I cant believe the semester comes to its end. I have learned so many new things in this class! The one most powerful thing I have experienced from CI 556, was the motivation factor (When I was tired to read other school materials, I was happy to work on our ABC book assignment, and read and learn information from the web; I was so excited to do our digital story assignment, that I have made the narration when I woke up at 4 am (crazy?), and was so happy that it all came out at one time, one narration!). I am glad we got the chance to experience the different assignments, since now I know how my students would feel when I will share my knowledge with them: they will be motivated to do those assignments and without noticing - they will improve their literacy skills while having fun!
If before taking this course I thought that all technology is very complicated, may be almost impossible to apply, now I have the feeling that everything is possible and I am not afraid to try!
The Inventory counting title above referees to the list I have just made to count which new software, hardware, applications and resources I have learned in class this past semester. I am not sure I got everything in this list, but I tried to include most of it.
So here it is:
Blogging
Inspiration
Comic Life (& http://www.eusd4kids.org/edtech/xapps/xapps_comic.html)
Photo Booth
Kids Pix
Book flix
SubEthaEdit
Keyboard teaching techniques
social networking
Handhelds/PiCoMap/sketchi
podcasting
ipods/mp3players
GarageBand
wikispaces
google maps
open office
Moviemaker / Digital storytelling
PowerPoint (inserting sounds and hidden buttons)
Makebeliefscomix
iPhoto
Living Books
Webquest.org
Web 2.0 / second life / virtual reality
www.storylineonline.net
Rubistar
HotPotatoes
Visuwords
bubbl.us
wordle.net
What a list, ha?!
I hope I will be able to successfully apply technology with my future students and I wish you all to be able to do the same and enjoy it!
Thank you Dr. Schmidt!
Happy end of semester everyone!
Anat
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
playlist!
I have created a playlist using iLike. I hope you enjoy it while reading my posts. There are some Israeli performers' songs at the end of the list (in Hebrew) if you have ever wondered how this language sounds like in a song. I enjoyed making it! So have fun listening! Just click on the "play" botton next to the first tune.
A Wiki for Classroom Writing/ Brian Morgan, Richard D. Smith. The Reading Teacher, 62 (1), pp. 80-82.
After reading Sara's post about Wikis I realized all I know about it is that there is a Wikipedia, which can be edited by its readers. I didn't think it is possible to use it as a classroom literacy tool. In this article, the authors explain what is a Wiki and how to use it in classrooms. They also provide some links to existing wikis to check.
In the lines below I will follow the article's chapters but instead of providing a review, I will write about what I found interesting and share my thoughts about wikis' use in the classroom.
What is a Wiki?...
"Wikis are designed to be created by more than one student … Wikis and blogs share much in common, but blog visitors simply add comments to the original content, whereas wikis allow visitors to change the content" –
Wikis can be used as a collaborative work of the entire classroom. The difference here between a blog and a wiki, to my opinion, is that a blog is more personal and a wiki is more public. You can change a wiki – it is meant to be changed, whereas blog postings aren’t.
I would have used a wiki for research pieces. For example – a literature wiki where the students explore a story’s/book’s characters, or its author / animator and publish their findings and so forth. It would be much more fun than just writing a book report. Each student (or in pairs) can focus on different aspect of the book to write about and to have links leading to each others’ topics.
"Wikis created at these sites are very easy to set up and allow teachers a great degree of control over who is able to read or edit the documents" –
Easiness and control are very important! If it is easy, it is more likely to be used. Control is essential to know that only the students who have the password can enter and edit the pages. You can also assure that only who you want can read it. I wondered how it is done… so I entered the www.wikispaces.com trying to register and found out that :
1. You can have it totally private where “Only wiki members can view and edit pages” but it costs 5$ per month (first month free), or
2. Protected (free) , where “Everyone can view pages, only wiki members can edit them” or lastly,
3. “Public” (free), where “Everyone can view and edit your pages”.
