Wow! This chapter has a lot of information and it makes me want to look into a lot of the tools that are available. Overall, I continue to get this feel for Web 2.0 as being interactive and the internet no longer is simply something that we get information from, but a place where students and teachers can engage in learning and make it more of a lifestyle. However, with this notion comes a caution, in my opinion. If students and teachers are engaging in this online educational community, isn't there a danger in loosing human interaction. On one hand I see the valuable resources, but on the other hand, some aspect of the tangible human connection is lost and is replaced with technological connection. Nonetheless this is how students today are viewing connection and meaning so we must meet them there. Although, I still think we should strive to find a balance between social skills online and social interaction face-to-face.
A couple of the tools that were mentioned in this chapter really got me excited for the opportunities that await in the classroom. One of the main ones are wikis. We talked about these yesterday, but today through class discussion and readings, I am beginning to see how helpful they can be in the classroom. One of the main connections and uses I can use is with 4th grade writing portfolios. When I was in 4th grade I had a portfolio that was several folders bound together. In here we kept the brainstorming, drafts and the final copies. If wikis were used for this process, it could be an online community where other students are giving feedback and the student is taking more pride in their work. This can also be shown on an electronic portfolio platform, as mentioned in the chapter.
Secondly, I found that the discussion of blogs was especially helpful in giving pointers on how to use it in the classroom. I found that it was interesting that the author commented on the authority and validity of most blogs. It used to be that you couldn't really trust things that you found online, but more and more there are really some valuable resources and information that can be found online. Even so, obviously, there still needs to be discretion. I wonder if educational blogs will become more like the "scholarly journal" community in the future. I also liked the mention of Class Blogmeister. In a world that is more open and the possibility for potential mis-use of the internet are more prevalent, safety should be a top concern for your students. I like that this community is safe and protected, but the students are still exposed to the technology in order to enhance learning.
Finally, a few miscellaneous notes about the chapter. One of the things that I was wondering about is if there was an open-source version of a pdf creator. Based on the discussion of other desktop applications being available, I would assume that there would be, however, I have not run across this service. Secondly, I thought that the social bookmarking discussed makes a lot of sense. Just as with a lot of Web 2.0 it encourages working together and sharing resources. This is a skill that will be helpful for the students even after they graduate your class. Finally, I thought that the concept of Mashups was ingenious. With the possibility of working with churches in the future, these kinds of tools will prove to be invaluable. Furthermore, the use of these applications could prove helpful in administration, which I hope to be involved with, at some level, some day.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Chapter 2: Students and Learning
This chapter brought a good overview of several aspects of technology in education. In general the chapter deals with how students are viewing technology differently than teachers would view it. It is no longer something that we simply go to for information, but a source of interaction, engagement and resource within education. I remember 3rd grade very vividly because we were very engaged in the activities that we did. We did a lot of "hands-on" learning. Likewise, the "hands-on" learning may have shifted to included more "technology-on" learning, for lack of a better word. Just as I enjoyed and engaged in learning on a kinesthetic path, the students today engage both on a kinesthetic path and a technological path, which are often integrated. Moreover, the students in today's school systems are becoming more literate than the teachers so much so that the students are ahead of the teachers. For example, I interned at Mt. Olive 1st grade and they were using a Smartboard, and catching on with the use within days of learning.
Futhermore, this chapter discussed how today's technologies are interactive, which further builds on the "technology-on" concept. Like it was mentioned in class, students probably know how to manage social networking programs more effectively and thoroughly than "an educational site". The challenge then becomes for teachers to tap into those social networking skills in order to more effectively educate the students. For example, I have heard of a teacher that used Facebook for use in Social Studies. They had the students create a facebook for account for Abraham Lincoln. I believe that activities like this one would both achieve educational objectives and reach the students at their level.
Another one of the big ideas that I have continued to grapple with is this concept of differentiated instruction. For years, that has been a topic that educators have delved deep into with the purpose of meeting the needs of each student. To me that seems intuitive. We are being paid as teachers to educate students. No where in our contract does it say, "Only the Jones and Smiths of the class". Intuitively we would want to find ways to individualize instruction because no two students are alike. That being said, I do agree that technology would more effectively bring tools to the forefront for students to be able to be engaged in a more beneficial education.
