Elaine's Technology Blog TEC 950

Do Bats Make Good Pets?

2011-10-25T12:47:00.004-04:00

EDIM507-Economic Justification for Living

2011-03-30T23:16:00.003-04:00

Teaching and How We Learn

2011-01-01T12:04:00.000-05:00

The Not-to-do List for Teachers

2010-11-14T12:10:00.003-05:00

Some appropriate advice I need to internalize due to handling two elementary libraries and teaching 42 classes in a six day cycle (but glad to have a job)!

Here's a quote:

"You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage -- pleasantly, smilingly, nonapologetically --
to say 'no' to other things.
And the way you do that is by having a bigger 'yes' burning inside."

~ Stephen Covey

How to Successfully Handle Irate Parents

2010-11-14T11:56:00.004-05:00

The art of the profession: How to Successfully Handle Irate Parents (and Teachers) This advice is helpful to Librarians because we have to deal with issues of responsibility for library materials!

What's Parents Should Really Be Worried About

2010-09-12T09:47:00.001-04:00

Helmets and Safety Belts!

5 Worries Parents Should Drop, And 5 They Shouldn't
Take a look at the evidence, and you'll start fretting more about accidents and less about nefarious strangers when it comes to childhood safety.

Tech-Talks Weekly Podcast

2010-08-02T02:12:00.004-04:00

GEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK--Here's an example of a entertaining and informative weekly podcast hosted by two fans of technology, Pat Wiltrout and Matt Pursell. It is found on itunes in the audio podcasts. http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/tech-talks-weekly/id384330007

How God Changes Your Brain

2010-06-28T14:10:00.003-04:00

A book written by a leading neuroscientist, Andrew Newberg, that reaches the conclusion that positive spiritual experiences improves your brain. This may be interesting to read concerning some of the latest brain research and how spirituality interfaces with neuroscience. Here's a link to the PET scans of Tibetan momks before and during deep meditation http://www.andrewnewberg.com/research.asp

The writer who couldn't read

2010-06-28T13:46:00.003-04:00

Word blindness--an acquired dyslexia. It seems if the brain cannot connect with the signals from the eye, it can still connect to words with motion. Listen to the podcast by clicking on the title above.

iPad vs Book

2010-06-26T13:53:00.004-04:00

iPad vs Book - The Old Beats The New According To New Research http://ow.ly/15QZx

The future of reading

2010-06-26T12:47:00.000-04:00

The future of reading

Lerner Goes Digital

2010-06-26T10:40:00.001-04:00

Lerner Goes Digital

"Lerner Interactive Books will offer such features as: dual audio speeds to allow the reader to start at a pace commensurate with his or her reading ability and proceed at his or her own pace; a single-word function, so that the reader can stop the audio, select any word, and hear it repeated; sound toggles, so that the reader can read independently or follow along as each word is highlighted on the screen; an interactive glossary; embedded interactive whiteboard tools for direct instruction; extension activities to reinforce content knowledge; multiple choice quizzes; and a detailed implementation guide with lesson ideas for classroom or library implementation."

60 Second Brain Game

2010-06-24T09:34:00.000-04:00

60 Second Brain Game

Meet Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You'll Ever Need

2010-06-12T13:44:00.002-04:00

Six career lessons no one ever taught you. Read the book by author Daniel Pink. He wrote A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future.

Thinkfinity

2010-06-07T15:26:00.001-04:00

http://thinkfinity.org

Thinkfinity shares content with Xpeditions, Science Netlinks, EconEdLink, ReadWriteThink, Literacy Network, Arts Edge, Smithsonian History, Explorer, Illuminations, EdSitement, & Thinkfinity.

Transaction Publishers: Bad Students, Not Bad Schools

2010-06-01T12:26:00.002-04:00

Transaction Publishers: Bad Students, Not Bad Schools
The author's views definitely do not fit in with No Child Left Behind policy: "Rewarding the smartest, not spending fortunes in a futile quest to uplift the bottom, should become official policy".

SafeShare TV

2010-06-01T12:06:00.003-04:00

Use this web site to create a link to a YouTube video without the surrounding media activity that is often questionable for classroom viewing.

