Wikis & Blogs & Websites, Oh My!

April 25, 2010 at 11:50 pm (lesson plans, opinion, teaching, technology, Uncategorized)
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Over the course of this semester we have explored Wikis, blogs and websites. I have found that each has specific advantages to using them in the classroom!

Wikis

Mostly, I would use Wikis for collaborative student editing, specifically in the writing process. It’d be greatly helpful for one student to have say, 5 others editing his/her draft.

I might also use a Wiki to communicate with other teachers. It could be an ongoing forum of sorts where we discuss lesson plans, activities, etc. There might even be separate Wikis for specific grades or subjects.

Last, I could use a Wiki as a sort of class page that teachers and parents could edit and utilize. One drawback to this is, do you really want to give parents editing privilege? That is why I might use a website instead.

Websites

Websites would be perfect for classroom pages. Only the teacher can edit it, but parents and students can check due dates, upcoming field trips, upcoming assignments, tests, etc. Everyone knows how to get onto a website and it’d be easy for parents to routinely check.

I might also use Websites for large class projects. If students were each doing a biography on someone famous, I might compile them all onto a website. It’d be neat for students to have something on the web that they’ve created.

Blogs

Blogs would be useful for student journaling or prewriting. They might also be useful in ongoing projects, like observing tadpoles. Students could update their blogs daily with observations.

I think I would mostly use blogs for student purposes, and I personally would rely on websites for teaching things.

Overall, these are three common types of technology that are all very practical and helpful in the classroom.

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Exploring a New Technology: Inspiration

April 17, 2010 at 2:55 am (lesson plans, opinion, teaching, technology)
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A class website using Inspiration

This week, I chose to explore the software program Inspiration as a new technology. I chose it because my dad told me he uses it very often, and of course it’s interesting to research technologies that you know are being used.

Inspiration is a computer software program used for creating webs, charts, presentations, and outlines. It encourages visual learning through these tools. It helps students plan, organize and design. I used it on my dad’s work computer (it has to be bought, not just a free download) and found it to be incredibly easy. I am a huge advocate of creating webs before writing essays, and it was a cinch to do so using this program. I randomly chose the main topic of Michigan. With one press of a button, a line extended out to create the sub-topic, and I wrote “Climate.” With two more clicks, I had sub-sub-bubbles reading “Temperate” and “Deciduous forest.” With another click, the program automatically turned my web into a paper outline! How easy!

I also played around and made another web based off of The 3 Little Pigs. The title was at the topic, and lines reading “setting,” “characters,” “plot,” and “conflict” and “resolution” as underlying topics. It was simple to fill out and really easy to navigate.

I thought about how I might incorporate this program in my classroom. Of course, it would be an excellent pre-writing tool. Students could create the topic of their paper and each paragraph, or idea, could be an extension of the web. Students might choose a historical event and organize its details in a web. Another great way to use this would be to transfer the students’ pre-writing or outlines to a Wiki and then having classmates give them feedback! Mostly, it would be used for students to organize their own thoughts, or to learn to organize the thoughts of others.

An example of event webs on Inspiration

One tiny drawback to using this program is that some students simply don’t benefit from this type of pre-writing. Some kids are list-makers, in which this program would be unnecessary. Of course, it’d benefit them to at least be introduced to web-making.

Overall, this is a really great and simple way for students to further think of, organize and plan their thoughts. It’s automatically neat (some kids don’t have the best handwriting) and automatically organized. It can be updated as students learn more about a certain topic. It’s a way for students and teachers to stay organized and explore different methods of visual learning.

If you are interested in Inspiration or want to learn more, their website is really informative and has sample activities and webs. Check it out here!

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Catching Up with My Dad, the Teacher

April 17, 2010 at 2:04 am (lesson plans, teaching, technology)
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flickr photo by superkimbo in BKK

My dad is a teacher, and recently a lot of our conversations have been about teaching. I especially like to hear what kind of technology he sees being integrated in middle schools. Because we studied it last week, I brought up Wikis, and he said that they are used widely and often. He said that all of the first-year teachers in the district joined a Wiki designed specifically for them. In this Wiki they share tips, lesson plans, swap stories and other things. From what he’s heard, many of the beginning teachers really enjoy it. It’s an example of technology being used for teachers, not by teachers!

