wk 13

I love the idea of grading rubrics anything that makes the teacher and the student have the same understanding of what is expected is a great tool. The scoring guide that a rubric can offer to evaluate the students’ performance is a clear cut way to guide the student through an assignment. Studies have shown that a good rubric can improve the students’ end product which can only enhance the learning process. The only issues with rubrics would be making sure you, as the teacher are very clear about what is expected on any given assignment. One study found that students found the language of some rubrics to be to detailed or “jargon” and thus did not clearly understand what was needed. There are many generic rubrics on the web and the key would seem to be adapting them to your class. A teacher can never get lazy and depend on cookie cutter rubrics, you must design each one to fit the students and the assignment. I feel that most kids would welcome a clear cut explanation of what is expected and that should be the goal.


The concept of ‘clickers’ is very intriguing to me. I have heard of this technology but have never used it or seen it used (unless you count Dr. Phil). There are so many students who for whatever reason do not speak up when answering questions, this seems like a great way to allow all students to participate anonymously. One study has shown that clickers give students the opportunity to stay actively engaged during the entire class. Gives the teacher a way to gauge the classes level of understanding of what is being taught. Provides prompt feedback to any questions the class may have. One review of this technology listed eighteen things to help the teacher make this a positive and successful tool in the classroom. You might check it out, I found it very helpful. http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Quarterly/EDUCAUSEQuarterlyMagazineVolum/ClickersintheClassroomAnActive/157458

I love kidspiration. I downloaded the trial and had a blast playing with it. The program is easy to set up and fun to play with. I am a big believer that anytime you can teach a child without preaching to a child you will accomplish a wonderful learning experience. And often those are the lessons that really stay with the child. I researched the reviews on this program and it is very popular not only with teachers and students but with parents. Many parents wanted it for home and it is a big part of the homeschool community.

I am very impressed with all three of these programs/technology and will use them in my classroom. The rubrics will help both me as the teacher and my students to have a clear insightful understanding of what is expected on any one assignment. The clicker assessment tool seems to be a great way of engaging those students who may hang back and not participate in a lecture, question / answer style classroom. This alone would make it a must have. The Kidspiration software is great and again can help students participate by making it fun. Anytime something is play or fun they will want to use it again and again.



David Jonassen, J. H. (2008). Meaningful Learning with Technology. Upper Saddle River: Merrill Prentice Hall.

Unknown. (2009). Clickers in the Classroom. Educause Quarterly.

Unknown. (2009). rKidspiration. Retrieved April 22, 2011, from Learning Village: http://www.learningvillage.com/html/rKidspiration.html

Unknown. (2009). Teachering methods and management. Retrieved April 22, 2011, from Teacher vision: http://www.teachervision.fen.com/teaching-methods-and-management/rubrics/4522.html

Unknown. (2010). Rubrics for Teachers. Retrieved April 22, 2011, from Rubrics for Teachers: http://www.rubrics4teachers

Unknown. (2011). Education World. Retrieved April 22, 2011, from Education World: http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech123.shtml

Chapter 9

    I love the idea of digital storytelling and will absolutely use it in my classroom.  What really struck me about the digital storytelling was that the process was the most important part of this concept. Starting with pre production and the planning of the story.  The student uses the storyboards and checklists, doing these actions incorporates so many important learning aspects for the students from reading to writing and even working in cooperation with other students.  Of course the production and post production stages are a sure way to engage and hold a students interest.  The whole project gives students the importunity to learn so many things without it being a "lesson".  Very cool idea.

    Math is such a difficult subject for so many students, both young and old, that anything that adds to their ability to grasp the concepts should be used.  As is pointed out in the book not all uses of visualizing in math are computer based and have been being used for many, many (if not hundreds) of years. These include the abacus, tally sticks, and place cards. Also who can live with the graphing calculator.  One program that is computer based and mentioned in the book is TinkerPlots. This sounds very interesting and I will be exploring this program. I truly feel that learning occurs in all kinds of scenarios. Some is very formal, but some of the longest lasting is the lesson that is hands on and suttle.

    Of course it is possible to learn something just from TV.  Most people learn best by mimic and watching so if those instructions are on TV one could use them to learn.  My children learned so many basics from sesame street and other programs.  I do not believe you can learn all you need from TV, the real world also holds so very important lessons.  And it is very sad to see children being 'babysat' by the boob tube. But there are wonderful programs on TV that can and do teach.

Jonassen, D., Howland, J., Marra, R., & Crismond, D. (2008). Meaningful learning With Technology(3rd Edition). Columbus, OH: Pearson/Prentice Hall.

PodCasting

I went into this assignment with some knowledge of pod casting but soon found out how little that knowledge was.  I have not used pod casting but can clearly see how very useful it could be in the class room. I have a daughter who is slightly dyslectic which makes reading a chore. I can see where using a pod cast could be a great help to a student who struggles with reading. So many students who are very bright can struggle just because they read slow. I can also see where using pod casting could eliminated the confusion about a home work assignment. The teacher could use it to clearly state what is need and how an assignment can be accomplished. I can think of some cool ways to engage students by having them hunt down a pod cast that reflects their own interests. The only downfall I see is policing what they are listening to, but policing and keeping students on track is all part of the job.

