Szychlinski/Reflection 4

This course has been very helpful for me because, while I comfortable using technology with my students and try to use it as much as access allows, I am someone who integrates new pieces as I go. I thrive on finding new ways to use technology to the student's advantage, new websites that students can use at school and at home, and new presentation styles to keep engagement at high level. This course allowed me to take a step back and delve a little deeper into some projects I had going. In addition, the handouts that we gained access to on some of these programs will be helpful for those students that aren't as comfortable just jumping in. While I do like kids to use their problem-solving skills to explore programs such as the Adobe Creative Suite or iLife, I recognize that when completing a project, providing them with guidelines on how to do certain things properly will be helpful.

As I work to integrate the ITL standards for fifth and sixth grade language arts next year, I am excited to build in experiences with many of these programs. In the past I have used iMovie for students to add their own digital photography and music tracks to poetry, and I look forward to tying it to other genres of writing. To scaffold this, I hope to start with creating book trailers as a class and in small groups before having them work in partners or individually on these types of presentations. My overall goal for next year is to teach and model how technology can enhance a presentation just like soundtracks, photography, and editing do in movies and TV. While this is something we have discussed this year, I look forward to modeling this and analyzing popular media they love to demonstrate the power of technology.

Fish/reflection4

I took the Video/Photo Class because I have access to technology, but do not use it to the highest extent that I should. I like to think that I have some pretty sound technological background, since I did get my masters in technology. However, I learned that, everything I learned 5 years ago has been modified or completely changed, plus I learned on PCs, where Franklin uses Mac. I also wanted to take this class because at the elementary level, we are starting to gain more access to computers, via laptop carts.

One project that I plan to implement is an imovie about Jamestown. Taking photos and reenactments of what the students thought about Jamestown into an imovie will be an unforgettable experience. I feel that putting the students into the project is the best way for them to learn. Also, studying the 6th grade social studies material for the first time, I want the students to be able to make presentations using photoshop. I have found that the students learn very quickly on how to do things on the computer, it's just a matter of giving them the time.

Thanks Chad!

Sierpinski/Reflection 4

I always sign up for technology classes with much anxiety, being afraid I will not be able to keep up with the class or lose what I have created. But what I took away from this class was well worth that anxiety. I learned how to organize pictures that I took with my digital camera (using lots of new photography techniques) for my students in iPhoto. Now I can edit them, make them into slideshows, books, cards, etc. I learned to upload them to Picassa. I can now use the pictures from any computer. iMovie is amazing. I was able to use the video I took on my flip camera of my students' field trip and turn it into a video that they can watch over the summer to help them transition to the high school next year. It will also help ease their parents anxiety, as well.

Besides creating the video for ease of my students' transition, I plan on using the "rectangles" slideshow I developed on the Smartboard to help my students learn "rectangle" in another fun way (with my students, I need lots of ways to teach the same thing over and over again). Maybe Chad can help me find a way to have my guys draw a rectangle around each "real world" rectangle on the Smartboard.

My special students do not get to brag or chat about fun things they get to do in school. Their parents only hear from me on a "talker" about their day. I will be teaching my assistants to utilize iPhoto so we can make a "talking picture album" with all the pictures we have taken of the guys. It is fun for them to see and hear about themselves, great for learning to turn pages and pressing the talk button.

Next year I will be getting more students and some with higher abilities. I would like to use the flip camera for modeling procedures and behaviors. I know it will be beneficial for my kitchen safety unit.

This was an excellent class for me. It was taught in a way I could understand. I gained more technology information that can be applied directly to my classroom and learned from others in the room.

Tobias/Reflection4

I took the Digital Photo and Video for Grades 5 - 8 course to enhance my knowledge of using a digital camera, iPhoto, iMovies and uploading videos to YouTube. In addition, I was looking for applications and ideas on ways to incorporate technology into the music classroom. I was pleased that I familiar with some technology basics that I have not used in some time and that I learned new tricks and how to use the newer version of iMovie than I have used in the past. This was also my first experience using Picassa, a photo sharing site.

Some of the ideas I got for applying this class to my classroom include the following: making a fun video displaying classroom rules/safety for the beginning of year, illustrations of song lyrics using slide shows, having students create a digital music autobiography, having students create an advertisement for one of the Milwaukee Symphony Concert field trips that we will be attending, and creating composer "trading cards" with research that students find in books or on the Web.

I found our teacher, Chad, to be extremely responsive to meeting the needs of the entire class and excellent at addressing the needs and questions of individuals. The project of creating an iMovie and posting it on Youtube, and taking photos and uploading them to iPhoto and Picassa were practical and useful tools for my classroom setting. I would heartily recommend this course to other educators who wish to make technology an important part of their teaching!

Vink/Reflection 4

Overall Reflection of this course (2 paragraphs minimum, more if desired): What did you take away? What will you use in your classroom?

I truly enjoyed this class even though I felt over whelmed at times with all the "new" information. On the first night I found the flip camera an interesting piece of equipment and would very much like to buy one to use with my class. I think that it would be a tool that students would enjoy and I could, with some practice, become proficient at using comfortably. I also discovered that importing photos into a computer is very easy and wonderful way of keeping a photo library.

