Maui Spring Break 2009
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Journal #10
Carpenter, David and Margaret (December/January 2008-09). All aboard! How a new curriculum-development review process brought teachers, administrators, and learning specialist to the table and resulted in some innovative uses of technology. Learning & Leading with Technology, Retrieved April 3, 2009, from http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=December_January_No_4_3&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&NavMenuID=4193&ContentID=22190&DirectListComboInd=D
In order to successfully implement 21st century skills instruction, those skills must be viewed as important as other agendas. At Hong Kong International School, they were able to accomplish this by implementing a new curriculum development review process. The first step was to put teachers in charge. These days teachers have so many demands placed on them by students, parents, administrators and specialists. Instead of just adding more demands to the teachers, they were placed at the center of the curriculum-development, giving them a voice to the process. A Collaboration Team was put in to place, which was made up of teachers, learning specialists, administrators, technologist and library media specialist.
The process started out focusing on social studies and science curriculum with reading and writing to be added later. By not taking on too much in the beginning it allowed the participants to have more ownership in the process. The principal showed his buy in by providing coverage for the half or full day meetings, so the meetings didn't have to be rushed. It was also determined that a versatile online curriculum-mapping tool that contained a unit-planning template would be used. Since the specialists were already aware of the unit goals, it made it easy for them to work with the teachers to codesign the lessons that were given to the students. The librarian would recommend books, the media specialist would supply DVD's and the GATE instructor would conduct pull-out literature circles, all to help improve the instruction and enhance the students learning experience. It was important that teachers learn new technology including podcasts, mind maps and multimedia presentations so that they could be on the same page with their students and not have to use valuable classroom time. The final step to this process was to conduct an end-of-unit reflection meeting. In this meeting they reviewed student assessments, uploaded exceptional work to the curriculum-mapping tool, determined what did and didn't work and ensured accountability.
As stated in the article the key elements of the new curriculum process are as follows:
Questions #2 - What are some obstacles you see that would make it difficult to implement this program? I think funding could be an obstacle as well as faculty that has not been educated and enlighten to the benefits of technology.
In order to successfully implement 21st century skills instruction, those skills must be viewed as important as other agendas. At Hong Kong International School, they were able to accomplish this by implementing a new curriculum development review process. The first step was to put teachers in charge. These days teachers have so many demands placed on them by students, parents, administrators and specialists. Instead of just adding more demands to the teachers, they were placed at the center of the curriculum-development, giving them a voice to the process. A Collaboration Team was put in to place, which was made up of teachers, learning specialists, administrators, technologist and library media specialist.
The process started out focusing on social studies and science curriculum with reading and writing to be added later. By not taking on too much in the beginning it allowed the participants to have more ownership in the process. The principal showed his buy in by providing coverage for the half or full day meetings, so the meetings didn't have to be rushed. It was also determined that a versatile online curriculum-mapping tool that contained a unit-planning template would be used. Since the specialists were already aware of the unit goals, it made it easy for them to work with the teachers to codesign the lessons that were given to the students. The librarian would recommend books, the media specialist would supply DVD's and the GATE instructor would conduct pull-out literature circles, all to help improve the instruction and enhance the students learning experience. It was important that teachers learn new technology including podcasts, mind maps and multimedia presentations so that they could be on the same page with their students and not have to use valuable classroom time. The final step to this process was to conduct an end-of-unit reflection meeting. In this meeting they reviewed student assessments, uploaded exceptional work to the curriculum-mapping tool, determined what did and didn't work and ensured accountability.
As stated in the article the key elements of the new curriculum process are as follows:
- Best practices for instructing 21st-century students in a standards-based school
- Assessment-driven curriculum improvement
- Differentiation for gifted as well as struggling students and various learning styles
- Integrated technology and information literacy skills
- Curricular decision-making documentation to meet the needs of various audiences (especially teachers new to the school, administrators, parents, and students)
- Expansion of the Collaboration Team to include learning support, ESL, and other specialists to further design the curriculum to meet the needs of all students.
Questions #2 - What are some obstacles you see that would make it difficult to implement this program? I think funding could be an obstacle as well as faculty that has not been educated and enlighten to the benefits of technology.
Journal #9
Waters, John K (March 2009). The Kids Are All Right. T-H-E Journal, Retrieved 0325,09, from http://www.thejournal.com/the/printarticle/?id=24104
In a study conducted over a three year period, more than 800 students were interviewed and observed to see if new technology was having an affect on how students think and learn today. The study is partially intended to help fill the gap between teachers and their students when it comes to technology. They discovered that students have three different levels of participation online.
First of all, there's Hanging Out. The researchers consider this lightweight social contact and is mostly friendship driven. As kids' ability to hang out publicly gets restricted, they find alternative ways, such as Facebook or My Space to hang out.
Secondly, there's Messing Around. This is a combination of the previous hanging out and the next level of participation Geeking Out. Kids start to explore their interests online. They spend time searching and learning about how to find information. It may have the potential to turn into something great, but there's no pressure of being graded.
Lastly, there's Geeking Out as mentioned above. This is when kids show an intense level of interest and commitment to technology. They take may take and area of interest and develop and become experts on it. It is at this level that kids will share their resources and information.
Teachers would love to get students to Geek Out over whatever topic they are teaching. What educators need to figure out is how to tap into kids' passions. Be open and encouraging to students who display these types of interests. Two conclusions that were drawn from the study are the that there is a need for openness and a need to transfer control.
