The beginning of this lesson has you explore some videos in several places. I found a couple of interesting ones on Teacher Tube, like the Statue of Liberty and School Rules. I would not have downloaded them to my blog because I think they take up too much time and often they are not of the quality in sound and vision that I would bother with. There are many things posted that are just a big waste of time and I don't see how I would use this in a Social Studies class except to critique something as being "poorly constructed".
Podcasts that I have been using I found on I-Tunes for my IPOD and find it a valuable way of sharing information. I especially would use it with a class for a special news event or National Geographic broadcast. I could easily hook it in to my Mac and show it on a large screen to the entire class. If I had easy access and the equipment to make my own podcast with one class of 30 or less students I may take the challenge, but to deal with 130+ students and one computer lab I would not attempt it.
Glogster and animato both allow you to make your own Videos and send them on the web. Today my grandson and I did the same thing using Disney, Phineas and Ferb to make cards for Dad and Grandfather. It was so easy and animated, he liked doing it and it was sent both by e-mail with sound and by copying to a hard copy. I prefer the easier fill in the blank kind of technology. These were free and you didn't need to sign up
or give any personal information.
The Educational Glogster looked like fun for a class to present a Video on a certain subbject. What I gained from looking at these sites was the knowledge that there are so many different opportunities with Web 2.0, that a teacher in the classroom, with 5 sections of Social Studies, limited computers and limited prep time would find many of them too overwhelming to explore. For personal use I have found several captivating sites that I would go back to and explore again.
I think what I would do for a project is let each class select one thing to focus on and present to the other classes. They would have to include a hands-on demonstration of what they create along with the trouble and problems they ran in to in exploring the project. So if they wanted to make posters, they would make the poster and teach the other classes how to do it.
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I agree with you on your overwhelming comment. Any time I have done any type of computer-based project it is full of problems. And with large classes I have many memories of pulling my hair out as 15 kids needed my help at once.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I am still willing to try new things - but not until I feel really comfortable with them myself and am mentally prepared for the issues I know will be there.
csween,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment and I, too like to be in my comfort zone when trying new things. When I was teaching I often was a risk taker and loved working with my peer and trying to find ways to keep our Middle School population engaged!