Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Google Earth (NETS I, II, III)
In this assignment, we were instructed to create an original pathway using the tools provided on Google earth by creating custom place marks and pathways with descriptions of where we went and what we did there. We reflected on either our daily routines, what we did on thanksgiving break, or some other sort of event in our lives.
Social Bookmarking (NETS IV)
1. I visited the National Archives bookmark and read the online exhibit about the Influenza virus of 1918. This exhibit had pictures of artifacts during the time of the influenza epidemic. It also mentioned the effects of the "flu" and how quickly it spread. Many people had not yet developed the immunity to withstand the flu virus at this time which lead to many deaths within the span of days. Many mail carriers and police officers could not go outside without having to put on face masks and others were encouraged to stay home away from crowded ares.
Online exhibits such as these are very important to use for primary sources in the classroom. They help students research information for assignments and projects. It also gives them credible sources to cite work and information.
2. As a teacher, I feel that I have more of a hands-on teaching style and in order to be able to implement this style of teaching, I would have to know my students and where they come from, assess the problem by figuring out what my staff needs to support these students, and conduct a hands on experience that both staff and students can learn from. I feel that issues such as achievement gaps will be better addressed if students and teachers work simultaneously and for this reason, I chose these three areas to become a competent educator:
-Determine the diverse groups served by your school. Consider cultural, linguistic, racial, and ethnic diversity. Find out the degree to which families and students in these groups are accessing available school services.
- Assess what your school staff perceive as their staff development needs related to providing services to each group.
-Engage school staff in discussions and activities that offer an opportunity to explore attitudes, beliefs, and values related to cultural diversity and cultural competence.
3. In the Stop cyber bullying section, I took a test and my result came out to be a cyber bully. It turns out that even the smallest of teases and jokes are considered some form of bullying on the net and without having taken this quiz, I would've never know this. I turns out that children are the Einsteins of today's digital age and use the internet like how we use our clothes. Most of the time parents have no clue what their children do on the net, and most times, children start abusing their privileges. I learned that using the web for communication has a new meaning for words and just words alone cannot describe actions anymore. Cyber bullying is an issue that flies just below the radar, an someone needs to give it that big discovery in order to treat this issue.
4. Under the "Subject Access" header, the link that most interested me was the link to the Bill Nye the Science Guy website. I found this website very innovative in creating science lesson plans for students. Because I am a Science field depth of study, this website looked very fun to incorporate into the classroom. Students can access this website to go over science experiments done in class and find other experiments they'd want to do outside of the classroom. On the "Teacher Helper's" header, I chose the Multi-user Virtual Environments. This tool reaches out to ANY subject you can think of and also provides a simulated reality experience that the students can enjoy. MUVEs are probably one of the best tools designed yet to cater to all subject areas presented in the classroom.
5. My top three Intelligences are:
1. Musical
2. Logical
3. Visual
Watching the video on smartville was very interesting and informative. In Smartville, students demonstrate their different "smarts" through different activities in a building created to represent a real-world. Students use their multiple intelligences, created by Howard Gardener, to do real world things such as cook, run a post office, or a store. Through multiple intelligences, students are encouraged to use their intelligence to their abilities to help them succeed in multiple subjects.
6. Caring For Hair
Grade: 3-5
Subject: Science and Health
Topic:Caring For Hair
This lesson plan is a research activity students do to explore different ways people care for their hair. They write a 1 paragraph story about hair then do some research through magazines, newspapers and first-person interviews to explore different ways people can care for their hair. After this research they gather their information and share it with the class and write a new 1 paragraph story about hair implementing the research they've done. This activity would be excellent for meeting cultural competence standards in the classroom. Students will be able to compare physical differences and discuss the positive things about cultural difference.
7. Question 2: Compared with White women, how likely are African American women in the U.S. to die during childbirth due to a lack of access to prenatal care, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality?
Answer: 4 times as likely
This question is ridiculous. Because some African American women lack access to prenatal care this makes them 4 times as likely to die during childbirth. I can't even begin to fathom that this is fact. I just can't believe that this would be so.
