BEFORE the final...

OK, everyone. Remember to do the following two things before the final:

1. Print the rubric for the final project (found below) and complete your self evaluation. Bring this with you to the final. I will provide the CDs to burn the project onto.

2. Upload your completed digital story (in .wmv format) to blip.tv as follows:

a. Go to http://blip.tv
b. Sign up for an account (they won't spam you) - hint: your Show Name is your screen name (e.g., profcox). Don't use your first and last name.
c. Wait a couple of minutes and then sign in.
d. Click on Upload at the top of the screen.
e. Complete the information for your story (title, description)
f. Browse to your finished story and upload.
g. After the upload completes, click the link to view your video.
h. Copy down the link to your video and have that ready to present at the final!

Survey time again!

The time has come for our final survey of the semester. You have all been so patient and helpful with this and I greatly appreciate it.

Please complete the survey by clicking on the link: Click Here to take survey. It should take approximately one hour to complete and you MUST COMPLETE IT ALL IN ONE SITTING, so plan accordingly.

We will be using the first hour of class to complete the survey, after which you can work on your digital story or your lesson plan and reflection. This survey is required for the course and you will receive credit for your participation.

Final Paper Articles

OK, I've put several articles in the Blackboard course if you need help finding some for your paper. I've also put the NETS standards for teachers and students in there.

Progress Reports

My assistant and I will be completing the progress for everyone on Monday, so I want you all to go through your UEN pages and blogs to make sure you have everything that's required. Here's the list:

Blog:
Introductory message
Embedded Google calendar
Embedded game
Gabcast
3 UEN resources that you liked
5 ideas for using Publisher
Annotated Bibliography 1
WebQuest reflection
Annotated Bibliography 2

UEN Page:
PPT 1 (5 slides)
Inspiration web for your Hypermedia project
Publisher example
WebQuest (depending on class)
*don't forget to make sure that all assignments are visible on your public page!!!

I'm not sure we'll have time to grade the WebQuests before the break, but I'll try.

Technology-Rich Lesson Plan

Don't forget your final examination project - the technology-rich lesson plan. See the assignment description and rubric to make sure that you are meeting all of the requirements. Remember that you can use this lesson for your curriculum class or you may be able to use a lesson plan that you created previously for curriculum or a methods class.

Thoroughly review the rubric to determine how you will be graded on this assignment. Notice that you are expected to evaluate your own work before submitting it.

You should submit the assignment on a CD that includes: your lesson plan, your contingency plan, your classroom management plan, your technological examples, and your final paper. That CD should be submitted to your instructor at the final exam (or before - I would love you!) with a printed version of the rubric with your self-evaluation completed.

Assignments and Schedules

Since we don't have class next week due to Thanksgiving, I want to make sure you all understand the assignments that you should be working on.

When you come back from the break, you should have your script and storyboard completed, meaning that everything's written and chunked and you have all of your pictures in order in PowerPoint with their accompanying narration. Additionally, you should find your music and/or sound effects. In short, you should have everything ready for the production of your digital story.

If you need any reminders or want to watch examples, I recommend the following sites:

http://www.coe.uh.edu/digital-storytelling/
http://www.storycenter.org/resources.html
http://www.storycenter.org/stories/
http://www.digitales.us/
Keep in mind the requirements and rubric for this assignment found in the previous post.

ALSO - our final has been scheduled. Remember that education finals are scheduled differently than other finals on campus, so none of your education courses should overlap with each other when all is said and done. If you have a conflict with another class on campus, let me know and we'll try to make other arrangements. The schedule is as follows:

Section 1: 7-9am Monday, December 10th
Section 3: 1-3pm Monday, December 10th

We will not have an examination final. Rather, you will be presenting your digital stories. Attendance at the final is required, mandated by the college.

Speaking of which, please be sure to attend class for the next couple of weeks. The production of the digital stories can get intense and we'll have end-of-class business to take care of, so you really need to attend. Also, attendance can make a difference in your grade if you're on the edge.

Digital Storytelling

Today we begin our digital storytelling project - the second that goes in your portfolios.

You will need the script template to start.

Your digital story should meet the following criteria.

