Tony Vincent presents a lot of options for utilizing technology in his video Project Based Learning in Hand. I had never though about utilizing handheld devices such as and Ipad or Ipod Touch to help students learn. This is an interesting concept that will likely go over very well with the students. These gadgets are appealing to them and many would be excited to use them in class. Handheld devices are also less intimidating that a traditional textbook and will make learning seem much more exciting. This can help students to become more engaged in their learning and understand the concepts being taught better than they would if the teacher was simply lecturing. Apparently Mr. Vincent is not the first person to come up with this plan. This article outlines various uses that teachers have found for PDA devices and also points out that these devices are much cheaper than a desktop computer and have many of the same features.

There are several positive things that can come from handheld device use in the class that Mr. Vincent failed to point out. Students that are shy may be able to come out of their shell by utilizing handheld devices. It will be far less intimidating to talk to the device rather than to a fellow student. This will be especially helpful to students in a special education classroom. These students will typically be more withdrawn from their peers and have a harder time speaking up in class. They will be able to express themselves using this technology. Autistic kids often have difficulty with peer relationships and self expression. They typically are able to understand technology very well though and one mother came up with a list of Ipad apps that helped her autistic child with his development.

Tony Vincent also stated that his students enjoyed apps where they can share their projects with others. Using these devices will allow students to show off their knowledge. It will also allow students to learn from other students which will likely make concepts easier for them to understand as well as make lessons more interesting. These apps that allow sharing can also be utilized in a manner similar to blog buddies. The students can interact with one another and learn through technology without ever having to leave the classroom. If handheld devices are utilized properly they can be an invaluable classroom tool.

A Pecha Kucha presentation is a series fo 20 slides that are viewed for 20 seconds each. The project is generally used to give an audience a brief overveiw of a subject. A well put together presentation where the author has clear goals in mind is much more interesting that a presentation that is thrown together. I also feel that the more knowledgeable the presentor is the better their presentation will be. A person who has a good understanding of their topic will be able to make it flow better and their knowledge enables them to add personal experience to a presentation. I also feel that a well timed presentation works a lot better if it is well timed. 20 seconds is not as long as it sounds sometimes and other times it is much longer than you thought so one should be concientious of their time.

I learned a lot about flexibility in this project. I originally completed a different presentation but then switched to a topic I felt was more important. I also learned about powerpoint and how to manipulate pictures to look appropriate on the slide. I assumed I could just make them all the same size by typing it into the boxes at the top but I was sadly mistaken. I also learned about how to download pictures and what pictures you can legally use and how to legally use them.

A Pecha Kucha presentation could be very beneficial for special education students because it presents information in a timely manner. Most children with a disability have a very short attenti0n span and presenting the information quickly like you do in a Pecha Kucha presentation could be a very valuableteaching tool. I also think the pictures could be beneficial because it can reinforce the point in a visual manner. This could be especially beneficial to younger students and since I plan to teach elementary age children this could be especially helpful because their vocabulary will likely be rather small. It will also be a fun and different way to teach a lesson which would be appealing to any student.

So Scratch was very confusing to me at first! My first project was rudimentary to say the least. I was still very confused about  a lot of things, especially dialogue between the characters. My second project shows that I mastered dialogue and movement however I was unable to discover the secret to switching backgrounds. I spent a lot of time on this particular project and became very frustrated. I was slightly amused when I realized some random person stumbled across it and still find it amusing that other people are utilizing our creations. I am rather proud of my final project because it demonstrates that I most definitely learned how to switch backgrounds. Overall using Scratch was quite an experience and I feel that this program could be a valuable teaching tool if utilized properly.

I found this project to be incredibly frustrating. There were a lot of things I could not figure out but after three hours on the project I decided to move on. I think I will devote more time to it another week, I think I am just stressed because of all the midterms I have coming up. I did learn a lot about dialogue and the best way to set it up to tell a story. Overall it was a good experience because it helped to relieve some of my stress. I did my project over a hippopotamus that gives out midterm advice to college students. I hope you guys enjoy it: http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/pandaisbored/1644902.

I had a lot of difficulty figuring out how to use Scratch. That being said after I played around with it I got the hang of it and think it will be a valuable tool that can easily be adapted for classroom use. I think it will be easy to modify this program to fit your needs in any particular subject. My project is not very elaborate but I feel like I benefited from making it. It took me forever to figure out how to allow responses to the questions! I was easily frustrated but I think that with a little more practice I will be a lot more comfortable with this program and it will be easier to use. It would be a great way to introduce kids to programing and makes this subject a lot less intimidating. I hope you guys enjoy it: http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/pandaisbored/1629913