“The Beach Ball Affect”

Activity Description: As students come into the classroom, they will be informed to make a circle around the room to play a game. The teacher will begin to hit the beach ball back and forth (note: the ball will have several words on it that describes the teacher, but they are unaware of it) to the students. As a student’s right hand lands on a word, that student is to give their own meaning/interpretation of that word or act it out in any appropriate manner they choose. Once everyone has gotten a chance to hit the ball; the student’s will be asked to take a seat. The teacher will then exclaim to the students “you guys have all shared/touched a part of me. Now I would like to get to know who you are!”

Writing Exercise: As a beginning writing exercise the students will write two (2) things they have in common with the teacher and three (3) things they would like to share about themselves. As a group collectively on the dry erase board, we will make a creative chart (shaped like a dog, box, fish, or etc…..) that reflects our many interests and personalities.

Purpose: The purpose of this activity is to allow self-expression and an atmosphere that sets forth a foundation of RESPECT inside and outside of the classroom. The creative chart holds what many of us embrace inside and it makes up who we are.

Conclusion: Students will write a short biography for homework and read it aloud in class on the following day. This correlates with the Georgia Performance Standard:

ELA9RL1  The student demonstrates comprehension by identifying evidence (i.e.,

examples of diction, imagery, point of view, figurative language, symbolism, plot events and main ideas) in a variety of texts representative of different genres (i.e., poetry, prose [short story, novel, essay, editorial, biography], and drama) and using this evidence as the basis for interpretation.

NOTE: Instructions are not excessively detailed, this allows for countless innovative ideas and discussions for the students to partake in.

Add a comment May 29, 2011

Metaphors: Seeing Things Differently

The worldview of America is a monopoly of business. For example, the bank industry has their own policies and regulations they have to follow by. In extension to the bank industry, people have to keep a certain amount or more in their “free checking account” in order not to be charged a fee for insufficient funds. In life, you have to uphold all rules and regulations in order to succeed, just as in the monopolized world.

Add a comment April 1, 2011

WORDS ARE LARGER THAN LIFE!

Do you ponder on your choice of words before you actually say them? In a universal effort, I think we could all take a minute before expressing our thoughts to carefully evaluate our word choices and tone of language. Most importantly the educational system across America has to improve its systematic coverage of the subject, Language Arts.  According to Neil Postman “students cannot understand what a subject is about without some understanding of the metaphors that are its foundation (155).” Postman has convinced me that definitions, questions, and metaphors are the three most effective fundamentals to constructing thoughts and opinions of the world (156). With this conviction in mind, while completing an activity on contrasting/comparing the deliverance of news from several diverse broadcasting organizations, language was the critical input in how the report was received as well as interpreted. Postman strongly argues that students are not being taught the importance of how language “creates a worldview (157),”however; it’s hard to agree with Postman on this notion for each individual has its own interpretation on a word, and besides, the meanings of words change all the time as with technology, effectively altering the reality of the world.  This collaborative world between humans and words will always be distinctive and with the advancement of technology, the image of words are becoming more vivid. Learning language through technology has made a great impact on worldviews and the several learning styles.

When in doubt of a word, or even if you would like to replace a word with one of similar meaning, check out these online resources to assist you:

Free Online Thesaurus

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Add a comment March 28, 2011

Audacity and Podcasting: Moving to the beat of technology

Audacity is the latest program that allows you to download music, record, and edit sounds. Multimedia is rapidly expanding on the Web and is offering a new way for internet browsers to upload their individual recordings, and according to Will Richardson “whatever the technology, the simple fact is that it has become much easier to create and consume multimedia as well as text and digital images (Blogs, Wikis and Podcasts 112).”Using Audacity you can edit files in countless way, as well as delete portions of a file that you would not akin to. You will also be able to change the sound pitch of your recordings and construct them to your fondness. Not only is the editing of sounds unlimited, but you are able to combine multiple sounds in unusual ways. This is moderately accommodating when creating digital movies and other applications.

