Blogs, Wikis, webpages-- aren't they all the same?!

Before going through with this class, I only knew what a blog was and did not understand why people loved blogging so much. Wikis I had only used in my college classes but really never understood what they were. Webpages I had never heard of before CEP. Now, I am know all about them and the purposes.

Blogs: These are individual to a person or group that they update by posting thoughts, feelings, new ideas or graphics. These have been thought of as more a journal or a personal diary. The user normally updates frequently because people can follow them. This means they can read what they write and comment on their thoughts. Great way to reflect on your learning or life.

Blogs/ CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Wikis: Is a website that allows different people to have access to it. This means they are all able to go in and edit or change the information. The Wiki will update every time someone hits the save button and allows each person to see the changes. It's best used with a large group where changes will be needed. This eliminates the consist e-mail of different drafts or ideas to people and not knowing which draft is the final. Or like in some college classes, a place where discussion forums are done.

wiki / CC BY-NC 2.0

Webpages- (such as www.weebly.com) These are great resources for designing or creating your own personal URL. These web-pages can contain be informational that you would like to teach people about or a way to publish information for yourself. For instance, a teacher could create a webpage where they could put information about the class up. Each parent and student could have the link and check it to see what was going on in the classroom. Or for this class we have created a personal website that allows the viewer to learn about me and see sample lesson plans.

Next Generation of Teaching!

After seeing my teacher and learning about this class, I think it is up to us to take teaching to the next level. I think that just using a computer to it's full abilities is one change that teachers could make. Image, having all of our lesson plans typed and saved on a computer instead of filing it all. This way changes can be made easily without any problems. I will use either outlook or a similar calendar program where I can keep consistent my weekly lessons however change or edit them each week. This way I could refer back to them the next year and know exactly what I did each week.  I will keep a running record of the classroom and the actions to help me remember behavior problems, situations that work and situations that did not. I want to keep up on my e-mail as much as possible because I feel so many adults check their e-mail many times a day and it is way user to send out a mass e-mail than to call each parent on the phone. A classroom website will keep everyone in formed of events and activities that will be going on in our classroom.

Finishing up feild placement!

Next week is my last week in my field placement and I am going to miss my students so much and all that we have been through. I have learned so much from my CT and my students. So I would like to take a moment and reflect on different technologies that I was able to see in my classroom. First of all each teacher has a laptop of there own. I think this is great idea because this way the teachers can take work home with them, to meetings etc. and have everything with them. My CT was lucky enough to have a smartboard, which I used for my lesson plans and just played around with it. They are such a great addition to any classroom and I just love them. Everyone Tuesday and Friday the students get an opportunity to use technology, where the technology teacher would come into the students classroom with a laptop cart. My teacher and the technology teacher would communicate about the students were learning and incorporate that into the technology teacher's lesson.

Second Life: New Technology

I was very interested in this second life. I have never heard of it however I am very interested in the website. It reminds me of a Sim style game, in the way that you create your own character and their life. Then through this character you travel around and live a virtal world. Once you have a character then you can interact with others. The website is based on the idea of 3D and this allows you build objects that look real to life.

After seeing the demo for this website I thought that this website looked like fun and a game. I believe the goal is to create a life and survive. I did not understand how I could use this in the classroom without making it just a game? I saw that it is a good way that they can learn about life and how to manage a house or a car, but I was thinking that they need more out of a game.

I went looking for ideas that teachers have used Second City for in their classroom. I found this blog that had 11 ways to use Second Life in the classroom.

1.  Understanding what 3D is
2. Adding a visual element (traveling to Egypt Pyramid
3. Data Repository with linkage
4. Connection device: online classes, voice with group meetings
5. Apply classroom knowledge: business students applying creating a market place
6. Team building/critical thinking: discovering resources they need to teach each other
7. Research tool: currency exchange with other countries
8. Build awareness of virtual tourism
9. Social devices
10. Create anonymity: confidential information
11. Macinema 

11 Ways to Use Second Life in Education (Michele Ryan)

View more presentations from Michele Ryan.

