What do I look for when selecting online resources to use in the classroom?
Spelling accuracy~ I feel if the author is concerned with credibility they will also be concerned with spelling.
References~ Has the author of the site provided their information including their references?
Bias~ What type of website is it and is it biased? Believe it or not it is very possible to create a site with completely true, yet totally skewed information. Does the author provide a balanced argument, or is he/she one sided?
Date~ How old is the information being provided? Is it possible the information has changed?
Efficiency~ Does the site have a lot of graphics that will take a long time to load? This would be especially important on a school server that tends to be slower or when you are going to be having several students accessing the same site at the same time.
Readability~ Is the information on the site at the same level as my students. If I am asking elementary students to use the site for research I want to ensure the writing and words are not significantly above their level.
These are the main things I look for when evaluating a site!
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
We are the Digital Generation
I just finished watching most of the video on the digital nation. I did have technical difficulties with the video lagging out on numerous occasions though and for about the last half an hour I could only hear to program.
However, I got the gist of the program and I have to admit it really made me think about and evaluate my own habits. I have my Blackberry on me all the time and even during the video I found it very hard not to check it when the notification light started flashing. I also could relate with the students from MIT about the need to multitask. I also think the video shows proof regarding the importance technology can have in the classroom. The changes that occured in that school in the Bronx made it very evident. But I wonder how much is too much? When does it stop being a tool and start becoming a crutch or drug.
My husband plays World of Warcraft so I know first hand how much time and energy can be spent on that game. This has always been a point of contention between us. On the other hand I check Facebook several times a day and between homework, Facebook, and my mom's group page I am online most of the day. Is that really any better?!?!? I also thought the benefits of using Second World for a global company like IBM were amazing.
So there are pros and cons to technology as with most other things in life. What I took away from this video is that as teachers we need to harness the good technology has to offer our students and our teaching so that we can better meet their needs and keep them engaged. But technology needs to supplement our curriculum rather than supplant it. Meaning that I think there is a lot to still be learned from disconnecting from technology curling up with a good book, exploring interests tangibly, and actually experiencing things outside of the virtual world.
These are just my thoughts.
However, I got the gist of the program and I have to admit it really made me think about and evaluate my own habits. I have my Blackberry on me all the time and even during the video I found it very hard not to check it when the notification light started flashing. I also could relate with the students from MIT about the need to multitask. I also think the video shows proof regarding the importance technology can have in the classroom. The changes that occured in that school in the Bronx made it very evident. But I wonder how much is too much? When does it stop being a tool and start becoming a crutch or drug.
My husband plays World of Warcraft so I know first hand how much time and energy can be spent on that game. This has always been a point of contention between us. On the other hand I check Facebook several times a day and between homework, Facebook, and my mom's group page I am online most of the day. Is that really any better?!?!? I also thought the benefits of using Second World for a global company like IBM were amazing.
So there are pros and cons to technology as with most other things in life. What I took away from this video is that as teachers we need to harness the good technology has to offer our students and our teaching so that we can better meet their needs and keep them engaged. But technology needs to supplement our curriculum rather than supplant it. Meaning that I think there is a lot to still be learned from disconnecting from technology curling up with a good book, exploring interests tangibly, and actually experiencing things outside of the virtual world.
These are just my thoughts.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Smartboards
What else am I looking for?
Well first off let me start by saying that even if class ended this week I feel that I have truly gained so much already, and I would be completely satisfied. However, we were asked to blog about anything else we would like to learn about so I will address that question. I would love to learn more about smartboards and possibly even see one. I have heard rumors that this wonderful, magical tool exists, but I have never actually seen one. As the unicorn is to a fairytale is the smartboard to education? Alright maybe that is not as funny as I thought it was.
Anyway, I would love to actually use a smartboard, and play around with the various features it offers. It sounds like a really dynamic tool that can totally change the classroom and I am hoping that there will come a day when all classrooms are equipped with them.
Well first off let me start by saying that even if class ended this week I feel that I have truly gained so much already, and I would be completely satisfied. However, we were asked to blog about anything else we would like to learn about so I will address that question. I would love to learn more about smartboards and possibly even see one. I have heard rumors that this wonderful, magical tool exists, but I have never actually seen one. As the unicorn is to a fairytale is the smartboard to education? Alright maybe that is not as funny as I thought it was.
Anyway, I would love to actually use a smartboard, and play around with the various features it offers. It sounds like a really dynamic tool that can totally change the classroom and I am hoping that there will come a day when all classrooms are equipped with them.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
21st Century Learning
So I was in my class on inclusion Thursday evening and I was impressed by a presentation one of my classmates did. He works for the Windham High School and they have embraced 21st Century Learning. Many of the things we talked about in a previous blog regarding the provision of equal opportunities for students to utilize technology is being realized. Every student in the high school is provided with their own personal laptop. Additionally, all the classrooms are equipped with Smartboards. I sat and listened in awe because this was something I thought only existed in educational fairy tales.