You will be graded based on this rubric.

WebQuest Rubric

Here is the rubric for your WebQuest. Go through it and make sure that you meet all of the requirements before you submit your finished product. A few things, such as assigning roles to the students, were not part of our discussion and are therefore not required in your assignment.

You'll also notice that the last item on the rubric is a reflection. This is to be completed individually and posted on your blogs - Due November 7th. Here are the requirements:

Write a reflection of approximately 500 words concerning your experiences with creating a WebQuest and working with a team. Use the following as a guide:

WebQuests
• What did you think about WebQuests?
• How will you use WebQuests in your own classes?
Process
• What worked well?
• What did not work well?
• What worked well and/or did not work well working with a team?
• What would you do differently the next time you design a WebQuest?
• What further training might you need to complete a WebQuest on your own?

WebQuest Assignment #1

Morning class: Your assignment for this week is to choose your core curriculum standard, write your essential question, write some objectives for your WebQuest (what should students Know, Understand, and be able to Do?), and to write your Introduction and Task paragraphs.

If you missed class, please speak to others in your content area to join a group.

Intro to WebQuests

Today in class we are completing a WebQuest about WebQuests to learn what exactly these things are. After a discussion about the necessary elements of WebQuests, you will work in groups to complete a WebQuest in your subject area.

We will be using backward design and this worksheet to begin planning the WebQuests. One group member should copy the worksheet to his/her own Google Docs area and then invite others in the group to participate. You may also want to use Google Docs to assist you in planning the entire WebQuest so that everyone can contribute.

Finishing Hypermedia and Beginning Publisher

You have all done amazing work on your hypermedia PowerPoints. I know that some things - particularly the video - has been challenging. I hope, however, that this experience has helped you to understand how you can make learning with technology more engaging and interactive for your students.

Today in class we are evaluating each other's hypermedia assignments using this evaluation sheet.

I am also introducing you to Microsoft Publisher - a great tool for helping your students publish their work in interesting ways. It's also very easy to use! Your assignment is to come up with five ways you could use Publisher to teach topics in your subject area. Post these ideas on your blog. Then you will create an example of ONE of those ideas and post it on your UEN page. Keep in mind that Publisher files generally have more than one page, found in tabs at the bottom of the screen. You can delete pages from this, but watch your formatting when you do (check the print preview to make sure it still looks good!).

Have a great long weekend!

New Extra Credit Opportunities!

I have had the great fortune this week to attend seminars by two outstanding educators and I want to share them with you. If you are truly serious about having a career in education, I strongly encourage you to watch the videos of these seminars and reflect on them. To get extra credit, watch a video (or watch both and do two reflections) and write a reflection including 3 things you learned from the presentation in your blog.

Patti Harrington
State Superintendent of Public Education
Topic: Education in Utah
Approx. 45 minutes
http://blip.tv/file/409942/
Listen rather than watch. The video's REALLY bad!
If you went with me to this presentation, you're welcome to just reflect on that experience.

Carol Ann Tomlinson
Master educator at the University of Virginia Curry School of Education
Topic: The differentiated classroom
Approx. 1 hr. 45 min.
http://blip.tv/file/410486

Research Assignment Description

You can now access the description for the research assignment online.

Inspiration to PowerPoint

If you already finished the linear version of your PowerPoint for Wednesday's class, you're going to hate me. If not, you're going to love me. I just found out that you actually CAN convert your Inspiration web to PowerPoint. Follow these steps once you finish your Inspiration web:

1. In Inspiration, click the Outline button at the top of the screen
2. Pull down the File menu to Export
3. Choose the Format: MS PowerPoint RTF
4. Click Save.
5. Make note of where the document is being saved so that you can access it.
6. Open PowerPoint
7. Pull down the File menu to Open
8. Browse to find the file you saved in step 4. (If you don't see the file, change the File Type to All Files)
9. Choose the file
10. Click Open
11. Run through to check that everything's in the order that you want and that things are in the right places.

VOILA!

Converting YouTube videos!