Finally, in this chapter it deals with PBL once again. This method has been used and proposed in the field of gifted education (of which I am studying). For gifted students, particularly, they grasp tightly to working for "real-world" reasons in order to find "real-world" solutions. In my opinion, to some extent, especially in this technology era, all students, both gifted and mainstream students can use this method. As a consumer, or student, you want to know that what you are doing in the classroom, or the immediate present, will benefit you in the future.
Overall, technology in education brings the world that our students are living in to life. We must adapt to the culture in order to continue to provide quality education.
Futhermore, this chapter discussed how today's technologies are interactive, which further builds on the "technology-on" concept. Like it was mentioned in class, students probably know how to manage social networking programs more effectively and thoroughly than "an educational site". The challenge then becomes for teachers to tap into those social networking skills in order to more effectively educate the students. For example, I have heard of a teacher that used Facebook for use in Social Studies. They had the students create a facebook for account for Abraham Lincoln. I believe that activities like this one would both achieve educational objectives and reach the students at their level.
Another one of the big ideas that I have continued to grapple with is this concept of differentiated instruction. For years, that has been a topic that educators have delved deep into with the purpose of meeting the needs of each student. To me that seems intuitive. We are being paid as teachers to educate students. No where in our contract does it say, "Only the Jones and Smiths of the class". Intuitively we would want to find ways to individualize instruction because no two students are alike. That being said, I do agree that technology would more effectively bring tools to the forefront for students to be able to be engaged in a more beneficial education.
Finally, in this chapter it deals with PBL once again. This method has been used and proposed in the field of gifted education (of which I am studying). For gifted students, particularly, they grasp tightly to working for "real-world" reasons in order to find "real-world" solutions. In my opinion, to some extent, especially in this technology era, all students, both gifted and mainstream students can use this method. As a consumer, or student, you want to know that what you are doing in the classroom, or the immediate present, will benefit you in the future.
Overall, technology in education brings the world that our students are living in to life. We must adapt to the culture in order to continue to provide quality education.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Chapter 1: New World, New Web, New Skills
CHIP: Chapter 1
This chapter makes me excited to be a teacher in this day and age. From the discussion in class today and the reading from today's chapter, one of the things that I wonder about is Web 4.0. Dr. Krug described it as something of a predictive nature based on analysis of data for students. I know that it is not yet completely out there, but how beneficial it would to be put out there for the students and teachers. I wonder if it was specifically designed for students and educational uses or if it is something that was designed with something else in mind and has just evolved with the educational community in mind. As more concerning the chapter, several things came to mind. I think about the different blogs that I have read over the past couple of years. One of the points is made that "Bloggers often have an effect on their readers". I first think about a movie that was made around a food blog that was created. The readers responded to what the lady had to say. In a growing technology educational community, what a great opportunity for our students to be able to have an effect on the world that they live in at the time. The big push now is to teach the test, but I hope that we don't loose the fact that our students have the potential to impact the world around them. This would extend outside the four walls of our classroom. Blogs would afford them the opportunity to have that impact while still meeting educational objectives. Of course the issue of digital citizenship would have to be observed, and so perhaps a blog could be set up as a classroom. What a great opportunity to have the students share their ideas and have other people respond to their ideas.
Another topic that was brought to my attention in the reading. The issue of Digital-age literacy. When we are working in the schools, we may be confronted with parents or grandparents that do not know how to effectively use the the technology that we might use in our classrooms. Our students will probably know a lot more than we might think by the time that we become their teachers, however we must not overlook the issue of educating their caregivers as well. This would foster a learning community with the parents, students and school, which is an invaluable resource for the educational process. This could be accomplished through workshops or parent/student internet scavenger hunts throughout the school year. Hopefully through this class I will be able to gain more tools that can be used to increase educational experiences through the use of technology.
The final component that caught my attention in the reading was the idea of problem-based learning. I am not very educated on this concept, however I look forward to using it in my classroom. In my opinion this very concept is the bridge that needs to be used from the classroom into real world application. I want my future students to be able to think for themselves and not simply "plug and chug" information that is given to them. I believe that PBL reaches these objectives. I think that these objectives can be met through science instruction but also in math instruction and in other content areas.
