5/26 GAIN - Presentations

Powerpoint Link - https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwKcHKy0j7YIelJfM0NCLVpIM3M/view?usp=sharing

Presentation

I have used PowerPoint (PPT) in the past, as it was the primary source available at school, but I have Keynote on my Mac at home. I have not used it as much as I have PPT, but I used it to make my PPT for this presentation section of our work. I really liked Keynote and found it fairly easy to use. When I had made PPT's before I had not used many of the features and simply created slides using pictures or media or simply documentation. I found it easy with Keynote to find the features I wanted to use, like transitions, and found it easy to figure them out without having to put to much effort or getting frustrated. I also like the look of many of the slides, and as I was choosing mine I found myself thinking of several projects that I could use this program for. I liked that the tools were simply laid out and I could find them easily according to the tabs across the tool bar and I did not have to search far and wide to find them. Overall this was an easy assignment to complete simply because the program was easy to use. 

Commentary on Reading

There was not a lot in the reading that I felt like I did not already know or had some basic understanding of. I appreciated the authors explanation of Common Core Standards and how presentation and communication is included in them. I came to understand that this was another method of collaboration that students can use to work together with to create a project for class. The author made several good suggestions about how to use these tools such as, presenting concepts, summarizing information, displaying the data that they learned, etc. These programs can also be another way students can organize information and enhance it with their creativity. When students create ppt presentations, these tools can help students integrate information across many subjects, such as science, social studies, etc. These tools can cover several standards at the same time like, reading, writing, and technology. The author also offered great tips when creating presentations with a large group of students and how to organize their materials so that credit is correctly given and the projects are managed well. Lastly, I felt like the chapter on presentations was helpful, but focused on the Google Presentations and not specific to PPT or Keynote. However, there was a lot of helpful information and tips.

Literacy for Education 5/28

When I reviewed these apps, I really enjoyed using most of them and felt that most would be helpful in a classroom setting. 

Preparations:

My Spelling Test is an app that would be very beneficial to use in the classroom to have students practice spelling words. I have seen similar apps used in my previous ESL experience in the classroom. I like that it has the voice feature and the teacher can record him/herself saying the word or sentence that goes with the word. This would work well with ESL students especially so that they can hear how the word sounds, as well as , recognize it. I like that it has the function that would allow the teacher to go back to see what was missed so that the words can be retaught or studied. The tutoral made the app seem simple to use, but I fear it may be limited to doing just a few tasks. There may be other apps that would allow teachers and students to have more functions.

The dictionary apps were both very similar, but I preferred the functionality of the Dictionary.com app and have used it before. I liked that this app also had sound so that students could hear the words and see them. I like the idea of the word of the day,  and as a teacher I could use this in the classroom as a daily word study. Using a dictionary app, and having it available when working with devices, would be convenient for the students when they need to look up a definition of a new word, or need to find a different word to express themselves in the thesaurus. This is a very practical app and I did not see much or have not experienced anything with this app to see any negatives. I do know it does take up quite a bit of storage to download and needs frequent updates. 

Visual

My favorite visual app in this category was Drawing Pad. The best part of the app is that is seems very simple to use and could be used by younger children in the classroom. There are so many ways this tool could be used in the classroom other than just allowing children to have some creative fun. The students could use this app to illustrate stories, demonstrate their understanding of concepts through drawing, and it could even be used as a simple whiteboard to creatively answer teacher questions. I could see where it could be used inappropriately by students who were more interested in playing than listening, but with the right students it could be fun. I would also make sure students were drawing appropriate material in the class as well. I can see that it would be more difficult to do on a small screen and would be better used with a larger screen iPad if available. Otherwise, I do not see much that is negative about this tool. It would be fun if the artwork could be saved, downloaded and printed for students to keep. It would also be fun to share the art on limited social media so that parents and other could see work their child is doing. 

Stories

My favorite stories app was the Puppet Pals and Puppet Pals 2 apps. I can see so many uses for this app in the classroom and it also seemed fairly simple to use. I would probably use the app for younger students, but I think older, even high school aged, students would find this funny and enjoyable. It would be a great way to open the day by using the tool to do announcements or as a hook to start a lesson. It would be a great creative tool to allow students to demonstrate something they learned during the day, perhaps as a ticket out the door. Stories could be created in just a few minutes and shared with the class. Again, the teacher would have to be responsible for making sure that appropriate material was used and created. One negative is that the Puppet Pals 2 app requires payment in order to get more functions, characters, etc. It would have to be used by students who have some background with computers and experience with similar tools and functions. 

