Here are the links to my web pages if you're interested:
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Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Wow - can't believe it's nearly over!
This class has flown by so quickly, and it's kept me pretty busy. I've learned so much and feel more confident about using web-based tools now. I'm excited about our field trip in Second Life tonight. In fact, I plopped my avatar in a seat at the amphi-theatre already, just to make sure I'm on time. My web pages are coming along well, just a glitch with images that I'm working on now. I had a meeting for a local club that I belong to last night and learned that a fellow club member is taking an on-line class at UMB this summer as well. She's already a teacher but stays home with her children, so she is taking a class to keep up her license. I told her that I've been very pleased with this on-line class, and have learned at least as much as I have in past traditionally-taught classes.
Early Friday morning we're off on our last trip of the summer: to eastern Quebec to visit with husband's mother and extended family. I'm packing clothing for weather similar to what we've had the last few days here - cool. We're looking forward to our trip.
Best of luck to all of you, I'm sure I'll see some of you in the future.
Early Friday morning we're off on our last trip of the summer: to eastern Quebec to visit with husband's mother and extended family. I'm packing clothing for weather similar to what we've had the last few days here - cool. We're looking forward to our trip.
Best of luck to all of you, I'm sure I'll see some of you in the future.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Broader Perspective
Yesterday I drove from Westwood to my parents' home in rural north-central PA. It ended up taking us (my two kids and I) 10 hours, and the last hour was by far the roughest. But I did have a lot of time to think while I was driving, and I spent a few minutes reflecting on what I've learned in this class. I can't say I'll remember all of the details of some of the tools we've explored, but I will remember how to go about finding the information I need in order use some of these tools. Most importantly, I've gained a broader perspective about the web and the web-based tools that are becoming a standard part of many of our lives. In addition, I've come to understand the value many of these tools hold in terms of education and supplementing classroom activities and learning. I think this class has given me the confidence to know that I can use blogs, wikis, RSS, etc. in my future classroom. I think the Richardson text was a worth-while purchase too, since I'll surely use it as a reference when I'm setting up these tools in my classroom.
Friday, August 3, 2007
Response to Wall Street Journal article
I believe that the internet is indeed cluttered with useless information. In my opinion, however, the content on the internet is generally more beneficial and accessible to the majority of users than it even was. It does require some sifting, but searching the internet can yield a successful result most of the time. Whether one is seeking comedy, medical advice, video entertainment, correspondence, news, or intellectual conversation, any and all of this is available on-line. I’m amazed by the web-based tools, capabilities, and innovations that comprise Web 2.0. This class has introduced me to concepts and tools that I had only heard of, but had never attempted to use. Although I struggle from time-to-time when using computers, I whole-heartedly agree that the internet offers an array of positives to its users. I feel that I am somewhat successful at avoiding the information that is meaningless to me, and applying the useful web-based tools to my life. Tools like RSS make it possible to have the information that interests you come to you, so deflecting unwanted information is not all that difficult.
The concept of “radical trust” is deep one. Web 2.0 presents its users with many opportunities to go astray, or be lead astray. Consequently, internet safety is an urgent topic that should be covered with students and children before they even begin using the internet. Likewise, such ideas as the validity of internet content, and the motives behind some internet users, are topics that relate to the idea of “radical trust.” I think maturity and experience can help internet users make good decisions about what to publish, how much to reveal, and when to avoid a scam. Quite honestly, “radical trust” and internet safety make me nervous when I think ahead to my future classroom full of innocent students. I want to make sure I address these topics in an appropriate and effective manner with my students, so that their experiences on-line will be positive and productive. I plan to employ the help of my future administrators, as well as the school’s IT department, since they might be able to amend my comments, to make sure my students understand the gravity of being safe while using the internet.
