StudyBlue Flashcards

For my project, I decided to focus on the idea of flashcards for history students. It is hard for students to remember dates and names in history and no one really wants to sit down and cut up flashcards and then write on them.

Studyblue.com is a website that helps you make flashcards.


Here is what the website looks like:

The cool thing about this website is that it has more features than just flashcards.  It is really easy to use, I figured it out within minutes, and allows you to collaborate with classmates.  When you first enter the site, you have to register (it's free, don't worry!) and then you can add your classes.  Sometimes it will already have your classes on the site, making resources easier to access.  You can take notes on the site and then make flashcards with more than one side, allowing several definitions for one term.  You can look up people in your class and share notes with them, or even people in other classes. The flashcards part is the one that will help students learn dates and people better but it would also be good for them to work with each other online to share ideas that they might not have caught in class.

I have never used digital flashcards and this one seems really cool because it more resources than just the cards. It is something that I may very well use in my future classroom and introduce to my students.

Blog Post #10

• I have used technology to research different historical topics for papers and then also for fun.  Sometimes, it is fun to just type something into google and see what pops up and then study it.

• I have used facebook to talk to some of my classmates, and then also the Discussion Board on Blackboard.  Now, in this class, we use blogs, which I never thought I would do.

• In my classroom, I think I will help my students understand the importance of finding acceptable sources for research and I think it would be fun to have them research a historical person and create a blog for that person. I don't know all the details of such a project because I just thought of it, but I think it would be pretty cool to read everyone's blogs. I also found this new website that I will definitely require my students to use. It is the website I am going to use for my final project, so I won't spill the beans just yet.

• I have learned about different types of technology in this class. Getting on the computer is not my favorite thing in the world to do, so I usually just stick with what I know. I have learned about Blogs, PLN's (although I still don't really understand them, nor do I have the time to keep up with them), copyright laws, and much more that I simply can't think of right now.

• I really like the idea of searching blogs for teaching ideas and then also using it for a project for my students. I haven't really thought of details, and it is hard to take the time to look into it because my focus is on graduating, not planning lessons for a class, but I know I will make time in the future to research these and plan better.

Project #3

I haven't really identified a problem as of today.  I have ideas, like learning dates and places of historical events or learning vocab in an ESL class.  I think Smartboards would be useful because the students could do things themselves.  It would be helpful to draw a timeline on a Smartboard and then the next day, have the students put the events in the correct order on the Smartboard.  This can be done on a regular whiteboard or chalkboard, but it takes less time and effort if it is done on a Smartboard.  The same is true for vocabulary.  There could be pictures and words and the students would have to match up the two by themselves on the Smartboard.

A Smartboard would be useful because the work is saved on the computer and can be easily accessible with the click of a button instead of having to take classroom time to tape everything on the whiteboard.  The students are able to have more time to learn because it is less "setting up" time and they are able to interact which helps most people learn better.

I haven't decided if this would be my final decision but I know I will be working by myself and would only be doing this project for this class.

Internet Safety

When I think of helping my students be safe on the internet at school and at home, my first thought is to teach them about internet safety.  I would teach them some of the dangers about putting personal information online.  I understand that most of kids now already have Facebook pages and Myspaces, so I would help them understand the need to keep things private.

The school itself will most likely have blocked websites so that students don't view inappropriate things, so I would explain to them the importance of such things and hope they understand instead of always complaining about it.  I know some teachers have programs that allow them to connect all the computers to theirs, so they can see each student's screen.  This helps in computer classes, especially when students are working independently on the internet.   

I would also walk around the classroom, trying to be involved in what my students were doing.  If I felt one of my students was in danger, I would probably intervene due to a feeling of responsibility, but I would counsel with the parents and the principal to decide on the best method.

My Video...finally uploaded!

This is my video guys! It took me over an hour of trying to upload it because the internet was so slow.  I finally gave up and then got so busy over the weekend that I didn't think about posting it on my blog.  So here it is!  And...I was able to download it from Youtube, onto my computer, and then embed it into my blog!

My video on Youtube!!

Well, this was interesting! I have a video on Youtube! I have never even tried to put a video on there, simply because I didn't think I was "cool" enough or had anything good to post.  Well, it is now in the process of uploading...and taking forever I might add because the internet is really slow...but it should be done soon! My final decision was to do my video on Costa Rica, because I absolutely love that country and wanted to live there for a while. I didn't want to come back to the United States and was living in dreamland for a while. But now I know that it is next to impossible for me to live there, but it doesn't stop me from remembering how wonderful it was. Don't get me wrong, my experience there was not all up in the clouds. There were some things that I didn't like, but I still think it would be cool to live there.

I designed this project as something my students could do.  If I was teaching a state history, I would use this technique to help them express themselves and their love for a particular place in our city or state.  It would help them share experiences and each student would learn from others. I think it really helps to open up students' minds and create new perspectives on where they live.

So...I can't embed my video yet...but I will in a later post.  This one is just about my video.

