I think technology is an awesome way to enhance learning in the classroom. All of my assignments in this class stretched me beyond my former capabilities--but it was so exciting and fun to learn new things and to erase some of my fears about making mistakes or not being able to perform and finish an assignment. I was able to not only complete everything that was assigned, but to really enjoy the journey and often to even go beyond what was required because it was SO MUCH FUN!
I have seen how technology can bring lessons to life through podcasts or vidcasts. I have learned some great ways to manage my classroom electronically through a website. I will be able to update and change my schedule from the comfort of my home or while sitting in my classroom. These innovations will make my job much easier.
Most of all, I now feel much more confident in my technological abilities. This class is worthwhile and necessary, especially for non-traditional students like myself who may not be as familiar or comfortable with technology. We can do anything our younger counterparts can do! :)
Sunday, April 17, 2011
April 18: Lessons Learned
Oh boy. I have learned so much! One of the most interesting and important things though was from the video Did You Know which really opened my eyes about how fast technology is growing and changing. It is going to be a challenge to keep up. I also laughed and nodded when the students were talking about how when their parents can't figure technology out, they ask their kids for help. That is SO me!
I am concerned about cell phone use in my classroom. I know that technology can really enhance teaching in the classroom, but it needs to be at the right time and place. It will be very distracting to see kids texting or surfing the internet during my lessons and there would be no way to ensure that they are searching in response to my lesson.
How can I encourage scholarship through technology use, but maintain order and attention in the classroom? How do I set boundaries and limits on cell phone use without squelching enthusiasm for learning? These are questions I want to ask current teachers.
I am concerned about cell phone use in my classroom. I know that technology can really enhance teaching in the classroom, but it needs to be at the right time and place. It will be very distracting to see kids texting or surfing the internet during my lessons and there would be no way to ensure that they are searching in response to my lesson.
How can I encourage scholarship through technology use, but maintain order and attention in the classroom? How do I set boundaries and limits on cell phone use without squelching enthusiasm for learning? These are questions I want to ask current teachers.
April 18: Strengths and Weaknesses
Some of my strengths with technology are that I am not afraid to learn and explore. If I don't know how to use new technology, or I just want to learn more, I'll ask one of my kids or another student to help me, or I'll go online, find a tutorial, and teach myself. So much of learning has to do with facing your fears and gaining more information to be able to erase the unknown. I am good at finding credible sources for research and I can show my students how to weigh and check information to make sure their facts are straight and reliable. I will make sure my students credit the sources they consult and that they are ethical in their use of technology. I will use technology to enhance my lesson plans now and in the future.
I can definitely use a crash course in computer lingo; I know the basics, but I am lost when the language gets dense. I want to be able to understand terminology in computer hardware or software manuals or help files and to teach myself new program applications, and to use correct computer terminology in written and oral directions for my students.
I found an article titled Computer Assisted Language Learning written by Fernando Rosell-Aguilar which will help me better understand computer terminology, and a couple videos on YouTube one called Computer Basics Terminology: What is a Hard Drive What is Ram, and another titled Basic Computer Training both are by Worth Godwin. He is very knowledgeable and his approach is very human and easy to follow. I am excited to learn more and become more fluent in computer lingo!
Monday, April 4, 2011
Sunday, April 3, 2011
April 4: Internet Safety
We have been learning about internet safety.
As was discussed in class, one of the most important things we can do is to be honest and willing to discuss sensitive issues with our students. The internet has much good to offer, but we need to help students navigate it safely and credibly and also teach them what is appropriate and what isn't. Instructing students to search for reliable information is crucial--I want to help my students avoid citing misinformation so they can back up their arguments in the papers they will write. Teaching them to give credit where credit is due by citing their sources is also important.
It is too bad that bullying can now enter students' homes through social networking sites, email, and texting. Teaching students what qualifies as cyber bullying and to tell their parents or other trusted adult if/when cyber bullying takes place is a good place to start. Discussing the dangers of sexting may be uncomfortable but they need to be addressed so that students are aware and can protect themselves from being charged with distribution of child pornography, or with possession of child pornography.
Creating a teaching environment where students feel safe is mandatory if I want to discuss these issues in a non-embarrassing and open way. From day one in the classroom, I want my students to know that I care about them and their safety in the real and technological worlds.
