Choose Your Tool Assignment

Dear Administrator,

I have been working with a new technology tool called WebQuest and thought you might be interested to know how it works and how it could be used in the classroom. WebQuest is a discovery learning tool that allows teachers to set up a task for students to complete independently or in small groups using the internet. Really, this program could be used in any content area. Teachers simply write an introduction and define the task. Tasks may be simple or layered with many steps. Similarly, students may all complete the same sequence of steps or may to have individual roles for group assignments. The teacher has a lot of flexibility in setting up the assignment! The teacher clearly outlines the sequence of steps for completing the assignment under the "Process" tab. She can include any links to resources students might need to complete the assignments here as well. The teacher can also include her rubric or other assessment information to let students know exactly what her expectations are and how they will be graded.

Students complete the assignments largely on their own using the resources and steps provided. There are some real advantages to this program. First, because students are working on their own they can move through the Quest at their own pace. Second, WebQuests offer students a safe, controlled, teacher-directed way to get a feel for navigating and locating content on the internet. Finally, students seem to find this "teacher-less" learning exciting, challenging, and motivating. There are many fun and creative ways to frame your Quest that students will find enjoyable. Plus, when they play an active role in discovering their own learning, the knowledge seems to really stick with them! I hope you will try this new program and stop by to see how we are using it in our classroom.


Sincerely,
Ms. Kim

Chapter 9 Reading Response

This chapter, once again, opened my eyes to the massive changes the Read/Write Web makes possible. Also, the Richardson draws attention to the disconnect between traditional educational models (closed, independent, passive, lecture) and the world students will most likely enter when the enter the work place (open, collaborative, active, conversation). To be responsible educators it is time to embrace the changes technology has brought about inside the walls of the classroom. We need to become advocates to bring the power of technology to our students so that they can come to see themselves as active participants in the process of creating, cataloguing, and refining the body of knowledge amassed on the internet.

The concept I found most interesting in this chapter, was the idea that to navigate today's technological world students need training in "new literacies" (Richardson, 130). Because internet content can be published by anyone, students need to learn to become critical readers. They cannot simply passively accept what is written as they might with a textbook. Students must also learn to become publishers, learning how to post their unique ideas and insights to the web. Due to the highly collaborative nature of the internet, students must also learn new ways to communicate and connect with people. Finally, due to the sheer volume of content available online, students must learn how to manage (collect, store, retrieve) internet content. To be truly literate, students will need to learn more than the basics--they will need RSS, social bookmarking, etc.

Under the this "new literacies" framework, the role of the teacher shifts dramatically from the traditional model. Actually, the role of the teacher becomes much more similar to the role of the student. Teachers, rather than distrubuting knowledge serve as guides who model the processes of learning through editing, publishing, connecting, communicating, and taking part in the learning conversation alongside their students. Most exciting to me is the number of alternate teachers the internet allows us to contact and learn from. Technology gives us the power invite the knowledge of thousands of experts right into the classroom.

Chapter 6 Reading Response

Chapter 6 focuses on another shift made possible by new technology tools--learning has become a more social process, a "continuous conversation among many participants" (Richardson, 86). Learning is no longer an isolated effort. Rather, through access to the Read/Write web, we have access to "complex networks of resources to tap into, allowing us to find more information, more teachers, and more learning" (Richarson, 86).

Particularly, new social bookmarking services such as Diigo and del.icio.us, can allow us to create organized lists of websites to use as our own personal resources for building an individual learning library. We can also use these programs to connect with others who have bookmarked these sites and gain access to other sites that they have bookmarked and categorized using "tags" in their own "personal libraries." In this way we can connect with others who have interests similar to our own AND we can benefit from the reading and researching others have done on the web. This is a great tool for helping us navigate the overwhelming (and ever-increasing) mass of content on the web. It's a new way to find the best information out there more efficiently--as Richardson points out, it's almost like letting someone else do some of our research for us!

Personally, I saw the most potential for using Diigo as a bookmarking program in the classroom. This program allows you to highlight portions and add comments by posting notes. This could be a great tool for directing students' attention to important portions of a lengthy texts, adding clarifying notes, asking thought-provoking questions, or making comments to encourage connections. Also, if students create blogs or class wiki's this could be a great tool for offering feedback. Finally, I enjoy the idea of creating a class archive of resources for a topic of study using these programs. Older students could even contribute the websites themselves!

