Monday, May 9, 2011
Monday, May 2, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Journal 7: My Personal Learning Network NETS-T 5
What is your PLN and how will it help you as a classroom teacher?
My personal learning network is made up of friends, family members, educators and other knowledgeable sources that keep me connected with our ever changing world. My PLN consists of Twitter, Facebook, Diigo, Skype, Google Docs, Igoogle and many more. Having a personal learning network has given me the opportunity to collaborate with other individuals to feed me ideas and resources that will further advance my practices as a future educator.
Discuss your use of Twitter, who is in your network and why? Reflect on your participation in an educational chat.
My use of Twitter is still pretty minimal, but I do try to get on more often. I had joined Twitter one time before and wasn't a big fan, but this time around, knowing how to navigate around a little better and what to look for, I feel like I appreciate this PLN more. My account consists of a couple of my peers in class, my teacher and many other educational pages that I found off of my professors twitter :o) as well as a few pages that I added for fun. I feel that Twitter is an ongoing service that can really help a future educator like me find valuable information that will enable be to become a more knowledgeable educator.
To be completely honest, I hadn't been able to get on a chat until this last Wednesday night April 20th when I joined the #ntchat about how to fund libraries in schools. I found the actual chat to be pretty interesting with quite a few people joining in, but I hope to find another topic in a chat that I may be able to connect with a little bit better further down the road.
Dicuss your use of Diigo as a networking tool. Explain what you tagged PLN and why?
Diigo has become very valuable to me for educational purposes. As a networking tool, Diigo had given me many educational resources to work with and gain more information from. I like Diigo a little bit more than Twitter because its a little easier for me to navigate. All of the different articles and shared facts between teachers and future educators has been very helpful, and is why I tagged certain pages as PLN. The pages that I thought I was really learning from, I chose to tag Personal Learning Network!I have the opportunity to gain knowledge from people that have been working with and around students for many years and I love that. As a future educator, it is vital to be able to find as many instrumental resources as possible to assist you on your way to becoming a better teacher.
Discuss which digital discussion forum you joined, add the badge to your blog, and reflect on the blog post, video, or article you explored.
I watched a video from Classroom 2.0 called "Tuned Out" by Karen Hume. She discussed how there is a large gap in today's society between the outside world and what goes on inside the classroom. She really focuses in on keeping the students engaged and how to do that. Her 5 principals are: Competence, Creativity, Community, Context and Challenge. She believes that with all 5 of those things, that students will stay excited about learning and school and teachers will continue to be motivated.
While watching the video, there were a few statistics that absolutely amazed me, one was the 94-99% of kids play video games and another was that more than have of children that are 12 years old own a cell phone. Its crazy how much has changed since I was that age. Growing up my parents were really strict on how much we watched TV and played video games. They encouraged us to play outside or on a sports team, so I never really got in to playing them. In my opinion I think that some times having all of this technology is too much. Are we ever going to be able to keep our students engaged when there are always newer more entertaining things on the market? Its one thing that makes me nervous as a future teacher, not being able to keep my students engaged.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Inspiration
Inspiration is an artifact that enabled me to be creative while demonstrating my ability to use digital tools and resources!
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Journal 10: Helping Students Express Their Passion
Mann, Michelle. "Helping Students Express Their Passion." Learning and Leading. N.p., March/April 2011. Web. 13 Apr 2011. http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/.
This article talks about Adobe Youth Voices (AYV), a global education program sponsored by the Adobe foundation. Their main focus is on teaching underserved kids ages 13-18 about how to use digital media to comment on their world, share ideas and take action on the social issues that are important to them. The goal is to spark dialogue for change around the world by harnessing the energy and insight of young people.
What educators and policy makers are finding all over the world is that they are facing the same problems; Figuring out how to improve the quality and impact of secondary education. Much of the public discussion focuses on student achievement and teacher performance, but the Adobe Foundation saw that the issue was even more fundamental than raising test scores, it has to do with student engagement. There are many ways to get students interested, but one thing that really drives most young adults is technology.
Adobe works closely with educators and community organizers to find out how technology can motivate and empower students to participate more actively in their own educations. One of the ways that AYV is trying to achieve this is by helping educators use digital media to give new life in to lessons about team collaboration, narrative, analysis and writing. This program has also helped educators understand how to make what kids learn and the way they learn it, more meaningful and useful.
