Belloney's Blog

CoETAIL Reflections

2010-05-05T17:48:00.000-07:00

How have these courses changed me?

As a teacher: For teachers to use technology they need to feel comfortable and confident with the tools they can use in the classroom. These classes have exposed me to a number of strategies and tools that can be used to support learning through technology. Often it wasn't a new tool for me but it was seeing how it could be used that allowed me to come up with ideas on possible uses in my own classroom. This year I've integrated lessons on copyright, choosing a search site, and rating a web site which have all been helpful in my students research and projects. We've used wikispaces to collaborate with another 4th grade class, VoiceThread to show what we learned in an author study, podcasting (check out our iTunes channel from our class blog) to show our learning in reading and science, iMovie to make digital stories, photopeach to introduce ourselves to the class, blogs to communicate our learning, and many more. I feel like my students have been exposed to a variety of tools they can use to enhance or support their learning.

As a co-worker: Having more experience with technology through these courses has allowed me to offer ideas and support to my teammates. It's nice to have people on your team who can share ideas and answer questions because, let's face it, there's not enough 'Kim's and Jeff's' to go around :) By having a large number of people go through these courses it strengthens teams which strengthens school therefore strengthening student learning.

Reflections

2010-04-28T00:35:00.000-07:00

THe VT is finished. Now it is time to reflect on the process and product.

What went well?

The students did a sufficient amount of research for the project. The student planning went well. The organizers helped the students collect information, summarize what they learned and share their learning with others.The first lesson allowed students to quickly upload pictures which saved a lot of time. The end result really showed what they had learned about the chosen author.

What would I change?

Some students didn't use the checklist effectively. The checklist included the step for clicking the HTML tab, but some students didn't follow those directions. I haven't completely solved this problem, but I think I need to find a way to have students rely more on the checklist rather than the directions in the mini-lesson.

I would also do another mini-lesson on copyright. I would have students copy the link from the chosen photographs and make a page in their voicethread to credit the owners of the photographs. Also, one of the photographs I used was too small. I've already fixed the problem but it was a small issue when completing the project.

Finally, I would have students take time in class to comment on each other's VT and find a way to get students outside of our class to comment on them as well. They were given time at home, but few actually commented.

Overall I was happy to see their learning about their chosen author. Check out the VT below or our class blog for the other Author Study Voicethreads.

Author Study Lesson 2

2010-04-28T00:21:00.000-07:00

The students have uploaded pictures in their new VT. They've shared with their book club. Now they are ready for VT part 2. The goal of lesson 2 is to have students record their voices for each of the pictures and share the VT on their blogs. In the mini-lesson the students learned how to get the embed code for the VT and how to paste it in their blog. (They have to be sure they have clicked on the HTML tab. It is important to note that they often forgot this important step.)

After the mini-lesson students went back to their laptop to get started. As expected, we encountered some minor problems, but they were easily fixed. First, one group hadn't properly shared the VT with the other book club members. This was immediately clear when those kids couldn't log in. Second, some students missed a step when posting the VT to their blog. Here's what happened:

Student raises their hand.

Ms. B: yes

Student: My Voicethread isn't coming up on my blog.

Ms. B: Did you click the HTML tab?

Student: What HTML tab?

Ms. B: The one we talked about in the mini-lesson.

Student: Oh yea. No, I forgot.

Ms. B: Ok. Try again and see what happens this time.

Sure enough it worked this time!

How did it go? In the end everyone recorded and successfully posted to their blogs.

Voice Thread Author Study Directions

VoiceThread Lesson 1

2010-04-27T23:04:00.000-07:00

The students have synthesized their information. The paragraphs are written. It's time to create the VoiceThread.

Step 1: Students Create the VT and Upload Pictures

You can do this a few ways: have students locate pictures or provide the pictures for the students. I chose the latter. I've found that having 4th graders find photos can take up a big chunk of time. It's important for the teacher to think about the focus of the project. Sometimes the pictures are as important or even more important than what is being said. Other times you want the focus on the words. The purpose of this Author Study project was for the students to show their learning about the author and their books.With that in mind I decided to choose the pictures so students could spend their time communicating the information about the author.

A second point to consider with finding photos is copyright. Giving credit to photos adds time to the process so it is important to keep that in mind. To solve this problem I created a wiki with the chosen pictures. Then I linked each picture to give credit to the owner.

Step 2: Share your VT with other book club members

During this unit, students were in a book club with classmates who were also interested in this author. One student created the VT and they had to share it with other book club members so that every student could work on it.

Pictures? Check. Shared? Check.

Lesson 1 was a success!

