I have only recently been introduced to Second Life and my feelings are mixed. It is very dependent on your connection speed. The slower the connection, the worse the experience. It can be confusing controlling your avatar and figuring out where and what you need to do.
The educational applications hold promise. Here is a video about some of the possible uses.
MaryAnnCLT (August 2007) Educational Uses of Second Life [Video File]. Video posted to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOFU9oUF2HA
There is also this video from the International Society for Technology in Education on the use of Second Life in education.
KnowclueKidd (2008, August 28) International Society for Technology in Education – ISTE Second Life [Video File]. Video posted to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aP137QgYKvQ
Rachel Gollub also lists the ability to illustrate points visually as an advantage to using Second Life in the classroom.
While there are some advantages to using Second Life in the classroom, I cannot foresee using in my classrooms. I am having trouble getting time in my lab for internet time as it is. Several of my students do not have access to computers or the internet which further complicates matters. There is also the adult section of Second Life that students could wander into.
Gollub, R., (2004). Second life and education. Retrieved from acm.org website: http://www.acm.org/crossroads/xrds14-1/secondlife.html
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Blog Post 8 - Reflection on Blogging
Web 2.0 is changing how I look at teaching. There are specific programs that I really enjoy, animoto, zoho, and engrade to name a few. What I really like about Web 2.0 is the cost. There are amazing applications that can be used and all of the ones that I have mentioned and used are free. This makes for great assets for teachers in less fortunate school districts.
The strengths of Web 2.0 applications are that they are easy to use, easy to adapt and are geared to specific jobs. There are teaching applications, business applications, music applications, and many more. They are based on the web so they are accessible from any computer. This is great for people like me who tend to forget things.
The only weaknesses that I could find were accessibility and the ever present down Internet. Not all students will have access to the Internet. This can limit the use of Web 2.0 applications. There is also the chance that the Internet will be down or the computer being used is down. Using classroom time to go to labs can also be hard to do.
I plan on using Ning.com for several purposes in my classroom. Students will have weekly blog posts, pictures postings and videos uploaded to the site. I will use engrade.com to keep parents informed of what we are doing and to make homework available for download in case they miss class. Zoho is a great way for students to post papers and work on them at school and home. It can also save paper because they do not need to print out the rough drafts or even the final paper. Animoto is a great tool for developing visual presentations to reinforce the topics being discussed in the classroom.
There are so many features about Web 2.0 that can have a great effect on education. Allowing the students to creatively and critically think will help them after high school. I am already passing on what I have learned to other teachers and cannot wait for what lies ahead.
The strengths of Web 2.0 applications are that they are easy to use, easy to adapt and are geared to specific jobs. There are teaching applications, business applications, music applications, and many more. They are based on the web so they are accessible from any computer. This is great for people like me who tend to forget things.
The only weaknesses that I could find were accessibility and the ever present down Internet. Not all students will have access to the Internet. This can limit the use of Web 2.0 applications. There is also the chance that the Internet will be down or the computer being used is down. Using classroom time to go to labs can also be hard to do.
I plan on using Ning.com for several purposes in my classroom. Students will have weekly blog posts, pictures postings and videos uploaded to the site. I will use engrade.com to keep parents informed of what we are doing and to make homework available for download in case they miss class. Zoho is a great way for students to post papers and work on them at school and home. It can also save paper because they do not need to print out the rough drafts or even the final paper. Animoto is a great tool for developing visual presentations to reinforce the topics being discussed in the classroom.
There are so many features about Web 2.0 that can have a great effect on education. Allowing the students to creatively and critically think will help them after high school. I am already passing on what I have learned to other teachers and cannot wait for what lies ahead.
