My Response: I enjoy the blog. It is not something that I naturally proceed to use, however. One of the issues for me is that I could never remember my address and had to constantly look it up. There may be an easier way, however, that issue was one which makes it less habitual for me.
What I did like, however, was the way the blog kept track of your followers so it was easy to follow a blog theme and read the responses of your colleagues to assignment questions. I was fascinated with how everyone had unique blogs despite the use of templates. It seemed that some had actually fixed theirs to be a part of their current classroom. Since I do not have a classroom, I could not do that but I look forward to it.
I suppose I have to find a way to get the blog at my fingertips. I definitely think that it is a tool that can be employed in a classroom. An article that most impressed me on Blogs was the JiTT - Just in Time Teaching article. I think this is a perfect example of how blogs might be used for education. I cite this article in week #3.
This whole experience has encouraged me to think of different ways to instruct students. I hope to actually include in every assignment a technology focus where students can be introduced to new tools as they explore particular contents and subject matter.
Monday, May 31, 2010
#9 Student Lessons
My Response: I was intrigued this week with the assignment to create student lessons. For my project, I decided to create a powerpoint presentation on how to use databases. I decided to work on databases because it is one tool I truly enjoyed. It opened up so much to me for research. I also passed this information on to my children as well.
For the presentation, I focused on teachers and older students as an audience. I loved using Jing to capture the pictures and explain particular features in the presentation. Jing is a great tool that all teachers should be introduced to. As an example, I used EBSCO Host. It took several times to get the narration down. But after awhile, I learned how to adjust the time and use the Jing captures properly.
It was interesting to see what other people came up with for their projects. Interestingly enough, there were no duplicates. There were projects on Delicious, MS Word, websites, and Facebook. I liked the use of peoples designs and detailed content. I also like how people included reference materials. I was surprised that few people used video or narration features or slide transitions. But overall, I really liked my teams presentations.
For the presentation, I focused on teachers and older students as an audience. I loved using Jing to capture the pictures and explain particular features in the presentation. Jing is a great tool that all teachers should be introduced to. As an example, I used EBSCO Host. It took several times to get the narration down. But after awhile, I learned how to adjust the time and use the Jing captures properly.
It was interesting to see what other people came up with for their projects. Interestingly enough, there were no duplicates. There were projects on Delicious, MS Word, websites, and Facebook. I liked the use of peoples designs and detailed content. I also like how people included reference materials. I was surprised that few people used video or narration features or slide transitions. But overall, I really liked my teams presentations.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
#8 Point as an Educational Tool
My Response: PowerPoint is such a basic tool used in professional arenas that it seems quite plausible to treat it as an obviously beneficial tool for education. Yet, one article that I read actually supports PowerPoint responds to criticisms about PowerPoint. Some of these criticisms are: (1) the overuse of PowerPoint in creating long and tedious lessons, (2) the misuse of PowerPoint for education that seems to obscure the lesson itself, and (3) the dependence upon PowerPoint as the only technology tool available.
In the article I read this week entitled, "Sticking up for PowerPoint," the article addresses these criticisms. The author's general defense is that "technology is neither the savior nor the nemesis of good teaching; like chalkboards, photocopies and lectures, it's another tool." While I agree, I think that many of us have found our preferences with particular tools and with the exception of some glaring limitations; most of the tools are subject to our own likes and dislikes.
I personally like PowerPoint. I love the graphic ability you have with presenting information. Certainly depending upon the audience, this tool may not be the best--for example with those who prefer audio information sharing. However, its widespread use is a testimony to, if not its effectiveness then at least, its user-friendly abilities.
In the article I read this week entitled, "Sticking up for PowerPoint," the article addresses these criticisms. The author's general defense is that "technology is neither the savior nor the nemesis of good teaching; like chalkboards, photocopies and lectures, it's another tool." While I agree, I think that many of us have found our preferences with particular tools and with the exception of some glaring limitations; most of the tools are subject to our own likes and dislikes.
I personally like PowerPoint. I love the graphic ability you have with presenting information. Certainly depending upon the audience, this tool may not be the best--for example with those who prefer audio information sharing. However, its widespread use is a testimony to, if not its effectiveness then at least, its user-friendly abilities.
