My Final Reflection

(I don't know what happened to that post last night so I am re-posting)

TPTE 486 class has been very interesting and I learned a lot of things that I never had thought. I knew technologies will help Deaf people but what I had learned in TPTE 486 will certainly enrich Deaf people and in Deaf school as well.

I am going to use several lessons that I learned from TPTE 486 for my classroom. My most favorite lesson was doing Scavenger hunt, Digital Story (iMovie project)and Google sites (website). I believe these my favorites will benefit my future students because Deaf people enjoy using their imaginations so I want to encourage their creativity and putting technological experiences in their minds.

TPTE 486 course is a great tool for pre-teachers and teachers as well. Everyone can be able to learn technologies what matter how old you are! Many people quotes that you can't teach old dog a new trick. That is not true! I am going to recommend to anyone who want to learn about technologies in classroom to take TPTE 486!

Overall, it has been great summer and I enjoyed being in the class and I certainly learned real deal on technology in the classroom.

Another of my digital collections!

I did another digital collections which came from four things: digital camera, scanned picture, free picture from google and clip art picture.   My theme of this collection is 1981 Chevy Truck.  Here it

Digital Story

I never had thought about digital story project.  I think that is very cool project because it is a good way to show off of what you had done in past.  I believe it is a good way to do that especially in history classes because the students can find a important character in history and make it a true story to explain the character.  Good way to encourage the students to do researching and collecting videos and pictures.

At first when I heard "digital story", my thought was that digital story is for people who loves to share their life experience like a open book.  I am quite private person.  As I probed and explored other students' digital stories and I became more open to that idea. 

It can be used for personal and educational.  It is endless possibilities!

My thoughts about iMovie softare...

After working on iMovie project and I find that it is very easy to set up and edit.  I did PC MovieMaker before and it was little difficult and confusing.  I am a hard-die Apple/Mac fan!  I would suggest using Mac products in the classroom because of its ease of operation and easy to understand compared to PC.  Also Mac software is much cheaper than PC software.  For example: Mac recently released a new OS X Lion upgrade and it only cost me 30.00 dollars for upgrade while PC Microsoft OS upgrades would cost from 125.00 dollars or more.

That why I would suggest Mac in the classroom due of cost.  Yes, Mac products such as iMac, Macbook Pro and etc is quite expensive but in long run it will last years.

I believe that students would enjoy doing iMovie activities in the classroom because it is a good way to express yourself.  As for Deaf people, it is good way to record your blogs, events and yourself in sign language and put it in iMovie to be posted in any sites like YouTube and Blogger.

My iMovie Project: My trip to Cozumel, Mexico and Tulum Ruin

Here my short video and it is about my trip to Cozumel, Mexico and Tulum ruin.  I think it would be good and interesting for people who love ancient history.  The movie was made by iMovie software and I love it!  Enjoy!

My thoughts on Animoto

After reviewing Animoto website, I find it very interesting although it is mostly fee based with an exception of a free that offers very basic version.  I think with that software, it is more like targeted toward personal thing, not toward educational thing but it could be modified for educational purposes. 

Inspiration work!

I have been working on my inspiration project and it was very interesting!  I never had thought that it could benefit in classroom!  It can be used as study guide or creating timelines for history classes and many things it can be done!  It was not that hard and it was easy to create and post pictures and texts on it.  Thank God for this software! (Inspiration).  Here my picture of my project:

 

My project was about Ancient Egypt.  I know it is small to view but this would allow enough room in this blog.  I tried to make it bigger but it overlapped and did not look good!

Enjoy!

Tagxedo activity!

I went ahead and tried tagxedo and it was very cool and very easy to use.  I choose NAD (National Association of the Deaf) and I choose the shape of hand because it represents sign language.  
I find that it would be very good activity for students in any subject.  It is very easy, all I have is to type the URL and it automatically formats in that shape and choose what kind of shape I desire.

My Wordle...

 

Here my Wordle art!  It is interesting!  I choose a word "Deaf".  Cool website!

My Tennessee Association of the Deaf Conference experience...

I went to Tennessee Association of the Deaf Conference on July 7th to 10th. It was a good conference trip for me. I learned a lot of things that it could benefit me as future teacher.

