Colonial Life in America WebQuest
I enjoyed creating my WebQuest. It would be a great tool to use to teach units with students. I already had a unit (from Integrated Methods) on Colonial America, and I used this unit to create my WebQuest, which made it pretty simple. I think WebQuests would work great for units that teachers have already created. They can just add the activities students would be working on. And it would be very convenient for students to use have one site (the WebQuest) where all the information can be found as well as other website links.
The one thing I did not like about using Quest Garden is that the format is very structured. I wish I could have developed my own format completely. For example, I actually had four different activities I wanted to include, but the format allowed me to only include three processes. I had to add the first activity in the Task section. Also, I wish I could have removed some of the pages and added some. For example, I would have removed the Teacher Intro page and added an actual Standards page. Maybe there was a way to do this, but I didn't figure it out.
Overall, I enjoyed the assignment and plan to use this when I teach.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
Fun With Data
Excel Spreadsheet
I kind of had fun with this assignment. I've always liked playing around with Excel, especially after I figured out how to use formulas and functions.
I tend to begin these technology assignments and then I get carried away, finishing the assignment completely before I realize that I was to do it step-by-step. That's what I did with this "Fun With Data" project. I completed the entire thing before uploading it in each part (Formatting, Manipulating, and Narrative).
With the formatting, I just used common sense I guess you could say. I know how to use paintbrush with Excel and Word but it's not for me. For some reason, I just have a really hard time with it. So to be honest, I did not use the paintbrush tool, but the format for all three years look the same.
With the manipulating data and summary, it was pretty simple for me. I knew how to do those formulas. However, I did not know I could create functions between sheets. That was really neat to be able to figure out how to do that. Actually, it's common sense if you understand how to do the other functions. Nothing to it really.
Like I said earlier, I like Excel. I use it for all kinds of things--budgeting, days that I sub, all my wedding planning. And I use formulas and functions for all of that. It makes like much simpler.
I kind of had fun with this assignment. I've always liked playing around with Excel, especially after I figured out how to use formulas and functions.
I tend to begin these technology assignments and then I get carried away, finishing the assignment completely before I realize that I was to do it step-by-step. That's what I did with this "Fun With Data" project. I completed the entire thing before uploading it in each part (Formatting, Manipulating, and Narrative).
With the formatting, I just used common sense I guess you could say. I know how to use paintbrush with Excel and Word but it's not for me. For some reason, I just have a really hard time with it. So to be honest, I did not use the paintbrush tool, but the format for all three years look the same.
With the manipulating data and summary, it was pretty simple for me. I knew how to do those formulas. However, I did not know I could create functions between sheets. That was really neat to be able to figure out how to do that. Actually, it's common sense if you understand how to do the other functions. Nothing to it really.
Like I said earlier, I like Excel. I use it for all kinds of things--budgeting, days that I sub, all my wedding planning. And I use formulas and functions for all of that. It makes like much simpler.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Assessment Forms
Take the Colonial America Quiz!
I thought this assignment was so cool! What a convenient way to make quizzes! This would be a great tool for teachers to use occasionally for assessment. It's great that students can take the quiz online from home or wherever there's internet. Obvioulsy, the need for computers to take the quiz would create difficulties for classroom teachers to use this feature all the time. And although Google Docs was very convenient, it lacked some other quiz/test formats that are often used, such as matching, fill in the blanks with a word bank (which I guess could be used by adding the words in the hint box), and other higher-order thinking questions that require students to draw a diagram, graph, etc. But this just goes to show that some things are better done the "old-fashioned" way.
Overall, this assignment was very beneficial to me. I plan to use it. I also think it would be good for students to use every now and then even if it's just for the sake of practice. If not already, students will be required to use computer more and more for assessments like this one, so using Google Docs to create quizzes would be a good idea for teachers.
I thought this assignment was so cool! What a convenient way to make quizzes! This would be a great tool for teachers to use occasionally for assessment. It's great that students can take the quiz online from home or wherever there's internet. Obvioulsy, the need for computers to take the quiz would create difficulties for classroom teachers to use this feature all the time. And although Google Docs was very convenient, it lacked some other quiz/test formats that are often used, such as matching, fill in the blanks with a word bank (which I guess could be used by adding the words in the hint box), and other higher-order thinking questions that require students to draw a diagram, graph, etc. But this just goes to show that some things are better done the "old-fashioned" way.
