Instructional Website Design

Yikes! I still don't have my topic yet! I've been brainstorming ideas and have come up with several but still nothing concrete. I guess I'll just have to pick one and make it work. This is more difficult that I thought. I honestly feel like I'm having a brain block or something! ha! It must be all the stuff I have going on. This should be so simple, but for some reason I'm struggling.

I've enjoyed the discussion on which software to use when creating the Website. Personally, I like the free sites that are easy to use. But, I'm willing to try more difficult software with more bells and whistles. But, maybe not for this specific project!

Instructional Website

I'm having a difficult time choosing a topic for my Instructional Website. I have a few ideas but none are really too appealing to me. I want to choose a subject that actually interests me so I can use it later "down the road". I'm just a little distracted lately. I've been busy working on a community service initiative for my daughter's elementary school so that has monopolized a lot of my time. Plus, tonight I was informed that a student in my son's first-grade class is dying from a brain tumor. Very, very sad. Such a sweet little girl with so much life to live. I guess I'll try thinking about school tomorrow. Hopefully a bright idea will hit me when I least expect it.

Wiki's and Podcasts

I've enjoyed the discussions this week on Wikis and Podcasts. I'm excited to start learning more on the podcast side of things. I wonder if I need the permission of parents to include student voices and/or images? I need to start finding some things to post on the class Wiki. I had a similar assignment last semester and I really gained a lot of useful information from it.

These last couple of weeks have been a little crazy for me. I've had slight difficulty keeping up with my classes. I usually do my homework in the mornings when all three of my kids are in school. But, for the past couple of weeks I've been helping four elementary school teachers with a water purification project during those morning hours. So my schedule has been a little "off". But now that project is on a hiatus so I can start getting focused on my studies again. whew!

Webquest

I've been working on my Webquest this week. I have also helped the third-grade students build a Power Point presentation that coincides with the Webquest. I am simply amazed at how much these third-graders know. They can whip up a presentation in a matter of minutes. They know all the little features, effects, bells, and whistles. I've actually found myself taking notes on things they do!!! It's a little odd watching them create a presentation in minutes and at the same time they're asking me how to spell "access" and "carry".

Some of the parents haven't been using the Webquest that I set up. Which one parent soon found out was not such a good idea. Her daughter did a Google search for "Bangladesh" and the second search that popped up was "Bangladesh Call Girl" (yikes!). After that, she became very interested in the links I had provided on the Webquest!

This has been a very interesting journey over the past three weeks. I've really gained a lot of insight into the preparations these teachers go through when it comes to big projects like this! I've also been able to draw on what I've learned in the few classes I've taken thus far at KSU; especially my "Designing Visuals" class (which, by the way, I loathed!!!).

I think once I get this Webquest built, the teachers will ask for my help with more! I'm excited!

Using Twitter

I found this youtube video on Twitter (or micro-blogging):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddO9idmax0o&feature=fvw

My issue with Twitter is my life is not interesting enough for people to care about what I'm doing! lol!

But, I understand that schools are starting to use Twitter. I just need to figure out why (??). I can see that it may be useful if a professor or teacher needs to post an update - like a change in assignments. But....couldn't that be done on a blog? Or the class website?

I'm not sure, as a class, what we're supposed to Twitter about?? I'm assuming class stuff, but I'll probably put most of my thoughts on this blog.....we'll see how it goes!

That's what I love about this KSU program....learning about all these technologies, whether I like them or not.