PowerPoint Video

         Today we made a Jing video of some of the tricks we have learned in PowerPoint. We have learned how to duplicate a slide quickly: Control D. This makes a copy of a slide and all its formatting and content. We also learned how to group objects: hold down shift and select all the objects, and then go to  Home>arrange>group. Then we learned how to make buttons: insert>shape> double click on an object in the custom animation window on the slide you are working on> timing>triggers> choose the shape you inserted. With this you can make a Show answers button to use in classroom games and tests.
     We learned that there are also built in action buttons in "shapes". With these you can return to other slides. In my PowerPoint I made one for home (the first slide) and Table of Contents. We also learned how to insert hyperlinks to other slides in the Table of Contents so you can go straight to an example of the trick. To make a hyperlink to another slide, go to insert>bookmark> choose the slide you want to link to. Then we made a short video of our PowerPoints using our old friend Jing, and then uploaded it to Sreencast, where we got the embed code and pasted it in our blogpost using the Edit HTML tab. Voila!






3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning

a.demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations.

       Learning how to use PowerPoint in depth will help me meet to Technology Standard 3a. because as a teacher of the 21st century, I should be able to demostrate fluency, not just compentency, in technology stystems, especially those which will be useful to me in the classroom.These tricks can help me make a presentation  more interesting by breaking up the typical linear format of PowerPoint, and therefore make it a more effective teaching tool.

PowerPoint Tricks and Tips

     Today we played around with PowerPoint in class, and I found out that it can do alot more than just display text and pictures! We learned how to use custom animations to make bullets enter or exit the slide at different times. You can also make them be emphasized at different times. This could come in handy because it makes it possible to use PowerPoint to do reviews, quizzes and lableing and Jeopardy games in the classroom. We also pulled pictures off the web and used custom animations to make them move and interact.

2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

d. provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting  data to inform learning and teaching.        Now that I know how to use custom animations, I can use  powerpoint to make reviews and in class tests that will teach the incorporation of technology at the same time.

PowerPoint Presentation

        I created a PowerPoint describing the problem of budget cuts in public school art departments. First I researched my topic using Google and NexisLexis on FSU's library databases. I gathered information from articles like CNN's "Budgets Cut Student Experience". I decided on key points: describe the problem, analyze the causes, the positive impact of art education, the negative impact of budget cuts, what others are doing for the problem, and what you can do. I included a examples of teachers and students' experiences with the problem to make it more personal and authentic. I included numbers and statistics to clarify, but not too many to avoid overwhelming the viewer.
       The readings were helpful, especially the tips from the reading "PowerPoint Presentation Advice." I tried to keep my presentation free of unfamiliar jargon and acronyms. I made sure my font size was big enough to be read, and used contrast; white and light orange text on a black background. When I was finished I went over my slides to check it for mistakes and published it to the Web using SlideShare. I thought the reading "We Have Met the Enemy" was interesting. I would never have guessed that PowerPoints play such a large part in the military. I can see how it could be helpful, but I agree with General McMaster's view that oversimplifying complex problems into bullets is dangerous. PowerPoint definitely has its limits. "Presentation Zen" was helpful for its suggestion to make the presentation personal, start off with punch, and include animation if it would enhance the presentation.

Vanishing art powerpoint

View more presentations from kitdixon.

1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity

b. engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems
using digital tools and resources.

     PowerPoint is a good tool for teachers to use to communicate with and educate parents and students. I can use it to present research and information in current authentic problems and I can also use it in reviews and games in the classroom. I will be teaching students content and  how to use a useful piece of technology at the same time.
    

Map

       This is a Google map showing where the students in my Instructional Technology class live. First we all entered our names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and blog addresses into a Google spreadsheet shared through email address. Everyone in my class was online and working on it at the same time, so you could actually see the document change as they entered their information. We could also chat in the virtual private chat room on the right side of the screen. When everyone was done, we copied the sheet and pasted it into the text box on a website called BatchGeo
       BatchGeo is a cloud-based resource, which means it is Internet based computing whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers on demand, like the electricity grid.Using a spreadsheet of your location information, BatchGeo maps each of your locations and allows you to save or print  the resulting map.
        Then I clicked "Map It". When the map loaded I clicked save/share/embed. After that I titled the map and made it public, saved it, and embedded it in my blog using Edit HTML and the link in the email.
    
