Blog 15

When I reflect on EDU 422, I sit in awe: All the work that we did was long, time consuming, and constant, yet I wouldn’t have it any other way. All the assignments, readings, and presentations all contribute to being successful in the educational profession. The material covered made teaching much more interesting, valuable, and effective. For example, I found the Spreadsheet assignment as a clever, organized, and highly useful tool to keep track of student’s grades and progress. I know I will definitely use this concept in the classroom. In addition, I loved the idea of making a website for the students to be able to use technology and be on task. When I made the web page the “Golden State”, I was able to use different concepts to make the student’s learning process varied, interesting, and fun. I think this would be a great opportunity for students to also form their own pages and be able to be creative, use technology, work on social skills, etc. I also highly enjoyed the program Inspiration. This program I will use on my students to help them understand the basic steps of the writing process. It’s important to teach students ways to organize ideas, and to see the direction their paper will be going and to see if everything connects with the main idea. I found everything to be very valuable, and I am going to take everything I learn and apply it to my classroom. This will incorporate technology to the students and gives variation in lesson plans and useful techniques. I’m so excited to use this information learned that I showed my father, who is a principal, the assignments and materials we covered in class. He was so impressed that he wishes that I show his teachers in hopes they can learn the qualities I was able to obtain in EDU 422.

Blog 13/14

After working on the video through IMovie, I realized how creative a person can be using digital media. I was able to add a butterfly coming out of a cocoon, scenes that my partners and i were unable to film. It was fun adding special effects and music, giving my video much more a uniqueness.I found this project to be very personalized, because although my partners and i all had the same footage, we were each able to edit the movie as we pleased. I think having the opportunity to make our video gives you the option to be creative, professional, and organized with the material you wish to present. This would be an ideal project for students to be included to do.

In the article "Splicing Video in the Writing Process", 5th grade students were given the task to create a video on the Civil War. Students were to create a movies through the writing process and explore the power of digital video in a project that ties content, writing skills, and technology. Having the students create a video gives them the opportunity to encounter new technology directly with curriculum and increase the student's capacity to communicate in digital age. The creation of a video inspires to students to be project content and process driven, use technology as a tool which helps students to become literate in multimedia, digital age. The students are given steps to follow for their projects, and are assigned tasks that capitalize their strengths. The steps involve scripting, a process of creating a digital video that meshes with the writing process. After all the work in done and the videos are finished, the students are not only proud of their work, but excited to present to the whole class their final project. The idea of involving media with content incorporates many angles that benefit the students and makes the experience fun and exciting.






NO BLOG 12 :)

Blog 11

During the imovie project, my group members and I drafted many ideas as to what out topic would be. At first, we had decided on teaching about electricity. For original concept was that we would dress like scientists and use batteries, wires, and a light bulb. The idea was suggested by Nicole, but Beth and I were unsure as to how we would explain the concept since it involved more depth of explanation. In addition, we couldn’t decide on the tools. So to sole our problem, I suggested we do metamorphosis. I found this topic to be extremely easy since I had previously done that topic in my art class. I had made puppets that were a caterpillar and butterfly. Beth and Nicole liked the idea so we went with it. Using a storyboard was highly effective because we were able to be organized and be able to decide the details. Storyboards are an easy way to think out the procedure to make the setting, duties, etc much more smoother to tape the story. I think the total time we spent filming was half an hour. Deciding what topic to do took longer than the actual filming process.

Blog 10

After reading the article, the material focused on the Digital Divide. The purpose to explain the Digital Divide is to acknowledge the differences in access to and equality of technology experience based on categories such as income, race, gender, location, or education. As an educator, it is important to consider these categories so we can improve the interaction students have with technology. Some students may only experience technology when only at school. But if computers are offered only during school hours, how may students be able to use technology? It is the duty of the teacher to provide interaction of technology through programs with the material so students may all have a chance to use the computers. This conflicts with the idea of quantity vs quality. Although some students have the quality of equal opportunity to technology, it doesn't mean each student has the quantity amount of time spent on the computer. Teachers are responsible for the influence of technology present in the student's life and the skills and knowledge influence the student's achievement as much as the student's categories. In order to improve the student's achievement, it is important to be aware of the use of technology on how we use it to assist ALL students. I really found this article meaningful because i grew up with many of my friends who had no means of technology, and as an educator, i have to be aware that not all my students will have equal resources.

