Bloggers Cafe-A Vision for Classroom Blogging
By:Anne Davis
Anne Davis created an assignment which included university students to blog with elementary students. Mrs. Davis said it was really excited to see how the students learned different perspectives between them and their learning styles. She encourages teachers everywhere to use this helpful tool to bring out the shy students and to encourage those who are always the first to speak to comment on other blogs. Comments are fuel for this way of teaching. Students love comments on their blogs.
How can I create a safe environment to use blogging in my classroom?
I can create a friends list, where only students in this friends list can acquire other blogs. I can report any person who should not be on this students blog. I will have to make sure that I supervise all posts for verbal content as well as read all comments on any given students blog.
Should I have my students use blogs throughout the entire school year?
I can make an assignment out of it for a portion of the time or make a simple assignment out of it for the entire time. Or I could even just have the students make comments or ask questions on my own blog so that they are able to reach me in and out of the classroom giving appropriate time to respond that is.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Journal #6
Mapping Student Minds
By:Ariel Owen
Mr. Owen is a current science teacher who has studied a new way to retrieve data from his students. His example is of the health of a creek. Through real life field trips and virtual field trips students retrieve data and create a mapping sheet. Using blue lines meaning "good" and red lines meaning "bad". He first started out with how can they make good grades. Students first brain storm for each situation then create a mapping sheet. It reminds me of Inspiration. A program built for teachers to use in their classrooms. They are able to organize their thoughts and create notes on the side if needed. Teachers can also use it as an assignment for the students to accomplish by adding websites to the mapping sheet where they can complete activities. Back to the article. Mr. Owen watches his students as they debate what is important to keep the creek healthy. Once the students feel that they have accomplished the assignment he revises their thesis and leads them with questions so the students may come to the right conclusion by using their own answers.
How can I use mapping in my own classroom?
Using anything with data, formula, or a scientific method is good for mapping sheets. Or in history with specific dates and data following the dates. Afterwards the students are able to turn it into power point presentations.
I am not really sure another question that I could ask with an answer. But I do have a question without an answer.
Where can I learn how to use a mapping sheet?
By:Ariel Owen
Mr. Owen is a current science teacher who has studied a new way to retrieve data from his students. His example is of the health of a creek. Through real life field trips and virtual field trips students retrieve data and create a mapping sheet. Using blue lines meaning "good" and red lines meaning "bad". He first started out with how can they make good grades. Students first brain storm for each situation then create a mapping sheet. It reminds me of Inspiration. A program built for teachers to use in their classrooms. They are able to organize their thoughts and create notes on the side if needed. Teachers can also use it as an assignment for the students to accomplish by adding websites to the mapping sheet where they can complete activities. Back to the article. Mr. Owen watches his students as they debate what is important to keep the creek healthy. Once the students feel that they have accomplished the assignment he revises their thesis and leads them with questions so the students may come to the right conclusion by using their own answers.
How can I use mapping in my own classroom?
Using anything with data, formula, or a scientific method is good for mapping sheets. Or in history with specific dates and data following the dates. Afterwards the students are able to turn it into power point presentations.
I am not really sure another question that I could ask with an answer. But I do have a question without an answer.
Where can I learn how to use a mapping sheet?
Journal #5
Can You Hear Me Now?
