Week 11- The Internet

This week and next week (week 12) we are going to be ONLINE using the INTERNET most of the time.

We are going to explore the risks inherent in browsing the Internet for K-5 kids. Also, in groups you are going to develop your own policy for internet use by k-15 kids.

In the practical session, we are going to evaluate websites and develop criteria for evaluation.

I think all of you are almost done with their DELICIOUS account. In the theory session we reterived the forgotten passwords and made a quick referesh on how to tag using delicious.

Your delicious account is one task of your portfolio. Check your check list for the portfolio assignmnet.

Week 10: Continue Working in Our Interviews

In week 9 we spent a quite time trying to register but Elhamdullah we finally registered our Magix Movie.

This week in the theory and the practice session we are going to edit our Movies.

Some of you had a problem importing their movies because of using different cameras with different codecs.

This problem is solved by converting your movies to MPG or MWV using a software called Super and it is in the S drive.

Let us have fun editing our wonderful interviews, Yesssssssssssssssss!!!!

Week 9 - Editing our interviews

I saw you all before exams trying to get your interview done. I think all of you have their raw interview video by now.

In week nine theory session, we are going to do the following:

1. 
   Install Magix movie pro 14 (most of you installed it already, double check for installation


2. Activate your Magix movie pro by entering a code (each one is assigned completely different code - check your email for this code).

Also, we are going to explain theoretically how to edit your movie. I will show you a SmartBoard activity that help us know the steps that we should follow to edit our movies.

In the practical session we are going to do the actual editing of our movies.

Break. UFFFFFFF we are done

Break Break Break Break.

No ICT projects in this week Yesssssssssssss!!!!

Exams

Good Luck all of you in your exams. Hope all the best for you all.

Week 8 - Consent Form

As you know that if you are going to interview someone you have to get his/her permission to make the interview and agree to use this interview in your project.

We are going to write this consent form in the theoretical session of week 8 InshAllah.

Here are some Guidelines of what should be included in the consent form:

1. Introduce yourself (who are you?)
2. The purpose of the interview
3. What is expected from the interviewee
4. Confidentially of the information you are gathering from the interviewee
5. A statement that the participation in this interview is voluntary
6. The benefits and risks of this project
7. Your contact information
8. Your signature and the interviewee’s signature
9. A statement at the end that the interviewee has read and agreed to participate in your project

You can start writing your consent form according to these guidelines.

Week 7: Videos in the Classroom

In this week we had the opportunity to go through the Movie Production Cycle as shown in the image below. We have done the following:

1. Determine a topic for each of you interview
2. Determine who you are going to interview
3. Practice writing a storyboard
4. Practice a simulated interview
5. Practice with the digital camera how to shoot an interview
   

Next week InshAllah, you should bring a written storyboard and prepare yourself to shoot the interview in the practice session or you can shoot the interview outside. You do not have to appear in the interview if you are not comfortable to do so.

In the theory session of week 8 we are going to talk more about how to conduct an interview and also how to write a consent form.

Problem: Blogs do not accept Podcasts, so what?

Ladies, you are wonderful! In class we had this discussion on how to solve the problem that blogs do not accept audio files. A good number of you had a solution for this problem which is converting our podcasts to Photostory video clips, Wow I like you being smart!

Here are some instructions on how to convert your Podcast to a Photostory Video file:

1 Import only one picture, this picture could be a title for your audio project.
2 Next, and click on Customize Motion
3 Enter your music length in seconds (if it is 3 minutes, enter 180)
4 Add new Music, and select your Podcast
5 Next, save as project, next and save as movie.
6 Download to Blogger (using posting option)

Instructions for Creating a Podcast (Audio Clip)

Here are some instructions on creating podcast using audacity then Mixcraft:

1. Record your voice using audacity, edit it by deleting unwanted parts and save project.

3. From the file menu and Export as WAV.

4. Close the audacity software and open Mixcraft.

5. From the Mix menu select Add Sound. Browse till you find the WAV file then select it.

6. Add music as you like from the library, edit this music and make it nice.

7. From the file menu select save (this will save the project)

8. From the file menu again select "Mix down to" and then select MP3.

9. Name your file as you like and save it to your portfolio or ICT folder.

Important Notices

My Dear Students,

Yesterday I finished posting comments to your blogs. You may find one or more comments in your blog. Please check all of them and email me back if you have any question.

