Wow, this summer has flown by and so has this class. So much learned in so short a time!
I have always viewed my computers and cars the same way. I like to use them, but I don't understand how they work. If something is broken or doesn't work right when I go to use it, I'm frustrated and discouraged and I ask my husband's help in fixing the problem. Being the great guy that he is, he always helps me! I'm nervous talking to mechanics or technicians because I don't understand the terminology or problems, I just want them fixed.
Before this class, I had never put software on a computer or set up my own email account. I had never bought a computer or done anything except use the software that my husband has loaded with a shortcut icon on my desktop (I didn't even know how to create these shortcuts). I had never bookmarked or tagged anything. I'm working to rely less on my husband, who's schedule is already busy with computer related work.
I started this class by purchasing a laptop. Although I was scared, I wanted to start at the very beginning and learn as much as I could about loading software and managing the computer myself. I came into this class knowing that I didn't know a lot about Web 2.0 tools and I wanted to learn what tools were available and how I could use these tools in the Library Classes I teach to K-8 students at the Marlborough School.
Little did I know how much I had to learn and how capable I would become in just a few short weeks. Here is what I have now learned to use in this class: Wikis, Blogs, Social Bookmarking, RSS, Skype, embedding videos, YouTube Tutorials, Voki, Audacity, podcasts, tags and Wordle. I also set up my own email account with Google and learned about Google Documents. I know how to download free software and love that YouTube offers videos to help if I am confused.
The most significant advancement for me this summer has been a new-found comfort in playing around downloading new software and knowing that help is available online in the form of video tutorials. I'm no longer afraid and now I'm willing to take chances and try new things on my computer. Some of what I learned has already made my life significantly easier. For example, I love Diigo! I can now easily find sites I'm looking for from any computer and I don't get overwhelmed trying to remember all of the addresses.
I can't wait to bring to school all that I have learned. The first thing I plan to do next week in our teacher workshop days is to sit down with our technology teacher and discuss access to Web 2.0 tools in our school. I know that we have increased bandwidth coming this year and I want to know what tools are accessible, what are blocked and how do we unblock it all! if our technology teacher can't help me, I want to know who to talk to that can and I don't plan to stop until I find access to the tools we need. I am already creating lesson plans using Wordle, blogs, YouTube videos and podcasting and I want to be certain that I can carry these plans out this year!
The purpose of this course for me is to bring this information back to teachers, administration and most of all my students! I plan to start doing so next week as we head back to school on August 19th.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Looking for Matt?
I have moved the video "Where the Hell is Matt" to the bottom of my blogpage. I think it is easier to find new blogs this way but I wanted to keep Matt on my blogpage.
Audible Wordle Podcast
Week #8 - Teaching in a new Networked World
For the past several weeks I've tried to be a sponge absorbing all there is to know about Web 2.0 tools. Now that I'm thoroughly soaked, it is time to wring me out. I have all of these ideas floating inside my head, now it is time for me to see which ones are supported by my school's infrastructure and policies and which I need to wait on. I say "wait on" because the knowledge I have gained from this course will help me advocate for the use of Web 2.0 tools in my school that may be currently blocked, I just need to start with our tech director and see what doors can be opened for the teachers and the students.
As tools such as wikis, blogs, video and teleconferencing become available to students, they will become connected to the world. I believe that the educators role will then shift from protecting students from the outside world to helping them become digital citizens. For educators to encourage students to connect to the outside world, we need to ask questions and create projects that will require students to look outside of the classroom walls for answers. Project based learning will become incredibly important in our new networked schools.
I am a dreamer. I like the idea of breaking down borders and world peace and I believe that this networking can help us get closer to one another. What I have learned is to dream big and start taking small steps in the direction of your dream. It may seem daunting and it may take time, but that is no reason to stop working towards it.
You don't have to see the whole staircase to take the first step. ~Martin Luther King
As tools such as wikis, blogs, video and teleconferencing become available to students, they will become connected to the world. I believe that the educators role will then shift from protecting students from the outside world to helping them become digital citizens. For educators to encourage students to connect to the outside world, we need to ask questions and create projects that will require students to look outside of the classroom walls for answers. Project based learning will become incredibly important in our new networked schools.
