It was a bit overwhelming to search through iTunes, but I ended up finding some really interesting podcasts.
1. Storynory, Audio Stories for Kids: The Three Little Pigs
I would recommend this podcast for primary teachers. This podcast provides a dramatic reading of the classic story The Three Little Pigs. Though this podcast is not a video and does not provide visuals, I think that it would be a valuable learning tool in primary classrooms. There are many follow up activities that we could do as a class after listening to this podcast. One way this could be used is to have the students listen to the story and create illustrations for it as they listen. In addition, we could practice listening comprehension skills by having the class answer follow up questions about the story they heard. This podcast could also be an independent activity for a student. Listening to this podcast demonstrates fluency and voice intonations that would help any developing reader.
2. Dragonfly.TV. Podcast: Taste Test PBS Kids Go!
I would recommend this podcast for grades 1-4. This video podcast features real kids conducting science experiments. It was creative, fun to watch and this particular topic would be appropriate for when my first graders study the 5 Senses. I enjoyed this podcast because the students guided the entire experiment. This would be a great way to get a primary group of students motivated about science. The experiment was fun, safe and it could easily be recreated in the classroom.
3. Great Speeches in History form LearnOutLoud.com
I Have A Dream Martin Luther King Jr. Great Speeches in History
This podcast provides a link to famous speeches in history. This would be a great resource for a junior high or high school level history class. I selected Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech because he is part of our first grade social studies program. Though I would not play the entire speech for my students, it would be great for them to actually hear Dr. King speaking before a crowd. This podcast is only an audio feed and provides no video. However, I still think that it would be a very powerful experience for students to hear him speak. In addition to Dr. King, I also found a link to a speech given by John F. Kennedy. This link could be used in a 5th grade class as they study US Presidents.
4. Reading Rockets Meet the Author Series WETA
Author David Shannon
In this podcast students have the opportunity to listen to authors speak about their work. I listened to David Shannon speak because his books are very popular with my first grade students. This podcast was only about 7 minutes long so my first grade students would be able to sit and listen. The great part about this podcast is that he shares how he began writing, how he finds inspiration for a story and how he works through the writing process. I would use this podcast to help my writers to better understand the writing process. They would really be excited to hear an author that they love speak about books. In particular, he refers to his children’s stories No, David and A Bad Case of the Stripes. My students love both of these stories. I also found a link to the author Gail Gibbons. She is another author that creates wonderful non-fiction stories for young children. I would recommend this podcast for all grades because you can search through different levels of authors.
5. The Reading Workshop Dr. Frank Serafini
Implementing a Reading Workshop
I would recommend this podcast as a possible topic for professional development for elementary teachers. I listened to Dr. Serafini speak about the importance of using reading workshops in the classroom. He discussed the issue of teaching to the test verses allowing teachers to be more creative. The Podcast is a bit dry in delivery but he offers good advice about implementing a Reading Workshop. One important discussion point is the comparison of classroom management verses providing structure. He recommends developing a structured environment to help your students succeed.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
PodCasting and Education
What do you think of Podcasting in education?
Before taking this class I had never explored podcasting and all the resources that are available on iTunes. It was amazing to search through iTunes and see all of the possibilities available. Listening to the McKinsey report for our homework assignment the first week of class was the first time that I had ever listened to a podcast. I enjoyed the option of being able to replay the recording as I was taking notes.
Podcasts would be an excellent tool to use in the classroom. The FAQs for Podcast Fans provided great resources and tutorials to help a beginner become comfortable using podcasts. This help page would be easy for a middle school aged learner to navigate independently. A teacher could also use this page in a whole group lesson to teach younger learners. I like the idea of using podcasts in my classroom because they are so easy to access. The subscribe option listed on the FAQs page would be a great way to stay updated on the latest videos and recordings.
How could you use Podcasting in your classroom?
In the article Podcasting in Education there were several ideas listed about how to use podcasts in the classroom. One idea that would be perfect for my first grade readers is to use recorded books. I began to explore iTunes and found several podcasts that have dramatic readings of books. LearnOutLoud.com has provided narrated versions of Aesops fables. This would be a perfect independent activity for my students to work on in class. We currently use books on tape, but our supply of books is limited. Using podcasts on iTunes would enable my first graders to try many different stories.
Another suggestion was to use podcasting for professional development. A principal could assign a list of podcasts for a staff to listen to and then create a follow up project. The great thing about this approach is that it is convenient, affordable and teachers can choose subject areas that are relevant for a particular grade level.
Teachers can also create a podcast to help students with homework or make up assignments. I found a link to a teacher that provides math tutorials for his students. This would be a great tool for students to access when they are working on assignments at home and need extra help. A teacher could also assign a podcast for homework and then provide a follow up assignment as we do in this computer class. This would also be a way to help students that have missed school to get caught up on work.
Finally, I think that students can learn a lot from creating podcasts. Danny Sullivan suggests in his article Making an RSS Feed, that podcasting is a great way to share information and research with a larger audience. I found a podcast created by a Kindergarten class that was formatted like a radio show. Students acted as reporters and spoke about the things they had been learning in class. Creating this type of podcast would be an excellent way to let parents know about things happening in the classroom. It was mentioned in Podcasting in Education that these programs will help students to become more creative and as they become active in the learning process.
Before taking this class I had never explored podcasting and all the resources that are available on iTunes. It was amazing to search through iTunes and see all of the possibilities available. Listening to the McKinsey report for our homework assignment the first week of class was the first time that I had ever listened to a podcast. I enjoyed the option of being able to replay the recording as I was taking notes.
Podcasts would be an excellent tool to use in the classroom. The FAQs for Podcast Fans provided great resources and tutorials to help a beginner become comfortable using podcasts. This help page would be easy for a middle school aged learner to navigate independently. A teacher could also use this page in a whole group lesson to teach younger learners. I like the idea of using podcasts in my classroom because they are so easy to access. The subscribe option listed on the FAQs page would be a great way to stay updated on the latest videos and recordings.
