Saturday, January 9, 2010
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Revised Technology Belief Statement
Teaching with technology is not only about learning from technology but also learning with technology. It should not be viewed as a means to display or offer information but rather as a learning opportunity in itself. Technology and communication through it is the means of the future. We as educators, need to embrace and develop ourselves according to the technological advances in order to stay relevant to our students and society. Teaching with technology should be viewed as a privilege and obligation, with the hopes of developing well-rounded and informed students.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Response to Chapter 10
When I hear the word assessment I usually cringe in my seat. Upon first entering Proteach, I used to only associate the word assessment with tests. However, after my last three semesters I realize that there is so much more to assessment than just paper and pencil tests. Assessment can take on many different forms. My favorite form of assessment is authentic assessment. I really like how this chapter evaluates this kind of assessment as a way to examine authentic learning. I think so often standardized tests are a way to view students understanding out of context. It looks at students’ abilities within a small set of parameters rather than within the context of their actual learning. Curriculum tests can often fall into this trap as well. Normal pen and paper tests are NOT the only way to assess and I really like that this chapter offers various ways to integrate technology into assessment.
When thinking about integrating technology into assessment my mind automatically diverts to computer-based testing. However, there is so much more to it than that. The first idea addressed deals with electronic portfolios. The chapter goes into detail as to why these are so effective and how they can be used. I, however, am more interested in ways that I can integrate them into an early elementary classroom. Looking at how technology of this world is advancing everyday, moving from heavy and thick files in a filing cabinet to e portfolios online just makes sense. Obviously, with early elementary students such as kindergarten to second grade, having them establish their own online portfolio may be too advanced. However, starting in 3rd grade when writing samples need to be kept and progress is more heavily monitored, these e portfolios can start to be heavily utilized. I think that you can start these portfolios out as blogs. Similar to the learning logs we keep in this class, students could post writing samples here, embed links to websites for online homework and so forth. Also, the teacher would be able to create a RSS feed and would be able to closely monitor the submission or omission of work from all of her students without the cost of losing bulky papers. Also, with work displayed on a blog, that is able to be viewed by the public, classmates could go to each other for help with an idea or just be able to share with one another. Commenting is another benefit that would come along with the blogging form of portfolios. Students could comment on one another’s submissions and give constructive criticism or praise to their peers. This would help to create a more effective and cohesive classroom both physically and digitally. In addition to peers being able to view classmate’s blogs, parents would be able to keep tabs on and check their students work. As parents they could also look to other students’ blogs to see how they would better be able to help their own student. I think that there are more advance e portfolios out there but it could become time consuming on the teacher’s behalf if the students are not able to upload or create it on their own. I think that until students are in 5th grade or possibly middle school, creating and maintaining their own digital portfolio may be too much of a daunting task. If it becomes the teachers responsibility to keep up with and maintain 20 students portfolios they will surely become bogged down and overwhelmed with too much administrative work.
http://alicechristie.org/pubs/Moritz-Christie.pdf
This link leads to a PDF file that supports the use of e portfolios in elementary classrooms for the purpose of improving writing skills and abilities. I think it is just another resource that can be used to better ourselves as elementary educators.
I love rubrics! I think that rubrics not only make grading easier on teachers but also make assignments easier on students because they see exactly what the teacher is looking for and how to properly and effectively meet the standards. I like both of the ideas that the book presents dealing with rubrics, both the banks and the generators. I think that rubric banks are hugely beneficial to teachers. I think that so often there are general assignments that teachers assign and they could find a rubric for one from a bank and just adjust it accordingly to fit their needs. However, I agree with the book in that one should definitely use caution when getting a rubric from a bank. It can be risky if not carefully evaluated. Especially since rubrics are not “one size fits all” and every class has different make-up of students. It will be important for the teacher to ensure that the rubric is not only fitting the needs of the assignment but the needs of the student as well. I think that the best idea is to create a rubric using one of the many programs available online. Creating a rubric by hand can be extremely tedious but these online programs allow you to input your data and they will create it for you. I found a few really good sites:
http://www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/rubrics/
http://www.rubrics4teachers.com/
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php
All of these sites offer step by step and easy to use rubrics that could be very valuable to educators!!
Clickers are very interesting to me. I have zero experience with them and I do not know how they could be incorporated into an elementary classroom. I think that they are definitely geared more towards huge lecture styled classes in the college arena. I do not understand their usefulness in high schools either. I understand that they help with attendance and group quizzes or assignments but in an elementary school they are probably too costly to be worth it. I just don’t really see the value of these so I will not belabor this point any longer.
Computer-based tests are definitely something that I have had experience with during my time in college. In my experiences I have found that most of these tests are multiple choice and some short essay. I think that they are useful because if they are multiple choice, usually they can be graded very quickly but multiple choice tests do not leave much room for the more effective problem solving approach to teaching. I don’t think mathematics would be effective for computer based testing either, especially when wanting to see the work students produce to get to their answers. Computer based testing can also become very expensive because you need one computer for each students. If there is a school computer lab then a teacher can make an appointment to bring her class but that could become problem some also. I think that this to may be too stressful for a teacher to try to coordinate. Computer-based testing would definitely be useful for diagnostic tests in an elementary classroom, I just don’t know that I would want to coordinate using them for every curriculum test I give.
Surveys I think could be a cool mathematical tool to use with students. They could use the technology to create an online survey and embed it in their learning log or blog and then have their classmates take it and then do the statistical calculations to figure out the mean, median, or mode. There are so many tools available for this including Google and Survey Monkey. I have had experiences with both of these specific tools and they are both easy to use and set up for students. Also, it is really cool when students information becomes a part of the material they are working with. It makes any lesson much more relevant to the student’s lives. Surveys could be used for a variety of things including math lessons, school polls, class votes on a certain them or project, choosing a book to read as a class and so on. I think the use of survey has endless amounts of opportunities in an elementary classroom.
Overall I liked this chapter. I think that it was a really good way to conclude the book. Each of the other 9 chapters have offered us great tools to incorporate into the classroom and lesson ideas that follow accordingly. This chapter provided a tangible means for assessing all that was mentioned earlier on by continuing to integrate technology. I have enjoyed and taken a great deal from this book and am excited to employ some of these new tools in my future classroom!
What was your favorite tool from all of the chapters?
When thinking about integrating technology into assessment my mind automatically diverts to computer-based testing. However, there is so much more to it than that. The first idea addressed deals with electronic portfolios. The chapter goes into detail as to why these are so effective and how they can be used. I, however, am more interested in ways that I can integrate them into an early elementary classroom. Looking at how technology of this world is advancing everyday, moving from heavy and thick files in a filing cabinet to e portfolios online just makes sense. Obviously, with early elementary students such as kindergarten to second grade, having them establish their own online portfolio may be too advanced. However, starting in 3rd grade when writing samples need to be kept and progress is more heavily monitored, these e portfolios can start to be heavily utilized. I think that you can start these portfolios out as blogs. Similar to the learning logs we keep in this class, students could post writing samples here, embed links to websites for online homework and so forth. Also, the teacher would be able to create a RSS feed and would be able to closely monitor the submission or omission of work from all of her students without the cost of losing bulky papers. Also, with work displayed on a blog, that is able to be viewed by the public, classmates could go to each other for help with an idea or just be able to share with one another. Commenting is another benefit that would come along with the blogging form of portfolios. Students could comment on one another’s submissions and give constructive criticism or praise to their peers. This would help to create a more effective and cohesive classroom both physically and digitally. In addition to peers being able to view classmate’s blogs, parents would be able to keep tabs on and check their students work. As parents they could also look to other students’ blogs to see how they would better be able to help their own student. I think that there are more advance e portfolios out there but it could become time consuming on the teacher’s behalf if the students are not able to upload or create it on their own. I think that until students are in 5th grade or possibly middle school, creating and maintaining their own digital portfolio may be too much of a daunting task. If it becomes the teachers responsibility to keep up with and maintain 20 students portfolios they will surely become bogged down and overwhelmed with too much administrative work.
http://alicechristie.org/pubs/Moritz-Christie.pdf
This link leads to a PDF file that supports the use of e portfolios in elementary classrooms for the purpose of improving writing skills and abilities. I think it is just another resource that can be used to better ourselves as elementary educators.