Friday, May 14, 2010
#1 Are blogs important in education?
My Response: I would definitely use a blog in the classroom because this will most likely be a beneficial tool in the future during college years as colleges and universities introduce technology in undergraduate and graduate classes. the concerns I would have are unequal access to computers and limited oversight on the Internet. In the first instance, the gap of inequities between school systems might widen as technology in education becomes more of a requirement in school systems. However, the oversight or regulation of the use of blogs, RSS, and Internet in general, would need to be a priority for school administrators and parents. Just as we have learned to evaluate websites this past week, teachers will need to develop or advance their skills to instruct students on the use of blogs. Nonetheless,these should not be reasons to block the use of the blogs in the classroom but as with other new forms of educational tools, there should be clear guidelines to protect our students without sacrificing knowledge and exploration.
One article I researched this week described a fantastic use of a blog in the classroom. The article discusses blogs and wikis using JiTT (Just in Time Teaching) with college students. I selected this article because I believe it is as important to examine with what is happening at both the college level--technological trends and expectations of students in higher education--as well as elementary school with regard to technology. The article introduced the concept of JiTT which I found fascinating. JiTT consists of three steps for teaching and learning (1) Day before class--instructor asks students to respond to questions pertaining to homework difficulties (2) Day of class--instructor identifies common theses of areas of difficulty; (3) During class--instructor allocates time to address problematic areas. This seems to me quite practical, organized, and a helpful use of time and material. And a great way to use a blog.
One article I researched this week described a fantastic use of a blog in the classroom. The article discusses blogs and wikis using JiTT (Just in Time Teaching) with college students. I selected this article because I believe it is as important to examine with what is happening at both the college level--technological trends and expectations of students in higher education--as well as elementary school with regard to technology. The article introduced the concept of JiTT which I found fascinating. JiTT consists of three steps for teaching and learning (1) Day before class--instructor asks students to respond to questions pertaining to homework difficulties (2) Day of class--instructor identifies common theses of areas of difficulty; (3) During class--instructor allocates time to address problematic areas. This seems to me quite practical, organized, and a helpful use of time and material. And a great way to use a blog.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
#2 Licensed Databases: Are they useful in the classroom?
My Response: My experience with databases is every evolving. I remember spending hours in the library as a high school student and pouring over annals for articles on particular topics--the old fashioned way. As a graduate student I was familiar with some databases such as ERIC and LexisNexis. I am continuing to discover how important license databases can be with an 8th grader at home who is assigned many research papers. I work with her to expand her searching techniques that general began with Google.
A couple of articles I read were really helpful in showing teachers how to help students especially in the Google age. I started my searches with keywords such as, "student use," "students" and combined them with "(online) databases," "Internet," "digital/virtual libraries." I found that the "Internet" game me too much information. It also helped to specify K-12 vs. college. I had to ensure I selected full-text articles as well. For me, by far the most helpful database that had the most relevant articles was Academic Search Premier.
Two helpful articles.
In "Helping Students Use Virtual Libraries Effectively," researchers were interested in how prepared students are to use virtual library systems and what kinds of strategies both teachers and libraries employ to help students apply their skills in these environments. As expected, high school students had the more difficulty. However, interestingly enough much of the lack of experience for both groups was due to little or no experience with research papers.
"Teaching Students About Locating Resources @ Your Library," was more relevant to K-12 and instructional for teachers on how to introduce students to databases and why. the author provides steps on how to give a presentation to young students and suggests beginning with why databases and not Google. Since Google is a household name and most children know it, it is something they usually begin with. The author distinguishes the advantages of databases, Google and encyclopedias. The main difference is that databases have authoritative information.
I definitely see the value of using databases in the classroom and teaching students the benefit of them from an early grade.
A couple of articles I read were really helpful in showing teachers how to help students especially in the Google age. I started my searches with keywords such as, "student use," "students" and combined them with "(online) databases," "Internet," "digital/virtual libraries." I found that the "Internet" game me too much information. It also helped to specify K-12 vs. college. I had to ensure I selected full-text articles as well. For me, by far the most helpful database that had the most relevant articles was Academic Search Premier.
Two helpful articles.