Blog Post 6 - Communities of Practice
The theory of Community of Practice wants to understand how learning occurs in a community (On Purpose 2009). On Purpose (2009) goes on to say that there are 5 traits fro community practice:
1. Learning is fundamentally a social phenomenon.
2. Knowledge is integrated in the life of communities that share values, beliefs, languages, and ways of doing things.
3. The processes of learning and membership in a community of practice are inseparable.
4. Knowledge is inseparable from practice.
5. Empowerment – or the ability to contribute to a community – creates the potential for learning.
What I think we can take from community of practice is that we learn from our surroundings. The environment that we grew up in, the friends we had growing up, and the place where we live now are all educating us in some way. My two-year-old daughter mimics anything that me, her mom, or her brothers do. This is an example of community practice.
The issue becomes translating communities of practice into the classroom. How do we design a program that will engage the students but not let them take control of the classroom. Etienne Wenger, Richard McDermott, and William M. Snyder (2002) offer these steps:
1. Design for evolution.
2. Open a dialogue between inside and outside perspectives.
3. Invite different levels of participation.
4. Develop both public and private community spaces.
5. Focus on value.
6. Combine familiarity and excitement.
7. Create a rhythm for the community.
The complete article can be found at http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/2855.html
Creating a community in the classroom will help students feel involved and respected which can lead to better interaction and retention.
On a personal note, I don’t think that communities of practice can be limited to the classroom. They can and should be applied to the school at large. I have dealt with many students with grown-up problems. Most of the students I have dealt with needed someone to talk to because they did not have it anywhere else. Creating a community type feel to the school can give these kids an outlet that may prevent them from future harm.
On Purpose. (February 2009). Communities of Practice. Retrieved from Funderstanding website: http://www.funderstanding.com/content/communities-of-practice
Wenger E., McDermott R., Snyder W. (2002) Cultivating Communities of Practice: A Guide to Managing Knowledge - Seven Principles for Cultivating Communities of Practice. Retrieved from Harvard Business School Working Knowledge website: http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/2855.html
1. Learning is fundamentally a social phenomenon.
2. Knowledge is integrated in the life of communities that share values, beliefs, languages, and ways of doing things.
3. The processes of learning and membership in a community of practice are inseparable.
4. Knowledge is inseparable from practice.
5. Empowerment – or the ability to contribute to a community – creates the potential for learning.
What I think we can take from community of practice is that we learn from our surroundings. The environment that we grew up in, the friends we had growing up, and the place where we live now are all educating us in some way. My two-year-old daughter mimics anything that me, her mom, or her brothers do. This is an example of community practice.
The issue becomes translating communities of practice into the classroom. How do we design a program that will engage the students but not let them take control of the classroom. Etienne Wenger, Richard McDermott, and William M. Snyder (2002) offer these steps:
1. Design for evolution.
2. Open a dialogue between inside and outside perspectives.
3. Invite different levels of participation.
4. Develop both public and private community spaces.
5. Focus on value.
6. Combine familiarity and excitement.
7. Create a rhythm for the community.
The complete article can be found at http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/2855.html
Creating a community in the classroom will help students feel involved and respected which can lead to better interaction and retention.
On a personal note, I don’t think that communities of practice can be limited to the classroom. They can and should be applied to the school at large. I have dealt with many students with grown-up problems. Most of the students I have dealt with needed someone to talk to because they did not have it anywhere else. Creating a community type feel to the school can give these kids an outlet that may prevent them from future harm.
On Purpose. (February 2009). Communities of Practice. Retrieved from Funderstanding website: http://www.funderstanding.com/content/communities-of-practice
Wenger E., McDermott R., Snyder W. (2002) Cultivating Communities of Practice: A Guide to Managing Knowledge - Seven Principles for Cultivating Communities of Practice. Retrieved from Harvard Business School Working Knowledge website: http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/2855.html
Blog Post 5 - Social Media
I am new to social media. Up until a few months ago, I was barely aware of the changes that were occurring on the Internet. The sad part was that I knew more than most of the other teachers at the school. What I have learned over the past few months has changed the way that I look at teaching.
Social media is about creating things online and sharing them with other people. There are many remarkable tools online that can be used for this very purpose.
Here is a video about some ways that social media is being used in educational settings.
Sarah Robbins (2008) says that all communication is educational. Social media gives students a way to communicate their ideas. My Facebook is covered with the different ideas that some of my former students have had or a link to something that someone else has done.
