I have finally finished my website, and I have to say that I'm pretty proud of everything that I've accomplished! I chose to use www.wix.com as the host site for my page, as it was a free site with a lot of awesome graphics, and a lot of flexibility in organizing my information which allowed me to change around things as I saw fit.
In the beginning of my website creation, I struggled trying to find a ready-made background that I liked, but once I realized how easy it was to change the backgrounds, borders, fonts, colors, etc., I felt free to truly create. I found that adding content to the pages I wanted, was not nearly as challenging as I originally thought, and I loved exploring the various clip cart, available photos, and animations (although I didn't use any within the designs that I had) that were available to me. I also couldn't believe how easy it was to add content from YouTube! I think that this will make my life so much easier, as I can now post the video clips that I show in class, and all of my students can have access to them! In the past, I've had students come early to school, or stay after school to try and make up the work that they'd missed while they were absent, but the ability to post all of the homework assignments, notes, videos, labs and worksheets all in the same place should help make my lives, and the lives of my students so much easier!
Since this was a new experience for me, there were definitely a number of things that I struggled with. My biggest and most important lesson was that I found that you needed to frequently save your work. There were a number of occasions where my Internet connection simply shut down, undoing everything that I had worked to hard to complete. I also found it challenging to add content to pages, as there were times that I tried to drag an image or text box to a new page, and I ended up scrolling to a whole other page altogether. Something that still baffles me, is the addition of various widgets, and in my case, a "Unit Converter Widget." I could not for the life of me figure out how to format the size of the widget on my page so that the entire converter showed up, and after a number of unsuccessful tries to resize the box, I simply gave up and deleted it from my page. The final thing that I'll need to explore further, is the overall size of the content on my web page. When I open the site from my husband's laptop,
I am very excited about everything that I've done, and I can't wait to show it off to my students! I think that this website allows someone without any computer programming skills the ability to create a professional looking site, in a fairly user friendly way. I still would like to continue to add more content to my page, potentially even a separate page that contains only Labs and Homework Assignments. I would love to include more videos, and science links for all of the areas of content, not simply "Chemistry," like how I have now. Even though I love everything I've done so far, I know that it will continue to be a work in progress for as long as I have the site up and running, as there are always more fun things to add, and improvements to make! :-)
Monday, March 7, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Alana's Favorite Movies - YouTube Compilation Video
For this assignment, we were to choose our favorite movies, select clips from them, and generate a compilation video of them using Windows Movie Maker. Finally, we had to upload our video to YouTube, so that the world can see. If they are just that interested. :-)
I struggled with this assignment, since I didn't work on it in class with everyone else. I first had issues trying to get the Windows Movie Maker program to my computer, and then had an even more difficult time trying to convert the files from one form to the next so that I could actually work with them in Windows Movie Maker. After all was said and done, I was pretty proud of my video, until I watched it from start to finish. I realized that through all of the converting processes, some of my sound bytes had become disjoined from their video components, and after numerous hours of working, I simply didn't have enough energy to try and redo the entire project. I'm still proud of what I have accomplished, even though my type A personality wants me to go back and try to redo the entire thing.
After seeing how long this assignment took for me to complete, I am not ruling it out as a future assignment for my own students, but I would definitely modify it so that they did not have to work with clips from the internet when putting together and editing their own videos. Hopefully this would alleviate some of the difficulties with finding the proper converters, and simply allow the students to edit a video clip they themselves had produced, and then could upload it straight to the web.
Despite my frustrations, I hope you enjoy the clip!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyCJJUoQve4
I struggled with this assignment, since I didn't work on it in class with everyone else. I first had issues trying to get the Windows Movie Maker program to my computer, and then had an even more difficult time trying to convert the files from one form to the next so that I could actually work with them in Windows Movie Maker. After all was said and done, I was pretty proud of my video, until I watched it from start to finish. I realized that through all of the converting processes, some of my sound bytes had become disjoined from their video components, and after numerous hours of working, I simply didn't have enough energy to try and redo the entire project. I'm still proud of what I have accomplished, even though my type A personality wants me to go back and try to redo the entire thing.
