Thursday, September 25, 2008
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Dr. Alice Christie's Site!
I was extremely encouraged by Dr.Christie's website. She has truly grasped the idea that technology is a wonderful tool that we need to implement in every child's life. She has a PhD in Educational Technology. She believes that we should use technology in the classroom. I agree completely with her. Also, Dr.Christie believes that we, as teachers, should be lifelong learners. I love that! I could use the site in a variety of ways. She has listed many resources, references, and ideas for teachers to use technology in the classroom.
I loved a few of the links I followed from her main website. I especially enjoyed one that had many ideas for children to use technology. One teacher had the students use Inspiration Software to make webs of the information they learned after watching a video. Another wonderful idea was with the use of Apple Works draw program. The students drew pictures that related to their vocabulary words. We have all these resources in front of us, we just need to use them. We forget all the technology we have at our fingertips that can make our classes more successful. From the internet to a digital camera, we need to take advantage of these things for our students.
I loved a few of the links I followed from her main website. I especially enjoyed one that had many ideas for children to use technology. One teacher had the students use Inspiration Software to make webs of the information they learned after watching a video. Another wonderful idea was with the use of Apple Works draw program. The students drew pictures that related to their vocabulary words. We have all these resources in front of us, we just need to use them. We forget all the technology we have at our fingertips that can make our classes more successful. From the internet to a digital camera, we need to take advantage of these things for our students.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Wikipedia
I remember in my second year here at South, my English professor warned us against using Wikipedia as a reliable source. It is common knowledge that anyone can edit these entries on the site. Personally, I never use Wikipedia as a source for anything. There are so many other sites and places to find information. I think that is really neat that Virgil Griffith took time to develop the Wikipedia Scanner. I think for many people that will be very helpful for them. In reference to companies deleting information, whose to say that information was not false to begin with. They could have possibly been deleting untruthful information. I think that as long as anyone is able to edit Wikipedia themselves, that it is not going to be a reliable source. I guess we all take a risk by getting our information from the internet. You just have to be careful and do not be lazy. Check a few sources to make sure your information is correct!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
Fischbowl Blogging!
Hey everyone! So, I just finished reading, "Blogging 1984,-with parents." I really enjoyed reading this everything associated with this post. Two ninth grade teachers had their classes and parents get involved in blogging. The teachers asked the parents to read the book, "1984", with the students and also post thoughts. I was amazed at the response from so many parents. They loved that the teachers wanted them to be involved in the classroom as well. Many questions and things to think about were posted to prompt responses.
The students also posted expectations of their parents, while blogging. Many statements suggested that the parents should be commited to the blogging just like the students have too. Also, that the parents do not ridicule or make fun of the students. The class also commented that the parents need to stick to the original questions and not stray from the subject of the book. I thought the ideas of the students were impressive.
I believe that this is such a fabulous way to get parents involved in what their children are learning. Also, I think that the parents probably earned more respect for their children, in seeing their ideas and thoughts. This was a great opportunity to open technology up to a different generation. Having the parents be a part of this assigment is so great in so many aspects. I bet that more conversation was help between students and parents, as a result.
Another thing that I found interesting was that on the teacher's sites, that they assigned students to scribe each day. This allowed for everyone to know what happened in the classroom daily. Also, this made a child responsible each day for paying attention to what was going on in class and posting it for the entire class. I loved that some of the students apologized to classmates for posting so late in the evening. I think this process has a lot of teamwork involved.
These students blew me away with how responsive and how responsible they were with this blogging system. The teacher was also very connected with them as far as communication goes. They were able to have questioned answered, even when she was absent from class. I will utilized a system like this for my students and parents.
Click here to check it out!
The students also posted expectations of their parents, while blogging. Many statements suggested that the parents should be commited to the blogging just like the students have too. Also, that the parents do not ridicule or make fun of the students. The class also commented that the parents need to stick to the original questions and not stray from the subject of the book. I thought the ideas of the students were impressive.
