Digital Storytelling

I would use digital storytelling in my classroom as a fun interactive way to encourage my students to develop technology skills. The storytelling process prompts focusing on various subject matters, such as writing and creativity in Language Arts. I am presently a student-teacher at an Adaptive Education transitioning public school. Most of my students are autistic or are students with autistic tendencies. This concept at the simplest level would allow students who are unable to read or communicate verbally, to participate in a wide variety of digital storytelling venues.
Voice thread would help my students with verbal organizing skills to comment on any slide in the voice thread. Voice threads might be described as interactive media albums; basically they are online slide shows of images, videos, and documents that allow viewers to comment. They can be used for collaborative projects at all educational levels. Slideshare and slidecast also prompt participation, and online involvement by engaging students in a variety of activities.
As I develop my unit plan, I can foresee my students pooling their resources, to create their slideshare video projects of the knowledge they gain.

Effects Of Climate Change

Effects Of Climate Change

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Internet Resources

I envision using a variety of Internet resources in my unit plan to help students easily access information that is relative to the topic they are learning. Technology is becoming so ordinary; students of all ages in all grades can integrate information in collaborative online projects. Some ideas include discussions, video presentations, and website creation that help stimulate interest for students. A website that I have viewed and would like to use is called The National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Photo Library has more than 10,000 new images of recent global changes that have affected land and sea levels. Using this website would allow my students to see the actual effects of climate changes on earth.

Another resourceful website that is most appealing is called Awesome Library. This website would allow my students to access information for different school subjects, it is easy to read and maneuver through. The website offers news, multimedia, and papers for all multiple subjects of interest and is appropriate for all ages. The site also includes resources for teachers, including special education teachers.

Classroom Blogging

I imagine blogging will be a fun interactive resource for the learning environment. The technology available today is international, and allows students to learn from all different cultures. Blogging is a great motivational interactive strategy that can be easily applied by all teachers, for all grade levels. This particular method of teaching is very efficient and cost effective as well, not much paper is needed. Furthermore, blogging can be a practical tool that helps with time management because it is readily available. I plan to monitor blogging, but I would like to allow the students to participate and have an input on the options of designing their own blogs for creative development. David Warlick's interesting website reflects on the positive learning aspects of blogging. One of the blogs, entitled Bloggers Who Help you Teach, has educational links to multiple teaching techniques thant can be easily accessed and utilized.

Why is Climate Change in our environment important?

In this unit students will reflect on the effect of climate change on the environment, and how it affects our lives, such as our community, and plantlife. As students discover the problems in the environment we live in, the need for inquiry and project based learning will be essential in the following questions presented to them such as, “what are the side effects of a polluted environment on plant life and vegetation”. These questions will give the students a direction to take when applying problem-solving. Project-based learning will allow the teachers to motivate students to engage in their own learning experiences. Students can work together, and evaluate results. Both strategies can help the students learn about the problems of climate change, and solutions that can contribute to a healthier environment.