Journal+-+Heather

= = =Instructions=
 * For your first entry, double-click the text below and replace it with your content
 * Place each new entry at the top (in reverse chronological order)
 * Begin each entry with the day's date

=Entries=

January 30th, 2010 2nd Entry

My students confidence and computer abilities appear to have increased compared to previous years I have taught, as a result of my work with digital storytelling and the Alliance. The increase in my students computer abilities has, in turn, increased their confidence. Previously, I underestimated what my students could do with technology. I did not provide things that were all that challenging for my students in relation to technology. The projects that I gave my students to work on that incorporated technology were very simple and structured in the past. Now, after my work with the Alliance I have realized that my students are capable of doing much more difficult projects that involve technology and that I should allow them several opportunities to explore the applications they are working with. I have noticed my students thrive when I give them projects that are to be done on computers. I also have changed the projects from being more structured to less structured. My students still understand what is expected from them but they have a sense of freedom to explore while they are working with technology. As the students have taken advantage of this new found freedom I have seen them express themselves in several ways that they were not able to previously. For example, the technology allows my students to express themselves with pictures when they would not have before because they would have to draw the pictures previously and did not feel comfortable with their drawing abilities. Now, students can simply copy and paste pictures from clipart or other areas to add drawings/art to their creations. My students confidence has really gone up because they are allowed more freedom in their technology creations and praised for their individuality that is shown through their work. Overall, the Alliance has given me a better understanding of my students technological abilities, several ideas for projects that incorporate technology, and increased my students level of appreciation and confidence in relation to technology.

September 19th, 2009 1st Entry

This year has been a trying year thus far. I started out the year with 36 students and now have 28 which is so much better! I am teaching the gifted strand which I think will be perfect to incorporate technology with because they are so eager to learn new things and their mental capacity is so vast. I did not start doing any filming until I finally had the students that I am going to have for the rest of the year. I have had to make sure all of my students sign their video/photo release forms that allows them to be videotaped. That has taken a while for all of those forms to come in. Now that I have all the forms and my actual class I have started to talk to them about the project that we are going to be working on. Most of my students are very excited to be videotaped and to explain step by step how to do things. We have spent a good amount of time in our computer lab practicing working with technology in many different forms. I am somewhat stressed because I feel that I have a lot on my plate this year. All of the items on my plate are good things it is just a matter of getting them all accomplished and completed with the level of perfectionism that I expect. I am looking forward to seeing what my students are able to do.