This area is intended for students to read and respond to my posts as well as to show proof of completing all resource assignments (aka Thing one - twenty -two).
Thing Zero :
Thing One :
Consider the ways in which Web 2.0 tools might change (or have already changed) your professional practice.
How might you be able to use these new tools to engage today's "digital learners?"
Why would you want to?
Complete a blog post reflecting on your initial thoughts about Web 2.0 and its role in 21st Century teaching and learning.
Observing the classroom, I am already seeing trends among the student population that the school by and large has yet to catch up on. I was disappointed that by the year 2000, we hadn't transfered textbooks to digital and we're still carrying heavy bookbags where textbooks are still a big form of profit for companies like Pearson and other publishing companies. I would hope that the reintroduction of the digital tablets and other handheld devices increase the demand for the transfer of textbook to handheld devices. All students have a cellphone, most students are connected to the internet. Can we not make that connection already? Web 2.0 is still something that is being tinkered with by the BOE and all interested parties. How can we take the online format and create effective instruction with it? How can we use Web 2.0 to properly assess students? How do we know that students will learn from online tools? This may take another five-six years before we re-evaluate textbook purchases in the future. Until then, we must utilize what we can and integrate it into the content in which we teach.
Two Posts to other student's blogs:
Thing Two :
Voicethread : http://voicethread.com/#q.b1661008.i8767523
Thing Three :
Create a blog post in response to the exploratory reading and questions listed below. Don't forget that your textbook is an excellent source of information to inform your answers to the reflective questions below!!!!
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What do you notice about the genre of blog writing in general?
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(How) is blog reading different from other types of reading? How is it similar?
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(How) is blog writing different from other types of writing? How is it similar?
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How does commenting contribute to the writing and meaning-making?
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Is there a "blogging literacy?" How does blogging affect the way we read and write?
The genre of blog writing is a culmination of various type of writing styles depending on the format. A blogger with an interest in cars is going to display a differing writing style than a journalist-blogger who works for a car magazine. The similarities are in that they both present information to readers who have an interest in what has been written. Commenting allows for the reader to give their "two cents" and correct/amend any discrepancies in the information presented. I believe that there are mutliple literacies when it comes to blogging as there are multiple writing styles. This definitely effects how we read and write as reading, writing, speaking, and listening are all interconnected.
Responce to Blogs :
Thing Four :
Teacher Evaluation of Student Blogging :
http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/a-rubric-for-evaluating-student-blogs/27196
Downside to student blogging:
http://susancartierliebel.typepad.com/build_a_solo_practice/2008/01/knickers-are-tw.html
Grading a blog post requires a little forthought as each posting will need to be graded with scrutiny. Can a blog post bring something to add to the conversation without resorting to topic change, name calling, or "trolling"? An established rubric such as the one created below can be effective in showing the class what an acceptable blog post can be. Collaboration with an English teacher would also be wise as to fully understand how to grade quantitatively for qualitative information. Once the expectations are presented to the student, then the rest is transparent. Continual feedback to the students' post can help in giving motivation and direction to the students as they participate in the blog.
| Criteria |
Unacceptable
|
Acceptable
|
Target |
| Blog Posts by Students |
Little or no contribution. Entries do not reference discussion or web/readings. No opinion stated. |
Strong contribution that shows basic understanding. Key issues mentioned from class discussion or web/readings. Opinion is supported with examples from class discussion. |
Strong contribution that shows thorough understanding. Original ideas. Key issues mentioned from class discussions or web/readings that include thought provoking questions or statements. Personal opinion well organized supported with facts beyond the classroom discussion. |
| Comments or Responses that students leave on other student blogs |
Responds to other blogs with lack of intuitive comments. |
Responds to other blogs with positive, respectful comments that add value and contribute to discussion.
|
Consistently responds to other blogs that add value and contribute to discussion.
|
Thing Five :
Found through one of the RSS feeds : http://teachpaperless.blogspot.com/
There was an interesting point a history teacher made when she was evaluating a student's blog. In the post, the student was citing a source made from another website. The teacher was about to deduct points as the reference page (works cited page) didn't have the sources listed in APA format. She had to make a judgement call as she was grading an online blog post where the sources were from online sites in which the student listed the websites where the information was taken. In terms of assessment, if she wanted to grade the student for his/her ability in APA, then it would have made sense to do so, however, the grading was only for the content. This made sense as rubrics determine beforehand what we as teachers are looking for when an assignment is given. There wouldn't be any sense in lowering a grade as one part of an assignment that was done incorrectly if it isn't part of the expectations of the teacher.
Postings to other blogs:
Thing Six :
I've adopted Ashley Chupps Blog and Patty B's Blog to my reader.
