Collage

For this project I had to download (for free) Shape Collage. This program takes your chosen photos and makes them into any shape you want!

Disclaimer

The opinions expressed in this blog and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of North Dakota State University/Valley City State University or any employee thereof. NDSU/VCSUis not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information supplied by this blog.

All content provided on this blog is for informational purposes only. The owner of this blog makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site. The owner will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information. The owner will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the display or use of this information. These terms and conditions of use are subject to change at anytime and without notice.

The materials for activities on this blog were obtained legally with permissions from the distributor. In short, I did not steal anything. Feel free to use any ideas you see.

NETS

NETS (National Educational Technology Standards) have to do with advancing teaching in the digital age. They are "the standards for evaluating the skills and knowledge educators need to teach, work, and learn in an increasingly connected global and digital society." (ISTE.org).

5 Standards for Teachers:
1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
2. Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
3. Model Digital Age Work and Learning
4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility
5. Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership

Student Standards:
1. Creativity and Innovation
2. Communication and Collaboration
3. Research and Information Fluency
4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
5. Digital Citizenship
6. Technology Operations and Concepts

In order for students to meet these standards, I need to be modeling all of them myself. For example, to promote creativity and innovation in students, I could help students research real-world issues and discuss ways to solve problems with the use of technology. I will also stay engaged in the learning process and show students how I use digital tools to collaborate with others.

Another way to promote the use of digital tools for students is to always be giving them examples of tools to use for every subject. Students may know about certain technological features for subjects like science, technology, and math. I need to be responsible for showing them the vast array of features they can be using for all sorts of subjects and interests.

I also feel that it is extremely important to promote digital citizenship, and portray to the learners that there are rules for using technology and that we are all responsible for our actions. This could range from teaching them about copyright and plagiarism to telling them about the dangers of talking to strangers online/sexting/cyber bullying.

 Learning about new digital tools is becoming increasingly important for our school system. I believe that it will be my job to show students the potential they can reach when using these tools, but to also be using these tools responsibly.


References:

"NETS". International Society for Technology in Education. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards

Multimedia Project

For our multimedia project we researched Fakebook and how we can use it in the classroom. This website allows you to create a fake Facebook profile page for ANYTHING. One can use it for book characters, historical figures, landforms, plants/animals, etc. Basically it is just a fun way for students to present information on a given topic. With how popular Facebook and social networking is in general, I figure that students will absolutely love to create their own profiles :)

Link: Fakebook

Here is the handout we created for the site

Holiday Plans

I am so ready for winter break I can hardly stand it! I love school, but with everything piling up all at the same time things tend to get very stressful when I also have a job/tutoring to think about as well. There aren't too many specifics planned for this break, but I do have a few things to look forward to (besides simply relaxing, of course):

1. December 15th: Christmas celebration on Dad's side.
That Saturday we will be getting together with all of my dad's family at one of his brother's houses. We tend to have very casual gatherings with them for Christmas, usually just making a game day out of it and ordering pizza. We are also all planning to see The Hobbit together, so it should be a very nice day :)

2. December 23rd: Christmas at Mom's side.
We will be getting together with all of my mom's family at my grandparents house as we have every year! It will be a potluck style dinner and there will be aunts, uncles, and grandchildren all around the house. I am especially excited to see a few of my cousins whom I have not seen in quite some time. It should be a very long but special day for all of us. We will also be celebrating my grandpa's 80th birthday that day!

3. Christmas Eve: Boyfriend's Family Christmas
Pretty self explanatory. They usually make awesome food, we watch a movie, exchange some gifts, and play games!

4. Christmas: My family's Christmas.
Christmas Day has become sort of a 'vegging out' day for my family. Since everyone usually has plans with the other side of their family on Christmas, my family ends up hanging out with each other. We usually wake up and have breakfast together (cinnamon rolls every year). We then watch Christmas specials on TV, and really just enjoy each others' company. Later that day our family friends usually come over because they are in the same situation as we are, and we all play games and eat for the remainder of the day. I have come to love this super relaxing holiday tradition.