Everyone is doing it, it is called, podcasting; and it is as easy as one, two, three. Podcasting requires only a digital audio recording device/application, and words to stimulate something to say. From political figures, to students, and several business owners, Podcasting has become a means to accomdate our troubling economy. With Audacity and Podcasting, education  has become much more accessible, giving students after-hour school access to their teachers lectures and lessons. Education is developing with technology everyday and offering a larger contribution of creativeness.

These are two credible sources that will be of a huge guide to assist you in learning the tools Audacity has to offer:

Audacity Guide

Podcast with Audacity

What Audacity Can Do For You

1. Record live audio
2. Record audio from YouTube
3. Convert records and cassettes to MP3
4. Convert between audio formats
5. Create a podcast.

What Audacity Can’t Do

1. Audacity can’t play or record MIDI.
2. Audacity does not support WMA, AAC, or most other proprietary or restricted file formats.
3. Audacity has less plug-ins and effects than a specialized DAW.
4. Audacity has limited multi-track editing and mixing features compared to a specialized DAW.

2 comments March 19, 2011

RSS NEWS FEED: It’s a Family Thing

RSS news feed is perfect for those who enjoy interacting and viewing multiple things at once. Instead of you searching for your favorite sites, let them come to directly to your desktop. With RSS news feed you are able to share and view your most desired; top stories, sports illustrations, shopping tips, traveling destinations, and entertainment talk all compiled in one place. It’s not only easy, but time efficient and well organized based on your requirements.

Students could typically use RSS news feed when conducting projects or just to manage their everyday web browsing.

Add a comment March 4, 2011

Social Bookmarking: Organizing at Least One Aspect of Your Life!

Are you a messy individual and wish to organize at least one thing in your life accurately? Well you are able to do just that while utilizing the World Wide Web, it’s called Social Bookmarking. Social bookmarking is a method used to compile several of your desired sources in one place. Once saved, you are capable of making your likes public and sharing them amongst friends. And to better organize your web pages, you can store them in appropriate tags/folders.

Social bookmarking in the classroom would be most beneficial in assisting students with managing their time properly and responsibly, and creating a system that best suits their individual life styles. With adolescents and their busy young years, they often forget where they got their information from; however, with social bookmarking this will no longer be in effect, because not only do they have their own web storage to rely on, nevertheless their friends also. And we all know many friends enjoy and show great interest in an immeasurable amount of similar things.

Social bookmarking has also established its own vocabulary amongst users, called Folksonomy. Folksonomy is just a simple emergence of commonly used expressions or terminologies spoken within the social bookmarking community. This aspect of social bookmarking opens creativity and an opportunity for students to build on their vocabulary and writing proficiency. Just as Folksonomy is an advantage of social bookmarking, it is also a disadvantage, because it has no standards and everyone gives their account based on their personal interpretation.

Delicious

Digg

Reddit

Facebook 

Add a comment March 3, 2011

Individual Digital Project

Topic: My topic will most nearly focus on the myth written by James Milroy “Children Can’t Speak or Write Properly Any More.”

Purpose: to examine how younger generations have altered the use of the English Language.

Format: using either an enhanced powerpoint or digital movie I will create a story giving accounts of how modern and traditional teaching methods obstruct as well as extol the English Language.

Important questions to focus on:

• Does technology have a major impact on how the English Language has changed?
• What is modern teaching?
• What is traditional teaching?
• Which teaching style is more effective in today’s society?
• Have today’s generation destroyed the English Language?

Add a comment March 1, 2011

Smartboards in the Classroom

Smartboards in the classroom are changing how students interact with learning. Students are more engaged and more likely to comprehend the lesson being taught. A Smartboard can be used in all educational settings, because of its diverse advantages. With elementary aged students, teachers may use the a Smartboard for locating geographical locations, identifying colors and shapes, and recognizing the parts of a sentence; they would be able to digitally circle and underline each item. In the middle school setting, Smartboards would be valuable in implementing collaborative learning with students illustrating and writing books together, all giving their individual creative input.