Whenever I login to my blog, I notice a little ticker that tells which blogs have been updated within the last minute. Many of these blogs are irrelevant to my interests, but that does not preclude me from recognizing that blogs are a great tool that can easily be used by students. I think the idea of having students set-up and maintain a personal blogs as a response journal is a fabulous way to take advantage of one of Web 2.0’s premier tools. In addition, with RSS, the teacher can easily review recent posts. Of all of the tools we’ve discovered and learned about so far in this course, blogs are the one I think I’ll definitely use.
I have to admit, I never spent much time with YouTube prior to this class because I thought it was junk. I still think some if it’s junk, but I have recently discovered that many of the videos have merit, and can be useful ways to deliver a multi-media message to students. I was engrossed in the eight-minute “Did You Know…” video that was part of this week’s lecture. What a terrific way to get the idea of “paradigm shift” across. I think most students enjoy learning from different media, and tend to remember lesson that were presented in untraditional ways. Provided I have access to the equipment to make it happen, I think using video snippets (not just YouTube) is an avenue I would like to explore with my future students.
In the first week of class we read an article by Marc Prensky that discussed the socialization of kids today. Prensky asserted that our teaching must change, in order to accommodate our students, who are a product of their digital upbringing. I think using some of the web-based tools we’ve learned about in this class is a good way to enhance our teaching, so that our students are learning in ways that appeal to them. However, I believe it is essential to continue to hold students to high standards with regard to: reading and writing skills, proper written and spoken English, math, history, and science. As well, I think manners and etiquette are important and should be considered a vital part of growing and maturing. Luckily, I think Web2.0 offers many options for fusing the old with the new. For example, using a class wiki to collaboratively write a lab report for a science experiment potentially combines traditional as well as contemporary learning tools. Such a lesson is likely to engage more students, since somewhere along the way, something is going to spark the interest of most students. I hope to keep my lessons well-integrated and not too monotonous, so that my students will be interested in the content and willing to participate and learn.
The internet and its tools are a way of life for us in 2007, so I think it’s useless to hope things will settle down and that the craziness of Web 2.0 will subside. The more reasonable approach is to jump in, devise a way to make use of the tools that can add value to your life, and employ those tools in a responsible way. In my opinion, the changes that have taken place regarding the internet and its content have been an improvement. I have developed my own skills for discarding and ignoring information that is irrelevant to me. I hope to instill in my future students a keen sense of internet safety, as well as the ability to navigate the internet well, and use its tools efficiently. I am sure my students are already using many of the tools that I’m just now learning about. My goal as a teacher is to incorporate such things as blogs, video snippets, and wikis into my lessons, to enforce old-fashioned skills and learning in a new, relevant way.
Bibliography:
Prensky, Marc. “Do They Really Think Differently?” On the Horizon (NCB University
Press). Vol. 9 No. 6, Dec. 2001.
The concept of “radical trust” is deep one. Web 2.0 presents its users with many opportunities to go astray, or be lead astray. Consequently, internet safety is an urgent topic that should be covered with students and children before they even begin using the internet. Likewise, such ideas as the validity of internet content, and the motives behind some internet users, are topics that relate to the idea of “radical trust.” I think maturity and experience can help internet users make good decisions about what to publish, how much to reveal, and when to avoid a scam. Quite honestly, “radical trust” and internet safety make me nervous when I think ahead to my future classroom full of innocent students. I want to make sure I address these topics in an appropriate and effective manner with my students, so that their experiences on-line will be positive and productive. I plan to employ the help of my future administrators, as well as the school’s IT department, since they might be able to amend my comments, to make sure my students understand the gravity of being safe while using the internet.
Whenever I login to my blog, I notice a little ticker that tells which blogs have been updated within the last minute. Many of these blogs are irrelevant to my interests, but that does not preclude me from recognizing that blogs are a great tool that can easily be used by students. I think the idea of having students set-up and maintain a personal blogs as a response journal is a fabulous way to take advantage of one of Web 2.0’s premier tools. In addition, with RSS, the teacher can easily review recent posts. Of all of the tools we’ve discovered and learned about so far in this course, blogs are the one I think I’ll definitely use.
