Is it really over? Well, this class is, but for many of us it will be the beginning of using web2.0 tools in the classrooms and moving forward into the light. I will be honest with all of you when I say that this class was not easy. I've had breakdowns, meltdowns, and sometimes felt like giving in to technical woes. But, we kept on and persevered, and in the end we are all better because of it.
This class was a whirlwind of a class. The information surrounding us, infiltrating my dreams (I watched Inception)seemed overwhelming at times, but the more literate I became, the more I was able to push through it all.
I am truly so excited to bring what I have learned in this class with me to mine. I can't wait to offer my students some of the opportunities I had. My two favorites are Prezi & Glogster! I just love the capabilities and and presentation formats. I know my students will create great things with these web2.0 tools and understand what they've learned that much more because of these tools.
I left this class with an enormous amount of information to share with my colleagues that I know they will use and experiment with. I feel that much more excited about having a smart board where I can illustrate how to use these tools for my students, collaborate during class, and use as a presentation tool to introduce web2.0 tools.
Literacy is not just reading & writing anymore. There is a whole world out there ready to be tackled and that world is on the web!
Some Blogs I have responded to:
Canaan Bump -"Let's not Talk, Let's Tweet"
Kayleigh Willard -"Rubistar to the Rescue"
Kimberly Driscoll -on her overall use of applications and widgets to design her blog
Concepcion- "First Webex Experience and Week 1"
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Extra! Extra! Read All About It!
In September of every year, I create a newsletter for parents. It includes a welcome back letter from me where I get a chance to introduce myself, goes over the curriculum, class expectations, etc. I like to provide the parents with important information about the year, but also use the newsletter as a way of showing my personality. It allows the parents to get a sense of what their children's year will be like.
In the past, I have used Microsoft publisher to create my newsletter, but I think Glogster is a great tool to use the way my group did. I would also like to use my new website to communicate with parents. My blog would also be a great way for parents to stay informed and provide feedback.
Glogster is fun to use because you can create a visual that really fits your personally. It's also very easy to add text, images, and video. You can add a lot to the glog without creating pages upon pages. Best of all, Glogster is interactive.
I think it was a little difficult to collaborate on a class newsletter when everyone in a group is teaching a different grade and academic. Our audiences are different which would make for a very different newsletter. I think that as a group, we tried our best to stay focused on how we are going to use and implement technology in our classrooms, which was our common goal.
The class newsletter I will create for September will be more specific to 7th and 8th grade English, but I think the level of technology explanation and information will be consistent with what I did with my group.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Gathering Student Data
Click here to take survey
SurveyMonkey is a site my district uses so I decided to experiment with it for this blog. I have given a similar survey to my students in the past to begin discussing stereotypes. I use this survey to begin our thematic unit on The Outsiders by S. E Hinton. I have always wanted to gather the data to present to the students as part of our discussions. I can't believe that an easy tool was here for me all along. I survey parents and students in the beginning of the year about their reading habits, likes, and dislikes. I am so excited to use SurveyMonkey in September. It was very easy to use and I love all of the options that are available. I can show real data!!!
SurveyMonkey is a site my district uses so I decided to experiment with it for this blog. I have given a similar survey to my students in the past to begin discussing stereotypes. I use this survey to begin our thematic unit on The Outsiders by S. E Hinton. I have always wanted to gather the data to present to the students as part of our discussions. I can't believe that an easy tool was here for me all along. I survey parents and students in the beginning of the year about their reading habits, likes, and dislikes. I am so excited to use SurveyMonkey in September. It was very easy to use and I love all of the options that are available. I can show real data!!!
When the Internet Can't be Trusted
It is true that some students just aren't mature enough to handle the Internet, some teachers as well for that matter. Enforcing acceptable use policies in districts is necessary. The world -wide web can be a dangerous place and it is up to the adults to monitor the safety of our children.
According to the AUP, districts and teachers have to get on board as far as monitoring student behavior. My district currently does have a "smart" system that does track Internet usage in our building. Yes, we do run into filter problems. I could be researching something and the page won't upload due to "blocked content". I can assure you that it wasn't. Funny how almost nothing on YouTube ever catches our district's filter.
We have had students in our building use the Internet inappropriately and consequences like suspension and inability to use the computers were enforced. It's sad to see this happen, especially when I have to send a student to the table when students are working on the computers. There is also the experience I had where a student wrote something inappropriate on my blog. I immediately tracked down the student in the building and the district was able to confirm my suspicions; he received 5 days of in- school suspension. But, teachers are at fault also. I walked into a class once to see students watching Southpark and a teacher sitting at the desk reading. It wasn't school appropriate and should not have occurred under a teacher's watch. There have been many instances of students, looking at inappropriate content online.
Along with the availability of technology to students must come financial backing. Teachers must be educated on AUP, and districts must hold their teachers accountable. I think parents also need to educate themselves and monitor their children's use with free web-based resources like k9web protection.
According to the AUP, districts and teachers have to get on board as far as monitoring student behavior. My district currently does have a "smart" system that does track Internet usage in our building. Yes, we do run into filter problems. I could be researching something and the page won't upload due to "blocked content". I can assure you that it wasn't. Funny how almost nothing on YouTube ever catches our district's filter.
