I reread my blog post as well as the blog post of the others in the class. While posting the many comments, I noticed that some of the others in the class were more knowledgeable about technology while others, like myself, are struggling a bit but are still willing to do our best to bring technology into our classrooms. I admit it was somewhat overwhelming taking this class and finding the time to explore these Web 2.0 technologies while also keeping up with the demands of school. I think we can agree that most teachers want to improve their teaching methods and do what is best for our students.
When I began teaching, I knew very little about technology. I guess this kind of gives my age away. I began using it little by little. Now I am comfortable with many applications. I must admit that I learned quite a lot during this class. I did know about and use social bookmarking previously. Although I had signed up for a bloglines account, I had never used it before. Now I feel very comfortable using it. I didn't know about SlideShare, google docs, or had ever read or written a blog before. I will definitely use these Web 2.0 technologies this school year.
After reading about teaching and learning in the 21st century, I realized even more how important it is to keep our students up on the lastest technology. Students of today are digital learners and will be expected to discover, explore,
create, and engage with the outside world. We must use what students are familiar with to teach them. Using cell phones to teach is an interesting concept, but I think many things will need to be worked out first.
Personally, I use technology to email friends and family, mapquest, check on weather, look for recipes, make labels, and store pictures to name just a few.
Professionally, I use emails to communicate with parents, using my delicious account, looking at SlideShare, using the bloglines account, making banners, and looking for and taking classes like this one. Pedagogically, I intend to use ShileShare to show presentations to my students, google docs for group projects, virtual tours, podcast, and webcast. I currently have a wiki which the parents and students visit to get varying information and links. I would like to start blogging with my students also.
What is my "plan of attack"? I plan to begin slowly so as not to become overwhelmed. I will think about how I can use some of these new apps with my students and then introduce them. Currently, there are four teachers from my school taking this class. Since we are a small school, this is about half of our staff. We have already been discussing what we are learning during this class with our principal who seems very interested. I think we will share what we learned and mentor the other teachers so that everyone will be able to use these new technologies. As we let our students work with Web 2.0, I think they will also share with each other.
I still would like to learn more about the other Web 2.0 technologies. Although I already have a wiki, I am sure there are many more things which could be added to it. I plan on taking more professional development during the school year and the summer. Some of my colleagues are more advanced in technology than others, and they are always willing to help each other. I am also going to add colleagues as members of my delicious account, read edubloggers feeds, and ask questions about things I want to learn about. We may invite you back also!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Thing 9
I loved looking at the different presentations on the SlideShare website. Again, I had no idea that this website even existed. I had no idea that presentations were readily available for me to use in my classroom. What a great way to collaborate with other teachers and establish professional contacts. I searched for many different subjects in Science, and most of them had a presentation already created. Someday, I would like to upload a presentation of my own to share with others.
I chose to embed a presentation on food chains and food webs. This is something that I can use in my fifth grade science class right away. We are finishing up a unit on this very subject and this would be a nice way to follow up on everything we just learned. There were even a couple of slides that asked the students to discuss questions they proposed with another student in the class. I thought the presentation covered all the important concepts in this unit. I plan to use the SlideShare website to look for presentations on a regular basis from now on in my teaching.
I also like the idea of students sharing their presentations with classmates. Each of my class did a PhotoStory and sometimes they make videos for projects. They love sharing the things they created with their classmates. It gives them a sense of pride. I could have students do presentations also and share them with the class. I also like the idea that I can add slideshare widgets to my blog, wiki, or social networking sites.
I would definitely need to view the presentations ahead of time to make sure everything was appropriate for what I wanted to teach. As with everything else, I’m sure I would need to work out some problems before beginning this new adventure. I need to look into this even further to discover what these problems would be and how to solve them.
I chose to embed a presentation on food chains and food webs. This is something that I can use in my fifth grade science class right away. We are finishing up a unit on this very subject and this would be a nice way to follow up on everything we just learned. There were even a couple of slides that asked the students to discuss questions they proposed with another student in the class. I thought the presentation covered all the important concepts in this unit. I plan to use the SlideShare website to look for presentations on a regular basis from now on in my teaching.