Setting up the project...
"The students then read and commented on their classmates’ work … Comments are created by inserting simple code into the text of the writing… Track changes feature of the wiki made the writing process more visible to the students and teacher…" -
It reminds me a little of the SubEthaEdit’s “ubiquitousness” idea, where students can comment and help revising with track changes, and probably do it from wherever there is a web access.
"Easy access to the wiki allowed students to participate more frequently and freely… brainstormed ideas or preplanning…drafts…Ultimately when using the wiki as collaborative writing community the students are more engaged with the writing process" –
Motivation is the key! I think these features help to motivate students to work!
Table 1 – Types of wikis useful for the elementary grades –
1. Classroom wikis - mrlindsay.pbwiki.com (See my December 8th posting).
2. Report wikis - arrrpirates.wikisaces.com – this one looks more like the familiar Wikipedia. It is a Pirate’s encyclopedia, with terms, names, photos etc.
3. School wiki sites – sfxschool.pbwiki.com – it looks just like a school’s website/homepage. They have here links to each grade level as well as blog for every grade level. I was curious to enter the 1st grade blog, but was disappointed to find out that it was the teacher who writes there, probably to share with the students’ parents.
Some helpful hints...
"Wikis are nearly bulletproof. Any mistake can be fixed" -
This idea, I think, constructs both the advantages and disadvantages of the wiki. Where many mistakes can be made by the students, they can be also fixed. The teachers’ role here is essential in leading the students to a positive and accurate learning experience.
In the lines below I will follow the article's chapters but instead of providing a review, I will write about what I found interesting and share my thoughts about wikis' use in the classroom.
What is a Wiki?...
"Wikis are designed to be created by more than one student … Wikis and blogs share much in common, but blog visitors simply add comments to the original content, whereas wikis allow visitors to change the content" –
Wikis can be used as a collaborative work of the entire classroom. The difference here between a blog and a wiki, to my opinion, is that a blog is more personal and a wiki is more public. You can change a wiki – it is meant to be changed, whereas blog postings aren’t.
I would have used a wiki for research pieces. For example – a literature wiki where the students explore a story’s/book’s characters, or its author / animator and publish their findings and so forth. It would be much more fun than just writing a book report. Each student (or in pairs) can focus on different aspect of the book to write about and to have links leading to each others’ topics.
"Wikis created at these sites are very easy to set up and allow teachers a great degree of control over who is able to read or edit the documents" –
Easiness and control are very important! If it is easy, it is more likely to be used. Control is essential to know that only the students who have the password can enter and edit the pages. You can also assure that only who you want can read it. I wondered how it is done… so I entered the www.wikispaces.com trying to register and found out that :
1. You can have it totally private where “Only wiki members can view and edit pages” but it costs 5$ per month (first month free), or
2. Protected (free) , where “Everyone can view pages, only wiki members can edit them” or lastly,
3. “Public” (free), where “Everyone can view and edit your pages”.
Setting up the project...
"The students then read and commented on their classmates’ work … Comments are created by inserting simple code into the text of the writing… Track changes feature of the wiki made the writing process more visible to the students and teacher…" -
It reminds me a little of the SubEthaEdit’s “ubiquitousness” idea, where students can comment and help revising with track changes, and probably do it from wherever there is a web access.
"Easy access to the wiki allowed students to participate more frequently and freely… brainstormed ideas or preplanning…drafts…Ultimately when using the wiki as collaborative writing community the students are more engaged with the writing process" –
Motivation is the key! I think these features help to motivate students to work!
Table 1 – Types of wikis useful for the elementary grades –
1. Classroom wikis - mrlindsay.pbwiki.com (See my December 8th posting).
2. Report wikis - arrrpirates.wikisaces.com – this one looks more like the familiar Wikipedia. It is a Pirate’s encyclopedia, with terms, names, photos etc.
