I hope you enjoy our questions. You only have to answer one out of the three questions, but feel free to answer more if you like. Keep the discussion going.
Q1) In the article, Open Educational Resources Serve the World by Sally M. Johnstone they discuss how different people and profession share information on the web. As future teachers, there are many benefits in sharing information online. What do you believe is the most beneficial with sharing information online and why?
Q2) In the article, TopTen for Young Learners there is a link for Skype and blogs, do you believe these would be useful in your classroom or any other classroom how and why? If not please explain why.
Q3) In Praise of Sharing by James L. Hilton in the closing Hilton writes, "If we want to preserve innovation we have to begin asking how we can share, rather than how can protect". Where and with what would YOU draw the line between innovation and pirating?
I think Skype can be an effective learning tool if it is used responsibly. The specific link given has an educational cause and states, "The mission of the Skype an Author Network is to provide K-12 teachers and librarians with a way to connect authors, books, and young readers through virtual visits." Children will be able to talk to their favorite authors firsthand. I would have my students draft questions before they conducted the interview. I think asking an author questions firsthand will help many children understand the major themes in books. Hopefully, it would lead students to ask more questions and think critically. On the other hand, teachers should supervise the meetings on Skype because it can be a dangerous online website. Personally, I would incorporate this into my classroom, but have the class interview the author as a group rather than allowing individual students to conduct interviews. I would feel safer being able to hear the conversational exchanges. I am more comfortable using blogs in my future classroom. I think it is an effective way for students to communicate ideas, but there are extra safety precautions that can be taken. I wouldn't allow the student's wiki to be public, I think information being shared should be done between children in the class only.
ReplyDeleteQ1) I read the article by James L. Hilton and he discussed the idea to “reduce creative works and ideas to pure property.” One example used to represent pure property is the sale of CD’s. CD’s used to bring in high revenue until lime wire and other illegal downloading sites became available. Due to these sites, CD companies are losing business. This is negatively affecting the company, however, when looked through the eyes of a college student, these sites are great. They provide us with free, new music. I know that I used to have lime wire on my computer until I started getting viruses. But the main point Hilton is trying to make in his paper is not about CD’s and music, it is about the importance of culture and greed. This society has become very much about me, me, me. Everyone seems to want to better him or herself at the risk of hurting others. What Hilton is saying is that college professors are having students sign nondisclosure agreements before submitting their projects. This seems a little ridiculous. Our culture used to be about free trade, meaning the free trade of thoughts and ideas. But professors are now holding back their ideas and thoughts with their students because they do not want their student to get the credit! Professors are here to help guide students’ thoughts, not take them away. Sharing has been something children are taught from when they are little, its sad to see that college professors lost sight of their childhood lessons.
ReplyDeleteQ2. I think that blogs can be very useful in a classroom. Students can talk about homework assignments. You could have an assignment where students had to have a discussion about a topic via a blog. It also can be a good way for parents and teachers to stay in communication. I think that Skype may be a good tool for learning, however it must be used responsibility. I think that what Nicole said about letting students communicate with authors is a really good idea. You could have them write out questions for interviews and such.
ReplyDeleteQ1. I think that it is extremely important for teachers to share things online. When teachers share lesson plans and experiences it can only make teachers better; they can learn from eachother. The article says that teachers can learn different disipline tactics that work and that do not. Professors learn that many of their topics overlap because they do not share their sylabi with others. The article states, "This capability makes for a richer experience for students and professors and is generating new, cross-departmental collaborations." The article said that a main reason that people share information is to help the less fortunate in local communities. It is a great way to get people together to conquer a common goal. Overall, I believe that there is a lot of bennfit for sharing information on the web.
ReplyDeleteNicole, interviewing authors as a group with your students i think is an awesome idea! There are so many creeps out there that you never know who you can trust. Even if it is your favorite author!
ReplyDeleteErica, interesting thought on sharing being a childhood lesson. It is true that sharing has been a lesson that parents and teachers have tried to teach us since we could walk. Do you think that our culture would benefit if we went back to our roots of free trade of thoughts and ideas? Do you see any consequences occurring if we did?
