Weekly Blog #13 the last.

Our last class was a lot of fun.  At least, it was for me.  I have never made a website before and have always wanted to.  I didn't know it could be so hard, and so easy.

Writitng an entire website in html "language" would be really hard and take a lot of time.  Just the short little ones we made took a while.  It is hard to remember all of the different tags and you have to be really careful to not forget anything.  I've had a little bit of experience with html because of my family's wiki, but I think ours is a simplified version.

I don't know if I could ever write my own webpage.  I mean, I could probably figure out how to format it and get all the information on it, but we didn't talk about how to put it on the internet so I have would have no idea what to do.

It was good to know what goes into making a website, but I'm glad there is always google around to help us out.  Google Sites is pretty awesome.  It reminded me a lot of instructional architect, but that is probably becuase I made it look similar and created it for an elementary school class.  I like Google Sites way better.  It has so many more features and, like all google products, it is more straight forward and user friendly.

Websites can be used for anything.  For teachers, websites can be used for specific classes so that any information the students need is available online.  Or, you can use it to post your own ideas or lesson plans so that other teachers can access them.  However, they should be sure to include their name on the page, when it was last updated, and their credentials, as well as where their information originated from.  Otherwise, their site will receive poor evaluations and no one will use it.

Now, there is a cetain paper I need to go write, so I will end there.

Website Evaluations

For my website evaluations, I used MidLink's Web Page Evaluation because it was concise and easy to understand.  It worked well for the websites I evaluated, but I wasn't sure if the scale was really appropriate.  Also, I think an evaluation should be based more on the creator of the website and their credentials and reasons for creating the site and not as much on the "clearly marked buttons," etc.

After completing my evaluations, I looked over the other forms and realized that I like Blue Valley School District's form a lot.  It is divided into rational sections, i.e. Authority, Accuracy, Objectivity, and Currency. These make are more important to focus on when evaluating a site.  For teachers, at least, accuracy and currency are more important than navigation.  If you are planning to let your students explore the site, appropriateness and content might be better to focus on.

In general, I do not think a formal evaluation is needed.  If you find a website you like and can find out who wrote it (and why), then you don't need a form to decide if you will use it or not.  The form takes some time to fill out and not everyone has the time to take.  In certain cases, such as when writing a doctoral thesis, it would be acceptable to fill out a formal evaluation for a website.  Most sites that end with .gov or .edu can be trusted without evaluation, but, as with any site, if it appears questionable, an evaluation (physically or mentally) may be needed.  

These evaluations brought to my attention the fact that authors of web pages are not often located on the main page of their sites.  Many sites have no author credited at all or it is simply implied in the content.  Such websites are hard to trust since no one seems to want the credit for making it.  The "last updated" time stamp was displayed more often than the author, which alone can determine if a website is worthy of your need for it or not.

Mostly, these evaluation forms made me focus and look for parts of a webpage that I never cared about before.  I was used to evaluating websites for layout, usefulness, how easy it was to find things and navigate.  I guess I never thought of questioning validity of content.  I just went off of instinct.

Evaluating websites is really important, especially for teachers.  If you take something off of the internet and call it fact when it was made up by some random person, you could get in a lot of trouble and won't be teaching students correct information.  Also, if the information was written by someone who is selling something, it would contain a lot of bias that is also not good to pass on to students.  Bias can be really hard to detect, especially when dealing with social studies, but if you can identify why a website was created, then you have a much better chance of teaching true facts and not misguiding children.

Weekly Blog #12

Digital Cameras have many useful qualities, as I discussed before. But what is the value of a photograph?

Yes, A picture is worth a thousand words, but how are they useful in a classroom?

Pictures help everyone learn, especially visual learners. When a teacher references a place, pictures can allow students to better understand the context and develop a deeper understanding of what is being said. Imaginations are great, but sometimes students need more than words to visualize a situation, location, or event. This is where pictures can help the most. When someone i s talking about a road, the students could be thinking of millions of different examples that may not fit the situation. Showing a photograph of the specific road they are talking about can provide true comprehension of what is being discussed in class.

This week we also mentioned that websites cannot always be trusted. As teachers and students, we need to evaluate them before blindly accepting them. There are many different ways to discover if the information is correct or useful, but I will go into further detail at a later date.