In "Helping Students Use Virtual Libraries Effectively," researchers were interested in how prepared students are to use virtual library systems and what kinds of strategies both teachers and libraries employ to help students apply their skills in these environments. As expected, high school students had the more difficulty. However, interestingly enough much of the lack of experience for both groups was due to little or no experience with research papers.
"Teaching Students About Locating Resources @ Your Library," was more relevant to K-12 and instructional for teachers on how to introduce students to databases and why. the author provides steps on how to give a presentation to young students and suggests beginning with why databases and not Google. Since Google is a household name and most children know it, it is something they usually begin with. The author distinguishes the advantages of databases, Google and encyclopedias. The main difference is that databases have authoritative information.
I definitely see the value of using databases in the classroom and teaching students the benefit of them from an early grade.
#3 Web search engines: What do you know about them? How important are they in the classroom?
There were 4 important pieces of information that were helpful this week for me:
1. Meta search engines. While I had heard of Dogpile, I did not quite know what they did. I find it useful now to also check with metasearch engines.
2. Visual Search engines. Visual search engines were also a new concept to me with tremendous potential. This is a useful tool for those who are visual learners and perhaps some with learning disabilities.
3. Educational listservs. While I have subscribed to a few, this particular piece of information provided a way for me to search for others that I was not aware of.
4. Kid friendly search engines. On a personal note, I appreciated this information. I have noted Yahooligans and Kidsclik.
I learned about Google Scholar for the first time and found it tremendously useful for educational information. When searching for topics on education, I found that I had to be creative and use other terms such as virtual libraries, classrooms, etc. I used metasearch engines to explore the topics initially but it did not return as many helpful websites as looking at specific websites.
Using the correct search engine and phrases will help yield accurate results and less frustration.
1. Meta search engines. While I had heard of Dogpile, I did not quite know what they did. I find it useful now to also check with metasearch engines.
2. Visual Search engines. Visual search engines were also a new concept to me with tremendous potential. This is a useful tool for those who are visual learners and perhaps some with learning disabilities.
3. Educational listservs. While I have subscribed to a few, this particular piece of information provided a way for me to search for others that I was not aware of.
4. Kid friendly search engines. On a personal note, I appreciated this information. I have noted Yahooligans and Kidsclik.
I learned about Google Scholar for the first time and found it tremendously useful for educational information. When searching for topics on education, I found that I had to be creative and use other terms such as virtual libraries, classrooms, etc. I used metasearch engines to explore the topics initially but it did not return as many helpful websites as looking at specific websites.
Using the correct search engine and phrases will help yield accurate results and less frustration.
#4 Websites in the classroom. Are classroom websites an important means of communicting to parents and students? What about Google Sites?
My Response: In my experience, it is critical for teachers to maintain a classroom web site. While I am not currently teaching, I find that most teachers at the local elementary school maintain a website. My daughter's teacher is excellent and extremely organized and her website has helped tremendously with staying on top of assignments. Frequently, she comes home with questions about an assignment, e.g. its due date or content, and most often we find the answers on the website.
Clearly, in order for websites to work in classroom settings teachers will need to be comfortable with the use of technology as Karchmer (2004) points out in her article (see below). As noted, the World Wide Web contains unlimited resources for students and the use of the Internet may be the most powerful classroom tool for exposing children to the world. Currently, the use of technology is viewed as secondary to other areas of curriculum. With the push of No Child Left Behind Act, technology is viewed as supplemental rather than intrinsic to learning. Therefore, the most important place to start is with teacher preparation (Karchmer 2004,2001). I would stress that websites should not replace general communication between either teacher and student or teacher and parent but it does enhance it. Websites are a marvelous value for classrooms as I have experienced.
Karchmer, Rachel A. "Creating Connections: Using the Internet to Support Struggling Readers' Background Knowledge," in Reading & Writing Quarterly: Overcoming Learning Difficulties, Vol 20(3) Jul-Sep, 2004. Pp. 331-335.
I have not had much experience with creating my own website, although I have been the administrator who has had to oversee them. I enjoyed Google Sites very much because it was user-friendly. The idea of setting up your own website may seem scary but when the right tools are available, it is quite exciting.