Nicole- I also thought you brought up good points about Skype. While it is a good educational tool, like many things, there needs to be a certain amount of precaution and responsibility. I also liked your point about wiki's and making the wiki page private. Do you think you would let the students post anything public?
ReplyDeleteErica- I liked your point about sharing and it steered into our question number three. Sharing is a great idea (more in Heather's comment)! But at what point is it considered sharing and where does it become stealing?
Heather- RESPONSIBILITY! I think using the internet alone is a huge responsibility and the students need to realize this. I also liked your comments on the sharing. Sharing is a great idea. Your idea about homework help. To what extent would you allow the students to help with answers? When is it cheating? But I do think this is a great idea. Many times students can help other students learn a concept better than a teacher! I laughed about the teacher collaboration! We ALL know how much help teacher collaboration would be! I think this is a VERY valid point and should keep this in mind in our own future classrooms!
Q2) I think that skype and blogs could be very useful within a classroom. It could allow students and teachers to talk to other students and teachers across the nation, and even across the world. This would help students and teachers learn from others and learn more about different cultures. However, I think that both skype and blogs should be monitored by the teacher, in order to prevent the students from seeing something inappropriate.
ReplyDeleteQ2. I honestly don't know if Skype would be a useful tool in the classroom, other than possibly having a guest speaker broadcast to the classroom.Technology is absolutely advancing and I would not be suprised if visitors did nto come to classrooms anymore, but rather just skyped to the classroom. I guess when you think of it that way, it is kind of cool. I absolutely believe that blogs are useful in terms of using them in classrooms. Students can discuss topics and homework, just as we do. I could not imagine using blogs when I was in elementary school, but Im sure that children now know a lot more than we do, and it probably would not seem so outrageous to conduct blogs in the classroom. The class blog would be a great tool for asking the teacher questions or discussing the homework assignment for that night with the other students. Overall, I believe that these two resources probably could be beneficial in the classroom, but definetly blogs more so than skype.
ReplyDeleteQ2. I don't have an extremely strong opinion either way if skype or blogs would be valuable in a classroom or not. I think if used correctly and maintained, blogs can be useful in a few ways. One way being as a communication channel between parents, students and teachers. It can be used to help facilitate communication between parents and educators about common concerns that may be shared. It also can be used for homework help by the teacher if the teacher set aside a certain hour a day where he or she would be accessible to answer questions on the blog or even through skype. Any of these suggestions would require a dedicated individual to upkeep them.
ReplyDeleteQ2) I think that blogs would be very useful in the classroom. Blogs are a great way for students to communicate with one another in an educational way. Students will be able to share their ideas and explore the ideas of their classmates. Blogs would also be even more useful and effective if the teacher were to post homework, projects, assignments, etc for students and parents/caregivers to view freely. Parents could comment on the blog as well. This will help to keep parents/caregivers up to date and aware of what their children are doing in school. I would not feel 100% comfortable with allowing my future students to use skype in my classroom. Although I feel skype could be beneficial in certain situations, I personally cannot control other people who abuse skype. I would not want to put my students into danger because of another individual who does not use skype appropriately. I feel that a class blog would be much more safe and "kid-friendly" than skype. A blog will allow students to be free to use computers in the classroom and at home. Overall, I would prefer a blog over skype as a future educator.
ReplyDeleteI think Gina brought up a great point about skype and the last of personal interaction. With facebook and texting, it is said we are staying in touch with our friends more, but we are getting less personal interaction. I dont think Skype should eliminate visitors coming into the class. I think personal interaction is very important in order for students to learn social skills.
ReplyDeleteAs I read blogs will help keep the parent-teacher relationship something struck me. WE didn't really know how to blog. Why would we think the parents of our students will be able to blog or will be comfortable with it? We are also assuming the students will have access to the internet. Just a thought.
Q1. I read article one about sharing resources and information online. There are so many benefits to teachers by sharing resources online. For teachers that are just starting out (us) we can gather great lesson plan ideas, or book ideas, ect. by going onto the web. I agree with what Heather said that the main point in the reading, and the main benefit to sharing online is that those that are less fortunate in the community are able to access the information and gain more experiences. Overall, I believe sharing information, especially educators is extremly useful.