I love rubrics! I think that rubrics not only make grading easier on teachers but also make assignments easier on students because they see exactly what the teacher is looking for and how to properly and effectively meet the standards. I like both of the ideas that the book presents dealing with rubrics, both the banks and the generators. I think that rubric banks are hugely beneficial to teachers. I think that so often there are general assignments that teachers assign and they could find a rubric for one from a bank and just adjust it accordingly to fit their needs. However, I agree with the book in that one should definitely use caution when getting a rubric from a bank. It can be risky if not carefully evaluated. Especially since rubrics are not “one size fits all” and every class has different make-up of students. It will be important for the teacher to ensure that the rubric is not only fitting the needs of the assignment but the needs of the student as well. I think that the best idea is to create a rubric using one of the many programs available online. Creating a rubric by hand can be extremely tedious but these online programs allow you to input your data and they will create it for you. I found a few really good sites:
http://www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/rubrics/
http://www.rubrics4teachers.com/
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php
All of these sites offer step by step and easy to use rubrics that could be very valuable to educators!!
Clickers are very interesting to me. I have zero experience with them and I do not know how they could be incorporated into an elementary classroom. I think that they are definitely geared more towards huge lecture styled classes in the college arena. I do not understand their usefulness in high schools either. I understand that they help with attendance and group quizzes or assignments but in an elementary school they are probably too costly to be worth it. I just don’t really see the value of these so I will not belabor this point any longer.
Computer-based tests are definitely something that I have had experience with during my time in college. In my experiences I have found that most of these tests are multiple choice and some short essay. I think that they are useful because if they are multiple choice, usually they can be graded very quickly but multiple choice tests do not leave much room for the more effective problem solving approach to teaching. I don’t think mathematics would be effective for computer based testing either, especially when wanting to see the work students produce to get to their answers. Computer based testing can also become very expensive because you need one computer for each students. If there is a school computer lab then a teacher can make an appointment to bring her class but that could become problem some also. I think that this to may be too stressful for a teacher to try to coordinate. Computer-based testing would definitely be useful for diagnostic tests in an elementary classroom, I just don’t know that I would want to coordinate using them for every curriculum test I give.
Surveys I think could be a cool mathematical tool to use with students. They could use the technology to create an online survey and embed it in their learning log or blog and then have their classmates take it and then do the statistical calculations to figure out the mean, median, or mode. There are so many tools available for this including Google and Survey Monkey. I have had experiences with both of these specific tools and they are both easy to use and set up for students. Also, it is really cool when students information becomes a part of the material they are working with. It makes any lesson much more relevant to the student’s lives. Surveys could be used for a variety of things including math lessons, school polls, class votes on a certain them or project, choosing a book to read as a class and so on. I think the use of survey has endless amounts of opportunities in an elementary classroom.
Overall I liked this chapter. I think that it was a really good way to conclude the book. Each of the other 9 chapters have offered us great tools to incorporate into the classroom and lesson ideas that follow accordingly. This chapter provided a tangible means for assessing all that was mentioned earlier on by continuing to integrate technology. I have enjoyed and taken a great deal from this book and am excited to employ some of these new tools in my future classroom!
What was your favorite tool from all of the chapters?
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Response to Chapter 9
Visualizing with technology is definitely something that I do on a daily basis. With the internet at the tip of my fingertips, at any second, whenever I am in doubt of something or wondering about something there is the power of Google. And with Google comes the power of Google Images. Although this simple example deals with literal visual aids, technologies can be used to help in visualizing in my subjects and contents to enhance education and teaching. This chapter dealt with five different visualization tools: science and math visualization tools, digital cameras, mobile phones, and video productions, modeling and feedback. Some of the elements of the chapter including the mathematical and scientific sections got very specific and content specialized and however helpful these tools may be, I think that they are far too advanced for an elementary classroom. For example, the chemistry visualization tools dealing with molecules would be far over an elementary student’s head. I was able to pull some useful suggestions out of that suggestion but most of what I liked came from the sections dealing with cell phones, digital cameras, and video camcorders.
My favorite visualization tool that I pulled out of the content technologies section dealt with visualizing geography with Geographic Information Systems. As soon as I heard this topic, I instantly again thought of ole faithful…Google. Google Earth is a great tool that can and SHOULD be incorporated into elementary classrooms. From simple first day of school introductory activities to detailed map and geography lessons can all utilize such a program. For example, the activity that we did in class during one of the first few weeks using the promethean board where we put a flag on a place where we could find the weather. Instead of doing that, we could get a world map and have students put a flag where their ancestors were from or where they were born to establish better community amongst the class by getting to know each other better. Also, other more in-depth lessons could be taught using such a program. For example, students could be assigned a report on a country or certain region and could flag and tag certain cities and areas to use as a way of highlighting when presenting to the class. Google Maps is extremely easy to use and a valuable asset. In addition to Google Maps, the internet holds a vast majority of various geography and map technologies that can be used within the elementary curriculum. For example, I really like the idea of using the database that connects to the US Census Bureau. This could be used as in an interdisciplinary lesson where students could do estimations in math while using geographical data. Students could estimate population growth in certain areas based on current population size and past growth trends. These are just a few ideas but many things are possible with geography and the internet!
Although I was not a huge fan of the mathematical visualization section, I did like the idea of creating interactive and accessible graphs. I found a really fun and useful website that is safe for young students and I would definitely use within my future classroom. I have tagged it under EME4401 and graphs.
http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createAgraph/default.aspx
This is a website where students can create 5 different kinds of graphs including, bars, lines, pie, area, and XY. There is also a “creating a graph tutorial” that students can choose to go through if they cannot decide what kind of graph would best suit their needs. There are many different options, and once you finally choose the graph that you want you can customize it to fit the data’s specific needs. Also, it can be customized to suit the student as well. After completion, the student has the choice to download, print, save, embed or email. I really like the last 2 features because students could post it to their classroom blogs or learning logs. This is just one site that I found that could be a really convenient and helpful tool within any elementary math curriculum.
Moving on to my favorite sections of the text. Digital cameras are probably my favorite toy. I love to take pictures and to edit them. Pictures are viewed as a way that we as humans express ourselves and students love any chance they get to express who they are. Therefore, I believe that allowing students to use digital cameras to give us a glimpse out how they view the world is not only fun but a privilege. Fun activities that introduce us to the student’s lives can be used. For example, students can do a photo scavenger from their home life to give others a view into who they are. The teacher could create a list of things like, your favorite place in your house, your favorite toy, a place where the family spends time. The students could each take pictures of these things and make a collage to share with the class or post on a bulletin board or even a blog. For a more content specific project, students could use digital cameras to do a book report. For example, instead of just handing in a report the students could create a photo slide show using any of the programs that we learned about in the writing with technologies section and give an oral presentation that goes along with the pictures. Allowing the visuals to guide assignments will not only make assignments more fun and relative to students, but more aesthetically pleasing and helpful for visual learners. Also, it is important to note the benefits that come with the visual aspects of technology of English Language Learners. Anytime text or speech is accompanied by related visuals, things are going to be simpler to process for ELL’s. The double benefit in using these types of technologies makes them very worth trying.
Moving on to cell phones. I have always had the fear that with the popularity and advancement of cell phones they would overtake the classroom. However, I am now beginning to embrace the idea. I think that if we can integrate cell phones into the curriculum students are going to be more excited and probably more engaged because of how relevant it is to their lives. I really liked the example we used in class where we had to text someone far away and find out the weather. We could start out a science lesson that way showing how different areas of the nation or world experience various weather patterns at various times. Also, with cell phones advancing everyday and most having internet access, they are basically handheld computers. This could extremely help school budgets. If cell phones with internet access become so commonplace that every student has one then a huge expense will be cut from schools. Every student with individual internet access on their own “personalized computer” would allow for endless possibilities. Teachers would have to worry less about supplying computers for every child and could assign more expansive technological assignments. Something else that shocked me that I recently found out deals with matters here at the university. I was shocked to find out that the college of pharmacy requires its students to have an Iphone. I understand that at the collegiate level they can expect and require more from students but I also think that it is a great idea. I heard that the main reasoning for it is because they are beginning to do most of their lectures and seminars and modules through podcasts. I would be more interested to hear how this works and if it is truly beneficial and effective in the future.
