Play To Learn

Raw Foods Blog - Follow me!

2011-11-04T17:09:00.001-07:00

http://fortunateo.blogspot.com/

Blog Link - Garage Band Photos

2011-10-22T18:16:00.001-07:00

This is really interesting!

Enjoy!

Click This Garage Band Lesson

http://www.educatorstudio.com/lessons/teaching-teamwork-garageband-photo-podcasting

Blog Link - Wordle

2011-10-22T18:13:00.000-07:00

Hello Everybody,

This a link to a lesson plan about using Wordle in distance learning. Enjoy!

Learn Wordle

http://www.educatorstudio.com/lessons/adult-distance-learning-new-web-20-tool-wordle

RILS Publication

2011-10-21T19:56:00.000-07:00

PE5 - Google Docs

2011-10-15T10:11:00.000-07:00

Okay… I have finished thatthe essentials learning video for Google docs on Lynda.com that was veryinformative and long. I think that videois most useful as a reference tool. Iwas able to view every readily available feature in Google docs, but unfortunately I didn’tget a certificate. I sent out my first email with the first survey, with a fewhurdles relative to sending out mass electronic emails. Apparently school emails do not like massemails due to possible virus complication.

The staff at my school ishappy to participate in the survey with Google docs because they are good people that like me. The application is allabout form with very little fun, but the ease of collecting a variety of forms is impressive and easy. Theoperation helps with collaboration, but the operating system lackscreativity. The user interface is veryclinical. There are thousands of ways to organize the files and to search for thefiles collaboratively. I think thatworking with children, for children, because of children and like a child isfar more motivating for me than just talking about what we should do. This assignment is the first assignment thatfeels like work instead of an intriguing challenge.

I think that this is howpeople feel when they are not using a Mac successfully. People have offered to engage in my relevantinnovative learning scenario (RILS) but they are not enthusiastic aboutparticipating. I made a valiant effort to create something relevant learningscenario, but I missed the innovative portion. Perhaps this is why Steve Jobswas the way he was, just to keep life fun and intriguing. I am lost, like most educators on how to motivate people to engage in my idea, where as a therapist I able to incorporate other ideas. Perhaps I can enlist the technology staff to assist me in my RILS so that this idea can gain steam. **pictures from Google stock photos.

PE 4- Google Docs

2011-10-14T17:12:00.000-07:00

I am choosing to work withGoogle Docs as a mini action research project. I am watching Lynda.com Google Docs Essential Training to learn moreabout the process of using this web 2.0. There are collaboration tools fordocuments, spreadsheets, presentations, drawing, and forms. The forms have surveys that can importdirectly into a spreadsheet, which is the application I plan to use the most.

Google Docs can organize intofolders, creation times, and variable search options with preview that helpfinding what you are looking for once your docs get busy. If you want to search for a phrase put thephrase in “quotation marks.” You can also create collections for variousprojects.

You can convert documents toand from Microsoft office, but I am going to put together a survey. I found out that once you are finishedwriting your survey, it automatically converts the questions into a worksheetfor you. I recommend putting a theme onyour survey to make the process visually interesting.

The challenge withdistributing the survey is that my school email will not allow the multiple addresses. The technical advisor in my school offered topost it on the intranet for me, but this limits how I will be able to addressdifferent schools within New Hampshire.

I have completed the videoand spent most of the day paving the way for my surveys with my administrators. There was a great discussion with thetechnology person in my school about the complications there are with syncing items.Wish me luck!

PE3 - iMovie

2011-10-07T21:22:00.000-07:00

C’est fini! Yes, my iMovie is complete thanks to the razzle-dazzle of Angelina and Nathan Olarsch. I want to give a special thank you to Lynda.com and all the creators of iMovie ’11 Essential Training. I agree that the training is essential as there is so much that you can accomplish using this application that comes with your Mac. Knowing how to use this video editor well creates a desire in me to film high quality images. Now that I have control over a lot of the film, I have a better sense of what to look for when you are filming. Perhaps a green screen studio in the next house?

Honestly, even though I learned a lot about iMovie, I still found my footage overwhelming. There was a lot of sorting required before I could begin to enjoy the product that I was creating. I also would have voiced over or created music if I didn’t have better timelier options that are readily available. The fine tune editing would have been useful several months before and that would have saved me a lot of time staring at film selections.