I have to admit, I never spent much time with YouTube prior to this class because I thought it was junk. I still think some if it’s junk, but I have recently discovered that many of the videos have merit, and can be useful ways to deliver a multi-media message to students. I was engrossed in the eight-minute “Did You Know…” video that was part of this week’s lecture. What a terrific way to get the idea of “paradigm shift” across. I think most students enjoy learning from different media, and tend to remember lesson that were presented in untraditional ways. Provided I have access to the equipment to make it happen, I think using video snippets (not just YouTube) is an avenue I would like to explore with my future students.
In the first week of class we read an article by Marc Prensky that discussed the socialization of kids today. Prensky asserted that our teaching must change, in order to accommodate our students, who are a product of their digital upbringing. I think using some of the web-based tools we’ve learned about in this class is a good way to enhance our teaching, so that our students are learning in ways that appeal to them. However, I believe it is essential to continue to hold students to high standards with regard to: reading and writing skills, proper written and spoken English, math, history, and science. As well, I think manners and etiquette are important and should be considered a vital part of growing and maturing. Luckily, I think Web2.0 offers many options for fusing the old with the new. For example, using a class wiki to collaboratively write a lab report for a science experiment potentially combines traditional as well as contemporary learning tools. Such a lesson is likely to engage more students, since somewhere along the way, something is going to spark the interest of most students. I hope to keep my lessons well-integrated and not too monotonous, so that my students will be interested in the content and willing to participate and learn.
The internet and its tools are a way of life for us in 2007, so I think it’s useless to hope things will settle down and that the craziness of Web 2.0 will subside. The more reasonable approach is to jump in, devise a way to make use of the tools that can add value to your life, and employ those tools in a responsible way. In my opinion, the changes that have taken place regarding the internet and its content have been an improvement. I have developed my own skills for discarding and ignoring information that is irrelevant to me. I hope to instill in my future students a keen sense of internet safety, as well as the ability to navigate the internet well, and use its tools efficiently. I am sure my students are already using many of the tools that I’m just now learning about. My goal as a teacher is to incorporate such things as blogs, video snippets, and wikis into my lessons, to enforce old-fashioned skills and learning in a new, relevant way.
Bibliography:
Prensky, Marc. “Do They Really Think Differently?” On the Horizon (NCB University
Press). Vol. 9 No. 6, Dec. 2001.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
del.icio.us is cool
I feel like each week things get better and better, in the sense that I keep learning and learning and learning - new things that I never even knew existed. I've said it once, I'll say it again a hundred times: LOVE THIS COURSE. I've benefitted so much from the new tools I've learned about, and it's my hope that I'll be able to use some of these tools when I start teaching, and that my students will learn from them too.
del.icio.us seems to be a great tool to connect those interested in the same topics, and could save some time and energy for people with common interests. I think del.icio.us is pretty handy!
Web-based tools seem to be the answer for many things these days, and del.icio.us falls into this category. I think being tied to files and favorites and the like, that are saved on one computer, is quickly becoming a thing of the past, and for the better. Efficiency and access seem to be the new norm for web/technology users.
del.icio.us seems to be a great tool to connect those interested in the same topics, and could save some time and energy for people with common interests. I think del.icio.us is pretty handy!
Web-based tools seem to be the answer for many things these days, and del.icio.us falls into this category. I think being tied to files and favorites and the like, that are saved on one computer, is quickly becoming a thing of the past, and for the better. Efficiency and access seem to be the new norm for web/technology users.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Subscription seems to be working
I think my subscription button has worked for some of you, so that's good news. If anyone has trouble subscribing to my podcasts in iTunes, please let me know.
Subscribing not working yet...
Heads-up, my podcasts cannot yet be subscribed to with iTunes, there is a small glitch that I'm hoping to fix soon. But you can listen to my podcasts by clicking on the links directly from the blog.