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ReplyDeleteQ2. I agree blogs could be useful in the classroom because it is a way for teachers and students to stay connected outside of the classroom and they can be used for participation/homework ideas while allowing the students to feel like they are in control because they are directing the blogs. I agree with Alicia and Gina that Skype could be useful, especially when it came to guest speakers but I am not sure if it should be used frequently in the classroom. I agree with Gina and Brienna that items such as facebook, texting and possibly skype and blogs could damage actual opportunities to communicate. How many of us call our friends instead of texting...not many and if you do half the time its because we dont feel like texting long messages. I can see where technology such as blogs and skype can be useful, but I feel it should be used once and awhile, not as a sole communication source. Brienna that was also a good point about parents and blogging....I highly doubt a parent would know how to blog or check it out. Maybe if they were used the teacher could have an information night of some sort to show parents??
ReplyDeleteGina, I like how you talked about skyping and how it can really change society. Children in this day and age are losing out on so many social interaction skills due to the internet. No one shakes hands anymore, or knows what to say to an individual they don't know. But if you put a phone in their hand, they can text for hours. My fear is that technology is going to advance so much that people will completely lose out on practicing and using their social interaction skills. Even though you can Skype with people from around the world, it just scares me to think that we can't even have guest speakers in school anymore.
ReplyDeleteErica, I completely agree with you. I believe technology is a great thing that is helping us advance in many ways, while doing things more efficiently. On the other hand, people are forgetting about other important skills they used to carry, which doesn't only affect us but the children of our society as well. At least we got a chance to learn social skills and not depend completely on computers, cell phones, etc while growing up in school, but children these days especially in elementary school are not getting any of those social skills. Our society on depends 100% on technology and when you look at it, its not always a good thing.
ReplyDeleteEveryone is doing a great job on the posts! Keep up the great feedback!:)
I read the article titled, “Open Educational Resources Serve the World.” I agree with Amanda that it is useful for educators to share information. All of our education teachers stress the importance of, “not creating the wheel.” In other words, while we are creating lesson plans our professors want us to use some ideas from other lessons done before. However, it is extremely important to cite where we got our reference from. While I observe in my first grade classroom, I watch how the other first grade teacher comes in our classroom during lunch in order to collaborate lessons with my host teacher. I think it is important to get ideas from other people, along with opinions to help critique the lesson. In the article, I thought the self-police idea was interesting. It is stated, “If someone posts an inappropriate message, a member of the community can press the 'panic button,' which signals a network manager (a member of Wiley’s community-support team). If the manager determines the posting was inappropriate, the person can be electronically banned from the community.”
ReplyDeleteAs for question #2, I did not think that Skype would be beneficial in the classroom. When I think of Skype, I associate it with talking through the computer with friends/family. However, I ended up researching online the different ways that Skype can be used in the classroom. I have a website that outlines 50 different ways to use Skype in the classroom: http://www.teachingdegree.org/2009/06/30/50-awesome-ways-to-use-skype-in-the-classroom/
ReplyDeleteMy favorite “awesome” use of Skype is for field trips. For instance, if a student’s are unable to attend field trips for any reason, the teacher can use Skype in order to interactively bring the field trip into the classroom itself! I also liked the idea of having students Skype with an author whose books the children have been reading in the classroom as well!
Also, this YouTube Video on Skype is very informative: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8492817690922123697# It shows how to set up Skype to use in the classroom!
Q2. I have always been a big supporter of skype in the classroom. I think it's a great resource that any teacher can use, with no expense to them. I had used it once for a class in college while my professor was away at a conference. He was able to stay in touch with us and still teach even though he was in another country. I think skype would be very useful in case of absences.
ReplyDeleteI think skype can be used for the pen pal system as well. You can create an account for your class and have a pen pal teacher anywhere else in the world and the classes can exchange information and cultures. Classes can connect with people that are different with them and experience new things through the innovations of skype.
