Dear Mr. Magoo:
This memo is to request that our teachers have access to use of the web site Trailfire.com here at our school. Trailfire will allow us as teachers to control the flow of web sites that our students visit. Teachers create an account and string together a series of web sites that contribute to their content or desired topic. Students follow this "hike through the internet." They cover the topic the we teachers intend with helpful pre-chosen sites. This is a very safe way for us to use the Internet in our classrooms. I would like to request that you allow me to present a demo for you, and possibly test this tool with a small group of students for your observation. Should you wish to use TrailFire in our school, I would love to help by presenting this tool to our teachers in an instructional session.
Thank you for your consideration,
Mrs. Beth Jacobs.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
What it all means
In reading this chapter, one statement stood out to me above all the others. With the advent of all this technology circling around us, for perhaps the first time in history, we all have the voice our founding fathers intended for this country. Although there are still standards of appropriateness and safety for this voice, there is really no one in the US who can't be heard on the Internet. Even if you don't own a computer, every free public library I have been in has free Internet access.
With this access we have a broader more diverse social network, our classrooms have become places where we are responsible for training students to be active creative collaborators. Our responsibility to our students is to model technology use that will bring the world to their fingertips, and make them competitive in their careers.
With this access we have a broader more diverse social network, our classrooms have become places where we are responsible for training students to be active creative collaborators. Our responsibility to our students is to model technology use that will bring the world to their fingertips, and make them competitive in their careers.
Podcasting Will Richardson
Podcasting in schools can be such a great tool for kids to learn and grow. Students gain confidence with the spoken word. Students who podcast gain practise in both writing and oral reading skills.
Teachers who use podcasting in the classroom don't need much more than a computer and microphone to get started. Audacity is one example of free software that can be used to record podcasts. All students need to do is record, edit, and export the file as an MP3. That's all it takes, and next thing you know grandma can listen to little Susie talk about her science project by downloading a file onto her iPod.
Teachers who use podcasting in the classroom don't need much more than a computer and microphone to get started. Audacity is one example of free software that can be used to record podcasts. All students need to do is record, edit, and export the file as an MP3. That's all it takes, and next thing you know grandma can listen to little Susie talk about her science project by downloading a file onto her iPod.
The Social Web
I must say that the social part of the web it the part I fear the most. At the present time, I feel that I am so overextended I could not possibly commit to any new social site. I have been an active member of facebook since 2005, and if I don't post on there for an extended amount of time, my friends, and even my mother will think I am dead. I fear twitter. My husband keeps up with both facebook and twitter, and I don't know how he does it. He got so excited when the CEO of his company started following him on twitter.
While I see how twitter could be used in the classroom, I disagree that students should be encouraged to use twitter from their phones. This is not a culturally sensitive teaching method. Should we just explain to those students whose parents cannot afford for them to have cell phones, that they may not participate. As a parent I don't believe teachers should be deciding for us when our children should have cell phones. I had a cell phone when I could pay for it myself with a part time job. Granted my husband and I may not follow the exact same practise if we can afford phones for our sons when they are in high school. I would not feel comfortable putting pressure on my students parents to allow them to have cell phones before the family feels it appropriate, and I certainly don't want to place extra social pressure on these students.
While I see how twitter could be used in the classroom, I disagree that students should be encouraged to use twitter from their phones. This is not a culturally sensitive teaching method. Should we just explain to those students whose parents cannot afford for them to have cell phones, that they may not participate. As a parent I don't believe teachers should be deciding for us when our children should have cell phones. I had a cell phone when I could pay for it myself with a part time job. Granted my husband and I may not follow the exact same practise if we can afford phones for our sons when they are in high school. I would not feel comfortable putting pressure on my students parents to allow them to have cell phones before the family feels it appropriate, and I certainly don't want to place extra social pressure on these students.
RSS Will Richardson
An RSS or Real Simple Syndication is one of the best inventions ever. RSS is a simple way to bring all the information you want to read about to you without having to wade through the mess and grime of all that other sticky useless info.
Also called a "Daily Me", an RSS can be personalized to bring information on particular topics and key words to your site. This method will allow teachers and students to keep up with the ever increasing amount of information published on the Internet.
Perhaps my favorite description of this tool is calling an RSS a "personal information guide". As teachers we are responsible for communicating ever changing bodies of knowledge to our students. What better way could there be to keep up with that knowledge with a source as big as the Internet shrunk down and personalized to the topic and content the teacher needs.
