dreamweaver
What tool(s) did we use today?
Dreamweaver...web design software

What are the cool capabilities of the tool?
Dreamweaver is cool because it lets you design websites visually, like a word document. I'm used to working in html, and Dreamweaver can be sort of a pain because you can't always predict exactly what it's going to do like you can with pure html. However, it's about 15x easier to make tables and resize images.

How can this tool help me as a teacher?
Dreamweaver is great because it can be used to make professional teacher websites, which can be used to post research, and can also be used to stay in contact with students and parents.



- posted by ben @ 11:15 PM

 
Databases
creating a database from scratch

Today we worked with creating databases from scratch by entering student information such as name, contact info, birthday, etc--anything we thought would be important to know about students. As a music teacher, I can use a database to sort students by instrument or voice part, so I can quickly see how many of each I have and group students together more easily. To create a database from scratch, choose "database" from new document, and enter the name of each field in addition to what kind of field you want it to be. after all your fields are created, enter the information into each field to fill up your database

making new layouts

databases can contain a lot of information that a teacher may not need to see all at once. we worked with creating new layouts that only show certain information. for example, I could create a layout of all the students in a marching band that only showed their name, year in school and instrument. I could also create a layout that showed only names, addresses and phone numbers. To make a new layout in appleworks, choose "new layout" from the layout menu and select which fields you want to be represented in the new database.

mail merge

mail merge is a tool that allows you to insert information from a database into a word processing document. basically a template document is created with the field names in place of information that you wish to be inserted into the document. it's a good way to send form letters to parents.

using databases to manage student info

databases are a really helpful tool for teachers. depending on the information and types of fields in a database, a teacher can sort his or her students by any number of criteria
- posted by ben @ 9:28 AM

 
Databases
Today and Tuesday we worked with databases. Databases appear in the Technology curriculum as early as 2nd grade. We worked with the Search function and the Sort function of the Appleworks database. Databases are interesting tools because students can concurrently learn database skills while learning about another topic. For example, if students were to complete the crossword puzzle I made today, they would be using database skills, but they would also be learning about the dates and periods of various composers.

We also worked with a program called Crosswordz OS X. Crosswordz is a simple program that can create crossword puzzles or word searches. All you have to do is input a series of questions and answers and Crosswordz will combine the answers into a crossword puzzle. You can also substitute jpeg files for the background to add some visual interest to the puzzle.
- posted by ben @ 9:22 AM

 
Today we worked with spreadsheet resources for students. From kidnergarten, curriculum requirements include understanding and manipulating data. As the students get older, the curriculum requirements become more indepth. Some of the resources we looked at today include many example spreadsheets and example spreadsheet activities. I was especially interested in a suggested activity in which middle school students plan a prospective camping trip. They have to calculate the weight of each item to be taken, the cost of each item, and the amount of weight each person going can carry.
As an elementary music teacher, I'm not sure how much I will be able to integrate spreadsheets into my classroom, but since my liscensure is for k-12, these are important skills for me to have.
- posted by ben @ 9:05 AM

 
today we worked with ikeepbookmarks.com. it's interesting because you can access it from any computer that connects to the internet, unlike bookmarks that you'd keep on your home computer. it's cool because you can quickly add bookmarks while you're surfing the internet. it's also handy because if you keep it public, students, parents, and other teachers can access your collection of links quickly. by grouping your links into folders with appropriate names (ie "for students", "for parents"), access can be even easier.

we also began evaluating websites for students to do research with. I surveyed several and noted those that were especially good for elementary school students.
- posted by ben @ 9:39 AM

 
ikeepbookmarks.com
today we worked with ikeepbookmarks.com. it's interesting because you can access it from any computer that connects to the internet, unlike bookmarks that you'd keep on your home computer. it's cool because you can quickly add bookmarks while you're surfing the internet. it's also handy because if you keep it public, students, parents, and other teachers can access your collection of links quickly. by grouping your links into folders with appropriate names (ie "for students", "for parents"), access can be even easier.

we also began evaluating websites for students to do research with. I surveyed several and noted those that were especially good for elementary school students.
- posted by ben @ 9:28 AM