tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15603402019910987072024-03-13T10:59:20.634-04:00Technology Use in the Elementary Classroom and BeyondMelissa Filotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646475678227313216noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1560340201991098707.post-20529076339992239292011-12-15T11:49:00.006-05:002011-12-15T11:52:03.950-05:0021st Century StudentsTake a look at the following video to see the impact of technology on 21st Century students. Feel free to comment on this video and share how/if it has changed your thinking.<br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-ZVCjfWf8Melissa Filotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646475678227313216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1560340201991098707.post-34919873049441835952010-07-13T22:03:00.005-04:002010-07-13T22:20:51.505-04:00Don't Forget to Cite!<OBJECT id=BLOG_video-57081af6897cb437 class=BLOG_video_class width=320 height=266 contentId="57081af6897cb437"></OBJECT><br /><br />I have created the above tutorial, using Camtasia Studio. This video provides an excellent way for elementary teachers to ensure that their students are properly citing material that is not their own. Since the <a href="http://www.openc.k12.or.us/citeintro/citeintro.php?Grd=Elem" target="_blank">Oregon Public Education Network Clearinghouse</a> website creates the citation, students, in the elementary grades, no longer have to memorize or look up the proper format for MLA citations. The following is another website that provides a citation generator using information from the source. This website is appropriate for grades 7-12 due to the small font size.<br /><br /><a href="http://citationmachine.net/index2.php?start=#" target="_blank">Son of Citation Machine</a>Melissa Filotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646475678227313216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1560340201991098707.post-77544243197262238712010-07-13T21:55:00.003-04:002010-07-13T22:02:50.912-04:00Become a Magazine Editor in 1 Hour!<center><a href="http://www.openzine.com/aspx/Zine.aspx?IssueID=11138" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.openzine.com/Images/IssueImages/CoverImage/img_71320102137300008242.jpg " border="0" /><br />mfilotas - Cultural Diversity: Sharing Our Cultures<br /><img src="http://www.openzine.com/images/siteimages/VMag.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.openzine.com" target="_blank">Create Your OpenZine</a></center><br /><br />This web magazine was created using the free site <a href="http://www.openzine.com/aspx/" target="_blank">OpenZine</a>. This is a wonderful tool for teachers to use with their students. My example deals with celebrating cultural diversity, and would be an excellent activity to start of the school year.Melissa Filotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646475678227313216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1560340201991098707.post-70783926032723211322010-07-11T22:16:00.004-04:002010-07-11T22:34:49.503-04:00Dear Mayor...<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript" src="http://vhss-d.oddcast.com/voki_embed_functions.php"></script><script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">AC_Voki_Embed(300,400,"a82489da56071b8a4684be507c3a99db",2610434, 1, "", 0);</script><BR><a href="http://www.voki.com/"><b>Get a Voki now!</b></a><BR><BR><br />This <a href="http://www.voki.com" target="_blank">Voki</a> avatar was made for a problem-based learning lesson where students had to gather information from various websites in order to determine three reasons why some earthquakes cause more damage than others. Students participated in this problem-based learning activity through a WebQuest where they acted as scientists who were trying to uncover the answer to the earthquake question. Their final project was to present a speech to the mayor of Santa Barbara, California through a talking avatar. Although this avatar contains an advertisement, Voki is working on creating a site for educators which will eliminate ads. This should be available in the fall of 2010, so stay tuned!Melissa Filotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646475678227313216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1560340201991098707.post-42651351638174748812010-07-09T18:32:00.006-04:002010-07-09T18:42:53.831-04:00Camtasia StudioI created a tutorial using <a href="http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.asp?gclid=CPf17rHB36ICFciA5QodOlL9xg" target="_blank">Camtasia Studio</a>. This software is a screen recorder which means you select what you want to record from your own personal computer screen. My tutorial demonstrates how to erase a line from a table using Microsoft Word 2007. As you will see, I opened up a Microsoft Word document in order to begin my tutorial. Take a look at my video below.