Friday, December 4, 2009
Technology Belief Statement
I believe Educational Technology is crucial in the classroom. Technology can make student learning easier and more engaging. It can improve learning in all subject areas as it expands the walls of the classroom to include everything in the world from exploring under the sea to communicating with children in China to seeing our world from outer space. Technology can greatly improve learning for students with special needs as it can encourage students learning a new language and eases the challenges for students with disabilities. I will definitely use technology in many ways in all subjects taught in my classroom.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Ch. 10 Response
Assessing Meaningful Learning with Technology
Assessing Meaningful Learning:Authentic and Performance Assessment
Performance assessment involves assessing students by having them perform tasks that use the skills that are being assessed. Authentic assessment involves having students show that they know something by performing a task instead of taking a test. This also shows that they have learned the concepts or skills in a meaningful way and this knowledge will stay with them forever. I will definitely use authentic assessment in my future classroom since it shows what students truly know and understand instead of what they have memorized.
Technology-Based Assessments
Technology-based assessments can help teachers quickly and more regularly assess students to see if they are understanding the material. Although this can create a little more work for teachers, in the long run it can save time and create better learning.
Assessing Growth Over Time with Electronic Portfolios
E-portfolios are collections of student work, which can include everything from writing samples and artwork to videos and projects. These portfolios can help show how students have improved over time and gives students more autonomy in their work. E-portfolios can give teachers lots of flexibility since teachers can decide the time frame, what goes in the portfolio, and who makes the portfolio. Having an e-portfolio instead of a regular portfolio also allows the teacher or student to search it more easily. Portfolios can also help students reflect on their work and can motivate them to improve their work. I think this is very beneficial because self-motivation is very important in the classroom. I watched the video for Foliotek and learned exactly what they offer for student portfolios. Students can use these portfolios to be assessed, share presentations, or create their own scrapbooks. In previous classes (especially the teaching writing class) we have learned about the importance and usefulness of portfolios as assessment tools. Having an electronic portfolio makes this even easier and more useful. I will definitely use an e-portfolio in my future classroom.
Assessing Performance with Technology-Based Rubrics
Rubrics help achieve meaningful learning since they let students know what is expected of them and after they receive the grade, what areas they did well in and what areas could use some work. I definitely prefer assignments that have rubrics since they let me know exactly what they teacher is expecting and that there will be no surprises. Rubric banks can make writing rubrics quicker and easier for teachers. However, teachers must be careful when using a bank and be sure to modify the rubric to fit the objectives of their specific class assignment. I explored Rubrician and found that it has lots of rubric banks categorized by subject. It has so many that it could be a very daunting task to find one that fits my assignment. I am not sure that I would use a rubric bank as a teacher. Although it may be quicker, I want to be sure that my rubric perfectly fits my objectives. Rubric generators on the other hand, ask the teacher for specific information and necessary elements and create a rubric. I would more likely use this in my future classroom.
Good rubrics should include all important elements, each element should be unidimensional, have specific ratings, be clear, and provide information about the elements. We have learned similar things in previous classes. I am sure we have all had bad rubrics that were unclear or not specific enough. Good rubrics help both teachers and students.
Clicker Assessment Tools
I had never used a clicker before college. Once in college I used a clicker in two different science classes and one math class. I think it is great that the teacher can see the responses from specific students, but other students cannot. I think the best part of using clickers is the way the information can be shown quickly on a screen for the whole class to see. This information can even be shown in graphs and charts. However, I found that I and other students had lots of trouble getting the clickers to work and these issues caused skewed data. If I could get the clickers to work properly, I would use them in my classroom as a quick way to assess my students' knowledge. It would also help all students be engaged as they do not have to be called on to answer a question and feelings will not be hurt if they answer incorrectly.
Assessing Learning with Computer-Based Tests and Surveys
I agree with the book that adaptive tests are good in that they can assess in a better way students who are at the ends of the spectrum unlike regular tests who are aimed at average ability level students. I believe that the computerized GRE is an adaptive test, which enables it to give a specific score for that person. I also like the idea of using these adaptive tests as diagnostic tests.
Assessing Meaningful Learning:Authentic and Performance Assessment
Performance assessment involves assessing students by having them perform tasks that use the skills that are being assessed. Authentic assessment involves having students show that they know something by performing a task instead of taking a test. This also shows that they have learned the concepts or skills in a meaningful way and this knowledge will stay with them forever. I will definitely use authentic assessment in my future classroom since it shows what students truly know and understand instead of what they have memorized.
