Wow...I feel like a whole new wealth of information has just been opened up to me...it's so SAD to me that I did not know about this before today!! Haha!
I definitely think I will be affected by Creative Commons in my personal and professional lives. I have used content from the web in my classroom, but I have not really ever checked for copyright (BAD, I know!!). I am naive when it comes to copyright laws. That stuff just kind of hurts my head to think about, so in the past I have just not thought about it. Now I know how to find content that is usable with permission from the owner. I am excited about where I can go with this!
I would like to learn more about Creative Commons as I am still a little confused on how to find usable content, even after completing the stretch activity. I will spend a little more time on that so I am prepared before the school year starts!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Thing #9- My Sandbox Page
I really enjoyed creating my sandbox page. The instructions were very easy to follow and I did not have any trouble setting up the page. I had some trouble adding a photo because it took me a minute to figure out how to upload a photo from my computer. I probably should have looked at the "cheat sheet," but I learn best when I have to figure it out on my own, so I didn't "cheat." :)
After looking at some other classmate's sandbox pages, I went back and changed the font colors on some of my titles and my burning question. I don't know why I didn't think of that before! :)
Overall, I had a great time playing in the sandbox and I can't wait to add more to my page!
After looking at some other classmate's sandbox pages, I went back and changed the font colors on some of my titles and my burning question. I don't know why I didn't think of that before! :)
Overall, I had a great time playing in the sandbox and I can't wait to add more to my page!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Thing #8- Classroom Wikis
One of the first wiki's I looked at was the Math 12V Outcome Wiki. I think if I were to set up a wiki, mine would look very similar to this, at least in format. On the home page, you can click on each Unit to access the standards for that unit. When you click on an individual standard, you are taken to a page explaining the standard and giving examples. I really like this idea! I think it would be most useful for homework, studying, and PARENTS. How often do parents try to help their child with homework, but they don't know what the student has learned?? A class wiki like this one would allow parents to click on a standard and see examples that could help them learn or review the concept to be able to help their child.
Another wiki I viewed was the Salute to Seuss Wiki. This wiki was mainly used to share ideas across classrooms. I think this would be a great idea for teachers. We don't always have hours in the day to sit and discuss things that could be included on a wiki. It would start out as a school wide project, but would hopefully grow from there. Teachers could post content, lessons, and project ideas in one place. It would really help in getting all content teachers in each area teaching the same lessons if they don't already. It could also be a great resource for cross-curriculum projects or even cross-grade level projects!
The Schools Then Wiki was very simple with only one page instead of several pages. It was great because all the information was in one place, but I definitely think it could be expanded and organized for easier navigation. Also, I would have enjoyed seeing school names and years on the posts, so I wish they would have asked their visitors to post that information. This project was a great idea, but I think I would have taken it MUCH further!
I didn't know much about wikis before this "thing," but I really like what I have learned about them so far. I think they are a great tool for teachers to post resources and lesson plans all in one place without having to meet face to face. One resource I don't have enough of is TIME, and I think wikis could save us time! I also think they could be a valuable tool for teachers to reach out to students and parents by posting lessons or examples online for 24 hour access.
Another wiki I viewed was the Salute to Seuss Wiki. This wiki was mainly used to share ideas across classrooms. I think this would be a great idea for teachers. We don't always have hours in the day to sit and discuss things that could be included on a wiki. It would start out as a school wide project, but would hopefully grow from there. Teachers could post content, lessons, and project ideas in one place. It would really help in getting all content teachers in each area teaching the same lessons if they don't already. It could also be a great resource for cross-curriculum projects or even cross-grade level projects!
The Schools Then Wiki was very simple with only one page instead of several pages. It was great because all the information was in one place, but I definitely think it could be expanded and organized for easier navigation. Also, I would have enjoyed seeing school names and years on the posts, so I wish they would have asked their visitors to post that information. This project was a great idea, but I think I would have taken it MUCH further!
I didn't know much about wikis before this "thing," but I really like what I have learned about them so far. I think they are a great tool for teachers to post resources and lesson plans all in one place without having to meet face to face. One resource I don't have enough of is TIME, and I think wikis could save us time! I also think they could be a valuable tool for teachers to reach out to students and parents by posting lessons or examples online for 24 hour access.