I've also added the Daily Dilbert comic.
Thing Seven :
For my observation of other professional's wikis, I looked at the following :
Welker's Economics (AP Econ class) - http://welkerswikinomics.wetpaint.com/?t=anon
Jennifer Waggner's Online Project - http://salutetoseuss.wikispaces.com/
Mr. Lindsay's Class Wiki - http://community.saugususd.org/dlindsay/page/
Each wiki-site possessed a particular format that fit the class level or audience. In Mr. Lindsay's, we see picture icons to help students quickly access the area they need. In Jennifer W's, we see the links on the side which help teachers pull together resources for their class assignment design. Welker's had a mixture of current event econ articles and links to class related assignments/message boards. Each wiki presented their own style and unique way to gather information into one area. Since Welker's wiki contained a message board, guidelines and restrictions were displayed for students and non-students of the class. I wouldn't say that any of these resources could be improved as they were all presented in a manner best fit for their audience. The language of the wikis matched that of the literacy level of the people most likely to visit the site. My only concern would be Mr. Welker's site in hopes that he has a strong message board and comments are highly screened to maintain topic relevance.
Posts to other's blog :
Thing Eight :
Here is a collaborated Wiki that another Japanese teacher and I have been working on through Wikispaces : http://northcobbhs-spring-2011.wikispaces.com/
This wiki contains much material and methods for use in teaching effectively in our Japanese classes.
Thing Nine :
Write a blog post reflecting over the questions below:
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Have you noticed the CC logo on any websites you visit? Did you wonder what it meant?
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Do you think CC will impact the way students learn and create projects? How?
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Do you use digital images, audio or video clips from the web in your teaching (or professional practice)?
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Do you ever share content on the web?
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Who owns your teaching materials?
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What are some potential negatives for using CC?
I cannot say for sure that I have been made fully aware of the CC logo until now. However, I have noticed words like "fair use", "open source", and "creative commons". These relate to the online videos, programs and works of others that I have encounters through my usual tromping through the net. I believe that the CC logo would give greater ease to students when they create projects as it allows them to create with minimal restriction. As a teacher of languages, I do use a great deal of pictures, audio clips, and videos from the internet. This helps the students in maintaining class focus and adds to the motivation of the class. The only content that I currently share are resource links through my blog and other tid-bits of information that I find and reference in my class Facebook page. In other words, suggested direction of content information is what I currently do. The negatives for CC could be content such as personal pictures that are available for all to see and use. Presumably, sites such as Flickr have safe guards from people to copy your pictures and use them for profitable gain.
Thing Ten :
Thanks to manchot6510 for this photo from Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/manchot61/2673757673/sizes/m/in/photostream/
This picture could be a starting point template for students to work with when applying Web 2.0 tools with pictures. Students would direct their attention to the caption at the bottom and be informed on the basic descriptive nature of the caption. To this, I would say how this would be an acceptable description for a tag heading to a particular picture a student could use. This could be particularly effective for an outside learning tool for others to use. It would give students creativity in choosing the pictures related to a particular unit topic and describe areas of that picture with the research they would use.
Thing Eleven :
http://www.flickr.com/photos/manchot61/2673757673/sizes/m/in/photostream/
Thing Twelve :
Select one additional online tool to explore and evaluate on your own. Create a blog post evaluating the tool and describing the following:
* Describe the tool
* How can it be used to support teaching, learning, or productivity?
* How would manage the use of the tool with students?
* What would be the challenges with using the tool and how would you overcome them?
Rich Internet Applications for Language Learning : Michigan State University
http://clear.msu.edu/teaching/online/ria/
While I am familiar with the other tools listed on the suggested links, I wanted to introduce MSU's CLEAR website. This site contains over ten different resource tools for the classroom. Two of my favorite are the Audio-Drop boxes and Quiz-Break. Audio drop boxes are an excellent way for teachers to monitor student's speaking proficiency when assessing their language ability. Teacher creates a link whereby the students are directed to a recording session which instantly gets uploaded to the teachers account for later viewing. This is great for instant assessing among a class of 30-something students. Quiz-Break makes creating review games easy with its Jeopordy-like format. Set up takes 15 minutes if the questions and answers are created beforehand. Students can even participate and create the Q/A provided they don't give the answers during the game. The only challenge I could see if there was a technical difficulty with the mic not connecting or recording for the audio drop boxes. This has occured before and can only be attributed to the wear-and-tear of the computer.
Links for blog posts:
Thing Thirteen :
Creating and posting a Twitter account:
http://twitter.com/#!/talkingbubbaksu
I discovered that you can keep up with political leaders who give out information on what's happening on the voting floor with regards to education. One of recent interest was the Dream Act.