Technology-Based Assessments
Technology-based assessments can help teachers quickly and more regularly assess students to see if they are understanding the material. Although this can create a little more work for teachers, in the long run it can save time and create better learning.
Assessing Growth Over Time with Electronic Portfolios
E-portfolios are collections of student work, which can include everything from writing samples and artwork to videos and projects. These portfolios can help show how students have improved over time and gives students more autonomy in their work. E-portfolios can give teachers lots of flexibility since teachers can decide the time frame, what goes in the portfolio, and who makes the portfolio. Having an e-portfolio instead of a regular portfolio also allows the teacher or student to search it more easily. Portfolios can also help students reflect on their work and can motivate them to improve their work. I think this is very beneficial because self-motivation is very important in the classroom. I watched the video for Foliotek and learned exactly what they offer for student portfolios. Students can use these portfolios to be assessed, share presentations, or create their own scrapbooks. In previous classes (especially the teaching writing class) we have learned about the importance and usefulness of portfolios as assessment tools. Having an electronic portfolio makes this even easier and more useful. I will definitely use an e-portfolio in my future classroom.
Assessing Performance with Technology-Based Rubrics
Rubrics help achieve meaningful learning since they let students know what is expected of them and after they receive the grade, what areas they did well in and what areas could use some work. I definitely prefer assignments that have rubrics since they let me know exactly what they teacher is expecting and that there will be no surprises. Rubric banks can make writing rubrics quicker and easier for teachers. However, teachers must be careful when using a bank and be sure to modify the rubric to fit the objectives of their specific class assignment. I explored Rubrician and found that it has lots of rubric banks categorized by subject. It has so many that it could be a very daunting task to find one that fits my assignment. I am not sure that I would use a rubric bank as a teacher. Although it may be quicker, I want to be sure that my rubric perfectly fits my objectives. Rubric generators on the other hand, ask the teacher for specific information and necessary elements and create a rubric. I would more likely use this in my future classroom.
Good rubrics should include all important elements, each element should be unidimensional, have specific ratings, be clear, and provide information about the elements. We have learned similar things in previous classes. I am sure we have all had bad rubrics that were unclear or not specific enough. Good rubrics help both teachers and students.
Clicker Assessment Tools
I had never used a clicker before college. Once in college I used a clicker in two different science classes and one math class. I think it is great that the teacher can see the responses from specific students, but other students cannot. I think the best part of using clickers is the way the information can be shown quickly on a screen for the whole class to see. This information can even be shown in graphs and charts. However, I found that I and other students had lots of trouble getting the clickers to work and these issues caused skewed data. If I could get the clickers to work properly, I would use them in my classroom as a quick way to assess my students' knowledge. It would also help all students be engaged as they do not have to be called on to answer a question and feelings will not be hurt if they answer incorrectly.
Assessing Learning with Computer-Based Tests and Surveys
I agree with the book that adaptive tests are good in that they can assess in a better way students who are at the ends of the spectrum unlike regular tests who are aimed at average ability level students. I believe that the computerized GRE is an adaptive test, which enables it to give a specific score for that person. I also like the idea of using these adaptive tests as diagnostic tests.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Ch. 9 Response
Visualizing with Technologies
What are Visualization Tools?
Before reading this, I had never thought about the fact that we can hear things and respond orally, but cannot see things and respond in a visual way. Instead we have to make something that will then be visible to those who see it. It is difficult to do this in the way we want, especially if we are not very artistically talented. Visualization tools help us represent our own visual ideas. There are two kinds of visualization tools. Interpretive tools help learners understand complicated and abstract ideas. To me, this seems to be similar to models. The other type of tools are expressive, which help learners express their own ideas, thoughts, and beliefs.
Visualizing Scientific Ideas with Computers
I feel that science is an important area to use technology for visualizing. Many things are too small or too big to see with our own two eyes, so visual representations can help a lot. In our science class, we learned about using models (made by hand) to teach these concepts. However, I think using visualization tools are even better since they are more accurate and less work. Using these visualization tools in chemistry classes sounds very helpful. I know I struggled some with chemistry in high school and I think part of this was due to a lack of visual representations. Visualization tools can also be very helpful when learning geography, which is something that cannot actually be seen all at once without tools. Some of the tools listed in the book seem expensive and would require lots of resources. However, they do enable students to do some very interesting things. I thought the class that tracked the chemical spill had a very interesting project on their hands. The free programs such as Google Earth would probably be more likely to be used in an elementary classroom. I have been using Google Earth for years and really like it. Bing.com also has a similar program.