Movie Maker: A "Tail" of Two Huskies

This is my first attempt at digital storytelling with Windows MovieMaker. I found the program fairly easy to use, although I struggled somewhat to get the volume of my voice loud enough. I really enjoyed using the program and I think that students would love it. It really lets you be creative and even an amateur can produce something that really is pretty special!

Chapter 8 Reading Response

I might not have believed how easy it really is to create a podcast if we hadn't tried this in class! It really was very easy to do using the free Audacity program. Students could definitely use this program with relative ease. Also, it seems like this program would be relatively easy to use with students from an instructional perspective. Probably it would take less time and teacher support than other programs such as MovieMaker to get students started on creating and publishing their work.

I could see a lot of possible uses for podcasting in the classroom. Something I would definitely pursue is creating a weekly class news podcast with students. We would start simply, by announcing special events, and projects, and featuring "student of the week" interviews. Gradually, these could become more elaborate. Students could generate podcasts based on their own ideas and interests. They might also use podcasting as a medium to share their poetry or creative writing pieces. They might interview faculty or staff members at their school or others within the community. This would give students the opportunity to work together collaboratively to produce and publish. Also, because they will need to prepare a script, students will have a natural context for practicing their writing. Because they will need to read their scripts to create their podcasts, they will be gaining practice in reading fluency. Teachers might choose to teach students some basic principles of journalism and encourage them to examine other news sources such as newspapers and television news broadcasts. Finally, the podcasts are a wonderful way to communicate student learning with parents!

Technology Autobiography Revisited

Although I can’t say this class has completely eliminated my technological anxiety, it has certainly gone a long way to expose me to some of the possibilities for using technology in the classroom. I have had opportunities to work with many new technology tools— Windows MovieMaker (digital storytelling), Flikr (photosharing), Audacity(podcasting), WebQuest(teacher-directed web-learning tool), etc. Also, I gained a better understanding of how search engines work. Strangely, I had never really given this a thought. However, I found it very interesting to consider how your results can be influenced by the search engine you use. I also found that your choice of search engine may depend on the purposes of your research. For example, Technorati, a search engine for blogs; Snap, gives a snapshot of every site listed; and Clusty, an engine with helpful organizational tools for conducting research. Many of these search engines could be especially helpful for connecting students with quality sources for online information.

Similarly, this course has taught me the importance of teaching students to be critical consumers of internet content. It is crucial for students to understand that not all internet sources are created equal. Further, just because it's on the internet doesn't make it true. Students need to learn to evaluate web sites and sources so they don't get caught up in biased or incorrect information. It's particularly important for me as an elementary school teacher to spend time teaching students to evaluate web sources with a critical eye, as they will be more inclined to accept anything they find on the internet as "true."

Finally, I think the most important insight I have gained from this course is that while many of us are still not entirely confident with new technology, it is certainly here to stay and will play an important role in the lives of our students regardless of our personal feelings toward it. Additionally, new technologies can expand the classroom in valuable ways. Students can publish content to reach a larger or even unlimited audience, they can connect with peers and various experts or professionals from across the world. They can find new creative outlets and access powerful new tools that can enhance and motivate learning. For all these reasons, it is time for us to embrace technology in the classroom. Its possible uses are limited only by our own creativity and that of our students. I think I have begun to see the true potential of technology--not simply a tool for completing a specific or specialized task, but a resource for expanding our social and intellectual worlds. We can use new technology to push ourselves into a lifetime of learning as both the consumers and producers of knowledge.

Chapters 3, 5, & 7 Reading Response

Chapter 3-

The focus of my post on Chapter 2, "connective writing" did not address my one critique of the chapter. While I agree that this is a form of writing students should learn and would certainly benefit from, it seems that preparing students for this type of sophisticated writing would require a great deal of scaffolding and teacher support. I did not find Richardson’s short section entitled, "Scaffolding Blogging," in Chapter 2 to be a sufficient guide for teachers trying to begin blogging with students. I found that Chapter 3 was somewhat useful in providing useful tips that would be applicable to helping students as well as teachers who are new to blogging. Finally, I thought Richardson might be underestimating the capabilities of elementary students. With enough supports and scaffolds, I have no doubt that certainly upper elementary students could blog in the true sense of the word. I also considered blogging as a possible extension for students who are gifted and talented.