Educators "need to find a way to be open and receptive to the things students are doing online on their own", says Heather Horst, one of the researchers and to "recognize the value of these levels of participation, to stop seeing them as distracting from school, and to find ways to exploit them in the classroom".
Educators need to realize that the lessons and values a student learns offline are most likely going to follow them into their online experiences. Therefore, they need not view the Internet as a corrupting students and lighten up a bit on the rules of how students engage in web-based activities. This concern about students online activities will continue to broaden the gap between educators and students. Educators need to learn and understand how social media is changing everyday life and help students to find their way in these changes. It is also important to this new dynamic between educator and student that the student be able to teach the teacher how to navigate through the technology.
Question #1 - How do you feel about the changes technology has made on the dynamics of the teacher/student relationship? I think it's a very positive change. Anytime you create an environment that encourages collaboration and mutual respect, I think you enhance the abilities of all parties to reach and exceed their potential. I think over time students will have more passion about learning, because it won't be so tedious as reading a chapter in a book and taking a test. It is much more creative and collaborative. And I believe teachers have the ability to also find more passion in teaching if they can break down the technological barriers.
Question #2 - What can you do, as a teacher, to be ready to help students navigate this ever changing technological environment? First of all, this class had put me leaps and bounds ahead of where I was when I started. I think this is an amazing course for educators to take. I will also open myself up more to get comfortable with the digital media that my kids and future students are using. For instance, Facebook or MySpace. I've always shied away from these, becaue I thought they were invasive or potentially dangerous. But I realize now, that these are part of the language our students are speaking and we better learn it quick if we expect to understand them.
In a study conducted over a three year period, more than 800 students were interviewed and observed to see if new technology was having an affect on how students think and learn today. The study is partially intended to help fill the gap between teachers and their students when it comes to technology. They discovered that students have three different levels of participation online.
First of all, there's Hanging Out. The researchers consider this lightweight social contact and is mostly friendship driven. As kids' ability to hang out publicly gets restricted, they find alternative ways, such as Facebook or My Space to hang out.
Secondly, there's Messing Around. This is a combination of the previous hanging out and the next level of participation Geeking Out. Kids start to explore their interests online. They spend time searching and learning about how to find information. It may have the potential to turn into something great, but there's no pressure of being graded.
Lastly, there's Geeking Out as mentioned above. This is when kids show an intense level of interest and commitment to technology. They take may take and area of interest and develop and become experts on it. It is at this level that kids will share their resources and information.
Teachers would love to get students to Geek Out over whatever topic they are teaching. What educators need to figure out is how to tap into kids' passions. Be open and encouraging to students who display these types of interests. Two conclusions that were drawn from the study are the that there is a need for openness and a need to transfer control.
Educators "need to find a way to be open and receptive to the things students are doing online on their own", says Heather Horst, one of the researchers and to "recognize the value of these levels of participation, to stop seeing them as distracting from school, and to find ways to exploit them in the classroom".
Educators need to realize that the lessons and values a student learns offline are most likely going to follow them into their online experiences. Therefore, they need not view the Internet as a corrupting students and lighten up a bit on the rules of how students engage in web-based activities. This concern about students online activities will continue to broaden the gap between educators and students. Educators need to learn and understand how social media is changing everyday life and help students to find their way in these changes. It is also important to this new dynamic between educator and student that the student be able to teach the teacher how to navigate through the technology.
Question #1 - How do you feel about the changes technology has made on the dynamics of the teacher/student relationship? I think it's a very positive change. Anytime you create an environment that encourages collaboration and mutual respect, I think you enhance the abilities of all parties to reach and exceed their potential. I think over time students will have more passion about learning, because it won't be so tedious as reading a chapter in a book and taking a test. It is much more creative and collaborative. And I believe teachers have the ability to also find more passion in teaching if they can break down the technological barriers.
Question #2 - What can you do, as a teacher, to be ready to help students navigate this ever changing technological environment? First of all, this class had put me leaps and bounds ahead of where I was when I started. I think this is an amazing course for educators to take. I will also open myself up more to get comfortable with the digital media that my kids and future students are using. For instance, Facebook or MySpace. I've always shied away from these, becaue I thought they were invasive or potentially dangerous. But I realize now, that these are part of the language our students are speaking and we better learn it quick if we expect to understand them.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Journal #8 - Google Earth
Google Earth is a program that allows you access to a virtual globe. This is a great on-line resource to add more excitement and interest to assignments. You can fly from the Eiffel Tower in Paris to the Great Wall of China in Beijing to the Pyramids of Giza and then back to the Grand Canyon in a matter of minutes. You also have an option of viewing The Sky and Mars which will expand students' opportunities for exploration. At each location, there are links to Wikipedia and other informational sites so you can learn and tour these places. Some tools that are available are measurement and GPS which will allow students to interact with Google Earth. Aside from the obvious geographical uses, there are also many cross-curriculum applications.
Literature Application - Students could follow along the Joads family journey to find new hope during the Great Depression in The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck or visit Venice, Italy after reading The Thief Lord, by Cornelia Funke. Visit http://www.googlelittrips.com for other ideas.
Math Application - Students can use the measurement tools to estimate distances from known landmarks in their area. They can also use the Path tool to measure indirect distances, for instance from their house to school. For other lesson plan ideas, visit http://realworldmath.org.
Science Application - Students can map the paths of tsunamis and hurricanes while studying weather patterns or take tours of different biomes of the world.
For more ideas on how to use Google Earth in cross-curriculum applications you can visit https://classroomgoogleearth.wikispaces.com.