After this week, I really enjoyed Wiki. I found it very convenient and easy. i think it will be very beneficial in the classroom and will be a good source to involve students with technology.I especially enjoyed the capability of easily managing and editing work with group members. The features allow you to customize colors, fonts, and pictures. In addition, the history allows you as an educator to see who has posted, edited, and/ or contributed to the work. This makes grading fair for those who worked hard and for those who slacked off. Wiki gives the opportunity for students to be original and create their own ideas by using the guidelines given by the teacher. The work has been divided into parts for each group member to do. I am doing the Web links along with editing all the other things. I also have added information to policies. I think it is coming together fine, especially given the fact that we all have different schedules and some have started their parts sooner than others. This activity is a very affective way to personalize and manage the internet at your pace. In addition, you control the amount of information and what is posted. I think this will highly benefit us as educators.

Blog 9

Overall, the midterms was a mixture of the material learned. It was very interesting taking the test because it was unexpected what exactly would be on the test, and after taking it, i was able to determine how much information i know. It was satisfying to know that i grasp the material, especially since i will be using it as a teacher. I think all the material on the test was fair game, given the fact that we were told all that we learned would be on the test. I struggled with minor details, but all in all i felt confident and proud that i knew so much given the fact that it was such a wide range of information tested. The way the test was formatted was different than normal tests and was a mixture. It was a good example for us to take in consideration on how to test our students. It gives the students the ability to use technology and to respond without their own answers, rather than a multiple choice test.

Blog 8

After reading the article ‘Creating Valuable Class Web Sites’, Elizabeth Baker discusses three methods that benefit teachers who want to make class websites. If teachers are tentative about the internet and struggle with computers, method one ( Website Providers) is recommended. It gives two ways one can build a website either through a free websites or ones to be a member. This technique makes it easy to make a website quickly. The second method is called Blog, Groups, and Wikis is recommended for users who are comfortable with technology yet have little time to learn. It gives you flexibility, online discussions, and literacy abilities. In addition, it lets you sign up for RSS, a system that notifies of changes on your site through an email notification. In method three, Be Your Own Developer, a variety of software options are available to make it easier to learn how to make a website and generates a site with a simple appearance. Overall, developing your own website requires you to learn, especially since technology is important in the classroom. Giving students the opportunity to use the internet based on a website you produce seems very interesting and beneficial. It is a great opportunity to involve technology and variation in teaching techniques.

Blog 7

World Wide Web: After reading each individual article, the inspiration of using technology and the internet is highly evident how necessary these tools are in the education process. In the first article, the various forms of web databases are discussed. This concept is highly useful for it benefits both students and educators. Educators can organize what topic is to be researched and using databases, plan out how students will investigate information. For example, if given the students the topics of the different biomes, students can use database to find comparisons between the subjects on how related or opposite they are. This facilitates the learning process because students are able to investigate research based on their own findings that are guided by the educator. This process is much more organized form of handling class assignments. Technology can reduce the difficulties of assignments. The second article discussed is the constant changes of technology in the world and the skills needed in daily life. It is important to incorporate both the skills of technology and the everyday skills that are needed. It is a challenge to apply both, but students need to learn at an early age the ability to manage technology and skill such as compute, communicate, conclude, confirm, etc.Technology used such as database is highly needed in order to teach students valuable lessons of organization and interdependency of searching information. It is applicable for all ages since database is an easy concept to understand. There are two parts if database: the records are the topics or names in the research and the fields are the information about that topic and/or name. The third part of the article is about the program called Clarisworks.It is a program that after creating database, you can search specific topics. After using InspireData, this program sounds to resemble to Clarisworks where it is easy and explanations to use the program. Basically, all three articles are about the importance of database and incorporating the use in classrooms. It benefits both students and teachers, making the learning process easier and organized. It allows students to research and investigate in detail, and teachers are able to control the topic and fields for students to find. I will definitely use the idea of database in the classroom in the future.

