When it comes to the world of online tools for story telling, I was not expecting to find what I did when I went "searching" for sources. From my personal perspective, a 4th grade teacher, there are many tools that I have used for my own school such as Prezi that are wonderful. The thought of having my learners use these tools however was not as exciting of an idea. I know that I was able to use these tools in order to prepare a presentation, but I was looking for more child friendly resources for the classroom.
The thought would be that my students can retell their own creative stories in a more interesting and engaging way using online resources. This is what has been driving my curiosity. I have had students use StudentPublishing.com where they are creating a book online and it is printed for each student, but the following resources are ones that I have more recently found. These sources allow students to create their own stories that will stay online to view. They incorporate the use of music, animation, graphics, or drawing tools.
Storyjumper
goanimate4schools
littlebirdtales
myebook
bitstripsforschools
animoto
simplebooklet
zooburst
storybird
A picture example of the Storybird site is shown below. So far it is the site that I have the most interest in and will be using with my students. The artwork that is created on the site and the different templates that can be used are very unique.
Using online story telling tools with elementary students is a great concept because it can be incorporated into my literacy units with ease. It gives students the true freedom to be as creative as they want. It is also an easy way to embrace alternate forms of assessment within the classroom. So often the formal assessments of pencil and paper can take over the classroom experience. Summarizing is a very important comprehension strategy and the assessment of summarizing through one of these tools can be an excellent addition to any classroom.
Through researching for another project I have gained an interest in the topic of using Twitter within the classroom. Personally, I am not a big Twitter user and I am not yet at that point where I even understand why people use it. According to the reading I have done on the topic I would definitely be considered simply a "follower" and not a "participant." I can go on Twitter to follow what famous people are doing or to get up to date news on topics that interest me, but I cannot imagine documenting my own day on there through tweets. I am not at the point yet where that is something that I wish to be doing and I do think that is mainly because I do not think anyone would be interested in what I was doing.
I saw the following video and it really began to spark my interest as to how Twitter can be used within the classroom.
This teacher has really found a way to show that Twitter can be used as more of a positive addition to the classroom as opposed to a distraction. In my opinion Twitter would have NEVER found its place into an educational setting for students younger than college level. Through this video I have began to understand how Twitter can encourage students who would not normally share to voice their thoughts and opinions.
As an elementary teacher the part that hit me the most was the student who shared his own struggle with being shy. He voiced his previous experiences in school as being ignored and was not able to show that he had any voice of his own. He found enough strength to share with the interviewer that he is finally able to speak up in class. His description of the students finally acknowledging him was awesome and it really makes you think. Could Twitter or a concept of sharing like it really engage students enough to make a true difference?
I believe that this concept is an important one to remember and find out more about. Having students be required to have assignments, as college programs require, such as writing 3 tweets or respond to 3 blogs would be something positive to include in courses. Students would be required to participate and respond to writing and readings be writing summaries as they do now. The only difference is that it looks differently.
I think that this teacher has got it right. How each of us incorporate this concept into their own classroom will be the unique and interesting part.
Resources:
LearningCoach. (Sept 2011). Retrieved from http://www.schooltube.com/video/1aa687d903d4caf2e335/CNN-Twitter on November 22, 2011.
This week the staff at my school received a notice regarding our paper use and a warning that if we continue to use the paper at the current rate, there will be no more at the end of the second quarter. This really got me thinking. Initially I got extremely worried and thought to myself, "how am I possibly going to make them have homework?" After running it through my brain for several hours and coming up with ideas based on what I have been learning in my grad program, the end of the day statement was that it wouldn't be that difficult to go paperless.
