Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Internet Issues for Students
One major problem with the internet for students more recently has been the My Space craze. I think that, because of the nature of high-school students, there is a tendency to feel a false facade of safety and a huge desire for intimacy and acceptance. Because of that, students have a tendency to build their identity through web-based activity, which can then be tracked by various adults and companies . . . or dangerous criminals . . . and end up having severe negative implications for their lives. I have heard stories of employers getting on the internet to check up on future employees my-spaces, and various other scary stories that reveal the dangers of my space. I think that the internet provides a huge weight of freedom that sometimes high-schoolers do not have the maturity to wield responsibly. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor them or assist in safety on some level.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
K-12 On-Line Conference Feedback
I listened to two different teachings that were both posted on Friday, October 18th under the title “The Electric Slide! Twenty-First Century Style."
This teaching was so great and so applicable to my classroom! I'm really excited to use this software. Check out the first session:Electric Slide On-Line Teaching: S-Present. The software was basically an updated form of power-point which allows you to use Web 2.0 tools inside of each slide. There were links that allowed you to post U-Tube videos, Flickr photos, and other web documents directly onto a power-point slide. You could add all sorts of audio and visual things through html or just up-loading them from your computer. It was easy to use and very applicable to the classroom . . . user friendly for sure! I loved it! Plus, you can create your own account and the program teaches you how to use it yourself. Use the link I created below, "S-Present," to access it yourself.
Access the next session, Electric Slide On-Line Teaching: Splashcast, to learn about new software known as Splashcast. Here, you can create and publish your own shows that include music, videos, pictures, and documents that you have retrieved from the internet, or you can even record your own. Once you've published it, the software allows you to add it to wiki's, blogs, or even something like the s-present so that you can use your own video as a part of your presentation. Again, very user friendly and super useful either as a tool for lesson plans or as something that students can participate in themselves! Create your own account using the "Splashcast" link that I have placed below.
S-Present
Splashcast
I loved this conference . . . I found it very useful and I learned a lot that I hope to use not only in my classroom, but even in personal presentations and for later projects in this class. The teaching walked me through basic steps . . . helping me to not only create accounts in each of the two programs, but also feel competent in my ability to use the basic functions of the software. Thanks for providing this for us, Prof. Sorenson!
This teaching was so great and so applicable to my classroom! I'm really excited to use this software. Check out the first session:Electric Slide On-Line Teaching: S-Present. The software was basically an updated form of power-point which allows you to use Web 2.0 tools inside of each slide. There were links that allowed you to post U-Tube videos, Flickr photos, and other web documents directly onto a power-point slide. You could add all sorts of audio and visual things through html or just up-loading them from your computer. It was easy to use and very applicable to the classroom . . . user friendly for sure! I loved it! Plus, you can create your own account and the program teaches you how to use it yourself. Use the link I created below, "S-Present," to access it yourself.
Access the next session, Electric Slide On-Line Teaching: Splashcast, to learn about new software known as Splashcast. Here, you can create and publish your own shows that include music, videos, pictures, and documents that you have retrieved from the internet, or you can even record your own. Once you've published it, the software allows you to add it to wiki's, blogs, or even something like the s-present so that you can use your own video as a part of your presentation. Again, very user friendly and super useful either as a tool for lesson plans or as something that students can participate in themselves! Create your own account using the "Splashcast" link that I have placed below.
S-Present
Splashcast
I loved this conference . . . I found it very useful and I learned a lot that I hope to use not only in my classroom, but even in personal presentations and for later projects in this class. The teaching walked me through basic steps . . . helping me to not only create accounts in each of the two programs, but also feel competent in my ability to use the basic functions of the software. Thanks for providing this for us, Prof. Sorenson!
Assignment # 3
Check out my lesson plan: Racism in Huck Finn
I liked the lesson before . . . but now that I've added a bit of technology to it, I like it even MORE!! Even so, I recognize that for this lesson to actually be of use to my students, there are definitely some newer technological capabilities that would have to be available in my classroom. In the lesson, we used Inspiration technology, and the students all used it individually. That is assuming, then, that I not only have computers available for the use of each of my students, but also that Inspiration software is installed on each of their computers. They also were required to either download photos from the web or use Flickr to download personal photos, so the internet would obviously have to be available to them. Additionally, they would need to use digital cameras in order to use personal photos adapted from Flickr. I also requested that each of the students participate in the class blog to discuss racism, which means that I was assuming the existence of a class blog which all of my students had access to from home.