ISTE NETS T

1.Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity

d: "model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments."
       This activity models Technology standard 1.d because we met in a virtual environment instead of in  class and asked each other questions and learned together how to use the technology and finish the assignment. We learned about virtual communication and a cool online map tool at the same time.

Updated Calendar

     I updated my Calendar by adding no class meeting notices for today and next week, and then used the link in the email to get the link to embed my calendar in my blog post. I copied and pasted the link URL in my blog, clicked Edit HTML, and then changed the height and width to 400. Then I clicked compose, added my text, and published my post. This will be be very helpful to me down the road because it is always annoying to go to the classroom only be reminded by an empty room that the class isn't meeting there.

ISTE/NETS

3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning

b.collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation.       Using the calendar is not only helpful to me, it can also inform my students, their parents, and the community of activities, tests, and things to keep in mind. It could also be of use to the students personally. I could teach them to use their own google calendar to promote responsibility and fluency in digital tools.

Resume

          Today I uploaded my Resume into Google Docs, and then searched the templates on the site. I picked one I liked and then copied and pasted my information into the template.  After I saved it I clicked on "share" and "share as a webpage" and checked "update automatically." I need to edit it because I need to get more contact information from my references. This activity was good for me because it reminded me of how important it is to keep track of what I've done and what I've been involved it. It also made me realize that I should probably try to get involved more at FSU, and try to get a leadership position in clubs and organizations, not just become a member.

          I think this activity models Technology standard 5(Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership) section d. Having an up to date, professional resume helps schools hire teachers that can prove that they are educated, experienced, and competent with records of previous experiece in their resumes. This allows for effectiveness, vitality, and self-renewal of the teaching profession and of their school and community.

Google Calendar

Today we learned how to use the Google calendar tool. There is alot you can do with it! Here is a link to my calendar. We also made our own google websites.

I think these activities model teaching standard 1D. because they allow teachers to engage  in learning with students, colleagues, and others in virtual environments. Also, teachers are very busy people, and using a digital calendar tool is a good way to remind yourself and others of things you need to remember. It is a good idea for a teacher to have his/her own website so he/she can communicate with parnents and students and get parents involved.

National Art Education Association

      I have a link in my Diigo library to the National Art Education Association because it is an online community of practice where visual arts teachers, scholars, researchers and professors, students, administrators,art museum educators, and artists come together around a shared belief in the power of the arts in developing human potential. The next NAEA national convention, “Creativity, Imagination, and Innovation in Art Education” is March 17-20, 2011 in Seattle. It is a 4- day professional development event that will bring together leading experts in teaching, learning, and the arts with thousands of visual arts educators representing all teaching levels and backgrounds. Participants can choose from over 1,000 sessions focused on practical research and teaching strategies, arts workshops,exhibits, and tours focused on professional development for visual arts educators.
     Being aware of organizations like this helps me to work toward Teacher technology standard 4D. because participating in these organizations and conventions will get me involved with other professionals. It is important to edgage with colleages to learn  about other cultures and share and learn new methods and digital-age communication and collaboration tools.

Formulas and Functions in Excel

     Today we worked more in Excel, using more complex formulas and the IF function, once again using student test scores for our data. I learned that a function is different than a formula because it is built in; you don't have to type it in. First we used the average function to average each assignment, which didn't take very long because we used the fill handle to copy the function so we only had to do it once. We used the same technique with the Min and Max functions, and then composed a formula to find the range between the two. Then we composed a formula to calculate the final grade. We added the assignments together, divided by 2, and multiplied that by .25 (assignments were 25% of their final grade). We did the same thing for the project, and for the tests, except for the tests we used .5 because they were 50% of the final grade, and then we added them all together. We typed a long formula into the formula bar and got the weighted average. Then we used the help menu to learn how to use the IF function to assign the weighted average a letter grade. This was great beacuse this time we copied and pasted the formula from the help menue and just changed a few things. Finally, we formatted our spreadsheet, added a background color, and uploaded it to Google Docs. Whew!

     I think today's activity promotes Teaching Standard 1D. because in it we learned to use digital tools and resources to explore the real-world issue of student testing trends. Also, I know it is important for teachers to know how to analyze and understand test scores.