This has been an amazing and interesting journey that has opened my eyes to the myriad of free tools available to everyone - including educators. As a Jr. High teacher, I believe I need to make a special effort to be on top of new tools to introduce to students. A new techo-tool can be a great hook for a project that makes use of it! I think prior to this experience, I just assumed that anything worthwhile to use with students online, beyond a video link or website to view, came in an expensive software package. I could not have been more wrong.
I've always known that we must include technology in our curriculum to make it relevant to students' lives today and the future jobs for which they will be competing. But I wasn't aware of all of the free tools available. Free is fabulous! But the cost of technology still begins with decent equipment, and it becomes all but impossible for schools to afford the latest and greatest in these times of frugal budgets. Eventually the files become difficult for the older processors to load, and the students get extremely impatient. Many have the latest computer or Ipod with highspeed wireless internet at home. They aren't used to waiting when working on the computer and between slow speeds and blocked sites, I have several who prefer to do all of their computer work at home if possible. I would really like for everyone to be excited about using technology in school. There's no easy solution. Wouldn't it be nice if NCLB also contained funding for every student to get a laptop computer and regular upgrades? I can dream, can't I?
The other issue I see at school is the fact that our net-nanny blocks many of the tools - Flickr and blogspot are among those that will not even load. I'm not sure how we can solve this problem, but I will investigate and see if we can't get around it somehow. I'd like to offer blogging at school, so those without a computer at home woudn't have to write on paper. :-(
On a personal level, I will use Flickr for my photos. I'm especially excited about storing genealogical family photos and the potential to share with other family members. I also like the idea that they are safe from computer crashes! I can use it for school photos as well.
Professionally, I can see much potential in the tools. I have already used a blog for my students in their study of Romeo and Juliet. I'm very happy with how the experience is going with Literature and hope to try this format with other subjects in the future. I also plan to introduce my students to Google docs. Too many times, students have left their work on a flash drive at home and unless they remembered to save the work on the server, they cannot continue with the assignment. More than once there has also been a problem saving files to a flash drive. Google docs would definitely solve this! I can see the potential in wikis for students, but want to experience more of them myself. Once I get more familiar with wikis, I may also suggest that students form one to work on group projects from home.
I will be going back over these 23 Things often in the future because there is so much packed into them and I will continue to learn, reexamining the tools and exploring more of the many links. But I also need to remember that other tools will be evolving ,and it's up to me to keep up with new innovations. One way I can do this is with my blogline connections - especially the one covering what's new in Ed Tech! Once I find something useful, I owe it to my fellow faculty members to share the information - perhaps on a CMA Wiki - so we can improve learning for all CMA's students.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Thing 22
Here is a link to my wiki: http://cmawisdomhousewiki.wikispaces.com/ I created it for the three Junior High classrooms at CMA to have a place to share ideas about lessons, information for field trips, offer links for reprinting lost handouts, etc. I figured if I start on a small scale, I will be more likely to keep it up.
I experimented with placing links on a wiki page and found that there was an issue with my own laptop being unable to access a particular word file and open it. This bears trying on the MAC - will try that first, and continue my reflections afterward... I'm back, apparently the file has an issue because I can't view it on the MAC either. Will try it on my computer at school and if I still can't open it, will delete it. The other links and photos I put on the wiki seem to work fine.
As long as we can control who can edit the wiki, I have no problem with it. I can see great value to this as a great time saver over sending emails! I do have a reservation that some parents will not take the time to check the wiki, and may not even want any part of it. But it's worth a try, and my goal will be to get this wiki functional over the summer and try it out in the fall.
The main difference I can see in a blog and a wiki is the way the information is organized. Be-cause a wiki can limit which users login and edit the content, administrator control can be handled the same as a blog, where comments and posts can be pre-screened. The open style of a wiki can be useful for group projects, while a blog may be better suited to brainstorming or generating discussion. A wiki is a continually modifiable, easy-access web page, while a blog's journal-like style organizes and dates content so readers can see the exchange of ideas related to the particular blog topic.. The main difference, then, between a wiki and a blog becomes the layout and organization of information. A wiki becomes a continually modifiable easy-access web page, while a blog's journal-like style catalogs and dates content so readers can see the interchange of ideas related to the blog topic in question. A combination of the two, depending on the particular situation, will best suit educational needs.
I experimented with placing links on a wiki page and found that there was an issue with my own laptop being unable to access a particular word file and open it. This bears trying on the MAC - will try that first, and continue my reflections afterward... I'm back, apparently the file has an issue because I can't view it on the MAC either. Will try it on my computer at school and if I still can't open it, will delete it. The other links and photos I put on the wiki seem to work fine.