After seeing Michele Ryan's ideas, I can see where High School or College economics or business class could use this idea. It is a great way for them to explore real life situations in the business world from the classroom. Also, computer designer could use this website to explore this idea of 3D and how to use it. I think that students often learn best when it is seems as if it is a game! 

My only concern is will parents or school districts will be nervous having students on the virtual world. With all the situations that have cam up with online worlds, I could understand parents concerns with not wanting their children to use this. So I do not know if you can set it to only certain things in your classroom or only letting students see certain things, but this might help with some of those concerns.

Video taping- we should try it!

During my TE class we often watch videos of their teaching and how students react to their teaching. While I understand many parents might have issues with their students being video taped, I love the idea. This allows the teacher to go back and reflect on their teaching as well as parents being able to see their student at work. It can be a great way for the teacher to have proof of the students growth throughout the year. A lot of times, teacher disagree on the studetns ability. For instance, in my day care center we had this one teacher say the student could do all of these benchmarks to get the student out of their classroom. Video cameras can not lie about what students can and cannot do.

Parents would be able to see their students behavior during different parts of the day and understand where the teacher is coming from with different issues. I think this would help eliminate the idea that teachers "do not like certain kids" or they are not treated fairly. Students also could watch themselves on video because I think many of them would be embarrassed how they act sometimes. A lot of times students can not understand what it looks like when they are acting a certain way and how it comes across to the teacher.

During student presentations or big projects, the video camera could be running. This way the students could show their parents, family and friends what a good job they did. It can help with public speaking because watching and reviewing your presentations, you learn a lot about yourself.

I do not think that the video camera should be running all day, everyday because that would create a lot of wasted film. I think on some days for like an hour or two having a video camera on would help everyone understand what happens inside your classroom.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zcreem/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Too much Technology

Can we have too much technology in the classroom!? I know that many different technologies have great advantages in using them but when is enough. However, some teachers are trying to do too much. While I see having computers, smartboards, lap tops, tape recorders and voice recorders in the classroom is great but does it take away from teaching. I observed this classroom where the teacher spent so much time worry about if the technology would work or if the students were understanding how to use the program, the actually teaching of the subjects were lost. She was so worried that the students did not understand spelling city or how to write on the smartboard that they spent hours going over this. When does it become too much?

I know that technology is great for helping and improving teaching, but like anything too much is bad.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevewilhelm/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Online classrooms

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vivevans/4140362042/I know this isn't a specific technology however it is something that I have been thinking about. In college, I have had three different classes where I did not know what my teacher looked like. We turned in all of our work typed or scanned it. They posted lecture notes and readings online. We had meeting times for blogs or chat rooms. Now, for a college student who may be lazy this is great but I will tell you that I did not learn as much as I would have going to the class.

There have been some public schools who have factored in this type of online learning and some students do not attend classes. While it will take years for these to pop up all, what does this mean? Does this change students development? Is online work too much? Can a teacher reach students online and help them the same way they can face-to-face?

I think these are issues that we need to think about and start researching now. If budgets keeping cut, I can see more and more schools incorporating more classes online. I do not think this is a good idea for elementary age students because structure is so important to their development. I could not image trying to teach a student to add through the internet!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vivevans/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Three Weeks left in CEP

With the semester coming to the end, I would like to take a small reflection on this class. Taking this class was an elective for me because I wanted to see ways that technology is used in the classroom. With the class almost finished, I have found that I have learned not only some really good ideas for the classroom but just how to better organize my life. I just love google reader and how all my webistes are organized. I love that I now can make a website very easily and understand how to use the features. I have a general understanding about technology, that does not make me feel so lost when people talk about different things. I finally know what a RSS feed is.

I would suggestion for any of my followers who are interested in taking this class to go for it. Everything that I have learned, I will use in and out of the classroom. It is an exciting and entertaining class that will teach you to better use the internet and your different technologies.

Wiki's and PB Works

This week I had quiet the struggle with PB Works. Since I already had an account (CEP classroom) they put me straight to this page. When I tried to add a new page but could not figure out how to do it. I could not figure out how to have people come to my page and so Greg could come in and edit the page. I put this up on the Gallery however, I was unhappy with my work. 