Change of Plans

2010-04-27T22:49:00.001-07:00

As the year progressed I realized that our team wouldn't get to the end of the unit project in time for this course. The good news is I found another great project I wanted to do with my kids that worked perfectly. My class had been working on an Author Study reading unit. During this unit students choose an author, research biographical information about the author, and read books by the author to find examples of the author's craft.

I wanted to find a way for students to share their learning with with other students who might also be reading books by the chosen authors. I decided that making a VoiceThread was a great way for students to share their learning with others.

During this unit, students were given a book to record all the information they learned about the author. They used this book to plan for the VoiceThread. At the end of the unit each child received a VoiceThead planning sheet (below). The planning sheet included labeled boxes to help students organize their ideas about the author. They were required to create 3 paragraphs to go with 3 pictures. The topics of the paragraphs were "about the author", "author's craft"and "my favorite book by the author". These are listed on the planning sheet below. Once their paragraphs were written they ready to start creating the voicethread!

Author Study Voice Thread Planning Sheet

Managing Peripherals

2009-12-07T22:43:00.000-08:00

The first step in using any of new technology tool is introducing it, teaching a bit about it, and letting the students explore. Most students come into my classroom with knowledge of the Smartboard because they have used it in previous years. It is still important for the teacher to set clear expectation about how the technology will be used in their classroom at the start of the year. We quickly share who has used it before, ways you have used it, and important things you need to remember when using it. That way new students and old are clear on how to use it.

The document camera has been an excellent addition to classrooms. When they were first brought in we had to rotate them or ask to use them. People quickly realized that the document camera is hard to plan for. It's on of those things in teaching that you suddenly realize you need. Students can show their work to the class using the document camera so it is important for them to know how to zoom and focus. Of course, every child want to put his or her hand under the camera so everyone can see it. I spend some time at the beginning of the year "getting it out of our system". Students can explore the use of it so when it comes time for learning, they aren't as easily distracted by the cool things it can do to your hand!

Laptop Management

2009-12-07T22:28:00.000-08:00

We aren't 1-to-1 yet, but we have 12 laptops everyday in our classroom, ready for students to use. That means that students need to take care of them and use them properly so that we are able to use them whenever we need them.

One of the first things I do is "assign" each student a number that matches a laptop number. This works if we are borrowing a cart from another class. For example, one student is a number 1 for the cart in our room. That means when they use a laptop they should use number 1 from our cart. Another student might be a number 1 for the second cart. This helps students feel a sense of responsibility for that laptop. If someone forgets to plug one in, we can ask that person to do it, which reminds them of the importance of taking care of that laptops. If they forget to plug it in and the battery runs out, it is a quick reminder of the responsibility of taking care of your laptop.

We also have 3 students each week whose job is taking care of the laptops. They help everyone put the laptops away to make sure they are all plugged in and they make sure the cart is plugged in and charging.
During a lesson, I can quickly say "lower your lids" and the students know to stop what they are doing and to listen. This is important in lessons because they can easily become distracted by a game or something else which keeps them from listening to directions. Other than that I am still learning other techniques from other teachers to help make laptop use as smooth and easy as possible.

Relevance of NETs

2009-12-07T22:20:00.000-08:00

After reading the NETs, it looks like the standards we would expect any good teacher or administrator to follow. For some of them you could take out the word technology and the standard would describe a good teacher in any subject area.

For example, take out technology or related terms in number 1 in the teacher's NETs :

1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity

Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, (and technology) to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face (and virtual) environments.

Teachers:
a. promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness.
b. engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using (digital) tools and resources.
c. promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes.
d. model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face (and virtual) environments.

Don't we want all teachers and administrators to promote and inspire student learning and creativity? This is what a good teacher does. The only difference is what they use to get there. In the past, teachers have engaged students in collaborate work within their classroom or within their school. Now they can use technology to collaborate in virtual environments, as well.

How can we ensure students are learning?

2009-11-06T21:54:00.000-08:00

How can teachers and schools ensure that their students are learning what they need when it comes to Technology and Information Literacy?

Considering this was such a hot topic in our class discussions I'm not sure the answer can be written in a single blog post-or even a few posts. This discussion keeps coming up in our class. What should kids be learning when it come to technology? How can we ensure that students are learning what they need to know and building on that each year?

Some classmates have stated that they think there should be certain programs students should learn. For example, by the end of fourth grade all children should be able to create and comment on a voicethread. What happens when those kids get to 4th grade and voicethread has been replaced by something even better?

