Technology Tool: Social Networking
Social networking is a way for groups of people with a common interest to stay in touch online. Common social networking sites include Facebook and Myspace which allow people to develop profiles and interact with other members building an on-line community.
Discussion #1: Ning for Students
This discussion followed the positives and negatives of using Ning in the classroom. The positive aspects Ning provides is a social site appearance where students can create their own personalized page. They can add music, photos and even podcasts along with interacting across other Ning users. Using this type of site in the classroom can also be a valuable tool for the teacher because it provides a platform to teach students about safety and ethics in the social networking space. Some of the negative aspects of Ning are that it is an open system and may cause concern for safety in addition to the fact that there are ads on the site which may contain inappropriate content. There is also a typical age requirement of 13+ and it requires an e-mail address to sign up which all students may not have. There were some solutions listed in the thread to address these concerns such as setting the Ning to a privacy setting for a more controlled environment or opting out of the ads for free if you sign up as an educator. The discussion also mentioned some alternatives to Ning such as Moodle, Elgg and Think.com. Each of these sites had their own positives and negatives such as user friendliness and cost. From what I gathered, teachers prefer a system that is more closed such as Moodle, while the students prefer Ning due to it's user friendly interface and ability to use it outside of the classroom as a social networking tool.
Discussion #2 How do you use blogs, wikis, etc., in your postsecondary setting?
This discussion talked about the benefits of using a blog and/or wiki in the classroom. Teachers found these tools helpful in, "seeing a more personal side" of their students along with the ability to provide prompt feedback. Wikis are a great course management tool that allow teachers to organize their class content in one place with a home page for each class that can be accessed on the sidebar. Teachers also found these tools helpful to stay in the "loop" on what their students are writing about to tailor the lessons to better fit their needs. The discussion mentioned that it is helpful to have an RSS such as Bloglines or Google Reader to feed all updates from the student blogs/wikis into one place. Some of the obstacles teachers came across were a few technical issues with having students post on the blog, some may take time to get accustom to the process. Students did find blogs helpful in reflecting on class content and having the ability to read other classmates posts for reassurance.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Excel Crossword Puzzle NETS I,II
Excel Crossword Puzzle
Using excel I created a crossword puzzle. I first learned about how to do this by watching an instructional video through Atomic Learning. After watching the video, I created my own excel crossword puzzle by formatting various cells including adding comments, color and changing font. I then added the crossword clues on the second page of the spreadsheet.
Using excel I created a crossword puzzle. I first learned about how to do this by watching an instructional video through Atomic Learning. After watching the video, I created my own excel crossword puzzle by formatting various cells including adding comments, color and changing font. I then added the crossword clues on the second page of the spreadsheet.
NETS-S PowerPoint Presentation NETS I,II,III
Using PowerPoint I created a slideshow about The NETS for Students grade levels 9-12. Each slide included a title pertaining to the performance indicator being addressed along with a hyperlink. In the content of the slides, I proposed an activity that can be done with the students that addresses the specific NETS indicator. Throughout the presentation I also included images, animation and transitions.
Friday, April 23, 2010
NETS-S PowerPoint Rubric II,III
I signed up and used the website Rcampus to create a grading rubric for the PowerPoint presentation assignment. The content of the rubric includes the lesson objective, a set of observable, measurable criteria, 3 different levels of success, and examples for each criteria. I then used the rubric to actually grade my peers assignments.
Social Bookmarking (Delicious.com) NETS I, II, III
1) National Archives
On the National Archives website I visited the archive, "A People at War". This website is all about World War 2 including timeline of the war, those who served and the aftermath. This site contains pictures and articles about the war in Europe and in the Pacific. It also talks about how valuable science was to this war in particular for weapon and transportation development. Primary sources can be a valuable tool in any classroom. In a social studies class they provide the information needed to study a specific topic, or even a science class students can use primary sources to study the history of science.
2) NEA- Achievement Gap
One area that fits my teaching style is networking with parents, families and communities that are concerned with the needs of diverse students. This area stood out to me because as a teacher I think it is crucial to the success of the student to have a relationship with parents, families and the community. All of these factors are an important part of a student's life and will ultimately influence them. As a teacher you can have some influence on whether these factors are positive or negative. I am a very social person at heart and love to reach out and interact with these groups.