Skype can also be used for homework help. Students could use it to communicate with each other for social reasons but also could use it to help each other with schoolwork.
I think Skype can be a great resource besides just keeping in touch with family and friends as many believe. It has so many other uses that can benefit us all!
Melissa, I didn't even think about using skype for homework help that is a really great idea. Technology is playing such a huge role in education today, that is more beneficial to embrace it in classrooms rather than discourage it. At the same time, children do need to learn how to be safe on these kinds of websites such as blogs. Brienna, I don't think I would allow my students to post anything public on wiki because I would use it only for the students in my classroom. Therefore, I don't think the public would really need to see anything being posted.
ReplyDeleteQ1) I believe sharing information online could have an enormous effect on our students. If teachers are able to see what and how other teachers are planning and instructing, they can better their own instruction. When we observe others lesson plans, we can borrow their ideas and build on our own. Sharing information online could also give teachers in same-building settings the opportunity to see what each expects of their students, this way we can prepare our students early on for the up coming year. I agree with Heather and Amanda that sharing information online could be very advantageous for less-developed countries. Teachers in these areas are not as fortunate and may not have resources and materials to support their teaching. Through the use of internet, they are given the opportunity to access information efficiently.
ReplyDeleteQ1) It seems pretty obvious as to why sharing information over the internet is a good thing. People from all around the world use the internet. If we can share a teaching idea we have in New York with someone in China who needed some help with it, then why wouldn't we? The article Open Educational Resources Serve the World by Sally M. Johnstone points out many others reasons. A very important one is cost efficient. A huge thing we hear about in all the education classes we take in college is about how students and educators don't have enough money to buy materials or resources they need to efficiently teach or learn. The internet and the 'open education resources' make this possible for next to nothing. Take advantage of free sources online.
ReplyDeleteQ2) On the web page "top ten for young learners" there were a lot of good resources for web 2.0 users to use. Specifically, I think glogster, blogs and wiki spaces seem to be the best uses of web 2.0. For your question, I think blogs are useful because they are basically like message boards. People can share their thoughts and ideas to whoever wants to read it, and then can get feedback from other users of the blog. As apparent in this blog, we are learning a lot about web 2.0 and other internet advancements most of use had probably never heard of until this class. As far as skype is concerned, I don't really see how it could be used by students for a useful tool. Maybe if you were a teacher in another state or country and wanted to do a video session to another classroom it would be useful for the students. But other than that, it's really just a distraction in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteQ2) On the page for "top ten for young learners" there were tons of great resources to look at. Most of these sources I never even heard of and just after exploring them I realized how useful they are. Along with Melissa, I think skype is a great tool and can be used in the classroom. It is free and easy and can be very beneficial if used for educational purposes. I know that I have used skype to talk to family members and friends from all over. I also agree with Melissa on her idea of using skype as a tool if a child is absent. Also, if a child in your class has family from Italy or anywhere skyping with them would be a fun and cultural experience for the students. Skype is a very useful type of communication and can be used for so many reasons. Also blogs have also proven to be very useful especially for our class. Being able to share ideas and thoughts through one common page is very useful and helpful to read others ideas and mixing them with your own. Blogs are also very useful in the English subject area where I have used it to discuss books and other class work. Technology usage is very important to incorporate in the classroom. It is often hard to find what works and what doesn't but that is what trial and error is for.
ReplyDeleteQ1. I read also read the article about sharing information by the resources online. Sharing resources online is very beneficial for beginning teachers and a place where they can go to get ideas. Why start from scratch when you can search and build off others ideas? I agree with Amanda and Lindsay about how useful these sources are. There are many great useful sites out there that can help improve lesson plans. In my practicum classroom I have watched my host teacher use power points that she found off the internet to help enhance her lessons. There really are so many things to choose from on the net and if you are stuck on an idea there are many places to find help.