I can see how Google Earth would be a great resource for adding dimension to different assignments. Not only would students enjoy the ability to virtually travel around the world, but I think having a broader view of the world can be a great learning tool for students of all ages.
Math Application - Students can use the measurement tools to estimate distances from known landmarks in their area. They can also use the Path tool to measure indirect distances, for instance from their house to school. For other lesson plan ideas, visit http://realworldmath.org.
Science Application - Students can map the paths of tsunamis and hurricanes while studying weather patterns or take tours of different biomes of the world.
For more ideas on how to use Google Earth in cross-curriculum applications you can visit https://classroomgoogleearth.wikispaces.com.
I can see how Google Earth would be a great resource for adding dimension to different assignments. Not only would students enjoy the ability to virtually travel around the world, but I think having a broader view of the world can be a great learning tool for students of all ages.
Journal #7
Bigenho, C (2009). Mining for gold RSS technologies find the nuggets for you. Learning & Leading with Technology, Retrieved 03,24,09, from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/200904/
As an educator you can have students access the information you want them through your school's learning management system (LMS) or Web site. This way students can read information before coming to class and be prepared to add interest and depth to a classroom discussion. Although RSS is one of the least used and understood Web 2.0 tools it is an invaluable tool for educators to stay up to speed with the everchanging technological climate.
So, how does RSS work? There are two parts to RSS technology, the first are the feeds and the second are the aggregators. RSS feeds uses XML, a special type of HTML and is defined with tags that contain specific information. RSS aggregators find these special tags, track pages based on your subscription and lets you know when new information is added. RSS feeds are typically identified by an orange icon with the letters RSS or XML. RSS feeds are organized by topic and region, so if you wanted to find out more info for a particular topic in a specific region you can. RSS aggregators are separated into two types, client side and Internet hosted. Internet hosted readers will allow access to your feeds from any computer connected to the Internet whereas, client side limits access to your personal computer. Some examples of Internet hosted readers are Bloglines, Netvibes, iGoogle, and Google Reader.
One way that RSS is useful in the classroom, is that it can allow you to monitor student blogs without having to check each students blogs daily to see what they've written since the last time you checked. The way to monitor them more efficiently would be to have each student set up their own personal blog on Blogger and e-mail you the blog address. Blogger sets up the RSS feed and you paste the student's blog URL into Bloglines and hit subscribe. When you use Bloglines Notifier with Bloglines, you will be notified whenever a students adds a new post to their blog.
Another way that RSS is helpful in the classroom, is by using social bookmarking, like Delicious. This is a way to organize all of your favorite Internet sites and organize them by using multiple tags that will help bring them up when desired. Students can have access and contribute to Delicious which creates a very collaborative learning environment.
You can also use RSS to create a JavaScript that you can put on your LMS or Web page. This allows you to enhance your curriculum without have to know special code, just create a custom feed, by using Feed2Js.
As you can see there are several ways to introduce RSS to your classroom. It is a great way to enhance the learning experience for your students.
Question #1 - What are some of the confusing aspects of RSS? I'm still confused on the actual process for using RSS. I get the overall concept and what a great collaborative tool it is. I'm also not sure how I would use it in an elementary school setting. I would need to do further looking to find some age appropriate ways to use in an elementary classroom.
Question #2 -Why are the benefits of using RSS in a classroom? It helps save time if your students have blogs, because if tells you when there are new posts as opposed to you having to check the blogs to see if there are new posts. It fosters a collaborative learning environment for both teachers and students. Students have access to information and resources that the teacher finds important to the curriculum, then students add their own gems, therefore both teachers and students learn from each other.
Journal #6
Warlick, D (2009). Grow your personal learning network. Learning & Leading with Technology, Retrieved 03,24,09, from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/200904/
Family, friends, colleagues and acquaintances all make up our personal learning networks (PLN's), but as times change, our networks will continue to grow and change. We used to rely on reference books, textbooks, professional and personal-interest periodicals, television and radio to gain professional knowledge, but that is changing, as well. We can now access information and people through ICT's, information and communication technologies, which have broadened our ability to reshape the way we learn. In order to teach our students about the ever changing world, we ourselves must create and grow our own PLN's.
The three main types of PLN's covered in Warlick's article are personally maintained synchronous connections, personally and socially maintained semisynchronous connections and dynamically maintained asynchronous connections.
The first, personally maintained synchronous connections are what we think of when we think of a traditional network. It would include people and places that we would refer to in order to solve problems, find answers and accomplish goals. This process has improved in that there are new and improved tools including chat, instant and text messaging, teleconferencing and virtual worlds.The second, personally and socially maintained semisynchronous connections are referred to as "nearly now", by Stephen Heppell in a March 18, 2008, Guardian article called "Back and Forth". This refers to applications like texting, Facebook profiles, Twitter and Syndicaster. The term semisynchronous refers to the fact that collaboration doesn't all happen right now in real time and in the same place. Collaboration can happen between people in different geographical locations and at different times that are convenient for the individuals
While the first two connect us with each other, the third, dynamically maintained asynchronous connections, connects us with resources that we have determined to be of value. RSS aggregators, such as Google Reader, Netvibes and Pageflakes, are the main tools used to bring us the information needed to do our jobs. Social bookmarking is another powerful tool for educators. It allows us to search from a more manageable and higher quality list of resources as opposed to the vastness of the entire Web, plus by subscribing to the RSS you can get future pages that get bookmarked for your topic.Our job as educators is to teach and connect students to the world they are learning about. This requires us to continue to learn as well. PLN's make it easier for us to have opportunities to learn and develop skills. Although there are several applications that aid in the creation and evolution of our PLN's, we are the center of our own PLN. We need to remember that we aren't solely the receiver of information, but that we take that information and add value to it and return it to the network so others can have access to it. Therefore, we have a great deal of responsibility because we are part of someone else's PLN.