This definitely changes the learning environment, because it requires even more connections to be made for the student. They are, through technology, able to organize and connect their thoughts on racism as well as those thoughts they shared with the parent/authority figure interviewed with the photos that they have identified. They are also challenged to present those ideas to other classmates using software. Additionally, the class blog allows those students who are more reserved or take longer to develop their thoughts to participate in discussion as well. Technology allows a platform for the students to not only learn about racism, but to develop their own thoughts and concepts through several different means:
1) Visual aids/models
2) Outlining thoughts/concepts
3) Writing their ideas in a blog
4) Presenting their ideas with software through speech
Clearly, the use of technology greatly enhances the learning mastered by each individual student.
Several challenges are faced in bringing this technology into the classroom:
1) Setting up a class blog: requires that I, the teacher, learn how to efficiently set up a blog that all of my students can access and discuss on. It further requires that I can not only teach those of my students who may not know how to use it, but also that I can assist each of my students to access the student blog through passwords, etc. For those students who perhaps don't have computer access at home, I would additionally need to allow them time to access resources in the library.
2) This also requires that my students would have time in class to use the computers, because they not only need to set up Inspiration projects in class, but also need time to share in small groups about their computer projects. Therefore, it would be necessary for me to communicate with other staff in order to provide time for my students to use in the computer lab during my class session.
3) I think the greatest obstacle to overcome would be encouraging the administration to install Inspiration software on all of the computers, so that each student would be able to work individually on the project. To do this, it is necessary for me to show the admin. how necessary this is to the growth of my students, and how much it will benefit and enhance the learning process for them.
NETS for students (Grade 12 proficiency):
3. "Students collaborate in teams to illustrate content related concepts integrating a variety of media (e.g., print,audio, video, graphic, probes,simulations, models) with presentation, word processing, publishing, database, graphics design software, or spreadsheet applications."
4. "Students routinely apply touch typing techniques with advanced facility, accuracy,speed, and efficiency as they complete their assignments."
5. "Students understand and apply advanced software features such as templates and styles to improve the appearance of word processing documents,spreadsheets, and presentations and to provide evidence of learning, productivity, and creativity."
Facebook in TIME
I read an article in TIME Magazine from September 3, 2007 titled, "Why Facebook is the Future: A newtowrk for teens could teach the Net to grow up." The article begins by describing the somewhat disheartening disconnect between Web 2.0's intentions towards connecting real people to real people, and the actual out-play of connecting real people to . . . hackers and psychos. The article moved on to describe Facebook as a safe place for not only teens, but also older people . . . explaining that the fastest growing population of users are not young people, but middle-aged people in their 30's and 40's. It began to explain the reality of connecting people, and almost a euphoric safety that is found in this "Net within a Net . . . that's everything the larger Net is not." Originally created in 2004 by Harvard students wanting to stay in contact, it has now become a connecting place for people of all ages all over. As I was reading the article, I began reflecting on the Digital Divide, and the way that somehow, according to this author, Facebook has seemingly overcome the divide by inviting middle aged people in. I wonder what it is that has made this technology appealing and usable to them . . . whereas places like My Space, and many other Web 2.0 tools, remain on the shelves. Perhaps its the simplicity? The apparent safety? The true desire to keep communities intact from high-school and college and past jobs? It's interesting the true community that people are willing to forsake for this larger pseudo-community provided by the internet. As Grossman muses, "The most important funciton of a social network is connecting people and . . . its second most important function is keeping them apart."
Personal Reflection on On-Line Grading
Wow; gradesource was so awesome!!
I actually just spent some time using simliar technology in my cooperating teacher's classroom. A few weeks ago, she asked me to grade some papers for her and then post the student's grades in her on-line gradebook. She talked about some of the pro's and con's of having the students' grades regularly up-dated and posted for both the students and parents to see:
Pros:
1) Parents and students are not constantly calling in/emailing/asking to see grades; she just refers them to the database.
2) Helps her to stay organized and on-top of things: extra motivation to keep grading up to date.