Finally, looking to visualizing with videos. I have always been amazed by video and video editing. Part of the reason that I would like to get a Mac in the future deals with all of the video and editing features that come with their operating systems. Students can use video camcorders in a variety of ways within the elementary curriculum. I could make a long list simply based off of what we have done in this class. For example, instead of book reports, book commercials, short films on basic topics, video podcasts, the list is truly endless. Today when I was looking at podcasts within the Florida Department of Education I found one where students created a video exemplifying the different states of matter and how their molecules move. Also, students at this age love to see themselves and watch their peers as well. I believe that using this digital media would engage students heavily. Another lesson idea would be to have students create a digital yearbook. This would not only be a fun idea but something that the students could help create and cherish. Another idea would be to create a heritage video. Students could research their heritage and then create a short film about the area that their families are from and what those cultures and heritages look like. All of the short films could then be compiled to become somewhat of a video encyclopedia. Again these are just a few ideas but the opportunities are endless with a little creativity.
I feel as though editing may be extremely advanced for students in the early elementary grades. However I do felt that they could definitely assist in the cutting and editing, but I do not think it is something that they could do on their own. It is definitely something that they would need to develop over years of practice. It may even be helpful in the upper grades, like 5th, to spend some class time on simple editing programs if it is something that seems to be being heavily used within the rest of their education. On a personal note, I would love to learn more about editing and various editing programs. As cheesy as it sounds, I want to be able to make really great home videos someday. One of my close friends majored in telecommunications here at UF and she is a master at videos and editing. She has such an eye for it and has made some incredible videos. Here is an example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JoN_uExhqA
I am involved in an organization on campus, Campus Crusade for Christ, and this past summer we made a revamp of the Thriller video to announce who our new emcees for the year would be. I was there for the shoot and some of the editing. You would never know that the video took us 5 hours to shoot and that we only had one camera. I never think that I will be to this expertise but I do hope someday to be more competent with editing programs.
Overall, I REALLY enjoyed this chapter. I am very much a visual learner and love the idea of visualizing with technologies. Again, I am unsure of how some of the programs introduced in the very beginning are valuable to elementary educators. I was wondering, does anyone have any valuable ideas for how to integrate those into the elementary classroom?
My favorite visualization tool that I pulled out of the content technologies section dealt with visualizing geography with Geographic Information Systems. As soon as I heard this topic, I instantly again thought of ole faithful…Google. Google Earth is a great tool that can and SHOULD be incorporated into elementary classrooms. From simple first day of school introductory activities to detailed map and geography lessons can all utilize such a program. For example, the activity that we did in class during one of the first few weeks using the promethean board where we put a flag on a place where we could find the weather. Instead of doing that, we could get a world map and have students put a flag where their ancestors were from or where they were born to establish better community amongst the class by getting to know each other better. Also, other more in-depth lessons could be taught using such a program. For example, students could be assigned a report on a country or certain region and could flag and tag certain cities and areas to use as a way of highlighting when presenting to the class. Google Maps is extremely easy to use and a valuable asset. In addition to Google Maps, the internet holds a vast majority of various geography and map technologies that can be used within the elementary curriculum. For example, I really like the idea of using the database that connects to the US Census Bureau. This could be used as in an interdisciplinary lesson where students could do estimations in math while using geographical data. Students could estimate population growth in certain areas based on current population size and past growth trends. These are just a few ideas but many things are possible with geography and the internet!
Although I was not a huge fan of the mathematical visualization section, I did like the idea of creating interactive and accessible graphs. I found a really fun and useful website that is safe for young students and I would definitely use within my future classroom. I have tagged it under EME4401 and graphs.
http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createAgraph/default.aspx
This is a website where students can create 5 different kinds of graphs including, bars, lines, pie, area, and XY. There is also a “creating a graph tutorial” that students can choose to go through if they cannot decide what kind of graph would best suit their needs. There are many different options, and once you finally choose the graph that you want you can customize it to fit the data’s specific needs. Also, it can be customized to suit the student as well. After completion, the student has the choice to download, print, save, embed or email. I really like the last 2 features because students could post it to their classroom blogs or learning logs. This is just one site that I found that could be a really convenient and helpful tool within any elementary math curriculum.
Moving on to my favorite sections of the text. Digital cameras are probably my favorite toy. I love to take pictures and to edit them. Pictures are viewed as a way that we as humans express ourselves and students love any chance they get to express who they are. Therefore, I believe that allowing students to use digital cameras to give us a glimpse out how they view the world is not only fun but a privilege. Fun activities that introduce us to the student’s lives can be used. For example, students can do a photo scavenger from their home life to give others a view into who they are. The teacher could create a list of things like, your favorite place in your house, your favorite toy, a place where the family spends time. The students could each take pictures of these things and make a collage to share with the class or post on a bulletin board or even a blog. For a more content specific project, students could use digital cameras to do a book report. For example, instead of just handing in a report the students could create a photo slide show using any of the programs that we learned about in the writing with technologies section and give an oral presentation that goes along with the pictures. Allowing the visuals to guide assignments will not only make assignments more fun and relative to students, but more aesthetically pleasing and helpful for visual learners. Also, it is important to note the benefits that come with the visual aspects of technology of English Language Learners. Anytime text or speech is accompanied by related visuals, things are going to be simpler to process for ELL’s. The double benefit in using these types of technologies makes them very worth trying.
Moving on to cell phones. I have always had the fear that with the popularity and advancement of cell phones they would overtake the classroom. However, I am now beginning to embrace the idea. I think that if we can integrate cell phones into the curriculum students are going to be more excited and probably more engaged because of how relevant it is to their lives. I really liked the example we used in class where we had to text someone far away and find out the weather. We could start out a science lesson that way showing how different areas of the nation or world experience various weather patterns at various times. Also, with cell phones advancing everyday and most having internet access, they are basically handheld computers. This could extremely help school budgets. If cell phones with internet access become so commonplace that every student has one then a huge expense will be cut from schools. Every student with individual internet access on their own “personalized computer” would allow for endless possibilities. Teachers would have to worry less about supplying computers for every child and could assign more expansive technological assignments. Something else that shocked me that I recently found out deals with matters here at the university. I was shocked to find out that the college of pharmacy requires its students to have an Iphone. I understand that at the collegiate level they can expect and require more from students but I also think that it is a great idea. I heard that the main reasoning for it is because they are beginning to do most of their lectures and seminars and modules through podcasts. I would be more interested to hear how this works and if it is truly beneficial and effective in the future.
Finally, looking to visualizing with videos. I have always been amazed by video and video editing. Part of the reason that I would like to get a Mac in the future deals with all of the video and editing features that come with their operating systems. Students can use video camcorders in a variety of ways within the elementary curriculum. I could make a long list simply based off of what we have done in this class. For example, instead of book reports, book commercials, short films on basic topics, video podcasts, the list is truly endless. Today when I was looking at podcasts within the Florida Department of Education I found one where students created a video exemplifying the different states of matter and how their molecules move. Also, students at this age love to see themselves and watch their peers as well. I believe that using this digital media would engage students heavily. Another lesson idea would be to have students create a digital yearbook. This would not only be a fun idea but something that the students could help create and cherish. Another idea would be to create a heritage video. Students could research their heritage and then create a short film about the area that their families are from and what those cultures and heritages look like. All of the short films could then be compiled to become somewhat of a video encyclopedia. Again these are just a few ideas but the opportunities are endless with a little creativity.
I feel as though editing may be extremely advanced for students in the early elementary grades. However I do felt that they could definitely assist in the cutting and editing, but I do not think it is something that they could do on their own. It is definitely something that they would need to develop over years of practice. It may even be helpful in the upper grades, like 5th, to spend some class time on simple editing programs if it is something that seems to be being heavily used within the rest of their education. On a personal note, I would love to learn more about editing and various editing programs. As cheesy as it sounds, I want to be able to make really great home videos someday. One of my close friends majored in telecommunications here at UF and she is a master at videos and editing. She has such an eye for it and has made some incredible videos. Here is an example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JoN_uExhqA
I am involved in an organization on campus, Campus Crusade for Christ, and this past summer we made a revamp of the Thriller video to announce who our new emcees for the year would be. I was there for the shoot and some of the editing. You would never know that the video took us 5 hours to shoot and that we only had one camera. I never think that I will be to this expertise but I do hope someday to be more competent with editing programs.