Also called a "Daily Me", an RSS can be personalized to bring information on particular topics and key words to your site. This method will allow teachers and students to keep up with the ever increasing amount of information published on the Internet.
Perhaps my favorite description of this tool is calling an RSS a "personal information guide". As teachers we are responsible for communicating ever changing bodies of knowledge to our students. What better way could there be to keep up with that knowledge with a source as big as the Internet shrunk down and personalized to the topic and content the teacher needs.
Wikis by Will Richardson
I had to chuckle when I read this chapter, because it wasn't until I took this class that I realized that the word wiki was an actual thing. I knew what Wikipedia was and even how it worked, but it hadn't occurred to me that the word wiki was anything more than cute and made up. I love the idea of using wikis for recording collective knowledge. We talked in class about the danger of wikis and incorrect information. I understand how incorrect information gets quickly weeded out by the interested and educated majority, but I can't help but wonder how wikis will evolve over time. I know someone somewhere will do a longitudinal study on this topic.
Think about this. If the entire world were to decide that the color green was actually blue and if studies were done, consensus take, and the educated masses of our time decided that green was now blue, would green really ever be blue. I think that there is a danger in the realm of wikis, that although most information will be correct, to some extent that information will always be subject to relativism. We live in a time where, if its true for me, it must be true, when in fact there is a set of knowledge that is truth weather we have discovered it, believe it, or deny it, it is truth. I know that there are certain things that we as a society are correct about, but are there some things we are also wrong about? Surely there must be.
After all, not 20 or 30 years ago, pregnant women like me ran around smoking cigarettes and having a few drinks like it didn't matter at all. I say all this to say, I think we can utilize the value of wikis as a collaboration of knowledge, but just as regular encyclopedias are subject to change over time we should should hail wikis as a sign of the times instead of a go to absolute for information.
Think about this. If the entire world were to decide that the color green was actually blue and if studies were done, consensus take, and the educated masses of our time decided that green was now blue, would green really ever be blue. I think that there is a danger in the realm of wikis, that although most information will be correct, to some extent that information will always be subject to relativism. We live in a time where, if its true for me, it must be true, when in fact there is a set of knowledge that is truth weather we have discovered it, believe it, or deny it, it is truth. I know that there are certain things that we as a society are correct about, but are there some things we are also wrong about? Surely there must be.
After all, not 20 or 30 years ago, pregnant women like me ran around smoking cigarettes and having a few drinks like it didn't matter at all. I say all this to say, I think we can utilize the value of wikis as a collaboration of knowledge, but just as regular encyclopedias are subject to change over time we should should hail wikis as a sign of the times instead of a go to absolute for information.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Chapter 3 Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts ect.
I really appreciated the way Will Richardson explains how teachers should introduce blogging into the classroom one step at a time. One of my concerns about using blogging in my classroom is that the quality of information students have access to will be both un-useful, and inappropriate for the topic and age group.
The way Richardson suggests that we begin by using a teacher only blog to post assignments and relevant web sites for student use. I love this idea for parental involvement also because, parents who want detailed information about their child's assignments will have it at their finger tips.
Then Richardson suggests we should have student post a certain amount comments on the teacher blog, and from there transition into students possibly posting to their own blogs. He also stressed the importance of communicating expectations to students and parents for blogging. Parents should also understand why blogging enhances what their children are learning and how it will make them better readers/writers, and how blogging will build confidence and social responsibility in their students. Most important is perhaps the need for teachers to examine their practice of blog use and make sure it is meeting with the standards above and is accomplishing something productive in the classroom.
The way Richardson suggests that we begin by using a teacher only blog to post assignments and relevant web sites for student use. I love this idea for parental involvement also because, parents who want detailed information about their child's assignments will have it at their finger tips.
Then Richardson suggests we should have student post a certain amount comments on the teacher blog, and from there transition into students possibly posting to their own blogs. He also stressed the importance of communicating expectations to students and parents for blogging. Parents should also understand why blogging enhances what their children are learning and how it will make them better readers/writers, and how blogging will build confidence and social responsibility in their students. Most important is perhaps the need for teachers to examine their practice of blog use and make sure it is meeting with the standards above and is accomplishing something productive in the classroom.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Students as Contributors
Tonight I read, Student as Contributor: The Digital Learning Farm by Alan November. In this article Mr. November discusses how our children have lost their sense of collaboration and collectivism in the classroom. Many Americans have their roles as individuals down to a science. If you ask them to do something, they can do it or figure out how to do it themselves without hesitation or reservation. In many other cultures the role of the individual is only as valuable as they can be to a group. When Mr. November says "Today, we can restore the dignity and
integrity of the child as a contributor," he suggests that it is at least partially our responsibility as teachers to revive the skills of societal contribution to our students. He outlines several examples in the text.
