PE2_ iMovie

After I started watching the videos I decided to produce a video I can actually use in class. I love to incorporate amusing characters which will entice the students to listen to the lesson, but also teach them the standards we need to learn for our up coming test . For this project i decided to introduce my unit on forces by including a character whom is the most known user of "the Force", Darth Vader. I produced a script in which Darth Vader and I discuss the differences between contact and non-contact forces. I decided to go big on this project because my students have learned to expect the best from the lesson i give them. This video includes green screen effects, two dimensional animated effects, and real time video for the background from the movie Star Wars.

This is an ambitious project and i know there bound to be some failures along the way, but i know what doesn't kill me makes me stronger right!! Wish me Luck.

PE1_iMovie

As with most of you when i saw the 3 1/2 hour run time of the Lydia tutorial, my head was swimming trying to figure out how in the world i was going to fit this all into my schedule. But it really was not all that bad because each tutorial was really well produce, had fantastic pace, and really helped me understand iMovie in a way I couldn't on my own. I tried a few YouTube channels on iMovie and they really helped me produce some great looking videos in the first three months of the program. Lynda.com goes above and beyond making the format of iMovie seem simplistic and joyful to use.

It took me a while to realize that we were given a full year subscription to Lynda.com, but after searching through my back emails i found the registration code and i was off to the races. I cant believe how many great tutorials there are on this site. I just wish i had time to view them all... Final Cut Pro X... maybe over winter break :)

BP6_Link to Jena Wayt's Blog

Follow this link to my comments on Jena Wayt's Blog.

BP5_Link to Cynthia Madanski's Blog

Follow this link to my comments on Cynthia Madanski's Blog

BP4_SlideRocket

I love the idea of this open format class because it allows me time to search Web2.0 tools and not feel like I am just wasting my time on the web. I just discovered a new Web2.0 tool called SlideRocket.com and I do believe I have found a great way to collaborate on power points with my fellow science teachers. SlideRocket is a web based program which allows you to upload already created power points my science department has created and allows my colleges and I real world time to work on the power points and make them better. It gets very difficult sending power points to each other through memory sticks and over email because after a while we end up with multiple versions of the same presentation and we forget which is the latest one. With slide rocket we can change a slide and each user can access the newly tweaked presentation. No emails, no memory keys, no more problems with multiple versions of the same document. Slide rocket also allows real time twitter feeds during the presentations so if you have a classroom of computer users they can comment on the presentation as the lecture is going on. They can ask questions or help others out with simpler explanations. Slide rocket also has the ability to allow others to view the presentation on their own, and the site tracks how long each user spends on any one particular page. This can help teachers out to determine what problems or concepts are hardest for their students. This is a great concept for both collaborating with fellow teachers and getting extra help to student who may need it. 

BP3_Prezi

There are many wonderful Web2.0 tools out there that I utilize on a daily basis.  I utilize Google plus to communicate with my group members and we also use Google docs to organize our group projects and thoughts. For my Laptop classrooms i use screentoaster.com, for online screen casting and tutorials, and for project turn ins I use Dropitto.me which utilizes the Dropbox app which is installed on every machine that i own. But one of my all time favorite Web2.0 programs which i use has to be Prezi.com. Prezi is a program much like power point, yet it is completely web based and completely free, which means all my students have a chance to use this fantastic tool. Ever since i found this tool i have become obsessed with it. You can zoom in and out, teeter, magnify, cross-read, and many other unique eye catching effects which will draw the attention of your viewers. I use this tool for my history of the atom unit where the students must create a timeline which tells me the steps scientist had to take to identify the different parts of the atom. In our computer lab we are not allowed to install programs onto the machines, so since it is completely web based there is no program to install, and the students can work on it at home if they are not finished. This is a fantastic tool which i highly recommend you try in and outside of your classroom environment. 
      Prezi allows students to utilize pictures and videos found off the web to create fantastic new elaborate presentations which can be viewed from any computer connected to the internet. I have learned that with this program you can have co-authors who can work along side you to give you new ideas or inspiration in the creating process. This program works great for those students who need a little extra stimuli to get through a particular lesson.

BP2_iGoogle PLE

I have worked on iGoogle before, but not as a resource page. This assignment allowed me to view my home page as a tool i can use to further my web experiences. I always saw iGoogle a a gimmick to get web users to use a Google page as their home screen, but now i see it as a tool which can be used to give one a jump start on their web browsing experience. No longer do they need to travel to Facebook or Twitter to view their feeds. They can have boxes of links to take them directly to the resources or web pages they wish. This is a great organizational tool which allows the amalgamation of both resources and entertainment all at once. The gadget i choose to add on to my iGoogle homepage is the fact of the day. I love to learn odd and strange facts from history because when i find a good one i weave them into my science lessons to intrigue the students. I sometime tell them odd facts right in the middle of a lesson to bring their concentration back to me without drawing attention to that fact. Over all I am very pleased with my progress.