Overall, I REALLY enjoyed this chapter. I am very much a visual learner and love the idea of visualizing with technologies. Again, I am unsure of how some of the programs introduced in the very beginning are valuable to elementary educators. I was wondering, does anyone have any valuable ideas for how to integrate those into the elementary classroom?
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Response to Chapter 8
Designing is always something I have felt inadequate at. Often times, I like to let others do the designing and I will employ the design and give feedback. However, after reading this chapter, I realized that I design often, even when I don’t realize that I am. I have also realized the importance of design and how no advancement would ever occur without people looking to create and design new medias, ideas, places, theories, etc. Without creative design this world would be a boring place.
On a personal note, the text mentioned Science Olympiad, which is basically a national organization that breaks down by states and holds a large science competition one weekend per year. The top three winners from each state go on to compete at the national level. Although the competition only takes place over the course of a weekend, the preparation for each event takes months of studying and designing. The competition looks similar to the Olympics in that there are a series of different events to compete in. Each school takes a team of students who compete in a few events each. In middle school, I was a part of our Science Olympiad team. I competed in 3 events, Balloon Race, Pentathlon, and Reach for the Stars. Balloon race was an event where you had to fill a balloon with helium, and then figure out its exact mass, then to go on and cut and attach a piece of cardboard so that the balloon would leave the ground but not rise to the ceiling, basically finding the equilibrium. Pentathlon was basically a relay race where various physics questions were answered and then an experiment related to the question was completed. Finally, Reach for the Stars was an astronomy question competition. There are tons of other events. But I have very fond memories of participating in this competition and wanting to learn more. I never realized how much design and preparation went into my time in those events until now. This however is really all of the design experience I have had.
Considering my little experience with design, especially technological design, this chapter was very interesting to me. The text mentioned the use of CAD or computer-aided design. Again, to my surprise, I have had practice with such a program. In middle school we were required to take an AutoCAD class. By the use of this program we created CO2 racing cars that were streamlined and that we would eventually build and race based off of our AutoCAD designs. We also did very minimal and basic architecture drawings. Although this was many years ago and the technology is much more advanced now, I remember how fun and intriguing it was to use such a program. It was very challenging at times, because with programs such as that, precision is key. However, I do remember that advantage to creating such drawings on the computer than with my terrible drawing abilities. The issue that I have with this chapter is that I feel that in order to properly learn or grasp any of these programs or concepts, hands-on practice is needed. For example, when the text tried to describe how to create the Lego using CAD it was hard to follow. I think that if we were taken through a step-by-step process with the program in front of us it would be much easier to grasp. Which leads me to my second problem. Although programs like this are very beneficial to use with students, it will be hard to find a school with a budget big enough for each student in a class to have a computer with this software on it to practice and design. That has been a common theme throughout this entire book and I think will be until the cost of technology comes down, which is probably never. All of these different technologies are so useful and beneficial to students however, most schools today do not have the budget to fund such technologies or maintain them, which is truly sad. Especially considering how our future students are part of the technological age. How are we supposed to ever keep up with them or maintain relevant if we are always lagging? After doing some research, I found that some CAD programs can cost upwards of 1,000 dollars. However, I also found a website that is basically a database of several free CAD programs that are usable and accessible online.
http://www.freecad.com/
On this site, there are over 750 links to various free CAD programs, accessories, and services. With free sites such as this, I believe that we may be able to bring more technological designs to the classroom.
Simulation software is something that is much more familiar due to chapter 3. Using simulations as design software can be very useful in my opinion. My mind was immediately brought back to one of the simulation sites that we used in our chapter presentation.
http://phet.colorado.edu/index.php
This website allows not only partaking in simulations but in designing them as well! And the best part of all is that it is free. Students can become members of the site and contribute designed activities or simulations that they have created. For example in our science class, our teacher showed us an example of states of matter and how the molecules move when the temperature drops and rises and the pressure increases and decreases. The simulation was designed and constructed by a 10th grade physics class. An activity such as this would be great to conduct as a whole class or group assignment, having the students work together to design and create a model that can help them better understand how something works or is created. Not only will designing simulations help students to understand concepts of design better, but having to actually create rather than “recreate” something pushes students to understand the ins and outs of what they are learning. I think that creation requires the highest and most advanced levels of thinking because many different facets need to be considered in order to ensure that something is going to work. I also really enjoyed the activity that the text mentioned using the Trebuchet simulator. I think that even simple activities where students have to create something within certain parameters is a great place to start with design and creation. In middle school, we had to create a bridge out of toothpicks that could support a certain number of bricks. There were very clear guidelines as to what we could use. Some people created their plans using programs similar to the Trebuchet one mentioned, while others, like me, drew their plans. Not surprisingly, the bridges that were created using the software were better suited to hold more bricks. Using simulations not only makes designing easier but also makes it more effective.
The section on media design immediately reminded me of Scratch. My time spent with Scratch has both been frustrating and fun. Although, it is very challenging to discover and learn about programming, it is also semi-exhilarating when you create something and get it to work. I think that Scratch is an impeccably designed introductory program that any and all students could use. With the use of the easier terminology and the tutorial, the program is easy to catch on to when used often enough. Simply playing around with the program allows for new discoveries each time. I have found, in exploring the Scratch website that not only is it fun and beneficial to create programs, but also fun to play and deconstruct the ones that are already created. This is one of my favorite features of Scratch. Although it is great to create a program, it could be just as beneficial for students to deconstruct an already created program. In doing this, they can see how the creator thought, discover what their purpose was, and learn even more about how and why certain things work the way that they do. Something also interesting in this section was the iStopMotion. I think that students would love to create their own movies and animations. Also, I think that it is interesting that even elementary schoolers could use it. I have found that at several different points throughout this book that some of the suggested tools are far too advanced for elementary schoolers. Therefore, when a tool is mentioned that is suitable for even the young students, it is very exciting. In doing some research there is also a free download available that students can choose to use at home or even schools can download. Usually used only on Macs, this download can also be used on PCs as well. What is also nice about programs such as this is that they truly can be integrated into any area of the curriculum. Using programs such as this to enhance other curricular areas will not only make it more exciting to students but more relevant as well.
Finally, designing music with computer software is also highlighted in the text. Although I believe that music is important and an outlet for many students, I think it is hard to make using such programs viable in many content areas. I understand that such programs would be useful in music classes or in adding depth to other lessons, but I don’t think they would be as valuable in using them within core curricular content. I understand that music is extremely important I just am still unsure of where this type of software would fit in the curriculum and an already stretched budget.
Overall, I enjoyed this chapter. I wish that I could have been more hands-on with some of the tools so that I would be better able to understand them. I think that the ideas proposed here all have validity and could be very valuable within classrooms. Not all would be suitable for elementary grades, but with serious scaffolding and guidance I believe that upper elementary students could utilize a great portion of those highlighted. I hope to gain more experience with CAD and programs like Scratch in the future!
On a personal note, the text mentioned Science Olympiad, which is basically a national organization that breaks down by states and holds a large science competition one weekend per year. The top three winners from each state go on to compete at the national level. Although the competition only takes place over the course of a weekend, the preparation for each event takes months of studying and designing. The competition looks similar to the Olympics in that there are a series of different events to compete in. Each school takes a team of students who compete in a few events each. In middle school, I was a part of our Science Olympiad team. I competed in 3 events, Balloon Race, Pentathlon, and Reach for the Stars. Balloon race was an event where you had to fill a balloon with helium, and then figure out its exact mass, then to go on and cut and attach a piece of cardboard so that the balloon would leave the ground but not rise to the ceiling, basically finding the equilibrium. Pentathlon was basically a relay race where various physics questions were answered and then an experiment related to the question was completed. Finally, Reach for the Stars was an astronomy question competition. There are tons of other events. But I have very fond memories of participating in this competition and wanting to learn more. I never realized how much design and preparation went into my time in those events until now. This however is really all of the design experience I have had.
