Reading Reflection Week 14

I found several of the Web 2.0 tools that we used this semester to be quite useful.  Two of the tools I found to be most useful were the blog and the bookmarking site (Delicious).

            This chapter highlights the blog as a Web 2.0 tool.  The author states that,  “Web 2.0 applications usually contain tools to support versioning and regression to earlier versions.” (page 300).  Blogs are a great example of this.  With a blog, you can add text, videos, etc. and it is organized for you by dates.  It easy to go back to a particular date to find a similar posts or topics.  It is also easy to see improvements and advancements over time.  For example, I enjoyed using a blog to post assignments for this class, not only because it kept them organized, but also because I could go back to a particular assignment to see what I originally thought.  Perhaps I didn’t care for a tool before or didn’t really know how to use it, but later on in the semester I felt more comfortable with it.  It is nice to see how my perspective changed over the course of the semester on certain topics.  I also enjoy being able to refer back to other assignments (posts) while doing a new assignment. 

This can be translated into everyday life as well.  For example, I follow my cousin’s blog.  She had a son who was born prematurely and it is nice to see all of her updates on him.  It is nice to go back to the day he was born and see all of the progress he has made.  This is particularly nice for me, as I live twelve hours away and do not see them often.  She (my cousin) even refers back to other posts to show how much he has progressed.

This chapter also highlights the bookmarking site (Delicious).  Like Pinterest, this tool is a great way to keep track of ideas.  Instead of having hundreds of bookmarked websites (as I did before I knew about Delicious), I have one website that holds all of my favorite websites.  The other feature I love about this tool is the fact that you can share ideas with or find ideas from others.  The author states that, “Web 2.0 tools utilize individual group contributions to create value.” (page 300).  Let’s face it, if these bookmarking websites did not allow for sharing, it would be rather boring and not nearly as valuable.  Pinterest is another version of this and I can spend hours browsing and pinning ideas.  However, if the ability to share was not there, I would not spend nearly as much time on that website.  The Delicious website is a great way to bookmark websites and ideas.  It keeps them organized and easy to find.  It also allows for sharing and tagging of ideas, which makes all the more valuable.

I really enjoyed learning about and using all of the Web 2.0 tools this semester.  While some of them were easier to use than others and I got more frustrated with some than others, it was still nice to have the opportunity to use them. 

Reading Reflection Week 13

I found quite a few of the ideas in this chapter to relate to my experience in e-learning (so far).  With this being my first online class (ever) I learned a lot about e-learning, as well as, myself as a learner.  I found two passages that related to my experience in e-learning.

The first passage that related to my experience is “The biggest swing in the last few years is the strength of community and the use of social learning technologies for purposeful learning activities.” (page 283).  Before taking this online course, I figured I wouldn’t have much interaction with others.  I thought most of the work would be independent and I would not learn much about my fellow classmates.  I found this to not be the case at all.  While I haven’t needed to use social media, such as Facebook, to complete a lesson, I have had quite a bit of interaction with my classmates.  The discussions that I have had with them in the class forums have helped me to see different viewpoints, as well as, simply getting answers to my questions.  I really enjoyed working with my classmates and getting to hear fellow teachers’ points of view and teaching techniques.

The second passage that related to my experience is “it is preferable to think of e-learning technologies not as a platform but as parts of a functional architecture combining technics in designed experiences that support learners’ reception or construction of knowledge, skills, and attitudes. “ (page 285).  Before taking this course, I figured that we would have many videos and tutorials to know exactly how to complete these assignments and use these technologies.  However, I came to find that that was not the case.  I am typically a student who likes the exact directions so I know how to complete an assignment.  I almost loathe the total flexibility of assignments for fear that I may not do it right.  I was pleasantly surprised to see a change in attitude.  This class offered many opportunities to figure things out for myself and use the technologies the way that I wanted to use them.  I ended up becoming very comfortable with this and rather enjoyed the freedom.  This course taught me a lot about myself, not only as a learner, but as a person who uses technology.

I found a lot of the ideas in the chapter to be relatable and connected with most of the passages in some way or another.  My first e-learning experience has given me newfound confidence in dealing with technology, as well as, using it in the classroom.  