Do you feel that the right applications of technology can help inspire students?
Absolutely! Students begin to become passionate about what they are learning. In turn, they become actively engaged in school and in their communities.
What is another benefit that AYV adds to the mix?
AYV teaches young adults, educators and the communities around them how to work together. By fostering this type of collaborative learning AYV is helping educators develop forward thinking lesson plans that get students excited and involved with the world around them.
This article talks about Adobe Youth Voices (AYV), a global education program sponsored by the Adobe foundation. Their main focus is on teaching underserved kids ages 13-18 about how to use digital media to comment on their world, share ideas and take action on the social issues that are important to them. The goal is to spark dialogue for change around the world by harnessing the energy and insight of young people.
What educators and policy makers are finding all over the world is that they are facing the same problems; Figuring out how to improve the quality and impact of secondary education. Much of the public discussion focuses on student achievement and teacher performance, but the Adobe Foundation saw that the issue was even more fundamental than raising test scores, it has to do with student engagement. There are many ways to get students interested, but one thing that really drives most young adults is technology.
Adobe works closely with educators and community organizers to find out how technology can motivate and empower students to participate more actively in their own educations. One of the ways that AYV is trying to achieve this is by helping educators use digital media to give new life in to lessons about team collaboration, narrative, analysis and writing. This program has also helped educators understand how to make what kids learn and the way they learn it, more meaningful and useful.
Do you feel that the right applications of technology can help inspire students?
Absolutely! Students begin to become passionate about what they are learning. In turn, they become actively engaged in school and in their communities.
What is another benefit that AYV adds to the mix?
AYV teaches young adults, educators and the communities around them how to work together. By fostering this type of collaborative learning AYV is helping educators develop forward thinking lesson plans that get students excited and involved with the world around them.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Journal 9: Teaching Green (NETS-T 3 & 5 )
Waters, John. "Teaching Green." THE Journal (2011): n. pag. Web. 11 Apr 2011.
This article written by John K. Waters was to educate the reader on the abundance of online tools that can help educators inform and instruct students about environmental issues. It was only 41 years ago that the nation had its first grassroots demonstration on behalf of Earth Day. This event is what was believed to have ignited the modern environmental education movement. Now, four decades later, we have a wealth of online resources for green teaching and learning. The article goes on to suggest great sites like "Classroom Earth" and "The Ecological Footprint Quiz" where students can go on line and inform themselves on the environmental world around them in fun and engaging ways.
Would you use these sites in your classroom?
Yes, I think they are great! The sites are easy to navigate, and constantly updated with the newest environmental information. They give great ideas for lesson plans, engaging videos and fun games that the students can play on while taking away important information. These sites can enhance and strengthen environmental education in classrooms nationwide.
What could you see as a downside?
Well, the only downside that I could find in this article was that most of the sites were directed for grades 4 and higher. I want to teach a second grade classroom and some of these websites may be a little too advanced for the age level that I will be working with. Otherwise, I thought that the article was great and very informative.
This article written by John K. Waters was to educate the reader on the abundance of online tools that can help educators inform and instruct students about environmental issues. It was only 41 years ago that the nation had its first grassroots demonstration on behalf of Earth Day. This event is what was believed to have ignited the modern environmental education movement. Now, four decades later, we have a wealth of online resources for green teaching and learning. The article goes on to suggest great sites like "Classroom Earth" and "The Ecological Footprint Quiz" where students can go on line and inform themselves on the environmental world around them in fun and engaging ways.
Would you use these sites in your classroom?
Yes, I think they are great! The sites are easy to navigate, and constantly updated with the newest environmental information. They give great ideas for lesson plans, engaging videos and fun games that the students can play on while taking away important information. These sites can enhance and strengthen environmental education in classrooms nationwide.
What could you see as a downside?
Well, the only downside that I could find in this article was that most of the sites were directed for grades 4 and higher. I want to teach a second grade classroom and some of these websites may be a little too advanced for the age level that I will be working with. Otherwise, I thought that the article was great and very informative.