As long as we can control who can edit the wiki, I have no problem with it. I can see great value to this as a great time saver over sending emails! I do have a reservation that some parents will not take the time to check the wiki, and may not even want any part of it. But it's worth a try, and my goal will be to get this wiki functional over the summer and try it out in the fall.
The main difference I can see in a blog and a wiki is the way the information is organized. Be-cause a wiki can limit which users login and edit the content, administrator control can be handled the same as a blog, where comments and posts can be pre-screened. The open style of a wiki can be useful for group projects, while a blog may be better suited to brainstorming or generating discussion. A wiki is a continually modifiable, easy-access web page, while a blog's journal-like style organizes and dates content so readers can see the exchange of ideas related to the particular blog topic.. The main difference, then, between a wiki and a blog becomes the layout and organization of information. A wiki becomes a continually modifiable easy-access web page, while a blog's journal-like style catalogs and dates content so readers can see the interchange of ideas related to the blog topic in question. A combination of the two, depending on the particular situation, will best suit educational needs.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Thing 21
I was really impressed with the use of the wiki for literature (specifically the book Turn Homeward, Hannalee by Patricia Beatty) done by Woodward Academy. They had included Chapter summaries, a vocabulary dictionary, a timeline of American history contemporary to the story (Civil War Era in this case), a list of expressions common to the time and area, and even a Reader's Theater in which 2 or 3 students "act" out a short scene by speaking lines like the characters would . The teacher provided the narration. This wiki definitley covered all the bases!
I would also like to try a classroom wiki to communicate with parents. I could place the daily work plan and handouts on there for students who are absent - or have just lost their paperwork. Study guides and links to online support in core subjects could also be included along with classroom news reported by the students. What a great way to hone writing and editing skills!!
I am a little put off by the idea that a class wiki could be edited by anyone and wonder if I would have Jr. High wiki saboteurs. I would have to monitor the contents very closely. After experimenting with Wikipedia, I found there is definitely more to editing a wiki than I realized. I had visions of people planting their cursor into text and editing away. It seems that with Wikipedia at least, they do ask folks to cite a resource for their edited information and try to head off misinformation.
Another problem I might encounter is parents being skeptical of allowing their children to contribute to a website viewed by the public. Even if the faces are not shown, and last names not used, some parents may not want to allow students to participate in an unsecured space. I'm also wondering if our net nanny will allow students onto wikis? I know they can use wikipedia, but will have to experiment and see. They definitely can't blog, and I'm finding that many of my students have trouble getting their parents off the computer so they can blog to me once a week! As a result, I will have to remember that having a computer at home doesn't mean the student necessarily has unlimited use.
Is it worth the aggravation? Absolutely! In a perfect world, there would be an unlimited budget for technology and every student in my class would have their own laptop to use. But this isn't a perfect world, and we need to learn to accept the fact that there will be problems with technology. However solving those problems together sure provides a great educational experience! :-)
I would also like to try a classroom wiki to communicate with parents. I could place the daily work plan and handouts on there for students who are absent - or have just lost their paperwork. Study guides and links to online support in core subjects could also be included along with classroom news reported by the students. What a great way to hone writing and editing skills!!
I am a little put off by the idea that a class wiki could be edited by anyone and wonder if I would have Jr. High wiki saboteurs. I would have to monitor the contents very closely. After experimenting with Wikipedia, I found there is definitely more to editing a wiki than I realized. I had visions of people planting their cursor into text and editing away. It seems that with Wikipedia at least, they do ask folks to cite a resource for their edited information and try to head off misinformation.
Another problem I might encounter is parents being skeptical of allowing their children to contribute to a website viewed by the public. Even if the faces are not shown, and last names not used, some parents may not want to allow students to participate in an unsecured space. I'm also wondering if our net nanny will allow students onto wikis? I know they can use wikipedia, but will have to experiment and see. They definitely can't blog, and I'm finding that many of my students have trouble getting their parents off the computer so they can blog to me once a week! As a result, I will have to remember that having a computer at home doesn't mean the student necessarily has unlimited use.
Is it worth the aggravation? Absolutely! In a perfect world, there would be an unlimited budget for technology and every student in my class would have their own laptop to use. But this isn't a perfect world, and we need to learn to accept the fact that there will be problems with technology. However solving those problems together sure provides a great educational experience! :-)
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Thing 20
I subscribed to 3 podcasts, but my favorite is "The Teachers' Podcast - The New Generation of Ed. Tech Professional Development" hosted by Dr. Kathy King and Mark Gura. In these podcasts, the hosts share the latest and greatest for educators using free web tools. I listened to 2 episodes and really liked the one telling about the tool "voice thread" which can take a Powerpoint to a new level by using audio. It seems that the format is similar to a Wiki, in that it can be critiqued and edited, but I am looking forward to exploring that - perhaps it is the answer to the Powerpoint marriage with student audio? And there are many past episodes to explore!
