Emerging Technologies

My Immediate Plans

2007-05-16T18:55:00+00:00

I plan to incorporate a wiki page into my library webpages. I’ve actually started by creating a page for our summer reading program. I’d like the students to post book reviews over the summer, and I plan on inserting podcasts of booktalks. In addition, I’d like to have my library aides create vodcasts to be inserted in SMSLive once a week. One week may be a Technology Tip; another week it may be a video booktalk. With 40 student aides, surely we can talk a few into this!

I’d like the teachers to view the library as a “production” area for these creative projects. The media center is there not just for research and book selection, but as a resource for creation for these projects that go beyond “cut and paste” requirements. We can share our expertise!

John has been great in support all of our technology projects. He is the answer man! The biggest stumbling block has been the access to computers. It would be great to have a few more computers added to each classroom for small group collaboration, and it would be wonderful to add 5-10 computers to the library so each student could have access to a computer for the individual portion of projects, allowing them to work at their own pace.

How will I use this in the future?

2007-05-16T18:46:00+00:00

Of all of the technologies that we have learned about, I believe wikis will be used the most. I hope to use professional development time to produce wiki pages that can be used for my 8th grade unit on cultures, and redevelop my family unit so that students can create a wiki about their family heritage. I think students will find interest in other’s cultures and traditions. I will ask students to read their classmates pages and post a response to what they have learned. For the culture unit, I hope to have students post their gathered information from the country that they researched, so that it may be shared with others. These pages can also be added to by other students as the year moves on. In my 8th grade nutrient unit, I have students create an advertisement for a nutrient. It would be neat to have the students create a podcast for their nutrient and add sounds and effects to their work.
Blogs could be used as more of a discussion board, I’m not sure how i would implement them yet. Perhaps I would have students log on and reflect after a cooking lab. With the restructuring of the 9th grade class, I’m not completely sure exactly what I am teaching yet, however I am sure there are many ways that I could implement blogs, wiki or podcasts. We do talk about the 7 habits of highly effective teens. Groups could be assigned a particular habit and on a wiki they could explain what the habit is and why it is important. Students could also develp a wiki that lists organization methods, and ways to beat stress!

The only bumps in the road I feel I might run into is the access problem. Being able to explain how to create a wiki, how to post, etc is going to take time before being able to actually create a work in progress. I hope that there is less of an access problem in the future so that we are able to use technology more freely. From time to time there might be a few questions that arise that would require tech staff to help, however I do not see that as being a problem. I’m not exactly sure how i will set up the wikis, or what will work best, however I will have to determine that by trial and error.

Blast off into technology!

2007-05-16T18:36:00+00:00

Wow! What a variety of teaching tools avalible to charge into the 21st century! the new technology today is enabling the teacher to break down the walls of the classroom and provide instruction or reflection of learning any time of the day. These technologies give the capability to all students to have a voice in the classroom.

Wiki pages are a great way to track students’ goals, ideas and learning while sharing their ideas with each another. The wiki would be an excellent tool to have students summarize their day. They could also post the nightly homework for all to see if they need to reflect back to the day ‘s activities whether they are absent or not. Wikis can also keep parents aware of what is going on in the classroom and allowing them to participate in their child’s learning.

Utilizing podcasts/vodcasts enables students to create visual presentations on their learning using the technology of today. They can have a voice in explaining their learning by inserting audio files to presentations. They can take pictures of the different aspects of the days. Giving the student the tools and power to investigate with each other will engage the students in teams to learn differently.

Podcasting could be used in math to discuss how to’s for mathematical procedures. This allows the student to hear themselves explain the concepts. It forces them to clarify their ideas and practice essential skills for being successful in the PSSA open-ended questions. These student-made pod casts can serve as a tutor for future students. Ecogeeks is an example of a science podcast to enhance my ecology curriculum.

In order to make the above work, it is necessary for me to have more computer access or computers in my classroom. For whole group instruction and sharing it is important to have a projector for large screen viewing. The tvs in the classroom right now are not effective in instruction because they are too small. A video camera would be ideal to share learning experiences on the wiki pages on line.

Implementation

2007-05-16T18:36:00+00:00

We enjoyed having the time to learn and explore the various technologies. Having time to think, discuss and share ideas with one another was also very valuable. The pacing and amount of material was appropriate and kept us interested. We did not feel overwhelmed with the information presented; however putting it together into our classrooms will take time and commitment and resources. We liked the podcasts and believe the students will enjoy doing them. We can see ourselves using this to build reading skills. It will also work for self editing of written work. We will need microphones for the classrooms in order for this to take place. THis can also be used as an electronic portfolio for the kids. What a neat thing to take to an IEP meeting

We would like to use Wiki to determine prior knowledge, to explore and research a topic, and to share what the students have learned. This can be used as a running record of the year. The issue will be access to the computers. We both feel Wikis are better than blogging. Wiki allows you to group the material into categories. We feel the students will take more ownership in the Wikis then with the blogs.