I tried to keep up with my blogging but the hotel where I was staying had crappy internet connection! I had to wait until I get home and catch all of my blogs!

So here I am! I learned about technologies and communication issues at TAD conference...I know that the students will experience the same issues as I am experiencing but with knowledge I gained from the conference, I can teach them what to do with technologies and communication such as blogging, social websites to share information and many things.

There are too many information out there that would be needed to be shared with the students as well as for teachers too. It would be very easy to miss out. It takes time to explore the endless internet! Many of Deaf students don't know what is out there and believe that there is limit to learning. It is not true...we are never too old to learn and learning never stops! As teacher, it would be my job to point out and guide the students to right way of learning.

My thoughts on Wordle and Tagxedo

After reviewing Wordle and Tagxedo websites, I find it both very interesting and very similar.

Wordle is word cloud with relevant texts and it can be very artistic. What can it be used for the classroom? I think it would be good for history, social studies, reading, math, language arts and science classes that the students can choose a important word and have it expanded with relevant words forming a artistic cloud. Good way to help students learn new words!

Tagxedo is a word cloud with art and pictures...it is almost similar to Wordle concept. It would be good for classroom that they can choose a picture and find texts that relates with the picture then form words picture. It can be saved and printed out.

I find both of these wonderful tool and it would help them expand their minds. It can be used to put up on posters or garments! It is endless possibilities!

My thoughts on Twitter and Delicious...

After reviewing two websites: Twitter and Delicious, I find that Twitter and Delicious would benefit the classroom.

Myself, I am not fond of Twitter because I feel that it is like a "open book" but I stopped myself and thought of Facebook...it is similar concept both of the social websites. I took a hard look at Twitter again. I think it would be good for class that a teacher can twitter of what is happening in the classroom and it would be good way to share with parents so they will be able to know of what is going on with their children. Also it would be a good way to remind homework assignments for the students and parents. It can be modified specifically for classroom use.

Delicious website is very interesting...It allows people to post and share websites, articles and facts. At first, I thought what is it? I thought it would be worthless but after exploring the website and I find it could benefit teachers to students. Teachers can search many educational websites and post it on Delicious for the students to view also if the students are doing research and needed more information, they can look up Delicious for links.

My thoughts on Smilebox and Storybird...

After exploring Smilebox and Storybird websites and I find both very interesting.

Smilebox is more geared toward scrapbook ideas. What can it be used in the classroom? I think it can be used in the classroom. Some people would think this would be just for people who likes to do scrapbooking and showing off but it can be done more than just for hobbies. In classroom, it can be modified for each of the students that they can compile their learning and what they had learned in the classroom and outside of the classroom. Each of the students can put together a scrapbook (Smilebox) and publish for the other students and teachers to view. It can be used to help increase self-esteem and skills in technologies and learning skills as well.

Storybird is a good way to help students to put their thoughts and artworks in and share with people in school. It would be good way to help the students expand their creativity and art skills. (I am going to teach history) It would be a good idea for them to use to image "what if.." stories in history and write short stories. It is also a good way for them to save papers for artworks. It can be scanned and uploaded in Storybird website (accounts). Good way to save trees!

My scavenger hunt in Google Presentation

Scavenger Hunt

A thought on Picnik....

I wanted to add on about Picnik and how I think that is very cool! I wanted to post it up with a picture that I made from Picnik!

That picture above shows how cool it is!

Five pictures uploaded!

Here my five pictures below this posting that I took with my iPhone 4 camera and I decided to have outdoor theme pictures. I took these from back yard of my house. I think that are good pictures with my iPhone 4! Clear pictures! So Enjoy!

My Five Pictures...Outdoor themed!

Glogster and Picnik review!

After doing my Glogster presentation, I found out that it is a excellent tool for Deaf children (I am majoring to be Deaf teacher...) because they rely on visual aids.  They would love to use this program to help with their presentation and it would also help save papers and the MESS in the classroom!  LOL!  It offers great ways to organize the information without losing papers.  You can easily get information from computer or USB and upload to it.  I know I would probably will use Glogster for my class.