How could you use Podcasting in your classroom?
In the article Podcasting in Education there were several ideas listed about how to use podcasts in the classroom. One idea that would be perfect for my first grade readers is to use recorded books. I began to explore iTunes and found several podcasts that have dramatic readings of books. LearnOutLoud.com has provided narrated versions of Aesops fables. This would be a perfect independent activity for my students to work on in class. We currently use books on tape, but our supply of books is limited. Using podcasts on iTunes would enable my first graders to try many different stories.
Another suggestion was to use podcasting for professional development. A principal could assign a list of podcasts for a staff to listen to and then create a follow up project. The great thing about this approach is that it is convenient, affordable and teachers can choose subject areas that are relevant for a particular grade level.
Teachers can also create a podcast to help students with homework or make up assignments. I found a link to a teacher that provides math tutorials for his students. This would be a great tool for students to access when they are working on assignments at home and need extra help. A teacher could also assign a podcast for homework and then provide a follow up assignment as we do in this computer class. This would also be a way to help students that have missed school to get caught up on work.
Finally, I think that students can learn a lot from creating podcasts. Danny Sullivan suggests in his article Making an RSS Feed, that podcasting is a great way to share information and research with a larger audience. I found a podcast created by a Kindergarten class that was formatted like a radio show. Students acted as reporters and spoke about the things they had been learning in class. Creating this type of podcast would be an excellent way to let parents know about things happening in the classroom. It was mentioned in Podcasting in Education that these programs will help students to become more creative and as they become active in the learning process.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Web Activities
Funbrain.com.
I really enjoyed playing the math game Bumble Numbers on funbrain.com. This would be a perfect activity for my first graders to practice their addition facts. I like that you can choose your skill level before beginning a math game. My students could play this independently or with a partner. I also enjoyed the Mad Libs activity because the game let you choose verbs, adjectives and nouns from a list of possibilities. Many of these words, however, would be beyond my first graders. This might be an activity that we could try as a large group. I think they would enjoy reading the silly story at the end. Another game that I tried was Spellaroo. I liked this game because students are asked to read a sentence and pick out the word that is incorrect. I think this would be a fun game to try as a big group. Though I selected the beginner level, many of the words would be difficult for my readers.
Teach-nology.com seems like a great resource for teachers to use. In particular, I liked how the lesson plan section was organized into monthly themes. This would be a great resource to use when I am looking for projects for Mother’s Day or a special holiday. I also really enjoyed the math flashcard game. This would be a great tool for my students to use to practice subtraction and addition facts. I like that you can choose how many cards to play, the difficulty level and it gives you encouragement. One resource that I did not like is that the “hint” option just gives the correct answer. I thought it would be better to actually give a strategy instead. I think that my first graders would definitely be able to play the flashcard game independently or with a partner.
pbskids.org, Cyberchase: This page had a lot of different activities. This might be an activity that I would let my students choose during free time. I think that they would enjoy the animation, the sounds and the game choices. I tried a math game and paper delivery game. Both were fun and they integrated math concepts into the activities.
My favorite link is starfall.com. My students love to play on this website. It is very easy to navigate and it provides a variety of learning activities. One of my favorite tools is the interactive book section. Students can read or listen to books. Each story also has some type of interactive game to play. Students are not only reading, but they are also interacting with the characters. Each month there is a different theme book. This website is a great independent learning station because students can navigate the site very easily and can choose from a variety of learning activities.
I really enjoyed playing the math game Bumble Numbers on funbrain.com. This would be a perfect activity for my first graders to practice their addition facts. I like that you can choose your skill level before beginning a math game. My students could play this independently or with a partner. I also enjoyed the Mad Libs activity because the game let you choose verbs, adjectives and nouns from a list of possibilities. Many of these words, however, would be beyond my first graders. This might be an activity that we could try as a large group. I think they would enjoy reading the silly story at the end. Another game that I tried was Spellaroo. I liked this game because students are asked to read a sentence and pick out the word that is incorrect. I think this would be a fun game to try as a big group. Though I selected the beginner level, many of the words would be difficult for my readers.
Teach-nology.com seems like a great resource for teachers to use. In particular, I liked how the lesson plan section was organized into monthly themes. This would be a great resource to use when I am looking for projects for Mother’s Day or a special holiday. I also really enjoyed the math flashcard game. This would be a great tool for my students to use to practice subtraction and addition facts. I like that you can choose how many cards to play, the difficulty level and it gives you encouragement. One resource that I did not like is that the “hint” option just gives the correct answer. I thought it would be better to actually give a strategy instead. I think that my first graders would definitely be able to play the flashcard game independently or with a partner.
pbskids.org, Cyberchase: This page had a lot of different activities. This might be an activity that I would let my students choose during free time. I think that they would enjoy the animation, the sounds and the game choices. I tried a math game and paper delivery game. Both were fun and they integrated math concepts into the activities.
My favorite link is starfall.com. My students love to play on this website. It is very easy to navigate and it provides a variety of learning activities. One of my favorite tools is the interactive book section. Students can read or listen to books. Each story also has some type of interactive game to play. Students are not only reading, but they are also interacting with the characters. Each month there is a different theme book. This website is a great independent learning station because students can navigate the site very easily and can choose from a variety of learning activities.
Web Safety
Define strategies that you will use in your classroom to keep your students safe when using the Web.
The story of Zach in the article Teaching Kids to be Web Literate by Alan November was a perfect example as to how misleading the Internet can be. What I liked most about the example of Zach is that he was in high school when he had this experience. I think that we often see only younger children as potential victims of the web, when in fact all of our students need to be taught how to assess the information they see on the Internet.