I just discovered these instructions for converting videos from You Tube to use in a PowerPoint. Woohoo! It requires you to download a free program, but hey! Anyway, if you're having a hard time finding a non-youtube video, check this out: http://www.tiara.org/blog/?p=273. Let me know via instant message, email, blog comment, phone, etc., if you have any problems with this.

Hypermedia Article

Here's the link to the brief article I used in class to discuss Hypermedia PowerPoint: http://www2.successforboys.edu.au/cd-rom/resources/pdf/ict/ict_resource16.pdf

Hypermedia PowerPoint

This class is really interesting because there is just so much to cover!!! We just barely learned PowerPoint and here we are jumping into advanced uses of it. Whew! I will do my best to be more organized and present the content in a clearer fashion.

Introduction to Hypermedia
Hypermedia allows us (or our students) to create a richer, more engaging presentation that shows the complex relationships between topics. However, that complexity also means that it can be a bit confusing to set up the presentations.

Storyboarding
I believe that it helps to start with a storyboard or outline of how everything should be laid out. We are using Inspiration to do that. It allows you to create a bubble chart or outline so that you know what your main idea is, what each of your topics will be, what each of your subtopics will be, and then you can also start to collect details like facts, links, and pictures for your presentation. Save this to submit next week. You can download a free 30-day trial of Inspiration at www.inspiration.com. Note that we cannot convert the Inspiration into a PowerPoint - this will simply serve as our organizing tool.

Creating the PowerPoint
The actual hypermedia will be created in PowerPoint. You begin by taking all of the text from your Inspiration web and putting it onto the slides in PowerPoint - creating what looks like your basic linear PowerPoint presentation. This is what is due at the beginning of class next week. It would also be very helpful for next week if you can put any pictures that you'll be using into the presentation.

Media
Once your text and pictures are in, it's time to insert the other media types. For this presentation, you are required to have one video and one audio file. I know that the videos are hard to find. Remember to use specific search terms and to include the file type in your search (.wmv seems to work the best). Download the video and save it on your U drive, a flash drive, etc. You need to be able to have it in the lab with you next time. I strongly recommend creating a folder on your U drive or flash drive for this hypermedia project and storing everything - the presentation, pictures, audio, video, etc. - in that folder.

ATTENTION
For class next week, you need to have all of these ready - saved in a folder on your U drive or flash drive, but we'll do everything below in class together, so DON'T STRESS!!! I'm just providing the directions here in case you're curious or want to try it on your own.

Video
To insert the video, navigate to the slide you want to video to appear on. Then go to Insert>Movies and Sounds>Movie from File. Browse to the video that you saved, select it, and click OK. A dialogue box will pop up asking if you want the video to play automatically or when clicked. Choose whichever option makes the most sense for your presentation. You'll want to test the video by playing the slideshow to make sure it works the way you expect it to.

Audio
You insert your audio file(s) the same way you do video. Save the file (.wav files work best) to your folder. www.findsounds.com has a bunch of little sound files you can use, but they're pretty much just sound effects. You're welcome to use music, recordings of voices, etc. Navigate to the slide you want the sound on and choose Insert>Movies and Sounds>Sound from File. Browse for the file you want, select it, then click OK. Again, you can choose if you want it to play automatically or when clicked.

Hyperlinks
You are also required to have at least one link to content on the web in each of your topic areas. To do this, type some text (a title for the link or the web address itself), then select that text and go to Insert>Hyperlink. Copy the web address of the website you want to link to in the Address box. Note that linking to a YouTube video DOES NOT count for your video in this presentation. You can use the YouTube as a link, but your video needs to be something that's embedded in your presentation.

Navigation
The hardest part of a hypermedia presentation is getting all of the navigation straight. The user needs to be able to get anywhere he/she needs to go in the presentation. Think about how YOU would like to be able to move around and then create the navigation so you can. The following list might help:

Make sure you can:
* Get from the main page to your topics
* Get from the topics to their subtopics
* Move between the subtopics
* Get from the subtopics back to the topics
* Get from the topics back to the main page
* Exit the presentation

Now, how do you do this? Start by asking yourself how you want the presentation to look. Do you want it to be very graphical, with pictures as links? Do you want it to have buttons? Or do you just want regular 'ol links? I don't really like that third option. I'd like to see you do pictures or buttons. You can also get a lot more creative and use a map, create a museum, etc.