I believe that this is such a fabulous way to get parents involved in what their children are learning. Also, I think that the parents probably earned more respect for their children, in seeing their ideas and thoughts. This was a great opportunity to open technology up to a different generation. Having the parents be a part of this assigment is so great in so many aspects. I bet that more conversation was help between students and parents, as a result.
Another thing that I found interesting was that on the teacher's sites, that they assigned students to scribe each day. This allowed for everyone to know what happened in the classroom daily. Also, this made a child responsible each day for paying attention to what was going on in class and posting it for the entire class. I loved that some of the students apologized to classmates for posting so late in the evening. I think this process has a lot of teamwork involved.
These students blew me away with how responsive and how responsible they were with this blogging system. The teacher was also very connected with them as far as communication goes. They were able to have questioned answered, even when she was absent from class. I will utilized a system like this for my students and parents.
Click here to check it out!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Now striving for technology literacy...
Well, it is 2:30 in the morning and I just finished reading the fischbowl blog and ALL of the comments. I just could not stop reading them. It was so interesting and I knew I would not be satisfied until I read every one of them. Needless to say, I am very tired at this point. The original blog about teacher illiteracy was so eye opening for me. I love how he cares so much more about the well-fair of his students than if the subject he teaches is being bashed. His focus throughtout ALL of this blog is his students and what we as educators can do to help them. We have the capablility to hold their social and economical mobility in our hands. We have no right to sit back and stick with our "old" ways. The truth is, technology is in almost every single aspect of our everyday lives, therefore, it is in every aspect of our students' lives as well. All teachers need to jump on the technology train.
Before entering EDM310 I would have definately considered myself technologically literate. I mean just like in the post, I know how to produce spreadsheets and do power points. Had I ever posted a blog? No! Had I ever listened to a Podcast? No! I did not even know that classrooms used blogs. I realize how inadequate my knowledge of technology is and what it has to offer me and my students. Even though I do not know them yet, I do want the best for my students. I want to offer them the best opportunities possible. Therefore, I am committed to taking time to learn more and grow in my technological skills. Unlike the teachers discussed in the blog, I am not intimidated. If I fail, I will try again and again until I get it.
I love that in the post it is mentioned about students helping teach the teachers. I LOVE THIS! I feel like this allows them to see that we, teachers, are real. That we are not perfect, we do not have it all together, and that we WILL fail. Showing them this side of us, allows them to be more vulnerable with us. Allowing us to help mold and impact their lives. It is great that technology can open up so many doors for student and teacher relationships. My future classroom has amazing potential and I do not want to hold them back from anything, because I did not take the time to learn about technology. So, here I go into preperation for the future! :)
Before entering EDM310 I would have definately considered myself technologically literate. I mean just like in the post, I know how to produce spreadsheets and do power points. Had I ever posted a blog? No! Had I ever listened to a Podcast? No! I did not even know that classrooms used blogs. I realize how inadequate my knowledge of technology is and what it has to offer me and my students. Even though I do not know them yet, I do want the best for my students. I want to offer them the best opportunities possible. Therefore, I am committed to taking time to learn more and grow in my technological skills. Unlike the teachers discussed in the blog, I am not intimidated. If I fail, I will try again and again until I get it.
I love that in the post it is mentioned about students helping teach the teachers. I LOVE THIS! I feel like this allows them to see that we, teachers, are real. That we are not perfect, we do not have it all together, and that we WILL fail. Showing them this side of us, allows them to be more vulnerable with us. Allowing us to help mold and impact their lives. It is great that technology can open up so many doors for student and teacher relationships. My future classroom has amazing potential and I do not want to hold them back from anything, because I did not take the time to learn about technology. So, here I go into preperation for the future! :)
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
New Handouts
Ms. Averitte hs distributed some interesting articles on RSS Feeds and Podcasting.
The ABC's of RSS.
