Sunday, November 13, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
My Monster
"Okay, enough!" I said,
"I will conquer this thing at the foot of my bed."
Slowly and quietly, I tiptoed across the floor,
I had to find out what was behind my closet door.
The door creaked open and there it stood,
Awaiting to eat me if it could.
Its skin was scaly, purple, and scary.
But with five hairs on his head, not very hairy.
He snarled at me with teeth like spikes.
Just above were eyes of which I had never seen the likes.
The big eye was red, the square one green,
And a great yellow wart was in between.
His thick arms were outstretched, with two gnarly fingers on each hand.
This had to be the scariest monster in all of the land.
The round blob was crouched and looked ready to pounce,
I had to gain my courage, for this is when it counts.
I took a step forward, reached for my cap gun...
BUT WAIT! Here comes the sun!
"I will conquer this thing at the foot of my bed."
Slowly and quietly, I tiptoed across the floor,
I had to find out what was behind my closet door.
The door creaked open and there it stood,
Awaiting to eat me if it could.
Its skin was scaly, purple, and scary.
But with five hairs on his head, not very hairy.
He snarled at me with teeth like spikes.
Just above were eyes of which I had never seen the likes.
The big eye was red, the square one green,
And a great yellow wart was in between.
His thick arms were outstretched, with two gnarly fingers on each hand.
This had to be the scariest monster in all of the land.
The round blob was crouched and looked ready to pounce,
I had to gain my courage, for this is when it counts.
I took a step forward, reached for my cap gun...
BUT WAIT! Here comes the sun!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Overwhelmed
Wow, just when I thought I had a handle on things I met our new instructor....Oh my word! I don't think there are enough hours in the day to finish all that I need to finish for this class AND do the first assignment for the new class. I know, I am complaining and probably should have managed my time better....still, it's my blog and I feel like complaining! Is anyone else overwhelmed?
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Chapter 7 - Remix Culture
When I think about remix, my mind immediately goes to music and the "remixes" we would listen to as teens. My friends would create their own remix of songs that they liked and make tapes (yes, tapes) for us to listen to. This chapter talks about this and more - the mixing of music, images, art, texts and the like. As I tried to wrap my brain around this concept and how it works in (and out of) the classroom, the example that drove it home for me was a standard book report being remixed into a comic strip. I would think many students would much rather work with a comic strip (Comic Life anyone?) rather than a standard book report. It is explained as "remixing the knowledge that is required with the knowledge that has meaning to him" (p. 147). What a great idea!
The chapter goes on to explain how blogging, wikis, multimedia presentations are all great examples of remixes. One takes information that someone else provided and builds on that and relates it to the information relevant to them. She discusses music, video, and analog remixes and mashups (Holly introduced us to a mashup on our last weekend together). A great activity that they provide is a form where you ask students to tell you what the remix is and what the influence or primary source is for the remix. This is a great way to get students thinking about sources, citing work and so on.
The chapter goes on to explain how blogging, wikis, multimedia presentations are all great examples of remixes. One takes information that someone else provided and builds on that and relates it to the information relevant to them. She discusses music, video, and analog remixes and mashups (Holly introduced us to a mashup on our last weekend together). A great activity that they provide is a form where you ask students to tell you what the remix is and what the influence or primary source is for the remix. This is a great way to get students thinking about sources, citing work and so on.
Chapter 6 - Virtual Worlds
As with the previous chapter, this chapter is covering a topic that is completely foreign to me. I am, quite frankly, annoyed! The first paragraph of this chapter (as with the previous chapter) discusses how these sites are "exploring how to form new kinds of communities, where shifting roles nurture the transformation of identities-to one's sense of self and one's sense of what is possible". Am I the only one that wonders how we ever grew up without Role Playing sites and Virtual Worlds, let alone the Internet. I mean, how on Earth did I ever form an identity without the aid of participating in Second Life or creating an avatar? Oh, that's right, my parents, friends, relatives, TEACHERS, and community. While I again, understand the need to reach a very different generation than my own, the argument that Virtual Worlds and role-playing sites are the way to do this is lost on me. Okay, I will stop preaching and move on!