Blog 6

After reading the information about Bloom's taxonomy, i found taxonomy to be very useful for future teachers.Bloom developed a classification of levels of intellectual behavior that is essential for learning. Bloom concluded the 95% of test questions that students encountered required them to recall information. The information included the recognition or recall of patterns, facts, and concepts that contribute in the development of intellectual abilities and skills. Bloom made six categories that are Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation. These six categories are learning objectives that educators set up for students. By mastering these categories, i found it very useful information to know. This will make the teaching process much meaningful because i will able to know what to expect when requiring students to learn and recall information. It is useful teaching tool, especially with determining which student is struggling with learning. It gives different techniques to approach the student in the level he or she grasps information. By helping students retain information by identifying their strengths and weakness, it will motivate students to find information interesting and useful, and overall, understand the material, not just memorize and forget.

Blog 5

The article of Mapping Student Minds introduced the importance of science and technology. In the classroom, students were using the mapping tool called Web-based Inquiry Science Environment (WISE). This program was used in the sixth grade classroom at Foothill Middle School, where students were given the opportunity to do research and gain a learning experience through the use of database tools. Students were in groups and would gather data from a nearby creek. With the information, they would give it to a "data master", where the information was then put into excel and organized into a Palm Pilot Data form. Then, that information was put into WISE, where the online data base that gave results that they could not do in person. This gave students to continue their field trip and science experiment without halting their project or coming to a conclusion. WISE was a wonderful opportunity to teach students the ability to use technology at the same time, learning important subject matter of science.The program also gave students the ability to create useful maps to organize their data,creating the knowledge of looking for cause and effect relationships through material found and observed. I really enjoyed this article because i thought it was great how the teacher was able to incorporate both important factors, science and technology, in the classroom. It was able to make the experiement fun, easy, organized, and meaningful. I think this would be a great opportunity for schools who have low funding, and cannot have field trips, etc. Students should be able to learn information through various forms, and if not given the opportunity to step outside the classroom, the option of simulating the experience through technology makes up for the loss to a certain extent.

Blog 4

After reading the article "Teaching Students to Use the Internet as a Research Tool", I was left in a pensive mood. I thought about how much of an impact technology has on students to help guide them on learning the foundation of skills that will later benefit them their educational career. For example, in my private high school, it was a requirement that for each class when given a research assignment or essay, the teacher had to take the class to the computer lab and show us the proper web sites and tools for our papers. After the computer presentation, we were then taken to the library to be shown how to do the same research but with documents, articles, and books. When given the time to work individually on the assignment, many of the students, myself included, went to the computers to do our research. Looking back, you would think it would have been easier to just walk over and find a book to research, but no. It is and was much easier to simply search though reliable links to find information. In addition, it was much easier to write the paper and do the proper citing, that to this day, has benefited me as a college student. From this memory, the article proved to me as with my experience, that technology research is imperative for students to know. It is highly important for students to know which websites are reliable and which are not. It is a necessity to educate students the basic foundation of researching, since in the article, many students are not properly educated how to search properly on the web. As a future teacher, it must be a priority to give students the information on how to go to basic search engines or to even check the ending suffix to see if its a credible source. This article opened my eyes as to realizing that it is important for me to explain to students every detail of looking at authors, addresses, dates, origin, source,etc. so it may give students the basic foundation of proper scholarly writing. By doing so, it will save me and future teachers the problem of originality and plagiarisms, and give students the lifelong tools to being excellent writers and online researchers.



After doing and learning the Excel program, i was completely pumped to use it as a teacher. The benefit of learning how to be organized and on top of all the students' individual scores. It made everything seem so much easier, quicker, and professional. I was so amazed by this program, that i even went home and showed my dad, who is a principal in L.A. I told him how he could teach his teachers how to use it so it could benefit them as a school. He too loved the idea! Thanks professor!

Blog 3

After reading the article, i was very impressed on how much effect technology has on students. Before, i thought the computer was a way to give the students something to do, an easy activity for both the teacher and students. After reading, my perspective changed. Last year, i worked in a Kindergarten classroom, where as part of a 'center' was to be on the computer and chose a program to do. Many of the students who used it were ones who had Spanish as a second language. The program they did helped them learn basic words and concepts by having them choose the appropriate picture. This experience was further enforced by this article, because it is a prime example of the many benefits technology has on students. The student was able to teach him/herself through problem solving and being independant." Problem solving required students to do more than memorizing facts...[it] manipulates geometric constructions and test conjectures,then revise their strategy and refine their own understanding (pg. 9)." This new way of problem solving is much more efficient because it keeps the student active and engaged. My experience and the article further reassured the idea that technology is a huge contributor to the learning process. It gives the student and teacher opportunities to both benefit.