3) Provides motivation for those students who are striving for a higher grade
Cons:
1) For those parents and students who are hyper-grade conscious, it becomes difficult to hone them away from on-line grading. In other words, the basis of classroom learning is for the student's personal growth, which may or may not be defined by an A. Knowing this, posting grades encourages those parents or students who are totally grade focused to forget the primary purpose of education.
2) Discourages motivation for those students who are already doing well in the class to continue pressing forward when they are already doing great grade-wise.
It was great to hear both sides of the story as far as on-line grading, and also to get some experience into how the system works. I love my cooperating teacher!!
I actually just spent some time using simliar technology in my cooperating teacher's classroom. A few weeks ago, she asked me to grade some papers for her and then post the student's grades in her on-line gradebook. She talked about some of the pro's and con's of having the students' grades regularly up-dated and posted for both the students and parents to see:
Pros:
1) Parents and students are not constantly calling in/emailing/asking to see grades; she just refers them to the database.
2) Helps her to stay organized and on-top of things: extra motivation to keep grading up to date.
3) Provides motivation for those students who are striving for a higher grade
Cons:
1) For those parents and students who are hyper-grade conscious, it becomes difficult to hone them away from on-line grading. In other words, the basis of classroom learning is for the student's personal growth, which may or may not be defined by an A. Knowing this, posting grades encourages those parents or students who are totally grade focused to forget the primary purpose of education.
2) Discourages motivation for those students who are already doing well in the class to continue pressing forward when they are already doing great grade-wise.
It was great to hear both sides of the story as far as on-line grading, and also to get some experience into how the system works. I love my cooperating teacher!!
Inspiration/Kidspiration
In my last blog, I added a link to a project I created using Inspiration. I really enjoyed working with the software last week; I feel like it really would be a positive tool for me as a Language Arts teacher. It's great to use a tool that encourages students to build models and connect ideas in a way that organizes their thoughts and helps them to communicate clearly about concepts. Today in Dr. Kobashigawa's Multicultural Education class, she was explaining to us that in her graduate level work, she and her peers were often instructed to do projects similar to the one that I did on Inspiration (except on paper), because they were told that if you are not able to visually model your ideas, you are probably not able to fully grasp or explain them in your mind because they are lacking in organization. I feel like Inspiration would be a great place for my students to build similar models, hone down organizational skills, and brain-storm for major papers and projects using conceptual models.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Shakespare Diagram: My First Inspiration!!
William Shakespeare INSPIRES me!! Look at some basic information about him on this Inspiration file that I set up to view pictures about him, his works, his family, and the history of the Elizabethan Era!
http://www.box.net/shared/o11bq4klvv
http://www.box.net/shared/o11bq4klvv
Monday, October 8, 2007
My Cooperating Teacher's Class Blog Tool
I just spent quite a bit of time on the Class Blog for one of the English/Language Arts sections that my cooperating teacher teaches. The teacher, Elizabeth Whitfield, posted some information for the students (including a poem, a picture, and some related info) on the Jena 6 issue, and asked them to respond. She urged them to include information about justice, equality, racism, and how those issues are dealt with by contemporary society.
The students were required to respond; therefore, as is typical, some took it seriously, while others did not. Some of them provided very insightful and well thought out responses . . . I found it really great to read specifically from some of the students who are more reserved in the class-room setting. The blog tool is so helpful for those with more timid personality types, because it provides space for them to think and organize their thoughts, as well as giving them an unlimited amount of time to consider what they would like to say before posting it. It's great to have that kind of structure and safety around classroom discussions!
I love that the blog provides them with a space to share thoughts as well as enhancing their writing skills, and it's a place where they can read and listen to others, and respond without the fear of interruptions, interjections, or confrontational rejection. I think at the same time that it's more stretching for those students who don't want their words published, and hanging out in public space for all to see . . . when spoken words are not able to occupy space and remain for viewing by the public eye.
The class blog is a great tool on many different levels, then . . . to share ideas, to provide structure and safety in conversation, to enhance writing tools, and to encourage students to be able to publish their own thoughts and ideas without fear.
