Supporting Instruction with Web 2.0 Tools

Session 6 Thoughts

2011-06-28T16:50:00.005-04:00

I love the idea of blogging. I am usually "wired" for internet 24/7 so my students would have easy access to me on a supervised blog sight. I have a smart phone as well as many of my students however the school policies do not keep up with 21st century technologies. My students love it when I tell them that on a certain date bring you electronic devices. Then we explore what is new and applicable for class. For many students this is the only internet access they have at home.

Final Lessons

2011-06-27T23:20:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone,
I have been looking over the lesson templates. They have been very creative and using the technology tools available for today's students. I think that I will share some of the plans with the teachers to give them some ideas. It has been great to share ideas.

Sesson 6

2011-06-27T00:42:00.003-04:00

Well, I took the MILE assessment for evaluating where your school and personal view of 21st Century Skills are leveled. I can say that I have to keep working on my goals. I have an uphill battle to keep ensure that we reach the level beyond Transitional Stage. However, it was very accurate because our teachers, students, and myself are changing but haven't reached our goals.

What did you think about the MILE online assessment?

Cyber Safety

2011-06-27T00:32:00.002-04:00

We can not be too careless with the safety of our students online and working with collaborative projects. I have a project which is presenting safety to students, parents, and teachers. It is an issue which I am very concerned with our students.

Session 4 Collaborative Projects

2011-06-27T00:20:00.004-04:00

I think that collaborative projects which connect the students to the world and teach
21st Century Skills are very worthwhile. I found some collaborative which you might want to check out:
1. Skyping to Other Classrooms

2. Digital Projects

I think that they would open our classrooms to the world.

Blogging in the Classroom

2011-06-26T19:26:00.001-04:00

I think blogging can be a great way to build the writing skills of students and also allow them a creative way to express what they have learned in a journal format. You could also have students read and respond positively to their classmates postings. They will learn from one another this way. Another way blogging could be used is for students to share resources and ideas when working on a project, just as we did in this class. This promotes teamwork and collaboration among the class and may help those students who have trouble finding resources.

Session 6 (Morris)

2011-06-26T15:54:00.005-04:00

Overall I think the blogging experience has shown me that it can be a useful tool to create discussion within a class. I personally have not been able to provide a direct reply to an individual without creating a new post, but I still think that it can be a useful tool within the classroom.

I like the idea of a blog to be used to pose questions and to provide feedback on prjects and class assignments. It is a forum for discussion and one that allows you to organize your thoughts before posting. I think this is a critical step in the learning process and I have enjoyed this process, as well as this class, greatly.

session 6

2011-06-26T15:54:00.004-04:00

I actually love using blogs in the classroom. This past school year a friend of mine had been spending time in Afghanistan working directly with the troops to plan fun events for them and initiate a skyping/reading program, in which the soldiers could read books to their kids or even skype with them via the internet. While she was over there, she would blog about her experiences. After Bin Laden was killed, I read one of her posts to them and from then on out they begged me to read her blogs at the start of each class peried. We then created a class blog and we would comment on her posts and let her know what we were studying in class each week. They loved that they could interact with someone in another country and get responses back so quickly from her. It was such a great experience and I plan on using them much earlier at the start of the new school year.

2011-06-26T14:01:00.002-04:00

I think Blogging would be a great way to gets kids talking about classroom assignments. I also feel it would help encourage kids that might not be social otherwise, to open up and become more familiar with their classmates.

2011-06-25T23:34:00.002-04:00

Blogging is one of the main Web 2.0 tools I plan on using in my project. I think this is a great way to share information between the class and with other classes. Students will be able to post what they learn about the colleges they research and also be able to read what other students have learned about the schools they researched.

Blogging Session 6

2011-06-25T08:15:00.002-04:00

I have never been involved in a blog before, so this was new. Reflecting back on the class, I have enjoyed all the new ideas that I have gained from sharing together. I have discovered that blogs and discussion boards are a great avenue for this.

A blog about blogs!

2011-06-25T00:50:00.002-04:00

Blogging for me has never been an issue because I always have something to say! When taking blogging into the classroom, that's not always the case. Some students are unable to engage in scholarly conversations as we have done. I think that's where the importance of structure and management come into play. If teachers are setting up the blogging experience (much like we have done as students in this course) then it can definitely be successful. With appropriate requirements and prompts, teachers can sit back and let the students do all the work! By the way, I am especially enjoying the PQP format! I have already forwarded it to the curriculum mentors at my school. We are excited about using it in several different ways!

blogging

2011-06-24T22:25:00.002-04:00

I found blogging to be very interesting. Besides the trouble I have had I feel that it can be educational. People are so social in this day and time. When my students are on study island it has an email tab so they are always sending emails to each other especially me, another teacher, or other students. They all have their own facebook accounts where they can chat back and forth. This is not something new to them, just a different format. I do plan on using blogging in my lessons. I feel that this will help students become more involved in their assignments. Doing what they like to do best, talk.

The end

2011-06-24T21:26:00.002-04:00

I think that the blog has been very interesting. This has been my first experience with it and it has been one with a lot of confusion. I do think that it has been a great learning tool and one that would be very beneficial in the classroom. I am not sure it would work with RtI since we only see kids for such a small amount of time to begin with. I can see the benefits of it in a regular classroom though.

2011-06-24T09:22:00.003-04:00

This has actually been my first blogging experience (outside of social networks) and I enjoyed it. I can see where this has real value in the classroom. It's a great way for the teacher to communicate with the students because that's where they are (online). Assignments, announcements, and general thoughts are just a few things I can think of that can be shared. I plan on trying to find ways to use blogs in my music classes. Evaluations seem to be the best thing out there. These can be done at home and in the classroom for those who don't have internet access.

Final Session

2011-06-23T20:42:00.002-04:00

I have enjoyed blogging as a part of this course because it has been my first real blogging experience. I don't mind blogging when it is a part of a course such as this because we have specific topics to discuss, and the blog structure is part of our online community.

Since I teach young students, I think my use of blogging with them is a bit limited (but not absolutely impossible). I think a more likely way that I could use blogging is if I created a blog and worked together with my students to decide what to post. For example, I could see using a blog to track the growth of seeds we plant or observations about the weather.