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ngCHz7IUX3E&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ngCHz7IUX3E&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Melissa Filotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646475678227313216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1560340201991098707.post-8594366767913861172010-07-02T13:07:00.015-04:002010-07-08T19:24:17.358-04:00Solar System SightingsI have created a course on Moodle for fifth grade students studying the solar system. In order to cater to Gardner's Multiple Intelligences, students complete a different assessment project each day, such as a poem, skit, journal entry, video, etc. The students will post their products to a discussion area in order for their classmates to offer feedback. The following is a link to my moodle course:<br /><br /><a href="http://ualbany.mrooms.net/course/view.php?id=85" target="_Moodle">Solar System Moodle Course</a> After clicking on this link, log in as a guest.Melissa Filotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646475678227313216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1560340201991098707.post-17680620113164911772010-07-01T22:32:00.003-04:002010-07-05T22:40:56.026-04:00Digital StorytellingThe following is an example of a digital story that fourth grade students could create based on the three states of matter. In this digital story, created with Photo Story 3, students pretend that they are part of a television program where callers ask questions of an expert. Students respond to the callers' questions with answers that they have researched on the internet. Since students are very creative, they need little direction in developing final products, such as this one.<br /><br /><OBJECT id=BLOG_video-54f04237610311f6 class=BLOG_video_class width=320 height=266 contentId="54f04237610311f6"></OBJECT>Melissa Filotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646475678227313216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1560340201991098707.post-81026844241675168642010-07-01T13:10:00.013-04:002010-08-20T10:43:16.410-04:00Wiki ManiaI created a course on <a href="http://tccl.rit.albany.edu/knilt/index.php/Promoting_Reading_Comprehension_in_the_Early_Grades" target="_blank">wiki</a> for teachers learning about reading strategies in the elementary grades. This wiki is a beneficial tool for teachers to learn the importance of reading strategies on reading comprehension achievement, since they are able to read literature, complete activities, and collaborate with their peers to share ideas. Review my course in order to get some ideas for incorporating a wiki in your classroom. Wikis are wonderful tools for promoting the 21st century skills of collaboration, communication, problem solving, and critical thinking. <br /><br />In addition to the wiki I created for teacher participants, I created another <a href="http://mfilotas.pbworks.com" target="_blank">wiki</a> that could be utilized in an elementary classroom learning about states of matter. The class of students could be divided into groups, and each group would be responsible for creating a product demonstrating the day's objectives. In order for students to present their projects to a real audience, groups could upload their assignments to the wiki. Each group would read and review the other groups' projects and offer suggestions and comments. <br /><br />The following are some links that provide easy-to-use wikis:<br /><br /><a href="http://pbworks.com" target="_blank">PBworks</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.wikispaces.com/site/for/teachers" target="_blank">Wikispaces in Education</a><br /><br /><a href="http://wikisineducation.wetpaint.com" target="_blank">Wetpaint Wikis in Education</a>Melissa Filotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646475678227313216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1560340201991098707.post-65954838502463624122010-07-01T12:34:00.010-04:002010-07-01T16:02:12.667-04:00Knowledge Object Project<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://mfilotas1.webs.com/"><img style="WIDTH: 439px; HEIGHT: 77px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488985617901062370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS-0qOkkZzXeiPIeSwjcHJXWQ5zgG6hx53mBb4CiAfSLDsYz5Rr-AtjVm1yaHL8eGZZXz_lb5ATNLGn2YnU2TTdf72Rpx9K0g0QRlAfxxQahhK758CTvowmZviJxcgd8xMP1aksebIgMkx/s320/earthquake2.jpg" /></a><br /></div><br />By clicking