouldn't be afraid of it, wary maybe but change always is unsettling until it becomes the norm. One point in Alec's presentation that really caught my attention was how in Finland it is a human right to have access to high speed Internet. At first I thought, "Wow, That's intense!" but the more time I had to process the possible reasons behind it, the more I found understood their decision since a great major of our time today is spent on a computer or using other forms of technology in one way or another to connect with others, thus creating our own social network. The Finnish government recognized that it would be doing their citizens a disservice not to each and every one of them access to a network which provides so many opportunities. As teachers, we must work hard to make sure that our students are just as enabled as the Finnish are when it comes to access and understanding the social networking process.
2. If so, what do you think schools (and teachers) need to do to prepare? How is learning in the future going to be different?
Currently in elementary schools, how the students learn and what resources they have/should have access to is already very different than when I was going through elementary school. I remember the only time we used computers was to play math games that were on floppy disks. Now, having computers inside the classroom provides such a variety of options for the students in terms of research, completing assignments and presenters from all over the world. As it was stated in the presentation, the future of learning is open, connected and social. What that means for teachers is that we no longer have to deal with the pressure of having to be an expert on every subject since it is possible to connect and collaborate with 'experts' via Skype or e-mail for example which then allows us to learn and discover new things along with the students. No one person knows everything and everything, so I believe that social networking is a great tool not only for teachers but for personal use as well.
3. What are you thoughts on copyright and creativity in a world where so much content is "lifted", remixed, or reused?
My opinion is two sided in regards to copyright. Since I come from a musical background in school, there was more than one occasion that we had to photocopy a piece of music in order for every member of the section to have their own part. The piece only comes with a certain number of parts per section and if you do not have enough, there are two options: photocopy or share. The sharing gets quite troublesome when two tubas try a crowd around the same piece of music and thus, creates tension and, frankly it is just not enjoyable to play when you can't see the notes. Now, I also believe that a composer should be given credit for their work and in terms of band pieces that credit comes in a financial form since one must purchase the piece in order to play it. That in turn, opens up another "can of worms" so to speak since many band/music programs do not have much in terms of budget or funding. So, the decision is to either photocopy whole pieces in order to provide the students with the experience of learning a new piece or not be able to due to lack of funding. Now this scenario is quite extreme since I know a lot of loading of original pieces happens within the band community however, I just wanted to really focus on the question of do you break copyright if it is of great benefit to your students? Or, is it more important to show them that copyright exists for a reason just like any other law?
After seeing what copyright settings are on Flickr in terms of posting pictures, I only wish that more things in life, like pieces of music for example, would have just as many options for their creators to apply instead.
I believe that social networks are here to stay. Will they always look the same? No, but there is not much in this world that does not eventually changed in one way or another. I believe that we live in a very exciting time for technology (though I bet people before me have said the exact same thing about technology more than once throughout history) and that we shouldn't be afraid of it, wary maybe but change always is unsettling until it becomes the norm. One point in Alec's presentation that really caught my attention was how in Finland it is a human right to have access to high speed Internet. At first I thought, "Wow, That's intense!" but the more time I had to process the possible reasons behind it, the more I found understood their decision since a great major of our time today is spent on a computer or using other forms of technology in one way or another to connect with others, thus creating our own social network. The Finnish government recognized that it would be doing their citizens a disservice not to each and every one of them access to a network which provides so many opportunities. As teachers, we must work hard to make sure that our students are just as enabled as the Finnish are when it comes to access and understanding the social networking process.
2. If so, what do you think schools (and teachers) need to do to prepare? How is learning in the future going to be different?
Currently in elementary schools, how the students learn and what resources they have/should have access to is already very different than when I was going through elementary school. I remember the only time we used computers was to play math games that were on floppy disks. Now, having computers inside the classroom provides such a variety of options for the students in terms of research, completing assignments and presenters from all over the world. As it was stated in the presentation, the future of learning is open, connected and social. What that means for teachers is that we no longer have to deal with the pressure of having to be an expert on every subject since it is possible to connect and collaborate with 'experts' via Skype or e-mail for example which then allows us to learn and discover new things along with the students. No one person knows everything and everything, so I believe that social networking is a great tool not only for teachers but for personal use as well.
