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.

Journal #2: Join the Flock!/ Enhance your Twitter Experience

Article #1




Ferguson, H. (2010). Join the flock!. Learning and Leading With Technology, 12-15. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Libraries/Leading_and_Learning_Docs/June_July_2010_Join_the_Flock.sflb.ashx




The article introduces a new socializing craze, Twitter, to an audience who may not know about it. Hadley gives a step by step introduction about this new source of communication. She influences our PLN friendship establishments by first showing how to start the account. When we start up an account, we can include a picture and a short bio. After, we can learn to follow other people's thoughts, and search for info by a person or by subject. We can also tap into great lists were we are exposed to lists from other people. We don't have to participate, but we could also pass on someone else's thoughts. If we decide to participate, Hadley shows us how we can tag our tweet, and she includes a great terminology box in the article.How might the use of Twitter benefit me?As a student, Twitter can benefit me in a way such that I can keep up with society in fields that relate to my profession. I could follow and collaborate with people interested in teaching or people involved in areas of expertise such as grad school and their advice. Twitter makes information available instantly, as a stream of constant, relevant knowledge. I have noticed when reading articles that relate to research, many times that articles will include a quick button to go instantly in twitter, making the stream of knowledge more convenient for all of the users.
Article #2
 


Clintock Miller, S. (2010). Enhance your twitter experience. Learning and Leading in Technology, 14-17. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Libraries/Leading_and_Learning_Docs/June_July_2010_Join_the_Flock.sflb.ashx






 Shannon stages the benefits of having a twitter account and gives tips can improve everyone's twitter experience. She explains about how we can organize our accounts such as Tweet Deck ( it is probably easiest to use). We can also organize our twitter streams into columns according to our special lists of follows, and we can delete or edit these columns as often as we'd like. She describes the use of hashtags and how it is more beneficial to our PLN experience. We can also manage our tweets with a Bookmarklet. It is similar to forwarding an email. One example, with Hootlet, we can send out tweets and be able to customize it before we send it out to followers.

Will the use of organizers and customizing options enhance your experience with Twitter? In this day and age, it is the trend to experience fast and easy. As a student who is always on the go, with the help of organizers, it would be easier and quicker to utilize tools such as these, as well as establish our PLN. With the customizing options, it would make me set up my account as I would like, and therefore, I would be more apt to using it more often. The more often people can use Twitter, means that much more communicating and sharing. With the convenience of Twitter, we can get more done, with less time.

Journal #1:100 Things That Make Me Happy

1.brennen
2. Sparkles
3. Rottweilers
4. My family
5. My friends
6. Volkswagen GTI
7. Movies
8. HOLLYWOOD!
9. Rickenbacker Bass Guitars
10. Rainbows/ colors
11. tacos
12. roadtrips
13. concerts
14. shoes/ sneakers
15. coke
16. Step Aerobics
17. fried chicken
18. calculator watch
19. scratch and sniff stickers
20. walking my dog
21. baking
22. cooking
23. ice cream
24. hot chocolate
25. math
26. customer service
27. ipod
28.  good grades
29. vitamins
30. colorful socks
31. oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
32. water
33. les mills body pump
34. Turbo Kick Box
35. blankets
36. drive-in movie theaters
37. the whiskey a go go
38. Disneyland
39. peaches
40. new car smell
41. model homes
42. alarm clocks
43. karma
44. netflix
45. finishing hw
46. full tank of gas
47. coupons/ saving money
48. carpool lanes
49. direct deposit
50. getting paid
51. gum
52. heated car seats
53. movies during class
54. privacy
55. peace and quiet
56. folded laundry
57. drive-thrus
58. PS3
59.  chapstick
60. San Diego Chargers
61. Chicken Dinos
62. slot machines
63. movie theaters
64. sunglasses on sunny days
65. theme parks
66. chick-fil-A
67. buying new clothes
68. comfy socks
69. manners
70. glow-in-the-dark anything
71. TV shows
72. walking my dog
73. finishing daily agenda
74. napping
75. girl scout cookies
76. watching my boyfriend play his guitar
77. playing with my boyfriend, and our guitars
78. Little Big Planet game
79. The board game CLUE, and winning
80. a cigarrete, every now and then
81. paying off bills
82. hanging out with my friends
83. Christmas!
84. making people happy
85. days off from both work and school
86. glitter
87. Scentsy candles
88. strawberries in the summer
89. cleaning up
90. make-up
91. Target
92. hand-sanitizer
93. snow-globes
94. watching football on Sunday
95. learning from my grandma
96.  ninetendo DS
97.  Sega Genesis
98. scented markers
99. hearing about ghost/ supernatural experiences!
100. a nice cold beer for finishing this!