This is when I decided to switch what I had done and create a wiki's space, so I could learn really how to use these types of websites where everyone can edit it. I found starting from the beginning was much easier and I was able to work around wiki spaces much easier. However, I do not know if I would have started PB Works from the beginning I would have ran into this problem.

The Wiki idea that I created was a way for my students in the class to post their ideas. Ideally, this would be something I would do with writing prompts at first then they would move away from the prompts. I want them to explore their ideas and thoughts about the subjects in a safe environment. They could put websites they found interesting, attach work they had done or just write about their thoughts.

pic/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Wiki's

Here is the link to my wiki!! Enjoy! :)


Click Here

Technology and Spelling

Something that cam up in my TE I have been thinking about the last couple of days. Should we teach kids to use the book dictionary or should we teach them to use the computer? For instance, this one girl in my class brought up a very good point that she use the auto correct for words such as govt for government. Should be teaching the students these trips for spelling since technology is taking over the classrooms? 

I know, personally, that when I type a paper I often mis-spell words however I am more worried about my thoughts then my spelling. My sentences often have a few mis-spelled words but all I do is right click and there is the word I meant to type. There was no thought process on the spelling or the mistakes that I did wrong. I think that using mircosoft word has made me worse speller because I do not have to think about my spelling anymore. 

Does spelling matter anymore? Do we have to focus the sounds so that words just get close to real spelling? I know on my Mac, it doesn't matter where I am typing but no matter what if I spell a word incorrectly, the red lines are going to appear and I know I have change my spelling. Does this limit my thinking about spelling? For students, do they have worry about spelling because they know the computer will fix them? Also, students know if they want a "smarter" word they can go to synonymous and the words will come up.

So my questions are, should we teach to the new up coming way? Should we be teaching students how to use Spell Checker or should we teach them to dictionary? I am torn because I feel as if knowing how to use the dictionary is so important, but think of the last time you used one? Computers are taking over the classrooms, so should we teach them  the old school way or should we teach them the future?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24498687@N03/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

Google Reader

When we were first introduced to the idea of Google Reader, I had mixed feelings about it. Google Reader is a way to way to organize and combine all of the websites or blogs that you are following on the web. Every time the website or blog gets updated, it will be put on one page and you can check it. All of the updates come to Google Reader so instead of checking all of your websites, you can just go to this one website.

The websites that you follow have to be RSS (Really Simple Syndication), which allows websites to distribute new contents or information as it becomes updated. I thought that at first I was not going to like not going to my websites or I thought it was going to be impossible to keep up on all of the reading. Personally, I have learn to love this page and love how all of my information is in one spot.

At first I didn't understand why we were learning about these types of RSS feeds and google reader but after exploring it I can see many uses for kids. For instance, you could set up a google reader with different educational websites were the students can access them. For instance, if they were doing research project on plant life then I could have different RSS feeds that they could check out and keep up to date with the news.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chin/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

Photo Peach

The website that I used to create my slideshow was www.photopeach.com. This website allows you create slideshows and veiw other peoples creations.Then then the viewer can view your creation as a slideshow or a spiral.  I found this website to be a very easy and simple way to develop slideshow. I think for elementary students this is a great website to use because all you do is add photos, then music and then captions and it's done. There are no special effects to add in or transitions to worry about. I think this is a great website to use when introducing online slideshows.

I saw while looking through other peoples slideshows that were created. One was about World War II and was very interesting. I think that programs like this are great ways to end units. Students can use pictures and small phrases to tell a story. I can see this working great with science (for example: life cycle of a butterfly) or social studies (for example: a day in the life of a solider). 

Personally, for the use of this class I was disappointed with the website. Not because it was not user friendly but because it was so simple. I was hoping to make a slideshow with more special effects or have it be more creative. While for elementary school students this website will be great, I would just liked to have worked with something more complex.

My SlideShow.

My Adventures on PhotoPeach






http://photopeach.com/album/9qo9y0#