Considering my little experience with design, especially technological design, this chapter was very interesting to me. The text mentioned the use of CAD or computer-aided design. Again, to my surprise, I have had practice with such a program. In middle school we were required to take an AutoCAD class. By the use of this program we created CO2 racing cars that were streamlined and that we would eventually build and race based off of our AutoCAD designs. We also did very minimal and basic architecture drawings. Although this was many years ago and the technology is much more advanced now, I remember how fun and intriguing it was to use such a program. It was very challenging at times, because with programs such as that, precision is key. However, I do remember that advantage to creating such drawings on the computer than with my terrible drawing abilities. The issue that I have with this chapter is that I feel that in order to properly learn or grasp any of these programs or concepts, hands-on practice is needed. For example, when the text tried to describe how to create the Lego using CAD it was hard to follow. I think that if we were taken through a step-by-step process with the program in front of us it would be much easier to grasp. Which leads me to my second problem. Although programs like this are very beneficial to use with students, it will be hard to find a school with a budget big enough for each student in a class to have a computer with this software on it to practice and design. That has been a common theme throughout this entire book and I think will be until the cost of technology comes down, which is probably never. All of these different technologies are so useful and beneficial to students however, most schools today do not have the budget to fund such technologies or maintain them, which is truly sad. Especially considering how our future students are part of the technological age. How are we supposed to ever keep up with them or maintain relevant if we are always lagging? After doing some research, I found that some CAD programs can cost upwards of 1,000 dollars. However, I also found a website that is basically a database of several free CAD programs that are usable and accessible online.
http://www.freecad.com/
On this site, there are over 750 links to various free CAD programs, accessories, and services. With free sites such as this, I believe that we may be able to bring more technological designs to the classroom.
Simulation software is something that is much more familiar due to chapter 3. Using simulations as design software can be very useful in my opinion. My mind was immediately brought back to one of the simulation sites that we used in our chapter presentation.
http://phet.colorado.edu/index.php
This website allows not only partaking in simulations but in designing them as well! And the best part of all is that it is free. Students can become members of the site and contribute designed activities or simulations that they have created. For example in our science class, our teacher showed us an example of states of matter and how the molecules move when the temperature drops and rises and the pressure increases and decreases. The simulation was designed and constructed by a 10th grade physics class. An activity such as this would be great to conduct as a whole class or group assignment, having the students work together to design and create a model that can help them better understand how something works or is created. Not only will designing simulations help students to understand concepts of design better, but having to actually create rather than “recreate” something pushes students to understand the ins and outs of what they are learning. I think that creation requires the highest and most advanced levels of thinking because many different facets need to be considered in order to ensure that something is going to work. I also really enjoyed the activity that the text mentioned using the Trebuchet simulator. I think that even simple activities where students have to create something within certain parameters is a great place to start with design and creation. In middle school, we had to create a bridge out of toothpicks that could support a certain number of bricks. There were very clear guidelines as to what we could use. Some people created their plans using programs similar to the Trebuchet one mentioned, while others, like me, drew their plans. Not surprisingly, the bridges that were created using the software were better suited to hold more bricks. Using simulations not only makes designing easier but also makes it more effective.
The section on media design immediately reminded me of Scratch. My time spent with Scratch has both been frustrating and fun. Although, it is very challenging to discover and learn about programming, it is also semi-exhilarating when you create something and get it to work. I think that Scratch is an impeccably designed introductory program that any and all students could use. With the use of the easier terminology and the tutorial, the program is easy to catch on to when used often enough. Simply playing around with the program allows for new discoveries each time. I have found, in exploring the Scratch website that not only is it fun and beneficial to create programs, but also fun to play and deconstruct the ones that are already created. This is one of my favorite features of Scratch. Although it is great to create a program, it could be just as beneficial for students to deconstruct an already created program. In doing this, they can see how the creator thought, discover what their purpose was, and learn even more about how and why certain things work the way that they do. Something also interesting in this section was the iStopMotion. I think that students would love to create their own movies and animations. Also, I think that it is interesting that even elementary schoolers could use it. I have found that at several different points throughout this book that some of the suggested tools are far too advanced for elementary schoolers. Therefore, when a tool is mentioned that is suitable for even the young students, it is very exciting. In doing some research there is also a free download available that students can choose to use at home or even schools can download. Usually used only on Macs, this download can also be used on PCs as well. What is also nice about programs such as this is that they truly can be integrated into any area of the curriculum. Using programs such as this to enhance other curricular areas will not only make it more exciting to students but more relevant as well.
Finally, designing music with computer software is also highlighted in the text. Although I believe that music is important and an outlet for many students, I think it is hard to make using such programs viable in many content areas. I understand that such programs would be useful in music classes or in adding depth to other lessons, but I don’t think they would be as valuable in using them within core curricular content. I understand that music is extremely important I just am still unsure of where this type of software would fit in the curriculum and an already stretched budget.
Overall, I enjoyed this chapter. I wish that I could have been more hands-on with some of the tools so that I would be better able to understand them. I think that the ideas proposed here all have validity and could be very valuable within classrooms. Not all would be suitable for elementary grades, but with serious scaffolding and guidance I believe that upper elementary students could utilize a great portion of those highlighted. I hope to gain more experience with CAD and programs like Scratch in the future!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Response to Chapter 7
The very first sentence of this chapter notes that today’s generation of students is “not only technologically sophisticated but also fundamentally different than previous generations in their approaches to, use of, and relationship with media” (140). I completely agree with this statement. Although I feel that I grew up with heavier exposure to technology than my brother and parents, I still feel like I heavily lack the understanding and relationship with various technological medias that today’s students possess. With that being said, like I have stated before in accordance with the text and other sources, it is imperative for the teachers of today to catch up with the students of today. With student’s emphasis and focus on technology and media, we need to at least be equals. In reality, teachers should be more advanced than students so that we can continually enhance their understanding, but with students learning to engage in technological tools practically out of the womb, it is a challenge. But this is the challenge that we as professional educators should be willing to undertake.
The first section of the text deals with asynchronous discussion boards. This basically means that the discussion is always available but takes place at different times for various people. It is different from synchronous messaging which we will get to later. Just to define the term, synchronous just means in real time, so all parties would be communicating at the same time. Looking back to discussion boards, I agree with the text in that online forums do not offer the same depth that face-to-face conversations have. However, I also feel that online discussion boards offer a great deal more options. For example, people have the opportunity to hear from and have the input from people that they may have never even met, never mind had the opportunity to have a conversation with. Also, being online adds the opportunity to do research while discussing. People can be surfing the web for information while adding to a discussion. Also, online discussion boards give many more people access and the ability to participate than a face-to-face conversation. Looking at online discussion boards within a classroom context uses many of the same benefits. In addition to the benefits already listed, students could pose questions on a discussion board, such as homework questions, and other students could see the question and realize that they didn’t have to ask it, eliminating the teacher from having to answer the same question five times. These discussion boards also allow students to reflect on their work while responding. Finally, another really helpful tools deals with the fact that students can respond to their peers within the discussion. Although the discussion may not be happening in a face-to-face context, great discussion that can further students thinking and challenge them can occur. Something interesting that the chapter noted deals with the assistance discussion boards offer to second language learners. With this kind of discussion, students could take the time they needed to process and respond whether than rush through and miss much of the meaning and understanding. I have some experience with discussion boards in an academic setting, but when I began to think about it, discussion boards are all over the web. I have used discussion boards when looking for lesson plan ideas, recipes, craft ideas, you name it. However, I have also used discussion boards within my classes. For example, on e-learning there is a discussion board feature which I have used. Also, with the college of education online site, also known as moodle, there is a helpful discussion board site there. In my experiences, I have found these educational discussion boards very helpful. I have used them to search and see if someone has already asked a question I have or to pose my own questions. Also, I have used them to bounce ideas off of my virtual classmates and them off me. Using these adds a collaborative effect that even small group face-to-face conversations may not have. In addition to the sites listed in the text, I found two sites that teachers could use to set up class discussion boards. One is through the ever faithful Google! Through the Google page the teacher could set up a classroom group and customize it as she see fit and create online discussion boards there. Students could also use this to create their own discussion boards either for group projects and other educational purposes or just for fun! Another site that I found allows for students or teachers to create a community around their forums. Both sites give the creator free range, allowing them to meet the needs of their students. I really enjoyed exploring both of these sites. Discussion boards are a great idea in my opinion and I hope to employ them in my future classroom!
