I decided to read this chapter because it covered cool schools, classroom applications, using the tools for learning, teaching content, and other tools and models. This chapter stated that web 2.0 tools "offer new opportunities for students to learn, explore, and present their knowledge." Since I began this online discovery of web 2.o tools I am constantly searching for new ways to integrate the web 2.o tools with the technology tools I have in my classroom to enrich students learning experiences so that they learn to connect, collaborate, and contribute within the global community.
Some good ideas I found in this chapter that I would like to adapt and use with my first grade students:
1. Curriculum area of Social Studies: the objective is for students to conduct oral histories with family members and create a presentation of the interviews. I envision students drawing pictures of their family members uploading them to Voicethread and then having family members comment on the Voicethread to provide the oral history.
2. Curriculum area of Geography: the objective is for students to understand and appreciate other countries and cultures. I envision using Google Earth and planning a treasure hunt for my students. Some interesting treasure that would be fun to search for... the foods that Mem Fox includes in her book Possum Magic (for example, mornay from Melbourne, pavlova from Perth, and lamingtons from Hobart) that are served in different parts of Australia.
3. Curriculum area of Science: the objective is to make science more visual for students. I envision enriching my teaching of the ASD science kit The Power of Water by creating a keynote presentation to introduce the unit that visually represents the water cycle model. The keynote will be interactive so that each part of the water cycle (evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection) will be linked to a Discovery Streaming video clip that describes that specific scientific part of the process.
As I neared the end of this chapter I read, "One thing is certain, we are at the very beginning of this evolution and many of you reading this book will be creating new ideas and projects that others will want to hear about." This statement made me feel validated in the way I chose to reflect upon this chapter and also caused me to secretly hope that other web 2.0 class members would post some lesson ideas that I could add to my collection of things to try.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Chp. 9: new schools
I have read the Marc Prenksy article Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants as a requirement for other tech classes this year. As we discussed the article in class, there were teachers who found the article offensive and derogatory toward the teaching profession and all teachers in general. However I think Marc Prensky offers a fresh view that could revitalize teachers and enable students to succeed. I find the article to be inspiring, encouraging, and a reminder of what is important when in the position of educating students in today's society.
This chapter explains (just as Mark Prensky does in the article mentioned above) that students "are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach." This profound statement must shape how educators design curriculum and reach out to students if we expect to increase achievement. Instead of teaching in the way we have always taught, we as teachers need to be ready to make a shift. Students need to be provided with tools that motivate them to participate, enrich their learning experiences , and empowers them to comprehend in a more profound way.
Of course in order to teach in this way, educators require the following...
1. A Positive Attitude - teachers must be willing to grow and learn new things
2. Time - learning new things takes time and patience
3. Effort - new challenges can be hard work
4. Availability of Tools - teachers need to be able to get their hands on technology tools
2. Professional Development - teachers need to be trained on how to use the tools
3. Student Enrichment Ideas - teachers need to be trained on how to best infuse the technology tools into daily instruction
The above requirements are often seen as road blocks by teachers. However, I have had the experience this past school year of participating in a grant program that I believe removes the barriers and helps teachers cross over into the realm of becoming a 21st century educator. I am speaking of the Anchorage School District's Technology Teacher Leader program.
I was an ASD TTL 6 grant recipient and I believe that the program addresses all of the problem areas that I mentioned above. Teachers who have the desire to learn more about technology and who are willing to put in the time and effort, recieve money to purchase technology tools to enhance instruction and enrich their students' learning experiences. Throughout the TTL process, grant recipients are provided with numerous training opportunities to learn how to best use the tools they received, as well as how to use them in an enriching way in order to increase student achievement.
This chapter explains (just as Mark Prensky does in the article mentioned above) that students "are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach." This profound statement must shape how educators design curriculum and reach out to students if we expect to increase achievement. Instead of teaching in the way we have always taught, we as teachers need to be ready to make a shift. Students need to be provided with tools that motivate them to participate, enrich their learning experiences , and empowers them to comprehend in a more profound way.
Of course in order to teach in this way, educators require the following...
1. A Positive Attitude - teachers must be willing to grow and learn new things
2. Time - learning new things takes time and patience
3. Effort - new challenges can be hard work
4. Availability of Tools - teachers need to be able to get their hands on technology tools
2. Professional Development - teachers need to be trained on how to use the tools
3. Student Enrichment Ideas - teachers need to be trained on how to best infuse the technology tools into daily instruction
The above requirements are often seen as road blocks by teachers. However, I have had the experience this past school year of participating in a grant program that I believe removes the barriers and helps teachers cross over into the realm of becoming a 21st century educator. I am speaking of the Anchorage School District's Technology Teacher Leader program.
I was an ASD TTL 6 grant recipient and I believe that the program addresses all of the problem areas that I mentioned above. Teachers who have the desire to learn more about technology and who are willing to put in the time and effort, recieve money to purchase technology tools to enhance instruction and enrich their students' learning experiences. Throughout the TTL process, grant recipients are provided with numerous training opportunities to learn how to best use the tools they received, as well as how to use them in an enriching way in order to increase student achievement.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Chp. 7: online safety and security
I believe that "lurking online threats" are what deter some parents and teachers from allowing students to interact with the web; in my mind keeping students and their data safe and secure is an essential priority, as is legal and ethical use of online resources.
