Link to Electronic Portfolio

http://www.wix.com/canuso2515/tom-canuso

Final Blog Post

I believe that it is very important to incorporate technology into the classroom because of the experience that the students today have with technology. All of the students today are growing up in an age where technology is being used everyday, so we need to show them that this technology is a tool that they can use to help further themselves in their education and life. Teachers have thousands of benefits from the use of technology. They can find more lesson plans, connect with other teachers from across the world, and simply make the classroom learning experience fun with the help of technology. The students experience different forms of technology everyday so we should try our best to use these different forms to help them learn. For example the students can use their phones in class to vote or answer questions that can be uploaded to the Internet and show to the entire class.  I feel a major challenge of technology is the use. Many people use technology in their classroom but they do not know when it is the wrong time to use it or are ignoring regulations set by school districts. I will definitely use the electronic portfolio because I feel that this could help me show the employers that I know and understand technology and see it as an advantage instead of some teachers who are ignorant and try to keep to the old way of teaching. I have already used my lesson plan format template for my language arts class and it has been a huge time saver.

Electronic Portfolios Examples

http://durak.org/kathy/portfolio/teaching.html   -- I thought this electronic portfolio was a pretty good example. I like how she gave pictures of her students and gave examples of pretty much all of her sub-sections. I think if she explained a little better in some areas she would definitely have a great portfolio. She has a great resume.

http://www.cesa8.k12.wi.us/teares/math/it/samplePort/JAMES/Jim's%20Index.htm ---- I felt that this link was very plain! Very dull and not exciting at all. I wish he also developed some of his information better. Also, I did not like how most of his links led to documents that you have to download to view. I feel like this defeats the purpose of a electronic portfolio (quick and easy).

Incorporating Digital Videos

Name: Tom Canuso

Subject: Language Arts

Project: Creating a Persuasive TV Ad

Grade Level: 6th

Preparations: -Introduce Persuasive thinking to the students and how they are to map out their persuasive thinking -Provide Examples of Persuasive Ads on TV, Radio, Newspapers and Online. -Introduce children to the technology of Windows Movie maker -Introduce the Audacity in case they wish to include sound to their TV ad. - Need Cameras, blank tapes, computers to upload videos and work on. -I will need about 3 or 4 class periods to show the children all of the technology. -They will need another class to film and 1 class to introduce the students to persuasive ads.

Challenges: -Students may have a tough time coming up with ideas, so you may allow them to reuse a Ad that you have showed them but they must change things so that it is not completely the same. -Make sure to check all of the Ads so that students do not do anything inappropriate. - May have a tough time coming across the technology. -May have to use your own camera or any kind of filming device because school district may not have any video cameras. - The students may have a tough time getting to fit all of this work into the assigned class periods, especially if they have testing and early dismissals.

Into: Introduce the students to persuasive ads. -Tell them that they will be creating and filming their own ad that must be at least 30secs long. -Show them multiple persuasive ads. -give them their blank story boards and explain to them how they will fill them out and base their filming off their storyboards.

Through: The students will learn about audacity, windows movie maker, and how to use the camera through the next three classes. -The students will have an entire class to film their projects. -Then they will upload them to movie maker and over the next class or two they will edit their work.

Beyond : The students will upload their work to youtube and we will view them all during the last day of the unit. They will be graded on how persuasive their ad is and how well they used the technology.

Video Project

I had a great time filming my video project. I have never done anything like that at all and it was fun learning something completely new. I think Mariam and I did a great job actually shooting our scenes. We had a great storyboard set up that we were able to follow pretty easily. I think we could have improved the look of our actor. I wish I thought about shaving before filming. Also, while shooting I wish I could change my movements. I kept itching my head trying to look confused, but I feel like I looked like I had lice. Next time, I think I may add some speaking into the film and may cut down on some scenes so that I could add more time with the librarian at the end. There are a couple of things that I can take away from this project: 1) I now know how to cut and edit film 2) I know now I am ready for larger productions (TV and Movies ) ! 3) Also adding sound and being able to load my video up onto youtube was something interesting that I learned.

Interactive Whiteboards

I feel that Interactive Whiteboards have a major impact on teaching. They not only change from the old basic chalkboard but they make the class more interactive. Now you do not need to just hand out worksheets to keep the children busy at their seats. You can have them come up to the board and play while you teach. The best way for children to learn is if they are comfortable and having fun, and that is exactly what an interactive whiteboard does. I did not think the technology was hard to use, but I do feel that a big "con" is that teachers may try and use the Interactive Whiteboard to much. I know it sounds crazy because I support the I.W. so much, but some teachers may just try and use the board for everything and that may delay class and suck up the teachers planning time. I think back to writing all of my science methods lesson plans and try to think how I could incorporate the solar system into my lessons. I really did enjoy one presentation in class about the solar system (I can't remember her name at this moment Sorry!!) that was wonderful. She did a great job with all the technology and I know I had a fun time relearning the solar system.

Product Software

The last project that in which we created the transparencies and different forms of teacher related projects was very helpful. I honestly never knew how to create transparencies and this project has finally opened my eyes to the way I have been taught for many years. I also found it very helpful to create a newsletter and flyer because these are definitely projects that, as an elementary teacher, I will be creating to share information with my students. I learned especially how to use publisher during this project and that is extremely helpful because of the many different projects that you can create from that simple software. I am not the most creative person in the world and the templates that have in publisher make if very easy for someone like me to use.