3. What are you thoughts on copyright and creativity in a world where so much content is "lifted", remixed, or reused?
My opinion is two sided in regards to copyright. Since I come from a musical background in school, there was more than one occasion that we had to photocopy a piece of music in order for every member of the section to have their own part. The piece only comes with a certain number of parts per section and if you do not have enough, there are two options: photocopy or share. The sharing gets quite troublesome when two tubas try a crowd around the same piece of music and thus, creates tension and, frankly it is just not enjoyable to play when you can't see the notes. Now, I also believe that a composer should be given credit for their work and in terms of band pieces that credit comes in a financial form since one must purchase the piece in order to play it. That in turn, opens up another "can of worms" so to speak since many band/music programs do not have much in terms of budget or funding. So, the decision is to either photocopy whole pieces in order to provide the students with the experience of learning a new piece or not be able to due to lack of funding. Now this scenario is quite extreme since I know a lot of loading of original pieces happens within the band community however, I just wanted to really focus on the question of do you break copyright if it is of great benefit to your students? Or, is it more important to show them that copyright exists for a reason just like any other law?
After seeing what copyright settings are on Flickr in terms of posting pictures, I only wish that more things in life, like pieces of music for example, would have just as many options for their creators to apply instead.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Tech Task #2 - The (Digital) Writing on the Walls Presentation
The first point that really resonated with me was when Dr. Wesch said how the digital footprint of 1.4 billion people was in the room with his class watching his lecture. Just at a rough estimate, I believe that the population of the world is somewhere around 6 1/2 billion so, if my math is correct, at any one time there could very well be the equivalent of 1/7th of the world's population in digital footprints in a particular place. That is huge in my mind! I never realized just how many people are making connections every day, every second on the Internet and other digital sources. Now, the question I'm asking myself is how do I, as a teacher, make sure that my students are provided with the chance to learn to navigate this network in a way that helps develop their techo-skills but also create meaningful connections in the process?
First, I believe that learning environments have to change. What Dr. Wesch said about 'procedural' learners and how they learn and complete assignments solely based on what the teacher/professor says or whats in order to pass the class really struck a chord with me since that is one of my main 'survival' skills that I have been using since I have come to university and even a bit in high school as well. There were a few teachers in high school and four in university thus far that really presented the subject matter in a unique way and allowed the students to go forth and discover it instead of resiting it back to them from the textbook word for word. And, believe it or not, those are the classes that I remember the most information from and have applied the most information from in my teaching experiences because, above all else, those professors and teachers found a way to make the learning connect with me on a personal level.
So, having this prior experience of learning and researching just for the stake of meeting the passing standard, I will be conscious of the environment in my future classroom in regards to not only incorporating personal learning networks in general but also to make sure I provide or point the students in the direction of making connections to what they are learning in whatever way works best for them.
First, I believe that learning environments have to change. What Dr. Wesch said about 'procedural' learners and how they learn and complete assignments solely based on what the teacher/professor says or whats in order to pass the class really struck a chord with me since that is one of my main 'survival' skills that I have been using since I have come to university and even a bit in high school as well. There were a few teachers in high school and four in university thus far that really presented the subject matter in a unique way and allowed the students to go forth and discover it instead of resiting it back to them from the textbook word for word. And, believe it or not, those are the classes that I remember the most information from and have applied the most information from in my teaching experiences because, above all else, those professors and teachers found a way to make the learning connect with me on a personal level.