At my school, we are really doing a lot with the iPod Touch. We have found lots of apps for all grade levels. For our youngest students, there are apps that allow the students to trace letters by following a bug on the screen to teach them proper letter formation. For our older students, there are books of all genres available for students to listen to as they read along on the iPod.

Blogging is not for me

2011-06-22T22:18:00.002-04:00

I don't really ever see myself blogging for fun, or for use with my students. I'm a fairly private person, and don't usually talk much unless I have something important to say! That sounds awful, doesn't it? But, it is true. My husband on the other hand, loves to blog, loves facebook, etc.

Student safety on the internet

2011-06-22T16:05:00.002-04:00

The biggest thing I currently do for student safety on the internet is teach them about copyright. We have chapters for 7th and 8th grade general music to discuss many of the things that I read in these articles (and I'll probably be adding some new things that I've learned). When students post anything online they need to be aware about whether it is legal to post it or not due to copyright violation. I've seen many copyright violations from students and adults online. Think about all the things we post on social networking sights. Students need to be aware of this so they don't get in any legal trouble.

Teachers at our school our supposed to monitor students at all times. I can't stress enough to teachers how important this is. Students will do whatever they can get away with. One the articles mentioned about checking students' history. What a great idea! This is not just for the safety of the students, but for the safety of the teachers, principles, and county employees.

To Blog or Not to Blog

2011-06-22T08:48:00.005-04:00

The blogging was easier than I thought it would be. I have considered a personal blog before and may do one when I retire (soon!). Since I am a Media and Technology Integration Specialist and do not have students, I consider the teachers my classroom. And knowing our teachers, I am not sure a blog would go over at our school. I think it would turn into just another task and be an avenue for complaints. If teachers would limit the blog to ideas they have found that work and share them with the new teachers, it would be great.

Session 6

2011-06-22T08:00:00.000-04:00

Honestly, I did not enjoy blogging for this course. Even though I understand the purpose was to see how it works, so we may be able use it in our classes, it just seemed for the purposes of this class, busy work. Don't get me wrong, I am glad we did it, though it seemed tedious at times. I plan to use this blog site to open up class discussions for music and band classes. We can keep assignments posted, and allow students to ask and answer questions they have about how to practice, or where to go on the Internet to find information relative to music class. Also, I want students to understand they can learn more from each other than they can from me at times. What better way for them to do this away from school than blogging?

Safety and Copyright

2011-06-20T08:24:00.002-04:00

As a parent of two kids, I will honestly say that the mountain of paperwork that you receive on the first day of school is overwhelming! However, as an educator, I understand that it is necessary. I will be transparent here and say that by the time I get through that stack of papers, I have quit reading the papers and just look for the "sign here" blank. I am sure many other parents are the same way, especially if they have more than two kids in the system. That being said, I think our school systems have the approach that once that paper is signed and they are legally covered, they "wash their hands" of the situation and don't give AUP a second thought. We as teachers need to consistently go over the AUP and also go beyond what is listed on that paper to help students be safe when they are away from class and they are not being monitored. I know with Westest and CSOs that this seems like one more thing to add to the pile of stuff we must cover, but there should be a way to integrate it naturally as we are covering the CSOs.

Session 5

2011-06-19T18:00:00.002-04:00

I do not have a classroom so I do not do anything currently. I have however been to sessions at conferences where teachers have talked about internet safety. The one that stands out the most to me is a gentleman who came in to discuss Facebook with a High School. First he got a roster of students and went on and found all of the pages of the students. He wrote up a summary of all of the info he got from the pages without being friends with the students. He had info of exactly where so many of them were and he showed them how easy it was for him to figure things out. After seeing what he could find without being friends with the students he created a fake account with a fake pic of a teenager and sent a friend request to everyone. 80% of the students accepted without ever knowing him. This was an awesome lesson and a lot of the students that thought they were being cautious found out that they were not. He did a follow up with this same school the next semester and came back to give them some pointers on things. Most of the students had improved their access, but still 40% added him as a friend under a different name 4 months after the lesson. I think this shows that we cannot go over things just once with internet safety. This needs to start the first year students are in school and have things built in throughout the year for reminders. Copyright information is also something that I think needs refreshed often.

Safety, Copyright and Living in the Past Concerns

2011-06-19T17:28:00.002-04:00

Where I teach, the school, I feel, is very far behind the technological times. During my first weeks here I gave my students a musical scavenger hunt to complete using the internet. I was shocked and dismayed what I found. Most students had no idea where to start. I even had an 8th grade student (C average) that didn't know how to use the keyboard.

When accessing the internet, students do not have individual logins. The only monitoring going only is the teacher walking about the lab looking at each students' monitor. The AUP is, I assume, taken care of in home room at the beginning of the school year along with all the many other forms that are taken home, a time when parents will sign about anything you hand them when it comes to school forms.

By implementing the new ideas I've gotten from recent classes such as this one, I will start teaching responsible internet use and the copyright laws. I am going to push for individual logins and folders for each student on a school server. I want my students to be able to use the internet and Web 2.0 tools with confidence. I want the to create writings, music, and pieces of art. I am working on PBL projects that will create multi-media pieces of art they are proud of and also want to protect.

to stephen's post

2011-06-19T17:21:00.002-04:00

I agree with schools doing a good job. they even block sites that teachers want to use. Now as for cyber bullying and having a person to come to where is that person going to come from and what money is going to provide such a person with schools making cut backs now. Great idea if the students would such person.

turnitin.com

2011-06-19T17:03:00.001-04:00

to the post on using the site turnitin.com, I have never heard of this site so I have never used it. I do plan on checking it out.

session 5

2011-06-19T16:49:00.003-04:00

I have learned that I do not do enough on this session's topic. I myself have learned alot this session and feel like there is now more that I can do. Our school students do sign the acceptable use form as well as their parents. Just like me they probably sign it and don't read because somehwere along the line we have read it and now don't take the time. I plan on referrring to it through the year as well as showing of example of what not to do as well as what to do. Cyber bully is a problem that I did deal with this year but it didn't occur at school it occured at the public library. Not many of my students had computers at home but would go to the nearby public library and there were some not so nice messages sent to a student from another student. They came to school and printed then out and brought them to me. I turned them over to the principal and I called teh parents of both studetns and we brought the students in and discussed teh seriousness of the issue. The parents said they would take it from there. Because it was not done at school I left it up to them to deal with but I made them aware of the issue. Now as for copright laws, I planned to be more informed so that I can make my students informed.