Paperless classrooms are something of the future from what I have always understood. I have read about Eminence Middle School in Kentucky for example who has started an experiment of going paperless. Kentucky is not a far away country that is extremely different than Wisconsin where I teach. Their experiment is described at http://paperlessclassroom.org and it is extremely interesting to read about. Each student is given a palm computer and costs are cut for paper and invested in the initial cost of buying the computers for students. This whole concept is wonderful to think about and I honestly get lost in it. I can scan all of the "worksheets" that I feel are absolutely critical to the learning. Students can be required to visit specific sites to practice their math facts and record their progress on a Google Doc instead of turning in a paper chart at the end of the month. Their reading logs can be put into Moodle and sent to me weekly through the computer. Programs like Google Docs I have decided will be an essential part of the process. Also Prezi, Wordle, Evernote, and Zoho challenge are resources that have popped up quite often in my research of the topic. Without the one to one concept I do feel that this would be much more difficult. Within the classroom I would utilize the Smart Board that I have more than ever before by requesting the remote control system for student answering. As of now there are only a couple of sets for the whole school, but each day I have quick check ups on material I wish I had the remotes to monitor student progress. I could gain instant access to student knowledge and have the results calculated more quickly and efficiently! Overall, this is not a topic that I want to forget about. I plan on continuing to research the benefits of paperless classrooms (besides the obvious on our environment) and find what is working. I have decided that I will change one paper aspect of my classroom each semester for the rest of the year and see what kind of difference it will make. It is a small step, but definitely somewhere to begin.
Resources:
anggg890. (2009) Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44fCDYx2Lb8 November 22, 2011.
Recently I starting exploring Pearltress and I have to say that I am hooked. When I first signed on and starting exploring how to use it the end result was not being able to walk away. In the past I have used Paper.li and Tweeted Times and I was not as big of a fan with those sites. I did prefer to use Paper.li over Tweeted Times when I compared the two due to the visual organization of it all. I do not like the concept of selecting to scroll through the information as Tweeted Times requires. I do think however that the information is clear to read when using that tool. The text is a good size and it is nice that each topic is given its own space. The Paper.li tool however looks a lot like an old school newspaper. I can scroll over and down through the postings to see all that is available. The topics are clearly labeled (education, politics, art and entertainment, etc.) I appreciate the clear topic headings, the layout, and design of the whole site.
When working with Pearltrees it is easy to see your "trees" easily in addition to the "pearls" that make up the trees. Each pearl is a site of your choosing which can open into an additional window. Similar to delicious or other curation sites like it, you are able to search for a topic and find the Pearltrees of others to look at and eventually pick for your own. You can organize the pearls or whole Pearltrees in your drop box at the bottom of the screen. This option is nice because you are able to control which ones you put up onto the desktop area within your Pearltrees and which to keep down below.
Using this new tool after having used Paper.li and Tweeted Times in the past has expanded my view on curation. I really enjoy the fact that the information is once again being presented in a different way. The websites and resources are shown with picture icons that represent them. They are also organized in a web format which for me makes a lot of sense. Since this is more the way my brain works, this type of site makes a lot of sense to me.
I could use this tool with my students by having it up on my desktop while teaching. I could picture myself using the site to easily be able to switch back and forth between resources online. The students could then be exposed to the site and realize how easy it truly is to use. I do see Pearltrees being use more within my own planning time and home use of the internet. So often in class if I am switching between websites and exploring through tools online I really need to be sure I upload and open all the windows prior to the instruction. Leaving the option for the sites to take a while to open or potentially not work is a big risk within a 4th grade room. The more planning and preparation I can do before the children are in the room, the smoother the lessons tend to go.
This tool is much easier to manage than RSS feed tools in my opinion. I still struggle with the sheer amount of information that is coming through on my feed and the way that information is organized. I truly enjoy the visual representation of the Pearltrees site and can follow its organization much better than the RSS feed that I use.
After working with Pearltrees I also worked with Scoop it. Once again I am being exposed to new tools that help me to organize information. All I can say about this resource is that I am still overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information that is out there.
As I was discovering the scoop it accounts of others and searching by topic I realized just how long I could spend working on such an activity. I went on for an hour rescooping one awesome resource after another, watching videos and reading articles about specific topics of interest to me. This video is a good representation of what I have been thinking through using these tools. The amount of information that is coming in and the speed at which it is being created is something to be in awe of. The progression of technology over the years is an unbelievable topic to think about and these curation tools just keep reminding me of that.
