Biggest Take Away from Multimedia and Web Design

Walking in to the new semester, I thought I knew it all! Ha! I was wrong. I have always maintained a teacher website but it was created in a WYSIWYG. Using the WYSIWYG there were times when I would get extremely frustrated because I couldn’t get things to look the way I wanted. Now that I have a better understanding of html code, I am able to fix things to get them to look the way I want. Not that I am a control freak of anything :)Knowing the basics, has helped me to fix things like color, font, and size. Using html code as also helped me to keep the same style and look of new pages I create. I used to cut and paste templates, but discovered that information didn’t always maintain the look I wanted. Using the html code made every page the same!  I could never start from scratch and write a website, however using a WYSIWYG and html code I believe next year I will have a new website that will be amazing!

Biomes Webquest

For my latest project, I worked with a seventh grade class to complete a biomes webquest. I was great to work with seventh graders again.  Biomes  Webquest was an interactive project for students to complete. Part of the site guides students through the process of building their own website, the rest houses all the student pages.  Please check it out… I would love to know what other educators think about the question.

Multimedia Project!

I am very excited about my multimedia project. When I saw we had to do a webquest, I knew I wanted to refresh the webquest I did with my seventh graders. Even though I am teaching physical science now, biology will always be my first love in science. While I am the high strung Yang, the teacher I get to work with is the Yin to my Yang. She is so calm and helps keep me balanced.  One of my greatest joys in my teaching career is teaching and planning with her!

I have developed the webquest with in her pbworks wiki (http://lloydch.pbworks.com) for all of her students. In previous years we have had the students do research and complete tasks in order to build a magazine, instead this year we are having them create websites for the biomes.  Getting all the sites named and linked has been tough. I still need to finish up my video, podcast, and some formatting. I am excited to be using so many new tools for the project.

The video has been fun to get ready. My students were such an amazing help. When I asked my students for help, they jumped at the chance! I had several offer to come in early and stay late on a FRIDAY! I am so lucky to have such sport from my students.   

The piece I am struggling most with is the podcast. I know how to do them. I find them easy to create. I just don't really know what to do with them! Any suggestions?

html coding

I was very excited to learn about html coding. I maintain an active website and get frustrated when I cannot get it to look or act the way I want. I plan to start using some of the basic codes we learned to fix my test in quia. Quia is a web based testing program. I have at times wanted things bolded or italicized and did not know now to make that happen. Now I do!

As I played more with it, I realized you can search for just about any html code you need and just cut and paste it. I think that will make life much easier when coding. It also helps when trying to imbed items. It is nice to know how some of the internet works behind the scenes, but for now I will stick with a WYSIWYG for my website building needs.  

Design and Development... is it going to Help?

After some crazy snow in Georgia, I am settling in to the new semester.  Two new classes, both with so many exciting topics! I have always been savvy with a computer, but admittedly have never understood what is under the “hood” or in the background of the internet. I manage a teacher website and get frustrated when I can’t get it to look the way I want it look! I am very excited to learn some html code!

Design and development of lesson is a huge part of what I work on to have a successful classroom environment, but have never thought much about it when it comes to my online material. I know that learning more about design and development for the web and multimedia project with defiantly affect me as a teacher. I am just not sure how yet! I am ready to build on what I know to reach a new level as a teacher.

Admittedly, I have a problem… I tend to go overboard.  Some may call it overachieving; I call it just doing my job to the best of my ability. Once I get an idea in my head, it’s really hard to let it go. That being said, I have two fears moving forward with design and development: time and knowledge, knowing once I get into it I won’t be able to back down.   Will I have enough time in my life to really explore, learn, and use new knowledge?  Once I dive in, will have learned what I need to accomplish what I want? Will I have the knowledge to share with others?

Only one way to find out…. Let’s get started!!!