"Truckin' My Blues Away" - Music-Rich Documentary Profiles Four Southern Bluesmen

2010-05-23T08:25:00.001-04:00

"Truckin' My Blues Away" - Music-Rich Documentary Profiles Four Southern Bluesmen

Posted using ShareThis

Some Strange Country

2010-05-11T22:15:00.003-04:00

2010 Horizon Report: K-12 Edition | NMC

2010-04-15T23:42:00.000-04:00

2010 Horizon Report: K-12 Edition NMC

Intelligent Investing-Young Readers Need Librarians, Not Just Google by Mark Moran

2010-04-14T09:19:00.001-04:00

How to Survive the Worst PC Disasters

2010-04-11T07:50:00.002-04:00

Covers the following problems:

Your computer won't boot
You just told off the CEO in an e-mail and instantly regret it
No PCs show on the network
Your identity has been stolen!
Your Net connection is dead
You're being sued by the RIAA/MPAA
Your device just got doused with water--or worse
You're inundated with pop-ups when you boot your PC (adware/spyware infestation)
You deleted a critical file--and have no backup
Your hard drive has crashed
You forgot your Windows password
Your presentation just croaked

How to Survive the Worst PC Disasters

2010-04-11T07:49:00.001-04:00

How to Survive the Worst PC Disasters

Posted using ShareThis

Viruses, Spyware, Malware, and Spam, Oh, My!

2010-04-11T06:51:00.004-04:00

We Live in Exponential Times

Granddaughter Serena Arrives

2010-02-21T00:54:00.006-05:00

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Video Games and Learning

2010-02-12T14:39:00.003-05:00

Classtools.net.......free flash templates for educators

2010-02-11T18:02:00.002-05:00

Click here for full screen version

Create a Survey Assignment

2010-02-03T15:21:00.003-05:00

Take the survey I needed to create for my Differentiation Supported by Technology class! Free survey creator with results tabulated for you. I am hoping the school computer teacher will let the students take the survey in her class!

http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB22A7D86B5GN

Student Interest Survey for Possible Book Purchases for Your School Library - Zoomerang Online Survey Results

2010-02-03T15:20:00.001-05:00

Student Interest Survey for Possible Book Purchases for Your School Library - Zoomerang Online Survey Results

Something I Admire About Those Who Came Before Me

2010-01-29T23:54:00.006-05:00

Holy God We Praise Thy Name

Easter Fanfares Played by the Composer Stephen Tharp in St. Patrick's Cathedral

See world-renowed organist, Stephen Tharp, playing a Kilgen organ in St. Patrick's Cathedral.

An 'About Me' Flyer

2010-01-28T21:36:00.009-05:00

Here's a link to the pdf file I created for my class Differentiation Supported by Technology (EDIM 503). I uploaded it to scribd.com as a holding place.

http://www.scribd.com/full/26346856?access_key=key-1ku9ibi9b1jj4ut8gcb5

Bonkers for Bloggin'

2010-01-07T12:46:00.006-05:00

Of all the tools that Web 2.0 has to offer I prefer the blog. I prefer reading, subscribing to and creating blogs. Blogs behave very well in RSS and their interconnectivity is useful in gathering information. Blogs are easy to create and edit. I like that so many gadgets are available for blogs. It is possible to add gadgets for images, video clips, and podcasts or for any useful html code. The blog can be connected to an aggregator and not only can you subscribe to other's blogs; you can also make it possible for people to subscribe to your blog. You can also have a link roll on your blog. My blog has a linkroll that displays my latest bookmarks on Delicious. It is also possible to add links to your email and to make your blog site searchable. I can share items of interest on my blog that are stored on my aggregator, Google Reader. The layout of the blog may also be customized for content and appearance. There are also setting for who can have access to your blog either to post or read.

Imagine if all your students had a blog and that completed assignments were submitted to you via different feeds right to one source that you couldn't lose and could connect to wherever you could use your computer. That is something a blog can do for you. It is a great communication tool. As a teacher you can add comments on a student’s blog in response to posts. Readers may also add comments to your blog postings.

Ensuring Our Students Have the Literacy Skills to Participate Productively in the 21st Century

2010-01-05T19:16:00.002-05:00

Clearly, educators play a vital role ensuring that students are prepared to be productive in the 21st Century. Discuss the challenges educators will have in making sure their students have the literacy skills they will need to reach this goal. How will educators have to re-think about content and curriculum in order to promote literacy?

