SlideShare is a website that allows you to upload PowerPoint presentations to the web.
You can explore the site, view my presentations, or you can view the SlideCast I made that can guide you through the steps of registering and uploading presentations.

| View | Upload your own

This is a smaller version of the SlideCast, but you can view the full size version by clicking on the link I gave you above. Also, just like I’ve embedded the SlideCast here on my blog, you can use SlideShare to embed your presentations on HomeworkNow. I’d love to hear from people who have started using it!

| View | Upload your own

Couple of updates for you…. my PageFlake was featured on the Smartboard Lessons Podcast Blog Not only did the writers of that blog leave my first comment, but to be mentioned on such a website with an incredible amount of ideas and resources was really, really cool!! You should definitely check out the site, they update it frequently.

Also, I’ve just branched out and started yet another blog… this one is specifically created as a resource for the Physical Computing course I am taking. So those of you who have been following my progress in that class should make note! If you’re new to my blog and are not familiar with it then you can click on the About page on my new blog for more info.

On a different topic, this past week some of our faculty attended a presentation given by an Apple representative on using our Mac Lab to create podcasts. Since most of the faculty was unfamiliar with the concept of a podcast, he spent most of the presentation explaining what a podcast is, how to subscribe to them and the basics of creating a simple podcast using GarageBand. I have been planning to use podcasts in my own classes and will be asking students to create one for their 3rd semester project grade. I need to purchase a digital camcorder and try my hand at making my own podcast– so for our next CST session I am thinking of creating a podcast on how to make a podcast That way I’ll not only get the experience of making a podcast, but I’ll be also be able to explain how it’s done both for my students and for other faculty members who are a little technology shy.

Still have not been able to make much progress on putting together a policy on blogging so that I can get my students blogging. I wanted to do it over the mid winter break but had major computer issues. (For those of you who have not read previous posts, my school does not have a policy on blogging and I have been told not to let my students blog until there is a policy in place.)  My monitor is down on my desktop and I had to reinstall the o/s on my laptop Let me tell you, it was a major headache!! So, the plan is to spend time over spring break getting that policy together. I’ve accomplished a lot this year, but I will feel very disappointed if I’m not able to introduce blogging into the classroom. I wish I had more support from the faculty and administration in developing blogging as a resource for students and as a professional development tool. Those of you who blog understand the many ways it can be used to support education (I also gave a CST presentation and have a list of Blogs used in education for those of you who are new to blogging or are looking for more information).  I have to carve out time to get that done….

Current status of projects….

I have been using SlideShare to embed PowerPoints presentations of notes on HomeworkNOW. You can take a look at the presentations I’ve uploaded here or check my HomeworkNOW pages.

I have not posted any more resources on my blog recently because I am working on researching school blogging policies. Before I can implement blogging in my classes there needs to be guidelines established!! I plan on using my classroom blog to showcase projects that students have created* (which also necessitates parent release forms). I also plan on using the blog as a forum for students to post class notes and discussions. If you’d like to find out more, you can view the information here. I will be preparing a draft on blogging policy soon, I am hoping that other teachers will contribute before I forward it to our Dean of Faculty and then on to the administration.

* During the year I have my students work on projects that incorporate writing across the curriculum and active learning techniques. For example, the first project that my freshmen and sophomores worked on was a paper that summarized a math, science, or technology article (which they presented to the class) and included a poster displayed in the classroom. It was exciting to see the level of enthusiasm that the students had in not only completing the project but also in the class discussions that came about when students presented. Giving the students a chance to make connections between math and science as well as encouraging them to develop better writing skills was a great experience for both me and my students

Another project that I assigned involved the students creating their own word problem involving motion, coin, or age problems covered in Math A. After writing the word problem, the students then created a PowerPoint presentation that included the problem, solution, and use of design features such as graphics and animation. Wow! The response to this assignment was amazing! The students did such a great job not only on the math part of the project, but on the overall design as well. I can’t wait until we are able to post their finished presentations on the class blog– and neither can they!! They are proud of the work they have done and the beautiful presentations they’ve created and rightly so!!

I am looking forward to our next project. My students are as well, and I think that the excitement stems from the opportunity to not only do hands on work, but also for the chance to be creative. I have found that these projects are helpful in motivating students to go beyond the standard curriculum and also in fostering a sense of curiosity and understanding of mathematical applications and relevance.

Well, that’s all for now!!
Take care
Kristen

Take a look at this voicethread posted on Darren Kuropatwa’s blog “A Difference”. In it he responds to five questions on blogging. For those of you who want to learn more about blogging this is a great resource. You can also take a look at the comment that I left after his post (technovore).

Also, an update on the page I posted on Web 2.0— I have been asked by the Dean of Faculty to make a presentation to the faculty advisors and administration at one of their regularly scheduled meetings. The focus of the presentation will be on showing how to use blogging as a tool to collaborate/share resources with colleagues as well as discussing how it can be used in the classroom. My hope is that this will start a movement among our faculty to begin using more technology to support teaching. More about this soon!!!