Tuesday, 4 March 2014
Sunday, 23 February 2014
Show and Tell: Web Based App
Soo I decided to have some fun with this task. I wanted to dye my hair recently and wanted to see what I would look like with different colored hair. I found a web based app that takes photos of you and changes hair color and style so you can experiment before making permanent changes. I think one should check this app out even if they are not looking to change their hair but just to have some fun. Please enjoy these horrible pictures of me comparing blonde and brown hair. Anyone who wishes to comment on this blog must try the app and include a picture of your before and after!
GET YOUR HAIR DONE HERE
GET YOUR HAIR DONE HERE
Horizen Report and The Future
What the future holds
I think the next few years schools are going to change dramatically because of technology. As teachers we will be expected to be competed in teaching and using technology in the classroom. I believe that each student will have access to a device in class if not BYOD or one supplied by the school. School will have to update their systems to make sure they have to ability to sustain so many devices. Each stream of education will have different needs.
The mission the Horizon Report is to examine emerging technologies for their potential impact on and use in teaching, learning and creative inquiry in pre-college education environments.
The Horizon Report is looking into and researching questions such as:
I think the next few years schools are going to change dramatically because of technology. As teachers we will be expected to be competed in teaching and using technology in the classroom. I believe that each student will have access to a device in class if not BYOD or one supplied by the school. School will have to update their systems to make sure they have to ability to sustain so many devices. Each stream of education will have different needs.
The mission the Horizon Report is to examine emerging technologies for their potential impact on and use in teaching, learning and creative inquiry in pre-college education environments.
The Horizon Report is looking into and researching questions such as:
- Which of these key technologies will be most important to teaching, learning or creative inquiry in K-12 education within the next 5 years?
- What key technologies are missing from our list?
- What trends do you expect to have significant impact on the way which K-12 approached our core missions of teaching, learning and creative inquiry?
- What do you see as the key challenges related to teaching, learning or creative inquiry that K-12 education will face during the next 5 years?
Podcasts
I am no podcatcher (a person who looks for and listens to podcasting) but I managed to find some podcasts on thephysicaleducator.com. It was created in 2013 by Nathan Horne and Joey Feith who get together and talk about physical education, health and technology which is named #PhsyEd Podcast.
There are currently 8 podcast available to listen. I have listened to the first two so far, they are about 60-80 minutes in length. They discussed many apps and resources that are available to use and which have worked for each of them. I liked the fact that is it an open honest conversation but I found that because it was so long that it was a bit dry at times.
I have never made a podcast but I think it would be a really interesting tool to use in the classroom. I think they could use it in any content area. One idea that would be interesting in physical education would be a mock interview between an athlete and a reporter.
I think this was a great tech task because I didnt remember what a podcast was from last year and I found a great resource that will help me in my future career. I defiantly understand much more about them. I hope to make or have my students create one in my class.
There are currently 8 podcast available to listen. I have listened to the first two so far, they are about 60-80 minutes in length. They discussed many apps and resources that are available to use and which have worked for each of them. I liked the fact that is it an open honest conversation but I found that because it was so long that it was a bit dry at times.
I have never made a podcast but I think it would be a really interesting tool to use in the classroom. I think they could use it in any content area. One idea that would be interesting in physical education would be a mock interview between an athlete and a reporter.
I think this was a great tech task because I didnt remember what a podcast was from last year and I found a great resource that will help me in my future career. I defiantly understand much more about them. I hope to make or have my students create one in my class.
Thursday, 20 February 2014
QR Codes
As I mentioned previously I am in early years physical education methods we created posters with QR codes to show skills. I have finished my poster and would like to share it with the class. A thank you to Steven for being a great soccer kicker.
To create this poster I first started with a template of a previous poster from thephysicaleducator.com. Then I loaded an APP on my phone called ubersense which is a great APP for coaches. It allows you to watch the video in slow motion, to draw on the screen, measure angles and compare the video to other videos of the same skill. From there I analyzed the soccer kick and freeze framed each stage of the skill and put the frame onto my poster. I added information about the kick to help the student learn the skill. Next I used a qr code generator to transfer the video into a code and bam there it is. I was surprised at how easy it was and how well it turned out!!