Google Docs can help you when collaboratively writing. It can also help you as you teach students to write and as you gather ideas for teaching. I've used it to have others edit my own papers. By editing it online, more than one person could read it at the same time and make changes that coincide with the changes that others make. This saved me a lot of time because I did not have to go back through and merge different edited versions of the same paper.

I really like Google Docs and had no idea all of the ways you can implement it in the classroom.  Mr. Johnson seems to really like it, too.  And if your classroom had the resources he has, then running your class the way he does would be a great idea.  However, most schools don't have that many computers, so online documents cannot be feasibly used during class time.  The students in my practicum can hardly type at all, and they are in fourth grade, which is unfortunate. . .

Google also has spreadsheets, which I've breifly glanced at before, but had never really used before class. The spreadsheets can be used when collecting data and can also be collaborative projects. This means that a teacher in Oregon can enter information about her class and a teacher in Georgia can enter information about her class and they can combine them at the same time.  Teachers can use it for grades, filling out forms, or calculating information, too.

Students can use spreadsheets for projects or field trips. They can enter survey numbers or data they've gathered.  Plus, once you enter in the data, you can make charts or graphs out of the information.  These again will help visual learners to better understand the information because they can see comparisons or the mean, median, and mode of a data set.  

Google docs and spreadsheets make it possible to view a document on different computers with out emailing an attachment or using a USB drive.  Essentially, this means that jump drives may become obsolete.

Weekly Blog #11

This week we made Geometry Books. I used my own digital picture taking skills to find geometry around town. Then I wrote my own definitions. So don't use them as true definitions because I came up with them on my own.

I thought it was a lot of fun.  As soon as I read about the assignment, I kept looking for and seeing geometry everywhere I went.  I got so involved and was eager to do the assignment because it was fun and engaging.

Digital cameras are fantastic. You can take hundreds of pictures and look at them instantly. You can put them on a computer and show them to others. The only downside is not being able to physically hold them, but if you like specific pictures enough, you can print them yourself or get them professionally printed so you can hang them up or put them in a scrapbook. The actual camera is pretty expensive, but overall, you save money when compared to the cost of printing pictures from a film camera.

I think the geometry book is a great idea for students.  They get to go outside of the classroom and discover things in the real world that relate to what they are learning in class.  It doesn't even have to be geometry.  Students could take pictures of historical places, specific rocks or leaves, or signs with vocabulary words on them.  If the teacher decides to print them out, the students will have a physical artifact of what they have learned that they can showcase or use as a reference.

Having students create a project like this forces them to really understand the concepts and utilize that knowledge by finding, and documenting, examples.  Students end up with a deeper understanding then they would have if they just learned about it from a book or in class and they come away from the lesson with a good attitude because it was fun.  No mental blocks against math when you enjoyed the experience of learning it. If only I had had experiences with science in elementary school that were this much fun, I might not hate science like I do now I'm in college.

Geometry Book

Video Blog

Here it is.  The moment you've all been waiting for.  It's time for:

THE VIDEO!

Polar Bears: How they survive in the Arctic

Yes, yes.  It is all very exciting.  But really, I hope you enjoy it.

I certainly enjoyed editing this movie.  I can't say that I enjoyed the entire process, I don't like watching myself, but everything else was great.  It was good to get a feel for all the preparation that is required to make an educational video and the amount of time needed to do a good job.  I've watched others as they edit movies, but I've never been the one doing it, from storyboard to finished product.  

It took a lot more work than I originally thought.  Perhaps if we had written specific lines and knew what we were saying, it would not have taken so long to edit.  Cuting out specific parts and lining up audio was not terribly difficult, just tedious.  If we were to do it again, I would make sure we had a solid storyboard not just an outline of what we wanted.  That way, we could have made the video more exciting with different camera angles or locations.  There were many times, while I was editing, that I wished we had said something just a little differently or included certain facts while excluding repeated lines.