The students were required to respond; therefore, as is typical, some took it seriously, while others did not. Some of them provided very insightful and well thought out responses . . . I found it really great to read specifically from some of the students who are more reserved in the class-room setting. The blog tool is so helpful for those with more timid personality types, because it provides space for them to think and organize their thoughts, as well as giving them an unlimited amount of time to consider what they would like to say before posting it. It's great to have that kind of structure and safety around classroom discussions!
I love that the blog provides them with a space to share thoughts as well as enhancing their writing skills, and it's a place where they can read and listen to others, and respond without the fear of interruptions, interjections, or confrontational rejection. I think at the same time that it's more stretching for those students who don't want their words published, and hanging out in public space for all to see . . . when spoken words are not able to occupy space and remain for viewing by the public eye.
The class blog is a great tool on many different levels, then . . . to share ideas, to provide structure and safety in conversation, to enhance writing tools, and to encourage students to be able to publish their own thoughts and ideas without fear.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Attached Web-Site Resources and Uses
At the top of my list is the "Parent Resources" category. I don't intend to use these in my class specifically, but I do hope that parents of my students will visit my web-site as well and become engaged in their students' learning processes. I really appreciated that the second link, which I titled "Parent information," not only gave tips for how to build a healthy relationship with the child's teacher, but also provided research on the benefits that a child-parent relationship has on a student's learning process. The other web-site, "Kid Info," can be beneficial to both parent and teacher in providing resources regarding the students.
My second category is titled "Teacher Resources," and is primarily for my own personal informaiton. It gives information not only on lesson plans and ideas for the classroom, but also ways to help parents become involved in the learning process. I also listed a few different teacher associations which will benefit me through providing support and union information.
Next, I have "English in the Community!" Here, I provided a few different opportunities for my students to get their writing out into the public: one, through the Senior Essay Writing Contest, and the other through "Poetry on Buses." This is a program that King County has developed to allow youth to have their writings published on public buses. I also linked a few theatres in the area, in the hopes that my students will not only discover a passion for literature, but also discover a passion for THEATRE, and get involved in viewing community dramas.
After that, I have provided links to the libraries. I linked both the King County Public Library System, and also the Bothell Senior High School Library System. My intention is to encourage my students to learn how to use their resources and not only check out books, but also use the journal articles for research and all the information available to them through the library systems.
Following the libraries, I have several resources on Grammar. I've provided grammar rules, sentence structure, comma rules, and definitions for parts of speech. Grammar is something that I really want to focus on with my students, because I feel that structure is critical to both understanding, interpreting, and writing the English language. I've provided these resources so that my students always have them available for review and for reference during writing papers. I hope to provide a lot of exercises on these in class . . . both definitions, games, and sentence diagramming workshops.
Next, I have some links to web-sites which show the rules on how to format different style papers, as well as links to a dictionary and a thesauraus. This is to encourage the use of great vocabulary and diction, as well as again to encourage my students to become strong writers with the ability to check out their writing styles and formats at all times from my web-site. I hope to especially focus on MLA formatting, and assist my students to embrace this style firmly before going on to college.
Finally, I have listed the web-sites for several different authors which we will be reading throughout the school year. I do this firstly so that the students can get a background/bibliography on who the authors are: where they came from, when they lived. This gives the students a better foundation for interpreting the literature they are reading. Additionally, my hope is that my students will use these links to read more of the works of specific authors that they most enjoyed, in order to increase the breadth of their knowledge and understanding of literature.
Overall, I am pleased with the work that I put into this assignment. I feel that I have a well-rounded base of web-sites which will provide for the needs of all three members of the learning triangle: my students, their parents, and me (the educator). I hope that they find it useful as well!
My second category is titled "Teacher Resources," and is primarily for my own personal informaiton. It gives information not only on lesson plans and ideas for the classroom, but also ways to help parents become involved in the learning process. I also listed a few different teacher associations which will benefit me through providing support and union information.
Next, I have "English in the Community!" Here, I provided a few different opportunities for my students to get their writing out into the public: one, through the Senior Essay Writing Contest, and the other through "Poetry on Buses." This is a program that King County has developed to allow youth to have their writings published on public buses. I also linked a few theatres in the area, in the hopes that my students will not only discover a passion for literature, but also discover a passion for THEATRE, and get involved in viewing community dramas.