Digital Footprints
Google your name or mine I have some really nice basketball pictures that pop up.
It always surprises me when my past all pops up on a computer screen. Showing accounts from all websites and all my success and or failures as a athlete.
We have had a lot of discussions on digital identity in class and through blogs already. Awareness is the most important as a teacher to get across to students.
I like to think as digital footprinting as walking through a forest. With every step you take you leave a trace of where you have been like a trail. This is the same as going online, every time you go online you leave a mark of yourself creating footprints and your digital image.
This is a short but sweet post, mostly because I think we have discussed this a lot in the past, and its time for my weekend to begin! Have a good weekend everyone.
It always surprises me when my past all pops up on a computer screen. Showing accounts from all websites and all my success and or failures as a athlete.
We have had a lot of discussions on digital identity in class and through blogs already. Awareness is the most important as a teacher to get across to students.
I like to think as digital footprinting as walking through a forest. With every step you take you leave a trace of where you have been like a trail. This is the same as going online, every time you go online you leave a mark of yourself creating footprints and your digital image.
This is a short but sweet post, mostly because I think we have discussed this a lot in the past, and its time for my weekend to begin! Have a good weekend everyone.
John Evans
A Summary of John Evans
To start up he introduced a new word to me which is Podcatching. It is collecting and listening to Podcasts.
Most of the content was what is and how to use MAPLE.
MAPLE is a sharing network used throughout Mantioba.
The website describes the site as :
" a social network for teachers, school leaders and school clinicians in education, hosted by Manitoba Education. It is a place for creating and sharing resources, exchanging ideas and fostering innovation in teaching and learning. By setting up a personal profile and participating in our user groups, you can easily manage your resources, use group libraries, make friends with other educational professionals and tap into their materials, findings and insights. Through MAPLE you can receive notifications for events, exchange messages with fellow teachers, participate in discussions and comment on blogs. MAPLE is also an official channel for communicating Manitoba Education plans, programs and curricula to educators and school leaders."
The key point is that this was created to improve education and STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT .
How to use MAPLE:
1) You have to be approved
2) Edit profile
3) Make friends with other teachers
4) Join groups
5) Share thoughts and comments, add resources
Twitter Handle: @joevens
During the presentation I joined the group Professional Development. Each group includes: Blogs, Wikis, Discussions, Members and the group profile.
He was a get presenter, I was interested in what he was saying because he very invested in what he was showing us.
To start up he introduced a new word to me which is Podcatching. It is collecting and listening to Podcasts.
Most of the content was what is and how to use MAPLE.
MAPLE is a sharing network used throughout Mantioba.
The website describes the site as :
" a social network for teachers, school leaders and school clinicians in education, hosted by Manitoba Education. It is a place for creating and sharing resources, exchanging ideas and fostering innovation in teaching and learning. By setting up a personal profile and participating in our user groups, you can easily manage your resources, use group libraries, make friends with other educational professionals and tap into their materials, findings and insights. Through MAPLE you can receive notifications for events, exchange messages with fellow teachers, participate in discussions and comment on blogs. MAPLE is also an official channel for communicating Manitoba Education plans, programs and curricula to educators and school leaders."
The key point is that this was created to improve education and STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT .
How to use MAPLE:
1) You have to be approved
2) Edit profile
3) Make friends with other teachers
4) Join groups
5) Share thoughts and comments, add resources
Twitter Handle: @joevens
During the presentation I joined the group Professional Development. Each group includes: Blogs, Wikis, Discussions, Members and the group profile.
He was a get presenter, I was interested in what he was saying because he very invested in what he was showing us.
Wednesday, 19 February 2014
Panel discussion
Great job to all those involved in making this happen for us!!
Topic of the discussion was: One to one computing initiatives in Manitoba schools.
Here is a brief summary of the discussion.
Topic of the discussion was: One to one computing initiatives in Manitoba schools.
Here is a brief summary of the discussion.
Roy Norris school took 5 years to make the transition to one on one computing.
Year one: So many questions, and lots of research to be done.
Year two-four : Found a Canadian model of digital learning and from that invented own model. With this they made committees within the school. There was weekly meetings with administration. (sounds like a very very busy year)
In classes where students brought their own computers it was seen that there needed to be a change in grading and assessment.....he suggested a rolling chair.
