GoToTraining Exploration

SimpleBooklet

Rubric Builder

The rubric below was created with Rubric Builder for a computer literacy class. Although easy and effective, this application is not free. The image is a screenshot of a demo I was able to create for evaluation of the software.

Animoto

Make your own slide show at Animoto.

I thought that using a tool like Animoto, took making a presentation to a whole new level. As I was uploading photos and thinking about what text I could use, I saw that the outcome could very well be an advanced version of a PowerPoint. However, the time it takes to create such a great presentation would have taken hours in PowerPoint, whereas it only took several minutes in Animoto. I like this particularly because it made my simple slide show look like a mini-directed video, complete with graphics and music to fit the theme of the photos or what the message was. The file size to create and share something like this in PowerPoint would have been enormous. This is the advantage I see in distance education is the ability to share this file via URL or embedded html without disturbing the quality. Although other presentations with media can be uploaded to youtube, it does take a significant amount of time and the quality can be distorted in the conversion.

Part III Reflection

In part III of “Leading 21^st Century Schools,” Schrum and Levin discuss tying all the tools for 21st Century Learners together. With every Web 2.0 tool implemented we build a network of learning and communication that enhances our learning communities. The implementation of these tools, however, comes with responsibilities. The privacy and protection of information should always be at the forefront of communication standards, especially when students are involved. To ensure these standards are visible and accessible, they should be shared on the school's intranet, public website, and shared with students and parents at the start of the school year. This should increase awareness and uphold the responsibility of students, teachers, and parents to inform and be informed.

The last responsibility we have is to lessen and minimize any digital and gender divides. The problems we typically face when we implement new technology tools in the classroom, or even society, are inaccessibility and lack of resources. When we plan to advance in our technology tools, we also need to plan to ensure no individual is left behind. When we consider certain tools, we need to ensure they are suitable for all end-users. Schrum and Levin mention, "Girls are not computer-phobic but rather are more interested in collaborative activities than in playing games that are designed for competition and that focus on death and destruction. They were more interested in games that feature stimulation, employ extensive strategies, and focus on interaction." If we take this piece of knowledge and distribute it in the way we market technology to students, while making the necessary resources available, we are one step closer to closing any digital divides.

Eclipse Crossword

I think using crosswords are an effective tool to engage students in learning terms. Instead of the old brick-and-mortar way of listing terms and matching them to the correct definitions, crosswords require that a student uses his/her knowledge to come up with the correct term. This allows the use of an elimination process by which the student must use the existing elements to summon the appropriate term.

I used Eclipse Crossword because it makes creating a crossword as simple as cut and paste. It provides a dynamic way to create and share your puzzle through a customized tile setting and gives you the option to print your puzzle or save it as a web file, Windows Media File, and a variety of other options. I saved mine as an html file and simply copied the source code into a blog page so I could share it online. The only downside is that the program has to be downloaded onto your computer first, but it only takes a minute so it is not inconvenient at all.

This crossword program can be effective in distance education because it is a familiar tool, yet it is being used in a non-traditional way. With the ability to customize the puzzle, it can directly apply to your curriculum and requires students to think a little more strategically in order to solve. With the capability to share the puzzle online or in person, it is easily accessible.

Computer Literacy

AprilMarieA

This interactive crossword puzzle requires JavaScript and any recent web browser, including Windows Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, or Apple Safari. If you have disabled web page scripting, please re-enable it and refresh the page. If this web page is saved on your computer, you may need to click the yellow Information Bar at the top or bottom of the page to allow the puzzle to load.

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EclipseCrossword © 2000-2011

Welcome!

Click a word in the puzzle to get started.

 

Congratulations!

You have completed this crossword puzzle. If you would like to be able to create interactive crosswords like this yourself, get EclipseCrossword from Green Eclipse—it's free!

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Bubbl.us

Concept Map created using Bubbl.us from the content of Learning to Think Things Through: A Guide to Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum by Gerald M. Nosich.