Sunday, August 16, 2009
US History
Welcome to our class blog site. Click the US History link above to continue the blog process for this class!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Screen Recorings in the Classroom
In teaching the freshmen course Geography & History of the World, I always assign a PowerPoint project to end the semester. The project concerns a country from South, East, or Southeast Asia and there are many guidelines and requirements for the students. The assignment is basically researching, creating, and then presenting their PowerPoint over their country.
I always run into a few problems during this assignment. Since my computer at school (they use this to present on) only has Microsoft 2003, students with newer versions of PowerPoint often have trouble trying to save on my computer when they bring in their flash drives. My computer did not convert the files automatically. Also, students without flash drives often struggled to find a way to bring in their PowerPoint. Finally, some students struggled to access information from a certain website given to them.
I would teach/explain all of the above in class before the class uses the computer labs. However, with Screen Recordings, I could make three separate 'How To' recordings covering how to save a 2007 PowerPoint as an earlier version, how to attach a file (their PowerPoint) to an email to themselves and/or their partner, and how to use the CIA website given to them in class. Another great Screen Recording would be how to merge two PowerPoints into one. This often comes up as a problem. I would make all of these recordings accessible via the class wiki or on the class blog site. Students could view these to review and remind themselves of how to complete certain tasks, and this would save a lot of class time used in the labs on questions.
I always run into a few problems during this assignment. Since my computer at school (they use this to present on) only has Microsoft 2003, students with newer versions of PowerPoint often have trouble trying to save on my computer when they bring in their flash drives. My computer did not convert the files automatically. Also, students without flash drives often struggled to find a way to bring in their PowerPoint. Finally, some students struggled to access information from a certain website given to them.
I would teach/explain all of the above in class before the class uses the computer labs. However, with Screen Recordings, I could make three separate 'How To' recordings covering how to save a 2007 PowerPoint as an earlier version, how to attach a file (their PowerPoint) to an email to themselves and/or their partner, and how to use the CIA website given to them in class. Another great Screen Recording would be how to merge two PowerPoints into one. This often comes up as a problem. I would make all of these recordings accessible via the class wiki or on the class blog site. Students could view these to review and remind themselves of how to complete certain tasks, and this would save a lot of class time used in the labs on questions.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Flickr in the Classroom
I'm going to explain an idea for a student project using Flickr.
Groups of students in a U.S. History class would be assigned to research and visually document lasting Native American influence in the city of Fort Wayne. After completing two assignments and being given some guided research, groups of students would be given a certain time frame to photograph (using the school's cameras) the monuments, schools, businesses, and anything else that relates to the Native American tribes that once lived in this region. After creating a Flickr account and posting these up, students would create a Powerpoint Slide Show using the images and present this to the class. A reflective paper would be assigned, either in my class or in the blocked English 11 class. For many it would be a great eye opener to the city itself as well as its history.
Groups of students in a U.S. History class would be assigned to research and visually document lasting Native American influence in the city of Fort Wayne. After completing two assignments and being given some guided research, groups of students would be given a certain time frame to photograph (using the school's cameras) the monuments, schools, businesses, and anything else that relates to the Native American tribes that once lived in this region. After creating a Flickr account and posting these up, students would create a Powerpoint Slide Show using the images and present this to the class. A reflective paper would be assigned, either in my class or in the blocked English 11 class. For many it would be a great eye opener to the city itself as well as its history.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
YouTube in the Classroom
YouTube is a great source for visual information including pictures, speeches, and videos.
I think there are many ways students could use this in the classroom.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jR-A4QFHZBA
Billy Joel song "We Didn't Start the Fire". I would have groups research a certain number of events from the song, create visuals for a powerpoint, and then present their events to the class. In the end, as a class, we would create one final video with all visuals from the song (and an intro) and post it on YouTube. All groups would have presented (and researched Billy Joel and the song) and gained some ownership of some of the big events and people from 1949-1989.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbUtL_0vAJk
Video of the entire "I Have a Dream" speech given by Dr. King. I have shown this in the past and would work with my English 11 teacher to fully dissect the speech and historical era. I could see us collaborating together to have students analyze the speech, perhaps present a specific portion of the speech, and further study the Civil Rights Era.
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=history+of+rock+and+roll+documentary&search_type=&aq=0&oq=history+of+rock+and+roll
Variety of links concerning the history of rock and roll (including a piece narrated by Jeff Bridges. There are 7 and they are all pretty short. These could be shown to the class to start/end the class period while they study other historical events from that time period. Culture portions of history are often skipped due to time restraints.
