Podcasting in the Classroom

Podcasting is yet another tool that can be wonderfully useful in the classroom. Of the many roles it can play, I believe that students being able to plan, collaborate and record their own podcast is the most useful. Instead of finding one episode that I would use, I discovered a teacher whose classroom who posted podcasts from multiple students. These podcasts consist of the students reading poetry with expression. The students selected poems, illustrated them, and recorded them as podcasts. I selected these podcasts mostly because they could be included in a poetry unit. I would play a different poem for my class each day and begin a discussion on its meaning and poetic elements. Also, since I'm in the literacy specialist program, fluency is one of the main goals of reading. These students reading their chosen poems with expression is a great way to work on fluency. At the end of the poetry unit, I would have my students do a similar project. I would first have them select a poem, practice reading it fluently, and record it as a podcast. Once they got the hang of it, I would have them compose their own and record it with illustrations. This idea could be adapted for older students as well!
Poetry Podcast

Collaboration is Everything

I was truly impressed by the features offered by the ePals site. As I was browsing I found most interesting the “connect to classrooms” link that contains forums for teachers to collaborate. I found it amazing how easy it seemed to send messages to teachers all over the world, using the translation feature. It seems like so many people are eager to connect globally. I also noticed many teachers hoping to connect their classrooms using Skype. I think this is such a wonderful idea; we need to take advantage of this amazing technology.

One way I would definitely use this site is to connect to a classroom in another part of the world. When I was in school, we had pen pals arranged and it was an awesome experience, and I think interacting with other students internationally would be even better. In the future, I would choose a “hot topic” for my class to focus on – something like saving the environment that effects the whole world. I would hope to use ePals to find another classroom that my students could physically write letters to. I would arrange a Skype meeting as a conclusion to the project.

The possibilities are endless with site. I am even more excited to have my own classroom of students to share this unique opportunity with.

Bookr: Another way to Extend Literacy Skills

Since I aim to teach elementary age students and am working on my Master's in the Literacy Specialist program, I think a great way to use Bookr would be to have students create a story in one of two ways.

Students could go through the writing process to create their own story. To publish their finished product, they could use Bookr to type each page and choose an accompanying picture. This would provide motivation to get to the point of publishing.

Another activity that would be interesting would be to create a Bookr with different photos and have the students add text. This would require them to be creative in thinking of ideas, but maintain a storyline at the same time.

The latter idea is what I had in mind when creating this object. This would be one (very simple) way to introduce students to the idea of creating text given photos. I titled this Bookr "Our Year" and included chronological pictures that imply the beginning of the school year through the end. I would have students create text that would highlight everything they've done this year.

Creative Commons Liscensing: The Many Ways to Share

Random wildflower by *Micky Attribution License

Creative Commons Liscensing allows photographers to indicate what types of uses to allow. All types of creative commons liscensing ensure creators receive credit for their work, allow creators to retain copyright while giving others the opportunity to use their work, and work internationally, lasting as long as applicable copyright lasts. When using Flickr, it's important to understand the different types of liscenses so users can determine which suits their needs.

One type of creative commons liscense is the Attribution Liscense. This means that others can use, distribute, modify and copy work (even commercially) as long as credit is given for original work and derivitive works that have been created. Attribution-Noncommercial Liscense allows people to use works under the same conditions as the Attribution Liscense, but commercial use is not allowed.

Attribution No-Derivs Liscense gives users the right to use, distribute, and copy only exact copies of the original work. Credit must be given and no changes can be made.

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs is the most restrictive of the main liscenses. Users can download work to share, but commercial use is not allowed, no changes can be made, and credit must be given.

Attributions-ShareAlike Liscense lets others change and build upon work (even commercially) as long as they give credit and liscense their modified creations under the same terms. Any derivitives of the original work will have the same liscense. Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike Liscense is the same, but commercial use is not allowed.