The chapter surprisingly offered up some great ideas that I would actually love to try. One of those ideas is that of creating a virtual conference room where others can enter and you can then teach a lesson. This seems like a great way to engage students. I also liked that learning can take place - any time, any where. I also really liked the Quest Atlantis. This interactive game allows students to take part in real-world activities and watch the consequences of their actions. This section alone was worth the price of the book (finally, something!!)! I really like this idea and have recommended it to a few of my colleagues.
The chapter surprisingly offered up some great ideas that I would actually love to try. One of those ideas is that of creating a virtual conference room where others can enter and you can then teach a lesson. This seems like a great way to engage students. I also liked that learning can take place - any time, any where. I also really liked the Quest Atlantis. This interactive game allows students to take part in real-world activities and watch the consequences of their actions. This section alone was worth the price of the book (finally, something!!)! I really like this idea and have recommended it to a few of my colleagues.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Chapter 5 - Role-Playing
I started reading this chapter with a fairly strong bias toward not using role playing activities in school. The only experience I have had was that of sitting around the lunch table playing Dungeons and Dragons with a group of my classmates. That was well before Web 2.0 (let alone the Internet) had ever been heard of. I had almost never heard of a positive school use for role-playing games, although I admit, I based this on bits and pieces of information heard/read here and there. I have never taken the time to do any research on my own so was looking forward to reading a positive discussion regarding role-playing.
Parker presents an argument for using role-playing in the classroom to construct narratives, to give students the ability to "consider and empathize with different perspectives", story-writing, vocabulary, and map reading (to name a few). Her main argument for using role-playing in the classroom is because it is "essential to understand and reflect on how one's sense of identity is constantly adjusting to how one appears to others. Using role-playing activities in classrooms can make this process, which is often naturalized and left unquestioned, highly visible." She goes on to say that because of this it may help students with their interactions in the "real" world. Color me a skeptic but I just can't make that same connection. The more that I read, the more I am feeling as though role-playing is not a tool that I will understand unless I give it a try myself. Has anyone out there ever used role-playing in the classroom? I would love to hear about your experiences. I am still skeptical!
Parker presents an argument for using role-playing in the classroom to construct narratives, to give students the ability to "consider and empathize with different perspectives", story-writing, vocabulary, and map reading (to name a few). Her main argument for using role-playing in the classroom is because it is "essential to understand and reflect on how one's sense of identity is constantly adjusting to how one appears to others. Using role-playing activities in classrooms can make this process, which is often naturalized and left unquestioned, highly visible." She goes on to say that because of this it may help students with their interactions in the "real" world. Color me a skeptic but I just can't make that same connection. The more that I read, the more I am feeling as though role-playing is not a tool that I will understand unless I give it a try myself. Has anyone out there ever used role-playing in the classroom? I would love to hear about your experiences. I am still skeptical!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Chapter 4 - Wikipedia
Parker provides some great activities to get teachers prepared for/accustomed to using Wikipedia. She also discusses pedagogical implications and classroom practices. The main point in all of these activities being that one needs to be able to analyze the information presented and decide if it can be used as a valuable (read - quotable) resource. Having a discussion with your class regarding Wikipedia and coming up with a checklist to evaluate the wikipedia entry are all great ways to engage your students in a dialogue regarding the reliability of sources. Something very important for our students to learn, regardless of the site.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Webquest
I did a Web 2.0 Professional Development Webquest. I plan to use this webquest with teachers in an after school or Teacher workshop day. This webquest introduces many web 2.0 tools, for some teachers this will be the first time that they have explored these tools. I am planning to use this as a starting point for my final project which will be an extension of the presentations the teachers make at our second class.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Final Project
I have been giving this a lot of thought and have finally decided to springboard from the webquest that I created for class. I plan to use this webquest in a professional development class that I offer to our teachers. I will use the webquest in the initial class to introduce a variety of Web 2.0 tools. At the next meeting the teachers will give an overview of the Web 2.0 tools that they researched and class participants will then decide the specific classes that they would like to attend. My final project will be two or three lesson plans for future professional development offerings. I will cover blogs, wikis, and podcasts.