Question 13: Based on a 2007 report from the Economic Policy Institute, the annual earnings of the average full-time U.S. worker is roughly equal to:
Answer: the daily earnings of the average CEO in the U.S.
The margin between the middle class and upper class is large but I would have never thought it would be this huge. It seems that the average full time worker deserves more the daily pay of a C.E.O. if you consider physical work load alone. It's amazing at what this country has become.
8. My Netiquette score was: 80% (8 out of 10)
Netiquette is very important for students to know and also works hand in hand with cyberbullying. As teachers, we always want to promote a positive learning environment in the tech world and without the knowledge of netiquette, students will not be able to recognize communication lingo's and may become offended. Students always seem to be in the know about anything technology but one thing that may underlie this concept is netiquette. It's very important for students to learn manners in the classroom, why not the net either? ;p
Online exhibits such as these are very important to use for primary sources in the classroom. They help students research information for assignments and projects. It also gives them credible sources to cite work and information.
2. As a teacher, I feel that I have more of a hands-on teaching style and in order to be able to implement this style of teaching, I would have to know my students and where they come from, assess the problem by figuring out what my staff needs to support these students, and conduct a hands on experience that both staff and students can learn from. I feel that issues such as achievement gaps will be better addressed if students and teachers work simultaneously and for this reason, I chose these three areas to become a competent educator:
-Determine the diverse groups served by your school. Consider cultural, linguistic, racial, and ethnic diversity. Find out the degree to which families and students in these groups are accessing available school services.
- Assess what your school staff perceive as their staff development needs related to providing services to each group.
-Engage school staff in discussions and activities that offer an opportunity to explore attitudes, beliefs, and values related to cultural diversity and cultural competence.
3. In the Stop cyber bullying section, I took a test and my result came out to be a cyber bully. It turns out that even the smallest of teases and jokes are considered some form of bullying on the net and without having taken this quiz, I would've never know this. I turns out that children are the Einsteins of today's digital age and use the internet like how we use our clothes. Most of the time parents have no clue what their children do on the net, and most times, children start abusing their privileges. I learned that using the web for communication has a new meaning for words and just words alone cannot describe actions anymore. Cyber bullying is an issue that flies just below the radar, an someone needs to give it that big discovery in order to treat this issue.
4. Under the "Subject Access" header, the link that most interested me was the link to the Bill Nye the Science Guy website. I found this website very innovative in creating science lesson plans for students. Because I am a Science field depth of study, this website looked very fun to incorporate into the classroom. Students can access this website to go over science experiments done in class and find other experiments they'd want to do outside of the classroom. On the "Teacher Helper's" header, I chose the Multi-user Virtual Environments. This tool reaches out to ANY subject you can think of and also provides a simulated reality experience that the students can enjoy. MUVEs are probably one of the best tools designed yet to cater to all subject areas presented in the classroom.
5. My top three Intelligences are:
1. Musical
2. Logical
3. Visual
Watching the video on smartville was very interesting and informative. In Smartville, students demonstrate their different "smarts" through different activities in a building created to represent a real-world. Students use their multiple intelligences, created by Howard Gardener, to do real world things such as cook, run a post office, or a store. Through multiple intelligences, students are encouraged to use their intelligence to their abilities to help them succeed in multiple subjects.
6. Caring For Hair
Grade: 3-5
Subject: Science and Health
Topic:Caring For Hair
This lesson plan is a research activity students do to explore different ways people care for their hair. They write a 1 paragraph story about hair then do some research through magazines, newspapers and first-person interviews to explore different ways people can care for their hair. After this research they gather their information and share it with the class and write a new 1 paragraph story about hair implementing the research they've done. This activity would be excellent for meeting cultural competence standards in the classroom. Students will be able to compare physical differences and discuss the positive things about cultural difference.
7. Question 2: Compared with White women, how likely are African American women in the U.S. to die during childbirth due to a lack of access to prenatal care, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality?
Answer: 4 times as likely
This question is ridiculous. Because some African American women lack access to prenatal care this makes them 4 times as likely to die during childbirth. I can't even begin to fathom that this is fact. I just can't believe that this would be so.
