Christa's Blog.... Any questions?

Final Project

2010-04-19T22:24:00.003-06:00

Rebecca Rink and I worked with Paula White and her Grade 5 class in Crozet. It was difficult to get going on this collaborative project, and slowly but surely, we were underway. Throughout February and March, I was in contact with Ms.White via e-mail as we were deciding just what to do as a project. She suggested several things we could work with, and decided that we should Skype to ensure everything was in place before we started. Several attempts were made at having this Skype call, but we had no success. We continued e-mailing until she sent us the links to two of her students' wikis. Rebecca and I explored these Wiki's, and soon learned that they were working on Google Lit Trips to take them on a virtual online adventure to visit spots in which these books were set. Prior to this project, I had really never heard of a Lit Trip, and I learned just how fascinating this is! Often times, students find it hard to really get into a book that seems unrealistic, but by visiting these places online, students are able to get a sense of what it is really like to be there, and relate more to the characters within the story. Ms.White suggested we post resources to a Wiki that she had set up for Rebecca and I that could help students learn to use Google Earth to create a virtual tour similar to Lit Trips. She sent us the titles of the books her students have been working on, and I researched these books a bit to get a sense of where they may be at. Although I have done some work on Wikispaces before, I had never actually had the opportunity to set one up to be used by students. This was a great learning experience for me, as I did a lot of "Googling" and asking around to figure out exactly how to do what I needed to. After watching Ellyse's March Teach Us, I fell in love with Glogs, and made one to get Ms.White's students started on learning Google Earth.
When Ms.White first suggested to me that we take them on a tour of Google Earth, I decided that perhaps we should try Google Maps first, to get a sense of online tours. I skyped with one of her students, and realized he was already quite familliar with how to use Google Maps, and I believe I learned a lot more than he did in this experience. (Especially since I've never operated a Mac before, and was trying to give him directions) Following this experience, I started doing a little more research on these books, and loaded up this wiki with resources. I think that this project was a great idea for students to experience books in an entirely different way than I could as a grade 5 student.
I did a lot of research on Google Earth, and in the interest of saving time, I provided links for Paula's students to youtube clips that I figured would be more help than what I could give in learning how to use these. I provided the students with contact information so they may contact Rebecca or I if they wish to ask any questions, or learn more about these Tours together, after this semester is finished.
Overall I found this to be a great learning experience, and I hope that Paula's students got as much learning out of this as I did. =)

Once again, here is the link for our Wiki

I am embarassed but...

2010-04-15T22:17:00.002-06:00

Well... I realized I never did end up posting my introductory video on anywhere but youtube.... *blushes* Here it is!

My reflection

2010-04-15T17:02:00.006-06:00

Ecmp 455 was a great experience for me. I had the opportunity to use tools that I had learned to use in 355, and apply them to other projects, and get more practice with them in 455. I was introduced to many new tools that are free to use, that will contribute to my future students’ learning processes. Tools such as Diigo, and others similar to, have helped me become more organized and eco-friendly, and many of these tools I have found are very useful for my other classes. Prior to this class, I found it extremely difficult to not handwrite my thoughts out, but I’m slowly starting to break that habit. I often found myself writing little notes everywhere after hearing a great quote, or finding a website, and now that I use twitter, I am able to not only keep track of my own findings, but share them with others with similar interests! Collaboration is awesome for education, especially when it comes to educating for education. :)

Prior to this class, I thought Twitter was only used for celebrities, and people who really just liked advertising themselves to others. I know see the value in creating social relationships with professionals, and sharing resources with one other. I am very glad I had the opportunity to connect with others via Twitter, and I believe it is great that I will have the opportunity to keep in touch with these contacts so I may continue on with this collaborative learning process.

This semester I had a class on both Tuesday and Wednesday night, and was therefore not able to attend many online sessions at all. I agree with Dean, that in this kind of class, it is extremely helpful to have synchronized meeting times. I found that in 355, where I was able to attend every session, I could keep on top of everything much more easily, and felt more involved in the class. Although I did watch each Elluminate session after I returned from my other classes, I felt frustrated at times that I wasn’t able to contribute in real time. I could have blogged about the thoughts that came to mind, but I didn’t feel as though my comments were important enough to write an entire blog post about.

In my 455 class, I have learned to accept the fact that there are some programs that I simply do not like, and will most likely not use. I have practically eliminated Delicious from my regular sites, and replaced it with Diigo. Perhaps this is just because I did a lot of research on Diigo, and know how to effectively use it, where as in Delicious, I never really got into it.

I found it difficult to get into blogging again, as I did last semester as well. When I write papers for school, I spend a lot of time proofreading, and editing. Without this process, I tend to ramble on, with very little organization. I also seem to get off topic quickly, and when I’m writing from the heart, I write exactly how I would talk. I therefore found it difficult to make a point to blog every other day or so, because I’m sure nobody really wants to hear my unprofessional ramblings. Additionally, since I felt this way, I procrastinated when it came to posting anything because it felt like I was expected to write 3-4 papers a week for this class.

About a month ago, I started twittering a lot more regularly. For whatever reason, it encouraged me to get more involved in the class Ning, and I started contributing a lot more. I wish I had found this motivation a lot earlier in the semester, because I have learned so much in the last month of this class. The first months of this class, I was a selfish shellfish, and took a lot more from the class than I contributed. Like many of my classmates have stated in their reflections, I was sceptical to voice my opinions at first, because I felt that others were more knowledgeable than I was in particular areas.

During the face to face session tonight, I listened to what others had learned from the Teach Us assignments. I honestly dreaded these presentations, and did not feel comfortable in them whatsoever. During my passion presentation, I felt comfortable teaching, but I hated the fact that I could not see the people who I was teaching. I am reminded of elementary school when I was first starting to learn to write essays. I hated the process, and had no desire to ever write one again. I knew, however, that this process would be crucial for the rest of my educational career. The more I would practice writing techniques, outlines, and such, the easier they were and I was more likely to use them. I feel that this is very similar to using online teaching programs such as elluminate. Although I may hate using it now, the more I use it (because I very well may have to use it one day) the more I may learn an appreciation for its benefits.

Tonight, Danielle mentioned that she didn’t notice the Forum tab on our Ning, and I couldn’t help but chuckle, since I hadn’t noticed the Groups page (and what they all contained) until a few days ago. Once again, I’m not sure how I missed it, but I suppose I wasn’t really looking for it.

Overall, I am very glad I enrolled in ECMP 455, as I feel that I have made tremendous progress in my personal learning. Although most of this came about at the very end of the semester, I am very proud of what I have accomplished. Whether or not this progress is evident, I am not sure, but I intend to continue my learning through the programs I currently use, and sharing that information in my blog. Thank you to Dean, and my fellow classmates for everything. It has been a great semester, and I have enjoyed learning with all of you. Much love.

Post-Skype for Collaborative Project

2010-04-13T23:21:00.003-06:00

This morning I met a student of Paula White's via Skype. She and I had discussed what I would work on with her student, and I had somewhat of a plan written up as to what I would take him through to show him around Google Maps. I was extremely excited to begin this process, as I thought this would certainly help him out in regards to understanding his book project more after viewing Street views of the locations in these books.
I very much enjoyed this Skype call, as I don't often get the opportunity to use the program. We started off well, as Paula introduced me to some of her students. I then had the opportunity to work with the one student I have been gathering resources for for our Wiki. I started out by asking him to open up a program to start my lesson. He informed me that he was using a Mac, and therefore didn't have the program. After I was informed of this, my entire lesson was pretty much shot. This is when my own learning began. Throughout my entire lesson, I had multiple windows open as I searched "How to ______ on a mac" repeatedly. I feel like I know so much more about Mac computers now, (although its likely that I will never actually be able to afford one :))
Unfortunately, he was having some technical difficulties on his end, so our time was limited to only 45 minutes. I really hope my lesson helped his comprehension of the books he has been reading in class, and I look forward to helping him further.

My digital footprint

2010-04-13T21:52:00.005-06:00

Last Wednesday our ECMP class focussed on our Digital Footprint. Additionally, Amy added a discussion on the forums on our class Ning that sparked a lot of thought about what I have made as my own digital footprint. I have been hearing a lot about the dangers of Facebook in regards to professionalism and the beginning teacher. Although I didn't really have anything on Facebook that could get me in any trouble, I took extra precautions to ensure that nothing can be interpreted as unprofessional.

Professionalism is a word that is used very frequently, and in many ways there is a lot of freedom within the nature of being professional in a number of occupations. Education however, leaves very little room for freedom in a teacher’s life. Teachers are constantly in the spotlight because of their potential for role modelling to youth. In many ways, teachers must act more ethical and more carefully than anyone in another other career. This is ironic in a way, for those who are expected to act so much more professionally are not necessarily considered to be professionals.