The sites that I found:
http://groups.google.com/?utm_campaign=en&utm_source=en-ha-na-us_ca-google&utm_medium=ha&utm_term=free%20discussion%20boards
http://www.socialgo.com/for-forum.htm?gclid=CNa0tJPLqJ0CFVhJ2godMxy6rw
Moving on to synchronous interactive chats. As stated above synchronous just means happening in real time. This more resembles face-to-face interaction however; it also has many of the same benefits as the asynchronous discussion boards. The internet relay chat resembles a synchronous discussion chat because it allows many people to chat interactively. It also logs the conversation, allowing the parties involved to see what has been said throughout the conversation. It reminds me a lot of the chatrooms that I used to be a part of when I was in elementary and middle school. I believe that this could be very useful within the classroom. The teacher could set aside time where students could ask questions from home, they would just have to log in a certain time. This could also be used as a form of collaborative assessment where students could work together interactively to figure out problems. Also, it could just be a place where students could chat with each other about school, life, and other things that are important and relevant to them. I also think it would be very helpful to teachers to have a school wide or even county wide chatroom where teachers could discuss problems, concerns, give advice, or get ideas. Communication amongst teachers is imperative and does not always happen face-to-face within the actual building. Having this mode of communication allows teachers a break. I think it will be very useful and even fun for students as well as teachers to use this within the classroom. With all this considered, I will be hugely important for teachers to express the safety concerns and manners of using these kinds of chat rooms. Also, they will need to reiterate time and time again how important it is to keep their information private when in public and not school associated chat rooms. Overall though, chatrooms can be very helpful and beneficial within the classroom.
Some examples:
Chatzy- http://www.chatzy.com/
Chatzy is a free and easy site for teachers to establish and admit students to. It is safe, with no pop-ups and people have to be admitted by an administrator in order to enter the chatroom. It can also be added to websites!
Meebo- http://www.meebo.com/rooms/
Meebo is also free and very straight-forward to use. You can make it public or private and the creator acts as the moderator of the site to keep the students safe from online predators. This site could also be very useful.
Students will also be familiar with chatrooms found on sites such as AOL Instant messenger, YAHOO messenger, and MSN messenger. These are going to need to be monitored more heavily due to online predation.
Videoconferencing in my mind is a thing of the future. I am still having trouble coming to terms with the fact that it is possible within classrooms, or even to take the place of classrooms. When I picture videoconferencing, I picture executives in skyscrapers videoconferencing with people in other countries, doing business. I think that this is a very expensive option and personally do not see much of the benefit in using it. There are programs such as Skype which are free but I feel like it is easy to forget the cost of web cams and microphones. Using asynchronous video lecturing may be cheaper and more realistic. However, the book makes a good point. Using videoconferencing for things such as communicating with astronauts in space or other schools will make learning interactive and more interesting for students. I personally think that the expenses outweigh the positives of using this. It would be a nice treat every once in a while but I think it is unreasonable to expect this within classrooms on a daily or even weekly basis.
Podcasting is something that I do not know much about but I am excited to learn more about in this class. I am still unsure of how exactly I want to use them in my future classroom. I think that they can definitely be used in classrooms at stations and centers. Teachers, for example, in lower classrooms could create a listening station where they record certain phonological activities. I think that using podcasting as a lecturing tool is just as bad as standing in class and lecturing. I think that podcasts should be used as a supplement and not just as a lecturing or information providing tool. However, using them as a resource is helpful. The fact that as the days go on, more and more podcasts about thousands of different topics are becoming more available, would allow students to use them to further their thinking and research. I think that podcasts have the possibility to be very helpful but I am also excited to learn more about them throughout the rest of the course. I am most excited to create my own.
Overall I really enjoyed this chapter. I felt like I learned a great deal more about various technologies and understand it all much more. I think that some of the tools suggested in this chapter are slightly out of budget for most schools today, but with technology advancing at the rate it is, who knows how cheap it could be for schools to access in the future. I am looking most forward to learning more about the uses and how to create a podcast!
The first section of the text deals with asynchronous discussion boards. This basically means that the discussion is always available but takes place at different times for various people. It is different from synchronous messaging which we will get to later. Just to define the term, synchronous just means in real time, so all parties would be communicating at the same time. Looking back to discussion boards, I agree with the text in that online forums do not offer the same depth that face-to-face conversations have. However, I also feel that online discussion boards offer a great deal more options. For example, people have the opportunity to hear from and have the input from people that they may have never even met, never mind had the opportunity to have a conversation with. Also, being online adds the opportunity to do research while discussing. People can be surfing the web for information while adding to a discussion. Also, online discussion boards give many more people access and the ability to participate than a face-to-face conversation. Looking at online discussion boards within a classroom context uses many of the same benefits. In addition to the benefits already listed, students could pose questions on a discussion board, such as homework questions, and other students could see the question and realize that they didn’t have to ask it, eliminating the teacher from having to answer the same question five times. These discussion boards also allow students to reflect on their work while responding. Finally, another really helpful tools deals with the fact that students can respond to their peers within the discussion. Although the discussion may not be happening in a face-to-face context, great discussion that can further students thinking and challenge them can occur. Something interesting that the chapter noted deals with the assistance discussion boards offer to second language learners. With this kind of discussion, students could take the time they needed to process and respond whether than rush through and miss much of the meaning and understanding. I have some experience with discussion boards in an academic setting, but when I began to think about it, discussion boards are all over the web. I have used discussion boards when looking for lesson plan ideas, recipes, craft ideas, you name it. However, I have also used discussion boards within my classes. For example, on e-learning there is a discussion board feature which I have used. Also, with the college of education online site, also known as moodle, there is a helpful discussion board site there. In my experiences, I have found these educational discussion boards very helpful. I have used them to search and see if someone has already asked a question I have or to pose my own questions. Also, I have used them to bounce ideas off of my virtual classmates and them off me. Using these adds a collaborative effect that even small group face-to-face conversations may not have. In addition to the sites listed in the text, I found two sites that teachers could use to set up class discussion boards. One is through the ever faithful Google! Through the Google page the teacher could set up a classroom group and customize it as she see fit and create online discussion boards there. Students could also use this to create their own discussion boards either for group projects and other educational purposes or just for fun! Another site that I found allows for students or teachers to create a community around their forums. Both sites give the creator free range, allowing them to meet the needs of their students. I really enjoyed exploring both of these sites. Discussion boards are a great idea in my opinion and I hope to employ them in my future classroom!
The sites that I found:
http://groups.google.com/?utm_campaign=en&utm_source=en-ha-na-us_ca-google&utm_medium=ha&utm_term=free%20discussion%20boards
http://www.socialgo.com/for-forum.htm?gclid=CNa0tJPLqJ0CFVhJ2godMxy6rw
Moving on to synchronous interactive chats. As stated above synchronous just means happening in real time. This more resembles face-to-face interaction however; it also has many of the same benefits as the asynchronous discussion boards. The internet relay chat resembles a synchronous discussion chat because it allows many people to chat interactively. It also logs the conversation, allowing the parties involved to see what has been said throughout the conversation. It reminds me a lot of the chatrooms that I used to be a part of when I was in elementary and middle school. I believe that this could be very useful within the classroom. The teacher could set aside time where students could ask questions from home, they would just have to log in a certain time. This could also be used as a form of collaborative assessment where students could work together interactively to figure out problems. Also, it could just be a place where students could chat with each other about school, life, and other things that are important and relevant to them. I also think it would be very helpful to teachers to have a school wide or even county wide chatroom where teachers could discuss problems, concerns, give advice, or get ideas. Communication amongst teachers is imperative and does not always happen face-to-face within the actual building. Having this mode of communication allows teachers a break. I think it will be very useful and even fun for students as well as teachers to use this within the classroom. With all this considered, I will be hugely important for teachers to express the safety concerns and manners of using these kinds of chat rooms. Also, they will need to reiterate time and time again how important it is to keep their information private when in public and not school associated chat rooms. Overall though, chatrooms can be very helpful and beneficial within the classroom.