In classes where students brought their own computers it was seen that there needed to be a change in grading and assessment.....he suggested a rolling chair.
Some things did stay the same: paper and pens!!
Time and a place for everything.
Year 5: Everyone in the school will be bringing own devices (BYOD)
the key to making this work is continuing to work together.
Andy and Darren
Framework: 5 c's communication, collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, connecting
Framework: 5 c's communication, collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, connecting
Every teacher has an iPad.
Each stream has different needs.
- middle years each student has an iPad
- early years is a shared environment, only about 7 per class
- senior years can't get away from laptops, use BYOD environment.
Schools need to prepare to manage devices on the network.
- early years is a shared environment, only about 7 per class
- senior years can't get away from laptops, use BYOD environment.
Schools need to prepare to manage devices on the network.
Professional learning for educators how to prep for BYOD. Different way to teach and persistent/available information.
Challenges to be aware of:
make sure the parents are on board!!
Know what apps to use and what you want to pay for!!
Updates?! when to get the APPs
Storage and charging units can be expensive.
Management with an APP called air walk also has Apple ID for student and for teachers
Damage: can be a huge issue
make sure the parents are on board!!
Know what apps to use and what you want to pay for!!
Updates?! when to get the APPs
Storage and charging units can be expensive.
Management with an APP called air walk also has Apple ID for student and for teachers
Damage: can be a huge issue
It's about teaching students in a digital world!
Martian and Tanis
3 differences in their division
numbero 1: 1:1 with a choice of device
numbero 2: school division pays for device
numbero 3: keeps device when graduated
numbero 1: 1:1 with a choice of device
numbero 2: school division pays for device
numbero 3: keeps device when graduated
products are given without apps and had to buy own cases.
AND that sums up the three presentations!
AND that sums up the three presentations!
Videos In Class
For this tech task I looked into videos that I would use in my area of teaching. I choose to find videos based on physical activity and wellness. It can be difficult sometimes to show videos based on resources that the school might have. One way to show short clips of skill would be with the use of QR Codes on posters. You could even get the students to make the codes and the posters.
A movie that often is shown in high school physical education is Supersize Me. This movie can have a very eye opening effect for some students who eat fast food regularly.
This video would be used to discuss food portions and meal planning as a activating activity.
Video 1
This second video would be used to introduce a unit. I think that to understand a sport students should see it played at full speed and proper technique. Some sports like Speak Takraw are tough and need skilled players. If the students see the game played properly it will help them develop the proper skills faster.
Video 2
I would allow students to put their own videos up on youtube. I think I would have the students make videos demonstrating a skill done properly and break down the components or even have a game being played and they put in the commentating.
A movie that often is shown in high school physical education is Supersize Me. This movie can have a very eye opening effect for some students who eat fast food regularly.
This video would be used to discuss food portions and meal planning as a activating activity.
Video 1
This second video would be used to introduce a unit. I think that to understand a sport students should see it played at full speed and proper technique. Some sports like Speak Takraw are tough and need skilled players. If the students see the game played properly it will help them develop the proper skills faster.
Video 2
I would allow students to put their own videos up on youtube. I think I would have the students make videos demonstrating a skill done properly and break down the components or even have a game being played and they put in the commentating.
Wednesday, 12 February 2014
Infographics
So I'm embarrassed to say I actually had to Google what an infographic was. Wiki quickly informed me that they are graphic visual representatives of information.I think that this might be a bit of a trend right now. I see infographics everywhere to get information across in a visually attractive way. First I would like to share one I found on thephysicaleducator.com which is my new favorite site to visit.
Use in the Classroom: Absolutely I would use the one above for the classroom. You can have the students create as a teaching strategy. I would have loved to do something so creative as a student. Students are having to find what the important information is and organize it in an appealing and logical manner. I think that the engagement level would be very high because they really get to be creative with their work. Here is one more example I found from again my favorite PE website.
And now my attempt of creating one. I choose to use the website Piktochart which is a free website unlike the first two attempts. I decided to do mine on cattle just because I am feeling a little homesick lately. Just click on the link to access the infographic: Canadian Beef. Just a side note finished does not mean kill, it is a place where cattle go to eat lots and get fat so the can get a AAA rating and be delicious.
