Final Video

Here is my final video explaining to students and parents what they can do at the Writers Workshop Station. There were several photos used in the slides that were edited in Photoshop. The opening slide was edited using vignette, feathered and text was added. The Dry Erase slide was edited using vignette with the two photos creating a collage, text was added, as well as a background pattern. The Word Wall Match slide was edited using vignette, framed, and text effects were used as well as a background pattern. The Write it, Stamp it slide was edited using vignette with both pictures so a collage could be created, text was used with effects as well.

Podcast

Here is the podbean URL for my podcast. http://sararenken.podbean.com/

Here is the URL address to copy and past into iTunes to subscribe to my podcast. http://sararenken.podbean.com/feed/

Podcast

Here is my podcast using photostory. It is based upon a monthly newsletter that I send home to parents at the beginning of each month, but now I can send them to my website or blog to get updated on the kindergarten monthly news.

I have edited several photos for this project.

Photo 1 – has been cropped using vignette, there is text added to the page as well as color background change.

Photo 6 – is a college of pictures, as well as added text.

Photo 8 – is a collage of pictures using vignette and text as been added and enhanced by using text features.

Photo 9 – has been edited using vignette. It also is a college of other pictures that I had taken and text has been added.

Photo 10 – is a picture that has been cropped and the background color has been changed.

My Favorite Websites

Dr. Jean - this is a great website to use as a resource for primary teachers. It is has many fun and neat activities as well as many easy to use and applicable ideas!

http://www.drjean.org/

Hubbard's Cupboard - I love this website. I use this site all the time to find extension activities from books or themes that we are doing in kindergarten!

http://www.hubbardscupboard.org/

Daniel Cook - this is a site that I use just as kindergarteners are getting used to playing on the computer. It is a kid friendly site where they can explore the life of Danile Cook!

http://www.thisisdanielcook.com/#intro

My Favorite Teacher Tube Video

Video

Article Review of Multimedia Projectors

About Me!

My name is Sara Renken and I am a kindergarten teacher at Brownell Elementary for Lincoln Public Schools. I graduated from the University of Nebraska at Kearney in December of 2005 and have been in kindergarten ever since. It is a great place to learn and grow, and laugh! I enjoy teaching children of this age, life is never dull, and there is always something to smile about! In my spare time I enjoy hanging out with my husband, Luke and our dog Sammy! I enjoy running and shopping, and most recently shopping for baby items! We are expeting our first child in the middle of June!

I have had some experience with technology. I try to incorporate it in my kindergarten class as much as possible, although it is difficult at times due to the lack of up to date equipment and computers we have at my school. Mostly I have students play educational games or type up sentences and some high frequency words that we have learned. At school we have Macs, but at home I have a PC. I absolutely love my PC laptop. I have Microsoft Windows Vista. I just got it about a month ago, and it is very convenient and so far, user friendly. So I guess I would have to say that I am more of a PC user than a Mac.

I guess I have several reasons for obtaining my Masters degree. I wanted it to move a bit up on the pay scale as well as I wanted to get it done before me and my husband started a family (I'll be close!). It is been a good experience so far. I have gained some new ideas and strategies. I have also been able to learn from others and deepen my understanding of education and teaching in a variety of ways. After completing my degree I plan to wait a while before taking classes again. My hope is to some day go back and get my Special Education Endorsement.