Instructional Applications of the Internet - August 5

Today I got done the majority of the work done on my Instructional Website. I had a few speedbumps in the process that kept me from getting as much work done as I'd like to. Some of them include:

- Figuring out how to get a .swf "video" file created using Jing onto my website, which was created in iWeb. I finally figured out--by searching for it on the internet--how to edit a standard html code and paste it into iWeb to make it work. I am glad that I figured this out because it is a beneficial part of the page, making visiting the web site almost like sitting in a class--on your own time--rather than just reading words off of the page.

- Continued inconveniences with Hot Potatoes. While Hot Potatoes has been easy to use, I continued to have to spend a lot of time today typing in the quizzes, uploading pictures to my KSU FTP, then put them in the quiz, then preview the quiz, then copy the html code, then paste it into iWeb, then resize it to fit the page. It also was inconvenient that there were such limits to the sizes of the quizzes.

Overall, I am very very pleased with my web page. I intend to use it this school year with my students and to share it with the other 8th grade math teachers at my school to use if they'd like.

Instructional Applications of the Internet - August 4

Today I spent hours working on my web page. I spent the majority of the time working with Hot Potatoes in order to include some interactive elements in the page. If it could have been strictly informational, I believe that I would have had the page completed in a only few hours.


Hot Potatoes has some impressive abilities, but can be very inconvenient to use. I don't like that I am only able to have 3 questions in a JQuiz and only 5 matching elements in a JMatch. Because of this, I had to make one Quiz in 3 separate parts, because I had 9 questions to put into it. It's also a little inconvenient to use all around.

I had quite a bit of difficulty figuring out how to include pictures on my quizzes, but finally figured out that if I posted the pictures on my KSU FTP space, then added them to the quiz using the web links, it worked.

I figured out how to post the quizzes to my website by opening the htm files in Word to access the html code, then copying the code and pasting it in to an "HTML Snippet Widget" in iWeb. This is working out well, but could be much more convenient.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to spend very much time on actual informational content for the page today. Hot Potatoes took up most of my time.

Instructional Applications of the Internet - August 3

Today I moved on with the work on my Instructional Website. Up to this point I have spent the majority of my time posting information content and images onto the site. This part was easy for me and represented instant-gratification, because I was quickly able to see a lot of visible progress in the site.

Since interactive elements are required in the website, I spent a while today learning how to add quizzes to my site. After seeing it discussed a lot on our Vista discussion board I decided to use Hot Potatoes to create my quizzes. After downloading and installing the software, I spent quite a while watching tutorials about the programs and practicing how to use them. I am excited about the possibilities that it presents.

I ended the Hot Potatoes experience by attempting to add images to my first quiz that I planned to make, but couldn't figure out how to get them up there. I would add the images from off of my computer and it would say that it worked well. When you finish the pages, it saves them then gives you the "View in Your Browser" option, which is actually just viewing the file on your hard drive not on the internet. For some reason even in this instance the images do not show up. I figured that they would because the images are on the same harddrive. Unfortunately, it didn't work as htm files on the harddrive or when they were posted to the internet.

Tomorrow I will try to figure out how to get the images to work--I will try posting them to my KSU space and then using links--and will figure out how to get them included in my web site--hopefully I can include them in a manner other than just as links.

Instructional Applications of the Internet - August 2

Today I got into working on my website. I have enjoyed using iWeb to create the site so far. It is very capable with the adding of text and images in a manner that is visually-pleasing and fits good graphic design principles.

So far it has worked very conveniently and the site is looking great. I am really enjoying creating the site and am very pleased with its appearance so far. I am excited to see the finished product and share it with colleagues & students.

Soon I will start working on adding interactive elements to the site, such as the quizzes that I will add to assure that I am meeting those requirements for the site.

Instructional Applications of the Internet - August 1

Today I began using iWeb to figure out how to use it to create my Instructional Website. I watched numerous tutorials on its use for creating a website and began experimenting with its functions.

Along with the hour or so that I spent working on that I also spent some time getting all of my website resources (objectives table, storyboard, design flow-chart) ready to guide me through the process of the website creation.