ReplyDeleteQ2. I looked at the TopTen for Young Learners website and found great websites and activites to incorporate into the classroom. I agree with Christina and Amanda Z's idea that blogs are useful for students and the classroom. They can use blogs for homework questions, projects, ideas, feedback etc. This is also a great tool for teachers because they can check the blog every night to see if their students have any questions. There are millions of blogs out on the internet that most students do not take advantage of. I think that if blogs on books, projects and lessons being done in your specific classroom were incorporated into the classroom, the students could pull ideas and examples from other students around the world. Encorporating blogging into your classroom is a wonderful idea. Onto the topic of Skype..Personally, I use skype on a daily basis. I skype with my family and friends all over the world. Even though I use skype for social purposes, I think it would be a great tool to bring into the classroom. After reading Melissa's comment on using skype as a cultural aspect, I agree that this is SUCH a great way to bring culture into the classroom. Teachers from across the world could collaborate with each other and bring all different types of culture into the classroom. If skype was used in the classroom, it would be much easier to plan guest speakers. I think that all of this Web 2.0 technology is amazing and needs to be incorporated more into the classroom for effective and up to date learning to occur.
ReplyDeleteI found the article “Top Ten for Young Learners” to be helpful and it provided me with an abundance of ideas to use technology in the classroom. However, the section on using Skype was surprising to me and I now think that using it in the classroom is a necessity as it is a beneficial aid to extending learning. Not only will the students become more competent with digital literacy, they will also bring learning to life and get to interact with their projects. The article specified certain aspects in literature where it could be applied. For example, the student’s could get a chance to meet the author, over the internet, of their favorite books. The students would have the chance to listen to the author discuss their book and then do a follow up where they are allowed to ask questions. They would be so excited for an opportunity like this and put in a lot of time and effort preparing for it. The main mission of using Skype in the classroom is “to connect authors, books, and young readers through virtual visits.”
ReplyDeleteExpanding on the article, I had a few separate ideas of how to use Skype for certain projects. I think I would have the students do a pen pal project via Skype. At first the students would start off writing letters and as a final project they would get to interact with their pen pal over Skype. The students would finally get to see what they look like and have a real back and forth conversation with them. This would make the project more personal and add allow the students a modern twist to an old project. Also, another idea would be to use Skype if a student was absent from class. In Randall, students often miss large amounts of time in the classroom because they are visiting a parent, or sick. This way, if they had computer access at home, they could still watch the lessons and be an active participant in the work without contaminating anybody else.
Lastly, a teacher could use Skype to contact parents. A lot of times parents are too busy working, dropping their kids off at practice, or babysitting to make time for parent teacher conferences. However, if they could do it from the privacy of their own home and taken ten minutes a month to discuss with the teacher about their child’s progress then that would be helpful.
Q.2) I would have to agree with the others who have responded to this question that Skype and blogs would be useful tools to use in the classroom. Blogs are something new that I am learning about but I can see the advantages they offer teachers, students and parents. Blogs make communication faster and easier. Students and parents can ask questions about homework and projects to the teacher but also to other students who may have similar questions. Posts can be made regarding when assignments are due, upcoming events and any other information worth sharing. Future generations are becoming more and more technology savvy and as teachers we must be able to keep up with them. As for using Skype in the classroom I can see many benefits that they offer but it must be used responsibly. I totally agree with what Gina, Brienne and Amanda had to say about personal interaction and how Skype would eliminate personal interaction. Children need social skills to work with one another and those outside of the classroom. Students also may not be as interested as seeing someone on a computer screen rather than right in front of them in their classrooms. Technology has so much to offer but I think that you need to adapt what different tools you use to your classroom and students.