For example, professionalism for a server can entail something as simple as not being outright rude to a customer. In that type of industry, that is mostly all we are taught about ethical behaviour. A server in the food and beverage industry is by no means a professional, nor are they considered to be an employee of an essential service. However, coming from this type of industry, I have heard the term professionalism used very often. It is ideally what an employer would strive for, but there is usually a large degree of unethical behaviour is overlooked because of the type of work they are in.

Education is an essential service, for education is now more important than ever in our culture. There has been such an overwhelming increase in the post-secondary enrolment, and is difficult to attain a job in today’s society without some form of post-secondary schooling. Education is therefore an essential service, thus making educators, themselves, essential to society. Since this is the case, teachers are viewed as critical beings, and are respected as such. Teachers must maintain this respect by our actions. With this comes a great deal of responsibility and honour in which teachers must keep so we may be viewed positively in the community. Holding the position as an educator comes with a vow of social commitment. One therefore must hold a great understanding of the sacrifices he or she must make in order to honour this social commitment. The importance of this has the potential to actually end one’s career in the teaching field and is therefore should not be taken frivolously. This can be a very intimidating thing for new teachers, as even now, it may feel as though we are walking on eggshells when out in public, or what may result from an online search. Perhaps this is just the case for those of us pre-service teachers who have not had much of an opportunity to learn much about teacher ethics as of yet.

What comes to mind when reading about professionalism and the code of ethics of educators in Canada, is not as simple as I initially had thought. Teachers are consistently in the spotlight in social situations because they have had the opportunity to meet so many people throughout their careers. Coming from a small town, I have personally witnessed someone entering a licensed establishment, and having the majority of the other patrons recognize and comment on their presence there. In a small town like Yorkton, for example, where everybody knows everybody, this can get awkward for people in positions of authority. In practice, this may require a teacher to exit a facility where he or she may be uncomfortable frequenting if his or her students, or their parents are observing that teacher. There have also been cases where these authority figures, like teachers, have abused their power in abuse cases which seem to come out more frequently now than ever before. One may think that this would be common sense for teachers, but apparently this is not the case for all individuals. This becomes a case of general morality, but professionalism in the teaching field requires much more than this. Additionally, it is extremely important to be aware of any documentation of any “unprofessionalism”. Photographs on Social Networking Sites may seem harmless, but can have a huge effect on one’s teaching career. (Or, lack thereof, if measures are taken following these postings)

As I begin teaching, I will be taking a very careful approach to my own personal professionalism and digital footprint.

Following Wednesday’s session, I immediately visited my Facebook page, and started deleting pictures and comments. I really do wish I could get rid of Facebook altogether because of all of the negative rap it has been getting in the world of Education, but there are so many resources on this social networking site that can benefit educators. It is a great tool to connect with others around the world, and many pages offer great resources for teaching. There have been many schools and classes that have used Facebook as a primary tool for groupwork.
Its suggested that educators "Google" themselves every so often to ensure we know exactly what information about ourselves can be accessed by the public. I googled myself after the last Elluminate session, and didn't find too terribly much. On the discussion post, many of my classmates stated that because of their common name, they were gathering a lot more information from others with the same name. To my knowledge, I am the only "Christa Schmelinsky" with internet access, so it is very likely that all search results for my name are the real me. A lot of Twitter links come up, as well as Facebook, ECMP, and Music Education. I don’t see this as being problematic in the future, but I’d love to know exactly where the line is drawn between being professional, and being over sensitive to my digital footprint.

Collaborative Project Update

2010-04-11T21:19:00.003-06:00

Rebecca and I have been speaking with Paula White for the past month or so and working with her students in their English class. Over the last month Rebecca and I have been researching the novels they have been studying in order to give them different resources for projects. They keep track of their learning on a Wiki page, in which each student has set up for themselves. We have been specifically working with two students, and helping them along. Tomorrow morning, I have set up a time where I will be Skyping with one student and teaching him how to use Google Maps as a tour, as they have recently been focusing on the locations spoken about within their novels. They have found several photographs on the internet of these places which they have posted on their Wiki's. Paula asked us to give them tips on using Google Earth to take a virtual tour of these different locations, but neither of us are too familiar with this program. I e-mailed Paula suggesting that Google Maps would serve as a great alternative, and I am more comfortable with using it. This evening I e-mailed Paula that I was thinking of perhaps posting somewhat of a tutorial on how to use Google maps as an interactive tour of the locations specified ie: Copley Square. I've noticed on Wiley's Wiki, under the 39 Clues portion that he has posted photos of these locations, and I think it may be beneficial to "walk around" these locations, so to speak, to get a better sense of the location as a whole. She thought this was a great idea, and we agreed for me to Skype this student. I'm very much looking forward to this! Later Days.

Jens Magnussen

2010-04-10T22:54:00.005-06:00

Just thought I'd post a quick article that I find very inspiring. This was written two years ago for the Newspaper in Selkirk, Manitoba, my Stepfather's hometown. This man is my Mom and Dad's contractor, and I find him to be one of the most amazing individuals I have ever met. Please take the time to read this. My mother has since sent me this as well, also worth a read. Pictured is Jens hard at work at our home in Springside. He gave my Mom and step-Father quite the workout, as he often wouldn't finish working until 3:30 in the morning. My Mother would have to convince him that it was time to finish up for the night, and start again in the morning.

Volunteering

2010-04-08T08:40:00.004-06:00

For my community action plan assignment for my health class, I spent about 15 hours volunteering at the Canadian Mental Health Association. I initially had the option to volunteer either within the offices of this organization, assisting with entering data into computer systems, or to work with people living with mental illness. I immediately knew that in order to learn about the organization as well as I wished to, and meet the goals I had set for myself, I would have to volunteer with patients themselves.

I set up an appointment with the volunteer supervisor, to ask some questions that I had after reading about the Canadian Mental Health Association on their website. She asked me to come in, as she had a volunteer application form for me to fill out, and she required a criminal record check to be done. Upon entering the building for the first time, I left extremely intimidated, and a little out of my element. Although I have done a lot of volunteering in the past, I left out of place walking in for the first time. I have working with people in nursing homes, many of whom suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, but I could not claim to have even met someone living with a mental illness before.
The supervisor was in a meeting when I showed up five minutes before we had agreed to meet. This gave me a bit of an opportunity to observe this facility at a distance. I tried to creep in unnoticed, but I was recognized as an outsider. The man sitting at the door, who I later found out was in vocational training asked me who I was and who I was looking for. He informed me of her whereabouts and suggested I take a seat and wait for her. I must admit, I was kind of afraid of what I saw. Quite truthfully, I texted a roommate of mine, telling him “I don’t know if I am going to be able to do this.” I realized I had absolutely no idea what this organization actually did, and how it could possibly benefit these people. Some of the members yelled over the buzz of others talking, others sat silently and just observed me. I felt very uncomfortable and out of place. A few conversed, and I could not understand what they were saying to each other. I couldn’t help but worry about whether or not I should be there, or if perhaps I should help out in the offices instead.
She soon came to greet me in the common area, and invited me into her office. She gave me a copy of the monthly schedule of activities, and explained the benefits these activities had on members. She explained that they refer to their clients as “members” and went on to say that to be a member of the CMHA, one needs to have a long term mental illness; long-term meaning over three years. Most members either have schizophrenia, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or Bipolar disorder. After telling me this, she asked me if I was sure I wanted to volunteer here. It struck me as odd that she asked me this question, and made me assume that others may have backed out of this opportunity after learning more about it. I wasn’t sure I wanted to, but I was sure that I was very intrigued by this organization. I looked over the material she had presented me with, and it brought back a lot of memories of my Grandmother and the events the Nursing home had set up for her. I often volunteered there, and saw a lot of people with similar mannerisms as my Grandmother. Mannerisms in which one might be uncomfortable witnessing, but because it was my Grandmother I saw past them. I answered my supervisor with a “Yes” as I was determined to work past my own inner struggles. We then scheduled some times and dates she felt would be most beneficial to me, and the members to be there.

She explained to me that the best way I could spend my time there would to mostly visit with members, and listen to their stories. She let me know that many members have a great difficulty in social situations and may need practice just speaking to someone. That, I was sure, would not be a problem for me, as I spend a lot of time chatting. I felt like my time there could probably be used more wisely, and concluded that she just didn’t think I could handle the real volunteer work. The last thing she asked me to do was fill out a confidentiality form. This may have been the most difficult part of the entire volunteer experience for me. I asked her so many questions as to what I was allowed to talk about, and was very cautious about what I said to anyone. I didn’t hesitate to read and sign this form until I actually started talking to the members. Some of the most valuable lessons I learned at the CMHA I don’t believe I can actually talk about.