I think the whole idea of video production in the classroom is great.  It can help students in so many ways.  Just the brainstorming and outlining covers grade-level objectives, they wouldn't even need to make a video.  If they did want to actually record it, and they were old enough, I would make sure they were not very long so that editing could occur quickly.  If the students are too young to handle cameras or editing, I would step in and film for them.  Because I would probably not have the time to edit them, I would find some parent volunteers or relatives who could finish the video for us.  By making a video, students can display their work to a wider audience.  Putting the movie on a class website can provide access to parents without them having to take time off of work.  I would not put the video online just anywhere, but on a specific class blog, wiki, etc. that only those connected to the school can access.

When teachers make their own videos, they can show them whenever they want.  If you make it over the summer, it doesn't take away from your planning time, but increases the learning experience instead.  If one of my teachers had taken the time to make their own video, I would have respected them more because they took time out of their life to make something for me.  Plus, watching your teacher do things in a video that she/he doesn't normally do in class can be entertaining, meaning the students will be more engaged and more likely to remember it later.

In my practicum, the teacher has played only two videos and both were Reading Rainbow.  Now, I love the show and the kids love to sing along, but only one small part of the video was actually connected to the learning goal for the day.  The time spent to watch the video would have been much more productive if the teacher had found a video that was more specific to the day's goal, or, better yet, if the teacher had created her own video that educated them on the topic.  She wouldn't have to be in it.  In fact, videos are a great chance to listen to someone else, or see something different than the front of the classroom.  Videos can take students to completely different places.  Visual learners can get the needed information by seeing it differently and auditory learners are helped, as well.

And for those schools who can't afford to go on a lot of field trips, the teacher can go and film what they see there so that students still get to experience it.  Otherwise, they can just use movies as show-and-tell to tell others what they accomplished or presented.

Weekly Blog #9

So, this week was a fun class. I learned, or rather verified, several things about myself.

1. I can't keep a straight face for very long.
2. I should not be in movies.
3. Ice melts (I know that is not about me, but it happened)
4. I prefer to be "behind-the-scences" of film making.

Making movies was very exciting.  It was much more fun than the other technology classes.  They sound boring.  I am excited to learn how to learn how to edit.  (Although, I am not looking forward to watching myself "act.")

I think making movies in an elementary school classroom would be entertaining, educational, and not that hard.  Even though I don't have the courage of the rapping teacher, I could guide students in preparing for and creating a movie of their own.  I would be so interesting to see them write and act in their own production.

Students in my current practicum have so much energy and creative ideas.  If they were to make a video, it would be really educational for them.  They would learn how to work together to get their ideas across and learn to have patience to get the job done.  The final project would be entertaining for everyone, but the students who made it would have to know the information really well since they are recording it.  I, as the teacher, would make sure of that.

Of course, making a movie requires a lot of expenxive resources, like a camera.  That is not something every class has laying around.  Many schools can't afford such "luxuries" that do not directly increase test scores.  However, I think it is important for students to have that oppurtunity, so I would either bring my own from home or apply for a grant like Mr. Johnson did.  Although, I would have to learn how to write one first. . .

I am not a big fan of science, so I don't think I would film science experiments like we did in our class very often.  If students wanted to do so at home, I would be all up for that.  When I was in high school, we filmed movie trailers for our book reports.  That was a lot of fun.  We each had to read a book and know it well enough to pick out the important parts.  Then we had to select the order of the scenes and film them to match the genre of movie trailers.  It was a lot of fun.  I know that book really well now.  Plus, we got to watch them all in class, so we got to see everyone else's work and learn about their books, too.  Overall, very educational.

Nothing says education like fun.

Or maybe it is nothing says fun like education.

I can't remember.

Weekly Blog #8

Educational Videos were one of the first bits of technology to be used in classrooms. Once a TV became available to teachers, videos became a common way to break up the monotony of listening to the same teacher everyday. Now, they are probably the easiest way to incorporate "technology" in schools.

These videos are mainly commercially made and require little effort on behalf of the teacher. He or she simply selects a video, reviews it before showing it, and pops it in the player. The students sit and watch, perhaps taking notes or answering questions. If the teacher was really on top of things, there would be a discussion afterwords, an assessment of feelings or thoughts connected to the film.

This use of videos CAN be productive, helpful to students, or informative. However, movie time in class, at least for me, was a time to relax, sleep, be thoughtlessly entertain, and not a time for gaining knowledge. I can remember a few things I actually learned from videos, but not much that I didn't also learn somewhere else.