ReplyDeleteQ2: I think that Skype and blogs could be extremely useful in a classroom. The teacher could set up Skype for the students to interact with children in another country. This is a more technological form of a pen pal. If the teacher were to set up an agreement and meeting time with a teacher of another classroom then that would be an excellent socialization skill for the students. A blog is especially helpful and useful in a classroom because it would allow the students to interact with one another through the computer. They could share their feelings about specific topics such as this one and it would allow them to know how others are feeling as well. The more our society grows and advances, the more technology is brought into play. I think that this would enhance the interaction between children. We are constantly being taught about choices and differentiation, this would be a perfect example. If the students are not comfortable with expressing themselves in person, this gives them an opportunity to do it over a computer and so they don't have to be as shy and scared. Overall, I think that Skype and blogs are a positive part of the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Meghan has said about how the use of Skype in a classroom was surprising yet very beneficial. I really enjoyed her explanation on how the students will "become more competent with digital literacy, they will also bring learning to life and get to interact with their projects." I completely agree with this statement. It's so vital for the children to enjoy learning and want to do it and this is definitely a way to get it going.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with you Amanda about how blogs are very helpful in the classroom because it's important for students to interact through a computer. I think that in todays society it's so important for children to be raised on the computer as the world is growng more advanced by the day. Each year there are technological advances and the children will be growing up in this era. Good explanations girl!
Lindsey- I looked at that site and there were some great ideas there! Thanks.
ReplyDeleteMelissa and many others talked about using Skype for understanding other cultures. At first I was more concerned with the lack of personal interaction, but I do think this would be a better way to interact with students and other people who are not able to come into the classroom for distance reasons. Learning about other cultures is very important and being able to actually SEE it will have a great impact on the children instead of just reading it from a book.
So, basically it sounds like MOST people like the idea of blogs and skype. What about question number three. How do you know the difference between innovation and pirating?
After I posted, I did some research on alternate projects and ways to incorporate Skype into the classroom. I found some helpful sites that I wanted to share. One is http://www.teachingdegree.org/2009/06/30/50-awesome-ways-to-use-skype-in-the-classroom/. This article provides fifty feasible options such as provided after school help to students, allowing them to g on virtual field trips, foreign culture lessons, or even incorporating students with special needs. Also, this article provides a teacher’s personal experiences using Skype in the classroom, http://www.isteconnects.org/2009/02/15/the-many-roles-of-skype-in-the-classroom/
ReplyDeleten Praise of Sharing by James L. Hilton in the closing Hilton writes, "If we want to preserve innovation we have to begin asking how we can share, rather than how can protect". I don't totally agree with this quote. People can move forward and learn new ideas without taking ownership of other people's work. Sharing ideas is great as long as the creator is getting credit for the idea. Protecting is part of sharing ideas, it isn't right to have one without the other. I hope my students do share and use the internet and other sources for information, still I expect them to credit their work. Students can learn and explore but still respect the rights of others.
ReplyDeleteAfter reviewing the article, “Top Ten for Young Learners,” I agree with the notion that the use of blogs positively affects student learning within the classroom, as well as outside of the classroom. Blogs act as a “powerfully engaging” and constructive educational tool, enabling students to effectively communicate and connect with their peers. For example, many teachers post discussion questions, homework assignments, and various projects electronically, which can be accessed both at school and at home. Because these posts can be accessed outside of the classroom, parents and caregivers are also able to view the information presented. Through sharing new and different ideas and exploring the thoughts of others, all individuals involved in the learning process will benefit from such active participation. Regarding the use of Skype in the classroom, I do not consider this form of online communication to be the most useful in attempting to incorporate technology in education. I feel as though young children would often abuse their privilege to use the internet; however, teachers could put forth their greatest efforts to implement rules and regulations concerning its appropriate use. For instance, Melissa mentioned that Skype could potentially be used for academic purposes, including helping classmates with homework, rather than for social purposes. Furthermore, this type of communication would foster collaboration and teamwork. As classroom expectations are recognized, students would begin to understand the lifelong concept of responsibility. Perhaps experiencing the use of Skype would not serve as the distraction that some believe hinders productive learning.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Brienna’s question concerning the article, “In Praise of Sharing,” I agree with Nicole’s thoughts of James L. Hilton’s closing quotation: “If we want to preserve innovation we have to begin asking how we can share, rather than how can protect.” In society today, technology plays an integral role in fostering communication skills. Because individuals share new and different ideas with one another each day, the importance of citing the sources that present borrowed information must be taken into consideration. As Nicole stated, the creator must be credited for his or her work, therefore protecting his or her personal rights as a writer. As a future elementary school teacher, I will encourage my students to learn from others, as well as implement classroom expectations regarding the concept of ownership.