Tweet Tweet Tweet

Being new to the world of blogging, my knowledge of Twitter was quite limited up to this point (besides hearing my teenaged sister's phone buzz every five seconds as she Tweets with all her friends). I was under the impression that it was simply another means of "updating your status", similar to Facebook. I am impressed to discover that Twitter is so much more. The number of educators who share their knowledge through this means can provide excellent professional development. Twitter can be used to share music, videos, documents, create business cards, and so much more. In the classroom, there is a plethora of ways to incorporate Twitter. Among my favorites are answering homework or opinion questions, tweeting as characters from a novel, creating short stories, keeping parents informed, taking polls, playing word games, following experts of the area currently being studied, internet scavenger hunts, and discussing current events. Once again, this is a tool that many of our students use regularly and are familiar with so why not make it educational?

Resources:
31 Interesting Ways to Use Twitter in the Classroom
Tweet Ideas: 13 Things to do on Twitter besides Tweet

Why Reinvent the Wheel?

Throughout my browsing of many educational blogs, there are two types of posts and information I personally find most interesting. I enjoy reading about new ways to incorporate technology into the classroom, because after learning about the many tools available during this course, it's valuable to read ways teachers are actually putting them to use. I also always find it useful to read about other teaching ideas or techniques that may or may not use technology. As a teacher it's nice to keep an ongoing "list" (an actual one or mental) of ideas to use in the future. The blog I chose to comment on discussed an idea for a review game that I have seen before, but with variations. This activity can be used with any subject and almost any grade level. I like this post because it's great to have a variety of games and activities to use when it comes time to review!
This game involves a set of "I have" "Who has" cards. One student begins saying, for example, "I have triangle. Who has a shape with four equilateral sides?" The student with the "square" card would then continue the same way. A variation can be done where students each have a card and they must wander around the classroom looking for the classmate that will complete the statement. When this person is found, the students trade cards and the game continues.

Check out the post I commented on!

My comment offered an additional idea to use with this activity. I suggested having students create the cards themselves for additional review. I was glad to see someone respond to my comment! I feel like an official blogger.

Transforming Education through Social Networking

Technology Integration in Education is a group I found to be a wonderful resource to promote technology in the classroom, particularly in the field of mathematics. This was just one of many useful social networks I came upon. It contains forums, links to many other useful and informative groups, resources to internet tools, news, videos, events, and so much more. I could spend hours reading the many ideas for putting internet tools to use in the classroom, as well as collaborating with educators around the world.

Besides the collaboration aspect, some of the benefits of this site are that it is updated constantly, and contains endless ideas and content. I am very excited to explore this group further and put some of my new knowledge and skills to use!

Today's Learner...

Today's learner is like an ipod. When brand new, it has the potential to become a tool equipped to take on many tasks. The first step in using an ipod is charging it and turning it on. Similarly, people must turn on their minds and be open to the vast amount of knowledge and information that is available. To take full advantage of ipods, one must add music and applications. Learners also acquire new information from a variety of sources, and their own personal "applications" are opened when called for in different situations. According to Siemens' article, "nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning". An ipod must connect to sources like computers, chargers, and the internet in order to be constantly up to date in terms of software and content. As stated in his video, "the network is the learning." Likewise, learners must connect to various online and print sources, as well as other people to create an environment in which they learn constantly.

Consumers will notice that original first generation ipods are no longer on the market. The technology that existed in them has become isolete with the addition of color screens, larger storage devices, video ipods, touch screens, and ipods that have the ability of going online. Though ipods in general are a fairly new technology, those created as little as five years ago realistically are no longer used. Up-to-date information is also a necessary component of connectivism. Information presented today may not be relevant tomorrow. Learners must keep up with the constant flow of information to remain an informed member of today's ever-changing society.