My second podcast
In my second commentary, I explain why I think podcasting is here to stay, but not a tool most teachers will use. Click here to listen.
My first podcast
In my first commentary, I discuss why I think podcasting could be a useful tool for teachers and students. Click here to listen.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
RSS
I really liked the YouTube video that presented this week's lesson on RSS feeds. I thought the video did a nice job of explaining the value of this tool, and did so in a funny, simplistic way. I actually learned a lot from this lesson, as usual I guess. I had fun picking out the sites to subscribe to, and indulged my celebrity obsession with a feed from the Yahoo entertainment site. It's nice that all of this meaningless but entertaining celebrity gossip is now coming directly to me!
The fact that some sites like Yahoo and Google give searchers the option to customize feeds is nice too, this could be very useful. I can envision having students customize their searches if they were doing research papers, and use this tool to have relevant feeds coming to their readers, this could really work in a classroom I think.
I feel like this course is flying by, and I'm not dreading it at all, I very much enjoy learning all of this material. I can't believe that we're in the middle of July already.
The fact that some sites like Yahoo and Google give searchers the option to customize feeds is nice too, this could be very useful. I can envision having students customize their searches if they were doing research papers, and use this tool to have relevant feeds coming to their readers, this could really work in a classroom I think.
I feel like this course is flying by, and I'm not dreading it at all, I very much enjoy learning all of this material. I can't believe that we're in the middle of July already.
Monday, July 9, 2007
Note: my last post shows a post date of 6/28/07 but I know for certain that it was posted on 7/2/07, so I'm hoping this post shows a date of 7/9/07...
Critique of First Article
Eight Ways to Integrate Whiteboards into Instruction caught my eye because I had trouble finding articles that I felt offered good suggestions of how to incorporate technology into the teaching of my sandbox topic: teaching first graders about patriotic symbols, holidays, important dates, etc. This article seemed to be a good match. The author is the principal of a school in Tennessee, and speaks of the trouble teachers at his school were having keeping students engaged in the lessons. After obtaining some grant money ear-marked for a technology purchase, the school decided to purchase an interactive whiteboard and wireless tablet. Among the intended uses was the notion of manipulating images, and moving and enlarging type. Since my sandbox unit will largly focus on images, symbols, phrases, and lyrics, I think such a device would be very valuable to keeping students attentive to the lesson. As well, I think new technologies are appealing to students and the interactive whiteboard might work well to keep students interested because symbols like the American flag, and the Statue of Liberty, could be enlarged and displayed for the class in a clear, majestic form that would resonate with them. The author of this article mentions that the teachers who have been fortunate enough to integrate this technology into their classrooms notice increased participation and improved test scores. It seems logical to me that adding yet another form of instruction would work to the advantage of one, if not many of the students in a class. I think using a variety of teaching methods is the best way to make sure all students are learning, and the interactive whiteboard appears to be a solid tool that could be used to highlight the many images and pictures that will be essential to the presentation of my sandbox unit.