Basics for Education - 5/27

Pages vs. Word

When comparing Pages with another familiar application, like Word, one would find that they are somewhat similar. Pages and Word are both word processing programs that function much in the same ways. Each have functions that allow you to create a document that looks much the same. The documents can be shared via email and students can use them both easily to perform tasks assigned by their teachers. However, there are more differences than similarities. Technically speaking, both use different operating systems which allows them to different things. Pages will allow you to sync document through iCloud across iOS devices and Macs. Word can't. Pages can also read and write word formatted documents. Word will not allow you to read Pages. These are just a few of the basic differences between the two. 

The iPad will host the iOS Pages program and allow you to do most of the same functions in Pages on the iPad that you can do on a computer. There may be less features to choose from, but it will work much the same. Word will not work on an iPad unless you purchase separate apps for doing so. Using Pages from the iPad will allow you to share the document you created easily with other devices. 

iThought

iThought was an interesting tool. I like the idea of easily creating brainstorming activities in the classroom. This tool would allow the teacher to do it with the students as a whole or the students could use it individually on iPads. Brainstorming is a great tool when doing group projects, writing assignments, or even individual studies. Students could easily create graphic organizers to organize their thoughts, create outlines, and define what they need to do to finish their assigned tasks. It could also be used for note taking by the students or just for the teacher to create a list of things to get accomplished. I can see multiple uses for this product.

Safari vs. Rover

When comparing Safari and Rover, I prefer Safari. Safari is a web browser that is so easy to use and one can use it with little pre instruction. I really saw no advantage to using Rover except that it allows you to use flash based products. Safari has many of the same tools and is pretty self explainatory when it comes to use. Safari seems much faster and can meet more quality expectations than Rover. 

5/25 GAIN - Google Apps

1. Compare the word processing function to whatever word processor(s) you have used in the past. What are strengths and weaknesses of Google Docs as a word processor in that comparison? (Be sure you try collaborating with your lab partner on a shared document, so that you know how to do it and can see how it works.)
2. Comment on how the Common Core State Standards are tied into the use of Google Documents.
3. Finally, pair up with a classmate to try the collaborative editing portion of the document sharing feature(s) and report on that experience. (You also may want to explore the comments and Chat functions that are part of these features.)

When comparing word processors there are many to choose from and each have some unique functions. For these purposes here, I will compare Google Docs to Pages, as I am most familiar with it over Word. The best feature about Google Docs is the ability to share your document and have others see it. It is a great program if you want to share documents that multiple people can work on. I do not have a lot of experience with Goggle Docs, but have used it in the past for group projects requiring us to use multiple sources and to provide documentation. Google Docs stores information on Google cloud and can be accessed by others that have a google account and that the document has been shared with. Students and teachers can access a particular document, assignment, information, quiz, etc from anywhere there is access to a device and an internet connection. The user is not limited to one processing type as Google Docs recognizes several. Teachers can connect with students, watch them work, and provide immediate feedback. A user could also work on multiple copies using more than one device and the server will recognize it and save it as needed. Google Docs also saves info frequently and previous corrections can also be viewed. This would work well for a teacher who wants to see what changes a student has made and review their work for understanding and comprehension of different skills. The drawbacks of Google Docs is that the user needs constant internet connections and some functions will not work without it. Also, Google Docs does have some limited functions compared to other processing programs. However, there is no software to install, or fees to pay, in order to use this program. All that is required is a google email account. 

Compared to other word processing programs, like pages, Google Docs is limited in its features. Using pages, a person can work offline and create their document and post it or email it later. There is software to be installed, but the prices are generally inexpensive compared to others like Microsoft products. Documents created in pages can only be shared manually with others as opposed to creating them and posting them directly like Google Docs. I am not familiar with the idea of the cloud enough to know if pages and other Apple documents can be shared and used in the cloud similarly to Google Docs. If not already, I did read that the ability would be coming soon. 

It is my opinion that both products are good to use for word processing, however, the convenience of being able to post immediately and work with others makes Google Docs the better choice if that is what your need is. If you are working on a large project with a number of people, it would be the way to go. However, if you want the full ability to produce documents, etc. with multiple characteristics, one might prefer working in a single program, like Pages, and then sharing it as needed. 

Lastly, Google Docs works closely with many new or coming Common Core Standards. The latest standards in writing require students, even from a young age and grade, to have some knowledge of keyboarding and working within word processing programs. Students are required to know how to edit, share, and collaborate according to standards, and Google Docs is a program that supports many of those standards. As I said above, the teacher and students can be involved while working together on a document, project, etc. and both can fulfill standards required by Common Core.