The Web 2.0 resource I used is considered to be in the ‘word cloud’ category of tools. Below is the latest media resource I created for my classroom of 4th graders. In order to use this tool, you need to decide on a set of text that will be sifted through. Eventually a ‘cloud’ of text is put out after being sifted that essentially represents key words and a quick picture of the original text. Below in bold is the specific key words I typed in to the original text box to give my students a quick look at our new electricity unit. Also included below then is the actual word cloud results picture.
Materials such as copper metal that conduct electricity (allow it to flow freely) are called conductors. Materials that don't allow electricity to pass through them so readily, such as rubber and plastic, are called insulators. What makes copper a conductor and rubber an insulator?
A current of electricity is a steady flow of electrons. When electrons move from one place to another, round a circuit, they carry electrical energy from place to place like marching ants carrying leaves. Instead of carrying leaves, electrons carry a tiny amount of electric charge.
Electricity can travel through something when its structure allows electrons to move through it easily. Metals like copper have "free" electrons that are not bound tightly to their parent atoms. These electrons flow freely throughout the structure of copper and this is what enables an electric current to flow. In rubber, the electrons are more tightly bound. There are no "free" electrons and, as a result, electricity does not really flow through rubber at all. Conductors that let electricity flow freely are said to have a high conductance and a low resistance; insulators that do not allow electricity to flow are the opposite: they have a low conductance and a high resistance.
For electricity to flow, there has to be something to push the electrons along. This is called an electromotive force (EMF). A battery or power outlet creates the electromotive force that makes a current of electrons flow. An electromotive force is better known as a voltage.
I have become so attached to using this tool that I try to do a world cloud for almost every unit I am doing. I also used it for American Government this year because I could type in part of actual documents such as the Constitution and The Declaration of Independence. Putting in parts of these real life documents excites the students once you reveal the way you got to the end result of the word cloud. I do not always go back and show the students the text, but in the case of the real documents it really was awesome. With 4th graders it is important to activate prior knowledge before beginning a unit such as this and this particular resource is perfect for it. Studies have shown that students genuinely benefit from the activation of prior knowledge when being introduced to a topic. The combination of getting them thinking about a topic and getting excited about being exposed to key words is an obvious positive to me!
Accessing these sites is very easy because for the most part they are free. If you search for any type of word cloud resource there are many that come up in the search. I have found that there are several of these sites that I like, but the benefit of Wordle is the arrangement options once the sift has been done. You can control the color, font, and placement of words once it is finished. I feel this is a very great feature because you can alter it based on the unit and age of students.
Overall these recources are easy to use and helpful within my classroom. Each time I wish to set up a word cloud I simply go onto the website, type in the text that goes with my unit, and hit “send.” Once finished it is optional to adjust the way the cloud looks, but sometimes it looks so great that its done right then. I will continue to use this web 2.0 resource within my classroom as much as possible.
In my current teaching environment my 27 fourth grade students are in my classroom set up in desks that are in groups in order to aide in collaboration. There is a Smart Board at the front of the room where all lessons are taught in one way or another. Usually my lessons have specific slides that correspond with the information we are learning about. I always post scanned pictures of the pages they are looking at in their workbooks and can point to exact numbers or problems when giving directions. Although my school, students, and I are embracing the Smart Board Technology as a central focus we are still using workbooks, textbooks, teacher made packets, supplemental worksheets for practice, and traditional assessments.
In 2025 I hope that teaching spaces will look even more technologically driven and centered.Students should be guiding their own discoveries and use inquiry based differentiated instruction with the support of a teacher as a facilitator.I think the learning spaces will look less like rows of desks and more like tables designed to be collaborative work spaces instead of individual desks with folders holding all of their loose papers and school supplies.Students would each have a laptop or iPad to work on and use to do simulations, research, writing, and reading during school time.Thinking is encouraged, has endless amounts of freedom, and is not confined to the walls of the classroom.