I also read up on the website requirements and discussion postings on Vista to get me ready to go.

I am excited that it seems like a pretty straightforward assignment although there are no clear requirements listed anywhere on Vista.

Instructional Applications of the Internet - July 31

Today I completed work on my Moodle Course Management System. As a whole, I considered the assignment to be pretty easy and worthwhile, though a bit labor-intensive. It didn't take a high-level of thought to complete, but I probably dedicated at least 8 hours to the assignment.

I think that the assignment could be revised to be the overarching assignment of this whole course. The podcast, webquest & website that we designed could have all been elements of the Moodle Assignment. That option was available, but it may have saved the students time if that was the way that the assignment was made. Regardless, I am okay with how it worked because, again, it was easy despite the time it took.

I like Moodle and feel that I would use the software, especially in the instance that I used it here. I would not utilize it in my current 8th grade math class, but would use it if I ever became some sort of technology teacher, which I would rather like to become. It is a capable, easy-to-use tool for combining many of the different resources of the web into one place, a great thing for a CMS.

Instructional Applications of the Internet - July 29

Today I resumed my work on my Moodle CMS. I had gotten quite a bit of it done weeks ago, but my work was halted by the birth of my first child--8 days early--and the excitement and duties that followed. He was born on Thursday 7/23 and stayed at the hospital until Monday evening, because he had low blood sugar levels & a low temperature at one point (he is just fine & perfectly healthy now). Since they feared that he had an infection (he didn't), he had to stay there long enough to have antibiotics and wait for the results of the test come back.

So, from 7/22-7/28 I was busy with all of the baby stuff--labor, birth, hospital time, settling back in at home--and am now back to work on my CMS!

I spent a few hours today on the site adding resources to my units.

Instructional Applications of the Internet - July 17

Today I prepared for and began working on the Course Management Systems assignment. I need to try to get ahead of the schedule so that I'm not doing coursework with one hand while bottle-feeding my soon-arriving son with the other hand!

I first read a bit about Course Management Systems and about Moodle. I agree with Dr. Ingram's comment that, technically, things like Moodle are not "Learning" Management Systems, rather they are "Course" Management Systems, which are designed to manage a course, which in turn is designed to manage learning. I wish there was a discussion board section for me to post about that!

I started designing my Moodle site. I am designing it for the class that I wish I was teaching. This class is an 8th grade Educational Technology course. Our school has no 8th grade technology courses. We have a 7th grade one, but I think it's underdone and primarily focuses on the lesser-needed skills such as video taping your friends playing catch. Regardless, I would love for there to be an 8th grade version of the class, so I am designing my CMS for it.

So far, Moodle is working out pretty easily. I am understanding its quirks well enough so far and am getting by. I have posted a few Assignments, one News Topic and made some changes in the course settings and characteristics.

Instructional Applications of the Internet - July 16

Today I prepared, recorded, edited and finished my podcast. For a teacher, this is an easy thing to do--a reason to do it more often!--because you kind of just picture yourself teaching and start talking! So, that's what I did. If you're used to standing up in front of a class and lecturing, this can be very easy!

Podcasts do have downsides, of course, and that is the lack of visuals involved. I may start experimenting with Jing--after a classmate suggested it--to see if that remedies the problem for future work in my teaching next year. I may also experiment with the recording feature that comes with SmartBoard software, which allows the user to record the work done through the smartboard as well as audio. I am not sure if it captures all screen functions or just that in Smart Notebook. That is what experimenting is for, I suppose!

I used GarageBand to record the podcast. Some people swear by the free softwares on the internet--Audacity, etc.--but if you have the software, GarageBand is plenty easy enough to use! I suppose if you wanted something that would automatically go on the web GarageBand may be one step slower (you have to choose how to export it), but otherwise it probably has more functionality that some of the quick podcasting tools out there.

Instructional Applications of the Internet - July 15

Today I finally finished my Website Design Assignment, though I found out as I was just about done that it was not for a grade.