PowerPoint Game

What did you learn from making a PowerPoint Game?

• I've always wanted to be able to make a Jeopardy PowerPoint game for my students. I think it's a great way to do a review. A lot of teachers in high school did this, and I didn't think it would be that difficult to do. I discovered that it may not have been difficult but it definitely took a good amount of time. I had to link all the slides to the number it was associated with and then back to the main page. I also had to think of all the different questions I would ask for each category. I didn't realize how much work was put into creating a game on PowerPoint.
  

What problems did you face while making your PowerPoint Game?

• I didn't face too many problems because the instructions were pretty straightforward. The biggest problem probably was just the amount of time it took me. I think if I keep practicing and make more that it won't be as time consuming as it was. Another problem I faced was thinking of good questions to ask.
  

How did you overcome them?

• I just had to set out different times when I would work on creating the game. I would sit down and start linking. I was able to become quicker towards the end of creating the game.
• In order to think of good questions to ask, I referred to previous lesson plans I have. When I am teaching, I will probably reference the test, and use questions similar to the ones asked on the test.
  

How might you use a PowerPoint Game in your content area?

• I could definitely use this PowerPoint game as a type of review. The specific one I created I used as a final review. I asked questions about each area that was taught during the semester and asked five questions for each. The questions I asked had the information I thought was most important from that unit. I think students would love to review this way because it is a fun way to go over previously learned material. I may also use this as unit reviews.
  
• Students could use this as well. I am considering doing different projects for the different units and using those as a grade. A student could create a Jeopardy game for what we learned in that unit and use it as their project. They would be required to have thoughtful questions and responses to show that they understood the unit.

I enjoyed making this PowerPoint game. I definitely think it is something I will use in my future teaching.

Social Network

What did you learn about social networks and the technology in particular that you learned?

• I've had a facebook for years and I think social network sights are incredible ways to pass information or for people to stay in touch. While setting up my social network I learned all the different ways that students could benefit from a social networking sight. I know it might be hard to maintain but I actually think the social network sight would be easier to maintain than a classroom website because all my students are allowed to comment, add pictures, add videos, add blog posts, so the students could keep the social network sight running if I struggled to do it. I like WallFM as a website to use because as the teacher I have complete control of the social network. I can delete unwanted members or I can email my students all at once. I also have set up different groups for each period of my classes, and I think this will be helpful because sometimes we'll be doing different things in different classes.
  

What instructional problems could you use this technology for?

• I think having the social network site will help students greatly when they have out of class group projects. I am not a huge fans of tests and instead I like projects that will test students knowledge. Students can create their own group on the website and communicate through the social network. I can also watch them on the social network to see how the project is going and how it is progressing.
  
• I can use the social network to access my students through mass email. I can also alert them of any assignements I've put on the social network. If I want my students to read an article, I can post the article to the social network instead of giving them the article in class to take home.

What are 2-3 activities you could use this technology for in your own teaching? List the instructional standards if you can identify them.

• 1. Share on our social networking wall ways that you stay physically active. Include how you feel when you've been active.-9th-12th grade standard 2:1:a
• 2. Group project: Create a video showcasing refusal skills. Upload to our social network. -9th-12th grade standard 3:2:b and standard 6:3:c
• 3. Blog post prompt "What are some strategies to avoid unhealthy or potentially dangerous situations?"-9th-12th grade standard 4:1:a

Mrs. Evans Health Social Network

Internet Safety with the Hubby

I talked with my husband, who is 24 about internet safety. He knows how dangerous it is to put personal information on the internet. He also said how a lot of people will try to take advantage of you over the internet and when you allow people to see all of your personal information you give them the opportunity.

We talked about the video I watched and I told him the story about the girl who got in a "girl fight" and the video was put on youtube. The girl was concerned about getting into college because they can search the internet and see this. We started talking and he said how on your facebook you should be careful what you post and what pictures you put on because anyone can search your name and this information shows up. It could affect you with future employment or schooling.

