Forms and Sheets

Link - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tm29YjgE7euKYMYR7dTBxp8fKegpk-HtHz_pA3NTXa8/edit?usp=sharing

I had a VERY difficult time working  on this section of Google Apps and have worked with it for many hours. I was not able to fully complete these two parts because I honestly just didn't understand it or how to do it. I got assistance from my husband, who has experience in business with Exel, but he was unable to help me get the formulas to work. When we tried to get a percentage, we got true/false instead. I found this to be exceptionally hard for someone who had no experience at all with anything like this. I can see how this would be beneficial to use in the classroom if you could get it to work. I am sure many others can, but without no formal training and only a few videos that move quickly. I couldn't. I had no problems setting up the quiz and linking it to a spreadsheet. It just wouldn't work for getting the grades in the second sheet.

This would align with common core in several ways. First, the teacher can use the quizzes to assess for understanding of what is being taught. It would work for pretty much all standards and content areas. All content needs some form of assessment and this would be a wonderful way to assess and students would find it easy and they would not be as fearful as facing a formal test. I would like to explore to see if their was a function that would allow for limiting time on the quizzes as it would be easy for student to use open books.

GAIN - Wiki

Site information - https://sites.google.com/site/mrssuggsspace/

Creating this wiki was a little difficult for me. I am not very good at dealing with computers and I have to admit, it increased my level of frustration quite a bit. After I got into doing it, it did seem to get a little easier. I chose a prescribed template and worked within it editing my site. I was able to change the background, titles, rearrange the set up, add links, a table, and photos, and lines. I can see me using this site in the future for my own classroom. I created several pages within the template, the all about me section, contact information, and I was able to edit the site to show my photo and information. I was also able to add a blog page that would allow me to add more information. I used the navigation tool to try to change the settings but could not figure it out. I edited the various areas of my site to reflect information that I would want my parents to know and added helpful information. There was a lot more I could with the page when I am ready to use it. It has and announcements section, calendar, and other features that will be beneficial in the future. I was unsure what I needed to use the history for, other than to see what I had done from beginning to end. The most frustrating part of creating this page was learning where the functions were for doing such things as editing the left task bar. The tutorials were not very helpful as I found that my screen looked different than others. I am still uncertain why that is, but I was able to get through it.

Tablet Tableau - Disciplines in Education

Science - NASA app

This is a very interesting app that would interest most students and students of varying ages. This app allows you to explore images, videos, mission information, news, and other NASA content. You can save images and store them in folders to come back and retrieve later. This would be very beneficial for teachers to use in lesson plans or to post on smart boards for students during science lessons. The app would allow students to watch NASA tv to see live coverage of space missions. The app is very informative when it comes to telling you about upcoming sightings, helps you track ISS and orbiting satellites. The content in this app would be applicable to integrating subjects such as art, math, science, reading, and writing. 

ESOL - Spellbound

This was perhaps my favorite app and could see using this app on the iPad(s) in my classroom. It would be very useful to have individual iPads so that student progress could be tracked. It would be helpful for a wide range of ages and grade levels, especially ESL students. This app allows the teacher to load words and phrases to the app and the teacher can also make voice recordings of the words and phrases. This is very helpful to ESL students. Students can listen, read, and write their words all within the app. This app keeps a record of their history, grades, and even how long they study particular words. It also allow students to take quizzes and gives immediate feedback. The teacher can also email results to herself for class records, or for parents. This app could also be used across several subjects and allow students to practice vocabulary from many content areas. It would align with many standards required in the classroom.

Math - Mathematics

I think this was my least favorite app that I looked at. I did feel like it would be a helpful app for students of older ages and grades, at least from what I could tell from the app demonstration and reviews. This app is more of a reference tool and does not allow for a lot of practice. It covers a wide variety of topics, but seems like it gets its information from the internet and a variety of sources. I am  concerned it could give some inaccurate information. I am also uncertain if you can choose a grade level or appropriate topics for younger grade levels. It did show that various calculators were built in and students can add notes into the app. I am pretty sure this is an app I would not use. I am sure there are better ones available although I like that it covers a variety of topics.

Social Studies - Stack the States

This looks like a fun app and I was interested in playing it as an adult. This would be an appropriate app for students in elementary grades, but older students might enjoy it as well. This app allows you to learn about the 50 states. Its colorful, fun, has sounds, and is attractive for young children. It allows you to learn about many aspects of the states like geography, flags, and even shapes. Students can create profiles and track their progress. 

Music - Piano Free with Songs

I really would like to have this app. This app shows a full 88 key keyboard and has over 1,000 songs you can learn to play from a variety of popular artists.  The app has a built in metronome, reverb, and other musical functions. Allowing students to use their talents for learning is very important. Music has shown to enhance learning in other subject matter. Using this app would also allow students who learn musically to have the opportunity to use that skill. I can think of several lesson ideas that would benefit from using this app and many ideas that would allow students to use their creativity. For example, a student could write a theme song for the classroom and we could use it in announcements in the morning. I am a big proponent of the arts and feel like it is beneficial to provide those outlets for students in the classroom even if it only involves a simple app.

