Google Tour
https://www.box.com/s/gbxyq0uhtg4cf6kj10cz

Video as a tool for student learning

Video can be used in many ways to supplement a lesson or unit.

I feel there exist two most practical uses of video from what I had read and seen personally. doing a unit on something I have often seen videos, documentaries for example, shown to enhance knowledge. Since the videos are usually very well planned and designed there is a lot of information contained within them. Plus visual learning students get to see what is being talked about alongside the "lecture" they are essentially getting. It doesn't just have to be movies though, movies are long for one thing. I have seen shorter clips used to supplement as well my observing teacher played a short 5 minute video for her class detailing what was and wasn't plagiarism. When I asked her about it she said the video did a better job at explaining than she probably could have, so she used it.

Videos contain information. If a video can do a better job than just a lecture can they should be used accordingly. Especially if the video does a better job than you could.

Virtual Field Trip Report
Hershey's Tour
Damian and Jon
http://www.thehersheycompany.com/about-hershey/our-story/making-our-chocolate.aspx

I feel this tour would be most appropriate for the Elementary school level, probably grades 2-3. This was a virtual tour of the Hershey's chocolate making process. It starts with the harvesting of beans and follows the process until finished products are made.  The videos are pretty interesting and show a process that would be tough to explain without a video showing how it is done.  It would probably be best used as part of a hands on science unit or to go alongside something the students were doing. If the class read a book about chocolate then something like this could be shown. Another possibility for application into the classroom would be if the class was working with nutrition and were discussing sweets or candy.

I feel the tour is very simple though and doesn't focus on much of the science of the process or the mechanics. It's just a very brief "here is how it's done" without information that could make the processes more understandable. The simplicity is a flaw which is why I see it only useful for very young students or not useful at all.

Smart Board Lesson Completed April 12, 2013.

My Smart Board lesson's purpose was to do traditional sentence diagramming for an English class. However, I found the Smart Board makes this easier with options like new pages. I would honestly use a Smart Board, if only, for that reason since my writing is very large and not very organized. Being able to stay in the front of the class without having to jump around or constantly erase would help me immensely in a classroom.

Google forms provide a fairly similar benefit that blogs do although they are more focused and "disposable." Forms would be very useful for posting homework assignments and class updates that students could check on the fly with mobile devices. Additionally this saves paper and updates/assignments cannot be lost.

I feel webquests offer a much more interactive assignment. The nature of the webquest provides much more than just "write an essay" or "do this worksheet." Webquests are reflective of the new teaching ideal of putting process before results. It also makes new techniques like flipped classroom easier to implement. From my observation courses speaking with teachers who have flipped their classrooms they say the results are quite good.

Movie project for March 18, 2013

https://www.box.com/s/gpf2kqg482n3hak1utcu

Chapter 3 seems pretty straight forward in describing the use of audio media. It shares many of the same benefits of video media despite being much easier to work with. Although visuals are important depending on the situation and already existing images, like on the layout of a blog, a video might not be needed. In this case audio of all forms can provide a nice touch. I can see how a podcast, due to the audio, would be quite useful in conjunction with a proper site layout. If getting information across is all that is needed it is much faster, from experience making the podcast, than making a video or presentation. I also agree that it is much easier to work with and produces files of smaller size. This adds to the ease of use for people with older computers or slow internet connections. I think it is also always good, since the benefit of personal interaction has been lost, to take advantage of all forms of communication if possible when working with digital material. Audio can convey emotions and tone that are lost on just text.