Reynard, R. (2009,July, 15). Beyond social networking: building toward learning communities. The Journal, Retrieved July 31, 2009, from http://thejournal.com/Articles/2009/07/15/Beyond-Social-Networking-Building-Toward-Learning-Communities.aspx?Page=1
This article addressed the ways that teachers can utilize social networking sites to create not only a community of peers but also a community of learners who interact and teach each other. She feels that since students today are at ease with multitasking, educators should use several different tools, like blogs or wikis to keep them engaged, and most importantly, utilize the content that the students have added. She cites a study done with children grades 4-10 that showed that the idea of being comfortable presenting their own information to the community was a positive consequence of learning the technology itself.
To whom is this article valuable?
As this technology is somewhat new to older teachers, articles like this are valuable in showing them how to use these sites; but as new teachers join the education field, they will have grown up with these computer skills and will naturally incorporate them into their curriculum.
Is the fact that students grow from interaction amongst themselves a new idea?
This fact is not a new one; teachers have created interactive learning communities within their classrooms with class discussions for a long time. However, as there is only so much time in a school day, the use of these social networking sites can increase the amount and quality of participation of the students, as they will have additional time to think and respond to the questions or issues.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Journal 6-- Feeding the Trolls
Richardson, K.W. (2008, May ). Don’t feed the trolls Using blogs to teach civil discourse. Learning & Leading with Technology, Retrieved July 31, 2009,http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/LLIssues/Volume_35_2007_2008_/MayNo7/L_L_May_2008.htm
This article spoke about how educators need to help their students define and practice civil discourse on the Internet through modeling appropriate behavior and explicit overt instructions on the correct way to engage with people online. ‘MOOse Crossing’ an online interactive learning environment for kids ages 9 to 13, is often cited, as they employ language that any age student can understand, for example “don’t say anything online that you wouldn’t say at recess”. The rest of the guidelines that are mentioned are essentially the same rules one would use for a face-to-face discussion, such as speak about ideas not people, don’t name call, and respect the opinions of others. She ends the discussion by stating that it is especially important for teachers to teach civil discourse, as it is an important skill for the citizens of a democracy to understand how to disagree civilly.
Is it really important to teach civil discourse as a specific lesson?
Like all etiquette, civil discourse is important to having a peaceful environment where our students’ work can respectfully and cooperatively together. The teacher should definitely speak about the proper way to interact online just as she shows them the proper way to act in the classroom. However, I think children are pretty smart and already know that calling people names in a virtual world is just as bad as doing it in the real world, and thus she doesn’t need to spend that much time in this arena.
How will I achieve this in my classroom?
While I will obviously inform them of the ‘rules of the road” in the beginning, I think that modeling the proper behavior and having consequences for the students who don’t have the correct manners and rewards for those who do, is the most efficient way to teach this concept.
This article spoke about how educators need to help their students define and practice civil discourse on the Internet through modeling appropriate behavior and explicit overt instructions on the correct way to engage with people online. ‘MOOse Crossing’ an online interactive learning environment for kids ages 9 to 13, is often cited, as they employ language that any age student can understand, for example “don’t say anything online that you wouldn’t say at recess”. The rest of the guidelines that are mentioned are essentially the same rules one would use for a face-to-face discussion, such as speak about ideas not people, don’t name call, and respect the opinions of others. She ends the discussion by stating that it is especially important for teachers to teach civil discourse, as it is an important skill for the citizens of a democracy to understand how to disagree civilly.
Is it really important to teach civil discourse as a specific lesson?
Like all etiquette, civil discourse is important to having a peaceful environment where our students’ work can respectfully and cooperatively together. The teacher should definitely speak about the proper way to interact online just as she shows them the proper way to act in the classroom. However, I think children are pretty smart and already know that calling people names in a virtual world is just as bad as doing it in the real world, and thus she doesn’t need to spend that much time in this arena.
How will I achieve this in my classroom?
While I will obviously inform them of the ‘rules of the road” in the beginning, I think that modeling the proper behavior and having consequences for the students who don’t have the correct manners and rewards for those who do, is the most efficient way to teach this concept.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Journal 4-- Wikis
Wikis are online collaborative websites. Within the Wiki, students can create and edit their own pages as well as collaborate on pages for the class. It is a place where work created on the computer can be contained and accessed through personal id's and passwords. The pages can be self-contained or open to the public; educational wikis are usually for class users only.