The other side of the debate is that children should have certain experiences with technology. That way the focus isn't on a program or application, which we know can change rapidly. An example of this could be found in our grade 3-5 learning profile.. I believe this is the best approach to take with technology at our schools. There are many different ways to meet the technology standards and it is up to the teacher to decide which program or tool best fits the project they are doing. Of course, you have to make sure your teachers have a wealth of knowledge in the options so that they can make the best choices for their students.

So what side are you on? Better yet, which side is your school on?

Whose Job Is It?

2009-11-06T18:47:00.000-08:00

Huge question. It seems like everyone has a role in teaching the standards. The school has the main responsibility because they are the ones who created the standards. Teachers have to make sure they are teaching using technology, but they also need to make sure they are keeping up with the changes in technology, as well. Administrators need to be responsible when evaluating teachers to make sure standards are being met.
I do think the school has another role, as well. The school also needs to educate parents so they know how they can help their children meet these standards. I find that often the parents aren't sure where to begin. They are so amazed at what their children are able to do with technology that the task of helping them seems overwhelming. They may think "How can I help them when it seems as if they know more than me?". Our school is already doing it with our new reading, science, and math programs. Parents feel better about supporting their students learning because they have a better idea of what is going on at school. The same should be true with technology. The biggest problem with any parent education is that number of parents that are able to attend training. So the next question would be "Can we find an easy way to get all parents involved in educating their kids about technology?" I'm not sure I have the answer or that anyone has the answer. If we did we'd already be doing it!

Project Reflection

2009-10-28T05:03:00.001-07:00

On our last class our upper elementary group decided to create a how to video on choosing just right books. We agreed that this was a common problem when students come to the HUB. Students often choose just right books in the classroom, but they seem to abandon that knowledge when in the HUB. We decided to create a fun video encouraging students to choose just right books in the HUB. Our team worked well together and we split the tasks for the video. At first, we had created our storyboard and planned on using video clips. After beginning to video and putting it together we realized that still pictures would be more effective for this video. It was a fun experience and our team could easily see ways our students could use this in the classroom.

Screencasting in the Classroom

2009-10-28T01:39:00.000-07:00

After looking at the "how to" videos I see that there are many ways teachers could use this in their classroom.

Some possible ways:

-how to search for and save an image on creative commons

-how to save a document on your folder on the network

-how to record an mp3 on Garage Band.

-how to solve a subtraction problem (using smartboard)

-how to insert an image into a document

-how to align a title

The options for tutorials are endless!

There are many times when students have learned how to do something like save their work, but have forgotten exactly how to do it. By having students create these tutorials, it will help them remember how to do it, but also gives them a reference if they forget.

I can imagine screencasting could be used for sub plans. The teacher could record and show how to do something and leave the video for the sub. Students could also record how they solved a problem on smartboard or how they revised their writing using the document camera. These are also things the teacher could record and use to share with others.

Web Based Video

2009-10-28T01:36:00.000-07:00

Web based video has allowed for so many changes in education. It used to be that the only videos shown in classes were the DVD's in the library. Now when I want to find a video it involves an easy google or youtube search. For example, in our magnetism and electricity unit, we create electromagnets. We introduce electromagnets by talking about a junkyard crane moving cars with a magnet they can turn on and off. The curriculum assumes students have background knowledge on this, but many students don't. I could describe it or even show a picture of a crane, but they don't really show kids how the crane can turn the magnet on and off. To give my students this prior knowledge, i found a video on youtube of a crane moving cars. From that the students had a better understanding of an electromagnet so they could work to create their own.

Web based video has also changed learning because it forces kids to question content online more often. Anyone can create a video and post it. It is a challenge to get kids to evaluate a source and realize that just because it's a movie and online doesn't make it ok. On one hand it gives kids more freedom to share their ideas and work with others all over the world. On the other hand, it makes it more difficult to find reliable sources online. While they are some concerns, I would say the positive outweighs the negative, so I am thankful web based videos are there for educators.

Digital Storytelling

2009-10-28T01:30:00.000-07:00

Going through the process of digital storytelling is quite helpful when it comes to digital storytelling in the classroom. It reminds you of the challenges of the process. I did digital storytelling in my class for the first time last year. It was very powerful for my students because it gave them an audience. If you click on the video below you can see it has been viewed about 300 times. What a great experience for my students. Now this year as I approach digital storytelling again I've shown my students the digital stories from last year. They see how many times they've been viewed so they are motivated to do the same with their story this year!

Reflection on Presentation

2009-10-28T00:53:00.000-07:00

I decided to revise my presentation for back to school night. Previously, my slides consisted of a picture with a few bullets. I would then expand on these bullets when talking about them with parents.

Keynote Before

Here is the new version of this slide. The focus is on the writing and my hope is that the new visual will give a greater focus and add audience engagement.

