I have just added a post to the Sandbox, but I'm not sure how to add my name as Sue's Scribbles and since the changes have been saved, I'm not sure how to go back and do this even if I knew how. Obviously, I need to practice! Any tips would be appreciated.
Despite my unfamiliarity with the details, I feel that I have learned so many things over the last week or so that I've been working on the course. I knew that the web could provide many wonderful learning opportunities for students, having been fortunate to visit the classrooms of teachers who successfully apply technology in their classrooms. My goal for the upcoming year was to try and enhance the interest of the curriculum to my students by using available technology whenever possible. I think this course will go a long way towards helping me achieve this goal.
The main benefit of the course to me has been that it has demystified many of the resources available on the web. I have become a huge fan of CommonCraft because they have a great knack for simple, user-friendly explanations. (As an aside, if you haven't watched the CommonCraft Zombie video, it's a hoot!) I think this course buttresses these explanations with useful practice, providing a framework to put the tools into use.
I am currently on a college road trip with my son. As soon as I check into the hotel today, I found a computer, went to my RSS feed to check out what's new, and then logged on here to my "community". I feel like I'm slowly getting connected...and I sure like it!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Thing 15
The content with this Thing had some interesting information to view and digest. The first extremely evocative video brought home again how much of what students hear and learn in the classroom is completely irrelevant to their lives. In all candor, I felt much the same as the student in the video when I was in the midst of my undergraduate education back in 1976 at a very large public university. The difference was that most of us didn't have other options for learning.
At that time, I completed many research papers at the university's extremely large library. I had a pass to go into the stacks, and poking around the books and finding a carrel to settle into was one of my favorite experiences as a student. In some ways, this might have been similar to what students experience today when they do a search on the web, although a lot slower! The excitement of finding information pertaining to your subject, the agony of sifting through mounds of information and trying to form a coherent argument, and the immense satisfaction of completing a cogent, polished product ~ it may be only relevant to a few, but it can be immensely satisfying. In contrast to today, however, the research and work that I did was essentially completed in a vacuum. Until graduate school, there was rarely any collaborative effort whatsoever, with the only exchange being a few notes made on the paper after it had been returned.
When I contrast this with what is possible today, with all of the tools available to learners of all ages, I am humbled by the possibilities. We are certainly faced with many difficult challenges, but we also have ways like never before to share information and innovations. These possibilities extend into the classroom. Will American history ever be relevant to the lives of eighth graders? Maybe not. But, by harnessing the technological tools available we can make the means by which they learn it more relevant and interesting. And if it's something they can discuss in present day terms with their social network? It's probably a lesson they'll remember.
When I finished undergrad, I thought (and hoped) that there must be a better and more satisfying way to learn, something that would approximate the wonderful, expansive feeling that I had when I read a great work of literature or a heard well-reasoned argument. I was lucky to have experiences like this later in my academic career. We all read a lot today about how our schools are driven by the tests and in many cases this is true. But I also think that we can go beyond this by offering students an entirely new format in which to learn. I'm very excited about what this will mean for their learning experience and for how this can give them that same wonderful feeling of poking amongst the dusty stacks and finding that great idea that will make them say "Aha, so this is what it means to be human."
At that time, I completed many research papers at the university's extremely large library. I had a pass to go into the stacks, and poking around the books and finding a carrel to settle into was one of my favorite experiences as a student. In some ways, this might have been similar to what students experience today when they do a search on the web, although a lot slower! The excitement of finding information pertaining to your subject, the agony of sifting through mounds of information and trying to form a coherent argument, and the immense satisfaction of completing a cogent, polished product ~ it may be only relevant to a few, but it can be immensely satisfying. In contrast to today, however, the research and work that I did was essentially completed in a vacuum. Until graduate school, there was rarely any collaborative effort whatsoever, with the only exchange being a few notes made on the paper after it had been returned.
When I contrast this with what is possible today, with all of the tools available to learners of all ages, I am humbled by the possibilities. We are certainly faced with many difficult challenges, but we also have ways like never before to share information and innovations. These possibilities extend into the classroom. Will American history ever be relevant to the lives of eighth graders? Maybe not. But, by harnessing the technological tools available we can make the means by which they learn it more relevant and interesting. And if it's something they can discuss in present day terms with their social network? It's probably a lesson they'll remember.
