Live Video Chat!

For this assignment I choose to use Windows Messenger to participate in video chat. It is something I already use a lot in order to communicate with my family members. I love chatting with people especially when I can see them. It makes me feel like I am closer to them and it is much easier to talk to someone face to face than to type something to them and to try to communicate that way. One thing I did not like about the video was how it would sometimes get choppy and it would be hard to hear or see something for a second. It is not perfect. This type of communication would be very useful in classrooms. You could use video to have a special guest talk to the class or even to communicate with your class when you are out of town. It would also be great for video conferences with parents if absolutely necessary and there was no other alternative. On a different note, I am thrilled that I have finished my movie. It took a lot of time and a lot of work but it was worth it. I learned a lot of things in the process. One thing I learned was how necessary it is to plan out your movie. I was not as specific as I should have been in my plan. I underestimated how long each segment would be in my video. Because of this, a major chunk of my video was not even filmed because I did not have time for it. I am happy with how it turned out though.

My Class Video on Carbohydrates!

Assignment #4: My Video Plan

After looking through the Utah Core Curriculum for Family and Consumer Science Education I decided to talk about the nutritional values and functions of carbohydrates as well as teaching my students the proper preparation guidelines related to carbohydrates. In my video I will be teaching my students how to prepare pasta ( a carbohydrate). I will do this by showing my students just one way pasta can be prepared, into a wonderful dish: Mac and cheese.
So far I have spent a lot of time looking for pictures and sounds that are within the public domain that I can use. It has kind of been a challenge finding stuff that is really within the public domain. I have also worked out a storyboard for myself. This is what I have so far:
1.) Introduce myself and the topic, carbohydrates.
2.) What is the nutritional value and function of carbohydrates? Where are carbs found?
3.) On the topic of carbohydrates, I will be demonstrating how to prepare carbohydrates as I make a favorite carbohydrate dish, mac and cheese.
4.) To start the dish we need to cook the carbohydrates. How?
5.) Then we work on making the carbohydrates into a yummy dish (mac and cheese). First we start with a roux. What is a roux? Equal fat and flour.
6.) Show myself making the roux and when to know it is done.
7.) Show the final product. Yummy cooked mac and cheese.

I plan to get started filming my video soon, which I do not think will be bad at all. I think I might have a harder time editing it. I am not that familiar with macs or video editing software so I am sure I am in for a challenge. So far I would say I have spent about two hours on my project. I still have to film and compile and edit everything though so I am sure I have many more hours to spend on it.

Asynchronous video

I enjoyed having class via asynchronous video. I sometimes find it hard learning things on my own and figuring things out, especially when they come to computers. But, I have found that if I put in the time to search around the internet, I can usually figure things out. Although I really enjoy synchronized learning, this method wasn't too bad. In my experience I have found that others can really help me to learn as I collaborate with them and share ideas with them in class. It just seems more convenient to learn that way. Maybe I am just not used to asynchronous learning quite yet as synchronized learning is mainly what I am used to. I really enjoyed learning more about Personal Learning Networks this week and then working to turn my own blog into a Personal Learning Network. In order to do this I put links on my blog to favorite blogs as well as the blogs of my group members. I also incorporated my shared folder from Google Reader on my blog. Another way I helped turn my blog into a PLE was I linked important networking sites that I personally use to my blog (Facebook, Delicious). This way people can see ways to further connect with me and I can use these 2.0 tools to connect with others. It is a great way I can share ideas and input with others and others with me. For this assignment I also created a Youtube account and responded via video to the class video on PLE's. It was fun to record and post the video. It is yet another way to communicate and share ideas and knowlege with others. It was great!

My class website!!

Wow! This took a whole lot of time and a lot of work. I am very happy and proud of what I have accomplished though. Woohoo! Here it is ....

http://sites.google.com/site/lvhsbeginningcooking/home

Having a Class Website....

I am so excited that we learned how to create a class website in class this past week. I know it will be a very valuable tool for me to use as a teacher. One way a class website would really help me out in my classes is by holding information that I want my students to know. If they have a question about an assignment, what is coming up in the week or if they have a question for me, they can refer to the syllabus, calendar and about me information on my website. I think it is also a great way to make the learning experience more interactive as they complete assignments. On a class website I can post pictures about recipes we will be making and patterns we will be sewing. Students can refer to the website in order to prepare for class. I also think a class website would be a great way to let my students know how they are doing in reference to grades and the completion of assignments. It is also a great way for me to communicate with students. If I have something I would like them to know or look at and I do not have time in class to talk about it I can refer them to the website and it would all be laid out for them there.