Another technology my dad uses is called Teacher Web. It’s a website that that the district paid for and only the teacher can create or edit it. Students, parents or other school administration can access it. He uses this to post homework, assignments, projects, vocabulary, or other class reminders. It’s also possible to report grades through this program. He compares it to a “class page” and says it’s similar to a Wiki, just without the collaborative editing opportunities. Though he uses it for specific classes, Teacher Web can create pages for grades, whole schools, or entire districts. Here is a sample page for an elementary school teacher and classroom!

My dad also explained a software program called Inspiration. This is the technology I will be exploring for this week, and you can read about it here. (A brief description: it’s a program on which students can design webs, charts, outlines or other organizational/pre-writing tools).

Overall, in my dad’s school, it sounds like common technologies used are programs or websites accessed on the computer. These seem like simple yet completely effective ways to integrate technology and enhance both teacher and student experience.

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Creating & Editing Wikis

April 11, 2010 at 11:40 pm (lesson plans, Personal Learning Network, teaching, technology)
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Creating my Wiki was simple and fast. I was eager to collaborate with my classmates and get some ideas and feedback. Unfortunately, I might’ve waited too late, because as of 7:00pm Sunday night, I’m the only one who has written anything. I double-checked my settings, and they allow all members to edit the wiki, so I’m not quite sure what the issue is. Maybe by the end of tonight there will be some postings! 🙂 2 of the 5 members I invited have accepted.

Regardless of the success with this particular Wiki, I think they could be valuable educational tools. Wikis differ from blogs because all members can edit the actual document or presentation- not just comment on it. Each person can have a different text color and edit the document or give feedback. It’s clear and simple to use, and I both researched and thought of some ways it could be used effectively in the classroom:

  • Having students use it for the writing process so that classmates can peer edit pre-writing webs, rough drafts, etc
  • Maintaining a class newspaper
  • Open a Wiki for big assignments and use it as a question-and-answer forum
  • Maintain a class website with due dates, reminders, etc.
  • Let students demonstrate their knowledge on a topic by making a page for each letter A to Z. The entire class can write as much as they know about a certain topic on each letter (For example, if the topic were United States geography, students might write “plateaus,” “prairie,” or “Pennsylvania” on the P page).
  • Give students digital access to rubrics or assignment details
  • Show students samples of assignments from previous students
  • Have an ongoing document that other teachers can edit (all Social Studies teachers in a school or district could be members, for example)

Overall, I think the use of Wiki is one of the things learned this semester that I will definitely apply in my future classroom. The possibilities are endless, and everytime I think of another use for Wikis, I think about how helpful it’d be.

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Brainstorming Technology Integration Lesson Plan 2

April 5, 2010 at 2:21 am (ESL, lesson plans, Personal Learning Network, teaching, technology, TESOL)
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flickr photo by oylerdp

For my midterm lesson plan, I chose to write it under the assumption I’d have any type of technology available. So, for my final, I must create a less flexible lesson plan (with just an overhead projector, I believe. If you know more specific guidelines, leave a comment!). I’ve been trying to brainstorm what I might make, as this is a challenging assignment!

Here’s a list of what I’ve thought of so far:

  • Creating an overhead of a map
  • Creating an overhead of a Google Earth image (would this be allowed?)
  • Letting students write a story on the overhead (each student writes a line)
  • Letting ESL students practice writing letters, words and punctuation
  • Having students “correct” math problems I purposely do wrong
  • Having students “correct” ESL sentences/words I spell wrong or use wrong grammar in

So, that’s what I have so far. I’d love any input as to whether you think any of these ideas might really work, or not work at all, or how I can create an in-depth lesson plan around them.

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Punctuation in ESL

April 5, 2010 at 1:59 am (ESL, lesson plans, teaching, TESOL, Uncategorized)
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flickr photo by Horia Varlan

I read mmorf’s ESL Lesson Plan blog weekly and one post was especially interesting. The post was entitled, “Punctuation Saves Lives.” In the Language Learning & Teaching courses I’ve taken, it is understood that punctuation is one of the hardest forms for English language learners to learn (that and articles, for those who are interested!) mmorf gives the example, “Let’s eat, Grandma!” versus “Let’s eat Grandma!” and points out how utterly important punctuation is.

