What did I know? - I understood that using technology in a classroom setting was important and that the students I teach are very comfortable with technology. They all have cell phones, computers, and are very familiar with many of the current software programs. I also understood how much time they spend on Facebook or other social networking sites.
My students (and I would say most students) have their technology very close to them. Their cell phones are next to them on the desk, their I-pods are in their lap. I am asked many times in my class "can we listen to music?". I am lucky in that my school district does allow Ipods in the class, as long as the teacher has approved it. After I am presenting I allow my students to listen to their music while they are working. I have to say it is amazing just how focused they are as they listen to music.
What I didn't know? - I that students of today need to learn on their turf. This turf includes technology. When I was in school my turf was paper/pens.. Today is so different. I realized it was different, but I guess I did not see how different and how important it was for teachers to really, really understand technology and find as many ways as possible for our students to have it available to them.
How will I use what I learned in this course? - Wow...I will use so much. Blogging, podcasting, moodle, skype....I will use it all. I feel this is a win-win situation. The students get to use technology and so do I. It is way easier for me to post an article up to a Moodle, and have the students post their reflections. I wont have to make photo copies, I wont have to collect any papers, I wont have to bring papers home, I wont have to make additional photo copies because someone lost it.
The student will never have to worry that they don't have ink in their printer to print out their reflections, they wont have to keep track of the paper to turn in during class, they wont have to worry what they missed in class if they could not attend, and they have the opportunity to read other students reflections on the same article.
Like I said "win-win"
This has been a great class and I wish everyone a wonderful 2011-2012 school year.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Week Eight - Chapter 5
hmm. this was an interesting chapter. It starts out talking about the federal government putting in place the "National Educational Technology Plan" . ok, I do not mean to be sarcastic but...you do need technology in all classrooms....right? Not just the one or two computer labs that many schools have. The chapter goes on to talk about the typical professional development programs that are usually offered after school, or on an early release day.
The chapter does continue on and talks about supporting teachers' development of extended social networks and technology literacy training. It states that many sates require their new and practicing educators to demonstrate basic competencies with technology. O.K. This all looks good in black and white, but what happens to many teachers is that they are dealing with old software, old computers, not enough computers or have students who are pretty much locked out of the Internet.
I know a few school districts that give each student (high school) a new laptop when they start as a freshman. It is loaded with software, and they can use it for four years. I believe after the four years they return it to the school. I feel this is the way to go. But, I think it should start at a younger age.
I also think the professional development that teachers receive should be set up like this class we are in. A good eight weeks, plenty of opportunities to try new technology, learn about what is available and work together as a class.
I think if teachers had this type of professional development and their students had laptops, you would see more and more teachers increasing technology in the classroom. I realize that someday this is what schools will be like. That will be an amazing day.
The chapter does continue on and talks about supporting teachers' development of extended social networks and technology literacy training. It states that many sates require their new and practicing educators to demonstrate basic competencies with technology. O.K. This all looks good in black and white, but what happens to many teachers is that they are dealing with old software, old computers, not enough computers or have students who are pretty much locked out of the Internet.
I know a few school districts that give each student (high school) a new laptop when they start as a freshman. It is loaded with software, and they can use it for four years. I believe after the four years they return it to the school. I feel this is the way to go. But, I think it should start at a younger age.
I also think the professional development that teachers receive should be set up like this class we are in. A good eight weeks, plenty of opportunities to try new technology, learn about what is available and work together as a class.
I think if teachers had this type of professional development and their students had laptops, you would see more and more teachers increasing technology in the classroom. I realize that someday this is what schools will be like. That will be an amazing day.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Week Eight - Professional Learning Network
Ok, If this class has taught me anything, and it has taught me so much, I needed a PLN. It is crazy just how much information is on the Internet that educators can use. The only trouble is trying to keep up with it all. Having a PLN will help with that.
Trying to teach in a way that students of today work within their world can be both tricky and easy. The easy part is that there are tons of computer software and programs available. The tricky part is finding the time to learn how to use them. In most cases it is not hard, just a bit time consuming. Time is something we all never seem to have enough of.
Because we all never seem to have enough time, the best way to keep up is develop some sort of plan. Five easy steps to developing your networking strategy. It is important that we keep up to date with what is out on the Internet and available. My goal is to start with www.digio.com and build from that site. I have never used this site before this class, and I am sure I will be using all school year.
Trying to teach in a way that students of today work within their world can be both tricky and easy. The easy part is that there are tons of computer software and programs available. The tricky part is finding the time to learn how to use them. In most cases it is not hard, just a bit time consuming. Time is something we all never seem to have enough of.
Because we all never seem to have enough time, the best way to keep up is develop some sort of plan. Five easy steps to developing your networking strategy. It is important that we keep up to date with what is out on the Internet and available. My goal is to start with www.digio.com and build from that site. I have never used this site before this class, and I am sure I will be using all school year.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Week Seven - Brian Crosby
This was a great video. Just listening to him, you can hear his passion for his students. He is so excited to be teaching and working with his class. It was really refreshing to hear. He mentioned that he has been a teacher for over 30 years. Wow..He still seems to be "shaking it up" and developing new ideas. That is so great.
I love how he has created lessons that not only allow students hands on experience, but allow them to extend the experience with writing, teaching and creativity. Blogging allows the students a chance to reflect on what they are learning. Hmmm you could do this with almost any area of education. When they skyped another class and helped to teach the lesson to that class, that really helps the information to stick. It also builds self-esteem in the child who is teaching. Way cool.