So, having this prior experience of learning and researching just for the stake of meeting the passing standard, I will be conscious of the environment in my future classroom in regards to not only incorporating personal learning networks in general but also to make sure I provide or point the students in the direction of making connections to what they are learning in whatever way works best for them.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Tech Task #1
Well, as it so nicely states above, my name is Callista Szachury and this is my blog. I a m originally from a small town here in Saskatchewan called Esterhazy. I grew up on a farm on my grandparents' homestead just outside of the town. Esterhazy is best known for being the Potash Capital of the World since it is located very near two mines: K1 and K2. My father, now retired, worked at K2 in the mill for 25 years and my mother retired from teaching when she had me to be a stay at home mom and being an only child, I didn't mind in the slightest.
Growing up, I was very interested in anything to do with music. I starting playing piano when I was 8 years old and have loved it ever since. In Grade 6, I discovered (to my amazement) that I apparently had a "knack" according to the band director for playing the euphonium. Now, just in case some do not know what a euphonium is...believe, not many people do, it's not the most common of instruments. It looks like a smaller tuba but is in the same tonal range as a trombone however it has a mellower sound like a French horn. Anyways, music and (as a progressed to the high grades at school) drama are two things that I enrich my life daily and I am very thankful that I was provided with the opportunities that I had. One other interest worth mentioning is that I was, and still am fiercely passionate about bowling. When my parents lived in B.C. for about 15 years, my Dad got a part-time job as a pin boy and was hooked on the sport ever since and because of this, passed his love for it onto me. At my best (so to speak), I was 3rd in the province individually and was on a team that also ranked 3rd the following year.
In regards to my experiences at school, I have two favorite grades: Kindergarten and Grade 12. All of the rest really do not make any sort of highlight reel in my books which I guess is one of the main reasons that I wanted to become a teacher. In short, I did not have a good day to day experience at school. The classes were fine, some were excellent however, when it came to the socialization part of education, I had the most "interesting" experiences practically every day. One of my main passions about teaching is that I will work my hardest so that no students have to dread coming to school because of the student environment.
As a child, my experience with technology was pretty slim. My parents were older than the parents who had children around my age. Nothing was or is wrong with this, I love my parents and think they are the best, but it did put me in an interesting learning environment since my parents were quite techno-phobic when it came to computers. There was no computer in the house until I was 10 and I learned most of my computer skills at school, thank goodness that opportunity existed! Eventually, I (along with my Mom) became quite comfortable using the computer however, my Dad will not go near a computer to this day. The computer skills that I acquired at school aided me in landing a job with the Government of Saskatchewan as an Administrative Assistant to the Deputy Minister of Energy and Resources for two summers which was a fabulous experience. So, all in all, I am very grateful for the computer courses in high school!
I believe that technology by introducing technology to students in the classroom at an earlier age they are more likely to pick up the necessary skills that ones needs to use the computer on a basic level. In our current society, having even the basic knowledge about computers will benefit the students since the technological world will always be a very prevalent part of their lives. As a teacher, I know that some schools are more 'blessed' than others in terms of what technology is available as a resource however, even with this limitation I feel that teachers should try to do as much as they can with the students. Going back to my parents and their techno-phobia, I must admit that I am not as confident in my skills as I want to be and this low confidence has on more than a couple of occasions kept me from using technology in the classroom. The lack of knowledge or experience is, in my opinion, another reason why maybe some teachers tend to avoid technology for fear of it 'not working'.
I feel strongly for the use of technology within the classroom in terms of researching purposes as well as presentational purposes to name a few situations. However, with allowing the students to use particular mediums such as a blog, MySpace or YouTube, one must be ever conscious that these resources do not turn into a network of cyber bullying within a particular class or travel throughout the whole school. This situation can hopefully be avoided by the teacher monitoring classroom posts and thus, the students get the opportunity to blog in a safe environment.
In my opinion, a cell phone is a great thing to have if you a driving a long distance in the winter or if someone needs to get a hold of you. However, things can be taken too far. Cell phones can add to cyber bullying by helping rumors as well as pictures (the current trend of "sexting") to be quicking and quietly spread away from the teachers' eye. Because of this current trend AND also because it is quite rude to be texting while others are trying to talk to you AND what is it doing to the grammar of today's youth, I agree with the current rules and regulations pertaining to the use of cell phones in schools.