My first day at the CMHA, I entered very cautiously, remembering exactly how I felt when I met with my supervisor the week before. I put my possessions in her office, and she gave me a nametag. She suggested that today I just hang out and try to play cards, or pool with the members after she was done giving me a tour of the facility. I felt a little awkward as she introduced me to members and staff, but tried my best to smile through it. I tried to look for opportunities to help clean, or organize, but I soon realized I wasn’t really helping anyone doing those types of things. For most of the day, I spent my time simply observing members and the goings-on of the facility. She asked me to converse with members when I felt comfortable enough to do so, but I preferred to sit back and watch for a while.

Watching the music therapy session was an emotional experience for me. I was heavily involved in the music department in high school, and at one point I wished to pursue Music Therapy as a career. I therefore knew the benefits this session had on the members and I could see how much they all enjoyed it. The music therapist asked me to turn the pages of the music so members could follow along more easily, and it felt really good to actually be involved instead of sitting off in the sidelines. I found that this was a great opportunity to initiate conversation, as I found that many members shared the love of music with me.

After the session, I felt a little more confident in talking to members, and asked one of them to play a game of cards. It was very easy to talk to this person, as she had a lot to say. She shared pictures of her grandchildren with me and also stories about her family. During the course of this card game, other members joined our table, and joined in the conversation. I felt very comfortable in this setting, and was not intimidated in the slightest.

That night I came home and started chatting with one of my friends on the internet. I told him that I had completed my first day of volunteering and that I was mostly expected to talk to people there. He reminded me that I usually talk way too much, and people generally benefit mostly from talking themselves, not listening. I thought this was a very interesting piece of advice, and I took it with me the next day I volunteered. I think it helped me a lot, as I certainly had ample opportunity to listen throughout the rest of my time at the CMHA.

The second day of my volunteering I spend the majority of my time talking with members. I learned so much on my second and third days, and unfortunately, I feel that I would be violating my pledge of confidentiality if I were to say too much about it. I listened to my friend’s advice, and listened to so many touching stories that I may very well remember for the rest of my life.

During one of these conversations, one of the members referred to himself as "crazy". After hearing this individual say this, I started to catch myself saying things such as “That’s crazy!” and “That’s insane!” Although I didn’t mean to say things that some people may take offense to, it certainly opened my eyes and made me realize I may very well have been offending a lot of people throughout my time here. I often say these expressions in everyday conversation, and up until this moment, I really didn’t see anything wrong with it. I had definitely used these expressions a lot in my time I spend at the CMHA, and I felt horrible after noticing it. Since then, I have been making a conscious effort to stop myself from saying things that may be considered to be oppressive expressions in everyday conversation.

Throughout the three days I spent with the members of the CMHA, I heard so many touching stories that literally brought me to tears. I learned to listen, and I learned that listening is sometimes the best way to connect and build relationships with people. I learned that everyone has a story to tell, and if they aren’t given the opportunity to tell them, many people will feel just as uncomfortable as I did on my first visit to the facility. I learned a great deal about the Canadian Mental Health Association in my short time there, and I will continue to volunteer at this organization, and encourage others to do the same.

Google Wave

2010-04-08T01:22:00.003-06:00

As I was telling my buddy Tom about how great I think Diigo is, he interrupted me to ask me if I had ever tried out Google Wave. I told him that I hadn't, so he sent me this link and suggested I watch it. No, I wasn't very happy about the fact that it is almost an hour and a half long, but I have to say I am glad to have watched it. I have yet to actually try it out myself, but have full intention of doing so after this semester is over. I can definitely see this being useful in the classroom!

Diigo

2010-04-08T00:34:00.003-06:00

When doing any kind of research, or writing any papers, I am really big on pulling out different coloured pens and highlighters, and writing everything down. I like to think that my grade 3 teacher knew what she was talking about when she would make us do a bunch of prewriting, and outlines in elementary school when starting to write essays. Throughout high school I did most of my research and pre-writing online, but could never really get into what I was writing. My first year of University I discovered that this was the best way for me to get my assignments done, and I really enjoy it. This was, until I discovered Diigo. Diigo allows me to
do everything I would want to do on paper- mostly adding sticky notes and highlights. It is very simple to use, and it is a great help when trying to organize interesting and helpful information! Since Diigo is somewhat of an online community, others are able to filter content, so when searching for information, you are more likely to come across quality! Personally, I've been bookmarking constantly for the last few weeks- pretty much everytime I see something I wouldn't mind looking at again. For Ecmp in particular, I found that by bookmarking all of my classmates' blogs, it is so much easier to find, and a lot easier to find exactly who I am looking for, instead of getting lost in the endless bookmarks I have acquired on my firefox browser.
Last semester I was introduced to Delicious, which I couldn't really get into, and although they are similar programs, Diigo is like the suped-up version. It is really interesting to see what others have to say about things that interest you, by reading their sticky notes. This is a tool I've found myself playing around with for a while.
I can definitely see myself using this in future classrooms, and I would actually feel a lot safer allowing my students to do their research through websites that others have already read through and rated. The sticky notes allow students to have online discussions about certain topics, which I feel could be a great project in the classroom. There are a lot of possibilities using this tool, and I'm excited to learn more about it.
I'm really into DIY projects, which can really be turned into crafts very easily. I have been searching for projects that I would like to try out myself, and by bookmarking them to Diigo and using tags such as "projects" "crafts" "diy" "Christmas" "Ideas" etc, it will be very easy for me to find these projects if I wish to try them out in my elementary classroom one day! :)
I would love to see more people using Diigo, so I may add them to my contact pages. If there are enough of us bookmarking projects and cool information, we could go a very long way in collaborative projects for education.

Interview with a Teacher

2010-04-02T11:59:00.004-06:00

I spoke with Lee Kolbert from Boca Raton, Florida and asked her three questions for the Interview with a Learner assignment for Ecmp. I realized I had been e-mailing the wrong address, and spoke with Dean who gave me a different one. The following is her response to my questions.

"Hi Christa,
I just recently responded to a news reporter who asked similar questions so perhaps my responses to him will benefit you as well.

What are your thoughts on the use of cell phones in the classroom? Do you think they are beneficial in the learning process? Why or why not?

Regarding cellphone use in schools:
Well, I do think it's very exciting since so many of our teachers and
students already have smart phones; it's a shame not to harness the
potential of devices we already have and/or are so easily accessible. There
are so many Apps already out there for all grades, for all subjects. Our
students are using these devices all day long when they aren't with us; it
makes perfect sense for them to continue to use them while in school, as
well. Imagine a class where students use their cell phones as a response
system (clicker) to respond to their teacher's poll or questions; then the
results are sent immediately to the teacher's website or desktop which is
then displayed on a screen for full class interaction.

I teach 4th grade, and in my class, my students are blogging
(http://kidblog.org/mrskolbertsclass/) and now with the latest Wordpress
App, my students would be able to post and edit their own blogs from their
smart phones. My students would also have the advantage of having access to
their own mineral chart, Periodic Table, Wikipedia, dictionary, and flash
cards. I would love my students to use Google Earth on their own devices as
well.

Because of their potential for misuse, I, and all teachers, would have to be
extra diligent to be sure these devices are being used properly. To me
though, that's a matter of effective classroom management and parental
support. I believe when kids are allowed to use their smart phones for
authentic learning, they will make good choices with them to be sure they
are readily available for the next learning opportunity.

Have you ever had difficulties with parents, admin (etc) when trying to integrate any types of technology into the classroom?

Regarding parental resistance:
Yes, there's been some pushback due to fear. There's a perception that as soon as you post information on the internet, then a predator jumps out and stalks your child. There are companies who do a very good job of scaring our parents about this, then charging them quite a bit to put on programs in our schools to teach the students how to be safe. Its my job to provide the best authentic learning experiences for my students and so I need to meet the challenge of having to educate the parents as well. One thing I'm diligent about is making sure my students never post last names, addresses, phone numbers or other personal information such as where they will be at certain times and dates. Since my students blog, it's been a frequent conversation since they often leave trails of such information without realizing it.

Where can you see technology taking your classroom in the next five to ten years?

I think we're going to see more digital textbooks and more hand-held devices in schools."

Mrs. Lee Kolbert
4th Grade Gifted Waters Edge Elementary School
Boca Raton, Florida

The end of March...

