Green Screen Possiblities

The two new green screen set-ups have been seeing a great deal of activity the past few weeks in the library. Mr. Sofronas' and Ms. Lopes' Spanish classes are creating Choose Your Own Adventure Videos. Mrs. Burnett's students were charged with writing and acting out a rap video to demonstrate their understanding of Act I of Romeo and Juliet. They used the green screen and DoInk app to set the scene and then went one step further. Her students imported their videos into iMovie and dropped  in some "sick beats" (Taylor Swift, 2014). 

One middle school student even used the green screen and DoInk app to create her weekly Mandarin Learning Log entry, placing herself in the region in China her class was studying.

I've been so impressed with the level of student engagement and creativity that has emerged as a result of these project-based learning experiences. 

If you'd like to learn more, please come by the HW Tech Help Desk. We're really excited about this!

Learn more about this app:
Green Screen by Do Ink

A Blog Post about Blogging

Why blog? Is it worth the time? What is the value?  As a teacher in a new role, one that requires me to have a solid understanding of instructional technology tools and their use in instruction and their impact on learning, it seems crazy not to blog. Isn't that what all Technology Integration Specialists do?

(Answer: Yes, they do... see the list of blogs I subscribe to in the right navigation on this page)

I've observed how classroom teachers use blogs. Some use them as a class or group website to store and disseminate information. Some teachers use blogs to reflect on their teaching practice. Teachers may ask their students to contribute blog posts to a class blog engaging in a digital discussion.  Mr. Tracy and Dr. Harvey use their blogs to update the HW community on happenings around school and often philosophize about educational pedagogy or their visions for our district.

I'm asking my HW Tech Help Desk students to blog about their Independent Learning Endeavor. This will serve as a portfolio of their journey. They also blog for the Help Desk and introduce new apps or concepts or to address trends in technology issues we're experiencing at the desk.

From a practical standpoint, I am going to blog so I can assist teachers and students on their blogging adventures. I see the value in asking students to blog in an effort to develop their 21st Century communication skills. Time to walk the walk...

Interested in blogging? Stop by the HW Tech Help Desk or make an appointment with me.


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