Sincerely, Kristi

Technology Use in Special Education

2008-12-07T21:23:00.001-08:00

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own.

Online Concept Mapping

2008-11-12T04:25:00.001-08:00

For my third Emerging Technology experience, I chose online concept mapping because I wanted to choose something I was completely unfamiliar with, challenging myself to learn something new.

In classrooms, students are taught to develop ideas on paper prior to creating projects and writing papers and reports. Various ink colors, highlighters and even Post-It notes are used to build these creative charts. But computers have provided a new means of brainstorming, allowing for easy adding and removing of items, typing instead of writing, and collaborating with others online. Online concept mapping makes it possible to share the creative process of making the mind map as well as to share it online when it is complete.

Creating a mind map is simple. The first step is to put a key word, phrase or symbol representing the main concept in the center of the page, whether paper or computer. Second, identify other important concepts regarding the key point by posting them or writing them outside of the key point. Develop each new concept moving outward. Mindmapping is an excellent alternative to traditional outlining and appeals to those who are more visual learners.

Much like the blog and online scrapbook, signing up for the online concept map was simple and painless. I used mindmeister.com, but checked out many others and all seemed very simple to create. I chose mindmeister.com because I preferred its tutorial, as well as the appearance of its completed concept map. I chose to create my map about creating a concept map. My map is simple, but if this were a collaborated project, others would be permitted to add to, take away from, or simply change the colors on my map. They would be able make sure anything I missed would be added so the project would be complete.

This could be a great tool for students of all ages to use. Whether working alone or in groups, it could be helpful to allow the teacher to see the student’s thought process, to understand their starting point and how they got to the finished project. I also think it could be useful for teachers who team teach or collaborate on a particular unit to work together, especially if they do not have much time to meet and plan. I, personally, am going to use it for an upcoming group project in another class! 

Online Concept Mapping

2008-11-03T16:31:00.000-08:00

Online Concept Mapping

del.icio.us

2008-11-02T19:22:00.000-08:00

Check out my del.icio.us bookmarking page!
http://delicious.com/abitditzy

Online Scrapbooking Experiment

2008-10-26T19:45:00.000-07:00

For my second Module 3 post, I chose to explore Online Scrapbooking. This is a way to take digital photos, scanned photos or videos and create scrapbooks, photobooks and slideshoes to share with others via the internet. Photos or videos are added to pages, custom or predesigned, and compiled to create a book.

It was VERY easy to create my first online scrapbook. I chose to use Smilebox.com because they have a great variety of pages and books from which to choose. Some of the websites I visited were very limited unless you “joined” their site, which typically included a fee. Smilebox was simple to use and after a quick program download I was ready to begin. The program automatically located my photo files on my computer and made them available to use. I chose the type of book I wanted to create, and the program automatically “placed” my pictures in the open spaces of the predesigned scrapbook. I then had to point, click and drag the desired photo to the correct spot if I wanted to change them. When the pictures were in place, I was able to click on the text boxes to add comments or label photos. That was it! It was completed and ready to be emailed or embedded in my blog or other website.

Having scrapbooked in the traditional manner, I know that a scrapbook can take weeks and months to complete. There is a lot of mess involved, as well as expensive tools, supplies and embellishments. By doing it online, I was able to complete it quickly and change pages easily (without fighting with the glue once I changed my mind). I also noticed that many websites that provide online scrapbooking also make it possible for you to print your scrapbook pages. The prices can be steep, but some sites will print high quality photo pages of your scrapbook, very similar to one created the traditional way.

While I am sure that this can be a personally useful way to share videos and photographs with friends and family, I also think it could be utilized in a classroom. It would be interesting to assign a scrapbook book project, as opposed to the same old shoebox diorama that kids have made for years. It would give them an opportunity to create something of their own that they could be proud to share, even if they considered themselves artistically challenged (as I do). This type of project could reinforce skills such as writing and spelling, as well as sequencing and storytelling. Imagine giving students a particular set of pictures and they are to create the story. Or a teacher could provide photos taken from a play and the students would have to identify the scene in which it takes place. This could be a new way to test comprehension, without using the typical in class quiz.

An online scrapbook would also be a great way to share with parents what their students are doing in class. They could see pictures or videos of their children working and learning. They could also see projects their child has created or worked on. Parental involvement plays an important role in a child’s education and this could be a link to encourage that.

My Online Scrapbooking Experiment is posted below......I hope you enjoy it!
Sincerely, Kristi

Disney 2005 Scrapbook

2008-10-26T13:38:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

W200 Podcasting Experiment

2008-10-12T17:10:00.000-07:00

http://www.clickcaster.com/items/w200-podcast-experiment

Above is the link to my first attempt at podcasting. It is a bit long, but I was reading my assignment, just trying to learn how the process of getting it posted went. Enjoy!

From researching the first Emerging Technology tool, Podcasting, I have learned what Podcasting is, how it could be useful in teaching, and how simple it is to create a podcast with tools available on my computer.