Here are some of the points I want to stress after reviewing all of your blogs:

1. Complete reflections (two parts) need to be entered on time. Missing deadlines means losing points. However, you can still work on your reflections till the end of the semester. Post complete reflections on time and if you want to change a sentence or two and add to it later on is fine with me.

2. No reflections for each week means losing points for this week. You may risk losing a lot of points and end up with a low grade because of that.

3. Each reflection consists of two parts: first part, how did you learn (learning strategy) and part 2, how are you going to use what you learned in your teaching (teaching Strategy).

4. For your portfolio assignment so far, you need to have a superimposition image, Photostory Video and an audio clip (podcast). The final production that I am going to grade you on should be posted into your blog and they should fit in the classroom teaching.

5. Pages 10 – 13 in your handbook are magic pages because you can find information on them regarding assignments. It is a perfect idea to always look at the rubric whenever you are doing an assignment.

Week 6: Use of Audio in Classroom

How fun will be this week! In the theory session we had the chance to understand the importance of using oral language in the classroom. It was fun having one minute silence trying to communicate with each other without using the oral language.

All of us liked the songs and funny stories that we listened to. In the practice session each one of you are going to produce a podcast that fit in the classroom use.

In the practice session we are going to:

Bring script (story, song, instructions, step by step explanation, etc )with you for the practice session that relates to a classroom use.

Recording and edit using audacity

Import the audio clip to Mixcraft and add your own created music

Import the final product to the storyboard and publish it into your blog (blogs do not accept audio files which means you need to convert it to another format that blogs understand and accept)

Also, you can bluetooth it to your cell phone and share it with other people.

You can also record your reflection for this week and post it to your blog as a podcast.

The due date is Saturday

Have a great fun this week

Week 5 - Storyboard

Last Week (Week 4) in the practice session we had the opportunity to have our IT helpers in our class. I think all of you now can see and download files from the S drive. Remember, to see the S drive and to be able to download files from it you have to log in with your college ID.

Also, last week we installed three different software into our laptops: Magix Movie - Audacity - Photostory

In this week we are going to have only one session on Monday (we agreed to replace the theory session with the practice session because of the non -teaching Thursday). We covered the theory session of week 5 in the practice session of week 4.

I hope you had fun taking 10 pictures of a transactional process. We are going to have more fun in week's five session in making a story of your 10 images. We will be able to put these images together, add narrations if applicable, add background music and/or sound effects using Photostory software.

At the end of this session we should have our stories posted in our blogs.

Week 4

Very Good Job all of you! Your blogs with your first reflections are up and running. I saw many good reflections. I know that all of you will get better and develop their reflection writing as we practice more reflections all over the semester. You all did a wonderful job in doing reflections and editing images.

This week will be more a revision week and a stress out week. All of us had a three stressed weeks learning new things in terms of ICT skills and integration.

In this week's theory we are going to learn about Mashup and Limited Resources Classrooms. And in the practical session we are going to work more in editing images using Xterme Photo Design Software.

Please do not forget to read the article on pages 30 – 33 in the ICT handbook to discuss it in the practical session of week 5.

Week 4 Reflection

This week you are going to reflect on: Consent and public place images; how do I feel about my image being used?Remember the self reflection on what was new and what did I learn in the class?

Deadlines - Very Important

By Saturday February 28th you should have at least 3 posts into your blog as follows:

• Copy and past of this statement "This content included in this blog is entirely my own work except where I have duly acknowledged other sources in the text and listed those sources at the end of the assignment as a reference list. I have read the paragraphs on plagiarism in the Student Handbook (page 27-29)"
• at least two edited pictures - remember to post the original pictures as well.
• The reflection about "Use of photos in a classroom, issues of ownership and responsible use"

Week 3 Photo Editing

In week three practice session we had the opportunity to watch the paint and extreme photo designer movies. You watched a total of 6 movies: 2 movies explain skills on how to use some functions in the paint program (symmetry and tesstilation) and 4 movies explain skills on the use of Xterme photo designer (Clone, superimpose, liquidation, cut and past)

Next week (week four) in the practice session, we are going to do more practice on these skills. By the end of this week you have to have images that show me all the skills you learned from the movies. Please post all the images to your blog. Make sure you post the original images and the images you edited. This way I can tell what kind of changes and skills you applied to the original image.