2011-06-19T13:49:00.002-04:00

Being an RtI teacher doesn't always allow us much time on the computer for our students. When we do allow them computer time it is already set to a specific program/site. This allows us to save time from them searching the net and allows us to monitor the children's usage. However, our school does have a policy that these students are otherwise held accountable for.

Internet Safety

2011-06-18T16:59:00.002-04:00

Because I am an RtI (Response to Intervention) Reading Teacher, students who come to me are part of a small, intense, 30 minute reading group. We have specific interventions which do not allow time for enrichment/supplemental/internet activities. Therefore, the 4 computers in our room are used basically for recording reading scores. Occasionally, as a reward, I allow them on an interactive reading game site. I am closely monitoring at all times. I really love my job, and I truly don't know how you all do everything you do.

session 5

2011-06-18T15:34:00.002-04:00

In order to promote awareness with plagiarism, I use the site turnitin.com to track my students plagiarism rate. While working on the research papers, the students must cite at least ten different sources following the mla formatting style guide. They are limited to the direct quotes they can use in the paper, so the rest of their sources used must be paraphrased or summarized. Knowing that the students must upload their papers to this site allows for more caution and awareness when it comes to just copying and pasting from sources like most would have originally done.

Session 5

2011-06-17T22:05:00.003-04:00

I no longer have a classroom, but I did work intently on having students site their work. I was tough on words and ideas that students borrowed, but I know I needed to focus also on graphics, music, etc. I did use online resources to support my efforts; however, I wish I would have known about cyberbee! That is a fabulous resource that would have been a great anticipatory set for beginning an explanation on MLA citations.

I did not spend any time on cyber safety. I did conduct some lessons and argumentative assignments on how social networking impacts our language/communication skills. That was very successful. As issues on cyber safety continue to rise, I wish I had a classroom to focus on some of the stories in the news today. I don’t think they would be too “raw” for 9^th graders. I think many of them need an eye-opener!

Session 5

2011-06-16T19:18:00.001-04:00

The classroom teacher is who goes over computer safety and policy with the kids at our school. Every student is required to have an internet policy form signed before they are allowed access to the computers. As an RtI teacher I can see where it would be a good idea to review this again with the students along with citing procedures. I really like the interactive site that dealt with citing, I think that it would be great to use with my elementary kids. I also think that it would be great to discuss some safety issues with the kids. The computers at are school block a lot of sites that are inappropiate for them, but I think it would be nice to remind them for their own computers at home that do not have these blocked. It scares me the number of kids at our school who have facebook accounts by lying about their age.

Session Five

2011-06-16T18:56:00.002-04:00

My plan for student safety on the Internet is to involve parents. Any time I plan for my elementary students to spend time on a particular site, I always provide a heads-up to parents letting them know the site we will be visiting, the purpose of utilizing the site, and how they can access the site at home if they wish to do so. Parents seem to appreciate the information--especially those that plan to use the site with their children at home.

I use a lot of modeling and thinking aloud when teaching my students about copyright issues. For example, if the students write about a certain topic and I use a sentence from one of their papers as an example of an exemplar sentence, I talk about why it is important to credit the person who wrote the sentence. Additionally, I always ask student permission before using any of their work as an example. While these are little steps, I think they go a long way in helping students have a better understanding of copyright issues.

Session 5 (Morris)

2011-06-16T13:13:00.003-04:00

The present plan for safety on the internet at my school involves first and foremost the blocking of web-sites that are non-instructional. Students are also not permited to visit gaming sites, personal e-mail sites, as well as being forbiden from giving out personal information over the internet. We have a program in every computer lab that allows teachers to view what each student is doing while logged onto a schools computer.

At the beginning of each school year, the administration addresses the acceptable use of computers and the internet, discusses violations of this policy, and requires that each student and parent/gaurdian sign an agreement before the students account is activated. Also during the first few days of the school year, the English teachers take time to address the plagiarism policy as well as teaching units that address the proper ways to cite sources. Our English teachers also address copyright issues in regards to how it relates to what students will be using in school. I have also participated in discussions with parents and students about the dangers of social networks when students are not on school computers. We have seen various issues that arise during the school day that are a result of internet usage after school hours and while at home.

I feel as if we do the best job we possibly can to limit issues at school, but what concerns me is that students are too often naive as to the dangers that exist when they are at home surfing the web. I think it is crucial that students are made aware ways to protect themselves when they have free regin of the web. I honestly feel that at some point it needs to be part of the curriculum for every student to learn about the dangers and about how to protect themselves. The big question is however, where do we include this curriculum? I also wonder if giving them a phamplet or having a brief discussion about this topic is enough suffice?

Copyright and Plagiarism and Safety - Oh My!

2011-06-15T10:40:00.004-04:00

At the beginning of the school year, I do a Cyber Safety class for all students. They come down by Language Arts classes and we discuss all aspect of being safe on the Internet. I took the Cyber Safety eLearning class and created a PhotoStory video. I used that for the main part of the class. Weekly Reader's or Scholastic's Current Events had an article about the student in MA who committed suicide because of cyber bullying. I used that and, hopefully, it got the point across.

All students must have an Acceptable User Policy (AUP) on file in the Library. Our policy asks parents to agree or not agree to allow their child's photo without full name and/or their child's work to be posted on the Internet. I keep an Excel file of all AUP results so I can sort to find anyone whose picture or work is not permitted to be posted. It makes it very easy to get this info quickly.

We also discuss plagiarism and copyright issues, Our county does a great job on Internet safety and security.

Plan for Student Safety (Session Five)

2011-06-15T09:48:00.000-04:00

I plan to spend a great deal of time showing students information about copyright and safety concerns. I loved the interactive site, Answers on Copyright, and will make sure students have the opportunity to see it or a similar site. In our county, students and parents are required to sign an Internet use policy. Failure to do so will prohibit the student from access to Internet in school. This policy is in my lesson plan, and I will remind students about their responsibilities.

Session 5 - Copyright and Safety Concerns

2011-06-14T19:45:00.000-04:00

Adult education students are required to read and sign an Acceptable Use Policy when using the Internet in adult education classrooms. Teachers go over the policy with them to make sure that they understand it. The Acceptable Use Policy is the one that is in effect in the county school system in which the classroom is located.