on the following picture, you will see an example of a knowledge object project that I created. Teachers can incorporate knowledge object projects into all content areas and grade levels by requiring students to pick a topic that they are studying. As I demonstrated in my knowledge object project, I gathered as much information as I could find using a variety of resources, such as books, websites, photographs, videos, interviews, and maps. Students could be given a choice as to the final product they would create based on their research, such as a website, blog, wiki, podcast, and brochure. In order to participate in a knowledge community, all students would be responsible for presenting their project to their class and teaching their classmates everything about their researched topic. For my knowledge object project, I chose to create a website using <a href="http://webs.com/" target="_blank">Webs</a> which is free and extremely easy to use.Melissa Filotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646475678227313216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1560340201991098707.post-71821422226735988612010-06-30T16:53:00.006-04:002010-07-05T22:28:10.831-04:00Comics Galore<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju99PNH0oxz-y4nuocJaRX9KrAa1hbJ0Ks4UKL-I_DKXHMsnakYQUBmy80onK93-q1K12yx0VxAMwMyy3IbMcI5dek1U43W9pMpta7ok5_im8Iq0hImw5dGmtmn2yebNRpFsCdJM1RgSuF/s1600/matter+cartoon.png"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 160px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju99PNH0oxz-y4nuocJaRX9KrAa1hbJ0Ks4UKL-I_DKXHMsnakYQUBmy80onK93-q1K12yx0VxAMwMyy3IbMcI5dek1U43W9pMpta7ok5_im8Iq0hImw5dGmtmn2yebNRpFsCdJM1RgSuF/s200/matter+cartoon.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488674422945687474" /></a>In order to view the full size cartoon, click on the image.<br /><br />Bitstrips is another website where students or teachers can create cartoons. This website is free of charge and provides users with a multitude of props, backgrounds, and characters. In addition to the already supplied elements, users can create their own backgrounds and characters. Check out this website by clicking <a href="http://bitstrips.com" target="_blank">here</a>.Melissa Filotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646475678227313216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1560340201991098707.post-54340118232105847942010-06-30T09:56:00.008-04:002010-07-05T22:24:47.923-04:00ToonDoo...Do you?<a href='http://www.toondoo.com/cartoon/1892615'><img src='http://static.toondoo.com/public/m/f/i/mfilotas//toons/cool-cartoon-1892615.png' border='0' width='100%' alt='Rhythmic Bliss' title='Click to View Full Size Image' ></a><br><div style='font-size: 11px; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left; width: 100%;'>By <a href='http://www.toondoo.com/user/mfilotas'>mfilotas</a> | <a href='http://www.toondoo.com/cartoon/1892615'>View this Toon at ToonDoo</a> | <a href='http://www.toondoo.com/'>Create your own Toon</a></div><br />In order to view the ToonDoo as a full size image, click on the following link at <a href="http://www.toondoo.com/cartoon/1892615" target="_blank">ToonDoo</a>. <br /><br />The above example is for a third grade vocabulary lesson on the book, <em>Ramona Quimby, Age 8</em>. In order for students to gain an understanding of unfamiliar vocabulary words from the text, they could create a cartoon that demonstrates the meaning of the pre-determined vocabulary words in a story.<br /><br />This next example could be easily adapted in an elementary classroom that is studying the Great Lakes. In order to commit the acronym, HOMES, to memory, the students could create a ToonDoo cartoon that illustrates their understanding of the lakes. As you can see from the above examples, these ToonDoo cartoons can be a beneficial tool for students to use in all grade levels and content areas!<br /><br /><a href='http://www.toondoo.com/cartoon/1843802'><img src='http://static.toondoo.com/public/m/f/i/mfilotas//toons/cool-cartoon-1843802.png' border='0' width='100%' alt='H O M E S' title='Click to View Full Size Image' ></a><br><div style='font-size: 11px; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left; width: 100%;'>By <a href='http://www.toondoo.com/user/mfilotas'>mfilotas</a> | <a href='http://www.toondoo.com/cartoon/1843802'>View this Toon at ToonDoo</a> | <a href='http://www.toondoo.com/'>Create your own Toon</a></div><br />In order to view the ToonDoo as a full size image, click on the following link at <a href="http://www.toondoo.com/cartoon/1843802" target="_blank">ToonDoo</a>.