By allowing the student with cancer to still be part of the classroom, teaches compassion. The classroom really seemed to be connected to their classmate who had to stay home because she was sick. This is really a win-win situation, the girl who has the cancer gets the chance to connect with peers and have friends. How wonderful is that?
This was a very refreshing video, and I loved it.
I love how he has created lessons that not only allow students hands on experience, but allow them to extend the experience with writing, teaching and creativity. Blogging allows the students a chance to reflect on what they are learning. Hmmm you could do this with almost any area of education. When they skyped another class and helped to teach the lesson to that class, that really helps the information to stick. It also builds self-esteem in the child who is teaching. Way cool.
By allowing the student with cancer to still be part of the classroom, teaches compassion. The classroom really seemed to be connected to their classmate who had to stay home because she was sick. This is really a win-win situation, the girl who has the cancer gets the chance to connect with peers and have friends. How wonderful is that?
This was a very refreshing video, and I loved it.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Week 7 - Webinar
I watched a Webinar on Larry Ferlazzo book called " How to motivate your students". Steven Hargadon interviewed Larry on writing his book. This webinar was recored on June 14, 2011. I was not able to ask any questions, but I did enjoy this first experience of listening to this recording.
Larry speaks of the importance of helping students develop their social/emotional learning skills. He decided to write this book because of some of the issues he had in his teaching career. He feels that by having these skills, students can have a greater success in their own academic achievement.
He starts the school year out with having the students interview their parents and learn about how their parents experience in school. The students learn that their own parents may have struggled in some of their classes, or maybe did not make athletic teams ect. This helps kids to see how their parents overcame some of their problems.
In class he brainstorms with students on how to see a problem as an opportunity. He feels that the teachers relationship with the students is the key to the success of motivating them. The students need to feel that they are in a classroom that is supporting them, they need to feel "comfortable" with the teacher.
He also reminds us that not all students will develop these skills at the same point in their academic career. For some students it takes longer for them to develop personal responsibility. He also reminds us to respond to students with statements like " Wow... you worked so hard on that". These types of statements validate the work students put into their projects.
All and all it was a good experience. I look forward to listening to other webinars.
Larry speaks of the importance of helping students develop their social/emotional learning skills. He decided to write this book because of some of the issues he had in his teaching career. He feels that by having these skills, students can have a greater success in their own academic achievement.
He starts the school year out with having the students interview their parents and learn about how their parents experience in school. The students learn that their own parents may have struggled in some of their classes, or maybe did not make athletic teams ect. This helps kids to see how their parents overcame some of their problems.
In class he brainstorms with students on how to see a problem as an opportunity. He feels that the teachers relationship with the students is the key to the success of motivating them. The students need to feel that they are in a classroom that is supporting them, they need to feel "comfortable" with the teacher.
He also reminds us that not all students will develop these skills at the same point in their academic career. For some students it takes longer for them to develop personal responsibility. He also reminds us to respond to students with statements like " Wow... you worked so hard on that". These types of statements validate the work students put into their projects.
All and all it was a good experience. I look forward to listening to other webinars.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Week 7 - Video - Bill Strickland
This was a great video. It is truly amazing how just one person can provide change to a community. I am amazed at how he built such a beautiful school. I loved that he added fountains, flowers, beautiful furniture and tons of windows for sun light. As I watched this video, I was thinking "who wouldn't want to go to that school?".
It is interesting that this all started because of one of his high school teachers. One teacher, gave him an opportunity to be successful. Wow....What if his high school art teacher never gave him the chance to learn pottery? What if that teacher told him "sorry, my class is full"? Would Bill Strickland ever build his schools? Would he ever have the chance to change so many lives?
I teach high school, and I have heard many times students complaining about their teachers. The usual complaint is that they are "mean". Or that the student feels that the teacher does not like them. Thinking about this video, we may not be able to change the school we work in. We may not be able to add windows, or have flowers in the hallways, but we can smile and treat our students with respect.
Just greeting the students as they come into the classroom and wishing them a nice day as they leave can make a world of difference to a student. I found this article on Classroom Management.
It gives ideas on how to build relationships in your classroom. I am sure many of these ideas we have all heard before. But, do we act on them? Do we take the time, to really get to know our students? We need to remember that we might be the one person that makes a difference in our students lives.
It is interesting that this all started because of one of his high school teachers. One teacher, gave him an opportunity to be successful. Wow....What if his high school art teacher never gave him the chance to learn pottery? What if that teacher told him "sorry, my class is full"? Would Bill Strickland ever build his schools? Would he ever have the chance to change so many lives?
I teach high school, and I have heard many times students complaining about their teachers. The usual complaint is that they are "mean". Or that the student feels that the teacher does not like them. Thinking about this video, we may not be able to change the school we work in. We may not be able to add windows, or have flowers in the hallways, but we can smile and treat our students with respect.
Just greeting the students as they come into the classroom and wishing them a nice day as they leave can make a world of difference to a student. I found this article on Classroom Management.
It gives ideas on how to build relationships in your classroom. I am sure many of these ideas we have all heard before. But, do we act on them? Do we take the time, to really get to know our students? We need to remember that we might be the one person that makes a difference in our students lives.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Week 7 - Final Project
I have attached a link to my final project to this blog.