I feel that it is very important to go over the policies for copyright and Internet use whenever you give students a project to work on that requires Internet usage, especially if that project requires them to use pictures and/or music. Although they read and sign the Acceptable Use Policy, sometimes they don't really retain what it says. And they are so used to downloading whatever they find on the Internet (on cell phones, iPods, their computers, etc.) that they often don't even think about copyright laws. And so many students have very little concept of the safety issues, even though they have been told many times. They feel like nothing will happen to them. So frequent repeating of the information is very beneficial and necessary, especially for the younger students!

Session 4

2011-06-14T13:47:00.002-04:00

I love collabortive projects! I think when they are organized properly that they provide students with practical real life experiences that covers multiple objectives and crosses the curriculum spectrum. With so much importance being placed on standardized tests I think that many teachers tend to shy away from collaborative projects because of time constraints. My hope is that teachers can begin to see that when collaborative projects are done properly that they actually become time savers because they can include numerous objectives.

I have always been a person that believes that you learn more by doing than you do by listening therefore I have always felt that education needs to be hands on as much as possible. Collaborative projects are the ideal tool for doing just that!

session 4

2011-06-13T19:30:00.002-04:00

I like collaborative learning. I think it's very beneficial for students to work with other peers to complete projects because two heads are definitely better than one. I do think in order for collaborative work to function properly that each student involved in the group must have a specific role. If each one has a specific assignment then everyone will be making contributions. For my lesson students will be working together to peer edit a narrative writing assignment. They will also be able to get feedback from their peers regarding their comic strip/poster presentations.

session 4

2011-06-13T13:19:00.002-04:00

I love the thought that they tell you to start out small. I think a great one is the epals. This is a wonderful way to connect and expose the kids to diversity. I can't wait to try it out.

Baby Steps

2011-06-13T08:51:00.002-04:00

I like the Alliance article from this week's readings. I really appreciate their suggestion of keeping your first collaboration very simple. I think the best thing to do for collaboration is to start with a super-simple, basic idea that has few steps. It's like when you try anything new, start with baby-steps that you can be successful with and then build and expand from there.

2011-06-13T06:53:00.002-04:00

I love collaboration projects. I think they are filled with many learning aspects as well as the benefit of learning occurring with all parties involved. We can learn so much from each other rather than learning from just one person. Collaboration projects provides opportunities to learn a variety of different learning styles as well as new an innovative ideas from others. My collaboration project is a digital pen pal projects with students in New Mexico. My students are going to gain a multi-cultural aspect as well as be introduced to another language. They will also get to see what classrooms look like in other countries and realize how lucky they are to have what they have.

Session 4 - Collaborating

2011-06-13T01:47:00.002-04:00

With my Amphitheater Project students will be collaborating with each other, Board of Ed officials, business leaders and performing arts organizations. I will be there as their mentor. This will be a real life project with, hopefully, real life success. Students will create a web page, solicit grants, work with contractors and hopefully create a performing venue that will be the jewel of the city while using technology as the backbone of the project with all steps related and intertwined with each other.

Catching Up! Session 3

2011-06-13T01:32:00.002-04:00

My lesson template will be about creating an amphitheater. There is a start of one next door that has lain dormant for several years. This will be PBL project using Google Sketchup, Picasaweb, Blogger, Calendar, Documents, and Spreadsheets. This will be for an 8th grade class. This will change how the class is setup. Now there will be job assignments and duties using real world applications and reasonings. We will to attempt to revive the amphitheater project into a viable performance location partnering with local businesses and organizations.

comment

2011-06-12T22:58:00.002-04:00

still having trouble responding so I will do it as a new post. As to Laura Blankenships comment to my post, yes teachers do it all the time. Get ideas from other teachers. There is no sense in reinventing the wheel every time we teach something when someone else has already done it. That is why I spend alot of time on the internet looking at the sites like that were in our readings. Thank God for the internet. I like all the ideals that you have and would suggest that you have your own website that you put them on for others to see. You have alot to offer other teachers.

2011-06-12T22:10:00.001-04:00

To begin, I had no idea there were so many opportunities on the web for teachers to initiative collaborative projects. I was specifically impressed with the iEARN Collaboration Center: International Education and Resource Network. I love that teachers can locate one another and even advertise themselves and their ideas for other educators that share their interests. There is certainly much for students to learn from student across our nation let alone internationally! So exciting! These are definitely resources/links that I will share with my colleagues.

My only concern with collaborative projects would be the follow-through. You know you can control your class and the consistency, but what if the other classroom is across an ocean? As with most things, it will require great management on the part of the teacher. I think ultimately this is the goal of every teacher that initiates a collaborative project. They want students to see that the world is much bigger than the “bubble” that they live in. Unfortunately, many of the students in our school haven’t been more than 15 miles from their home. These projects allow them to explore an unknown world!

Collaborative Projects

2011-06-12T17:51:00.005-04:00

I think that the collaborative learning with our Web 2.0 tools will bring our students together to work and learn with out the worry and hassle of the test. It brings learning to whole different level with students becoming active to create products and discuss the instructional goals. It brings the level of learning to critical thinking and problem-solving rather than simple memorization or recall. I found several projects where I am thinking about using with our students. One collaborative project was Bucket Buddies where students discover if all things in ponds are the same the world over. Another project which will connect everyone together is Classroom Pet Exchange.
The students can become excited, connect with other students, and share their experiences in journals by snail mail (e-mail). It is an exciting time for teaching and students. http://www.vickiblackwell.com/projects.html

not good at this either

2011-06-12T17:37:00.002-04:00

In response to mgue, I am also much better at putting a slightly different twist on an already existing lesson plan or idea. I was capativated by the IEARN project. This would work for me, and would truly build relationships with the international community, which in turn, would lead to increased tolerence and compassion for our unique differences.

Session 4

2011-06-12T11:07:00.002-04:00

I really like the idea of using e-Pals with my elementary school students. This seems like a great way to foster collaboration between students from around the world using email and attaching documents, pictures, and video. I think the e-Pals offers a great way for even deeper collaboration. For example, suppose the teacher of one of the e-Pals contacts me to work on a project together with both our classes. The possibilities are endless!