Overall, this assignment was very beneficial to me. I plan to use it. I also think it would be good for students to use every now and then even if it's just for the sake of practice. If not already, students will be required to use computer more and more for assessments like this one, so using Google Docs to create quizzes would be a good idea for teachers.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Windows Movie Maker
[At one time I had the movie embedded on my blog, but now it won't show up. Don't know what to do about that.]
Video Link
I just love doing this stuff. I've used Windows Movie Maker before but never realized that I could insert PowerPoint slides. And this makes it much easier (in my opinion) to create a video for Teacher Tube. And I love being able to embed in on my blog.
What I really liked about this assignment was my new ability to share my projects. There have been times when I've created PowerPoint shows (mostly for classes for "make-believe" students) that are pretty good and that I've been proud of. However, most of the time nobody but my teacher ever gets to see them. I like being able to make movies out of my PowerPoint presentations and then upload them to Teacher Tube so others can possibly use them.
Overall, this was one of my favorite assignments. And it didn't take much time at all!
Video Link
I just love doing this stuff. I've used Windows Movie Maker before but never realized that I could insert PowerPoint slides. And this makes it much easier (in my opinion) to create a video for Teacher Tube. And I love being able to embed in on my blog.
What I really liked about this assignment was my new ability to share my projects. There have been times when I've created PowerPoint shows (mostly for classes for "make-believe" students) that are pretty good and that I've been proud of. However, most of the time nobody but my teacher ever gets to see them. I like being able to make movies out of my PowerPoint presentations and then upload them to Teacher Tube so others can possibly use them.
Overall, this was one of my favorite assignments. And it didn't take much time at all!
Friday, March 27, 2009
Rubistar Rubric
Colonial America Research Paper Rubric
Colonial America Research Paper Rubric - GOOGLE DOCS
Colonial America Research Paper Rubric - OPENS IN EXCEL
I always thought using Rubistar was completely unnecessary for creating a rubric. It's so easy to just create a table on Word. I'm big on changing the color, font, etc. But after completing this assignment, I realized that Rubistar can come in handy, especially if a teacher is going to use the templates already available. It was nice to let Rubistar fill in the boxes. Creating a rubric with a table on Word or Excel is simple, but coming up with the criteria for each section can be a little exhausting. For two of my categories, templates were available, but since the other two were not listed exactly how I wanted, I had to write the criteria myself. I liked using Rubistar, and I was able to change the color and font later. Another benefit of using Rubistar is the rubric's availability online. Parents and students would be able to view the rubric from anywhere. This can obviously be done with Google Docs as well.
Colonial America Research Paper Rubric - GOOGLE DOCS
Colonial America Research Paper Rubric - OPENS IN EXCEL
I always thought using Rubistar was completely unnecessary for creating a rubric. It's so easy to just create a table on Word. I'm big on changing the color, font, etc. But after completing this assignment, I realized that Rubistar can come in handy, especially if a teacher is going to use the templates already available. It was nice to let Rubistar fill in the boxes. Creating a rubric with a table on Word or Excel is simple, but coming up with the criteria for each section can be a little exhausting. For two of my categories, templates were available, but since the other two were not listed exactly how I wanted, I had to write the criteria myself. I liked using Rubistar, and I was able to change the color and font later. Another benefit of using Rubistar is the rubric's availability online. Parents and students would be able to view the rubric from anywhere. This can obviously be done with Google Docs as well.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Google Docs Exported PDF
This was very simple to do. It's kind of neat how these assignments build on previously learned skills. Once I created my PowerPoint presentation, uploaded it to Google Docs, and embedded it on my blog, it was easy to figure out how to export it as a PDF.
View "The Writing Process" PDF file
View "The Writing Process" PDF file
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Embedding PowerPoints
How exciting! I'm learning so many new things! I'm glad I learned how to embed. My problem is, though, creating PowerPoint presentations that are too large to embed. I was able to embed the Jeopardy game. The adaptations presentation from the previous assignment was over 2 MB so I couldn't embed it. Instead, I embedded a presentation I had made for a school assignment a couple years ago.
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