1.0 vs 2.0

When I first started my journey through grad school I didn't think much about the use of Web 1.0 technology. I honestly probably couldn't of defined what Web 1.0 was and most likely would have listed off Web 2.0 tools. This summer we had the experience of learning more in depth about the affordances of using Web 1.0 to design a telecollaborative project. I designed a project where students were competing with other groups to plan and build the tallest tower possible only using 200 pennies. Students were supposed to post their plans, results, and reflections on a pre-made webpage. The submissions were all due on a certain date and everything would be turned in at once.
I think using the 2.0 tool of a blog would be a great way to improve this project. Students could blog throughout the process of planning and creating their towers. It would be more authentic to have them reflect in real time using a blog. It would be much more efficient to have them blog than to have them create a response on paper and then transfer it to a website. Using 2.0 tools would also create a lot of more options for the timeline. Teams could have deadlines to post plans and attempts at building the tower if they could post their ideas using a blog type forum. It would still allow for students from multiple locations to participate while allowing for them to stay more on pace with each other. I think from the curator's perspective using a blog would be much easier. I was going to have to filter through emails and upload all the information at the final due date. One issue that may come up is that people may only want to post their final photos on a certain date so they can be sure their ideas stay their own.

    This semester I have started to feel a lot more comfortable with my ability to use digital video editing. I had some experiences using in camera editing, but I like that results of using an actual program to complete the editing. I think the videos that my group has created using the video editing have all be been nicely done. I think the best way to create professional looking videos is to keep things simple. We have used a lot of screen shots and images in our videos. I think adding a lot of action can sometimes complicate the video. I am also not well versed in using a camera, so I think having editing skills helps me create a more professional looking video.
   In my opinion having the right music and transitions are very important when creating a professional video. In creating our videos we realized that we would often need to add transitions to show a change in scene. Some transitions were better for creating a flow between scenes, while others created the element of separation. Using different tempos and volumes of music, we were able to create mood in our videos.. Overall, I have seen the benefits of understanding how to properly use digital editing when creating videos. I think students would really enjoy using this type of editing within the classroom. I could see them creating a video to show an explanation or create a summary of something they have read.

Sci Girls Training

Last week I was lucky enough to attend a wonderful professional development given by my county on the Sci Girls curriculum. Sci Girls is a program by PBS that incorporates TV, Internet, and hands on activities. The goal of Sci Girls is to engage female students in STEM. The professional development was intended to give us background information about the program and how it can help girls with their understanding in Science and Math. During the professional development we were able to view resources and see examples of the hands on activities being done by real students. The activities were great in that they related our Science curriculum to real life. At the end of the professional development we were given all the resources that we viewed, which was my favorite part. So often we attend professional developments that try and sell us a product that is usually very expensive. I am really trying to incorporate this program into my school within the next year. I think it would be very well received by the population at our school. I never been a part of an after school program, so I am nervous about the logistics of setting up the meetings and finding a space. I do think because there are such great resources available at no cost it would a great program to start.