Picnik is interesting that it helps you organize your pictures, edit, modify and many things to be done with the pictures!  I think it is very neat!  It can be used to modify the pictures and save to be used on Glogster!  I see that there are potential and unlimited ideas to use Picnik!  I used it myself and I find it is really easy to use!  Easy to understand and easy to follow the direction!  I would recommend this website to anyone that love photos!

What do I think of WIKI

After working on wiki, I never had thought about using wiki for teachers and students that it can be very useful to them!  I can see its potential to help students learn something new.  It is a good way to connect with everybody and share their knowledge.  It will be like that I would never know about a thing while the others would know and put the knowledge in wiki and I would learn something new!

I believe using wiki would be great tool for Deaf students!  It would help them share with each other with their knowledge.

Reflection of website evaluation!

After reading the website evaluation: website  It helped me understand how to evaluate a website because it showed me series of questions that made me think about a website.  So I went and evaluated a website for teachers and students: Internet4classrooms 

I can understand the validity of seeking a "true" website to ensure that information is accurate for teachers and students to use in the classrooms and there are too many fake websites that could cause damaging to the computers such as hacking and viruses.

Before I learned about website evaluating, I would go ahead and click a link that would help me teach for my classroom with no care...now I know about website evaluation, I will make sure that I will seek right information and the validity of website that I find.

Testing for Vlog!

I am testing to see if I can be able to post videos in my Blogger.

 

Add to Mac and PC comment...

I forgot to add a part to this previous posting...I believe that Mac products are excellent for any educational settings because of its easy to use for teachers and students.

It have wonderful iMovie software that it can be used for Vlogging.

MAC OR PC?

Hi!

I was thinking about Mac and PC computers and stuff.  Which would you prefer Mac or PC??

I used to love PC until I converted to Mac few years ago.  Reason of converting was the ease of using a computer and easy to understand also there is no need for additional software such anti-virus and Apple keeping updates for all Mac products at low cost.


For example, Apple is going to release OS Lion soon and it would cost me at least 30 dollars for upgrade from Snow Leopard OS...while PC Microsoft would offer upgrade at cost of more than 150 dollars!


So here my preference of OS for my computer!

A thought!!

I have been thinking about this course...I know that will help me develop better understanding of how to handle technologies available to teachers and students.  I am quite glad that I registered for this course because almost ALL of Deaf people love technologies and will grab any chances to get hands on new technologies such as iPhone 4, Epic and etc because of having ability to give communication access for them such as video phones, texting and emailing.  Too many to list!

Anyway, I know I will have fun taking this course!

Evaluating a website for teachers and students

This website 

I found a website that explains about how to evaluate and criteria  a website for teachers and students.  It offers easy access and easy to read.  It would be easy for Deaf students since almost all of Deaf people would not understand the complex of English due of ASL (American Sign Language) as their first language.  English is second language to them.

It may look very simple to you but I am thinking for Deaf students since I am going to be teacher for Deaf.

It offers series of questions and sample of websites for us to think on specific questions after clicking on a link.

My learning goals for this class!

I am aware of technologies that it is changing our lives.  However, my learning goals for this class are:

• Improve my abilities to have the fullest confidence in technologies.
• Know all of available technological utilities that can be utilized in the classroom.
• Do well with understanding of how I can use with computers.
• Increase my interest in computer use such as blogging, vlogging, texting and etc.

That all I can think of...but if I ever think of something new, I will post it in this blog!

Peace!

My Expectations for this course!

I think with all of technologies growing and evolving to make our lives easier.  I believe that this course will help me to enable all necessary technologies for Deaf students.  I expect to learn something new, although I am quite skilled with some technologies, in this class.

All of Deaf people rely on technologies to communicate with each other including video phones at home and pagers.

I expect that this course will offer me to learn how technologies will help in my classroom with ease also making it easier for Deaf students as well. 

Introduction of myself to the class

Informal introduction to class:  I am Deaf and don’t be afraid to approach to me!  There is no need to know American Sign Language (ASL) in order to communicate with me.  There are plenty of papers and pen to communicate with me!  I am quite proud of my Deaf culture and I will stand and defend for it!   I love collecting comic books, stargazing with my telescope, playing with my R/C truck, going out camping with my pop-up camper and fishing.