We have had students in our building use the Internet inappropriately and consequences like suspension and inability to use the computers were enforced. It's sad to see this happen, especially when I have to send a student to the table when students are working on the computers. There is also the experience I had where a student wrote something inappropriate on my blog. I immediately tracked down the student in the building and the district was able to confirm my suspicions; he received 5 days of in- school suspension. But, teachers are at fault also. I walked into a class once to see students watching Southpark and a teacher sitting at the desk reading. It wasn't school appropriate and should not have occurred under a teacher's watch. There have been many instances of students, looking at inappropriate content online.
Along with the availability of technology to students must come financial backing. Teachers must be educated on AUP, and districts must hold their teachers accountable. I think parents also need to educate themselves and monitor their children's use with free web-based resources like k9web protection.
Eagle Eyes
So, my blog, my chance to voice my answer from yesterday's class. For some reason, I cannot get my mic to work during whole class discussions on Webex; it is very disheartening.
Anyway, the animal that came to mind when Dr. S asked us to compare an animal to assessment was the eagle. I chose the eagle because I imagine assessment as ongoing, always happening, and assessment doesn't require much attention. I feel that a good teacher is always assessing, always watching, listening, and hovering from near and afar. For example, I will direct my physical attention to one partnership, but am truly paying attention to another nearby. I joke with my kids that I am always watching, always listening. I think being engaged with your student's learning at all times is a part of authentic assessment. Are the kids participating? Are they engaged? Do they look like they are having difficulty?
I know we haven't talked about this yet, but I do think body language is to be assessed. It's
the difference between "she doesn't get it and is about to give up if I don't intercede" or"he's exploring, let me give him another minute before continuing the class".
There are so many ways you can assess. You can assess through e-portfolios, standardized test, projects, oral, visual, etc. But assessment has to lend itself to differentiated instruction. I think teachers must offer a variety of assessments on topics so all kids have an opportunity to showcase what they have learned.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Mindmapping; not a head game
Mindmeister: a great Web2.0 tool to help students organize their thoughts.
Mindmeister starts you off with a tutorial of how to create a mindmap, technically a brainstorm or graphic organizer. What's so great about the site is that students can organize links and images as well as their thoughts. The site also allows you to research information and images using your preferred search engine right there while you are mapping. It allows collaboration amongst students and the history would allow me to assess student's contributions to the project.
I chose to create a web of experiences that the poet Langston Hughes had throughout his life. When reading poetry, it is helpful to have insight into the author's life in order to better interpret and evaluate the literature. The main four experiences are the most influential in his life and the two ovals around the image are the outcomes of those experiences. In class, we would discuss how those outcomes might translate into his writing. It is helpful to create a mind-map like this to study an author.
I would like to give my students an option of a clean slate or a pre-labeled map. Some students will find it more difficult to brainstorm navigating this site while others will flourish at the opportunity. This is a great tool that lends itself to differentiated instruction. Some students will require more structure while others need least restriction when getting their thoughts down.
I do think that reluctant students will prefer paper and pen, although technology could act as a great motivator. While I may encourage students to experiment with new technologies, it will require patience knowing not all students will become accustomed to technology so easily, while others may.
Mindmeister starts you off with a tutorial of how to create a mindmap, technically a brainstorm or graphic organizer. What's so great about the site is that students can organize links and images as well as their thoughts. The site also allows you to research information and images using your preferred search engine right there while you are mapping. It allows collaboration amongst students and the history would allow me to assess student's contributions to the project.
I chose to create a web of experiences that the poet Langston Hughes had throughout his life. When reading poetry, it is helpful to have insight into the author's life in order to better interpret and evaluate the literature. The main four experiences are the most influential in his life and the two ovals around the image are the outcomes of those experiences. In class, we would discuss how those outcomes might translate into his writing. It is helpful to create a mind-map like this to study an author.
I would like to give my students an option of a clean slate or a pre-labeled map. Some students will find it more difficult to brainstorm navigating this site while others will flourish at the opportunity. This is a great tool that lends itself to differentiated instruction. Some students will require more structure while others need least restriction when getting their thoughts down.
I do think that reluctant students will prefer paper and pen, although technology could act as a great motivator. While I may encourage students to experiment with new technologies, it will require patience knowing not all students will become accustomed to technology so easily, while others may.
The New & Improved Kuri's Class
Okay, I just finished setting up my website to begin some serious construction. The reason why it took me so long is because I was overwhelmed by the options. I also wanted to create something authentic that I could use next year to serve my students. I knew I had to create something that showcased the best of this class, but in a way that would make sense to me. Last year, I used a website under TeacherWeb. I was never crazy about it, but I liked the options to blog and send out text mail to students and parents. Teacher web served me well last year, but now that my eyes are open and the smog has cleared, I need a site that is more advanced. I then created a website with Googlesites, and found it very challenging to edit. I also opened up an account with Ning and I wasn't too happy with my options there. After reaching out to Dr. S, I went with pbworks and feel that this wiki is a great place for me to build my site. Mrs. Kuri's class has finally graduated to a WEB 2.0 site. I think my new website will serve all of my needs as I continue to learn and prepare my students for the future.
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