EDUC+8Y34+–+Sec5Showcase

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 * Christina Muise-** I attended the workshop "BrainPop" and it was great! The instructor shared that he used this program with his Grade 5 class for things such as computer time, extended lessons, quizzing, extra information, showing clips to relate to information being taught and so much more. I selected this workshop because it said that it had a lot of information regarding how to plan for lesson plans and as a beginning teacher, I feel as if I can get all the help that is provided for me. This program had so much to offer toward lesson planning and it also included what activities can be used related to specific expectations. It covered every subject and every grade and the best thing about it was that it uses computers which is what the students today need to use more of. I would definitely use this tool in my class if the school has adopted the program of courese because it is extremely useful. the fact that it covers all grades and subjects makes it easy for any teacher to use, especially when you might be stuck for a lesson--you could just have the students click into the program and extend their learning or learn something new about a particular starnd you may be covering in class. The instructor for this program was extremely enthusiastic about using the program and made it seem very engaging for students in his class, which makes me think that it could be the same in anyone's class--it's fun, why wouldn't they want to try it!

Kelly Gillis~ Inspiration, WordQ and Speak Q. This workshop was a great workshop to attend. All of these products would be helpful for select students in the classroom, like students who have dyslexia or who are learning disabled. These programs are very intuitive and you can use them together or separately. Although these programs can be used for all students, they will be exceptionally helpful for students who have special needs.


 * Joanna Olek -** This was my favourite workshop. I explored WordQ, SpeakQ, and Inspiration programs and I see a lot of potential for these programs in the classroom. WordQ works together with SpeakQ in that students at different learning levels and learning styles are able to dictate words into a Word document, get grammatical and spelling suggestions, as well as have the story read back to them. Unlike the Dragon Naturally Speaking software, WordQ and SpeakQ do not require a lot of voice training time, and give sentence and word suggestions in the event the program does not understand a voice command. I also liked using Inspiration to create mind-maps, graphs, and story boards. I truly think that one day there will be no need for paper and pencils, as everything is able to be accomplished using technology. Not only is it fun and interactive, but it makes life so much easier, and the output always looks professionally done!


 * Tara Beattie**~ Inspiration, WordQ and SpeakQ. This was a fantastic workshop. I have worked with software similiar to this (Dragon Naturally Speaking) but find this so much more user friendly. The software recogizes spoken word much more clearly. This software would be great in the classroom for all students of various age groups. Providing opportunities to improve upon spelling and reading skills is definitely a valuable tool. I really liked how you could have the program read text back to you; that could be valuable for teachers and students! I found Inspiration a little more challenging to navigate at first as you try to figure out how each tool works and the value behind it. After experimenting for a while though, I found it to be quite useful for storyboarding, graphic organizers and brainstorming. I would love to have this technology in my classroom!

InspireData is a way for kids to graph and sort data in a fun and interesting way. It is easy to use, and helps kids visually make connections between data, and it helps them to really make sense out of their data. It also helps kids problem solve, and it fosters critical thinking skills. Making use of InspireData is also a great tool to get kids started on their paper writing through the organization of their pre-writing. The tech showcase also mentioned WordQ and SpeakQ, which helps students with their spelling and grammar, and even converts their spoken words into text, respectively. This showcase was very interesting to be a part of, and it is neat to see what upcoming technologies will have an impact on future teaching practices. It gave me a glimpse of tools that I may very well use within my future classroom.



was especially impressed with how a program such as this, can improve self-esteem and build a student's confidence in writing. The facilitator was very knowledgeable and coming from an educational background, was able to speak clearly and confidently about the many uses of this software in any classroom.

Yvonne Simpson - Whiteboards in an Interactive Classroom Featuring the Document Camera I chose this session because I didn't know what a document camera was and wanted to see how whiteboards could be used with technology in the classroom. The document camera is being used to replace overhead projectors and it allows for much more interactivity with students. One example that the facilitator demonstrated was that during a math class, she would give her students a problem to solve. Each student would solve the problem on their own individual whiteboard and the teacher would circulate through the classroom as a way of assessing how students were solving the problem. She would then ask several students to come to the front of the classroom with their whiteboard. Rather than having to go to the blackboard and rewrite their solution for the class to see, each student would simply place the whiteboard underneath the document camera lens and the solution would be displayed on the blackboard. What a quick and fun way for students to demonstrate various ways of solving the same problem! I would like to use this in the classroom as a way of engaging students and allowing individuals to demonstrate their knowledge by showing their solutions to the entire class.

Sheila Cartwright - Whiteboards in an Interactive Classroom Featuring the Document Camera (see photo below) WOW! I'm hooked on white boards. I attended the white board session on Thursday. First, white boards are a green alternative to traditional pencil, paper, which is typically recycled or thrown away. They are portable, handy to use when figuring out math calculations and many other activities. The feature of an interactive white board will deliver an effective and engaging lesson that will reach all students. White boards can accomodate multiple learning styles including tactile, audio and visual. I believe that white boards would be a "kid magnet." Excellent workshop!!