Tablet Tableau 5/25

There is so much to consider when deciding to use technology in the school or classroom. There are so many options and various opinions about what should be used and why. It can be an overwhelming task to determine what the best options will be for types of technology without looking at the details of the various products available for use.

The first task should be to compare the most common types of oppressing systems, iOS, Android, and  Windows to compare the pros and cons of each.

iOS/Android
The iOS system is used with Apple products such as iPod and iPad. The system can be used and will interact with all Apple products. In other words, if you have an Apple computer, your hand held device (like iPod/iPad) can be used similarly and applications and information can be shared between devices. For instance, you can download music from iTunes to your computer and then share it with your other devices. The Android system is more PC like and can be purchased on devices offered from different companies and is not limited to a specific company, like Apple. Like the iOS system, it can be found on many hand held devices, but not a computer specifically.

The iOS and Android operating system are fairly easy to use and maintain. However, Schools can easily maintain multiple Apple/iOS devices and share info and text books to multiple devices. The graphic, sounds, and look on the devices are attractive enough to keep students attention in the educational setting. As these devices have developed so has the quality of cameras and processors and will allow for students to have more creativity when using these devices. Android has progressed and improved over time, but this system does not share as well as the iOS system does with Apple products.

Apple/iOS and Android products can be used over cellular and wifi networks allowing for use in multiple areas, but require paid subscriptions for service. The Apple/iOS products and applications function similarly and can be used the same way on all devices. The Android system may function a little differently depending on the device it is used on. Both systems require applications that are formatted for their specific operating systems. Apps can be purchased from a variety of sources but must be designed specifically for the system it will be used on. Both systems have functions that are similar like readers, music, surfing the internet, streaming video/movies/tv, but there may be a quality difference, availability issue, or preference between the two systems. Android technology is found on smaller tablets such as the Kindle Ereader, Fire, and the Nook. These can all support book reading, music, movies, apps, etc.

These two systems are very comparable, however, the biggest difference between them is price. Android definitely wins out when it comes to price for their products such as the Kindle and Nook. Apple products, despite their popularity, are pricier than Android.

Windows
The Windows system just has not seen the popularity that the other operating systems have seen, largely to the quality of products it has produced. Windows tried to develop tablets and devices similar to iOS and Android, but they have failed in this area. Windows finally had some success with the Surface, but it still seems similar to the PC rather than a tablet. The Surface integrated some Xbox related components and that has helped the success of the Surface.

Cellular vs. Wifi
There is some argument that most devices need to have cellular and wifi capabilities. Cellular data can be transferred through cell service applied to a particular device and can work where ever cell service is available. Cellular service is not as limited as wifi as the device functions through the modem in the device and does not need to be near an external modem. Wifi connected devices will only work when near a modem. Therefore, the ability to surf the internet, play games, download music, etc may be delayed until a connection is made.

So, what are my thoughts after reviewing this material when it comes to selecting tools for a school or classroom? First, I would not consider using the Windows products in the school, other than maybe computers. They just do not have the quality and practicality that the iOS and Android systems have. If I had my preference I would use iOS based products in the school and classroom as they have so much to offer. These products may be a little more expensive than Android devices, but the quality and practicality will pay off in the long run. Android may offer less expensive devices, but the quality and limitations would not make them the right products to choose for the school. The iOS devices offer multiple products that can be tied together and information (such as textbooks) shared easily. The iTunes store has more apps to offer than other places like Google Play and frequently the apps have some type of educational purpose intended from the onset.  The physical qualities of the devices make them the better choices due to size, color quality, screen, body appearance, and durability. It was suggested that the school use smaller devices like iPods or MP3 players, but the small screens and the ability to use in the classroom would not be practical. The same information can be used and stored on a device that has a larger screen and used just as easily. Larger devices are also much easier to maintain, control, and keep up with around a school or in the classroom. Small devices can get lost, dropped, or taken out of the school. Furthermore, the iOS devices can be networked and connected easily over wifi. Some may think that cellular networking is needed, but the devices can perform just fine without the need and cost of paying for cellular service. Wifi can connect multiple devices with the cost of one internet source and modem. Lastly, students are just more familiar in our current culture with iOS based technology. More often than not when students are exposed to various types of technology, it is more often an iOS based product. It would be my recommendation to a school administrator that iOS would be the way to go.