I am a dreamer. I like the idea of breaking down borders and world peace and I believe that this networking can help us get closer to one another. What I have learned is to dream big and start taking small steps in the direction of your dream. It may seem daunting and it may take time, but that is no reason to stop working towards it.
You don't have to see the whole staircase to take the first step. ~Martin Luther King
Week #8 - Facebook Village
My oldest daughter is 11-years-0ld and I've been thinking a lot about how I will guide her use of social networking sites when she is ready for one. What will our house rules be in regards to information that can be added. I have already discussed with my children social networking sites and what they are used for and how they can be used by others (employers, college admissions, schools, etc.).
My husband has always asked that he have our kids' passwords and access to any computer files or sites they have. This is one way we can check up on them.
I have always told my children that you wouldn't want anything on a website that might hurt their "professional" or "student" reputation. Don't put anything on that you wouldn't want your grandmother to see or read! So here is my idea. I will be sure that my children's Facebook information can be read by their friends and what better way to help them then to be their friend. I will also ask that their aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, and teachers be their friends. This will help keep them connected to family.
It takes a village to raise a child, so let's create a "Facebook Village" which will help to watch out over our children and will help our children be considerate of the information they are putting out to the world. They just need guidance from responsible adults, we need to model what we are expecting of them. We can also teach our children to use this social networking to their advantage in marketing themselves positively to colleges and employers.
My husband has always asked that he have our kids' passwords and access to any computer files or sites they have. This is one way we can check up on them.
I have always told my children that you wouldn't want anything on a website that might hurt their "professional" or "student" reputation. Don't put anything on that you wouldn't want your grandmother to see or read! So here is my idea. I will be sure that my children's Facebook information can be read by their friends and what better way to help them then to be their friend. I will also ask that their aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, and teachers be their friends. This will help keep them connected to family.
It takes a village to raise a child, so let's create a "Facebook Village" which will help to watch out over our children and will help our children be considerate of the information they are putting out to the world. They just need guidance from responsible adults, we need to model what we are expecting of them. We can also teach our children to use this social networking to their advantage in marketing themselves positively to colleges and employers.
Week #7 - The World is Flat
For a while now I have been wanting to read "The World is Flat" by Thomas Friedman. So many books, so little time...you know the story and this is why I had not yet picked this book up. Since reading Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools, I once again was reminded why I wanted to read this book. There are so many great quotes in Web 2.0 taken from Friedman.
I have begun reading and I am really enjoying this book. It validates why I'm taking this summer course, Teaching and Learning in a Networked Classroom. Students in schools which are not networked will fall behind the rest of the world. Educators need to stay on top of technology so that our students will be competitive with the rest of the world.
I don't see the advancement of other countries as a scary thing, something to fear. Some people I know feel this way. They are worried that people in India and China will be taking over their jobs, our country, the world. I look at the advancement of other countries as a challenge, a raising of the bar. It is time for us to challenge ourselves and rise to the occasion, not gripe and complain about how other people are doing better than we are. Each individual needs to work to be the best they can be. If competition is encouraging us to become better, is that a bad thing?
Whether young or old, we need to continue to grow and learn and change with the world. If our students learn nothing else, they should learn how to learn and accept change. One of my favorite quotes is "change in the only constant".
My uncle is 79 years old and he just invited me to be his Facebook friend. We can all continue to learn, change and stay connected!
I have begun reading and I am really enjoying this book. It validates why I'm taking this summer course, Teaching and Learning in a Networked Classroom. Students in schools which are not networked will fall behind the rest of the world. Educators need to stay on top of technology so that our students will be competitive with the rest of the world.
I don't see the advancement of other countries as a scary thing, something to fear. Some people I know feel this way. They are worried that people in India and China will be taking over their jobs, our country, the world. I look at the advancement of other countries as a challenge, a raising of the bar. It is time for us to challenge ourselves and rise to the occasion, not gripe and complain about how other people are doing better than we are. Each individual needs to work to be the best they can be. If competition is encouraging us to become better, is that a bad thing?
