Journal #10

Jennifer Dorman, a 9th grade teacher in Pennsylvania, had her students create podcasts for pivotal moments in and around WWII. She did this not only because it was a hands-on experience for her students, but it also moved away from the traditional paper-based writing assignments. Students were able to work together and come up with various creative ideas. Dorman provided a raw foundation for her students and from there they were allowed to use their imagination to create the finished product. She says she has also used podcasts as a form of a study guide to steer students away from the dreaded studying of final exams. By having them create podcasts, they can review them before an exam to help them remember important concepts. Not only does she incorporate technology in a creative way, but she has students work together therefore allowing everyone to provide input into the finished product. This is also a great way to do lesson plans. Rather than having students hear a teacher lecture about topics in social studies for example, students can watch their podcasts and learn all about important events during WWII. Also, by providing students with only a raw foundation, students must be responsible for finding outside resources that will help with their podcast. In this way, they are learning information on the topic, educating themselves in a fun and creative way.

How are podcasts beneficial to students?
By having students create these podcasts, they are learning about important facts in history but doing it in a fun way. They have to research the topic to find information they include in their podcast, but they almost become part of that moment in history when they re-create various events. Students are also able to carry this information with them in later years since it is something they did information on. Normally when a teacher gives lesson, the information isn't retained. However, when students must research the information on their own and then creating a setting from that event, they are more likely to retain information beneficial to them.

Should teachers use podcasts in the classroom?
Podcasts shouldn't be a requirement for the classroom, but it should be strongly encouraged. Students will be much more appreciative of learning in a way they can express their creativity, and teachers don't have to do the boring paper-based method of learning. Teachers should be exposed to podcasts and encourage students to create them to help with their learning.

Shein, E (2008). Making history. T.H.E. Journal, Retrieved 2008, from http://www.thejournal.com/articles/23394_5

Journal #9

This article talks about avoiding the 5 most common mistakes with blogs teachers use with their students. These mistakes are 1. Ineffective contextualization, 2. Unclear learning outcomes, 3. Misuse of the environment, 4. Illusive grading practices, and 5. Inadequate time allocation. The author discusses the importance of using blogs in the classroom to help with student clarity while avoiding common mistakes. The first mistake she talks about is ineffective contextualization. This means there needs to be a clear context of what learning tool is used in order for students to understand the benefit of their learning. Students must be provided with concepts to help them think through ideas to construct. The next mistake the author talks about is unclear learning outcomes. Following the first common mistake, students must also be given the learning outcomes of publishing their blog to help them with instructional flow. Learning outcomes, not to be confused with course objectives, include student learning needs and objectives, and future application of the learning. By providing students with their learning outcomes, they are able to develop new higher level thinking skills. The next mistake is misuse of the environment. The author states blogs aren't to be confused with wikis, and the intention of blogs is solely for the purpose of individual publication. Blogs allow for self-posting, encouraging students to write about their thoughts and voice their opinions. Illusive grading practices is the next common mistake. The grading of blogs should have clear rubrics so that students don't become confused as to how their work is being evaluated. When the teacher is clear on their grading, students are able to process to a higher level of understanding and apply these processes to their learning. The last common mistake is inadequate time allocation. This means, students should be given an adequate amount of time to complete their work. This then encourages students, allow for greater participation from them.

Are blogs beneficial in the classroom?
I think using blogs could be beneficial to the classroom, if the mistakes described in the article are avoided. The ultimate goal of teachers is to encourage classroom participation and create a comfortable environment for all students. Teachers must remember to inform students that each blog is their own creation of their thoughts and ideas and each student needs to be respectful of one another. I want to teach lower level elementary school so I don't think I would necessarily use blogs for my students. However, I think this is a great tool to use in the upper level grades.

Are blogs becoming more common in the classroom?
Blogging in general is a growing trend, but I'm not sure how many teachers have actually implemented the idea into their classroom. Teachers may have a class blog in which only the teacher can edit postings, but I haven't yet heard of any teachers having their students create their own blogs. I think with time since technology is being used more and more in the classroom, student blogs will become a more common thing.