Keynote After

2009-10-17T18:30:00.000-07:00

This is an image I will use during our science unit, water. During this unit, students learn about the different properties of water. One of those properties is that water has surface tension. We learned that drops of water come together to form a "bead" or "dome" of water. In class we do lots of experiments to demonstrate this property, but it is still challenging for the students to understand because they can't always "see it". This picture captures that idea and that understanding. It will be something I use in a smartboard as well as post in the room on the word wall to help them understand this property of water. My hope is that when they are recalling this word on an assessment or experiment, the image with be in their memory with the word, as well.

Changes

2009-10-08T23:04:00.001-07:00

There's lots of little things that have changed my teaching over the courses so far, but the second course has had the biggest impact on my teaching. Learning about copyright helped give me a better understanding of what is right and what is wrong when using pictures and music in education. At the start of this year, I introduced my students to flickr creative commons to search for photos. While many of them are still in the habit of going to google, they are learning the importance of using images that others have allowed us to use.

I'm also more aware of how I evaluate web pages, and I am teaching my students how to do the same. Often they take what they read on the internet as fact so it's important for them to learn ways to evaluate a website. This is something I am working with them every time we are online, but it is not limited to the internet. Students at this age find it challenging to evaluate a source and consider the author and possible bias. They often take everything someone else says as fact. Teaching them to question and search for truth is an important skill for them to have in all aspects of reading.

Digital Citizen=Global Citizen

2009-05-05T06:25:00.001-07:00

As this course went on I realized there are so many parts of our curriculum we need to change in order to really prepare students for digital citizenship. Teresa and I began working on a fourth grade social studies unit on social justice and equality. One of parts of this unit is global citizenship. I realized that in order to be a global citizen you also need to be a digital citizen. So we soon began adding to our unit by incorporating digital citizenship lessons. I think this will be really powerful for the students.

At the end of the unit they will research and take action on an issue, and they will learn that the internet is the perfect place to find more information about the global issue and share their ideas with others. I wish I cold write this reflection after I implemented the unit but that would mean the end of the school year. For now, I am looking forward to the possibilities this unit has to offer.

A World of Mass Collaboration

2009-04-29T20:47:00.000-07:00

Are we preparing our students for a world of mass collaboration?

I think we have to first decide who "we" are talking about. Teachers who are comfortable with technology and mass collaboration are working to prepare their students. They realize the power the web holds and involve their students in projects that involve many classroom working together for a common goal. Unfortunately, many students are not being prepared for a world of mass collaboration. This could be for many reasons-lack of confidence in technology use and teaching it, unaware of what it can do for you and your students, unaware of the future of technology, and that it is often not in the school's AUP. It needs to be embedded in the curriculum if we want everyone to help prepare students for a future of mass collaboration.

In class we discussed that a lot of the "mass collaboration" sites seem to be a bunch of people sharing their own ideas, and there is very little collaboration going on. To prevent that from happening, we need to teach students teamwork and skills for working together and then help them apply those skills online. It's important to remember that while we have a long way to go, there are things we are doing now to help get students ready work together online.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/will-lion/2597256093/

The Power of the Web

2009-04-29T20:11:00.001-07:00

Wow....I have to say that this was a tough question to answer in writing.
The Power of the Web?

The Power of the Web seems to be only as powerful as you make it. After searching for related articles I came across Harnessing the Web. This site encourage using the power of the web or the extensive web resources for Collaborative Project Base Learning. All the articles I found involve putting the power of the web to work for you. So it seems that if you have the knowledge and skills necessary you can really harness the power of the web. The more you learn and use it the more powerful it becomes for you. I think back to one of our first classes where we stressed the importance of creating a PLN and making the information come to you. That's powerful! If you don't have this established then you may find the web to be powerless. You are searching and searching and yet you can't find what you are looking for.

As I am writing I realize that this question could almost be used as a final question for this course or all the coursework. It seems to tie in all the ideas we have discussed so far.
How powerful is the web? Maybe you should ask people like Alison Chang or others who have been defamed because their picture has been used unfairly.
How powerful is the web? Maybe you should ask teachers who have had their reputations damaged by ratings online.
How powerful is the web? Ask people who have missed job opportunities because of their digital footprint.

We know the web is powerful, but we might not understand it's true potential unless we are using it ourselves for good or if the power is used against us.