Critique of Second Article
I felt as though I had really hit the jackpot when I came upon Documents and Symbols of American Freedom by Dorothy Hutchens. This document is actually a unit lesson written for elementary teachers in California, and in fact, the standards addressed coincide closely with MA History and Social Science Frameworks as well. For this reason, this find seemed particularly appropriate in relation to my sandbox topic. The unit touches on a multitude of symbols and important historical events such as the American flag, the Bald Eagle, the Fourth of July, and many famous American patriots. Each section of the unit suggest a lesson and is followed by an activity that in many cases includes suggestion to research a topic online, or show a class video, or directs the students to a website with additional information or images that reinforce the lesson. One of my favorite lessons within this unit is all about American symbols: Statue of Liberty, Independence Hall, Liberty Bell, Uncle Sam, etc. The lesson suggests the teacher talk with students about symbols in their own lives, such as McDonalds, Sesame Street, etc for young students. Then the lesson can be introduced to show that our nation has symbols that stand for things as well, such as freedom, escape from tyrany, patriotism, etc. The lesson culminates with students being directed to a website to investigate many of the above-mentioned symbols, that have short explanations next to them. I thought this was a very complete lesson, since it offered a meaningful introduction, a short lecture, and then an student-lead investigation at the end. In fact, the interactive whiteboard (from article 1) would be very handy in this lesson, since not all classrooms have enough computers for students to all be on-line at the same time, even in pairs or threes. Essentially, I thought this document was a great resource with some age-appropriate and innovative ideas about how to teach civics to first graders in a way that they can relate to. Many of the activities and lessons could be adjusted up or down a grade level, depending on the age of the students. I had been feeling rather frustrated with my search until I found this document, after which point I felt very relieved and excited to have such a useful resource.
References:
Hutchens, Dorothy, "Documents and Symbols of American Freedom. Elementary Grades Activity. Schools of California Online Resources for Education (Score): Connecting California's Classrooms to the World," San Bernadino County Superintendent of Schools, CA, 2002. Retrieved on July 8, 2007, from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/1b/28/74.pdf
Landis, Mike, "Eight Ways to Integrate Whiteboards into Instruction," Media & Methods, Mar/April 2005, Vol. 41, Issue 5. Retrieved on July 9, 2007, from http://web.ebscohost.com.temp8.cc.umb.edu/ehost/detail?vid=17&hid=5&sid=c499e651-e65d-4885-912e-a89f8f91ee29%40SRCSM1
Critique of First Article
Eight Ways to Integrate Whiteboards into Instruction caught my eye because I had trouble finding articles that I felt offered good suggestions of how to incorporate technology into the teaching of my sandbox topic: teaching first graders about patriotic symbols, holidays, important dates, etc. This article seemed to be a good match. The author is the principal of a school in Tennessee, and speaks of the trouble teachers at his school were having keeping students engaged in the lessons. After obtaining some grant money ear-marked for a technology purchase, the school decided to purchase an interactive whiteboard and wireless tablet. Among the intended uses was the notion of manipulating images, and moving and enlarging type. Since my sandbox unit will largly focus on images, symbols, phrases, and lyrics, I think such a device would be very valuable to keeping students attentive to the lesson. As well, I think new technologies are appealing to students and the interactive whiteboard might work well to keep students interested because symbols like the American flag, and the Statue of Liberty, could be enlarged and displayed for the class in a clear, majestic form that would resonate with them. The author of this article mentions that the teachers who have been fortunate enough to integrate this technology into their classrooms notice increased participation and improved test scores. It seems logical to me that adding yet another form of instruction would work to the advantage of one, if not many of the students in a class. I think using a variety of teaching methods is the best way to make sure all students are learning, and the interactive whiteboard appears to be a solid tool that could be used to highlight the many images and pictures that will be essential to the presentation of my sandbox unit.
Critique of Second Article
I felt as though I had really hit the jackpot when I came upon Documents and Symbols of American Freedom by Dorothy Hutchens. This document is actually a unit lesson written for elementary teachers in California, and in fact, the standards addressed coincide closely with MA History and Social Science Frameworks as well. For this reason, this find seemed particularly appropriate in relation to my sandbox topic. The unit touches on a multitude of symbols and important historical events such as the American flag, the Bald Eagle, the Fourth of July, and many famous American patriots. Each section of the unit suggest a lesson and is followed by an activity that in many cases includes suggestion to research a topic online, or show a class video, or directs the students to a website with additional information or images that reinforce the lesson. One of my favorite lessons within this unit is all about American symbols: Statue of Liberty, Independence Hall, Liberty Bell, Uncle Sam, etc. The lesson suggests the teacher talk with students about symbols in their own lives, such as McDonalds, Sesame Street, etc for young students. Then the lesson can be introduced to show that our nation has symbols that stand for things as well, such as freedom, escape from tyrany, patriotism, etc. The lesson culminates with students being directed to a website to investigate many of the above-mentioned symbols, that have short explanations next to them. I thought this was a very complete lesson, since it offered a meaningful introduction, a short lecture, and then an student-lead investigation at the end. In fact, the interactive whiteboard (from article 1) would be very handy in this lesson, since not all classrooms have enough computers for students to all be on-line at the same time, even in pairs or threes. Essentially, I thought this document was a great resource with some age-appropriate and innovative ideas about how to teach civics to first graders in a way that they can relate to. Many of the activities and lessons could be adjusted up or down a grade level, depending on the age of the students. I had been feeling rather frustrated with my search until I found this document, after which point I felt very relieved and excited to have such a useful resource.
