Tool #5

I have just made my very first video ever.  It may be only 30 seconds in length but it is done and it was easy and I really enjoyed doing it.  I am not sure how I can use this tool in my 7th grade math class but I certainly will look for opportunities to do so.  The Animoto tool is extremely easy to work with.  Luckily, I had an Instagram already set up and had pictures to choose from and were easily accessed.  If you would like to view my masterpiece, I have posted it to my blog titled My Animoto Video.


The other tool that I chose from this section was the Google Site.  From that, I chose Google Reader and selected various news feeds that interested me.  I might possibly get used to using this and reading about educational and technology ideas for the classroom.  I might also get some dinner ideas and some DIY ideas.  The possibilities are endless, right?

Tool #4
I have enjoyed learning about the Google docs.  I am actually quite excited about playing with this and incorporating it into my classroom.  Since I am completing my 11 Tools during the summer without the rest of my school's staff, I shared my documents with my own children.  I sent them a document requesting them to respond to my question stated in the document.  Next, I created a two-question quiz and sent it to my children for them to answer and send back to me.  Since they are no longer SBISD students due to being in college, I am wondering if they will be able to respond since it may require an SBISD login.  Nonetheless, I learned how to create the quiz and I like it! I sent it to myself and will practice answering the quiz and submitting it.  I am hopeful to use this google doc tool in my classroom as an online assignment.  I will certainly explore this site more and see what else there is to discover.


On to Tool #5.

Tool #3
This tool has taken me a little longer to accomplish due to it having a lot of information that I am not familiar with. I think that I am most interested in knowing the copyright laws when using pictures or videos that I might use embedded into future flip charts and making sure I do not do anything that goes against these laws.  I will refer to this tool #3 copyright video in the future to guide me as to what is legal for me to use and how.  I am also interested in the dropbox.  I have this on my ipad and iphone but have yet to really grasp how to store things in it and access those things when I am on a different device other than my devices that easily access the dropbox.  I can see that this would be a useful tool for me to use with my students to store copies of homework worksheets or possibly hard copies of flip charts that were presented in class.  I shall try to explore the possibilities of the dropbox concept. 

As far as embedding a link into this blog, I will attempt to post some links that were recommended to me by another educator as interesting ones explaining a study done on the blended classroom and the flipped classroom.  Refer to the following links for some good reading on the subjects:  

http://blendmylearning.com/ 

http://fm.typepad.com/files/lessons-learned-from-a-blended-learning-pilot4.pdf ; http://www.innosightinstitute.org/innosight/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/The-Rise-of-K-12-Blended-Learning.pdf

I spent some time reading these reports and found them very interesting and wondered how I can incorporate some of this flipped classroom technique into my own classroom.  I can see it happening only in bits and pieces with the limited availability of technology in each classroom.  With that said, I hope to find a way to implement it into my classroom within this school year. It is a most interesting concept.  Thank you, Karen J, for directing me to these links.  

Tool #2

I have commented on others' blogs and 'shared my thoughts' and feel pretty good about it. I am one who will probably post comments, in the future, only if I can add something to the posted comment that would be beneficial for others to read.  I suppose I might be inclined to ask a question if further information would be helpful to me.  


I found an interesting social networking site that posted a very interested You Tube video that I plan to look at again.  The website was www.msteacher2.org.  In one of their posts, someone recommended watching a You Tube video called The Fillped Classroom by Aaron Sams.  It was very interesting and presents a challenge to me.  I am working through how I can flip my classroom as a middle school math teacher.  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aGuLuipTwg&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f6AuWuXG2g&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoNlL3Plx-g&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPSoZCMIqfg&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyDpsJ5nS74&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMfSLXluiSE&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f6AuWuXG2g&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNB09NPKF2o&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f6AuWuXG2g&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1MKpyVPilI&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Icn8kMoH28Y&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1MKpyVPilI&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PLB632EC24182B4D40
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlwXulNEA58
https://sites.google.com/site/fizzflippingmath8/
http://www.fi.ncsu.edu/project/fizz/pd/lecture
On to Tool #3.  I am on a roll.

Tool #1

I have done it.  I have created my blog and added a Voki. This was easier than I had thought it would be although I did have to seek help from others.  Thankfully, I am on my way to tool #2. Is it possible for me to complete these 11 tools before the beginning of the school year?  I sure hope so.