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Digital Camera Assignment edited {Picasa_1.jpg} Abbott Family Web Photo Album

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Abbott Family Web Photo Album

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Internet Safety Night - Reflection edited Reflection I "organized" an Internet Safety Night to be put on at the school I hope to …

Reflection
I "organized" an Internet Safety Night to be put on at the school I hope to teach at, Knights Ferry Elementary School in Knights Ferry, California. The reason I chose this school, other than my longheld desire to teach there once I'm credentialed, is that I was a student there from 1994 to 1997 when the Internet first rose to prominance. When our school bought its first Internet-compatible computer, students were taken in small groups to the principal's office to "surf" the Internet, under the supervision of the principal, Mr. Waggoner, and a woman they referred to as an "Internet Expert". I recall sitting in that small office one afternoon, listening to a presentation from the woman on the wonders of the World Wide Web when she accidentally stumbled onto an inappropriate image. At that moment, everyone in the room became aware of the inherent dangers in untrained use of the Internet. For this project, I decided to retroactively take steps to avoid such missteps. The PowerPoint is a companion piece to the brochure, flyer, and actual "event" advertised in the 3.
Some of the slides in the PowerPoint are designed to be used prior to the evening as a visual aid when explaining the event to my students. I would also make it available via email to the parents of my students as a refresher on the points covered at the event as well as supplementally, using the videos and going over the Safety Rules listed in the PowerPoint. Through the presentation, viewers will learn what might seem to be obvious guidelines to keep themselves safe while wandering the Internet, especially with regards to social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
An interactive PowerPoint is useful in its ability to engage the viewer more than a lecture might. Even a verbal presentation aided by pictures or visual cues lacks the intrigue of an interactive presentation of the same material. Students can also be encouraged to add to the PowerPoint as they become familiar with the technology.
A concept I learned that will help incorporate PowerPoint into my teaching was the type of wording that is most appropriate when typing captions on the presentation. I found that a slide can easily start to look cluttered and convoluted if you use too many words, so it's better to condense your messages as much as possible.
What worked well: I finally got a handle on the "import photo" trick after a while. I feel I was able to successfully incorporate graphics and pictures into the PowerPoint to make them more visually appealing.
What did not work well: I really struggled with adding videos and other interactive features to the PowerPoint. I wrestled with this for a long time and am still left wondering if they will work on a different computer than the one I made the PowerPoint on.
I had very limited experience with PowerPoint prior to this activity, so I learned several techniques that others might consider basic or obvious. Even the "trick" of creating a new slide and importing photos to the slides were new to me. Another thing I learned that made a world of difference to the finished product was the use of different fonts, colors, and shapes in "glamming" up the PowerPoint.

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Digital Images edited Oliver Abbott EDEL 2200 Digital Images I’m a person who is coming very late to the game of digi…

Oliver Abbott
EDEL 2200
Digital Images
I’m a person who is coming very late to the game of digital photography. For most of my life, until very recently, I’ve been intimidated by “the camera”, digital or otherwise, and have been reluctant to ever carry one. Even in my work at elementary schools, as an aide who always finds himself being asked to take on odd jobs and special assignments such as student council or yearbook, I’ve gotten sweaty palms when asked to “go get the digital camera” or given the charge to document an even or activity through digital photography. Obviously, this mindset is incompatible with current teaching methods and I’ve simply got to get over it.
The 7 readings included with this assignment were very helpful in helping get my head around the concept of digital photography. Several of the readings simply included deeply comprehensive lists of the various advantages a class can enjoy if they have a digital camera. Those uses go far beyond simple documentation of class activities. Some of the ideas that appealed to me include taking photos to make a Word Wall, creating a book (rhyming, colors, moods, etc.), and using the camera to take a picture which could then be used as a writing prompt in the class.
A few of the other articles focused more on some of the concerns and insecurities I, personally, suffer from with regards to choosing the right camera and how to avoid buying “more camera” than you need, which was a part I especially benefitted from reading. This article can be found [[here%20http:/turleyedel2200.wikispaces.com/file/view/100+Ways+to+Use+Digital+Cameras.pdf.|here http://turleyedel2200.wikispaces.com/file/view/100+Ways+to+Use+Digital+Cameras.pdf.]]
The perfect camera for my classroom would be inexpensive and easy to use. The features I’m most interested in for my class camera are a viewfinder (screen showing what the camera is seeing), flash, and ability to review photographs immediately after taking them. In anticipation of this assignment, my wife and I invested in a Canon digital camera. One of the readings I looked over for this task suggested that a Canon is a good investment for a novice photographer and also that one need not get too concerned with how many “megapixels” a camera is capable of capturing or displaying. I’ve found this to be the case with my new camera, which features 7 megapixels. For my class’ purposes, I can’t imagine needing to have anything more detailed than that.
Among the activities I’ve discovered that my future class could do with a camera are the following ten:
Take photos to compile a book (i.e. ABC book, colors, moods)
Take/Use a digital picture as a writing prompt.
Graphics/pictures for digital presentations
Have a rotating job: Class documentarian
“Check-out” the camera to a student each weekend to compile pictures of their family to share with the class.
Create vocabulary flash cards for ESL students
Allow students to design/create personalized name tags on their desks, which could greatly help substitute teachers
Use photos to make games (matching, concentration, etc.)
Create a digital scrapbook/yearbook (with parental consent for online publication)
Enhance field trip experiences (show pictures of what the students can expect to see, create “scavenger hunt” assignment)
Students are taking pictures all the time these days with their phones. Incorporating the use of a digital camera into classroom activities would be enjoyable for them and would also supplement the learning/teaching experience.