2010-03-30T15:20:00.004-06:00

Ahhh! The University student's most stressful time of the year. I'm not sure why, but it always seems that the second semester falls apart so much more often than the first of the year. Its very frustrating, and I'm finding myself more and more frustrated as each day goes on, regardless of how much work I get done for classes.
This afternoon, Rebecca and I are presenting on Diigo for our "Teach Us March" edition. I originally said I would be talking to our class about Google Sketch-up, but I found myself struggling with the program immensely! For anyone who has ever tried this tool out, you'll know what I mean when I say the axis' (the blue, green, and red) are so confusing! I had a lot of very odd looking 3D objects, and quite honestly, I doubt there would be any chance of me using this tool in my classroom. If I ever have some spare time in the next little while, I may try it out again, but for now, I'm not sure if I can handle the stress I've found in it.
After ranting to Rebecca about this program, she told me about the free tool she had chosen for her teach us March, Diigo. I was really intrigued by the program because I thought it could help me get organized in this chaotic month, so I tried it out. I decided I would join her to present this to the class and I'm actually really excited about it. I've been playing with it for the past week, and have actually been using it to research topics for my other classes and papers (which all seem to be due this week!)
I sent an e-mail to my "Interview with a Learner" teacher last week, and I'm still waiting on a response from him. This is making me somewhat nervous as well, and I'm not sure if I should e-mail him again so soon or not.
As for the collaborative project with Paula White, we have made several attempts at a skype call, but it hasn't worked out so far. She wishes to speak with both Rebecca and I at the same time, and its very difficult to co-ordinate schedules. We were supposed to meet last Tuesday, but she e-mailed confessing that she forgot. We have been e-mailing back and forth for a few weeks now, and I believe we're trying another call this afternoon just before our presentation. Ohhh the stresses of the final month!

Update!!

2010-03-22T00:28:00.002-06:00

So theres just over a month left in the semester and as usual things are getting hectic! As for ECMP, I've been exploring with google sketchup and I'm getting a bit frustrated with it. I've been exploring diigo a bit as well, and I think I've decided to present with Rebecca for our March teaching lesson instead. I'm not too sure I am comfortable enough with sketchup to teach anyone else anything about it. I've watched many videos, and I'm still struggling. I'm not convinced that this tool would be overly helpful in a classroom setting. After researching more on diigo, I can see this benifitting a class moreso.
As for our collaborative project, Rebecca and I have had difficulty contacting Paula White when trying to get into her classroom. I've spoken with Ellyse, who is also working with her, and I've been trying to figure out just what I can do without actually talking with Paula. I'm at a bit of a standstill right now with this project, and I'm quite honestly getting a bit panicky. Ah the stresses of the final month of a semester..

Spark

2010-03-14T18:53:00.003-06:00

Dean suggested we check out the CBC Podcast, Spark and provided us with a link to find some very interesting topics. I chose one of the links suggested on the QWERTY keyboard. I chose this one because in my typing classes, I often wondered why the random letter combination appeared on each keyboard as they did.
At one point in this podcast, the host of the show, Nora Young states that the fact that she remembers typewriters and feels old because of it. I guess I should feel old then too. On my first toy typewriter, I remember having a simple "a, b, c" keyboard in which I learned to type with. I was planning to make mention of my first "Dear Diary" toy, which was an electronic diary, but I could not find anything online about the product. (Man, I do feel old!) Either way, this device also used a keyboard layout that was in an "A, B, C..." order. Perhaps this is why I was so confused when I was introduced to a QWERTY keyboard once I hit school age. I actually remember having tests on Typewrite II's, and scoring 10 WPM. This was an impressive number compared to my classmates!
Nora interviews a few people about why the QWERTY keyboard has become the dominant layout for keyboards today, and goes through the steps in which this process happened. It is argued that this was implemented to actually slow down typists so the typewriter rods would not jam up when typing documents. Popular letter combinations were spread out across the keyboard so they would not hit each other when typing quickly. Tapping speed is also mentioned, which makes more sense to me as to why these letters would be placed this way. It is much faster to "tap" keys rapidly by using a "Left, right, left, right" hand motion, so speed would actually increase using this model.
It is questioned as to why we still use the QWERTY keyboard 130 years after it was introduced, and reasoning behind this is simple. There is no reason to change it. It is not justifiable to change such a large component of keyboards, when we are trying to live life more green!
Spark is a really cool way to learn about technology. The host is very easy to understand, and I can see myself using spark as a form of research in the future.

Now that I'm exploring

2010-03-14T18:24:00.004-06:00

This is addicting. I couldn't help myself after finally discovering Picnik. My beautiful niece makes this quote come alive so much more than my Cuba picture. Unfortunately I cannot stop playing around with this new tool :) Oh well! :)

Quote

2010-03-14T17:57:00.001-06:00

Cell phones in the Classroom

2010-03-11T00:19:00.002-06:00

I just finished watching tonights class on cell phones in the classroom. What a cool presentation! I was honestly expecting to listen to someone speaking about the distractions they cause, since it is so easy to tweet/facebook/text/everything else you can think of instead of listening to a teacher or a prof. For myself, I find my blackberry to be a huge distraction in my classes, even though I do use it for the calendar more than anything. For organization, I rely very heavily on my blackberry calendar, down to where I'm supposed to be for each class. In my own classes, I often find myself Googling anything and everything I'm not totally familliar with during lecture. My dictionary.com application has been a lifesaver on more than one occasion, and my e-mails are always on hand.
If it wasn't for my blackberry, I would really not use the internet very much at all. I rarely find myself in front of my laptop, besides having to type up assignments for classes, and watching the ecmp classes I have missed. This class inspired me to look into blogging from my blackberry. I look forward to doing this in the future, but I figure since I'm online anyway, I might as well give my thumbs a break. One thing that really got my attention in tonight's presentation was http://dial2do.com. I'm very skeptical when using technology like this, however, as my bluetooth-handsfree-phonecall-device-thingie and I really do not seem to agree very often.
Since I am in the K-5 education program, I wonder how many of my students will have their own cell phones by the time I am in my own classroom. I would definitely use the camera and video ideas Liz brought to our attention.
I was suprised to learn the average amount of text messages sent per class was only three. Its an important issue in itself when speaking about the banning of cell phones in classrooms. Many workplaces have banned cell phones, and it really hasn't seemed to be effective. For so many people, their cell phones are their lifelines (myself included) and its extremely difficult to turn them off. I'm somewhat ashamed to say that I have fallen asleep for the night, to wake up the next morning with my blackberry still in hand. :S
This was really the ideal presentation for me to listen to, and its more than likely that I'll find myself watching this again very soon.

Holy Cow

2010-03-02T15:21:00.002-06:00

Holy toledo, I can't believe its been this long since my last post. I didn't even believe it when I read the date. My procrastination is getting the best of me, I suppose. I blame the olympics.
Since my last post, I have contacted Paula White, who I will be working with for our collaborative projects with Rebecca. She has a lot of ideas for what we can help out with, and I'm very excited to get started on one of these. She has suggested a number of things. Here is a portion of the e- mail she sent me about a week ago...

I have some 5th grade girls who LOVE horses blogging about their experiences. . Would love some regular interaction on their blogs.
I have some kids who are creating some 3-d things with some software we could share with you as well. You guys could then create stuff and share ideas back and forth with the kids.
I have a girls afterschool STEM club (Science, tech, engineering and math) Maybe I could share some design briefs as examples and you could create some?
I have six kids doing independent studies on topics from beethoven to weather. . . Perhaps you guys could help find resources for them and ask questions as they research and post their findings? Topic include shakespeare, horse cancer, beethoven, weather (actually global warming), how a computer works and a 3-d remote control eagle.
I have 3rd graders who have begun an earth protection club and need direction and some guidance.

Rebecca and I are currently trying to decide just what we'd like to do for this project, but are having a bit of difficulty deciding. This seems to be a trend this semester, as I had difficulty deciding on a topic for my "Passion" presentation as well. I finally decided I would do my presenation on Luca Congi a few days before I gave this presenation. I had to do a bit of research on Luca before speaking about him, as I didn't know much about him, other than the fact that he has a super cool name. Upon reflection on this particular project, I believe there are several things that I would do differently when teaching online, and I honestly don't know if I'm totally comfortable with the concept of it yet. I had absolutely no idea how my audience was reacting while giving this presentation, which was a little unsettling.
Minutes before it was my turn to present, I blew my breaker in my house, which wasn't the best start. One of my roomates and I share a breaker, and when we both have our heaters on at the same time, it really doesn't stand a chance. Apparently my computer battery is garbage, and will only hold a charge for about 3 minutes without being plugged in, I faced my first technical difficulty. During my presentation, I kept clicking the wrong buttons, perhaps because I was a bit nervous, and thought that I had lost my audio several times during my presentation. Nobody really chatted in the box during my presentation, so I had no idea whether or not anyone could hear me. Thinking of it now, I probably could have looked to see the mic symbol beside my name at the top, but it really didn't cross my mind when I was speaking. I am looking forward to my March presentation, so I can try again.

