Activity #2 Pimp my Presentation

I have used Prezi in class previous to this camp so I am not going to do another example. The things that I like about Prezi are:
- it is VERY easy to use
- it is web based so when students use it there are no difficulties finding it
- it looks great up on a smart board or with a projector
- there are lots of visually appealing designs that make the presentations nice
- it can be as complicated or as simple as you feel like making the presentation
- students know how to use it, or they can easily figure it out

I used Prezi as an option when my students did a presentation about their childhood. I was able to create an example in less than 10 minutes and I had no idea what I was doing. I was pleased with the results of the project and a lot of that had to do with how easy it was to share the pictures with the class. It was easier than google presentation, which some students chose to use.

So, for this activity, I chose to learn animoto. I decided to do a personal video about a trip to Florida with my family. Animoto was also VERY easy to use. The finished product is fun and is one that I shared with my family. The downside is that you have to pay if you want to do a lengthier video. I think that I was able to put about 10 photos in the video. There wasn't a lot of music to choose from - but it was fun!

I think that this could be useful if you wanted to create a simple presentation that was catchy. It cannot be very long  unless you want to pay. Students could use this as a way to present vocabulary. I think that this could also be used as a memory game in class. Students would watch the video and then write as much about the video as they can remember. Then after they write they could watch it again - do the same activity and then share.

Activity #1 Blog Bling

This technology stuff is not always intuitive to me so I am glad that I signed up for this class. It is forcing me to look at different ways to incorporate technology in to my daily classroom. I like looking at the amazing websites that teachers have created. It gives me inspiration to use some of these in my classroom. It took me a while to figure out the gadgets. It wan't hard - I just did not know where to look. I think that I yearn for a written explanation for everything - it is probably better that I have to figure it out myself.

Blogs:
I liked all of them and there are tons of activities that could be useful like having students do short reflections on a topic, watching a short video and commenting on it, or simply asking and answering questions. Since we are using google I would think that blogger is going to interface with everything else that we do. I really liked how easy they all seemed. I am a person that likes to dive in a learn as I go. All of these seemed pretty easy to manage.

It almost seems that blogger would be easier to use than moodle - which is what I currently use for journal entries. I's love some comments from others on how they have students due journal entries and writings that they want their students to be able to share with their classmates.

I use many music videos in class, but I decided to look for one that could be funny, interesting, and could help start a conversation about language barriers. There are so many videos that show, in a humorous way, how important language can be. I Love Lucy has so many fun examples of this. This clip is shows Ricky translating Spanish for Lucy. Lucy does not understand the language, but does end up understanding quite a bit based on body language and gestures.

I would use this video as an introduction to a cultural lesson - or even a general lesson on communication. This could also introduce stereo-types and general language acquisition.