This class certainly took me out of my comfort zone when it comes to technology. I have always been a consumer of things like Instagram, or used other people's products in my classroom, but I have never really created my own. I was proud of myself when I figured out how to embed something into my blog! I was most excited for the cartoons and comics. Although some were hard for me at first, I had a lot of fun making them and thought of all the ways I could use them in my classroom. I was also excited about the Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter assignment because I use these platforms all the time and thought it would be easy. However, Instagram took me a while to figure out how to create videos and add music to them. I have always looked at other people's but I never knew how much goes into creating them. I learned a lot making my video and it turned out to be a lot of fun. I will definitely use Instagram when I become a librarian.
The most difficult apps for me were the screencasts and the podcasts. For the screencast it was not hard to make but trying to share it was somewhat difficult. While using Screencastify I had a very difficult time embedding my video into my blog and was frustrated with the program overall. Screencast-o-matic was much easier to use and made me feel more confident using and sharing my videos. The podcasts also took me a little bit to figure out. I had to record the audio on my phone with the Podbean app and then sign into my account on the computer to post it to my blog. I was able to figure it out but it took more steps than I wanted. Also, I never could figure out how to get my voice and my partners pre-recorded voice on the same recording so ultimately I had to just record myself. These two assignments were difficult for me but I learned so much doing them.
As a teacher I really think that the Animoto and the comics would be most beneficial to students. I liked the Pixton app the best for comics. These apps can be used in so many ways for students to show what they have learned. I also think that they give students a way to be creative when sharing their thinking. Animoto is easy to use and has templates to get you started which is perfect for students who may need a little more support. Pixton is also a fun and easy to use app that allows students to create comics. This app could be used by students to demonstrate something they have learned, share their creative writing, or even to teach social skills through comics.
I used one of my favorite apps Animoto to create my digital story reflection.
Love your final reflection. I agree with you that Animoto and Comic Creators would be beneficial to students. We are creating a "post STAAR" comic strip this year, and are using Animoto to create a book trailer for our class novel next week!
ReplyDeleteGreat reflection! I agree with you about this course taking us out of our comfort zone. I thought I was pretty tech-savvy myself until I started playing around with some of the digital technology tools. I like trying new things, but some of the resources I could not wrap my head around. I wish I was as creative as some of the people I follow on Instagram when it comes to creating videos and adding special effects to my posts.
ReplyDeleteI too was a bit out of my comfort zone. I loved learning about all of the different digital tools. I know we couldn't spend a lot of time on each one, but they are all like a whirl wind in my head! Hopefully bits and pieces stuck enough to give me a starting point when implementing them with students.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you mentioned being a consumer, not a producer. That comment perfectly describes me as well so this course 100% helped to push me into new territory as a producer. Some of the tasks were challenging but overall, I felt like it helped me get a good grasp of many of the options I hadn't explored previously. I am happy you took away lots of learning, too!
ReplyDeleteSo glad to hear I wasn't the only one taken out of my comfort zone. I know that's the only way to grow, but this was a lot this semester. I found Podcasts difficult as well, but more so in the time consuming to figure out and produce. I think once I practice more with them that I will get the hang of them. I do see how valuable they are, especially since I listen to Podcasts so often and I know my older students are listening to some as well.
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