TGIF!!

2010-01-22T13:35:00.003-06:00

Hooray! It's Friday! Its actually been "My Friday" since yesterday at 2:30 after Elng, but its actually Friday today! It feels so good to not have another class until Tuesday at 11:30! I dedicated last night to my Health class, and today is my designated ecmp day! DOUBLE HOORAY! :) A little off topic (*shockingly*), but I don't believe I've ever actually verbalized the word "hooray", yet today its come up several times.

Since I woke up this morning (afternoon) I've drank three cups of coffee, and read about a million blogs. I've actually been enjoying them a fair bit, and I feel really guilty for not finishing my intro video yet. Its all ready to go, but I can't find my microphone! If I wasn't so broke, I'd give in and go to Walmart and just get another one, but I really don't want to have to do that. I haven't actually seen it since my last Elluminate session in 355, but I'm SURE its here in Regina somewhere.

I'm currently listening to the hour long presentation Dean suggested we listen to, and I'm really thinking about building the blogging community for myself. I really wish that some of my old educators were bloggers as well, as I feel that connection would be very helpful in my own teaching (and perhaps help their lessons to evolve with technology as well). I didn't realize how much twitter was used by people in education, and I really feel behind in the times when it comes to this. I'm still exploring, but I'm still pretty useless when it comes to anything other than tweeting. (I don't think thats the present tense of tweet, but like I said, I'm still learning :) ) I thought it was a great idea to tweet (?) after creating a new blog post to allow followers to be informed when this has happened.

This picture may seem random in the context of this post, however, I really had to put it somewhere. These signs have been popping up all over the place and I think its great. As a waitress, there is nothing more annoying than trying to converse with a customer who can't put his or her blackberry down for three seconds to order. Okay, sorry... off topic again..

I'm not proud of what I've done..

2010-01-21T20:50:00.002-06:00

I just drove across town to KFC and picked up a 5 hot wings combo, 3 chicken strips with poutine, a large diet pepsi, and a McCain cake. Yes, a whole cake. For supper. Just one. Now I'm off to prepare a lesson for my health class on nutrition. I'm such a hypocrite.

Already Overwhelmed

2010-01-15T14:45:00.003-06:00

This was my first full week of classes, and I'm already SO busy! It is so ridiculously hard going from having three weeks off, to already have hours and hours of homework to do in each of my five classes this term. It is good to be back in some ways, but holy cow! I've had laundry sitting in my dryer for 3 days now, just because I haven't actually found enough time to take them out and fold them. :)
Pardon the interruption..... People on Family Feud are so embarassingly ignorant. Its on as background noise right now and I just paid enough attention to hear "Name something that stinks up a kid's locker" One of the answers suggested was "a pet, like a gerbil", followed by "a helmet". It frustrates me.. it really does.
Anyway, I've started on my intro video for ecmp so you'll be seeing it soon. I actually drove all the way back to Springside to pick up my flip in order to do it the way I want to. Okay... I better go do something productive, because I really have nothing else to say :) Later days

9 months later....

2010-01-06T23:15:00.002-06:00

Holy cow. I can't believe I haven't blogged in 9 months lol. To be perfectly honest, I completely forgot about it. As I look over my older posts, I realize the last time I wrote anything was before my trip. Since then one of my best friends has become pregnant AND had a child, I went on a two month trip to Australia, I moved to Regina, got a new job, completed another semester of university.... this all, by the way, is just off the top of my head. I'm sure more stuff has happened (I should hope so anyway) but if I continue on right now, I don't know what else I will be able to talk about later.
New semester, new look. As soon as I logged on to blogger I felt ill with the color scheme and layout so for the last hour or so I've been playing around on here again, and I've decided this will do for now. I have full intention on actually keeping up with this blog this year, and hopefully can find as much time to dedicate to it as I have found to dedicate to facebook. Oh facebook... you WILL be the end of me. The sick part is that I find myself looking at the same things over and over, and hope that soon SOMEONE will post something new, or put up new pictures. The amount of times that this actually happens however, makes me sick. I think I just need more friends of something. I need someone interesting enough to keep my attention, while discouraging me from logging in at the same time. Too much to ask? Maybe. But at the same time, how on earth am I supposed to keep up with my Marc Emery updates if not for facebook. Anyway, take this as a fresh introduction for me, as the new semester begins. Lets rock.

It's official!

2009-04-14T10:21:00.002-06:00

The flight is booked, and I'm going to Australia May 17th! I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. And now with only one final exam to go (on Friday) all I have to do is work work work and make some money for my trip. For those of you who didn't know, my boyfriend, Bryce is down there right now, he went to travel for a little while, and asked me to join him once my schooling was done for the summer. Now that this is all decided, is, of course, when everything starts going horribly wrong, ie my car dying in the carwash and having to be repaired (hence my absense in the last ecmp class), and my camera display being all messed up.... its just one thing after another! But, I suppose, money isn't made for keeping. Life's too short... yadda yadda yadda. And I did get my plane ticket for a pretty good price, ($1000 cheaper than what Bryce paid for his in February). Anyway, just thought I'd share my awesome news. Catch ya laters.

My last Tech Task ...*sniff sniff...... My PODCAST

2009-04-09T23:44:00.005-06:00

Special thanks to my parents for volunteering their voices for my podcast. I didn't do much editing in audacity, for I thought the raw content added to the overall presentation. I liked the idea of having a background image, so I simply put everything together in movie maker. I know, this is twice as long as the tech task instructions asked for, but sometimes three minutes is simply not enough. Enjoy.

Mentorship Reflection

2009-04-09T21:27:00.006-06:00

Hands down, this was the coolest project I have ever done for a University class. I’m all for social learning, and the fact that I was able to connect with so many students from as far away as Fredericksburg Virginia absolutely blew me away. This project gave me the opportunity to try out Skype for the first time, and for many of the students I spoke with, it was their first time as well. We learned together and we got to discuss how cool it was that this sort of meeting was possible. I was placed in a grade 9 English classroom taught by Susan Carter-Morgan. She allowed me to join their wiki (another first for me) and also sent me links to each of her students’ blogs. On their blogs, they discussed project ideas, and their own reflections from what they had been learning about, much like our classroom blogs! She encouraged me to peruse their blogs, and I soon found myself getting right into it without realizing it. I offered suggestions as to how to go about writing and researching papers, encouraging them to try new things, and just stopping in to say Hi once in a while! They were very appreciative of my help and I thought it was so neat when they would visit my blog and ask about Saskatchewan, and University and what not. At the beginning of this project, they were studying the play “The Importance of being Earnest” which I was very excited about. I had actually studied that play in my English 110.6, so I was able to help out a bit there. Their next project was a research paper on a controversial topic of their choice. Once again, I was all over that, because that is exactly what I love to write about! I was able to offer suggestions, and show the students that there are two sides to every issue that really needs to be understood before writing about one particular side.
Looking back on it now, I really wish I would have been able to spend more time with this project, and I’m really considering keeping up with it after this semester is done. If it weren’t for my computer crashing mid-semester, I know I could have helped them out a lot more, but they helped me out a lot too. I really find it neat that all of us in these two classes were able to form relationships with teachers around the world, and that the internet isn't really a scary place all the time. I'd definitely consider doing a project like this with any future classroom I may have, sharing thoughts and ideas with other classrooms around the globe. Its a great learning experience, and allows students to benifit from each other through this awesome technology we have been offered. Thanks for the experience Dean

Social Learning. Simple. Memorable.

2009-04-09T20:38:00.005-06:00

In ecmp 355, there was a lot of focus on social learning, and I really feel that I benifitted greatly from it. Never have I had a class where I have been this comfortable asking for help! Since I am mostly an off-campus student, I often find it difficult to ask my peers on-campus for help or advice, but this course was different. Perhaps I found it easier to seek help because I spent most of my teenage years in front of a computer, and for a very long time, it was one of my main sources for communication. I know that my generation is notorious for communication and technology, and it was awesome that that could be a way to actually learn in a university class! It was great to recieve so much great help, even when I didn't ask for it. To my classmates, and Dean.. THANK YOU-You guys were awesome!! I only wish I could have been a bigger help to my classmates, but unfortunately, I'm not really the person who knows a lot about technology. I do try, but I get really frustrated :) I really hope that through my blog posts, and comments, a few of my classmates benifitted from my attempts. (Even if they were failures)
The mentorship program I found was the best way for me to help out others through social learning, and I loved that my insights and opinions were appreciated!
As for social learning, I found the collaboration with 455 was very helpful as well. The fact that I had the opportunity to learn from even more people with simalar thoughts and lifestyles as me was amazing. If I had trouble with something, it was certainly not too difficult to find someone with a simalar problem whom I could work together with to figure it out.
I really liked that the blogging tool was used in this class. At first, I wasn't too excited.. I'm not going to lie! Upon reflection, however, How awesome is it that when times get stressful, you can rant or rave and you know SOMEONE is going to listen to you. (Maybe cuz they had to... but either way.. :) ) It was great to get sympathy and suggestions as to what to do about these problems (whether that be technical problems, or social) from people who can actually empathise.
I wana give a biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig THANK YOU to Robin, Erika, Alej and of course Dean. You guys really helped me through this class, and it may be because of you that my computer is still sitting on my desk, and not in a snowbank outside of my window! Cheers.

