Second Life Video: week 8

I was AWE struck at the capabilities of using online tools and animation last night as I watched the video on Second Life.  Students have so many more chances to use their imaginations to construct and build upon grandiose ideas that they may have.  Providing students with vast avenues to explore their creativity is the name of the game after all and I strongly believe that Second Life provides that opportunity to its fullest.  It not only provides opportunities for those pursuing architecture, but goes right on down the line to agriculture even.  It certainly provides those students who may be a little shy the opportunity to express themselves in a virtual world where they can change themselves and make themselves do all sorts of things that they may never have imagined before.  I feel as though this tool would provide those students with the best avenue to express themselves comfortably and give the rest of their peers a chance to get to really know them.  What a cool and interesting tool, one which once again I had no idea existed!

Facebook/Ning uses in classroom: week 8

After having read chapter 9 in our textbook I began to fully see the uses of such social networking sites as Facebook and Ning.  I would have NEVER even thought of using Facebook in particular in the classroom before since I had always thought of it as a "gossiping" tool used to keep up with what other people that you know are doing.  I would have never thought to use the "group" tool to have collaborative editing and sharing taking place through this social networking site.  I really liked how Ning was discussed throughout the chapter as well as a more honed in site to be used for specific interests.  I still believe that the biggest obstacle in being able to use these sites in the classroom will be administration and parents.  However, I do strongly believe that a strong case can be built in favor of using them if the case can be sold in the correct way to those parties in interest.  In the back of my mind all I can think about is, why not use a site such as Facebook that kids are already fully engulfed in to further educate them on the finer aspects of it?  They have so much to learn and would benefit from learning it all.  Let's give it a try!

Weekly Readings: week 7

I must say that I was a little confused and befuddled while reading a few of the task readings for this week.  I am not sure if that was because I was sleepy while reading them or because the content just was not sinking in.  I read the article about collaborative editing and the seven uses pretty quickly and had to go back and re-read it.  I sure was glad I didn't skip over it and did go back! Collaborative editing is a great tool to use with a large group such as what we are doing in our class wiki.  I liked how the "owner" can give permission to others to edit however the edits are tracked and you can see who exactly does what.  This is a great way to have a whole class discussion and get students to think outside of the box while doing it.  With more and more students beginning to work online yet still be part of a public school system this tool is a great way to maintain a healthy balance between that student and the rest of the class.  Kids are online more and more each day so why not use the editing process to its fullest? 

Chalk Talk Site: week 7

I have always thought that a welcoming classroom is a classroom with many vibrant colors that "invites" the student in.  When I was checking out my feedly account for this week I ran across this item on my Chalk Talk site.  These are little adirondak chairs of many colors that little students can comfortably sit in.  I saw these at my own walmart store in town and thought what a cool idea it would be to have them around my room at various centers.  It sure was nice to see that others had the same idea.  As a kindergarten teacher I am always looking for more and more fun and innovative ways to brighten my students day and I think that including these colorful and interesting chairs into their daily activities would give them a different feel and keep them on their toes.  They certainly do take the monotony away from the regular old "school chairs".  I certainly LOVE this idea and will be looking for them on sale at my local store. :)

Online Articles: week 6

After reading about the uses of facebook, ning and social bookmarking I am feeling a little more comfortable with using some of them in my classroom.  I really enjoyed the social bookmarking aspect especially after having used it in this class in particular.  I now see how the networking, sharing and resource compiling that can take place will ultimately benefit my students if it is used in the correct way.  Social bookmarking has become such a great tool in compiling my own ideas and research for my area of study that I can just see all of the implications that could be constructed in an English course setting for example.  I certainly hope that more teachers will begin to set up their students with a social bookmarking site and teach them the correct way to use it in order to maximize their learning potential.  There certainly are many resources available that I would never have had my eyes opened to if it wasn't for beginning my Masters in this program. 