As was discussed in class, one of the most important things we can do is to be honest and willing to discuss sensitive issues with our students. The internet has much good to offer, but we need to help students navigate it safely and credibly and also teach them what is appropriate and what isn't. Instructing students to search for reliable information is crucial--I want to help my students avoid citing misinformation so they can back up their arguments in the papers they will write. Teaching them to give credit where credit is due by citing their sources is also important.
It is too bad that bullying can now enter students' homes through social networking sites, email, and texting. Teaching students what qualifies as cyber bullying and to tell their parents or other trusted adult if/when cyber bullying takes place is a good place to start. Discussing the dangers of sexting may be uncomfortable but they need to be addressed so that students are aware and can protect themselves from being charged with distribution of child pornography, or with possession of child pornography.
Creating a teaching environment where students feel safe is mandatory if I want to discuss these issues in a non-embarrassing and open way. From day one in the classroom, I want my students to know that I care about them and their safety in the real and technological worlds.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
March 20: Digital Stories 2 (copyright laws)
We have been learning about copyright laws.
The first copyright laws were instated in Switzerland (1886); they were called the "Berne Convention" and were internationally recognized. These laws protected work for 50 years after an author's death. The Copyright Act of 1909 was established by the United States. It allowed for works to be copyrighted for a period of 28 years from the date of publication, renewable once for a second 28-year term.
The first copyright laws were instated in Switzerland (1886); they were called the "Berne Convention" and were internationally recognized. These laws protected work for 50 years after an author's death. The Copyright Act of 1909 was established by the United States. It allowed for works to be copyrighted for a period of 28 years from the date of publication, renewable once for a second 28-year term.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
March 13: Vidcast Reflection
Introduction to Writing: Independent and Dependent clauses
Seventh Grade Language Arts Core
Intended Learning Outcomes
6. Use the Skills, Strategies, and processes of Writing
b. Understand that writing is a process of skills, strategies, and practices for creating, revising, and editing a variety of texts.
I chose to begin my vidcast series on the elements of writing because although students have been instructed in writing conventions from first grade on, they often do not have a strong foundation in writing. I want my students to have the opportunity to build a strong writing foundation while they are in my class. Many students stress about writing papers; I want to help them become comfortable and confident writers. Breaking essay structure down to paragraph structure, and paragraph structure to sentence structure, will help students see that writing is made up of parts which then work together as a whole.
Seventh Grade Language Arts Core
Intended Learning Outcomes
6. Use the Skills, Strategies, and processes of Writing
b. Understand that writing is a process of skills, strategies, and practices for creating, revising, and editing a variety of texts.
I chose to begin my vidcast series on the elements of writing because although students have been instructed in writing conventions from first grade on, they often do not have a strong foundation in writing. I want my students to have the opportunity to build a strong writing foundation while they are in my class. Many students stress about writing papers; I want to help them become comfortable and confident writers. Breaking essay structure down to paragraph structure, and paragraph structure to sentence structure, will help students see that writing is made up of parts which then work together as a whole.
One potential drawback I foresee is fitting everything I want students to know/understand in the video. I think as I plan and carry out instruction in the classroom, I will be able to see where my teaching or student understanding is deficient, and then I can create a vidcast addressing the need. Vidcasts also do not allow for class discussion during the watching, unless the video is shown in class.
I started my vidcast series by clarifying the definitions for independent and dependent clauses because they are truly the building blocks of writing. When students understand each clause and how they work together, they can better understand the construction of sentences and can also easily be taught proper punctuation relative to each clause. I imagine creating videos about punctuation (with clauses as well as generally), thesis statements, introductions, conclusions, the body of a paper, and revision techniques among others.
I started my vidcast series by clarifying the definitions for independent and dependent clauses because they are truly the building blocks of writing. When students understand each clause and how they work together, they can better understand the construction of sentences and can also easily be taught proper punctuation relative to each clause. I imagine creating videos about punctuation (with clauses as well as generally), thesis statements, introductions, conclusions, the body of a paper, and revision techniques among others.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
February 21: Podcasts
We learned how to create and upload Podcasts.
A podcast of a lecture would be a great resource for students who miss class due to illness, or for students who might need a refresher of what was taught in class on a particular day. Listening to a colleagues' podcast could help give me ideas, and it could supplement/enhance an existing lesson plan or be worked into a new lesson plan.