Another area that fits my teaching style is to create and implement a cultural competence self assessment. I think these assessments can be used as a valuable tool to identify strengths and weaknesses within the school relating to cultural awareness. Results of the assessment can then serve as a guideline for implementing procedures and programs to create awareness. Sometimes I think assessments are over used in our school system, but in this case I think it can be valuable to identify needs and create a starting point to take action.
The third area that fits my teaching style is to ensure the school has a mission statement that commits to cultural competence as an important part of all its activities. Just like the College of Education has a mission statement and incorporates it into everything, I think all schools should have one. Promoting a mission statement that is culturally competent can help create awareness in everything the students and staff do. This constant reminder of cultural awareness should help to create acceptance throughout the school.
3) Stop Cyberbullying
After taking the quiz I scored 0-5 points which means I am a Cyber Saint. Since cyberbullying typically happens between the ages of 8-15, there was no IM or text messaging and the Internet was fairly new when I was that age. Even now with all of the current technology, cyberbullying or cyberharassment is not something I have or will be a part of.
Cyberbullying is a tricky situation to deal with as an educator because it often happens outside of school jurisdiction. Since most of the harassment is being done on computers at home, the school really doesn't have authority to discipline the cyberbully without consent of the parent. I learned that as an educator you can take control of this situation in two ways. The first being to invite both the parents and students to meet on school grounds to try and resolve the issue. The second and more important way is proactively educating students about this issue in your classroom. Bringing awareness to this problem is the best approach to prepare kids on how to deal with cyberbullying if it happens to them. You can teach them that sometimes the best thing to do is to ignore the cyberbully, or involve parents to help bring the situation under control.
4) Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators
The "Subject Area" that interests me from Kathy Schrock's website is Science, Computing and Technology. The specific subject that I explored under that area was Environmental Science. Within in this subject there were several resources relating to environmental science that can be used in the classroom. In the future I plan to utilize some of the lesson plans provided along with the on-line information about environmental issues. In particular I liked the High School Environmental Center which provides information for High School students on how to get involved with their community relating to the environment. This will be a great resource for me to direct my students to for information.
The topic that interests me from "Teacher Helpers" is the Webquest information. In my other pre-requisite class our final project involved evaluating 3 different webquests based on a rubric. This was the first time I had even heard the word webquest, but after searching through a few I think they are a great tool to get students interactively learning online. The information Kathy Schrock has available in her webquest tab is very thorough and even gives guidelines on how to create your own webquest. In the future I plan to not only utilize existing webquests available online, but also create my own related to a specific topic within the curriculum. Kathy's website even provides a place to submit your webquest once you create it to share with others.
5) Multiple Intelligences
Top 3 Intelligences:
1) Naturalistic: 92%
2) Intrapersonal: 75%
3) Logical-Mathematical- 69%
The video I watched is called Multiple Intelligences Leave No Child Left Behind. This video highlights a school in Indianapolis, Indiana that integrates multiple intelligences into the curriculum to form what they call a Key Learning Community. The philosophy of this Key Learning Community is that each MI is equally important and should be a part of students learning. They have created an elective course or pod that allows students to choose a class which highlights their MI strength. This allows many students to feel success and gratification they may not get in a regular classroom setting. The school also works with the students to recognize their strengths early on so they can capitalize on them for the future. The educators mentioned their concerns about keeping a program like this alive due to No Child Left Behind. So much of school time is dedicated to testing to meet the requirements for NCLB that there is little to no time for an emphasis in other creative outlets. The idea of a Key Learning Community is a great student-centered curriculum , yet there are so many obstacles to overcome in order to implement a program similar to this in our schools. I think starting with the idea of giving students the freedom to pick an elective of their choice, along with offering a wide range of electives, is a first step in recognizing MI in the educational community.
6) Teaching Tolerance
Grade-9-12
Subject: Science and Health
Topic: Reshaping Body Image
This lesson is designed to get students re-thinking the preconceived notions they have about body image. This involves investigating influences in society that make us think a certain way about body image such as the media and culture. The activities related to the lesson include showing images related to body size and having students record their initial thoughts and then answering specific questions. It also involves students exploring further on the web the influences that exist in society which form ideas about body image. Lastly the lesson asks students to self reflect on how many times through a day they might have heard something related to body image and how that made them feel. I think this is a valuable lesson to use in the classroom especially at the high school level when the issue of body image becomes so prevalent. This is an issue that likely impacts all students, whether it be directly or indirectly. This is similar to cyberbullying in that if educators can proactively teach students about issues such as body image, they may prevent problems from happening in the future such as some student being made fun of because of how they look.