Chapter 5-

I am unfamiliar with RSS technology and as a result, I felt like I was in the dark as I read this chapter. I wish that I had been able to take the author’s advice to read the chapter over several weeks as I experimented with RSS tools, but given the time constraints of the class, this wasn’t possible. However, I can see that RSS technology is just as exciting as the new publishing tools, allowing internet consumers to become efficient navigators of the overwhelming swell of available online content. Students will certainly need to develop a level of competence with this virtual information “aggregator” to manage in the new world. I was also excited by the prospect of making our world increasingly paperless, to save trees and protect the environment. Finally, I think that RSS could go along way in producing a generation of well-informed citizens dedicated to continuous and life-long learning. As the author says, RSS has “become the foundation of the personal learning curriculum I’ve constructed for myself” (pg. 72). Admittedly, half this chapter sounded like Greek to me, but I plan to get started with RSS as soon as possible!

Chapter 7-

Until our class Flickr project I had really never considered the potential of Flickr to be used as an educational tool. The power of photographs to convey learning is, I think largely ignored (particularly as you get older). I can certainly see many creative applications for Flickr in the classroom—the different directions our class’ Flickr presentations took particularly impressed me. You can use photography to give students a better awareness of diverse cultures or a better understanding of geography. Most exciting to me, is the possibility of using Flickr to engage students in creative, artistic, and expressive enterprises (something largely forgotten in our current testing mania). I love the idea of letting students come up with a story or poem based on a photo or to supplement a poem with images. The images a student selects can be a tool for gauging their understanding of the poem.

Chapter 4 Reading Response

Chapter 4-

The focus of Chapter 4 is "wikis" or, as defined by our author, "websites where anyone can edit anything anytime they want" (pg. 55). Perhaps the most well known example of a wiki is Wikipedia, an online encylopedia created by its users. I thought that imagining Wikipedia as a kind of storehouse for the "sum of all human knowledge" (Jimmy Wales, as quoted in the text, pg. 55). Again, I was reminded of the term "society of authorship" that I encountered in the first chapter. I have taken a few sociology classes in my undergraduate work, and from a sociological perspective, the idea of a knowledge base created by EVERYONE is a hugely startling and powerful idea. It makes me curious to explore what sociologists are saying about the new Read/Write web, or what they will have to say about it in the future. The magnitude of the change is gigantic! How will this technology change our world?

I agree that wikis are a powerful tool for teaching collaboration and also that they can serve as a springboard to begin many important conversations to engage students in important discussions. First, as the author points out, students can be led to consider the challenges and benefits of such a system. How do we deal with the possibility of misinformation? What are the advantages and disadvantages of reading a synthesis of multiple perspectives rather than a single person's perspective? How do we deal with the ownership of ideas?

However, one of the most interesting implications for me personally was the possibility of exploring with students the nature of knowledge. What is knowledge? How is it created? How do we, as humans, know what we know? I think one advantage of the wiki is its ability to show the process of knowledge as it is constructed. By examining discussions about editing or simply by observing the history and transformations of an entry, students can actually see this process at work. The process demonstrates that knowledge is socially created and interpreted and therefore dependent on its context. I think students will be surprised but ultimately made wiser when they learn that knowledge is not so concrete as it seems!

Chapters 1 and 2 Reading Response

Chapter 1-

Chapter 1 for the most part presented a focused argument for the valuable applications of technology in the classroom made possible by new tools that allow the average person (non-programmers) to publish easily online. For the first time in our history, we are able to create a "society of authorship" where anyone with internet access can contribute "ideas and experiences to the larger body of knowledge that is the internet" (Douglas Rushkoff, as quoted in Blogs, Wikis, and Podcasts, pg. 4).

This phrase was exciting to me and really drove home the power of the internet to shape every aspect of society. Already, technology has revolutionized communication, business, and politics. Now, it is time for education to fully embrace technology an educational medium capable of providing students with powerful new learning experiences. Technology is an inevitable part of our students lives, both present and future. In fact, it almost seems that educators who ignore technology could be considered irresponsible. To prepare students for the world in which we live we must teach them to be careful consumers of internet content and make them aware of how can become a resource for learning rather than simply as a social or recreational outlet.