<br /><br />For the primary elementary grades (K-2), educators may want to check out <a href="http://toondoospaces.com/" target="_blank">ToonDoo Spaces</a> which is a little easier to use. However, it is not free of charge so if you plan on using this tool, you will need to purchase a subscription.Melissa Filotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646475678227313216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1560340201991098707.post-32018498997559154152010-06-22T21:44:00.011-04:002010-06-23T15:08:41.223-04:00Xtra Xtra! Read, Write, Create All About It!<object width="470" height="380"><param name="movie" value="http://www.xtranormal.com/site_media/players/jwplayer.swf"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><param name="flashvars"value="height=380&width=470&file=http://newvideos.xtranormal.com/standard/e9987366-7e71-11df-8565-003048d69c21_4_standard_medium-flv.flv&image=http://newvideos.xtranormal.com/standard/e9987366-7e71-11df-8565-003048d69c21_4_standard_poster.jpg&link=http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/6715819&searchbar=false&autostart=false"/><embed src="http://www.xtranormal.com/site_media/players/jwplayer.swf" width="470" height="380" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="height=380&width=470&file=http://newvideos.xtranormal.com/standard/e9987366-7e71-11df-8565-003048d69c21_4_standard_medium-flv.flv&image=http://newvideos.xtranormal.com/standard/e9987366-7e71-11df-8565-003048d69c21_4_standard_poster.jpg&link=http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/6715819&searchbar=false&autostart=false"></embed></object><object width="470" height="380"><param name="movie" value="http://www.xtranormal.com/site_media/players/embedded-xnl-stats.swf"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.xtranormal.com/site_media/players/embedded-xnl-stats.swf" width="1" height="1" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></object><br />This Sioux Indian movie was created using <a href="http://www.xtranormal.com" target="_blank">xtranormal</a>. This site allows users to write a script, add a background, characters, background music, adjust the camera angle, and animate characters. Although this site is no longer free of charge, it is definitely worth the $2 fee to create one movie. Enjoy!Melissa Filotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646475678227313216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1560340201991098707.post-17444213619061867832009-11-15T18:07:00.001-05:002009-11-15T18:08:55.875-05:00Electronic PortfolioPlease visit my electronic <a href="http://mfilotas.webs.com/">portfolio</a> for more ideas about integrating technology into elementary classrooms!Melissa Filotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646475678227313216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1560340201991098707.post-2306633396767914682009-10-29T18:25:00.005-04:002009-10-29T18:36:44.313-04:00Podcast Describing Touch Math Approach<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4Vaxb9fjyjgRPWi9xbQe0rqkkNDRlEg6VehVQGlKbJwAu3CwDRyVTDYVeLIHDYO9v4nx1u3TFOUn2SF0ji6jGIoa8aokokKVPPkEsTp0BdLVl_TB9spHzIWqFq9vLQ8YdNMtWYqKD96c/s1600-h/Touch+Math+Numbers.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 181px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 201px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398153067361348738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4Vaxb9fjyjgRPWi9xbQe0rqkkNDRlEg6VehVQGlKbJwAu3CwDRyVTDYVeLIHDYO9v4nx1u3TFOUn2SF0ji6jGIoa8aokokKVPPkEsTp0BdLVl_TB9spHzIWqFq9vLQ8YdNMtWYqKD96c/s200/Touch+Math+Numbers.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Today, I created a <a href="http://mfilotas.mypodcast.com/">Podcast </a>where I talked about the Touch Math method. This strategy seems to really help children solve algorithms. Instead of relying on manipulatives and/or finger counting, the children simply count the number of dots that correspond to the numbers one through nine. </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Picture courtesy of <a href="http://www.touchmath.com/storeworks/images/TouchPointMiniPoster.jpg">TouchMath</a></div>Melissa Filotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646475678227313216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1560340201991098707.post-74252275226427133802009-10-29T16:07:00.004-04:002009-10-29T16:17:33.834-04:00Interactive Flashcards<a href="http://www.cobocards.com/">Cobocards</a> is an excellent CAI website for teachers or students to create interactive flashcards. The students can practice alone or with other classmates to memorize key vocabulary words for all content areas. After completing the practice session, there is a score report given that describes the percentage of