Pod casting is similar and yet different from other web 2.0 applications. The both allow the student easy access to information but pod casting seems a little more specific when it comes to information. Plus it is a no brainer upload to your device.

I will be purchasing an Ipod in the near future and will most definatly use pod casts. I can also see using them in my classroom to futher engage and help my students.

References:

Jonassen, D.,Howland, J., Marra, R., & Crismond, D. (2008) Meaningful Learning with Technology (3rd ed.) Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.

response

I agree that these sites are useful, but they should be used at home and monitored by parents. Many school districts have very strict rules regarding how teachers can use the Internet in the classroom. Teachers have been fired for not understanding district policy. So I guess what my point really is that if you used such sites in the classroom it would first require an ok from your district and second would have to be very closely monitored by us - the teacher.

Wikis, social bookmarking and the class room

I do believe that wikis and blogs are incredibly useful tools but I am unsure of how useful they are in the classroom. Because these sites are open to editing by everyone I feel this can only increase the amount of false information that is presented as fact. Blogs might be an interesting way to engage a student to write but again I can see how this could be misused by both the student writer and those reading it. I have been informed also that school districts are starting to have some very strict rules with regards to teachers using such sites. So I am unsure as to how much if any I will use these resources.
I am a big fan of bookmarking and find it very helpful but have not used social bookmarking. I can see how social booking marking could help keep your class on the same page. You could also use it to direct your students to information that could be useful to a lesson. It could serve as a great extension of what you are teaching in the classroom.
I have used tapped in but, in all honesty, I find it to be somewhat confusing and not well laid out. It is, for me, a case of way to much information and not enough time or patients to track down what I am interested in. I belong to a couple of other teacher networks that I find more helpful.

References:

Jonassen, DJ, Howland, JH, Marra, RM, & Crismond, DC (2008). Meaningful Learning with Technology. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson.

Copy Right,online safety, etc....

Why do we have to respect copy rights.... the important word here is 'respect'. Writing,web development, or any creative endeavor is not only hard work but, often, part of a persons soul. When one has an original thought it is very important to make sure that they are given credit. It seems that the best thing we can actually teach is for our students to develop the ability to think. To think creatively, to think critically, to think compassionately.  How to do this is a multilevel concept.  We must make them understand how they would feel if someone took something from them. Also they need to be taught that actions have consequences. Unfortunately this lesson is often only learned after the fact.

Understanding the difference between safety and bullying is a harder question. And how do we keep students safe and insulated from both? Truly I have some ideas regarding this but no real answers. I know from experience that there are a lot of variables regarding this subject. Most districts have software and rules with regard to this issue. They are not perfect and again I would offer that teaching our students to think and ask questions along with the district standards will help but can not completely answer the problem.

My thoughts on this week - very cool. I learned much on copy right law. I really did not know what a teacher could use and what they couldn't. I bookmarks almost all the links for use later.

posting for ETEC class

Yep I know it has been a while - sorry about that. I really love blogging but life seems to get in the way. I am posting this for my technology in education class so it will not contain a lot of my personal thoughts, maybe.
I just read this incredible article about using technology in the classroom and recommend it to anyone who has the desire to teach. It is a real eye opener. I found it in the library and the title is 'How do you leverage the latest technologies including web 2.0 tools, in your classroom' this is truly a must read.

Guess I better get to the 2 papers I have to write and the algebra I cant figure out. I will post soon.
M

A cowgirl turns 50

So here i am a 50 something women and i decide to finish college. The first thing i had to accomplish was pushing down the overwhelming fear that started in the pit of my gut and slowly made its way up. Perhaps i should tell the reader a little bit about myself so that the last statement has some relevance, other than the obvious.

I have, for the better part of my existence, worked with horses and cattle. Not a game for the weak of heart. I am the daughter and grand daughter of ranchers, dirt poor ones but ranchers non the less. Now when i was being raised there was a very defined line between men's work and women's work. I don't feel the need to elaborate most people will understand. The trouble with me, or so it was labeled, was i preferred cowboying to house work. Don't misunderstand i love to cook and never minded taking care of my family, i just never thought that was the end all be all of my life. I could out ride and out work most of the men in my family and loved every minute of it. To accomplish this i had no choice but to be tough. No girly whining would do. If you are going to ride with cowboys there are two things you never do. One is play the gender card and the other is play the age card, if you can not or will not do the work you best not be there because you are just in the way. The reason i tell you this is a simple one - i am not now nor ever have been afraid of the unknown. I love to take risks and never shy down from a thrill. So when the idea of continuing my education first formed, i was more then a little surprised by the fear that came with it.