Growing up, I was very interested in anything to do with music. I starting playing piano when I was 8 years old and have loved it ever since. In Grade 6, I discovered (to my amazement) that I apparently had a "knack" according to the band director for playing the euphonium. Now, just in case some do not know what a euphonium is...believe, not many people do, it's not the most common of instruments. It looks like a smaller tuba but is in the same tonal range as a trombone however it has a mellower sound like a French horn. Anyways, music and (as a progressed to the high grades at school) drama are two things that I enrich my life daily and I am very thankful that I was provided with the opportunities that I had. One other interest worth mentioning is that I was, and still am fiercely passionate about bowling. When my parents lived in B.C. for about 15 years, my Dad got a part-time job as a pin boy and was hooked on the sport ever since and because of this, passed his love for it onto me. At my best (so to speak), I was 3rd in the province individually and was on a team that also ranked 3rd the following year.
In regards to my experiences at school, I have two favorite grades: Kindergarten and Grade 12. All of the rest really do not make any sort of highlight reel in my books which I guess is one of the main reasons that I wanted to become a teacher. In short, I did not have a good day to day experience at school. The classes were fine, some were excellent however, when it came to the socialization part of education, I had the most "interesting" experiences practically every day. One of my main passions about teaching is that I will work my hardest so that no students have to dread coming to school because of the student environment.
As a child, my experience with technology was pretty slim. My parents were older than the parents who had children around my age. Nothing was or is wrong with this, I love my parents and think they are the best, but it did put me in an interesting learning environment since my parents were quite techno-phobic when it came to computers. There was no computer in the house until I was 10 and I learned most of my computer skills at school, thank goodness that opportunity existed! Eventually, I (along with my Mom) became quite comfortable using the computer however, my Dad will not go near a computer to this day. The computer skills that I acquired at school aided me in landing a job with the Government of Saskatchewan as an Administrative Assistant to the Deputy Minister of Energy and Resources for two summers which was a fabulous experience. So, all in all, I am very grateful for the computer courses in high school!
I believe that technology by introducing technology to students in the classroom at an earlier age they are more likely to pick up the necessary skills that ones needs to use the computer on a basic level. In our current society, having even the basic knowledge about computers will benefit the students since the technological world will always be a very prevalent part of their lives. As a teacher, I know that some schools are more 'blessed' than others in terms of what technology is available as a resource however, even with this limitation I feel that teachers should try to do as much as they can with the students. Going back to my parents and their techno-phobia, I must admit that I am not as confident in my skills as I want to be and this low confidence has on more than a couple of occasions kept me from using technology in the classroom. The lack of knowledge or experience is, in my opinion, another reason why maybe some teachers tend to avoid technology for fear of it 'not working'.
I feel strongly for the use of technology within the classroom in terms of researching purposes as well as presentational purposes to name a few situations. However, with allowing the students to use particular mediums such as a blog, MySpace or YouTube, one must be ever conscious that these resources do not turn into a network of cyber bullying within a particular class or travel throughout the whole school. This situation can hopefully be avoided by the teacher monitoring classroom posts and thus, the students get the opportunity to blog in a safe environment.
In my opinion, a cell phone is a great thing to have if you a driving a long distance in the winter or if someone needs to get a hold of you. However, things can be taken too far. Cell phones can add to cyber bullying by helping rumors as well as pictures (the current trend of "sexting") to be quicking and quietly spread away from the teachers' eye. Because of this current trend AND also because it is quite rude to be texting while others are trying to talk to you AND what is it doing to the grammar of today's youth, I agree with the current rules and regulations pertaining to the use of cell phones in schools.
Throughout the course of this semester, I hope to ultimately become more comfortable and confident in my computer skills. I expect or would like the class to be laid out in a way that it is easy for my to understand what topics are being discussed as well as assignment details and rubrics prior to the due date. In closing, I am really excited to learn any new skills that can enhance my teaching with technology!
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