7) Multicultural Education and Equity
Taking this quiz I was surprised how many answers I got wrong. One of the questions that frightened me the most was the question that stated out of the 23 wealthiest countries, which ones scored lowest in relation to child well being. I could not believe that the United States was rated one of the worst countries for child well being when we have so many resources and so much money. In relation to another question, it is shocking to believe how much money we spend on the military budget, yet our children can't even be taken care of.
The other question that caught my attention was the statistic about White men versus Latina and Native American women who all have graduate degrees yet get paid half as much as their counterparts. It is sad to see how prevalent racism and sexism still is in this country. Even education can't overcome barriers and even the playing field. This is why I think policies such as affirmative action are still necessary and important to give equal opportunity to those that are discriminated against.
8) Nettiquette
Quiz Score: 90%
Netiquette should be taught in the classroom because communicating on-line has become such a big part of our society. Students need to learn the do's and don'ts of navigating cyberspace out of respect for others and themselves. Teaching Netiquette directly addresses the cyberbullying issue, teaching students to not abuse their power and steal people's passwords or write something offensive about a peer. It is important to remind them that the rules of life also apply to cyberspace, this directly addresses the issue of piracy and plagiarism :-(. Teaching students about the rules and laws of the Internet is critical because it is not always black and white. Overall, cyberspace is not a free for all, there are simple netiquette rules to follow to ensure every one's safety and well being =^)
On the National Archives website I visited the archive, "A People at War". This website is all about World War 2 including timeline of the war, those who served and the aftermath. This site contains pictures and articles about the war in Europe and in the Pacific. It also talks about how valuable science was to this war in particular for weapon and transportation development. Primary sources can be a valuable tool in any classroom. In a social studies class they provide the information needed to study a specific topic, or even a science class students can use primary sources to study the history of science.
2) NEA- Achievement Gap
One area that fits my teaching style is networking with parents, families and communities that are concerned with the needs of diverse students. This area stood out to me because as a teacher I think it is crucial to the success of the student to have a relationship with parents, families and the community. All of these factors are an important part of a student's life and will ultimately influence them. As a teacher you can have some influence on whether these factors are positive or negative. I am a very social person at heart and love to reach out and interact with these groups.
Another area that fits my teaching style is to create and implement a cultural competence self assessment. I think these assessments can be used as a valuable tool to identify strengths and weaknesses within the school relating to cultural awareness. Results of the assessment can then serve as a guideline for implementing procedures and programs to create awareness. Sometimes I think assessments are over used in our school system, but in this case I think it can be valuable to identify needs and create a starting point to take action.
The third area that fits my teaching style is to ensure the school has a mission statement that commits to cultural competence as an important part of all its activities. Just like the College of Education has a mission statement and incorporates it into everything, I think all schools should have one. Promoting a mission statement that is culturally competent can help create awareness in everything the students and staff do. This constant reminder of cultural awareness should help to create acceptance throughout the school.
3) Stop Cyberbullying
After taking the quiz I scored 0-5 points which means I am a Cyber Saint. Since cyberbullying typically happens between the ages of 8-15, there was no IM or text messaging and the Internet was fairly new when I was that age. Even now with all of the current technology, cyberbullying or cyberharassment is not something I have or will be a part of.
Cyberbullying is a tricky situation to deal with as an educator because it often happens outside of school jurisdiction. Since most of the harassment is being done on computers at home, the school really doesn't have authority to discipline the cyberbully without consent of the parent. I learned that as an educator you can take control of this situation in two ways. The first being to invite both the parents and students to meet on school grounds to try and resolve the issue. The second and more important way is proactively educating students about this issue in your classroom. Bringing awareness to this problem is the best approach to prepare kids on how to deal with cyberbullying if it happens to them. You can teach them that sometimes the best thing to do is to ignore the cyberbully, or involve parents to help bring the situation under control.
4) Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators
The "Subject Area" that interests me from Kathy Schrock's website is Science, Computing and Technology. The specific subject that I explored under that area was Environmental Science. Within in this subject there were several resources relating to environmental science that can be used in the classroom. In the future I plan to utilize some of the lesson plans provided along with the on-line information about environmental issues. In particular I liked the High School Environmental Center which provides information for High School students on how to get involved with their community relating to the environment. This will be a great resource for me to direct my students to for information.
