Welcome to our Week 9 Blog! Please read the two articles assigned for this week, and respond to at least one of the following questions. Happy reading!
Question 1: How can you, as a future educator, use freely open content websites in your classroom? How will using this strategy benefit you as an educator, as well as your students?
Question 2: Do you think that there are any potential dangers in having such free and open websites available? What types of problems may you encounter while giving your students such freedom through the use of the internet?
Question 3: How will you familiarize yourself with all of the Google apps? In what ways will you incorporate these applications into your classroom? Do you think these applications will benefit your students and the classroom as a whole? Please explain why or why not.
Please respond as much and as often as you can! We would really appreciate your participation! Thanks, and have a FANTASTIC week :)
Love you 602,
Samantha Horowitz, Amanda Schmitt, Stephanie Battista, Alicia Smith, and Amy Garrett
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1. In the article the "The World is Open for a Reason," Bonk states, "These open educational resources (OER) have made a huge impact on the educational possibilities of young learners as well as retirees looking to build upon their past educational experiences. Online learning resources are likely to affect you daily, if not hourly." I personally think that online resources are an effective way to share information. Students will be able to look at many articles and compare opinions and viewpoints on different topics. I think that students learn better when information isn't forced,and using open sites is a great way for children to explore on their own. Also, education is becoming more accessible outside of school, which is great because learning shouldn't be limited to a school day. Students will benefit from teachers who can share ideas freely and learn from one another. I think that using the weebly site that was shown in class is a great way to incorporate open resources in the classroom. Webquests are a way for teachers to share ideas on a website that is always available to students. Lesson planning can be just as effective online as it is in a classroom.
ReplyDeleteAs stated by Bonk in the first article, "In particular, OER and OCW can benefit almost anyone, from the unemployed to those who have an Internet connection. They may need some initial guidance and tutoring in what is available and how to best access and use it." There are flaws with the new open education resource movement. As these programs become more advanced, they will also be more effective. There is a big gap in our nation with people who are and aren't computer literate. Although these resources could be used for professional development and in underprivileged countries, it is hard to say if people will know how to access them. Also, anyone can post information on the internet but that doesn't mean the information is accurate. Students need to learn ways to find credible sites and information to rely on these sites to children learn. Also, students can enter into sites that are not appropriate. Teachers should take these times to talk to students about right and wrong uses of the internet. Students can become responsible members of the internet community.
ReplyDeleteNicole,
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you that there is a gap in our nation between literate and non-literate people. I think that this gap is not only nation-wide, but world-wide as well. I also agree that students need to learn the difference between credible sites and non-credible sites. These days, when students have to find out something, they go straight to Wikipedia to find their answer. However, students need to learn that Wikipedia is not a credible source because anyone and everyone can add information to it, which means that it's not always accurate. Nicole, I think that you made some great points. :)
In response to Nicole I think you made a great point in discussing that students need to realize what sites are credible and which ones are not. I do think though that if teachers create wikispaces or blogs for their own classrooms then students can really gain a strong connection and understanding to their teacher. For one, if a teacher creates a wikispace it shows that the teacher is dedicated to helping and pushing their students to succeed. Teachers can post homework assignments, class readings, spelling lists, calendars and much more. Simply by posting items like these, teachers can keep their students on task. Students will be able to rely on a website to help them connect and get information they may have missed in class. Also, students will be able to gain connections between one another. Students can share information with one another, ask questions, and provide their classmates with examples. Having a free open content site like a wikispace, connects the teachers, students, families, and communities. I believe that some open content sites do have their downfalls. However, if a teacher sets up a site that is safe, then I believe that students should take advantage of it.
ReplyDeleteQ3) I think it is pretty easy to get familiar with the different google apps. There are many different website to help you do that, like https://sites.google.com/a/binghamton.edu/google-apps-help-center/. I would probably use a website to help myself get familiar with google apps as well. In my future classroom I can use the different google apps for many different things, like teaching the students how to do research on the Internet or having them create their own adventure story. I definitely believe the different google apps will benefit my future classroom as a whole. Students can do many different fun interactive projects with using google apps. In this society today technology is a huge part of us, and becoming more and more important very day. Since, technology is such a big part of us today I think it is important for the children of our society to learn us much about technology as they can. So, I believe google apps can can benefit students to help them each their full potential.