             

Online Application Reviews

The office suite that I looked at was Google Docs.  Before checking it out, I just assumed it was a place to make documents and store files.  Once I started looking at it, I realized that it was much more.  The most useful part of Google Docs, to me, is the fact that you can collaborate with other people in real time.  I also like that you can share the document with someone else.  For distance learning especially, it would be nice to share drafts of papers or projects and each group member can help to make changes or add things.  I think I would definitely recommend this to a coworker, but when working with upper levels.  I teach Kindergarten and this is something that I think would be over the kids' heads.  The fact that you can collaborate with others without the sole use of e-mail is worth recommending it alone.  However, I also thought it was cool that it had a lot of the same applications as Microsoft Office (adding images, etc.).  I would definitely recommend this application to coworkers teaching older students that are working on a group project.  The students could collaborate without having to be in the same room as one another.  It would have been nice to have when I was in high school and was unable to meet with my group members to work on an assignment!

The image editor that I looked at was PicMonkey.  At first, I thought it was a pretty average image editor, however, after taking a closer look, I realized there are many more options.  I really liked that you could make collages and add different items to your images.  I liked the different backgrounds and fonts that you could add to the actual picture.  I also really liked all of the different photography options that you could change (the color/effect of the picture, the different touch ups, and textures).  I would highly recommend this image editor to my coworkers.  I think it would work well for a project or art class.  With all of the different options, it would really allow students to put their own stamp on a picture and it would really add to a project.  I would definitely recommend this for older students, as I don't think younger students (especially my Kindergarteners) would understand all of the different options.  It would be great for a beginners photography class to use.

Website

I decided to create a website for my classroom. This website contains homework assignments, useful links, announcements, as well as, a list of weekly sight words. I included these elements because these are the most important pieces of information that parents need to know in our classroom. Parents would be able to come to this website to get any assignments or announcements in case they lose the letters or notes sent home or they forget to look at their weekly newsletters.

Click here to view my website.

Reading Reflection Week 11

               While reading this chapter, I decided to look at each lesson from my current situation.  I looked at which lessons I found to be relevant to me as a Kindergarten teacher.  I found quite a few of the lessons to be relevant to me and my current situation, but two of them that I found to be the most relevant were, Lesson 8: Develop a Strong Set of Communication Skills and Lesson 16: Keep Up with the Literature in Your Areas of Interest.

                Lesson 8: Develop a Strong Set of Communication Skills is very relevant to me because I am constantly communicating.  I communicate with students, parents, co-workers, and administrators on a day-to-day basis.  The communication that I have found to be most important is communication with parents.  Since becoming a teacher, I have definitely improved on my communication with parents.  I have learned to refine my written communication.  While it’s still not perfect and I’m sure never will be, I have definitely learned how to write to parents in a way that I communicate what I wanted to say without offending anyone or anything being taken out of context.  I have also improved in my verbal communication with parents.  I think part of this comes with maturity, but I used to be almost afraid to tell parents the full truth and would sugarcoat things.  I have since learned that telling the whole truth (tastefully) is the best thing for parents and most actually appreciate the honesty. 

                I have also found communication with students to be just as important.  Whether it’s explaining something so they understand or talking to a student who is having a bad day, communicating with students is extremely important.  The way a teacher communicates with a student can affect their whole day.  For example, I have one student with an emotional impairment.  When this student walks in the door, I start out with a fresh new attitude and give them the most positive reinforcement that I can.  If I start out the day communicating in a positive way, they will pick up that attitude. 

In order to further learn how to effectively communicate in my career, I can take a look at how others communicate.  I work with very talented teachers and I know that we can definitely learn from each other.  Also, I can talk to my administrators.  I am always up for advice and if I feel the need, I can ask my administrators for some help.