I preferred using the Itunes system because I am familiar with it. Although I have a PC laptop, our family desktop is a MAC, and I also have an Ipod Touch, so I already had an Itunes account - although I had never explored the podcast selections before. So, I downloaded the Itunes software onto my laptop for this assignment. I really liked the visual displays for the Itunes podcast selections. In my opinion, they were much more appealing and better organized than the selection lists on Podcast Alley. Also, with Podcast Alley, they provided a link to download their aggregator and didn't include links to any others that are popular. I thought they could have included options for a couple of the other most popular ones. I agree with the tutorial that Itunes is the easiest method to use when suscribing to podcasts.
The field is changing so rapidly, I think educators need an inservice at least every other year to keep on top of the latest and greatest tools available.
So many podcasts and so little time! Now let me go check out voice thread! :-)
I preferred using the Itunes system because I am familiar with it. Although I have a PC laptop, our family desktop is a MAC, and I also have an Ipod Touch, so I already had an Itunes account - although I had never explored the podcast selections before. So, I downloaded the Itunes software onto my laptop for this assignment. I really liked the visual displays for the Itunes podcast selections. In my opinion, they were much more appealing and better organized than the selection lists on Podcast Alley. Also, with Podcast Alley, they provided a link to download their aggregator and didn't include links to any others that are popular. I thought they could have included options for a couple of the other most popular ones. I agree with the tutorial that Itunes is the easiest method to use when suscribing to podcasts.
The field is changing so rapidly, I think educators need an inservice at least every other year to keep on top of the latest and greatest tools available.
So many podcasts and so little time! Now let me go check out voice thread! :-)
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Thing 19
I really liked a podcast from the Lower Merion School District covering how teachers can deal with the fear of technology and the snafus that go along with technological assignments. Several teachers related their personal stories of techno-disasters, how they handled it and what they learned from their experience. I think my favorite story was one where the principal was visiting a classroom, following along like the students on a laptop. The instructor sent the students to a website at a ".gov" address, and the principal typed ".com" out of habit, which brought up an inappropriate website. The principal started having a fit! Then when the truth was figured out, everyone - including the students and principal - had a discussion about what they had learned from the experience. http://www.lmsd.org/staff/techmentor/podcast/FearFactor.m4a
A podcast like this one is what I would share with colleagues who are afraid to use technology. The candid comments and great stories of trials and triumphs using technology have given me new inspiration to keep my focus on the fact that it is all worth it in the end because even a failure is a lesson learned! I will expect future trials, but try to look at them in a more positive light.
Another podcast I liked was a 2nd grade student-led Willoweb podcast covering solids, liquids and gases. The master of ceremonies was definitely reading a script, and he couldn't pronounce his R's, but that made it all the more charming. One student defined the 3 terms, another told a riddle related to states of matter, and still another gave a description of an experiment you can do with ice, salt, and string. Another interviewed a guest expert. The expert had the same last name as the teacher :-), but was also an engineer for the local natural gas utility. There were about 6 or 7 well thought out questions in the interview which was nicely done. I was very impressed with the integration of music into the background - very professional sounding. An added bonus was a demonstration video link done by 5th grader "Katherine". I noticed that Katherine's face was never shown. Only her hands as she performed the experiment and her voice explaining the actions were included. The 2nd graders all used first names only. I think this was well-thought out as an internet safety precaution. I also liked the fact that there was a printed agenda on the webpage along with the crawling sound bar, which was much more interesting to look at then the bar alone!
http://mps.mpsomaha.org/willow/radio/shows/Willowcast35.html
It's obvious from what I have observed that even very young children can be involved in podcasts. The complexity (and teacher's expectations) increases with the students' grade level and experience, and I can see where they can learn to hone writing and speaking skills. I do think it would be exciting for my students to hear themselves, at least at first. But my concern is that this would eventually be considered lame without the visual aspect. My 7/8 graders seem to always want the visual - even if it's a slide show or still photo. I'm wondering if one can "marry" a Power Point for visuals and a podcast for sound? Defnitely something to research and find out about!
A podcast like this one is what I would share with colleagues who are afraid to use technology. The candid comments and great stories of trials and triumphs using technology have given me new inspiration to keep my focus on the fact that it is all worth it in the end because even a failure is a lesson learned! I will expect future trials, but try to look at them in a more positive light.