I can only imagine how amazing it must be to have so many resources available for students. For instance he works in special education and he can differentiate a reading lesson just by having students visit different leveled reading programs on their computers. All the while he can go around and assist the students while they are truly working in their personal zone of proximal development.... not the majority of the class's zone of proximal development. He also said that one a recent snow day student's didn't miss out on class because teachers could post assignments on Moodle and students could utilize the text books online to do assignments from home. They are actually petitioning with the state to have that snow day removed since students still completed assignments.
Also while reading this weeks assigned reading I was intrigued by the charter school established by Bob Slater and Tom Reynolds in Texas. To help deal with the high dropout and low graduation rates being seen across the country; they took up an offer of the then governor of Texas George W. Bush to create this school. This charter school is one large well lit room with several hanging plants and twenty Internet ready computers. It services 40 students as students are paired to a computer. Their curriculum consists of assignments given every Monday morning which address a couple of the state standards. Students have the week to complete the assignments and then present their findings to the entire school on Friday using an interactive PowerPoint presentation. Here is a quote from our text, "with weekly goals connected to state standards, freedom to explore personal interests, and large audiences for their products, the same students who were indifferent or had been dropping out of school, were now succeeding and dropping in." (The World is Open by, Bonk 2009)
For me these examples show how very possible it is to rethink our current way of teaching and revamp it to meet the needs of today's students.
For more information about 21st century learning and the Windham High School you can view this PowerPoint link: www.windhamsd.org/whs/WHS%20Overview%202009-01-08.htm
I can only imagine how amazing it must be to have so many resources available for students. For instance he works in special education and he can differentiate a reading lesson just by having students visit different leveled reading programs on their computers. All the while he can go around and assist the students while they are truly working in their personal zone of proximal development.... not the majority of the class's zone of proximal development. He also said that one a recent snow day student's didn't miss out on class because teachers could post assignments on Moodle and students could utilize the text books online to do assignments from home. They are actually petitioning with the state to have that snow day removed since students still completed assignments.
Also while reading this weeks assigned reading I was intrigued by the charter school established by Bob Slater and Tom Reynolds in Texas. To help deal with the high dropout and low graduation rates being seen across the country; they took up an offer of the then governor of Texas George W. Bush to create this school. This charter school is one large well lit room with several hanging plants and twenty Internet ready computers. It services 40 students as students are paired to a computer. Their curriculum consists of assignments given every Monday morning which address a couple of the state standards. Students have the week to complete the assignments and then present their findings to the entire school on Friday using an interactive PowerPoint presentation. Here is a quote from our text, "with weekly goals connected to state standards, freedom to explore personal interests, and large audiences for their products, the same students who were indifferent or had been dropping out of school, were now succeeding and dropping in." (The World is Open by, Bonk 2009)
For me these examples show how very possible it is to rethink our current way of teaching and revamp it to meet the needs of today's students.
For more information about 21st century learning and the Windham High School you can view this PowerPoint link: www.windhamsd.org/whs/WHS%20Overview%202009-01-08.htm
Friday, January 29, 2010
Want to know it all?
To technology tools that I found impressive were Quizlet and Wolfram/Alpha.
http://quizlet.com
http://www.wolframalpha.com
First what I love about Quizlet is that you can make your own flashcards and then share them with friends. Plus always an added bonus for me (less waste of paper). Don't feel like making flashcards???.... No problem there are numerous flashcards sets already available that can be used. There are study tools for foreign languages & English, for standardized tests, professional/ trade flashcards, math & science, history, geography & social studies, and arts & literature.
What you don't feel like studying? If you are all studied out you can play some just for fun quizzing games on books, movies, television or animals. What is also great about this site is its not all flashcards. You can play games that test your knowledge on the above subjects as well. I just aced scatter for Breaking Dawn!
The second site I really love is the Wolfram/Alpha site. If you need to know an answer to a question just type it in to Wolfram/ Alpha. For instance I just asked what the population of my town (Merrimack NH) was and immediately found out it is 26,652. Let me tell you if I ever end up on "Who wants to be a Millionaire" my phone a friend will be Wolfram/Alpha. They also offer an application for the Itouch or Iphone but the cost for it is quite high. ($49.99)
Besides having most answers at your fingertips this site is also valuable for students looking to double check whether or not they have the right answer, or it can assist parents helping their children with homework.
Overall I just think this are great free resources that can be helpful and engaging.
http://quizlet.com
http://www.wolframalpha.com
First what I love about Quizlet is that you can make your own flashcards and then share them with friends. Plus always an added bonus for me (less waste of paper). Don't feel like making flashcards???.... No problem there are numerous flashcards sets already available that can be used. There are study tools for foreign languages & English, for standardized tests, professional/ trade flashcards, math & science, history, geography & social studies, and arts & literature.
What you don't feel like studying? If you are all studied out you can play some just for fun quizzing games on books, movies, television or animals. What is also great about this site is its not all flashcards. You can play games that test your knowledge on the above subjects as well. I just aced scatter for Breaking Dawn!