Michelle Walker-- Creative Projects Across the Curriculum Of the three workshops I attended at the Technological Showcase, my favorite was the Creative Projects Across the Curriculum with Kelly Janzen, Apple Distinguished Educator. In this session, she highlighted what you can do with a class in Garage Band and iMovie. Both of these tools are great for creating media literacy projects for a media class or to make a task for a different subject more interesting. Kelly showed us some class projects where students added a new soundtrack to a film clip, created a soundscape using the various loops and sound effects and a video project of an infomercial. These projects were fantastic, and effectively showed what a student can produce in class with just an iBook. I chose this workshop for a number of reasons. I am a Mac user, but I’ve never used iMovie or Garage Band, and wanted to see how these two projects worked. My previous career before coming to Brock was in television production, and so I also have some familiarity with film and video editing. As for using these programs in a classroom, I would love to use them in a class at a junior level or above. As I was playing with Garage Band, I was thinking of ways students could create their own podcasts as part of a news/media unit, or creating a soundtrack for a book. There are no Macs in Hamilton schools, however, Acid (the Sony version of Garage Band) does have a free download of their basic program that would perform many of the same functions. In the words of Tony the Tiger, this session was grrrrrr-eat! Kelly was interesting, showed us the potential of having Macs in the classroom for both literacy and music, and gave us plenty of time to play.



Leanne Ricciutelli – Create a lesson with BrainPop! At the Technology Showcase, I attended a great session which demonstrated how to use [|BrainPop] to create interactive and exciting lessons. The site features movies, games, activities, worksheets, and quizzes organized by subject: Science, Social Studies, English, Math, Arts & Music, Health and Technology. For the primary grades, [|BrainPop Jr.] is equipped with their ‘big word wall’ which could be sorted by letter or subject, ‘free stuff’ which features bullying and internet safety (to name a few), and the ‘bulletin board’ which is where children’s art, response letters, and lesson plan ideas are posted. The facilitator was a Grade 4/5 teacher who often uses BrainPop quizzes at the beginning of a new unit/lesson for a diagnostic assessment. Also, by highlighting the fact that the site proudly posts students work, he has motivated otherwise reluctant writers to send a fan letter or questions to spark a new movie or lesson idea. Currently, BrainPop allows you to search their site for material by U.S state, grade or subject, but in March Ontario will also be added to the list. Although BrainPop is a password protected site, they do feature many free resources which could be used to spice up your lessons. Also available are [|BrainPop ESL] and [|BrainPop Francais]. It’s certainly a wonderful resource for teachers and a great tool for students to further and deepen their learning in an interactive and fun way.



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Tatum Shantz- Kidspiration and Inspiration I attended this wonderful workshop on the program called Inspiration. This is a fabulous tool available to all students who love computers, are visual learners, need assistance in expressive language or organization, as well as assistance to focus and explore. I chose this workshop because I have been introduced to the program before but needed a great deal of knowledge on it. I have worked with special needs children for quite some time and this is a fantastic tool for children with higher needs. This is definitely a program I would use in my class. Creating graphic organizers on the computer is a fun, interactive and an indirect way for children to learn and explore. Fantastic program! I really enjoyed!



Nicole Darlington - SMART Technologies I attended the SMART Technologies workshop which showcased the latest technology products, resources, training programs and support! It provided great insight into the various interactive tools available with SMART technology. Our presenter highlighted the potential benefits of using this interactive technology, and how effective it can be when used in the classroom. I realized what great a tool it can be in terms of assessment; teachers are able to create on-the-spot quizzes which provide an instant glance at where your students are at in that particular lesson. I decided to invest time in attending this particular workshop as my next placement is situated in a "tech-savvy" school; SMART technology is used in the classroom, and my lack of experience with these tools is quite apparent! After attending this workshop, I can really see the potential benefits it can have in the classroom for both the teacher and student... it transforms the classroom into an interactive learning community where students are engaged and inspired!!!



Jennifer Cumbo--SMART Technologies I attended the SMART technologies workshop. The presentor did a wonderful job at introducing us to a varitey of SMART tools. We explored SMART boards, clickers and Smart Notebook. I enjoyed getting an introduction to the SMART board. I would love to learn more about this technology and begin to create some interactive lessons. I took this workshop because SMART boards are becoming increasingly prevelant in today's classroom. I think they provide a great opportunity for student engagement. Edel Padilla - SMART Technology Workshop I really enjoyed this workshop because prior to this day I was nervous about using the SMART board in my placement. After learning how easy it is to use, I am looking forward to applying it during my placement. I especially liked the clicker he demonstrated. A multiple choice test can be given to the class and the answers pressed on the clicker. Immediately a pie graph can show you how many students got the question right or wrong. This is a great assessment tool. I look forward to using the SMART board.

