Final Impressions: TPTE 486

As I look back over my semester in TPTE 486, I've come away with the following final impressions.

Overall, I enjoyed this course and its content, and I found most of it relatively easy to comprehend/master. Because this class is centered around technology, I really appreciated that the focus was on working with the applications and programs to create finished artifacts instead of just learning about them in an abstract, distant way. I also appreciated how helpful and patient our instructor (Ginny Britt) was when we had questions or problems. Looking back at my first blog post about course expectations, I do, however, find that my expectations for the course weren't met completely. One of my main wishes was that the course would provide guidance about when it is best to use technology versus when it is just a distraction. A day or two of discussion on this topic would have been really helpful.

Even such, I'm very glad that I learned a great deal about the many different programs and web 2.0 tools available and about potential ways to include them in my classroom instruction. I'm not completely sold that many of the tools can be used well in a high school English classroom, but I was particularly pleased with Storybird (for creative writing work), Wordle (to highlight themes in a piece of writing), and Glogster (for its capabilities to develop posters as creative projects or summaries of learning). I am much less likely to use programs like Pixlr, Smilebox, and Timetoast because I don't see their applicability to my specific classroom. I also wasn't impressed with Inspiration and ActivInspire because I felt that similar products could be created more easily in other programs, but I know that I will need to learn to utilize these programs (especially ActivInspire) in ways that benefit my classroom.

After completing this course, I feel relatively proficient regarding different computer and web 2.0 tools and applications and how I can use them in the classroom. I came into the class with a good comfort level regarding my ability to use technology and tech-based applications, and that comfort level has only improved. While I don't feel completely comfortable with everything and its use, I do feel more competent than I did before beginning the course. I would have liked more hands-on experience working with the interactive white board and its touch menu and with related components like clickers. I would have also liked a hands-on tutorial about how to connect laptops to projectors, how to input the audio cords, etc., as I see that often being a problem with teachers who don't have a permanent set-up in their classroom.

First Impressions: Website Development

I created an original website, Ms. Hoffman's Class Website, for completion of this project.

1) What went well or not well?
Pulling together content for the site was fairly easy, as most of it had been created throughout the semester for other assignments. Figuring out the layout was also pretty intuitive because we had been provided a clear outline of what the site should contain. Some problems that arose included being unable to upload content for the web 2.0 tools page due to problems with Google Sites and some formatting problems while trying to lay out some of the images. Overall, this project went fairly well, even if it took a while to complete, because it built on previous learning.

2) How will you use this tool in your professional practice and/or instruction with students?
As students, parents, and teachers become increasingly connected through technology and online means, it will be essential to develop and maintain a web presence. One of the easiest ways to do this will be through a class website, which can serve as a portal and landing spot for all things related to my classroom, whether it be updates to parents about upcoming reading topics, reminders to students about assignment due dates, or the posting of tips sheets and study guides.

One of the most important things that this assignment has taught me is that organization and pre-planning of the site's layout is of key importance. When students and parents come to my site, it is important that they be able to find what they're looking for and be able to find it quickly. Clean, clear organization and content not only makes it easier for the viewer to navigate the site, but it may also impact how those parents and students think about me as a teacher. It's important to put forth a professional and helpful persona in all forms, whether in person or online.

3) What will you do differently next time?
If I were to create another classroom website, I would allow myself more time to work on it and I would prepare my layout/storyboard further in advance. I would also try to bring in more original content to make the site more personalized and reflective of my personal teaching style and goals.

Artifact: Storybird

Storybird is a free, online tool that allows users to create storybooks using their own words and original artwork contributed by artists. I really like this program, and I could imagine using it as a prompt for creative writing exercises in my future classroom.

Starry, Starry Night on Storybird

First Impressions: iMovie & Digital Storytelling

A three-minute trailer intended to get students excited about reading Jane Austen's classic.

1) What went well or not well?
This was another very frustrating project for me. In all, I spent 8 hours working to create a three-minute book trailer. When I was finished, the product didn't seem much better or different than that which I could have created using programs like Smilebox or Animoto (i.e., a fancy slideshow). Because I had never made a digital movie before, I had no experience with this type of software. I found that iMovie was very touchy, in that it was sometimes difficult to highlight what I wanted or move the intended object without affecting other items. I also had problems (as did at least two of my classmates) with the program not saving text changes that I made. When I uploaded the file to YouTube, it would play a version that did not match what I saw on the screen. I also had trouble editing a music clip using the tools included in iMovie. Despite these complaints, I am grateful for the experience of working with this program because I now have a better sense than I did before of what's involved in producing a digital movie.

2) How will you use this tool in your professional practice and/or instruction with students?
Even with the problems I had with this project, I know that students and teachers alike can do great work with this program and others like it; I just need to learn the skills to be able to use it more effectively so I can use it as a teaching tool. In my future classroom, given student access to computers and appropriate software, I can see myself creating assignments that ask students to make live-action videos to share with the class, such as a dramatic reenactment of a scene from a play we're reading. I might use this as an assignment that everyone must partake in, or it could be an alternative option for creative students who like less traditional work. To avoid worries about copyright and fair use, I would expect students to create live-action videos with original content instead of slideshows with images taken from other sources.

3) What will you do differently next time?
If I work with iMovie again, I will come prepared with a music sample that has already been edited to the needed length and I will come prepared with a larger amount of patience. I would also want to work in another program, such as a PC-based application, to see how it compares to using iMovie. Since many schools will not have fully-equipped Mac labs available, I think it would be important to have familiarity with a variety of programs that do similar work. I would also want to work with video clips, instead of still images, to learn how to edit and manipulate them into a finished project.

Artifact: Animoto

Below is a short photo montage I created using Animoto. Animoto is an online service that allows users to create animated slideshows with music and backgrounds using their own photos and video clips. My slideshow includes photos of the amazing natural sights I saw in the Pacific Northwest during summer 2011.