                Lesson 16: Keep Up with the Literature in Your Areas of Interest is also very relevant to me.  In this day and age, when everything in education is constantly changing, it is so important to stay abreast of the latest information.  I look at this as not only reading articles on education, but also looking at how other teachers teach.  I love to find new ways to teach and how to keep things fresh and new.  The term “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it” does not apply to me.  For instance, I know I had a successful school year last year.  My students all learned a great deal and had fun while doing it; however, I know there are other ways I could have taught certain lessons and subject areas.  Before this school year, I spent a lot of time looking at new activities and lessons to incorporate into this new school year.

                In order to further keep up with trends in my area of interest, I can devote more time to doing so!  If I want to keep up-to-date with literacy in the classroom, I need to spend more time reading and researching the new ways of teaching literacy.  The same goes with any other subject.

Concept Map

In my Kindergarten class, we discuss the topic of animal habitats.  The idea of using concept mapping in my classroom would be helpful when discussing animal habitats because it can help show the students similarities and differences among many different animal habitats.  I usually use a Venn Diagram to show the students similarities and differences.  However, when using a Venn Diagram, you can only show similarities and differences for two things.  When discussing animal habitats, I could use this in my classroom to show the similarities and differences of many animal habitats.  This could be used in discussion.  Another way I could use this in the classroom is for the students to make their own concept map of animal habitats after we have thoroughly discussed these habitats.  Because I work with Kindergartners, I made my concept map rather simple.  I kept the habitats simple, as well as, their characteristics.

Reading Reflection Week 10

                After reading about instructional design/technology in these three contexts, I found a few different recurring themes.  Obviously, I felt instructional design/technology in P-12 education and higher education had the most in common, however, I did find some similarities between them and a business context.

                One recurring theme I found between all three contexts was how the instructional designers do not work on their own.  They typically work in teams.  The teams could, obviously, be made up differently depending on the context.  For example, in a business context, there may be a leader, a consultant, a client, maybe an expert.  All of these people make up the instructional design team.  In P-12 education, the team may be a trainer, a teacher, and the learner.  This team could also consist of administrators in the school system.  In higher education, the team consists of experts, an instructional designer, and even a whole committee of people.  In each context, it wasn’t just an instructional designer doing all of the work.  Each person that makes up the team comes together to create a “product” of some sort.  This product could be a great employee, a great learning program, efficient teaching and learning in the classroom or even a great training program.

                Another recurring theme I found across all three contexts was assessment or evaluation.  In each context, they used some sort of assessment or evaluation to see if their instructional design worked.  Whether it be a certain training they conducted or how students learned after a concept was taught.  Assessment is extremely important for instructional designers because these professionals are training and creating a “product”.  Without assessment, they do not know if what they are creating works.

                The last recurring theme I found across all three contexts was quite obvious.  The use of technology was evident for instructional designers in all three contexts.  Instructional designers in the context of business used technology for training purposes.  In the context of P-12 education, the instructional designers helped teachers implement lessons that involved technology.  In the context of high education, most of the instructional designers discussed using technology for distance learning or for training purposes.

                When I read the first chapter, the chapter on instructional design in the context of business, I had a hard time seeing how it was relevant to the context of instructional design in education.  After reading all three chapters, it is now easy to see the similarities.  I have enjoyed learning more about instructional design after seeing how it is directly used in education.

Screencast Video

This video is to show students how to embed a youtube video into their blog. It could be an assignment where they are doing research on the presidents and need to find a video on their assigned president to add to their blog as part of their research. If I were really going to have my students watch a screencast video, I would not use a clip from Scrubs, however, it's the only video clip that came to mind! :)

Reading Reflection Week 9

                I thought this chapter was very interesting and made many good points.  I found the most interesting issues to be in the section that discussed the “gap” between “where we are and where we need to be in regard to meeting the technological requirements to prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s careers.” (Chapter 21, page 213)

                One point that I found to be very interesting in this section was the percentage of states that require technology training for teacher certification.  Less than half of the states in the U.S. actually require technology training.  That fact is mind boggling considering the fact that we have access to so much great technology for teachers and students.  What was even more interesting is that only twenty percent of states require technology training or testing for teacher recertification.  It is no wonder that many teachers have not changed their attitudes about technology in the classrooms.  The more opportunities they have to work with technology and to see how students can benefit from it, the more likely it is that they will be willing to use it in the classroom.  While I think it is important to have required technology training for initial certification, I think it is even more important to have technology training or testing for recertification.  The newest teachers are getting the most technology training; however, the teachers that have been certified for many years have a limited knowledge of technology.  I think every state should require training and/or testing for initial teacher certification and recertification.

