Voice Thread Tutorial from You Tube

I looked through many Voice Thread tutorials and chose this one because the narrator starts with registering for an account and goes step-by-step through the program. There were voice thread tutorials about business and other things, but this seemed just right for educational purposes. I learned how to use Voice Thread by listening over and over to the tutorial. I took notes with pen and paper. If I have any trouble while using the program, I can refer back to my old fashioned notes. I am looking forward to using this program.

Pause and Ponder March 21

Some key points that will stick with me from my readings are the importance of having community in the classroom to give students the confidence to take risks and try new things. I have always given students some freedom or choices when doing projects, but I need to expand my choices to the things they are good at and enjoy doing. I understand that this digital thing is here to stay and all of us are not at the same point as others. It is a time consuming thing, and I am glad that I have grown some in my knowlege of it all.
The way I can apply things I have learned in my class is to try to get even closer to my students and know what their intersts outside the classroom are and try to bring their interests inside the classroom so they can explore things of importance to them.
When I reflect on the technology I have learned so far in this class, I can't believe I can do some of the things I am doing. I find myself thinking, "Oh, I can blog about that!" when something happens in my classroom or anywhere. I really enjoyed Photo Story 3 and was surprised how easy it was. I plan to let my kids use it before the year is over when doing a book report or research topic. My kids are doing power point projects now on poetry and biographies, and I just may let them go one step further and make them into a digital story. I feel it will enhance their learning of the topic they are working on because they will want it to be especially informative if it is in this form.
The class discussion has been wonderful. I like to hear what other professionals think about topics we are studying and reading about. So many time the things others say is exactly what has been on my mind. Then there are times that i don't totally agree with what they say, or don't understand how they thought that way, but we are all different.

I Am From

I am from fried chicken and potato salad, peanut butter sandwiches and Lays Potato chips. Going swimming at the state park in the summer after Bible School in the mornings, getting sunburned at the beach at Aunt Soothie’s house in Myrtle Beach.

I am from Sunday School every Sunday and training union every Sunday night.

Yes mam and no sir all the time.

It’s your turn to do the dishes, I did them last night

I am from where did you put my brush and who hid the dryer?

I am from go help your sister with the laundry and then you can go down to the beach.

After Daddy died I was from you have to help your mom- be brave!

Where will you go to college? What will you be? Who will you marry? And there isn’t enough money! Let your sister go first, no your brother- he’s so small.

How did you get that done so fast, now will you help me?

Your sister is in trouble again, can you go get her?

Where will we live? Will I get a job? What? I can’t be pregnant! Now I can’t teach. But, Oh, what a pretty little girl. She is so beautiful. She has hands like granny and long, long eyelashes. Look, she is sitting up by herself, she is crawling and getting into everything! I can’t believe she is a year old! Where has the time gone? Maybe we should have another baby, what do you think? Yes, another little girl! I am from a lot of love and family!

Adolescents and Digital Literacies Chapter 1

Sara Kajder says in the first chapter of her new book that she counts it a privilege to help kids work as "intentional, self-directed, reflective learners who are able to make meaning from a range of texts and share their knowledge and understanding in smart and useful ways." Wow! That would be wonderful if I had a handful of those kinds of students. I feel that all my sixth graders want to do right now is chase each other with magic markers playing "tag." However, there was a text message going around yesterday afternoon warning certain students that they were going to be the primary targets today, so maybe my students are using technology in useful ways. If it sounds like I'm a bit discouraged, I am. If I didn't have to make sure all my standards were covered and all my students' MAP scores and PASS scores are going to go up from last time, I would feel like I could spend time teaching my kids some of this new technology. I am going to have them do a digital story before the end of the year, though. I have already worked with a little 6th grader who is in our book club and showed an interest in digital story telling. He is so excited and so am I.

I Did It!

I have been worried about doing my podcast ever since we were assigned the task. My wonderful media specialist here at OBM gave me some material on it and we talked about it, but I was still hesitant. Finally, yesterday, my colleague, Julie Newell, said she had done her podcast the night before and it was easy. Since my student teacher is now at the point that she needs to be left alone with my students some during the day, I decided to try my luck. We are studying poetry in my classroom now, so I decided to read some poems for my podcast. I slipped into a classroom that wasn't being used at the time and made my recording. Other than the custodian coming in and asking how I was doing, it went off without a hitch. Later in the day I decided I wanted to add a picture to my podcast. I went back down to my trusty media specialist for help with this. She told me I had inspired her and that she had done a book review on her blog yesterday morning. This all goes to show anyone can do a podcast if I can. Maybe I won't be as hesitant the next time a new thing comes my way. I also discovered that it is wonderful to be able to get help from others as well as to give help to others.

My First Podcast