Its over. The last blog. I can't believe I'm going to say this...I'm gonna miss it a little.
On the very first day of this class I thought this day would never come. It seemed so far, we had so much to do between then and now. How would I ever manage? Well, I don't know if I have that answer yet, but nonetheless here we are, done with a very challenging class, and I loved every minute.
The information from this class has helped me a great deal. Though I like to think of my self as "computer savvy" I realize now that I am not. I felt like a 90-year-old using a cell phone for the first time. Creating blogs and websites seemed like such a difficult task, but once you know how to use it, it's not so intimidating! Just like an old lady, I didn't want to like it, but I couldn't help but realize how useful it is for me in teaching.
Now if I only had internet in my room!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Social Bookmarking
I love You Tube.
I was not able to be there for the class on social bookmarking, so I googled it (of course). After a few failed attempts of reading articles on wikipedia about the idea, I gave in and cliked on the link for the You Tube Video "Social Bookmarking in Plain English." Thus the first sentence of this blog.
Social bookmarking as the video explained seems to be like a great tool. I say this for a few reasons. One, it is a great way for me to organize all my bookmarks. I have so many of them, and the bookmark tool on my browser isn't the best. Second, it allows me to share my bookmarks with other teachers, and vice-versa. So, instead of my searching for a great idea on Pythagorean Theorem, maybe one of the teachers has a great site socially bookmarked, and I can cut out a lot of time I don't have!
If all teachers were to use this, it could be very useful. We all get a lot of our ideas and lesson planning help from the internet, and what I may find my help another teacher. As the demands of our job increase, it would be great to alleviate some work for each other, and work more collaboratively towards our common goal. We should help each other, and this is just one way to make that happen.
I was not able to be there for the class on social bookmarking, so I googled it (of course). After a few failed attempts of reading articles on wikipedia about the idea, I gave in and cliked on the link for the You Tube Video "Social Bookmarking in Plain English." Thus the first sentence of this blog.
Social bookmarking as the video explained seems to be like a great tool. I say this for a few reasons. One, it is a great way for me to organize all my bookmarks. I have so many of them, and the bookmark tool on my browser isn't the best. Second, it allows me to share my bookmarks with other teachers, and vice-versa. So, instead of my searching for a great idea on Pythagorean Theorem, maybe one of the teachers has a great site socially bookmarked, and I can cut out a lot of time I don't have!
If all teachers were to use this, it could be very useful. We all get a lot of our ideas and lesson planning help from the internet, and what I may find my help another teacher. As the demands of our job increase, it would be great to alleviate some work for each other, and work more collaboratively towards our common goal. We should help each other, and this is just one way to make that happen.
NCTM Conference
Wow, what an experience. That's really a good description of the week.
I have truly been blessed by my school to have the opportunity to go to the NCTM National Conference in Washington DC. It was an amazing opportunity and I made the most of every single minute. Here are some highlights of the week:
Teacher bonding. I am so lucky to have a talented, fun, supportive math department. Our coach is phenomenal, and the teachers are young, excited and eager. All of us are self-proclaimed nerds who love what we do even on our worst days. We talked about math the whole week and how we can improve the department. We collaborated on what sessions we were going to attend, and how they would impact our classroom. We got extra handouts or freebies for each other, and discussed the days events at our dinners together. We already have new ideas for next year and can't wait to share them with the rest of the staff. We are already planning the PD we are going to put together for Brooklyn-Queens Day.
New Ideas. During the entire week, no matter where you turned, there was a new book, manipulative, foldable, worksheet on math. You couldn't help but be inspired. Here are some of my favorites:
- "Faceing Math." This activity was developed by a middle school math teacher who wanted to find a new way to motivate her students to practice math problems. For every question there are 2 possible answers given. Depending on your answer, you draw a feature on a blank face you are given. For example, a crooked nose or a straight nose. Curly hair or straight hair. Big eyes or small eyes. Then, the next set of problems tells you what colors to use for each feature. The end results will tell you if the student got the answers right, but they are given some artistic freedom, so though all pictures will be similar, they will not be exactly the same. Here is the web site for more info: http://web.mac.com/dewit2/FACEing_MATH/FACEing_MATH.html
- Singing your Math. This workshop was amazing. The presenter, a Washington, DC area middle school math teacher, uses songs in her room to reinforce critical skills such as decimals, fractions, solving equations, etc. Now, these are your run-of-the-mill songs to the tune of row, row, row your boat. No, these are made to the beat of Soulja Boy, Ciara and Fergie. "D to the I to the V I D E, Divide Fractions!" Here is the site for here school and samples of her songs: www.paulcharter.org
There is so much more but only so much space in this blog! Ask me in class I'll share some of my new knowledge.
Oh, and start begging your principals now for next year's conference. Not only will you learn a lot, but you will also be in San Diego!