When I finished undergrad, I thought (and hoped) that there must be a better and more satisfying way to learn, something that would approximate the wonderful, expansive feeling that I had when I read a great work of literature or a heard well-reasoned argument. I was lucky to have experiences like this later in my academic career. We all read a lot today about how our schools are driven by the tests and in many cases this is true. But I also think that we can go beyond this by offering students an entirely new format in which to learn. I'm very excited about what this will mean for their learning experience and for how this can give them that same wonderful feeling of poking amongst the dusty stacks and finding that great idea that will make them say "Aha, so this is what it means to be human."
Thing 14
Well I've taken a look at Technorati and I have to honestly say that I'm underwhelmed. The past few "Things" have provided us with ways to organize the content that we're faced with as we review the web and also give us a way to facilitate a dialogue between users. My initial reaction is that Technorati is more of the same, but in a more general fashion where number of hits and potential advertisers is the ultimate goal. Granted, I am a newbie who, until I started this course, thought I was pushing the envelope by having two email accounts and a really long list of "favorites". But given all of the other tools on the Internet, I'm not sure how this particular site adds any value except for monetary. Please let me know your comments. It is entirely possible that I'm mistaken!
Thing 13
I've just viewed all the tutorials and have signed up for a Delicious account. http://del.icio.us/msmoore60067 I know this will be a huge time-saver for me. The district issued us lap tops at the end of last year, and I currently have an unwieldy number of favorites that I search for ideas or use as a resource. After the August 5 deadline for this course, I intend to organize and tag all of these sites in my account.
I can also see applications for students, particularly if they are doing research on a particular topic. What a great way to organize web materials.
I have one question? In the Magnolia and Furl tutorials they emphasize that the original content of the web page you tag is preserved. This is critical for me since it is often a specific lesson idea or technique that I wish to return to at a later date. Is the same true for Delicious? Thanks for any response!
I can also see applications for students, particularly if they are doing research on a particular topic. What a great way to organize web materials.
I have one question? In the Magnolia and Furl tutorials they emphasize that the original content of the web page you tag is preserved. This is critical for me since it is often a specific lesson idea or technique that I wish to return to at a later date. Is the same true for Delicious? Thanks for any response!
Friday, July 25, 2008
Thing 12
The articles and posts about adding comments were informative. I am a "lurker" because I feel that I only have a limited amount of time to read and digest a lot of information and also am a bit of an intimidated newbie. But as these writers point out, this one-way flow of information essentially removes me from the community aspect of blogging. This is something I will have to work on! Commenting on the Learn2Play blogs has been good practice.
I will add more later about interesting blogs I've encountered..... In the meantime, I'm so excited about adding images that I've included a photo of my dog, who is a lurker extraordinaire!
After finishing this post late last night, I did a quick search for blogs pertaining to ESL. I happened upon a post from a new teacher in the area who will be facing some challenges in his classroom this year. It brought home to me the power of the blogging community and the support and help and support we can provide one another through this medium.
Thing 11
Spent some time today exploring Library Thing. I added five of my books, putting star ratings on all of them and writing very short reviews for three. I wish this site had existed years ago so that I might have entered and rated all the books that I've read. My middle-aged brain doesn't have the recall powers of old and it would be great to have a written summary of my favorites. One woman in my book group keeps a book journal. This site could serve a similar purpose.
I checked out a couple of the groups and think that they would be useful for students who want to find a good read. I doubt that I'd ever participate in one of the group chats, but it's nice to know of another site that has reviews by genre.
I checked out a couple of the groups and think that they would be useful for students who want to find a good read. I doubt that I'd ever participate in one of the group chats, but it's nice to know of another site that has reviews by genre.
Thing 10
Made with free image tools @ TXT2PIC.com
I discovered how to add a picture directly into a post. Hooray! I think these image generators are fantastic and that my English language learners will enjoy using them to write humorous captions.