Podcasting: Just the Basics.
The ABC's of RSS.
Podcasting: Just the Basics.
Monday, September 8, 2008
International Classroom Fun
I found the cutest classroom blog! The class is a year 3 and 4 class in rural New Zealand. The teacher uses the blog for a few different purposes. First of all she uses it to post things that are happening in the classroom and fun events going on in school. They also use the blog to 
interact with other people. They encourage people to leave comments on their page. The page is also used for assignments. The teacher post assignment questions and the children reply through the blog. I think that this is such a great way to keep the kids up to par in using technology. There are also livewires to view. It is such an interactive and fun blog. Their accents are precious. The picture is of them!Here they are!
This blog is pretty awesome, as well! It is from a classroom in Lebanon. The children are fourth graders. Mrs. Bashour is the administrator of this blog. She uses the blog for multiple purposes, just like the
teacher above. The children are able to interact on the page. They have to post comments and reply to certain blog topics. Fun events are posted and also fun videos. I like that Mrs. Bashour does not just use the site for work but also for fun stuff to engage the children. Also, something I thought was really neat is that Mrs. Bashour is in constant communication with them. She is even taking time to figure out how to transfer their blogs to their 5th grade classes when they go. I think that it would be really beneficial if I could start this system in my classroom. It would help my children communicate with me and other students. Also, it would help them learn more about technology. Click here!
interact with other people. They encourage people to leave comments on their page. The page is also used for assignments. The teacher post assignment questions and the children reply through the blog. I think that this is such a great way to keep the kids up to par in using technology. There are also livewires to view. It is such an interactive and fun blog. Their accents are precious. The picture is of them!Here they are! This blog is pretty awesome, as well! It is from a classroom in Lebanon. The children are fourth graders. Mrs. Bashour is the administrator of this blog. She uses the blog for multiple purposes, just like the
teacher above. The children are able to interact on the page. They have to post comments and reply to certain blog topics. Fun events are posted and also fun videos. I like that Mrs. Bashour does not just use the site for work but also for fun stuff to engage the children. Also, something I thought was really neat is that Mrs. Bashour is in constant communication with them. She is even taking time to figure out how to transfer their blogs to their 5th grade classes when they go. I think that it would be really beneficial if I could start this system in my classroom. It would help my children communicate with me and other students. Also, it would help them learn more about technology. Click here!
Friday, September 5, 2008
Blog use around the globe!
In Centennial, Colorado a tenth grade English Class uses blogging. Mr. Sale's, the teacher, has set up a blog and post questions for students to reply to. There are no guidelines on how long or short the comments have to be, they just have to answer the questions. This blog allows for the students to share ideas about the things they are reading and writing in Mr. Sale's class. He addresses that two main questions they will be determining throughout the semester will be, "How do we overcome our circumstances?" and "What is the price of progress?".
http://tsaleone0809.blogspot.com/2008_08_01_archive.html
At http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=1337, Mrs. Cassidy is giving her kids a head start on blogging. These six year old children from Moose Jaw, Canada have access to many resources and fun activities through the blog. Mrs. Cassidy post new blogs on what the children are learning and has many sites relating to subject matter. This site is helpful to the students and also to the parents. It states that they want to connect with the world from their classroom. I think that this is such a g
reat way to start children off with early technology. This blog allows for students to post comments on what they are learning and also teachers can post entries as well.Both of the blogs were very interesting. I think that I will definitely utilize a blog in my classroom one day. I also love the idea that the parents can get involved more through the use of blogging. It is such a wonderful way to share resources, homework, field trips, and so much stuff with other teacher, parents, and students!
"Did You Know" video!
The "Did You Know" video blew me away! I absolutely loved this video. I did not know so much of the information shared. First of all, the statistics that the video gives made me think twice. I had no idea some of the things that the video showed. I love that the video has been shared with so many users and that it will continue to be used. Technology has taken this world and completed transformed it. The video said that 70% of four year old children have used a computer, that 50% of people in the world have content on the web, and that thousands of words have been added to our vocabulary in just years. That is amazing and scary at the same time.