R.W.K.

Rikki Wemega-Kwawu
I loved his colors and his ability to use abstracts. He uses pictoral and abstract themes, that draw the viewer to gaze and use his or her own imagination. He has no restrictions and to me, his work is inspiration becasue he has no professional schooling and is self taught. His work is complex and very detailed. The details represent African decor and i love the titles he has for each...because you are able to focus on the title which takes you to emotion or idea he wishes to portray.

K.A.

Kwardo Ari
When i saw this artist at, i was very touched bby his inspiration to paint. his childlike paintings are made to expose his attitude and views about society. he chooses to paint child like, especially since his name Ari means eyes. His name causes him to portray the world around as big,well aware eyes yet sincerity and the honesty of a young child. His inspiration to paint is also to promote and teach about socail injustice and abuse of power, while also showing small gestures can lead towards love. I love the colors of his painting and the childlike drawing.

J.C.

james Cudjoe
This artist is from Ghana, and paints to depict important memories he in visions while growing up. His use of bright colors exposes a bold vibe of the busy rushed life in an urban area. My two favorite pieces he made were done to pay homage to his hometown and mother. 'Human Life' has a busy life of a city, depicting the difficulties of surviving day to day from the profits at market. Just as in 'market Woman', J.C. paints to pay homage to his mother, who would everyday go to market to sell things in order to pay for his schooling. His painting captures the feelings of happiness and excitement after being successful at the market. If it had not been for his mother, J.C. would have never had such inspiration to paint such beauties.

K.N.

kobinu Nayarko
He painted a colorful and eye poping picture of fishmolded together in a wave motion. This painting stood out to me, simply for the fact that the artist loves to paint elements of the coastal area. This native who was raised by the coast, loves to depict the ocean and all the characteristics the coast symbolize in his village: source of food, wealth, adeventure, moral sancution, serenity, life, and inspiration. In Workshop II, K.N. uses the fish to represent recognition of the natural wonders of subaquatic world as expressions of divinity. I love the colors and how abstract the fish are positioned.

Balboa Park & Muesum of Man: Part II

On Sunday, my mom came down to visit me, and in order to enjoy our time together, i planned for the day to go down to the Healing Festival at Balboa Park. She had never been there before and i thought it would be really cool to show her around S.D. The previous times that i have gone to Balboa Park, it strongly reminded me of this similar park in Mexico City, where my mom used to take me, Chapultepec. It has a castle from the era when Napoleon invaded Mexico City. The castle is well kept and is surrounded by nature, as are the museums at Balboa Park. The museums here have a gorgeous exterior, which in my mind remind me of that park. Haha...so anyhow back to the story (lol).The Festival was really interesting because their was a bunch of booths set up with a bunch of organic and healthy foods and techniques on how to live a more 'earthly way' of living. The vibes i got there reminded me almost of a hippie manner of living life, just like they live in San Fransisco. My brother goes to Berkley and every time i go up there, i feel like everyone lives life like that since residents there are more liberal and take extreme measures to support their values. At the festival, the sounds of a children's drum circle could be heard while visitors stood in line for complementary messages and yoga lessons. Food was being sold, which again was all organic or ethnically versatile. After eating a veggie hot dog and grubbing on kettle corn, we sat by the stage to hear various artists and singers perform while along the side, gypsy-like girls danced passionately and fluently with hula hoops. Children and other girls joined in, looking like a bunch of Greek myth nymphs dancing and frolicking around in the outdoors. As the day got later, the vibe of the festival slowly converted to a reggae one, where a bunch of guys had dreadlocks and the sound of Rastafarian music took place. It was a very interesting experience that was concluded with a quick visit to the Museum of Man for my earth science class. While i was there, the museum had an exhibition with various art exhibitions. The idea of killing two birds with one stone was genius, having completed two tasks for two classes with one visit. Yes! =D

