Classroom 2.0 is a social network for those interested in web 2.0 and social media in education. This site is very helpful to educators. It offers so many tools such as virtual conferences you can access right on the site. It also has a forum on the main page where you can begin discussions or share thoughts. On the left hand side are photos to look at and helpful videos to watch. There are also special interest groups you can search through and join, or you can create your own group. Examples of there groups are “google apps for education” and “mac classroom 2.0. These allow educators to collaborate together and share their ideas. On the main page there is a list of useful technology tools that can be used in the classroom. Overall you can find a lot of great material for the classroom on this site. I suggest you dig into it for yourself!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Scenario
Twitter, Go Animate, Animoto
As a teacher my strongest attributes are that I am very caring, passionate, and relatable. Since I have been around technology my whole life and have been involved in social networking through things like Facebook and Twitter, it is easy for me to jump right in and learn to use new tools for technology. Some of my challenges are that I am a people pleaser so at times it is difficult for me to have discipline throughout the classroom, and I am not always confident in my decisions. If I had to learn how to use a new software application, like I said, I would jump right in and try it. I would also try to find other educators who have successfully used the tool in their own classroom and ask them to give me some tips. In teaching my students how to use it I know that I would still be learning how to use it as well –we would learn together.
Technology is awesome for student learning. Nowadays kids can’t go anywhere without being around some sort of technology. It is a part of our everyday lives whether we like it or not. So I think that we as educators need to learn how to use it as well as teach our students how to use it. It can be so effectively in their learning. It is great for project-based learning. Students will want to learn because they can do it interactively. Their work can be put online for others to see and they will take pride in that. It is great for visual learners. For example making a cartoon or comic to explain an idea or concept in a particular content area is way easier for them than writing a long essay. Technology tools also help students collaborate together to share their ideas and work together. They are managers of their own learning. Working with technology also forces students to be creative and think outside the box. –there are unlimited possibilities! For me technology has given me a lot of different options for my future classroom and has pushed me to be more creative with my learning. It has helped me connect with others in a way that I never could before. I would encourage other educators in my future school to use technology because we do not want to be stuck in the past! I would show them example of tools I have used and that have helped me in my own learning. Twitter could be used to remind students of homework assignments, Animoto could be used for the students to make personal videos to get to know each other better, Go animate could be used to introduce a certain concept in the content area, the list could go on and on. Technology opens a whole new window to a whole new world. We need to take advantage of it!
My Wow Moment
Google Maps
I don’t know if I had a particular “wow-moment” but one of the biggest things I learned through this class is that you really just have to try things out in order to learn how to use them. Every time we started learning about a new tool I felt overwhelmed at first but once I started figuring out how to use it myself I was really excited to see how it worked and how I could potentially use it in my future classroom. Probably two of these moments were making my own podcast and making my going google map. I had no idea I could do something like that and make it look decent. Making my own podcast was really easy and there are so many different topics I could do a podcast over. I think it would be fun to have my own weekly podcast. The thought of making my own google map seemed super difficult, but that was really easy too. As an educator I was my students to not be afraid to use tools like these just because they might seem difficult. These tools can be a great way for project-based learning. I wouldn’t my students to miss out on something like this! It surprised me how simple it was and how useful it can be!
Podcast Favorites
Tech Chick Tips
After listening to a lot of different podcasts I have found that my favorite is Tech Chick Tips. I really like them because they are very laid back, passionate, and joyful. They seem like two best friend just getting together and chatting about interesting topics. They also try and make a few jokes here and there to make it more humorous. The information they give about education is very helpful. One of the podcasts I really enjoyed from them was when they related working with technology to the angry birds game. They had a list of things that angry birds does that relates to learning how to use technology. For example: “You can’t beat the angry birds game unless you play” relates to the fact that in order to use technology you have to try it out! I thought this was really creative and a great analogy. Overall it is just really enjoying to listen to Ana and Helen. They keep their podcasts fun and exciting rather than long and boring.