One drawback to PLN's is that we can sometimes become limited in our perspective if we lean towards sources that share our own views of the world. Therefore, we must be a part of networks that challenge us and stretch our thinking. That way we can all continue to learn.
Question #1 - How will you choose to use PLN's in your classrooms? For students grades 3-5, I would probably design an project that would introduce the idea of PLN's and how they can be beneficial. For instance, they could use Inspiration to create charts that would illustrate their own PLN, using primarily the people and places in their lives. Then they could include the specific types of information and knowledge that they gain from these resources. Then they could take that information and add to it, to illustrate how we contribute back to others PLNs.
Question #2 - What are some of the challenges you see to setting up a quality PLN? For me personally, I think the two biggest challenges would be time and organization. I think it could take quite some time to develop and contribute to quality PLN's. I guess the key there is to have realistic expectations and start small. I also think it's important to pay attention to how you set up your PLN. There's potential for your PLN to get a little cluttered and overwhelming if you don't go in with a plan.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Journal #5
Bull, G (2006). Collaboration in a web 2.0 environment. Learning & Leading with Technology, Retrieved 03/04/2009, from http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=April_No_7_&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&ContentFileID=2642
Web syndication, how a portion of a Web site is made available to others, has transformed the way we think about and gather information. The little orange icons that are found on Web pages indicate an RSS, Really Simple Syndication, is available. This allows for collaboration in entertainment, business, social, as well as education circles. Some of the ways syndication can be used in education are to follow multiple student postings, collaborative writing, sharing images being used in group projects and to track subject-related news topics.
For example, students can create blogs where they will post assignments or activities. Teachers will have immediate access to those posts as soon as they are posted. This is effective because it's a way that teenagers are already used to communicating. The Pew Foundation reported that three out of five teenagers already use blogs to keep in touch with their friends and create online networks, so why not bring that skill into the classroom. This is not always a simple task, but there are tools out there to help. Some of the resources that use RSS include, Firefox, Outlook and Thunderbird. Eventually most applications will have RSS capabilities, which will increase the number of options we have. Bloglines, which is one of the older and more advanced Web-based readers will also make blogs easier to use. It captures all of the blogs into a convenient location and updates them as students change or collaborate on their blogs.
There are also several resources to help students collaborate on projects together. Writely, is a Web-based word processor that allows students to jointly write and edit a document. Since it is Web-based students can be in different locations when writing and editing. It is also simple to post this document to a blog with Writely. There are also To Do List resources which allow students to have a checklist of what needs to get done on their project. One such To Do List application would be TaDa. Students can also share photos and images through Flickr. All of these applications share some of the same characteristics, they store both application and data on the Web, they are free to users and they provide an RSS feed.
There are more and more Web 2.0 desktops out that, like Google, which allows people to create a personalized home page. From the homepage they can start accessing all the Web 2.0 applications. NetVibes is one that uses Gmail for mail, Flickr for photos, Writely for wordprocessing, Web notes for bookmarks and provides access to RSS feeds. These are simple to use and contract drastically from the Web 1.0 applications that provided links to other applications.
The syndication that Web 2.0 allows, makes it easy to follow topics that are related to the information you are looking for. Newspapers and periodicals offer RSS feed for all major topics. Bloglines, allows you to get ongoing updated information through RSS feed. FeedDigest gives you the latest news each time the site is visited. Del.icio.us allows you to bookmark your favorite topics and share them with others through social bookmarking.
Although RSS feeds are becoming more and more prevalent, only a handfull of people are actually making use of this resource. RSS feeds and syndication make the educational possibilities endless.
Question #1 - How can a Web 2.0 make learning more fun and interesting for students? I think there are endless possibilities within a Web 2.0 environment. Because of this educators have more access to new ways of presenting curriculum, new activities and assignments, and new topics that will be more interesting and educational. There's more opportunity to create, collaborate and communicate withing a Web 2.0 environment. It also is more covenient because it is Web-based. Students can sit at Starbucks, access the Web and work on projects from any computer. Homework over coffee is always better.
Question #2 - How does working in a Web 2.0 environment make it easier for educators? The same characteristics that make it better for students can also make teaching easier, faster, and more efficient for educators. It creates a more creative, collaborative, and communicative environment. If students are posting their projects on a blog, teachers can access that information from any computer and at anytime. They can have a quicker response to the students with comments on areas they need to work on. If there are changes or updates to assignments they can communicate to students faster and easier. They have access to more information and resources to select topics and assignments that will be more engaging for students. They also have the ability to collaborate with their peers, sharing ideas and getting feedback.
Web syndication, how a portion of a Web site is made available to others, has transformed the way we think about and gather information. The little orange icons that are found on Web pages indicate an RSS, Really Simple Syndication, is available. This allows for collaboration in entertainment, business, social, as well as education circles. Some of the ways syndication can be used in education are to follow multiple student postings, collaborative writing, sharing images being used in group projects and to track subject-related news topics.
For example, students can create blogs where they will post assignments or activities. Teachers will have immediate access to those posts as soon as they are posted. This is effective because it's a way that teenagers are already used to communicating. The Pew Foundation reported that three out of five teenagers already use blogs to keep in touch with their friends and create online networks, so why not bring that skill into the classroom. This is not always a simple task, but there are tools out there to help. Some of the resources that use RSS include, Firefox, Outlook and Thunderbird. Eventually most applications will have RSS capabilities, which will increase the number of options we have. Bloglines, which is one of the older and more advanced Web-based readers will also make blogs easier to use. It captures all of the blogs into a convenient location and updates them as students change or collaborate on their blogs.