Alan November mentioned the importance of teaching kids to assess the validity of links found on web pages. He suggested that educators should show their students how to find the source of a link on a web page and map the links found on a web page. By doing this activity, students can evaluate the validity of the information that is being posted. One quick strategy that November mentioned was doing a simple search on the author of a posting. Through this search students can gather information about the background of the author and their intent for posting the information. Elizabeth E. Kirk outlined four specific ideas to keep in mind when viewing a web page. A user should identify the author, the publisher, the potential for bias and the date in which the information was posted. We must teach students how to view web-based information with a critical eye.
One of the safety tip articles found on the Connect Safely web page was, A Family's Tech First-Aid Kit by Anne Collier. She made an excellent point in her article that students need to become critical thinkers and they must use intelligent behavior when using the Internet. In this article Collier discusses how students can defend themselves against potential dangers by simply making good choices. Students need to think critically before they click, download or respond. Students need to be aware of both the positive results and the negative consequences of using the Internet.
The Surftificate activity at 4kids.org was a really fun experience. Though it may be just beyond my first grade students, I think it would be a very useful tool to use with 2-5th graders. I like the idea that students are reading about web safety and making a promise to be responsible users. I also like that the students have an actual certificate to serve as a reminder of their promises. This would be a great site for my first graders to read through with a parent to get them thinking about how to use the Internet.
How can you educate your students to be web-literate?
The Basic Safety Rules mentioned in Larry Magid’s article on the Safe Kids web page is a great resource for parents to use. I think that the rules are very clearly explained and they are very reasonable to enforce. One of the key points about using these Basic Safety Rules is that they open the communication lines between kids and parents. Instead of blocking access, parents need to talk with their children about how to use the Internet. In one of our in-service meetings at school, we discussed web safety in regards to our students. One of the best tips mentioned by one of the junior high teachers was taking computers out of the bedroom. By placing the computer in a more communal part of the house, parents can check in with their children as they use the Internet. Magid mentions in his article, What Parents Can Do About Online Safety (Connect Safely web page), that communication is the key component to keeping kids safe. Parents need to become educated about how to use the Internet and how to protect their children. I think it was a great suggestion on the Safe Kids page for parents to have their children teach them about the Internet. This would provide a great opportunity for a parent and child to talk about how to use the Internet in a safe and appropriate way.
How is information that you read on the Web different than information you read from published books?
The Internet offers students access to a wide variety of learning tools, resources and information. Through the use of the Internet, students can draw from an endless pool of information. The danger, however, is in deciding what information to use and what resources are reliable.
First, students must be taught how to organize the amount of information that they can now access from the web. They need to learn how to evaluate the results of a search and not just choose the first option listed. We must also teach them how to narrow a search to focus on a given topic. An example of this would be using the Advance Search tool on Google. When conducting research in a library, a student has the option of previewing a text and they can filter through their limited amount of options.
We must also teach our students how to evaluate the information that they gather in a search. In the traditional format of using a book for research, students could more safely rely on the validity of the information provided by the author. A published book represents work that has been researched, edited and approved for publication. When conducting research in a library, a student also has the option of previewing a text and they can filter through their limited amount of options.
Resources on the Internet, however, do not have to meet these standards to be posted. Students must therefore learn how to judge the reliable sources from the unreliable.
The story of Zach in the article Teaching Kids to be Web Literate by Alan November was a perfect example as to how misleading the Internet can be. What I liked most about the example of Zach is that he was in high school when he had this experience. I think that we often see only younger children as potential victims of the web, when in fact all of our students need to be taught how to assess the information they see on the Internet.
Alan November mentioned the importance of teaching kids to assess the validity of links found on web pages. He suggested that educators should show their students how to find the source of a link on a web page and map the links found on a web page. By doing this activity, students can evaluate the validity of the information that is being posted. One quick strategy that November mentioned was doing a simple search on the author of a posting. Through this search students can gather information about the background of the author and their intent for posting the information. Elizabeth E. Kirk outlined four specific ideas to keep in mind when viewing a web page. A user should identify the author, the publisher, the potential for bias and the date in which the information was posted. We must teach students how to view web-based information with a critical eye.
One of the safety tip articles found on the Connect Safely web page was, A Family's Tech First-Aid Kit by Anne Collier. She made an excellent point in her article that students need to become critical thinkers and they must use intelligent behavior when using the Internet. In this article Collier discusses how students can defend themselves against potential dangers by simply making good choices. Students need to think critically before they click, download or respond. Students need to be aware of both the positive results and the negative consequences of using the Internet.
The Surftificate activity at 4kids.org was a really fun experience. Though it may be just beyond my first grade students, I think it would be a very useful tool to use with 2-5th graders. I like the idea that students are reading about web safety and making a promise to be responsible users. I also like that the students have an actual certificate to serve as a reminder of their promises. This would be a great site for my first graders to read through with a parent to get them thinking about how to use the Internet.
How can you educate your students to be web-literate?
The Basic Safety Rules mentioned in Larry Magid’s article on the Safe Kids web page is a great resource for parents to use. I think that the rules are very clearly explained and they are very reasonable to enforce. One of the key points about using these Basic Safety Rules is that they open the communication lines between kids and parents. Instead of blocking access, parents need to talk with their children about how to use the Internet. In one of our in-service meetings at school, we discussed web safety in regards to our students. One of the best tips mentioned by one of the junior high teachers was taking computers out of the bedroom. By placing the computer in a more communal part of the house, parents can check in with their children as they use the Internet. Magid mentions in his article, What Parents Can Do About Online Safety (Connect Safely web page), that communication is the key component to keeping kids safe. Parents need to become educated about how to use the Internet and how to protect their children. I think it was a great suggestion on the Safe Kids page for parents to have their children teach them about the Internet. This would provide a great opportunity for a parent and child to talk about how to use the Internet in a safe and appropriate way.
How is information that you read on the Web different than information you read from published books?
