Journal # 9 :Software evaluation/Kidspiration& iMovie

Classifying Animals
Science
Primary Grades PreK–2
Purpose
This set of learning activities provides students with an experience in observing and classifying animals found at home and in zoos. As they increase vocabulary and critical-thinking skills, students will focus on the Characteristics of animals, including adaptations.
Description
Most children have an affinity for animals as pets and imaginary creatures. Students begin by investigating the characteristics of their own pets as well as familiar ones in their neighborhood. They make a preliminary set of generalizations about the animals, thereby creating an initial classification system. Students then look at zoo animals, comparing their characteristics with the classification system developed. In the end, students are guided to the general scientific classification system.

For inspiration software (as it shows above) I visited Kidspiration site which attracted my attention because I found it very useful for teachers and students. This site has different options for most of the school subjects like “Math”, “social science”, “history” and for all grades. The teachers can use this site to improve students’ abilities by applying various games such as matching tables or pictures. Students will have fun while practicing their knowledge through playing these games. The teacher can help the students to develop their technological and social skills by offering them to collaborate and working in groups for class projects. It can encourage the students to create new tables by mixing different graphs and pictures and to compete with each other. There are also free tutorials in this site too and some software which are useful for teachers and parents. I liked working with this tool and I believe that everyone can take good advantages from it because it is very simple and it has up to date information.These are some interesting sites related to Kidspirarion:
http://www.fifeeducation.org.uk/Kidspiration/websites.htm
http://www.caledonia.k12.mi.us/k12resource/ETAWeb/earth/HistoryoftheEarth.htm

Discussion:
Question#1: I enjoyed working in this program, Kidspiration, and I believe that it is a good and interesting program for the students to work with because they can learn a lot from this site while they are working on the games. This site has a lot of lessons which come with different games that can improve students’ learning skills. It can help them to create new programs related to their class lessons and they can share them with their friends.

Question # 2: The teacher can take a lot of advantages from this software. Because this software has different features like free tutorials, power point, flash document and others it would be very helpful in the class.
1- The teacher can use the different programs in each new lesson to enhance the students learning about that lesson.
2- The students can go through the software and create their own project with each other as a group work.
3- Some of the programs can be used to monitor students’ improvement.
4- The students can get help from this software if they have problem in their assignments.
5- It is software that students can create power point and blog and they can share their information through these programs.
6- The students can take some pictures and process them and send them to their blog and work on class project.
7- The teacher can always make her knowledge up-to-date by accessing to this software because it has new information and tutorial every 45 days.
8- The teacher or the students can find the answer of their questions just-in-time and they can save the time.
9- Working on this software besides helping students in their class lessons, can improve learners’ technology skills.

Question # 3: I Believe teaching is a demanding job. The teacher should be always very active and make her/ his knowledge up-to-date because she/he is the first person whom students get lesson from. So working with some soft ware like Atomic Learning can be a good help to accomplish this holly job. I found this program very interesting and useful. The tutorials and information in this software are very motivating and they can also give some new ideas to the teachers. Using different features like power point and podcast in the class can make the lessons more exciting for the students. The tutorial lessons and the opportunity to use the Excel are some features that I found very amazing.


iMovie:
One of the other soft wares that we learned about is iMovie which has with a lot of features and enables the user to make a movie out of short clips. We learned how to link the small segments together with a transition between frames, add introduction and our favorite song, and put still frames in the movie. The speed of the movie can become faster or slower by moving the arrow keys. And there is feature that can change the background and the weather of the movie from fogy weather to a rainy or windy one.

Discussions:
Q#1:I liked working with iMovie tool and it made me feel very proud of myself. I felt like a movie director! I believe it would be a very good tool for educational system too because students and teachers can get a lot of benefits from it.