Now I have a great knowledge base of iMovie and an electronic yellow certificate too! Isn’t interesting how acknowledgement of the success is important even though I am the only person who knows that I took the course? This is aside from you, of course. I can’t wait to tell the children. They will be so excited for my success. They love the sticker certificate combination. See you next time. I hope you enjoyed the show!

PE2 - iMovie

2011-10-07T18:30:00.000-07:00

I continue to experience the Lynda.com class called iMovie ’11 Essential Training. Did you know that iMovie had a really great way to organize movie clips? I have made several mini movies over the past several months. Being a subject that is not a big fan of in front of the camera action. I have enough footage to redo the Lord of the Rings Trilogy in video format, albeit there would be a lot of bloopers and a few more hobbits.

We expect iMovie to be able to organize our clips. That should be a standard operation of a program. Something has to keep us organized now that Mom lives in another home. Yet, did you know that one of the many things that iMovie can do is to scan for face shots? Did you know that with a click of a virtual button you could scan parameters, tag sections, move video to outside hard drives, and organize relabeled events?

The editing options are quite complex, and precise. I like the picture in picture effect and the altering of the primary colors within the clip. The process of scrolling the clips from top to bottom took me 1 minute and 16 seconds. I love that I can choose to make the segments from .5 seconds to any size, which makes scrolling a lot less time consuming.

I have started to master my iMovie, which is much easier now that I have watched the training video. I am going to work on my audio. Next time I blog you, I will give you a sneak peak. Stay tuned for more.

BP6- See Rebecca's Link Below

2011-10-04T16:48:00.000-07:00

taken from: wordle.com October 4, 2011

Hello Bloggers,

I have read about a new "on the go" document access and organizer for collaboration called Think Free. I like the title of this application. Have you tried it before? What did you think of it?

Rebecca's Link about Think Free

Faith

BP5- Link to George's Blog is Below

2011-10-04T16:19:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

Please take a moment to see George's video choice on "Where do good ideas come from?" The video is an enjoyable four minute YouTube show.

taken from: wordle.com October 4, 2011

George's Link

Thanks,

Faith

Engage Our Children

2011-10-04T15:21:00.000-07:00

BP4_QRstuff

2011-10-04T14:55:00.000-07:00

This is a QR code for the local Naturopath

http://www.qrstuff.com/qr_codes.html

I have heard about QR codes through blogs, but I did not understand them. A QR code or a quick response code is a two-dimensional bar code that can be read through mobile phones. The information is decoded in a box with black and white patterns when scanned by QR code decoding software to fire up a browser. The computer decodes large amounts of information at a high speed. Google API will also generate QR codes, but they are limited in the size of the printout. The website qrstuff.com allows you to generate 1843 symbols onto a square box to be printed, put on t-shirts, temporary skin tattoos, coffee mugs, and much more.

QR codes can be transferred with one click without worrying about spelling issues or a lack of memory. The QR codes can instantly add email addresses, contact information, web page addresses, quotes, and much more to your mobile phone. They are perfect for advertising in an artsy way, while relaying and organizing data. Companies are putting them on campaign posters; students can use them for mock trials, mock elections, and presentations.

QR codes could be used for the supplies in the classroom, especially materials that you would like to send home for homework. I will start using QR codes to organize where my sensory equipment is going to ensure that I am able to retrieve the equipment again. I am sure, just like Japan, Europe, and Australia we will begin to see codes on most posters in the United States for one click access.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. Please feel free to share what you think!

PE1_iMovie

2011-10-03T10:38:00.000-07:00

I am currently studying iMovie ’11 essential training onLynda.com. I love how professional,clear, and nicely paced the tutorials in Lynda.com are. Have you ever heard the saying, “Themore I learn, the more I learn how little I know,” by Socrates? This is how I feel right now. As a geek amonggeeks, I am really happy to learn that there is a not so new 8-pin fire wire800. I feel like I should haveknown that, but I didn’t.

I remember struggling with loading movies from my stillcamera. I was willing to take extensivetime to use trial and error to take still camera movies through iPhoto to putin iMovie. I danced around on mycomputer for quite some time to get that answer, when all I should have donewas to open Lynda.com, typed in iMovie 11 on the search, and scrolled todownloading from a still camera. I couldhave completed the task in five minutes, and I would have been confident that Iwas completing the task correctly.