This is the Glogster I created for my lesson
http://macmoe.glogster.com/Glog-2595
This is the Podcast I created for my lesson
http://podcast1789860133.podomatic.com
This is my lesson - (not sure how I attach a link to a file on my desktop. If anyone has that info and wants to share...I would be sooo happy! ;)
This is the Glogster I created for my lesson
http://macmoe.glogster.com/Glog-2595
This is the Podcast I created for my lesson
http://podcast1789860133.podomatic.com
This is my lesson - (not sure how I attach a link to a file on my desktop. If anyone has that info and wants to share...I would be sooo happy! ;)
Maureen’s Marketing Lesson Plan for identifying your customer using Podcasting and Glogster
Link to Glogster – Glog - 2595
http://macmoe.glogster.com/Glog-2595/
Summary:
This unit presents marketing concepts to students in grades 9-12. They will be able to define a market, suggest ways to identify a business’s potential customers, market products to these customers and construct a customer’s profile. Students will be introduced to Podcasting and Glogster, and will use this technology during this lesson.
Essential Questions:
Can you tell me the difference between a customer and a consumer?
What are the different ways a business can segment its market?
Why are geographics and demographics important in the selection of a location for a business?
What do we know about podcasting/glogster?
How can we use podcasting to reach our customers?
How can we create a visual presentation using glogster?
Materials:
Marketing Essentials Textbook, Computer with Garage band and Internet access, paper and pens.
Objectives:
After students complete this section they will be able to:
Define what constitutes a market.
Suggest two basic ways to identify a business’s potential customers.
Describe some of the ways a market can be segmented.
Use Garage band to create a podcast
Use Globster to create a visual presentation
ISTE Standards Addressed:
Teachers –
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.
2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessment incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS•S.
3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning
Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society.
Students –
1. Creativity and Innovation
Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.
3. Research and Information Fluency
Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.
4. 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.
5. Digital Citizenship
Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior.
6. Technology Operations and Concepts
Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations.
Competencies:
Given information on consumers and their behavior, the student will examine the characteristics, motivation, and behaviors of consumers.
Given examples, the student will cite specific products/services and their target markets.
Given a marketing setting, the student will assess marketing problems by using the rational decision-making process.
Terms to Know:
Market
Mass-Marketing
Market Segmentation
Geographics
Demographics
Psychographics
Customer profile
Podcasting
Step One – Review of vocabulary words, and check for understanding. Ask students to name their favorite automobiles. Write their answers on the chalkboard, do the same with the students’ favorite brands of jeans. Have students decide if they are included in the market of these products. (Most students will agree they are included in the market for the jeans). Many students may not be included in the market for the automobiles.
Step Two – Ask students to name five products that are specifically targeted to people their age. Then ask them to name five products that target children, and five more that target people over 50. Use the answers from the students to introduce the concept of “target marketing”. Explore the reasons why it was so easy for students to identify those products. (In most cases it will be because the products, prices, promotions, and places to buy those products are designed to meet the needs of those age groups or target markets).
Step Three - Assign a marketing challenge. Only 27% of all children aged 6-12 eat yogurt. The marketing challenge for yogurt makers is how to increase that percentage. Yoplait has Trix yogurt for children and Dannon has Sprinklins. Describe the marketing mix you would use for a new yogurt for children. Remember to develop an appeal for both the consumers and the customers of your new product.
Step Four – Students will write out their marketing challenge in Google document. The instructor will review the document and provide feedback.
Step Five – Students will create a Podcast for their yogurt using Garage Band. The students will first write out their podcast in a Google document. The instructor will review the document and provide feedback.
Step Six – Students will use Garage Band to create the audio of their podcast. The podcast will include background music. An overview of how to use Garage Band will be provided by the instructor.
Step Seven – Students will create a visual presentation of their marketing challenge using Glogster. The instructor will provide an overview of how to use Glogster and what type of information to include in the presentation.
Step Eight – Sharing – Students will have the opportunity to present their Glogster and Podcast to the class.
Extensions - Video can be added to the podcast to extend the lesson if needed.
Reflection - I plan to use this lesson this coming school year in my Marketing class. I will be teaching this lesson in the first month of school. I have Garage Band on my computers in my classroom and this will be the first time I will use the program with my students. It may be possible to have the students complete another podcast later in the semester as they build on their marketing skills.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Week 5 - Dr. Mazur
Wow this was a great presentation. I loved how honest he was about his challenges as a teacher. It was refreshing to hear how he continued to try to problem solve why his students received particular assessments. It shows his his dedication to his students.
The changes he has made in his classroom really make sense. He lectures a bit, asks a question, gives his students a chance to come up with an answer and an opportunity to discuss it with each other. This really helps to let the information sink into the students and formulate their own reasoning to the answer. I also like how he has the students pre - read assignments before the class. This allows for the class to go deeper in discussion of the material.
I think that when we also include the use of technology in our class, our students can have discussions on-line or working together on a group project. We can up-load reading materials and have students blog about the material before they come into class for a deeper discussion. This gives each student the chance to digest the material at their own pace. Not all students read at the same level or work at the same level. Plus, the students can always go back and re-read material if they need to. To me this formula seems like a great way to help present material that goes from instructor to student and back again.