The Internet offers students access to a wide variety of learning tools, resources and information. Through the use of the Internet, students can draw from an endless pool of information. The danger, however, is in deciding what information to use and what resources are reliable.
First, students must be taught how to organize the amount of information that they can now access from the web. They need to learn how to evaluate the results of a search and not just choose the first option listed. We must also teach them how to narrow a search to focus on a given topic. An example of this would be using the Advance Search tool on Google. When conducting research in a library, a student has the option of previewing a text and they can filter through their limited amount of options.
We must also teach our students how to evaluate the information that they gather in a search. In the traditional format of using a book for research, students could more safely rely on the validity of the information provided by the author. A published book represents work that has been researched, edited and approved for publication. When conducting research in a library, a student also has the option of previewing a text and they can filter through their limited amount of options.
Resources on the Internet, however, do not have to meet these standards to be posted. Students must therefore learn how to judge the reliable sources from the unreliable.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Working the Web for Education Outline
Advantages to web based learning:
Investigation Opportunities
- Students become active learners
- Promotes student-centered learning activities
- Teacher takes on the role of guide or facilitator
- Students can access resources from all across the world.
- Current resources, opportunities to interact, collaborate and communicate with other web users
- Provides a less structured approach to learning: students can explore, evaluate and assess
- Increases the breadth and depth in which a student can research a topic or question
- Helps to build creative and critical thinking skills
- Teachers must learn how to create web based learning opportunities
- The role of the teacher is to establish goals, parameters and learning expectations for these web investigations
- Teach students how to research topics using the web
- Hotlist: a teacher provides a list of links
- I Search: students investigate links related to a topic
- Multimedia Scrapbook
- Students gather information from a variety of sources and organize it
- Practice identifying sources and assess the validity of a source
Investigation Opportunities
- Treasure Hunts:
- Students explore a list of links and retrieve specific information from each site.
- The teacher establishes the links and the goal for searching each link
- Students answer a culminating question to demonstrate what they have learned from the hunt
- Subject Sampler:
- Students explore a set of web links and evaluate the information provided
- Students join a community of learners
- The teacher provides a forum to review and comment on each link
- Web Quest:
- Students research a given topic by following the guidelines established by an essential question.
- Students explore a variety of web sources and must organize, evaluate and assess the information gathered.
- Students must use web links to research a specific topic.
- The teacher establishes a purpose for the Web Quest, provides links for research and a guidelines as to how to demonstrate knowledge gained.
- Students will create a plan to accomplish a task or they will formulate an opinion or answer to a question
- Filamentality
- A program that guides an educator to create a treasure hunt, subject sampler or Web Quest.
NETS for Teachers
National Education Technology Standards for Teachers
Technology has become a very important tool in the learning process. In college classrooms students can be seen taking notes on laptops, collecting research for papers through digital archives and turning in assignments to professors through the Internet. Many elementary school classes are now transitioning away from the traditional textbook and handwritten paper format to more technologically based projects. Today’s students are surrounded by technology through the use of email, text messaging and instant messaging. As educators, we must prepare our students to use technology in an appropriate and constructive manner.
Many of the current instructional programs being adopted by schools contain a technology component that is designed to enhance student learning. The social studies program that our school adopted two years ago relies on technology to aid instruction. Teachers have the option of using a “Digital Path” or they can use traditional workbooks and workbook pages. When we adopted the program, the company provided a one-day in-service training to provide our teachers with a crash course on how to use all of the technological components. This program has had only minimal success at our school due to a lack of training. Many of the teachers at our school are not comfortable using this “Digital Path” program. As a result, most classes are being taught using the “Paper and Book Path”.
Teachers must be trained to effectively use technology in the classroom. As mentioned in the KQED Pod Cast on the McKinsey Educational Report, schools must be prepared to train their educators to use technology in the classroom and to implement the NETS. This would include sending teachers to workshops, in-service trainings or college courses. In addition, schools should be promoting technology training by providing funding for their teachers to attend these training sessions. In our district teachers have the opportunity to sign up each month to attend a technology course called “Technology Tuesday”. These courses cover a variety of topics, but attendance is not mandatory.
Some of the important points of the Technology Standards include the following:
1. V. D. Use technology to communicate and collaborate with peers, parents, and the larger community to nurture student learning.
a. More and more schools are finding that technology is a great way to communicate with parents and the school community. Our school is currently evaluating our school website. The goal is to improve parent/teacher communication through email, utilize class web pages, post tuition notices, applications, and parent service hours. The Internet is a valuable tool to help parents get involved in our schools and classrooms.
2. VI: E. facilitate equitable access to technology resources for all students.
a. We must analyze the amount of computers that are in the classroom or the availability of laptops.
3. VI:D Promote safe and healthy use of technology resources.
a. We must teach computer safety in school. Students must be taught how to protect their ideas and identity when using the web. Though my students are young, many of the students in the upper grades are involved in programs like My Space and Face book. Students need to be made aware of the advantages and disadvantages of posting their pictures, stories and personal information on these sites.
4. II: C: Identify and locate technology resources and evaluate them for accuracy and suitability.
a. Students must learn how to find reliable sources on the Internet and how to evaluate the quality of a website.
5. II:E. Plan strategies to manage student learning in a technology-enhanced environment.
a. Teachers need to develop plans to monitor how students are using computers, group chats and instant messaging. As mentioned in class on April 19th, one method is to have students print out a copy of a chat.
I strongly support the points made in the NETS for teachers, but I find them to be rather broad when trying to apply them in the classroom. As a teacher, it would be helpful to see these skill levels broken down by age group. I discussed the NETS with the computer teacher at our school to explore how she uses them to work with her students. The computer teacher was very excited by these standards, but found that they did little to guide instruction. She has found that there are few guidelines that state what skills should be taught at each grade level. Our computer teacher tries to collaborate with classroom teachers to design lesson plans.
