Wrapping up "Using Productivity Tools Effectively"

We did a lot these past couple months, but a few things really stuck out and I will probably use them the most.  First of all, I learned how to set up a Google Calendar.  I think this is a great tool not just for me, but also for my students.  I would like to get my students set up to use Google products, and if I do, I think the Calendar can be a great function for them to stay organize and have a place to put their due dates for assignments or for other special things they need to remember in their lives. 

I also feel that I can analyze software more effectively now because of this class.  I never really thought about analyzing software, but now I have tools that I can use if I see something I like and I can share it with others if I think it is something that can be used in the school.

Finally, due to this class, I am going to be trying to do more production based projects with my students.  I don't think I will be able to do a lot right off of the bat, but I am going to try to incorporate some of those types of projects each year and eventually my students will have a significant amount of production based projects to work on throughout the school year.  I see a great benefit having students produce something from scratch and discovering what they should put into the project...having them be the main investigator , not the teacher.  I am currently doing a project like this with my Civics class.  The students have an outline for presenting about a specific president, but they have to produce something that is unique to them and looks different than the other students.  So far it's coming out pretty well! 

Anyway, off to another class.  And as always, I look forward to what awaits!  

The past week of productivity

Something that really stuck with me this week was a video we watched of Sir Ken Robinson.  I think a lot of what he said about education is totally true.  He basically says that school is great for a portion of the population that will be professors as adults.  For the rest of us, it limits our true potential.  He focuses on teaching not only the academic things we normally think of (science, math, etc)  but also teaching things such as art and dance with just as much rigor.  He feels that schooling is set up to kill creativity and ends up making students scared of failure.  I think a lot of that is true, but hard to change.  It think it would be very hard to change the system as it is.  Too many people feel school is supposed to be mainly for learning the core subjects.  If you want to watch the video I am talking about, here it is:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY&feature=player_embedded   .  Another thing that I learned about this week was using tools that evaluate software.  I have never really thought about evaluating software that I many use in the classroom, but now I have the know how to do so if I am in the position to get new software for my class. It's nice to know there are products out there that can help you focus on the benefits and down sides of software you may use in your class. 

The InTime Video I chose

The video that I found that I felt could be used in my Civics class is a state power point presentation.  Here is the link of the video: http://www.intime.uni.edu/video/030moue/8/  .  I typically set some time in my year to discuss the different states and the different types of state government.  Many of  my 9th grade LD students are still very unaware of what other states besides Wisconsin offer or how their government is set up.  This project would give them a great opportunity to investigate a state they have never traveled too and gather interesting facts about the population, geography, demographics and government in a different state.  I already do something similar to this regarding the United States presidents, so if I set up this project a little later in the year, students will have a sense of how to put the project together and how to make the slides visually appealing and interesting.  My students study state government in late April and May, so I will be looking to implement this project sometime during that time frame. 

Back in Action!

I'm getting ready again to get back to class and discover some new practical technologies I can use in my personal life and at school.  Although I have had the last couple weeks off of class, I still stayed busy on classwork for a couple days focusing on spreadsheets.  Up until three weeks ago, I didn't really us spreadsheets for anything more than keeping my monthly budget and keeping track on how I do when I play blackjack. (I enjoy Las Vegas and Oneida Casino :) I also have always used Microsoft Excel, though now I am going to be importing my Excel documents into Google docs spreadsheets so I can have access to them where ever I am.  I learned a few things I never really used in spreadsheet programs.  Out of everything I learned this past lesson, I really like the ability to set up formulas in spreadsheets which allow you to change one cells number and in turn it changes many other numbers on your spreadsheet.  It's a great tool for figuring out ingredient amounts in different recipes.  I was thinking that I could use a similar formula for students who have difficulty with multiplication facts.  I can put a formula into a spreadsheet a student could access and they could play with the numbers and see what products different numbers would produce.  Although I don't typically use spreadsheets with my students, I think that could be a practical use of a spreadsheet for my students with learning disabilities.