When I explored the iEarn site, I really liked the link for the "Local History" in which students would "gain some knowledge of other places" and "use research skills (such as reading diary entries)" to participate. The facilitators for this project were from Russia, Azerbaijan, and the United States. Just think of the local history each of the facilitators could add to the project!

not good at this

2011-06-12T00:26:00.002-04:00

I have found through my teaching career I am not good at coming up with my own ideas but good at using others. I was once told beg, borrow, steal what ever we have to make the students able to learn. I was at a PLC (professional learning community conference) in Las Vegas this weekend and it was awesome. It was lot on being a team and not just a group. Coming up with common assessments and goals across the curriculum. Lot to learn and would suggest any to check into it. Check out solution-tree.com to see what all professional development that they offer. But, saying that I check the internet constantly trying to find new and interesting ways to teach the curriculum that I have to teach because I am not good at coming up with my own ideas. I am glad that there are sites like that were in are readings that have lists of these things that we can implement in our classes.

Session 4

2011-06-11T23:00:00.002-04:00

The possibilities are endless and the more I read in this course the more my mind keeps going. First of all I love the idea of the social networking site for teachers. Is anyone using this? If so, thumbs up or down? Also for anyone that has used collaboration in their classroom with classes outside of your school...any suggestions? The objectives that will be met for this are endless!

Session 4 - Collaborative Projects

2011-06-11T22:50:00.001-04:00

I love the idea of having students work on collaborative projects. This is such a great way to develop higher-level thinking skills as well as communication skills. In the article How to Create a World of Success Without Leaving Your Classroom, the author states "Today's students face a future where boundaries are abstract and global learning is critical. Tomorrow's citizens must be able to participate successfully in project-based activities and must have collaborative skills." Collaborative projects provide an atmosphere that is engaging, in which learning becomes fun and the content takes on a whole new meaning.

I really like the idea of the Learning Circles, which was mentioned in the article Planning and Starting a New Project. I think this would be a great way for new teachers who are just starting out with project-based learning to begin. The fact that a team of teachers work together to build the project and there is interaction among the teachers as well as the students helps to make this type of project-based learning more engaging and successful. If I were in a classroom setting, I think I would definitely start by researching more about the Learning Circles to do a project-based learning activity.

Session 4

2011-06-11T22:26:00.002-04:00

Pretty cool idea I have for band. The neatest thing I saw a band do at ratings was have the students listen to the other bands an then critique them. The comments were then delivered to each band. I read the comments to my band and they reacted better to them the actual judeges. Previously I talked about using Skype and webcams so bands could hear each other live and then critique each other. The only problem would be timing. Different bands have class different times of the day. Maybe a web site could be developed so bands could sign in and critique no matter where they are. My band could see what bands are doing in Texas, Japan, and Brazil. Just a thought but I like the idea!

Using IEARN Collabarative Center

2011-06-10T09:46:00.002-04:00

It makes me feel a little more secure knowing that there are so many things out there to help us as we navigate through incorporating Web 2.0 tools into our classrooms. The IEARN Collaborative Center looks like a very useful tool. Good luck everyone!

Session 4 - Collaborative Efforts

2011-06-10T08:15:00.001-04:00

Share your ideas/ concerns / questions about embedding a collaborative project in your teaching. Reflect on the readings and activity sites and comment on strategies you observed teachers use; what goals/ objectives were targeted with the use of collaborative projects? Do you have similar goals/ objectives for your students?

Session 4

2011-06-08T12:45:00.000-04:00

I shall attempt a collaborative project with band next year. I will ask other band directors to listen to podcast recordings with their band classes and set up a blog site to allow feedback from students. We will do the same for them. The goal will be to make advanced musical comments, such as interpretation, style, intonation, and technique. By doing this, our students will learn more about how to play better themselves.

Collaborative Projects

2011-06-07T20:29:00.007-04:00

If I were in the classroom, I think the collaborative projects would be exciting. They would open up the world - make it more flat, if you will - for our students. Most teachers in the readings had a favorite collaborative tool, but the one who utilized all of them is my idea of a great teacher. How exciting would that be! I am not quite sure enough of myself to select more than one or two to develop at a time.

Session 3

2011-06-07T18:21:00.002-04:00

In my lesson I'll be using showbeyond. com. I chose this Web 2.0 tool because it allows you to add your own audio track. I've found that you often have a choice of sounds or music, but not that which has actually come from inside your classroom, which is important for a music class.

One change that will take place in my class will be the students running the show by actually doing the recording on the flipvideo. Also, this lesson will take place over several weeks since I only see each class once or twice a week. There will be a lot of previewing and reviewing taking place since there is a time lapse between when we start and finish the lesson.

session 2-late

2011-06-07T13:33:00.001-04:00

Sorry for being late with the session 2 post, but I truly thought I had already posted. Technology is so important to the success of our students. I recently had my students post essays to a teen ink blogging site. They can communicate with students from across the country and they can view other students essays. Their is even a place to include drawings, poster presentations and any other artistic expression that teens create. It really is a great experience that allows the students to learn from others. I have personally worked with blogs before for other classes and found that they are very beneficial and I learned a lot from the posts of my colleagues.

tools

2011-06-07T13:30:00.001-04:00

I plan on using glogster to create visual aids of my composition students significant moments. They are writing a 5 paragraph narrative essay about this same moment and will be publishing the final copy on the teen ink blog site. They will also use Inspiration to create vocabulary maps of powerful words that will be used in their essay. We will conference, peer edit, outline, etc, before the final copy is published to the blogging site.

Session 3

2011-06-06T16:33:00.002-04:00

For my lesson plan template I am using Skype to go on a virtual field trip to a butterfly garden. I am also having the children blog with other classes about the stage that their own catterpillar/butterfly is in. I would also like to use skype to talk with an entomologist about our insects.

Session 3

2011-06-06T15:57:00.002-04:00

For my lesson plan template I am planning to use the spreadsheet on GoogleDocs and also use GoogleEarth to calculate the mean, median, and mode of temperatures recorded by students for a month-long activity to be done in conjunction with a weather unit in science class.

2011-06-06T14:32:00.001-04:00

Since I am conducting a staff development for my lesson plan, I am planning on having the portion of the staff development where teachers report their lesson plans take place through a blog.