Thing #7- Commenting
I think commenting on blogs is important because the comments are where the discussion happens! Obviously the blog post itself is essential because it contains the information, but it is only one person's opinion. The comments made on the blog include many differing opinions and make the writer and readers THINK.
Drape's post on Edublogger Etiquette is insightful because it implies that by ignoring the comments on blog posts, the author is essentially missing out on opportunities to discuss and grow.
I would really like to investigate this topic more and find a way to incorporate blogging into my classroom. How cool would it be to give students a place where they can ask questions and feed on one another's thoughts in order to LEARN???? And as I learned from Drape's site, as the teacher I could use those comments to fuel another post or even class discussions! I am getting excited about this- anyone have any success stories or ideas for classroom/student blogging???
Drape's post on Edublogger Etiquette is insightful because it implies that by ignoring the comments on blog posts, the author is essentially missing out on opportunities to discuss and grow.
I would really like to investigate this topic more and find a way to incorporate blogging into my classroom. How cool would it be to give students a place where they can ask questions and feed on one another's thoughts in order to LEARN???? And as I learned from Drape's site, as the teacher I could use those comments to fuel another post or even class discussions! I am getting excited about this- anyone have any success stories or ideas for classroom/student blogging???
Thing #6- Inventing Passions
One of the bloggers I added to my reader and really enjoy reading is David Warlick. I haven't read a post on his blog that I disagree with (YET- still reading). I particularly liked this post about empowering students to learn. My favorite statement from this post is when he says we should "provide more time and resources to [enable] and [empower] students to find, or even invent their passions." I LOVE the use of the word invent because in today's fast changing times, many of our students will have jobs in ten years that center around something that we don't even know exists yet! It is our job to inspire students to find that passion, even if they have to start from scratch!
This post from David was kind of a wake up call! Teachers, schools, and administrators have come up with excuse after excuse about why we can't teach to the future. Some of those excuses are valid, but all the same, they are still EXCUSES. Essential Question: “Are you going to adapt your philosophies and practices to a new generation of learners, a new information environment, and a new future?”
This post from David was kind of a wake up call! Teachers, schools, and administrators have come up with excuse after excuse about why we can't teach to the future. Some of those excuses are valid, but all the same, they are still EXCUSES. Essential Question: “Are you going to adapt your philosophies and practices to a new generation of learners, a new information environment, and a new future?”
Thing #5- RSS Feed
I am pretty familiar with RSS feeds as I currently have a personal blog and "follow" others from there. I am new, however, to Google Reader, and I really like it! Much better than Blogger's dashboard. :)
I really enjoyed this post about technology tools we need in our classrooms. When I saw the title, I expected a long list with things on it that my campus has little or no hope of getting. I was pleasantly surprised to see that my classroom is already equipped with the technology essentials the writer recommends. I think this is critical for me as a teacher because it gives me NO EXCUSES for not incorporating technology into my classroom. I already have the tools that I need and the world at my fingertips thanks to the Internet. I spent some time this past year finding resources on Discovery Education and was very pleased with most of what I found. I plan to spend more time this summer finding ways to incorporate technology into current units and lesson plans.
I really enjoyed this post about technology tools we need in our classrooms. When I saw the title, I expected a long list with things on it that my campus has little or no hope of getting. I was pleasantly surprised to see that my classroom is already equipped with the technology essentials the writer recommends. I think this is critical for me as a teacher because it gives me NO EXCUSES for not incorporating technology into my classroom. I already have the tools that I need and the world at my fingertips thanks to the Internet. I spent some time this past year finding resources on Discovery Education and was very pleased with most of what I found. I plan to spend more time this summer finding ways to incorporate technology into current units and lesson plans.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Thing #4- Homework???