                Another point that I found to be very interesting in this section was the fact that “education is ranked as the least technology-intensive enterprise among fifty-five U.S. industry sectors.” (Chapter 21, page 213)  Education should be number one ranking, next to those in IT or similar fields.  Education is where the knowledge for a career starts.  Schools need to train students early in the field of technology because that is what is at the forefront of our society.  Without the training of technology at an early age, students will have a harder time grasping those concepts later.  Technology in schools should be a high priority and it is not, which is just sad.

                I think the common ground between these two points that I found to be interesting is that there is a lack of knowledge on the importance of technology in Education.  The more knowledge we have, the better choices we can make for our students and they need training in technology early on.  The more educators know about technology and the benefits it can have for our students, the more willing they will be to use it in the classroom.  Teachers need to be open to learning about technology and they also need to be open to actually using it in the classroom.  I think there needs to be a major shift in the focus of education.  The first thing that needs to be done is requiring teachers to have the proper training and testing of technology.  Without that, technology will not go anywhere in education.

Reading Reflection Week 8

               The two ways that Instructional Design/Technology has been used in business and industry that I find the most interesting are using technology to work in teams and looking at learner cultural factors.

                Using technology to work in teams in a Kindergarten classroom setting really didn’t occur to me until I read this article.  I use a lot of technology in my classroom, but most of the time the students are working on their own or together using the same computer.  A way in which I could incorporate using technology to work in teams, in my classroom, would be to communicate with pen pals via the web.  In my class, we have pen pals with a neighboring school.  The students write letters and draw pictures to each other and we see each other once a month at field trips.  However, by only seeing their pen pals once a month (and they don’t really have a chance to interact due to the fact that we are on field trips), means they really don’t have a lot of face-to-face interactions.  By using Skype or another type of video conferencing, the students would get to know their pen pals better.  This would in turn help them connect with their pen pals and therefore write more meaningful letters (teaching them how to write a letter is pretty much the whole point we assign pen pals anyway).

                I thought it was very interesting that businesses are taking learners’ cultural factors into account.  This could definitely be done in my classroom and is already somewhat being done in my classroom now.  When I get a new group of students, I am constantly evaluating how each student learns.  Some of them learn best in a one-on-one situation while others learn just fine in a group setting.  Some students need a visual while others can learn simply by listening.  Another way this relates to my classroom is not only in learning styles, but in communication styles as well.  Some students have a hard time expressing how they feel and it sometimes comes out through physical aggression.  Other students are very emotional and sometimes have a hard time controlling their emotions.  Whatever the case may be, a student’s learning style and method of communication is directly related to their culture or home life.  One example I can think of is a student I have who has a difficult home life.  He has built up anger and has a hard time expressing that anger.  He also craves attention which can sometimes be shown through aggression.  When I first got this student and started noticing these behaviors, I had to look into why and what caused him to act this way.  Was he just simply adjusting to a new classroom environment or was it something more.  I think it is great that businesses are taking the same kind of approach (only the more cultural side of things as oppose to home life) when training staff members.

                

Map

View Treasure Hunt in a larger map I am a Kindergarten teacher and so I thought it would be easier to incorporate using a map that I have made for my students to use. In this the lesson, the students will have to go on a "treasure" hunt for sight words on the playground. (In this case, I made a treasure map of the playground). Each sight word will be on a gold coin. In order to find the "treasure", the students would have to use the map in order to find each of the sight words. With each sight word is a clue to where the treasure can be found.

Reading Reflection Week 7

                While reading Chapter 14, I had a hard time relating human performance improvement to my role as an educator.  I couldn’t see past the business lingo because I don’t view my students as employees that need to meet a certain quota.  However, once I saw the HPT model of the International Society for Performance Improvement, it became a little clearer to me.