I also like the idea of students sharing their presentations with classmates. Each of my class did a PhotoStory and sometimes they make videos for projects. They love sharing the things they created with their classmates. It gives them a sense of pride. I could have students do presentations also and share them with the class. I also like the idea that I can add slideshare widgets to my blog, wiki, or social networking sites.
I would definitely need to view the presentations ahead of time to make sure everything was appropriate for what I wanted to teach. As with everything else, I’m sure I would need to work out some problems before beginning this new adventure. I need to look into this even further to discover what these problems would be and how to solve them.
Food Chains And Food Webs
View more presentations from sth215.
Thing 8
To be frank, this is my first experience with Google Docs. I need more time to explore before I will be comfortable using it with my classroom. After watching the presentation on “Google Docs in plain English”, he makes it sound so easy and convenient. The document has one computer based home on the internet. Instead of sending the documents to many different emails, you can attach email addresses to the document and invite writers to collaborate on the document by inviting them. They can edit and save the document online and changes will be saved immediately.
It is nice to know that I can create documents, spreadsheets, or presentations no matter where I am or what computer I am on and be able to collaborate with others. I can see how I could save a lot of time by not emailing files around. I like the idea that anyone can edit the document online from anywhere even at the same time. I also like the idea of being able to collaborate on a document with other teachers also. I think it would be very helpful to collaborate with teachers from other schools who teach the same subject area you do.
I have my students do many group projects, and I think this is when I would possibly use Google Docs. I like the idea of group collaboration by having the students record their group projects together in a single doc. I currently have a wiki which I use to encourage students to communicate with me, and I can add comments for the students to read. I didn’t need the students to have an email address to do this as you do with Google Docs.
This is something that would need to be approved by the school.
This is another free Web 2.0 learning tool that will help bring our students into 21st century learning. The students can collaborate without the need to install software. Users can simply log in to the service to access their files and the tools to manipulate them.
It is nice to know that I can create documents, spreadsheets, or presentations no matter where I am or what computer I am on and be able to collaborate with others. I can see how I could save a lot of time by not emailing files around. I like the idea that anyone can edit the document online from anywhere even at the same time. I also like the idea of being able to collaborate on a document with other teachers also. I think it would be very helpful to collaborate with teachers from other schools who teach the same subject area you do.
I have my students do many group projects, and I think this is when I would possibly use Google Docs. I like the idea of group collaboration by having the students record their group projects together in a single doc. I currently have a wiki which I use to encourage students to communicate with me, and I can add comments for the students to read. I didn’t need the students to have an email address to do this as you do with Google Docs.
This is something that would need to be approved by the school.
This is another free Web 2.0 learning tool that will help bring our students into 21st century learning. The students can collaborate without the need to install software. Users can simply log in to the service to access their files and the tools to manipulate them.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Thing 7
Social bookmarking definitely has many benefits. It is definitely a time saver. You can build a network of people who share the same interest who will search for sites, tag, save, manage, and share web pages. This is a great way to collaborate on finding new sites. If you choose, you can even make it private. It becomes less important to know and remember where information was found and more important to know how to retrieve it using a framework created by and shared with peers and colleagues.
I have had a delicious account since last August. I have other teachers in my school as part of my network. While searching for information they need, they sometimes come across something they know I would be interested in and bookmark it for me. This is very helpful for me both personally and professionally.
I haven’t had students use delicious in my classroom yet. Perhaps I will have students use it when they are working on a group project. The students could save the sites they are going to use as references. I could also check for plagiarized content from websites which can sometimes be a problem area. I’m sure there are some details that will have to be worked out first.
Feel free to check out my bookmarks at:
http://delicious.com/darleneodonnell
I have had a delicious account since last August. I have other teachers in my school as part of my network. While searching for information they need, they sometimes come across something they know I would be interested in and bookmark it for me. This is very helpful for me both personally and professionally.
I haven’t had students use delicious in my classroom yet. Perhaps I will have students use it when they are working on a group project. The students could save the sites they are going to use as references. I could also check for plagiarized content from websites which can sometimes be a problem area. I’m sure there are some details that will have to be worked out first.