References:
Hutchens, Dorothy, "Documents and Symbols of American Freedom. Elementary Grades Activity. Schools of California Online Resources for Education (Score): Connecting California's Classrooms to the World," San Bernadino County Superintendent of Schools, CA, 2002. Retrieved on July 8, 2007, from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/1b/28/74.pdf
Landis, Mike, "Eight Ways to Integrate Whiteboards into Instruction," Media & Methods, Mar/April 2005, Vol. 41, Issue 5. Retrieved on July 9, 2007, from http://web.ebscohost.com.temp8.cc.umb.edu/ehost/detail?vid=17&hid=5&sid=c499e651-e65d-4885-912e-a89f8f91ee29%40SRCSM1
Thursday, June 28, 2007
collaborating through the wiki - team C
Well, our final version of the "student's point of view" is done, and I must hand it to those that did the touch-ups. I think it looks good, and is comprehensive. I was glad to be working with a team that had some computer skills, since I find myself kind of weak in some areas. This is why this class is so good for me, because it's enhancing my internet tool use, which I need, and am really enjoying.
Our group collaborated well, and we were good at giving feed-back to each other and responding readily to each other's posts. I did feel a panic when I erased the entire front page of the wiki one night, but with Char's help I was able to retrieve the prior version, and fix my mess-up. But I did learn from that experience, so it was a valuable one.
This project has opened my eyes to what things I will need to consider when I have a classroom full of students using the internet. It is so important that guidelines be presented by the teacher and that internet use be monitored and, for younger students, somewhat controlled. Until students are mature enough to deal with the content that might land on their screen, a step by step guide is a good way to go, so that the points hit home. I think keeping students informed of good internet practice is essential to making sure safe internet practices are in use. My students will be exposed to more technology and information than I will be able to control, but with good instruction, they should be able to use the internet safely, and will hopefully know how to avoid dangerous situations. I think it's tough for students these days, since they are bombarded with ads and videos and music, and they want very much to be part of it, and feel included. Sometimes, it's hard to step back and remain anonymous, but that is often the safest thing to do.
This project also taught me that sloppy internet use can be costly in financial terms, and in terms of one's overall safety. Students should be informed of this, in blunt terms, so they understand the consequences of their actions when on-line.
I also thought it was great that each group worked on the project from a different slant, this made final products all-inclusive. I checked out group A and group B - nice job all of you. I'm impressed!
Our group collaborated well, and we were good at giving feed-back to each other and responding readily to each other's posts. I did feel a panic when I erased the entire front page of the wiki one night, but with Char's help I was able to retrieve the prior version, and fix my mess-up. But I did learn from that experience, so it was a valuable one.
This project has opened my eyes to what things I will need to consider when I have a classroom full of students using the internet. It is so important that guidelines be presented by the teacher and that internet use be monitored and, for younger students, somewhat controlled. Until students are mature enough to deal with the content that might land on their screen, a step by step guide is a good way to go, so that the points hit home. I think keeping students informed of good internet practice is essential to making sure safe internet practices are in use. My students will be exposed to more technology and information than I will be able to control, but with good instruction, they should be able to use the internet safely, and will hopefully know how to avoid dangerous situations. I think it's tough for students these days, since they are bombarded with ads and videos and music, and they want very much to be part of it, and feel included. Sometimes, it's hard to step back and remain anonymous, but that is often the safest thing to do.