Journal 8: Should Schools Be Held Responsible for Cyberbullying? (NETS-T 4)
Bogacz, R, & Gordillo, M. (2011, March/April). Point/counterpoint: Should Schools be Held Responsible for Cyberbullying?. Learning & Leading , 38(6), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/issues/Point_Counterpoint_Should_Schools_Be_Held_Responsible_for_Cyberbullying.aspx
In the article "Should Schools Be Held Responsible for Cyberbullying?" the authors Renee Bogacz and Miguel Gomez Gordillo take sides on the issue. Renee Bogacz feels that schools should be held responsible stating that "to deal effectively with this problem, all educational stakeholders- teachers and administrators as well as parents and the students themselves- must work together, because if one group is not on board, then cyberbullying will continue to be pervasive in the culture of teenagers." She then goes on to express her feelings about having clear and enforceable consequences at school and continuous parental involvement at home.
Miguel Gomez Gordillo on the other hand, opposes the idea that school systems should be held responsible for cyberbullying. He accounts cyberbullying to the fault of the parents and also as society as a whole, because we have ceased to really support the family as an institution. He feels that the high number of bullying cases are mainly due to the weakening of the family structure. At the end of the day, he believes that a healthy family is the basis for a healthy society, and schools can only support that role.
As a future educator, where do you stand on the issue?
I believe that both authors make very valid points in their article, but I feel that I mainly connected with Renee Bogacz. I do agree that it starts with the family, but I truly feel that whole community needs to be held accountable in stopping issues like cyberbullying. Children need guidance, and when they may not be getting it at home, they should be getting it from schools and other outside sources. We need to bring these students up to trust that our society is one of respect and tolerance and every part of the community needs to come together to make sure that this happens.
What may be a consequence of only having the family deal with cyberbullying?
I feel that although there are many great parents out there, there are some that do neglect their children and don’t care what they do. The consequence of relying solely on the family to stop cyberbullying is that some families wouldn’t give their children repercussions for teasing or harassing someone, or even worse, some family members may encourage it.
In the article "Should Schools Be Held Responsible for Cyberbullying?" the authors Renee Bogacz and Miguel Gomez Gordillo take sides on the issue. Renee Bogacz feels that schools should be held responsible stating that "to deal effectively with this problem, all educational stakeholders- teachers and administrators as well as parents and the students themselves- must work together, because if one group is not on board, then cyberbullying will continue to be pervasive in the culture of teenagers." She then goes on to express her feelings about having clear and enforceable consequences at school and continuous parental involvement at home.
Miguel Gomez Gordillo on the other hand, opposes the idea that school systems should be held responsible for cyberbullying. He accounts cyberbullying to the fault of the parents and also as society as a whole, because we have ceased to really support the family as an institution. He feels that the high number of bullying cases are mainly due to the weakening of the family structure. At the end of the day, he believes that a healthy family is the basis for a healthy society, and schools can only support that role.
As a future educator, where do you stand on the issue?
I believe that both authors make very valid points in their article, but I feel that I mainly connected with Renee Bogacz. I do agree that it starts with the family, but I truly feel that whole community needs to be held accountable in stopping issues like cyberbullying. Children need guidance, and when they may not be getting it at home, they should be getting it from schools and other outside sources. We need to bring these students up to trust that our society is one of respect and tolerance and every part of the community needs to come together to make sure that this happens.
What may be a consequence of only having the family deal with cyberbullying?
I feel that although there are many great parents out there, there are some that do neglect their children and don’t care what they do. The consequence of relying solely on the family to stop cyberbullying is that some families wouldn’t give their children repercussions for teasing or harassing someone, or even worse, some family members may encourage it.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Assessment NETS-T 3
Click Here for assessment results
By creating an assessment I was able to make sure that my peers were able understand the relevant information and ideas that I was trying to get across in my Prezi Presentation!
By creating an assessment I was able to make sure that my peers were able understand the relevant information and ideas that I was trying to get across in my Prezi Presentation!
Presentation Assignment NETS-T 3
Using Prezi, an web-based presentation application and storytelling tool that uses a single canvas instead of traditional slides, I crested a short presentation on the NETs for students to demonstrate my fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Journal 6: Grow Your Personal Learning Network (NETS-T 5)
Warlick, D. (2009). Grow your personal learning network. Leading and Learning With Technology, 36(6), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/digital-edition-march-april-2009.aspx
In this article, Warlick discusses how Personal Learning Networks (PLNs) are imperative for educators who want to stay connected to the changing world that has so many new emerging technologies. This will not only help them to become better teachers, but will also give them the information they need to aid their students growth.