It Takes A Village

2009-04-29T19:50:00.000-07:00

Whose responsibility is it to teach students to be safe online? Everyone should have a part in protecting students and educating them on online safety. It's easy to see how this can be overwhelming for teachers. In addition to academics, educators must now teach students character traits, teamwork, citizenship, work habits, social lessons and much more. With all that it's hard to find the time for something else in the classroom. Even so teachers need to find the time to teach digital citizenship. While it is the job of the teacher to teach online safety, it should also be the job of parents and others who are a part of a child's life. Everyone has a role.
Teachers can teach online safety and monitor use in school, but when they are home they are hoping those skills carry over. That's when it is important for the parents to be educated so they can continue to support those skills and help monitor online behavior.

But as teachers we know that even after we teach skills whether they be academic or social, students can still have difficulty applying them in real life situations. As I was writing this post I started reading a related post by Dana Watts called Responsibility on the Line. She also refers to the "It Takes a Village" idea when it comes to teaching kids online safety, but she also mentions her experiences as a parent. Her children have been taught online safety and yet they still found ways in Club Penguin of all places to ignore these life lessons. So we know everyone is responsible for teaching online safety, but how do we teach the seriousness and importance of online safety so that students are applying that in their own lives?

Complicated Copyright

2009-04-29T19:00:00.000-07:00

While reading the post Understanding and Respecting Copyright I began searching for more information about the fairly recent copyright cases and the results. I was particularly interested in the Virgin Mobile case because it's something someone had mentioned in class. This case is about Virgin Mobile taking a picture from flickr and using it for an advertisement. The photograph had a creative commons license, however there are other laws that come into play with this case. One problem was that Virgin Mobile failed find out that she was a minor. You can go to the flickr page there the picture was first posted and see how it all started. Basically, a picture was posted and Alison Chang commented on it showing her surprise that it was her in the photo.

It gets better. Then the photographer actually commented on possible getting money from Virgin for using his photo.

Wong says:

"where was this? do you think virgin mobile will give me stuff?"

Well if you read into the case you find out they did pay in some ways but not in the way the photographer was hoping! The big lesson learned from this is that while Virgin might have given rights to the photographer, they failed to consider the rights of Alison Chang, a minor.

Wow...copyright is tricky. Even after all the class discussions and articles I feel that I am still trying to sort out the details and laws concerning copyright.

One of my biggest concerns is that even after all the legal intervention in this case, you can still find the pictures and tons of information about the situation on the web. It's there and won't be going away. So who really wins in these cases?

Lock Up Your Work or Lock Up the People?

2009-04-03T07:43:00.000-07:00

A friend shared this video with me this week. It just so happened that it was also the day we talked about copyright in class. The film asks the questions: "Are we creating a generation of criminals? When we lock up our ideas and work are we putting a lock on creativity?"

The RIPwebsite definition: "RiP: A remix manifesto is a documentary film about copyright and remix culture. Web activist and filmmaker Brett Gaylor explores issues of copyright in the information age, mashing up the media landscape of the 20th century and shattering the wall between users and producers."

The Urban Dictionary defines mash up:

v. To take elements of two or more pre-existing pieces of music and combine them to make a new song.
n. A song comprised of elements of two or more pre-existing pieces of music.

Boys and Girls Learn Differntly

2009-04-03T06:52:00.000-07:00

When I bring up this topic I often get the response "Yea, well, we all know that boys and girls are different". As teachers we should know that. The question is: Are you doing something about it in your classroom? Are you changing instruction to meet the learning styles of both boys and girls?

Last week I attended the EARCOS teacher's conference in Borneo, Sabah, Malaysia. One of the workshops I attended was by Patti Swanson a trainer at the Gurian Institute. It was about how boys and girls learn differently. I wrote about the gender differences in learning in an earlier post so I was excited to learn more. Patti shared some startling facts about boys and education. The numbers below show the ratio of boys to girls:

8:2 diagnosed with ADHD
9:1 with discipline referrals
7:3 fails

So yes, we know they learn differently, but according to the statistics many educators aren't doing anything about it. So what can we do?

1. Patti Swanson recommended a book by Ralph Fletcher called Boy Writers. This book encourages teachers to find topics boys like to write about. Enough writing about "their feelings"! Boys like writing with the "Captain Underpants" humor. Instead of forcing them into topics they are uninterested in, we need to find and allow topics that matter to them. Give assignment choices in reading so they can find a way to demonstrate their knowledge that works for them as learners.

2. Another recommended book was Why Gender Matters by Leonard Sax. This book gives the scientific point of view on the gender differences in education. Patti shared a number of ways that girls and boys brains are different. There's over 1,000 differences between the male and female brain! She said "If we teach one way we are putting the boys at a great disadvantage"

3. She also shared a wonderful picture book called Once Upon a Time Cool Motorcycle Dude by Kevin O'Malley. This book demonstrates just how different boys and girls are and it makes a great read aloud.