One of the problems with social media is the debate between copyright infringement and fair use policy. It seems that teachers and students may have gotten some help. Watch this video from the Center for Social Media.
The complete report is available at http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/code_for_media_literacy_education/
As is mentioned in the video, if social is used, it is important that we discuss Fair Use with the students and other teachers so that they understand what they can and cannot use.
I have created a website on Ning.com for use in my classroom. It is a very safe site to use because it offers more restrictions than Facebook and allows for blogs, pictures and the ability to upload videos. I want the students to start creating and engaging verses just regurgitating information on a test and then forgetting it. Social media can help reach a generation that is getting information faster than ever and then taking that information, putting their fingerprint on it, and sharing it with the world (or at least their friends).
Arciaga, T., Moraga, S., Seeley, A., Scott, J., Ye, X (2008). Social media and education. [Video File] posted to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bYbIM5Pehg
Center for Social Media. (2008). The code of best practices in fair use for media literacy education. Retrieved from Center for Social Media website: http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/code_for_media_literacy_education/
Center for Social Media (2008). Fair use for media literacy education. [Video File] posted to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TO96CpCGE0
Robbins, S. (2008). Educause08: Social media and education. Retrieved August 19, 2009, from Slideshare.net website: http://www.slideshare.net/intellagirl/educause08-social-media-and-education-presentation
Social media is about creating things online and sharing them with other people. There are many remarkable tools online that can be used for this very purpose.
Here is a video about some ways that social media is being used in educational settings.
Sarah Robbins (2008) says that all communication is educational. Social media gives students a way to communicate their ideas. My Facebook is covered with the different ideas that some of my former students have had or a link to something that someone else has done.
One of the problems with social media is the debate between copyright infringement and fair use policy. It seems that teachers and students may have gotten some help. Watch this video from the Center for Social Media.
The complete report is available at http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/code_for_media_literacy_education/
As is mentioned in the video, if social is used, it is important that we discuss Fair Use with the students and other teachers so that they understand what they can and cannot use.
I have created a website on Ning.com for use in my classroom. It is a very safe site to use because it offers more restrictions than Facebook and allows for blogs, pictures and the ability to upload videos. I want the students to start creating and engaging verses just regurgitating information on a test and then forgetting it. Social media can help reach a generation that is getting information faster than ever and then taking that information, putting their fingerprint on it, and sharing it with the world (or at least their friends).
Arciaga, T., Moraga, S., Seeley, A., Scott, J., Ye, X (2008). Social media and education. [Video File] posted to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bYbIM5Pehg
Center for Social Media. (2008). The code of best practices in fair use for media literacy education. Retrieved from Center for Social Media website: http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/code_for_media_literacy_education/
Center for Social Media (2008). Fair use for media literacy education. [Video File] posted to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TO96CpCGE0
Robbins, S. (2008). Educause08: Social media and education. Retrieved August 19, 2009, from Slideshare.net website: http://www.slideshare.net/intellagirl/educause08-social-media-and-education-presentation
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Blog Post 4 - 21st Century Skills and Lifelong Learning
The Partnership for 21st Century skills lists these skills as being vital to student’s success after high school (2004):
Information and communication skills
Thinking and problem solving
Interpersonal and self-direction skills
Global awareness
Financial, economic and business literacy
Civic literacy
These skills are somewhat different than the skill sets we are used to seeing in education. Watch this video to see what their goal is for education.
These skills are important because they help prepare students for the future. I have participated in several conferences and only now am I realizing that I have been hindering my students instead of helping them. Students need to be taught how to find information and analyze it. I am in the process of changing my class so that students will become engaged in the learning process so that they are ready for the workforce. Working at a small, rural school means that a lot of the students are sheltered from what is called the “real” world. They need to be made aware of what is expected of them once they are done being students.
Using 21st century skills in the classroom can also encourage them to continue their education once they are done with school. There is always what seems to be a review time at the beginning of every school year because the students have stopped learning during the summer. Encouraging students to become involved in discovering knowledge can help them discover skills that they may not have known they had. Here is a video how our brains can rewire themselves to handle all kids of things.