Chapter 3 - YouTube
This chapter was very interesting for me as we block YouTube in our school district. We have given out passwords so that teachers may unblock the site for a period of time to show videos such as Martin Luther King's speech, Challenger disaster, newscasts, and so on. Personally, I find this annoying! I understand the implications of students having access to inappropriate videos, downloading illegal or inappropriate content, putting unnecessary strain on our network and laptops but it seems that these are all issues that we should be talking about with the students. As with other web tools, we should be discussing these issues and implications rather than blocking the site and forcing our students (and teachers) to look for other avenues or proxies. We recently made the national news with a freak basketball shot from one of our students....do you think students could access the video at school? You guessed it, no!
Parker advocates using YouTube in school for a variety of reasons. She discusses uploading class projects, personal media presentations, the feedback aspects of YouTube, to name a few. There is also a section of the chapter dedicated to potential approaches to convincing administrators and IT staff to allow YouTube use at school. She makes very valid points and arguments here.
Parker advocates using YouTube in school for a variety of reasons. She discusses uploading class projects, personal media presentations, the feedback aspects of YouTube, to name a few. There is also a section of the chapter dedicated to potential approaches to convincing administrators and IT staff to allow YouTube use at school. She makes very valid points and arguments here.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Really?
I am trying to finish up our handouts for this weekend and can't seem to make the site that Larry and I chose work...Rut roh! He and I chose to do a presentation on www.storybird.com. Right now, I can't get past logging in...this is not a good sign!
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Compromise
After some tough bargaining with my reader self, I finally agreed to put down my book and work for at the minimum of two hours on the web app project that Larry and I are doing. I got the Keynote completely finished! HALLELUJAH!! All that is left is meeting with Larry and going over the presentation. Then I spent the afternoon finishing my book, very rewarding! Now to figure out how to get to work on the webquest!
Motivation, where art thou?
On the one hand, I have 100 pages left in the book that I just can't put down....on the other hand, I have two projects that are due next weekend. Why, oh why, is this such a struggle? I have always worked best under pressure but it seems that in my old (okay, not THAT old) age, I just can't bring myself to work on something until THE very last minute. I am beyond frustrated with myself at this point! Words of wisdom?
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Social Networking Sites - part deux!
Interestingly enough, I checked my school email today to find the following email from our school administration. Clearly, we will not be using any of these sites for educational purposes any time in the near future! I really can't say that I disagree!
Dear Staff,
The use of social networking is growing at a rapid rate as adults and students use social media sites such as Face Book or MySpace to connect with family and friends. Many of our own staff communicate effectively with students via First Class regarding assignments or school related questions.
I strongly discourage staff from socializing with students outside of school on social networking websites, including but not limited to MySpace, Facebook or Twitter. I remind everyone that email, text messaging, instant messaging and social networking with students about non-school related issues is not appropriate. It has been brought to my attention that staff members are "friending" students on social networks and non-school related text messages are being sent to student cell phones.
I have attached a copy of the Conduct Between Staff and Students Policy. This policy clearly states that "friending" students on social networking sites (outside of any school approved activity) is prohibited conduct. Please keep relationships with students professional at all times. Thank you.
Chapter 2 - Social Networking sites and the classroom- still a skeptic
I read chapter two in Teaching Tech Savvy Kids hoping to be convinced that social networking sites in K-12 schools are a great idea...I am still waiting! This chapter was written by Jessica K. Parker and danah boyd (no, she does not capitalize her name) and discusses students and their use of social networking sites such as Facebook, My Space, and so on. The authors make a couple of convincing points for their use in schools but have still not convinced me. One of their main arguments is that students need our guidance in navigating these sites and their implications on friendships, future college and job choices, misunderstandings and the like. I wonder why this guidance can't take place without interacting on these sites? Sites such as Edmodo and Ning are great places to have a Facebook like setting while it is an educational forum. You can also include parents in the sites as well as administrators and the like.
I do love their idea of using Facebook for history lessons. Students would really buy into setting up Facebook pages for Abe Lincoln or Eleanor Roosevelt. Imagine the creativity this would allow! For example, who would Abe Lincoln friend? What would his profile pic be? What pages would he "Like"? Students would have a blast with this activity.
I agree that there needs to be discussion and guidance for students to learn how to navigate the ever-changing social networking sites, however, does the teacher have to befriend them online in order to have valid, concrete discussions? The risks associated with befriending students on social networking sites still outweighs the positive for me. What does anyone else think?
I do love their idea of using Facebook for history lessons. Students would really buy into setting up Facebook pages for Abe Lincoln or Eleanor Roosevelt. Imagine the creativity this would allow! For example, who would Abe Lincoln friend? What would his profile pic be? What pages would he "Like"? Students would have a blast with this activity.