Chapter 2-

To me, the most interesting concept in Chapter 2 was the idea of "connective writing," referred to by Richardson as a "new writing genre" (pg. 28). He defines connective writing as expository writing that begins with reading. As bloggers encounter the important ideas of others, they explore their own thoughts, make connections with their own experiences, and add new insights in their blog posts. However, the writing process doesn't stop when a blog post is published. As others respond to the ideas and insights of the blogger, dialogue continues, more connections are made, and new ideas are generated. Further, ideas can be shared and discussed with anyone who has internet access.

This complex process teaches students critical thinking skills and improves their writing abilities. They learn to analyze, compare, synthesize, to clarify and elaborate on their own thoughts. Connective writing is different from traditional writing. In the words of our author, "writing stops; blogging continues. Writing is inside; blogging is outside. Writing is monologue; blogging is conversation. Writing is thesis, blogging is synthesis" (pg. 30). Clearly, this connective writing is different from anything most of us have experienced in our educational careers. However, I feel that it would be advantageous for students to learn both types of writing. Indeed, there are certain advantages to connective writing. I see huge potential for fostering student growth in writing through this interactive process. Also, as the author points out, blogging would seem to improve metacognition and self-dialogue. Finally, the idea of blogging seems a way to give students writing practice in a way that is valid within the context of the real world (and therefore natural) as well as highly motivating.

Ideas for digital storytelling

1. Harold and the Purple Crayon/Philosophy of Life

2. Dr. Suess Tribute
music: http://www.rhapsody.com/dr-seuss

3. Grandparents story

http://freeplaymusic.com/search/category_search.php?t=v&i=1531

4. Sasha and Sadie (funny stories about my dogs)

music: http://freeplaymusic.com/

Digital Learning Farm by Alan November

This article really brought to light the startling array of possible ways that technology is capable of transforming education. Technology has the power to revolutionize the way that teachers and students teach and learn and to change the face of the American classroom for the better. Author Alan November suggests assigning various technology-related roles to students to create a truly collaborative learning environment. Further, the article shows that possibilities for collaboration on the online community are not limited by time and physical space.

Another central feature of the article is that assigning students these technology-related responsibilities serves multiple purposes. First, students learn to be more competent and careful consumers and producers of internet content, helping them gain an advantage in our current climate of global competition. Second, teaching students to value collaboration and cooperation can create a positive learning atmosphere in your classroom. Unlike more traditionally oriented classrooms that often encourage competition among students, students on the "digital learning farm" will be motivated to help one another. Students will likely come to look upon peers and others in the online global community as resources to benefit and support their individual learning. Finally, and perhaps most significantly, adopting roles gives students ownership in the learning process. Since the Industrial Revolution, the author argues, children and teens have been denied the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to their community. The author states that today, "pioneering" teachers are using technology to "restore the dignity and integrity of the child as a contributor." In other words, the Read/Write web allows students to participate and construct their learning in ways that have never been possible before.

In my opinion, November makes a compelling argument for the adoption of technology tools that give students responsibility and ownership over their learning. In fact, much of the article relates to what our methods courses have advocated as educational best practice.

First, collaborative learning efforts are known to benefit all students of varying ability levels. The roles that November describes allow for differentiation (students may choose their roles based on interest or may be assigned a role to develop a necessary skill). Further, the roles would support one another, each student fulfilling a necessary role that compliments the efforts of their peers as they fulfill other roles. The learning that each student experiences as a result of this experience will encourage further learning in their peers—together students will elaborate their learning and make connections. A domino effect begins that reinforces and extends new learning.

Second, this form of learning resembles the constructionist model, which asserts that students are not passive recipients of knowledge, but rather are active creators. Working from this assumption the “digital learning farm” model seems to allow for a much more natural learning process as students literally work together to create and document new knowledge. Further, this method seems as if it would certainly be highly engaging and motivating for most students. I do believe, as the author suggests, that we have been denying students a natural need to contribute meaningfully to their educational experiences. With all the new technology that looms on the horizon, it seems that computers may be the medium that finally allows students opportunities to create, produce, and otherwise become the “authors” of their own learning.

