Protopage
Developing a protopage for my future classroom was a
great first step in bridging the communication gap between students,
teachers, and parents. The site can serve as a place for course
descriptions, a biography on myself so parents know who I am, and a
posting site for assignments and announcements. This particular one is geared toward middle school to high school business students. Take a look and see what
else it entails! Just click on "Protopage" or the image to go to my site.
Newsletter
While the newsletter isn't surfing the wave of
technology, it demonstrates my ability to manipulate word
processing programs like Microsoft Word in order to create a simple classroom
newsletter. In this case, the newsletter was created as a course
introduction for a high school business prep course. The possibilities are endless, however I will likely use
them as updates for students to take home to parents. As a parent
myself, I find it beneficial to know what my children are learning at
school. It makes for great discussion at the dinner table! Please click
on "Newsletter" or the image to review the document.
Blog
I created a blog for a technology course I was taking. I wanted to start reflecting on what I was learning and how I would approach using it in the classroom. While this blog is an assignment, it would be an effective way to stay in touch with students. Ideas can be exchanged, and students could even take turns guest blogging for a particular course. Middle school thr0ugh high school grade levels are appropriate here. Please click on "Blog" or the image to connect to the blog.
Google Docs
Google Docs is a creative and dynamic tool for documents. It creates a place in cyberspace where an excel document can be viewed and altered by multiple users. This example shows how it can be used as a grade book. The grade levels intended would be all. Click on "Google Docs" or the image to view the web document.
Google Forms
Google forms takes google docs to the next level. It can be used to create surveys, quizzes, or information forms. For this example, I created a survey for high school students to take before the start of a business course. The objective is to gauge students' interests and depth of understanding for certain aspects of business. The site also keeps track of responses so the information can be used for analysis. Depending on the intended use, this tool could be utilized for a wide range of grade levels. Please click on "Google Forms" or the image to view the internet survey.
PowerPoint
The power of PowerPoint is that it can be used in such diverse ways. In addition to the typical presentation used in business meetings is the ability to turn it into a choose-your-own adventure. Any grade level could use this function as long as the content makes sense to the student. I would compare it to playing a simple game. Click on "PowerPoint" or the image to see how it can be used as a review for a quiz or to recap a unit.
Inspiration
This is an example of effective use of the Inspiration software. I was able to create a general business diagram for high school age students. What this diagram seeks to do is help students think about what role they would like to play in business. Ideally, I would use this in a discussion format where students could probe further about areas of the diagram that interest them. Click on the image below for a closer look.
Youtube Movie
Creating movies has never been any easier. The good news is the software is already on your personal computer. Once located, Windows Movie Maker is a powerful tool that can be used to create movies from existing video or images. I used images to create a movie for high school business students on how to dress professionally. The possibilities are endless and it can be used for all grade levels. Watch the embedded movie or click on "Youtube Movie" to view on youtube.com.
Technology Wiki
A wiki is a collaborative web site where multiple users can create and share information. I created a technology wiki where I reviewed a few emergent technologies and how they can apply to education in the classroom. A wiki could be used for many grade levels, but I would likely use them for middle school and above for the purpose of sharing information. Click on "Technology Wiki" or the image to view my techno wiki site.
Travel Webquest
This travel webquest is by far my favorite way to create a project for students. A webquest takes students to a web site that guides them through an assignment. The assignments are typically web-based in nature and provide the students with tools to successfully complete the project. I created this travel webquest as a way for students to exercise some life skills. It is geared toward high school level students and could be used at the middle school level with some adjustments. The objective is for students to create a trip or vacation within certain parameters and learn about planning and budgets along the way. At the end of this particular assignment, students will present a PowerPoint presentation to their classmates giving the details of their vacation. Basic presentation and speaking skills are also a must for students entering college. While the assignment will take the students some time to complete, there are so many learning points they will benefit from. Please click on "Travel Webquest" or the image to review the site.