Q#2:Teachers can encourage the students to create the movie according to their educational knowledge and thoughts and they can collaborate and share their products to complete a class project. For each subjects the students will take small segments with their digital cameras and share their videos, and then make a good movie from it; like, “the growth of a bean” for science subject. They take a short movie every day and after developing it, the result will be a documentary movie, which can be used for other classes in the school. It can improve learners’ technological skills and their self confidences too. These are some websites for teacher and students that can help them to create their own iMovies
http://ptech.allthingsd.com/category/imovie/
http://www.ket.org/education/video-mm-weblinks.htm

Journal # 8 :More Than Money Matters

More Than Money Matters Establishing Effective School- Corporate Partnerships, By Nancy Flynn, Learning & Leading with Technology; Nov. 2007, Vol. 35 No. 3, pgs (18-21)

tToday the partnership between schools and technological corporations is becoming very important because it enables the schools to receive the latest hardware and software On the other way the corporation get their benefits from profits to have their influences over the curriculum and materials which are used by the students. The author of this article seeks for the matters that principals engage in technology partnership with corporations. These partnerships bring the schools additional hardware, software and training as criteria for incoming into a variety of partnerships to enable the schools to have equipment that they could not afford.
There are some guidelines for successful partnership which include:
1- Vision. The school should have a clear vision about its expectation through partnership because even free resources have organizations which investigate about employing them in best ways.
2- Support for technology. The school should make sure that there is enough support for hardware, software and staff development to apply a technological tool.
3- School Curriculum. The school should make sure that special software is related to the curricular goal.
4- 4- Collaboration & Communication. The school needs to collaborate with corporation and know the key people within the school and the corporation to have good communication with the organization.
5- Internal Capacity. The school should make sure that it has support through the company for the maintenance and sustaining and improving the use of technology.
6- Commitment. The school should have a strong bind with the company get more benefits like lessons to the kids for motivation and writing resumes.
7- Obligations. The school should be aware of all expectations from the company
8- Product Promotion. The school should “gave back” in the manner to be in some form of product promotion. They can present their company’s product at workshops to sell them to the other schools.
9- Assessment. The school should have effective partnership to summarize evaluation in strengths, weaknesses and future instructions.
10- Longevity. The school should make sure that a partnership is worth to get benefits and work with.

Q: 1- What are the benefits of following these guidelines?
They can help to make sure that the partnership works and the public education can get benefits from it. It means there are balance between public school objectives and business objectives.
Q: 2- What are some keys before applying a hard or soft ware?
a-The power of the school to support those tools, financially, technologically, and professionally, b-The budget for additional necessary hard or soft ware and the professional development for the staff to improve the usage of technology.

Journal # 7: Fitting the Pieces Together

Fitting the Pieces Together Successful Technology Integration with Laptops,by Patricia A. Yost, Learning & Leading with Technology, Nov 2007, Vol.35 No. 3, pgs (22-25)
In Pennsylvania a test program on a student laptop project was started to create a model for technology combination. Having a pedagogical focus was the key to success which was shown by professional improvement. The teachers and students had good technological skills and they applied technology to enhance their learning abilities and higher-order learning. This strategy provided time and comfort for teachers to collaborate and share with pees. This program made various high-quality technology integrations in the school. To achieve this program they followed some steps:
1- Teachers provide some why, how, which questions and have students to collect information to answer these questions.
2- Teachers encouraged students to collaborate through creating interactive, hyperlink-infused, self-paced presentation documents by using a WebQuest.
3- Teachers show 2-3 minutes video segments to point up an evaluation.
4- Teachers search for online subjects to provide different content for different students’ requires.
5- Teachers ask students to search in different web sites and explain what they have learned from them.
6- Teachers ask students to use different features of word processors like dictionary, spell and grammar checkers and edit their essays.
7- Students can choose video, image-laden or spreadsheet projects to explain their learning.
8- Teachers encourage students to discuss through email about their learning.
This program brought success for the school by beginning in some of the classes and expanding this pilot project to the other classes. For this the school provided some equipment for the teachers such as a laptop for each teacher, video projector or ceiling -mounted classroom. The teachers had to have a three year commitment to professional development around using the laptop and video projector. To ease this commitment the school provided additional opportunities throughout the school year and during the summer. On the first year they focus on strategies for using laptop and video sharing as instructional tools by demonstrating some lessons about using three minute video segment and using it for the lessons, and interactive web sites and strategies for teaching note-taking with printed presentation slides. The second year the focus was on using the internet for information gathering that fosters higher-order thinking. The teacher were asked to read some articles online and create why, how, and which questions and look for the answers online. The third year the focus was on strategies on using multimedia tools for instruction and student-centered, project-based learning, and the teachers have access to shared resources like digital video and still cameras. The teacher can create iMovie, iTunes, and iPhoto while selecting a tool for their instructional goals.