The topic that interests me from "Teacher Helpers" is the Webquest information. In my other pre-requisite class our final project involved evaluating 3 different webquests based on a rubric. This was the first time I had even heard the word webquest, but after searching through a few I think they are a great tool to get students interactively learning online. The information Kathy Schrock has available in her webquest tab is very thorough and even gives guidelines on how to create your own webquest. In the future I plan to not only utilize existing webquests available online, but also create my own related to a specific topic within the curriculum. Kathy's website even provides a place to submit your webquest once you create it to share with others.
5) Multiple Intelligences
Top 3 Intelligences:
1) Naturalistic: 92%
2) Intrapersonal: 75%
3) Logical-Mathematical- 69%
The video I watched is called Multiple Intelligences Leave No Child Left Behind. This video highlights a school in Indianapolis, Indiana that integrates multiple intelligences into the curriculum to form what they call a Key Learning Community. The philosophy of this Key Learning Community is that each MI is equally important and should be a part of students learning. They have created an elective course or pod that allows students to choose a class which highlights their MI strength. This allows many students to feel success and gratification they may not get in a regular classroom setting. The school also works with the students to recognize their strengths early on so they can capitalize on them for the future. The educators mentioned their concerns about keeping a program like this alive due to No Child Left Behind. So much of school time is dedicated to testing to meet the requirements for NCLB that there is little to no time for an emphasis in other creative outlets. The idea of a Key Learning Community is a great student-centered curriculum , yet there are so many obstacles to overcome in order to implement a program similar to this in our schools. I think starting with the idea of giving students the freedom to pick an elective of their choice, along with offering a wide range of electives, is a first step in recognizing MI in the educational community.
6) Teaching Tolerance
Grade-9-12
Subject: Science and Health
Topic: Reshaping Body Image
This lesson is designed to get students re-thinking the preconceived notions they have about body image. This involves investigating influences in society that make us think a certain way about body image such as the media and culture. The activities related to the lesson include showing images related to body size and having students record their initial thoughts and then answering specific questions. It also involves students exploring further on the web the influences that exist in society which form ideas about body image. Lastly the lesson asks students to self reflect on how many times through a day they might have heard something related to body image and how that made them feel. I think this is a valuable lesson to use in the classroom especially at the high school level when the issue of body image becomes so prevalent. This is an issue that likely impacts all students, whether it be directly or indirectly. This is similar to cyberbullying in that if educators can proactively teach students about issues such as body image, they may prevent problems from happening in the future such as some student being made fun of because of how they look.
7) Multicultural Education and Equity
Taking this quiz I was surprised how many answers I got wrong. One of the questions that frightened me the most was the question that stated out of the 23 wealthiest countries, which ones scored lowest in relation to child well being. I could not believe that the United States was rated one of the worst countries for child well being when we have so many resources and so much money. In relation to another question, it is shocking to believe how much money we spend on the military budget, yet our children can't even be taken care of.
The other question that caught my attention was the statistic about White men versus Latina and Native American women who all have graduate degrees yet get paid half as much as their counterparts. It is sad to see how prevalent racism and sexism still is in this country. Even education can't overcome barriers and even the playing field. This is why I think policies such as affirmative action are still necessary and important to give equal opportunity to those that are discriminated against.
8) Nettiquette
Quiz Score: 90%
Netiquette should be taught in the classroom because communicating on-line has become such a big part of our society. Students need to learn the do's and don'ts of navigating cyberspace out of respect for others and themselves. Teaching Netiquette directly addresses the cyberbullying issue, teaching students to not abuse their power and steal people's passwords or write something offensive about a peer. It is important to remind them that the rules of life also apply to cyberspace, this directly addresses the issue of piracy and plagiarism :-(. Teaching students about the rules and laws of the Internet is critical because it is not always black and white. Overall, cyberspace is not a free for all, there are simple netiquette rules to follow to ensure every one's safety and well being =^)
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Journal #4
Weller, T. (2010). Playing with skype. Learning & Leading with Technology March/April, 37(6). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=March_April_No_6_1&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&NavMenuID=4516&ContentID=25508&DirectListComboInd=
Skype is a free web based platform that can be used to communicate over the Internet. It requires simple equipment including webcams and microphones a lot of which is typically already available at many schools. Students can interact with experts in all different fields all over the world in a virtual classroom. Skype can also provide an enriching educational experience by opening up the walls of the classroom and inviting others to share knowledge. The program is very simple to use that even someone trying it for the first time will have no problems.