That is not to say that I didn't love educational videos, because I most certainly do.  Well, some of them anyway.  The classics like School House Rock, The Magic School Bus, Bill Nye. . . All great.  I was always a fan of the educational cartoons like Animaniacs and Hysteria! as well.

To make videos more educational, and actually useful in a classroom, students need to be involved. They can look for videos, determine if they are quality and educational, and then share them with others.  As a wise teacher once said, "It isn't always the video, it is the preparation for the video that has the impact on learning."

Teachers can make videos of themselves for their own students, like several of the videos we watched in class, or they can make them of the students.  Having to prepare for a film can motivate students into doing their best.  All of these videos can be shared online and used in other classes where the tools for making their own are unavailable.  Making videos provides deeper learning than simply watching them, or even talking about them can provide.

Of course, making a quality video is not as easy as you might think.  It takes planning and preparation, organization and materials.  When all of these things are present, all you need is a good subject and you are on your way.  I think we should go make one. . . 

Weekly Blog #7

Visual learning is the most common learning strategy in use today (myself, just now). There are tons of various ways to learn, but that is probably the most popular. The sense of sight is the most dominate sense and often trumps the other senses, so visual images have a bigger impression on most people than hearing does.

Being able to organize information in more than one way will help more children acquire the information. Those who need to lay everything out can learn just as much as those who need to focus on one thing at a time when multiple instructional strategies are used. I have seen a great variety of learners in my practicum and they all go about learning in different ways. Some can look at a book and have no idea what it is saying until I point out the exact sentence they are looking for. Others have the whole passage practically memorized in a matter of minutes.

For those who need to see the connections between facts, the concept map would be very helpful. I really liked seeing the items laid out all at once so I made my own about the homework I have to do.

It was really easy and can be used by anyone which is great.

This doesn't really help those students who are auditory or kinesthetic learners, but they usually get help first since lecturing is one of the easiest ways to teach, and moving or doing is used when possible.

The visuals used in the classroom are very helpful for ESL students. Modeling and pictures helpt them to connect English words to ideas and helps them get past the language barrier that hiders learning.

I really liked the Kidspiration Program. I thought the set-up and design were easy to use and stimulating for elementary kids. The pre-made lesson activities were fantastic. I love the story board that can switch from bubble/brainstorming form to written outline forms so easily. Most of the ones we looked through during class were useful and informative. Most of the activities I found only were not as helpful.

My Visual Learning Assignment: Kidspiration

1. Double Final Consonant
2. http://www.rockingham.k12.va.us/resources/kidspiration.htm
3. I chose this lesson because it was an activity that I thought kids would find easier if it was visual and not simply written. It can be an assessment tool to see how much students understand. Also, I chose this because it is something that I never learned about in school, so it is a good way to teach something they might not get otherwise.
I feel the technology enhances the learning process by allowing the students to move and manipulate the words. By doing so, the students are under less pressure to be perfect the first time and have the luxury of rearranging things until they are correct. They can think in whatever way makes the most sense to them. The colors make the words come alive and they still get the writing practice. I think the technology hinders learning because students do not get the practice of handwriting. Also, the activity does not teach anything, it only is a means of assessment.
I faced the challenge of finding a lesson plan that actually used Kidspiration and not Inspiration. I like Kidspiration a lot more for elementary lesson plans because of its simplicity, color, and overall friendliness.
I learned how to use some of the features of Kidspiration that I didn't know before. Actually, I didn't know anything about Kidspiration so all of it was new. I especially like the ability to flip between written outline form and concept map form. I think that would be very beneficial to students who prefer one way, but need to use the other.
I spent a little more than an hour over the course of 3 days looking through kidspiration lesson plans and using Kidspiration. And then I spent even more time analysing the activity and writing this blog post.
I found that most of the activities had at least one or two things I would change before implementing them into my lesson plans. Most of them had to do with the flip between sentences and picture not lining up.

Weekly Blog #6

Everyone has heard of teaching students with various visual, auditory, and kinesthetic styles, but there are other ways to keep students entranced in learning.

Problem-based, project-based, and inquiry-based learning techniques may be self-explanatory, but they are incredible useful. Let's review each one individually.

