Schools=creativity killers?

I was just re-watching a YouTube video from week 7 and was struck by how much more meaning I get from it now.

Sir Ken Robinson's short lecture on education, literacy and creativity has such pertinence and timbre that it should be a must for all educators. He portends that creativity and literacy should be linked and that the educational system overall (especially standardized scoring and the like) squelches creativity and tries to mold everyone into the same shape and size. Intelligence should contain three elements:1, Diversity, 2, Dynamicism, and 3, Distinction.

The best quote that I plan to carry with me and display wherever I end up teaching is the following:

"If you're not prepared to be wrong you'll never accomplish anything." We must take a grain of humility, creativity, and fortitude in whatever we try to accomplish.

Augiedog Scrapblog

http://www.scrapblog.com/3248b7ccc3/037C8A9D-8952

Do you know your computer?

Crossword creation

Thursday, Oct 16, 2008

Knowing Excel fairly well it was simple to put together the crossword for the assignment. Knowing that a text box can be inserted eliminated the frustration of the set column/row sizing. Coloring the blank squares and other aesthetic devices were straightforward. There is an element of rudimentary usage and the creativity is a bit limited. Using Excel you have to create your own intersections, which can be a littlre trying, all those years of Scrabble paid off!

Using a puzzle program was extremely easy once I found the one that really worked. Some sites charged for membership before you could publish, some sites were near impossible to save as a jpeg. I used the Read-Write-Think site and was pleased with the ease of creation. the program allowed the user to just put the words and meanings into the specified area and the rest was done for the user.

I can see this tool being a great way to assign vocabulary homework, et al and it makes it a little more fun.

Mockingbird(newsletter)

Communication, as we've been taught in our Collaboration class, is the backbone to any relationship. The more we can inform as well as listen, the more comprehension and connection we create. An essential element to being a successful collaborator is being flexible. If you're open to suggestions or ideas, no matter what the source you are likely to be a better educator.

After creating this newsletter and finding it really enjoyable I plan to use it connected to school website and teacher website. I will also place a "comment card" on the newsletter so as to allow for parents, et al to ask questions or make a statement. In addition to the newsletter I plan to maintain my blog which will have information of school/class activities.

I would like to use more interactive tools such as google videochat, podcasts, and social network sites specifically for pre-conference time with parents/guardians.

I used publisher after trying openoffice and not liking it. Publisher has many more applicable and usable features. It also offers how-to's. If I were to do this again I would research more on interactive aspects that can be added to the newsletter such as get-to-know student/teacher games.


file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/An/My%20Documents/mockingbird.pub

Smartypants aka SMART Board

After viewing several digital tutorials I was fascinated to learn of the additional aspects I had never seen. One in particular: Flipchart which allows the user to link subject/picture/map,etc on the screen with internet for more information at the moment. You can also drag an "answer" and it will not accept it if the answer is incorrect.

A new item, SMART Table, seems geared toward grade and middle schools and allows for group interaction. This provides a variety of learning/educational possibilities. The only downside I thought of is the sharing aspect. As with toys, equipment, etc in a classroom there is always the issue (especially at grade school level) of not wanting to share the item. The SMART Table has the potential to be fought over, with all its bells and whistles.

Groovy group wiki

http://pedagogy21.pbwiki.com/TWT%20Group%202?edit=1

A quizzling (Web 2.0 Tools) Quizlet

This is a great interactive site that works like computerized flash cards but more fun. There are a few different "games" along with a plethora of topics/content such as AP English, specific grade level chemistry, etc.

I used the practice one on the home page and got hooked so I continued to the full version. It was state capitals (not my strong suit) but after doing a few different tries I was definitely learning them.

I then tried an English lit. game matching terms of elements in literature. With each game I got to try to outdo my time answering-it was a great way to keep me interested. Overall the site is a great learning tool-especially for the nerdlets that are glued to their computers.

I'm a pro at ProProf

What really thrills me about programs like this and Engrade, etc is the ease of use and the variety of applicable tools available. ProProf has a great quiz creator which allows for creation, sharing, and/or viewing. It also has resources such as touring the quiz create feature, newsroom to attach various forms of media, and a key features section where you can blog, connect with other classes, friends, companies, etc.

When I was doing an observaition last week the teacher had told me about a site the district now uses for students and teachers to submit work, called Turnitin. This site has similar features in that it allows the teachers and students to keep track of, check on, and attain resources. I think all-in-all ProProf and Engrade offer a lot more in usable features as well as ease of use.

GreatGatsbyGrade

I used engrade.com for this and really liked it. I had initially tried gradepro and found it a little difficult to navigate. Engrade had easy-to-follow steps, clean screens, and good folders encompassing what I believe would be a teacher's criteria.

Engrade allows for manual, custom, and default grading allowing the user to manipulate or not. It also gives easy access for the student. The calendar option was great for both student and teacher providing a syncing tool. Parental access was my least explored area though it has places to limit or open access.