Warlick introduces three main types of PLNs in his article. Each one of them taking you down different avenues. The first Personal Learning Network he mentions is the personally maintained synchronous connection. This is the “traditional” connection that involves people and places a person uses to answer questions, solve problems, and accomplish goals. Such tools that may be associated with this network include: Twitter, instant and text messaging, and virtual worlds such as Second Life. The second type of PLN is the personally and socially maintained semisynchronous connections. This connection allows for people to be in different places or different times, while still allowing them to participate at their own pace, and around their own schedule. Tools that enable this type of connection include Facebook, Blogs and Wikis. The third type of PLN is the dynamically maintained asynchronous connection. This connection helps people obtain information that will help them do their jobs as opposed to the first two types that are mainly used to connect with other people. This is where you train the information to organize and deliver itself to you! Examples of this type of tool may be things like social bookmarking or pod casts.
Question 1: Can PLNs have a potential weakness?
Yes, if a person isn’t careful, they can get caught up in only searching for topics that agree with how that individual feels, really limiting their perspective. Creating your own PLN, you need to be aware of that aspet and try to cultivate networks that challenge your way of thinking!
Question 2: How are PLNs actually aiding student growth?
PLNs are aiding students growth by preparing them for an unpredictable future. Educators are helping them learn how to find things on their own and to teach themselves. Personal Learning Networks help model a learning lifestyle, that’s creating life long learning.
In this article, Warlick discusses how Personal Learning Networks (PLNs) are imperative for educators who want to stay connected to the changing world that has so many new emerging technologies. This will not only help them to become better teachers, but will also give them the information they need to aid their students growth.
Warlick introduces three main types of PLNs in his article. Each one of them taking you down different avenues. The first Personal Learning Network he mentions is the personally maintained synchronous connection. This is the “traditional” connection that involves people and places a person uses to answer questions, solve problems, and accomplish goals. Such tools that may be associated with this network include: Twitter, instant and text messaging, and virtual worlds such as Second Life. The second type of PLN is the personally and socially maintained semisynchronous connections. This connection allows for people to be in different places or different times, while still allowing them to participate at their own pace, and around their own schedule. Tools that enable this type of connection include Facebook, Blogs and Wikis. The third type of PLN is the dynamically maintained asynchronous connection. This connection helps people obtain information that will help them do their jobs as opposed to the first two types that are mainly used to connect with other people. This is where you train the information to organize and deliver itself to you! Examples of this type of tool may be things like social bookmarking or pod casts.
Question 1: Can PLNs have a potential weakness?
Yes, if a person isn’t careful, they can get caught up in only searching for topics that agree with how that individual feels, really limiting their perspective. Creating your own PLN, you need to be aware of that aspet and try to cultivate networks that challenge your way of thinking!
Question 2: How are PLNs actually aiding student growth?
PLNs are aiding students growth by preparing them for an unpredictable future. Educators are helping them learn how to find things on their own and to teach themselves. Personal Learning Networks help model a learning lifestyle, that’s creating life long learning.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Journal # 4 "Its time to trust teachers with the Internet: A Conversation with Meg Ormiston.” (NETS 3 & 4)
Ormiston, M. (2010). Its time to trust teachers with the internet: a conversation with meg ormiston. THE Journal, Retrieved from
http://thejournal.com/articles/2010/12/01/its-time-to-trust-teachers-with-the-internet-a-conversation-with-meg-ormiston.aspx?sc_lang=en
In this article, the author Meg Orminston is discussing how teachers are being pressured to incorporate 21st century teaching and learning in to their classrooms, but are not being allowed to use the tools they need to do that. Schools are having a hard time trusting the teachers that they hired to care for children in a classroom setting. They believe that somehow teachers are not going to be able to teach responsible computing, so instead they block all of these websites that students could gain from.
Instead, how it should be looked at, is that teachers have the potential to help students make good choices with networking resources. They can teach them what is right and what is wrong to look at. Because, of course there are inappropriate things on You Tube and networks that are similar, but on the other hand, there are very rich, wonderful learning opportunities as well. At the end of the day, if schools keep restricting the technology in the classroom, teachers will eventually give up and students will lose because they aren’t able to keep up with the new information.
What can students gain by receiving information about how to use 21st century technology in their classrooms?