                One of the ways that I felt HPI related to my role as an educator was how it focuses on behavior and performance.  As an educator, the way my students behave during a lesson can directly affect how they “perform”.  For example, during a math lesson I have a student who gets up very often to use the restroom, blow her nose, etc.  I have found that this behavior greatly affects her learning the math concepts that I am teaching.  The “performance” in the classroom means to me that the students take what they have learned in a lesson and apply it to an activity.  That activity may simply be a worksheet to complete or a test.  Behavior and performance are definitely evident in a classroom environment.

                The other way that I felt HPI related to my role as an educator was the HPT model.  It created a clear cut pathway to describe how to analyze performance and decide what interventions, if any, are needed to improve performance.  I do this in teaching every day.  Every day I assess students as I am teaching them.  If there is a disconnect somewhere and the students are not picking up on a certain concept, I need to figure out what is causing the disconnect.  Is it the way I am presenting the material?  Was the student not paying attention?  Is there an outside cause, such as, illness or home life that is affecting how they are learning?  After looking at all of the factors, I need to decide what the next step is.  For example, if the problem is how I am presenting the material, maybe I need to present it in another way.  Maybe the child needs one-on-one  attention for a certain concept.  All in all, I could see this type of model, or something similar, being very helpful to educators.

                As I said before, I had a hard time looking past the business talk of HPI.  To me, business (especially one with quotas) can be a very cold, harsh environment.  Teaching and especially a classroom community is a warm, safe, inviting environment.  To think of “performance” in a classroom just sounds cold.  After looking past the business sense, it made it a little easier for me to find a connection between teaching and HPI.

                The podcasts I found and subscribed to are great for teachers.  They are very helpful and provide valuable resources for the classroom.  The podcasts range from ideas for literacy and math, as well as, other classroom strategies, such as, tips for differentiating instruction.  The podcasts feature educators with years of experience and others in the education field.  I found the podcasts to be suitable for many grade levels.  Check it out!

                I could see using this podcast and others like it in my classroom, as well as, sharing with fellow teachers.  They have some great ideas and tips that are very useful.  Other podcasts could be great for student use.  I saw several that had music for different subjects, which I know my students would just love.  I could definitely see the use podcasts as beneficial in classrooms.

Podcast

http://www.teachercreatedmaterials.com/podcasts




This is a great website for teachers.  The podcasts are very helpful and provide valuable resources for the classroom.  The podcasts range from ideas for literacy, math, as well as, other classroom strategies, such as, tips for differentiating instruction.  The podcasts feature educators with years of experience and others in the education field.  I found the podcasts to be suitable for many grade levels.  Check it out!

Reading Reflection Week 6

The learning theories that could be used to teach learners how to calculate and compare the unit costs of various sizes and/or brands of the same product would be Constructivism, the Cognitive Information Processing Theory, and the Situated Learning Theory.

To teach this concept using Constructivism, I would set up a mock store in the classroom and assign the students to groups.  Each group would be given a set amount of mock money.  Within their groups, they would have to go through the store, using a given formula, and decide what items to buy based on their given budget.  In doing so, they would be calculating the unit cost of each item and comparing them to others.  They will have to decide which items they would be able to get that would give them “more for their money”, as well as, which brand is the cheapest.  At the end of the activity, the students would reflect on how they could use the activity in real life situations and how their parents use this every week when they go to the grocery store.  This activity is supported by Constructivism because it brings the concept to life and they are able to make a connection with it, it allows the students to share the thoughts and ideas on what to buy, and the students are reflecting on what they learned about.

To teach this concept using the Cognitive Information Processing Theory, I could use the same type of lesson as with Constructivism; however, I would need to change a few ideas.  The first being, discussing with the students beforehand what they already know about the different mathematical processes needed in order to calculate and compare unit costs of items (i.e. multiplication, division, etc.).  After doing so, they will be able to make connections on how to use the mathematical processes they already know and how to use it in this scenario.  By using the mock store activity, it supports the Cognitive Information Processing Theory because it allows for the use of different memory systems.  Sensory is used when the students recognize that the same calculation is used for each item.  Short-term memory is used when the students have to remember the different unit costs of each item.  Long-term memory is used because this is a skill the students will remember and be able to use the next time they go to a store.  The Cognitive Information Processing Theory is also supported with this lesson because it keeps the students’ attention, it allows for them to make connections between what they already knew and what they just learned, and students will be able to retrieve this information the next time they go to the store on a budget.