Q”:1- How does the school assess the improvement in this program?
The school expects the teachers to integrate strategies to their instruction. They apply their newly learned strategies in their own classroom and then share and compare their experiences with their peers on specific meetings.
Q:2-How can the teacher get some feedback about their activities?
The school creates a shared database on its district’s server so the teachers are able to get information about a lesson and web site and tips about teaching by searching under the course name and the grade level. This program can give the teachers self confidence and courage to try new strategies.

Journal # 6: Global Project Ideas

Global Project Ideas by Project Tomorrow Learning & Leading with Technology, Vol. 35 No. 3; Nov, 2007. pgs (34-36)

This article is a survey by “Project Tomorrow Organization” based on ideas from students, parents, and teachers who were asked about their tendency to work online with students from other countries and their choice of the countries in 2006. Their answers include variety of ideas in different subjects. All subjects: One student explains her desire to help other students in different subjects by providing an online learning program. Business Ed: On e student offers to work with a group in their fake business by creating a Web site to advertise. Foreign Language: One student suggests working on online project and communicating with other students around the world to learn their languages and enhance their social skills. ICT/CS: One project is a comparison about fastest internet between China and USA by using the same computer, same Web site with different dial ups. One student tends to create a video game the other one is planning to create a gaming Web site and learn how the directors make the games move and talk. Another student likes to make a Web browser to think critically with other peers and learn how to complete an assignment and how do they though of their ideas. Math: A student is going to make a Web site about math shortcuts to solve problems and learn how well other students around the world are in technology.
Music/ Social Studies: One student thinks about creating a Web site or power point to share different types of music and learn about different religions with the students around the world. Science: A student likes to design a Web site and share the geographical information with the students around the world. Another student offers to create an online Web site called “one person, one tree.” And each person is supposed to plant a tree in the neighborhood. The other one suggests sharing information about their environment like “the pollution” and comparing it with other countries. Science/ Social Studies: One student likes to work on a project about the problem of the world such as transmitted diseases, population, global warming, world hunger and the cure for them. Comparing and contrasting the educational system online between different countries is the tendency of another student. Social Studies: A student likes to work on a project with other students around the world about differences in governments, languages or technological developments between different countries. Another one would like to share ideas about future states of different countries. Creating a Web page based on data about political updates is the desire of one of the students.

.Q: 1- What are the benefits of global project ideas?
These are some projects that besides being interesting and entertaining for the students, they can help them to enhance their knowledge about other countries around the world and they can learn different languages and ideas and compare their learning styles with other peers around the world. They can share their information and create Web sites to help other students from other countries to improve their learning abilities. Working with these projects can help the learners to develop their technology knowledge and progresses in their education. They can find friends from different countries and develop their social communication.
Q: 2- What is “Project Tomorrow Organization”?
It is a non profit organization in Irvine, California and their goal is to make sure that today’s learners are well prepared to be tomorrow’s innovators, leaders, and engaged citizens of the world.

journal#5:A Bird's- Eye View of the Middle East

A Bird’s-Eye View of the Middle East
Learning& Leading (With technology)-Vol-35 pg 30-31
By Bill Edgington, Bobby R. Ezell, Daphne D Johnson, and Marilyn P. Rice
This article is about using software named Google Earth with the students in high school to study about how the military, political, or religious activities in a country affect by its neighbors. The students are divided into groups and each group chooses a country to study about. Then they search in Google Earth to get information about that country and its political boundaries and particular events. They can define culture or tradition in that country like most of the Middle East countries dominated by Islamic faith. Then the students can get more information about the capital city, total population, religion ethnic makeup, language, oil reserve or other issues from that country. After gathering this information they can see the location of the country on the globe through the Google earth. They also are able to view the country far above the earth within a few hundred feet of an area. After the students are done with their projects, the teacher can provide engaging activities according to the students, finds and involve them for some group discussion.