After seeing how long this assignment took for me to complete, I am not ruling it out as a future assignment for my own students, but I would definitely modify it so that they did not have to work with clips from the internet when putting together and editing their own videos. Hopefully this would alleviate some of the difficulties with finding the proper converters, and simply allow the students to edit a video clip they themselves had produced, and then could upload it straight to the web.
Despite my frustrations, I hope you enjoy the clip!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyCJJUoQve4
4x2 - Frank McCourt, Author of 'Angela's Ashes'
For the longest time, my favorite book has been the hilariously tragic memoir, Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt. The style in which McCourt writes draws the reader into his miserable childhood, allowing you to both laugh and cry at the experiences of his youth. When given this assignment, it was a no brainer to choose him as the topic of my "4x2."
I can see myself using an assignment like this in my science classroom as a means of presenting information. Students could complete a 4x2 (or any size grid for that matter) as a way to explore facts on their chosen elements during our chemistry unit, or they could even use it to help them organize information for Newton's Laws of Motion, or properties of light waves. The possibilities are endless! To use it with my eighth grade students, however, I would need to provide more guidance or directions for the students so that they know what to put in each of the boxes. Beyond that, I would potentially leave it up to the students for the type of program that they used to create the file.
Click on the link below to view my 4x2 on Frank McCourt:
https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1jSKFcXiPr3JGB6EBJaky627YK-sPG2fBQGkdgnE-2pE
I can see myself using an assignment like this in my science classroom as a means of presenting information. Students could complete a 4x2 (or any size grid for that matter) as a way to explore facts on their chosen elements during our chemistry unit, or they could even use it to help them organize information for Newton's Laws of Motion, or properties of light waves. The possibilities are endless! To use it with my eighth grade students, however, I would need to provide more guidance or directions for the students so that they know what to put in each of the boxes. Beyond that, I would potentially leave it up to the students for the type of program that they used to create the file.
Click on the link below to view my 4x2 on Frank McCourt:
https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1jSKFcXiPr3JGB6EBJaky627YK-sPG2fBQGkdgnE-2pE
Monday, January 17, 2011
Wunderground Activity - Honolulu, Hawaii 2010
I've always wanted to go to Hawaii, and after completing this activity, I don't know if there's ever a bad time do do it. On the fifteenth day of each month, the daily temperature was between 60-80 degrees F - and that's including the highs and the lows! Working with Google-docs to complete the spreadsheet and graph was definitely new for me, and I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to add labels to the key. I'm sure it's something simple, but I certainly couldn't get it...
I can see myself using an activity like this in my classroom during our chemistry unit. Students could research the melting and freezing points for each of the various groups of elements on the Periodic Table, and could create a graph (or multiple graphs) to represent the data they've collected. Or, perhaps I could use it to record student data for analysis when we create ice cream in a bag, and the students have to monitor the temperature change over time. Whatever the reason, I think spreadsheets and graphing programs are fantastic for science students, and I would like to find more ways to incorporate it into my teaching!
Feel free to check out the link below to the spreadsheet and bar graph I completed on Honolulu, Hawaii.
https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=0Av921-Wt-YgQdGJrbnRISXZTOV9xZzVuVmhhN1NHSUE&hl=en&output=html
I can see myself using an activity like this in my classroom during our chemistry unit. Students could research the melting and freezing points for each of the various groups of elements on the Periodic Table, and could create a graph (or multiple graphs) to represent the data they've collected. Or, perhaps I could use it to record student data for analysis when we create ice cream in a bag, and the students have to monitor the temperature change over time. Whatever the reason, I think spreadsheets and graphing programs are fantastic for science students, and I would like to find more ways to incorporate it into my teaching!