This project also taught me that sloppy internet use can be costly in financial terms, and in terms of one's overall safety. Students should be informed of this, in blunt terms, so they understand the consequences of their actions when on-line.
I also thought it was great that each group worked on the project from a different slant, this made final products all-inclusive. I checked out group A and group B - nice job all of you. I'm impressed!
holy google!
I've heard people saying how great Google is and how you can do so much with Google, but to me, Google was just a search engine, I had no idea of all of the other capabilities.
I worked on my first "Google Doc" last night and created a simple paragraph, and was able to save it on my computer in my 611 folder, but if I'm not at home and I need to find that file, I can! I was telling my husband about all that Google can do, how it enables you to access things like favorites (through Notebook) and how Google can make your life for portable. He wondered about the security of Google, since all of his files are proprietary (he's a scientist) and he felt that for him the best option was still his own laptop. I can see his point, but I do think Google can really empower and assist many people, and can make life easier. Like Char, you said you never know which computer you'll be working on, so Google Docs makes a lot of sense for you. The Google Reader is a pretty handy feature too. I subscribed to a few blogs with Reader (love the David Warlick blog ... even though I'm not into all of the conferences and things he is, I like his writing style and he makes solid observations). It seems that Google has put a lot of effort into developing features that save time, so people can access much of their info from one spot, without being at home. One things I'm not crazy about is the gmail interface - I find the screen kind of jumbled and hard to get around, but that's because I've been a trusty Yahoo user for many years now, and it's hard for me to stay.
Overall, love all of the cool internet tools we're learning about. This class was the smartest class choice for me this summer, no doubt!
I worked on my first "Google Doc" last night and created a simple paragraph, and was able to save it on my computer in my 611 folder, but if I'm not at home and I need to find that file, I can! I was telling my husband about all that Google can do, how it enables you to access things like favorites (through Notebook) and how Google can make your life for portable. He wondered about the security of Google, since all of his files are proprietary (he's a scientist) and he felt that for him the best option was still his own laptop. I can see his point, but I do think Google can really empower and assist many people, and can make life easier. Like Char, you said you never know which computer you'll be working on, so Google Docs makes a lot of sense for you. The Google Reader is a pretty handy feature too. I subscribed to a few blogs with Reader (love the David Warlick blog ... even though I'm not into all of the conferences and things he is, I like his writing style and he makes solid observations). It seems that Google has put a lot of effort into developing features that save time, so people can access much of their info from one spot, without being at home. One things I'm not crazy about is the gmail interface - I find the screen kind of jumbled and hard to get around, but that's because I've been a trusty Yahoo user for many years now, and it's hard for me to stay.
Overall, love all of the cool internet tools we're learning about. This class was the smartest class choice for me this summer, no doubt!
Sunday, June 24, 2007
wiki collaborative writing project
I'm looking forward to working with my group (7 of us) to write a research paper from the student's perspective regarding internet safety. I think this will be a great exercise in wiki use as well as collaborative writing, which, after reading the readings for this week, I think I'm not very practiced at. What I've done in the past, in terms of group work, would qualify as cooperative, not really collaborative. Anyhow, everyone must start somewhere!
I love the on-line class and the freedom it allows, in terms of operating on my own schedule, and finding convenient time (I'm an early bird so I like to work in the mornings before my kids get up) to be on-line. I'd definitely take another one, but this is my last class before student teaching (yippee!).
Sigrid
I love the on-line class and the freedom it allows, in terms of operating on my own schedule, and finding convenient time (I'm an early bird so I like to work in the mornings before my kids get up) to be on-line. I'd definitely take another one, but this is my last class before student teaching (yippee!).