Clearly, in order for websites to work in classroom settings teachers will need to be comfortable with the use of technology as Karchmer (2004) points out in her article (see below). As noted, the World Wide Web contains unlimited resources for students and the use of the Internet may be the most powerful classroom tool for exposing children to the world. Currently, the use of technology is viewed as secondary to other areas of curriculum. With the push of No Child Left Behind Act, technology is viewed as supplemental rather than intrinsic to learning. Therefore, the most important place to start is with teacher preparation (Karchmer 2004,2001). I would stress that websites should not replace general communication between either teacher and student or teacher and parent but it does enhance it. Websites are a marvelous value for classrooms as I have experienced.
Karchmer, Rachel A. "Creating Connections: Using the Internet to Support Struggling Readers' Background Knowledge," in Reading & Writing Quarterly: Overcoming Learning Difficulties, Vol 20(3) Jul-Sep, 2004. Pp. 331-335.
I have not had much experience with creating my own website, although I have been the administrator who has had to oversee them. I enjoyed Google Sites very much because it was user-friendly. The idea of setting up your own website may seem scary but when the right tools are available, it is quite exciting.
#5 Design Principles: Do they help us design better flyers? Do they help us as educators?
My Response: As an administrator who is responsible for programs and the publicity of programs, I am quite conscious of how to design posters and flyers. I worked at an institution for learning disabilities which caused me to be quite creative, not only for the program content itself andhow I presentited it, but also for the publicity of the program. Ihave also created newsletters for my office, my daughter's girl scout's group, and I have dabbled a bit with designing business cards, greeting cards, etc. because of my intrests in design work.
Therefore, I feel strongly that design principles help us to be more effective at designing flyers. The principles we learned about: Proximity, Alignment, Repetition, and Contrast were techniques I was familiar with but did not describe them explicitly. The author identifies them in such a clear and concise manner with excellent examples.
You can visit my website to view samples of my work.
Therefore, I feel strongly that design principles help us to be more effective at designing flyers. The principles we learned about: Proximity, Alignment, Repetition, and Contrast were techniques I was familiar with but did not describe them explicitly. The author identifies them in such a clear and concise manner with excellent examples.
You can visit my website to view samples of my work.
#6 Is MS Word a valuable educational tool? Is this a program you could envision using in your classroom?
My Response: This week I found an interesting article that discusses how word processing with MS word as assistive technology is measurably helpful with students with learning disabilities. The study showed that using word processing can help improve writing skills with elementary students with learning disabilities. While many of us discussed the disadvantages about spell check for example, the authors of this article had this to say: "Students with LD can derive great benefits from using word processors. The ability to produce a product that can be edited, spell-checked, read, and presented to the teacher can increase motivation and encourage writing, because specif problems with handwriting and spelling can be circumvented" (Hetzroni and Shrieber 2004).
The study showed that both the use of MS word (keyboarding) and pencil and paper were both effective strategies for learning writing. But over a period of time, those who keyboard (use word processing) demonstrate significant competence for writing and content. The citation is below.
"Word processing as an assistive technology tool for enhancing academic outcomes of students with writing disabilities in the general classroom." Hetzroni, OE; Shrieber, B; Journal of Learning Disabilities, 2004 mar-Apr; 37(2): 143-54. From database: CINAHL.
This week we had to design a flyer. Graphics design is something I truly enjoy and in previous positions, I oversaw students and staff who designed flyers and posters. Therefore, this was a unit I was quite passionate about. I find that flyers are generally not very visually appealing and often overloaded with words. We learned with just a little effort that we market our information effectively to reach our audiences. Although MS Word can sometimes be a challenge with graphics, overall, I find MS Word a valuable educational tool and I would use it in the classroom.
On its website, MS Word has a section devoted to how teachers might use MS Word for the classroom for particular topics and grade levels. It includes goals and specific objectives for the teachers. The website is http://www.mocrosoft.com/education/default.mspx
The study showed that both the use of MS word (keyboarding) and pencil and paper were both effective strategies for learning writing. But over a period of time, those who keyboard (use word processing) demonstrate significant competence for writing and content. The citation is below.