I followed a couple of threads on using wiki in the classrooms. Most users liked it and were able to solve problems, like that of students editing at the same time or editing inappropriately, fairly easily. It seemed that many teachers were concerned about students changing page content and were unaware that they could lock certain pages. However, in answer to this query, many teachers felt that, for the students, learning appropriate internet and collaborative behavior was an important lesson and thus the pages should remain unlocked.
I also found out that you are assigned emails for use within the system, not unlike our WebCt; this is another way to keep classroom business contained in one arena. There are several other similar online collaborative tools to use as a common space for the class, however, the consensus seems to be that for the price (free!) and the ease of usage as well as the variety of functions it can serve that Wiki pages are a favorite among educators.
I followed a couple of threads on using wiki in the classrooms. Most users liked it and were able to solve problems, like that of students editing at the same time or editing inappropriately, fairly easily. It seemed that many teachers were concerned about students changing page content and were unaware that they could lock certain pages. However, in answer to this query, many teachers felt that, for the students, learning appropriate internet and collaborative behavior was an important lesson and thus the pages should remain unlocked.
I also found out that you are assigned emails for use within the system, not unlike our WebCt; this is another way to keep classroom business contained in one arena. There are several other similar online collaborative tools to use as a common space for the class, however, the consensus seems to be that for the price (free!) and the ease of usage as well as the variety of functions it can serve that Wiki pages are a favorite among educators.
Journal 3--Laptops and Assessment
Zucker, Andrew A (2009 June/July). Assessment made easy. Learning and Leading, Retrieved 07 25 2009, from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/20090607/
This article discussed a school in Denver where each student has a laptop. The school has a diverse population and 40% of its students in the free lunch program. Every single student was accepted into a 4 year university; this is particularly impressive as Denver has a dropout rate of almost 50%. The computers are used extensively in the curriculum but the article focused on the positive effect that almost instant assessment has on the students.
When will schools furnish all students with laptop computers?
Schools will furnish their students with laptops when it can be shown to be financially feasible. Unfortunately, it is easy to get caught up in the traditional way of doing things like buying new textbooks every time the standards change, instead of computers and electronic media created for it. If textbooks were digital, the cost would be much lower, allowing funds for needed computers.
What are the best ways to employ instant assessment on Student's work?
According to the article, math teachers love the concept as they could quickly discover problem areas through short quizzes and then work immediately on the concept in class, helping to head off trouble before it happened. Liberal Arts teachers also liked it because they could help edit written work on the overhead, helping all students in the process.
This article discussed a school in Denver where each student has a laptop. The school has a diverse population and 40% of its students in the free lunch program. Every single student was accepted into a 4 year university; this is particularly impressive as Denver has a dropout rate of almost 50%. The computers are used extensively in the curriculum but the article focused on the positive effect that almost instant assessment has on the students.
When will schools furnish all students with laptop computers?
Schools will furnish their students with laptops when it can be shown to be financially feasible. Unfortunately, it is easy to get caught up in the traditional way of doing things like buying new textbooks every time the standards change, instead of computers and electronic media created for it. If textbooks were digital, the cost would be much lower, allowing funds for needed computers.
What are the best ways to employ instant assessment on Student's work?
According to the article, math teachers love the concept as they could quickly discover problem areas through short quizzes and then work immediately on the concept in class, helping to head off trouble before it happened. Liberal Arts teachers also liked it because they could help edit written work on the overhead, helping all students in the process.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Journal 2--Teenagers and Media
Robson, Matthew ( 2009 July13 ). How teenagers consume media: The report that shook the city. guardian.co.uk, Retrieved july 20 2009, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/jul/13/teenage-media-habits-morgan-stanley
This article listed what one 15-year-old intern at Morgan Stanley reported about his peers’ use of technology. He covered many areas including TV, music listening and downloading, game console usage, cellular phone and texting habits as well as their thoughts on the advertising they see.
Is this article a valid source in assessing teenagers usage of technology?
The title that it was a ‘report that rocked the city’ gave the article a bit of legitimacy, however after reading it, it became clear that it contained neither new nor necessarily accurate information. I certainly don’t think this is a valid source. This is a report about him and his circle of friends’ habits and he uses absolutely no data to show his points. These habits may be average for his age and socioeconomic status, but I am not even convinced of that, as there were no supporting facts for any of his conclusions.
How can we help our students assess what information is trustworthy on the Internet?
It is important to emphasize to them that not all information you see on the Internet is accurate or trustworthy. We need to help them identify sources that are reliable like the Encyclopedia Britannica or a study published in the ‘New England Journal of Medicine’, versus potentially unreliable information like that found on Wikipedia or a study published in ‘The Enquirer’. We also must help them identify primary sources of information, as well as look for supporting documentation within any articles themselves.
