Autobiography Video

I enjoyed making this video. My favorite part was choosing which songs and photos to use and where. It was relatively easy to make but there was a few glitches that I had to fix such as the addition of titles inside the video. In the classroom I would have students do a similar project about different topics depending on the subject matter. For psychology I would have students use the Window’s Movie Maker to present a research project of their choice. I think that most students would replicate famous experiments such as Pavlov’s dog experiment, Skinner’s box, or even E.J. Gibson and R.D. Walk’s visual cliff. They would be required to narrate each step of the experiment providing recorded clips or pictures of their work. If I would change anything it would be posting the finished product. I was a bit confused about how to go about posting the video.

Reflection #3

The GAME Plan: Learning New Software (p.34)

· G (Set Goals):

o My goal would be to learn how to make an attendance log using Microsoft Access for after school activities, clubs, etc. This would keep track of which students attended what activity and on what day.

· A (Take Action):

o I would search the internet for examples of attendance logs. This would give me an idea of how I would want my ending product to look.

o I would also use the internet for basic instructions on how to use databases in different ways (i.e. how to manipulate designs, using multiple databases, etc.).

o I would asking acquaintances or co-workers if they have used the program previously for any tips they would have on how to work with databases or if they have worked on any similar projects using Access.

o If necessary I would use the help of a template.

· M (Monitor):

o I think based on my take actions plan that I could complete my goals. I would have an image in mind of what I want the finished product to be. Since Access is a very popular program it is likely that others have posted sites to help build a project such as attendance logs. Other teachers may have encountered and solved problems previously that they could give me advice on.

o This is building on information and knowledge that I already know but also I think that by getting other perspectives I can learn more about the program and incorporate it into my project.

· E (Evaluate):

o I feel that I would have been successful in meeting my goals. Building on my basic knowledge of what Access could do, I know that I could learn how to make attendance logs for each club or activity as well as cross-reference students in multiple activities.

Autobiography

My name is Alisha Jasmine Graham. I’m originally from New Orleans, Louisiana but for the last few years Houston, Texas has been my home. My family and I made the move after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005. My major is Psychology with a minor in Professional Education. My long-term goals are to go to graduate school and pursue my masters in both Psychology and Counseling. On that track, my career aspirations are to become either a mental health or marriage and family counselor. Another goal is to teach community college courses in Psychology. Three words I would use to describe myself are loyal, open-minded, and determined. I believe that to get through life people need a steady support net. Loyalty is something I value in both my family and friends and I feel that it’s something needed to build strong relationships. Strong relationships are needed to build a solid support net. Being a Psychology major I feel that it is extremely important to be open-minded to new ideas, research, emotions, and most importantly, people. I believe that determination and hard work is key to reach my goals. Both my parents are from New Orleans. My mother name is Lynell Mott-Graham and my father’s name is Percy Arthur Graham III. I feel that both my parents have been a tremendous influence in my life. My mother has taught me that I can have anything I want in life with hard work and will power where as my father reminds me not to overlook the little things in life. My main motivation to achieve my goals is that I want to leave my mark in the world. I want to influence someone to as others have influence me.

Reflection #2

Technology is ever changing. New productions are altering the availability of technology in the classroom, allowing students to utilize it as a learning tool. For instance, teachers are now hosting classes online, so there is no need to meet in a classroom. To contact said teachers, student can use emails, Skype, and even social network sites such as Facebook.

An activity incorporating three of the six standards of NETS (National Education Technology Standards) is something I would like to call Friends without Borders. Students would be required to have a pen pal, appointed by the teacher, in a cooperating school in another state. After being in contact with their partner pen pal, students would next be required to compose a research paper. The paper would need to include information about the state in which their pen pal resides. It would cover basic information such as state capitol, cost of living, and population size but also, on a more related note to the student’s pen pal, what life as a student is like in that state. Lastly, the student would be required to present a visual project to his/her class explaining their production of the project from beginning to end.

The first standard that this activity meets is 2(d) Communication and Collaboration: contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems. Each student would be collaborating with another student, forming a team of two, to gain knowledge of life as a student in another state and then to create a presentation of their findings. Secondly, I targeted standard was 3 (c) Research and Information Fluency: evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks. Students would use digital tools such as internet sources and databases to gather information to complete the research paper. The last standard targeted is 1 (b) Creativity and Innovation: create original works as a means of personal or group expression. This is where students create a digital presentation to present both their findings from the research and what they learned from their pen pal.