The changes he has made in his classroom really make sense. He lectures a bit, asks a question, gives his students a chance to come up with an answer and an opportunity to discuss it with each other. This really helps to let the information sink into the students and formulate their own reasoning to the answer. I also like how he has the students pre - read assignments before the class. This allows for the class to go deeper in discussion of the material.
I think that when we also include the use of technology in our class, our students can have discussions on-line or working together on a group project. We can up-load reading materials and have students blog about the material before they come into class for a deeper discussion. This gives each student the chance to digest the material at their own pace. Not all students read at the same level or work at the same level. Plus, the students can always go back and re-read material if they need to. To me this formula seems like a great way to help present material that goes from instructor to student and back again.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Week Five - Standards
This was a great article focused on the importance of making sure your technology projects are meeting state standards. I can see how this would help to keep your projects focused on a particular objectives that you are trying to reach. This article also contained examples of a few examples of using technology and meeting the standards.
To me this seems simple enough. If you traditionally had your students write out a paper or keep a reflective journal, you could simply just use blogs or another type of social network and have the students type their answers instead of writing. I see this as a balancing act. You still want to meet your state standards you just want to use technology to do so. Another example would be to have your students use globster instead of creating poster board projects.
I think the concern is not using technoloy, but are the state standards written the way they should be? Do these standards need to be updated? or tweaked? with the inclusion of technology? We need to make sure that the standards are written to meet the goals of today..not yesterday. I found this interesting article on this topic.
www.iteaconnect.org/TAA/LinkedFiles/Articles/.../hook_mayjun01.pdfwww.iteaconnect.org/TAA/LinkedFiles/Articles/.../hook_mayjun01.pdf
To me this seems simple enough. If you traditionally had your students write out a paper or keep a reflective journal, you could simply just use blogs or another type of social network and have the students type their answers instead of writing. I see this as a balancing act. You still want to meet your state standards you just want to use technology to do so. Another example would be to have your students use globster instead of creating poster board projects.
I think the concern is not using technoloy, but are the state standards written the way they should be? Do these standards need to be updated? or tweaked? with the inclusion of technology? We need to make sure that the standards are written to meet the goals of today..not yesterday. I found this interesting article on this topic.
www.iteaconnect.org/TAA/LinkedFiles/Articles/.../hook_mayjun01.pdfwww.iteaconnect.org/TAA/LinkedFiles/Articles/.../hook_mayjun01.pdf
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Week Four - Social Bookmarking
I think this is an interesting week. I have never used a social website before. My own children have and of course my students do. To be honest, I just never seemed to find the time to set one up. Or maybe I did not understand the importance of what they can offer. Whatever the reason, my thinking on social websites is definitely starting to change. Thanks to this class, what happened to me this week and the videos that we have available to us.
The funny thing that happened earlier today. My son who is 21 is living in Boston for this summer. I have been trying to call and text him the past few days. We are leaving soon to go on a family vacation and we need to connect a pick up time. I asked my daughter if she had heard from him. She said "no, but I will check his face book". I am thinking ok...why would that be necessary. Well two seconds later she tells me "he has lost his cellphone". He had posted that on his face book account. Thankfully my daughter posted a note that I needed to schedule a pick up time. Another two seconds later and my problem was solved. My son was just fine, and we had a scheduled time that I could pick him up. This was all possible to a social networking site. No phone, no e-mail, no texting...just posting to Facebook. It is weird that this would happen on this particular week of class when we are talking about social websites.
Anyway, I am really starting to turn a corner on this particular issue. After reading and watching the videos of this week, I no longer feel that is a waste of time. I can see the potential that it has to offer our students and our own children. Of course it is necessary to find that balance that we are all looking for but that is not any different from eating too much, watching too much tv and any other types of behavior that might not be healthy.
pros and cons of social networking sites in the classroom environment.
Video Educational benefits of social networking
The networking that happens or can happen in social networking sites is just amazing. If you have a student who is interested in video production for example, they have the opportunity to reach many other students or websites that could be of benefit. The same goes for students that are looking into particular colleges or universities. They have the potential to reach many students who might be attending those schools and or graduated from them. My feelings are that as long as the student is able to handle the time management of using these sites and they are not following behind on other tasks it can really be a great experience and opportunity to reach a much larger community.
The funny thing that happened earlier today. My son who is 21 is living in Boston for this summer. I have been trying to call and text him the past few days. We are leaving soon to go on a family vacation and we need to connect a pick up time. I asked my daughter if she had heard from him. She said "no, but I will check his face book". I am thinking ok...why would that be necessary. Well two seconds later she tells me "he has lost his cellphone". He had posted that on his face book account. Thankfully my daughter posted a note that I needed to schedule a pick up time. Another two seconds later and my problem was solved. My son was just fine, and we had a scheduled time that I could pick him up. This was all possible to a social networking site. No phone, no e-mail, no texting...just posting to Facebook. It is weird that this would happen on this particular week of class when we are talking about social websites.
Anyway, I am really starting to turn a corner on this particular issue. After reading and watching the videos of this week, I no longer feel that is a waste of time. I can see the potential that it has to offer our students and our own children. Of course it is necessary to find that balance that we are all looking for but that is not any different from eating too much, watching too much tv and any other types of behavior that might not be healthy.
pros and cons of social networking sites in the classroom environment.