There are also several resources to help students collaborate on projects together. Writely, is a Web-based word processor that allows students to jointly write and edit a document. Since it is Web-based students can be in different locations when writing and editing. It is also simple to post this document to a blog with Writely. There are also To Do List resources which allow students to have a checklist of what needs to get done on their project. One such To Do List application would be TaDa. Students can also share photos and images through Flickr. All of these applications share some of the same characteristics, they store both application and data on the Web, they are free to users and they provide an RSS feed.
There are more and more Web 2.0 desktops out that, like Google, which allows people to create a personalized home page. From the homepage they can start accessing all the Web 2.0 applications. NetVibes is one that uses Gmail for mail, Flickr for photos, Writely for wordprocessing, Web notes for bookmarks and provides access to RSS feeds. These are simple to use and contract drastically from the Web 1.0 applications that provided links to other applications.
The syndication that Web 2.0 allows, makes it easy to follow topics that are related to the information you are looking for. Newspapers and periodicals offer RSS feed for all major topics. Bloglines, allows you to get ongoing updated information through RSS feed. FeedDigest gives you the latest news each time the site is visited. Del.icio.us allows you to bookmark your favorite topics and share them with others through social bookmarking.
Although RSS feeds are becoming more and more prevalent, only a handfull of people are actually making use of this resource. RSS feeds and syndication make the educational possibilities endless.
Question #1 - How can a Web 2.0 make learning more fun and interesting for students? I think there are endless possibilities within a Web 2.0 environment. Because of this educators have more access to new ways of presenting curriculum, new activities and assignments, and new topics that will be more interesting and educational. There's more opportunity to create, collaborate and communicate withing a Web 2.0 environment. It also is more covenient because it is Web-based. Students can sit at Starbucks, access the Web and work on projects from any computer. Homework over coffee is always better.
Question #2 - How does working in a Web 2.0 environment make it easier for educators? The same characteristics that make it better for students can also make teaching easier, faster, and more efficient for educators. It creates a more creative, collaborative, and communicative environment. If students are posting their projects on a blog, teachers can access that information from any computer and at anytime. They can have a quicker response to the students with comments on areas they need to work on. If there are changes or updates to assignments they can communicate to students faster and easier. They have access to more information and resources to select topics and assignments that will be more engaging for students. They also have the ability to collaborate with their peers, sharing ideas and getting feedback.
Journal #4
Riedel, C (2009). Create, collaborate, communicate: empowering students with 21st century skills. The Journal, Retrieved 02,28,09, from http://thejournal.com/the/printarticle/?id=23872
Chris Riedel summarizes Howie DiBlasi's speech from the 2009 FETC in Orlando, FL. The main topic of his speech is that in order to motivate and inspire students, educators need to infuse 21st Century skills into their curriculum. At the time of this speech, education was ranked 55 out of 55 industry sectors for their level of IT intensiveness. We need to change the curriculum and develop and use 21st Century skills in order to be competitive. Educators need to start asking several questions about the tools and technologies that need to be a part of everyday instruction. One of the most important questions should be "how do we prepare our students to become not only readers and writers of content, but editors and collaborators", since this is what their future employers will be looking for. In a survey, 50 corporations were asked what they look for in new recruits. It was determined that the top three things are creative problem solving, critical and analytical thinking skills and information gathering and evaluation.
DiBlasi highlights his top-16 things educators need to do to prepare today's students to become tomorrow's leaders.
Question #1 - What things mentioned in DiBlasi's speech do you need to explore more to be able to benefit your students? I need to "Hug a Geek", so that I can improve my technological savvy. I need to understand RSS and 1:1 computing better.
Question #2 - Why is it so important that technology be a part of our curriculum today? Technology has become a huge part of so many aspects of our world. It allows us to communicate and collaborate with people around the world. It allows us to instantly find answers or information we need. It allows us to be more competitive in a constantly changing job market. It allows us to study, discover and create cutting edge advances in areas such as medical, scientific, technological and environmental. It also allows us to be more creative in areas such as the arts, entertainment, publishing and broadcasting. In order for students to be prepared to go out in the world and be competitive they need to have a strong understanding of technology. Teachers need to be armed with the knowledge and ability to pass this information on to students.
Chris Riedel summarizes Howie DiBlasi's speech from the 2009 FETC in Orlando, FL. The main topic of his speech is that in order to motivate and inspire students, educators need to infuse 21st Century skills into their curriculum. At the time of this speech, education was ranked 55 out of 55 industry sectors for their level of IT intensiveness. We need to change the curriculum and develop and use 21st Century skills in order to be competitive. Educators need to start asking several questions about the tools and technologies that need to be a part of everyday instruction. One of the most important questions should be "how do we prepare our students to become not only readers and writers of content, but editors and collaborators", since this is what their future employers will be looking for. In a survey, 50 corporations were asked what they look for in new recruits. It was determined that the top three things are creative problem solving, critical and analytical thinking skills and information gathering and evaluation.
DiBlasi highlights his top-16 things educators need to do to prepare today's students to become tomorrow's leaders.
- Hug a Geek - find someone who is successful in the digital world and get help from them.
- Create a Social Network - use Web-based platforms to create a social network that can cross over into the district, schools and classrooms.
- Develop Problem-Solving Skills - take time everyday to challenge students with problem solving activities and puzzles.