By: Sherry Turkle
In this article Mrs. Turkle focuses on the fact that recent technology may be affecting the human way of living. She starts with writing about a conference she went to in Japan. She said that while the man on the big screen who was conducting the conference did not get the full attention from the audience that was deserved. They were attending to their e-mails using their blackberry, and their lap tops. People were even in the hall ways talking on their cell phones conducting business. Later she goes to tell the reading five reasons why this troubles her. The first is "There is a new state of the self, itself," this is where people take on virtual lives and play games i.e. medieval quests and second life. In this type of software humans can become someone different, therefore revolving their time around these games inducing isolation from the real world. The second example Turkle gives is "Are we losing the time to take our time?" In this paragraph she writes about people taking to time to answer e-mails at the same time as being in an conference, meeting, talking to your children, or walking down the street with your friends. She wonders if we are really taking the time for the things that really matter. She puts in an example of a woman who lost her blackberry. The woman literally felt lost without it. The next one is "The tethered adolescent," children now have a new found freedom with consequences. Teenagers are now able to leave the house further than before, but not without a cell phone. Their mom's and dad's set check in times for these teenagers, but now teenagers do not have to learn to be without their parents. They now do not have to learn what to do in certain situations pausing their development. In her fourth example is, "Virtually and its discontents," She talks about facebook and Myspace. Everyone puts their personal information on these sites, without thinking who might be looking at it. The primary thought would be "as long as I am not doing anything wrong, I don't care who looks". In this case privacy no longer exists and the government can now spy on anyone life. In her last example titled, "Split attention" was very interesting. She tells a story of when her and her husband took their daughter to the natural history museum, and her daughter made a comment about a turtle that was on display. Her daughter suggested that they should put an electronic turtle in its place because the living one was just laying there. Mrs. Turkle told her daughter that it was not the robots place to be there, that she should have a respect for living species. People are relying on robots more now than humans.
How much technology is appropriate for the classroom?
I am very excited to use the different technology in my classroom, but I think I need to make sure that I keep an appropriate balance of human contact VS. Technology. If I decide to use blogs for an assignment, or a discussion, I need to make sure that my class discuss their writings in the classroom with one another. Or if I decide to create an assignment using the computer or a website, I need to make sure that I teach and give verbal instructions as well as discuss the results in the classroom.
When should I allow my daughter to use these new devices?
I think this is a question that all parents ask themselves. I know that my husband and I discuss this on a regular basis. Like her having a cell phone. He wants to give her one when she is ten, and I don't want her to have one until she is fifteen. I do not feel that a ten year old should have a cell phone that young. She should not be anywhere where there is not a phone near by. Certain computer programs I do let her play now, most are phonics programs that help her learn words and letters. I even have a baby sign program for her and well and sign language interaction with me. Again this is a very hard and controversial questions between parents, I think with a well established set of rules, and appropriate ages our daughter will not lose human contact.
By: Sherry Turkle
In this article Mrs. Turkle focuses on the fact that recent technology may be affecting the human way of living. She starts with writing about a conference she went to in Japan. She said that while the man on the big screen who was conducting the conference did not get the full attention from the audience that was deserved. They were attending to their e-mails using their blackberry, and their lap tops. People were even in the hall ways talking on their cell phones conducting business. Later she goes to tell the reading five reasons why this troubles her. The first is "There is a new state of the self, itself," this is where people take on virtual lives and play games i.e. medieval quests and second life. In this type of software humans can become someone different, therefore revolving their time around these games inducing isolation from the real world. The second example Turkle gives is "Are we losing the time to take our time?" In this paragraph she writes about people taking to time to answer e-mails at the same time as being in an conference, meeting, talking to your children, or walking down the street with your friends. She wonders if we are really taking the time for the things that really matter. She puts in an example of a woman who lost her blackberry. The woman literally felt lost without it. The next one is "The tethered adolescent," children now have a new found freedom with consequences. Teenagers are now able to leave the house further than before, but not without a cell phone. Their mom's and dad's set check in times for these teenagers, but now teenagers do not have to learn to be without their parents. They now do not have to learn what to do in certain situations pausing their development. In her fourth example is, "Virtually and its discontents," She talks about facebook and Myspace. Everyone puts their personal information on these sites, without thinking who might be looking at it. The primary thought would be "as long as I am not doing anything wrong, I don't care who looks". In this case privacy no longer exists and the government can now spy on anyone life. In her last example titled, "Split attention" was very interesting. She tells a story of when her and her husband took their daughter to the natural history museum, and her daughter made a comment about a turtle that was on display. Her daughter suggested that they should put an electronic turtle in its place because the living one was just laying there. Mrs. Turkle told her daughter that it was not the robots place to be there, that she should have a respect for living species. People are relying on robots more now than humans.
How much technology is appropriate for the classroom?
I am very excited to use the different technology in my classroom, but I think I need to make sure that I keep an appropriate balance of human contact VS. Technology. If I decide to use blogs for an assignment, or a discussion, I need to make sure that my class discuss their writings in the classroom with one another. Or if I decide to create an assignment using the computer or a website, I need to make sure that I teach and give verbal instructions as well as discuss the results in the classroom.
