Week+9

This week I checked out Photostory for the first time. Unlike Wmedia type="file" key="Flugtag.wmv" align="right" width="300" height="300"indows movie maker, this software only edits photos. I found it slightly easier to use however and I like the features built into the software to add text and sound clips. It makes the process a lot easier, but I feel some of the freedom is taken away. Not such a bad tool for students to possibly use.

Here is my photostory I developed about Flugtag. I imported music I found from freeplaymusic into audacity again to get the fade in fade out effects I desired as well.

I also played with Photoshop Elements and performed the following tasks: i. cropped and resized images ii. placed a frame around an image to make it look more stylish. iii. Played with some of the layering effects.


 * Before & After Pictures [[image:Friends.jpg width="371" height="445" align="left"]] [[image:Friends_copy.jpg width="369" height="414" align="right"]]**

Although Photoshop can do all sorts of things, I think the user interface is slightly overwhelming to start out and may turn people off for this reason. Wow though! You can really do a lot with the software though. Too bad its not free otherwise I might use it more.

Reflection on Interactive whiteboards (or Smartboard) is a great way to capture student attention. He demonstrates some very useful ideas like having the class schedule posted at the beginning of class which is available to students at home as well. I like that he mentions he uses screen capturing software. I use Snagit for my purposes and actually I think I probably use it every time I'm working with photos and word documents. I have created brochures with ease using this software.

=Literacy is Not Enough= @http://www.committedsardine.com/handouts/presentations/LNE.pdf
 * Reading Responses:**

Some interesting thoughts from this article. The article makes the asserttion that "//...schools in their structure, operation, curriculum, pedagogy and assessment models remain largely the same as they have for decades.//" I would definitely agree with this. Technology has moved at such a rapid pace that schools are teaching material that is obsolete. An atlas becomes outdated as soon as it hits the shelf, whereas Google earth is continually updated with the latest images from space. Schools need upgraded technologies and curriculum that focuses on those technologies.

Portions of this article repeat from Ausbel's Theory of a Learner: which is to say that nothing its nothing I haven't heard mentioned before. "//Information needs to be internalized to be remembered.//" "//New information must connect to something the learner already knows and has made meaning of//."

I would be interested to see where the author gets these facts and numbers from. If they're accurate then they are startling. i.e. traditional lecturing = 15% retention after 1 year project based = 70% retention after 1 year.

This paper adds "//social networking and online communications//" to the list of 21st century fluency skills that should be taught. I would have to agree with this point.


 * Other thoughts:** Through most of these readings I find it surprising that there is no mention of the physical detriment computers play in our lives. With heart disease rates now increasing and affecting even our youth (see link here), it doesn't take a genius to see that our lives are becoming less active having computers so present. It would serve this article's author well to at least consider this situation as a drawback to having it taught in curriculum potentially taking away from more dire needs for physical health at the senior level.

=Attributes of Digital Learners= @http://www.committedsardine.com/handouts/presentations/UDGLA.pdf I really enjoyed this article despite the lack of proof or hard evidence being put forward that students in the digital age are neurologically wired differently.


 * My Reaction**: I find myself questioning some methods of teaching that currently teach to the test (standardized test that is). I relate to what this article says students think of when they are being told to memorize something and thinking "what is the point? I can just Google it on my iphone in 5 seconds." If calculators are allowed on math tests than why not the internet? Really, that is the reality of the world we live in.