Some examples:
Chatzy- http://www.chatzy.com/
Chatzy is a free and easy site for teachers to establish and admit students to. It is safe, with no pop-ups and people have to be admitted by an administrator in order to enter the chatroom. It can also be added to websites!
Meebo- http://www.meebo.com/rooms/
Meebo is also free and very straight-forward to use. You can make it public or private and the creator acts as the moderator of the site to keep the students safe from online predators. This site could also be very useful.
Students will also be familiar with chatrooms found on sites such as AOL Instant messenger, YAHOO messenger, and MSN messenger. These are going to need to be monitored more heavily due to online predation.
Videoconferencing in my mind is a thing of the future. I am still having trouble coming to terms with the fact that it is possible within classrooms, or even to take the place of classrooms. When I picture videoconferencing, I picture executives in skyscrapers videoconferencing with people in other countries, doing business. I think that this is a very expensive option and personally do not see much of the benefit in using it. There are programs such as Skype which are free but I feel like it is easy to forget the cost of web cams and microphones. Using asynchronous video lecturing may be cheaper and more realistic. However, the book makes a good point. Using videoconferencing for things such as communicating with astronauts in space or other schools will make learning interactive and more interesting for students. I personally think that the expenses outweigh the positives of using this. It would be a nice treat every once in a while but I think it is unreasonable to expect this within classrooms on a daily or even weekly basis.
Podcasting is something that I do not know much about but I am excited to learn more about in this class. I am still unsure of how exactly I want to use them in my future classroom. I think that they can definitely be used in classrooms at stations and centers. Teachers, for example, in lower classrooms could create a listening station where they record certain phonological activities. I think that using podcasting as a lecturing tool is just as bad as standing in class and lecturing. I think that podcasts should be used as a supplement and not just as a lecturing or information providing tool. However, using them as a resource is helpful. The fact that as the days go on, more and more podcasts about thousands of different topics are becoming more available, would allow students to use them to further their thinking and research. I think that podcasts have the possibility to be very helpful but I am also excited to learn more about them throughout the rest of the course. I am most excited to create my own.
Overall I really enjoyed this chapter. I felt like I learned a great deal more about various technologies and understand it all much more. I think that some of the tools suggested in this chapter are slightly out of budget for most schools today, but with technology advancing at the rate it is, who knows how cheap it could be for schools to access in the future. I am looking most forward to learning more about the uses and how to create a podcast!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Response to Chapter 6
In the opening of the chapter, Scardamalia and Bereiter note that “schools inhibit rather than support knowledge building by focusing on individual students’ abilities and learning; requiring only demonstrable knowledge, activities, and skills as evidence of learning; and teacher hoarding wisdom and expertise” (101). This point struck me at first. I thought that it was a very negative assumption and did not want to feed into the statement, however, after taking some time to analyze what they were trying to communicate, I realize that they made a very profound, and sadly true point. Schools have been and are continually being built on the premise that teachers impart knowledge and students absorb. For centuries teachers have been the experts charged with imparting and assessing student knowledge. Education is in the midst of a heavy and challenging shift and looking to go towards a more constructivist prototype. Schools should be viewed as construction sites, rather than places of memorization. The opening section really intrigued me, leading to further questions within.
The “Knowledge Forums” created by Scardamalia and Bereiter are extremely interesting to me. These forums are based off of the assumption that “shared knowledge leads to innovation and growth” (102). I am becoming more and more convinced of this. Without the sharing of knowledge how is anyone able to ever grow? We need to bounce ideas off of each other and critique and share and summarize in order to see what needs to be developed further. In an individual context, it is very challenging to see from other perspectives. Therefore, using collaborative learning and sharing knowledge will push individuals to take their work to the next level. Going back to the idea of these “Knowledge Forums” I think that the implementation of these in schools is essential to the future. Students are able to create and critique and construct their own knowledge based on shared and collaborative knowledge. I am still slightly confused as to what this actually looks like however. I think that the concept is great and very helpful and should be utilized, but I do not understand how it is much different from a wiki. Is it just a different type of learning environment? Or is it a different program? Is web access available? After doing some research, I found the Knowledge Forum website where the product can be viewed. I realized that it is a program and relies less on the internet. I believe that this has both pros and cons. A pro is that if a school cannot afford to have internet all throughout the school then this program is still functioning. However, my guess is that if a school can’t afford internet than it cannot afford the program. Also, without internet access, students cannot access the program from anywhere and it also takes away the global perspective of the program. I think that it definitely could still be used in elementary classrooms but I would like to understand more about the actual environment of the program and how it differs from online and wiki type programs.
Wikis are a really cool tool that I believe should be implemented in the classroom. I think that it would be feasible for any student to create his or her own wiki when studying a certain topic. The book describes a wiki as website that allows people to add and edit content based on their needs. A wiki would be good to use when doing a research paper or project and students could compile their findings in one place and allow others to add or change things. I also believe that students could use wikis as search tools when looking for different materials. It would be important to note to them however, that wikis are not always reliable sites and it will be important to do other research. The collaborative aspect of the wiki is what makes it so appealing in an age of revolution within schools today. Another really cool facet of the wiki is the ability for students to add their ideas and thoughts to existing wikis. If a student is doing their own research and comes across a wiki that is similar in topic, they may be able to contribute further to an existing space. I believe that this would give students much more ownership over their work due to the fact that they know others will evaluate what they have contributed. In my own research I found a few sites that would be useful to use within the classroom:
Wiki Spaces: http://www.wikispaces.com/site/for/teachers
PB Works: http://pbworks.com/academic.wiki
Wetpaint: http://www.wetpaint.com/
WikiDot: http://www.wikidot.com/
All of these sites are free and are easy to use and can be accessed and effectively used within any classroom for many purposes. It is important to note the use of sites like Wikipedia within classrooms and their resourcefulness.
Moving on to Blogging. Blogs have quickly become one of my favorite tools. Using the blog in this class as our virtual learning environment has certainly warmed me up to the idea of blogging. Their utility and availability make them a great resource for any one person, especially teachers and students. I have really enjoyed submitting my work through the blog and feel like work could be effectively submitted in a similar manner within an elementary classroom. Something that I think is really neat about blogs is that everyone involved in a classroom has the ability to create one: students, teachers, whole classes, and even entire schools. Using blogs for educational purposes also gives learning a more global feel. Students’ work can be viewed, read, and commented on by people from all over the world who have access to the internet. This connection not only builds community like the chapter is trying to reinforce, but gives students a chance to see how their work is relative to the life of people all over. The ability to comment on blogs also adds the collaborative effect to blogs. I think that this is almost better than with wikis because someone could suggest a change or adaptation to be made but it is up to the owner to actually cause the change to occur. I think it gives the author more ownership. Another cool feature of blogs that is effective within the educational realm is that it is a publishing tool. Like we discussed back in chapter 4, publishing students work gives them an air of confidence and the motivation to strive to achieve high levels. When they know that their work is going to be viewed and commented on by others, they are going to work harder to ensure that they are producing quality work. Blogs can also be used by teachers to communicate with parents. Teachers could set up a class blog listing important contact information, a class calendar, assignment descriptions and due dates, sign ups for field trips and so on. Using this resource would eliminate the loss of translation that often occurs between parents and teachers when students are charged with referring messages back and forth. Also, parents would be able to comment and share with one another, which often is not an available option. Students can also utilize blogs as a resource when researching. Although this is an informal source, there are many benefits to using the information provided by experts within certain fields. For example, I hope to use blogs about digital citizenship in my efforts to complete the technology inquiry project. I also really like the thought of blogging for personal purposes. Over the summer, I went on a 10-week mission trip where I wanted to keep the people who supported me up to date on what was happening in my life and a blog was the easiest way to do so. Teachers should encourage students to use digital media such as this to express themselves and should model this same attitude. There are many websites out there that are free and available to all. Some examples are:
Blogger: http://www.blogger.com/home
Wordpress: http://wordpress.com/
Blog Spot: www.blogspot.com
Live Journal: www.livejournal.com
I have had experience with Blogger, Blog Spot, and Live Journal and all of these sites are very easy to use and easy to access. I would suggest any of these sites for students and classroom blogs.
