Cara Bobeda

2011-06-02T09:53:00.000-07:00

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2011-04-22T08:48:00.001-07:00

Multi Media Presentation

2009-11-21T16:59:00.000-08:00

Below is a multimedia presentation I put together using google presentations and screentoaster.com. It is about the relevance of using Youtube and Facebook in a classroom.

Free online screen recorder

INTASC

2009-11-21T15:46:00.000-08:00

There were 2 critical assessments for my educational technology class. Following is a table that describes the activities I did to meet these standards.

520 Google Spreadsheet Assn

2009-11-19T17:19:00.000-08:00

The purpose of this project was to take a set of student test scores and study the trends.

With the data collected from student test scores, I was able to create a chart that is a more visual explanation of what occured. This will be a great way to show students, parents and other teachers any specific trends I see in scores. In regard to Special Education this is a wonderful tool for charting a students over all test scores and how they may have improved or possibly lost ability over time. Many parents struggle with the many tests and scores the schools throw at them that are "supposed" to tell them how their student is progressing. This tool would really make it so much simpler to explain certain processes and progress of my students.

Evernote Presentation

2009-11-06T20:15:00.000-08:00

Using Evernote.com for organization purposes can be great for both personal reasons and professional. Check out the link below to our presentation.

Skype

2009-10-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

This week I finally entered the world of "skyping". Yes, I signed up for my very own Skype account. This internet tool is what I'd describe as "crazy". That's a good thing though. Let me tell a little story about my first experience. I signed up for Skype while sitting in my living room with my husband and children. When I told my husband Todd how easy it was he decided to sign up too. This next week he will be leaving for 2 weeks to do his annual training for the National Guard. We decided this would be a great way for us to keep in face to face contact. We loved the idea and once the kids saw themselves on the screen they loved it too. So, about 30 minutes later I'm working on something else and suddenly my computer is making noise telling me someone is calling in. Amazingly enough, my Dad, the most unsavvy tech guy I know is calling me via Skype. Answering in shock we begin having a conversation on the computer. This was just crazy to me :) Then he tells me my cousin who I've talked to maybe twice in my whole life from Perryville, Missouri was trying to call him via Skype. So he answers it and find she is at her Grandmothers house, (my aunt & Dads sister)they all want to do a conference call. CRAZY! So, after many years of not talking to these people I am suddenly thrown into this great converstaion with them. Did I mention crazy?! After 20 minutes we all said our goodbyes and hung up. Wow, I had no idea I was the last person to jump on the Skype band wagon. This was quite an opportunity. Personally, Skype is obviously going to give me a chance to communicate with family and friends even easier than before.
Professionaly, I'm still trying to brainstorm ideas of using Skype in a classroom of Special Education students. I could see showing them how it works by having a guest speaker via a Skype interview. I could see this as usefull, interesting to them, and of course easier and more time efficient for the speaker. I've already read about job interviews being conducted in this matter. Perhaps it would be a technique my students would need to know in the future as far as career development went.
Skype is fun, easy to use and makes the impersonal aspects of internet commumication personal again. Two thumbs up!

Family

2009-10-22T18:32:00.000-07:00

My Favorite Web 2.0 Tools

2009-10-22T10:24:00.000-07:00

Web 2.0 Tools are applications and services accessed on the internet from any computer, in any location, and at any time. It's amazing to be able to access your spreadsheets, videos, music, personal application such as email and much more from anywhere. Imagine how useful this could be, no more "old school" flash drives, cd's or disks when you need to transfer info. As a teacher I love the idea of being able to create a presentation or work on a project at home, then simply show up at school, access my project on the web and present it to my class. What could be easier?

A couple of my favorite Web 2.0 tools are ScreenToaster and Wordle. Both of these applications are free to the user and fairly easy to use. I believe that students could be taught to use these tools in a classroom and of course later in life.

ScreenToaster is an "online screen recorder". It gives the ability to record any presentation you've done turning it into a tutorial, youtube presentation or just a blog entry. This would be very useful in a classroom when students are asked to create powerpoints or give a speech. As the teacher I would record this and present it on a class blog giving everyone an opportunity to participate via blog comments.

Wordle is a super simple application that puts words into a creative and artistic graphic. All you have to do is input a list of words together or cut and paste a written piece of work. In class someone made a great point that after writing a small essay and putting the words in Wordle she found what words and expressions she used to much. What a fun way to create a writing assignment based on using synonyms.

Web 2.0 tools are great. It is a little hard to know which will work best in a classroom setting and a bit overwhelming because there are so many. However, being introduced to the possibilities is so helpful and certainly useful.

Check out my recent Wordle!
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Yodio - OTEN by carabobeda

2009-10-09T21:02:00.001-07:00

Blog application for student success

2009-10-04T15:30:00.000-07:00

As a Special Education teacher using technology will be a test of my abilites and that of my students. Thus far I have found that most of my students do not have the experience to understand most techonological opportunities. Most of them do not have computers in their homes nor have they been required to do much else on the school offered computers but create word documents or a rare power point.
This being said putting those rare power points on a teacher blog would be a great way for students to share their work with the entire class. I could see posting each one and allowing them to make comments (all positive of course :).
Many of my students will have a specific learning disability in writing. Blogging would be a great way of allowing free write. If I have access to classroom computers I could give each student a time during class to do this.
Many of these same students need help organizing homework and have specific goals for study skills. Having an online resource for kids to maintain word documents, see future required homework and even share ideas with other classmates about homework would be useful to them.
Not only would the technical part of a classroom or teacher blog be educational for these types of students but a personal blog would be stellar for developing a sense of identity. Many special needs students have a need to be heard, express themselves and share ideas without the critical eye of peers and "authority". As big as the idea may seem, I think opening up this world for such students and seeing what they are thinking and feeling could give us real insight into how we could truly help them both educationally and personally.

My 1st blog post ever!

2009-09-19T11:17:00.000-07:00

Today is the day I attempt to enter the technological world...the real one...the technical one.

Hi I'm Cara Bobeda and I've decided to go back to school to get my MAT (Masters of Arts in Teaching). I've been working in a High school with Special Ed students for about 3 years. They are great kids with special needs and I have decided to get smarter so I can help them better. As well as getting my endorsement in Special Education I hope to be certified to teach Family and Consumer Sciences.

Personally, I "manage" :) a "blended family" with a google calendar so full and colorful when people see if they can only feel sorry for us. We don't mind, we just make sure we follow it so everyone gets to their pre-specified locals each day. I am Mom to Aidan 4, Stepmom to Chase 7 and wife to Todd. We are all expecting "our" new son/brother the first part of February. The entire family is very excited for our new addition.

Since both my husband and I are in the education field we have summers and yearly holidays off together with our kids. We spend a ton of time camping during the summer. This last summer we traveled all over Oregon and Washington with the kids. Next summer will be consumed with less camping and more house projects. We own an old farm house that needed lots of love but is getting cuter as the months go by.

So as you can read, I'm a busy girl! I get cranky sometimes after a long day :) but I enjoy and have chosen to do everything that consumes my days. Life is good and I look forward to my exciting future.