I would use a tool such as Google Earth in my classroom. I would use it when studying specific countries or cities as I could actually show my students what it looks like there. Also when zoomed out, you can get a very good look at the topography which would also be beneficial for students learning about different types of land forms.
Some websites that can help kids visualize science:
http://www.exploratorium.edu/explore/online.html
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/science/games/5833.html
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/learn.jsp
Visualizing Mathematical Ideas with Technologies
Math is definitely an area of study that many students struggle with. This is in part because it is more abstract. Many students often think the numbers used in math do not mean anything and are simply numbers. Graphs and other visual representations can help show the real meaning of the numbers. I used graphing calculators in high school to assist in my understanding of certain functions. They were also very helpful with checking my own work when I had to create my own graphs, etc. Graphing calculators are good for older students but I do not think these are appropriate for elementary students. However, programs such as TinkerPlots could be used in the upper elementary classroom as they rely less on the student knowing complicated functions and more on seeing what certain functions represent. I would use a program similar to this in my classroom when discussing relationships between numbers and how certain data will affect other data in a specific way. This program could be beneficial in getting the students ready for later years when they begin studying algebra.
Some websites that have games that can help kids visualize:
http://www.coolmath4kids.com/
http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivitySearch.aspx
http://www.funbrain.com/kidscenter.html
Visualizing with Digital Cameras and Mobile Phones
I definitely agree that technology has changed photography a lot. I did not get a digital camera until my freshman year in college. Before that, I used disposable cameras, and if I wanted to share pictures, I had to scan them after getting them developed. This was a big hassle and the quality was never very good. Digital cameras have changed my life a lot.
The book mentions using cameras to make personal documentaries of the students. I think this is a great idea because it incorporates technology with Language Arts and even art itself. I would also use digital cameras in science. For example, if my class is growing a plant, we could take a picture of it everyday so we could really see how much it grows and changes.
Visualizing with Video
I am somewhat familiar with using imovie and creating digital stories as I have had to do it before. However, I do not think I am very competent with it. I do think making movies can be useful in the classroom and with practice children can work well with the programs. I would have my students make a movie at the end of a unit. This would allow the students to express everything they have learned in a creative way. This is a good way to integrate many different subjects and to get students to collaborate.
Video Modeling and Feedback
When I first read the title of this section, I had no idea what it would be about. Video modeling is filming people showing certain skills or how to do things. I think this could be very useful in the classroom since students get to show their skills and knowledge. I have always been taught that if someone knows something well enough to teach it, they know it very well and sometimes in teaching they learn the concept better. The teacher can also model certain skills such as reading a book so that students can see exactly what they should be doing.
I know that people can learn a lot about themselves by watching themselves on video. I hate seeing myself on video, but I do learn a lot about how to adjust the way I do things by seeing myself do it. We are going to have the opportunity to have ourselves filmed doing the micro teaching in our science class. I think this could be very helpful but also very nerve racking.
What are Visualization Tools?
Before reading this, I had never thought about the fact that we can hear things and respond orally, but cannot see things and respond in a visual way. Instead we have to make something that will then be visible to those who see it. It is difficult to do this in the way we want, especially if we are not very artistically talented. Visualization tools help us represent our own visual ideas. There are two kinds of visualization tools. Interpretive tools help learners understand complicated and abstract ideas. To me, this seems to be similar to models. The other type of tools are expressive, which help learners express their own ideas, thoughts, and beliefs.
Visualizing Scientific Ideas with Computers
I feel that science is an important area to use technology for visualizing. Many things are too small or too big to see with our own two eyes, so visual representations can help a lot. In our science class, we learned about using models (made by hand) to teach these concepts. However, I think using visualization tools are even better since they are more accurate and less work. Using these visualization tools in chemistry classes sounds very helpful. I know I struggled some with chemistry in high school and I think part of this was due to a lack of visual representations. Visualization tools can also be very helpful when learning geography, which is something that cannot actually be seen all at once without tools. Some of the tools listed in the book seem expensive and would require lots of resources. However, they do enable students to do some very interesting things. I thought the class that tracked the chemical spill had a very interesting project on their hands. The free programs such as Google Earth would probably be more likely to be used in an elementary classroom. I have been using Google Earth for years and really like it. Bing.com also has a similar program.
I would use a tool such as Google Earth in my classroom. I would use it when studying specific countries or cities as I could actually show my students what it looks like there. Also when zoomed out, you can get a very good look at the topography which would also be beneficial for students learning about different types of land forms.