ReplyDeleteAs I read the article titled, “The World is Open for a Reason”, I was able to incorporate both question 1 and 2 into my thinking. I agree with Nicole that learning can and should take place outside of just inside the classroom setting. I feel that students should be constantly using resources and the online world to learn even while in their own home! As a future educator, I hope to use OER in my classroom. However, I feel that it depends on the grade level. For example, in my practicum classroom, I do not think that my first graders would benefit from using OER. I think that it would confuse them even more. Therefore, I feel that OER should be used in the higher grades possibly starting in 4th or 5th (and continuing throughout middle and high school).
ReplyDeleteAs for question 2, Yes, I think that there are indeed many potential dangers in having students use OER. For example, students might use these free and open websites that are available way too much and take information without realizing that they are doing so. Students must be taught to appropriately site their information. Students should have the freedom to use the internet, however they should be encouraged to use as much of their own creative ideas as possible!
*As a side note: In the article I liked the “Ten-Openers: WE-ALL-LEARN.” This acrostic was helpful as a summarizer of key points!
*I just looked on YouTube to find more info on Open Educational Resources (OER) and found many helpful videos! They are really long, but for future reference so you all know it could be useful in the future :)
ReplyDeleteJust as a reference, here is one to refer to in the future!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIkOwef-I1o
Thank you for posting, girls!
ReplyDeleteIn response to Nicole and Erica, I feel as though access to such free and open content could both benefit and hinder student learning. It is true that students could potentially view inappropriate or inaccurate websites on the internet; however, through the use of effective resources, such as blogs, wikispaces, and webquests, students are able to connect with their teacher, as well as communicate with their peers inside and outside of the classroom.
In response to Amber, I agree that the many Google applications could act as engaging and constructive educational tools within the classroom. Because technology plays such an integral role in society today, I believe it is important for students to gain experience by actively participating in digital learning.
In response to Lindsay, I think that the age and grade level of students should be taken into consideration in the process of implementing open educational resources (OER) within the learning environment. Lindsay also brings up a great point as she discusses the importance of citing the work of others. Although students are encouraged to explore the internet and share new and different ideas with one another each day, sources that present borrowed information must receive credit. Thanks for providing the class with the YouTube videos. We will all be able to refer to this link in the future!
I hope everyone is having a fun weekend. Keep posting!
After reading the first article over twice, I was still a bit confused on what exactly open educational resources were so I had to do further research. The following sites really helped me to put into perspective what exactly it was: http://www.oercommons.org/, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_educational_resources, and http://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Open_educational_resources.
ReplyDeleteI found the article, “The World is Open for a Reason,” to be beneficial because it increased my technological vocabulary and knowledge. In the article, bonk stated that, “eventually, however, open educational resources and courses will simply be expected in each sector of education and across all grade and ages levels.” This quote showed the importance of learning how to use this new technology because it will become the norm for the new digital learners. I feel that teachers need to take the time to become familiar with the open educational resources because students will be tempted to explore anyways and it is better if they are taught the appropriate ways to use it. The possible dangers would include the students stumbling upon inappropriate material that is not exactly at their grade level. However, that threat is there even if the students go to Google. Therefore, I do not think it is a big issue. As for ways to use open educational resources in my future classroom, this article provided me with a few ideas. For instance, the students will have flexibility within their learning. As long as they have internet connection, they can learn anywhere, anytime, about anything. Students are no longer sentenced to only learning through listening to the teacher lecture and by reading textbooks for homework. They will be welcomed to go online and research through these resources. Also, the article provided me with resources to benefit from as a future teacher. For instance, there are curriculums and ideas constantly being shared. For instance, since Math is not my strong subject, I may need help coming up with a lesson that will clearly teach the students fractions. I will be able to go to these sites and look at how other teachers accomplished this task and get ideas from them. Open ended resources help everybody stay connected and constantly learning which is important.
ReplyDeleteQ3) I believe it will be some what easy to familiarize myself with google apps. I will make sure I go through each carefully to find the ones that my students will benefit from. I will only talk about the benefit my students on whatever project it is that they are working on. I agree with what Amber about using these google apps for so many different projects. They can become very helpful for different projects. I believe that these apps will become vital part of the classroom and can help the students and classroom as a whole.
ReplyDeleteMegan, you made a few very strong points that I definitely agree with. As you stated, our world is becoming more and more digital and as future educators, we must be up-to-date with how to effectively use this in our classrooms. I also like that you mentioned the fact that learning digitally allows students to learn without just listening to teachers lecture.