As with high school adolescents, their learning abilities are already conspicuous and their independency is rapidly flourishing, however Smartboards offer the ongoing freedom as youth so much desire. They allow for students to display presentations in front of their classes just as teachers would, this provides them with a sense of authority and leadership.

Overall, Smartboards are a measureless source to execute in the instructive atmosphere. They are time efficient, enhances content and visual imagery, and can accommodate different learning styles. Given their flexibility, Smartboards will  account for the different cognitive strengths of students; regardless of gender, ethnicity, or socio-economic boundaries.

With these key facts given, there are some downfalls to Smartboards, as with any technological advancement:

• Power failure – have a backup plan for lessons in case you are unable to use the SMART Board.
• Blocked sites
• Space limitations – the screen requires unobstructed viewing which may be difficult in small rooms.
• Shadows – sometimes shadows are cast on the board.
• Student Health Issues – be aware of difficulties that may arise for students who have vision or hearing impairments in relation to their proximity to the SMART Board.
• Calibration – when the board is bumped, moved or shaken it requires re-calibrating.

Add a comment February 26, 2011

Your Online Identity: To Have or Not to Have!

Networks like Facebook and MySpace have become the leisure pursuit of millions. Many say they are used for keeping up with friends, relatives, and acquiring new opportunities.

However, Facebook and MySpace have been proven to also harm innovative opportunities put out for some, because of the image they may portray online. If you typed in your name, what would appear? Would it be a lovely animal, your home address, family photo, or you out partying with friends? Once you upload your personal information onto the World Wide Web it becomes accessible to everyone. You are the determining factor of your life, but you must always remember we all perceive things differently. A simple picture of you with a glass of juice could appear to someone else as a glass of alcohol, which may be perceived as you being an alcoholic; you should consider this when creating an online character. Even the friends you associate with online speak mass about your disposition, and what you are capable of. Things that may be acceptable to you may not be acceptable to your superior. If you are unsure of what Facebook, MySpace, and other networking sites entails, then it may be sensible for you to not to utilize them. Before applying for a job, getting involved in new relationships, and pursuing life changing opportunities; always take the time to see what image is out there about you.

 Social Networking in the classroom is effective to a certain nature, for it may unveil damaging risks to students becoming vulnerable to character deterioration before their lives in the real world are even established. However, they open a students potential to explore their creativity, allows for team building with collaborating on diverse issues, and enhances their writing capabilities.

Add a comment February 26, 2011

Rock on Katniss: THE MEDIA HAS NOTHING ON YOU!

Can you say mind-blowing! The Hunger Games was a stimulating young adult novel.  Not just your typical novel on romance, but a novel that electrifies love, survival, and the government. It is a novel that transforms from conventional issues to futuristic distinctiveness. Katniss a very mature young girl from District 12 honorably replaced her younger sister with herself, to participate in a government ruled trial called the Hunger Games, which were established as punishment for the uprising (18), “taking the kids from our districts, forcing them to kill one another while we watch-this is the Capitol’s way of reminding us how totally we are at their mercy (18).”And if that was not harsh enough, the media was present to record every encounter “insectlike cameras trained directly on my face (41).”The media depicted the lives of the players, imposing a major responsibility on them to often take on inhumane actions, and causing them to alter who they really were as individuals. Amongst this all, Katniss seems to fall in love, or at least she thinks she is in love. Even becoming a winner does not set apart her problems, because going back home she faces Gale, a young man who showed interest in her unusually, exiting the train reality sets in as she takes Peeta’s hand “I take his hand, holding on tightly, preparing for the cameras, and dreading the moments when I will finally have to let go (374).”

The government interference and the media not only altered reality from feebleness just to compile a story, but made the people relive 3 hours of the dreadful events all over again. The government and the media have proven to be two compelling entities, that have acted against the people rather than for the people.

Add a comment February 21, 2011