1) How does Skype add value to the classroom?
Skype allows students to engage with experts across many fields in an interactive conversation that would likely never be possible otherwise. This is an easy and cost effective way for learning to occur outside the classroom without ever actually leaving the room. This technology can be used to bring an enriching learning experience to any type of class, even a music class as discussed in the article.
2) What are other ways educators can use Skype?
Skype is a valuable resource not only to students but also for parents. This tool can allow teachers to communicate with parents more often and more effectively without requiring a lot of additional time. If parents have a concern or important question it can be addressed sooner, instead of having to schedule an appointment to meet with the teacher at school. This creates a more open and flexible line of communication between teacher and parent, which typically has a positive impact on the student.
Skype is a free web based platform that can be used to communicate over the Internet. It requires simple equipment including webcams and microphones a lot of which is typically already available at many schools. Students can interact with experts in all different fields all over the world in a virtual classroom. Skype can also provide an enriching educational experience by opening up the walls of the classroom and inviting others to share knowledge. The program is very simple to use that even someone trying it for the first time will have no problems.
1) How does Skype add value to the classroom?
Skype allows students to engage with experts across many fields in an interactive conversation that would likely never be possible otherwise. This is an easy and cost effective way for learning to occur outside the classroom without ever actually leaving the room. This technology can be used to bring an enriching learning experience to any type of class, even a music class as discussed in the article.
2) What are other ways educators can use Skype?
Skype is a valuable resource not only to students but also for parents. This tool can allow teachers to communicate with parents more often and more effectively without requiring a lot of additional time. If parents have a concern or important question it can be addressed sooner, instead of having to schedule an appointment to meet with the teacher at school. This creates a more open and flexible line of communication between teacher and parent, which typically has a positive impact on the student.
Journal #3
Lindsay, J, & Davis, V. (2010). Navigate the digital rapids. Learning & Leading with Technology March/April , 37(6). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/LLIssues/Volume3720092010/MarchAprilNo6/Navigate_the_Digital_Rapids.htm
The digital landscape can be a daunting place for some teachers. To meet the learning needs of 21st century students, it has become a teacher’s responsibility to help and monitor their digital citizenship. This means transforming into a digital teacher, which includes researching technology trends and incorporating them into a student centered curriculum. Using customized Web 2.0 tools such as wikis, Nings or blogs can help flatten the walls of the classroom and connect students to other classrooms or places. This educational network requires close monitoring to ensure that everything is professional and not offensive. If a student violates these rules, the teacher must take appropriate action to address the issue and ensure it doesn’t reoccur. The goal of a collaborative educational network is to help students start to build a digital legacy. By giving them the ability to customize and personalize digital learning environments, they are able to create positive digital footprints that can be used for their future endeavors. The school network can provide an environment where positive digital practices can be modeled.
1) How much freedom should we give students in the school digital environment?
In the article it talks about giving students “admin rights” to customize and personalize digital tools on the network without having to get permission from the IT department. I think giving this freedom to students is valuable, especially because they are always one step ahead technologically, but it comes with a price. This opens up the doors for some students to violate that right and do something offensive or inappropriate. Even with the networks monitored 24/7 and the RSS feed tracking all new content, lines can still be crossed. There needs to be a careful balance as to what the students can access or post on the school network. The most important piece to having a successful flat classroom is to monitor closely and model appropriate digital citizenship.
2) What is the Flat Classroom Project and how can it effectively be used?
The Flat Classroom Project is a network for educators to share ideas for worldwide connections and global collaborative learning. The goal of the projects is to help students become globally minded by interacting with other classrooms through Web 2.0 tools such as wikis and Nings. This project can also provide alternate curricular perspective as ideas and suggestions are shared across the network. This is a valuable resource for teachers to help bring the outside world into their classrooms.