GAIN - Drawing

I really enjoyed Google Drawing and felt like it could be an affective tool in the classroom. I felt like the program was easy to use and the functions easy to find. It features real time collaboration, students can chat as they work, and export their projects into different files, like PDF's. There are so many different projects I can think of to do with students with this type of program, but I felt it would be very useful in lesson plans. I reviewed the lesson plan for elementary school students provided on the link. I thought the lesson plan had great ideas, but I could see where it may be difficult for some students that do not have a lot of computer experience. It may be that the teacher would need to pair students with partners that have more experience so that they can help them. I am a college student that has little computer experience and I understand the frustration that comes with using tools you are not familiar with, with little or help, or clear instruction. When students are frustrated, they shut down and do not learn. The lesson plan in this sections had great math activities that aligned well with the CCSS listed on the plan. This would be a great tool to teach vocabulary, shapes, and other geometric lessons. Students could easily collaborate or use tools the teacher creates and shares.

Using the Drawing feature, teachers could create activities that align well with many CCSS. Graham mentioned many of these ideas in the book Google Apps Meets Common Core. Math, as mentioned above, is a great subject that this program could align with, as well as reading or even history. Geometry in particular could be enhanced by letting students experiment with shapes and design, manipulating them and using related vocabulary as prescribed in their standards. Students could use the Drawing tool to brainstorm and organize information they read for writing assignments or other tasks. History standards could be matched by creating timelines, charts, graphs, interactive designs that describe a historical time, or even create animations. Moreover, students could use this program to create drawings, etc. that help the teacher know what they have learned and would be a great assessment tool. All of these items could be kept, saved, and used to create a portfolio for assessment at the end of the year. The possibilities are endless, but this tool could be helpful for teachers to help students be successful in the classroom.

Copyright Challenge - Movies All Day

When I began considering this challenge, I was unsure about my judgment. I think this is one of those  scenarios where there is some gray areas for teachers when it comes to using questionable materials. This is often where teachers find themselves when considering copyright laws. Some teachers feel they have no right to use such materials as movies, some think fair use enables them for use, and some are just unsure. I do feel that the teachers in this scenario have the right to use the movies on school grounds to benefit the children that will be viewing them.  Section 110(1) is part of the Copyright Act of 1976 that allows educators to use copies of copyrighted materials in the classroom, or similar instructional place, for educational purposes. The scenario does not expressly say that the movies were for educational purposed, just for a special day, but one could assume that the movies would have some positive value or they would not show them. The school also timed the movies as not to compete with other businesses. These movies were for private non-commercial use and would do little harm, if any, to any market value of the movies. I think a teacher should be present in the classroom/area where they are shown and in a secluded area away from the general public. It is my understanding that as long as the copy was purchased and is a legal copy, then teachers may use the copy in an educational setting.

Copyright Challenges - Controversial Billboard

This was an interesting scenario to look into and my heart felt for the mother of this young child whose image was used in a controversial billboard with anti-abortion sentiments. The billboard not only used this little girls image, but was very racist in nature. When it comes down to copyright, I do not feel that the group was in any violation. The mother clearly has signed her rights away when it came to using images of her daughter. However, I feel this was more of a moral and just issue. It was not appropriate for this group to use the language and image of this little girl. As the article said, what message did the billboard send to other young African American girls. I am not a proponent of abortion for any means, but I do feel it was the right thing to do and if I was this mother, I would be angry and hurt too.

In the educational setting, this, I think, would also not be a copyright violation as I think it would fall under the idea of fair use if used to teach, comment, or spread knowledge. I think it would also be an ethical or moral issue a teacher would have to think about if allowing a student to create such imagery or to create such a strong statement. It could definitely be used for a teaching moment on many levels, especially in a Christian school environment. As a teacher, I would also have to consider what my student might do with such imagery and what messages I want to teach them and them to learn from.

Copyright Challenge - Gap Steal?

This is a scenario that I had to think about before making my judgement. It is hard for me to move from the artists point of view to the point of view of the user. My first reaction to this article and images was that this was definitely a violation of copyright, but after reading, I changed my mind that this image used on the onesie, although very similar to the picture, had been transformed enough that it would be fair for the company to use it. It is very possible that the image was used, but Gap used the image in a very different context and changed the image and color of the image enough that it could be considered a new image, and therefore, usable. I am sure there are many similar images of those cars available that it is also possible that Gap did not use it. The only evidence is the line images on the windshield, but I do not feel that Gap was taking away from the original image if it was indeed used. I would also be curious to know what is in flickr's terms of use information that may protect either party.

If this was used in a classroom I also agree that this could fall under the vise of fair use. Again, if say a teacher asked students to find images and transform them for artistic purposes, then it would be fair if the image was transformed enough that it created a new context and image. It would also matter if the teacher was using the assignment for teachable moments.

Copyright Challenge - A Family Christmas Card

In this conflict a families Christmas card photo was taken from the internet and used in an advertisement for a restaurant in Prague. The photo was discovered by a friend who was visiting there. I feel like this was a violation of the families copyright. They clearly had made the photo for personal use only and did not intend for it to be used by strangers for other purposes. The man who owns the restaurant clearly stated that he had pulled to photo from the internet thinking it was computer generated and offered his apology. It is my understanding that this would not even fall under the category of fair use because the image was not transformed in any way, just simply used in the background, behind words, to advertise.

If this was changed and used in the classroom setting it could fall under the fair use act depending on what the students used it for. Fair use items can be used if the works create new materials and can be used digitally if they meet transformativeness standards. Fair use says that copyright material can be used under some circumstances, especially for uses such as teaching and learning, scholarship, news reporting, or criticism and commentary.