One of the posts I read was by a teacher named Mr. Meyer about why he doesn't assign homework. Before I even clicked on it, I knew I would disagree with it. While he has some VERY valid points that I have experienced myself in my own classroom, I still think homework can be a critical and beneficial tool for teachers. Homework is about PRACTICE. Classwork is for teaching the concepts and should be used as an assessment tool for teachers to judge how well their students are learning the concepts. A typical lesson in my classroom consists of note-taking (not always in the form of writing, sometimes a Promethean flipchart or video), then classwork in the I do, We do, You do format. I use the "You do" problems to see which students "get it" and which don't. Homework is assigned after that, and the homework is designed to give students practice on the types of problems. If the student has time for three "You Do" problems in my class and then doesn't see the concept again until 24 hours later when they come back to math class, they will forget it! I do not assign homework unless I am confident that enough of my students get it that the practice will be helpful. Yes, I have those kids who don't do it. Yes, I have cheaters and students who do the homework half-way hoping to get some kind of credit. BUT, I usually only have about one or two "repeat offenders" and for those students the problem lies in their motivation. Homework or no homework, those students aren't going to give 100% until that other problem is addressed. For the other 97% of my students, I am confident that homework is a key player in their success on standardized tests and in math class in general. Call me old school, but homework WORKS!
Thing #2- Web 2.0
Wow- apparently this Internet thing is here to stay, huh? Haha...just kidding! I am the Internet Queen (not to be confused with the freak-out Queen, in the Thing #1 post).
While I consider myself very technology savvy, I do not think I have used those skills to enhance the learning of my students. I think it is because I have become somewhat complacent- I have lessons already created for the subjects that I teach, and in my opinion those lessons are successful, so why change, right? Wrong. I want my class to be one that my students are passionate about and feel that they have a say in. I want to keep parents informed about what is going on in class without having to make 75 phone calls. I want my students to become technology savvy too, as that makes them more marketable in the future. I think all of these "wants" are the reasons that learning about Web 2.0 tools will be fun and beneficial to me.
While I consider myself very technology savvy, I do not think I have used those skills to enhance the learning of my students. I think it is because I have become somewhat complacent- I have lessons already created for the subjects that I teach, and in my opinion those lessons are successful, so why change, right? Wrong. I want my class to be one that my students are passionate about and feel that they have a say in. I want to keep parents informed about what is going on in class without having to make 75 phone calls. I want my students to become technology savvy too, as that makes them more marketable in the future. I think all of these "wants" are the reasons that learning about Web 2.0 tools will be fun and beneficial to me.
Thing #1- 7 1/2 Habits of Effective Lifelong Learners
I think the most challenging "habit" for me is Habit #3: View problems as challenges. Whoa...I do NOT do that at all!! I am the queen of freaking out when something goes wrong. That said, I definitely have some work to do on viewing each mini-crisis in my life each day as a "challenge."
The easiest habit for me will be Habit #1: Begin with the end in mind. In case you can't tell from my "queen-of-freaking-out" title above, I am little bit of a control freak. I always have in my head how things should turn out or the ideal situation as the end result. Okay, I also have all the not-so-ideal situations in my head too, but mostly I just focus on the way I WANT it to turn out. I am a specific and goal oriented person in general, so it is pretty easy for me to have a goal in mind before I begin a project or adventure.
I think the most important habit for this course is Habit #6: Use technology to your advantage because that IS what this course is about, right? I think Habit #7 1/2: PLAY is just important for life. Playing can release stress and can make us happier in general as people. Also, in this course specifically, playing around with the technology tools and the new "things" we are learning will help me learn- I am a visual and kinesthetic learner. :)
The easiest habit for me will be Habit #1: Begin with the end in mind. In case you can't tell from my "queen-of-freaking-out" title above, I am little bit of a control freak. I always have in my head how things should turn out or the ideal situation as the end result. Okay, I also have all the not-so-ideal situations in my head too, but mostly I just focus on the way I WANT it to turn out. I am a specific and goal oriented person in general, so it is pretty easy for me to have a goal in mind before I begin a project or adventure.
I think the most important habit for this course is Habit #6: Use technology to your advantage because that IS what this course is about, right? I think Habit #7 1/2: PLAY is just important for life. Playing can release stress and can make us happier in general as people. Also, in this course specifically, playing around with the technology tools and the new "things" we are learning will help me learn- I am a visual and kinesthetic learner. :)
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