The author suggests that the use of blogging " increases engagement and provides struggling students with more opportunities for reviewing troubling concepts."
He also presents the strategy of assigning each student to be the “scribe of the day. " He says, "Students who never took notes in the past are now doing so knowing that peers are dependant on what is published on the class blog" I can see how this online experience can create both a seance of responsibility to the students' peer group and just enough anonymity to allow for growth and free expression. When we post to blogs and online communities there can be a tendency to feel that you are hiding behind the computer even though you are publishing your words for all the world to see.
I use Skype in my home often as a means to communicate with family overseas. We talk about how the world has gotten smaller and smaller with the advent of new technology. Skype is one way we can conference students all over the world. Students can interact with each other all over the globe in a sort of global classroom. Just as diversity in the classroom leads to exposure to multiple vantage points and can aid students in developping wide world views, the use of Skype to access students in other countries can bring that diversity in to classes where it might otherwise be lacking. The author uses the example of American students discussing the events that led up to the American Revolution with students in the UK.
While social responsibility may be taught in some form in many of our classrooms, the concept of philanthropy is very foreign to many students today. Whether this is because we tend to be tight fisted and individualistic or if we just don't think of the plight of others as much as we should, students should be made aware of the struggles of others around the world. Kiva.com is a very helpful resource for providing this chance to students. Students or other individuals can here make a $10 investment to entrepreneurs in developing countries around the world, which is gradually paid back. "Students are kept up to date on the successes and struggles of those whom they have invested contributions." The interpersonal insight these students may gain by being deeply involved with others who are less fortunate than themselves, but still working hard to survive.
Overall this article was very helpful for giving teachers ideas for bringing a more collaborative feel back into the classroom.
integrity of the child as a contributor," he suggests that it is at least partially our responsibility as teachers to revive the skills of societal contribution to our students. He outlines several examples in the text.
The author suggests that the use of blogging " increases engagement and provides struggling students with more opportunities for reviewing troubling concepts."
He also presents the strategy of assigning each student to be the “scribe of the day. " He says, "Students who never took notes in the past are now doing so knowing that peers are dependant on what is published on the class blog" I can see how this online experience can create both a seance of responsibility to the students' peer group and just enough anonymity to allow for growth and free expression. When we post to blogs and online communities there can be a tendency to feel that you are hiding behind the computer even though you are publishing your words for all the world to see.
I use Skype in my home often as a means to communicate with family overseas. We talk about how the world has gotten smaller and smaller with the advent of new technology. Skype is one way we can conference students all over the world. Students can interact with each other all over the globe in a sort of global classroom. Just as diversity in the classroom leads to exposure to multiple vantage points and can aid students in developping wide world views, the use of Skype to access students in other countries can bring that diversity in to classes where it might otherwise be lacking. The author uses the example of American students discussing the events that led up to the American Revolution with students in the UK.
While social responsibility may be taught in some form in many of our classrooms, the concept of philanthropy is very foreign to many students today. Whether this is because we tend to be tight fisted and individualistic or if we just don't think of the plight of others as much as we should, students should be made aware of the struggles of others around the world. Kiva.com is a very helpful resource for providing this chance to students. Students or other individuals can here make a $10 investment to entrepreneurs in developing countries around the world, which is gradually paid back. "Students are kept up to date on the successes and struggles of those whom they have invested contributions." The interpersonal insight these students may gain by being deeply involved with others who are less fortunate than themselves, but still working hard to survive.
Overall this article was very helpful for giving teachers ideas for bringing a more collaborative feel back into the classroom.
