Actually the link might be easier to see

http://www.mywebspiration.com/publish.php?i=594492a34efd#

Webspiration

Here's my updated Webspiration web for my project:

Making Movies

Hey everyone.  So I have spent the last hour making a movie using Windows Live Movie Maker.  I finally got the hang of it.  It is really confusing when you start off but eventually it gets easier.  I still don't understand why you can't insert a blank slide and put text on it... that sort of annoys me.  I would post my video on here for everyone to see... but I used clip art from google and I don't want to claim it as my own and infringe on copyright or anything haha.  My video is about Mexican and Spanish desserts.  I am starving!

Voki

Get a Voki now!


Check this out!!!  This (above) is a Voki.  You can make one at http://www.voki.com/  it's free and soo fun =] I plan on using voki as my Web 2.0 tool for the project.  I will have the kids use the voki to create themselves (or create a made up person/animal) and record themselves speaking about a vacation they took to Spain or Mexico.  They must speak in Spanish for a minimum of 30 seconds.  I think this will be lots of fun for the kids!

Online Class

My Voki

<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript" src="http://vhss-d.oddcast.com/voki_embed_functions.php%22%3E%3C/script%3E%3Cscript language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">AC_Voki_Embed(200,267,"7a528070ee11f32b57122e1aa8467c19",2889663, 1, "", 0);</script><BR><a href="http://www.voki.com/%22%3E%3Cb%3EGet a Voki now!</b></a><BR><BR>

Webspiration

I just made an account with Webspiration... webspiration is a tool to do online concept mapping.  I just mapped out what I plan to do for my project.  Here's what it looks like:
http://mywebspiration.com/view/594492a34efd

My Lesson Plans

Hello everybody!  I am writing to you in high spirits because I just finished my Spanish midterm.  It wasn't as hard as I expected it to be so I am very relieved.  In preparing for the midterm my teacher broke the class up into groups.  In the groups we assigned each other chunks of material to write reviews on, making less work for everyone... a sort of collaborative study.  I had a lot of fun writing up my review section because I used a Web 2.0 tool!  For the vocabualary portion I created a cross-word-puzzle that my classmates could use for practice!  Did you know they have online cross-word-puzzle generators for free???
Check this site out:

http://www.puzzle-maker.com/CW/

All you have to do is type in the words and the clues and it will generate a puzzle for you.  You can print out a copy of the puzzle as well as an answer key! 

-Danielle

NJAET Technology Convention

Yesterday I attended the NJAET technology convention at the Georgian Court College.  I didn't know what to expect when I signed up for the event but it was definitely worth the long drive.  I talked to a few other teachers while I was there... and being at the convention made me feel like I was a teacher too!  I can't wait to be a teacher.  I could only attend two of the seminars because I had to get back to Stockton for a class.  I chose to attend one seminar explaining how to integrate the iPod Touch into the classroom (I chose this because I own an iPod touch) and another seminar about Web 2.0 tools since we've been discussing them in my technology class.  I enjoyed both seminars.... I especially liked the one about the web 2.0 tools because it really got me thinking about teaching my future classes.  Here are some of the cool Web 2.0 tools they showed us:

Voki (http://www.voki.com/) Here you can create avatars (cartoon people).  You can make them look like whoever you want and give them different voices too.  This would be cool for doing biographies for History class (or intros in the beginning of the school year).

TweenTribune (http://tweentribune.com/) These are online news articles that you can have your students read in accounts attached to your name.  You can have them reply to articles to make sure that they understood the material.  When they reply to an article the response is submitted to you (the teacher) to approve.

Wallwisher (http://www.wallwisher.com/) This is like a huge sticky note message board!  It's really cool for getting feedback on something.  Maybe could use this with parents or students for feedback about their vacations.... or feedback about something in the classroom... who knows!

There was so much discussed!!!  I will definitely be thinking about ways of incorporating these into my classes.  =)

-Danielle

Publisher

For my publisher project I think I will use the Web 2.0 tool as an intro (the one about Dia de los Muertos) and then have the kids pretend they are a news reporter attending a Dia de los Muertos celebration.  In publisher they will write a newspaper article all about their experiences in Mexico on Day of the Dead.

Visit to the Katzenbach School for the Deaf

Today was very exciting for me because I went to visit the Katzenbach School for the Deaf.  I am very interested in American Sign Language and I am considering getting a certification to be a teacher of the Deaf as well as Spanish K-12 and ESL (English as a Second Language).  The school was very welcoming.  I observed in various classrooms throughout the day starting in Kindergarden and making my way up to 5th grade.  You're probably wondering how this ties into my technology for educator's class... they had Smart Boards!!!  I have never seen a smart board before so it was really cool!!  I couldn't believe my eyes.  The white board had a touch screen... it was so interactive!  One of the teachers used a smart board during her science lesson today.  The teacher used a Web 2.0 tool in order to teach the children about the life cycles of different animals.  The smart board displayed a flow chart that were labled with different periods of the animal's life.  The teacher chose students to come up to the smart board and drag the picture to the corresponding time period.  Once the student matched the picture to its correct time period there was an animation of that life period.  We also watched a video that showed the different life cycles of animals.  I was really impressed.

Sign Language Alphabet

Hey everyone!  I'm just stopping in to tell you about my teaching experience on Friday.  As you all know I work at the preschool on campus.  Friday I was given the opportunity to teach a lesson.  The lesson was supposed to be geared around something I am interested in, so I taught the kids how to do the alphabet in ASL (American Sign Language).  I integratd technology into the lesson by bringing up a catchy alphabet tune on youtube!

Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMQHd1UBkeI
!!!Warning!!!--- this song will be stuck in your head for the rest of the week!  haha.

Anyway, the lesson went very smoothly and the technology aspect was the kids favorite part!  They asked me to play the song at least 10 times!  We all sang and signed and I really had a great time teaching.