- Start Collaborating - use collaborative vehicles to get students to interact with each other and the curriculum.
- Use Project-Based Learning - teach younger students traditional skills through real-life activities.
- Develop Information Processing Skills - teach students the skills to assess the validity of information.
- Give Kids a Global Voice - allow the curriculum to go beyond the classroom by collaborating on assignments with other students across the country or around the world.
- Discover RSS - understand the power of RSS and the ability to collect information and publish for other people.
- Improve Critical Thinking Skills - research and understand the resources that help to improve critical thinking skills.
- Teach Our Kids to be Self-Directed - help students be invested in projects, so they will see them to completion and be excited about the finished product.
- Create, Collaborate, Communicate - encourage a collaborative environment, for example a classroom blog where students are responsible for the production including creativity, content, publicity and public relations.
- Discover Social Bookmarking - understand what social bookmarking is and how to share information with many people.
- Use Interactive Video Conferencing - use this technology to connect classrooms and take virtual field trips.
- Integrate Web 2.0 Tools into Every Aspect of the Curriculum - make sure that Web 2.0 concepts like social-networking, video sharing, wikis, blogs are integrated into every assignment or activity.
- Promote 1:1 Computing - have a can do attitude about 1:1 computing.
- Staff Development is Fundamental - it is imperative that staff is following up on the changes that are being made over time.
Question #1 - What things mentioned in DiBlasi's speech do you need to explore more to be able to benefit your students? I need to "Hug a Geek", so that I can improve my technological savvy. I need to understand RSS and 1:1 computing better.
Question #2 - Why is it so important that technology be a part of our curriculum today? Technology has become a huge part of so many aspects of our world. It allows us to communicate and collaborate with people around the world. It allows us to instantly find answers or information we need. It allows us to be more competitive in a constantly changing job market. It allows us to study, discover and create cutting edge advances in areas such as medical, scientific, technological and environmental. It also allows us to be more creative in areas such as the arts, entertainment, publishing and broadcasting. In order for students to be prepared to go out in the world and be competitive they need to have a strong understanding of technology. Teachers need to be armed with the knowledge and ability to pass this information on to students.
Journal #3
Cole, J (2009). Keep them chatting. Learning & Leading with Technology, Retrieved 02,15,09, from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/200902/
Jeannie Cole discusses some of the challenges and the solutions to on-line courses for K-12 students. Some of the challenges around achieving exciting, deep discussions on line include lack of student responses, students losing interest, instructors' fears that students are copying their work from the web, or students doing only what is required and not stretching themselves.
Some examples of how to keep students engaged in online courses include:
High, level, open-ended questions Ask students an open-ended question put them in groups with a rubric of requirements. Each student needs to contribute their part and add comments and suggestions to other groups' projects.
The inquiry method Students are asked a question that they have to research, problem solve and answer. They need to be able to support their answer with research. They are also asked to look at other students projects and evaluate them.
The discrepant event inquiry method Students look at a video, photo, demonstration or simulation without an explanation. Then are asked a question that requires detailed research. Again, they are given detailed instruction and then are required to comment of other students work.
Personal examples This assignment takes something that is personal to the students and creates an assignment around it that requires research and problem solving. They are expected to comment on each others work.
Using Illogical Comparison Students are asked to compare and contrast two very different subjects, in this example Miss Piggy and Guinevere and complete a study of Arthurian legends.
These examples are meant to challenge and engage students. The key is to let students discover their own content, because they will feel more ownership. By sharing their work with their peers they will work harder knowing other students will see their work.
Question #1: What is the key to getting students invested in online courses? The key to getting students to feel invested is to make the content of the course/assignment exciting and interesting. The assignments should require students to discover their own content and share it with other. By sharing it with other they will fell more invested because they know their peers will be looking and commenting on it.
Question #2: Which one of the above techniques do you feel fits with your teaching style? I think the Personal Inquiry would fit best with my teaching style. It's important to get students to feel personally invested in their projects. If they can draw from personal experiences or topics they feel are important to them, they will be more engaged and contribute more to their project.
Jeannie Cole discusses some of the challenges and the solutions to on-line courses for K-12 students. Some of the challenges around achieving exciting, deep discussions on line include lack of student responses, students losing interest, instructors' fears that students are copying their work from the web, or students doing only what is required and not stretching themselves.
Some examples of how to keep students engaged in online courses include:
High, level, open-ended questions Ask students an open-ended question put them in groups with a rubric of requirements. Each student needs to contribute their part and add comments and suggestions to other groups' projects.
The inquiry method Students are asked a question that they have to research, problem solve and answer. They need to be able to support their answer with research. They are also asked to look at other students projects and evaluate them.
The discrepant event inquiry method Students look at a video, photo, demonstration or simulation without an explanation. Then are asked a question that requires detailed research. Again, they are given detailed instruction and then are required to comment of other students work.
Personal examples This assignment takes something that is personal to the students and creates an assignment around it that requires research and problem solving. They are expected to comment on each others work.
Using Illogical Comparison Students are asked to compare and contrast two very different subjects, in this example Miss Piggy and Guinevere and complete a study of Arthurian legends.
These examples are meant to challenge and engage students. The key is to let students discover their own content, because they will feel more ownership. By sharing their work with their peers they will work harder knowing other students will see their work.
Question #1: What is the key to getting students invested in online courses? The key to getting students to feel invested is to make the content of the course/assignment exciting and interesting. The assignments should require students to discover their own content and share it with other. By sharing it with other they will fell more invested because they know their peers will be looking and commenting on it.