Video Educational benefits of social networking
The networking that happens or can happen in social networking sites is just amazing. If you have a student who is interested in video production for example, they have the opportunity to reach many other students or websites that could be of benefit. The same goes for students that are looking into particular colleges or universities. They have the potential to reach many students who might be attending those schools and or graduated from them. My feelings are that as long as the student is able to handle the time management of using these sites and they are not following behind on other tasks it can really be a great experience and opportunity to reach a much larger community.
Week Four - PBS Video
Wow - Cool video. I liked the interview with Dr. Rhoten. "Interest driven learning" way cool. Learning not education, leaner centered not institution. What a new way to think about how and what we do with our students. Making the education include more of a personal experience that the students can relate to. What can digital media learning tools do to help facilitate education. Allowing the students to use these digital tools to get to the content of what they need to understand.
Dr. Mimi Ito helped me to understand that the socialization that happens when students use Facebook or other social resources is not as bad as we sometimes hear. Of course parents want to make sure that their children do not spend all day on line. But, we need to find that balance of helping our kids to use social resources in a way that will help to education them. Dr. Mimi explained that being "on line" is not really a waste of time. That friendship driven activities can be a positive experience. Our goal as teachers is to be more active in finding ways to include this type of media in our lessons.
Dr. Pinkard interview was really eye opening. A special place for students to be inspired to create and publish, record their own work. The technology was available and the place to be was available for these students. A special place for 9th and 10th grades, that have the opportunity to use digital media in a way that was not available when you are in the classroom. The students have the chance to become the teachers as they move through this program. Wow.. this is so different from what I have ever seen. I would love to see this type of environment in the high schools in NH. To me this type of environment creates so much trust between the students and the mentors. Sometimes I think this is why so many teachers have a hard time with allowing students to use computers or other technology in the classroom. They are slightly afraid of losing control of the class. We need to let go of this fear and allow our students to move in the direction that will them to create their own personal experience.
Dr. John Seely, "Allowing the students to be creative and using technology to help them measure their own personal progress". Amazing. Again, we have seen time and time again that students do want to learn, but that the learning needs to be on their own terms and we need to really re-think our classroom and how we are relating to our students. We can use the technology to help our students check their own progress and create their own journey so to speak.
Education world This is a great article that has ideas and suggestions for different grades of using technology.
Video This is a short video on using active boards in the classroom. Pretty cool as well. I have never used this board but really like to.
Dr. Mimi Ito helped me to understand that the socialization that happens when students use Facebook or other social resources is not as bad as we sometimes hear. Of course parents want to make sure that their children do not spend all day on line. But, we need to find that balance of helping our kids to use social resources in a way that will help to education them. Dr. Mimi explained that being "on line" is not really a waste of time. That friendship driven activities can be a positive experience. Our goal as teachers is to be more active in finding ways to include this type of media in our lessons.
Dr. Pinkard interview was really eye opening. A special place for students to be inspired to create and publish, record their own work. The technology was available and the place to be was available for these students. A special place for 9th and 10th grades, that have the opportunity to use digital media in a way that was not available when you are in the classroom. The students have the chance to become the teachers as they move through this program. Wow.. this is so different from what I have ever seen. I would love to see this type of environment in the high schools in NH. To me this type of environment creates so much trust between the students and the mentors. Sometimes I think this is why so many teachers have a hard time with allowing students to use computers or other technology in the classroom. They are slightly afraid of losing control of the class. We need to let go of this fear and allow our students to move in the direction that will them to create their own personal experience.
Dr. John Seely, "Allowing the students to be creative and using technology to help them measure their own personal progress". Amazing. Again, we have seen time and time again that students do want to learn, but that the learning needs to be on their own terms and we need to really re-think our classroom and how we are relating to our students. We can use the technology to help our students check their own progress and create their own journey so to speak.
Education world This is a great article that has ideas and suggestions for different grades of using technology.
Video This is a short video on using active boards in the classroom. Pretty cool as well. I have never used this board but really like to.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Week Three - Chapters One and Two - VLC
Wow - First of all I have never "downloaded" a book to read off of the computer. I have to say...it really was neat. A very nice experience. Maybe I will look into a Kindle or something.
I liked the chapters in this book. I feel they provided both the good and bad about on-line learning. In the first chapter they talk about how the community of the on-line class can be engaging if designed correctly. I once took a class at UNH and it was on-line. I did not mine the class at all, but I never had any interaction with other students. I watched videos of the professor and just submitted my assignments. To me this is not a "community" at all. I like how this class is run. By posting to our classmates blogs, we get a chance to communicate with them. In the chapters on VLC, it speaks how important it is to develop the "community" within the class. I agree with this.
It is great that they spent time researching VLC. In the chapter they tell us they did not have trouble finding these types of environments. Whenever I have thought of VLC I was not thinking of some of the examples that they gave. "gamers, do- it-yourselfers and or famlies..just to name a few. I honestly was thinking more of the traditional classroom, or on-line environment. I like the point that tells us people naturally want to connect with others. VLC give people a chance to do this, in at a level that is mind blowing.
The lessons to educators really hit home to me. To trust that learners will make good decisions for themselves about their learning. Wow..This is what we want right? As a teacher you want your students to develop their own learning. But, it can be hard to kinda give up that control. Or feel that we are giving something up. The plus side is that when we do we build a relationship with our students that is based on "trust". Trust that they will make good decisions and trust that they will be working on "their learning". Another plus, is that with technology it really does allow students to work at their own level. Whatever that level is.