I think there are many ways students could use this in the classroom.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jR-A4QFHZBA
Billy Joel song "We Didn't Start the Fire". I would have groups research a certain number of events from the song, create visuals for a powerpoint, and then present their events to the class. In the end, as a class, we would create one final video with all visuals from the song (and an intro) and post it on YouTube. All groups would have presented (and researched Billy Joel and the song) and gained some ownership of some of the big events and people from 1949-1989.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbUtL_0vAJk
Video of the entire "I Have a Dream" speech given by Dr. King. I have shown this in the past and would work with my English 11 teacher to fully dissect the speech and historical era. I could see us collaborating together to have students analyze the speech, perhaps present a specific portion of the speech, and further study the Civil Rights Era.
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=history+of+rock+and+roll+documentary&search_type=&aq=0&oq=history+of+rock+and+roll
Variety of links concerning the history of rock and roll (including a piece narrated by Jeff Bridges. There are 7 and they are all pretty short. These could be shown to the class to start/end the class period while they study other historical events from that time period. Culture portions of history are often skipped due to time restraints.
Podcasting in the Classroom
Podcasts can be a break from the norm for many students and teachers. Podcasts use technology, which most students find interesting. Podcasts also require students to create something using a 21st century skill, which all schools want from their teachers.
On the information side, students will obviously research, read, and analyze documents and information to create podcasts in a U.S. History class. I found a couple good links on the same website offering ideas and resources for students to create podcasts. See below:
http://fcit.usf.edu/podcasts/oral_histories.html
http://fcit.usf.edu/podcasts/historical_audio_diaries.html
These projects deal with students creating their own historical audio diaries and fictitious historical audio diaries on such topics as the Great Depression, the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and the Vietnam War. There are numerous things you could have students do with this including researching actual interviews and the recording mock interviews from that time period, have them record actual interviews with veterans from Vietnam or Desert Storm, and create mock live News Reports as if they were reporting live from the scene during a specific time period. This would all require research, creating, and editing which are skills all people use everyday.
On the information side, students will obviously research, read, and analyze documents and information to create podcasts in a U.S. History class. I found a couple good links on the same website offering ideas and resources for students to create podcasts. See below:
http://fcit.usf.edu/podcasts/oral_histories.html
http://fcit.usf.edu/podcasts/historical_audio_diaries.html
These projects deal with students creating their own historical audio diaries and fictitious historical audio diaries on such topics as the Great Depression, the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and the Vietnam War. There are numerous things you could have students do with this including researching actual interviews and the recording mock interviews from that time period, have them record actual interviews with veterans from Vietnam or Desert Storm, and create mock live News Reports as if they were reporting live from the scene during a specific time period. This would all require research, creating, and editing which are skills all people use everyday.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
School Safety and Blogs
Northrop High School does block a variety of websites. Networking sites like Facebook and MySpace are blocked and cannot be accessed by students or teachers. When it comes to blogs I am not sure if blogging sites are blocked. I would assume that some may be and some are not based on content, but I am not certain.
I am excited about using my blog site in my classroom. Hopefully it is not blocked, and I think it would provide a great medium for classroom discussion. While teaching US History this coming semester, I could see me assigning blogs as homework, as discussion starters, as hooks for beginning new units/topics, and as an arena for student debates and student-student critiques. In a course in college, blog posts were required on a variety of topics and the instructor brought the assigned blogs into the classroom via projector and the homework was discussed that way. It made each person in the class want to complete their homework. This situation would be ideal in the high school setting, as long as all students have access to the internet....
I am excited about using my blog site in my classroom. Hopefully it is not blocked, and I think it would provide a great medium for classroom discussion. While teaching US History this coming semester, I could see me assigning blogs as homework, as discussion starters, as hooks for beginning new units/topics, and as an arena for student debates and student-student critiques. In a course in college, blog posts were required on a variety of topics and the instructor brought the assigned blogs into the classroom via projector and the homework was discussed that way. It made each person in the class want to complete their homework. This situation would be ideal in the high school setting, as long as all students have access to the internet....
Internet Safety
The internet can be a dangerous arena for persons of any age. Blogs and other networking sites offer users a place where images, thoughts, and personal information when posted can be there permanently and is made available to the world. The internet itself can also be a gateway of information for younger children that their parents may not want them to see or be aware of at that age. Today's youth are easily influenced by what they see and hear or what seems exciting and the internet offers this like no other source.
Personally, I have never had an issue regarding the internet and safety. Personal information has never been taken or lost and my lack of use on networking sites or blogs has kept me from posting information I may regret later on.
Personally, I have never had an issue regarding the internet and safety. Personal information has never been taken or lost and my lack of use on networking sites or blogs has kept me from posting information I may regret later on.
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