Journal #4: If you give a kid a video camera...

Campbell, L. (2012, February). If you give a kid a video camera. Learning & Leading With Technology, 30-33. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/February-2012.aspx

The journal article is a cause and effect article, similar to the book "If you give a mouse a cookie". In this aricle, "If you give a kid a video camera, he will want to learn more." Laurie Campbell gives suggestions for classroom activities involving video cameras. In Language Arts, she suggests that students can create 1-minute videos of vocabulary words. This is will increase the students likelihood he will remember the words and meanings. If students are required to give question responses, he will be able to answer more effectively on camera, rather than on a worksheet, where information from the brain can be lost from translating from mind to writing it. In math, students can use a camera to make a math scavenger hunt on finding angles around their school. Teachers can also ask students to use cameras while they ask a math story problem. In science, students could document steps in an experiment. They can also film processes, such as grass growing, which are events that the human eye cannot register. Finally, in Social Studies, cameras can be used to make maps, and also for interviewing people, such as war veterans. The article recognizes that students' ability to learn can be extended with the use of technology.

Q1: How would you incorporate the use of a camera in you classroom?

  If I become a math teacher, I would incorporate the use of a video camera to have my students learn proportionality, and have them make a 3D model of an object and have them create the dimensions of the object for the larger model. The camera would show their steps in how they make it, such as measuring, and then it is also proof for me, as the teacher, to see that they really did the project correctly and that they in fact, did the project, and not their little brother!

Q2. What may be some disadvantages for the use of a video camera in activities?

 I think that not having the knowledge of video camera can be a disadvantage for the activity. For example, if a student does not know how to handle the camera, it could be a very expensive loss in different ways. For example, if they don't know how to handle the camera, they could drop it, costing some serious coin. If they don't know how to use it, they may not get the results taped as they want it. For example, if they are required to tape the reaction to an experiment, and forget to hit the record button, their data may be lost forever.

Journal #3: Infographics: More Than Words Can Say

Krauss, J. (2012, February). Infographics: More than words can say. Learning & Leading with Technology, 10-14. Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/201202?pg=14&pm=2&fs=1
Infographics are visual displays of information. They relate sets of data in a unified, visually creative presentation. Infographics are different compared to old-fashioned graphics because they are created by applying a computer program to a few like data sets. When people look at infographics, they are able to ask themselves "What am I looking at? And what does it mean?" This means that students will then be able to interpret and design infographics while it enhances their sense-making and information literacy more efficient. Infographics are a mixture between linguistic (books and lectures) and non-linguistic (graphic organizers, modeling software, computer simulations, and kinesthetic activities). By incorporating infographics into a lesson plan, students can boost their creativity and their ability to interpret graphics. In a lesson plan, creating an infographic involves students to be able to get an idea, sketch the idea out, collect data, develop proof of the concepts, and lay it out and have fun. The article includes tips for making infographics such as being able to tell a story ( include pictures, legend, key question), be clear (make sure someone can tell how different elements contribute to the idea), use good data ("fresh" reliable data), and to pay attention (be aware of infographics all around you).




Q1: How would you incorporate infographics in your classroom?  In my classroom, I would incorporate infographics by having my students create a data set of the percentages of how many students spend studying algebra every week. This is interesting for the students to see where they "rank" in the class, they are interpreting the data by being able to identify where they place in the graphs, and from there, they are able to efficiently understand most of the material that was assigned in the first place.
Q2: Is it more effective to have students learn from looking at infographics or to make their own?I would say, depending on the attractiveness of the infographic that the student is seeing depends on how much they can understand about the information. If they do not care to look at the visual, the student may not care to aknowledge the info that is being presented to them. On the otherhand, if the student is making an infographic, they do have to understand every aspect of the data analysis, and be able to interpret it themselves in order to allow someone else to be able to do so, too. In my opinion, by having the students create their own infographic, they are learning efficiently.