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Melissa Wade - An Introduction to Comic Life and BitStrips for Schools. Presented by Marilyn Legault. This workshop was very useful and informative. The presenter discussed the programs, walked us through how easy it is to set up and create graphic novels and comics, and went over the various ways these programs can be used in the classroom. Initally, I thought it was only an art and literacy tool, however she showed us how it can also be used history, social studies, sciene, follow-up to field trips and think-alouds. I attended this workshop because a friend of mine told me about the program. He used it a lot in the classroom and he said the students LOVED it. Another great feature of the workshop was that we recived a CD of the program so we can use immediatly in our next placements - FREE OF CHARGE!!!! Overall, I thought the technology showcase was the most worthwhile and informative professional development day at Brock to date. Great job Kyle!

Tracy Maxwell- Whiteboards in an Interactive Classroom Featuring the Document Camera I thought the applications presented using the Document Camera were simple but very effective. Having students complete work on a sheet of paper or on an individual white board and then allowing them to share so easily with the whole class via the document camera really enhances student learning and cuts down time taken to re-write an answer on the chalkboard or the overhead. The presenter showed many ways of using the document camera, including demonstrating a science experiment that we were all able to see up close without having to leave our seats. Utilizing the document camera and the individual whiteboards would certainly cut down on the use of paper and costly overheads in the classroom. One thing I did "reflect" on after leaving the seminar was the fact that we love individual whiteboards now because they waste less paper and yet they are a re-invention of the slate from years ago!

Joanne Owen- Critical Literacy I attended the Critical Literacy Workshop as I was on holidays during the tech showcase. the presenter was Linda Charko, who works for the literacy and numeracy council. This workshop reviewed curriculum policies and core priorities. The skills needed for the future were covered. As well, she covered the 4 resources model for the literate learner. This session was worthwhile and fit in to what we have learned in language thus far.

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__Camille LaMarsh Brain Pop The presentation I attended was Brain Pop... This is a great interactive site designed with kids in mind. Studies have actually shown an improvement in postest scores. Furthermore, 90% of the teachers who used brainpop felt it increased students cognitive/intellectual growth and improved students attitudes to learning. [] The Presenter was an enthusiastic user of brainPop, as a grade 5 teacher he used it extensively in the classroom. He selected videos on topics related to the curriculum. he also had students do research using the site. The students had access to many learning games as well. The short video clips can be used as a dynamic introduction to a topic as well as stimulating discussion. The many activities and games all coordinate with the vidoes, again all tied in to the curriculum. BrainPop is ten years old and is searchable by US curriculum, however Canadian standards are currently being added, and if you know what you are searching for (eg: grade Five Science: The human body) there are many great resources. I would definitely use this site as It does look like a lot of fun while being educational for kids. I would first want to become more familiar with the range of resources available. I will definitely be looking it over as I plan for Block 2, because I think the content will be motivating to students.__

__ Christina Profetto January 29, 2010 Tech Show Case For this particular session we were able to get a glimpse into “Brain Pop,” which is an educational website that includes thousands of films, lesson plans and activities for subjects across the curriculum. The instructor effectively portrayed how to use this instructional tool within the classroom. For instance, each video applied to a certain concept that was along a strand of the curriculum and the educational activities that followed. There was a lesson/concept to be learned with each film, and activities that can be done hands on or by orally answering questions. I selected this particular workshop because the title, “Brain Pop” sounded interesting to me. If the fundings are available, I will definitely use this in my classroom through the smart board so that students can manipulate certain objects that are found within the activities. I think that this is tool should be used in the classroom because at the click of the mouse you have access to engaging and educational lessons across the curriculum. This technology was presented in a way was both fascinating and engaging. It was an impressive and useful tool that should be implemented within all classrooms.

Laura Mills - Classroom Response Technology, Word Q and Inspiration, and Apple Educators: The presentation by Apple educators was especially interesting. I loved trying out garageband and imovie and hope to one day work in a board that uses apple computers. I found the Word Q presentation valuable as well, and think that Word Q can be used as a valuable resource for students who struggle with spelling, grammar, and getting their ideas on paper. Although we didn't have enough time to use Inspiration in depth, I think it could be useful for organizing ideas and brainstorming. The classroom response technology presentation was really interesting too, but unless I get a job working a board that supprots using this technology, I will probably not get to use it again. I can see its application in older grades to keep students engaged, take classroom polls throughout the lesson, and assess student learning easily and often. Overall, the workshop was fantastic, and I wish I had an opportunity to visit more of the workshops!

Laura Wolfson - Global Connections This was an awesome presentation. I learned all about videoconferencing from an educator from the RBG. She showed us how to have a live interaction with two different classrooms in two different locations, so that each class can see and hear the other and each class can also see her. She led interactive games and activities between the two classes even though one was in another country. [|photo.jpg.url]