Question 13: Based on a 2007 report from the Economic Policy Institute, the annual earnings of the average full-time U.S. worker is roughly equal to:
Answer: the daily earnings of the average CEO in the U.S.
The margin between the middle class and upper class is large but I would have never thought it would be this huge. It seems that the average full time worker deserves more the daily pay of a C.E.O. if you consider physical work load alone. It's amazing at what this country has become.
8. My Netiquette score was: 80% (8 out of 10)
Netiquette is very important for students to know and also works hand in hand with cyberbullying. As teachers, we always want to promote a positive learning environment in the tech world and without the knowledge of netiquette, students will not be able to recognize communication lingo's and may become offended. Students always seem to be in the know about anything technology but one thing that may underlie this concept is netiquette. It's very important for students to learn manners in the classroom, why not the net either? ;p
EXCEL Crossword Puzzle (NETS II, III)
For the EXCEL Crossword, we had to view a video tutorial on how to create a themed vocabulary crossword through the use of Microsoft EXCEL. After viewing the tutorial, were then had to create and design our own crossword puzzle with our own theme that described one of our interest.
Music Crossword
Music Crossword
Copyright Assignment (NETS IV, V)
For this assignment, our class was asked to split into groups of 2 and read through a website educating us about copyrights. In order to complete the assignment, we had to collaborate on writing a quick report on what we learned through the tutorials. We used google docs as our form of word processing collaboration and split up the tutorial in parts to complete the assignment.
Copyright Assignment
Copyright Assignment
Monday, December 7, 2009
Wiki Page: FontCapture (NETS I, II, III, IV)
In this assignment, our class was required to view some tech tools from the classroom wiki site. We were then instructed to choose a tool to create our very own wiki page which described our chosen tool and how it could be implemented into the classroom.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Journal 9: S'cool tools: 5 great tools to perk up your classroom and engage your students
Yoder, M.B. (2009, November). S'cool tools: 5 great tools to perk up your classroom and engage your students. Learning & Leading with Technology, 37(3), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/LLIssues/Volume3720092010/NovemberNo3/L_L_November_2009.htm
In this article, Maureen Yoder goes over 5 very helpful tech tools for any type of classroom whether it be elementary, middle or high school. according to Yoder, these 5 tools she presented agree to these three major questions:
1. Does this tool have the potential to enhance teaching in some powerful way?
2. Is this tool easy to learn and well supported?
3. Is this an innovative new tool or a substantial improvement on an earlier version?
Based on this criteria, the following five tools have the potential to transform your lessons.
After reading this article, I was amazed at just how my technology is out there not just to supplement the classroom, but to make lessons fun! I would never have thought of using LEGO Blocks to enhance classroom activities, nor have I ever thought of SMART tables. here is a list of the 5 tools presented.
1. Lego Education's WeDo Robotics Construction Set
2. Smart Table
3. AVer Pen
4. New Multiuser Virtual Environments (MUVEs)
5. Google Apps Education Community
The Lego Wedo kit is a set of legos that come along with robotic pieces such as til and motion sensors all in the aim for kids to work with manipulatives and engineering skills. The kit comes with 12 different models that the kids can build such as a plane that makes sounds as it is flown through the air (tilt sensor), and an alligator that snaps it's mouth every time someone passes by (motion sensor). This would go really great with children developing motor and tinkering skills, and can also help with projects about physics, biology, or any type of science.
The SMART table is just like the SMART board but in this sense is for the students. It goes great with group activities and comes along with many different functions and touch options. Yoder says that even though using regular manipulatives is way easier to handle, learning how to move them through touch screen on a SMART table puts children in awe. In a sense, the SMART table creates enthusiasm in the classroom motivating the students to want to learn. Who said learning can't be fun?
The AVer pen is similar to the SMART table but with this tool, a student can write practically on any surface. It can also work as a polling device for warm-ups or quizzes in the classroom.