Semester Favorites
Semester Favorites: It’s difficult to choose one tool or resource as a favorite. I have found so many useful resources throughout this class. I really enjoyed the podcast reflections because there are real educators who share their ideas and experiences. It was neat to see how each educator used technology in their classroom. All of the podcasts I listened to about technology in the classroom gave the advice that in order to learn how to use a certain resource you just have to dive in and learn as you go. A lot of times you will be learning with your students. Another tool I really enjoyed was making a comic on ToonDoo. If I had more time I would have experimented with this site a little more. It is perfect for the classroom because it is easy to use and time efficient. There are so many options for creating your own comic and it allows students to be really creative. Another one of my favorite tools which I have been able to use in some of my other classes as well is glogster. It is great for the classroom! Rather than spending hours cutting out things and printing things off to make a poster, students can simply make it all online in a very timely manner. Again there are unlimited options for creating your glogster and it makes to students want to learn interactively.
Edu Techer Reflection
Edu Techer
This website gives links to resources teachers can use for their content area. I found 3 websites that are useful for my content area which is Spanish. First is www.4teachers.org . On this site teachers can make their own quizzes. There are also a lot of other tools to use such as “casa notes”. With this tool you can choose a template and then custom a design. The templates include homework, permission slips, parent teacher conferences, and a few others. Another tool to use in the classroom is “kidsvid” where students can get online and make their own video projects. I would definitely use something like this in my classroom. Another website is www.en.babbel.com . It includes a lot of interactive exercises, vocabulary training, grammar, and short phrases. These are all perfect for beginning Spanish speakers. The third website I found useful was www.conjugation.com. Conjugating verbs is one of the most important parts to learning Spanish. This website not only translates words but also conjugates all the basic Spanish words you need. These are all sites I could use in my classroom.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Kan-Ed Reflection
Kan-Ed
Kan-ed is a website dedicated to providing resources that enable its members to collaborate, educate, and enhance their information delivery services to be a part of a global technology environment. If you look around on the website you will find a huge variety of resources. It has programs for distance learning, video services, and continuing education. It has various forms of online content, explores innovative networking technology, and methods for content discovery and delivery. The main thing about Kan-ed is it’s databases which are extremely helpful for teachers and students. These databases help teachers find materials for the classroom and are helpful to continuing education opportunities in libraries, hospitals, and communities. I think it is cool that they have online conferences because this saves money because people do not have to travel, and also saves time. Databases are especially helpful to homeschooling parents and students when they are able to use them at home. The databases can provide resources for students with homework and tutors. It gives them a world of information at their fingertips. Other things it includes are college courses for high school students, virtual museum visits and tours, it enhances both teaching and learning and makes leadership more available. Overall it is basically an extension of the classroom. The list could go on and on. There are so many different resources on this website, there is even a page for personal stories of how people have found the website effective. In my own classroom I would definitely take advantage of the databases, the Net Trekker which is a search engine used to find materials for the classroom, and the powerpoints and videos. There are so many options on this site to be aware of. I hope to learn more about this site as my education career begins!
Animoto in my Classroom
Animoto
Animoto is a website used to create videos and presentations. It is very good in the classroom because it involves project base learning. Students get actively interested in whatever subject is being taught. Students are able to upload their own images, there is a great selection of music and it is time efficient. Animoto can be used to make videos for class projects, to help students understand different concepts and helps them review the things they have learned. Students have to use prior knowledge in a creative way. These videos can easily be shared on Facebook and YouTube. Animoto is a great way to get students interested and involved in learning.
Using Twitter an an Educator
Twitter
It seems like everyone is getting a Twitter account these days. What’s the big deal with this site that only allows you 150 characters per tweet? How can this be used in classroom anyway? Well, Twitter can be used in a ton of different ways. The best thing about it is that students love it! Twitter is the cool and hip thing right now so I guarantee you most of your students will have a twitter account. Twitter is a great way to share thoughts and ideas with others such as discussing a specific topic, without having to read long and drawn out essays. It is also a great way to collaborate with other teachers. You can post sites or things that have been useful to your own teaching for other educators to get some ideas. Another possibility is that Twitter could be used for reminding the students about homework assignments especially because they can receive updates and alerts from Twitter on their cell phones. Be creative with your Twitter. The possibilities are endless. I suggest that if you don’t have an account you look into getting one!