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Community Awareness Night edited Knights Ferry Elementary School Community Awareness Night Join us in a conversation with Interne…

Knights Ferry Elementary School
Community Awareness Night
Join us in a conversation with Internet Safety Expert and former Yahoo! executive Dr. Rajai Davis, PhD. as we discuss ways to "Let the Good In, Keep the Bad Out" when we use the Internet.
Useful Links for Parents:
Be Safe - California Internet Safety
FBI Parents' Guide to Internet Safety
Kids Health - Internet Safety
Flyer for Internet Safety Night
Brochure for Internet Safety Night
Iggey and Rasper's Internet Safety Game
The Password Rap
The Internet Safety Game

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Pioneer Library Resource edited Pioneer Library Resources THINKFINITY.COM 1. Thinkfinity.com is a sort of a clearinghouse of v…

Pioneer Library Resources
THINKFINITY.COM
1. Thinkfinity.com is a sort of a clearinghouse of various educational and interesting websites, sponsored by Verizon. The information it contains varies from Arts and Literature to Economy and Science. Each link sends the visitor to a stand-alone website containing information, activities, and lesson plan ideas on each specific topic.
2. The information appears to be kept very current and accurate.
3. The navigation of the resource could have been a little better. It seemed like every time I would click on a link, it would send me to a brand new website with an overwhelming amount of choices and potential directions to take.
4. As an educator, I would likely visit this site to augment my lesson plans with engaging activities and interesting information. Several of the sites I arrived at through Thinkfinity.com were fun and easy to adapt to a lesson plan.
5. I’m not sure I would encourage the students to use this site without giving them detailed, strict instructions on how to get to the information they might need for a report or research project. To simply tell them to go to Thinkfinity.com and look around would likely lead to frustrated parents and overwhelmed students.
EBSCO
1. EBSCO is a great resource when working on a research paper or investigative essay. It provides links to countless scholarly sources and verifiable information on almost any topic that one might find themselves looking into in school.
2. The information is of the highest quality and although it’s likely that a search will produce older, potentially outdated articles, it will also produce the most recent information available.
3. Although there is a vast amount of information available through EBSCO, it isn’t hard to separate the helpful stuff from the other stuff.
4. I can imagine using EBSCO as an educator when crafting a lesson plan from the ground up. When I select a topic such as Native American history to teach to my students, I can go to EBSCO first and access information that will help ensure that I’m covering all my bases.
5. I see EBSCO being most helpful when my students have a research assignment to do. EBSCO makes it easy to find accurate, valid information which can be cited and sourced and easily plugged into an academic paper.
SOUNDZABOUND
1. As a musician and avid music lover, I look forward to incorporating all kinds of music into my instruction. Soundzabound.com provides free, legal music to stream online.
2. The music is great quality and the comfort of streaming it legally is great.
3. I didn’t have any trouble navigating the site and finding the music and sound effects I was looking for.
4. As a student, I remember having a very difficult time studying or focusing when there was absolute silence. As a teacher, I will obviously be sensitive to students who don’t prefer background noise, but I anticipate having some kind of music playing during “no-talking” seat work time which is appropriate for the situation.
5. I can’t see any way that my students could use this site except maybe as a study aide when they’re doing homework, at home.

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UEN K-12 edited Grade 5 Social Studies Standard 3.1.D: Explain the process of passing a law. Standard 3 of the…

Grade 5
Social Studies Standard 3.1.D: Explain the process of passing a law.
Standard 3 of the 5th Grade core focuses on the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights whlie objective 1 focuses on the way our government functions. By the end of the unit, I expect my students will be familiar enough with their government that they can easily explain, for example, the process by which a law is passed.
LESSON PLANS
More than a Yay or a Nay
The Structure and Function of Congress
INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES
Let's Make the World a Better Place: Passing a Law
How a Becomes a Law
IMAGES/MULTIMEDIA
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RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS
Congress for Kids
What is Congress?

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