ReplyDeleteErica, you made many strong points about the benefits of creating a class website and/or a class blog. Both of these, as you said, would help students and parents to know what is going on in the child's classroom. Another good point that you mention was the fact that students will be able to learn and interact with one another.
Great posts! :)
Amber, thanks for that link! Sounds like a great website to learn how to use google apps. I liked all your ideas of how to use google apps in the classroom. I totally agree that technology is such a huge part of today's society and that students can use these tools for successful learning.
ReplyDeleteMeghan, I'm really happy that you learned so many new things from reading the articles! Also, thank you for the websites! I love that you used a personal connection to the article and were able to share that with us!
Great postings everyone! Keep up the good work!!
Q2 :I definitely believe that having such free and open websites available to students in the younger grades is a potential danger. There are just some things that students should not be seeing, especially within the walls of a school. If students are given freedom, who knows where they will end up. Children are naturally curious and will find things. If limiting the sites they can use will help, I absolutely think it is necessary. I know that when I was in high school, we learned about a psychologist ( can’t remember his name) and if we went on his website, our teacher told us that the government tracks it and you will get in trouble. I am sure if we had internet access at that point, we would have all logged on, and who knows what would have happened. I just think that school is a place to learn, and students should not be worrying about going on sites that they shouldn’t be. When they are home, that is a different story, and parents should monitor their child’s use, but in a school setting, there should be much less freedom.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone that grade level and age are important to keep in mind in regards to open websites. I think once children learn how to use technology appropriately and responsibly then the sites will be more effective to help them learn.
ReplyDeleteQ#3)http://docs.google.com/present/view?id=dd2xg6bf_5ct82d8cd. This middle school picked out four perfect reasons why we should use google apps. * Safety and security* Users and permissions * Cost-effective * Google support. They also pointed out how it allows for student collaboration on nearly everything that goes on in the classroom, from taking notes, to making a calendar or even a large group project. I would incorporate the apps into my classroom in the exact same way. I really can't think of anything that this middle school didn't touch on in this power point. It's really a great site to look at. This classroom became familiar with google apps by using it nearly everyday. I think that is the best way to learn: familiarization with the apps and practice with them.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Alaina and Amber that google sites can be easy to become familiar with because there are so many different sites and resources on the web to help you do so. I believe they can be useful in the classroom. I believe some apps are useful for the class as a whole, but some may be more student specific. Google sites allow you to centralize your class information, and apps such as calendars can be very beneficial because students will become better organized and will constatnly know what is going on. You are basically making a "virtual classroom." It also connects parents into the classroom!
ReplyDeleteQ1) As a future educator, using free open content websites will be something I implement into my classroom. The article "The World is Open for a Reason" gives a list of 10 reasons why both instructors and learners could use the site. Of the ten, I thought that "Fewer Learning Restrictions" dealt the most with an elementary classroom. All the other reasons seemed to be dealing with college students who needed a jump start or help in a class and professors who didn't want to have to keep publishing their work every year. The fewer learning restrictions applies to an elementary classroom because it allows for students to be open and free in their learning. They don't have to stick strictly to the textbook or handouts that the teachers give them. They can learn more exciting and interesting things through free open education links. I also think just using the internet for research and learning in general is vary useful. A lot of books in school libraries are outdated and have little to know information. If I want my students to learn the most that they can about something, I'd probably tell them to look it up on the internet. You can find whatever you want about nearly anything on the WWW.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone when stating that grade level and age need to be kept in mind when refering to open websites. We as teachers need to teach them the appropriate ways to use and view technology. I believe that having free and open websites could be a bit of a danger (like Gina). Students are curious and will find ways to explore but I feel sometimes we have to limit students at least in the classroom. This is to save the student from viewing, and to save ourselves as teachers. I think it could be beneficial however, because we as teachers can educated and create responsible students. I feel it is a really touchy subject and has its pros and cons.