-Problem-based learning starts with, surprise surprise, a problem. Students are presented with a problem, either real or fictitious, and are asked to solve it. They may discuss it, build models, research, or write their thoughts until they come to a solution. This form of learning gets the students involved by putting the responsibility of finding a solution on their shoulders. They feel the need to reach a conclusion, so they work harder and subsequently learn more.

-Project-based learning incorporates students into their own learning by requiring them to demonstrate what they've learned with a physical artifact. In this way, the project can be used as an assessment tool for teachers. The students must work to produce something, alter or improve an existing thing, or perform a task after careful research, learning, and time.

-Inquiry-based learning is when a teacher has a question, usually open-ended, that the students must answer. They can answer it in a variety of ways, but it usually requires words. The questions can be about any subject they are learning about, so this form of learning is very useful for all classes, and can range from explaining why certain equations work to the description of feelings emoted by a poem or song.

One way to engage students with these strategies is to use WebQuests. This website uses questions, problems, and scenarios to teach students in motivating and involving ways. They combine information with stories to teach and tasks and mysteries keep them focused. The great thing about them, in my opinion, is the links that are so easy to use.

The instructional architect we learned about a couple of weeks ago can provide the space to combine all your resources if you wanted to make your own webquest.


On an different note, Mr. Johnson is my new hero. Or at least he is a role model.
I loved his classroom. From the moment I walked in I realized that that is the type of environment I want when I am a teacher. Then he started talking about all the stuff his students do and all the technology he successfully uses with his students and I just got more attached. It was all fantastic. I was so impressed to see how useful his blog was for the parents and how many assignments the students did online.

I don't know if I will every be in a school that can provide all the sweet resources he has, but they way he runs his class is my goal. So cool.

Weekly Blog #5

I learned a lot of new things in class this week that I had never known before. I knew what copyright was, but did not know the extent to which a work is copyrightable. I think it is interesting that you can use something someone says, but cannot use it once it is put into a permanent form. Who knew writing or recording something would be so important.

Trademarks and patents were also things I knew a lot about. I can't believe some of those trademarks have been around since the 12th century. That is so amazing.

Public Domain is a word that gets thrown around a lot at my house since my brothers are very much into milking the internet for all its worth. I had a basic understanding of what that means but I had no idea all of the things that are or are not considered public domain, like patriotic songs or "happy birthday," respectively. 1923 was a magical year.

Fair use has got to be one of the greatest things ever, for teachers anyway. It would be so difficult to teach if you had to write and come up with every single worksheet, article, or movie clip. Because of the fair use policy, students can get a more diverse education that includes things from outside of their culture and community to expand their knowledge of the world.

Creative Commons was one thing I had never heard of. I still do not fully understand it (who really fully understands anything), but I certainly know more now then I did last week. The little videos on Wikipedia are pretty entertaining. Strange, but funny, and informative.

I fully agree with the statement about having an administrator provide a written note when you are asked to copy something. If you don't feel that you should be doing something, or if you know it is not right, it is always good to be able to take the blame off of yourself. Plus, if they are requiring that you do it anyway, they will get blamed for it, which is as it should be.

Now that I know of the "Big 4," I will certainly remember to use them when I go to get materials for my lesson plans as a teacher.

And just for future reference:

"Phonorecords" are material objects in which sounds, other than those accompanying a motion picture or other audiovisual work, are fixed by any method now known or later developed, and from which the sounds can be perceived, reproduced, or otherwise communicated, either directly or with the aid of a machine or device. The term “phonorecords” includes the material object in which the sounds are first fixed. (Found here)

Weekly Blog #4

This past week in class, we discussed a lot about how students learn. I really liked what someone's practicum teacher said: If you can't remember it, you didn't learn it.

That might be another motto in my classroom when I teach. I feel like I went through a lot of school without thinking. I memorized facts long enough to regurgitate it for a test, but my good grades did not really reflect what I had learned. I think it is really important for students to learn. If working on their own project makes them learn, then I will assign them to present different subjects in class. If they learn best by discussing with others, I will be sure to provide discussion time in class. Or they can use a class blog or wiki to share their ideas.

School is not just about spewing facts for kids to absorb. It involves so much more, such as teaching them how society works, social skills, personal development, and most importantly (I think) is to teach them how to think and learn. Most children do not understand how they learn and school is a place for discovery, so why not teach that too.