Question #2: Which one of the above techniques do you feel fits with your teaching style? I think the Personal Inquiry would fit best with my teaching style. It's important to get students to feel personally invested in their projects. If they can draw from personal experiences or topics they feel are important to them, they will be more engaged and contribute more to their project.
Journal #2
Reissman, R (2009). Museums in the classroom. Learning & Leading with Technology, Retrieved 02,15,09, from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/200902/
In her article, Rose Reissman delves into the realm of online museums. Although not the same as visiting a museum in person, online museums can provide interesting activities and artifacts to add to a student's research. Probably the greatest positives how convenient (anytime & anywhere) and cheap (free) they are. Reissman briefly introduces four different resources for exploring museums online.
The first, Resource Central - Museum Resources, provides links to hundreds of museums, from the San Diego Aerospace museum to the Pilgrim Hall Museum. With such broad access to so many museums, students could create a museum out of their classroom, creating brochures, banners, exhibits and souvenirs all from research they get from the websites found on this search engine.
The second online resource introduced is Great Museums, which allows students to design their own "cybermuseum" and also get creative ideas for classroom exhibits. I can see this website being helpful alongside Resource Central - Museum Resources, mentioned above.
If students need to find museum definitions to better understand, they would find the next resource very helpful, Discovering the Museum Glossary.
Lastly, Reissman introduces a great website, specifically for the educator, Going to a Museum? Resources for Educators. This website will help teachers plan step-by-step how to use museums as "vehicles for student-centered content and investigatory collaborative learning".
Question #1 How would using an online museum be more beneficial than a real museum? Although nothing can beat the experience of visiting a real museum, there are some benefits to using an online museum. Students would have access to more museums in a much shorter amount of time than visiting each one in person. Another benefit would be the cost savings of not having to pay admission to each museum that you get to visit online. In this economic climate that is a huge benefit.
Question #2 What are some assignments you could do using online museums? I love the idea of a classroom museum using information gathered at online museums. One assignment I would do would and Impressionist art assignment. I would have students study about Impressionistic art and gather samples to display and then have them create their own Impressionistic art to display alongside. Another would be to have the students select a culture and gather information and artifacts that represent that culture to display in a classroom museum.
In her article, Rose Reissman delves into the realm of online museums. Although not the same as visiting a museum in person, online museums can provide interesting activities and artifacts to add to a student's research. Probably the greatest positives how convenient (anytime & anywhere) and cheap (free) they are. Reissman briefly introduces four different resources for exploring museums online.
The first, Resource Central - Museum Resources, provides links to hundreds of museums, from the San Diego Aerospace museum to the Pilgrim Hall Museum. With such broad access to so many museums, students could create a museum out of their classroom, creating brochures, banners, exhibits and souvenirs all from research they get from the websites found on this search engine.
The second online resource introduced is Great Museums, which allows students to design their own "cybermuseum" and also get creative ideas for classroom exhibits. I can see this website being helpful alongside Resource Central - Museum Resources, mentioned above.
If students need to find museum definitions to better understand, they would find the next resource very helpful, Discovering the Museum Glossary.
Lastly, Reissman introduces a great website, specifically for the educator, Going to a Museum? Resources for Educators. This website will help teachers plan step-by-step how to use museums as "vehicles for student-centered content and investigatory collaborative learning".
Question #1 How would using an online museum be more beneficial than a real museum? Although nothing can beat the experience of visiting a real museum, there are some benefits to using an online museum. Students would have access to more museums in a much shorter amount of time than visiting each one in person. Another benefit would be the cost savings of not having to pay admission to each museum that you get to visit online. In this economic climate that is a huge benefit.
Question #2 What are some assignments you could do using online museums? I love the idea of a classroom museum using information gathered at online museums. One assignment I would do would and Impressionist art assignment. I would have students study about Impressionistic art and gather samples to display and then have them create their own Impressionistic art to display alongside. Another would be to have the students select a culture and gather information and artifacts that represent that culture to display in a classroom museum.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Social Bookmarking
1. I chose the American Women Exhibit. I read about amazing women who made significant contributions to different areas in our history. The contributions ranged from feminism to style, motherhood to leadership and glamour to athleticism. Women are powerful and have shaped our American History. The value of using primary sources is that they are the original document that all secondary sources come from. They give you the first look at the topic they represent.
2.The three areas I feel fit my teaching style are 1)Engage school staff in discussions and activities that offer an opportunity to explore attitudes, beliefs, and values related to cultural diversity and cultural competence. 2)Gather and organize resource materials related to culturally diverse groups for use by school staff. 3)Network with parent, family, minority community, and faith-based organizations concerned with the needs of diverse students. Solicit their involvement and input in the design and implementation of initiatives for culturally, linguistically, racially, and ethnically diverse groups. The reason I picked these three areas is because I always feel strongly about gathering information about a topic, in this instance cultural diversity, so one can be more informed. I feel that resources come in many forms including articles, books, people and organizations and it's important to tap all of those resources. I also feel that it is important to encourage others to gather information and have discussions amongst each other to come up with action plans to promote and support cultural diversity.
3. I chose a brief biography about Neil Armstrong that was provided by NASA. It told of his Personal Data, Education, Special Honors, Experience and NASA Experience. This link was for reading levels 3-6. I selected it because my son, whose in 3rd recently did a book report on Neil Armstrong and has had a real passion for space and astronomy this year.