3. School wiki sites – sfxschool.pbwiki.com – it looks just like a school’s website/homepage. They have here links to each grade level as well as blog for every grade level. I was curious to enter the 1st grade blog, but was disappointed to find out that it was the teacher who writes there, probably to share with the students’ parents.
Some helpful hints...
"Wikis are nearly bulletproof. Any mistake can be fixed" -
This idea, I think, constructs both the advantages and disadvantages of the wiki. Where many mistakes can be made by the students, they can be also fixed. The teachers’ role here is essential in leading the students to a positive and accurate learning experience.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Wikis
After reading Sara's Blog about Wikis, I found the (same ?!) article she was talking about (and which I am going to read through and write about tonight or tomorrow).
While exploring this topic, which I too, have a limited knowledge about, I followed one of the links in it and found this one - http://community.saugususd.org/dlindsay/page/
I have explored it for a while - and found it VERY COOL! It is supposed to be a Wiki which is created by an Elementary teacher and includes his students' Blogs, his own Blog, information about himself, homework for the students, news and events, curriculum, and "other stuff". I really liked the use he made of his students' Blog (I recommend going there and see for yourselves) - where he let them draw Idioms and explain them. I do not know what software they used to draw - but here he is engaging so many types of technologies in one activity. I liked it and thought to share with you all :-) What do you think?
While exploring this topic, which I too, have a limited knowledge about, I followed one of the links in it and found this one - http://community.saugususd.org/dlindsay/page/
I have explored it for a while - and found it VERY COOL! It is supposed to be a Wiki which is created by an Elementary teacher and includes his students' Blogs, his own Blog, information about himself, homework for the students, news and events, curriculum, and "other stuff". I really liked the use he made of his students' Blog (I recommend going there and see for yourselves) - where he let them draw Idioms and explain them. I do not know what software they used to draw - but here he is engaging so many types of technologies in one activity. I liked it and thought to share with you all :-) What do you think?
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Factors contributing to teachers’ successful implementation of IT / Journal Of Computer Assisted Learning (2002) 18, 480 – 488. C.A. Granger, M.L. Mor
This article deals with 4 different schools and their educators’ perspectives about teaching technology in their classrooms.
Although this article has been published a few years ago, and deals with Canadian schools, it seems that not much has been changes over time regarding teachers’ feelings and thoughts about this subject, and that those feelings and thoughts are universal. By providing some examples I will clarify what I mean.
In the following lines I will relate to teachers’ experiences and attitudes towards teaching technology in their classrooms as indicated in this article.
First interesting point is related to one of the schools’ principals who found she was learning from her own students when it relates to technology. This is something we talked about in class in the beginning of the semester – that since technology is constantly changing and being innovated, young students are many times much more informed and involved than their “old” teachers. Hence, they can contribute from their personal knowledge. This is something I am “taking” home with me from studying technology and reading this article – let my students help me if needed and be comfortable with that.
A second interesting matter in this article is concerning teachers’ ICT experiences and skills. The interviewees were very heterogenic with regard to their teaching experience (in years) and fields of teaching. Also, they all had at least Bachelor degrees. However, almost all were lack in ICT specialization. I think it is very beneficial for a teacher (and eventually to her/his students) to have an ICT professional experience, especially nowadays where so much is going on the www. I think today computers and the internet are becoming an integral part of our lives and it is important to educate students about how to use it right. It reminds me of what we studied regarding a proper use of the keyboard as well as social networking. If we, the teachers, will be educated about it, we will be able to teach our students to do a positive and constructive use and to benefit from technology.
Third, the teachers that were interviewed in this research ranged in their views regarding the goals of using technology in their classrooms. On one end were those who saw it merely in the playing level while others acknowledged its importance for students with learning difficulties. One of the teachers said it can be isolating and even detrimental “because it is missing the human component of relationship”. I am happy I have learned it is possible to incorporate technology to benefit students with some learning disabilities; I have also learned that even by something that seems like “merely playing”, a student can learn! I do believe, however, that we should not entirely rely on computers while teaching in the sense that a human interaction is very important.