A really great goal for teachers is to help their students become lifelong learners. Find our what they like and dislike and show them how to appreciate knowledge. Lessons should apply to students' lives which may require teachers to incorporate current events, games, or media. Technology is going to be a part of every students' life by the time I become a teacher. It is a perfect way to connect to children and get them involved in their own education.

The lesson plans sites we found will be really helpful for teachers. You don't have to use the lesson plans exactly the way they are, but they provide an outline for what and how you can teach. The Instructional Architect is awesome because it provides lots of resources and a place to gather all of them. You can also see what other teachers have collected, such as Mr. Downs' WWII history lesson.

I also found EdHelper.com which is a nice website. It doesn't have a lot of options, but some are still helpful. Like this page about sound that my practicum teacher would really like. I think I will go show it to him.

Weekly Blog #3

So, this isn't entirely weekly, but you get the idea.

In our last class, we discussed a little more about students using technology. After a wonderful presentation, it was mentioned that our students will probably know more about technology than we will. But that shouldn't stop us from using it. We simple need to involve them more.

I really liked the suggestion for teachers who only have one computer for an entire class. With use of a projector, students can make comments, give input, and share information with all the students. The teacher would have actual control of the computer, but the students would feel as if they had a say. Their thoughts would matter and impact others. They don't have to touch technology to use it.

Because they are part of the MEdia generation, as I am a part as well, these kids will accustomed to always having something to do, hear, or see. So why not "let them do as they do"(Lecture 1/28)? (okay, so I know someone said that in class, but I'm not entirely sure who. So, Thank you, whoever you are!)

That is sort of my mantra for teaching with technology now. It's a pretty good catch phrase.

Last Wednesday, we also explored the Utah Education Network website. And let me just say: awesome. The wealth of knowledge and resources that exists on the one site is phenominal. The pioneer library alone has everything from EBSCOHost for literary articles, to newspaper archives, to culturegrams. MyUEN for teachers provides a secure place for teachers to communicate with students or other teachers. They can even see and hear each other while taking in Wimba. So cool.

One of the greatest resources on UEN is their lesson plans. For every subject in every grade level and each one corresponds to a specific standard and objective for the Utah core curriculum. Even if you don't like the exact lesson, you can use their ideas as outlines for your own.
Speaking of which, I have created a lesson plan based on one I found on UEN, although, I incorporated technology which they had failed to do.

My lesson plan is:
-For 6th Grade
-Under the subject of Social Studies (World History)
-entitled: Revolutionary Characteristics: People and times
-based on Andrea Bostwick and JoAnna Seely's Lesson plan
(Found at here)

Having those lesson plans will be very helpful when I am a teacher. I can't wait to discover what else is available on UEN. It seems to go on forever. It may not be the most helpful for every task, but it certainly will help teachers.

Blog and Podcast Subscriptions

Here are three blogs that I have subscribed to:
Two Writing Teachers: http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/
Rachel's Children's Literature Blog: http://rachellyash.blogspot.com/
ESL Teaching Ideas:http://eslteachingideas.blogspot.com/

They all have to do with teaching. Specifically writing, children's literature, and ESL ideas, respectively.

On the right side of the page, you will see an easy link list to these blogs. Maybe the list will grow someday.


Here are three podcasts that I have subscribed to:
New Teacher Hotline:
http://www.newteacherhotline.com/shows/new-teacher-hotline/feed
-Veteran teachers providing advice for new teachers as they begin the very difficult job of teaching.

eElementary: http://www.eelementary.com/eElementary_feed.xml
-Tips for the elementary teacher trying to integrate technology. They review links, free downloads, and copyright information in weekly

ESL Teacher Talk: http://feeds.feedburner.com/EslTeacherTalk
-Free broadcasts for ESL teachers on topics such as classroom management, lesson planning advice, job search tips and more. Each broadcast contains a feature game or activity that can be usee in lessons with supporting downloads, materials and videos. eslTeacherTalk.com is hosted by 2 veteran ESL teachers with almost 15 years of ESL teaching experience.

While the first one is sort of generic teaching advice and the second is about technology, I chose the third one because my emphasis is in English as a Second Language. I've helped out in an ESL classroom a lot and am always looking for more ideas on how to help those students.

