We have had a review of the Webquest and have decided on how to present. I have been adding final edit to the Webquest. A GREEN SCHOOL

The Geo Caching wiki page is complete and it was fun seeing the changes others added. I went on to add to the Google Earth, Google Docs, Prezi and I-Pad pages.

Productivity Tools - WebQuests and Digital Stories

Animoto. Exciting vehicle to try on slide shows. I loved the Istanbul video and want to try the program with an educator account.

Shutterfly is like Winkflash or Blurb. It is a great tool.

Top 50 Web 2.0 sites
http://www.techlearning.com/Default.aspx?tabid=67&EntryId=3962

Google Docs Productivity Tools
I have been using Google Docs this year. I agree that Forms is the most powerful. I am glad tat non-google users can complete the forms.The privacy issues are very complexing. I never really thought about how that information is in the public domain. I have been hesitant to add too much to the the shared docs. I love the collaboration capabilities and have really utilized it this year. The district wide project Blazes has allowed me to share docs with teachers in other schools and gathers their data through forms int my Excel files. The new collaborative avenues offered to teachers this year have opened new doors.

Productivity Tools allow you to increase your capabilities in a shorter amout of time. Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Publisher are all Microsoft tools that allow higher efficiency. Open Office allows some Microsoft type files yet does not sve or format as well. It is a sub for some tools yet has compability issues. Zoho is a business productivity tools. I think we are only seeing the tip of the iceburg and

Webquests have a built in problem solution just as a Digital Story. We will be working toward completing the webquests by next week or the following. I have been frustrated with trying to fit in collaboration time and have been sending e-mails to Erkay. For some reason he does not want me to access the webquest program and sending word docs is difficult. The webquest is coming together aand it would be a good project to tie in with the architecture program I like the structure and think it would be a fun and educational project for a class.

Digital Story Reflection
I loved creating my digital story and felt I had a clear problem/solution structure on The Foundation of a Dream (Building a deck without money) The Digital Story was a real challenge and many students were frustrated to find they did not follow a story format. One challenge with technology is that the technical side can sway the academics and students will miss the structural components of an assignment. Each task that involves technology has to have more to it than just learning a new tool. There has to be focus, intent and an educational goal to make it a teaching tool. The process is also very important and planning through graphic organizers can often create a structure that forces a creator to include certain elements. A rubric is also a great tool that lets the student know how they can receive the best grade possible.

Wiki Feedback for the following topic:
Society 6
iPad
Animoto
Video
Prezi
Vodcasting
Google Docs
Teacher Tube
Academic Word List
Geo Caching
Museum Box
Wikis

On vacation in Florida. I learned how to use I Movie and completed my digital story. This is the story of the deck I built. Foundation of a Dream by Clare Taylor - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGCBKFUM5a8
My stepmother and I also published a test so she can start. http://youtu.be/35yhxJcWFjk

Drop Box

Great idea for working with students on docs they need to access. Google docs is limiting.

Blurb

I was really excited about publishing a book and making something so professional. I need to explore the best tool for my students with this boigraphy project. I will look into Shutterfly and Winkflash but I really think Blurb is a great tool.

Digital Storytelling

The assignemnt: Write a story and illustrate it. Story bird is an interesting approach. It can incorporate illustrations that are professional. I think that would be a motivator for the kids. I disagree that it is about the product though. The process in each of these projects is so extensive and packed with learning opportunities. I am fascinated with digital story telling. I think the students will enjoy this form of communication if I can give them the correct tools. It will be helpful to explore the sites the women presented and get an idea of the different tools available.

The power of storytelling has been passed down generation to generation and I am concerned that it is losing its place in our students’ lives. Students today are less apt to share stories, engage in adventures that lead to stories, or spend time listening to others share their stories. Our writing curriculum in 5^th grade is focused on expository writing and less on narrative stories. I have incorporated photo prompts in my teaching to move students to write about feelings and thoughts. Digital storytelling may help move them to a new challenge and one that will engage and excite them. It is important that they have guidance and a clear set of expectations. The first challenge is to create my own digital story and find a topic that will move an audience.

I think I will try doing a story on the Women's Deck. There is a great story to tell and I have images to share. I think it is inspiring and with the I-Pad I can learn how to use the tools. This will be a fun vacation project. I will explore the story map and incorporate the different challenges and ultimate solution to my story. If I win the CECA Award I will but a notebook for my classroom and have a tool made for video, audio and image recording. That hurdle will solve many of the stumbling blocks I am finding in my school.

WebQuests

Webquests are an exciting teaching tool. I was first introduced in webquests in a 4 day class in the late 90s. The quest was based on backward design and I created a task on creating a future colony. The students had different roles and specialized started with studying the past. The colony study allowed the perfect medium for collaboration and students worked in different teams to become specialists. I have used a trip quest to have my students research foreign countries and plan two days of sightseeing.  The final presentations included excel spreadsheets and many students made brochures or multi-media presentations. It is fun to work on a quest with Erkays and we are enjoying the collaboration. Creating a green school quest will be a fun project.

I have a lot on my plate with the launch of the new website. I want to save and update the quests I have created. I think there is value in adding some of the regular project I teach to this online format. It allows parents to see the rubrics and keeps the websites limited. This could be a great summer task.

Prezi

I am finding the technology exploration exciting but it is hard to not be on top of the new things I hear about. I have watched the students exceed me and they catch on so quickly. I love that they are enthusiastic and know that motivation is key in teaching today. With a large class I struggle with giving the individual technology training. The Smartboard offers great whole class instruction and the weekly lab helps. The prezi presentations showed me the importance of having some sort of quality standards to show the kids before starting multimedia projects. They leap in and forget about how important the content is.