Just as I mentioned in one of my previous blogs, the MUVEs learning environment is a virtual environtment used as a tool in the classroom for students to get a very close idea on how the concepts they learn in class connect to the "real-world". With virtual worlds, students can learn hands on how to start and run a business, they can learn about wildlife, how to run politics, etc. This is a great tool especially for high school students.
The last tool is mainly a tool that teachers can use personally. According to Yoder, "Google is reaching out to educators to provide tools for Internet searching, collaboration, and classroom activities at its new site designed specifically for teachers." Google Apps includes forums for sharing and discussion, voting polls on on favorite education apps, and tutorials on how to use Google apps.
If there's still a modern age out there for us to discover, I wouldn't even know what to expect anymore. This digital age is seriously enhancing the classroom like never before, and that's a good thing.
Question:
With the budget cuts going on, wouldn't tech integration be a pricey option?
In my opinion, as long as it enhances the life of the student, anything you have to buy is worth it. Education has become so much about the money that it's original purpose, which is to inspire, educate, and teach students to be a better them has been tossed out the window. Tech integration is a great way to bring back original motives and push "BORING" in learning and teaching aside.
In this article, Maureen Yoder goes over 5 very helpful tech tools for any type of classroom whether it be elementary, middle or high school. according to Yoder, these 5 tools she presented agree to these three major questions:
1. Does this tool have the potential to enhance teaching in some powerful way?
2. Is this tool easy to learn and well supported?
3. Is this an innovative new tool or a substantial improvement on an earlier version?
Based on this criteria, the following five tools have the potential to transform your lessons.
After reading this article, I was amazed at just how my technology is out there not just to supplement the classroom, but to make lessons fun! I would never have thought of using LEGO Blocks to enhance classroom activities, nor have I ever thought of SMART tables. here is a list of the 5 tools presented.
1. Lego Education's WeDo Robotics Construction Set
2. Smart Table
3. AVer Pen
4. New Multiuser Virtual Environments (MUVEs)
5. Google Apps Education Community
The Lego Wedo kit is a set of legos that come along with robotic pieces such as til and motion sensors all in the aim for kids to work with manipulatives and engineering skills. The kit comes with 12 different models that the kids can build such as a plane that makes sounds as it is flown through the air (tilt sensor), and an alligator that snaps it's mouth every time someone passes by (motion sensor). This would go really great with children developing motor and tinkering skills, and can also help with projects about physics, biology, or any type of science.
The SMART table is just like the SMART board but in this sense is for the students. It goes great with group activities and comes along with many different functions and touch options. Yoder says that even though using regular manipulatives is way easier to handle, learning how to move them through touch screen on a SMART table puts children in awe. In a sense, the SMART table creates enthusiasm in the classroom motivating the students to want to learn. Who said learning can't be fun?
The AVer pen is similar to the SMART table but with this tool, a student can write practically on any surface. It can also work as a polling device for warm-ups or quizzes in the classroom.
Just as I mentioned in one of my previous blogs, the MUVEs learning environment is a virtual environtment used as a tool in the classroom for students to get a very close idea on how the concepts they learn in class connect to the "real-world". With virtual worlds, students can learn hands on how to start and run a business, they can learn about wildlife, how to run politics, etc. This is a great tool especially for high school students.
The last tool is mainly a tool that teachers can use personally. According to Yoder, "Google is reaching out to educators to provide tools for Internet searching, collaboration, and classroom activities at its new site designed specifically for teachers." Google Apps includes forums for sharing and discussion, voting polls on on favorite education apps, and tutorials on how to use Google apps.
If there's still a modern age out there for us to discover, I wouldn't even know what to expect anymore. This digital age is seriously enhancing the classroom like never before, and that's a good thing.
Question:
With the budget cuts going on, wouldn't tech integration be a pricey option?
In my opinion, as long as it enhances the life of the student, anything you have to buy is worth it. Education has become so much about the money that it's original purpose, which is to inspire, educate, and teach students to be a better them has been tossed out the window. Tech integration is a great way to bring back original motives and push "BORING" in learning and teaching aside.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Journal 8: "Have You Tweeted Today?"
