Assignment 4: Part 2 - Technology Project

     In creating this project I used powerpoint, the internet, pod-casting, snipping tool, and Windows Live Movie Maker.  It was frustrating trying to remember how to download the podcast because I had done it once before.  I finally figured it out and then ran into another problem; I didn't know how to upload a power point or power point with pod casting.  After thinking it over for a couple of days, I remembered I had snipping tool, which is a program that will take a picture of whatever happens to be on your screen, on my computer.  I used it to create pictures of my power point.  Afterwords, I took the pictures and the downloaded pod-casting files and turned them into a "movie" on Windows Live.

     Because I do not like spiders, I was a little skeptical about doing the presentation on spiders; but I learned a lot of interesting facts and had fun putting the project together.  As a teacher, I would this type of project could be used for any number of subjects or projects.  This particular one would have been used in a science class during a unit on bugs, environments, or characteristics.  The students would enjoy it because the project could be personal choice on what animal they did and they would be able to work with a number of different programs. 

NETS covered for the students:

1. Creativity and Innovation
      a. apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes. 

3. Research and Information Fluency
     b. locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.
     d. process data and report results.

     These standards are fulfilled because the students need to find a creative way to show all of the research and information that they found on an animal that they chose.  The research is then shown on power point with an prerecorded pod-cast of the presentation.

NETS covered for the Teacher:

2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
     a. design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.

3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning 
     a. demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations.
     d. model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning.

     The teacher needs to create an effective example of the project.  In order to do this, they will need a fluency in how to use the technology that they want their students to learn.  This project will also illustrate to the students that they will need to research and use technology in order to successfully present their project.