Saturday, May 23, 2015
My Introduction
Hello Fellow Educators,
My Name is Jacquelyne Blossom. I have been an educator for more than 18 years. I come from a family of educators. I have 3 sisters who are also educators. My mother was an educator and later became a business owner in the childcare industry. I currently live in Atlanta, Georgia where I also teach. I received my BS from University of North Carolina and received my MSED from Walden University.
I currently teach middle school science. I am certified to teach elementary and middle school. I am also certified to teach science, social studies, and math. I have taught science for the past 13 years.
I view education as a way to become a productive citizen in the world in which we live. As an educator, I feel that it is my task to affect the minds of each child that enters my classroom in a positive way. I also feel compelled to enhance the learning of children in such a way as to improve their lives so that they can also change the lives of the people that they come in contact with As a practitioner-scholar, I plan to become an agent of social change by enhancing the lives of children in every way possible. In doing this, my goal of changing the lives of my students will become realized
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Online Presentation Tools for the Classroom
Online 2.0 presentation tools are a way to do more than just look at and read information. It allows a person to experience the information in a user friendly way. These tools are much more than just a visual way to share content. The brain processes information more effectively when images are shown and Web 2.0 is a vital tool that enables the reader to experience and remember more. It allows the audience to grasp the information and connect to the ideas that the presenter is trying to convey. Using presentations tools are an excellent way to educate and entertain simultaneously. Web 2.0 has many advantages because it helps people to recall and retain powerful images. I have chosen to evaluate three Web 2.0 tools that I feel can increase the communication of information in an influential way.
The first tool was “Animoto”. This online presentation tool was relatively easy to use. This site allowed you to test it out for free. It enabled you to add videos, pictures, and music. The ability to access it from any computer added to the ease of use. The format was very easy to use as well as allowing for collaboration with colleagues. The drawbacks were that it was not very engaging. It only allowed you to compose a 30 second presentation for free. The fees start at $5 a month for ten minutes of presentation time. It was possible to add video from online content, although it appeared challenging.
The second presentation tool was “Prezi”. I used Prezi about a year ago in a presentation. I already had an account, but had forgotten my password. A reset was quickly sent to me and I was ready to go. The special features include that you can make a presentation immediately. The site moves very quickly, is not sluggish and can be accessed from any computer. There are no special equipment needed and is very easy to maneuver. Presenters are able to share their content with colleagues. Animation, sound, and video can be added with ease. It is very entertaining to use and view. The only drawbacks are that there is a fee, your presentations are public, and you only can use 100MB. Pricing starts at $59 a year.
The final presentation tool evaluation was “Empressr”. This site provides free PowerPoints. It was very accessible and easy to use. The presenter is able to upload pictures, audio, and video. I was able to look at some samples that were on the site. Most had no sound; however the site said that audio could be uploaded. There were not many special features, although people could comment on your presentations. The site appeared reliable because there were some presentations on the site from 2010. There were no signs that you could collaborate with colleagues. You could share your presentations on social networks. The site is accessible from any computer. There were not a lot of bells and whistles to this site. It was very basic, but gets the job done.
The most interesting and creative site that I visited was Prezi. It had all the special features and even more. It provides the most engaging and creative content to watch. It would work well in the classroom or the boardroom.
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