Technology has become a very important tool in the learning process. In college classrooms students can be seen taking notes on laptops, collecting research for papers through digital archives and turning in assignments to professors through the Internet. Many elementary school classes are now transitioning away from the traditional textbook and handwritten paper format to more technologically based projects. Today’s students are surrounded by technology through the use of email, text messaging and instant messaging. As educators, we must prepare our students to use technology in an appropriate and constructive manner.
Many of the current instructional programs being adopted by schools contain a technology component that is designed to enhance student learning. The social studies program that our school adopted two years ago relies on technology to aid instruction. Teachers have the option of using a “Digital Path” or they can use traditional workbooks and workbook pages. When we adopted the program, the company provided a one-day in-service training to provide our teachers with a crash course on how to use all of the technological components. This program has had only minimal success at our school due to a lack of training. Many of the teachers at our school are not comfortable using this “Digital Path” program. As a result, most classes are being taught using the “Paper and Book Path”.
Teachers must be trained to effectively use technology in the classroom. As mentioned in the KQED Pod Cast on the McKinsey Educational Report, schools must be prepared to train their educators to use technology in the classroom and to implement the NETS. This would include sending teachers to workshops, in-service trainings or college courses. In addition, schools should be promoting technology training by providing funding for their teachers to attend these training sessions. In our district teachers have the opportunity to sign up each month to attend a technology course called “Technology Tuesday”. These courses cover a variety of topics, but attendance is not mandatory.
Some of the important points of the Technology Standards include the following:
1. V. D. Use technology to communicate and collaborate with peers, parents, and the larger community to nurture student learning.
a. More and more schools are finding that technology is a great way to communicate with parents and the school community. Our school is currently evaluating our school website. The goal is to improve parent/teacher communication through email, utilize class web pages, post tuition notices, applications, and parent service hours. The Internet is a valuable tool to help parents get involved in our schools and classrooms.
2. VI: E. facilitate equitable access to technology resources for all students.
a. We must analyze the amount of computers that are in the classroom or the availability of laptops.
3. VI:D Promote safe and healthy use of technology resources.
a. We must teach computer safety in school. Students must be taught how to protect their ideas and identity when using the web. Though my students are young, many of the students in the upper grades are involved in programs like My Space and Face book. Students need to be made aware of the advantages and disadvantages of posting their pictures, stories and personal information on these sites.
4. II: C: Identify and locate technology resources and evaluate them for accuracy and suitability.
a. Students must learn how to find reliable sources on the Internet and how to evaluate the quality of a website.
5. II:E. Plan strategies to manage student learning in a technology-enhanced environment.
a. Teachers need to develop plans to monitor how students are using computers, group chats and instant messaging. As mentioned in class on April 19th, one method is to have students print out a copy of a chat.
I strongly support the points made in the NETS for teachers, but I find them to be rather broad when trying to apply them in the classroom. As a teacher, it would be helpful to see these skill levels broken down by age group. I discussed the NETS with the computer teacher at our school to explore how she uses them to work with her students. The computer teacher was very excited by these standards, but found that they did little to guide instruction. She has found that there are few guidelines that state what skills should be taught at each grade level. Our computer teacher tries to collaborate with classroom teachers to design lesson plans.
NETS for Students
National Education Technology Standards for Students
Traditionally, students and teachers have used computers in the classroom for the purpose of word processing. Students would often handwrite a report or story and then type the paper to hand in for a final copy. In addition, computer class was usually an elective designed to teach students how to create spreadsheets, input information or practice keyboarding. These technology standards, however, reflect upon the importance of integrating technology into classroom instruction practices to help students become critical thinkers and active learners. The traditional approach of relying on textbooks and worksheets is being challenged by these standards. In today’s classrooms, students now have access to digital textbooks that provide videos, pictures, sound clips and web links to enhance research. In addition, students can now use laptops for note taking and chapter outlines.
One of the most important goals stated in the NETS for students is section 5, which focuses on teaching students to become “Digital Citizens”. It is very important that students are taught how to use technology in an appropriate way so that they can enhance their learning experience. Teachers must therefore be trained to provide this type of instruction for their students. Schools must provide teachers with workshops or in-service training sessions so that they can effectively implement these standards in the classroom.
Creativity and Innovation
o The move towards PowerPoint presentations
o Outlining chapters using laptops
Communication and Collaboration
o The example of the Google documents. Students can collaborate on an assignment over the web. This will increase accountability and participation.
o Access to Pen Pal idea but on a much wider scale. Students can now communicate with other students from anywhere in the world.
o Important to monitor chats and collaboration. Teachers need to set standards and requirements to keep students on task.
Research and Information Fluency
o Many textbooks now contain a technology link. Students no longer take large books home to study, but can bring home a CD and access information on the computer.
o Web quests to research a topic.
Critical Thinking, Problem-Solving and Decision Making
o Students must learn to evaluate and organize the information that they gather from Internet sources.
o Students need to learn how to do Advanced Searches to focus their research.
Digital Citizenship
o Students need to be taught how to use the Internet in an appropriate manner.
o Teachers must teach students how to use the Internet safely to protect their ideas and identities. Many students post pictures and ideas on My Space. They need to be taught how to use this type of web page in a constructive way.
Technology Operations and Concepts
o We need to provide classes that help train students on the latest programs and applications available.
Traditionally, students and teachers have used computers in the classroom for the purpose of word processing. Students would often handwrite a report or story and then type the paper to hand in for a final copy. In addition, computer class was usually an elective designed to teach students how to create spreadsheets, input information or practice keyboarding. These technology standards, however, reflect upon the importance of integrating technology into classroom instruction practices to help students become critical thinkers and active learners. The traditional approach of relying on textbooks and worksheets is being challenged by these standards. In today’s classrooms, students now have access to digital textbooks that provide videos, pictures, sound clips and web links to enhance research. In addition, students can now use laptops for note taking and chapter outlines.
