EdTech Research 501

Our assignments this week for familiarizing ourselves with additional research tools was very helpful. I had previously heard about Google Scholar, but never took the time to really explore. I knew you could easily use the Research Tools within Google, but searching through Scholar was also new to me.
I was at ISTE last week, and during a Coffee Cue with other educators we talked about advance searches using Google. Google Scholar came up as well as ways to customize your searches for ".org" or ".edu" websites and another technique to use to customize your search engine. I am finding that the more you get involved with technology the learning is limitless.
I am always showing my students new ways to do research, whether it is simply to search for something by reading level, or to search for phrases using quotation marks. Now, I need to find a way to incorporate the research within a Google Doc. A lot of times we are not writing in Google Docs, we are writing directly in our blogs, but I could find something where they need to link their Google Doc to the blog, much like we are doing for this class.

EdTech Research Google Doc

AECT Standards:
3.1 Media Utilization
4.4 Information Management

RSS in Education-501

These tutorials were made with my students in mind. I have been wanting to figure out a way to teach them how to use RSS Feeds for the last several months. I have my students doing all of their projects through blogging. I went to CUE last March in Palm Springs and saw an incredible teacher, Kate Petty, do a presentation on RSS Feeds and blogging. I wanted to figure out the best way to incorporate RSS Feeds into my own classroom. 

The tutorial is very basic. Even though I teach high school, grades 9-12, I do not have honors' kids, I have students that are behind in credits and are trying to catch up as fast as possible. I am lucky if they can read and write above a fourth grade level. I love to use Voki in my classroom and Prezi. I teach my students how to use these tools to grab their attention. 

From this assignment I learned that you cannot embed a Voki into a Prezi and also that Screencast-o-matic does not format correctly when trying to enlarge a screen size from one picture to the next. I also learned how to subscribe to RSS feeds myself. I had previously started to play with it, but never put in the time to really get into it. I am still a bit confused as to why the RSS Ticker warning comes up every time I open my browser.

I am currently trying to find ways to incorporate RSS Feeds into my class structure. I like to give my students choice in their projects, but I am limited to a 6 week time frame and a severe lack of motivation. The last few months of this school year I gave the students a project that was based on something they were passionate about, something they would want to learn more about. I had more kids pass this last grading period than I had in the previous periods. I still gave them requirements that had to be met, but I let them choose the topic. I want to be able to incorporate RSS Feeds into this style of learning.

2.4 Integrated Technologies
3.1 Media Utilization
4.4 Information Management

Elements of Educational Technology 501

The Elements of Educational Technology 501

My opinions were very similar to the definitions in this paper. I think the definitions for "study" were more difficult for me to comprehend. Even when I reread that section I feel like the author is almost rambling a bit. Maybe it is just me. I found a lot of similarities between what I am trying to do in my classroom and what the definitions state.
The "creating" definition had great points on analyzing, designing, developing, evaluating and revising that I would like to take back to my school and discuss. I would like to create projects that could focus on these elements. 

3.4 Policies and Regulations

Welcome

My name is Alissa and I am from the San Bernardino Mountains in Southern California. My husband and I have 5 children that keep us very busy. We love camping, hiking, and Bluegrass. I love teaching and am having a blast finding new ways to incorporate technology into my classroom.