Craig

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= Welcome to Craig's Page! =

J une 9, 2011
**For this semester, the topics I wish to focus on for my interactive media projects are the parts of speech and grammar. I think that it is important for students to know the parts of speech and the use of proper grammar. With a mastery of the basic rules of language, students equip themselves with the power to communicate effectively in writing and in speech. Traditional methods of teaching the parts of speech and grammar can be tedious for both teachers and students, so I would like to learn about interactive and multimedia tools which will help my students learn important skills in a fun and engaging manner.**

**June 23, 2011**

 * For my ID plan, I had originally planned to use it for teaching a lesson in grammar or parts of speech. After thinking about it, I don’t think that the use of wikis really fits with teaching these two subjects. **


 * As a result, I have changed my mind. I am going to have my students use wikis in one of my writing units. **


 * In seventh grade English in Fairfax County, students are required to write different types of essays (narrative, expository, persuasive, etc…). The students are required to take the essay through all of the steps of the writing process, and they are assessed on the 6 traits of good writing. For the expository requirement, I have always had my students write “how to” papers. They write about a process and explain, with detail, how to complete the process. For example, students may write about: **


 * How to……… **
 * Change a flat tire **
 * Write an essay **
 * Make an apple pie **
 * Wash a car **
 * Etc…… **


 * For this ID plan, I was thinking that I should take this lesson, which was designed for individuals to complete with the aid of classmates as editors and proofreaders, and add the use of a wiki as a collaboration tool for the students. Each student could post each part of his/her paper on the wiki. Group members could then edit, proofread, and make suggestions for adding to and taking away from the writing. And this could be done for each step of the writing process. As I had stated in Ellen’s discussion (on her page), each part of the writing process could have its own wiki page. **


 * Wiki Page one: Brainstorming **
 * Each student would brainstorm topics, ideas, and anything they could think of on this page. This page does not need to be organized. It is simply a place to get ideas flowing and to get the writer writing. Group members could offer their suggestions on the wiki page. **


 * Wiki Page two: Outlining **
 * Each student will take the information they want from the brainstorming page and organize it in an outline on this page. The group will work together to offer suggestions on proper order and overall organization of the writing. **


 * Wiki Page three: Drafting **
 * Each student will take his/her outline and produce a rough draft. Each group member will contribute to the writing and editing of the rough draft by offering suggestions. **


 * Wiki Page four: Final Copy **
 * Each student will post a final copy of the “how-to” paper. On this page, group members will read and do a final proofread of the paper before it is published. **


 * Along with the wiki part of the assignment, students will be provided will visit a website to gain access to links which will provide them with information on informational writing, editing, drafting, assessment, rubrics, etc…. **

**I am not sure what format the final "how-to" should be presented in. I could be a PowerPoint presentation, a word document, or a podcast. Or it could even be a video podcast with audio and visuals to help the audience understand the process being described in the "how to" paper.**


 * Any input you have for me is appreciated! **

**July 1, 2011**
**I developed a crossword puzzle for my students to review figurative language terms. The students would need to identify the figurative language term based upon the example I give them. So, instead of simply knowing the definition of the term, the students actually have to be able to identify an example of that term.**

**I think that crosswords and other games can be useful learning tools which help students interact with content.**

**Click on the link below to access the crossword puzzle:**



**July 8, 2011**
**The following video is the result of one of our conference assignments. With some further editing, this video can be used for my expository writing course project.**

media type="file" key="proofreadingmarks_0001.wmv" width="300" height="300"

**July 8, 2011**
**Pending further review, this will be the ID plan which I will be submitting.**



**Podcast**
media type="custom" key="9966371"
 * In the following podcast, I discuss my views on the use of podcasts in Education. **

**For me, the process of making a podcast is tedious. It doesn't take overly long, however, I don' think the work is worth the product. I think it is just a personal learning style thing with me. When I learn, I really like to have written material in front of me that I can read, underline, highlight, take notes on, etc... I also asked several of my teacher friends this question: "If you knew you were going to be tested on the information from a 20 minute lecture, would you rather have the written transcript of the lecture given to you, or would you rather have a podcast copy?" Not a single person said they would take the podcast. I think that is telling. I think that podcasts definitely have their place in education, however, as a tool for information delivery, I think it is inferior to the written word.**

**Screencast**

 * The following [|screencast] was made with Jing. **

**I have used Jing quite a big in the past, both in the classroom and for my fellow teachers.** **In the classroom, I used Jing to give students tutorials on the creation of video podcasts, PowerPoint presentations, and the use of different types of software.** **For the most part, though, I use Jing to create mini-tutorials for teachers in my school. At my school, I am part of the "Technology Vanguard" team, which was created to help keep teachers trained in the use of technology and to help them integrate technology into their classrooms. For some teachers, the best way to help them with a technology problem is to simply "show them." If you can't be in the room with them to show them, the next-best thing is to create a Jing tutorial they can view on their own.** **I find Jing to be very useful and user-friendly. It is very limited in its capabilities, but for a free product, it is pretty good.**

**Interview- July 27, 2011**
media type="custom" key="10078635"
 * The following interview was a joint project completed by Ellen and Craig, in which Ellen interviews John Dewey. **

**Wallwisher- July 29, 2011**
**I just wanted to give this a shot....** []

** August 4, 2011 **
**Here is the link to my Multimedia Project for EDTC650. It is still under construction, and I appreciate any feedback you may have regarding it.** []