Comments on Final Project

For my final project I want to make a Power Point Presentation addressed to Parents/ Students on Open House Night. The presentation will cover welcoming parents/students, discussing supplies needed, 7th & 8th grade curriculums (brief introduction and will provide parents with a copy of curriculum map). My main goal is to address my biggest challenge in the classroom and that is encouraging my students to use the Target Language (both, in class and at home) s much as possible. So, I will present them, samples and activities ideas (using MI concepts and will provide them with a MI questionare) on how they can help them at home. I will ask them for questions and suggestions. Then, I will present them a slide with the evaluation and will provide them a page for evaluation.

Wnat I Learned This Week End

I learned a lot about Power Point Presentations. I knew a little bit, just the basics, I might say. Since yesterday, I have been very excited to use this program to make better and more interesting presentations to my parents, colleagues and students. I learned how to insert a movie in a presentation, changing backgrounds and getting charts; also I learned how to insert sounds and animations. I love the fact that this 2007 Power Point has so many new things and I might buy this new version. Here is a sample of a video produced by my students: Matt, Matt and Danny on the second week os school last year (2007-2008.) I learned how to insert videos like this in a blog too. I think it is awesome!

Inspiration Work

This is a program I really enjoyed working on. It is very easy to use and I love how many changes you can make to improve your work. I never used this program before and it would've been a great asset for my curriculum class project. I did a lot of mapping, graphic organizers and charts using the Windows program and it was extremely difficult. This is such a great program. I love how many different pictures were available and how easy it was to make changes. This project will be useful for my Spanish class when we are introducing seasons with weather expressions and frequency expression. The project tittle is "Seasons and the Weather" Then it is mentioning every season and how is the weather durinng that particular season. Also it shows how it is never ceratin weather during a season (i.e. Nunca Nieva -It never snows in the summer)
I can use this program for most opf my classes and I know my students will have a blast creating work with it because it is colorful, very easy to use and the pictures can be adapted to any language.

Goals for this week end

1. Enhance my power point knowledge, learning more about the use of different effects. Also want to learn how to add music and video clips to power point. I DO USE POWER POINT IN MY CLASSS BUT IT HAS ONLY BEEN AS A MEAN TO TEACH. I want to learn other things I can do woth it.

2. I want to learn about kidspiration since I have never used it before. I WANT TO BE GOOD AT IT!

3. I watnt to be able to integrate this technology knowledge to my teaching process and have students use technology in class as a tool for the acquisition of their skills.

Response to Friday night question #3

The question was: How does technology impact the acquisition of basic skills? Imagine a classroom 50 years into the future. How do you feel technology will eventually change the way very young children learn? Will our definition of multiple intelligences evolved?

Technology is here to stay. So, we might as well, accept that this is a wonderful tool that our students really love engaging into. Why not use its full potential to enhance their learning skills? Our children were born and are being raised in this technological era. This is what they know. Therefore, technology is already part of their daily lives and will come as something expected to integrate technology into their education process. Technology has already began to change the classroom and the way teachers teach and students learn. Teachers, as well as students may use technology to touch on every of the multiple intelligences in order to enhance learning process. For example, visual intelligence, which is one where experts agree, a large amount of students use mostly, students are alrerady turning to teachnoly using clip art, draweing tools, photo editing programs, puzzles, etc to create illustrations for their stories , posters, scrapbooks, etc (along with it, they are relating to other intelligences such as linguistic). Technology evolves continuosly and I can only imagine how far it will get 50 years from now. I used to teach History and as we were in the pre historic unit, we touched on the invention of the wheel and how this invention revolutionized people lives. I asked them what current technology (this was around 13 years ago) was there now that its impact can compare to the invention of the wheel. Immediately, they shouted the computer. From last 13 years ago to today, technolgy has evolved tremendously and I am certain there will be a time that our world will not go on without technology.

How I would like to apply Photo Shop

I think using photo shop in my class (Spanish) will be a great tool. There are many activities in which photos wiil be a great tool , Constantly, my students are creating projects to demonstrate their vocabulary knowledge but they are not allow to use English, but the taregt language. Using photo collages will be a great and fun way form my students to demonstrate their knowledge. They usually have to create a Family Tree, a food collage or a Restaurant Menu and using the Photo Shop technology will enhance these activities. Another way I can use this Photo Shop tool is during Open House, where I can provide presentations to Parents about the work students have done the year before.

Photo Shop Creation

This is the first time I have EVER worked with Photos editing. It was somehow frustrating but very interesting. I learned about using filter effects, using a brush stroke effect to change the digital image of my photo. Also, I added frames, and rotated the photo to create an interesting contrast. I learned the use of different backgrounds and enlarged mine in order to co beyond the frame and picture to create a collage like photo. I also added an element (butterfly) to make it more interesting and creative. Finally, I learned about adding a text, changing the color and font. This has been exciting and I am looking forward to explore more on these photo upgradings.

My Pictures

These are pictures of my grandson, Cale - B who was posing for me since he was the main character in the book I wrote for the art class. Also, I took a picture of the water fountain running. I love the flash reflection in the picture which in some kind of way, distorted what it really was. Believe me, it was a water fountain running water.

Comments on Digital Story Telling Article

The article mainly talks about why, in this tecnological era, it is important to use digital tecnology to tell stories. It says it is a way that the author has to let his voice be heard while recanting a story. The article gives you ideas on tools to be used such as I-Movie, Movie Maker, Photo Story3 and Bubble Share;. Also it provides resources where to research about the topic before starting; it provides names of books that contain information on how to create a digital story telling. But it does not provide steps on how to actually create a digital story telling. I think this will be a wonderful tool to be used in order to have my students create dialogues and dramatizations, as well as using the story telling to tell their stories.

Goals For This Week End

Technology usually gives me a headache. I like it, but it scares me. I would like to feel more comfortable using technology. I do have a some limited knowledge on using Power Point Presentations. I would like to be able to learn more about Power Point as far as adding movies, pictures, giving it sound and movement. Another thing I would like to get is to be able to update my website at my school. It is very plain and simple because I have no idea what else to do. I've seen other teachers and their websites are very creative.

Impressions on Born into Brothels

This is a film/documentary about a photographer called Zana Briski who went to India to take pictures and do some work about the women in the Red Light District in India. She got involved with the children of the brothels as a mean for her work but eventually, she became interested on allowing them to use cameras to take pictures. The film shows a cruel reality that these children and families were living. There was a lot of harsh language toward these kids, but they took it quietly. They were aware that their parents were prostitutes, but yet, they showed their respect to them by touching their feet before they were leaving their homes. Some of them were the third generation on this "profession." It amazed me how even when these children were living in such limitation, working so hard at home, doing all kind of chores and taking on the tasks of grownups, they were still children that teased, kid around and enjoyed going in outings; loving the beach and not afraid to show their emotions. These children learned about photography and took photos, amazing photos I might say. Their photos showed the impression of their world as viewed through their young eyes. Zana, maybe not intentionally began to care deeply for these kids and even when at first, she thought she was not going to be able to do anything for these kids, she actually was the force that eventually changed most of their lives. It really made me think about how lucky I, my children, grandchildren are to be blessed with such a different life. These children were forced to mature quickly; their focus in what is important in life is so different to the main focus of many children in our society. These children wanted to get a good education and to be able to have a successful life, getting a better education. Videogames and fashion, was not as essential as for most of the children in America. These kids inspired me and at the same time made me think about maybe I can do something for other kids if I put the passion that Zana put into this project.