Feel free to check out my bookmarks at:
http://delicious.com/darleneodonnell
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Thing 4
Where do I begin with this discussion? What is our job as educators?
We, as educators, need to prepare our students to thrive in the global economy. We need to bring what we learn and how we teach into the 21st century with 21st century skills such as thinking their way through abstract problems, problem solving, working in teams, distinguishing good information from bad, building up communication skills, and learning how to collaborate with others. We must focus on integrated curriculums, student centered classrooms with teachers acting as facilitators, various forms of assessments, address student diversity, research driven learning, and learn the basics while aligning curriculum to connect to student interest or the real world. Educators must change their way of teaching because the world is so different from what it was in the 20th century.
I was first introduced to Web 2.0 about a year ago when a team from our school was selected to become MI Champion participants. This was to promote the integration of technology in the school. We attended the MACUL conference where there were many sessions on Web 2.0. My understanding of Web 2.0 is that it has the ability for anyone to publish and collaborate with people around the world. This is where our students enter the picture. How amazing!
So what does this mean to me personally and how does it affect the way I teach. This will definitely affect how I teach. As educators, we need to learn more about Web 2.0, participate until we feel more comfortable, teach content, and teach students how to do things well. Learning is changing and education must change too. How do I feel about this? I think it is exciting, but I feel a little anxious too. It takes time to learn new things. I am doing my best to keep up with technology so my students will benefit from this great new way of learning. Do I have the time to teach the basics and incorporate this much needed technology? As educators, we must use the tools available to us to help our students learn.
I enjoyed the presentation “Web 2.0 Is The Future of Education” by Steve Hargadon.
He spoke about the 10 trends that will have an impact on education. We must prepare our students from being passive learners to active learners. We must do whatever we can to not only have students learn but also to remember what they learned by playing a more active part in their learning. Students must go from reading, receiving, and researching, to creating, contributing, and collaborating on the web. Of course, students must learn to manage content.
One of the sections I read mentioned that most Web 2.0 applications are free and online so this would help in the money crisis most schools are facing at this time. At my school, we are encouraged to use technology in our teaching. The students are quick to learn technology and can create some interesting projects. Once finished, they are shared with the rest of the class. How do teachers deal with filters on computers? This is definitely a stumbling block for educators trying to promote the vision of bringing the students into the 21st century. Everyone is concerned for the safety of our students.
This sure makes me wonder what teaching and learning will be like in the 22nd century!
We, as educators, need to prepare our students to thrive in the global economy. We need to bring what we learn and how we teach into the 21st century with 21st century skills such as thinking their way through abstract problems, problem solving, working in teams, distinguishing good information from bad, building up communication skills, and learning how to collaborate with others. We must focus on integrated curriculums, student centered classrooms with teachers acting as facilitators, various forms of assessments, address student diversity, research driven learning, and learn the basics while aligning curriculum to connect to student interest or the real world. Educators must change their way of teaching because the world is so different from what it was in the 20th century.
I was first introduced to Web 2.0 about a year ago when a team from our school was selected to become MI Champion participants. This was to promote the integration of technology in the school. We attended the MACUL conference where there were many sessions on Web 2.0. My understanding of Web 2.0 is that it has the ability for anyone to publish and collaborate with people around the world. This is where our students enter the picture. How amazing!
So what does this mean to me personally and how does it affect the way I teach. This will definitely affect how I teach. As educators, we need to learn more about Web 2.0, participate until we feel more comfortable, teach content, and teach students how to do things well. Learning is changing and education must change too. How do I feel about this? I think it is exciting, but I feel a little anxious too. It takes time to learn new things. I am doing my best to keep up with technology so my students will benefit from this great new way of learning. Do I have the time to teach the basics and incorporate this much needed technology? As educators, we must use the tools available to us to help our students learn.
I enjoyed the presentation “Web 2.0 Is The Future of Education” by Steve Hargadon.
He spoke about the 10 trends that will have an impact on education. We must prepare our students from being passive learners to active learners. We must do whatever we can to not only have students learn but also to remember what they learned by playing a more active part in their learning. Students must go from reading, receiving, and researching, to creating, contributing, and collaborating on the web. Of course, students must learn to manage content.