Fun with Text Reflection
Wordle
Wordle is a great tool to use in the classroom. Not only is it free and easy to use, but kids will love it! You can use Wordle for a variety of different things. You could use it for terms/definitions, capturing key point, vocabulary –especially in Spanish, spelling lists, a list of synonyms or antonyms, or even an about me project for the students. Students can create words to describe themselves and their Wordle could be shared in class so that the students can get to know each other better. When I taught my middle school lesson I saw Wordles hung up in the hallway that had one word really big and then all the other words were words that described that one topic, kind of like a definition. Be creative! Wordle can be used in so many ways. Check it out for your classroom!
Podcast Reflection #12: School as "Life Practice"
Driving Questions
Ginger Lewman is a teacher for 5-8th graders in Emporia, Kansas. This school is very supportive of macs and high technology and project based learning as well as connections to the global community. Ginger wants a lot of content to be meshed together and that is exactly what the Life practice philosophy does. The life practice model is used to put an explanation to what makes their school really work. It means that the students start to look at the entire world as it really is and thinking about life beyond how they currently see life. Global Nomads is a program that they use that gives a menu of projects for an entire semester and provides lesson plans. This program connects the students because they talk about issues around the world. Ginger wants her students to be able to develop skills to “practice life”. It is not just a curriculum but it is making connections with people and their thinking. She believes that school should be life practice because you are practicing for life. Schools need to mimic the real world more. She wants students to be more actively involved through problem solving, relationships with other people, discussions, and much more. In her classroom, discussions are usually led by the students because she thinks it makes them want to learn more. Ginger’s passion for teaching her students to think outside of their bubble is very influential. Listen to some of her stories!
Podcast Reflection #11: Say YES to Wikipedia
Moving at the Speed of Creativity
This podcast is about helping students learn how Wikipedia works and how to use their research skills. Philip Cummings gives a presentation about Wikipedia and how he has used it in his classroom. Wikipedia is usually in the top 5 results in a search on the internet. Most teachers think it’s a good starting place but students need more reliable resources. But Wikipedia has all verifiable information. Cummings opens up a site and plays a video that gives details about Wikipedia and how it works. In his classroom he decided to have his students help update Wikipedia. He saw that schools were banning Wikipedia and it bothered him because there was a very negative approach to information on the web. Philip didn’t like this so he wanted his students to do some real research and publish it on the web. By doing this, it was teaching them ethical internet behavior and that what they were doing was going to be evaluated. Cummings says that the kids are really interested in this and anxious to see if they have done good work or not. What a creative way to use the web in the classroom!
Podcast Reflection #10: From little tech use to leading the way!
Driving Questions
Stacy Williams was asked to be the 6th grade tech teacher at her school and didn’t have much experience, actually she had no training at all. She now teaches art classes through technology. The first project her students do is an Ipages brochure. The students create introductions about themselves so that they can learn about each other. The Google sketch up house project seems to be the students’ favorite project. Students create their dream home based on certain criteria they have to meet. Stacy usually demos the program and gives examples before allowing the students to do it themselves. Currently her students are working on creating a commercial or a full movie. Students work together and write their own script. At the end all the movies are played for the class and they choose which one is their favorite. These activities allow for limitless amounts of creativity and working together.
Stacy’s advice on technology is just to jump in and learn as you go. She was thrown into it this way and thinks that it is the best way to do it!
Podcast Reflection #9: Learning in Hand-iPods: Classroom Do's and Don'ts
Tony's Podcasts
Tony Vincent gives a list of Do’s and Don’t while using ipods in your classroom.
Do’s:
* Sinc all ipods to one computer. Use a mac if you can.
*Name the ipods.
*Set ipods to automatic sinc so that everything automatically transfers when you press the sinc button
*Make playlists- organize what you want students to access.
*Delete content. Delete from itunes when you no longer have a need for it so it doesn’t take up space.
*Label or engrave ipods so students can identify their ipod. It might help to use a variety of colors
*Set up an itunes account to the school computer
*You can authorize more than one account on a computer
*Use a flashdrive to transfer apps between computers
*Have a place to lock up the ipods when they aren’t being used
*Have procedures for passing out and collecting the ipods
*Have ear buds for each student
*Use a URL shortener
*Create a usage contract to communicate how and when an ipod can be used. Have parents as well as students sign it
*Set up email.