RSS fail and a must check out website!!
My RSS has ran away. I tried to find it and set it up again but it is a huge fail. I didn't realize how much I was already relying on it to keep track of the blogs I follow. So next time I show up for class someone will have to give me a hand with that issue.
On another note, in EY physical education we are working on a pretty cool project I would like to share with everyone. To teach the breakdown of skills, students can scan a code to see a demonstration of the skill being performed. It can also attach activities which can be practiced at each level. I think this could work in any subject area.
The information for the QR codes provided come from a website called thephysicaleducator.com, the FIRST thing I noticed was a hash tag :#pechat, which is how Mr. Bridge (a previous blog I wrote about) communicates on Twitter. If any of you haven't seen this website it is a must.
From the main page I went to skills then clicked Basketball and it popped up a posters with several skills broken down and with QR codes already on the page. See Basketball Skills.
SO I will get to create my own on Thursday in class and I will be sure to share my results with the class.
On another note, in EY physical education we are working on a pretty cool project I would like to share with everyone. To teach the breakdown of skills, students can scan a code to see a demonstration of the skill being performed. It can also attach activities which can be practiced at each level. I think this could work in any subject area.
The information for the QR codes provided come from a website called thephysicaleducator.com, the FIRST thing I noticed was a hash tag :#pechat, which is how Mr. Bridge (a previous blog I wrote about) communicates on Twitter. If any of you haven't seen this website it is a must.
From the main page I went to skills then clicked Basketball and it popped up a posters with several skills broken down and with QR codes already on the page. See Basketball Skills.
SO I will get to create my own on Thursday in class and I will be sure to share my results with the class.
EDUBLOGGER
I have found a Edublogger to follow by reading my twitter feed.... Thank you Mike and Erin. It is a physical education blog which is wonderful because I find when we talk about technology uses we usually do not think about how we can incorporate them into the gym. Mr. Blue Jay Bridge is a guest blogger on a website called participACTION which is a website to help all get moving. It has a section for blogging with many interesting posts about physical activity in general, not necessary with technology incorporated.
Mr. Bridge began using twitter two years ago to keep in touch with friends and family but came to see that there is a large physical education community there. With communication through hash tags like #pegeeks #pechat he can connect to other pe specialists. If you are interested in physical education I suggest you follow him on twitter @MrBridge204
Read the article for yourself: Enhancing Physical Education with Technology
The article shows 11 tools to use in physical education.
1. Ubersense: an app that allows for video analysis of skills. I have heard of a lot of coaches using this app to help their athletes with proper form.
2. Music Workout is an app for interval/workout sessions. This way you are not constantly timing the class, you have more freedom to help out the students.
3. Team Shake is one I have not heard of before. It randomly selects teams, but you can set it to include gender or skill levels so the teams are fair!
4. My Fitness Pal is something I use on and off to see how nutritional my meals are. It is a log of eating and exercise. It might surprise students to see how much or how little they are eating. It is actually an eye opener for a lot of students.
5. Workout Trainer is also a app I havent heard of. It has 100's of exercises that use little or no equipment. I think that this is great because many students need a visual of a skill or exercise to do it properly.
6. Cardiograph - is really cool, but I am curious to know exactly how well it works. It measures blood pumping through your thumb when it is placed over the camera.
7. Teaching Game for Understanding has a ton of games broken down into grades and types.
8. Bring Back Play was created by ParticipACTION. It focuses on letting kids be kids. Great for parents, daycares and child care centers.
9. Show me is an interactive whiteboard, that records what you are drawing or saying. I wasn't quite sure how this would work so I attached the example from Mr. Bridges blog that he created. Football - Show me
10. The all time favorite is YouTube! Where you can find anything!
I have been following the ParticipACTION blog not just Mr. Bridges, I am not quite sure if he has his own blog as well. The blog posts on this website are very informative on all types of activity and have given me many ideas for my own gym.
Mr. Bridge began using twitter two years ago to keep in touch with friends and family but came to see that there is a large physical education community there. With communication through hash tags like #pegeeks #pechat he can connect to other pe specialists. If you are interested in physical education I suggest you follow him on twitter @MrBridge204
Read the article for yourself: Enhancing Physical Education with Technology
The article shows 11 tools to use in physical education.