"Word processing as an assistive technology tool for enhancing academic outcomes of students with writing disabilities in the general classroom." Hetzroni, OE; Shrieber, B; Journal of Learning Disabilities, 2004 mar-Apr; 37(2): 143-54. From database: CINAHL.
This week we had to design a flyer. Graphics design is something I truly enjoy and in previous positions, I oversaw students and staff who designed flyers and posters. Therefore, this was a unit I was quite passionate about. I find that flyers are generally not very visually appealing and often overloaded with words. We learned with just a little effort that we market our information effectively to reach our audiences. Although MS Word can sometimes be a challenge with graphics, overall, I find MS Word a valuable educational tool and I would use it in the classroom.
On its website, MS Word has a section devoted to how teachers might use MS Word for the classroom for particular topics and grade levels. It includes goals and specific objectives for the teachers. The website is http://www.mocrosoft.com/education/default.mspx
#7b Let's talk about wikis in the classroom.
My Response: The site below listed specific ways to use wikis in the K-12 classrooms: science fair projects, collaborative textbooks, student portfolios, collaborations between teachers, literature circles (love this one), etc. If your interested check out the site: http://wik.ed.uiuc.edu/index.php/Wiki in a K-12 classroom.
Some concerns about wikis is that they may be unreliable because of the editing access. My response: While it is true that the information can be changed, I think we forget that textbooks and certainly journal articles do the same in print all the time. Yet we rarely critique the validity of those. I suppose if wikis allow people to indiscriminately change material without accountability that could be more of a problem. But I think we do it more often than we realize it with printed material as well...
Some concerns about wikis is that they may be unreliable because of the editing access. My response: While it is true that the information can be changed, I think we forget that textbooks and certainly journal articles do the same in print all the time. Yet we rarely critique the validity of those. I suppose if wikis allow people to indiscriminately change material without accountability that could be more of a problem. But I think we do it more often than we realize it with printed material as well...
#7a Do Web 2.0 Tools Keep Us Organized?
My Response: My experience with Web 2.0 tools includes Facebook and now LibraryThing. I am not an avid Facebook user and only felt compelled to create an account because of my job. While Facebook is popular in schools as well as in homes, it is not something that all people feel comfortable in using. I do support using Facebook for an office or school because it has benefits.
I think the idea of LibraryThing is great. It has moved from just an organizational tool for books in 2005 to including a social component in 2007. I do think that LibraryThing can be great for classrooms. Teachers and students can input their books and comment on them. They can make wish lists for the teachers to see. I think it is a great way of having students explore the world of books and reading on a metacognitive level, that is thinking about how we think about books.
The article below gives a good overview of LibraryThing and its evolution.
LibraryThing: Cataloguing for the (Social) Mass. Full Tex Available By: O'Neill, Jill. Information Today, Sep2007, Vol. 24 Issue 8, p. 23.
I think the idea of LibraryThing is great. It has moved from just an organizational tool for books in 2005 to including a social component in 2007. I do think that LibraryThing can be great for classrooms. Teachers and students can input their books and comment on them. They can make wish lists for the teachers to see. I think it is a great way of having students explore the world of books and reading on a metacognitive level, that is thinking about how we think about books.
The article below gives a good overview of LibraryThing and its evolution.
LibraryThing: Cataloguing for the (Social) Mass. Full Tex Available By: O'Neill, Jill. Information Today, Sep2007, Vol. 24 Issue 8, p. 23.
#7c Can podcasts be a useful tool in the classroom?
My response: I found podcasts to be an extraordinary help for classroom instruction. Of all the podcasts sites recommended, I enjoyed the Willow Web Podcast for Kids site. I found it amazing that young students were creating podcasts in classrooms. As an instructor podcasts can be a tremendous help for students who need to make up work because of absenteeism, or for specialized math instruction, or general lesson plans.
#7d What do you think about the Jing Project? Is it something you envision using in the classroom?
My response: When I visited the Jing website, it seamed easy enough to maneuver but putting together a Jing video will be the test. I think if educators can get used to these tools, they will be very valuable. We have used Jing for a variety of things including explaining blogs!
Friday, March 19, 2010
Welcome to Gail's Blog 4 Education
Welcome to my blog! Here I hope to have discussion, tips, questions, and answers about education. Join me!
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