Twenty-first century skills and lifelong learning are tied together in that to truly be relevant in the ever-changing world, one must continue to study and research and adapt to what is happening. Here is a list of some ways that we can continue learning (Young 2008).
1. Always have a book
2. Keep a “To-Learn” List
3. Get more intellectual friends
4. Guided thinking
5. Put it into practice
See the entire list at http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/15-steps-to-cultivate-lifelong-learning.html
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/michael_merzenich_on_the_elastic_brain.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QOcwXkYH6E
Partnership for 21st Century Skills (2004). Twenty first century children. Retrieved August 12, 2009 from http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=188&Itemid=110
Young, S. (2008). 15 Steps to cultivate lifelong learning. Retrieved August 12, 2009 from http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/15-steps-to-cultivate-lifelong-learning.html
Information and communication skills
Thinking and problem solving
Interpersonal and self-direction skills
Global awareness
Financial, economic and business literacy
Civic literacy
These skills are somewhat different than the skill sets we are used to seeing in education. Watch this video to see what their goal is for education.
These skills are important because they help prepare students for the future. I have participated in several conferences and only now am I realizing that I have been hindering my students instead of helping them. Students need to be taught how to find information and analyze it. I am in the process of changing my class so that students will become engaged in the learning process so that they are ready for the workforce. Working at a small, rural school means that a lot of the students are sheltered from what is called the “real” world. They need to be made aware of what is expected of them once they are done being students.
Using 21st century skills in the classroom can also encourage them to continue their education once they are done with school. There is always what seems to be a review time at the beginning of every school year because the students have stopped learning during the summer. Encouraging students to become involved in discovering knowledge can help them discover skills that they may not have known they had. Here is a video how our brains can rewire themselves to handle all kids of things.
Twenty-first century skills and lifelong learning are tied together in that to truly be relevant in the ever-changing world, one must continue to study and research and adapt to what is happening. Here is a list of some ways that we can continue learning (Young 2008).
1. Always have a book
2. Keep a “To-Learn” List
3. Get more intellectual friends
4. Guided thinking
5. Put it into practice
See the entire list at http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/15-steps-to-cultivate-lifelong-learning.html
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/michael_merzenich_on_the_elastic_brain.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QOcwXkYH6E
Partnership for 21st Century Skills (2004). Twenty first century children. Retrieved August 12, 2009 from http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=188&Itemid=110
Young, S. (2008). 15 Steps to cultivate lifelong learning. Retrieved August 12, 2009 from http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/15-steps-to-cultivate-lifelong-learning.html
Blog Post 3 - Media Literacy
First definition - Dr. Peter DeBenedittis defines media literacy as being able to dissect television and mass media (2009).
Second definition - Media literacy can describe how proficiently someone uses technology.
Can both definitions be used in the classroom? We already know that students know how to use technology, especially when it allows them to create something they are interested in. I have seen several videos on YouTube created by students that I see in the hallway everyday. We have to create new rules or change old ones to keep up with the technology they are bringing to school. They understand how to use it but do they understand what is being said?
Getting students to understand what they see everyday on TV or the Internet is another matter. Being a government teacher, I think that it is important for students to question what they hear and to conduct research and form their own opinions. The same technology they use for entertainment can be used to help them find messages in what they are using. By teaching students to find these messages, it helps develop important cognitive abilities (Scharrer 2003).
How do we combine the two definitions? Viewing news podcasts from two different channels and allowing the students to identify the differences could be a way to not only get the students watching news but also help them realize that there is a difference in what each station carries. In my classes, I use songs that have political or moral messages. The students listen to the songs then try to figure out what the message is and we discuss why the author wrote the song for this reason. Having students use the technology that they are familiar with to deconstruct information that they see and encounter everyday can open eyes and help prepare them for whatever lies ahead after high school.