What are you doing to bridge the gender gap?

Digital Footprint-How can we reach students who are living for today?

2009-03-23T05:51:00.000-07:00

After reading the article Protect Your Digital Footprint I found myself agreeing with Istenya Boyle who was interviewed in the article. I am so glad that when I was in college, sites like facebook weren't around or didn't have the popularity that have today. I wouldn't have understood the importance of protecting your digital footprint like many students today.

Having a sister in college makes me realize just how difficult it is for teenagers to understand the online trail they are leaving behind. My sister posts anything and everything online from random notes to pictures from the most recent house party. Even after numerous conversations with her, her online behavior does not change. She is living in the moment. She is not capable of seeing the impact on her future. It's the same reason my friends and I would go to the beach without an ounce of sunblock. We were told about the negative effects of the sun, but somehow we thought we could escape them. The reality is that in the future there are consequences to those behaviors, but it's often hard to see them today.

How do we get students to understand that what they do today will impact tomorrow?

I don't have an answer, but I do know that education needs to start early both at home and at school. It will be interesting to see how education changes as more and more people are feeling the negative and positive effects of their digital footprint.

picture: http://www.treehugger.com

Have you experimented with tiny chat?

2009-03-22T06:56:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday, we started our second course working towards a Certificate of Ed. Technology and Information Literacy. Sylvia Tolisano was the guest speaker and she shared a few of the many great ways she uses technology in her classroom. Tiny chat was one of the tools she suggested using for classroom discussions. We experimented with this website while she was here and discussed the possible uses for it in the classroom. I was excited to give it a try in my classroom. So a few days later we had a book discussion online. Here is what happened:

The Start:
(11:42 AM) Sammie: This is cool
(11:42 AM) kayla: I am so cool
(11:42 AM) Haley: hi kayla
(11:42 AM) Worawat: hi
(11:42 AM) kayla: hi haley
(11:42 AM) Grace: Yeah so Cool

After I focused the conversation on social issues:

(11:46 AM) Grace: Kayla...do you like Mieko and the 5th treasre
(11:46 AM) siana: Hi Sammie! In Kira-kira I did'nt really find a stereotype.
(11:47 AM) Ms.B: anyone else reading a book about racism?
(11:46 AM) blake: my book is about bulleying
(11:47 AM) cameron: YO!!!!!!what book r u reading
(11:47 AM) Natt: Puma is shiloh exciting because shiloh is not being treated nice
(11:47 AM) Angelica: i am reading a book about racism
(11:47 AM) Grace: Siana-were there any stereotypes of Japanese or Native Americans in your book???
(11:47 AM) Katarakornpu: Natt do you like Shiloh. I think the social issue is that animals are being trearted badly.

At the end I asked them to share thoughts about tiny chat:

(11:56 AM) kevin: can we use it when we read fantasy
(11:56 AM) Worawat: when are going to use thin again.
(11:56 AM) blake: qqqqqqqq
(11:57 AM) cameron: YYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSS SSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!hands down
(11:57 AM) Natt: I think tiny chat is awsome
(11:57 AM) quentin: i like it
(11:58 AM) ariana: I love this !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We have a lot of work to do when it come to chatroom etiquette but it was a great experience. I discovered that I need to break it into smaller groups as the slower typers didn't have a chance to respond. As a class we are going to look at the transcript and see how we can work to make our chat more learning focused. I'll update you the next time we use it!

Is tech pressure the new peer pressure?

2009-02-27T22:34:00.000-08:00

Teachers are always trying to keep up with this newest lessons, newest curricula, newest standards, and newest technology. So how do we do it all?

Sometimes conversation can sound a bit like high school students.
"omg...can you believe Sarah doesn't even know about Ning?"

Teachers start to feel pressure if they don't know about a new tech tool available. They want to keep up to date with anything and everything going on so they can best educate their students. Do you feel pressure as a teacher to fill every moment with using and learning about technology? Where is the pressure coming from...yourself, school, or society?

Course Reflection

2009-02-27T22:22:00.000-08:00

Throughout the course I've been exposed to a number of ways we can use technology in our classroom, but much of it I've hear before. The biggest change for me was how I can use my PLN to make connection for projects like the one we created for this class. I've belonged to Classroom 2.0 for a long time. I've read the discussions and comments but that's where my part ended. Only today did I finally use Classroom 2.0 for what it was made to do. I asked teachers to participate in my project and to share ideas if they have ever done a similar unit. Hopefully, I will get some good ideas.

The other big topic that continuously comes up is balance. As teachers we have to find a balance. A balance between school and home and now technology. I'm pretty unbalanced now but I think it will get better as I get more comfortable with specific tech tools.