Questions:
1- How can the students search for a particular country
They should type the name of the country into the Google Earth site and look for its boundaries and other information.
2- What is the main purpose of using Google Earth in education?
It can provide the students data that contributes to a better understanding of the reason of particular countries’ political, regional or military activities. It also can help them to get the information about the common border between countries and their geographic situations.

journal#4: SHOULD CELL PHONES BE BANNED FROM CLASSROOMS?

SHOULD CELL PHONES BE BANNED FROM CLASSROOMS?
Learning &Leading with technology-Vol-35 pg8-9
By Josh Allen and Liz Kolb

According to Josh Allen he does not think that cell phones should be used in the class rooms as technology. He says that the students waste a lot of time on these, and he believes that students can use it for purposes other than educational and he mention it as a way to spoil the children. On the other hand, District money should not be wasted on these cell phones instead they should invest on buying more laptops for students’ convenience. He says that using cell phine does not have any advantage and does not have any rule in students' learning skills.
Liz Kolb thinks that the schools should fully use the cell phone technology to teach the educational aspects of the modern technology and to help them for their future proffesional lives. She believes that it is a way to connect the students classroom learning to the real world.The schools can use this tool as knowledge construction, group communication tools to make students more competetive. The students can learn a lot of knowledge construction by using and working with their cell phones. She mentions that most cell phones have a lot of features like free Web-based software called Jott, a hearing impaired student can record audio on a cell phone to create text- written e-mails, or they can have many free Web 2.0 tools for innovative classroom projects. The students can take some pictures from special events and make a slide show and show it inthe class. The money spend on cell phones is less than any other technology tools like a computer or a laptop. Teachers can also use cell phone to communicate with the parents like sending text massage alerts to send information about assignment. Teachers can limit using cell phone in the class room by making some rules like collecting all the cell phone at the begining of class and return them back to use as a learning tool.
QUESTIONS:
1-Write some disadvantage of the cell phone use in the classroom?
According to Josh Allen “Laptops are much more versatile yet uniform than cell phones. Any monies a school spent on phones and plans would be much better served with any number of other technologies.it is an unnecessary way that parents do to spoil their children ."It is a way to waste the time for students and it may be used for uneducational purposes.
2-What is some great benefit that the cell phone can bring to students?
According to Liz Kolb “A basic cell phone has the ability to be the students’ “Swiss Army Knife” of technology. Allowing cell phones to become learning tools will give teachers the opportunity to introduce appropriate cell phone etiquette to students as well as show them how their toy can become an essential professional tool.Teachers can use this tool to communicate with the parents and send them text massage alerts about assignments. some of the students can take pictures with their cell phones and discuss about their experience in the class room and share them with their classmates.

Journal#3: Get CNN Student News via Video Podcast

GET CNN STUDENT NEWS VIA VIDEO PODCAST
Learning &Leading with technology-Vol-35 pg36-37
By Camilla Gagliolo and Craig Nansen

