ANNE WALKER
INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS
EDIT 6150 - INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER-BASED EDUCATION
SUMMER 2006
Instructional
Technology
Projects
Favorite Websites:
PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS PROJECT
Brochure
As a public relations professional, I have designed many brochures, but I have typically utilized Print Shop for my graphics. This was my first experience using Word, and I was delighted to see how much it offered and how user-friendly it was. While I am currently a Parapro instead of a teacher, I know that the teacher with whom I work will be happy to use many of the projects that I have designed in this class. My only challenge was that the alignment of the columns shifted when I submitted the project through WebCT; but that was easy to correct.Business Card
I haven't seen many teachers with business cards, but again I was delighted to see how easy it was to create in Word. I enjoyed using particular graphics to give my projects a unifed look. The colored blocks were perfect to use for Kindergarten. Maybe our staff will start using business cards!Calendar
Strangely enough, I found the calendar to be the most frustrating of the Word projects. I wanted to use my own choice of graphics, and it was difficult to find blank calendars that offered space for adding graphics. Obviously, I ultimately found what I was looking for, but it took some time. I prepared calendars by hand this past school year--but now I will advance to more sophisticated technology.Certificate
I am going to suggest to my teacher that we use certificates more often this year. We only presented them at the end of the year, but I believe that they can be a great motivator for good behavior. Certificates are easy to make and very inexpensive. I hope we can use them in our "incentive" programClass Roll
I truly wanted to make this project much more difficult than it really was. I have spent very little time in Excel, so I didn't realize how easily it adapted to imported formats. Once I realized the simplicity of it, I imagine that I will use the type of thing much more regularly. Then again, parapros don't keep roll.Grading Sheet
Just as I described with the Class Roll project, I wanted to make this difficult. Additionally, there are very few things that are graded in such a way that you need to average the grades in Kindergarten. Luckily, I am the one who administers the Accelerated Readers program, so the grading sheet will benefit me more than the classroom teacher. This will likely be something that I use.Plan Book
This was yet another project that I over-complicated. My classroom teacher has indicated that she wants me to help her put her lesson plans on the computer, so this information will be very valuable. Once we get a primary template made, the rest should be easy. I look forward to implementing this.Seating Chart
I was a PowerPoint rookie at the beginning of this class. It is now my absolute favorite software because it is user friendly, fun and flexible. There is so much more than the standard slideshow that can be accomplished using PowerPoint. I can think of dozens of ways of developing the medium, and plan to try many of them."Welcome to Kindergarten" Presentation
This was obviously my first PowerPoint production. The slideshow format will really not lend itself to Kindergartners who are not yet reading, but I can certainly see other uses within my school. I will suggest to the teachers of older grades that they introduce their classes, expectations and rules using this medium. It certainly provides a professional appearance.Worksheet
Unfortunately, first day kindergartners are not ready for puzzles. It is vitally important, however, that we remember to teach them the importance of bus safety. This worksheet allows them the freedom to color as well as they are able (which isn't necessarily very well) while they are reminded of the "rules of the road" regarding school transportation. We can never forget the importance of this kind of lesson.
COGNITIVE TOOL PROJECT
While I understand the concept of using Excel or Access to demonstrate cognitive concepts, I found it difficult to create a project that utilized the technology appropriately. We don't have many Kindergarten concepts that would benefit from this type of technology. As a future School Library Media Specialist, I chose to explore one of my favorite fields--geography. I do think that the graphs that would be generated in my project would be helpful for high school students to see, but I understand that they did not provide for variables that truly exploit the technology.
LITERATURE SUMMARY/CRITIQUE PAPER
This literature summary and critique paper would be my least favorite of the projects that were required for the EDIT 6150 class. I truly don't mind writing, and the readings were appropriate, but I felt like this was "busy work" while the rest of our projects were meaningful in helping us understand the importance of technology. I hope that my efforts will prove that I took the assignment seriously, but I'm very grateful that I have finished it!
Project-Based, Constructivism & Constructionism Education:
A Hands-on Approach for Students
OPEN-ENDED PROJECT
I thoroughly enjoyed designing and executing my Open-ended Project. I quickly chose to create a PowerPoint game because I love games and I love PowerPoint. The one unfortunate aspect of my choice is that learning where states are located (and state capitals) is not one of the Georgia Perfomance Standards, so I'm not sure of how much use it might be to teachers in Georgia. I do feel, however, that USA: What's Where? can be a good enrichment game for kids of all ages.
WEBQUEST
It took me awhile to land on an idea for my WebQuest project. Again, I was immediately drawn to Geography, but that left the whole world in front of me. As a former travel agent, I began to think about areas to which I had traveled that were not standard destinations. With a specific destination in mind, I enjoyed creating my tasks and my process as I researched for appropriate websites. I'm thrilled with the fact that the sixth grade students have to do some exploring before they find out what they are even researching!
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