The second site I really love is the Wolfram/Alpha site. If you need to know an answer to a question just type it in to Wolfram/ Alpha. For instance I just asked what the population of my town (Merrimack NH) was and immediately found out it is 26,652. Let me tell you if I ever end up on "Who wants to be a Millionaire" my phone a friend will be Wolfram/Alpha. They also offer an application for the Itouch or Iphone but the cost for it is quite high. ($49.99)
Besides having most answers at your fingertips this site is also valuable for students looking to double check whether or not they have the right answer, or it can assist parents helping their children with homework.
Overall I just think this are great free resources that can be helpful and engaging.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Equal Access
The question posed: Can teachers provide equal access to the digital world to all students?
I believe that within the classroom we can provide equal access to the digital world to all students. However, it is important to keep in mind that outside of the classroom it is a different story. More and more students are now fortunate enough to have access to a computer with internet at home, but not all. Therefore, some students will have a better understanding of the digital tools that are available. This is true for anything we teach in the classroom. Students have different life experience and know more or less about certain concepts because of these experiences. This is why our goal as teachers is to meet the student where they are.
With that said, we can provide every student with opportunities to explore, manipulate, and use various digital tools while in the classroom. We can also use these tools to enhance their learning, based on the standards and goals we are working towards.
Until the day comes where every student would have a personal computer with internet access this is the best we can do. However, I think it is highly unlikely that day will ever come, as across the country there are still many students who do not even have a safe warm home to sleep in each night, and still do not have three meals each day.
I believe that within the classroom we can provide equal access to the digital world to all students. However, it is important to keep in mind that outside of the classroom it is a different story. More and more students are now fortunate enough to have access to a computer with internet at home, but not all. Therefore, some students will have a better understanding of the digital tools that are available. This is true for anything we teach in the classroom. Students have different life experience and know more or less about certain concepts because of these experiences. This is why our goal as teachers is to meet the student where they are.
With that said, we can provide every student with opportunities to explore, manipulate, and use various digital tools while in the classroom. We can also use these tools to enhance their learning, based on the standards and goals we are working towards.
Until the day comes where every student would have a personal computer with internet access this is the best we can do. However, I think it is highly unlikely that day will ever come, as across the country there are still many students who do not even have a safe warm home to sleep in each night, and still do not have three meals each day.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Proof that Matters
I viewed an online conference, by Gardner Campbell, regarding proof that matters, which took a look at the validity of current assessment practices. While standardized tests are mentioned and the value we place in those scores is criticized some; I feel the bigger message of this online conference is about other ways we can assess student knowledge and understanding. Standardized tests are unlikely to go away any time soon. However, this does not mean that we have to only use those scores or other written exam scores to uncover student understanding.
A few suggestions the narrator provides include:
Providing a showcase for students to display and share their work with others including other students within their school, other schools and with the public.
Students can show the teacher their level of understanding. Gardner has developed an Apgar scale (taken from the test a baby is given when it is first born) and changed it for application in the classroom. Students answer a series of questions and rate themselves on those questions using the scale. The teacher can then take a look at the class Apgar score and see where the class falls. A sample of the test is available on presentation.
Through play and metaphor students can show their understanding. They can relate what they learned to prior knowledge and explain how those things compare. Play can also be used to demonstrate knowledge, and provides students with an experience they are likely to remember. Gardner says the Apgar scale is a form of play that can be used.
Through witnessing, which means that the students can give testimony on what they have learned. Witnessing is an active thing we do not a passive observation.
The online conference itself was very interesting, but I also enjoyed reading an article suggested in the conference written by a man that works for Kaplan. He has been hired by Kaplan to go around to many New York City schools, and provide test prep for the Regents exam. It was very enlightening and I recommend viewing it.
You can access the conference and the article through the links below.
http://k12onlineconference.org/?p=301
http://harpers.org/archive/2008/09/0082166
A few suggestions the narrator provides include:
Providing a showcase for students to display and share their work with others including other students within their school, other schools and with the public.
Students can show the teacher their level of understanding. Gardner has developed an Apgar scale (taken from the test a baby is given when it is first born) and changed it for application in the classroom. Students answer a series of questions and rate themselves on those questions using the scale. The teacher can then take a look at the class Apgar score and see where the class falls. A sample of the test is available on presentation.
Through play and metaphor students can show their understanding. They can relate what they learned to prior knowledge and explain how those things compare. Play can also be used to demonstrate knowledge, and provides students with an experience they are likely to remember. Gardner says the Apgar scale is a form of play that can be used.
Through witnessing, which means that the students can give testimony on what they have learned. Witnessing is an active thing we do not a passive observation.
The online conference itself was very interesting, but I also enjoyed reading an article suggested in the conference written by a man that works for Kaplan. He has been hired by Kaplan to go around to many New York City schools, and provide test prep for the Regents exam. It was very enlightening and I recommend viewing it.
You can access the conference and the article through the links below.
http://k12onlineconference.org/?p=301
http://harpers.org/archive/2008/09/0082166
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