Thing Fourteen :
Create a Delicous.com account :
http://www.delicious.com/talkingbubba2k4
This was used in my class when my students were doing a class project. Despite the misleading name of the site, it was very useful for students to find quick info rather than leaving it up to Google or other search engines.
Thing Fifteen :
Blog of Podcast reflection : While I'm not a fan of iTunes, I'm more prone to check out Podcasts embedded in common websites that I frequent. The quick and easy ones are straight from Youtube where someone tells me the "411" on certain topics of interest. Since I'm a movie fan, I always check out the latest Hollywood gossip and continual updates on the production of my favorite "coming soon" movies.
Thing Sixteen :
Created a Podcast through Audacity and PodOmatic:
http://etclearning20.pbworks.com/Podomatic
Thing Seventeen :
Find a video on Teachertube and embed it into the blog. Here is a video I edited for another grad class and uploaded on Teachertube. Enjoy.
Thing Eighteen :
After exploring the Classroom 2.0 website, I came across a couple of interesting discussions : one regarding iPod touches and possibilities to becoming paperless in the classroom. While I could go at length to explain why pen and paper still needs to exist, I am glad to know that technology is seen as another learning tool and that the entire education system should not rely entirely on something shiny and new.
Thing Nineteen :
Google Documents has been an effective tool for computers that may not have the Microsoft Office pack. The pack is usually costly and a more effective attempt at "cloud computing" is Google documents. If there is a document that needs immediate viewing, I find that Google documents can assist me as a quick click of a link in an email can bring up a document faster. Collaborative learning can also occur as the file can be saved in a virtual file and other people can have access to the same file. Students can utilize this function when working on a school project.
Thing Twenty :
Thing Twenty-one :
Thing Twenty-two :
http://moodle.ksuettc.org/mod/resource/view.php?id=6820 (Task 1 - 2 comments left on the slides)
Task 2 - As I mentioned in my closing comment on the voicethread, my opinion on technology is that it is just as valuable of a resource as a textbook. It's a resource that's available as a learning tool that shouldn't have to be utilized a majority of the time. Paper has been around longer than 500 years and so will technology. Both are tools that should be used by students equally so as not to be dependent on the other. With this in mind, teachers present various forms of learning which assists in differentiatied learning. All students have different ways in acquiring knowledge and the Web tools learned from this class will definitely benefit both the teacher and student.
Field Experience Log :
Log 1 – January 17, 2011
Length : 1 hour
Lesson Objective – Students were introduced to the Mac lab. We walked through basic skills and steps to navigate the OS for students unfamiliar with Apple brand computers. Students were free to play with the recording, camera, and net functions upon completing basic assignments.
Log 2 – January 22, 2011
Length : 1 hour
Lesson Objective – Students were introduced to “Freetypinggame.net”. Students with basic typing skills were able to practice typing at their own pace. Students could select different areas on the keyboard to practice their typing ability.
Log 3 – February 3, 2011
Length : 1 hour
Lesson Objective – Students were introduced to “Voki.com”. Upon creating their own avatar, they used the headsets to read from their written prompt from the previous taught lesson on body systems. Students were able to hear their own voice and re-record their speaking sections.
Log 4 – February 10, 2011
Length : 1 hour
Lesson Objective – Students were introduced to “Freerice.com”. The website shows a variety of topics in the format of multiple choice. With each correct answer the website donates a given amount of rice to countries in need. Students learned and helped for a good cause.
Log 5 – February 17, 2011
Length : 1 hour
Lesson Objective – Students began a mini-project involving their choice of fictional story, newspaper article, or camera presentation. Students were introduced to Wikipedia.com. The website features a simplified English section where articles present information in a lower Lexion reading level for students to understand. Students began their research on the site.
Log 6 – February 19, 2011
Length : 1 hour
Lesson Objective – Students continued on project research. “Delicious.com” was introduced for specified information.
Log 7 – February 20, 2011
Length : 1 hour
Lesson Objective – Students are introduced to “Easybib.com”. The website presents an easy method for citing works from sites and printed materials. This helped the students create a basic reference list using the APA format.
Log 8 – February 22, 2011
Length : 1 hour
Lesson Objective – Students presented. Recorded with school camera and edited with Windows Movie Maker.
Log 9 – March 16, 2011
Length : 1 hour
Lesson Objective – Students use Wordle to create word balls on the vocabulary learned from previous lessons on Earth science.
Log 10 – April 20, 2011
Length : 1 hour
Lesson Objective – Students visit “Freerice.com” again to assist those effected from the earthquake/tsunami in Japan. Students also learn synonyms from the ELL section of the website.