DeBenedittis, P. (2009). Media literacy for prevention, critical thinking, self-esteem. Retrieved on August 12, 2009 from http://www.medialiteracy.net/index.shtml
Scharrer, E. (2002/2003, December/January). Making a case for media literacy in the curriculum: Outcomes and assessment. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 46(4). Available: http://www.readingonline.org/newliteracies/lit_index.asp?HREF=/newliteracies/jaal/12-02_column/index.html Retrieved August 12, 2009 from http://www.readingonline.org/newliteracies/jaal/12-02_column/
Second definition - Media literacy can describe how proficiently someone uses technology.
Can both definitions be used in the classroom? We already know that students know how to use technology, especially when it allows them to create something they are interested in. I have seen several videos on YouTube created by students that I see in the hallway everyday. We have to create new rules or change old ones to keep up with the technology they are bringing to school. They understand how to use it but do they understand what is being said?
Getting students to understand what they see everyday on TV or the Internet is another matter. Being a government teacher, I think that it is important for students to question what they hear and to conduct research and form their own opinions. The same technology they use for entertainment can be used to help them find messages in what they are using. By teaching students to find these messages, it helps develop important cognitive abilities (Scharrer 2003).
How do we combine the two definitions? Viewing news podcasts from two different channels and allowing the students to identify the differences could be a way to not only get the students watching news but also help them realize that there is a difference in what each station carries. In my classes, I use songs that have political or moral messages. The students listen to the songs then try to figure out what the message is and we discuss why the author wrote the song for this reason. Having students use the technology that they are familiar with to deconstruct information that they see and encounter everyday can open eyes and help prepare them for whatever lies ahead after high school.
DeBenedittis, P. (2009). Media literacy for prevention, critical thinking, self-esteem. Retrieved on August 12, 2009 from http://www.medialiteracy.net/index.shtml
Scharrer, E. (2002/2003, December/January). Making a case for media literacy in the curriculum: Outcomes and assessment. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 46(4). Available: http://www.readingonline.org/newliteracies/lit_index.asp?HREF=/newliteracies/jaal/12-02_column/index.html Retrieved August 12, 2009 from http://www.readingonline.org/newliteracies/jaal/12-02_column/
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Blog 2.0 - Learning 2.0
Bryan Alexander (2006) says that the idea of Web 2.0 dates all the way back to the 1960’s and JCR Licklider’s thoughts on using networked computers to boost knowledge by connecting people. We are at the place where this is happening on an everyday basis. If you have a Facebook page, you can see how people are using these tools. Applying these technologies to the classroom seems to be taking a while to catch on. There are several ways to apply Web 2.0 technologies to the classroom.
These technologies are not just for entertainment or diversion from regular classroom learning. They can be applied to emphasize a learning skill (Lombardozzi 2009). Web 2.0 tools can help locate information, manage data, evaluate information, reflect on a topic, network with others, learn, and communicate (Lombardozzi 2009). These are all skills that students will need in the future. Students are interacting more than ever. In the hallways and classrooms, it is evident that they want to know what their friends are up to. During the summer, a student was injured in a motorcycle accident and within hours, if not minutes, there was a Facebook group dedicated to prayers for his recovery. They are constantly communicating. They seem to be creating as well. They post videos and slideshows to their social networking sites. They even make plans over the Internet.
What does this have to do with learning? They are learning from each other. They are working with other people to reach a goal, even if that goal is to meet at the mall. The key is to incorporate what they are using into the classroom. By using these tools, the students will not only be better prepared for life after high school but they will retain the information better. Including these tools in the classroom could increase their interest in school. The higher the interest, the more involved and more participatory that they might be.
Lombardozzi, C. (January 2009). Learning journal thoughts on learning in
organizations. Retrieved August 8, 2009 from http://learningjournal.wordpress.com
/2009/01/18/learning-20/
Alexander, B. (April 2006). “Web 2.0: A new way of innovation for teaching and
learning?” EDUCASE Review, vol. 41, no. 2 Retrieved from www.middlebury.edu.
