Making Movies Matters!

I have a macbook so I have definitely seen the imovie application before, I have always seen it as hard to use and I never really needed to use it. I thought all you could do was make a movie load it onto the program. While taking TPTE 486, I was able to learn how to use the program and that it could have many potential uses in my future classroom.

I created an imovie about traveling to New York so that children could take a virtual tour of sorts. This could be used in Geography studies, cultural, or even exploring differences in where we live. The application, imovie, could also be used for instructional videos, classroom videos of projects the students have done, or even meet the teacher videos. Students could have a lot of fun putting together slideshows of pictures to music to explore their artistic side. 

Digitally Done Right!

As far as digital diagrams go, the most experience I have ever had with that is on a sheet of paper my teachers printed called a concept map. It is not surprising though, that with the digital age morphing into a technology giant there would be digital and eye popping versions of these. In school I wish I had this version of a diagram like we created in TPTE 486 on Inspiration Software.

There are so many possibilities and ways to really draw a students attention. Children learn differently so talking through lessons, while having a mapped out version of the concept in an attractive and enriching way can really make a difference for a child who would not have gotten the concept with just reading about it. Going the extra mile to make sure every student gets their needs met is hard work, but when a child finally sees the connection within a topic due to your digital diagram it is very much worth all the tool manipulation, color changes, and font selections. 

Using these in my future classroom would be super easy. I could use them on complex topics with sub levels so that students could visually identify relationships. I could also let the kids help me fill out some of the levels on the topic by leaving some blank to see if they have synthesized the information correctly. In addition, having the internal link to an extra website is helpful to give students a supplemental angle to look at the subject. 

Research Really Does Matter!

As a professional in this field staying current and up to date on research out there is imperative to being an effective teacher. You want to make sure you know the latest and greatest information so your students receive the best education they can. In TPTE 486, we are learning about Interactive White Boards and how to use them properly. However, understanding how effective and the best uses for them is crucial so you can make the most out of such a great tool. 

I found many things interesting in the article on the research done on these white boards. Something that stood out to me was how ineffective they were on lower level students. I previously thought that something with great visuals and interactivity would be really helpful to them. Having this knowledge though, will allow me to find other ways to teach those that are struggling, instead of using something that won't help them that much. It was also great to learn that using clickers to "poll" the class on quizzes/informative assessment or if we are learning math, making graphs on favorite items, is really the best use of the white boards. As a teacher, you want the best for your students so reading this type of research ensures that you enhances your students learning experience, but in the best way possible.