When should I allow my daughter to use these new devices?
I think this is a question that all parents ask themselves. I know that my husband and I discuss this on a regular basis. Like her having a cell phone. He wants to give her one when she is ten, and I don't want her to have one until she is fifteen. I do not feel that a ten year old should have a cell phone that young. She should not be anywhere where there is not a phone near by. Certain computer programs I do let her play now, most are phonics programs that help her learn words and letters. I even have a baby sign program for her and well and sign language interaction with me. Again this is a very hard and controversial questions between parents, I think with a well established set of rules, and appropriate ages our daughter will not lose human contact.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Journal #4
To Cool for School? No Way!
By: Punya Mishra and Matthew Koehler
In this article Mishra and Koehler talk about what is considered to be technology. They state that some people may argue that pencils, clothes, and other common tools that are used in everyday life could be considered technology. Then some others may say that what is new in the technological world like iPods, and Wii are technology. Either way a teacher must know how to use these tools to their advantage. Mostly because websites like blogging is not set up for school/child use. The teacher needs to know how to rewrite, no; to re-purpose the available technology to create a fun but intense learning situation for his/her children. Most children these days are technological savey and are accustomed to the new and "improved" environment. These authors go on to explain some of Mishra's own college students thought and ideas of how some of the websites could be re-purpose to fit the needs of students. One of my favorite is the one about the DJ website. Children can download portions of the music and brake it down to describe fractions by using music. Music has been proven to improve math scores. It is pretty cool.
How can I use technology pedagogy in my classroom?
I could first make sure that I am up to date on most if not all the current technology. Second I can develop, edit, and revise a lesson plan using the latest website to create a current and fun way to teach my students. In the article they also talked about "Specialized search engines". This is a way for students can understand old English compared to the current English. Like Shakespeare. His work has inspired many great writers and has created many famous actors, but his work is like reading a foreign language. So the students can inter phrases of the work to find out how the wording is used in a phrase that is used today. Cool huh?
How can I become an expert teacher in technology?
This question looks to be simple but it is not. There is so much more that a teacher needs to do other than take classes. The teacher needs to practice the information that is given to them, they need to spend a good amount of time on an effective lesson plan before introducing the new curriculum, they need to make sure that all of the correct applications are set up and free of bugs, and they need need to make sure that it comes back into the classroom for discussion/analysis.
By: Punya Mishra and Matthew Koehler
In this article Mishra and Koehler talk about what is considered to be technology. They state that some people may argue that pencils, clothes, and other common tools that are used in everyday life could be considered technology. Then some others may say that what is new in the technological world like iPods, and Wii are technology. Either way a teacher must know how to use these tools to their advantage. Mostly because websites like blogging is not set up for school/child use. The teacher needs to know how to rewrite, no; to re-purpose the available technology to create a fun but intense learning situation for his/her children. Most children these days are technological savey and are accustomed to the new and "improved" environment. These authors go on to explain some of Mishra's own college students thought and ideas of how some of the websites could be re-purpose to fit the needs of students. One of my favorite is the one about the DJ website. Children can download portions of the music and brake it down to describe fractions by using music. Music has been proven to improve math scores. It is pretty cool.
How can I use technology pedagogy in my classroom?
I could first make sure that I am up to date on most if not all the current technology. Second I can develop, edit, and revise a lesson plan using the latest website to create a current and fun way to teach my students. In the article they also talked about "Specialized search engines". This is a way for students can understand old English compared to the current English. Like Shakespeare. His work has inspired many great writers and has created many famous actors, but his work is like reading a foreign language. So the students can inter phrases of the work to find out how the wording is used in a phrase that is used today. Cool huh?
How can I become an expert teacher in technology?
This question looks to be simple but it is not. There is so much more that a teacher needs to do other than take classes. The teacher needs to practice the information that is given to them, they need to spend a good amount of time on an effective lesson plan before introducing the new curriculum, they need to make sure that all of the correct applications are set up and free of bugs, and they need need to make sure that it comes back into the classroom for discussion/analysis.
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