Whether young or old, we need to continue to grow and learn and change with the world. If our students learn nothing else, they should learn how to learn and accept change. One of my favorite quotes is "change in the only constant".
My uncle is 79 years old and he just invited me to be his Facebook friend. We can all continue to learn, change and stay connected!
Week #7 - Technology and Assessment
What is it we want our students to know? This is an important question for teachers to be asking themselves. Once we figure out what we want our students to know, how do we find out if they actually understand or know what we have taught them? We need to assess the students to see if they have learned what we hoped they would.
It is my hope that in addition to what I want my students to learn, there will also be some extraneous learning going on as well. The students and I will learn something new together, something we didn't plan on learning. In my last post, I mentioned recent home projects in which my family and I have learned a lot. Some of it we knew we needed to learn at the start of the project. For example in raising chickens, we knew we would need to learn how to shelter our chickens. I did not, however, anticipate needing to learn why one chicken plucks another and how to make them stop this behavior. How do we assess this type of learning? Well we have healthy chickens laying eggs. In my way of thinking, we pass the test.
How does technology fit into assessment in schools? We all know that students can take computerized tests and the results can be easily analyzed using technology. This can assist teachers in learning what portion of the testing needs more attention in the classroom. However, is this truly creating the best educational experiences for our students? Is this the best assessments of the teacher's performance? or the students performance?
What about assessing the use of technology in the classrooms? If teachers were assessed on their use of technology in the classroom, they would most likely learn it and use it. The same is true for students. In this PSU Web 2.0 course, I'm thankful we are being assessed on use of technology as it has forced me to learn tools that I've always wanted to learn more about, but haven't taken the time to do so until now. I'm now thinking of ways in which I will assess my students' use of technology in school.
Most importantly I need to start with the question...What is it I want my students to know in regards to technology?
It is my hope that in addition to what I want my students to learn, there will also be some extraneous learning going on as well. The students and I will learn something new together, something we didn't plan on learning. In my last post, I mentioned recent home projects in which my family and I have learned a lot. Some of it we knew we needed to learn at the start of the project. For example in raising chickens, we knew we would need to learn how to shelter our chickens. I did not, however, anticipate needing to learn why one chicken plucks another and how to make them stop this behavior. How do we assess this type of learning? Well we have healthy chickens laying eggs. In my way of thinking, we pass the test.
How does technology fit into assessment in schools? We all know that students can take computerized tests and the results can be easily analyzed using technology. This can assist teachers in learning what portion of the testing needs more attention in the classroom. However, is this truly creating the best educational experiences for our students? Is this the best assessments of the teacher's performance? or the students performance?
What about assessing the use of technology in the classrooms? If teachers were assessed on their use of technology in the classroom, they would most likely learn it and use it. The same is true for students. In this PSU Web 2.0 course, I'm thankful we are being assessed on use of technology as it has forced me to learn tools that I've always wanted to learn more about, but haven't taken the time to do so until now. I'm now thinking of ways in which I will assess my students' use of technology in school.
Most importantly I need to start with the question...What is it I want my students to know in regards to technology?
Week #7 - Project Based Learning
I am very enthusiastic about Project Based Learning. It makes so much sense to me. I think the most important thing we can do in education is to teach students to become life-long learners. Think about how we learn as adults. Two recent projects at home had my family researching and learning new information - raised garden beds and raising chickens.
My daughter wanted chickens so we started to research what that would involve. We started with what types of chickens we should get. We talked to chicken farmers and the people at our local Blue Seal store. We researched information on the internet and learned all about raising chickens. We chose Barred Rocks. Next we needed a coop - What size? How are the roosts built? How many nesting boxes? Where should we place it in the yard? Should we build or buy? The questions and research have gone on for 2 years now. How do we protect the chickens from hawks? Fox? What do we do when one chicken is plucking another? How do we introduce a new brood to the older hens? And on and on. We are learning science, economics, math, cooperation, research skills, carpentry, social skills, and responsibility.