What we have to realize is that VLC are not going away. They can be small, just a group of students in your classroom working together on a project, they can be large or some place in the middle. This is the "turf" that our students today want to work in. These are "tech" kids. We will always have the plus side and the negative side. As teachers we need to develop our lessons to include technology that can create a positive learning environment.
I liked the chapters in this book. I feel they provided both the good and bad about on-line learning. In the first chapter they talk about how the community of the on-line class can be engaging if designed correctly. I once took a class at UNH and it was on-line. I did not mine the class at all, but I never had any interaction with other students. I watched videos of the professor and just submitted my assignments. To me this is not a "community" at all. I like how this class is run. By posting to our classmates blogs, we get a chance to communicate with them. In the chapters on VLC, it speaks how important it is to develop the "community" within the class. I agree with this.
It is great that they spent time researching VLC. In the chapter they tell us they did not have trouble finding these types of environments. Whenever I have thought of VLC I was not thinking of some of the examples that they gave. "gamers, do- it-yourselfers and or famlies..just to name a few. I honestly was thinking more of the traditional classroom, or on-line environment. I like the point that tells us people naturally want to connect with others. VLC give people a chance to do this, in at a level that is mind blowing.
The lessons to educators really hit home to me. To trust that learners will make good decisions for themselves about their learning. Wow..This is what we want right? As a teacher you want your students to develop their own learning. But, it can be hard to kinda give up that control. Or feel that we are giving something up. The plus side is that when we do we build a relationship with our students that is based on "trust". Trust that they will make good decisions and trust that they will be working on "their learning". Another plus, is that with technology it really does allow students to work at their own level. Whatever that level is.
What we have to realize is that VLC are not going away. They can be small, just a group of students in your classroom working together on a project, they can be large or some place in the middle. This is the "turf" that our students today want to work in. These are "tech" kids. We will always have the plus side and the negative side. As teachers we need to develop our lessons to include technology that can create a positive learning environment.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Week three - Thoughts on A Portal to Media Literacy Video
This was an amazing video - I was first impressed that he was a professor of cultural anthropology. He started out by speaking about the portal or area that is designed to bring students together to work. The traditional class in a typical college or university. He stressed that the room was not set up to include discussions in the classroom. The room is set up for the the expert and or authority was at the front of the room He surveyed his students to ask what they were doing while the class was happening. The survey showed that they were not engaged in their education, but looking at their e-mail or other internet site. I like how he addressed that "something was wrong and we needed to do something else".
He talks about the crisis of significance, the students really only want to know how many points are on a test, how long does a paper need to be, these types of questions. They are almost telling us, we want our learning to stop or just get to a specific point. They are not finding meaning in their education. Only looking at what their grade will be. I see this type of behavior so much in high school. So many of my students are stressed out about their GPA because they are or soon will be applying to college. Colleges and many of the scholarships have become so competitive that our high school students end up spending their last years of high school worried about their grades. I have even seen students not sign up for classes that they are interested in because they want to meet the college or university recommended classes to take in high school. I think it is sad, that they feel they need one more year of science and do not have room for a pottery class or something that they are really interested in.
I did like the quote from Barbara Carson " Students learn what they care about, from people they care about and who, they know, care about them" Wow.. For those of us who have children in our lives, our own or somebody else s this is an amazing quote. We need to care about these children to help them better learn. We also need to learn how to use the media to help our children educate themselves and not just entertain themselves. I try really hard in my classroom to always find ways students can use the technology in an educational manner. I was glad to hear him speak of the importance of this. I am also glad that I really do this. It takes me longer to find interesting things/activities online. It is much easier to just assign the questions at the end of the chapter. But, I can see that this can help to make a difference in my students education.
I really think his idea on creating platforms for participation is so important. Getting the students involved in a digital way to help them digest material is so important. I found this website called "captivate" http://www.adobe.com/products/captivate.htmlhttp://www.adobe.com/products/captivate.html. I am not sure of all of the ins and outs of this software, but it looks like you can have very interactive power point type of presentations. You can also include narration and up load videos. oh, and you can use a drawing tablet and write on your presentation as it is happening. I think it is important for teachers to bring the "playing field" of education to the students level. We live in a digital cultural and have digital students. We need to meet them on their turf.
He talks about the crisis of significance, the students really only want to know how many points are on a test, how long does a paper need to be, these types of questions. They are almost telling us, we want our learning to stop or just get to a specific point. They are not finding meaning in their education. Only looking at what their grade will be. I see this type of behavior so much in high school. So many of my students are stressed out about their GPA because they are or soon will be applying to college. Colleges and many of the scholarships have become so competitive that our high school students end up spending their last years of high school worried about their grades. I have even seen students not sign up for classes that they are interested in because they want to meet the college or university recommended classes to take in high school. I think it is sad, that they feel they need one more year of science and do not have room for a pottery class or something that they are really interested in.
I did like the quote from Barbara Carson " Students learn what they care about, from people they care about and who, they know, care about them" Wow.. For those of us who have children in our lives, our own or somebody else s this is an amazing quote. We need to care about these children to help them better learn. We also need to learn how to use the media to help our children educate themselves and not just entertain themselves. I try really hard in my classroom to always find ways students can use the technology in an educational manner. I was glad to hear him speak of the importance of this. I am also glad that I really do this. It takes me longer to find interesting things/activities online. It is much easier to just assign the questions at the end of the chapter. But, I can see that this can help to make a difference in my students education.