My Final Project

2009-04-09T12:48:00.006-06:00

Ta daaaaaaa!

For my final project, I chose to do a NextVista video with Rushton Hurley. After being inspired by the Performing Arts: French Horn video on NextVista, I decided I would take a simalar approach for a final project. Since I've played the flute for many years and enjoy it as much as I do, I figured I'd try to make a HOW TO Flute video. I taught for a number of years, so there wasn't a whole lot of research that had to go into it. Here is a breakdown of how I put it together...

Planning

First, I brainstormed ideas for my project. I was off to a very rocky start, because I'm the type of person who wants to do things that will be first and foremost useful. I had a lot of ideas, but many didn't seem like it was the right thing for me. As soon as we were introduced to the NextVista website, I immediately knew I wanted to work with Rushton, so I emailed him. I was browsing through the Lightbulbs, and came across the french horn video and I decided that that was going to be my project.He seemed to be excited about my idea, so I started the planning stage. I decided I would set it up in the same order of how I used to teach beginners. I figured that by using pictures, I could do this better, so I searched for photos on Google. I found very quickly that everything has copyright! Since the Univeristy of Regina has made me completely paranoid about copyright violations, I decided it would be for the best to just take my own photos to use.

Photography

Although I know many of my classmates are visual arts majors, I decided I'd run the risk of committing photography sins but try my best to be a little creative. All of the photos that appear in my video, I took myself. This was a little challenging at times, because I would have my camera in one hand, and my flute in the other, resting on my shoulder in all kinds of weird positions. So as you can see in my beautiful collage here, my white backdrop was my fridge, and all of my photos were taken in my kitchen. (Note,the picture of me I took in the mirror, and this is ONLY photograph of me without make-up on. I'm letting you all enjoy it :P ) To edit my photos, I mostly used paint, and picasa to try out some different effects. I used a lot of black to my photos to add some contrast.

Filming

Using my flip camera, I set up on a tripod in my basement, and I got my mom to press the one red button to start and stop it. There were a lot of deletions I had to deal with once I put the videos on my computer, but she still did an okay job :) I felt that the audio and photos were more effective and attractive than the video, so I kept this part minimal. :)

Music

Once again, being afraid of copyright, I played my own music at the beginning of the video. I wasn't sure if I played a piece of music if it was a copyright violation, so I figured a scale would be a safe bet :) I played one scale three times, and recorded it in Audacity. I then moved the parts around to create harmonies.

Audio Narration

Instead of using the narration feature in movie maker like I did with my "Mastercard Priceless" video, I composed my audio through Audacity. I found it very easy to sync the audio in mp3 format with the slides in movie maker and I played with some of the effects Audacity has to offer. Once again, thanks to Erika for her post on how to convert .aud files to mp3! SO helpful! :) Also, thanks to Robin for pointing me in her direction! :)

Editing

Once I had all of my media in place, I used movie maker to edit my project. It was very simple to do, and I'm now kicking myself for buying the $100 program software from Staples that does exactly the same thing. Free programs are awesome! :)

At first, I didn't realize exactly how time consuming this project was going to be, but I'm pretty happy with the result! Thanks to everyone who gave me a hand!

Tech Task #14!

2009-04-09T02:31:00.002-06:00

I found these two podcasts on Itunes particularly interesting. The first, "Just Vocabulary" teaches its listeners two vocabulary words each podcast. They are very short, and helpful to those who wish to improve their vocabulary. Each word is used in several sentences, spelled, and defined, so it is something that I could see myself using while travelling! The second, "Nutrition Diva`` is a podcast which gives its listeners helpful hints when making food choices to recieve maximum health benifits. Although I`m sure its not the most popular podcast out there, I found it extremely exciting!

Google Maps Tech Task

2009-04-09T02:19:00.000-06:00

View Christa's Map!! in a larger map

Tech Task #11!

2009-04-06T23:53:00.004-06:00

For Tech Task 11, we were to create a very short story using the guide "50 ways to tell a story". I tried out a few different applications from this site, and here's what I came up with! Firstly, I used http://www.pixelperfectdigital.com/
and http://www.artistserver.com/musictags.cfm for copyright free media!

Then I tried out One True Media to get a feel for a program other than imovie. Here's my finished project using this one!

My Montage 4/6/09

I found most programs very easy to create the story, however not many of the embedding codes worked on blogger. One True Media has limited options with the free membership. There are some really cool programs, however! :)

Tech Task #8!

2009-04-06T22:52:00.002-06:00

This was a tech task assigned a while ago. We broke into discussion groups in Week 4 to discuss TED Talks. We were to each report of a ted talk that was found by a classmate. I chose to summarize Alex's selection, a presentation given by James Nachtwey, a biography photographer. He speaks of his experiences photographing the wars. "Photojournalist James Nachtwey is considered by many to be the greatest war photographer of recent decades. He has covered conflicts and major social issues in more than 30 countries."-Ted Talk website.

I thought this was a very compelling video, and I think its beautiful to be able to show these types of photographs, for a photo is worth 1000 words. It gives the viewer a much greater sense of war times.

Final Project

2009-04-03T19:12:00.003-06:00

I just realized I haven't documented anything about my final project so far. Sorry guys! I spoke with Rushton Hurley of Next Vista and together we decided that I will be making a video tutorial on how to play the flute. I was inspired by this video made on basic instruction on how to play the french horn. I taught flute for several years in high school, so its something that I'm very comfortable working with! I plan to use Windows Movie Maker to construct my video, and using my brand new flip video camera, we should be rockin'! Sorry so short, but I'll fill you all in more in a while.

Audacity tutorial video

2009-04-02T10:47:00.002-06:00

While working on my podcast tech task, I found this tutorial on youtube and I found it extremely helpful. I'm still trying to figure out how to use the LAME program in order to save in mp3 however... back to youtube I go :)

Caffeine & Skin Cancer.... iiiiiiiinteresting!

2009-04-02T10:43:00.000-06:00

Your morning "Hm!"

2009-03-31T00:41:00.002-06:00

Tech Task #9 was completed using Windows Movie Maker! Although Eric and I had the same idea, my priceless video outlines my boy's alarming infatuation with the Saskatchewan Roughriders :)

I HAVE MY COMPUTER BACK :D

2009-03-30T17:36:00.004-06:00

For some weird reason, I'm not even upset that I got it back 4 days later than what they had told me! I'm just so happy to have her back :D. It cost me $93 which kinda hurt a bit, but it was worth it! For those of you who are curious, they said it was due to spyware and eventually it started to "take chunks out of my hard drive". I'm not sure exactly what that means, but I trusted the man who told me. The part that I don't really understand is how I would have contracted this spyware, as I don't ever download anything other than programs for school. I don't even open attachments from my e-mail unless I'm expecting it. That, I think is the worst part, because I'm still not too sure what I can do to ensure it doesn't happen again. Apparently McAfee antivirus isn't the way to go, according to the techy guy! Keep that in mind people!! The good news is they saved all of my photo's and videos and he explained that the reason I was unable to upload my videos to blogger or youtube was because of my virus so I'll be uploading the rest of my tech tasks very shortly! Yessssssss! Catch ya later

Canada Cup 2009... Yorkton!