Skyping with Chris

Before I knew this was the assignment we were supposed to do, I did it!  I had missed last class because I was in Dallas for my sister's wedding.  My boyfriend couldn't come with me, so we just talked on the phone for the first night that I was away.  The second day, I was feeling really down, so one of my sisters suggested I Skype him.  After cleaning everything up for the wedding, Chris and I skyped.  He was messing around with his computer and kept taking funny snapshots of me, so I wanted to get one of him too.  I had no idea what I was doing, but I took a photo of him on my step-mom's computer.  Unfortunately, since I didn't look at the assignment, I don't have the photo as proof, but I'm sure Gina could vouch for me. 

Anyways, Chris and I skyped for over an hour, till he had to take an online test.  The video was pretty clear, but kept freezing up...but that might also have been because we started playing a game, where one freezes to make the other think their computer froze, when really it didn't.  Silly, I know, but it made us both laugh.
I actually didn't like skyping simply because I felt it was torturous to see him but not be near him or hold his hand.  I don't think we will skype again unless we are apart for a longer period of time. 

I can see some benefits of using it in a classroom, but if I can't be in the classroom, there must be some reason for not having time...so I don't think I would have the time to be in live video.  Perhaps my students could use it if they are sick, to tune into the classroom and still get the same lecture and participate without infecting everyone else, but I see no other point to using it in the classroom.

Copyright

Sorry guys,

This is going to be a little short because I'm going out of town in a couple of hours and am too excited to really focus.  But before I watched our little video on copyrights, I knew you could only take a little bit, or a percentage of something.  In high school, my BCIS teacher taught us this, but I had forgotten about it till now.  In addition to being reminded about this, I learned that copyrights can enter the public domain but that it takes a long time to get there.  I thought this was interesting but am too impatient to wait for things to get there and then copy them, so I think I'll just stick to following the copyright rules.

Video for Class

This is just a sketch script that is subject to change.  My video will go along with Standard 2, Objective 3d of the Utah Core Standards for Education.

The movie will start with a zoomed in, blurry photo that is slowly moving into focus with epic, "astronaut" music.
The topic of BYU is introduced when the picture comes into focus.
There will be a collage of pictures/ scenes of BYU life, each focused on in turn with a story or a part of BYU history that contributes to the idea of "new pioneers" in Utah.  This history will be vocalized by me.
The video will then discuss opportunities to grow in the Utah community, that BYU has to offer and cultural events like football, dances and such.  It will end with this aspect of the cultural life and the final scene will be an overview of campus to the school song.

Like I said, this is just a sketch and as I start to make it, it will probably change.

Miss Winfree's Classroom

Hey everybody!

I have finally finished my website...or at least I think I have!  Feel free to take a look.  It's https://sites.google.com/site/historyjewels/home

Let me know what you think!

My PLN

I still feel like I don't know a whole lot about PLNs  but I am trying to make this work.  I usually don't get on a computer much except to research and write a paper and even then, I try to read a book.  Call me old fashioned, but either way, this stuff is all new to me.  I guess you could say I am like my grandpa (he is the one who inspired the sailboat background)...who has never touched, nor will touch a computer or a cell phone, or anything like it.  But since I am working on getting more comfortable with Google Reader, I figured I should continue to work with it and learn more about it by making it my Personal Learning Network.  I figured I could just keep searching for people to follow who share my interests in teaching and then as I follow them, just share what I have learned.  So here goes...the start of something never done before...at least by me.  I only hope it goes well...

Helpfullness

Hey guys!

Since I am a history teaching major, naturally, I would turn to helpful history websites.  One of them is:  http://teachinghistory.org/

This website has teaching methods, materials, and history content for all grades.

For my minor, TESOL, I found this blog about teaching English Language Learners that I think would be really helpful:  http://rong-chang.com/blogs/

And the last one is:  http://ushistoryeducatorblog.blogspot.com/

A blog for history teachers with links to other subjects.

Enjoy and good luck with all you do!

About Me

My name is Julie Winfree and I am from Lewisville, Texas (20 minutes from Dallas).  I come from a large family of eleven children and then four step-siblings.  I love being from Texas and having a large family, although not to the point where I will hang a Texas flag or have a large family myself.  I am majoring in History Teaching with a minor in TESOL K-12--Bilingual-Spanish.  I am a history nerd (yes, I admit it) and read biographies for fun.  This past summer I read books about the Mountain Meadows Massacre, a biography of Anne Boleyn, and am currently reading Queen Elizabeth's biography.  I also love to sing, dance and play sports, all of which I do when I am really stressed out.  I love to work hard and have been working with my hands since I was six-years-old.  I currently work in the Cougareat as a Student Manager and Lead Crew Supervisor over Freschetta.  I tell everyone this is the best job in the Cougareat, but I believe that a job is what you make it--if you want it to be fun, it will be; if its just a job to you, then it won't be as great.

I am new to blogging and don't completely understand all of the benefits of using one, but I am excited to learn and experiment with this one.  I think it is a good way to share one another's thoughts about the class and to get help on assignments.  We can help each other with feedback on projects and also collaborate ideas.  Since this is a technology class, it is good to experiment and learn to use different types of technology to get a better feel of what is in the world.