I really think his idea on creating platforms for participation is so important. Getting the students involved in a digital way to help them digest material is so important. I found this website called "captivate" http://www.adobe.com/products/captivate.htmlhttp://www.adobe.com/products/captivate.html. I am not sure of all of the ins and outs of this software, but it looks like you can have very interactive power point type of presentations. You can also include narration and up load videos. oh, and you can use a drawing tablet and write on your presentation as it is happening. I think it is important for teachers to bring the "playing field" of education to the students level. We live in a digital cultural and have digital students. We need to meet them on their turf.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Week Three - Choice of Blog
By spending the last two weeks reading about all the ways and reasons why we need to include/increase the use of technology in the classroom, I decided to do a bit of research and come up with some tools that are free and out on the web. Both of the resources that I found have the benefit of students working together as in a group or solo.
The first one I will talk about is called writeboard.com. This is the link - http://writeboard.com/
I plan on using this tool this school year. This software allows students to work together on a text document. What happens is each write board (or project) is given a URL. The students are able to work on this document at school and or at home. The best part of this is that you get to see how many times each student edits or changes the document. That way you can tell that everyone in the group is working. You are able to see if a student makes a big change or a small change. You can also leave comments to help the students complete the task. Because the students can log into the write board at any time/place. You will not have the issues of students being out sick and not pulling their own weight on a project. You will also not need to worry about the document getting lost or who has it. Take the quick tour when you go to the website. It really helps to explain the program.
The second tool I think I will use is called prezi this is the link http://prezi.com
This tool really will take away from the traditional poster board project. It is used to make a presentation. Students can use it solo or in a group situation. It is pretty easy to use and allows you to upload pictures and video. It has built in templets and the ability to change color/size of font. The coolest part of it is that you create a "path" on the order of what you want to be displayed. Prezi also has quick tour that you can take and it is really helpful.
The learning curve on both of these tools is very small. They are very easy to learn in just a couple of minutes. I just think the students will really have fun with them and will be able to use them in many different types of classes.
The first one I will talk about is called writeboard.com. This is the link - http://writeboard.com/
I plan on using this tool this school year. This software allows students to work together on a text document. What happens is each write board (or project) is given a URL. The students are able to work on this document at school and or at home. The best part of this is that you get to see how many times each student edits or changes the document. That way you can tell that everyone in the group is working. You are able to see if a student makes a big change or a small change. You can also leave comments to help the students complete the task. Because the students can log into the write board at any time/place. You will not have the issues of students being out sick and not pulling their own weight on a project. You will also not need to worry about the document getting lost or who has it. Take the quick tour when you go to the website. It really helps to explain the program.
The second tool I think I will use is called prezi this is the link http://prezi.com
This tool really will take away from the traditional poster board project. It is used to make a presentation. Students can use it solo or in a group situation. It is pretty easy to use and allows you to upload pictures and video. It has built in templets and the ability to change color/size of font. The coolest part of it is that you create a "path" on the order of what you want to be displayed. Prezi also has quick tour that you can take and it is really helpful.
The learning curve on both of these tools is very small. They are very easy to learn in just a couple of minutes. I just think the students will really have fun with them and will be able to use them in many different types of classes.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Week 3_Save the Blueberries video podcast
Hi -- I have added a video clip to this podcast. I took pictures in my backyard with a digital camera. I used Imovie to create a video that I thought would work well.
http://mariel43132.podomatic.com/entry/2011-07-17T08_47_54-07_00
http://mariel43132.podomatic.com/entry/2011-07-17T08_47_54-07_00
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Hi - I spent today working on my Podcast. I am going away in a few weeks and wanted to get this project pulled together. This is the first time I ever made a Podcast. I have to say for the most part it was pretty easy. I used Garage Band to create the podcast. I used this software because I have it on my computer and I will have it available to use in the fall for my classes. I used podomatic to publish the Podcast to this blog.
The podcast is about how my husband and I have tried to keep the birds from eating all the blueberries off of our blueberry bushes. I was able to add music to this Podcast. I added the music from my Itunes.
Hope you like it..
Thanks - Maureen
http://mariel43132.podomatic.com/entry/2011-07-16T11_14_20-07_00
The podcast is about how my husband and I have tried to keep the birds from eating all the blueberries off of our blueberry bushes. I was able to add music to this Podcast. I added the music from my Itunes.
Hope you like it..
Thanks - Maureen
http://mariel43132.podomatic.com/entry/2011-07-16T11_14_20-07_00
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Week 2 - Reflections on this class
I was looking for a class to take this summer that would help me to include more technology into the classes that I teach. I am lucky enough to have all of my classes in one classroom. I am also lucky that I have 25 Macs that can also run on a PC Platform. I have a projector and was given a laptop at the start of the school year. So you can see, I was all set up with having the technology... I just needed ideas to help me create lessons that I would use technology. You see I honestly feel that I can not have my students sitting in front of computers and not using them. I want to provide as many opportunities as I can for them to use the computer in learning situations. This is why I took this class.
Last school year I did use Moodle for reflective writing assignments and used Skype not only in a group project, but also as virtual field trips. I also included a video project that my Marketing students developed to show the eight steps of a sale. I think I did ok for the most part. But, I really want to try and do better. My students have such strong technology skills. The district I work in is pretty well off and many of the students bring in their own laptops and or Ipads. I have to keep up with them and understand what it is they are using for fun and try and see how I can use that in a classroom environment.