Aside from specific holiday plans, I am very excited to see a lot of my friends from my hometown. Although we are somewhat growing apart, it is really nice to see them and hear about how they are doing. Aside from that, I'm sure I will be playing indoor tennis at some point with my family, going shopping, hanging out with my cats, and watching a lot of movies. Then I will be setting some New Year's resolutions that I probably won't stick to, but here's for trying!

QR Game

Example of QR Code (Plenty of QR Code Creators Online)

For this project I created a worksheet where students would use an iPad or any phone where you can download a QR Scanner (free). In this specific instance I listed social studies terms on one side of the sheet. There were two columns: one for the definition and one for the picture of the term. I then used blue and red poker chips to stick the codes on (each with a corresponding number or letter that the students could write on the sheet). For example, if a student scanned a code and it had a picture of a mountain on it, in the "mountain" row under "picture", they would write the corresponding letter/number of that poker chip.

My Wild Self

This was something we created in class using "Build Your Wild Self". This is just a fun website where one can create a person using parts of wild animals. When you choose a part, it also gives facts about said animal. Kind of cute! The link to the website is provided in the picture caption.

http://www.buildyourwildself.com/

SnagIt Video

Below is the link to my groups SnagIt video for a tutorial on Fakebook. We used the free trial of the program SnagIt to make a video of us using the website, while we talk over it and explain. It worked pretty well, except some of the sound is a little muffled. If you do use it, make sure you always get close enough to the computer microphone and try to have absolutely NO background noise. Otherwise, a great tool.

iPad Rules Poster

To go along with our iPad unit, we were to make a poster with rules for iPads in the classroom. To make mine I actually used a scrapbook layout from a digital scrap-booking site (free and legal) but I cannot for the life of me remember which one. I then changed the backround, sizes of the rectangles, colors, etc. and added my rules, title, and created my own picture of an iPad. Lots of fun!

iPads in the Classroom

iPads are latest popular tool schools are using in the classroom! When I found this out, I honestly couldn't really believe that every student would have access to an iPad because I myself have barely used one (I'm getting old, already). Honestly I was a bit skeptical about using iPads because as much as I love new technology, I kind of hate what it has been doing to social skills, manners, and creativity. That being said, there are some GREAT apps on the iPad that can be great in the classroom. I feel that as long as I have a good balance in my classroom and give students the understanding that rules do apply to using technology, I can definitely see it fitting in to my philosophy.

One of my favorite things we were able to do in class with the iPad is use a whiteboard app. There are plenty of free ones that work just fine, but the one we used was not free. It allows the teacher to write on the board WHILE MOVING AROUND THE ROOM! I think that's pretty cool. One can write on a blank background, a website, or an image. Basically whatever comes on the screen, you can write on it, make notes, highlight, etc. I thought this was a pretty handy tool.

There are many apps for specific subjects: math games/flashcards, reading out loud, vocabulary, science facts/games, social studies, art, and music! There are some great games to help students learn new skills. A lot of them are so entertaining they probably won't even realize they are improving a skill!

Some sites I found very helpful for finding cool apps were:

100 Ways to Use iPads in Your Classroom
Apple in Education
15 Creative Apps for Kids
Apps for Teachers

Polaroid Pictures

 For this project we created Polaroid pictures! We downloaded the templates for a strip of Polaroids and one large one for a self-portrait. Then you simply use Photoshop to place your photos behind the frames (put photo layer behind the frame layer). Very easy!

Favorite Teacher Websites/Blogs

There are many different websites/blogs that I like to follow, but I will share my favorites.

http://thecutestblogontheblock.com/

First: The Cutest Blog on the Block. This website taught me how to make awesome backgrounds and headers by using digital scrap-booking supplies that can be downloaded for a small prices or free (and legal!) from their website.

Second: A website that I like to take a look at as my inspiration for a true classroom blog is Mrs. McDavid's 3rd Grade. It doesn't really focus as much on activity ideas, but serves as an inspiration for the kind of classroom website/blog I would create for my classroom and parents.