This same type of lesson could be taught using the Situated Learning Theory; however, in this case, I would not give the students a set formula to calculate the unit cost of the different items.  They would use the mathematical processes they already know and in their groups, find a formula that works for them.  This supports the Situated Learning Theory because as a “culture” in their groups, they are learning together what works for them in calculating the unit cost and comparing the different items.  The community they are in decides how they will go about completing the task. 

Map of Ludington State Park

View Larger Map

Favorite Episode of Scrubs

Ruby

Reading Reflection Week 5

Three factors that could have contributed to this project having little effect on the instructional practices employed by the teachers could be teachers being resistant to change, problems with the computers or wireless signals, and teachers not having the proper training to teach using this technology.

                Education has changed so much with the growth of technology in schools.  Technology was very limited when I was in elementary school and many of the teachers I had are still teaching today.  With the ever changing technologies in schools and most teachers working for twenty-five plus years, there is no wonder that some teachers are resistant to change.  Many of our older teachers are used teaching a certain way.  When administrators or society itself asks a teacher to change the way they have been teaching for many years, it is easy to see why they may be reluctant.  In this instance, some of these teachers may be older and have been teaching for many years.  They may not be as open to sending their students home with laptops as newer teachers would.

                Another reason this project may have had little impact on instructional practices is problems with the technology itself.  Computers have a tendency to act up; they may shutdown and lose data which in turn will affect how students learn using the technology.  Also, wireless signals and internet can be unreliable.  If any of the technology is not working properly, students will have a hard time completing assignments and students (and teachers) may get very frustrated.

                One last factor that may have contributed to low impact on this instructional practice is that teachers may not have been properly trained on how to teach using the technology.  If teachers are not properly trained, how can anyone expect them to teach effectively?  Especially is the case with the technology, there are so many ways to do things and teach content that teachers need to be given the proper training in order to carry out lessons effectively.  Also, if teachers aren’t trained effectively, they will have a hard time assisting students on how to use the technology or helping them when they run into trouble.

                Two strategies that could have been employed to help mitigate the factors that I think contributed to the minimal effect this project had on instructional practices are showing all the teachers the effect it could have on their teaching and proper training for these teachers.

                If all teachers were given reasons on how using laptops would help facilitate teaching methods and students’ learning, they may be more open to the change.  Also, if teachers were shown how it has worked in other schools and given testimonials by fellow teachers, they would see that the new technology could really help their school.

                Along with giving teachers reasons, they would also need the proper training.  If teachers were given the proper training they could use the technology effectively and therefore the teachers would welcome the change and students would be better able to use the technology themselves.

Flickr Page

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eaeckley/

Reading Reflection Week 4

                I thought of social bookmarking to be a lot like Pinterest.  However, I found social bookmarking to be more useful.  It is very user friendly and very easy to use.  I also felt it organized everything better and full websites could be bookmarked, as oppose to a single page, picture, etc.  It also was nice to be able to save websites under more than one topic.

                I think social bookmarking holds great value for teachers and students alike.  As far as teachers go, we can tag websites with articles, lesson plans, activities, etc. and these websites can be shared with fellow teachers.  Teachers could also share articles with parents and administrators.  Sometimes parents will ask questions about why we do the things we do or they will wonder how they can help their child (maybe with homework).  A teacher can use social bookmarking to share these articles and ideas with parents.  The same goes for administrators.  Sometimes an administrator will ask us why we do a certain lesson or why we chose to teach a certain lesson the way we did.  By using social bookmarking, teachers can tag articles related to their teaching and administrators will be able to read those articles.