Don’t’s:
*Don’t give the students the account password
*Don’t sinc ipods with any other computer
*Don’t sinc ipods everyday
*Don’t spend too much on ipods
*Don’t mistreat the batteries
*Don’t stick with just free apps
*Don’t use liquids to clean the screen
*Don’t forget about professional development
These are all great tips to remember if you are thinking about using ipods in your classroom. See what else Tony has to say about ipods!
Podcast Reflection #8: By the Numbers
Tech Chicks
Ana and Helen share three websites that can be used in the classroom. The first is Doodle for Google which is a competition for K-12 students to use artistic abilities. The theme for the competition is “If I could do anything I would…” The contestants have to answer this question by creating their own doodle and they have to execute their ideas really well. I think this is great because even if you are not really an artist you can compete because the computer doodles for you, you just have to design it. There will be 40 finalists to choose from and this is something teachers should encourage their students to enter.
The second website they share is about the science of winter Olympics which was constructed by the national science foundation. This websites shows the science and physics behind a lot of events such as bobsledding, snowboarding, skiing, etc. There are a lot of video links throughout the page to show how things work. There are also interviews with some of the athletes that give share a lot of behind-the-scenes information. This is a great site for kids, especially kids who like sports because it proves that math and science are extremely important in everyday life.
One other website that Ana and Helen share is doink.com which is an animation software. On this website you can create animations, discuss others’ work, and share your own work. Each of us has our own talents, and animation is a great way to express these talents.
The tech chicks have more resources to take a look at. Check it out!
Podcast Reflection #7: Create the Future: Think, Learn, Create!
K-12 Online Conference
Kim Cofino and Julie Lindsay share about the “Create the Future” workshop where teachers can learn things as they go. The purpose of the workshop is to create a collaborative project the teachers can use in their classroom. Teachers have group, team, and individual help. They learn about the required skills to create the project. Sessons are offered for things like Twitter, Wiki, blogs, and more. These provide structure and focus for their own projects. The most critical component of the workshop is that teachers work collaboratively with teacher from other schools to design their group project. Teachers are asked to create their own groups based on the needs in their own classrooms. Having a common goal helped build lasting relationships. Anytime a new tool was introduced, the participants were allowed to use that tool for their project so they could learn right away how to use it. Teams presented their ideas with other groups. Kim and Julie say that allowing teachers to create together allows a better depth of knowledge. They also used integration of virtual participants so the teachers could use the technology tools they learned about. This promotes more virtual participation for education. Kim and Julie share that the 7 key components of the workshop are:
*Kick start your thinking: how technology is shaping society
*Group Project
*Breakout Sessions: teachers actually work with the technology
*Team Pitch: ideas are verbalized and analyzed with the group
*Teamwork Time
*Speed Geeking: kind of like speed dating, but teachers share successful ideas and strategies that have worked for them
*Team Presentation: teachers can actually use the project in their own classroom
This podcast is great because it motivates teachers to work together with technology projects in the classroom.
Podcast Reflection #6: Cartooning Around in Language Arts
Moving at the Speed of Creativity
Wesley Fryer in his podcast “Cartooning Around in Lanuage Arts” sits through a presentation by Malia Triggs. Malia Triggs is a 5th grade language Arts teacher that has been using the Go Animate website in her classroom. Go animate is a website that allows students to make a cartoon with an educational purpose. It is impossible to teach all the standards if we try to teach them separately so why not mix them together? Malia thinks that go animate is a great way to do this. She explains that reading and grading 800 papers is nearly impossible and very stressful. Kids are bored of writing papers and bored of video narratives. Go animate fixes this problem. Mrs. Triggs first establishes a plan and makes a storyboard. She also creates a rubric for the project. Once the students start the project, they are not aloud to get online to make a cartoon until they have met all the guidelines and made their storyboard. Having these strict rules makes the students listen and follow the rules and rubric. Then the students are free to get on goanimate.com and create their cartoon. The teacher can monitor their progress as the go on and create. The website is easy for the kids to follow and they absolutely love it!
