Kiss the Day Goodbye . . . .

and point me to a few weeks off!

So I made it! My overall experience with Integrating Technology into the Curriculum was not nearly as traumatic as I thought it would be! I not only survived, but I also learned some new skills and concepts that I hope to use. Project Based Learning was a huge part of this semester. I had to read and design many lessons under the PBL umbrella. Although I didn’t like doing so many discussion posts, I understand the importance of them. Those posts kept me tuned in to my classmates, which is something that I probably would not have done otherwise. Our PBL group project was frightening at first, but my group worked hard and we did a great job. Although we all taught different subjects and levels, I think our project came together nicely. I am officially halfway through completing my degree in Instructional Technology and I can’t wait to see what lies ahead.

PBL Experience . . .

Thinking back over my PBL experience, I have to say that it was frustrating, but overall positive. The frustrating part was the fact that I am not really good with working in groups. I was a bit weary when anticipating people clashing with each other. . Everyone has their own ideas on how and when things should be completed which aren’t always aligned with my own. What really had me worried was the fact that this was all to be completed online This was a huge project, so there was no way to complete all of the work on your own in the time frame given. I have to say that I did all of that worrying for nothing because my group rocked! We all worked together to formulate a plan and stuck to it! Everyone made this experience so much easier than I expected. I am also grateful we had the use of Google Docs to help keep things organized.
I did not fully understand the instructions in the beginning. I was very grateful for the face to face class with Dr. B. He really helped explain a lot of the roles of each group remember. We also got a chance to glance at a few examples from previous groups. After completing the project and reviewing others, I feel we did a good job. The other group’s projects were also very well put together. I think after completing this project, we are all prepared to not only work in groups, but to also help teach others about the tools and PBLs we’ve learned this semester.

My Movie Maker Project . . .

I had a few challenges with this project. The first challenge was in coming up with a topic. I told myself that each project I produced in the IT program would be something I could take back and use in my music room. Although I correct behavior on a daily basis, most of that has nothing to do with music itself. I struggled in coming up with concert etiquette.
Another challenge I faced was in using Camstudio/Camtasia Studio. Camstudio was my good friend this summer, until one day it stopped working. It would no longer let me save my projects. So I downloaded the trial version of Camtasia. Well, this program would not allow me to upload my project onto Youtube for some reason. I had to save it and manually upload it (after about two hours of trying to upload it with Camtasia.)
I have a love/hate relationship with Movie Maker. I love it because it enables me to produce really cool projects. I hate it because it takes so much time! When I think I am finished, I find another effect or audio I could add. Or I think I am finished only to realize that I forgot to add something and have to start all over again. Another lesson I learned with this project is to ask for help with your classmates! I am lucky to have someone who is willing to help me whenever possible, even at 10pm!

Google Docs

Google Docs is an amazing tool I was introduced to this summer. But this semester is when I really had a chance to use it! We used it as a way of sharing documents within our PBL group as well as communicating on our project. It is so much easier to use Google Docs than it is to email each person an attachment of our portion of the project. Instead of clogging each other’s emails, you simply logged into Gmail to access everything at once. What’s really neat is that I could see if another group member was logged on. We could edit documents at the same time . . .in real time! I remember speaking to one of my group members on the phone while we were both editing the same document. It had us both thoroughly entertained. Another great feature is its autos save function. You don’t have to click “save” after you edit because it automatically saves the draft every few seconds! If only I’d had this feature when completing my undergrad!! Now that I really understand Google Docs, I do feel that it is something I will use in the future.

PBL Activities

This week's discussion required us to create two PBL lessons integrating different subjects. The first lesson needed to include math, social studies, and art. The second one included science, English, and music. I think PBL pretty much requires integration between different subject areas due to the nature of the lesson. In my classroom this type of integration is much easier because it doesn't necessarily have to include technology, which I’ve stated is somewhat of a struggle to use at times. Although many of us had a hard time creating our lessons, I think it came together nicely in the end.

Mimio Board!!

I am now the proud "owner" of a Mimeio board! I have never even heard of this before but I am so excited! It's basically a device that turns your white boared into an interactive smart board! The only downfall is that in order to use it, you have to have both your computer AND an LCD projector. The computer isn't a big deal becuase I always have access to that. The LCD projector could be a bit of a problem. Not only would have I to check it out of the media center, I also have to set everything up properly for each use. Don't get me wrong . .I am extremely grateful, but it is a bit of a process. Has anyone ever used one before? Let me know what you think!

Mimio Board

Voice Thread

Voice Thread was something I’d never heard of before. It sort of mimics Youtube in that people can create and upload different videos and projects. It takes it a step further by also allowing users and viewers opportunities to comment with text or narration.

My main challenge was in creating a presentation that includes discussion. Because I see many children every week, deciding on which grade level and which activity to include was also challenging. I decided to do my voice thread on instrument families because it is something that I can use from grades 2-5. I am finding as I go further into my master’s program, that with each project I create, the more students I can use them on, the better. I also got a bit turned around when uploading my different slides.

Even with all of these challenges, I did enjoy using voice thread. I was able to use some of the materials I’d created in my Multimedia course for this project. Some of the slides were created for my Kiosk project, which focused only on 3rd grade students. The project was to help the 3rd graders prepare to join either band or orchestra. What I really like about technology, is that once you create something, you can use it in many different ways. This saves time and it also gets the information out to many more students.