terms which were answered correctly/incorrectly. I created a set of flashcards based on types of <a href="http://pool.cobocards.com/cardset/6362542/">precipitation</a>.Melissa Filotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646475678227313216noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1560340201991098707.post-49146665916004759182009-10-21T20:02:00.006-04:002009-10-21T20:32:40.989-04:00Kidspiration Tutorial<p><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxj0vleahOEyxsteFI36FcE5CiMUrdYpBVM20NrG-O4VWsdvbP2jFu8kuK8k4w8Dm-YjQUu9TiLaOMY4dH-kg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><p>Tutorials are a component of Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI). Also included in the CAI category are simulations, games, drill and practice activities, exploratory environments, and reference software. These types of lessons help students learn <span style="color:#ff99ff;"><strong>from</strong> </span>the program, whereas tools help students learn <strong><span style="color:#ff99ff;">with</span></strong> the software through the construction of a product. For example, the VoiceThread tool, as illustrated in my blog, allows students to manipulate and organize information, such as pictures and text, into a coherent product that explains the topic. However, a tutorial (CAI), as shown above, teaches learners about or how to do something. This video tutorial was created using <a href="http://camstudio.org/">CamStudio</a>.</p>Melissa Filotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646475678227313216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1560340201991098707.post-79722271751724237522009-10-11T15:15:00.009-04:002010-07-05T22:14:08.160-04:00Dipity Timeline<div style="WIDTH: 400px" class="dipity_embed"><iframe style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #ccc 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #ccc 1px solid; BORDER-RIGHT: #ccc 1px solid" height="400" src="http://www.dipity.com/mfilotas/personal/embed_tl?" width="400"></iframe><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, sans; FONT-SIZE: 13px"><a href="http://www.dipity.com/mfilotas/personal">Study Abroad</a> on <a href="http://www.dipity.com/">Dipity</a>.</p></div><br /><span style="color:#ffcccc;"><span style="color:#ffffff;">The above timeline was created using</span> </span><a href="http://www.dipity.com/">Dipity</a>. <span style="color:#ffcccc;"><span style="color:#ffffff;">This could be implemented in the classroom by students or the teacher to sequence events in content areas, such as history, science, and reading. It could also be used to depict a student's life story.</span> </span>Melissa Filotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646475678227313216noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1560340201991098707.post-85640944905734140092009-10-02T17:01:00.004-04:002010-07-05T22:12:36.236-04:00Paris Slide Show<p style="visibility:visible;"><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://widget-5b.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" height="320" width="426" style="width:426px;height:320px"><param name="movie" value="http://widget-5b.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="scale" value="noscale" /><param name="salign" value="l" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent"/> <param name="flashvars" value="cy=ms&il=1&channel=3098476543662675547&site=widget-5b.slide.com"/></object><p style="white-space:nowrap"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=ms&at=un&id=3098476543662675547&map=1" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-5b.slide.com/p1/3098476543662675547/ms_t024_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=ms&at=un&id=3098476543662675547&map=2" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-5b.slide.com/p2/3098476543662675547/ms_t024_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=ms&at=un&id=3098476543662675547&map=F" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-5b.slide.com/p4/3098476543662675547/ms_t024_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide42.