While they are still in school, the internet and social networks can help them find outside information on what they are learning in class. They may find more helpful websites than what has been presented in class. And when they graduate, and are in the real world, they are just one step ahead. They will know how to access great information, and will have developed better skills at exploring the internet.
Do you feel that teachers should be trusted with teaching this information, even if it may lead to some teachers putting up inappropriate information in class?
Yes, just because a few teachers may get out of line, the rest of the schools in the U.S. shouldn’t have to suffer. There is more to gain by trusting our teachers than worrying that a few may not be able to control a classroom.
http://thejournal.com/articles/2010/12/01/its-time-to-trust-teachers-with-the-internet-a-conversation-with-meg-ormiston.aspx?sc_lang=en
In this article, the author Meg Orminston is discussing how teachers are being pressured to incorporate 21st century teaching and learning in to their classrooms, but are not being allowed to use the tools they need to do that. Schools are having a hard time trusting the teachers that they hired to care for children in a classroom setting. They believe that somehow teachers are not going to be able to teach responsible computing, so instead they block all of these websites that students could gain from.
Instead, how it should be looked at, is that teachers have the potential to help students make good choices with networking resources. They can teach them what is right and what is wrong to look at. Because, of course there are inappropriate things on You Tube and networks that are similar, but on the other hand, there are very rich, wonderful learning opportunities as well. At the end of the day, if schools keep restricting the technology in the classroom, teachers will eventually give up and students will lose because they aren’t able to keep up with the new information.
What can students gain by receiving information about how to use 21st century technology in their classrooms?
While they are still in school, the internet and social networks can help them find outside information on what they are learning in class. They may find more helpful websites than what has been presented in class. And when they graduate, and are in the real world, they are just one step ahead. They will know how to access great information, and will have developed better skills at exploring the internet.
Do you feel that teachers should be trusted with teaching this information, even if it may lead to some teachers putting up inappropriate information in class?
Yes, just because a few teachers may get out of line, the rest of the schools in the U.S. shouldn’t have to suffer. There is more to gain by trusting our teachers than worrying that a few may not be able to control a classroom.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Technology Self-Assessment: School 2.0
NETS-T 3,4 & 5
I chose reflection results NETS T module: Engage in professional growth and leadership. Specifically focusing in on emerging tools and resources that enhance students learning. I chose this standard because, even though I am gaining more knowledge about technology through this course, I still want to get a better idea of how to incorporate it in to the classroom and this reflection tool focused in on just that. I went over tools that provide resources for classroom management, collaboration, constructivist learning, curriculum, lesson plans, project-based learning, and web-based learning. As well as going over virtual schooling and how the rise of distance education, online learning, and cyber classrooms is creating new roles and responsibilities for today’s teachers and administrators.
I really enjoyed going over these reflections because now I have a few more tools to grab from that will push me towards professional growth and leadership. Its also nice to be able to come back to this self assessment and read up on other things and get more ideas. It raises my awareness to what I need to know, and to what I should have already been learning. These tools will hopefully help me engage my students and keep on task, as well as provide fun ways to learning!
I really enjoyed going over these reflections because now I have a few more tools to grab from that will push me towards professional growth and leadership. Its also nice to be able to come back to this self assessment and read up on other things and get more ideas. It raises my awareness to what I need to know, and to what I should have already been learning. These tools will hopefully help me engage my students and keep on task, as well as provide fun ways to learning!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Journal #2: “Join the Flock” by Hadley Fergeson and “Enhance Your Twitter Experience” By Shannon McClintock Miller (NETS 2 and 4)
Fergeson, Hadley. (2010). Join the flock. Leading and Learning With Technology, 37(8), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Libraries/Leading_and_Learning_Docs/June_July_2010_Join_the_Flock.sflb.ashx
McClintock Miller, Shannon. (2010). Enhance your twitter experience. Leading and Learning With Technology, 37(8), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Libraries/Leading_and_Learning_Docs/June_July_2010_Join_the_Flock.sflb.ashx
The summary of these weeks readings were about how to create a professional learning network through twitter and how to find effective strategies for tech integrators. Some of the more valuable lessons were, learning how to take time to build your community,tapping in on great people to follow and how to enhance your twitter experience as well as how technology can support school improvement and student learning.
Do you think that these articles are helpful for beginners?
Yes, as a beginner, I dont know much about the PLN world. I was able to get a better understanding of how to start a twitter account and manage my community. I can see how important it is to follow other educators so that all of our ideas can be seen and heard.