I will have each department complete their work in a computer lab and we will share ideas about how to incorporate Web 2.0 into the classroom, as well as other technology, through a live blogging session. I think I will have to require that each teacher join the blog, log-in, and contribute to the discussion. I am still trying to figure out all of the intricate details for this, so suggestions are definitely welcome!

Web 2.0 tools

2011-06-05T21:51:00.001-04:00

One of the tools I plan to try to integrate in my classroom is a Wiki space. I think there may be a way to use it even as an interventionist.

Session 3

2011-06-05T14:29:00.001-04:00

One of the tools I plan to integrate into a budgeting unit is Google Maps. Students will use Google Maps to route out a family vacation to a national park that they will plan; pinpoint the places where they will stop along the way; pinpoint the places they will stay; and locate gas stations, restaurants, and other services they may need. I have also plan to incorporate the use of Glogster into this unit so that students can work collaboratively to develop a poster featuring the highlights of their vacation. (Glogster is an online program where students can create a poster.)

2011-06-05T13:36:00.002-04:00

I am going to use CinchCast in my project.

http://www.cinchcast.com/

CinchCast is a podcasting Web 2.0 tool that has an aligning smart phone app. I like the fact that my students can create podcasts if there aren't enough computers available. Many of my 9th graders had smart phones (often times regardless of their SES status). Plus, I think as a teacher we need to embrace cell phones. If used and managed properly, they are an asset to our instruction.

As an English teacher, I love that podcasts are interactive, but I also love that students who are nervous to be in front of the class presenting can craft their oral presentation skills with the trial and error of recording a podcast! There are so many reasons why podcasting is useful!

Session 3

2011-06-04T17:59:00.002-04:00

I'm just discovering all these cool new tools out there that I could use, it's hard to decide which ones to choose from. I currently do a pretty neat lesson that involves the students creating their own jingles for a commercial. Using blogs to have students post about their creation as well as post critiques for other jingles may make things more interesting for the project. Recording programs (possibly Mixcraft) would let them experiment with different ideas, and after that they could make their jingle into a podcast. To do any of this I would need a few more computers in my classroom and add purchase some microphones to do the recordings.

session 3

2011-06-02T23:15:00.002-04:00

I am going to use glogster which is an interactive poster program. I've never used it before but I think the students would really like it. I also plan on having students use digital cameras to take pictures and upload the pictures that they can use in their posters. I do believe that at some point I could also use a pod cast with another class if they were working on the same topic and we could share the final products and presentations of the interactive posters. I am really liking the different tools that are available. I am really getting excited about these tools and to see how they work with the students.

Tech To Use

2011-06-02T22:18:00.005-04:00

Session 3
I know with Web 2.0 students are to create and use their own technology tools. However, sometimes it is good to have a video which can assist with the instruction.
I have found Watch Now , a list of interactive clips divided by the subject area for teachers to use. These free videos are divided by Classroom, Main Directory, and Subject area. Check it out and see if there is some clip which might help you with your classroom or projects.
I am going to use the Web 2.0 tool of Bookrix.com where the students' work will be posted in the children's section. This activity will be a place to post an online book. This joint book project will use their ability to think, organize, draw electronically, and audio record for the school's website to share with others. However, since I am working with young children, I will hyperlink their book on the site.

Session Three: Web 2.0 tools

2011-06-02T21:19:00.002-04:00

One Web 2.0 tool that I am utilizing in my lesson is the flip video camera. I've had the camera for a while, and I have used it with my students to record them as they perform readers theater or read aloud poetry. The biggest change I am making concerning the flip video in this lesson is that I am turning over the responsibility of using the camera to the students. The students themselves will be recording other students as they read aloud. This may seem like a small shift, but in an elementary classroom this is a big deal! I will have to take the time to teach students how to operate the flip camera and how to handle it properly. I will have to teach them how to shoot quality video. The students will not just be using a flip video camera for the sake of learning how to use it--they will be using it to record each other as they read aloud and then post the videos (on the class Google site) to share with others. I think they will be excited about this lesson!

Session 3

2011-06-02T15:26:00.002-04:00

I am incorporating Skype into my lesson. I want students to Skype with Admissions Counselors and Students at Colleges and Universities to learn more about places they are interested in visiting. I hope that when students do this it will get them excited about going on after high school. Also I hope parents will get more involved if their students are excited and talk to them about it.

2.0 Tools

2011-06-02T08:12:00.002-04:00

I have posted 2 blogs, but they are nowhere to be found! I guess that confirms I am tech illiterate! My unfolding lesson plan incorporates the use of a flip camera for recording students' reading fluency and accuracy. I am also incorporating YouTube for self assessment, and using Skype to involve parents and family.

Using Web 2.0 Tools

2011-06-01T18:06:00.009-04:00

One Web 2.0 tool I chose is Google Forms. The first time I was introduced to it, I could see potential. I don't teach classes, but I have used it for our faculty to vote on certain items in Faculty Senate. It works well and the results are quick and easy to read. I think it is a good way for students to create a questionnaire for a Science or Social Studies project or to share with the class, for teachers to do a quick online review, and obviously, for the Faculty Senate to vote on something.

please help (Mary Gue)

2011-06-01T17:45:00.001-04:00

I again am having trouble with the blogging. I can post a new psot but I can not comment on someone's post

session 2

2011-06-01T17:31:00.002-04:00

I also apologize for my lateness. I have been planning the 5th grade graduation as well as dealing with my own daughters high school graduation. I have been very busy. Itried getting things doen early but forgot about the blog and then was unable to read everyone's post do to me not getting back on until today. Truly apologize.

Now as for the world be flat and the availability of technology and using in the classrrom. I liked the things that I read in the articles. Because of the technology the world is considered flat because of our ability to communicate world-wide. I like field trips to get our students familiar with the different types of technology that are out there and the things they will need to learn if that is a particular career they would want to go into. TEachers need to be prepared to be able to prepare our students.

Session 3

2011-06-01T12:33:00.000-04:00

My general music students will use google docs to share and edit work. In addition, they will also collaborate via blogger (google) to do self and peer critiques. As they prepare their assignment on a music culture different from American and Western European, the students will learn "real-world" experience of working together to complete a project. In addition, they will also have more fun learning about music. We have a wirless router in our classroom, and I will make sure we have access to 4 lap tops (one for each group).