The main aspect of my current environment that I would keep is the sense of community within the classroom.I plan to never lose the quality teaching that exists when telling the students of the importance that respect, kindness, empathy, and other character building traits can have on their lives.With the technology driven collaborative classrooms, students being able to work together and respect each other in group work will be more important than ever.
One aspect of my classroom I would change is the use of paper/worksheets.I use so many different worksheets in order to give the students additional practice.I know that I can use my Smart Board or computers in order to get this practice in, but my struggle is in the assessment of that practice.It is necessary for me to be constantly assessing the practice that we do in Math for example and all of my “checkpoint” assessments cannot be graded as easily at this point in my classroom through technology.Right now I am able to collect the work, grade it, and then use it in order to guide further instruction.If I had the Smart Board remotes I could see how easily I could do checkpoints throughout the units to check understanding. It is my hope to get rid of all of the paper that I am constantly filing through and having to store and then recycle throughout the school year.
The changes I see happening could affect teachers, administrators, and learners in the sense that there will be a period of time when the changes need to be adapted to.Everyone will need to get used to the changes and figure out what works for them and what will not.Each individual will have to be constantly assessing their performance and learning throughout the whole process.I think this change will be positive for everyone involved, but the process of getting used to it will be what some will struggle with.In my experience teachers do not even like to find out their math or spelling curriculum is changing, so how will they react to a much larger change?
I have recently started exploring a new resource for my classroom that has both interested and inspired my lessons. Specifically for reading this online resource has given me a new outlook and experience with how to activate prior knowledge before reading. As I have learned in so many texts throughout my undergrad education program and in continuing education, activating the students' prior knowledge can have a profound affect on the learning. For example, from How Learning Works, we learn that students enter into our classrooms with a wide range of prior knowledge on a variety of subjects. (2010) If students enter our rooms with a range of experiences then how can we, as teachers planning lessons, know how to plan accordingly.
This new resource is one I discovered through an exploration of delicious. Through exploring the resources of those in my network. It is www.WordSift.com. I am able to take a large piece of text and enter it into a box. The site then 'sifts' through it and turns out a selection of words from the text. The example given on the site is the 'I Have a Dream' Speech. If entered into the text box, the following words come back to you: able, freedom, great, hope, injustice, join, negro, satisfied, stand, together, and white. This is just a selection of the total number of words that come through after the 'sift' but it gives a good picture of how the site works.
Here is an example of a "not so great" way to introduce a topic. Although something I have definitely done in the past. This is the type of introduction I would like to get away from, and wordswift will help me do so.
The concept of activating prior knowledge is so very important and I truly feel so happy that I have encountered this site and am able to use it in my classroom. I am excited about the potential experiences I may have and the types of conversations that will happen in reaction to these word sifts in the classroom.
Resources:
Ambrose, Susan A., Bridges Michael W., DiPietro, Michelle, Lovett, Marsha C., Norman, Marie K. (May 2010) How Learning Works: Seven Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching. California: Josey-Boss
inairah. (January 15, 2011) Retrieved September 7, 2011 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKVFoljm3As&feature=related
talawless. (July 30, 2011) Retrieved September 8, 2011 from
My personal experience with the Wiki process started out a lot like this....
In the beginning I did not have a clue what the word Wiki meant. I thought it was an abbreviation for Wikipedia. It is interesting how I began the journey to understand this concept because it began through searching Google for a definition of a Wiki. Of course the first place it brought me to was Wikipedia. Imagine the confusion at that point. I realized quickly that in order to really understand I would have to research through many different sources to really understand what I was dealing with.