Sigrid
Sunday, June 17, 2007
getting the hang of it!
I'm starting to feel better about my blog and checking my blog is now part of my 20-times-a-day-email-checking routine. I think teachers and students alike, once they get into the habit of blogging, will find it easy to make it part of their day!
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
blogs in education
First: Can anyone give me advice on how to make my picture smaller? It's huge and I did not intend for it to be that big..... I'd apprecite it!
As for blogs in education - I have to admit that this class has me chatting to anyone who will listen about the great potential to use the resources available on the internet to aid educators. I think blogs are so appropriate because they are relatively easy to use/access, and they allow for spontaneous expository writing, which is a good way for students (or anyone) to come to terms with their thoughts, work out logic, brainstorm, let off steam, create quality writing, etc. Blogs provide a space for writing to be public, and to allow comments, suggestions, and improvements to be viewed by any intended audience. What struck me as neat is how many journalists even have their own blog sites, as a way to get out their spur-of-the-moment opinions/insights in an informal manner. I think blogs will (and already have for some people) change the way information is shared, received, perceived, and responded to.
One concern I have about using blogs (Richardson talked about teachers who have gone paperless and who have their entire classes using blogs to compile years worth of work) is that in some cases, students and their families might not have access to the internet, so students would not be able to access or work on their blogs unless at school or a library. This could be limiting for some students, so teachers would have to know their students well, and know their students personal situations well, in order to make sure they are being fair to all.
For me personally, I think I'll have to make a point to try to "blog" daily, so that I become more comfortable with sharing my own thoughts and adding to blogs as I feel inspired to. I did post to a blog (about disciplining kids) and I was kind of shy almost to see my opinion out there, in clear view of anyone who wanted to read it.... so this will take some time for me to get used to. I checked out a few of the blog sites from page 58 in the text. I loved David Warlick's site - it was funny and definitely worth reading, so I subscribed to it with my Google Reader (go Sigrid!!).
Anyway, so far I'm loving all of this blogging, I'm going to keep working on my site so I can improve the layout a bit!!
As for blogs in education - I have to admit that this class has me chatting to anyone who will listen about the great potential to use the resources available on the internet to aid educators. I think blogs are so appropriate because they are relatively easy to use/access, and they allow for spontaneous expository writing, which is a good way for students (or anyone) to come to terms with their thoughts, work out logic, brainstorm, let off steam, create quality writing, etc. Blogs provide a space for writing to be public, and to allow comments, suggestions, and improvements to be viewed by any intended audience. What struck me as neat is how many journalists even have their own blog sites, as a way to get out their spur-of-the-moment opinions/insights in an informal manner. I think blogs will (and already have for some people) change the way information is shared, received, perceived, and responded to.
One concern I have about using blogs (Richardson talked about teachers who have gone paperless and who have their entire classes using blogs to compile years worth of work) is that in some cases, students and their families might not have access to the internet, so students would not be able to access or work on their blogs unless at school or a library. This could be limiting for some students, so teachers would have to know their students well, and know their students personal situations well, in order to make sure they are being fair to all.
For me personally, I think I'll have to make a point to try to "blog" daily, so that I become more comfortable with sharing my own thoughts and adding to blogs as I feel inspired to. I did post to a blog (about disciplining kids) and I was kind of shy almost to see my opinion out there, in clear view of anyone who wanted to read it.... so this will take some time for me to get used to. I checked out a few of the blog sites from page 58 in the text. I loved David Warlick's site - it was funny and definitely worth reading, so I subscribed to it with my Google Reader (go Sigrid!!).
Anyway, so far I'm loving all of this blogging, I'm going to keep working on my site so I can improve the layout a bit!!
Experimenting
OK, I've just created my blog site, but I need to learn how to add my picture, personal profile, etc. Over the next few days I plan to navigate around this site and figure all of this out.
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