On Saturday, I enjoyed learning about IPhoto and all it's features-editing tools, and how to title events/slides and create a slide show. There is so much to learn! It wasn't hard, just difficult to remember all the "new" information. However, I plan to practice importing photos into IPhoto and working with them over the summer. Then, next year I hope to use the 15 cameras the art teacher has at my elementary building to give the students opportunities to take pictures to use in a few guided projects-at least one in language arts and one in math. IMovie as great! However, once again, it will take me time to practice and use before I feel completely comfortable using it with my whole class. However, I would like to practice creating another IMovie in my free time to practice the skills that I was introduced to this weekend. Then next school year, I can hopefully try to allow the students in class the opportunity to develop a short IMovie in class as a partner project.

Thanks for the information and posting notes and information online so I can refer back to when I have a problem or forget how to do something.

Janet

Kotlewski/Reflection 4

Wow!!

I learned so much from this class! You did a fantastic job at differentiating to all of us and keeping it a very positive and energetic environment. I learned more about how to take better and sharper digital pictures. I knew of the 'macro' setting, but didn't realize what a difference it made on closeup pictures. I liked hearing the great ideas from other teachers of different ways of using digital photography in the classroom. Some things that I am anxious to try are creating advertisements for upcoming events in my classroom, creating math posters for symbols, taking pictures of real rocks etc. for our new science unit and pictures of the life cycle process and the sequencing involved, poetry pictures combined with writing, and field trip memories. I will definitely take pictures of my students this year following the school rules and show as a slideshow at the beginning of upcoming school years.

It was great to review all of the copyright laws and how to find images on Google that are non-copyrighted. Along with that, it was nice to learn how to site where the image came from. I encourage my students to look for appropriate images for the books that they write and publish in our Southwood Glen publishing center and now I know where to find public domain graphics. I just received a Flip video camera this week from my school librarian. It was fun to practice taking some clips at the District Retirement Dinner and to learn how to import them into iMovie. It was easier than I thought to create an iMovie complete with added pictures and sounds. I look forward to creating short movies next year with my students and sending the links to their families. Currently, I share digital pictures on Snapfish and documents via email. Now, I am ready to share short videos and upload to Youtube. I am always encouraging my students to present and share their academic talents. This class will now enable me to take my students to a higher level of creativity. Thank YOU, Chad!

Kritzer/Reflection 4

When you teach 30 classes in a week. It is important for me to stay organized and keep my delivery fresh. I want to keep my students engaged and I don't want to get bored teaching the same information year after year. I want to make my life as a teacher more effective and less complicated whenever possible. This course has taught me how to effectively incorporate programs like iPhoto, iMovie, Picassa and YouTube in my classroom.

As an Art teacher I use images in my teaching daily. Before this course I never used Picassa, now I know how to create online albums of student artwork and I can access it from any computer ANYWHERE. Now I can take all of the images I dump into iPhoto and create slideshows of student artwork. I like to show examples to my students before beginning a project. I also learned how easy it is to make adjustments to photos in iPhoto. I have been teaching elementary kids (starting in 3rd grade) how to make alterations to images in Adobe Photoshop. Students in 1st and 2nd grade can easily alter an image in iPhoto.

I learned that a lot of Mac programs have a very similar format. I was nerveouse about working in iMovie, but when I started playing with it I noticed that there are a lot of similarities in Garage Band (a program that I am very familiar with :). It made navigating the program easier than I thought. Jean and I created an iMovie for our 8th graders. We covered a review of digital camera functions and introduced a project. This is something that can easily be used by both of us and now that it is on the web students can have easy access too. It is nice to know how easy it is to upload mov files to YouTube. Now I can upload demos and students can access them at home if needed.

It was really great to get some clarification on copyright. This is such a touchy subject and there are so may things to take into consideration. It is tough for kids to understand why it is so important to honor the copyright law. I came up with the idea of having my 8th graders copyright a piece of their artwork. I think it will be a lot more relevant if they can relate it to themselves.

It is an understatement to say that I learned a bunch in this class. It was very hands on and the small class size was really great for one on one help from our instructor. It was exciting to make connections with the information I already knew. I highly recommend every teacher to take this course. Mr. Kafka has provided us with many online resources and helpful handouts. The information I learned will not only help keep my students engaged but it keeps me engaged as well.

Mohr/Reflection4

Taking a Photography Class was very refreshing for me. I know I teach the subject in my class, but to see how other professionals use and teach the same concepts is great. It gave me a chance to see if I am teaching the most important information in the most appropriate ways. I learned new techniques on how to use programs that I am already familiar with. I also really enjoyed how others can use this in their classrooms, because this gave me ideas on how I can extend my teachings with other teachers or how I can inspire students to use their knowledge in other subjects.

I really like taking the time to reflect how important to use images in instruction. I do this all the time without thinking of it, but to reiterate the importance was liberating. I am teaching a new class next fall and most of what we were taught, would be appropriate to embed in the class curriculum. For example, how to make simple albums in iPhoto.

I am glad that I was able to take what I know and extend it. I knew how to make movies, but I never did it for instruction. I also liked creating a movie with someone I work with, so the students see we are both giving the same instruction. The extension of knowledge was getting it on Youtube. I have done it before as well, but I forget how easy it is to do so.

As an art instructor, I appreciate when classes are appropriate for us as well. So please continuing offering what we and others can use to benefit all students in all classrooms.