ReplyDeleteQ3. There are many Google apps that I was unaware of until listening to the youtube video. It is easy to make new sites and post information on whatever you are looking for. For a classroom this can be very beneficial. This can be a place the students can look to for class information. A virtual classroom can be very useful when children are absent or for parents/guardians to see what their child is doing in school. Homework, class content, class activities and events can be found on here. Because all this information will be in one place, it will be easily accessible to parents. I would use Google apps in my classroom to keep everyone on the same page and another resource for my students to look up and find information. I do believe Google apps can be very beneficial to students as a whole depending on grade level like some have already mentioned. Websites and apps are not always appropriate for all ages and when creating websites and pages they should be specific on what they are used for. Overall, Google apps offers many different ideas and links to create a successful as well as useful website.
ReplyDeleteQ2. I do believe as Gina stated that giving children in younger grades free and open use of websites can be dangerous. As Gina said children are naturally curious and will search the internet if given the opportunity. I do believe that students should be given some freedom depending on their age group but in reality sooner or later they will be seeing these 'inappropriate' things on the internet. This is a touchy subject as Amanda Z stated because we cannot hide everything from children forever. There is a time and place for things to be seen and discussed whether some be in school or not. However, there are definitely websites that do not belong being used by elementary school children.
ReplyDeleteAs I read through the posts thus far, I am very pleased to see that many of you are responding to the thoughts and ideas of others. By sharing your personal opinions regarding the two assigned articles, connections are created among classmates through interactive participation in digital learning. Please continue posting, and keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteI learned so much from the youtube video focusing on Google apps. To be honest, I didn't really know anything about them. I had no idea about the great resource they offer. A teacher can create a site easily and this can be a wonderful tool. It can be edited and updated with ease. Students would be able to access homework and content from their home if they miss class. It would all be in one place which would be helpful for parents. Students would be directed to age appropriate sites so that would no be a worry for the teacher or parent. Also, anyone with an account can add to the page, making blogging for sending in comments easy. This could open communication between teachers and parents.
ReplyDeleteGoogle apps can also be used to create an email address. This may be something to think about with older students. It gives them the responsibility of checking their email in a safe manner. Students can customize their home pages with things that are important to them. For example, a calendar feature or weather may be interesting for students.
I think this reading was really beneficial and useful. It was very informative.
Q1)As a future educator, I plan to use open ended resources in my classroom. Students learning should be extended outside the classroom. They could benefit greatly by learning on their own time. When children get to choose what they want to learn, they will obviously be more interested. Students have the option to share information online, thus possible intriguing classmates to learn. This could potentially create positive peer pressure. When classmates talk about and share information they have learned/come across online, this may trigger others to want to learn online as well. Online learning resources also allow student/ teacher communication as well as student/student communication. Like Erica and a few others stated, communication is vital to learning and an increase in communication can only better student's learning experience.
ReplyDeleteTo familiarize myself with google apps I also watched a video from boise state all about giving educators ideas on how to use google docs, google sites, google video, email, calendars and blogger for teaching and learning. By adding appropriate technology tools to meaningful tools we can enable our learners to be more active and engaged. Many google apps provide teachers and students communication, productivity and collaboration tools that are free to use with a registered google account. Using google docs for example, anyone can access their account, create a document and save their work directly online from any computer in the world. This frees you from having to save, retrieve and share information from a computer specific hard drive and "saves schools the cost and management of maintaining site-based data servers." Students can use google docs for individual writing assignments for peer reviews, editing, publishing, collaborative writing projects. So many google apps can really contribute to your classroom teaching.
ReplyDeleteAs many people stated children are going to run into inappropriate website, weather it is willing or not. I feel instead of telling the students where they can and cannot go, or blocking sites so they can only go to certain ones we should educate them on what is and is not appropriate. I feel by educating the students about all the different things online they will be more aware of what to do, and where not to go. Just like there are studies out there that show young adults who are educated about sex make better desions about it. It will probably be the same for the internet.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the semester i have been playing around with the google apps to include in my projects. For example i made a calendar
ReplyDeleteto put into my classroom website. I also played around with making a webquest page. I think that the videos about the google apps helped me a lot more with understanding how to use them. I think google apps would be a good lesson for older students when they go to computer lab once a week. As a teacher you can make a webpage so parents can go online and find out important dates as well as their children's homework. By using google apps for school related things, students can become more technologically aware.
Great posts this week guys! Many of you found outside sources that were interesting and related to the articles. It seems that everyone found the readings and video beneficial. Many of us were unfamiliar with all of the different Google apps but planned on exploring their features and figuring out ways to incorporate them in our future classrooms. I’m glad the video was able to help everyone learn a lot more about this versatile tool.
ReplyDelete