One of the most important goals stated in the NETS for students is section 5, which focuses on teaching students to become “Digital Citizens”. It is very important that students are taught how to use technology in an appropriate way so that they can enhance their learning experience. Teachers must therefore be trained to provide this type of instruction for their students. Schools must provide teachers with workshops or in-service training sessions so that they can effectively implement these standards in the classroom.
Creativity and Innovation
o The move towards PowerPoint presentations
o Outlining chapters using laptops
Communication and Collaboration
o The example of the Google documents. Students can collaborate on an assignment over the web. This will increase accountability and participation.
o Access to Pen Pal idea but on a much wider scale. Students can now communicate with other students from anywhere in the world.
o Important to monitor chats and collaboration. Teachers need to set standards and requirements to keep students on task.
Research and Information Fluency
o Many textbooks now contain a technology link. Students no longer take large books home to study, but can bring home a CD and access information on the computer.
o Web quests to research a topic.
Critical Thinking, Problem-Solving and Decision Making
o Students must learn to evaluate and organize the information that they gather from Internet sources.
o Students need to learn how to do Advanced Searches to focus their research.
Digital Citizenship
o Students need to be taught how to use the Internet in an appropriate manner.
o Teachers must teach students how to use the Internet safely to protect their ideas and identities. Many students post pictures and ideas on My Space. They need to be taught how to use this type of web page in a constructive way.
Technology Operations and Concepts
o We need to provide classes that help train students on the latest programs and applications available.
Monday, April 21, 2008
McKinsey Report On Education
What is your solution to the problem with education?
The four panelists all had very interesting approaches to improving our educational system. One point raised by Catherine Lewis was the importance of collaboration among educators. She mentioned how schools in Japan allow teachers to plan collaboratively and then observe how that lesson is carried out in an actual classroom setting. I think that the essential part of this approach is that the teachers are encouraged to evaluate and observe a lesson in an actual classroom. In my school we have very limited opportunities to collaborate with one another. At the elementary level we have only one teacher per grade. I have taken it upon myself to work with first grade teachers from other schools in order to collaborate on lesson plans and learning units. Though I have been able to collaborate with others, it would be very helpful to actually observe other teachers in action. Observations were an important part of my credentialing process. As students, we were required to spend time watching master teachers. This idea of observing, however, has been lost now that I am in my own classroom. As a young teacher I think that it is critical for me to continue observing others to gather ideas and to learn techniques. I think that all schools whether they are public or private should provide teachers with the opportunity to collaborate.
Superintendent Carlos Garcia also mentioned a good point that students coming out of teaching programs are not trained in how to use the resources available to them in a classroom. In my own experience I feel that this was very true when I first began teaching. I felt that my credentialing program provided a very good foundation for teaching and student teaching enabled me to apply the things that I had learned but I was very overwhelmed when I stepped into my own classroom for the first time. It would have been helpful to learn how to develop goals and procedures for an entire year. When I began teaching, my school did not have a mentor program. I worked with a first grade teacher from another school and she provided me with a road map of ideas to help plan my first year. She was very supportive and met with me throughout that first year. An important part of the mentoring relationship that was mentioned by Alan Miller is that time needs to be set aside in order for teachers to work together.
How would you reorder the focus of the priorities in the education system?
After listening to the podcast, I really support the idea of making professional development a priority in schools. I think teachers of all levels and experience should be required to attend classes to continue their education. Beginning teachers need the support of training as they start working in a classroom. I also think that it is important for older teachers to stay on top of new instructional strategies and educational theories. I think it is the responsibility of the school to make this type of learning more accessible. It is very expensive and time consuming for the individual teacher to attend workshops and college courses. Schools should provide teachers with funding and time away from class to attend these courses.
Another priority should be assessing the standards that we are being asked to teach. Catherine Lewis raised the point that we are trying to teach too many things at the expensive of deeper learning. I think that many teachers fall into the comfort and ease of following a textbook page by page. The result of this approach is that the focus becomes finishing the book rather then the content. I think that this is particularly true in the area of math. Teachers need to use a textbook as a tool and they need to evaluate the essential topics that need to be covered within a year.
What type of professional development works best for you?
At my school we attend professional development workshops four times a year. One day is a conference in which teachers from all over the area attend and listen to presentations. The other three days are spread throughout the year and we meet in smaller grade level groupings. This past year the focus of our professional development was writing. This program was outstanding. It was very hands on and actually taught us how to teach our students to write. I walked away from these workshops feeling better prepared and I had many new resources to use. In comparison, the focus of our professional development the year before was Curriculum Mapping. The purpose of this program was to improve how teachers plan lessons and evaluate their planning. After attending the last workshop, however, our school never discussed Curriculum Mapping again.
Follow through is the main problem that I have encountered with our professional development workshops. Each year we attend these meetings and then the programs are never reinforced or adopted by our school. If teachers are going to be required to attend these workshops, then schools should be ready to support these new programs. I would like to be able to choose the workshops that I would like to attend in order to meet the needs of my students.
What resources do you need to become a better teacher?
An interesting topic that was discussed among the panelists was examining how funds are used at a school. At our school I am fortunate to have an aid from 8-12 everyday. Having an aid allows me to work more closely with those students that need my attention. Another great resource that we have is a computer teacher. My class attends computer class once a week in the computer lab. Our school also has one traveling cart of laptops that are available to use, but these are often reserved for the upper grades. It would be great to have more computers in my own classroom. There are many times when I wish that I could have my students practicing math facts, phonics or reading on computers in our room. Another resource would be to improve upon the technology that we have in our classrooms. Many of the programs that we have adopted for math, science and social studies come with on-line tools. It is difficult to utilize all of these resources when I don’t have an In focus machine or computers for my students to access this technology.
How do you feel about the California State Content Standards and the curriculum you are assigned to teach?