The first two weeks of this class have been very exciting. My mind is just spinning as how I can use what I have learned so far into my classes. I really love the vides on wikis, blogs and skype.. I think this would be great to show many of my freshman students. I also love the articles, I and can honestly say I am very interested in starting the projects. I already have an idea for the Podcast. I have never done a Podcast, but I am excited to learn. Maybe I might do my project using that tool. I am thinking of having my Marketing students create Podcasts for products we sell in the school store or even maybe public service announcements. Hey, I might even have one of the foreign language teachers have her students create the same Podcast in Spanish or French...
As you can see my mind is just rambling....I am thinking I might need to take this same course each summer just to keep up with what is available! I found this article on why teachers should use technology in the classroom. http://munews.missouri.edu/news-releases/2007/0614-technology-classroom.php
I also found this great video on The vision of K-12 students today. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-ZVCjfWf8http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-ZVCjfWf8
Last school year I did use Moodle for reflective writing assignments and used Skype not only in a group project, but also as virtual field trips. I also included a video project that my Marketing students developed to show the eight steps of a sale. I think I did ok for the most part. But, I really want to try and do better. My students have such strong technology skills. The district I work in is pretty well off and many of the students bring in their own laptops and or Ipads. I have to keep up with them and understand what it is they are using for fun and try and see how I can use that in a classroom environment.
The first two weeks of this class have been very exciting. My mind is just spinning as how I can use what I have learned so far into my classes. I really love the vides on wikis, blogs and skype.. I think this would be great to show many of my freshman students. I also love the articles, I and can honestly say I am very interested in starting the projects. I already have an idea for the Podcast. I have never done a Podcast, but I am excited to learn. Maybe I might do my project using that tool. I am thinking of having my Marketing students create Podcasts for products we sell in the school store or even maybe public service announcements. Hey, I might even have one of the foreign language teachers have her students create the same Podcast in Spanish or French...
As you can see my mind is just rambling....I am thinking I might need to take this same course each summer just to keep up with what is available! I found this article on why teachers should use technology in the classroom. http://munews.missouri.edu/news-releases/2007/0614-technology-classroom.php
I also found this great video on The vision of K-12 students today. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-ZVCjfWf8http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-ZVCjfWf8
Monday, July 11, 2011
Week 2 Blog - Chapter One
This was a good chapter. I like how it starts out by asking us to think back to when we were in school. I can think back to chalk boards, slanted desks, metal lunch boxes and classrooms having hard wood floors. I remember the start of every school year included a package of 8 crayons and a black and white notebook. What is also strange is that I walked to school with my two sisters. We walked over 2 miles each way! This is all so different from today. Today school starts with a supply list from the school and a debit account number to pay for lunch.
I am always amazed how technology continues to change. I grew up in a house that had one telephone and it was a party line ( we shared a number with our neighbor). Today, I have five phone numbers that are associated with my home. Is this crazy or what?? This good news is that for the students in school today, they have always been around technology. Of course it has become faster, smaller and you can go more with it, but they have always had it. I remember first using a word processing program. I thought it was the coolest way to journal (instead of using a notebook). Technology has moved beyond that to blogging.. The blogger survey table on page 15 shows us that the major reason people blog is "to express yourself creatively". Wow. What is so great is that you get feedback from others. This gives us the opportunity to stay in touch with families, but also to expand our world far from our own neighborhood.
As chapter one tells us that by using current technology we give our students the opportunity to to see and learn in an environment that they are used to. They will need to have strong technology skills in order to meet employer expectations in their career fields. We as educators need to include as much technology as we can in our lessons...Our students are used to working and learning in an virtual environment by keeping ourself up to date on what is available to use in the classroom, will only have a positive outcome for our students.
I found this website that listed the technology skills students need - It is pretty interesting.
http://www.doug-johnson.com/dougwri/what-tech-skill-do-all-students-need.html
I also found this article on how early should your child use technology. It starts at age one!
http://familyinternet.about.com/od/introtofamilycomputing/a/growthchart.htm
I am always amazed how technology continues to change. I grew up in a house that had one telephone and it was a party line ( we shared a number with our neighbor). Today, I have five phone numbers that are associated with my home. Is this crazy or what?? This good news is that for the students in school today, they have always been around technology. Of course it has become faster, smaller and you can go more with it, but they have always had it. I remember first using a word processing program. I thought it was the coolest way to journal (instead of using a notebook). Technology has moved beyond that to blogging.. The blogger survey table on page 15 shows us that the major reason people blog is "to express yourself creatively". Wow. What is so great is that you get feedback from others. This gives us the opportunity to stay in touch with families, but also to expand our world far from our own neighborhood.
As chapter one tells us that by using current technology we give our students the opportunity to to see and learn in an environment that they are used to. They will need to have strong technology skills in order to meet employer expectations in their career fields. We as educators need to include as much technology as we can in our lessons...Our students are used to working and learning in an virtual environment by keeping ourself up to date on what is available to use in the classroom, will only have a positive outcome for our students.
I found this website that listed the technology skills students need - It is pretty interesting.
http://www.doug-johnson.com/dougwri/what-tech-skill-do-all-students-need.html
I also found this article on how early should your child use technology. It starts at age one!
http://familyinternet.about.com/od/introtofamilycomputing/a/growthchart.htm
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