Photoshop Editing

In my Ed Tech class, we're learning how to edit photos in Photoshop. This, let me tell you, is not an easy task for me. I've never used Photoshop before this class, so I often have to make several dozen mistakes to figure out the right way to do something. The other day, we had to import a picture of a cupcake and figure out how to change the colors.

The original picture.

To get rid of the background, you first select the "magic wand" tool. You click the bottom of the cupcake, hold down the shift key, and then select the parts on top that you want to keep. You should have "marching ants" on all of the lines. After everything is selected, double click a few times at the top of the cupcake. The marching ants will change so they go just around the outside lines. Then, right click your mouse and a menu will come up. Click on "Select Inverse." The marching ants should now be going around the cupcake and the outside edges of the work space. Press the delete key, and you should be left with only the cupcake.

After the background is gone, click on the paint can. You can pick any color for the frosting and the cake part, and there are even some cool designs to try out. I just clicked around for a bit to find a color combination that I liked.

My new cupcake.

A few days later, we were asked to add sprinkles to our cupcakes. We used the brush tool, and we changed the brush to the small star shape.

The final cupcake, sprinkles and all.



iSpy...a cool class project!

In my Educational Technology class, we made our own iSpy pictures! Each person in the class created their own mess of items and took a picutre, then we created a PowerPoint slide with the clue. Mine said, "I spy a sliver bell, a coffee cup, and a pretty, purple ribbon." All of the pictures from class were collaborated into one long slide show that can be printed into a book.

This would be fun to do with my future elementary class. The students would take their own picture, then I could have it printed at Walmart or on Shutterfly. Kids would be pumped to see their very own pictures in a book. iSpy a way to get kids excited about reading!

Photo Cubes

I'm very excited about the photo cube project, and ideas for possible uses in the classroom are flying through my head! Here's a few things these photo cubes could be used for:

• Make a cube with pictures of each child in a work group. When the cube is rolled and a face is right side up, it is that child's turn to lead the group. (For example: reading out loud, presenting a topic, giving an opinion during discussion etc.)
• Fill one cube with random pictures of places, one cube with people, and one cube with action shots. The students can roll the cubes to select topics for writing creative sentences.
• Have a photo cube for each child in the classroom. The photo cubes could be placed in a jar and used to choose students at random.
• And TONS more!

Here's a picture of the cube I made:

I used pictures of my boyfriend, my family, and my friends. It is now sitting on my shelf in my dorm room, reminding me of the wonderful people I have in my life! :)

Critical Reflection #2

Mark Prensky. Find more information about him on his website.

Eliminating the "App Gap"
By Marc Prensky

This article was extremely interesting. Several people in my family have had an iPod Touch for years now, but I had never really thought of it as an educational tool. It’s mostly been used for many hours of Angry Birds, quite honestly. Marc made a really great argument for using them for educatio, as well as recreation. He talked about how his first grade son has his own iPod Touch, and he uses it to play several different educational games. This little boy even learned the alphabet in two different languages by using a letter tracing app. New apps are coming out every day, and Marc believes that schools should utilize the resource they have right in front of them. He even says that he thinks apps are better than using textbooks.

Now, my main concern would be the funding. He’s right when he says that apps are cheap, and most of the time, they’re even free. I also agree that the costs of iPods have decreased significantly, but there are still going to be those families who aren’t going to be able to swing $200 for an iPod Touch. There would have to be some sort of a scholarship program put in place, but I’m also a little skeptical about where that money would come from. Schools don’t have any extra money just laying around. Marc does make a good financial point, however, when he says that apps would cost far less than buying huge, expensive suit packages for computers. If an app were to be released with a similar quality to the expensive computer programs, it would be totally worth it to save some money. Hey, if Marc Prensky can figure out how to make iPods in school work for every student, I support him completely!

Word Cloud

I made this Word Cloud gem with the help of Wordle. This will be a great classroom project! Students can type up a bunch of words about themselves, then they can create their own Word Cloud and display it proudly for the class.

Critical Thinking Reflection #1

Photo by Lexie Flickinger/Brad Flickinger.

Critical Thinking Reflection #1

Brad’s Educational Technology Bill of Rights is phenomenal! I wish that my school would have been more accepting of technology. For example, he suggests that teachers make use of the fact that students are on social networking sites. I love the idea of using Facebook to communicate with students, because it would get the job done much more effectively than other forms of communication. Facebook is what kids use, and if teachers are willing to use it too, students are going to respond well. I also think the part about Wikipedia is interesting. Teachers talk so vehemently about Wikipedia, but I really don’t see the problem with using it, as long as the information is verified. Wikipedia is a fast way to get a summary about any topic in the world. Finally, I love his last commandment, “I have the right to be taught by teachers that know their trade.” As a teacher in training, I’m excited to prepare myself to be the best possible teacher I can be. If I don’t learn as much as I can, I’m not teaching up to my full potential.
The comments on the post are very mixed. Several people commend his writing, saying that they will be using his ideas in their own classroom. Other comments aren’t as supportive. One person goes so far as to say the list “infuriates” him or her, because there are legal complications that Brad fails to mention. Another comment says that his list is unrealistic for the world we live in. Whether one agrees with the entire list or not, it is safe to say that Brad Flickinger is passionate about technology, and everyone can learn something from him.