Ready-To-Use Web Resources for Students
One way I was able to reach towards my goal of effective education using technology was to experiment with creating assignments and projects online. In these workshops, I explored different possibilities for presenting my content in student-centered ways through technology. This first example was an early attempt during my first summer semester at MSU. The assignment was to make connections between what was available as a resource on-campus and my own courses I taught. I designed this WordPress museum exploration around my World History class and the MSU museum.
A more in-depth and advanced exploration of the connection between technology and education came later in the summer, as I developed an entire class project around the topic of Civil Rights. Intended for my United States history class, this project was designed with care to develop students' skills in critical thinking and technological literacy. I wanted my students to be able to advance through this project with minimal teacher interference, exploring the options available and practicing the skill of learning online.
Soon after I began the MAET program, I developed a Weebly page to serve as a communication hub for my students. It provided resources and information for all classes I taught: U.S. History, Civics, Economics and World History. While it was certainly a work in progress, it helped me gain the confidence I needed to realize that I could integrate technology into my classes, even after only a few MAET courses. And, as luck would have it, my website was an invaluable resource for communication with students and my long-term sub when I was unexpectedly injured and out of work for nearly three months! I truly came to appreciate what technology can offer for a teacher!
Experimenting with New Technology Tools
Something that was new to me was the idea of making screencasts to help enhance online lessons. In this example, I created a PowerPoint lesson on developing countries, that I used in both my Economics and World History courses. I then "taught" the lesson via a screencast. This took a lot of development in order to get ready--creation of the content, developing a script, learning how to screencast, and then putting it all together! It helped me learn more about my own abilities to teach from afar, if I was to ever teach an online distance-learning course.
My very first project for the MAET program, this was a quick activity to learn the basics of creating short films using online programs as help. I chose to work with Animoto, and created a short video using pictures I took on the MSU campus to demonstrate my impressions of education and technology. This was definitely a project that required me to work under the pressures of both a time constraint and learning a new tool at the same time! I enjoy the finished product, and think that it would be a neat tool to use with students, as it is straightforward and easy to use!
By far my most challenging project in the MAET program was to create a podcast using Audacity based around interviews I conducted with three of my students. This assignment was a challenge for me for several reasons. I conducted my interviews with a focus on student misconceptions in the classroom. I could not control what students said or how they expressed themselves, and needed to find ways to weave their thoughts into one coherent piece, using my own thoughts as a guide. Additionally, each student's interview, my voice, and the background music were separate tracks. I found it difficult at first to learn my way around Audacity and also create a meaningful and professional product, but I ultimately am proud of how my first try turned out!