The second one is of me wiping out on an artificial wave machine called the Flow Rider. Yes, it is slightly embarrassing, but it makes for a good GIF.
Let me know what you think of the GIFs I made, and then create your own!
-Amanda
This week I was introduced to a lot of online tools that can be useful for myself, as well as my students. I was able to play around on a lot of websites and discover new tools for students to convey their learning.
A few of my favourites were:
Piktochart: Students can display their learning through graphics and present information creatively. http://piktochart.com/
Padlet: It’s like having a online bulletin board! It can be used to share so many things. http://padlet.com/
UJAM: This site is SO cool. It allows you to create music in an easy way! I tried recording a song with my ukulele, but I ended up just humming a tune because it converted my voice into an instrument anyways.http://www.ujam.com/
Capzles: This is another great online tool for story telling. I used this site to share my hot air balloon ride experience in the summer. It was easy to use, and I liked the way it displayed my story. There are many possibilities with using this site in the classroom!
Check out my hot air balloon ride adventure on Capzles here: http://www.capzles.com/e5c44f6a-5529-42fc-8249-66ca1da84907
-Amanda
This week I learned a lot about coding, which I had no previous experience with. It was really interesting to learn about it, but it was difficult to do at times!
Before I started experimenting with coding, I took an online hour-long “course” that allowed me to become familiar with it. It was pretty fun to try the coding tasks that they presented, and it was easy to follow. I even got a fancy schmancy certificate.
After I completed the course on the website, I wanted to test out the skills I learned on the Hopscotch App. I started out by just playing around with it, and then I decided to make a picture with coding. Not going to lie, it took a very long time to finish the project. It took a lot of trial and error to figure out how to complete the picture. At one point, I accidentally removed a part of the coding and I could’t figure out what I deleted! It changed my whole picture,
and I was very close to just giving up.
However, I was determined to figure it out and complete the project. Finally, after a lot of frustration and persistence, I finished the cake and I was happy with the final product.
My experience with coding taught me a lot. It allowed me to be creative, required me to problem solve, and forced me to be patient and persevere. All of these skills that I used are important for children to use too. Apps like Hopscotch can give children an outlet to use coding in a kid-friendly manner that allows them to make mistakes, learn new things, and accomplish new tasks.
If you want to see the complete cake project, check it out here: https://community.gethopscotch.com/projects/untitled-uzs43ztvisqv9czh3vg70g
-Amanda
Last week was full of challenges and new experiences. When I had to deal with some of those challenges, I was scared and anxious of the unknown. Fortunately, I was able to face those challenges with courage and I learned a lot because them.
The way I was feeling last week reminded me of a Youtube video about a girl’s first ski jump. She has to build up the courage to go down the hill, but when she does, she is excited and realizes it is “just the suspense at the top for the first time [that] freaks you out”. Even though new experiences can be scary, there is so much perspective that can be gained and so much knowledge that can be acquired when we have the courage to face new challenges.
Check out the video of this fourth grader’s first ski jump:
-Amanda
This week for our class we were lucky enough to hear Alan Levine talk about story telling. It reminded me about how important story telling is, especially in the classroom. There are so many online tools for students to tell stories, which is why I wanted to test some of them out.
I decided to share a story by using two tools, PhotoPeach and Slideroll. I told a story about the time my family’s dog got a really hideous haircut. I told the same story using both of the tools, which allowed me to see the pros and cons of each tool. The end results of both stories are very similar, but the making of them was quite a bit different.
I liked using PhotoPeach more than Slideroll because it was more user friendly and had more options. Both allowed me to use background music, text and photos, but Slideroll was more limited with its selection. However, Slideroll can be easily used on a mobile device. Even though PhotoPeach worked better for me, other people might find more benefits in the other one. Either one would be a great tool for kids to use because it gives them a good format to tell a story.
Here is my PhotoPeach story:
My Slideroll story can be read here
Even though the stories are very similar, let me know which format you like better!
-Amanda
I am starting to really understand the benefits of connecting with other blogs. It helps me expand my learning and gets me thinking about new ideas and perspectives. This week I read a blog post by Kelly Koshinsky on participation in sports. She brings up the question that if children do not excel in a competitive sport or activity, will they be too discouraged to continue on with it? This makes me reflect on my experience both as an educator and a sports participant.
Throughout my time in university, and my time spent learning in Phys-Ed classes, I have been encouraged to use cooperative games and sports as a teacher, rather than promoting individual competition. When students are involved in cooperative games, they experience the benefits of working with others instead of feeling the need to be the best. As a teacher, I use cooperative games because it allows students to work together fairly, help each other, and gives them all equal opportunity.
However, when I reflect on my experiences in life as a competitive swimmer, I realize that competition was important. Competition taught me how to be driven, showed me the value of dedication, and gave me ambition. It also taught me how to deal with disappointment in a good way and prepared me for future let-downs. I am the well-rounded person I am today because of my experiences with competitive sports.
Reflecting on the topic of participation in competitive sports allows me to see its benefits as well as its disadvantages. In a school setting, it is important for teachers to help kids realize their full potential in an encouraging way. There needs to be a balance with competition and cooperation so that students can learn from both areas.
Kelly makes a good point by saying that “the best races to watch and participate in are those that tell a story”, especially when “people are striving to reach their full potential, regardless of time.” Despite competition, kids should fulfil their own potential and look at what they are capable of themselves. It is important for teachers to help kids understand that their desire to be first shouldn’t exceed their enjoyment of the sport, and most importantly, they should strive to do their personal best.
Check out Kelly’s Blog: http://kellykoshinsky.edublogs.org/2014/02/09/does-embarrassment-discourage-participating/
-Amanda
As you can tell from my last post, I have been learning a lot about digital footprints. I am making an effort to create a positive digital footprint, and luckily our tech task this week helps with this. We were asked to create an About Me page to promote ourselves in a positive way.
Here is a the link: http://about.me/amandabrace/#
We were also asked to google ourselves and post the results. I first googled myself by typing in Amanda Brace, and I just found links to my Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
I decided to make my search more limited, so I typed in Amanda Brace Regina. I found links that talked about myself when I Synchronized Swimming competitor. I even found out that I was mentioned in a newspaper called the Montreal Gazette when I competed in Italy for a Masters Competition. I had no clue! It is interesting to find out what people will stumble upon if they search your name.