Session 2

2011-06-01T07:30:00.002-04:00

I apologize for my lateness. I have been trying to get on here for quite awhile. Technology is wonderful sometimes the users need a little extra help, especially me in this case. I have found all of your blogs so informal I can't wait to go and check out the websites that you all have mentioned. I think that virtual pen pals would be a great learning experience. I also would love to go on a virtual field trip, there would never be the possibility of being rained out.

Session 3

2011-06-01T06:16:00.001-04:00

Review the blog entries and comments you and your colleagues have made. Identify one or more Web 2.0 tools you're listing in your Lesson Plan Template and describe the changes you will make in your classroom to accommodate these tools. Read and respond to others' ideas/ plans.

2011-05-31T22:43:00.002-04:00

I would really like for my students to be able to collaborate with other students online. I really like edmodo and I think it would be great for students to post to each other about the things they are doing in class or to pose questions to each other. The problem I have with this is that I have such small groups and to find a class that is reading the same stories that we are. This is something that would take a lot of planning on my part to find a class that would be able to participate in this. The students could be almost like penpals but with more academically based.

Session 2

2011-05-31T20:07:00.003-04:00

For my general music classes, I would really be interested in using the web more for my projects. We do several projects where students create somthing musically. For example: we discuss jingles and how they are used in commercials. Students then create a catchy jingle and perform them for the class (many options are available: simple tunes, or use of instruments). Perhaps having students creating blogs to evaluate them could be an idea. Or creating a discussion forum to discuss ideas.

For band classes I have a pretty neat idea. Seeing other bands and evaluating them has always been beneficial to my students. However, this opportunity does not come up often. Maybe using webcams, band can listen and evaulate each other from across the country whenever they want.

2011-05-31T10:50:00.002-04:00

I really like the idea of electronic penpals as a means for students to collaborate gloablly. I think it would be valuable for students to make frequent contact with other students their age from a different continent. I would like to see them compare/contrast their educational experiences as well as share about their separate cultures. From a more simple aspect, I used to take a few minutes during each unit to search the internet for global events and tie them into the historical topic that we were studying. The students were always surprised to see how certain events that take place on a daily basis can be traced back hundreds or even thousands of years to find the root of the current event.

I want students to gain an understanding of how to use technology to simplify their lives, to communicate with others, to increase their knowledge, be succesful in the work place, and to become well rounded and productive citizens. I envision that if we can make technology a common place classroom tool that students will be able to learn at faster rates and comprehend more of what is being presented in the classroom on a daily basis.

Critical Thinking Skills can be linked to Technology Usage

2011-05-31T09:54:00.002-04:00

When I was in the classroom, I used technology every day. Many of my lessons were set up so that students were using Web 2.0 tools to create a final product. It was interesting to watch students adapt to this new way of showing what they knew and/or what they had learned. Many teachers are still sticking to the paper/pencil approach. Some students grasped the new approach while others were hesitant. All in all, I believe that giving students such creative freedom allows them to critically think about options, resources, and the choices they make. Teachers who are not utilizing technology and specifically web resources are doing their students a disservice.

Supporting Instruction

2011-05-30T20:01:00.005-04:00

Hello,
I hope that everyone enjoyed the weekend. I found a resource for elementary teachers who might use it with younger students. I am going to use it with my students in literature. It has project ideas with students' samples of how it might succeed with your students. The books are listed on the left side and samples are linked on the right side. It offers support for sequencing, cause and effect, or assistance in creating a timeline under the timeliner link. It gives you ways to incorporate technology like KidPix, Kidspiration, Inspiration, Powerpoint, and other technology programs. Hope you enjoy it!

http://www.cobbk12.org/sites/literacy/fetc/

Session 2

2011-05-30T16:02:00.002-04:00

I hope to use my Intelliboard to let my students see people around the world perfoming music. I recently wrote a grant to purchase new tubanos to enable my students to play along while watching musicians playing multicultural music.
I have not found the perfect platform yet, but hope to find a place to post my final project lesson for others to see in similar music classes (grade 3) from other places. My students love to see themselves perform. I think they would be very excited at the thought of children from other parts of the world seeing them also!

Session 2

2011-05-30T09:12:00.002-04:00

I would like my students to become more nationally/ globally aware through the use of technology. Through technology students can learn about the recent tornado damage throughout the U.S. as well as the tsunami damage in Japan. Students can explore websites of aid organizations such as the Red Cross or Americares to find out how individuals and communities can help those in need. I think that studying these current events can help students learn more about their country and world in an authentic context. I think learning geography (e.g. the states of the Midwest) through the use of a technology tool such as Google Earth is enhanced if the students actually have some background knowledge and connection to those states through what they have learned about the recent weather events in the Midwest.

Web 2.0

2011-05-30T00:53:00.002-04:00

I am really enjoying learning from the articles and postings about all of the technology resources there are available. Thanks to everyone for keeping things so interesting.

Technology tools in the classroom

2011-05-29T21:54:00.005-04:00

I already use a good bit of technology in my classroom however I am always looking for new innovative things to try with my students. A new component that I started this year was to use the canister camera in my classroom and do a web video conference (virtual field trip) with places such as the San Diego Zoo, the Museum of Natural History and NASA. I try to do a video conference at least once a month or so. My students love it and get to learn new facts and information as well as get exposed to technology and different locations around the world. I plan to continue to use it and then proceed into perhaps video conferencing other classrooms around the world. My favorite site so far has been www.efieldtrips.org. They have a lot of efieldtrips that discuss a variety of wildlife such as a butterflies metamorphosis, and an ecosystem adventure. Both of the efield trips were a big hit with my students very colorful and informational.

session 2

2011-05-29T20:09:00.002-04:00

From reading the projects that people posted to collaborate on, I realized this is what i need to do personally. I have wanted to learn Spanish and seeing the projects made me realize i could do it this way. For anyone who read Eat Pray Love, I thought I had to pick up and move. HaHa! I think that with students this would be an amazing way to get them to learn about different cultures. I had a penpal in middle school and couldn't wait to get my letter from Poland. Students now have this at their fingertips! Since a lot of our students do not have the social skills because technology has made it so easy to never speak to anyone so now using things like Skype bring communication back!

