How to turn on text or visual cues in place of sound

The purpose of this blogpost is to show you how to turn on text and/or visual cues in place of sound on your computer. But this post is specific only to Microsoft Windows Vista users. In order to get to the menu to make these changes possible, follow the steps below.

Open the "Start" menu > click on "Control Panel" > click on "Ease of Access" > click on "Replace sounds with visual cues" and the menu that allows you to turn these options on should be right in front of you

The option on the menu that says "Turn on visual notifications for sounds" allows you to select 1 of 3 options that acts as a visual warning. To test this out, I chose the "Flash Active Window" option and when I would click on the forward or backward arrows on the "Easy Access" menu, the window you were leaving would flash a different color.

Make the mouse pointer on your computers easier to see and use

The purpose of this blog post is to show Microsoft Windows Vista users how to make the computer cursor easier to see and use. You can change the color and size of the mouse, how you control the mouse and even make it easier to switch between open windows. In order to get into the menu to make this possible, follow the steps below.

Open the "Start" menu > click on "Control Panel" > click on "Ease of Access" > click on "Change how your mouse works" and all of the above options I talked about should be on the screen in front of you.

The benefit of this application on the computer makes it easier for individuals with minor to mild visual impairments to navigate around their computer screens. It also makes it easier for them to see where their cursor is on the screen. Users can even direct their mouse using their keyboard if they have a physical impairment with their hands.

Science/Math Module

Part I: About the Station

Station 7 - Position, Velocity and Acceleration
Group Members - Ashley Bryan, Chris Pfledderer, Jacob Koressel
What our station was/What our group did - We worked to create a Lego car and three different tracks of varying angles to run it down. We used a Go!Motion sensor and the Logger Lite Software to track the speed at which the car was moving down the ramps, while graphing the data using a computer. The purpose of the activity was to experience object position, velocity and acceleration in a hands-on manner and see how the different angles of the ramp affected the speed of the car.
My individual role - I contributed my ideas as to how the tracks might be set up in order to make this module successful. I also helped run the car down the ramps.

Here is a picture of the car we used for our module. And no, that is not supposed to be a gun! It is supposed to be a drill.

Gaggle

Gaggle is an email resource that teachers can use to correspond with their students. Teachers are able to control what is written to each other by their students, as well as who is allowed to correspond with them. Messages students try to send with inappropriate words are automatically sent to the teacher’s account. Students can even upload their homework on Gaggle, using what they call a “Digital Locker”, and can choose to make it public or private. There are also message boards and chat rooms available at different levels, from school wide to Gaggle wide. But teachers are able to control how much access their students have to all of these. The message boards and chat rooms are a great place for teachers and their students to discuss homework or review for upcoming quizzes and tests. Video conferencing, an online calendar, blogging, polling tools, pod-casting tools and a student Wikipedia system are among other things that Gaggle has to offer. Gaggle is a more efficient way for students and teachers to communicate with each other. It is not like a normal email application where you type in a message and attach a picture or file here and there. The extra features mentioned above make it more advanced and an easy way for students to collaborate on group projects. Who knew email could be so cool?! Click on the picture above to be directed to the Gaggle website to learn more about it!

Plurk: Twitter in the classroom

Plurk is a social networking site that allows its users to post short descriptions of what they are doing at any time of the day. (So basically, it's another Twitter). Users can add a new post either by logging onto the website or via text message or an instant message. When you add friends to your list, they will be able to see all of your posts and can comment back on them. Plurk is a convenient and efficient way for teachers and students to communicate quickly with each other, because we all know that students don't like to wait for long periods of time for a response from their teacher to important questions. Plurk can also enhance the way a student learns because teachers can post videos, pictures and links for homework and post instructions and/or questions about what they are to do. This also allows the students to then discuss the questions and instructions with each other and share their thoughts and opinions. It would be important for me as a future teacher to make sure students aren't distracted with using Plurk during class for other things that don't pertain to my class. Click on the picture above to go to the Plurk website and learn more about it!

Edmodo

Edmodo is a social networking site where students can communicate with their teachers, as well as other students. Teachers can even be connected to other teachers inside their own school and even outside of their school. Edomodo enables message sending, there is a digital calendar where the teacher can post homework deadlines and things that will be happening in the classroom on a particular day and there it even has its own gradebook where the teacher can grade and comment on homework the students submitted. Files, links, polls, pictures and videos can also be posted to share amongst classmates and teachers.