The blog that I reviewed was Practical Theory. I like this blog because it offers many different links to other sites that this education technology guru has found helpful. I like how he uses Delicious for his bookmarks and offers current news stories on the right panel. These features will be helpful to learn how to do when I am setting up my classroom blog in order to maximize the students' exposure to helpful, relevant and safe resources. I also appreciate that this blogger is someone who is in the field, with his involvement with his school. That gives me as a future educator that opportunity to connect with relevant and helpful information that will benefit my students.
This chapter makes me excited to be a teacher in this day and age. From the discussion in class today and the reading from today's chapter, one of the things that I wonder about is Web 4.0. Dr. Krug described it as something of a predictive nature based on analysis of data for students. I know that it is not yet completely out there, but how beneficial it would to be put out there for the students and teachers. I wonder if it was specifically designed for students and educational uses or if it is something that was designed with something else in mind and has just evolved with the educational community in mind. As more concerning the chapter, several things came to mind. I think about the different blogs that I have read over the past couple of years. One of the points is made that "Bloggers often have an effect on their readers". I first think about a movie that was made around a food blog that was created. The readers responded to what the lady had to say. In a growing technology educational community, what a great opportunity for our students to be able to have an effect on the world that they live in at the time. The big push now is to teach the test, but I hope that we don't loose the fact that our students have the potential to impact the world around them. This would extend outside the four walls of our classroom. Blogs would afford them the opportunity to have that impact while still meeting educational objectives. Of course the issue of digital citizenship would have to be observed, and so perhaps a blog could be set up as a classroom. What a great opportunity to have the students share their ideas and have other people respond to their ideas.
Another topic that was brought to my attention in the reading. The issue of Digital-age literacy. When we are working in the schools, we may be confronted with parents or grandparents that do not know how to effectively use the the technology that we might use in our classrooms. Our students will probably know a lot more than we might think by the time that we become their teachers, however we must not overlook the issue of educating their caregivers as well. This would foster a learning community with the parents, students and school, which is an invaluable resource for the educational process. This could be accomplished through workshops or parent/student internet scavenger hunts throughout the school year. Hopefully through this class I will be able to gain more tools that can be used to increase educational experiences through the use of technology.
The final component that caught my attention in the reading was the idea of problem-based learning. I am not very educated on this concept, however I look forward to using it in my classroom. In my opinion this very concept is the bridge that needs to be used from the classroom into real world application. I want my future students to be able to think for themselves and not simply "plug and chug" information that is given to them. I believe that PBL reaches these objectives. I think that these objectives can be met through science instruction but also in math instruction and in other content areas.
The blog that I reviewed was Practical Theory. I like this blog because it offers many different links to other sites that this education technology guru has found helpful. I like how he uses Delicious for his bookmarks and offers current news stories on the right panel. These features will be helpful to learn how to do when I am setting up my classroom blog in order to maximize the students' exposure to helpful, relevant and safe resources. I also appreciate that this blogger is someone who is in the field, with his involvement with his school. That gives me as a future educator that opportunity to connect with relevant and helpful information that will benefit my students.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Thoughts from an Education Grad Student...
So I am in grad school... and I am really enjoying it. It has been an opportunity for me to really dive into the heart and soul of education. Throughout the next year I am going to be learning a lot and experiencing a lot and I wanted to be able to log those experiences.. so here are my thoughts, ideas for the future or ramblings from the mind of an education grad student...
* Stream of Conscious writing is effective in classroom instruction because you discover unique things about why you do what you do
*Some of the things that I have discovered from this writing... I think that I originally wanted to become a teacher because I wanted control of the classroom...one of the most vivid mental pictures I have deals with a group of people...
* Maybe a way to keep students' attention is to do a "3-2-1 recap"... what are 3 things that you learned, 2 connections made, 1 question you still have.
So these are some of my thoughts right now, but I hope that there are more to come.
-Monica
* Stream of Conscious writing is effective in classroom instruction because you discover unique things about why you do what you do
*Some of the things that I have discovered from this writing... I think that I originally wanted to become a teacher because I wanted control of the classroom...one of the most vivid mental pictures I have deals with a group of people...
* Maybe a way to keep students' attention is to do a "3-2-1 recap"... what are 3 things that you learned, 2 connections made, 1 question you still have.
So these are some of my thoughts right now, but I hope that there are more to come.
-Monica
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