How Pinterest is Beneficial in the Classroom (Five Senses Project)

For most any project I take on, I usually look up ideas on Pinterest. Pinterest is a social media site that has tons of ideas for just about anything you are interested in. It can be extremely beneficial because it allows you to view so many different ways to teach material and allow the students to have a better learning experience. This year, for my observations, I made bulletin boards for a 1st grade classroom. I knew what subject I wanted to do it over, but I wasn't exactly sure how I was going to decorate this board or make it more fun and educational for the students. Pinterest helped me tremendously! From lesson plan ideas to educational activities, Pinterest has it all. It takes teaching to a new level of creativity!

Using Pinterest, I created a board filled with ideas on how I wanted to teach my upcoming lesson over the five senses and how they benefit you: https://www.pinterest.com/beccadavidso/ed-tech-spring-2016/

This board gave me the inspiration to allow the students to use I-Pads and create a slideshow using the app "VideoScribe."

They are expected to create the following project: http://sho.co/17GM8

I picked this following project because it would be a fun way for students to be able to use technology on top of learning their lesson about their 5 senses! I learned a lot about this project! It opened my eyes to how many different ways you can present information and how many different projects you could have your students do for a more memorable educational experience. :)

The app was fun and easy to use:

Step 1: I used the text tool which is represented as a "T' at the top of the page to create my title:
"Ms. Davidson's Five Senses Slideshow"

Step 2: I was able to find a picture that represented the 5 senses by searching images on the browser provided by the app. I chose this picture because it showed every sense that will be described.

Step 3: When I found my picture and created my title, I was finished with my first page of this project.

Step 4: I then began to type my first sense. I wrote "TOUCH" in the text box that is provided by the app when you press the text box button at the top (represented by a "T".) To move to a new page, you simple scroll over to a blank screen.

Step 5: I searched the browser attached to the app to search for a representation of "touch." I picked a dog because I like to pet dogs.

Step 6: Once I repeated this, completing all 5 senses, I added a voice recording to my project using the microphone button at the top of the screen. (This part is optional.) Either way, the student will present this information to the class.

Step 7: Hooray! This project is complete! Easy, fun way to present information!

-http://sho.co/17GM8

Tools That Would be Beneficial in the Classroom

Cool Tools for Schools

• Comic Master: This tool allows students to create own comics and dialogue. I think that this too could be beneficial when learning about dialogue and sentence structure. Creating own declarative, interrogative,imperative, and exclamatory sentences using the comic strips as their inspiration. 

• Classic Cat: This tool has thousands of songs and composers to choose from. It allows you to listen and understand various classical compositions. As a potential Elementary Music teacher, this tool would be beneficial because it would allow students to explore many different music options.

• Stories: This tool has many stories for children read by children. I think this tool would be excellent for an Elementary reading circle. Not only are the children stories available online, but they are also read by kids.

• Palbee: This tool allows video recording and storage for the class to view from home. I think this would be beneficial for the classroom because the students would reflect back on the lesson through the internet. If the student is confused or uncertain about a lesson, they are able to refer back to the posted lectures and videos.

• Animoto: This tool allows you to add pictures, video, text, and music to a slideshow. It a fun way to present information. I made many Animoto videos in high school, it was my favorite way to present information to the classroom.

• Mind42: This tool helps you organize information, lesson plans, and any other documentation. It also allows you to share your information with fellow co-workers. This would be beneficial to keep track of your information and other class room's progress.

• ArtisanCam: This tool allows you to make your own children books online. This could be beneficial if you are wanting to read something to your children over a very specific subject or topic. This would be a fun, creative way to present information.

• Little Bird Tales: This tool allows you to record the child's voice along with their own creative stories. I think this would be something fun to do with the children as a "story of the week" activity. It also documents the stories, so you could put each child's stories on a CD and give it to the parents as a end of the year gift.

• Prezi: Prezi is a PowerPoint like tool that allows you to present information and pictures. What I like most about Prezi is the format. It is a fun, cool way to present information to the classroom.

• Google Sites: This tool allows you to make a website to present information and store various needed information. It would be beneficial because it can help the students keep up to date with the information. It also allows space to store items you don't want to lose, which is important as a teacher!
  
  
  
  
  

How Does Social Media Effect Society?

It is crazy to me how much our lives are based around social media. You can barely go out in public without seeing someone taking a selfie or tweeting about what they are doing. I feel like we are living our lives through a screen. One thing that really does bother me about social media and technology is the way everyone is so glued to their phones. I will be sitting with my friends at lunch, going on dates, meeting someone new, and there always seems to be a phone between me and the other person. I almost wish I could go back in time to when phone weren't yet invented and people actually talked to each other face to face. Social media also makes people self conscious or narcissistic. Either you love staring at yourself through the front facing screen on your phone, posting it on Instagram, and craving as many "likes" as you can get, or you are comparing your appearance and popularity on social media with someone else. I hate the competition that has grown on social media. Of course, I can go on and on about how much I think social media is dumb and has more bad than good effects on society, but I post on social media several times a week!
I do think the constant updating and checking social media is annoying, but there are some good things about social media. For example, I think it's neat how I can go back to my "Freshman Year" album from high school and look through all my wonderful memories that I have documented in that album. I post all my good memories, pictures of friends, family events, and anytime I want to go back and reminisce on my old memories, I can easily access it! Also, you can easily keep in touch with family and friends that you don't get a chance to see everyday! I am currently in college; however, my parents know everything I am doing because I post photos. So there are definitely some pro and cons to social media! I think social media is definitely a good thing, if used correctly!

Article 1: https://sites.ewu.edu/cmst496-stafford/2012/06/06/the-effects-of-social-media-on-children/
Article 2: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/05/teens-blogging_n_1186435.html

About Me

Hello! 

  

My name is Rebecca Davidson, and I am an Elementary Education major at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. I am from Texarkana, Texas where I am apart of a loving family of seven! I have a brother and 3 sisters. My siblings are my best friends; I love them to pieces! I also have a dog named Ryder, he is a Boston Terrier and my little angel! My interests include scrapbooking, sewing, quilting, ultimate frisbee, crafts, and spending time with friends and family. I love organizing, crafting, and children, which why I believe I am going to be a killer diller elementary school teacher! Band and music has been a big part of my life. I marched snare drum in high school and now I am a member of the color guard in the Showband of Arkansas. I am also a sister of Tau Beta Sigma, the band sorority.   

When I first got to college, I really didn't know what to expect. It was extremely difficult for me, to say the least. Moving to a new town, having to make new friends, leaving family and loved ones, starting completely new, it was one of the hardest things I have ever done. Staying busy with classes and band helped me tremendously. Without the support and love I have received from my friends and new organizations, I would not be where I am right now. I decided to write my blog about my college experience and all the new and exciting things that have turned my life upside down!