Over the course of the semester I have learned a great deal about educational technology and all the resources that are available for teachers and educators. I had a chance to learn about Microsoft and the applications that are offered within the software. I took an in-depth look at Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. All of these applications are teacher friendly and help teachers to enhance their lessons. I also learned about Smart board technology and iPads for students and teachers. One of the most beneficial topics that I learned about was the online classroom tools and applications. There are so many resources available for teachers and I got to explore and use many of them. This semester was a great learning opportunity for me and I am excited to use all of my new knowledge and skills in my own classroom. Educational technology helps to engage students and enhance the learning environment. I am grateful that I have the opportunity to be apart of the Educational Technology Specialist program and look forward to everything else I will be learning.
To end the semester I created a non-linear PowerPoint presentation. This presentation is about different Habitats that exist around the world. My PowerPoint gives the students a chance to learn specifically about four habitats. These habitats are grasslands, arctic, ocean, and rainforest. The students will learn about the climate, plants, and animals that exist in each of these habitats. The PowerPoint is non-linear because the students can choose which habitat to learn about and explore first. Then the students can go back to the main page and choose another habitat. I feel I have learned a lot about PowerPoint and hyperlinking within the PowerPoint. I am pleased with all that I have learned in this class and will continue to try new lessons with my new knowledge of educational technology.
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Podcasting
In class this week we took a look at podcasting and the applications that are available for podcasting. Podcasting is the creation of a digital audio file. This file can be recorded or just editted. One of the applications that can be used for podcasting is Audacity. Audacity is a free download for just about every computer. This application allows you to create podcasts by recording and editing the podcast. Audacity allows you to cut and edit the file and then add in sounds and transitions. There are multiple effects that can be used and added in. I enjoy using Audacity and think it is pretty simple to use. I believe that most teachers would feel comfortable using Audacity and would be able to teach their students to use it as well.
In the classroom podcasting can be used by creating discussions and book talks. I have actually used podcasting to create a book talk/discussion that turned out really well. I used Audacity to record the discussion and then edit the recording. It is a great resource to know about and to use.
There are so many tools to use when it comes to podcasting and it is the teachers responsibility to look into which tools work the best and then to share these tools with fellow educators. Podcasting is a great way to mix up the ELA time in school and help students to engage in a more technological form of learning.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)