4. I used the puzzle makers section. I think this is a really cool link. I have always loved word and number games and feel that it is an important and fun part of education. Many adults still find enjoyment and challenge in doing the weekly crossword puzzle, wordsearch or Sudoku. This website provided a simple way to tailor puzzles towards whatever topic or level you are working with. I would definitely use this section to make learning fun, but challenging.
5. I found the topic of Multiple Intelligences fascinating. I knew that people learned in different ways. I've witnessed it in my own children, but I never knew how many different intelligences existed. It is extremely important to investigate these differences and understand how to best teach to these differences. In the past the accepted way of learning has been in line with High Linguistic, Logical- Mathematical, and Intrapersonal Intelligence learners, leaving out several other types of learners. It's wonderful that educators are looking at the less traditional intelligences and starting to teach to those intelligences. I think we could start to see a lot less frustrated students, as well as teachers and parents.
6. I chose a lesson plan where students create an Identity Poster explaining who they are and information about names, heritage and family history. This helps students to understand each other better and hopefully lessens the amount of teasing and name-calling that goes on. I would use this as a beginning of the year lesson, in order to set the stage for what is not tolerated, as well as a way for students to get to know each other.
7. All of the questions in the EdChange Equity & Diversity Awareness Quiz were enlightening. I was surprised about most of them. The two I found most interesting were the ones about how much the annual earnings of the average full-time U.S. worker is roughly equal to the daily earnings of the average CEO in the U.S. and how even though crack cocaine (largely used by lower income people) and powder cocaine (largely used by wealthier people) have the same amount of the drug per gram, the amount of the drug required to get a sentence of a mandatory of 5 years in prison is hugely different - 5 grams for crack cocaine and 500 grams for powder cocaine. I think these standards are very unfair. Although I do believe people deserve higher wages based on education, job responsibilities, time in position, I don't believe there should be such a huge gap in the amount the average full-time worker makes and a CEO. I also think it's discriminatory to have different sentences for basically the same crime. The law seems to definitely lean in favor of wealthier people, who can also afford better attorneys and less often will end up serving those sentences anyway.
8. Netiquette score = 80%. It is important to teach students proper netiquette because they need to know the appropriate ways to function in a cyber community. They need to understand that just because it is a virtual world, that they still have responsibility to be upstanding citizens in that world.^5
2.The three areas I feel fit my teaching style are 1)Engage school staff in discussions and activities that offer an opportunity to explore attitudes, beliefs, and values related to cultural diversity and cultural competence. 2)Gather and organize resource materials related to culturally diverse groups for use by school staff. 3)Network with parent, family, minority community, and faith-based organizations concerned with the needs of diverse students. Solicit their involvement and input in the design and implementation of initiatives for culturally, linguistically, racially, and ethnically diverse groups. The reason I picked these three areas is because I always feel strongly about gathering information about a topic, in this instance cultural diversity, so one can be more informed. I feel that resources come in many forms including articles, books, people and organizations and it's important to tap all of those resources. I also feel that it is important to encourage others to gather information and have discussions amongst each other to come up with action plans to promote and support cultural diversity.
3. I chose a brief biography about Neil Armstrong that was provided by NASA. It told of his Personal Data, Education, Special Honors, Experience and NASA Experience. This link was for reading levels 3-6. I selected it because my son, whose in 3rd recently did a book report on Neil Armstrong and has had a real passion for space and astronomy this year.
4. I used the puzzle makers section. I think this is a really cool link. I have always loved word and number games and feel that it is an important and fun part of education. Many adults still find enjoyment and challenge in doing the weekly crossword puzzle, wordsearch or Sudoku. This website provided a simple way to tailor puzzles towards whatever topic or level you are working with. I would definitely use this section to make learning fun, but challenging.
5. I found the topic of Multiple Intelligences fascinating. I knew that people learned in different ways. I've witnessed it in my own children, but I never knew how many different intelligences existed. It is extremely important to investigate these differences and understand how to best teach to these differences. In the past the accepted way of learning has been in line with High Linguistic, Logical- Mathematical, and Intrapersonal Intelligence learners, leaving out several other types of learners. It's wonderful that educators are looking at the less traditional intelligences and starting to teach to those intelligences. I think we could start to see a lot less frustrated students, as well as teachers and parents.
6. I chose a lesson plan where students create an Identity Poster explaining who they are and information about names, heritage and family history. This helps students to understand each other better and hopefully lessens the amount of teasing and name-calling that goes on. I would use this as a beginning of the year lesson, in order to set the stage for what is not tolerated, as well as a way for students to get to know each other.
7. All of the questions in the EdChange Equity & Diversity Awareness Quiz were enlightening. I was surprised about most of them. The two I found most interesting were the ones about how much the annual earnings of the average full-time U.S. worker is roughly equal to the daily earnings of the average CEO in the U.S. and how even though crack cocaine (largely used by lower income people) and powder cocaine (largely used by wealthier people) have the same amount of the drug per gram, the amount of the drug required to get a sentence of a mandatory of 5 years in prison is hugely different - 5 grams for crack cocaine and 500 grams for powder cocaine. I think these standards are very unfair. Although I do believe people deserve higher wages based on education, job responsibilities, time in position, I don't believe there should be such a huge gap in the amount the average full-time worker makes and a CEO. I also think it's discriminatory to have different sentences for basically the same crime. The law seems to definitely lean in favor of wealthier people, who can also afford better attorneys and less often will end up serving those sentences anyway.
8. Netiquette score = 80%. It is important to teach students proper netiquette because they need to know the appropriate ways to function in a cyber community. They need to understand that just because it is a virtual world, that they still have responsibility to be upstanding citizens in that world.^5
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