Another excerpt: “teachers wanted to justify or to be assured that the time they were injecting into technology was not taking away from the language arts…or the math they had to cover”. Sounds familiar? :-) Right now I am not teaching, but when I will, I will do my best to incorporate technology in my classroom as a tool to achieve curriculum objectives and not only as an end. From what I heard in our Tech course this semester, it is very much possible.
A further point that was raised is regarding technical problems in schools where many of the computers do not work properly. What does a teacher supposed to do when suddenly some of the computers do not work? It is very frustrating. Teachers showed concerns of shortage of technical support when those problems occurred.
Last interesting point for me was that many teachers found that “just in time” and informal learning is the most useful for them to learn technology skills they need. Is it really so? I wonder about it. Is it possible to learn so much this way? I think that if you need to solve a problem it might indeed help, but to get more comprehensive knowledge about teaching technology may require a more thorough training.
Although this article has been published a few years ago, and deals with Canadian schools, it seems that not much has been changes over time regarding teachers’ feelings and thoughts about this subject, and that those feelings and thoughts are universal. By providing some examples I will clarify what I mean.
In the following lines I will relate to teachers’ experiences and attitudes towards teaching technology in their classrooms as indicated in this article.
First interesting point is related to one of the schools’ principals who found she was learning from her own students when it relates to technology. This is something we talked about in class in the beginning of the semester – that since technology is constantly changing and being innovated, young students are many times much more informed and involved than their “old” teachers. Hence, they can contribute from their personal knowledge. This is something I am “taking” home with me from studying technology and reading this article – let my students help me if needed and be comfortable with that.
A second interesting matter in this article is concerning teachers’ ICT experiences and skills. The interviewees were very heterogenic with regard to their teaching experience (in years) and fields of teaching. Also, they all had at least Bachelor degrees. However, almost all were lack in ICT specialization. I think it is very beneficial for a teacher (and eventually to her/his students) to have an ICT professional experience, especially nowadays where so much is going on the www. I think today computers and the internet are becoming an integral part of our lives and it is important to educate students about how to use it right. It reminds me of what we studied regarding a proper use of the keyboard as well as social networking. If we, the teachers, will be educated about it, we will be able to teach our students to do a positive and constructive use and to benefit from technology.
Third, the teachers that were interviewed in this research ranged in their views regarding the goals of using technology in their classrooms. On one end were those who saw it merely in the playing level while others acknowledged its importance for students with learning difficulties. One of the teachers said it can be isolating and even detrimental “because it is missing the human component of relationship”. I am happy I have learned it is possible to incorporate technology to benefit students with some learning disabilities; I have also learned that even by something that seems like “merely playing”, a student can learn! I do believe, however, that we should not entirely rely on computers while teaching in the sense that a human interaction is very important.
Another excerpt: “teachers wanted to justify or to be assured that the time they were injecting into technology was not taking away from the language arts…or the math they had to cover”. Sounds familiar? :-) Right now I am not teaching, but when I will, I will do my best to incorporate technology in my classroom as a tool to achieve curriculum objectives and not only as an end. From what I heard in our Tech course this semester, it is very much possible.
A further point that was raised is regarding technical problems in schools where many of the computers do not work properly. What does a teacher supposed to do when suddenly some of the computers do not work? It is very frustrating. Teachers showed concerns of shortage of technical support when those problems occurred.