I agree that there needs to be discussion and guidance for students to learn how to navigate the ever-changing social networking sites, however, does the teacher have to befriend them online in order to have valid, concrete discussions? The risks associated with befriending students on social networking sites still outweighs the positive for me. What does anyone else think?
Monday, January 17, 2011
Great Choice
I recently started reading the book that I chose for our class, Teaching Tech-Savvy Kids and have been pleasantly surprised. I don't think I could have chosen a better fit for me. This book offers me a continuation of the research I did for the paper that I wrote for our last class, "Student-Centered Models of Professional Development and Classroom Integration". I have read through the first chapter and am anxious to continue. The author, Jessica K. Parker, has structured this book around the idea that, "our goal as educators in understanding youth and digital media should be to frame our discussion around learning, literacy and knowledge rather than merely concentrating on the integration of and access to technological tools" (p. 2). I agree, in order to remain influential over our classrooms we need to forget what the technological tool is and focus on what it can offer to our students.
In the first chapter, Maryanne Berry, a twelfth grade English teacher, makes the case for using instant messaging as a way to create discussion groups in her classes (I have to admit, as I started reading this passage I would classify myself as skeptical). Berry previously assigned journal entries for her students but five years ago decided to experiment with online chat rooms. The students were required to turn in the transcripts of their chats and to have a certain number of chats throughout the semester. She discovered that the chats were much longer (students meeting on-line often times for an hour or more) and more engaged than the journal entries and peer responses. "The emailed journal responses resembled short written letters between readers, while the instant messaging resembled spoken conversations" (p. 11). Berry also noticed that the students using instant messaging had other successes such as the ease of exchange between students who may not have been friends and that the conversations allowed for students to reveal their understandings and questions of the book. She also noticed that the instant messages allowed for a more abstract and complex understanding of the book. As Berry points out, the results of her five year study indicate that this is certainly one form of "new media" that supports learning. While this is not the conventional journal entry, it certainly is an idea that we need to explore.
I really like that Parker's book is not going to be, in her words, "cut-n-paste activities for teachers to integrate into their classrooms but to really grapple with serious technological and communicative changes that deeply affect how and what students learn in school" (p. 13). Not every teacher has the same style, same knowledge, same pedagogy and therefore what works for one teacher will not necessarily work for another. I like that Parker recognizes that we really need to focus on the learner and how they learn and run with that. I am really looking forward to reading more of her ideas.
In the first chapter, Maryanne Berry, a twelfth grade English teacher, makes the case for using instant messaging as a way to create discussion groups in her classes (I have to admit, as I started reading this passage I would classify myself as skeptical). Berry previously assigned journal entries for her students but five years ago decided to experiment with online chat rooms. The students were required to turn in the transcripts of their chats and to have a certain number of chats throughout the semester. She discovered that the chats were much longer (students meeting on-line often times for an hour or more) and more engaged than the journal entries and peer responses. "The emailed journal responses resembled short written letters between readers, while the instant messaging resembled spoken conversations" (p. 11). Berry also noticed that the students using instant messaging had other successes such as the ease of exchange between students who may not have been friends and that the conversations allowed for students to reveal their understandings and questions of the book. She also noticed that the instant messages allowed for a more abstract and complex understanding of the book. As Berry points out, the results of her five year study indicate that this is certainly one form of "new media" that supports learning. While this is not the conventional journal entry, it certainly is an idea that we need to explore.
I really like that Parker's book is not going to be, in her words, "cut-n-paste activities for teachers to integrate into their classrooms but to really grapple with serious technological and communicative changes that deeply affect how and what students learn in school" (p. 13). Not every teacher has the same style, same knowledge, same pedagogy and therefore what works for one teacher will not necessarily work for another. I like that Parker recognizes that we really need to focus on the learner and how they learn and run with that. I am really looking forward to reading more of her ideas.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
What do you think?
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Welcome!
I am really looking forward to learning more about web 2.0 tools and how to tailor them to the variety of teachers that I work with. I have used a blog with my students in the past and currently have a wiki that I use for PD with teachers but have not had a lot of time to keep up to date with quickly changing and ever-developing Internet tools and resources.
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