The digital landscape can be a daunting place for some teachers. To meet the learning needs of 21st century students, it has become a teacher’s responsibility to help and monitor their digital citizenship. This means transforming into a digital teacher, which includes researching technology trends and incorporating them into a student centered curriculum. Using customized Web 2.0 tools such as wikis, Nings or blogs can help flatten the walls of the classroom and connect students to other classrooms or places. This educational network requires close monitoring to ensure that everything is professional and not offensive. If a student violates these rules, the teacher must take appropriate action to address the issue and ensure it doesn’t reoccur. The goal of a collaborative educational network is to help students start to build a digital legacy. By giving them the ability to customize and personalize digital learning environments, they are able to create positive digital footprints that can be used for their future endeavors. The school network can provide an environment where positive digital practices can be modeled.
1) How much freedom should we give students in the school digital environment?
In the article it talks about giving students “admin rights” to customize and personalize digital tools on the network without having to get permission from the IT department. I think giving this freedom to students is valuable, especially because they are always one step ahead technologically, but it comes with a price. This opens up the doors for some students to violate that right and do something offensive or inappropriate. Even with the networks monitored 24/7 and the RSS feed tracking all new content, lines can still be crossed. There needs to be a careful balance as to what the students can access or post on the school network. The most important piece to having a successful flat classroom is to monitor closely and model appropriate digital citizenship.
2) What is the Flat Classroom Project and how can it effectively be used?
The Flat Classroom Project is a network for educators to share ideas for worldwide connections and global collaborative learning. The goal of the projects is to help students become globally minded by interacting with other classrooms through Web 2.0 tools such as wikis and Nings. This project can also provide alternate curricular perspective as ideas and suggestions are shared across the network. This is a valuable resource for teachers to help bring the outside world into their classrooms.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Journal #2
Bull, G, Alexander, C, & Ferster, B. (2010). Finding students who learn with media. Learning & Leading with Technology March/April 2010, 37 (5). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=February_No_5_4&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&NavMenuID=4495&ContentID=25255&DirectListComboInd=D
PrimaryAcess MovieMaker is a web-based tool that allows students to make their own short documentary films. The students contribute text, images and narration focused on a certain topic. The PrimaryAccess Storyboard allows students to accomplish this task in a shorter amount of time, usually within one class period, by providing necessary primary open source documents. When students worked with these on-line learning tools there were four different media engagement profiles that emerged: High technology/high content, high technology/low content, low technology/high content and low technology/low content. Each of these types of students engaged with the storyboarding activity at a different level. The study showed that 40% of the students were engaged with both the content and the activity, while either did not engage 15%. Web-based tools like PrimaryAccess can also provide teachers with real time performance assessments. These assessments can then be used to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of individual students so they can all benefit in some way from the authoring of media.
1)What are the benefits of incorporating web-based authoring tools into the curriculum?
Web-base Storyboarding is a creative activity that gets students engaged and can provide a better understanding and retention rate of the material. With limited time to spend on each topic, PrimaryAcess Storyboard allows students to create their own narrative in a single class period. This web-based program is also a tool for teachers to monitor and evaluate students. As students work through the content, the program collects information and provides feedback on their performance. This aspect is invaluable because it allows the teacher to react sooner to differentiate instruction for that student so they can have the same opportunity to learn as others. This immediate feedback and action can further help students to not get behind and better understand the content.
2)Is web-based authoring more effective for learning than writing traditional essays?
Base on the results of the media engagement profiles I would conclude that web-based authoring is more effective than traditional essay writing. Overall students spent more time on the storyboarding compared to students writing a traditional essay. This led to 40% of the students scoring a high level of content knowledge and a high level of engaging in the activity. This is a creative outlet that can help students not only learn content but also evaluate their performance. With traditional essay writing, students often don’t get any direct feedback or it takes teachers a while to assess them. With the web-based tools, teachers can monitor students while doing the activity and provide immediate feedback or differentiated instruction to help meet the needs of each individual
PrimaryAcess MovieMaker is a web-based tool that allows students to make their own short documentary films. The students contribute text, images and narration focused on a certain topic. The PrimaryAccess Storyboard allows students to accomplish this task in a shorter amount of time, usually within one class period, by providing necessary primary open source documents. When students worked with these on-line learning tools there were four different media engagement profiles that emerged: High technology/high content, high technology/low content, low technology/high content and low technology/low content. Each of these types of students engaged with the storyboarding activity at a different level. The study showed that 40% of the students were engaged with both the content and the activity, while either did not engage 15%. Web-based tools like PrimaryAccess can also provide teachers with real time performance assessments. These assessments can then be used to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of individual students so they can all benefit in some way from the authoring of media.