Last interesting point for me was that many teachers found that “just in time” and informal learning is the most useful for them to learn technology skills they need. Is it really so? I wonder about it. Is it possible to learn so much this way? I think that if you need to solve a problem it might indeed help, but to get more comprehensive knowledge about teaching technology may require a more thorough training.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
How to use Blog in my classroom
The idea of using a blog for my (former) Sunday School classroom sounds to me like a great way to motivate the students to show interest in what is going on in class and maybe even to like it... I wish I have thought about this when I had this class a couple of years ago. It could have been a great experience. It is something that I am definitely going to try in the future, especially since the Sunday School classrooms consist on a small number of students, and I think this may not only serve as a learning tool but also something that will bring them closer together as a group, a way of interaction during the weekdays (since they do not meet every day).
OK, so after this long introduction, my idea is to create a Sunday school level ____ blog (usually there are 5 levels in school). This blog will be managed by the students and will include their reflections about different topics learned in the classroom. They will be able to share their thoughts about the last lesson, to ask questions if something was unclear and to raise questions or write reflections about different topics.
The teacher will give them a specific topic for a discussion for the week to come. When they are back the next time, they will report shortly what was going on in the blog during the past week and lead a short discussion about it. This will be done in turns (each student in his turn will have the responsibility to report about the past week's blog). This discussion will serve as the opening for the lesson, a sort of the start part of the lesson and preparation for the next topic.
The topics will consist of stories we read in class, which will be leading to philosophical questions and discussion-like correspondence. I will try first to let students participate on their own will, without urging them to make entries. If it doesn't work, I will instruct them to make one entry per week and a minimum of one comment to their friends. I was thinking of making one communal blog for all students. In other words, instead of one blog for each student there is going to be one blog for each class level. If they will like the idea, we will later expand it to personal blogs.
Another way to use it with the Sunday school children is to have the students share their blog with other students overseas! I have always wanted to have my students here correspond via e-mails with students from Israel about things they learn and experience in class in particular and life in general. However, I think a blog could be a good place to have this connection. It is always there, available, and maybe less personal, and in this way, less intimidating as a space to express thoughts. The blog could be a “place” to "meet" and "talk" about things we learn and experience, and it will contribute to students’ literacy since they will be engaged in writing and reading, as well as discussing literature and other written scripts.
Needless to say, the teacher will be always supervising the blogs, and prior to initiating the experience a discussion will take place dealing with proper blog behavior.
OK, so after this long introduction, my idea is to create a Sunday school level ____ blog (usually there are 5 levels in school). This blog will be managed by the students and will include their reflections about different topics learned in the classroom. They will be able to share their thoughts about the last lesson, to ask questions if something was unclear and to raise questions or write reflections about different topics.
The teacher will give them a specific topic for a discussion for the week to come. When they are back the next time, they will report shortly what was going on in the blog during the past week and lead a short discussion about it. This will be done in turns (each student in his turn will have the responsibility to report about the past week's blog). This discussion will serve as the opening for the lesson, a sort of the start part of the lesson and preparation for the next topic.
The topics will consist of stories we read in class, which will be leading to philosophical questions and discussion-like correspondence. I will try first to let students participate on their own will, without urging them to make entries. If it doesn't work, I will instruct them to make one entry per week and a minimum of one comment to their friends. I was thinking of making one communal blog for all students. In other words, instead of one blog for each student there is going to be one blog for each class level. If they will like the idea, we will later expand it to personal blogs.
Another way to use it with the Sunday school children is to have the students share their blog with other students overseas! I have always wanted to have my students here correspond via e-mails with students from Israel about things they learn and experience in class in particular and life in general. However, I think a blog could be a good place to have this connection. It is always there, available, and maybe less personal, and in this way, less intimidating as a space to express thoughts. The blog could be a “place” to "meet" and "talk" about things we learn and experience, and it will contribute to students’ literacy since they will be engaged in writing and reading, as well as discussing literature and other written scripts.
Needless to say, the teacher will be always supervising the blogs, and prior to initiating the experience a discussion will take place dealing with proper blog behavior.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
ABC election glossary
Look what I found - in case you are still looking for the ABC assignment ideas.
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/election/glossary.shtml
Anat
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/election/glossary.shtml
Anat
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