As far as integrating technology, I was able to find different strategies to incorporate technology in to the curriculum, as well as get some ideas of how to accomplish clear learning goals.
Can you see yourself incorporating Twitter in to your classroom?
Im not too sure if I can see myself using twitter in a 2nd grade classroom, I feel like it may be a little too advanced, but I could be wrong. I hope to use as much technology as I possibly can.
Do you think that these articles are helpful for beginners?
Yes, as a beginner, I dont know much about the PLN world. I was able to get a better understanding of how to start a twitter account and manage my community. I can see how important it is to follow other educators so that all of our ideas can be seen and heard.
As far as integrating technology, I was able to find different strategies to incorporate technology in to the curriculum, as well as get some ideas of how to accomplish clear learning goals.
Can you see yourself incorporating Twitter in to your classroom?
Im not too sure if I can see myself using twitter in a 2nd grade classroom, I feel like it may be a little too advanced, but I could be wrong. I hope to use as much technology as I possibly can.
Journal #3 100 Things that make ME happy :o)
100 Things That Make ME Happy!!!
1. My mom
2. My dad
3. My sister
4. My boyfriend
5. My friends
6. My niece
7. My grandparents
8. My kitties
9. My dog
10. Quality time with the people I love
11. Running
12. 5ks
13. Hiking
14. The ocean
15. Shooting stars
16. Sunrise
17. Sunset
18. Laughing
19. Talking with my best girlfriends
20. Wine
21. Great motivational quotes
22. Cheese and crackers
23. Traveling
24. Softball
25. Baseball
26. The desert
27. Camping
28. Chocolate
29. Chai tea lattes
30. Santa Barbara
31. Walks with Maggie to Turtle Pond
32. Napa
33. Australia
34. Las Vegas
35. Summer time
36. The beauty of spring
37. The smell after it rains
38. Shopping
39. Love
40. Hugs
41. Affection
42. Kisses
43. Staring in to my boyfriend’s eyes
44. Being appreciated
45. Reading
46. Knowledge
47. Old married couples still in love
48. Snuggling
49. Sleeping in on the weekends
50. Breakfast in bed
51. Reality TV
52. House hunters
53. Discovery channel
54. Sushi
55. Mexican food
56. Brownies
57. Orange cookies
58. Girl scout cookies
59. Riding bikes
60. Bloody Marys
61. Kids
62. Saving money
63. Wakeboarding
64. Swimming
65. Being on a boat
66. Listening to music
67. Dancing
68. Making dinner with friends
69. Singing
70. Overcoming a hurdle
71. A good movie
72. Making someone happy
73. Taking pictures
74. Photography
75. Google
76. Facebook
77. New pair of running shoes
78. A cute outfit
79. Massages
80. Cracking my knuckles
81. Perfume
82. Putting on make up
83. Soft sheets
84. Fluffy pillows
85. Cute puppies
86. A compliment
87. Painting my toes
88. Laying in the sun
89. Sandwiches from Panino
90. Riding horses
91. A beautiful view
92. When my grandma tells stories
93. Times when my sister and I go off in to our own world
94. Surprises
95. Learning new recipes
96. The smell of a good candle
97. Showers
98. Reading a magazine
99. Laying down on a huge comfy couch
100. Home
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Journal #1 "Do web 2.0 right" By Daniel Bright (NETS 1-4)
Light, D. (2011). Do web 2.0 right [Pg.10-15]. Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/201102?pg=12&pm=2&fs=1#pg12
Wikis and blogs are a great way to get students engaged and motivated to practice their writing skills, but for the beginners and people who just don’t know where to start, this may be hard. Fortunately, many educators have tried them out and are now publishing what works and what doesn’t seem to work.
What researchers have come to find is that teachers seem to have the best of luck with web 2.0 using tools to create ongoing conversations among students and “always on” learning communities. These teachers made wiki and blogs a daily practice in their classroom, not just one single project, they carefully considered their audience and taught and enforced appropriate behavior. Although, what they have also come to find out is, that if you’re not careful, you can also have a lot of unmotivated students. Making very careful consideration of how you intertwine blogs in to a classroom and on-line community is a very important part to the success you will see with your students.
Overall, wikis and blogs are a wonderful means to engage students in their work and the works of others. Even if you don’t know how to use the tools right away, going through the trouble of learning them can be very rewarding. When these tools are used right, it can add a whole new dimension to learning.