The utility of Podcasts as a teaching tool are endless. Students could create Podcasts in groups or individually for any number of assignments. I can envision students choosing characters from different pieces of literature, "acting" and recording their scenes, and then posting their podcast for other students to hear. I think creating a Podcast would be a fun and easy way to bring literature to life.
A podcast of a lecture would be a great resource for students who miss class due to illness, or for students who might need a refresher of what was taught in class on a particular day. Listening to a colleagues' podcast could help give me ideas, and it could supplement/enhance an existing lesson plan or be worked into a new lesson plan.
The utility of Podcasts as a teaching tool are endless. Students could create Podcasts in groups or individually for any number of assignments. I can envision students choosing characters from different pieces of literature, "acting" and recording their scenes, and then posting their podcast for other students to hear. I think creating a Podcast would be a fun and easy way to bring literature to life.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
February 14: UEN
UEN is great for students because it is a "safe" site that contains endless resources to help them succeed in school. Pioneer Library's resources are great for an English class; students can easily use them for research. Argumentative, persuasive, and research papers can be difficult to write, especially when students use a general Internet search engine to look for sources. By using The World Book Encyclopedia and EBSCO host, or The Desert News, or CultureGrams as sources for credible information, students can back up their claims or opinions with fact and write stronger papers as a result.
Learning in the English classroom can also be expanded and enhanced through Interactives. I came across the ComicCreator on readwritethink. It's pretty much what it states--an interactive that students can use to create comics. They can choose how many frames they want (1-6) and then use props, speech bubbles, and the caption box to tell a story. I think this would be a really cool/fun way for students to retell in their own words a story, play, or book that we are reading in class.
The Core Curriculum is essential for teachers. I have a hard copy in my school bag, but it's nice to know I can find it easily on UEN just in case I don't happen to have it with me.
I found several lesson plans for English and also discovered a lesson plan tool which is accessible from my personal UEN page. This tool is awesome as it takes you through the steps of creating a lesson plan. You can choose the time span, grade, curriculum tie--basically anything you need to create a lesson. It asks you to fill information in the blanks and then puts it all together. So cool! And what a time saver.
Learning in the English classroom can also be expanded and enhanced through Interactives. I came across the ComicCreator on readwritethink. It's pretty much what it states--an interactive that students can use to create comics. They can choose how many frames they want (1-6) and then use props, speech bubbles, and the caption box to tell a story. I think this would be a really cool/fun way for students to retell in their own words a story, play, or book that we are reading in class.
The Core Curriculum is essential for teachers. I have a hard copy in my school bag, but it's nice to know I can find it easily on UEN just in case I don't happen to have it with me.
I found several lesson plans for English and also discovered a lesson plan tool which is accessible from my personal UEN page. This tool is awesome as it takes you through the steps of creating a lesson plan. You can choose the time span, grade, curriculum tie--basically anything you need to create a lesson. It asks you to fill information in the blanks and then puts it all together. So cool! And what a time saver.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
February 7: Google Part II
We are working on creating a classroom website with Google tools.
Creating a public classroom website will give me a convenient way to organize myself as a teacher. I will be able to keep students and parents up to date with daily/weekly/monthly assignments and activities all in one place. I will be able to add more pages as the need arises. I will be able to share new ideas and cool educational sites or opportunities I come across as I plan my lessons. If my colleagues also have websites, it will make it super easy to share ideas with each other and to keep tabs on each other's teaching methods and careers.
I am a real pencil and paper kind of gal, so learning to use technology in this class will save me a big headache later. I am not against technology at all, I am just a little slow when I am first learning how to use it. The more familiar I am, the more at ease I feel. Logically, it would be really time consuming to make copies of my "hard copy" calendar and to distribute it; plus students are constantly losing things, so digitally displaying my calendar will stop that excuse in its tracks. I want my students to be engaged with learning in my classroom and to be as passionate about the subject of English as possible. Posting cool things that are going on with reading and writing will really help my students to see my passion and hopefully it will inspire them to search and share the things they have passion for as well.
Creating a public classroom website will give me a convenient way to organize myself as a teacher. I will be able to keep students and parents up to date with daily/weekly/monthly assignments and activities all in one place. I will be able to add more pages as the need arises. I will be able to share new ideas and cool educational sites or opportunities I come across as I plan my lessons. If my colleagues also have websites, it will make it super easy to share ideas with each other and to keep tabs on each other's teaching methods and careers.