Through exploring and creating the collaborate wiki on instructional design I learned about the ease of using a wiki and the benefits of collaboration. Before collaborating on a wiki I had been involved in conversations about citing Wikipedia and the concept of never knowing if the information comes from a valid source. I had heard of the concept of Wikipedia being an open source for anyone to add information on a topic, but did not quite understand that this idea is used in many other sites. (Or should I say wiki's) The collaborating between colleagues was rough at first because I could not quite tell who had worked on what. Through the discovery of the 'history' tab, I found I could track at least the names of users that have edited a page. The concept of editing and adding to others' work without speaking to them directly was difficult for me. I will definitely be better at this the next time I participate in a collaboration of this type.
If I used a wiki again I would try to give comments and feedback through another source such as email while collaborating. I would be specific about which parts I had added to a site and other thoughts as to what could be added in order to make the wiki better. For classroom use I believe this would be extremely difficult for the students in the elementary setting. If I were able to work with an older group I would be sure to have specific directions regarding siting of sources and exact requirements to meet. I could see it working more as a topic that I begin as a teacher and then ask certain students to be responsible for adding specific details. An example could be a wiki on the American Revolution and giving one student the topic of the Battle of Bunker Hill and another the Declaration of Independence. I would require that each student gives a short 3-5 sentence description, date, important people, and location of the event or topic which was assigned to them.
I look forward to more wiki exploration and collaboration in the future!
Resource: jibyollee. (April 30, 2009). YouTube.com. Retrieved August 31, 2011 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4MwTvtyrUQ
In the recent readings for class the topic of discussion is over technology terms that describe the use of technology in one's life. As David White explains there are terms that represent those who spend a large percentage of their life online, "residents", and those who do not, "visitors." White states that residents live a life in which the web supports. That their relationships are driven by the web and socializing, living and self expression are are done through some sort of online source or program. (2008) The other term he uses is to represent those who go online for a specific task such as researching a phone number or to get directions. These "visitors" use online tools when needed but they do not constantly express themselves online or socialize mainly through online resources.
Comparably, Marc Prensky describes these terms to be Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants. (2001) The Digital Natives represent those people who are "native speakers" of the language of technology of today. Those people who have become interested in the digital world at a later point in their lives and participate in some of the aspects of technology are referred to as Digital Immigrants. When the Digital Immigrant goes onto the internet they are doing it as a secondary thought as apposed to their first option. (Prensky, 2001) They are easily distinguished from natives through what Prensky calls the "immigrant accent." The example he uses is the person who makes a phone call to ask, "Did you receive my email?"
In my past two years of teaching I have most often encountered the Digital Immigrant because of the teams I have been on. I have worked with a teacher with 43 years experience and another with 45 years. Both of these teachers did not except a new Promethean Board in their classrooms because it was their last year or couple of years before retirement. Prensky says that Digital Immigrants are not impressed by the new skills of the Digital Natives, nor do they wish to understand the skills. (2001) The video below is a representation of the other side of the story. It is so easy to judge and be upset with the older generation as they sit and refuse to adapt to new technologies. Through my two years of working with these individuals however, I began to try to see it from their point of view. After teaching for 43 years in the same type of style, how could they possible adapt all of this new technology in their one final year? I am not saying I completely side with them, but sometimes it is important to at least consider what they may be feeling. Could this change in their world really be that difficult to handle?
Pensky's Digital Native concept is what I personally experience as the learners of today. As an elementary teacher, I do find that my students have been born in the era of advanced and constantly improving technology. The students have multiple devices available to them at one time and typically are operating them all at once. Pensky believes that as teachers we have to adapt to the new language of our learners. (2001) I agree with this idea in the sense that we "do not have to change the meaning of what is important, but we do have to go faster." I believe that the content can stay mostly the same and the way in which we instruct and present information must change. For example, adapting all of the lessons in the classroom to be used on the SMART board. The same basal reader can still be used, but graphic organizers can be interactive and stories can be read aloud through the speakers. I find these terms to be valuable in determining the competency of my learners regarding technology. The only aspect of the terms that I question is how specific we can be about fitting into one category or another. I truly feel as though people around my age (27) tend to be stuck somewhere in the middle. I could never claim to be a person who immerses myself in technology and lives a life in the online environment. However, I do use the computer and online resources for more than banking and searching for information on a topic. I think I could probably classify myself as being somewhere in the middle, if that is possible. The terms of White of the visitor and resident are a more accurate description of people than the Digital Natives and Immigrants because I feel as though some students really do "live" their lives online. Pensky's points are valid and are extremely important, but in terms of my own personal use of the vocabulary, I will stick to residents and visitors.