1. Ubersense: an app that allows for video analysis of skills. I have heard of a lot of coaches using this app to help their athletes with proper form.
2. Music Workout is an app for interval/workout sessions. This way you are not constantly timing the class, you have more freedom to help out the students.
3. Team Shake is one I have not heard of before. It randomly selects teams, but you can set it to include gender or skill levels so the teams are fair!
4. My Fitness Pal is something I use on and off to see how nutritional my meals are. It is a log of eating and exercise. It might surprise students to see how much or how little they are eating. It is actually an eye opener for a lot of students.
5. Workout Trainer is also a app I havent heard of. It has 100's of exercises that use little or no equipment. I think that this is great because many students need a visual of a skill or exercise to do it properly.
6. Cardiograph - is really cool, but I am curious to know exactly how well it works. It measures blood pumping through your thumb when it is placed over the camera.
7. Teaching Game for Understanding has a ton of games broken down into grades and types.
8. Bring Back Play was created by ParticipACTION. It focuses on letting kids be kids. Great for parents, daycares and child care centers.
9. Show me is an interactive whiteboard, that records what you are drawing or saying. I wasn't quite sure how this would work so I attached the example from Mr. Bridges blog that he created. Football - Show me
10. The all time favorite is YouTube! Where you can find anything!
I have been following the ParticipACTION blog not just Mr. Bridges, I am not quite sure if he has his own blog as well. The blog posts on this website are very informative on all types of activity and have given me many ideas for my own gym.
Monday, 10 February 2014
The Connected Student: 21st Century Learners
Students these days are different learners in that they will have a large about of accessibility to information, knowledge, sharing, research ....everything!!! With that in mind I have two graphic organizers, one with me as the learner and one with a 21 century student as the learner.
I have made two mindmaps using two different websites. The first website was mindmeister. I made a very basic map showing four categories: connecting, goals, devices and informative. I actually had a hard time with this program, I found it was hard to manipulate the icons and despite how basic this diagram is I actually put some time into it. So that was disappointing to me. I think that if I spent more time than I would learn more about how to use this program better. I do like the overall look of the product though.
The next program I used was inspiration. It was much easier to put my thoughts down and organize but the graphics overall were no where near the quality of the previous site. It looks very old school....(probably doesn't help that I put a picture of a projector as the center image) If I had to make another mindmap or graphic organizer I would use the 1st one. Even though it took a bit more time to use, I think if I new how to use the website better it would create the best results.
What do you think? Did anyone use a different website and would you suggest using that one over those I used and why?
I have made two mindmaps using two different websites. The first website was mindmeister. I made a very basic map showing four categories: connecting, goals, devices and informative. I actually had a hard time with this program, I found it was hard to manipulate the icons and despite how basic this diagram is I actually put some time into it. So that was disappointing to me. I think that if I spent more time than I would learn more about how to use this program better. I do like the overall look of the product though.
The next program I used was inspiration. It was much easier to put my thoughts down and organize but the graphics overall were no where near the quality of the previous site. It looks very old school....(probably doesn't help that I put a picture of a projector as the center image) If I had to make another mindmap or graphic organizer I would use the 1st one. Even though it took a bit more time to use, I think if I new how to use the website better it would create the best results.
What do you think? Did anyone use a different website and would you suggest using that one over those I used and why?
Falling Behind
I am behind in blogging and behind in this class in general. These last two weeks have been quite a struggle to stay on top of my work. Since this class falls on a Thursday I have been missing a lot of speakers and valuable information. The good think about blogging is that I have a steady stream of information from fellow classmates who have been keeping me in the loop. Although I am not there I have been able to take in their views. I am however way behind in the tech tasks soooo for those of you who follow be prepared for your RSS to be filled with blog about each in the next week while I play catch up :) YAY
I would like to share a fun learning website I have recently discovered. It is called Duolingo. (www.duolingo.com) It is a really fun program that help you learn French, Spanish, German and English. It allows you to be competitive with friends or you can work individually. I like how you must unlock the levels as you improve. So if you have not heard of this I suggest you give it a look over and even give it a try.