After that, I have provided links to the libraries. I linked both the King County Public Library System, and also the Bothell Senior High School Library System. My intention is to encourage my students to learn how to use their resources and not only check out books, but also use the journal articles for research and all the information available to them through the library systems.
Following the libraries, I have several resources on Grammar. I've provided grammar rules, sentence structure, comma rules, and definitions for parts of speech. Grammar is something that I really want to focus on with my students, because I feel that structure is critical to both understanding, interpreting, and writing the English language. I've provided these resources so that my students always have them available for review and for reference during writing papers. I hope to provide a lot of exercises on these in class . . . both definitions, games, and sentence diagramming workshops.
Next, I have some links to web-sites which show the rules on how to format different style papers, as well as links to a dictionary and a thesauraus. This is to encourage the use of great vocabulary and diction, as well as again to encourage my students to become strong writers with the ability to check out their writing styles and formats at all times from my web-site. I hope to especially focus on MLA formatting, and assist my students to embrace this style firmly before going on to college.
Finally, I have listed the web-sites for several different authors which we will be reading throughout the school year. I do this firstly so that the students can get a background/bibliography on who the authors are: where they came from, when they lived. This gives the students a better foundation for interpreting the literature they are reading. Additionally, my hope is that my students will use these links to read more of the works of specific authors that they most enjoyed, in order to increase the breadth of their knowledge and understanding of literature.
Overall, I am pleased with the work that I put into this assignment. I feel that I have a well-rounded base of web-sites which will provide for the needs of all three members of the learning triangle: my students, their parents, and me (the educator). I hope that they find it useful as well!
Web 2.0 in the Classroom!
I am so excited about Web 2.0, and all of the opportunities that it affords me to enhance learning in the classroom! Google Earth will be a great asset . . . I even think about reading major works of literature, for example, Homer's the Iliad and the Odyssey, and being able to track down realistic settings that the characters lived within. We could travel to Troy, and kind of get an idea of the area where all of the great battles took place. Or, we could take a look at the Mississippi River from Huckleberry Finn, and discover the location of all of Huck and Jim's adventures.
Also, wikki's provide so many avenues for learning and discovery: I could use one similar to the way we have in this class, requiring students to sign up for projects, etc. through a wikki. Or I could use it for class discussion/participation, posting an on-line question or topic and requiring all students to respond.
Using skype to have discussions with people from over-seas, etc. is another really exciting idea. It would be great not only to connect with authors/politicians, but even students in cross-cultural settings. Maybe English speakers overseas . . . discuss novels with them, etc.
And too, pod-casting is GREAT! I would love to use that for speech . . . not only does it provide an avenue for students to post their ideas on-line through their own voices, but it also provides space for personal critique. One of the most powerful aspects of growth in speech is through listening to your own voice, and identifying strengths and weaknesses in order to build on your communicative ability. I would love to practice exercises in this!
I could even plan for group projects in which conferences are conducted on-line . . . students are required to "teach" a certain novel/grammar lesson/etc. through pod-casting and set it up/post it as a professional conference.
I love all of the different tools that I'm only JUST being introduced to through Web 2.0: I look forward to growing more familiar with them in the future, because I know that technology is the future for my students!
Also, wikki's provide so many avenues for learning and discovery: I could use one similar to the way we have in this class, requiring students to sign up for projects, etc. through a wikki. Or I could use it for class discussion/participation, posting an on-line question or topic and requiring all students to respond.
Using skype to have discussions with people from over-seas, etc. is another really exciting idea. It would be great not only to connect with authors/politicians, but even students in cross-cultural settings. Maybe English speakers overseas . . . discuss novels with them, etc.
And too, pod-casting is GREAT! I would love to use that for speech . . . not only does it provide an avenue for students to post their ideas on-line through their own voices, but it also provides space for personal critique. One of the most powerful aspects of growth in speech is through listening to your own voice, and identifying strengths and weaknesses in order to build on your communicative ability. I would love to practice exercises in this!
I could even plan for group projects in which conferences are conducted on-line . . . students are required to "teach" a certain novel/grammar lesson/etc. through pod-casting and set it up/post it as a professional conference.
I love all of the different tools that I'm only JUST being introduced to through Web 2.0: I look forward to growing more familiar with them in the future, because I know that technology is the future for my students!
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