As I was reading more into blogs, I found this video. I thought it was entertaining, even if slightly tedious.

Weekly Blog #2

This week in class, we discussed wikis and podcasts. I new the basics of both of these before, but I had never thought about how to use them in the classroom.

My brother set up a wiki for our family to use as a way to record our immediate family's history. We add to it when we have time. Once my sister's friend used it to do an assignment, but mostly it is full of inside jokes and boring facts. It looks almost exactly the same as Wikipedia, but I suspect that was so my parents wouldn't get confused. I have added to it several times and am starting to understand the HTML language used in the editing process.

My experience with podcasts is somewhat more lacking. I have never had an ipod so I never took the time to look into anything involving the word 'pod', but as we learned in class, it doesn't have to involve an ipod at all. When my sister was overwhelmingly obsessed with Harry Potter fandom, I heard a few of their podcasts streaming from the website. Thus reveling to me the fact that podcast were basically just audio files (unless it is a video podcast, then it is of course a video file).

Still, knowing all of this, I had never seen nor heard of a teacher using such a thing. But oh how instructional technology 4010 has opened my mind. Wikis are a fabulous way to get students involved with their education. They give them the oppurtunity to add their own ideas and design how they learn. Almost all the students I will be working with will have grown up with access to a computer, so using technology should be given in my classroom. And wikis on the internet can be viewed and edited by students anywhere they go. (Although, puting student information on an intranet is probably safer and more likely to be deemed acceptable by school administration.)

Wikis give students the oppurtunity to learn more than they would have if they had worked alone. Everyone can bring their own idea and share it so that the bit of knowledge they bring in will spread to the other students. Instead of leaving with one fact from one source, even if it is a very good source like the teacher, they will have 30 facts from as many sources.

Students learn more when they have a say in what they learn and when they have the oppurtunity to teach it to others. Podcasts can provide this very thing. If students can make a video, they will be much more likely to work hard and learn more so that the recording will not make them look bad. (I know, it isn't a very good reason to work hard, but sometimes, that's what it takes.)

When I was in seventh grade, we had to write and perform a radio play, complete with sound effects and commercials. Podcasting these would have motivated me to work harder on the assignment. Teachers could use this idea to see what students learned. They could use podcasts to provide evidence of their learning at the end of each month, or whenever. Wikis can provide another outlet for their creative minds, allowing them to make their own page, edit a group project, or comment on someone else's work. The possibilities feel like they go on and on.

As a side note, if I had a student who couldn't focus with out doing something with his hands, I would teach him to take notes or give him a stress ball to hold so that he could learn. I would not simply ingnore the fact that technology made him ADHD and let him sit there and struggle. Just so you know.

Weekly Blog #1

Blogs have so much potential. I used to think that they were only for people to talk about themselves and complain, but they can be used for so much more. I never realized.

Teachers all over the world use blogs. Some use them for their classes to post assignments, share ideas, publish writing, and get feedback. Teachers can create them for the entire class to use, or individual students can set up their own. For example...
For me, using it for such reasons makes blogs similar to Blackboard, which many colleges use, but I've never heard of any elementary school using anything like it. There were many times growing up that I could have used help with a math problem or editing a paper. When kids have access to immediate feedback from either their teacher or their peers they are more likely to do complete homework assignments. It also saves a lot of time being stressed or confused and makes kids more eager and willing to learn. What teacher wouldn't want happy, hard-working students?

Blogs can be very helpful for students who miss school. The teacher can post the homework and students can access it at home or in a library. This would also be helpful for forgetful students and those who need more instructions. Blogs can also work the other direction. Students can post or comment their questions for the teacher. One class even used their blog to wish their teacher well when she was sick.

The last thing that was previously unknown to me was all of the blogs out there that provide teachers with help. Any kind of help they could possible need. There are blogs specifically for Music teachers, Children's books, science lesson plans, and even finding a job teaching. If teachers ever get stumped or have trouble teaching a specific topic to a class that just isn't getting it, they can ask a teacher with the same problem how he/she solved it. Plus, that teacher could be on the other side of the country and it wouldn't matter.

Or, if the teacher was really on top of things, they would already be subscribed to quality blogs and the new ideas would just come to them. Ah, I love Google Reader...