Article referenced: Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age

Video referenced: The Changing Nature of Knowledge

Video Reaction

I recently watched the video Pay Attention! which all educators should watch as a reality check, asking us to pay attention to our students and their needs, skills, and interests. Today's students exist in a technology dominated world and it's our job to reach them by using the tools they are familiar with to make learning engaging and meaningful. This video reminded me to a similar video and discussion from a previous graduate course, in which we discussed the jobs that this generation of students will be applying for in the future. It would be a disservice to them to ignore the advances and importance of technology. These students know and are familiar with tools like cell phones, Facebook, Twitter, and ipods - why not assign homework or give pop quizzes that must be completed via text message? Or ask students to create Facebook pages for characters in books they are reading? Or use podcasts to communicate with them? Though each of these ideas may not be ideal in every school setting, the point is that the old ways of lecture, note-taking, and cramming for exams is becoming less effective and we need to understand the world our students live in to create the most effective learning environment.
The video also points out that we always talk about and encourage our students to read more. However, they are composing and reading thousands of e-mails and text messages a year. This is literacy! It's time to take advantage of their knowledge of these tools and create a link to learning.

I found this website interesting and useful. Pay Attention: Ideas for becoming a better teacher

Blogs: Safety Tips for Children

Here are some ideas that children should know to ensure safety when blogging.

• Talk to your parents about Internet use so you know what sites they feel comfortable with you using.
• Never post information that is too personal, such as home address, phone number, or school – this information is valuable.
• Your user name also should not reveal too much information about yourself.
• Report bullying or harassment to a parent, teacher, or other trusted adult.
• Think carefully about your actions online (don’t be a cyberbully yourself). You shouldn’t impersonate someone else, or post pictures of other people that they are not aware of or do not approve of.
• Be aware of privacy settings and know who has access to your blog.
• Set settings for who can comment on your blog so that you approve all comments first, or consider turning off the comment feature.
• Avoiding linking your blog to others’ who may have public access. Don’t be concerned with popularity.
• Remember that once you post a picture or comment online and someone sees it, you can’t take it back.
• Keep your password a secret from everyone except your parents.

Click the icon below for more information about blog safety for children!

Blogs in the Classroom

The possibilities are endless. It's time for us as educators to take advantage of the many resources and technologies available. Before using blogs or other web tools with students, I believe it's important to be completely familiar with the technology. For this reason, I think it would be beneficial for me to become part of a community of teachers to share and offer ideas, as well as to gain experience blogging. Once I felt prepared to share my knowledge with students, here are just a few of the ways I would do so.

1. Journal writing/reading responses: Typically, when students are asked to write informal journal entries or responses to books they have read, the teacher is the only one who reads what is written, which sometimes develops into a written conversation. If this same task was completed using a blog, this would allow other students to read each others' thoughts and ideas. They could respond to their peers' posts and read comments from everyone, not just one teacher. A sense of community would develop from working together and offering comments.
2. Discussing and debating current events: Using my blog, I could post links to articles or videos that would be appropriate and relevant to class discussions. The students would post their opinion on these matters. This would require them to read, think about how they feel, express their feelings in a safe environment, and stay informed about what is going on in the world they live in.
3. Extending or introducing class topics: Before beginning a unit or new lesson, I could use a blog as an introduction, or anticipatory set. I would post a question for students to consider, a short reading to make them think, a topic to discuss with family members, or an assignment to complete before class. As a post-topic activity I might ask students to reflect upon what was discussed during class, or informally assess their learning by reading what they took out of the day's lesson.

Standards (related to all 3 ideas):

ELA :
Standard 2

Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and expression.

Students will read and listen to oral, written and electronically produced texts and performances, relate texts and performances to their own lives, and develop an understanding of the diverse social, historical, and cultural dimensions the texts and performances represent. As speakers and writers, students will use oral and written language for self-expression and artistic creation.

Standard 4

Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction.

Students will use oral and written language for effective social communication with a wide variety of people. As readers and listeners, they will use the social communications of others to enrich their understanding of people and their views.

Technology:

Standard 2: Students will access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate technologies.

Computer Technology

Key idea: Computers, as tools for design, modeling, information processing, communication, and system control, have greatly increased human productivity and knowledge.