I ask technologists about computers, not to be provocative, but to see ifthey really have an answer to their personal computer preference. My experience has been that Mac people are sodedicated to their computers if they actually utilize their computer. If people knew about these types of learningtutorials, then I am sure that all computer users would thrive using themultiple tools that this device provides right out of the box. My father is a retired technology teacher,and he is so pleased to learn about this technology. I wish that technologists in my district weremore open to using Mac computer technology. I have used both, and this is my preference.

BP3_TheGameClassroom

2011-09-30T20:58:00.000-07:00

screenshot taken from: http://www.gameclassroom.com

I have this personal problem with the educational situation of my children. You see I have a very academically savvy child who is interpersonally motivated. The problem is that she is in a class of eight. She is a high level second grader in a class with six kindergarteners and one first grader. As a parent, who knows that she has long days I feel I have to motivate her to continue challenging and achieving as she watches other children do so much less.

The Game Classroom web 2.0 is the perfect example of an easy efficient way for my daughter to gain skills at home, which can be found at http://www.gameclassroom.com. There are color coded grade appropriate games perfect for maintaining classroom skills. I loved the automatic progression and organization of these educational games was easy and fun. I decided to start with math games, and I was able to zip through a field while I practice math facts. I was able to do this alone, or several people could sign in for the interpersonal experience.

I was then able to explore the self-paced reading comprehension pages while exploring multi-choice examination while exploring the main idea and the details of the writing. I appreciate how the writing is in a font that is easy to read with accented graphics that do not detract from the overall message.

Binky’s facts and opinions discussion offers clear descriptions with animation that is both engaging and motivational. There are some activities that use conventional methods, while others are much more environmentally conscious. As we continue through the technological age, we are addressing the need to be technologically savvy, environmentally friendly, and socially appropriate. These games encourage the growth of a students’ self-efficacy, self-paced learning, and intra-personal skill checks.

Now that I have access to this interesting web 2.0, I will use this tool as a filler for my classroom. I am sure my students will enjoy the activities that strengthen their skills.

BP2 iGoogle PLE

2011-09-30T19:36:00.000-07:00

Screenshots above taken from http://www.google.com/ig

This is a reflection about setting up mypersonal learning experience (PLE). Setting up a PLE is much likeshopping. The process takes time, some research, and lots of screeningfor choices. Once this is done you have quite a product.

My advanced PLE is now a one stop visualshop for my projects. The click and go experience of a PLE is satisfyinglike having dinner waiting after a workday. I would suggest you try toput your own PLE together so that there is no concern that you can manage allof this technology that is multiplying by the minute in a comprehensive, easilymanageable PLE.

You can see three screen shots of my PLEabove. I have several screen shots of myiGoogle webpages. I can “program” my webpage to keep the information that I think is important for me. The Internet program can do a lot of amazingapplications, but the primary goal for my PLE is to help me organize all of thedata that I am collecting using gadgets and tabs.

People in my book club have resistedtechnology because they report feeling overwhelmed by all of the data comingin. Without the organization of thisdata, I can empathize with the lack of wonder and progress that technologyrepresents.

Some adults have a difficult timeadapting to new ideas. Children lack the discipline and knowledge to adaptappropriately to the changing times. Asteachers we are required to prepare children to utilize the social media, web 1.0and web 2.0 applications within our current fluid world.

BP1- Welcome Bloggers!

2011-09-27T13:35:00.000-07:00

Picture taken from: www.dreamstime.com free pictures

I know what you are thinking... anotherthing to look at within my busy day. Don’t fret, I will promise to makethe reading optional, for your pleasurable preference only. I do not have theread everyday police at my disposal. If you are curious to know our news,merely take time to soak in the information if you think a topic applies. More importantly, share your news. We know you have fabulous thingsto say, and we are just putting ourselves out there so we can all say them.

My name is Faith Olarsch. I am anoccupational therapist, a mother of two, and the owner of Play to Learn OTServices, PLLC. I think that we need to keep our children interested inlearning. They should feel motivated and excited about their experiences. I believe that we should adapt appropriately for each student's strengthsand weaknesses. Technology is an effective way to adapt to the individualneeds of the student.

I have learned so many interestingthings about technology that is available at our fingertips. I am unhappy that our children are notlearning all of this amazing technology using all of our free accessibility. They can explore this technology on their our own, but I feelthat teachers need to guide students through this process. We need to learn to educate ourselves so thatwe can be free to utilize these valuable skills. I would like the restrictions placed ontechnology to be more reasonable. Thank you for coming to visit, and pleasefollow my page!