I look forward to finding that balance sometime soon. Very soon.

Ideas Overload

2009-02-27T20:02:00.000-08:00

As I am sitting here creating my final project I am having a bit of information overload....in a good way. One idea is followed by another new idea and before I know it I have 3 different projects that I could choose from. I guess it's better than having no good ideas! Still I am having trouble deciding which way to go. I want to make sure my ideas are not too big. So how do you decide? It takes me back to our guest speakers when they were telling us that they maybe a lot of mistakes along the way. They learn with the kids and I think I will be doing a lot of that with this project!

Learn from your mistakes...

Project Sketch

2009-02-27T06:35:00.000-08:00

I've had so many ideas about what to do for this project so this is just a sketch!

Our students are about to begin a unit on social issues and persuasive writing. I want students to recognize issues they are dealing with and issues that people all over the world are dealing with as well. They can then decide on an issue they feel strongly about to complete a social action project. They will decide on how they can persuade others to take action. This will fit in perfectly with our persuasive writing unit as the students can use their persuasive writing skills to move forward with their project.

I have created a wiki. There is a graffiti wall for students to add issues they come across in books or in life. It is my hope that we can gets students from around the world to share issues they face, too. They can share ideas about the issue and a picture of what they think of when talking about this issue. They will add books on the wiki that they feel gives a message about a particular issue. They will also add websites which will help them research their chosen issue and help them take action related to their issue.

It's a work in progress...but then again that's what a wiki is. It's never finished!

http://wetakeaction.wikispaces.com/

NETS:
1. Creativity and Innovation
Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.

2. Communication and Collaboration
Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.

3. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.

The Power of the Cloud

2009-02-27T04:29:00.000-08:00

Our class was asked to work in groups to read about a new tech trend. We were supposed to create an elevator talk to try to sell our idea.

Give us a few white boards, puppets, a digital camera, 30 minutes and here is what you get....

Can Technology Bridge the Gender Gap in Literacy?

2009-02-25T18:00:00.000-08:00

Recently, I have taken a strong interest in boys and literacy. Each year I find a number of boys who are uninterested in reading and writing and it seems to be a struggle to get them motivated for language arts. After reading The Trouble with Boys by Peg Tyre I have become even more aware of this issue. Our current demands in language arts often don't fit the development needs of boys. We are asking them to connect with how characters are feeling when we should be asking them to connect with the way a character is acting. Boys are falling behind girls in education and teachers need to find better ways to meet their needs.

Can technology be the link between boys and literacy?

• We know from research on gender and literacy that boys prefer resources (books, magazines, websites) that favor facts over fiction.

• Boys respond to the factual and multimodal (written, image, sound, animation modes) nature of the Internet (Booth, 2002).

• Teachers must understand the positive ways a computer can empower users to gain access to and control information, especially in relation to book-based literacy (Millard, 1997).

I am currently making an effort to involve technology in literacy instruction for all students, but I am focusing on boys and how to use technology to motivate them to become readers and writers. I will post more information as it becomes available related to this topic. Please share your success stories as well!

Barriers in Technology

2009-02-25T17:38:00.000-08:00

After reading the articles Adopt and Adapt: Shaping Tech for the Classroom and The Digital Youth Project I realized that the biggest thing holding technology back in schools is us. That is an adults who are "digital immigrants" which is a term the article gives to those of us who weren't born with technology like students in school now.

It was eye opening to realize that most of the technology used in schools is either "doing old things old ways" or "doing old things new ways". I had never thought of that before. Teaches feel as if they have put homework online or if students research online that they are really using technology. When in fact students have always had homework and researched. They are just doing it a different way.

So how can we really move forward with technology?

The article says that we need to become inventors. Teachers...add that to one of the many jobs you hold including referee and counselor. But really if we are going to use technology the article says we need to find "new things to do new ways".

So how do we do that?

Easy....we ask the students. Seems obvious right? Well, how many of us are actually asking the students how technology can be used in their education? If we aren't then we need to start. The author tells us that they know a lot about technology and we know a lot about education so why not bring the two together? We don't want to be the ones holding our students back.

One of the biggest comments I noticed that directly affects our students is a barrier in technology: one-on-one computers. This is a common concern among teachers in our tech class discussions. "I want to do this but we can't get the laptop carts everyday."Our school is fortunate to have as many computers as we do, but if we truly want to become inventors in technology we need to have one-on-one computer access for students.

Blog Choice-Is it really?

2009-02-21T01:45:00.000-08:00

I've been agonizing over this "blog choice" assignment. While I was trying to think of something to blog about, I found myself doing everything else instead of a new post. I actually wrote 3 new posts on my other blogs, updated facebook and edited a video for my class.