Multimedia
Multimedia is a great way to draw interest to your web site. I will definitely be using images and animations on my web page. Due to restraints on Weebly, Movies will not be posted ON my site, but I will be including links to online multimedia such as lesson on You Tube.
The danger with multimedia is when it becomes a distraction. There can be too much of a good thing. But there is the question...how much is enough? I know my students, and how easy it is for them to get off task, so I want to make it interesting, yet still all about business! After all, I want them to truly learn something about my topic, and not just be looking at cool movies and pictures.
If we were doing an HTML site, we would have much more opportunity to include more sophisticated forms of multimedia into our webquests. The program we are using is somewhat limited in this area, though much more user friendly than learning the HTML language. I am interested in exploring HTML in the future, and really developing quality sites for my students to visit.
With that in mind, I hope my first site is useful, entertaining and appealing to my students.
The danger with multimedia is when it becomes a distraction. There can be too much of a good thing. But there is the question...how much is enough? I know my students, and how easy it is for them to get off task, so I want to make it interesting, yet still all about business! After all, I want them to truly learn something about my topic, and not just be looking at cool movies and pictures.
If we were doing an HTML site, we would have much more opportunity to include more sophisticated forms of multimedia into our webquests. The program we are using is somewhat limited in this area, though much more user friendly than learning the HTML language. I am interested in exploring HTML in the future, and really developing quality sites for my students to visit.
With that in mind, I hope my first site is useful, entertaining and appealing to my students.
Wikis
Wikis...fun word, interesting concept. Wikis are like giant online databases where individuals with the same interests can share thoughts and ideas. Wikis are similar to blogs, but also very different because ANYONE can alter ANY content on the site at ANY time. There is not one author responsible for the content.
In College, we were never allowed to reference wikipedia.com, possibly one of the most popular wikis. Now I see why. With open access, the information may not be credible, but useful none the less. You have to view wikis with some hesitation, and verify information before repeating it! Security is low with wikis, and they are designed with the idea in mind that all interested parties will help to "police" the site and constantly check for accuracy. Wikis are a perpetual "work in progress."
In education, Wikis could be useful. It is a way to engage the students in technology. They are no longer observers, but instead creators of the site. They will have a place to share ideas and struggles and take an ownership over their education. They can correct each other, and the instructor would play more of an observer roll, adding comments when needed.
I would have to explore this technology more before considering using it in the classroom. It is still very unfamiliar, so I will be surfing the web to experience this medium!
In College, we were never allowed to reference wikipedia.com, possibly one of the most popular wikis. Now I see why. With open access, the information may not be credible, but useful none the less. You have to view wikis with some hesitation, and verify information before repeating it! Security is low with wikis, and they are designed with the idea in mind that all interested parties will help to "police" the site and constantly check for accuracy. Wikis are a perpetual "work in progress."
In education, Wikis could be useful. It is a way to engage the students in technology. They are no longer observers, but instead creators of the site. They will have a place to share ideas and struggles and take an ownership over their education. They can correct each other, and the instructor would play more of an observer roll, adding comments when needed.
I would have to explore this technology more before considering using it in the classroom. It is still very unfamiliar, so I will be surfing the web to experience this medium!
Factors that Will Impact Using Curriculum Webs in School
As we learn more about Curriculum Webs and we start to put ours together, there are some "factors" that may hinder the use of these tools in the classroom.
Let's start with something I know I have mentioned before - accessibility. In my experiences, Internet is not a guarantee, it is a luxury! It is finicky in my school at best, and its mood swings could easily ruin a lesson or intentions on using a Curriculum Web. Then, if you can access it in the schools, are the kids computer-savvy enough to use it? I assigned my after school students to look up information about Pi online, and they really struggled. They did not know how to search, what sites to go to, where to find information.
So let's just say your students are internet savvy, you have full access to the internet in your room and everything is going great. What happens when they go home? Do they have a home? I know some of my students have a new one each month. They may not be able to access the web at home, which would again prevent the effective use of a Curriculum Web.
Now, this blog is not to say that there is no positives to Curriculum Webs! They are a great tool and great motivation for students, but its effectiveness will depend on many, many things.
Let's start with something I know I have mentioned before - accessibility. In my experiences, Internet is not a guarantee, it is a luxury! It is finicky in my school at best, and its mood swings could easily ruin a lesson or intentions on using a Curriculum Web. Then, if you can access it in the schools, are the kids computer-savvy enough to use it? I assigned my after school students to look up information about Pi online, and they really struggled. They did not know how to search, what sites to go to, where to find information.
So let's just say your students are internet savvy, you have full access to the internet in your room and everything is going great. What happens when they go home? Do they have a home? I know some of my students have a new one each month. They may not be able to access the web at home, which would again prevent the effective use of a Curriculum Web.
Now, this blog is not to say that there is no positives to Curriculum Webs! They are a great tool and great motivation for students, but its effectiveness will depend on many, many things.
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