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a></p></p><br />This slide show was created using <a href="http://www.slide.com/">Slide</a>. It could be used in a compare and contrast lesson where students find similarities and differences between Paris and their cities or towns. If music is incorporated into the slide show, it should be played at a very low volume, or it could be turned off to prevent distractions. These pictures are photographs that I took in Paris, France.Melissa Filotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646475678227313216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1560340201991098707.post-66851254516545485032009-10-02T14:36:00.003-04:002009-10-21T20:24:02.582-04:00Landforms Guessing Game<img style="WIDTH: 0px; HEIGHT: 0px; VISIBILITY: hidden" border="0" src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bT*xJmx*PTEyNTQ1MDg*MzE*NDkmcHQ9MTI1NDUwODQ1ODM2MiZwPTIwNjQyMSZkPWI2NDI2NTYmZz*yJm89ZjEyOWRhOTc*NGE4NGU2ODg*MGZmZTdjYTk5ZjVlZTImb2Y9MA==.gif" width="0" height="0" /><object width="480" height="360"><param name="movie" value="http://voicethread.com/book.swf?b=642656"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://voicethread.com/book.swf?b=642656" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="480" height="360"></embed></object><br /><br /><br />This album was created using the tool, <a href="http://voicethread.com/">VoiceThread</a>. It is a guessing game designed for elementary students learning about the six main landforms including mountain, hill, ocean, lake, river, and stream. This engaging activity could be used as an introduction or at the end of the unit to review the characteristics of each of the landforms. All the pictures are actual photographs that I took while studying abroad in Innsbruck, Austria.Melissa Filotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646475678227313216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1560340201991098707.post-1734528618757436212009-09-18T20:21:00.006-04:002009-09-18T20:34:47.950-04:00Yearly Calendar<iframe src="http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?height=400&wkst=1&bgcolor=%23993399&src=mfilotas%40stetson.edu&color=%237A367A&src=en.usa%23holiday%40group.v.calendar.google.com&color=%23B1365F&ctz=America%2FNew_York" style=" border-width:0 " width="400" height="400" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>Melissa Filotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646475678227313216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1560340201991098707.post-85281758044711188472009-09-18T19:58:00.006-04:002009-09-18T21:07:20.918-04:00Ooples and Boonoonoos<object classid='clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000' codebase='http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0' width='182' height='171' id='Blabberize.com_Player' align='middle'><param name='allowScriptAccess' value='sameDomain' /><param name='movie' value='http://www.blabberize.com/swf/blabberembedp.swf' /><param name='quality' value='high' /><param name='scale' value='noscale' /><param name='salign' value='lt' /><param name='bgcolor' value='#ccffff' /><param name='FlashVars' value='id=97864' /><embed width='182' height='171' src='http://www.blabberize.com/swf/blabberembedp.swf' FlashVars='id=97864' quality='high' scale='noscale' salign='lt' bgcolor='#ccffff' name='Blabberize.com_Player' align='middle' allowScriptAccess='sameDomain' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' pluginspage='http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer' /></embed></object> <br /><br />This is an example of a mash-up, which is a fun way to teach students the vowel sounds. The monkey has taken on my ALTERED voice to sing the song.Melissa Filotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646475678227313216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1560340201991098707.post-6887291653234382362009-09-18T18:30:00.002-04:002010-07-05T22:09:21.752-04:00Welcome to Melissa's Blog<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMHEGaXkdf_0Khex5qvE5K8OTiMQUsPgPccoL-zsrsfCEt70oxqywBWXD2jMebwdyS4bAtBaeWYkv940QyYB3hqQvXTdLDP3PUikd1JfgoK0IYN0spNW1oc5yGASozrUs_Yx1w5avKMXqu/s1600-h/MEL+CROP.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 192px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382945241383762242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMHEGaXkdf_0Khex5qvE5K8OTiMQUsPgPccoL-zsrsfCEt70oxqywBWXD2jMebwdyS4bAtBaeWYkv940QyYB3hqQvXTdLDP3PUikd1JfgoK0IYN0spNW1oc5yGASozrUs_Yx1w5avKMXqu/s200/MEL+CROP.jpg" /></a><br />I graduated in December 2008 from Stetson University which is located in DeLand, Florida. I received a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education with ESOL Endorsement. Immediately following graduation, I was hired as a long-term substitute at the school where I student taught. Unfortunately, with the economy the way it is, I have not been able to find another teaching job. Therefore, I have decided to earn my Master's Degree in the CDIT program at University at Albany. Since I enjoy technology and implementing it into the classroom, I will share projects from the past and new ideas that I learn.Melissa Filotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646475678227313216noreply@blogger.com0