Some websites that can help kids visualize science:
http://www.exploratorium.edu/explore/online.html
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/science/games/5833.html
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/learn.jsp
Visualizing Mathematical Ideas with Technologies
Math is definitely an area of study that many students struggle with. This is in part because it is more abstract. Many students often think the numbers used in math do not mean anything and are simply numbers. Graphs and other visual representations can help show the real meaning of the numbers. I used graphing calculators in high school to assist in my understanding of certain functions. They were also very helpful with checking my own work when I had to create my own graphs, etc. Graphing calculators are good for older students but I do not think these are appropriate for elementary students. However, programs such as TinkerPlots could be used in the upper elementary classroom as they rely less on the student knowing complicated functions and more on seeing what certain functions represent. I would use a program similar to this in my classroom when discussing relationships between numbers and how certain data will affect other data in a specific way. This program could be beneficial in getting the students ready for later years when they begin studying algebra.
Some websites that have games that can help kids visualize:
http://www.coolmath4kids.com/
http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivitySearch.aspx
http://www.funbrain.com/kidscenter.html
Visualizing with Digital Cameras and Mobile Phones
I definitely agree that technology has changed photography a lot. I did not get a digital camera until my freshman year in college. Before that, I used disposable cameras, and if I wanted to share pictures, I had to scan them after getting them developed. This was a big hassle and the quality was never very good. Digital cameras have changed my life a lot.
The book mentions using cameras to make personal documentaries of the students. I think this is a great idea because it incorporates technology with Language Arts and even art itself. I would also use digital cameras in science. For example, if my class is growing a plant, we could take a picture of it everyday so we could really see how much it grows and changes.
Visualizing with Video
I am somewhat familiar with using imovie and creating digital stories as I have had to do it before. However, I do not think I am very competent with it. I do think making movies can be useful in the classroom and with practice children can work well with the programs. I would have my students make a movie at the end of a unit. This would allow the students to express everything they have learned in a creative way. This is a good way to integrate many different subjects and to get students to collaborate.
Video Modeling and Feedback
When I first read the title of this section, I had no idea what it would be about. Video modeling is filming people showing certain skills or how to do things. I think this could be very useful in the classroom since students get to show their skills and knowledge. I have always been taught that if someone knows something well enough to teach it, they know it very well and sometimes in teaching they learn the concept better. The teacher can also model certain skills such as reading a book so that students can see exactly what they should be doing.
I know that people can learn a lot about themselves by watching themselves on video. I hate seeing myself on video, but I do learn a lot about how to adjust the way I do things by seeing myself do it. We are going to have the opportunity to have ourselves filmed doing the micro teaching in our science class. I think this could be very helpful but also very nerve racking.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
ch. 8 Response
Designing with Technologies
Learning by Designing In and Out of Schools
I was not familiar with anything involving designing before reading this chapter. I also had never thought of using designing in the classroom. I do agree, though, that designing is a lot like problem solving in that both involve trying to find a problem and then creating a solution to solve the problem.
Drawing Design Ideas with Computer-aided Design Software
Computer-aided software makes designing much easier than using hand drawings. They can be more in depth and easier to understand for the viewer. I do not have much experience with these sorts of programs. My only experience with computer-aided software was AUTO-CAD which I used when I was working at an architecture firm in high school. I definitely remember that it was much easier and organized to work with this program than with pencil and paper. I think using these programs in schools does seem interesting and I tried to look up more information about Pro/DESKTOP on the website and was unable to find too much. However, I did get to see some pictures of students in a class using it and it looked like a very engaging class. Although this does seem good for students, I do not know that I would use this in an elementary classroom. It looks very complicated, but perhaps I could use some designs made by high school students about things I am teaching in my elementary class.
I thought SketchUp was a very interesting program and one that I, as an adult, would enjoy using. However, I think this software is still too advanced for elementary students.
Testing Designs and Building Mental Models with Simulation Software
I think that using simulation software to build models that would possibly be too complex or expensive to actually build is a good idea. I think these are more appropriate for upper elementary and beyond. I do believe that I started learning about simple machines in my late elementary years and I did have difficulty understanding them. I think if I was able to build and see a simulation of the simple machines, I would have understood them better. I would use these types of simulators in my classroom in this way.