Balboa Park: Part I

On Saturday, i went to Balboa Park to support the walk/ event for the issue of Tibet and Dafur. It was a very intense presentation that began with a walk and concluded with survivors who shared their experiences. Along with their moving and eye-opening words, a performance was given by traditional Mexican natives who danced ancient rituals. Their dance was a symbol of unity and peace, hoping to unite all with insence, feathers, and images of the Virgin Mary. While all this took place, along the side of the center stage area, there was various tables that contained information about the situation in Tibet and the inhuman tragedties that are occuring there. There was a blanket open to the public to sign, it was white and symbolized the unity of all races and cultures who stand together to protest and stop the inhuman crulety.This event was very inspirational because i found it very moving...and found it very disturbing how no solution has been made to stop the injustice from continuing. There was one speaker who was a former Lost Boy from Darfur...his speech brought tears to my eyes as he describe the violence, starvation, devestation occuring...and his plea for all to remember this problem and to act fast to stop or do something about it! No pictures could be taken of him because he had familuy still in Darfur and if he was discovered talking about it, his family would be killed. Its times like this when you realize how fortunate you are and how the idea of others sufuriing for a pointless war is disgusting and how yet it still goes on....and how we HAVE to DO something.

D.R.

Diego Rivera
Married to Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera was a world-famous Mexican artist. He exposed the social class of Mexico, in all its beauty and everyday life. He uses vibrant colors and details to each piece to expose the harsh reality and often offensive. His artwork inspires me for many reasons. The first is that i grew up with my parents loving his art. They hung alot of his pieces up in our house, and from there is where i first came in counter with him. The second is that he paints as if he were a voice for the people. he shows the beauty in the simplicity of standing in a custom dress or children breaking a pinata. He exposes his work to give value to the social class that is seen in Mexico as inferior. He encourages people to stand up against themselves, espcialy against the injustice and neglect by the authorities and division of social class.In addition, he captures the regular activities of the Mexican culture, which provokes familiar and warm memories for myself.

FK.

Frida Kahlo
By far, my favorite artist is Frida Kahlo. She is an artist I am fasinated by her akward and often disturbing pieces of art.She painted using vibrant colors in a style that was influenced by indigenous cultures of Mexico as well as by European influences that include Realism, Symbolism, and Surrealism. Many of her works are self-portraits that express her own pain symbolically and her sexuality. After reading her biography and even visiting her house in Mexico City, i found it very admirable that after being severly hurt by a tragic bus accident, she still managed to paint and create beautiful work on her bed. She never gave up or stopped painting even when her marriage was failing and her health deteiorating. One of her art pieces connects with the idea of mother earth. It is my favorite painting, although i have no idea as to why or how i am so attracted to it. I love the colors and especially the fact that she respects and cherishes or earth. I admire Frida Kahlo because she is a strong, independant woman woh exposed beauty by any means and the meaning of life.







Ron Arad
How would you like a wavelike chair? Well, graphic designer Ron Arad would be able to design it for you. He is one big package,industrial designer, artist and architect. His work in which i was particularly intrigued by was his furniture he made. I loved his unique and complicated designs for what it seems as a heap of metal, is in fact a chair. Such detail is put into his work that it is indeed so beautiful you kinda dont want to sit on it. A silver metal chair is shaped like a curve and is long enough for one to lounge on. I ask myself would i rather buy it to appreciate as art or use as a really cool chair? I love interesting looking furniture and his type of design is right up my alley. The designs range from simple shapes to cut in circles as base. I was able to appreciate his work because i found it very amazing as to how one person can not only design such a piece, but be able to physically construct it. When i get my own place hopefully i can get some pretty cool stuff that can be or resemble his work.

LACMA & P.P.

Over the weekend, I went to LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) were i encountered various types of art pieces from ancient European to temporary art. It was very interesting observing the variation of the wide range of paintings. I especially enjoyed the section of the museum that contained art work from Pablo Picasso. I was quite aware of who he was and his type of pieces he made, but i had never stopped to notice the details of his work. What stood at the most in my head was the way he painted figures that resembled a human face but was awkwardly distorted. The physical features of the face were placed in opposite areas of the face and shapes and lines were exaggerated.I couldn't believe someone could come up with this! I couldn't help to wonder if he was either on something or was 'out-there' while producing his art pieces.All the while, his work is very colorful and expressive, exposing the beauty of humans in whatever form or shape.His work is abstract, allowing the viewer to make of his art as he/she choose to. I interpreted his work as a form of comedy and expression, allowing us to see every person as a perfectly imperfect person and that we are all alike with no definition of the norm or awkward. After leaving the museum, his works of art, those especially of humans, stood in my head and contributed to stepping out of the box when observing things.

my book is all not in order! sorry i suck at uploading.

my book so far