Thing: Evaluation

EVALUATION

1. What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?

It is hard to say what web 2.0 tool helped me during my learning journey. I think all of them surprised me a lot. I really learned how to apply these tools in a practical way. The artifacts created in this blog were developed to help my students to learn concepts faster compared with the traditional way of instruction.

2. How has this type of program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?

This program affected the way I researched virtual resources. Having a portfolio with Web 2.0 resources, helps me to teach and engage my students "without tears."  These tools are enjoyable and friendly because learners can create and develop their own skills as a long-term learners.

3. Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this 16 things exercises that surprised you?

Definitely yes! Many unexpected outcomes surprised me. For example, learning that Skype, You Tube, Iclouds, Podcasts, Powtoons have educational resources for teachers and for students. By the other hand, having Socratic for helping me to assess my students, gave me the opportunity to reteach concepts as soon they are evaluated.


 4. What could I do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?

I can start applying the concepts and these tools immediately during my practice.  This course really helped me to flip my classroom and satisfy the needs of this generation of 21st. Century students.


This Blog will be my primary source for researching and for saving my Web 2.0 necessary to help my students to interact with the cyber space. My intention is to share these tools with students and colleagues.


Thanks,
Maria G. Frias-Medina

Thing 16: Final Evaluation

I love the way Photo Peach helped me to create a slide show in a few seconds. I decided to try with a recipe for teaching my students how to prepare a Mexican recipe.

Here is the link: Jalapeños Recipe

Thing 15: Skype and Things like Skype

How might Skype be used in the classroom?

This is the first time using Skype for educational purposes. My previous experience with Skype was only for  international communication.

Connecting my classroom with the world through Skype, helps my students to be globally mind learners because they can talk, share, and interact with other cultures and different languages around the world. 

My previous experience using Skype in the classroom was null, but now my vision of global education changed my perspective.  This is a powerful tool for developing oral and written language. This is a friendly tool for teaching foreign languages.

1. Example of students from Austin communicating with students in Africa.

2. Skype in the classroom. A page was created for looking other Spanish teachers around that they are interested in exchanging virtual postcards with my students.  (click here)

Thing 14: Podcasting

Podcast Definition Summary

1. What are podcasts:

a) A new type of media that puts you in control of what you listen to, when you listen to it and how you listen to it (usually on a computer or portable audio player)

b) An easy way to share your own audio content on the internet with a focused audience

c) A media that can be created with equipment you probably already own, for little cost and in as little as a day

d) A way to become a recognized expert or celebrity in your niche

e) A powerful way to connect with your customers and promote your business to them on regular basis

 

From the Oxford English Dictionary podcast n. is a digital recording of a radio broadcast or similar programme, made available on the Internet for downloading to a personal audio player.

 

Source: http://www.howtopodcasttutorial.com/what-is-a-podcast.htm

 

 

Spanish Literature Writers

 

1. Mario Vargas Llosa  - Podcast BBC London (Podcast)

Sunday, April 29 2007, 18:46:00

World Book club with author Mario Vargas Llosa.

 

 

2. Isabel Allende - Podcast Directory

Thursday, May 06 2010, 01:17:32

Isabel Allende speaks about her new book "Island Beneath the Sea" and is interviewed by Jon Greenberg of New Hampshire Public Radio

 

 

3. Carlos Fuentes - Biografía

Tuesday, April 02 2013, 02:00:00

MinigrafíasUn breve pero intenso recorrido en animación por la vida y obra del escritor Carlos Fuentes.

Source: http://www.podcastdirectory.com/

Thing 12 and 13: Discovering and Using YouTube

YouTube is a video-sharing website headquartered in San Bruno, California. The service was created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005 and has been owned by Google since late 2006.^[4] The site allows users to upload, view, and share videos, and it makes use of Adobe Flash Video and HTML5 technology to display a wide variety of user-generated and corporate media video. Available content includes video clips, TV clips, music videos, and other content such as video blogging, short original videos, and educational videos. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube)

Questions:

1. What would be some advantages of having teaching/learning videos available on online at sites like YouTube?

There are many benefits involve, for example the students can learn and understand complex concepts visually and auditory, and at the same time, they can create own videos reproducing the knowledge in their own words. This cyber tool helps the instruction and the learning in an enjoyable, exciting and engaging way for students.

2. What about student created work -- would there be advantages to having it uploaded? Explain.

When students create their own artifacts, they feel proud of their creativeness and they want to review their final product over and over, and if they receive recognition for it, their feelings of efficacy increases. The students didn't know that every time they are seeing their final products are learning over and over. This cycle of proud-learning-review helps them to remind the concept and eliminate errors of understanding and make the knowledge deeper.

3. This video was taken during the PepRally at Needville, HS, October 7th, 2014 and downloaded to YouTube format. I hope you can enjoy it!

 

 

4. There is another YouTube video created for presenting the concept of means of transportation. I hope it can be understandable for all!

 

 

 

 

 

5. Reference: How to upload videos longer than 15 minutes. (click here)

 

6. Nine facts about YouTube (click here)



Thing 11: Presentation Tool

Prezi is a cloud-based (SaaS) presentation software and storytelling tool for presenting ideas on a virtual canvas. The product employs a zooming user interface (ZUI), which allows users to zoom in and out of their presentation media, and allows users to display and navigate through information within a 2.5D or parallax 3D space on the Z-axis. Prezi was officially established in 2009 by co-founders Adam Somlai-Fischer, Peter Halacsy and Peter Arvai. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prezi)

As an educators this presentation tool changed the way the teachers presented information.With this web 2.0 tool, virtual and interactive presentations can be created adding movement, audio and video.

At the same time, students can present any content topic using Prezi and they can enjoy seeing themselves developing and applying their own knowledge.

Attached you will find a project "About Me" that several students created in their Spanish class in October 2014.

See the following link posted in Padlet (click here)

Thing 10: Animation Tool

USING AN ANIMATION TOOL



Developing your own creativity and video talents!

Creating and using PowToon it was amazing! The student and teacher can create a great variety of videos and presentations in animated way. This tool is lovely, interactive, friendly and easy to use.

The students and teachers can create their own videos or presentations, adding texts, characters and dialogues in any language.  It is amazing that each student can trigger their inner creativity and they can post and share their projects with others.

All the features offer by PowToon can be used for educational purposes. This tool is an excellent resource to engage students in the process of learning.

The are several templates suggested by PowToon, all of them are wonderful, nevertheless, the savvy users can create their own templates, characters and download different pictures and add videos music and voice.

Attached you will find my artifact created with the purpose of guiding my students in the steps to follow for a research project. The topic is "El Día de los Muertos" (Death Day).   I hope you can enjoy it! It is fabulous!

"El Día de Los Muertos - Project" (PowToon)