I also found a way to add cool moving graphics into my blog. I just went to this site: http://www.imagechef.com/ic/blender/ , put in the text changes where necessary and then just filled out the handy upload form to get it in my blog. Our school requires us to update our website on a weekly basis. I now have a way to spice it up a bit. You told us this Thing would be fun - and it was!
Thing 9
I have again spent many interesting hours reading blogs on a myriad of topics. After using the more general Google-type searches, I have come to prefer the more specific tools that allow you to narrow your search up-front. In particular, I liked the Edublog award winners.
After reading many posts from Cool Cat Teacher's blog, I've added it to my Google Reader. There are great motivational tips and practical suggestions on this site. I'm going to start a new notebook with a file for teaching suggestions, which will be a big improvement over the hard-copy file I started last year called "web ideas"!
I am feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the information and technology that is available. How will I find enough time to sift through all of this and then integrate it into my classroom in a meaningful and effective manner? Once I've made it through all 23 things, I will probably have to step back and select one or two things to do well each 6 week period. I'm concerned that I won't have the technological resources available to make it happen in my classroom. I think I need a grant!
After reading many posts from Cool Cat Teacher's blog, I've added it to my Google Reader. There are great motivational tips and practical suggestions on this site. I'm going to start a new notebook with a file for teaching suggestions, which will be a big improvement over the hard-copy file I started last year called "web ideas"!
I am feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the information and technology that is available. How will I find enough time to sift through all of this and then integrate it into my classroom in a meaningful and effective manner? Once I've made it through all 23 things, I will probably have to step back and select one or two things to do well each 6 week period. I'm concerned that I won't have the technological resources available to make it happen in my classroom. I think I need a grant!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Thing 8
After far too many hours hacking around various blogs, I've finally set up my very own RSS on Google Reader. I've added Simply Recipes (great blog - wonderful recipes), BBC news (I already get NYTimes and Washington Post headlines in my inbox), an educational blog called Teachers Teaching Teachers, Mike Falik's blog (which I really enjoyed), and one of the funniest blogs I've run across called 15minutelunch. The author of this last blog tells a great story. Check it out!
I think it will be great to have all of this information on one page. Once the school year hits, I hope that I'll be able to keep up with all of the posts. I figure I can just add the recipes from Simply Recipes to my recipe notebook. Now if I could only find some way to get those recipes prepared! I think that the RSS feature could be useful in a classroom where students are following current events ~ or in any setting where the most current information or trends is a necessity.
I think it will be great to have all of this information on one page. Once the school year hits, I hope that I'll be able to keep up with all of the posts. I figure I can just add the recipes from Simply Recipes to my recipe notebook. Now if I could only find some way to get those recipes prepared! I think that the RSS feature could be useful in a classroom where students are following current events ~ or in any setting where the most current information or trends is a necessity.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Thing 7
I love Google and Googling! I constantly rely upon Google to research lesson plans, look up phone numbers, find products and services, and so on. I can't imagine functioning without it. My research today made me realize that I've barely scratched the surface.
After years of using Epicurious and Simply Recipes and any other odds and ends I've found on the web, I started my very own recipe notebook, complete with keywords for sorting. Once I've cleaned out all my closets, I might even add in the overflowing plastic file folder in my kitchen with all of my recipe clippings..... What fun.
I also experimented with Google docs, uploading lesson plans from last year. Next year I will be teaching a language arts section in addition to my ESL duties. Preparing the lessons will be a collaborative process between several teachers, and I think that the document sharing and modifying capabilities could be a big time saver for all participants. Great stuff.
After years of using Epicurious and Simply Recipes and any other odds and ends I've found on the web, I started my very own recipe notebook, complete with keywords for sorting. Once I've cleaned out all my closets, I might even add in the overflowing plastic file folder in my kitchen with all of my recipe clippings..... What fun.
I also experimented with Google docs, uploading lesson plans from last year. Next year I will be teaching a language arts section in addition to my ESL duties. Preparing the lessons will be a collaborative process between several teachers, and I think that the document sharing and modifying capabilities could be a big time saver for all participants. Great stuff.