If you want to use pictures, follow this process:
* Insert your pictures on the main page and organize them the way you want
* Click on the first picture you want to link
* Go to SlideShow>Action Settings (you may have to expand the menu to see that)
* Under Mouse Click, choose Hyperlink to:
* Choose the slide that you want to link to. You can choose the first slide, last slide, next, previous, etc. Notice that one option is End Show, which you should use for your users to exit the presentation. You can also choose a certain slide by selecting Slide.. from the list, then choosing which slide you want it to go to.
* Go ahead and test that out by playing the slideshow and clicking on your picture.
* Now, add the rest of your navigation. Be very careful as you go through this process that you select the correct slides. Test everything when you're done.

If you want to use buttons, follow this process:
* Go to Slide Show and choose Action Buttons.
* There are a number of buttons here for you to choose from. I don't really like them because they're so bland and generic. I prefer to make my own. To do that, choose the first, blank button from the list.
* Click and drag to create the button.
* Choose the slide that you want to link to. You can choose the first slide, last slide, next, previous, etc. Notice that one option is End Show, which you should use for your users to exit the presentation. You can also choose a certain slide by selecting Slide.. from the list, then choosing which slide you want it to go to.
* Change the color, shape, etc. of the button using the Drawing Tools in PowerPoint.
* Click once on the button you created to select it.
* Find the Text Box button at the very bottom of the screen (looks like an a with lines next to it) and click on it.
* Click on your button - you have just converted your button to a button/text box hybrid (look - I'm eco-friendly!)
* Type the label for your button in the text box - you can change the font type, size, etc.
* Go ahead and test that out by playing the slideshow and clicking on your button.
* Now, add the rest of your navigation. Be very careful as you go through this process that you select the correct slides. Test everything when you're done.

Requirements
Here's the final list of requirements for the presentation. Keep in mind that these are the minimum requirements, which will earn you 89% on the assignment. To get an A, you need to go above and beyond these requirements. A rubric will be forthcoming.
* It should be on a topic in your core. Include the curriculum standard on a final, unlinked slide called Core.
* At least three (3) topics
* At least three (3) subtopics for each topic
* At least 1 hyperlink (web) for each topic
* At least 1 picture for each topic
* At least 1 video file (.avi, .wmv, .mpeg, .asf) in the entire presentation
* At least 1 sound file (not from clipart - .wav, .mp3) in the entire presentation
* Navigation as outlined above
* A references slide with links to each source you used for information, video, audio, pictures, etc.

Please let me know if you have any questions or are struggling with anything. I don't want you to spend hours laboring over something that you don't understand. I would also be happy to help you find a video to use in your presentation if you'll email me (or comment here) with your topic.

Excel and PowerPoint

I hope that you enjoyed our whirlwind tour through Excel and PowerPoint today. Your assignments for this week are these:

1. Complete a version of the idea you had for using Excel in the classroom. Upload it in Google Docs, Publish it, and copy the link into a post on your blog.

2. Create a simple PowerPoint either for use in the future as an in-service teacher or for a class you're taking right now. The minimum requirements are these:
* at least 5 slides
* transitions between all slides
* animations on all bulleted lists
* at least 1 picture
* a slide design (background, color scheme, etc.)

You can either go conservative on this - with the same transitions and animations throughout the presentation - or you can play with the program and have different transitions and animations, sounds, etc. I just want you to feel comfortable using the program. I would also be very pleased if you go beyond the minimum requirements and make this something truly useful.

New link for computer tutorial

Just found out that the link to lesson 3 of the computer tutorial (extra credit, see below) is broken. Here's the link the main directory for the entire tutorial, which should help you work around that problem.

Texting in the classroom

Just saw this great article on using instant messaging and text messaging in the classroom. Bonus points if you read it and either gabcast or blog about it!

Article

Suzy

Extra Credit Opportunities

I have two extra credit opportunities to help you brush up on your basic computer knowledge and familiarity with UEN.