Feel free to check out the link below to the spreadsheet and bar graph I completed on Honolulu, Hawaii.
https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=0Av921-Wt-YgQdGJrbnRISXZTOV9xZzVuVmhhN1NHSUE&hl=en&output=html
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Forces and Motion Scavenger Hunt
I have created a file for students to use as they review the main concepts of Forces and Motion for their final exam. Each of the concepts are those that the students should already know, but for those who need a refresher, I have posted helpful links that will provide individuals with the information that they need to complete the puzzle.
Click on the link below to access the Forces and Motion Scavenger Hunt:
https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1bA4W6uukdZWFjiKCI7p7nBN2stj0QCTsSrINm1VHEzI
Click on the link below to access the Forces and Motion Scavenger Hunt:
https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1bA4W6uukdZWFjiKCI7p7nBN2stj0QCTsSrINm1VHEzI
Roller Coaster Theme Park Slideshow
I've created the following file to show off the 2009-2010 8th grade class projects for the "Isaac Newton's Inertialand Fair."
https://prezi.com/secure/abbe63140c3a4ffdae6961e8ad3763ce4110c1fd/
https://prezi.com/secure/abbe63140c3a4ffdae6961e8ad3763ce4110c1fd/
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Mapping America: Las Vegas, NV
Access the following website to help you complete the attached file.
Use the file below to help you analyze the data from "Mapping America: Every City, Every Block."
https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1aMtXKKTxzf-rN7mHQyxvOCfAhj8i-dF7iMIsWTS9PLA
Use the file below to help you analyze the data from "Mapping America: Every City, Every Block."
https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1aMtXKKTxzf-rN7mHQyxvOCfAhj8i-dF7iMIsWTS9PLA
Visions of Dandelions
This first photo is the original image taken offline. As a child, I hated the yellow flowers that permeated my back yard, and the white fluff that followed, sticking like thorns to all of my clothes. Today, I find nothing more beautiful than the simplicity of the dandelion's seed as it is lifted into the air and floats away on the wind. Each of the images below were modified using http://www.befunky.com/.
I love how this image depicts the image through the beauty of "pointillism."
I chose to represent this image with a "grunge" tool, and I love the harsh lines and dreary colors that have overtaken such a delicate image.
This is perhaps my favorite image, as the floating seeds and flower are blurred, and the image has been converted into black and white. The technique is called "pinhole."
The final image is created using a "sketcher," and picks up all of the fine details in the background of the image, as well as the dragonfly-like seeds.
I could potentially use the program in class for students who are creating images for their Thrill Ride Brochures to creatively depict their roller coaster projects, or images of their alternative energy sources as they put together their presentations for the class.
I could potentially use the program in class for students who are creating images for their Thrill Ride Brochures to creatively depict their roller coaster projects, or images of their alternative energy sources as they put together their presentations for the class.
Wikipedia Comparison
Thoughts on Wikipedia vs. Britannica
I have been dissuading my students from using Wikipedia as a source for research for years. However, after taking a look at Wikipedia versus the more reputable Encyclopedia Britannica, I may have changed my mind.
Some of the things that I discovered as I looked back and forth between the two online resources are strikingly surprising. The articles on Simple English Wikipedia contained much more information on the things I chose to research than from the Britannica site. When researching information on Golden Retrievers, I found that the data on Simple English contained much more information than Britannica. Simple English had information posted in kid-friendly terms regarding the appearance, the activities, kinds, health, history and external links on the breed, while Britannica only mentioned the standard height, color and popularity from the year 2002.
Wikipedia allows anyone in the world to access the pages, but you must create a log-in if you wish to make modifications to the information in any way. On Encyclopedia Britannica, you must create a log-in in order for you to access all of the information on each of the pages. While Wikipedia allows for pages and pages worth of information to be written, Britannica seems to have articles with a 250 word maximum.
The English version of Wikipedia is much more detailed than either Simple English Wikipedia, or Encyclopedia Britannica. After learning that there are individuals that moderate the sites, and that there are individuals that monitor postings for various subjects, I feel a little bit more confident with the information found on wiki sites.
Feel free to access the changes that I have made to the articles on Golden Retrievers, Michigan State University, and the state of Michigan at the following address:
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