Another podcast I liked was a 2nd grade student-led Willoweb podcast covering solids, liquids and gases. The master of ceremonies was definitely reading a script, and he couldn't pronounce his R's, but that made it all the more charming. One student defined the 3 terms, another told a riddle related to states of matter, and still another gave a description of an experiment you can do with ice, salt, and string. Another interviewed a guest expert. The expert had the same last name as the teacher :-), but was also an engineer for the local natural gas utility. There were about 6 or 7 well thought out questions in the interview which was nicely done. I was very impressed with the integration of music into the background - very professional sounding. An added bonus was a demonstration video link done by 5th grader "Katherine". I noticed that Katherine's face was never shown. Only her hands as she performed the experiment and her voice explaining the actions were included. The 2nd graders all used first names only. I think this was well-thought out as an internet safety precaution. I also liked the fact that there was a printed agenda on the webpage along with the crawling sound bar, which was much more interesting to look at then the bar alone!
http://mps.mpsomaha.org/willow/radio/shows/Willowcast35.html
It's obvious from what I have observed that even very young children can be involved in podcasts. The complexity (and teacher's expectations) increases with the students' grade level and experience, and I can see where they can learn to hone writing and speaking skills. I do think it would be exciting for my students to hear themselves, at least at first. But my concern is that this would eventually be considered lame without the visual aspect. My 7/8 graders seem to always want the visual - even if it's a slide show or still photo. I'm wondering if one can "marry" a Power Point for visuals and a podcast for sound? Defnitely something to research and find out about!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Thing 18
Found a great presentation about "25 tools" from the web which, with the exception of Slideshare, are not repeats of the ones we are learning in "23 Things"! That means MORE things to look into and learn! It's really mind-boggling what is available!
Professionally, I like the idea that there are many presentations out there ready to go, but there are so many! It might be faster to create and store my own that I'm sure will cover specific GLCE's. I can definitely get some great ideas from the site! I think the most useful part of this tool is its ability to store presentations - either mine or those of students. My presentations would be safe from computer mishaps and available all the time in one spot, accessible anywhere there's internet. My students have had a horrible time trying to save presentations on flash drives, so this would be a great alternative!
25 tools to entertain, educate, enthrall
View more presentations from Phil Bradley.
Professionally, I like the idea that there are many presentations out there ready to go, but there are so many! It might be faster to create and store my own that I'm sure will cover specific GLCE's. I can definitely get some great ideas from the site! I think the most useful part of this tool is its ability to store presentations - either mine or those of students. My presentations would be safe from computer mishaps and available all the time in one spot, accessible anywhere there's internet. My students have had a horrible time trying to save presentations on flash drives, so this would be a great alternative!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Thing 17
I am a consummate list-maker whose paper lists sometimes go missing, so I decided to explore "Remember the Milk" - a list making and reminding tool. I created an account to explore, and found that it can manage tasks by sending reminders pretty much anywhere - emails, SMS, and instant messages. I liked that you can set up events using a calendar. You can also store notes with tasks to keep all of the pertinent info together and schedule events to occur on a regular schedule. There are even maps to refer to, in case the things on your list(s) require(s) locating a destination. In addition, one can share, send and publish tasks and lists to select contacts or to everyone, and the tool can be used on a web-enabled mobile device.
I don't forget obligations very often, but I think it would be convenient to remind myself with an IM or email to make sure I recall a due date. I've scheduled some reminding to occur this week, so we'll see how that goes. I also think it might help me keep track of an ongoing grocery list, which after several days at home, seems to have sprouted legs and walked away! I can't find it to add items and can't recall what items were already on the list! I also think it might help me with something like a list of things to do to begin the school year.
I liked the fact that it included different categories for lists - work, personal, study etc.- to help keep the lists organized. This seems like it might be a good tool for students because of the "Study" tab. We give assignment sheets for the week ahead on Fridays, so on the weekend, my students could schedule their homework assignments to fit into their personal schedule for the next week.
I don't forget obligations very often, but I think it would be convenient to remind myself with an IM or email to make sure I recall a due date. I've scheduled some reminding to occur this week, so we'll see how that goes. I also think it might help me keep track of an ongoing grocery list, which after several days at home, seems to have sprouted legs and walked away! I can't find it to add items and can't recall what items were already on the list! I also think it might help me with something like a list of things to do to begin the school year.
I liked the fact that it included different categories for lists - work, personal, study etc.- to help keep the lists organized. This seems like it might be a good tool for students because of the "Study" tab. We give assignment sheets for the week ahead on Fridays, so on the weekend, my students could schedule their homework assignments to fit into their personal schedule for the next week.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)