This article listed what one 15-year-old intern at Morgan Stanley reported about his peers’ use of technology. He covered many areas including TV, music listening and downloading, game console usage, cellular phone and texting habits as well as their thoughts on the advertising they see.
Is this article a valid source in assessing teenagers usage of technology?
The title that it was a ‘report that rocked the city’ gave the article a bit of legitimacy, however after reading it, it became clear that it contained neither new nor necessarily accurate information. I certainly don’t think this is a valid source. This is a report about him and his circle of friends’ habits and he uses absolutely no data to show his points. These habits may be average for his age and socioeconomic status, but I am not even convinced of that, as there were no supporting facts for any of his conclusions.
How can we help our students assess what information is trustworthy on the Internet?
It is important to emphasize to them that not all information you see on the Internet is accurate or trustworthy. We need to help them identify sources that are reliable like the Encyclopedia Britannica or a study published in the ‘New England Journal of Medicine’, versus potentially unreliable information like that found on Wikipedia or a study published in ‘The Enquirer’. We also must help them identify primary sources of information, as well as look for supporting documentation within any articles themselves.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Social Bookmarking
National Archives
This site had original artwork and technical drawings commissioned by the U.S. government. With so much secondary and tertiary information and disinformation available today, it is vital to be able to trust your sources. With primary sources like these, students know that they are getting first-hand information. They still need to verify the facts but at least they can feel more secure to start.
NEA
American Indians & Alaska Natives, Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders, Hispanic/Latinos, African-Americans are some groups that are at risk
I don’t like to reinvent the wheel so I’m drawn to areas that deal with collaboration. For instance, networking with other schools that are already developing and incorporating culturally sensitive curriculum and systems, while I build a network of ‘natural helpers’ are two ways to use solutions that have already been tested and proven. The third area that I think is crucial is determining the diverse groups of your school and how they are accessing current services, since knowing your class and community is imperative to promoting multiculturalism.
Once you become aware of the make-up of your school and meet the people in the neighborhood, You can help them access the current services available and at the same time, they can help you determine what additional resources may be needed to help their students fulfill there potential.
Cyber Bullying
http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/kids/index.html
Being a person who doesn't believe in bullying, I scored 100% on the test.I was interested to find out about the groups Teenangel.org and Tweenangel.org. Teaching these children about the 4P’s of privacy, predators, pornography and piracy is important and the way that they can then convey that information to their peers is even more valuable. As adults, it is difficult to know everything the kids (and predators) are doing in cyberspace, and I think it is important that these children are also acting as watchdogs for new issues and ploys that are constantly arising. I think this group would be a great resource for a classroom teacher, as students often tend to appreciate and believe the knowledge of their peers rather than adults in areas like cyberspace.
Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators
Under special interest, I looked up a section called ‘Cool Quotes’. This page had hundreds of different types of quotes. I can use this in the classroom all the time, as I think a great sentence can make a lasting impact on a child or an adult. Under teachers help, I looked at Assessments and Rubric Information, which gave actual rubrics and assessments that could be used for several different areas of study. This is another area that I can use consistently in the classroom—Once again why re-invent the wheel when someone else has already done it?
Multiple Intelligences
Logical-Mathematical and Interpersonal: 63 Naturalistic and Verbal-Linguistic: 42 I learned that perhaps we are trying to teach too much information in the schools, and are thus actually limiting the amount of information remembered by the students. He used the example of science and physics to relate the idea that it is more important to get students to understand scientific thinking then to memorize a formula. I agree as everyone needs to know how to think scientifically and not everyone needs to know the specific formula of how fast a ball will hit the ground after being thrown off a roof!
Tolerance
I chose middle grades, math and science, all topics. The lesson that I liked had students learning about advertising and building a group brand. The students were in groups of 4 or 5, each individual answered a questionnaire and then a brand name was developed based on similarities found between the students. Finding common bonds is crucial in creating a classroom community and I would like to do this activity more than once with different groups so that more children could find things in common; this is a wonderful way to show the students that people are more alike than they are different.
Edchange Multicultural Education
I was shocked to find out that 84.5% of teachers rarely or never responded to derogatory remarks concerning gay, lesbian and transgender students. This question raised more questions for me like do they respond to other derogatory remarks, are they homophobic, have they given up? I was also blown away by the fact that the average American only earns in a year what the average CEO earns in a day. While I completely believe in Capitalism, this salary discrepancy seems excessive, especially during the current economic crisis.