2009-03-29T10:36:00.008-06:00

Last Thursday, I was waitressing at Tapps and a few co-workers and I decided to have a cocktail after our shift. We were told that there was some big curling event going on in Yorkton which we later realized was the Canada Cup of Curling . In all honesty, this meant nothing to any of us, but apparently it was some big deal to a lot of people. Ashley, from the 455 class was one of these people apparently, because she really does not like this story very much. Anyway, we get word that the tables that we had served all week were a bunch of pretty awesome curlers, but still, we weren't that impressed. None of us follow curling, nor did we really ever wish to, so we carried on as usual. All weekend people were leaving their ticket stubs on tables, and I couldn't figure out for the life of me how any Yorkton event could be charging $30 for a day ticket. Especially for CURLING! So we go out to Holly's for a beverage around midnight, and just like any other Thursday night, we are pretty much the only people in the entire place when all of a sudden a huge group of people stroll in. In Regina, I'll bet this wouldn't really be a big deal, but in Yorkton, it was pretty strange. We had no idea who any of these people were, so we just carried on. Eventually the two groups met up and we started talking, and we found out they had all came from the curling event, and most of them had been competing. One guy came up to us, gave me a toothbrush (Ya, I was confused too) and said he had just finished curling. I didn't really care, to be honest, and I told him that I, too was a curler. (After my one experience at the Habitat for Humanity fundraiser) Since I take pictures of almost everyone I run into, I asked one of my friends to take a picture of me with my new toothbrush friend, and my friend Chelsea. If you look closely, you can see the toothbrush! Later on in the evening, I was being introduced to more curlers of whom I had never heard of, including one named Brad who I was told was kind of a big deal. He denied being any better or any more well known than any of the other ones, and I believed him. Once again, it didn't make much of a difference to me anyway. Brad and I were chatting for quite some time, and I'm pretty sure I told him about my curling experience and how AWESOME I was, and he was impressed. My friend Lee then asked me if I had any idea who I had been talking to. I said no, and he told me that this Brad character supposedly held an olympic gold medal for mens curling. I didn't believe him, so I brought out my blackberry and asked Brad to spell his name for me so I could wikipedia him. So I did! For whatever reason, Lee thought this was funny, so he took a picture of this event. Turns out, they weren't lying and apparently the name Brad Gushue is well known in the curling world. I didn't know so many people followed curling either, because after I posted this photo to facebook, I had a bunch of comments telling me what an idiot I was for not knowing him! Actually, I got quite a few comments about the picture of Chelsea, the toothbrush man and I as well for the same reason! Apparently the toothbrush man was John Morris, who was on the team who won the Canada Cup. If anyone is wondering, Team Martin won. I almost felt bad for asking "Who's team Martin" when Kevin Martin gave us TEAM MARTIN hats to wear for a photo. Another big deal! Go figure! Anyway, I asked Brad to pose more like the picture that was on Wikipedia, so I could better identify him, because I still didn't really believe him after I saw his name. The photo to the right is him trying to look more like his Wikipedia picture. I guess he wasn't lying. My favorite part of this story is how Ashley actually wanted autographs from these men, and I believe she got them! Personally, I'm quite happy with the toothbrush. :)

Update!

2009-03-29T10:30:00.002-06:00

Well, its now Sunday, and I still don't have my computer back. I'm borrowing one from a friend just to write this blog post :( The guys at PC Place said it would be ready by Thursday or Friday, and I got a phone call yesterday (Saturday) letting me know that my hard drive is shot, and they'll still need a few days. I'm trying to remain calm about everything, but my blackberry has to go in for repairs now too, because I can't get my e-mail or internet on it anymore. lol This is ridiculous already. So to update you all on my progress on my final project and mentoring project.... its not going so well! :(

If anyone is reading blogs instead of listening to today's lecture right now.....

2009-03-25T18:28:00.002-06:00

I'm honestly ready to throw every computer that gets in my way out the window. I'm very anti-technology right now, so forgive my rant. So not only is my laptop at PC Place in Yorkton getting fixed right now, the Parkland College computers will not let me open up elluminate for tonights class. I am able to view past sessions in Elluminate with no trouble, but following the link that is on the prairie south e-learning site, I see THIS. This is really not the way I want to end the semester, so this had better work itself out soon. If anyone is on google reader (instead of listening to Dean's class right now :) ), and has any suggestions how I can fix this, Please comment and let me know. I'm getting really angry.

Its days like these....

2009-03-23T15:02:00.002-06:00

This weekend I dedicated to doing nothing but homework, and catching up on everything that I've fallen behind in. I figured it's probably about time, seeing as how there is only two more weeks of classes in this semester. Imagine my reaction when I turned on my computer, and got to stare at THIS screen for 45 minutes. My computer is toast. Toast that I took in for repairs this morning, and toast that will not be ready to be picked up until Friday if they can figure out what exactly is the matter with it. The tech guy informed me that it was probably spyware, and without even looking at it, told me that it will be a minimum charge of $95 for the diagnostic and what not, and there is no guarantee my files will be saved. Greaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat. So, here I sit at the Parkland College Study Lounge just so I have access to the internet to inform you all that I may be MIA for a while. I'm a little stressed out, as my final project for ECMP sits half completed, and I may never see it again. As well, one of my courses this semester is completely online, with labs and an exam due this week. This, my friends, is why I am still a little "iffy" on the whole "technology makes the world a better, more efficient place" deal. I'll take all the sympathy I can get. Thanks. :P

Testing

2009-03-21T10:25:00.000-06:00

I met my Virginia class! =D

2009-03-18T10:20:00.003-06:00

I literally just finished a skype call with Susan Carter Morgan and some of her grade 9 English students at the Fredericksburg Academy in Fredericksburg, Virginia. WOW! What an experience! When Susan initially suggested a skype call, I was completely terrified. I was frantically downloading and reading user guides last night just so I didn't look completely ignorant to the technology. I am, after all, "claiming" to be a mentor in an Education and Computer class! So, last night at around 9:30 p.m., I was setting up, and testing everything out, when I realized I had lost my microphone again. I had told Susan we were going to have this call at around 12:00p.m their time, which I thought was 11:00 a.m. our time. I decided that I would simply run in to Yorkton in the morning, before my call. At about 9:40 p.m, I decided to check and make sure I had the time zones figured out, and sure enough.. they are TWO hours ahead of us. Although one hour isn't a HUGE difference, I certainly feel that extra hour when it comes to me actually waking up in the morning. The Yorkton Walmart (which is approximately a 20 minute drive from my house) closes at 10:00 p.m. I just made it in time to run in and pick up a new mic so we could make this call happen. And yes, I did glare back at the greeter as I waltzed in one minute before closing time :P
Now back to the important stuff :)
Susan sent the call at exactly 12:00, as she said she would. It was really easy to figure out the program, which was great! I had a few minutes to speak to her before her students arrived in the classroom, and she explained to me that she would put her screen on the projector at the front of the classroom, so her students would be able to see me. Her students started filing in, looking a little confused as to why there was a huge image of some random girl sipping coffee, watching them. Since all microphones were still turned on during this process, I got to hear what the students were saying as they were walking in, which was absolutely hillarious. One student asked Susan, "Whats going on?". Susan responded with "This is the girl who has been reading our blogs, Christa from Canada!" The girl then asked "Does that mean she speaks french?" I think she was a little suprised when I started laughing hysterically, especially since she wasn't aware that I could hear her. Later in the call, we cleared up some misconceptions about Saskatchewan and Canada, and it was really interesting what they had to say.
The most recent project they had been assigned was a research writing paper. The topic is contraversial issues in society. Each student is to pick one particular issue, and either write their own personal beliefs, or simply research it. This is the ideal topic for me to be working with them with, and I can't wait to read what they have to say. After all, I'm an expert at being opinionated. :)
A few students volunteered to tell me about their topic and the direction they are thinking of going with it. This is going to be very interesting to hear what they have to say!
Overall, this has been a great experience already! I'm sold on skype, I think its great. I'm already trying to convince others that they should be on it, since my only contact so far is Susan :( Haha.

Tech Task #12!

2009-03-11T13:27:00.002-06:00

I realize my tech tasks are completely out of order, I hope nobody minds :) This week our tech task was to find a video that incorporates elements of a good movie (camera angles, shots, and production value) Unlike Dionne and Marcy, I didn't have too much trouble finding great videos, but I do have to admit, there IS a lot of useless stuff on the web. I found this short film on Youtube called "INSiDE" that I thought was done absolutely brilliantly. It is the story of a man with multiple personality disorder and illustrates what is going through his mind. In this five minute video, approximately 67 shots were filmed, each flowing beautifully into the next. I especially liked the shot where the man is walking down the hallway with the officers and new characters of his personality are introduced in one constant shot. Check it out!

Last week's class we were introduced to the flip video camera. I didn't have much of an opportunity to play around with it as much as I would have liked to. Ashley from the 455 class told me that she had used it with her classroom during her intership and absolutely loved it. After raving about it for a few minutes, I was convinced. I trust my Ashley, so I actually went out and bought one right after class. If it wasn't for the fog last Wednesday, I probably would have had difficulty not playing with it on my drive back to Yorkton (haha). So far its been great! I had a lot of fun filming my friend's little girl this week, and I'm planning on eventually putting something together for her, like a dvd of some sort. It's definitely one of my favorite spur of the moment purchases I've made in a long while.