Podcast Reflection #5: Project Based Learning
Tony's Podcasts
Tony Vincent explains the benefits of technology in his classroom. His 5th graders received palm handhelds a few years ago and he has been nothing but pleased with the results. The students’ favorite applications were ones that they created something to share with others. Palm handhelds along with Itouch and ipad are great ways of mobile learning. This learning can happen anywhere. But Tony stresses that the portability is not as important as the ability of the learner to connect and create using tools that are readily available. Applications, podcasts, and websites provide options for personalization of learning. Readily available tools are the best way for project learning, Tony gives an example of a 5-min project he made himself that helped him learn how to use a lot of the applications. Then he also gives tips for developing driving questions. Project based learning is great for planning, research, and presentation of projects. Instead of lecturing on a topic, Tony explains that these devices allow students to figure things out on their own. He shares a variety of apps he has used and shows how they can be effective. Project based learning makes students managers of their own learning. They learn to work collaboratively on projects and communicate their work with others. In order for this to be effective in the classroom teachers must review standards, craft driving questions, design rubrics, and create examples. Tony points out that although it may be a lot of work to prepare, teachers are leading the students to create quality projects that reflect great learning.
Podcast Reflection #4: Carpool with Amanda Marrinan
In this podcast, Kevin Honeycutt skypes Amanda Marrinan from Australia about her Youtube class. Amanda describes the natural disaster that has taken place in Morton bay leaving the entire area flooded badly. She says that 80% of Queensland is completely flooded. Families have had to deal with losing there belongings and all sorts of other troubles. Amanda’s youtube class allows students to be in class without actually being in the classroom. She explains that the kids are the center of the room. Some parents are nervous about their child’s faces being online. But Amanda argues that her class keeps things safe. She says that the outcomes of the youtube class are nothing but positive. Students who had trouble writing their thoughts were able to truly shine when they could verbal express their feelings through the technology. The class uses document cameras, and Amanda says she has to gradually convince parents that nothing bad is going to happen. Some teachers won’t try something new until they know everything about it. Amanda says she’s not afraid to make mistakes. She say’s “If your not making mistakes you’re not learning.” She has the children make blogs and allows the students help each other. By doing this, everyone learns together, even her herself. Together they are also learning to use Skype. The main thing she stresses is that we can learn more from failure than success. Check out more about her classroom and how it works!
Podcast Reflection #3: The Chicks at the Chick (fil-a)
Tech Chick Tips
This is a podcast by the tech chicks Ana and Helen. They share a list of things CIO’s can learn from the game angry birds and how these things can also relate to teachers, students, administrators, and many others. They share first that the only way to defeat angry birds is to play the game. This is the same with technology. If we don’t engage in resent technology and allow people to use it in the context of actual work, no one will learn its limitations, its risks, or the opportunities it presents. Ana Helen stress that the more you keep trying and failing, the more you learn. Learning about technology takes baby steps. In angry birds there is more than one way to win. A tip for technology is that you can never do the same thing exactly the same way. You can have a perfect class with technology but the next class might not do it the same way. If you aren’t doing well in the angry birds game, it is usually smart to just start the level over. Same thing with technology in the classroom -if you are trying and the students aren’t getting it or its not going well, its ok to start over or try a different way. Another good tip Ana and Helen gave is that people succeed best when their unique talents are recognized (this is why there are different angry birds in the game). Students can help each other when they have different talents with technology. Overall the tech chicks give some really good tips and advice for using technology in the classroom. You should check it out!
This is a podcast by the tech chicks Ana and Helen. They share a list of things CIO’s can learn from the game angry birds and how these things can also relate to teachers, students, administrators, and many others. They share first that the only way to defeat angry birds is to play the game. This is the same with technology. If we don’t engage in resent technology and allow people to use it in the context of actual work, no one will learn its limitations, its risks, or the opportunities it presents. Ana Helen stress that the more you keep trying and failing, the more you learn. Learning about technology takes baby steps. In angry birds there is more than one way to win. A tip for technology is that you can never do the same thing exactly the same way. You can have a perfect class with technology but the next class might not do it the same way. If you aren’t doing well in the angry birds game, it is usually smart to just start the level over. Same thing with technology in the classroom -if you are trying and the students aren’t getting it or its not going well, its ok to start over or try a different way. Another good tip Ana and Helen gave is that people succeed best when their unique talents are recognized (this is why there are different angry birds in the game). Students can help each other when they have different talents with technology. Overall the tech chicks give some really good tips and advice for using technology in the classroom. You should check it out!
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