It is very easy these days to access information through the multimedia resources available online. There is something very important for all students and teachers to know that CNN has made some of this very easy for students to access. This is called podcast and has all current events and news for students to watch. This is a very powerful way of student learning. These are clips provided for students without commercials. Some educators utilize the age-proppriate programs related to the subjects and matters in middle and high school students. The date of the programs, special reports, and interactive elements like quizzes are all in broadcasts. The teachers can also use this site by subscribing to use iTunes and accessing the CNN Student News Web site. These news clips and information is available for all population to view the current events and can be used for social studies classes and papers.
After subscribing to the CNN Student News podcast each episode will be downloaded onto iTunes and it can be subscribe in video podcast by following step by step instruction given by CNN. Then it can be reviewed in the class and each student have the chance to see the newscast. The student are also able to archive the news in their mp4 or mp3 players. They can use it as a resource for undrestanding the art of news media literacy. It also provides free related curriculum materials which includes a full written transcript, discussion questions, learning activities, and news quizzes. Educators find this site very intresting and usdeful for the students' learning skills and a good place to start educational resource.
QUESTIONS:
1. What are some benefits of having a CNN podcast?
Having a podcast access is great because the broadcast with top stories, special reports, quizzes on current events and geography can be viewed at any time by the classes. Just open and play instead of taping the previous night by VCR and having other extra inconveniences. Also the iTunes can be downloaded from a Mac or windows.If can be accessible for teachers too by subscribing to using iTunes or accessing the CNN Student news Website. Everybody is able to download the episodes to their Mp3 or Mp4 too..This also provides curriculum information.
2. Where can we get more information on this CNN kid’s site?
There are websites like these that will give us more information.
http://educationalpodcasts.wikispaces.com/
http://www.cnnstudentnews.com/

Journal#2: Nailing digital jelly to a virtual Tree

NAILING DIGITAL JELLY TO A VIRTUAL TREE
Tracking Emerging Technologies for learning
Learning &Leading with technology-Vol-35 pg12-16

By Fredi Serim and Kathy Schrock
This article focuses on emerging technologies. This further explains that it is worth spending money in technology to enhance student learning. Time and money spent on this is very valuable because this helps student learning and achievement. ISTE creates a database of all reliable technology information compiles them so people can have access to them.
The most important chalenge that we have in technology is keeping update to improve our learning. Then it talks about different issues in using new technology. The new new technology that has emerged has not been used by every body, but it is made accessible for every one and it is not important how much knowledge about this tool we have. There are three important things we must know: 1- this new technology can help if the system allows it to happen. 2- This new invention helps all students regardless their levels explicily. 3- Through carefull research and planning people can master the skills in the 21st century.
The virtual tree has many learning branches like:
a-Organizational capacity: requires human's professional development ideas,
b- Proccess management: Provides tools for instructunal media,
c- Operational capacity: It refers to networksecurity, data management.
And the iskills Assessment of ICT Literacy is an important part in shaping instruction.
Nailing the digital Jelly is a very important subject through K-12. Some of the relevent time frames are : 1-Time to adoption,:One year or lessin social computing, social networking, personal broadcasting and User-created content, 2- Time to adoption: Two to three years consist of : mLearning, Virtual worlds and Educational gaming 3- Time to adoption: Four to five years consist of Augumanted reality, Contest-Aware enviroments, The new scholarship obligations and Mutiplayer educational gaming. Ther e are some of the students' insights in this article too which includes user-generated content that talk about how creative the users can be to make their own content onlinee, social networking mobil phones, virtual worlds that faciliate unintentional learning resulting in stronger comprehention and assessment.

QUESTIONS:
1. Who monitors the emerging technology database?
ISTE has organized an Emerging Technology (ET) Task force to gather reliable technology information and monitor it .They also put it on one database for people to have access and they made the collection level of data deep. all the information is online and the demographics include grade level, size of district, and type of network connections. The members are able to find out their learning sofar and share their priorities with the other member with the same challenges. For more information we can go to the following web site: http://www.iste.org/ or by calling1.800.336.5191
2. What does Horizon Project 2007 consist of?
The demand for social networking is increasing especialy between students and it helps people to connect with each other by cell phone, personal digital assistant, laptop, or their other devices. social networking is a mixed of bad andgood issues. There are also some aspects like inteternet safety, the ditribution of awareness, the differetiation between the benefits and drawback, and the harnessing of its potential in all areas of life.