I love using technology so why can't I do this assignment?

In order to really write on a blog you have to have personal interest. I have a strong interest in letting me family and friends know what I think (personal blog) and I care about communicating to my students' parents (educational blog). I guess I don't have an interest (yet) in writing on here although I hope that I will in the future.

I wonder if this is what our kids feel when we ask them to blog. If the audience is forced or if they haven't found the meaning in it then they probably feel the same way I do. So are we giving students a choice or an assignment? How can we get our students to understand how it fits in their lives?

What it needed was a subtle but significant change in presentation. The students needed to know how to fit (it) into their lives.
-Malcolm Gladwell

All They Do Is Hang Out and Mess Around...

2009-02-14T22:50:00.000-08:00

The first time I asked my college age sister about messing around I got a strange look. She wasn't exactly sure what I was talking about. When I explained to her that I was talking about computers and not her personal life the conversation become a little lighter. Not surprising. If someone had mentioned that phrase to me before reading Living and Learning with New Media I would have reacted the exact same way.

The conversation with my sister is a perfect example of how today's youth view technology. We have defined what she does as messing around, while she calls it Monday night. She started her technological life with "hanging out" but as mentioned in the article, that quickly bumped her up to messing around. She would get on facebook, myspace (or one of the many social networks she belongs to) and see a friend had posted a picture or video. This wasn't your ordinary video or pic straight from the camera. This was an artistic picture that had been changed using another form of technology. To keep up this trend my sister would get online and find the program to learn how to do the same thing. This is exactly how she moved into messing around.

According the article, my brothers "mess around" too. They are 14 and 17 and once again don't even know they are doing it. They are constantly involved with social gaming. While it is social they then research gaming rules and tricks which they share with friends to build on each other's ideas and information. Another form of "messing around".

The great thing about all of this is that my sister's messing around online is what got me into that stage, too. I actually joined myspace to check up on her. Soon enough I was arguing with someone over whether MySpace or Facebook was better! After seeing her "cool" page layout I wanted one. So I searched online to find out how to do it, and soon enough I had a colorful page full of picture slideshows and a list of things about me. I was hooked, but it didn't end there. Soon enough I was trying to change my pictures so they had the fancy effects she had and was learning other technology tricks from my little sister.

I guess messing around is contagious.

The best part of messing around is that it can lead to a more serious consideration of technology. My sister, a college freshman, is now at an art and design school where she is majoring in photography and graphic design. Her love of MySpace and Facebook has not pushed her into a job she loves. It's a good thing she started hanging out and messing around!

Trew Thor Buy Us

2009-02-06T01:29:00.000-08:00

Truth or Bias-A lesson from Mad Gab.

If you've ever played the game Mad Gab you realize things aren't always what they seem. In this game a common phrase (like Truth or Bias) has been spelled differently to trick you into seeing something incorrect (Trew Thor Buy Us). You must develop a skill to see through the words to find the truth. When it comes to researching we must do the same. We must develop the skill to sort through the bias to find the truth.

Chris Betcher did a great job getting me to think more about what I can do to help my students identify truth and bias while researching. This is particularly important to begin addressing with students at a young age as they tend to accept anything an adult tells them as true. I really try to get my students to respectfully question information they are given, and the lessons Chris offered will help me in teaching students to do just that. I particularly liked having students research websites while including some false sources. I think they would be surprised to find out that some of them looked so real but were still false. It's a valuable lesson that student's at any age can learn. Chris offered some other suggestions including posters to help students with searching and using an advanced google search. Finally, Chris had us complete a "Google Quiz" to research information. Not only was it useful but I thought it was fun...maybe because I'm highly competitive. Either way I liked having students "compete" to research the answers quickly. It helps them realize that just because they are finding the information it doesn't mean it is accurate or the most efficient way of searching.

Bringing the Info to You

2009-02-03T17:31:00.000-08:00

Clarence Fisher's meeting with us was helpful by showing me how some of the tools I already use can help minimize my google searching by bringing the information to me. Clarence teaches his students to set up IGoogle and Google Reader right away so they can understand the power these tools have in helping them stay informed about specific topics.

One of the biggest complaints educators have is a lack of time. There is a lack of time to learn about new technology, a lack of time to implement it due to a strict curriculum, and a lack of time to research for information on topics related to student learning. Having teachers and students set up google reader and use it effectively eliminates some of these time concerns teachers have. I've started thinking about ways to apply this to the elementary level and I'm looking forward to hear how some ES teachers have used these tools in their classroom.

Welcome to My Blog

2009-01-21T00:08:00.000-08:00