I think this would be an effective and efficient learning tool to use in the classroom because it assists students during their learning processes. Yes, students can look up things like pictures and links on their own but with the aid of Edmodo, it makes it possible for them to be able collaborate and share their ideas and information with each other. It also makes it easier for the teacher to monitor their students' progress on assignments and give them feedback quickly and easily. Click on the picture above to be directed to the Edmodo website to learn more about this tool!

Content Exploration Tool: Google Sky

Google Sky is an interactive tool that allows you to look at numerous objects in the sky and space with just one click. One can view pictures of galaxies and other objects in space taken by the Hubble Telescope, various constellations and there are even Podcasts that discuss topics about planets, galaxies and stars. Some of the pictures even have an information bubble that discusses what is in the picture. This exploration tool enhances students' learning because it allows them to explore things in space that their students will probably never get to experience otherwise.

Smart Boards

A smart board is an interactive tool that I think will slowly be integrated into classrooms in the future. A smart board is basically a large, interactive white board that responds to touch. They make it possible for many computer applications to be controlled without having to stand behind a computer at the front of the class the whole time. In the above picture, it shows a student who looks like he is writing in an answer to a question on a worksheet. This is an effective way for a student to learn because it gives them another opportunity to show their comprehension of concepts taught in class in a cool, new way. I think for a student to have the opportunity to control computer applications on a white board just by touching it or writing on it would cause them to want to participate more during class.

*Click on the picture above to go to the SMART website, which discusses a lot of information about smart boards.*

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft PowerPoint is one important tool that allows teachers to put their lesson plans together in a creative way. Pictures, slide transitions, charts, animations and even the way the slides are put together can make for an interesting and even entertaining lesson for students. If PowerPoint is used correctly, I believe that it can help engage students in a way that makes them want to pay attention to what is being taught. There was a website we used in my W200 class that has different games already created for you in PowerPoint. I thought these were really neat because they would be something I might use in my future classroom as a fun review tool, like before tests or quizzes. Click here to go to the website.

*Click on the picture above to go to the Microsoft Office website to learn more about Microsoft PowerPoint and other Microsoft software that might be useful. You can even download trial software from that website.*

The Science Of Breathing And Heart Rate: A Review

Assignment of the day for W200 (aka "Computers in the Classroom" for those that don't know what that means): review an educational podcast specific to our area of concentration within the Education field. I plan on becoming a Biology/Life Sciences teacher, so the podcast I chose is called The Science Of Breathing And Heart Rate. Click here to go to the actual podcast.

What exactly is the podcast about?: A high school Biology teacher noticed that his students were not making connections between the things that they were learning about in class & real-life situations relevant to themselves. So, he decided to have a hands on activity that would help show his students the physiological effects physical activity can have on their bodies. They used MacBooks and several different probes to monitor changes in body temperature, heart rate, breathing patterns and they even used an EKG probe to monitor changes in the electrical activity of the heart. I really like that the podcast has a separate page for different parts of the podcast. For instance, it has a separate page explaining why the high school teacher (Geoff Koch) decided to perform the activity the way that he did. It also has a page explaining the lesson plan, another of suggestions the teacher has for other classrooms that might want to use the activity too and even a page that talks about which National Science Education Standards are met through this activity. Another thing I really like about this podcast is that there is a video on one of the pages showing someone interviewing the students from the class asking them what they thought of the activity, what they learned and whether it was a better way for them to learn. The kids on the video really seemed to like the activity and the fact that it was hands on, rather than them having to read about the different physiological changes in a text book.

Hope this review was somewhat helpful! I think it would be a great activity to use in the classroom, and it looks like it might be fun for students too. Have a wonderful day and don't forget to come back! :)

- Ash -

Video websites (YouTube & TeacherTube)

Have you ever had trouble looking for the perfect video to show in your classroom that pertains to a topic you plan to teach that day? Have you ever had the urge to show your kids a science experiement about what happens when you mix Diet Coke and Mentos together, but you don't want the mess? Well, YouTube and TeacherTube are your go-to sources! Both websites provide videos about pretty much anything that you can think of. TeacherTube contains videos that pertain to lesson plans and topics you might teach in your classroom. YouTube, on the other hand, has more of a random variety of videos. Music videos, commercials, how-to's, the Diet Coke and Mentos video...you name it and it's probably on there. I believe both of these sources are effective teaching tools because many students are visual learners, so being able to watch a short video would help those types of students. They are also a fun way to engage students and hopefully motivates them and allows them to learn more creatively.

*To navigate to either website, click on the respective pictures above.*