My curling adventure

2009-03-05T23:39:00.005-06:00

I have to apologize, my blogging has been terrible in the last little while! I've found myself extremely busy out here and the semester is REALLY getting to me! I'm having some trouble uploading videos onto my blog as well, so I've dedicated the next two days to doing nothing but figuring out youtube, and wikispaces for my mentorship! Since I've been MIA the last little while, maybe I'll give you guys an update on what I've actually been doing!! Last Friday, a few co-workers and myself entered a curling event to fundraise for Habitat for Humanity. The project they are working on right now is building a house for a single mother and her three children out here in Yorkton. It was a great experience and we had SO much fun! Our team (representing Tapps Brewery) raised the most money out of any team registered by collecting pledges through February! It was a great feeling to be able to give to those less fortunate than us, and it really gives you a sense of appreciation for hard work and good people. The "Tapps Dream Team" raised over $1000!! Did I mention IT WAS A BLAST? The theme for the evening was A Night in Vegas, if you are wondering why we are dressed like that, and YES. It was ridiculously cold curling in shorts. I should also mention that not one person on my team had ever curled before. I don't think I could ever actually do it properly, but I kind of like it that way. I really don't like sliders, and they only have me a half-slider to try. I didn't fall! We all came close a few times, but we managed AND WE WON our game! How? I have not the slightest clue, but it was funny either way. :)

Mentorship Blog

2009-02-22T22:44:00.002-06:00

Hi Guys....
I started a separate blog for my mentorship work that you can view HERE! I promise to post something a bit more exciting soon! :)

Welcome to Saskatchewan....

2009-02-11T18:24:00.003-06:00

I just thought I'd share a photograph I took with my blackberry yesterday on my way to class in Regina. Believe me, these road conditions get much worse. Ah, the joys of Saskatchewan winters. It's difficult to become excited for class when for two hours I have to look out my windshield and see these "blah" surroundings. I then think about my many friends who are travelling overseas right now and imagine how wonderful it probably is to have beautiful, hot Australian weather. (Insert heavy sigh here).

My less than awesome Tuesday

2009-02-04T13:34:00.000-06:00

About a week ago I decided it was about time I go to the dentist, as my wisdom teeth are coming in and slowly killing me. I called to make an appointment and was relieved to find out they were booking into mid-June. I hate the dentist. Everything about it. The scraping, the drilling, the disgusting flouride.. you name it, I hate it. (Nothing like a good pessimistic blog to start the day out right). Anyway, Friday morning I get a phone call from the office telling me that they had a cancellation and I could go in Tuesday morning at 8:30. For whatever reason, I agreed to it, and sat shaking for the rest of my weekend in fear of what was to come on Tuesday. Of course, the weekend flies right by and my alarm goes off to get up for my appointment in Dr. Satan's office of horror. The cleaning went shockingly well (I didn't even cry), only one cavity, which they said they could do the same day. Someone ELSE had cancelled their appointment (not exactly that much of a suprise). This was a bit of a problem, however as I had to be in my Ed foundations class by one o'clock in Regina. I told them I still had a two hour drive ahead of me and I still had to drive back home to Springside, shower, and hit the highway. I'm not positive how, but somehow they worked their evil magic and convinced me I had to get them done a.s.a.p. I agreed, and back to the chair I went.
They asked me how tough I was feeling that day, and I responded with my usual "Super-crazy tough", so they didn't freeze anything. Yep.. I'm THAT s-m-r-t in the morning. I'm going to skip over the details of this part, because I find dental work to be disgusting, but needless to say, when everything was over, I was quite a grumpy gus. Not only that, but I was now insanely behind schedule. Whats a girl to do? Of course! Drive WAY too fast on the highway... that'll make everything better. My plan didn't work out so well, and now I'm stuck with a nice big ticket and two more demerits on my license. Faaaaantastic. If your wondering, No... I didn't make it to Regina yesterday for my class, and it will definitely take me the full 2.25 hours to get to ECMP this evening. lol.

My survey

2009-02-04T13:28:00.000-06:00

It's recently come to my attention that I have quite the caffeine addiction. I chose to practice my google doc's skills in a survey asking if anyone else drinks as much coffee and energy drinks as I do (I do know they are really bad for me.. I'm working on it, I promise) I let this survey run two weeks, in case anyone wanted to answer who hadn't before and the results are in!
Survey Says!!....

Apparently I'm the only one with a problem. Thanks a lot guys :P

Tech Task #7!

2009-01-28T16:03:00.000-06:00

For tech task #7, I chose to watch a presentation by Darren Kuropatwa titled “Free Tools for Universal Design for Learning in Literacy”. I chose this presentation because it seemed to fit in with what we were talking about last class. It presents resources that teachers can use to help his or her students with challenges they may face in literacy. I found this presentation useful, and encourage those who wish to learn more about how to utilize technology to improve classroom literacy to check it out. It can be found at http://k12onlineconference.org/?p=270 . Emphasis is put on free online help such as tools to allow text to be read aloud to students who have difficulty reading. The narrator demonstrates ways these tools can be used, and different tools used together to have maximum success when dealing with these types of students. The screenshot above is an example of tools that can be used together for maximum literacy support. Neat!

Week Two

2009-01-28T12:32:00.000-06:00

Another week has gone by and I keep putting off finishing my blog entrys. I've been finding myself at a loss for words everytime it comes to publishing something. Thank goodness for tech tasks :) To the right, you will see my igoogle page which suprisingly took me quite a long time to perfect... it's very easy to get distracted by browsing all the different features google has to offer, including the theme! This is exactly the kind of page I needed, and I love how everything is so easily organized for me now. I especially like that I no longer have to have millions of tabs open in order to view one or two things on each website I'm visiting. The notepad application saves my desk from looking messy and saves a whole lot of post-it's while I'm at home. I enjoy the weather widgets since I commute a lot, I like that the weather conditions in Yorkton, Regina, and Winnipeg are all readily available for me at the bottom of my igoogle page.
I found last weeks lecture particularly interesting, as I didn't know all Google had to offer. I was pleasantly suprised to find there were so many resources available for free which are really easy to use. The education tools are great things to use in the classroom when trying to incorporate technology. Google docs allow students to take online exams or polls that are neat, and professional looking and super easy to figure out for those of us teachers who aren't particularly great at creating online anythings. The google calendar feature is a great way to keep events and tasks very well organized, while saving some trees in the process. In a school setting, teachers can share their calendars with each other to avoid scheduling conflict, and tie everyone in with what is going on throughout the school.
I also really enjoyed the Geo-Education section. These are really helpful resources to teach students in social studies or geography. I will definitely consider and utilize these tools when I'm actually in the classroom!
As for my google doc, I'm going to wait to post the results of my survey until just before class tonight, just in case anyone else would like to answer. Looking forward to tonights class...

Cheers

A week later....

2009-01-21T10:32:00.000-06:00

Wow! It's already Wednesday and I've managed to not even write one line in my blog. Sometimes, I amaze myself. The suprising part of it all is that I wasn't even procrastinating.. it was just THAT hard for me to gain internet access in the last week. I got up to Winnipeg last Tuesday only to find that the place where I was to stay had somehow lost the internet connection the day before my arrival. I really didn't think it was that much of a concern at the time. After all, the only commitment I really had to the internet for the week was our online ECMP class on Wednesday evening. Wednesday came, and one of my friends and I ventured down to "Bar Italia" in the city, and sat and sipped lattes for what seemed to be the longest online evening of my life. (Not just because of the class... I obviously had a lot of facebooking to catch up on) Six vanilla lattes later, I decided that I had had enough internet, and everything could then wait for me to get back home in six days. A person really doesn't realize just how much they rely on the world wide web until it's taken away from them. I really wish that didn't sound like an attempt to score brownie points, seeing as how this is a blog for my computer class.. but in all sincerity, it was an awful experience.
My personal experience with technology is very limited. That having been said, however, I am a facebook junkie who is a slave to my blackberry. My only salvation when it comes to computers is my stubborness. I'll get extremely frustrated if I can't figure something out immediately, but I will figure it out if it kills me. This is what got me through Math 101, and Bio 140- online courses. I wouldn't go as far as to saying the online courses were a horrible experience, because I feel I did learn a lot more than in any other of my face to face, or televised courses. They were definitely more challenging for me though, because... well... they weren't offered through facebook, and somehow that window just kept popping up on me :)
I thought last weeks online class was an awesome experience, and I'm still really excited that this is the way most of our classes will be presented! I'm not the greatest driver in the world, and I'm really excited that I can cut out the four hours of driving on Wednesday nights from Yorkton to Regina. I'm looking forward to a great class again this evening.

Cheers