Flickr Project

Flickr Link:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/38350732@N02/sets/72157618104780296/

Core Content:

MA-EP-1.3.1
Students will analyze real-world problems to identify appropriate representations using mathematical operations, and will apply operations to solve real-world problems with the following constraints:
· add and subtract whole numbers with three digits or less;
· multiply whole numbers of 10 or less;
· add and subtract fractions with like denominators less than or equal to four and
· add and subtract decimals related to money.

DOK 2

When I research I...

When working on a research project I like to use both print and internet sources. (However, if time is short, I find that I tend to focus on internet sources as it seems to be easier to find the right information quickly.) I usually begin by making a list of questions I have or topics that I need to address specifically within my research. Sometimes I organize these into an outline, but usually I just use them as a guide while looking for information that might be useful in answering the necessary questions. I often start by doing a general internet search for to guide my thoughts, generate possible sources, or generate more questions.

Wikipedia--online encyclopedia created by its users, information is current and is monitored for accuracy, it is an acceptable source for providing background knowledge.

How does a search engine work? How is the order/ranking determined?
complicated algorithm: sponsored links at top of page, popularity, number of pages that link to that page, title of website, web address, correlation with words typed into the keyword, etc. can be manipulated by search engines: ie. google bombs

Technology Autobiography

To date, I would describe my ability to use computers and technology as passable. My computer skills are functional but far from competent. While I feel comfortable with performing basic tasks such as word processing, uploading photos, creating PowerPoint presentations, etc., my knowledge of computer skills and programs is limited to those that I have been required to learn during my high school and college experience. I particularly feel a lack of confidence in my ability to deal with even the smallest of computer problems. I feel most overwhelmed by the idea of using technology because inevitably, technology requires intelligent human handling to ensure that it continues to function properly; I have serious doubts at this point about my ability to provide this “intelligent handling!”

This being said, my current technological shortcomings are an area that I am working hard to improve. A section of my most recent professional growth plan deals with searching for ways to incorporate technology more meaningfully into my instruction. I do believe that beyond my very utilitarian understanding, there is a wide world of possibility for teaching applications made possible through technology. Virtual tools can give teachers the ability to differentiate instruction; to make abstract concepts more concrete; to provide students with powerful virtual learning experiences; and to create opportunities to extend, elaborate, and connect new learning.

First, computers can provide an opportunity for students to work independently allowing them to receive instruction or skills practice tailored to their specific needs, abilities, interests, and learning styles. Thus, computer-based instruction can be a wonderful tool for differentiating instruction.

Secondly, particularly in math and science, virtual models and manipulatives can be extremely helpful in making abstract concepts more concrete and therefore more accessible to students. For example, virtual models of atoms, chemical compounds, or the solar system can help students understand natural phenomena that cannot be directly observed within their environment.

In social studies or humanities, technology creates exciting opportunities for students to experience other cultures, past and present. For example, students could e-mail a pen pal in Australia, sharing photos and describing special events and family or national traditions. Students can tour world-famous museums, see famous artwork and architecture, and view the dwellings of the ancient civilizations they study.

Finally, technology offers a variety of ways for students to elaborate, extend, and connect their learning. For example, during my student teaching I was able to observe students using the CSILE (Computer-Supported Intentional Leaning Environment) program, a collaborative learning model that allows students to post topics for investigation, conduct research, present research, and respond to one another’s posts. I thought this was a brilliant program as it created opportunities for students to generate their own research projects and taught them to conduct internet-based research in real-world contexts. Also, allowing students to respond to one another’s work encouraged them to make connections between their topics of study. Questions generated by their classmates spurred them to extend their research.

In conclusion, I feel that I am currently limited by a very practical understanding of technology. When thinking about how to present new information in a lesson, I regret to say that technological applications don’t come naturally at this point. If I incorporate technology, it is usually more of an afterthought, and as a result typically does not make a meaningful impact on the lesson. However, I do believe that this is a serious shortcoming of mine, and that technology does have its place in the classroom. Further, I know that if I can get past my own utilitarian grasp of technology, there are a thousand ways to transform the way I teach and the way my students learn by incorporating technology in more meaningful ways. It will be my goal throughout this course to familiarize myself with some of the resources available; to open my mind to all the wonderful possibilities technology has to offer; and to make technology an intentional part of my instructional method.