As a future ESL/EFL teacher, I am constantly looking for tips and tricks about teaching ELLs (English Language Learners). I think that posting the two sentences above and asking students to identify the difference would be an inventive and fun way to point out the importance of punctuation (the students would think it’s funny, too). Perhaps then, students might pay closer attention to punctuation.

Of course, this isn’t limited to ELLs. Punctuation is an important part of writing and composition, and any student practicing these constructs would benefit from extra attention to punctuation.

mmorf claims the best way to practice punctuation is to flood input- have the students read, read, read and write, write, write! A great way to do this is to incorporate attention to punctuation in any lesson plan. If the students are reading an informational piece for comprehension, perhaps a teacher might take a moment to point out certain punctuation to the class.

Overall, I enjoy reading the ESL Lesson Plan blog weekly and have found really great tips and strategies in teaching ESL.

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Exploring Cell Phones as Learning Tools, Not Toys

April 1, 2010 at 8:19 pm (lesson plans, opinion, teaching, technology)
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flickr photo by L-ine

Cell phones. Distraction or learning device? This is a question I have been debating during this course. I could not decide whether or not I believed cell phones could be effective technological tools for learning. So, I chose it at my technology to explore this week. I began by reading a few articles/blogs about the topic. A short article from MacGraw-Hill’s Teaching Today site suggests that cell phones could be used as digital recording devices. Students could record field trips and record the material as a travelogue. They also suggested that cell phones be used as dictionaries or thesaruses because of their quick and easy reference feature.

I found these suggestions to be interesting and took my cell phone into the 3rd grade classroom I visit each week. With the teacher’s permission, I offered my Blackberry to students as a dictionary (they only had about 10 in the classroom and I have a dictionary app). Some students were startled or confused, as to say, “Can we really use this?” One child held it for a moment and then lamented that she had no idea what to do. One boy grabbed it and navigated through the icons quicker than I can. He seemed to be enjoying it, and then most students warmed up to the idea and took turns looking up words.

Granted, this experience was new and exciting to them, so the cell phone sort of turned into a Show-and-Tell. However, if each student had their own cell phone to use, I’m sure the novelty of the device would wear off and students would use them as reference tools. Practically speaking, it is expensive and perhaps impractical for each student to be given a cell phone (especially in 3rd grade) but the prospect of say, all 6th graders having their own phone is probably not too far-fetched.

Unfortunately, using my cell phone as a calculator and dictionary were the only two functions I explored in the classroom. I believe that both endeavours were successful. Students found definitions and quickly calculated math problems. I only wish I had explored more uses of the phone.

Other ways I might use a cell phone as a learning device:

  • Take class polls (e.g. Voting for the next read-aloud book)
  • Research
  • Record voice notes for student reference
  • Record videos for various uses (e.g. Record the teacher’s instructions to refer back to later)
  • Learning how to use the technology itself- certainly an important skill today

The limitations to using cell phones are mostly behavior-based. I would not allow them to use their phones anywhere but my classroom, unless I had consent from other teachers (music, art teachers, e.g.) Their Internet use would be limited to school-appropriate searches (just like on a computer).

One hugely important thing for me to establish before I let my students use cell phones as learning tools: RULES! I would lay out very clear and easily enforced rules regarding the cell phones. (i.e. They are not to be used for anything but classroom purposes). Like any other technology, it’d be important for students to understand that using it is a privelage and can be educational if they utilize it correctly. Overall, I would be open to using cell phones in my classroom as a teaching tool, so long as I believed the students were capable and responsible enough to handle it.

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Non-Fiction Digital Storytelling

March 31, 2010 at 3:03 am (lesson plans, teaching, technology, Uncategorized)
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To create my non-fiction digital story about Abraham Lincoln, I used One True Media. The program seemed simple but full of neat features. I selected photos from flickr to create my “montage” and added text and music to make it informative and entertaining.

While creating my story was fun and relatively simple, I certainly found a few shortcomings of the program. First, you may only use 80 characters of text. While I was writing a very brief biography, it would have been nice to have more space to write, as my sentences ended up sparse and choppy. Also, it seemed that every feature I tried required me to sign up for “premium” membership and pay a monthly fee. No thanks! I’m going to be a teacher, remember?

