Online Resources

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!

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

Why Collaboration?

I feel the biggest thing we can gain from collaboration is the perspective of others. This is true in regards to students learning from one another and the teacher learning from the students. Every student brings different life experiences and the knowledge that comes from those experiences to the table. Therefore, collaboration provides an opportunity for students to learn from one another. Additionally, students learn how to better work as a team. This is an essential skill required for future success in the workforce, and one we as teachers should be equipping students with.

From a teaching perspective, collaboration allows for an opportunity for teachers to bounce ideas off of one another. Like students, all teachers bring different experiences and the knowledge that comes from those experiences to the teaching team. This is something that ideally would be supported by school administration so that common planning time can be scheduled within the workday. Additionally, through collaboration teachers can develop integrated lessons across subjects, which allows for a deeper understanding of various educational concepts.

An summary of Classroom 2.0

I just watched a video titled Classroom 2.0 from Ed Tech Live. The intention of this video seemed to be bringing awareness to the necessity for technology in the classroom. The speaker talks about technology tools promoting collaboration. Students become inventors and creators of information. They become good thinkers; required for success in this modern age. Although curriculum is mandated, teachers and students need to build a relationship with the curriculum and modify this curriculum to meet the needs of the classroom. Students become "prosummers" because they make and consume information.
Classrooms are not about the teacher or the students individually, but about them all. About what they can learn together, from one another, and from others around the world. However, we need to change our attitude about the classroom and redefine what takes place in the classroom. Learning is a connective effort not an individual one. The classroom should be a global communication center.
He also stressed the need for education informatics which would allow for better tracking of student activities so we can better learn their interests and trends.
For those interested I have posted the link to the video below.
http://k12onlineconference.org/?p=150

Why integrate?

1. Why should we integrate technology into lessons?
2. What is the purpose of integrating technology into lessons?

Utilizing and applying technology is the way of the future. The purpose of education is to prepare students for future success. I don't think as teachers we can honestly say we have done that if we have not used and introduced them to the tools they will be expected to use.

Additionally, by integrating technology into lessons we can make those lessons more relevant, engaging, and applicable to their real world experiences.

First night of class

So this is the first night of the educational technology course, and I now have a Twitter account and a blog. That is exactly what I need in my life...... more things that keep my tied to the computer!

Well a little about me. I am a wannabe K-8 teacher, meaning that I am certified but unable to find a teaching position :( I am enrolled at SNHU for my Masters in Curriculum and Instruction. I am hoping this will help me get a position for the fall of 2010.
On a personal level; I am married with two boys (ages 6 & 3). I live in Merrimack, NH. I am a member of a local moms group which gets together reguarly for playgroups and other activities. In the summer I like to spend as much time outdoors as possible. We often go camping, go to the beach, go to the zoo, go to park or go to a local lake. I am also looking forward to a time when I have more opportunity to read for pleasure...... rather than reading textbooks.