I shared with him some of the stories of kids that were affected and the impact it had on the family. I also told him about the article I read and how Elder Ballard said that the internet can tear families apart and how dangerous that is.

We had a really good discussion. My husband didn't grow up using the internet because it was never big in his family or among his peer group. For me I've grown up using the internet and knowing how dangerous it can be. I think he knows how dangerous it can be but didn't know how widely teenagers are using it now. Some of the things we talked about really opened his eyes to different aspects of internet safety.

Internet Safety

For the internet safety assignment I watched the Frontline video "Growing up Online" and I read the article "Let our Voices be Heard" by Elder Ballard.

The most important things I learned from the video and the article:

• Teachers need to be entertainers now and be able to include technology into their classroom
• If it's on the net, it's open to anyone
• Parents need to be involved with their children and know what is going one but not be overbearing.
• I was so shocked at how easy students thought it was to avoid a predator. They said that of course they would say no if some old man requested them as a friend on facebook, but I don't think they realize that predators are smart and trick young people.
• If we don't make good choices, the media can devestate families and tear them apart.

The internet is so influential in our lives now and it really can be a good tool to use, but as a parent and a teacher I want to teach safe internet habits. I don't think kids should spend hours on end on the computer. I think there are a lot more productive things they could be doing. That being said, I will allow them time to go on the computer because I think there are good things they can be doing online. The internet is a privlege for teens, not a right.

I think cyberbulling and online predators are so scary. When it comes to cyberbullying, it is so important to remind students that no matter what they say even if they delete it, it still was said and you don't know if it is ever really erased. When teaching against cyberbullying, ask the students if they would say this to the person, because a lot of what is said online would never be said to a persons face.

In the video I was shocked at how easy students thought it was to avoid online predators. They said, "of course we would deny someone who requested me and made a sexual comment". Online predators don't immediately come out and make sexual comments! They climb their ways into the teens lives, develop relationships and then the students act upon this. They need to understand how dangerous online predators really are.

When I am a teacher, I want to really utlize the internet for students use. I know they can gain more knowledge when they can search the internet and find the answers themselves. At the beginning of the year, I will spend a day or two talking about the appropriate uses of the internet not only at home and at school. I want to teach students ways to interpret correct information from the internet. I may do an activity where students then go home and teach their parents what they have learned about internet safety. This could be an assignment for the family to work on together and develop ways they can be safe online at home as well. This may be hard to implement but I'd really like to try and teach students how to be safe on the internet.

Media Project

For my media project, I decided to create an example PSA. I would use this to show students what they could do to create their own. I would love to have students in groups and have a few groups make PSA's like this.
This is an anti-drinking and driving PSA.
Enjoy!

Copyright

There was a lot that I learned from these three videos about copyright. To be honest I've never known a ton about copyright so it was really interesting for me to learn. The first video talked about how copyright laws aren't used to protect the author financially but was supposed to help science and information spread increase and improve. In the second video it talked about the four factors of fair usu: purpose and character of use, nature of the work, amount and substance of the work, and effect of the use on the market. I would like to remember these guidelines because they're easy to remember but will help me know if I'm obeying the copyright rules. I liked learning about the CONFU guidelines that helped teachers be more responsible about what they show in class and post on their websites. A few guidelines: 10% or 3 minutes of a video (whichever is smallest), 30 seconds of a song. These guidelines apply to songs and videos that they get legally but do not have the permission from the author to see it.




This video broke so many copyright rules! First of all, we never know where he gets the music from. Actually we never know what the name of the song is either. The pictures aren't cited and neither are the facts. With it being a video about a historical event it is especially important for the information to be cited because it makes it even more credible. I really like this video because I think it would capture the audiences attention and definitely tug at peoples heart strings but he needs to give the credit to the people who took the pictures and to the websites where he got his information from.