Developing Programming Skills While Designing in the Media Arts
Before this class, I knew nothing about programming. Now that I have been exposed to Scratch, I feel that I know a little more but not very much, However, scratch has helped me open my mind to the idea of young children doing programing. I do not know that many other programs are this simple, but at least this one could be useful in the classroom. I would use Scratch in my classroom for group presentations or projects. Students could work together to present ideas. I also would have my students use Scratch at the end of a unit to make a game that reviews material learned in that unit.
I still do not know very much about iStopMotion, but I am sure I will get to learn more about it as I create my own later this semester.
Designing Music with Composition Software
I do not know anything about composing music, with or without technology. However, I am starting to learn how to use Garage Band and am becoming more knowledgeable about how to use programs like this and others in the classroom. Impromptu is a software that can easily be used by young children to design music. I think designing music can be fun and engaging for students and could possibly help the more music challenged (like myself) become more musical. However, I think time is so limited in the classroom that I am not sure that I would be able to incorporate programs like this in my classroom on a regular basis. However, if I did have the time, I would use it to expand on my students' knowledge of music. I would also use it with young elementary students to work on patterns.
When I first started reading this chapter, I thought nothing would be useful for the lower grades. However, as I read on, I realized young children can design with technologies. As I continue to learn more about this, I will become more inclined to incorporate many of these programs in my classroom.
Learning by Designing In and Out of Schools
I was not familiar with anything involving designing before reading this chapter. I also had never thought of using designing in the classroom. I do agree, though, that designing is a lot like problem solving in that both involve trying to find a problem and then creating a solution to solve the problem.
Drawing Design Ideas with Computer-aided Design Software
Computer-aided software makes designing much easier than using hand drawings. They can be more in depth and easier to understand for the viewer. I do not have much experience with these sorts of programs. My only experience with computer-aided software was AUTO-CAD which I used when I was working at an architecture firm in high school. I definitely remember that it was much easier and organized to work with this program than with pencil and paper. I think using these programs in schools does seem interesting and I tried to look up more information about Pro/DESKTOP on the website and was unable to find too much. However, I did get to see some pictures of students in a class using it and it looked like a very engaging class. Although this does seem good for students, I do not know that I would use this in an elementary classroom. It looks very complicated, but perhaps I could use some designs made by high school students about things I am teaching in my elementary class.
I thought SketchUp was a very interesting program and one that I, as an adult, would enjoy using. However, I think this software is still too advanced for elementary students.
Testing Designs and Building Mental Models with Simulation Software
I think that using simulation software to build models that would possibly be too complex or expensive to actually build is a good idea. I think these are more appropriate for upper elementary and beyond. I do believe that I started learning about simple machines in my late elementary years and I did have difficulty understanding them. I think if I was able to build and see a simulation of the simple machines, I would have understood them better. I would use these types of simulators in my classroom in this way.
Developing Programming Skills While Designing in the Media Arts
Before this class, I knew nothing about programming. Now that I have been exposed to Scratch, I feel that I know a little more but not very much, However, scratch has helped me open my mind to the idea of young children doing programing. I do not know that many other programs are this simple, but at least this one could be useful in the classroom. I would use Scratch in my classroom for group presentations or projects. Students could work together to present ideas. I also would have my students use Scratch at the end of a unit to make a game that reviews material learned in that unit.
I still do not know very much about iStopMotion, but I am sure I will get to learn more about it as I create my own later this semester.
Designing Music with Composition Software
I do not know anything about composing music, with or without technology. However, I am starting to learn how to use Garage Band and am becoming more knowledgeable about how to use programs like this and others in the classroom. Impromptu is a software that can easily be used by young children to design music. I think designing music can be fun and engaging for students and could possibly help the more music challenged (like myself) become more musical. However, I think time is so limited in the classroom that I am not sure that I would be able to incorporate programs like this in my classroom on a regular basis. However, if I did have the time, I would use it to expand on my students' knowledge of music. I would also use it with young elementary students to work on patterns.
When I first started reading this chapter, I thought nothing would be useful for the lower grades. However, as I read on, I realized young children can design with technologies. As I continue to learn more about this, I will become more inclined to incorporate many of these programs in my classroom.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Ch. 7 Response
Communicating with Technologies
The description of the teenager using many different types of media at the same time is very like me. I will often be watching TV while doing something on my computer while talking on my cell phone.