A podcast (“iPod” + “broadcast”) is an audio or video media file that can be viewed on personal computers or media devices via the internet. What often distinguishes podcasts from other digital media is its ability to be subscribed to and automatically downloaded when new or updated material is available. A podcast can be as simple as a parent posting recordings of their children so that friends and relatives can watch, or as complex as a daily or weekly news program with millions of subscribers.

My family has been using iTunes for a few years, and we have taken it well beyond music. My son subscribes to a Walt Disney World news and information podcast, and my husband and I have found various podcasts we enjoy (Dave Ramsey is a favorite) and subscribe to. It is nice because once we have a subscription they are automatically updated when we plug the iPod into the computer. And the ones we subscribe to are free, often radio shows that we are unable to listen to because of time issues or because they are not available in our radio broadcast area.

When I started thinking about how I could use podcasting when I am teaching, my imagination was unstoppable. I thought of how I could create a weekly podcast that summed up classroom discussions and activities so that parents are aware of classroom goings on. I thought about recording myself reading a particularly difficult piece of literature- possibly a Shakespearean sonnet- so that the students could listen over and over, maybe understanding better. I thought about reading aloud to my students (via podcast), an act that so often ends when a child is able to read independently, so that they can just listen and appreciate the story, developing their comprehension skills. And I thought about my students with special needs that would benefit from my recording my instructions, even reading the homework assignment, word-for-word, so that they can watch or listen to it and complete their work without struggling with the reading portion of the assignment.

I was very excited to learn that podcasting did not require a lot of technology equipment or savvy. Most of the tools necessary to create a podcast are included on computers or are inexpensive to purchase. My computer has a webcam and audio recorder, so I am set up to do this. If your computer does not include these, both can be purchased inexpensively. Also, many video cameras make it easy to upload your videos to your computer, creating files that can eventually become podcasts.

What I have found to be one of the most important part of creating a podcast is organization. Just as it is important to be organized when you are presenting to a class, you must also be prepared and organized when you are creating a podcast for instruction. Speaking clearly and simply is important. If you are obviously unprepared and indirect, you will lose your students’ interest quickly.I have created an audio podcast using http://www.clickster.com/ in which I read this information to you. It was as simple as opening an account, setting up my page and uploading a recording.

Assistive Technologies, Module 4 Part IV

2008-10-05T18:31:00.000-07:00

The Language Tools provided by Google were really interesting and could be very useful in numerous learning situations. For a teacher with a student challenged by English as their second language, it could be helpful for that teacher to provide instruction in that child’s native language, so that learning can take place beyond the barriers of language. Also, in cases where parents do not speak fluent English, teachers can communicate with them so that the well being of the child is not hindered due to lack of communications. While the translations may not always be accurate, I don’t think this would be an issue in most instances. When communicating between languages, understanding is key, and in most cases this is possible. This site makes it possible for educators, student and parents to bridge the language gap and communicate with one another.

The Assistive Technology tutorial was enlightening. I was not aware that my computer is so willing to work with me- I thought I had to do what it wanted me to! Having worked with children who have special needs, I know the importance of education adapting to the student’s needs. The “narrator” functions could be helpful to a student with vision problems or reading issues. The voice command function could help a student with fine motor disorders who is unable to type or use a mouse. I thought it was especially helpful to see the tutorial give both mouse and keyboard actions to activate various assistive technology options.

Photosensitive epilepsy is a condition in which epileptic seizures are “triggered by certain frequencies of flashing lights or contrasting light and dark patters such as stripes or checks (National Society for Epilepsy [NSE], 2007).” In researching seizure triggers for people with photosensitive epilepsy, I found that most do not have problems with newer computer screens, because flicker frequency is higher than older screens. The probability of a seizure triggered by a flatscreen monitor is even less because the LCD screens do not flicker. If this is a concern, though, steps can be taken to reduce the presents of possible triggers. If a student with epilepsy is working on the computer, using the “Ease of Access” on the control panel, one could remove all unnecessary animation and change screen colors to avoid stark contrasts. Also, while it may not be the popularly “green” suggestion, it could be helpful to print as much information possible for a student with photosensitive epilepsy. Because tiredness can trigger a seizure, avoiding long computer work sessions could be helpful.

National Society for Epilepsy (2007). Photosensitive Epilepsy. Web site: http://www.epilepsynse.org.uk/pages/pdf/photo.pdf

Accountability Wikispace

2008-09-28T05:43:00.000-07:00

http://w200-accountability.wikispaces.com/Kristi%27s+article+comments

Hello!

2008-09-27T18:18:00.000-07:00

Hello! My name is Kristi Scherer, and while I am not totally new to blogging, I have not had a lot of experience, so please be patient.
As far as setting up this blog, it was much simpler than I imagined. I just had to click a couple of times and POOF! -I had a blog! The only other blog I have used was provided my MySpace, and they both seem to be very simple. I really think the biggest challenge was giving it a title that was “both professional and easy to remember”. I guess Sincerely, Kristi isn’t terribly creative, but it is to the point. My blog, my truth.
Well, here goes......

Sincerely, Kristi