I am a real pencil and paper kind of gal, so learning to use technology in this class will save me a big headache later. I am not against technology at all, I am just a little slow when I am first learning how to use it. The more familiar I am, the more at ease I feel. Logically, it would be really time consuming to make copies of my "hard copy" calendar and to distribute it; plus students are constantly losing things, so digitally displaying my calendar will stop that excuse in its tracks. I want my students to be engaged with learning in my classroom and to be as passionate about the subject of English as possible. Posting cool things that are going on with reading and writing will really help my students to see my passion and hopefully it will inspire them to search and share the things they have passion for as well.
Monday, January 24, 2011
January 31: Google Part 1
Google part 1 covered several Google tools. We will be creating and sharing a Google doc with a partner and then contributing this info to a larger collaborative doc.
I learned about some (new to me) google tools today. I really like the calendar and the fact that you can use it both publicly and privately; that feature will be super useful in the classroom. My favorite thing though is the google forms. Creating and sharing quizzes or surveys will be a cinch with this tool. I could use google forms before or after reading a book in class to give me some insight in to how interested my students are/were in the book and to help me as a pre-writing step for creating lesson plans. I could also teach my students to use it to create their own quizzes in lieu of traditional book reports--I think that would be pretty cool.
Google docs saved my life after I lost my flash drive last semester. I love that I can access my work from any computer without the hassle and worry of copying it to a flash drive first. Google docs will be a very useful tool for my students because some of them may not be able to afford a flash drive or even have access to a computer at home and it will give them a way to save their work and to organize assignments for my class and other classes as well.
I learned about some (new to me) google tools today. I really like the calendar and the fact that you can use it both publicly and privately; that feature will be super useful in the classroom. My favorite thing though is the google forms. Creating and sharing quizzes or surveys will be a cinch with this tool. I could use google forms before or after reading a book in class to give me some insight in to how interested my students are/were in the book and to help me as a pre-writing step for creating lesson plans. I could also teach my students to use it to create their own quizzes in lieu of traditional book reports--I think that would be pretty cool.
Google docs saved my life after I lost my flash drive last semester. I love that I can access my work from any computer without the hassle and worry of copying it to a flash drive first. Google docs will be a very useful tool for my students because some of them may not be able to afford a flash drive or even have access to a computer at home and it will give them a way to save their work and to organize assignments for my class and other classes as well.
Monday, January 10, 2011
January 17: Introduction
My mom is one of my educational heroes. She grew up in a Catholic orphanage in Buffalo New York, moved on to boarding school, and was finally placed in foster care. She never lived in a real "home". School can become a refuge for kids like my mom. I think the educational and personal experiences my mom and others have shared with me will help me to be better aware of my students' lives and the conditions they face outside of the classroom. A teacher's words and actions have a lasting impact--either positive or negative--and I always want to strive for the positive. An educational hero is someone who believes in and fights for each student. I will always remember the teachers who I felt did this for me; they are part of the motivation behind becoming a teacher myself.
I am a perfectionist and hate making mistakes. I am trying to learn to be less critical and to enjoy the journey of trying new things rather than fixating on how incompetent I feel. Technology is one of those things I struggle with, so my goal this semester is to be open to learning new technological skills and to let my anxiety go. I really like the idea of bringing and fostering a "Spirit of Discovery" to/in class. I also liked the metaphor of learning to ride a bike. I guess we aren't meant to just hop on and ride; it may take the semester for me to master the concepts we are learning, but I did learn how to ride a bike and I actually still love to ride, so if I give it a chance, maybe technology can be like that for me too.
I am a perfectionist and hate making mistakes. I am trying to learn to be less critical and to enjoy the journey of trying new things rather than fixating on how incompetent I feel. Technology is one of those things I struggle with, so my goal this semester is to be open to learning new technological skills and to let my anxiety go. I really like the idea of bringing and fostering a "Spirit of Discovery" to/in class. I also liked the metaphor of learning to ride a bike. I guess we aren't meant to just hop on and ride; it may take the semester for me to master the concepts we are learning, but I did learn how to ride a bike and I actually still love to ride, so if I give it a chance, maybe technology can be like that for me too.
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