The same research was needed when planting our vegetable garden this year. What dimensions for the boxes? How should we lay out the beds? What do we do to the soil? Let's test the pH and nitrogen levels. The compost? From our chickens. What time of year do we plant the different seeds? Why are my zucchinis starting to form then turn yellow and fall off the plant? Possibly due to lack of pollination, so we check on our male and female flowers, a science lesson for my daughters which grew into "birds and bees" conversations. Again.. the learning goes on and on.
Why do we adults continue to learn? We learn what is meaningful to us or what is necessary to solve our own problems. We are rewarded now with eggs and comic relief from our chickens and green beans and cucumbers from our garden. I have enjoyed learning and working on these projects with my family. These are definitely group projects and it is fun to learn together.
The next project...How do we get the skunk to stay out of our compost pile (since we need to lock up our hens at night and the skunk has become a regular visitor then)? Mike has taken care of this problem. He has rigged this Wile E. Coyote type of trap (only for the skunk, not the Road Runner) where a log might fall on the skunk when he tries to pull away part of the compost fence. The log didn't drop on the skunk as envisioned, however, I think it has worked to drop the log and scared the skunk away. This is good since I'm not sure what we may have done with an unconscious skunk.
If we as adults want to learn about things that are applicable and meaningful to our lives, why wouldn't children want to learn the same way? I think Project Based Learning (when the projects are meaningful to the students) is the best way to teach.
My daughter wanted chickens so we started to research what that would involve. We started with what types of chickens we should get. We talked to chicken farmers and the people at our local Blue Seal store. We researched information on the internet and learned all about raising chickens. We chose Barred Rocks. Next we needed a coop - What size? How are the roosts built? How many nesting boxes? Where should we place it in the yard? Should we build or buy? The questions and research have gone on for 2 years now. How do we protect the chickens from hawks? Fox? What do we do when one chicken is plucking another? How do we introduce a new brood to the older hens? And on and on. We are learning science, economics, math, cooperation, research skills, carpentry, social skills, and responsibility.
The same research was needed when planting our vegetable garden this year. What dimensions for the boxes? How should we lay out the beds? What do we do to the soil? Let's test the pH and nitrogen levels. The compost? From our chickens. What time of year do we plant the different seeds? Why are my zucchinis starting to form then turn yellow and fall off the plant? Possibly due to lack of pollination, so we check on our male and female flowers, a science lesson for my daughters which grew into "birds and bees" conversations. Again.. the learning goes on and on.
Why do we adults continue to learn? We learn what is meaningful to us or what is necessary to solve our own problems. We are rewarded now with eggs and comic relief from our chickens and green beans and cucumbers from our garden. I have enjoyed learning and working on these projects with my family. These are definitely group projects and it is fun to learn together.The next project...How do we get the skunk to stay out of our compost pile (since we need to lock up our hens at night and the skunk has become a regular visitor then)? Mike has taken care of this problem. He has rigged this Wile E. Coyote type of trap (only for the skunk, not the Road Runner) where a log might fall on the skunk when he tries to pull away part of the compost fence. The log didn't drop on the skunk as envisioned, however, I think it has worked to drop the log and scared the skunk away. This is good since I'm not sure what we may have done with an unconscious skunk.
If we as adults want to learn about things that are applicable and meaningful to our lives, why wouldn't children want to learn the same way? I think Project Based Learning (when the projects are meaningful to the students) is the best way to teach.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Week #6 - Water Country
My family went to Water Country yesterday and enjoyed the sun and water fun! In addition to myself and my two daughters, my sister, brother-in-law, mother, teenaged nephew and a friend all came with us. I mention this because we ranged in age from 7 to 61 and we all had a great time!
One of the interesting things I noticed is how many people were "disconnected" from cell phones and electronic devices. Water slides and wave pools do not go well with cell phones or an iPod Touch. For as much as I enjoy technology and being connected, it was a nice break to be away from it. While waiting in line for fried dough, we chatted with others in line (not online chats, but real strangers communicating with each other). The teens made small talk, rather than texting friends during lunch.
We still found one way to use digital technology, our waterproof camera! Without the waterproof camera I couldn't share these photos of my daughter in the water.
I could get a waterproof cell phone, but do I really want one???
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