Exchanging Ideas Asynchronously with Discussion Boards
Many people need time to think of how to respond in conversations or to answer questions. I am this type of person. Using discussion boards allows this type of person to respond when he or she has thought out an answer and is ready to respond. The discussion boards are also helpful in that they are usually about a specific topic, which enables users to know what the topic is and separate thoughts about this topic from thoughts about other topics. The use of discussion boards can be very useful in the classroom as they are a good way to communicate over long distances, which can be helpful when working on projects with students or classrooms in other places. I checked out ePALS and several projects, etc and found it to be a very interesting website, which I would consider using in my classroom. Also discussion boards can be very helpful for the types of students discussed previously, who like to have time to think about questions before answering them.
Exchanging Ideas Synchronously with Interactive Chats and Messaging
Internet Relay Chat is chatting between groups of people. I have never done this and I think I would be very confused. I used to use instant messaging a lot in middle school and highschool years. I definitely did discuss homework on IM and I think it was a good way to communicate and learn from other students. It was also helpful (and a tiny bit challenging at first) to communicate with several people at once. I think I even compared some of my learning from the various people I was talking to. I think allowing students to use IM could be very useful if they are working on projects with students in other schools, but probably not students in far away time zones.
Making Connections through Videoconferencing
I think videoconferencing is a good way to get students to learn from experts in the fields they are learning about instead of just listening to the teacher, who does not know as much as the expert, lecture. Videoconferencing seems like a cheaper way for students to learn some very interesting things, such as things in outer space and Holocaust survivor stories, without having to travel to museums or lecture halls. I think I will use videoconferencing in my classroom if possible and I will be sure to follow up the sessions with activities that build on the knowledge just learned.
Broadcasting with Podcasts and Internet Radio
Before this class, I had been very unfamiliar with podcasts. I am beginning to learn that they are recordings that can be heard over the internet. I think these can be useful in classrooms as students can present projects, etc using their voice instead of writing or some other form of presentation. I also like the idea of using podcasts as a form of communication between students in far away schools. This allows students to actually hear each other when they communicate, which is a nice change to simply reading messages. Before this class, I had never thought of using iPods for anything other than listening to music. I see now that students can use these to listen to podcasts as a part of learning. I checked out the learninginhand.com website and found it to be very interesting and it contained lots of information on podcasts and iPods.
The description of the teenager using many different types of media at the same time is very like me. I will often be watching TV while doing something on my computer while talking on my cell phone.
Exchanging Ideas Asynchronously with Discussion Boards
Many people need time to think of how to respond in conversations or to answer questions. I am this type of person. Using discussion boards allows this type of person to respond when he or she has thought out an answer and is ready to respond. The discussion boards are also helpful in that they are usually about a specific topic, which enables users to know what the topic is and separate thoughts about this topic from thoughts about other topics. The use of discussion boards can be very useful in the classroom as they are a good way to communicate over long distances, which can be helpful when working on projects with students or classrooms in other places. I checked out ePALS and several projects, etc and found it to be a very interesting website, which I would consider using in my classroom. Also discussion boards can be very helpful for the types of students discussed previously, who like to have time to think about questions before answering them.
Exchanging Ideas Synchronously with Interactive Chats and Messaging
Internet Relay Chat is chatting between groups of people. I have never done this and I think I would be very confused. I used to use instant messaging a lot in middle school and highschool years. I definitely did discuss homework on IM and I think it was a good way to communicate and learn from other students. It was also helpful (and a tiny bit challenging at first) to communicate with several people at once. I think I even compared some of my learning from the various people I was talking to. I think allowing students to use IM could be very useful if they are working on projects with students in other schools, but probably not students in far away time zones.
Making Connections through Videoconferencing
I think videoconferencing is a good way to get students to learn from experts in the fields they are learning about instead of just listening to the teacher, who does not know as much as the expert, lecture. Videoconferencing seems like a cheaper way for students to learn some very interesting things, such as things in outer space and Holocaust survivor stories, without having to travel to museums or lecture halls. I think I will use videoconferencing in my classroom if possible and I will be sure to follow up the sessions with activities that build on the knowledge just learned.
Broadcasting with Podcasts and Internet Radio
Before this class, I had been very unfamiliar with podcasts. I am beginning to learn that they are recordings that can be heard over the internet. I think these can be useful in classrooms as students can present projects, etc using their voice instead of writing or some other form of presentation. I also like the idea of using podcasts as a form of communication between students in far away schools. This allows students to actually hear each other when they communicate, which is a nice change to simply reading messages. Before this class, I had never thought of using iPods for anything other than listening to music. I see now that students can use these to listen to podcasts as a part of learning. I checked out the learninginhand.com website and found it to be very interesting and it contained lots of information on podcasts and iPods.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Friday, October 2, 2009
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