This past year the teachers at my school gathered before school for two months and we evaluated our math and reading programs in comparison to the Content Standards. We reviewed the standards for each grade level and evaluated how these were being taught and how much of an emphasis each area needed. The goal of this process was to make sure that we are building each year and not reteaching things that should have been taught. For example, the third and fourth grade teachers were concerned with how their students were learning multiplication and division facts. We looked down a few grades and realized that we really needed to focus on addition and subtraction facts in grades 1 and 2 to get our students ready for that next level in math. This process really helped our staff to evaluate the content we are teaching in our classrooms. In these discussions we also reviewed how we were going to hold one another accountable.
In my credentialing program we were taught to lesson plan using the Content Standards. I think that the standards should be used as a tool to hold teachers accountable for the topics that they are teaching each year. Teachers, however, need to assess the standards and identify those areas that should be focused on in order to help the students learn and prepare for the next year.
What is your take on No Child Left Behind?
One important part of No Child Left Behind is the focus on hiring teachers that are highly qualified. There are many points that were mentioned by the panelists that relate to this topic. One important point is providing incentive for highly qualified people to enter the teaching profession. As mentioned by Tim Daly, the teaching profession must be able to compete with other highly desired careers. A second point, is meeting the financial needs of individuals that want to pursue classes and workshops to become more qualified educators. Alan Miller pointed out how many educators must face a heavy financial burden to become teachers. Teachers are often discouraged to pursue more education because there is little financial incentive for this effort. Schools need to start allocating money to support the development and education of their teachers.
How does class size determine your success as a teacher?
I currently teach at a school where I have 36 first graders from 8:00-3:00. In my opinion this is a very large group of students to work with each day. In particular, I think that this class size impacts my ability to work with my class on reading. It took me three years of trying new things and evaluating my programs to develop a system where I now feel that I can better reach all of my young readers. There are many times, however, that I still feel that I am not meeting the needs of all of my learners. One thing that helped me to better organize my class was attending a workshop for K-2 teachers on reading groups. This workshop showed me ideas on how to divide my class so that I could work with my students in groups of 4 or 5. In these small groups I am better able to read with students one on one. One area that I still work on is making sure that the other groups of students are learning and being challenged while I am working with a group. I think that Catherine Lewis made an important point that class size should not matter, as long as teachers are being taught how to teach a big class. Again, the issue comes back to better preparing and training teachers.
Why did you become a teacher?
I became a teacher because I felt that this was what I was best fit to do in life. I love working with my students and I get excited when I plan a unit, or if I find a topic or story that I think they will enjoy. It is an amazing experience to watch a group of young first graders develop throughout the course of a year. Both of my parents are teachers and I had the benefit of watching them both grow as educators. To this day we still run into past students of my parents. It is wonderful to hear how they still remember my mom or dad and how they appreciated being in their classes. I think that being a teacher is a tremendous responsibility and I want to continue to challenge myself to be the best teacher I can be for my students.
How did it feel to learn by listening to a podcast?
Listening to the panel today was my first experience listening to a podcast. At first, it was difficult for me to keep pace with the recording and I had to replay what I had listened to. One of the advantages of listening to the recording was that I did have the opportunity to replay any parts that I needed to hear for a second time. Once I began listening however, I became very interested in the interaction of the guests. I also liked hearing the comments from the teachers that phoned in to share their experiences and opinions.
The four panelists all had very interesting approaches to improving our educational system. One point raised by Catherine Lewis was the importance of collaboration among educators. She mentioned how schools in Japan allow teachers to plan collaboratively and then observe how that lesson is carried out in an actual classroom setting. I think that the essential part of this approach is that the teachers are encouraged to evaluate and observe a lesson in an actual classroom. In my school we have very limited opportunities to collaborate with one another. At the elementary level we have only one teacher per grade. I have taken it upon myself to work with first grade teachers from other schools in order to collaborate on lesson plans and learning units. Though I have been able to collaborate with others, it would be very helpful to actually observe other teachers in action. Observations were an important part of my credentialing process. As students, we were required to spend time watching master teachers. This idea of observing, however, has been lost now that I am in my own classroom. As a young teacher I think that it is critical for me to continue observing others to gather ideas and to learn techniques. I think that all schools whether they are public or private should provide teachers with the opportunity to collaborate.
Superintendent Carlos Garcia also mentioned a good point that students coming out of teaching programs are not trained in how to use the resources available to them in a classroom. In my own experience I feel that this was very true when I first began teaching. I felt that my credentialing program provided a very good foundation for teaching and student teaching enabled me to apply the things that I had learned but I was very overwhelmed when I stepped into my own classroom for the first time. It would have been helpful to learn how to develop goals and procedures for an entire year. When I began teaching, my school did not have a mentor program. I worked with a first grade teacher from another school and she provided me with a road map of ideas to help plan my first year. She was very supportive and met with me throughout that first year. An important part of the mentoring relationship that was mentioned by Alan Miller is that time needs to be set aside in order for teachers to work together.
How would you reorder the focus of the priorities in the education system?
After listening to the podcast, I really support the idea of making professional development a priority in schools. I think teachers of all levels and experience should be required to attend classes to continue their education. Beginning teachers need the support of training as they start working in a classroom. I also think that it is important for older teachers to stay on top of new instructional strategies and educational theories. I think it is the responsibility of the school to make this type of learning more accessible. It is very expensive and time consuming for the individual teacher to attend workshops and college courses. Schools should provide teachers with funding and time away from class to attend these courses.
Another priority should be assessing the standards that we are being asked to teach. Catherine Lewis raised the point that we are trying to teach too many things at the expensive of deeper learning. I think that many teachers fall into the comfort and ease of following a textbook page by page. The result of this approach is that the focus becomes finishing the book rather then the content. I think that this is particularly true in the area of math. Teachers need to use a textbook as a tool and they need to evaluate the essential topics that need to be covered within a year.
What type of professional development works best for you?