Also, it was nearly impossible for me to share/embed the video with the text showing up. I used HTML code to embed it into my blog- no text. I made it a YouTube video- no text. I realized then that using text was a “premium” feature of the program, so I bit the bullet and paid the $3.99 to be able to use text. Yeah, yeah, I know. I could’ve used a different program, found a way around it, etc. But at 1:00am after spending 2 hours on the project, would you?

The purpose of my digital story would be to introduce a history/social studies unit on the American Civil War or on Abraham Lincoln. I’d use it to entice and engage the students in the subject matter. I was sure to add interesting pictures and music. When I think of my experiences in history and social studies class, I automatically think TEXTBOOK. It is true that quite a bit of reading is inevitable in these subjects, so giving the students the chance to see some images and read just a little bit of text is important.

In addition, if students had unlimited access to this story after watching it, they could refer back to it in the future. Or, I might ask them to create a short digital story on a particular fact or person from a specific lesson, and they could refer to my example as a model.

Overall, while the tool was at times confusing, I think it’s very important to learn a lot about digital storytelling as it is a prevalent and excellent integration of technology.

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Classroom Management & Technology

March 30, 2010 at 10:59 pm (lesson plans, opinion, teaching, technology, Uncategorized)
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photo on flickr by fd

I came upon an interesting article/paper by Nellie Deutsch about classroom management involving technology. You can read it here. Deutsch suggests that it is difficult to find the “front” of the classroom today, as the classroom now revolves around technology (namely, computers) instead of the teacher. She states, “Student performance has replaced frontal lectures” (2005). It makes me wonder, is that so bad?

Depending on the grade, of course, this interactivity prompted by computers would be, in my opinion, helpful. In pre-intern site experience, I’ve learned that it’s nearly impossible to retain a 3rd grader’s attention for more than 15 minutes. When I consider trying to retain twenty 3rd graders’ attention, I look to the computer as a helpful “attention-keeper!” (In addition to having a plethora of educational opportunities). The computer can teach, entertain, and even discipline! (Page not found. Check your spelling, anyone?)

The ideal classroom layout would cater to the teacher, the materials and the technological opportunities. I imagine a great big square room with computers line 1 whole wall and half of both adjacent walls. The blackboard would be a wall without computers, of course. The students’ desks would be in the middle. This way, when I need to teach and direct, students’ eyes would be forward on me, not sideways toward the computers. And, when it is appropriate to integrate computer time, they could turn sideways and scoot toward the computer. Or, have computer labs gone by the wayside? I’d be okay with one (or none! gasp!) computers in my classroom as long as students had some sort of access.

The main point is that classroom management does not have to go one way (teacher in front all day) or the other (kids at computers all day). A good balance would do the trick.

So, to me, “effective classroom management strategies for technology” would include blessing students with that perfect balance between technology time and teacher time. I do not want to sit through endless minutes of lecture, nor do I want to lecture for endless minutes. I want to have an enriching classroom, where I as a teacher would be the focus (sometimes), books would be the focus, computers would be the focus, learning would be the focus.

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3rd Grade Technology in Reading Comprehension

March 27, 2010 at 6:13 pm (lesson plans, teaching, technology)
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Spending time in a 3rd grade classroom this semester has given me the opportunity to witness a lot of technology in action. This past week at my site, I took note of reading comprehension in the classroom. Specifically, I paid attention to the 2 common ways comprehension is assessed- AR (Accelerated Reader) and STAR Tests. These are two reading comprehension tests administered on the computer.

I sat with Cameron* during one of his AR Tests. After reading a short storybook independently, he sat at the computer and logged on to take the corresponding test. The test is comprised of 5 multiple-choice comprehension questions. It took about 1 minute for Cameron to complete. This is just one way technology, however simple, can be incorporated into literacy lessons.

The second test, the STAR Reading test, is very similar but has no corresponding storybook. Instead, the students log on to the software and are given 25 multiple-choice questions. They read a small paragraph and answer a question afterward.

Overall, these are very simple technologies that are helpful in reading comprehension. They support computer fluency (logging on, using passwords, opening programs, etc). They’d be helpful additions to any literacy lesson.

*Named changed

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