Thing 6
I really enjoyed hacking around on the Flickr mashups and can see a lot of applications for my class. My beginning ESL class has to learn a lot of basic vocabulary. Students could search for images, use bubblr to put the word for the image on the picture, print a cube with 6 words on it and use the cube to study. If each student were assigned 6 words, a cube to make and responsibility for printing out the pictures without the bubble caption, they could teach other students their words and develop a short quiz. I can see tying this in to a class novel, etc. Great tool!
I also teach ESL social studies. The trading cards would be great for famous people or events. Last year, we did group projects on the three branches of government. Mosaic maker would be a great way to display the images for their particular branch. At the end of the year, each student did a Powerpoint presentation on a famous person - I'll have to play around with using Flickr in conjunction with Powerpoint although I imagine it wouldn't be difficult to add Flickr images to a presentation.
I do have one concern: in looking around, I noticed a page that searches for "sexy images" on Flickr. Is there some way to block such searches or will the district filters prevent such images from showing on student screens?
I also teach ESL social studies. The trading cards would be great for famous people or events. Last year, we did group projects on the three branches of government. Mosaic maker would be a great way to display the images for their particular branch. At the end of the year, each student did a Powerpoint presentation on a famous person - I'll have to play around with using Flickr in conjunction with Powerpoint although I imagine it wouldn't be difficult to add Flickr images to a presentation.
I do have one concern: in looking around, I noticed a page that searches for "sexy images" on Flickr. Is there some way to block such searches or will the district filters prevent such images from showing on student screens?
Monday, July 21, 2008
Thing 5
Well I've just explored Flickr and am determined to upload my personal photos and organize them if nothing else! What a wonderful alternative to the boxes of yellowing photos I have stashed in various closets.
Last year my students wrote some amazing stories about their journeys to the U.S. They included pictures that represented their homeland and their new home in the U.S. that they found on the web. I hadn't given much thought to teaching them about copyright restrictions and the like. Using Flickr will help educate them about proper usage and make sure that we aren't somehow using images improperly.
I've selected the image of "no ESL" because I find it sad that some people feel negatively about ESL (even though the photo was actually of an "environmentally sensitive landscape"). The other image is of the main plaza in Mexico City and is similar to the type of photos my students have used to illustrate their narratives.
Last year my students wrote some amazing stories about their journeys to the U.S. They included pictures that represented their homeland and their new home in the U.S. that they found on the web. I hadn't given much thought to teaching them about copyright restrictions and the like. Using Flickr will help educate them about proper usage and make sure that we aren't somehow using images improperly.
I've selected the image of "no ESL" because I find it sad that some people feel negatively about ESL (even though the photo was actually of an "environmentally sensitive landscape"). The other image is of the main plaza in Mexico City and is similar to the type of photos my students have used to illustrate their narratives.
Thing 3
Well I'm up and running. It was fun playing around with templates and avatar outfits for the blog. Really much easier to do than I thought.
My students kept written journals last year. It would be so great if we could do this as an online activity and they could read and comment on each other's postings. Very cool!
My students kept written journals last year. It would be so great if we could do this as an online activity and they could read and comment on each other's postings. Very cool!
Thing 2
It's taken me a lot longer than I thought to just set up my blog. Since I'm very late getting started on my 23 things, the next two weeks will be consumed by all things computer. Should be fun!
I enjoyed the synopsis of the Covey article. With the myriad of concerns we face today, I think it's imperative that people cultivate the life-long learner within themselves. For me, the biggest challenge is in the area of technology. I have a tendency to remain static in this area unless I'm forced to learn a new skill for work. I'm taking this course in hopes of improving in this area since my students will benefit from a more technologically advanced curriculum. I've been fortunate to have opportunities to Iearn in many different settings. This has given me confidence to try new things, both at work and at play.
I enjoyed the synopsis of the Covey article. With the myriad of concerns we face today, I think it's imperative that people cultivate the life-long learner within themselves. For me, the biggest challenge is in the area of technology. I have a tendency to remain static in this area unless I'm forced to learn a new skill for work. I'm taking this course in hopes of improving in this area since my students will benefit from a more technologically advanced curriculum. I've been fortunate to have opportunities to Iearn in many different settings. This has given me confidence to try new things, both at work and at play.
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