As a future teacher and parent, my concerns are how will I help keep my children prepared for the booming technology. I love how the video challenges people with "What's your vision"? It really made me think, what is my vision. How will I prepare myself and others for what the future holds. I love that we have people trying to help prepare this future generation. There are so many resources, conferences, websites, etc. available, to help spur on this growth. The ACCESS program, the shifthappens site, teacher blogs, etc. are all very helpful. Thankfully, I have seen this video and can go from here to further my vision.
As a future teacher and parent, my concerns are how will I help keep my children prepared for the booming technology. I love how the video challenges people with "What's your vision"? It really made me think, what is my vision. How will I prepare myself and others for what the future holds. I love that we have people trying to help prepare this future generation. There are so many resources, conferences, websites, etc. available, to help spur on this growth. The ACCESS program, the shifthappens site, teacher blogs, etc. are all very helpful. Thankfully, I have seen this video and can go from here to further my vision.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
ACCESS
Wow! I had never heard of any opportunities like those that the ACCESS (Alabama Connecting Classroom, Educators and Students Statewide) program allows. The ACCESS program allows students the opportunity to take Advanced Placement, elective, and other courses on the internet, that they may not normally have access to. It is a program set up by the state of Alabama for all public high schools. The ACCESS program uses the internet and E-teachers. The program is free to students. Schools are responsible for the equipment, internet access, and textbooks that may be required. All of the ACCESS classes meet Alabama Course of Study standards.
I think that the ACCESS program is fabulous. I believe that the students should be given the chance to take courses that may not otherwise be offered to them. When I was in high school I would have loved to had the opportunity to take some of the classes offered by ACCESS. The site also allows for teachers to learn about ACCESS and even become involved by applying to be an ACCESS distance learning teacher or facilitator. I do not plan to teach high school so as of right now this program does not effect my career but I still think it is wonderful. I believe that high school teachers, parents, and students should take full advantage of the ACCESS program.
http://accessdl.state.al.us
I think that the ACCESS program is fabulous. I believe that the students should be given the chance to take courses that may not otherwise be offered to them. When I was in high school I would have loved to had the opportunity to take some of the classes offered by ACCESS. The site also allows for teachers to learn about ACCESS and even become involved by applying to be an ACCESS distance learning teacher or facilitator. I do not plan to teach high school so as of right now this program does not effect my career but I still think it is wonderful. I believe that high school teachers, parents, and students should take full advantage of the ACCESS program.
http://accessdl.state.al.us
ALEX
I really enjoyed the ALEX (http://alex.state.al.us) website. The site has so many resources for teachers, administrators, and students. I probably spent almost two hours just searching through all the fun stuff that this site offers. First of all, ALEX provides students with many websites that offer then educational sites to explore on the web. They can find resources on ALEX from looking up certain animals to help with homework. Also, there is a link to an online translator. Children and parents can find resources on ALEX for counseling and guidance. It is easy to navigate through the site and find the information you need.
For teachers, I think ALEX is such a valuable reference to have. It provides lesson plans for every grade and every subject. There are also teaching tools and learning tools on the site. Countless handouts and references can be found to help in your classroom. Something interesting I found was the access to links for developmental opportunities and for grants. I will be using the ALEX site as a teacher. I will also provide parents with a handout of the site's address. I think it is a wonderful reference for everyone and should be utilized.
For teachers, I think ALEX is such a valuable reference to have. It provides lesson plans for every grade and every subject. There are also teaching tools and learning tools on the site. Countless handouts and references can be found to help in your classroom. Something interesting I found was the access to links for developmental opportunities and for grants. I will be using the ALEX site as a teacher. I will also provide parents with a handout of the site's address. I think it is a wonderful reference for everyone and should be utilized.
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