                As a Kindergarten teacher, those are the uses for social bookmarking that I see in my classroom.  However, I could definitely see social bookmarking as being beneficial to teachers in upper elementary and higher.  One could have students use social bookmarking when doing research.  By tagging websites when doing research, they can share those with fellow students.  This would be especially helpful when doing a group project.  Social bookmarking would also be great for online courses, such as this class.  Students can tag websites that have to do with each topic and can share them with their classmates.  This is especially helpful in an online course when students very rarely get to speak or see each other face-to-face.

                In the Trends and Issues reading, I felt the definition that I most related to or agreed with was the 2008 AECT definition. I have always felt that educational technology is a form of teaching that uses different resources (technology) to enhance lessons and to help assist teachers.  The idea of the 2008 AECT definition that really stuck out to me (that I had never really thought about before) was “ethical practice”.  I have never thought about the idea of educational technology being an ethical practice.  After reading this chapter, however, it really makes sense.  With all of the technology that is out there, it is easy to plagiarize an idea.  Also, with the internet being in classrooms now, it is more important than ever to maintain high ethical conduct.  I felt the definition the book gave was quite complex.  I like definitions to be short, sweet, and to the point.  I felt that the book definition was encompassing all of the ideas from all of the definitions in the chapter.  It seemed to only confuse me more.

                After reading this chapter, I am definitely looking forward to learning more about the field of educational technology.

Delicious Page

http://delicious.com/eaeckley

Reading Reflection Week 3

I have to admit, when I first read the assignment this week, I was intimidated. I have never used or even knew what a wiki was. After reading the articles and watching the videos, however, the task seemed to be a little less daunting. Once I started the process of actually setting up my wiki, I realized that it was actually very easy and quite user friendly.

Although I still feel a blog would be more useful for my students’ parents, I could definitely use a wiki to update parents on the latest happenings in the classroom. It would also be an easy place to post homework assignments and newsletters. With the use of links, I post my newsletter and the link to view it. I work at a private school and every week we send out a newsletter highlighting the lessons that week and any news from the classroom. This is usually sent out to my students’ parents via e-mail and sent as an attachment. Instead of doing all of that, I could make a shortcut by using a wiki page. My wiki page could be a “homepage”, if you will, for parents to see links to different items. There, they would see a link for my newsletter and simply check it out there. One downfall to this is that, unless parents check my wiki page daily (or weekly for that matter), most parents would not receive the newsletter. As a teacher, I have found that most parents are more willing to be involved as long as the information is right there in front of them.

As far as assignments for my students go, I am at a loss. I teach Kindergarten and I feel they would have a hard time navigating a wiki page. They could possibly use one if I used a series of images and symbols. Most of my students are just learning to read and due to the varying reading levels, I would have to gear it towards my lower leveled readers. If anyone has any suggestions, I would be more than happy to hear from you.

I guess one way in which I could have my students use a wiki page would be during literacy centers. One of the literacy centers is “computers”. I have a few literacy websites that I have the students visit, however, I am usually the one to find the webpage and set it up for them. By using a wiki page, I could have the series of websites listed. Instead of using words, I could use mostly images and symbols to help them navigate the website.

Overall, I felt the wiki page was very useful and user friendly. I would like to find out more about changing the themes and adding more of the applications to make it more visually appealing. I will be interested to see others’ wiki pages and how they set theirs up.

Wiki Page

http://eaeckley.pbworks.com

Reading Reflection Week 2

               I find blogs to be very useful.  I have set up a couple of blogs so that my family and friends in Michigan could see what was going on in my life out here in Washington, D.C.  However, I don’t keep up with my blogs like I should.  The biggest reason I find blogs to be useful is not so much for me to write down my thoughts, but rather to see what other people have to say.  For example, one blog that I follow on a daily basis is a recipe blog.  Another blog I follow is my cousin’s.  She created the blog to keep our family updated on her son who was born very prematurely.  Blogs are a great way to keep in touch with people or just follow others’ musings.