Resources:
miscoehill. (October 27, 2009) YouTube.com. Retrieved August 26, 2011 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jMy3kSNRAQ
Prensky, M. (October 2011) Digital natives, digital immigrants. NCB Univeristy Press (Vol 9 No 5).
White, D. (July 23, 2008) Not “natives and immigrants” but visitors and residents. Retrieved from http://tallblog.conted.ox.ac.uk/index.php/2008/07/23/not-natives-immigrants-but-visitors-residents/
wolffwrtf09. (November 3, 2009) YouTube.com. Retrieved August 24, 2011 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umVcWiRzTNI
After working this week with a new tool that I had never encountered, I had to talk about it. It was so interesting to prepare what was an assignment and presentation, but realize in the end how much I was enjoying myself. As with most assignments I have encountered this semester of my graduate program, I come away with learning something. This concept is quite amazing because I consider myself to be lucky. I am fortunate to be exposed to great tools and programs that I have never seen. While being required to produce presentations and assignments I am learning about products I can continue to use throughout my teaching career.
That being said, this week I explored Screencast-O-Matic. [www.screencastomatic.com] I used this program to create a very simple "how to" instructional clip. The website is free, incredibly easy to use, and has endless possibilities. Once you sign in a large box will appear and the program will be running in the background of your computer. I liked that I was able to continue going through my email and clicking back and forth to different windows while still having the program open. When I was finally ready to record my video I simply pressed Option + P to start and to pause. At that point if I decided to pause and look through a different resource I could continue to do so without disrupting my video in progress. I have attached my video here for viewing to show the end product. I cannot say enough about the easiness of using this program and how wonderful the end product came out to be. The video is a simple and quick instruction of how to upload photos to the iMovie program. Hope you enjoy.
In regards to this program's usefulness in relation to what I am learning in my class, this tool would be very appropriate! In Clark, Nguyen, and Sweller's "Efficiency In Learning" the importance of developing programs that are not loaded with an excessive amount of complex material. The learners need to have directions presented to them in a clear, concise manner in order to balance their mental load. I believe this program offers a way to reduce extraneous cognitive load through the use of visual and auditory presentation. (Clark, Nguyen, & Sweller, 2006) According to their research, the use of audio to explain is more efficient than when text is used. Additionally, visuals benefit from an audio explanation because the cognitive load is reduced. The learner does not have to look at the diagram or animation while at the same time reading text. The learner is able to listen while the description is being given. This screen capture tool has endless possibilities as I said, but a few examples of its use that come to mind are, explanation of using a website, describing an animation of a topic specific to a course, or detailed description of how to use a computer program required for a class project.
I believe this program is worth exploring and has benefits true to what I am learning in my coursework this semester. This program can be used with any computer document, online website or tool that comes on the computer. I would even say that students are able to use this program with little guidance. I am already planning when I can use it in my classroom this school year.
My learner is unique, creative, intelligent and special.I learned from Erica Goldson and her incredible YouTube sensation speech that they are dreamers who like to explore and invent new concepts.They think of bright ideas and strive to be different.I have to remember that my students have changed since I was in grade school and that each one is not the same.They strive for “creativity rather than futile activity and for potential versus memorization.”(Goldson, 2010)They are constantly changing and learning through so many different forms of technology.
They are about expression, multitasking, and the next best thing.As Katherinne Savitt states, technology is not something they think about except for the updates and new products. She believes in their AADD in relation to the number of engaging materials that are placed in front of the students.I believe that my students’ behaviors the last few years do reflect this description, at least on some level.The students want an answer, they want the correct one, and they want it as quickly as possible.