At my school we attend professional development workshops four times a year. One day is a conference in which teachers from all over the area attend and listen to presentations. The other three days are spread throughout the year and we meet in smaller grade level groupings. This past year the focus of our professional development was writing. This program was outstanding. It was very hands on and actually taught us how to teach our students to write. I walked away from these workshops feeling better prepared and I had many new resources to use. In comparison, the focus of our professional development the year before was Curriculum Mapping. The purpose of this program was to improve how teachers plan lessons and evaluate their planning. After attending the last workshop, however, our school never discussed Curriculum Mapping again.
Follow through is the main problem that I have encountered with our professional development workshops. Each year we attend these meetings and then the programs are never reinforced or adopted by our school. If teachers are going to be required to attend these workshops, then schools should be ready to support these new programs. I would like to be able to choose the workshops that I would like to attend in order to meet the needs of my students.
What resources do you need to become a better teacher?
An interesting topic that was discussed among the panelists was examining how funds are used at a school. At our school I am fortunate to have an aid from 8-12 everyday. Having an aid allows me to work more closely with those students that need my attention. Another great resource that we have is a computer teacher. My class attends computer class once a week in the computer lab. Our school also has one traveling cart of laptops that are available to use, but these are often reserved for the upper grades. It would be great to have more computers in my own classroom. There are many times when I wish that I could have my students practicing math facts, phonics or reading on computers in our room. Another resource would be to improve upon the technology that we have in our classrooms. Many of the programs that we have adopted for math, science and social studies come with on-line tools. It is difficult to utilize all of these resources when I don’t have an In focus machine or computers for my students to access this technology.
How do you feel about the California State Content Standards and the curriculum you are assigned to teach?
This past year the teachers at my school gathered before school for two months and we evaluated our math and reading programs in comparison to the Content Standards. We reviewed the standards for each grade level and evaluated how these were being taught and how much of an emphasis each area needed. The goal of this process was to make sure that we are building each year and not reteaching things that should have been taught. For example, the third and fourth grade teachers were concerned with how their students were learning multiplication and division facts. We looked down a few grades and realized that we really needed to focus on addition and subtraction facts in grades 1 and 2 to get our students ready for that next level in math. This process really helped our staff to evaluate the content we are teaching in our classrooms. In these discussions we also reviewed how we were going to hold one another accountable.
In my credentialing program we were taught to lesson plan using the Content Standards. I think that the standards should be used as a tool to hold teachers accountable for the topics that they are teaching each year. Teachers, however, need to assess the standards and identify those areas that should be focused on in order to help the students learn and prepare for the next year.
What is your take on No Child Left Behind?
One important part of No Child Left Behind is the focus on hiring teachers that are highly qualified. There are many points that were mentioned by the panelists that relate to this topic. One important point is providing incentive for highly qualified people to enter the teaching profession. As mentioned by Tim Daly, the teaching profession must be able to compete with other highly desired careers. A second point, is meeting the financial needs of individuals that want to pursue classes and workshops to become more qualified educators. Alan Miller pointed out how many educators must face a heavy financial burden to become teachers. Teachers are often discouraged to pursue more education because there is little financial incentive for this effort. Schools need to start allocating money to support the development and education of their teachers.
How does class size determine your success as a teacher?
I currently teach at a school where I have 36 first graders from 8:00-3:00. In my opinion this is a very large group of students to work with each day. In particular, I think that this class size impacts my ability to work with my class on reading. It took me three years of trying new things and evaluating my programs to develop a system where I now feel that I can better reach all of my young readers. There are many times, however, that I still feel that I am not meeting the needs of all of my learners. One thing that helped me to better organize my class was attending a workshop for K-2 teachers on reading groups. This workshop showed me ideas on how to divide my class so that I could work with my students in groups of 4 or 5. In these small groups I am better able to read with students one on one. One area that I still work on is making sure that the other groups of students are learning and being challenged while I am working with a group. I think that Catherine Lewis made an important point that class size should not matter, as long as teachers are being taught how to teach a big class. Again, the issue comes back to better preparing and training teachers.
Why did you become a teacher?
I became a teacher because I felt that this was what I was best fit to do in life. I love working with my students and I get excited when I plan a unit, or if I find a topic or story that I think they will enjoy. It is an amazing experience to watch a group of young first graders develop throughout the course of a year. Both of my parents are teachers and I had the benefit of watching them both grow as educators. To this day we still run into past students of my parents. It is wonderful to hear how they still remember my mom or dad and how they appreciated being in their classes. I think that being a teacher is a tremendous responsibility and I want to continue to challenge myself to be the best teacher I can be for my students.
How did it feel to learn by listening to a podcast?
Listening to the panel today was my first experience listening to a podcast. At first, it was difficult for me to keep pace with the recording and I had to replay what I had listened to. One of the advantages of listening to the recording was that I did have the opportunity to replay any parts that I needed to hear for a second time. Once I began listening however, I became very interested in the interaction of the guests. I also liked hearing the comments from the teachers that phoned in to share their experiences and opinions.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
First Day of Class
Hello my name is Erin. Today is our first day of class. I teach first grade in Burlingame. This is my third year at OLA and I love working with my class. I love getting involved with all of the students at our school. The past three years I coached a girls basketball team. I love playing sports so this was a great opportunity for me to get back out on the court. We had a great season and lost only two games.
I am excited to bring all of these new ideas back to my class. Our class has been studying John Wooden's Pyramid of Success this year. Our plan is to create a short video about the things we have learned and show it at our local Apple Store. The students are very excited to get started. I'm a bit nervous, but I'm hoping this class will give me some great ideas.
I am excited to bring all of these new ideas back to my class. Our class has been studying John Wooden's Pyramid of Success this year. Our plan is to create a short video about the things we have learned and show it at our local Apple Store. The students are very excited to get started. I'm a bit nervous, but I'm hoping this class will give me some great ideas.
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