Deja vu

Wow! "deja vu"on Tuesday.

Let me explain: On a normal day, I walk in Claxton, go up the stairs to the fourth floor for my Ed Psyc. class, then down to the basement for Tech. class and back up the stairs (over 50 of them) to the exact room on the fourth floor for Special Ed.

So, there I was at the end of a long day in my last class (Special Ed.) listening to my teacher and following along when what to my surprise... the instructor pops up the "~bobannon" page! Freaky, and it gets even weirder. We go to the same "A,B,C,D curriculum" site I had just visited in Tech 486 class! You never know where Technology in the classroom will apear!

Eureka!

I have actually taught myself how to add video on my blog! In my previous entry you may have noticed and enjoyed the opening video and theme song of "Gilligand's Island". You may be asking, "How did she do that?" The answer is, I Google'd how to add a video to a blog, selected a link to YouTube and watched the simple "how to video" below...and wallah!

A three hour tour....

Creating a curriculum connection for an inquiry-based lesson is a lot like discovering an uncharted isle!

Thursday, Brittany Metzger and I worked on a simulated activity called “Rock-Star Trading Cards”; we learned how to use the internet to promote interest and learning. We also learned how to use the template and walked through the steps to the assignment as if we were the 4^th grade students.

Thanks to Brittany’s lightning fast typing skills, we were finished in a flash, but that gave us time to explore the process and think about the strengths and weaknesses of setting our own students out to discover “uncharted lands”.
It will be interesting building my first actual inquiry-based lesson using the Tennessee State Standards!

Discovery of WebQuest

After surfing the wonderful world of WebQuest and evaluating 5 WebQuests in class, I have found that the WebQuest is an extremely useful tool in education. Unfortunately, several of the existing ones on “Art” that I researched at WebQuest.org's "QuestGarden" are below the standards for use in my classroom.

I wish I could learn how to make my own!

One WebQuest I recommend to other Art teachers is Exhibiting in Nature.

1. It offers a wonderful view into the world of art outside of the gallery/art room.
2. Students work in groups to create installation art.
3. Contemporary Art and related Artists are introduced and studied throughout the exercise.
   

Journey Update

It seems like only yesterday when I knew absolutely nothing about integrating technology with learning in the classroom.

Today, I not only know what a blog is, but I am building my very own. Blogs are a fun and easy way to communicate with students and parents.

Discovery Update: A new treasure was revealed today called a “Web Quest”.

A WebQuest is a uniquely packaged online learning tool utilizing inquiry and discovery of the student as researcher, creator, and learner.

Beware of Sharks...

Nothing can sneak up and bite you in the bum quicker than being unorganized!

This is especially true when dealing with so many electronic pages and pics. To date, I have created lots of space on the world wide web. You are currently visiting my blog, but I presently have my own tpte486 page as well as an Art Education group wiki on pbworks, and a PLP page at learningcentral. It's enough to make my head spin!

So, in the spirit of self preservation I have prepared my new jump drive to help simplify my electronic storage retrieval and restored organization to my electronic world.

Pearls of Wisdom

Two new and exciting things discovered today in Technology Land!

• The first exciting thing I discovered today is called a “link”. It is a useful entertaining device and to my surprise, it was hiding in plain sight!

• The second new discovery called a “wiki” appears to be loaded with potential for classroom application and I have even successfully created my own. I look forward to future examination of exactly what one can do with a wiki.

Evaluating Websites: The Metropolitan Museum Of Art

Explore & Learn at the MET.MUSEUM OF ART is the web site I evaluated for the class assignment this week and I highly recommend it as an excellent Art Education site! Even if you are not an Art Education teacher, you can use this site to integrate art, learning, imagination, and fun into your curriculum.

The site is reliable, easy to navigate, contains up to date information, and is virtually advertisement free. There is something on the site for any student regardless of grade or ability. Currently, students can explore and learn simultaneously by visiting the interactive

Shipwreck: An Ancient Sea Trading Game!

Evaluating websites for reliability and usability opened my eyes to the world of screening sites. I have never searched for revision dates or researched many authors' qualifications prior to this exercise. Previously, I assumed that most websites were up to date or without bias. I realized thru the process that the conscious act of checking for these important and sometimes underlying issues can have an effect on the decision for a teacher to send students to a location or not.

Exploration

Wow! I am so excited about blogging. There is so much to do and see. I have been updating and playing with "Gadgets". I could literally spend hours playing with these neat and unusual little things.

My First Blog: Day One!

Technology in the classroom is an entirely new concept for me. Finding new ways to broaden how students experience learning, open new windows, and build communication skills using on-line tools is extremely exciting!

I am not sure where I am going, but I look forward to exploring this new “land of technology” and I invite you to join me on my adventure.