Professionally, the bloglines and RSS will help us to stay current on topics. The information is coming to us and we do not have to spend the time searching. We will then have more time for implementation.

Now that we have the tools to start implementing, it is up to us to step out of the box to incorportate the variuos technologies in our classroom.

To effectively implement emerging technologies

2007-05-16T18:35:01+00:00

The possibilities for these technologies are endless! For wikispaces, I would like to refine my idea of digital portfolios. I would like students to complete assessments on their individual wikipages as part of their engagement in the learning process. I tried a blog this year, but I do not feel I was very successful. I need to think about how I can more effectively model and implement this technology to promote discussion and collaboration. I am excited to expand on my knowledge of podcasts. I would love to have students podcast at the end of a day or a week. I would love to have them translate the content and process skills they acquired into a podcast. In addition, this would be a valuable vehicle for communicating interests and questions to develop their learning. This could be an invaluable digital diary for me as the instructional planner. Parents could access this resource and develop a strong understanding of their students’ education.

There are many diverse uses for podcasts with students of all ability levels. Click here for a few ideas Cathy and I developed.

Podcasts can really develop fluency and building confidence in oral reading. I want to continue to use this technology with my remedial readers.

I’m interested in developing additional knowledge of the open source web 2.0 software applications. There are many to investigate!

To implement these ideas, my classroom needs a projector, a digital video camera, computers, and microphones. I would love to have a digital smartboard to model these tools and develop additional instructional strategies. It is essential these tools are readily available for seamless integration into the learning environment.

how will i use this

2007-05-16T18:34:00+00:00

I plan on using wikkis and blogs with my 9th grade class next year. All my students will be required to write a weekly blog about computer class. this will be a great way to communicate with my students outside of the classroom. I do not see them everyday and if they can ask questions at there convience i can accomplish more in my classroom. I plan on creating lesson plans over the summer so i will be able to start at the beginning of the school year.
I am also willing to work with other teachers on blogging and wikkis. The way my schedule is set up this shouldn’t be a problem with the 6th grade. I also plan to talk to the 6th grade teachers about creating blogs for the 6th grade. I can devote time to working on blogs in my class, this will hopefully free up the computer lab so other assignments can be accomplished.

Wiki Article

2007-05-04T02:04:01+00:00

I ran across a wiki article on Edutopia....

wikis

2007-05-02T13:00:00+00:00

i enjoyed learning about wikis and book marks i plan on using wikis in my 9th grade next year. i think it will be a wonderful oppurtunity for students to voice their opinion in there own environment. after the lesson they have time to formulate questions and respond to others questions. this is a wonderful tool for a school setting. kutos to wiki

Best ways to use this new knowledge?

2007-05-01T18:15:00+00:00

I would like to investigate furl and blinklist in more depth. What tool would be the best to utilize if I wish for my students to go to certain math sites I have discovered for their practice.?

Wiki

2007-05-01T18:08:00+00:00

I am excited to start using Wiki in my classroom. I like the idea of the electronic portfolio. I also think this is another valuable way to communicate with parents. I came up with numerous ideas on how to use Wiki in my classroom. I would like to use it as an end of the semester assessment, a tool for research, uploading study guides and journals.

Wiki Activity

2007-05-01T17:58:00+00:00

I have really enjoyed discovering new ideas of how to utilize technology in the classroom environment. The Wiki page appears to be an excellent way to engage all students while building reading, writing and communication skills. Whether the student is reserved or outgoing, the wiki provides an outlet for peer communication and collaboration. It would be neat to run a year long portfolio or diary for the year. I would also like to see how parents would interact with their children via the wiki. I’m looking forward to receiving the hardware and software in the classroom in order to support these ideas.

Using wikis in the classroom

2007-05-01T17:56:00+00:00

I value the time we had today to search all of the compiled wiki resources. The resources proffered various suggestions for the use of wikis in the content areas. I am currently using wikispaces for digital portfolios. I have some ideas about modifying my use of the wiki for a digital portfolio for next year.
I never knew Teachertube existed. It is a valuable resource to meet the needs of multiple intelligence learners.

In addition to creation of special projects with a wiki, I think I will use a wiki to present information to my classes. I could keep notes, slide shows, concept maps, etc. in an online depository. Students would then be able to access the information from home. Better yet, they could develop it for the class. Having that modeled for me via the Emerging Tech wiki was thought-provoking.

I really like the idea of a wiki becoming a public digital space. I would love to have students be able to take notes electronically during a class. This would truly require an acceptance of students being able to multi-task. I know this would be difficult for many teachers to accept. Silent thinkers would be able to document their big ideas without feeling intimidated by speaking in front of the class.

The possibilities are endless, but I NEED more computer access!!

Wikis, Social Bookmarking, etc.

2007-05-01T17:56:00+00:00

SOO many options! It is a little overwhelming.

I like many of the options that a wiki space provides. There were a lot of great ideas on the links provided. I’d like to explore ways of making note taking more collaborative and ways of building assessments into a wiki. To begin, I think that I will set up a wiki space and post study guides for the upcoming finals. It will be interesting to see how many students access the information this way. Also, I’d like to give the students an opportunity to give me some feedback on the year.