ReplyDeleteQ2) In the article, TopTen for Young Learners there is a link for Skype and blogs, do you believe these would be useful in your classroom or any other classroom how and why? If not please explain why.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this article I now believe that it is important to use both skype and blogs in the classroom setting. Blogs allow students to effectively connect with peers from around the world. By making these connection with students from all over they are learning important skills about communicating with children from different countries, learning about their culture, and so on. Its just a different form of pen pals. Along with meeting people from different countries Skype allows student that may be out of the class for an extended period of time interact with their classmates and students as well as be present for important lessons. By using blogs parents can become more involved in their students classrooms. Blogs allow for both students and teachers to communicate outside of the classroom with the teacher. Both skype and blogs will enhance the learning of their students and defined should be brought into the classroom.
In regards to Q2 I once again also feel that blogs and skype can be such great learning tools in the classroom! As nicole said, the author study communicating with an author that children would never otherwise be able to fly to and meet is such a great opportunity. Children can have digital friends across the world and talk to them to research other cultures. You can learn about the whole world simply sitting in your own classroom. Also as Heather brought up at first, and later Meg, skype could be used for teachers to communicate with parents. This is so necessary for a successful classroom community for the parents to be on the same page and with how much parents are working today meeting with the teacher is often not possible. Skype can help teachers show parents projects discuss classroom issues and keep them up to date with what needs to be done at home for success in class. Blogs help students actively interact and respond to one another and as digital natives they will enjoy it. It will keep them thinking about their learning even after school and still connecting with their classmates. Meg- I looked up some of those links from the site you posted for us and the differentiation that skype can provide can really benefit students with special needs. If students are out of the classroom for any reason whether it be help with a certain subject or if they have an illness and can't be in everyday this can give them an opportunity for inclusion. Both skype and blogs are good in these circumstances. This was a really good site, I found it very helpful.
ReplyDeleteIn regaurds for question 1, I think that more and more professions are using the internet and other sources of technology to share information. I think technology should be a big part of teacher's lives because you can find anything online such as worksheets, unit plans, lesson ideas, class trips, science projects and bulleten board layouts. As long as teachers site where they took their ideas from i think that teachers should never hesitate to use the internet for help.
ReplyDeleteIn the article they discussed the OER which stands for the Open Educational Resources. This resource includes courseware, content modules, learning objects, assessment tools, learner suport and online learning communities. The author writes, "It was thought of more as a means of sharing unique and interesting resources potentially of value to others who would not otherwise have access to them" (Johnstone,2003).
The author is refering to the OER but there are resources all over the internet that new teachers can utilize. I think it is important to have some sort of reference point so new teachers know where to begin.
Meghan, very nice website suggestion! Way to go that extra mile during such a stressful time in the semester! And as Faith said it had some very good and interesting ideas and suggestions such as provide after school help to students, allowing them to go on virtual field trips, foreign culture lessons, or even incorporating students with special needs.
ReplyDeleteYou guys had great comments on the blogs and skype, and how the internet can be used as a great tool for educators. I also liked how you guys played off each others questions and comments. Thanks for a great discussion!
ReplyDeleteI really like how Faith explained how she would use skype in her classroom. I did not think of ways to use skype with parents and I found that very intresting perspective.
ReplyDeleteNicole and Stephanie..Great points about the Hilton article. While sharing information is great even we as students have to give credit to those we cite or we face discipline at school ourselves.
ReplyDeleteErica, Brienna had a great question for you when she asked "But at what point is it considered sharing and where does it become stealing?"
ReplyDeleteWould you care to share your thoughts?
Q)1- I think the DST tips are very vaulable. We can use DST for almost any subject as well as intergrateing other curriculums. I goes hand in hand to VTS Visual Teaching Strategey which I believe is very useful and increases many skills in the classroom. I like tip number 5 the most becasue is explains that before the children talk to the speak their writting should be right. I think this is good becasue they are learning grammer, punaction, spelling and how it work with speach. Which is will be very useful as students move up in school.
ReplyDelete