Final Entry Blog......

Hurray, I made it... just barely!!!!!!

Exhausted, frustrated, confused, at times disoriented, spun out of control - once, and me brain is oatmeal. I have learned a great deal from this class; it has opened my limited experience w/ computers at the same time expanded a positive vision and possibilities in the computer world ie World Wide Web.

I have overcome some major fears in using the web. Now my mind is open to so many resources that I never imagined. "NO FEAR" is a term that can be posted on my computer. I didn't grow up using computers so my generation basically is fearful of them.

My mother in law needed help with her computer and I helped her. Amazing, me!!

Making a book on-line was my favorite assignment; web quest least.

I think our class was really good and many thank yous to all my classmates.
Thank you Christina for your help and cheery (positive) teaching style.

5 - Podcast

* KCRW's Art Talk - "Secret to a Great Exhibition"
- Listening to this podcast was the voice of Dracula. It had a brief overview of good museum shows. Speaker sheds light on backgrounds of artists.

***KCRW - Chicano Art and all that Jazz
Podcast host talks about Chicano's art show "Phantom Sightings" and a few other shows as private collections.
LACMA's collection of Chicano art is disappointing; list examples of artists.
Talks briefly about gifted artists and compares with John Coletrain. States, Chicano art is on the "back burner" at LACMA.

**** KCRW - Marlene Duams show at the MOCA is "art that slaps you in the face".
Talks about the artists work, violent in nature and persona of the artist herself. The work is explosive raw energy states the narrator. Talks about Marlene's MOCA exhibition and compares her to Goya in that the show has the "smell of blood".
It is both powerful and elegant art.

*** KWB - Voice of the Arts John Carroll's take on...
Amy Whinehouse as a singer. Crack addict and drug problems but an excellent singer/artist. Personal info such as having a beehive hairdo (I gotta see this).
Narrator is a mass media professor.

**** WGBH - Google Media Search Engine
Narrator says Google redefines how we think; "we are what we search".
He questions, is Google making us stupid? We need to research and reflect
or think about the information. Being informed doesn't mean being knowable. I think information comes way too fast at us every day.

Podcasting in Education

What do you think of Podcasting in education?
I think this is a great idea because it expands / enriches classroom lessons for teachers as well as students. Lessons can sometimes get stagnate almost putting kids to sleep; podcasting opens the door to creative learning. Students get to be personally involved by using their voice, visuals, music, video clips for history, science or any class presentations. This is a new twenty-first century way for people to learn, create, and get inspired.

How could you use Podcasting in your classroom?
I would like to use Podcasting for visual presentations. The idea of adding clips of artist speaking about their work as well as making art to an otherwise boring power point would be great. This enhances students learning by showing differences in approaches for making art and how to use art materials. I could also create short videos of students making their art for them and for future classes; direct involvement is a great way to connect with my students and their creativity. I just love this technology.

iLearning

*** for Wordworld - Appropriate kids levels
Many actives - links to word games
TV Schedules for learning
Site for parents and teachers
Good philosophy
**** Batters Up For Math - I would like this one because I love baseball
Connects w/ kids to their level
Fun way to learn math / Enriching
*** Fun Brain - Good Graphics for kids
Appropriate grade levels for games
Fun Blogs (age level)
Like the web books and comics

NETS for Teachers

At my high school, NETS is on the up-swing. Technology is almost evident in every classroom with LCD players however, that was not the way it was a few years ago. Today and for the last few years tech labs have been training teachers to use equipment to facilitate learning with the world wide web within classroom lessons. Additionally, the non-academic or elective courses have been brought up to speed a little slower because administration didn't think it was imperative that these classes need or learn from web resources (art is on the back burner).

As far as NETS standards go......they seem a little too stringent for everyday classroom learning; for example 2c wants teachers to customize and personalize learning styles for activities. If your class has almost 40 students, this is really a hard thing to do. All in all, I think it is quite impossible to address all 5 standards with 15 itemized objectives with these huge classes today.

NETS for Students

This is the first time I have read this and am not familiar with "how to" do most of these tech activities. I think these are very valid for students that are taking the appropriate computer classes. At our high school students do have a contract and on "restriction" if they go to sites that are inappropriate. Looking at the school's on-line communication, it seems there is always a child that abuses the privilege of surfing the web.

Web Safty for Children

I was truly amazed at how information on the web is untrue and how links are misguide students leading them to sites that are unwarranted to the subject. We need to teach kids how to make meaning out of the information presented on the web and look for truth in information; critical thinking. It is imperative that we teach kids to question the credibility of their sources.