                My experience with the RSS reader was, at first, quite frustrating.  I had a hard time figuring out how to set one up.  However, I soon realized I was making it seem harder than it actually was.  I had set up a RSS reader and didn’t even realize it!  Once I had it set up and figured out how to subscribe to feeds, I found it to be quite easy and user friendly.  I think it will make it much easier for me to follow the blogs and websites I check on a daily basis.  I will no longer have to go to many different websites!  Instead, I can simply log onto my RSS reader and check for any updates.  However, a few of the sites that I frequent did not seem to have feeds that I could subscribe to.

                At first, I thought Dale’s Cone was quite confusing, but after carefully reading about each part it became a little clearer.  I think that blogs are an example of exhibits.  Dale describes exhibits as one for “spectators” and that there isn’t much involvement (if any) from the spectator.  A blog is a website that people can write about their life or a certain topic (i.e., recipes).  No one except for the author usually has input in what is said on the blog.  The only way they may have any involvement is by commenting on a post.  I think that a RSS reader is an example of a contrived experience.  Dale claims that a contrived experience “meaningfully summarizes and condenses a great deal of specific information.  By using a RSS reader, one does not need to visit many different websites and sift through information to find updates.  Instead, they can use a RSS reader to get all of the updates from many feeds on just one website.

                One imaginative educational use of a blog would be me having a blog for my classroom.  It would be most helpful to my students’ parents; however, anyone could look at it.  Right now, I send home a weekly newsletter to my students’ parents via e-mail.  This newsletter is sent out on Friday evenings.  A blog, however, could be seen at anytime.  They could see pictures from the class or receive more updates than they would from the newsletter.  A blog can be referred back to at anytime as well.  Each newsletter is only sent out once and unless saved in their e-mail, they cannot refer back to it.  One imaginative educational use of a RSS reader could be for teachers sharing information.  With all of the great lesson plans out there, searching for them is very time consuming.  Many teachers now are creating blogs to share lesson plans with other teachers.  By using a RSS reader, one can see updates from many teachers and, therefore, always staying up-to-date with lesson plans.  It makes it much easier to receive these updates and websites can never be lost or forgotten because, once subscribed to that feed, it is kept until deleted by the user. 

Reading Reflection Week 1

Technology is at the forefront of today’s society.  It is everywhere and has truly impacted our everyday lives.  One cannot help but notice the way technology has impacted children’s lives.  At the age of three, and perhaps earlier, children are already learning how to use computers, ipads, iphones, and any other form of technology they can get their hands on.  This was not the case just fifteen years ago.  It is with this advancement in technology that has changed the way we look at education and the way children learn.

While reading Reigeluth and Joseph’s article, I was surprised to see their reasoning for integrating technology in the classroom.  I have always understood the need for technology integration; however, I always associated it with our ever changing world and society.  (In order to keep our students’ interest, we must keep up with technology.) I have never thought about how technology can customize our students’ learning and to prepare learners for real world situations.  By using technology in the classroom, we can allow students to take on ownership of their learning.  This doesn’t mean I think that technology should replace teachers, but rather be a tool for teachers to allow their students to be more involved in the actual learning process.  For the most part, I agreed with Reigeluth and Joseph’s view on integrating technology in the classroom and was glad to have a new perspective on this topic.

I did not have the same feeling as I read Postman’s article.  I was shocked at the extreme view he had on technology in the classroom.  While I do agree that technology can be a distraction at times, I do not fully believe that it is such a distraction that one cannot learn effectively by using it.  If used correctly, technology can be an amazing tool for teaching and to facilitate learning.  I have to disagree with Postman when he claims that schools are more for socialization than for learning facts.  I feel that, as teachers, we spend some of our day working on social and emotional skills; however, we also spend a large part of our day teaching new academic skills.  For example, during a math lesson I may have to ask a student to pay attention or turn around which is essentially teaching the social skill of how to sit during a lesson, however, the majority of that lesson is spent discussing a certain math topic.  While I did understand what Postman was saying and where he was coming from, but I do not necessarily agree with him.

Many people have differing views on integrating technology in education.  These two articles were examples of both extremes (one saying that technology should be used so much in teaching that teachers become facilitators, the other saying technology is a distraction and, if used, would take away from learning).  I look forward to learning more about the ways that I myself can use technology in the classroom to help facilitate learning, but in still keeping great student-teacher relationships.