Flickr Energy Final
http://www.flickr.com/photos/38371972@N06/sets/72157618014254987/
Grade: 8Set: KY-4-1Standard: SC-08-4.6.2.1 The Sun is the major source of energy for Earth. The water cycle, winds, ocean currents and growth of plants are affected by the Sun’s energy. Seasons result from variations in the amount of the Sun’s energy hitting Earth’s surface.;KY-4-1.SC-08-4.6 Science > describe or explain energy transfer and energy conservation;
Grade: 8Set: KY-4-1Standard: SC-08-4.6.2.1 The Sun is the major source of energy for Earth. The water cycle, winds, ocean currents and growth of plants are affected by the Sun’s energy. Seasons result from variations in the amount of the Sun’s energy hitting Earth’s surface.;KY-4-1.SC-08-4.6 Science > describe or explain energy transfer and energy conservation;
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
A Society of Authorship
Chapter One of our text book, Blogs, Wikis, Pod casts etc., poses an excellent point about our ever increasing tendency to post our thoughts, opinons and intimate details of our personal human experiences. Every person with access is able to contribute to a larger body of knowledge that is the Internet.
Soon after the text points out that this era of personal record keeping has lead to an expectation that we all always be "plugged in". When an individual does not post on a blog or social networking site for an extended period of time, they will be subject to the questioning of their peers. This lack of online communication leads our online peers to assume that something is wrong. Out text refers to this as a new transparency. In other words, the world is not only getting smaller, but its becoming increasingly difficult to hide.
And we wonder why our students seem to be a generation of multi-taskers. We wonder why they have difficulty sitting still and listening to us lecture in class. The text points out that kids are growing up developing "hypertext minds" that can think with parallel minds where those of us who are older may only be able to think linearly. As educators we need to be aware of these tendencies in our students and use their tech savy, "plugged-in" nature to their advantage in the classroom instead of constantly requiring them to simply be still and listen to us talk.
Soon after the text points out that this era of personal record keeping has lead to an expectation that we all always be "plugged in". When an individual does not post on a blog or social networking site for an extended period of time, they will be subject to the questioning of their peers. This lack of online communication leads our online peers to assume that something is wrong. Out text refers to this as a new transparency. In other words, the world is not only getting smaller, but its becoming increasingly difficult to hide.
And we wonder why our students seem to be a generation of multi-taskers. We wonder why they have difficulty sitting still and listening to us lecture in class. The text points out that kids are growing up developing "hypertext minds" that can think with parallel minds where those of us who are older may only be able to think linearly. As educators we need to be aware of these tendencies in our students and use their tech savy, "plugged-in" nature to their advantage in the classroom instead of constantly requiring them to simply be still and listen to us talk.
Research
When I research, I like to organize the information I have at hand and the information I have in my head first. Then I like to look at the required forms of research a professor may give for an assignment. I then look at many different formats of research, on the Internet, books or articles in the library. In some cases I will conduct surveys or do interviews with people I know who night have valuable information on the topic.
Next I will create an outline for whatever project or paper I am writing, and then I can proceed by reviewing my research pieces and inserting them into the appropriate sub heading in my outline. After all of my research is accounted for and cited, I will fill in the paper or project with my own prior knowledge, transitional statements and conclusions.
Next I will create an outline for whatever project or paper I am writing, and then I can proceed by reviewing my research pieces and inserting them into the appropriate sub heading in my outline. After all of my research is accounted for and cited, I will fill in the paper or project with my own prior knowledge, transitional statements and conclusions.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Technology Autobiography
My experiences with technology seems to have started back in the stone ages. I typed my first school paper in 4th grade on a type writer. In 5th grade my parents got a work processor. It thought that was really fancy. Those first years the only thing technology seemed to bring to me, was an efficient way to turn in school work.
During middle school my family got our first computer with home Internet. While I still used the computer for school, I was now able to research for projects. I had all kinds of information at my finger tips. Unfortunately I was using free AOL dial-up disks to get on the Internet. School papers and projects would take me hours. I can remember a few times when I even gave up and opened books (heaven forbid) to get my information. During middle school and high school many of my teachers would require that some of our sources for projects come from the Internet. It was often easier for me to do this work at the school building because of my slow dial up connection at home.
As high school progressed, technology and even dial up itself got faster and faster. The first computer my family had, boasted a whopping 64 megs of RAM. WOW. My iPod now holds 8 gigs of music and I don't even know how much memory we have on our home computer now, but it is a lot. All I know is that I can take endless photos of my son and never run out of storage space. Even my phone is more high tech than my first computer. I can get on google maps, face book, and my email all from my phone, and I don't even get charged extra per month for this.