Netiquette
Take the Quiz: http://www.albion.com/netiquette/netiquiz.html
100% on quiz. If we are going to use technology to enhance our teaching and expect our students to be conversant with it, then it is obvious that we need to teach the Netiquette skills along with the technical skills. It is a vital component in the whole technology curriculum. 8-)
Monday, July 13, 2009
Journal 1---Do Your Teachers Need a Personal Trainer?
Citation: Owens, Aileen M (June/July 2009). Do your teachers need a personal trainer? Learning & Leading with Technology, Retrieved 07-13-09, from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/Current_Issue/L_L_June_July.htm
Synopsis:
article discussed the benefits associated with using tech savvy teaching students as interns in elementary school classes. They worked as ‘personal trainers’ for the teachers, educating them in ways to incorporate the newest technology in their lesson plans. This was shown to be a win-win situation: the interns received on the job training while the teachers and the classroom students received valuable technology training. The article concludes with the fact that private corporations have seen and used the value of free interns for years, and it is time for the public sector of education to follow suit.
How can I have a resource like this to use in my classroom?
As this was a small study done with one university and one school, it seems improbable that it will be currently available. However, it is such a good idea for both students and educators, perhaps our University systems or at least some professors could be convinced to incorporate it into their curriculum.
How am I going to be tech savvy in the classroom?
The article mentioned things like net trekker with which I am not familiar. I need to explore these new technology tools in order to see what is available and what will work for me. As I come across them, I will make every effort to really learn and understand these different tools so as to be ready when I do have my own class.
Synopsis:
article discussed the benefits associated with using tech savvy teaching students as interns in elementary school classes. They worked as ‘personal trainers’ for the teachers, educating them in ways to incorporate the newest technology in their lesson plans. This was shown to be a win-win situation: the interns received on the job training while the teachers and the classroom students received valuable technology training. The article concludes with the fact that private corporations have seen and used the value of free interns for years, and it is time for the public sector of education to follow suit.
How can I have a resource like this to use in my classroom?
As this was a small study done with one university and one school, it seems improbable that it will be currently available. However, it is such a good idea for both students and educators, perhaps our University systems or at least some professors could be convinced to incorporate it into their curriculum.
How am I going to be tech savvy in the classroom?
The article mentioned things like net trekker with which I am not familiar. I need to explore these new technology tools in order to see what is available and what will work for me. As I come across them, I will make every effort to really learn and understand these different tools so as to be ready when I do have my own class.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Intro Letter of Ro Wellman
Hi, I'm Ro Wellman and I grew up in Los Angeles. I always went to public schools starting with Roscomare Road, a small elementary school in the canyons of Belair , moved on to Emerson Jr. High in Westwood and then to University High School in West L.A where I graduated in 1982. I didn't have to travel very far to go to UCLA where I received my Bachelor's Degree in Art History in 1987--I know that seems eons ago!
Since I went to school during the Stone Age before computers (we still had typing classes!), I didn't become familiar with them until about 10 years ago. However, through necessity I have learned the basics of Word and PowerPoint and feel very comfortable about my ability to learn,understand and use technology. I haven't worked on a Mac for years, so I'm definitely better at PCs--but I think Macs are cooler, so I am looking forward to using one! I am excited to learn about the tools that will help me utilize the newest technology in my classroom and in my life. I can't let my 10 year old son be more computer literate than I am!
I had no idea what the mission statement of the college was before I started. Luckily, it stated several of the ideals that have drawn me into teaching. I think, that as educators, we create a microcosm of the world in our classrooms where we can demonstrate the importance and value of diversity, equality and social justice. I feel that if we model these behaviors for our students, we can actually enable them to change our future world. I know this sounds idealistic, especially coming from a cynical gal, but I'm still going to give it 'the old college try'!
Since I went to school during the Stone Age before computers (we still had typing classes!), I didn't become familiar with them until about 10 years ago. However, through necessity I have learned the basics of Word and PowerPoint and feel very comfortable about my ability to learn,understand and use technology. I haven't worked on a Mac for years, so I'm definitely better at PCs--but I think Macs are cooler, so I am looking forward to using one! I am excited to learn about the tools that will help me utilize the newest technology in my classroom and in my life. I can't let my 10 year old son be more computer literate than I am!
I had no idea what the mission statement of the college was before I started. Luckily, it stated several of the ideals that have drawn me into teaching. I think, that as educators, we create a microcosm of the world in our classrooms where we can demonstrate the importance and value of diversity, equality and social justice. I feel that if we model these behaviors for our students, we can actually enable them to change our future world. I know this sounds idealistic, especially coming from a cynical gal, but I'm still going to give it 'the old college try'!
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