These technologies are not just for entertainment or diversion from regular classroom learning. They can be applied to emphasize a learning skill (Lombardozzi 2009). Web 2.0 tools can help locate information, manage data, evaluate information, reflect on a topic, network with others, learn, and communicate (Lombardozzi 2009). These are all skills that students will need in the future. Students are interacting more than ever. In the hallways and classrooms, it is evident that they want to know what their friends are up to. During the summer, a student was injured in a motorcycle accident and within hours, if not minutes, there was a Facebook group dedicated to prayers for his recovery. They are constantly communicating. They seem to be creating as well. They post videos and slideshows to their social networking sites. They even make plans over the Internet.
What does this have to do with learning? They are learning from each other. They are working with other people to reach a goal, even if that goal is to meet at the mall. The key is to incorporate what they are using into the classroom. By using these tools, the students will not only be better prepared for life after high school but they will retain the information better. Including these tools in the classroom could increase their interest in school. The higher the interest, the more involved and more participatory that they might be.
Lombardozzi, C. (January 2009). Learning journal thoughts on learning in
organizations. Retrieved August 8, 2009 from http://learningjournal.wordpress.com
/2009/01/18/learning-20/
Alexander, B. (April 2006). “Web 2.0: A new way of innovation for teaching and
learning?” EDUCASE Review, vol. 41, no. 2 Retrieved from www.middlebury.edu.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Blog 1 - Web 2.0
Web 2.0 describes changes that have taken place on the internet. It has changed from finding and retrieving data to collaborating with others to find or create a solution. O’Reilly says that it is a combining of companies that trust users as co-developers and capitalize on collective intelligence. People or businesses can involve all of their employees giving a stronger sense of inclusion that leads to a more efficient company or classroom.
Using some these resources could, if nothing else, help students work at home and at school. A problem I have encountered is student’s being unable to bring discs or jumpdrives to school. This can make working on projects or papers very difficult or can force a teacher to use a lot of classroom for typing. Sites like Google Docs, Zoho and Ning can help fix this problem. This gives the students a web-based application to save their work on and access it from school. Ning sites can help open communication between parents and teachers. It is also a great platform for displaying student’s work. Using these resources at the high school level would also prepare them for life after school no matter their chosen field.
There are some problems with using technologies. The main issue is access for all the students. Even in today’s world, not every student has access to a computer or the internet. Students are not familiar with these assets and it will take time to teach them how to affectively using these tools.
It is hard to tell what the Web will look like in a few years. Is this another bubble that might burst like in the 1990’s (Anderson 2007)? Whatever the future holds, educators and businesses need to take advantage of the tools and use them to engage students in the learning process.
www.zoho.com
www.ning.com
Anderson, P. (February 2007). JISC Technology and Standards Watch. Retrieved August
5, 2009 from https://www.middlebury.edu
O’Reilly, T. (September 2005). Communications & Strategies, No. 1, p. 17. Retrieved
from http://fisn.uni-plovdiv.bg
Using some these resources could, if nothing else, help students work at home and at school. A problem I have encountered is student’s being unable to bring discs or jumpdrives to school. This can make working on projects or papers very difficult or can force a teacher to use a lot of classroom for typing. Sites like Google Docs, Zoho and Ning can help fix this problem. This gives the students a web-based application to save their work on and access it from school. Ning sites can help open communication between parents and teachers. It is also a great platform for displaying student’s work. Using these resources at the high school level would also prepare them for life after school no matter their chosen field.
There are some problems with using technologies. The main issue is access for all the students. Even in today’s world, not every student has access to a computer or the internet. Students are not familiar with these assets and it will take time to teach them how to affectively using these tools.
It is hard to tell what the Web will look like in a few years. Is this another bubble that might burst like in the 1990’s (Anderson 2007)? Whatever the future holds, educators and businesses need to take advantage of the tools and use them to engage students in the learning process.
www.zoho.com
www.ning.com
Anderson, P. (February 2007). JISC Technology and Standards Watch. Retrieved August
5, 2009 from https://www.middlebury.edu
O’Reilly, T. (September 2005). Communications & Strategies, No. 1, p. 17. Retrieved
from http://fisn.uni-plovdiv.bg
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