1.What do you think is the best way to incorporate a blog in to the classroom?
When it came to individual blogs, students seemed to be unmotivated for different reasons. Some were worried about making their school work public, while others were reluctant to write if they felt that their work might not be as meaningful as other students. Individual blogs seemed to work more flowingly when it was one on one with the teacher. The student felt more comfortable in their work and were more expressive than they were when they had to post their work publicly.
Even though I do think there are benefits to individual blogs and that they should be used as well, I like the idea of incorporating a classroom blog in to my curriculum. I think the students are more engaged and excited about the idea of a classroom blog. It seems to support student debates, generates interest as well as elicits prior knowledge.
2. How will you as a teacher prepare your students for the constructive criticism/ negative feedback that they may get in response to their blog post?
As a teacher, I would first explain what we will be doing on-line in the classroom. Give a few examples of how the blogging will work and make sure that I am creating the appropriate learning environment for the type of debates that will take place. I would establish ground rules and go over the mutual respect that they all must have for each other in my classroom and in the on-line community. I want to make sure that the students understand that they can be critical of others work and have people be critical of theirs, without it being taken to a personal level.
Wikis and blogs are a great way to get students engaged and motivated to practice their writing skills, but for the beginners and people who just don’t know where to start, this may be hard. Fortunately, many educators have tried them out and are now publishing what works and what doesn’t seem to work.
What researchers have come to find is that teachers seem to have the best of luck with web 2.0 using tools to create ongoing conversations among students and “always on” learning communities. These teachers made wiki and blogs a daily practice in their classroom, not just one single project, they carefully considered their audience and taught and enforced appropriate behavior. Although, what they have also come to find out is, that if you’re not careful, you can also have a lot of unmotivated students. Making very careful consideration of how you intertwine blogs in to a classroom and on-line community is a very important part to the success you will see with your students.
Overall, wikis and blogs are a wonderful means to engage students in their work and the works of others. Even if you don’t know how to use the tools right away, going through the trouble of learning them can be very rewarding. When these tools are used right, it can add a whole new dimension to learning.
1.What do you think is the best way to incorporate a blog in to the classroom?
When it came to individual blogs, students seemed to be unmotivated for different reasons. Some were worried about making their school work public, while others were reluctant to write if they felt that their work might not be as meaningful as other students. Individual blogs seemed to work more flowingly when it was one on one with the teacher. The student felt more comfortable in their work and were more expressive than they were when they had to post their work publicly.
Even though I do think there are benefits to individual blogs and that they should be used as well, I like the idea of incorporating a classroom blog in to my curriculum. I think the students are more engaged and excited about the idea of a classroom blog. It seems to support student debates, generates interest as well as elicits prior knowledge.
2. How will you as a teacher prepare your students for the constructive criticism/ negative feedback that they may get in response to their blog post?
As a teacher, I would first explain what we will be doing on-line in the classroom. Give a few examples of how the blogging will work and make sure that I am creating the appropriate learning environment for the type of debates that will take place. I would establish ground rules and go over the mutual respect that they all must have for each other in my classroom and in the on-line community. I want to make sure that the students understand that they can be critical of others work and have people be critical of theirs, without it being taken to a personal level.
Monday, January 24, 2011
A little bit about me :o)
When I finished my BA, I decided I wanted to be a real estate agent, so I moved up to Santa Barbara and took real estate classes at Santa Barbara city college until I decided that that wasn’t the path for me. I played around for a few years and really started to miss college (sad, I know). Being a teacher had always been something that I thought about, and at some point last year, I realized that’s what I should be doing. So here I am, back at Cal State!
When It comes to the technology, I am far from savvy. I can text like there is no tomorrow, go on facebook, and look things up on Google, but sadly, that’s where my phone/computer skills end. I know the basics of PowerPoint, Word and Photoshop but I would love to learn more. I think some times I’ve been discouraged when things on the computer don’t make sense, but I do feel that its important to be knowledgeable of new technology and I look forward to what this class is going to bring to the table!
My decision to continue my schooling at CSUSM didn’t have anything to do with the college of education mission statement, but I do love everything that it stands for, and aspire to become a thoughtful educator that will bring positive change to education. I feel that social change is very important and I am committed to life long learning!
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