Parental Support: week 6

Parents Aren't Necessary for Students to Learn was an article on Edutopia that I happened to stumble upon as I was checking my feedly account this week.  It struck pretty close to home as I believe it will for most who read it.  I know that I have been that teacher who has complained about poor parental support in the classroom and I have also been there and listened to fellow colleagues do the same thing.  This article makes it very clear that we need to have a movement to a more realistic avenue.  I really liked how the article states that it wasn't the parents who went through the training, schooling and professionalism courses to teach their children.  WE DID.  It is our job to teach the students we are given no matter what the circumstances.  "If we believe that every student can learn" then we need to make that happen as professionals who chose this career path.  The only words I can truly say after reading this article are "Wow...amazing".  It put things back into perspective for me and got me geared up to start a brand new school year with a new outlook. 

Outdoor Education: week 5

I thought that this feed posted by Edutopia and written by Matthew Davis could not have come at me at a better time.  This specific article was written about outdoor education resources. I teach at a charter school which has an outdoor education emphasis. This particular article mainly dealt with resources for parents which also is a major need in my school.  I teach in such a high poverty area that parent involvement is null and void at times.  Any teacher looking to bring the outdoors in and get more parent involvement should definitely read this article.  Some of the resources included items such as various projects for families to do together. Another great read for those looking for outdoor educational activities for the whole family.

Suspension and Dropout: week 5

This week I read a very breathtaking article on "The Link Between Suspension and Dropout" written by Robyn Gee on Edutopia.  She writes about one shocking statistic in particular which is that 49% of students who enter high school with 3 suspensions on their record eventually drop out completely.  It's also surprising at first, until you think about students that you may already know, that once a student gets suspended they will become that repeat offender.  I myself can think of at least 3 in particular in my very short time teaching that that scenario had happened to and low and behold they have since dropped out and at least one of them has entered an alternative education program in my district.  Basically what she says is that suspension does not change the behavior and is therefore ineffective overall.  This article was intriguing and made me take a step back and see why it is that most students who get suspended eventually do drop out.  Great article for educators to read!

Course Readings: week 5

After reading about wikis and the general use of Wikipedia in the classroom I must say that I have really started to rethink my own use of these tools.  When I taught 7th and 8th grade English courses I used to always warn the students about using Wikipedia as a source in particular because I never knew that it was a site that was monitored and I also never knew that some searches were even protected.  After using a wiki in this course and a few others, I can definitely see the benefits in these tools and am highly considering using a wiki in my own classroom and forwarding the information on to my fellow technology teach in the building.

Having the understanding, a clearer one at least, of how these tools work and the vast possibilities that can be conducted with them just makes me more anxious to get the ball rolling.  Students and parents would have endless ways to communicate with each other all day long.  The other great reason for using these tools is that with the amount of students beginning to take vacations when school is in session allows the student to still participate and contribute to class from a distance.

Social and Emotional Learning

Creating a Positive Climate and Culture: How Inclusive Schools Promote SEL
As I was looking through my RSS feeds for the week I noticed a feed from Edutopia entitled "Creating a Positive Climate and Culture: How Inclusive Schools Promote SEL".  I thought that this could not have gone more perfectly with the class wiki posted about watching students activity on the internet while they are offsite.  This article gave a few different ideas of how to promote learning and cooperation together in the classroom.  It really inspired some schools to collaborate and develop fun ways to include social and emotional learning in their areas.  I think that all educators could benefit from promoting SEL in their classrooms and I'm sure students would thrive on it once it was introduced.  A great read and a great find for all. 

Chapter 8: Podcasts (week 4)

This weeks reading based on "podcasting, video and screencasting, and live streaming" sounded slightly bland going in, but as I continued reading I became more hooked.  The idea of publishing videos and having radio newscasts seemed a little daunting and frankly down-right scary while reading, but then I got to thinking again how far ahead our students are compared to us and if I'm nervous already without even getting my feet wet then I should probably change professions now.  If "podcasting is the creation and distribution of amateur radio..." then amateur is definitely the way it will go for myself and my students.  Giving students the opportunity once again to express themselves in different forms is what educators strive for and screencasting, podcasting and live streaming allows for the expressions and creativity of all students to flow freely.  What I liked so much about reading this chapter was the pure fact that once again students can share their ideas and brainstorm with peers from around the world with a click of a button.  These features allow students to be true to themselves while networking with others in new and educationally technological ways.