Reynard, Ph.D, R (2008). Avoiding the 5 most common mistakes in using blogs with students. Retrieved 2008, from http://www.thejournal.com/articles/23434_4

Journal #7: Course Management

Moodle is a program which offers course management. Moodle is designed to help educators create online courses with opportunities for rich interaction. Its open source license and modular design means that people can develop additional functionality. Moodle is flexible enough to allow for a full range of modes of teaching. It can be used for both introductory and advanced delivery of content or assessment, and doesn't promote a constructivist teaching approach. Moodle can be used in the elementary setting, all the way to adult learners. Here, teachers can post forums, assignments, quizzes, and even journals to be used with their students. This helps to minimize papers in the classroom, and feedback can be given in a quicker manner. Also, students can help other students with the use of forums and discussion boards, and teachers can post assignments that are due. This helps all students to stay more on task, in case they forget what assignments are due and when. Teachers can also post quizzes online which students are able to take, allowing them to focus on the content material relevant to the class. By using this website, I feel teachers are better able to communicate with their students and the students are also able to perform better in the classroom because they are able to stay on task at all times. Most teachers seem to say they enjoy using Moodle, but the only issue they have with it is their blog function. As a result, these teachers don't use Moodle for classroom blogs, but they find it to be a great tool for classroom as well as parent teacher communication.

Lynch, P (2007). Moodle anyone?. Retrieved 2008, from http://www.classroom20.com/forum/topics/649749:Topic:32201
Moodle. (2008). Moodle. In Wikipedia [Web]. Retrieved 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moodle

Journal #8

This article discusses the use of technology at Mary Scroggs Elementary in North Carolina. It allows for open communication between parents, teachers, administration, and even students. The article gives a brief overview on a couple teachers who have incorporated this technology into the classroom and how they educate both parents and students. Using technology allows for instant feedback from teachers to parents and also lets parents know what's going on in the classroom and the assignments due. Because the school is technologically advanced, it has received grants from BellSouth, therefore allowing all parents, even ones who financially don't have the means, access to a computer. This is a great way for all parents to have involvement and understand the expectations for their child.

What about those parents that don't know how to use a computer?
Even though all parents are provided with computers, there might be some that don't know how to use one. For example, there might be ELL and ESL students who have parents that don't understand English. They have never been exposed to technology, therefore resulting in their inability to use a computer. As a result, they are not able to communicate with the school and monitor their child's progress. A possible solution for this might be providing these parents with a basic technology class to give them a step by step explanation of how they will need to use the computer they are provided with. Also, having one on one time with the teacher will allow the teacher to show the parent(s) what has been published on the website and the activity going on in the classroom.

What if the teacher is not technologically advanced?
I know for myself personally, I would have a lot of difficulty with many of the things these teachers are doing. I think the same way a class should be provided for parents, there should also be a class provided for teachers so they know exactly what it is they should be doing and how to go about doing it. It seems to appear this school only has teachers that are already technologically advanced. By providing teachers with a class, the school is then creating opportunities for all teachers.

Curtis, D (2002,11,01). A '"fantastic super" use of technology: closing the digital divide. Retrieved 2008,20,12, from http://www.edutopia.org/fantastic-super-use-technology

The Closer

Journal #6B

1. I didn't like using iMovie for the main reason that I had a lot of difficulty. It was frustrating for me to try and incorporate all the various components and put it into a movie. The hardest part was making sure the entire movie flowed together and transitioned well. I think if I continued to use iMovie then it would become an easier process.
2. Again, I don't know if I would necessarily incorporate this into my classroom simply because I struggled so much with it. It is a great program to show kids, but I would probably have someone else show them since I still have no idea what I'm doing. This would be fun for them to do as group projects instead of getting up and presenting in front of the class.
3. I didn't use Atomic Learning for this program, which may be why I struggled so much with it. When doing something like iMovie, I need step by step instructions and looking at Atomic Learning would have further complicated my understanding of using iMovie. Again, if I did look at Atomic Learning and continued using that to help with the program, I'm sure things would start to become a little more clarified and easier to use.

Journal #6A

1. I liked using Inspiration. It took a little time for me to understand how to create everything, but once I figured it out, it was a fun site to explore. It is a relatively easy site and is something I think students would enjoy working with.

2. This would be a great tool to use for story mapping. Rather than just having students create their story map on paper, they could use Inspiration to creatively come up with their ideas, attaching graphics to help them with their constructions. I think it's something they could have a lot of fun with.

3. I didn't use Atomic Learning for Inspiration. Truthfully I am horrible with computers and it was just another site to add to my confusion. I'm sure students would have fun exploring it and if I understood how it worked, I would implement it in my classroom. For me to understand technology, not only do I need step by step instructions, but I also need someone to actually physically guide me through. Total frustration!