The ideas of iEARN learning circles and Global Schoolhouse are essential in my opinion. With a continually growing diverse population, I think that it is imperative to connect students to other students around the globe. I really like the idea behind the iEARN learning circles where they are heavily focusing on learning through projects and activities. It is not just about the communication but the collaboration work as well. Using programs such as this exposes students to the opinions, ideas, customs, and thinkings of many different students from various cultures. I hope to employ these type programs, as a teacher because I feel like developing well-rounded and global citizens is a requirement for teachers.
Building community amongst other teachers, I believe, is essential to survive the classroom! Similar to the chapter, I feel that so often teachers feel that they are alone or no one understands quite what they are experiencing within their classroom. However, using programs such as Tapped In and Teacher Talk allow teachers to communicate and develop their own sense of community. Although, community can be built amongst teachers within a school or district, these programs open a lot more doors for teachers to communicate with teachers from all over the country and world. The Tapped In site seems very interesting, taking the virtual form of a campus. I think it seems more like a virtual world, similar to what we studied in chapter 3. I think that I like this idea more for communication purposes so I think I would lean more towards using blogs or programs like Teacher Talk. Teacher Talk is a simpler discussion forum where teachers can trade ideas, thoughts, or even give advice. I am so happy to know that technology is becoming more and more advanced day by day, for it is making it easier for me to become the most effective teacher I can be.
I really liked the elements in this chapter. I feel that I was familiar with a lot of the content but also really interested to find out more. I think that the global factor that this chapter focused on is extremely important and I hope to take what I learned here and apply it to my future classroom. Overall I really enjoyed this chapter and think that everything mentioned not only should but also needs to be included in the classrooms of today!!
The “Knowledge Forums” created by Scardamalia and Bereiter are extremely interesting to me. These forums are based off of the assumption that “shared knowledge leads to innovation and growth” (102). I am becoming more and more convinced of this. Without the sharing of knowledge how is anyone able to ever grow? We need to bounce ideas off of each other and critique and share and summarize in order to see what needs to be developed further. In an individual context, it is very challenging to see from other perspectives. Therefore, using collaborative learning and sharing knowledge will push individuals to take their work to the next level. Going back to the idea of these “Knowledge Forums” I think that the implementation of these in schools is essential to the future. Students are able to create and critique and construct their own knowledge based on shared and collaborative knowledge. I am still slightly confused as to what this actually looks like however. I think that the concept is great and very helpful and should be utilized, but I do not understand how it is much different from a wiki. Is it just a different type of learning environment? Or is it a different program? Is web access available? After doing some research, I found the Knowledge Forum website where the product can be viewed. I realized that it is a program and relies less on the internet. I believe that this has both pros and cons. A pro is that if a school cannot afford to have internet all throughout the school then this program is still functioning. However, my guess is that if a school can’t afford internet than it cannot afford the program. Also, without internet access, students cannot access the program from anywhere and it also takes away the global perspective of the program. I think that it definitely could still be used in elementary classrooms but I would like to understand more about the actual environment of the program and how it differs from online and wiki type programs.
Wikis are a really cool tool that I believe should be implemented in the classroom. I think that it would be feasible for any student to create his or her own wiki when studying a certain topic. The book describes a wiki as website that allows people to add and edit content based on their needs. A wiki would be good to use when doing a research paper or project and students could compile their findings in one place and allow others to add or change things. I also believe that students could use wikis as search tools when looking for different materials. It would be important to note to them however, that wikis are not always reliable sites and it will be important to do other research. The collaborative aspect of the wiki is what makes it so appealing in an age of revolution within schools today. Another really cool facet of the wiki is the ability for students to add their ideas and thoughts to existing wikis. If a student is doing their own research and comes across a wiki that is similar in topic, they may be able to contribute further to an existing space. I believe that this would give students much more ownership over their work due to the fact that they know others will evaluate what they have contributed. In my own research I found a few sites that would be useful to use within the classroom:
Wiki Spaces: http://www.wikispaces.com/site/for/teachers
PB Works: http://pbworks.com/academic.wiki
Wetpaint: http://www.wetpaint.com/
WikiDot: http://www.wikidot.com/
All of these sites are free and are easy to use and can be accessed and effectively used within any classroom for many purposes. It is important to note the use of sites like Wikipedia within classrooms and their resourcefulness.
Moving on to Blogging. Blogs have quickly become one of my favorite tools. Using the blog in this class as our virtual learning environment has certainly warmed me up to the idea of blogging. Their utility and availability make them a great resource for any one person, especially teachers and students. I have really enjoyed submitting my work through the blog and feel like work could be effectively submitted in a similar manner within an elementary classroom. Something that I think is really neat about blogs is that everyone involved in a classroom has the ability to create one: students, teachers, whole classes, and even entire schools. Using blogs for educational purposes also gives learning a more global feel. Students’ work can be viewed, read, and commented on by people from all over the world who have access to the internet. This connection not only builds community like the chapter is trying to reinforce, but gives students a chance to see how their work is relative to the life of people all over. The ability to comment on blogs also adds the collaborative effect to blogs. I think that this is almost better than with wikis because someone could suggest a change or adaptation to be made but it is up to the owner to actually cause the change to occur. I think it gives the author more ownership. Another cool feature of blogs that is effective within the educational realm is that it is a publishing tool. Like we discussed back in chapter 4, publishing students work gives them an air of confidence and the motivation to strive to achieve high levels. When they know that their work is going to be viewed and commented on by others, they are going to work harder to ensure that they are producing quality work. Blogs can also be used by teachers to communicate with parents. Teachers could set up a class blog listing important contact information, a class calendar, assignment descriptions and due dates, sign ups for field trips and so on. Using this resource would eliminate the loss of translation that often occurs between parents and teachers when students are charged with referring messages back and forth. Also, parents would be able to comment and share with one another, which often is not an available option. Students can also utilize blogs as a resource when researching. Although this is an informal source, there are many benefits to using the information provided by experts within certain fields. For example, I hope to use blogs about digital citizenship in my efforts to complete the technology inquiry project. I also really like the thought of blogging for personal purposes. Over the summer, I went on a 10-week mission trip where I wanted to keep the people who supported me up to date on what was happening in my life and a blog was the easiest way to do so. Teachers should encourage students to use digital media such as this to express themselves and should model this same attitude. There are many websites out there that are free and available to all. Some examples are:
Blogger: http://www.blogger.com/home
Wordpress: http://wordpress.com/
Blog Spot: www.blogspot.com
Live Journal: www.livejournal.com
I have had experience with Blogger, Blog Spot, and Live Journal and all of these sites are very easy to use and easy to access. I would suggest any of these sites for students and classroom blogs.
The ideas of iEARN learning circles and Global Schoolhouse are essential in my opinion. With a continually growing diverse population, I think that it is imperative to connect students to other students around the globe. I really like the idea behind the iEARN learning circles where they are heavily focusing on learning through projects and activities. It is not just about the communication but the collaboration work as well. Using programs such as this exposes students to the opinions, ideas, customs, and thinkings of many different students from various cultures. I hope to employ these type programs, as a teacher because I feel like developing well-rounded and global citizens is a requirement for teachers.
Building community amongst other teachers, I believe, is essential to survive the classroom! Similar to the chapter, I feel that so often teachers feel that they are alone or no one understands quite what they are experiencing within their classroom. However, using programs such as Tapped In and Teacher Talk allow teachers to communicate and develop their own sense of community. Although, community can be built amongst teachers within a school or district, these programs open a lot more doors for teachers to communicate with teachers from all over the country and world. The Tapped In site seems very interesting, taking the virtual form of a campus. I think it seems more like a virtual world, similar to what we studied in chapter 3. I think that I like this idea more for communication purposes so I think I would lean more towards using blogs or programs like Teacher Talk. Teacher Talk is a simpler discussion forum where teachers can trade ideas, thoughts, or even give advice. I am so happy to know that technology is becoming more and more advanced day by day, for it is making it easier for me to become the most effective teacher I can be.
I really liked the elements in this chapter. I feel that I was familiar with a lot of the content but also really interested to find out more. I think that the global factor that this chapter focused on is extremely important and I hope to take what I learned here and apply it to my future classroom. Overall I really enjoyed this chapter and think that everything mentioned not only should but also needs to be included in the classrooms of today!!
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