Lastly: Since there are ridiculous amounts of blogs/website to look at, I decided to talk about the site that has them all: Pinterest. Pinterest is where I find most of the blogs I follow and gives me some GREAT ideas for lesson plans, project, organization, etc. There are so many great things that can be found on Pinterest to use in the classroom.

Forms

For this assignment we were to create a form using Powerpoint and Photoshop. The form on the top was one that I had grabbed from my cooperating teacher for my 40 hour field experience this semester. I took her form and made it my own by changing the layout a little, creating a border, and changing the fonts to make it more visually appealing. I thought it turned out really well. Below that I created a worksheet based on one that I had seen on Pinterest.

Mp3 Audio Book

For this project we had to use a free program called Audacity to record ourselves reading a book. Once we recorded ourselves, we burned this file on to a CD. I thought this was a really cool idea, especially for students who may need certain kinds of accommodations when it comes to reading. I also thought it would be a good idea for center activities to record myself giving directions. Below I have provided an image of the book a link to the Amazon site.

Miss Malarkey Doesn't Live in Room 10 

Teacher vs. Student

Right now I am in the middle of making a transition from being a student to learning how to be a teacher. So far the transition is going smoothly, but there are definitely some things that I have had to learn. As I continue my education, as a student, I have realized that we are all learning to be more professional even amongst our own peers. Being a student usually meant that I was able to be totally relaxed and casual with everything I did: how I dressed, how I spoke, etc. Now I am learning how to be a professional in my college and in the field.

During my field experience hours this semester I learned a lot about student-teacher interactions and how to keep things professional AND lighthearted. There are things that I might say to my younger cousins or joke around about with other people that I would probably not say in the classroom. NOT because any of these are inappropriate, but I have learned that one has to maintain a level of professionalism when talking about teacher-student relationships. It is important to remember that I am their teacher, and not there to be their friend. I think that has been the hardest part for me, as I get along well with children but I really like to make them laugh all the time. This isn't a bad thing, but I have been learning that if you joke around too much with students they will probably not take you as seriously when you are trying to teach.

There are many different dynamics that one must adjust to in every day life. How I act with my friends in different than how I act with my classmates, professors, field experience students, co-workers, etc. Becoming a professional is all about knowing how to act and when, without actually losing your identity.

Germ Cover Image

We made covers for spray-hand sanitizer to have in the classroom. I made this cover in Photoshop. The letters were downloaded from a scrap-booking site, and the rest was made using the shapes provided in Photoshop. Pretty neat!

Instagram

This project involved taking a template and placing pictures we already had on it in Photoshop to create an "Instagram" photo. For this I first cropped each of the photos into a square. It didn't matter what size originally because when I resized it later as long as it was a square it was fine. What I found to be the easiest was using the 'shapes' tool to create two long rectangles. From there I placed each picture inside of the rectangle so that there was a little bit of white showing all around it. Just make sure you put the strips of pictures on a 4x6 background so that you can print it like a normal picture!

About Me

Hello all! My name is Casie Antony and I am a North Dakota State University/Valley City State University student (senior) working towards my dual degree in Elementary Education and Human Development and Family Science. I have also received a Spanish Minor and Coaching Certificate, and I am working on getting my Middle School Math Endorsement and Title I Reading Certificate. This blog was originally created for my Educational Technology course, where I have been keeping track of all sorts of fun projects and tools for teachers to use.

I graduated high school from Monticello, MN where I live during the summers with my wonderful parents, brother (20), and sister (15). We also have two cats, Felix and Oscar, which I adore. Family is extremely important to me and I love them all dearly.

In my spare time I like to read, watch movies, play tennis, sing, and play the piano. I love to laugh and spend time with my friends and boyfriend.

Hopefully this blog will be a useful tool to help me keep track of all of the new projects/educational tools I learn about, and I may eventually use this blog or one like it for my future classroom. Thanks for viewing, enjoy!