Technology has gotten faster, smaller and more expansive on a daily basis. My husband and I both work for Geek Squad. While I work in customer service and don't' begin to know everything about computers, i get to see the newest coolest stuff come in and out of our work place. I can't believe how far we've come. When I was in middle school, I never thought I would be able to survive my little sister going to live in China to teach college English, but though the continuous innovation technology offers, I can sit with my two year old and talk to her face to face over Skye. Coincidentally, Dillon, goes over to the computer chair and pats on it saying "Want Dani" when he wants to talk to his aunt. When I was 16, I got lost everywhere I went. I now have GPS at my fingertips on my phone to tell me where to go. I can even get it to tell me where to go in a British accent! Amazing.
We can do SO much with technology. Perhaps the only downfall is that because we can do so much, we are required to do so much. Our jobs and our educations give us no choice but to adapt and learn most every new thing about technology. If we don't, we may run the risk of falling behind. If we don't adapt, we run the risk of becoming just as obsolete as the machines we so readily cast aside.
From what we have discussed above, any teacher can see how important it is to use technology in the classroom. We are tasked with preparing children for their futures. In turn we must teach kids how to learn and use technology that has not yet been created. Some of our students will still be working in living in times far after we have passed on. My conclusion is that we have a responsibility to our students of every age K-12 to teach them to use the tools they will be required to use in their jobs, lives and futures. We must also teach them how to be adaptable and creative. Perhaps it will be one of our students who creates the next best technological break though in medicine, or the next best super computer, or some tool that allows us to colonize the moon. Who knows. As teachers, the reach of our influence can span generations.
Having now been through almost half of this class, I am so excited about all the new ways I am learning to use technology. I really believe that many of these mediums will make learning not only bearable for the students but engaging and interesting. For myself, just getting to play with all of these neat new tools has sparked my curiosity and creativity to delve into my content are and see what I can create with my new techy tool belt.
During middle school my family got our first computer with home Internet. While I still used the computer for school, I was now able to research for projects. I had all kinds of information at my finger tips. Unfortunately I was using free AOL dial-up disks to get on the Internet. School papers and projects would take me hours. I can remember a few times when I even gave up and opened books (heaven forbid) to get my information. During middle school and high school many of my teachers would require that some of our sources for projects come from the Internet. It was often easier for me to do this work at the school building because of my slow dial up connection at home.
As high school progressed, technology and even dial up itself got faster and faster. The first computer my family had, boasted a whopping 64 megs of RAM. WOW. My iPod now holds 8 gigs of music and I don't even know how much memory we have on our home computer now, but it is a lot. All I know is that I can take endless photos of my son and never run out of storage space. Even my phone is more high tech than my first computer. I can get on google maps, face book, and my email all from my phone, and I don't even get charged extra per month for this.
Technology has gotten faster, smaller and more expansive on a daily basis. My husband and I both work for Geek Squad. While I work in customer service and don't' begin to know everything about computers, i get to see the newest coolest stuff come in and out of our work place. I can't believe how far we've come. When I was in middle school, I never thought I would be able to survive my little sister going to live in China to teach college English, but though the continuous innovation technology offers, I can sit with my two year old and talk to her face to face over Skye. Coincidentally, Dillon, goes over to the computer chair and pats on it saying "Want Dani" when he wants to talk to his aunt. When I was 16, I got lost everywhere I went. I now have GPS at my fingertips on my phone to tell me where to go. I can even get it to tell me where to go in a British accent! Amazing.
We can do SO much with technology. Perhaps the only downfall is that because we can do so much, we are required to do so much. Our jobs and our educations give us no choice but to adapt and learn most every new thing about technology. If we don't, we may run the risk of falling behind. If we don't adapt, we run the risk of becoming just as obsolete as the machines we so readily cast aside.
From what we have discussed above, any teacher can see how important it is to use technology in the classroom. We are tasked with preparing children for their futures. In turn we must teach kids how to learn and use technology that has not yet been created. Some of our students will still be working in living in times far after we have passed on. My conclusion is that we have a responsibility to our students of every age K-12 to teach them to use the tools they will be required to use in their jobs, lives and futures. We must also teach them how to be adaptable and creative. Perhaps it will be one of our students who creates the next best technological break though in medicine, or the next best super computer, or some tool that allows us to colonize the moon. Who knows. As teachers, the reach of our influence can span generations.
Having now been through almost half of this class, I am so excited about all the new ways I am learning to use technology. I really believe that many of these mediums will make learning not only bearable for the students but engaging and interesting. For myself, just getting to play with all of these neat new tools has sparked my curiosity and creativity to delve into my content are and see what I can create with my new techy tool belt.
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