One of the sections I read mentioned that most Web 2.0 applications are free and online so this would help in the money crisis most schools are facing at this time. At my school, we are encouraged to use technology in our teaching. The students are quick to learn technology and can create some interesting projects. Once finished, they are shared with the rest of the class. How do teachers deal with filters on computers? This is definitely a stumbling block for educators trying to promote the vision of bringing the students into the 21st century. Everyone is concerned for the safety of our students.
This sure makes me wonder what teaching and learning will be like in the 22nd century!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Thing 3
As I reflect back on teaching and learning when I was a child, it seems like another world. I can vividly remember sitting in a very structured classroom with the teacher standing in front of the classroom in complete control. The classes were textbook driven, and we, the students, were passive learners. There was very little technology used. I can remember watching films once in a while. Even science experiments were rare until I was in high school Biology class.
We were taught the basic facts of the core curriculum subjects. Memorization was definitely a big part of my learning experience. Although I do remember many things that I memorized, there are also many things I forgot after the test were given mainly because they did not seem relevant to me. Everyone was given the same assessment which the teacher graded.
There have been many changes since I was a child but these changes have come slowly. I do use textbooks in my classroom but there are many times when the students are given projects or other group assignments. I act as the coach/facilitator and help the students as needed. There is definitely active learning in my classroom. I try to use a variety of assessment types so the students can choose the type best suited for each of them. I use technology in my classroom as part of the learning process whenever possible. Some of the technology I use include PowerPoint, digital storytelling, interactive websites, researching on the internet, and I am fortunate to have a Smart Board in my classroom which the students enjoy using. I think it is important that learning is fun for the students so they are motivated and want to continue learning. Although technology is important, it is still necessary to have a high level competence in the traditional academic disciplines. We are moving in the right direction. Now we need to bring what we teach and how we teach into the 21st century.
I often wonder if I would enjoy being a student now.
We were taught the basic facts of the core curriculum subjects. Memorization was definitely a big part of my learning experience. Although I do remember many things that I memorized, there are also many things I forgot after the test were given mainly because they did not seem relevant to me. Everyone was given the same assessment which the teacher graded.
There have been many changes since I was a child but these changes have come slowly. I do use textbooks in my classroom but there are many times when the students are given projects or other group assignments. I act as the coach/facilitator and help the students as needed. There is definitely active learning in my classroom. I try to use a variety of assessment types so the students can choose the type best suited for each of them. I use technology in my classroom as part of the learning process whenever possible. Some of the technology I use include PowerPoint, digital storytelling, interactive websites, researching on the internet, and I am fortunate to have a Smart Board in my classroom which the students enjoy using. I think it is important that learning is fun for the students so they are motivated and want to continue learning. Although technology is important, it is still necessary to have a high level competence in the traditional academic disciplines. We are moving in the right direction. Now we need to bring what we teach and how we teach into the 21st century.
I often wonder if I would enjoy being a student now.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Thing 2
I have to admit that this is my first experience with blogs. I have never written or read a blog before nor felt any need to do so. I am sort of a private person, and I prefer to share my thoughts and opinions only with people I choose. I guess you could say I am somewhat out of my comfort zone. As such, this will be a totally new experience having my thoughts viewed by the public. It is somewhat scary to me knowing that I could be judged by someone who knows nothing about me. I am, however, always open to new experiences so I am willing to begin a new adventure of sorts.
I enjoyed the blog on Guerilla Season Book Club. The questions were well written, and the students needed to think before they answered the questions. I can see how this would be a very interesting way of getting students involved in a classroom book discussion. When the students were finished reading the book, I’m sure they understood its content much more than if they had just read the book and were assigned to do something like a book report. Obviously rules would need to be established before we began. Safety of the students would also need to be considered.
Well, here’s to new experience …….
I enjoyed the blog on Guerilla Season Book Club. The questions were well written, and the students needed to think before they answered the questions. I can see how this would be a very interesting way of getting students involved in a classroom book discussion. When the students were finished reading the book, I’m sure they understood its content much more than if they had just read the book and were assigned to do something like a book report. Obviously rules would need to be established before we began. Safety of the students would also need to be considered.
Well, here’s to new experience …….
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