Fingal, D. (2009). Have you tweeted today? Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(2). Retrieved on October 20, 2009 from http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=September_October_No_2_3&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&NavMenuID=4381&ContentID=24192&DirectListComboInd=D
Diana Fingal poses a great argument towards John Ridley's article about the twitter fad. Although twitter has been quite mainstreamed and played out, if used the correct ways, it can be very beneficial to many, especially teachers. Diana mostly spoke about the bad rep that twitter has been given due to the fact that it has given "discretion" a new meaning in everyday life. Because of the prompt "What are you doing?" many twitter subscribers posts useless nonsense about their daily life and in a way, surrender personal discretion to the public. Twitter being used this way has caused some skepticism amongst current and future subscribers. a main concern is the broadband space being used up to post useless tweets for the public to view.
Fingal's point was that twitter has been scrutinized only because of the useless half of it's subscribers, which in turn has the majority thinking of it as useless rather than helpful. If used in a better light, such as following others with similar professions as yourself, or follow subscribers which posts tweets helpful to your profession, Twitter can actually be a great supplement to life. Not only would if be a great tech tool to use but it would be better for teachers to get in with their students and keep up with them technologically speaking. Her point across, twitter should be given a chance.
Ridley, J. NPR Morning Edition, "Keep Your Tweets to Yourself": www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104033836
According to John Ridely, Twitter is just another one of those tech fads such as myspace, or facebook. Just as I mentioned earlier, many people on twitter waste broadband spacce to post useless artifacts which are not at all helpful to the public. Ridley's perspective of twitter has solely been influenced by the many useless everyday tweets and has given him the idea that twitter is just a "waste of broadband space."
I'd have to agree with Fingal on this matter. Twitter can be used in great ways if used with constructive intentions. Not all of the world uses twitter for pointless chatter and I think that's something Ridley should understand.
Question:
In what ways can twitter be helpful to Teachers?
Twitter can be used to monitor student activities outside the classroom that may need to be brought to parents attentions. Twitter can also be used as a classroom discussion board in which students can comment about each others' ideas on certain classroom concepts or lessons. It can also be used as a resource tool for students to post helpful supplemental links to a class.
Diana Fingal poses a great argument towards John Ridley's article about the twitter fad. Although twitter has been quite mainstreamed and played out, if used the correct ways, it can be very beneficial to many, especially teachers. Diana mostly spoke about the bad rep that twitter has been given due to the fact that it has given "discretion" a new meaning in everyday life. Because of the prompt "What are you doing?" many twitter subscribers posts useless nonsense about their daily life and in a way, surrender personal discretion to the public. Twitter being used this way has caused some skepticism amongst current and future subscribers. a main concern is the broadband space being used up to post useless tweets for the public to view.
Fingal's point was that twitter has been scrutinized only because of the useless half of it's subscribers, which in turn has the majority thinking of it as useless rather than helpful. If used in a better light, such as following others with similar professions as yourself, or follow subscribers which posts tweets helpful to your profession, Twitter can actually be a great supplement to life. Not only would if be a great tech tool to use but it would be better for teachers to get in with their students and keep up with them technologically speaking. Her point across, twitter should be given a chance.
Ridley, J. NPR Morning Edition, "Keep Your Tweets to Yourself": www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104033836
According to John Ridely, Twitter is just another one of those tech fads such as myspace, or facebook. Just as I mentioned earlier, many people on twitter waste broadband spacce to post useless artifacts which are not at all helpful to the public. Ridley's perspective of twitter has solely been influenced by the many useless everyday tweets and has given him the idea that twitter is just a "waste of broadband space."
I'd have to agree with Fingal on this matter. Twitter can be used in great ways if used with constructive intentions. Not all of the world uses twitter for pointless chatter and I think that's something Ridley should understand.
Question:
In what ways can twitter be helpful to Teachers?
Twitter can be used to monitor student activities outside the classroom that may need to be brought to parents attentions. Twitter can also be used as a classroom discussion board in which students can comment about each others' ideas on certain classroom concepts or lessons. It can also be used as a resource tool for students to post helpful supplemental links to a class.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
