RILS_Reflection

Posted by Unknown , Labels:

My RILS went smoothly and nothing unexpected occurred - nice to not have any surprises. I had students work in teams for this project because I wanted them to collaborate, but the students had a hard time sharing the computer to work on the slideshow. There was always that student who would hog the computer. I need to think of a way to have the students collaborate but maybe they all produce a slideshow- since the number of computers aren't an issue.

The students loved the idea, but were sad when I only had them use cameras and not video camera. I reserve those for the 7th and 8th graders. However, they took some great pictures and did a fantastic job of remembering what we learned about camera usage in previous weeks. They were also getting better about getting the pictures off the camera without loosing them.

They really like edmodo. It seams similar to Schoology in a number of ways. The students refer to edmodo as a Facebook imitation. This is the first semester I have used edmodo and I was thinking of switching to Schoology next semester so I could compare them and make a decision as to the best one to use. I was completely thrown when I saw the students posting at night and on the weekend!

I decided to use Bubbl.us to let them mindmap their ideas out because it was the only web application I could find that would let me start mindmapping before signing up. However, after using it, it was rather plain. All it did was make squares and let you type. During this course I found another one that I liked a whole lot better - Mindmodo. This one lets you use pictures, video, sound, etc. I will try it next time. The students did use this and came up with some pretty detailed mindmaps - so it served its purpose.

Befunky, Photoshop Express and SumoPaint are all big hits. The students loved them from the moment I showed them the programs. It is really neat to see the students use these programs at home. How many times do students, who have no homework, go home and do what they do in class at home and post it for everyone to see?

The students just started using SlideRocket as my implementation time was up. I had 5 groups that went through the tour and started using the web application. They all liked it so far and found it very easy to use. The feedback I received so far let me know that I should keep using this web tool. The students liked all the transition, effects, and fonts available. The only complaint was that it did not have a music library to choose music from. If the students want music they need to import their own. Right now, I have not shown them any audio programs such as Audacity. It's on my list to show them, but I only have the students through December. So little time.

'Til Next Time,
-Stacey

0 Response to "RILS_Reflection"

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)