Please remember to keep all your work from now on in the portfolio folder and back up this folder from time to time.

The content of this folder will form your second assignment which is "Portfolio"

This portfolio folder should contain the following by the end of the semester:

• Photo montage {illustrates visual design literacy}
• Photostory3 video {illustrates transactional writing literacy link}
• Edited Audio recording {illustrates classroom use}
• Video interview {illustrates understanding of composition}
• Organized set of useful links to online resources {delicious/digg}
• Illustration of understanding of the issues of copyright and privacy

As you see from the above list we started working in three of the requirements of this portfolio which are:

• Photo montage {illustrates visual design literacy}
• Organized set of useful links to online resources {delicious/digg}
• Illustration of understanding of the issues of copyright and privacy

Reflection

Reflection for Week 3:

Part 1: A paragraph on what you learned in the class
Part 2: A paragraph on the use of photos in the classroom, issues of ownernship and responsible use.

Reflection Example:

"In this week's theory session we discussed the uses of images in classrooms. Our instructor asked us to mind map the uses of images. While creating the mind map I remembered a Math teacher in the primary school who was using images to teach us abstract concepts in Math. I loved this teacher and I loved math. Using these images made learning Math fun and interesting. As a future teacher, I plan to use images in my classroom in different ways to make learning a fun job for my students. I will engage my students in the learning process by asking them to collect images and/or create images for a certain use in Math."

"While involving students and engaging them in the learning process, I will make sure for them to understand that the images and photos they are collecting and using in any project are not their images and they do not belong to them. They are someone's property and if they want to use these images in their project they have to acknowledge these images and photos. I will provide them with an example of seeing their pictures used by someone else as they are his and how they feel about it".

Blog Entry

Please place this message in your blog:

This content included in this blog is entirely my own work except where I have duly acknowledged other sources in the text and listed those sources at the end of the assignment as a reference list. I have read the paragraphs on plagiarism in the Student Handbook (page 27-29)

Best Comment

Hey all,

This week we are working with still images. In our Theory Session we discussed the Grammar of Images and how different people interpret images differently.

From this point here is a little competition for you. I would like you to post a comment on the following picture. There is a prize for the owner of the best comment. You have till the Theory Session of Week four to post your comment. Do your best to be a winner!

Oh! Do not forget to put your name with the comment, so all of us know who you are.

Week 3

All of us have blogs now with one or more posts WOW :)

I would like to acknowledge Alia, Alya, Hitha and Wafaa. You wonder why? Because they worked more in their blogs after class. They Rock!

I know all of you liked the Symmetry Video we watched together in the Theory Session. Did you imagine that just the Paint software that comes with windows has all of theses capabilities. It is really very nice and interesting video to watch. But be careful with using this kind of photo editing when dealing with people faces. You can enjoy doing this with your own pictures and your friends' photos for fun. But not public pictures though. This was the picture we saw into the movie, right?

In our Practical Session, we are going to learn many skills included in a software named XtremePhotoDesigner 6. This software is free and you had the opportunity to download it from the ICT Delicious account in the Theory Session.

Be prepared to take pictures using your cell phoe or a digital camera in the Practice Session. Please do not forget to bring a cable to transfer them to your laptop. Ofcourse, you can use the Bluetooth or any other way to transfer the photos. Just make sure that you will be able to transfer these images to your laptop.

By the end of this week, you will start working in your first reflection and posting it into your blog. Good Luck!

Week 2 Blog Blog Blog

Hello Ladies,

Hope you are enjoyed working with Inspiration last week. In this week, you will have your own blog. You have an invitation in your mailbox, please do not do anything with it until we meet in the practical session this week. Also, you are going to make a group presentation in the practical session about the blog article pages 22 - 25 in your ICT handbook.

Remember having a blog is very important in this course as it is one of the two big assigments you will be graded on this semester. Starting from the week three's practical session you will be entering a reflection about a certain topic. Please check your ICT Handbook for list of the topics and the reflection due date. The reflection is due in each practical session but I will allow you to final submit of this reflection the following Saturday. You are required to submit 11 reflections by the end of this semester. The blog and the reflections inside it make your first big assigment.

Next week you will need a camera so think about what you are going to use. If you can borrow a digital camera that is good. If you have a cable for your cellphone camera then maybe you can use that (but you must be able to transfer pictures to your laptop).