2011-05-26T19:20:00.003-04:00

I must say I love technology and learning new things. Whenever teachers post links on the listserv about new sites to check out, I can't help but go check it out. Skype is a great way to communicate with others, either locally or globally. Because of the ease of downloading and its simple layout, I have found that it is easy to use. Students do not seem to have any trouble using it either. I have used Google Docs for projects and have found that it too is very easy to use. It promotes collaboration and could be used for so many different projects, either individual or group. Glogster is another great tool to use in the classroom so that students can show what they have learned in a creative way. Weebly is a site which you could use to have your students develop their own webquest. There are many, many more sites. There is a website that one of our teachers shared on the listserv that lists Internet resources for teachers. The link to this site is https://sites.google.com/site/meetthegeeksii/Home.

I think technology can be used to enhance learning in several ways. One is through collaborative projects, which helps students with team-building skills, helps them work on deadlines, and teaches responsibility. Technology can also be used to promote creativity among students, which in turn creates a level of excitement and creates a desire to learn. When students feel ownership in a project, they tend to do a much better job on it and also tend to retain what they learn.

Global Collaboration

2011-05-26T10:04:00.003-04:00

This past semester, my el ed students had a partner teacher in South Africa that they communicated with via email. For example, during the time we were covering curriculum and CSOs, they emailed their partner teacher and asked what curriculum they were using in South Africa. Or when discussing accomodations/modifications, they would email and ask their partner what strategies they were using. It is a good project, but I would like to improve it some. Our communication did not have a good flow to it. Emails would come late, my students would forget to email, etc. I am looking forward to the readings this week to see how I can improve/expand this project. Any ideas from my classmates would be welcomed as well!

Enhancing Teaching and Learning

2011-05-25T21:04:00.000-04:00

Being the Librarian, I don't teach regular classes, but do orientation and cyber safety at the beginning of the year. The new available technology makes me want to be back in the classroom - almost :). There is so much out there to enhance teaching and learning and so many teachers who do not take advantage of it. Our 6th and 8th grade reading classes each do a novel centered on the Holocaust. I have used those classes for most of my eLearning class projects. Having students create online quizzes, presentations, Google Lit Trips, visit Auschwitz via the Internet and/or Google Earth, do book reports online - the number of things to do is endless and sadly, not being taken advantage of. Too often teachers are fearful that these things will not fulfill the expectations of the WESTEST, so they forgo them in favor of traditional teaching/learning.

Catching up on Session 1

2011-05-25T19:56:00.002-04:00

Sorry, I have been out of town and am getting caught up. I do not have a classroom, but I use a lot of the google products with my colleagues. At RESA 7 we use google calendars to keep up to date with every one's schedule. I also use google docs to share spreadsheets for registrations with other colleagues. Skype is also a favorite of mine to talk to people in Charleston and North Carolina on initiatives we are working on.

Web 2.0 Student Collaboration

2011-05-25T12:33:00.000-04:00

I will have my students set up google accounts in order to use/share documents and presentation ideas while having blog discussions. We could use up to four laptops during school for students to work, but through the various google tools, such as docs, blogs, etc. students will also be able to work with eacher other through the comfort of home. I hope my students will understand that Web 2.0 tools will be a requirement in classrooms of the future, and they will appreciate how well prepared we as teachers will make them. It is my belief that students will be learn more than they would in traditional lecture settings. By using Web 2.0 tools, they will be more engaged; and therefore, less discipline concerns.

embedding tech tools

2011-05-25T08:57:00.002-04:00

Loved the T4 Tips Podcast created by Willow Elementary. This would be a fabulous fluency activity for my reading groups. The students used "Garage Band" to record their voices, and an online editing tool called "Picnik" to edit the images. Being able to listen to their own readings would greatly enhance their fluency skills, and repeated readings would also increase accuracy.

Session 2

2011-05-25T06:44:00.001-04:00

Share your ideas/plans for embedding technology tools in your classroom instruction to help students communicate/ collaborate globally. What would you like your students to gain from technology usage? How do you envision the use of these tools will enhance students' learning in your classes?

Palm Pilot

2011-05-24T21:48:00.002-04:00

The nearest that I have come to using a tech tool is the Palm Pilot used to assess reading fluency, accuracy, and comprehension. I was able to review the students' readings in order to note possible patterns in errors, and then use this information to create specific lesson plans targeting specific deficiencies. PS LOVE the Blog spell check!

Tools 2.0

2011-05-24T13:06:00.001-04:00

I haven't had the opportunity to use too many webtools in the classroom, however, I have had great success with Destinations.

Tech Tools with Students

2011-05-24T09:25:00.003-04:00

Hi,
It has been great reading everyone's blog. I have used http://voicethread.com/ with my students to create a message about Red Ribbon Week to show the entire school. The students wrote their own script, made props, and filmed it with a camera. I assisted the students in uploading their video. We, then, show it to other students in the school. It made a wonderful impact about not using drugs. The students really talked about the short clip and the conservations were a focal point for teachers and students.
A Tech Thought from Mary Scott

Testing

2011-05-24T07:30:00.003-04:00

Hello to all you bloggers! This is my first attempt to blog, so this is just a test.........

2011-05-23T21:14:00.002-04:00

I am a middle school music teacher and I teach general music and band. For general music, the biggest technology we use is a program called Music Ace on the smartboard. Students are interactive in lessons, games, and free script. They can learn and tap rhythms, identify notes on the staff, identify pitch, compose music on their own, etc. We also have projects where they look up information on the internet in the computer lab (such as musical careers). All of our musical selections are on Itunes.

In band we also use Music Ace and also use computer programs to record the band. I really do not have much more in this class and am very eager to learn ways to incorporate students using technology (it's very easy to get stuck teaching the same rehearsals with the pressure of performances).

technology in the classroom

2011-05-23T21:03:00.002-04:00

I teach 5th grade. I use the Elmo, intelliboard and interactive lessons on an everyday basis. I have use the computer lab twice a week. I have my own portaportal which students can go for lessons and activities. I have had students complete treasure hunts on the computer, the have made powerpoint presentations and excel spreadsheets. We have used the flip video camera and digital camera. My students use spellingcity.com for their spelling words. I like this because I can put my own list on their and they are given activities which they can complete. That is about the exstent of my technology use with my students. I know technology is so much greater today and that is why I am taking this class because I do not feel that I am prepared to teach my students to use technology because I am not good at it myself. But, I'm learning.