My students “lives in a wold of instant gratification. Speed Demons thrive on acceleration and next, next, next.” (Lyon, 2010)They are so used to getting things quickly.When they want to know how to fix their bike they simply Google it or look it up on YouTube.Within a minute they have written instructions or a how-to video at their disposal.This however brings up another point entirely.Are we as a society becoming too reliant on Google?Is it making us less intelligent?My learners having instant and immediate access to answers causes me to think about the opinions stated by Jonah Lehrer.“If we know that a fact is only a Google away, then we’re not going to waste precious synaptic space on it. Better to let a server remember.”I believe this is such a true reflection of the thoughts of my students today.Personally, the decision has not been made in my head as to whether or not this is a concept that will be detrimental to the intelligence of my students in the future.I have to believe that students will then be able to spend more time doing something more beneficial than learning, memorizing, and storing the steps of how to fix their bike.
In the last three years on the north shore of the city my learners have come from homes with great wealth and opportunity.They are surrounded by iPads, iPods, flat screen tvs, and the latest updates.They are well aware of the tech world in regards to expensive equipment and tools that make their lives more entertaining and easier.It is a constant challenge to surprise or impress students who have practically everything.
Compared to how I learned, my students are very different.I can remember going to the library and searching through a giant piece of furniture for little cards to find a book.I can remember having a small computer in the back of the room (sometimes) in which you could insert a hard disk and save your Storybook Weaver file.Things are far different now as my students have Promethean and Smart boards in almost every classroom.They are able to come up to the “board,” now white instead of black, and move images around to demonstrate their learning.The craziest thing about the different between my learners and I is that I graduated high school less than ten years ago.
I do not believe that comfort with technology is necessarily the same as proficiency with technology.Comfortability with technology can lie in the sheer exposure students have had to different technology items.How often they use these items can create a feeling of confidence in use of newer technologies.I do however believe that students are not proficient just because they are comfortable.With the endless possibilities that come with different tech tools, I know that some students excel far more than others in their use of the tools.Some students learn and engage in challenging experiences while others stick to what they know.
The methods that work best with my learners are those that are engaging.They will provide the students with an opportunity to explore, reflect, and create during the learning process.Students are able to produce a product of what they have learned in ways that best suit their diverse needs.The assessments are reflective of their skill level and abilities no matter what the subject. The barriers that exist with my students in regards to these methods of learning specifically reflect the district in which I used to teach.The ideals and philosophy of a district will guide and sometimes restrain a teacher from doing what they believe is the best method.When a district believes that the old way is the best way then new styles of learning based on inquiry will not succeed.To overcome such barriers a change of school may be necessary.
Another barrier I have faced is one I described above.When my students have the very best, newest, and most wonderful items available on the market, how do I compete?Is it even possible for me to seem exciting and the material I am teaching to feel worthwhile to them compare to what they have at home?I have yet to understand how to best overcome that particular barrier.The best I have come up with so far is to completely revamp the curriculum I have been given to relate tot eh students.I was given a Promethean Board, so I was going to use it.I took every single lesson and problem in the text and translated it to an interactive and entertaining game, video, or image.This was a true success!
benjioben. (n.d.) Most Intelligent Student. [Video]. Retrieved August 10, 2011 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_TpkteNK9k
Brown, Dan. (February 22, 2010) An Open Letter to Educators. Retrieved August 9, 2011 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2PGGeTOA4
Goldson, Erica. (August 5, 2010) Valedictorian Speaks Out Against Schooling. [Video]. Retrieved August 9, 2011 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M4tdMsg3ts
jstd4. (n.d.) Pay Attention. [Video]. Retrieved August 10, 2011 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEFKfXiCbLw
Lehrer, Jonah. (July, 15, 2011). Is Google Ruining Your Memory? The Frontal Cortex. Retrieved August 10, 2011 from http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/07/is-google-ruining-your-memory/
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