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.
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