I especially like how this chapter outlined a five step avoidance plan for copyright problems (I am listing the five steps below so I can revisit my blog anytime to recall the process):
1. Create and implement a technology policy that includes a code of ethics and set of procedures.
2. Review the entire policy with your educational community: students, teachers, and parents.
3. Appoint a technology manager to conduct audits and maintain a log of licenses and registration materials.
4. Teach ethical and legal behvior for technology use.
5. Thank employees and students for supporting these steps.
*This five step process was taken from the book entitled Web 2.0 New Tools, New Schools by Gwen Solomon and Lynne Schrum.
This chapter also covers security solutions and safeguards to put in place in order to protect students. At our elementary school we have some of the security solutions that are listed in this chapter in place already. For example, we have an internet filter, students and staff have been instructed on internet safety, parents are provided with information on safe student use of the world wide web, and our district has purchased school licenses for safe search engines (i.e. netTrekker and Discovery Streaming). However, even with all of that in place, students have still found ways (most of which I believe are chance encounters) to interrupt the system and cause the safeguards to fail. Therefore I believe strongly that the answer is not to totally lock down the tool but rather teach students to use it in an ethical and responsible manner.
I have found the Net Smartz Workshop website to be an awesome resource for students, parents, and educators. The website aids in the process of keeping all parties involved aware and up to date on what is important to know when considering how to keep children and teens safe online.
I especially like how this chapter outlined a five step avoidance plan for copyright problems (I am listing the five steps below so I can revisit my blog anytime to recall the process):
1. Create and implement a technology policy that includes a code of ethics and set of procedures.
2. Review the entire policy with your educational community: students, teachers, and parents.
3. Appoint a technology manager to conduct audits and maintain a log of licenses and registration materials.
4. Teach ethical and legal behvior for technology use.
5. Thank employees and students for supporting these steps.
*This five step process was taken from the book entitled Web 2.0 New Tools, New Schools by Gwen Solomon and Lynne Schrum.
This chapter also covers security solutions and safeguards to put in place in order to protect students. At our elementary school we have some of the security solutions that are listed in this chapter in place already. For example, we have an internet filter, students and staff have been instructed on internet safety, parents are provided with information on safe student use of the world wide web, and our district has purchased school licenses for safe search engines (i.e. netTrekker and Discovery Streaming). However, even with all of that in place, students have still found ways (most of which I believe are chance encounters) to interrupt the system and cause the safeguards to fail. Therefore I believe strongly that the answer is not to totally lock down the tool but rather teach students to use it in an ethical and responsible manner.
I have found the Net Smartz Workshop website to be an awesome resource for students, parents, and educators. The website aids in the process of keeping all parties involved aware and up to date on what is important to know when considering how to keep children and teens safe online.
Chp. 1 Reflection: new world, new web, new skills
Something that really stuck with me from this chapter was the following statement...
"As educational leaders, we should understand changes in the Web and how they reflect changes in the world around us. We should provide these new tools to our students so that they are prepared for new challenges."
I feel that this web 2.0 course has better prepared me to educate students so that they will be able to face future challenges head on and be successful. This class has also taught me that the internet is no longer just a place to search out information but rather a limitless resource to interact with.
Another powerful quote from this chapter that really resonated with me was...
"In the future, how we educate our children may prove to be more important than how much we educate them."
Even as a primary teacher, I deal with the "how we educate" vs the "how much we educate" issue. Often I run head on into this issue when a parent wants to increase the homework load of their first grade son or daughter. At times it can be hard to get parents to understand that it is not the amount of work the child completes that makes the biggest impact on their education but rather whether or not the activities the child is engaging in are enriching and result in quality learning experiences.
I am glad that this chapter included and defined the 21st century skills that students need to be equipped with in order to lead a successful life in today's changing society. I think there are times when we get caught up in all of the tech tool craze and forget that the tools by themselves will not yield proficient results. I have found the Partnership for 21st Century Skills Website to be an excellent resource.
"As educational leaders, we should understand changes in the Web and how they reflect changes in the world around us. We should provide these new tools to our students so that they are prepared for new challenges."
I feel that this web 2.0 course has better prepared me to educate students so that they will be able to face future challenges head on and be successful. This class has also taught me that the internet is no longer just a place to search out information but rather a limitless resource to interact with.
Another powerful quote from this chapter that really resonated with me was...
"In the future, how we educate our children may prove to be more important than how much we educate them."
Even as a primary teacher, I deal with the "how we educate" vs the "how much we educate" issue. Often I run head on into this issue when a parent wants to increase the homework load of their first grade son or daughter. At times it can be hard to get parents to understand that it is not the amount of work the child completes that makes the biggest impact on their education but rather whether or not the activities the child is engaging in are enriching and result in quality learning experiences.
I am glad that this chapter included and defined the 21st century skills that students need to be equipped with in order to lead a successful life in today's changing society. I think there are times when we get caught up in all of the tech tool craze and forget that the tools by themselves will not yield proficient results. I have found the Partnership for 21st Century Skills Website to be an excellent resource.
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