1. Read through the tutorial (at least through lesson 4). Then complete the crossword puzzle.

2. Complete the UEN Scavenger Hunt.

Digital Cameras

We will be using digital cameras in class on Wednesday, so if you have one of your own please bring it and any accompanying cables.

Thanks!

Enduring the craziness!

Thank you, 8am class, for putting up with all of the crazy stuff we did today! You are amazing!

First, let's review what we did:
1) We explored UEN to see the resources available to you there. This site is sponsored by the state office of education for us to use as educators, so take advantage of these great resources.
2) You created personal UEN pages (as an alternative to blogs) to use with your classes. The address for these pages is http://my.uen.org/###### where everyone's number is different. You can find your number by logging in and looking beneath your name.
3) We added to our iGoogle pages, particularly adding the Google Notebook gadget. I also asked you to add another tab and explore some of the gadgets available or even create your own. We also added the link to uen and to your uen page to your Bookmarks gadget.
4) We set up our blogs. See the blogging video below to learn how to do this. Your first post should be an introduction to you. I'd also love to know why you chose your content major. Send the URL for your blog to me in an email (cox.uvsc@gmail.com).
5) We explored gabcasting. Watch the gabcasting video below to learn how to do this. We then posted a gabcast of an idea for using gabcasting in our classrooms to our blogs. To learn how to do this, come see me!

The homework for this week is as follows: Explore UEN and find 3 interesting resources you could use in your class that are NOT core curriculum or lesson plans (examples: interactives, videos, etc.). Post a message on your blog that describes those resources and provides the link to your public UEN page (http://my.uen.org/######).

You should also begin your research on the effective use of technology in education. In the next four weeks, you should find 3 articles on this topic. I would love to see a mix of subject-specific and general educational information. You may also use one magazine or newspaper article. The rest should be from scholarly journals. We will use these later in the semester to justify our use of technology with the curriculum.

If you have any questions, please feel free to post them as comments here or use email, Google Talk, or the good old phone!

Technology Integration Survey

In class today we will be watching the following video (http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/66) which reminds us that technology skill is not the only important thing children need to develop at school!

Today's assignment is the completion of a survey to help us improve the technology integration courses at UVSC. Please take the time to answer all of the questions to the best of your ability. Notify your instructor if you have any questions or notice any errors.

The survey can be found at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=tx4Ms8RP3ZBYWEycXe70YQ_3d_3d .

Thank you!

Professional Development Plan - Workshops

I've had lots of questions about the write-up of the two workshops that you're supposed to find, so I'll address them here.

Remember that you are supposed to discuss some goals that you have for your professional development with technology. Then, you need to find two workshops or tutorials or some other training where you can learn the skills you need to meet those goals. Start at http://www.uen.org. They offer great professional development opportunities. In your paper, summarize the workshop (include the title, date, location, cost, topic covered, etc.) and then discuss how that particular workshop will help you meet your goals.

I hope that helps!

Nice to meet you...

It was very nice to meet all of you today. I hope that you're not feeling too overwhelmed by the paper, but I really think that it will help you to situate your learning in this class. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please feel free to come to me at my office (EB 112K), via email (coxsu@uvsc.edu), on the phone (863-8588), or on Google Talk (cox.uvsc).

UVSC has an excellent writing lab that is available if you need it. You can actually send your paper to them online and then chat with an editor who will explain anything that needs to be changed. Really cool! You can access that at
http://www.uvsc.edu/owl/ . I encourage you to use that service to make all of your papers the best that they can be.

I've posted the APA guide and the citation machine link on our blog under the Professional Development Plan. I've also posted our syllabus for you to access and I'll work on getting the calendar up. I hope that this will be a very valuable semester for all of you!

Welcome to EDSC 3250!

Welcome to Instructional Media! All of our class resources will be found on this page, so make sure you check it often. The purpose of this course is to introduce you to computer technology and the use of computer hardware and software in the secondary classroom.

Teachers who have an understanding of technology integration and skills in using computers are able to assist students in a variety of exciting ways that enhances learning and are better able to manage the organization, preparation, presentation and evaluation required in teaching more effectively.

I hope that you will take this course seriously and put forth your best effort in understanding the material so that you will be better able to teach and motivate your students, as well as be more productive through the use of technology!