Digital Storytelling

     This week, I worked on a Digital Storytelling project from Photo Peach. I have never made one before and I guess you could say that it was pretty simple. For those of you who don't know, a Digital Story is kind of like a powerpoint, however, you do not need powerpoint,and you can do all your work online. 
     I think Digital Storytelling could have a few advantages in education. It is a fun way to convey a unit or theme to students, to keep them interested in what you are studying. I used the solar system as my theme for my digital story, which you can view here if you would like to see it. Digital Storytelling might also be a great way for students to present projects. It's simple to make and fun to view. Its' uses in education are almost endless.

Twitter in Education

Twitter in education does not seem like a good idea to me. I see the kind of things that are posted on twitter, and I honestly feel that it is more appropriate for entertainment purposes, and not educational purposes. I could see how it might be helpful to have a class twitter site to keep up on announcements or lesson plans, as opposed to a class website. I can also see where it CAN be beneficial, as in the farm problem mentioned in class. I don't feel that I am comfortable enough with twitter to use it in the way that teacher did. If teachers are going to have a twitter as a class site, then I don't think that the teacher should use a personal twitter account. It is too easily accessible by your students and their parents. Twitter is more suited for entertainment and I don't think it has a place in education, at this time; not for me, anyway.

Helpful Resources

Two resources that I found are:

1.       Daily Reading Warm Ups (Teacher Blog)

2.       Lesson Plans (Helpful RSS Feed)

The Daily Reading Warm Ups blog will help me in the classroom to get my students thinking before a reading lesson. I have come to realize that in my job as a daycare teacher and in my practicum, I have a hard time getting started with a lesson. This blog helps me to come up with ideas to get started. These particular warm ups are for upper level elementary school students, which is what I would love to teach. These warm ups actually make me excited to get my classroom and meet my students.

      The Lesson Plan RSS feed will help me come up with ideas for many, many themes. I am not a terribly creative person, so if I can find any ideas online, I’m all for it! I love searching for and finding lessons online that will help me in my classroom, at Abby’s or my future classroom in a school.