The gliffy.com website was really cool! I look forward to using this in the future and to having students design their own graphic organizers!

Social bookmarking will be a nice tool for me to use myself. At this point, I don’t see including students in this but maybe in the future.

Reflection on Wikis and Social Bookmarking

2007-05-01T17:56:00+00:00

Wikis are a very useful tool for the classroom. I can use the wiki to communicate information to my students such as course requirements, rubrics for projects (in case they loose them), recipes, etc. Wikis can be used as an electronic notebook, especially for those students who have trouble with organization and misplacing things. In the future, I hope to have students create their own wikis, especially at the 8th grade level. Students can create their cultural brochures on a wiki instead of printing them out and turning them into me, I can view them from the wikispaces. I can have students use http://www.gliffy.com to create diagrams relating to material that is being discussed. I could also use a wiki for students to reflect on cooking labs. 9th grade students could use gliffy.com to create a floor plan for 2 of their projects. It is also a great way for students to learn from each other, and comment on their peers work. I hope access becomes less of an issue so that wikis, and other forms of technology can be used regularly.

Social bookmarking is also very interesting, more for my personal use than for student use. I have added many websites to my blinklist that i will be able to use in the future.

On Wikis, cellular phones, and filtration

2007-05-01T17:55:00+00:00

Wikis: student-centered learning. Good for making the students the experts. It would be cool to give each students an objective for research which, on its own, is incomplete. Then each student would contribute his expertise to the wiki. The class’s contributions would come together and give the reader the big picture.
“Wiki etiquette” would need to be taught; removing others’ contributions is not acceptable, formal English, positive and constructive comments only, etc.

I read a blog about the use of cellular phones in a classroom. I’d like to see students use their full capabilities to complete their classwork; it is the classwork that needs to changed based on the tools available to them. Our generation of teachers will be the ones to either pioneer our students’ usage of new tools and information streams, or to stick our heads in the sand. If we choose the latter, public schools run the risk of becoming irrelevant. Their jobs and lives when they finish school will be in a connected world; disconnecting them at school does them a disservice.

At what point do we consider removing filtration and teaching students skills to cope with an internet which is filled with things they ought not see? It opens up a huge can of writhing worms and I don’t know how to handle it, but I think eventually we’ve got to find a way to do it. Any ideas? Any research on this topic? Will it ever be possible or even desirable? It would represent a HUGE shift in thinking for our schools and our nation.

How can I use this technology in my classroom?

2007-04-12T16:36:00+00:00

This is an excellent way to help stimmulate student thinking and develop communication skills for the 21st century. It also develops written language. It provides me with a way to communicate with parents and have parents communicate with their children.

Answering one of the big questions

2007-04-12T16:24:00+00:00

One new skill I think we need to make sure students know is the difference between fiction and factual information. Too often students believe all of the information that they find, and assume that it is factual. Students need to distinguish between the two. Students also need to have netiquette reinforcement as to what is acceptable and unacceptable when it comes to blogging.

the big question

2007-04-12T16:20:00+00:00

answer to question #2 students need to use proper sentence structure when blogging. it is not instant messaging.

Answers to the Big Questions

2007-04-12T16:09:00+00:00

1. What are the “affordances” and “constraints” of the technology? In other words, what does the technology allow us to do or prevent us from doing? This fundamental understanding is important to answer the next questions…

Affordances: Expansion of the classroom into the larger world. Input from parents. Input from outside experts. Ability to hop in and guide a student after each comment. Ability to include other websites and media to support your argument. Archived record of classroom discussion.
Constraints: You relinquish total control of the direction the students are going. You can act as a shepherd and guide them, but not as a drill sergeant. It’s possible for a discussion to go completely off topic and enter into a new discussion which does not feed your objective. Students with limited experience with computers will face a steeper learning curve. Students could potentially face ridicule and disrespect from other students as a result of their postings, thus harming the feeling of community/classroom safety.

Students working through interface issues to get a computer to do what they want it to do is a form of problem solving. If a student is confident enough in him or herself, any time spent on a computer is a learning experience. However, students who lack confidence in their ability to work through problems could quickly get frustrated when faced with the additional obstacles using a computer faces, as opposed to pencil and paper.

Big Questions

2007-04-12T16:09:00+00:00

Blogging allows for flexibility within the curriculum and instruction. Students can express their opinions and personal perspectives. As teachers, this gives us a chance to gain insight into student thoughts that we would not usually have access to. The constraints are time and access. It takes time to teach and guide the students through the expectations. Students need to be aware of the language they use to express their thoughts. Maintaining the blog and guiding the students to proper usage could be time consuming.

Blogging could change the way that I teach my classes in several ways. Instead of being the primary purveyor of information I could instead prompt the students with a general topic or problem and then allow them to explore. In this way, Students would not be limited by a text or set curriculum. They could explore current information, generate their own questions, and analyze each others thoughts. I feel that in this setting I would learn as much if not more than the students.