I would like to share a fun learning website I have recently discovered. It is called Duolingo. (www.duolingo.com) It is a really fun program that help you learn French, Spanish, German and English. It allows you to be competitive with friends or you can work individually. I like how you must unlock the levels as you improve. So if you have not heard of this I suggest you give it a look over and even give it a try.
Tuesday, 28 January 2014
Technology is a Tool, Not a Learning Outcome.
With every class there will be different level of technological experience.
I think the first step is trying to bring everyone to somewhat the same level.
As for example some may not even have emails or have had any experience on-line from not having internet at home.
I think that firstly you must have them create emails and learn what the internet is all about.
This can be done through webquests and assessing the quality of websites.
After they become comfortable with using the basics then begin to use it as a tool. Have the students begin blogging.
Even though technology is meant to be a tool students must firstly be able to fully comprehend how to use it with purpose and safely.
Sunday, 19 January 2014
Do I really need to organize myself online?
I've always thought of myself as a very organized person..... that is besides loosing my cell phone daily. Internet for Educators is showing me differently. Having to blog weekly and read my classmates blogs can be a bit of a challenge if you do not know some tricks to save time and have everything located right where you need.
I honestly just Googled what RSS stands for. Wiki has told me it stands for Rich Site Summary or if you want Really Simple Syndication. Really simple is right. After adding the app to my webpage I added the blogs of my classmates where is automatically updates me on their blog entries. As well as neatly lists all of their previous work.Subscribing to a website RSS removes the need to constantly manually check a site. Instead of the user having to do the work the browser monitors the site for you.
As for someone like me who is a bit slow with technology, it will save me a great deal of time. Time that I would like to spend enjoying my last few weeks as a university student by sleeping instead of working. Work smarter not harder.
I honestly just Googled what RSS stands for. Wiki has told me it stands for Rich Site Summary or if you want Really Simple Syndication. Really simple is right. After adding the app to my webpage I added the blogs of my classmates where is automatically updates me on their blog entries. As well as neatly lists all of their previous work.Subscribing to a website RSS removes the need to constantly manually check a site. Instead of the user having to do the work the browser monitors the site for you.
As for someone like me who is a bit slow with technology, it will save me a great deal of time. Time that I would like to spend enjoying my last few weeks as a university student by sleeping instead of working. Work smarter not harder.
Thursday, 9 January 2014
The Twitter World
Internet for Educators:
Learning about Twitter.....
Here are some thought to consider which I learnt today to be successful in the Twitter World:
1. Do not be an egg, no one will want to be your friend if your an egg.
2. Follow those who are interesting and funny.... sooo if you want to be followed stop telling people about dull moments of your life.
3. Have open settings, but make sure you are representing yourself in a healthy manner.
4. You are a tweeter on twitter and when you post a message it is called a tweet. You can retweet which is reposting another message. This place has its own bird language.
This link explains twitter with pictures of the blue bird.
http://images.pcmac.org/Uploads/MCPSS/MobileCounty/Departments/Forms/Twitter%20for%20Educators.pdf
Thought to debate .... Which is better Twitter or Facebook or Instagram.
My vote is for Instagram. Everything I post on Insta can also be put on several different social sites at the same time. Then would be Twitter, in the short time I have been on the APP I have found many entertaining and interesting posts without searching.
Learning about Twitter.....
Here are some thought to consider which I learnt today to be successful in the Twitter World:
1. Do not be an egg, no one will want to be your friend if your an egg.
2. Follow those who are interesting and funny.... sooo if you want to be followed stop telling people about dull moments of your life.
3. Have open settings, but make sure you are representing yourself in a healthy manner.
4. You are a tweeter on twitter and when you post a message it is called a tweet. You can retweet which is reposting another message. This place has its own bird language.
This link explains twitter with pictures of the blue bird.
http://images.pcmac.org/Uploads/MCPSS/MobileCounty/Departments/Forms/Twitter%20for%20Educators.pdf
Thought to debate .... Which is better Twitter or Facebook or Instagram.
My vote is for Instagram. Everything I post on Insta can also be put on several different social sites at the same time. Then would be Twitter, in the short time I have been on the APP I have found many entertaining and interesting posts without searching.
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