1)What are the benefits of incorporating web-based authoring tools into the curriculum?
Web-base Storyboarding is a creative activity that gets students engaged and can provide a better understanding and retention rate of the material. With limited time to spend on each topic, PrimaryAcess Storyboard allows students to create their own narrative in a single class period. This web-based program is also a tool for teachers to monitor and evaluate students. As students work through the content, the program collects information and provides feedback on their performance. This aspect is invaluable because it allows the teacher to react sooner to differentiate instruction for that student so they can have the same opportunity to learn as others. This immediate feedback and action can further help students to not get behind and better understand the content.
2)Is web-based authoring more effective for learning than writing traditional essays?
Base on the results of the media engagement profiles I would conclude that web-based authoring is more effective than traditional essay writing. Overall students spent more time on the storyboarding compared to students writing a traditional essay. This led to 40% of the students scoring a high level of content knowledge and a high level of engaging in the activity. This is a creative outlet that can help students not only learn content but also evaluate their performance. With traditional essay writing, students often don’t get any direct feedback or it takes teachers a while to assess them. With the web-based tools, teachers can monitor students while doing the activity and provide immediate feedback or differentiated instruction to help meet the needs of each individual
Journal #1
Zanetis, J. (2010). The Beginner's Guide to Interactive Virtual Field Trips. Learning & Leading with Technology March/April 2010, 37(6). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=March_April_No_6_1&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&NavMenuID=4516&ContentID=25443&DirectListComboInd=D
Virtual field trips allow students to experience places via the Internet that they wouldn’t normally be able to visit due to distance or cost. There are two types of virtual field trips, asynchronous and synchronous. Asynchronous VFT’s are websites dedicated to a certain subject or a video tour of a specific location. These types of VFT’s are not interactive and do not happen in real time. Synchronous VFT’s, on the other hand, are interactive experiences and happen in real time. Students can learn from and interact with an educator that is an expert in the area/location they are visiting. These types of VFT’s usually have a fee involved and require high tech videoconferencing equipment that schools may or may not already own. The Center for Interactive Learning and Cooperation allows you to search for a particular topic of interest for VFT’s and provides teacher feedback on which one’s are rated the best.
1) What are the pros and cons of asynchronous VFT’s?
The pros of asynchronous VFT’s are that they do not require high tech videoconferencing equipment and typically do not cost anything. It is a way for students to virtually visit a place that they might not ever get the opportunity due to distance or cost involved. The con is that these types of VFT’s are not interactive. The students are not able to ask anyone at the location questions or learn more about the topic outside of what is already provided on the website or video tour. I think these types of field trips can add value to a lesson but may not be as interesting or engaging for the students.
2) What are the pros and cons of synchronous VFT’s?
Synchronous VFT’s provide students the opportunity to interact and engage with the educators at different locations who are experts in the topic they are learning about. This type of VFT is most like an actual field trip except that it is a virtual experience, which kids are becoming more and more familiar with. Synchronous VFT’s do typically cost a fee although it is ultimately cheaper than taking a whole class to an actual location. The biggest con of interactive VFT’s is that they require high tech and expensive videoconference equipment. With only 30% of schools in the US owning this type of equipment it is unlikely that your school will have one or the funds to purchase one. I think this type of VFT is a great alternative to traditional field trips. It allows students to gain knowledge and perspective outside the classroom where a traditional field trip is not possible.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Introducting Liz O'Brien
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| My husband and I |
At home I have a Mac laptop which is a little slow and out dated but I love it. Mac's are so easy to use and very intuitive if you don't know something. At work I sit in front of a PC computer all day. It is a little odd switching back and forth between a PC at work and a Mac at home, at times I find myself trying to key in control copy on the Mac accidentally. In general I depend on technology a lot. My current job requires me to use excel and Powerpoint daily and out of work I use my iPhone or laptop for the internet. Iphone's are great because there are so many apps that make my life so convenient. If you want anything, such as getting a recommendation for a restaurant or knowing what your bank account balance is, there is an app for it just a click away.
The College of Education Mission Statement is particularly important growing up, living and planning on teaching in California. We have such a diverse population in this community and there are many challenges to meet the educational needs of all different kinds of children in our schools. As a teacher it will take collaboration and committment to be successful. I think the college of education at CSUSM will be a great start to my new profession as a teacher.
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