Students will still need to know how to read, write, and do math; however, in addition, they will need to learn how to organize and be responsible for lifelong learning. They will need to know when they are seeing and hearing good information or bad (misleading) information. They will need to know how to evaluate the message and the messenger since there will many contributors to the body of knowledge that we have in this world. They will need to have the ability to see the 'big' picture so that they can understand where their specialized work fits in. With all the openness in creating content, they will need lessons in ethical issues surrounding internet citizenship with its global connections to others and others ideas and work. They will have to know how to thrive in a fluid, constantly changing environment, where information changes but human nature doesn't. It will be more important to know where to find a piece of information and not that it is stored in your head for instant retrieval.

Most, if not all of these skills need to be promoted by the education system that the students are attending right now. It would benefit students to see teachers actively engaged in using the Web 2.0 tools that utilize the READ/WRITE web for the students' learning. The teacher needs to mix-up the components of learning so that lecturing is used only at key places on an as-needed basis and project work with the teacher as guide take precedence. Students need the experience of learning how to work collaboratively in the classroom and online in order to communicate and produce a project or complete or add to a goal. Students will need to learn as teachers have to appreciate different personalities and the working styles of many different types of people. Students will need to internalize the belief that their ideas are needed and that participating in a group effort is a responsibility. Students will need to know how to locate information, evaluate, synthesis, and apply knowledge to create new content in many formats so that it can be presented and shared with others.

As teachers we should be helping them become familiar with the technology and software that they will need to use in order to connect and create.

Learning to Podcast

2010-01-03T22:33:00.002-05:00

I can already see the usefulness of podcasting. Once you push the record button, it is fairly easy!
I was surprised that the sound came through so well. I decided to use the software Audacity since it was on my school-issued laptop. I muddled through locating the necessary LAME .dll file online which was requested by the Audacity program when I wanted to export the file in MP3 format to Podbean, but now everything is set up and I joined and published through Podbean. I also downloaded iTunes so that I could have access to their free library of podcasts. Podcasts don't use the bandwidth that videos do, so this is more workable for communicating to students on a website or an Mp3 player. It will be so nice when all the Web 2.0 is in one unit. I guess that is the idea of the Notebook.

I like that I can add text, title and tags to each podcast. That is important for students who do not hear well as well as additional support for those that do. I bookmarked by podcast on Delicious so that I would not lose track of it! I noticed I could add artwork to the podcast information. There are many possibilities for using podcasts as a teacher and a student. Of course, it is a technology that allows you to create and share and, therefore, meets the NETS standards.

Working with Photosharing

2010-01-01T21:16:00.004-05:00

Delving deeper into these Web 2.0 tools I feel myself becoming uncomfortably transparent. In fact, I almost feel good that so much of Web 2.0 is blocked at my school district. I never realized how safe I feel walking into the building five days a week. Really, all this sharing is getting to me! I nearly freaked when I was asked to swipe my driver's license at a drug store in order to buy a decongestion medicine. If it weren't for the fact that I was buying it for a friend, I probably would have walked out or bought a less effective on-the-shelf medicine! However, that doesn't mean that I wouldn't use blogs or wikis or podcasts or photo sharing with my students. I would look harder for educational uses--more academic and less personal.

I joined a photosharing group called "I Am a Librarian". It was a 365 day project of a librarian collecting photographs of the different looks and peronalities of librarians and the libraries they inhabit and administer. http://www.flickr.com/groups/420823@N20/

The learning curve for all these devices was steep for me and very time consuming, mostly because I would take off on different tangents (those darn hyperlinks). As far as sharing photos, there were many beautiful, artistic photos posted. When I was in grade school, we were handed postcard size picture of a classic painting and we had to study the details close enough to be able to write a paragraph. I think that exercise taught me about the beauty of color and shape and the diversity of artistic expression. It was a media literacy lesson that stayed with me a lifetime.

I think the use of hot-spot annotations is very helpful for the teacher and for the student. There could be many lessons using shared pictures. One would be to arrange about twenty pictures on the screen and have students work as a group to create maybe three different categories for the pictures in front of them and then justify the categories and what is included in each one. The discussion of what should and shouldn't be included would increase vocabulary usage. A different way to do this would be to give three labels and have the group locate the photos online to include under each label.

A lesson in categories and classification would satisfy some of the NETS-S. The students would be using technology to solve a problem creatively, working together and thinking criticallyabout the choices they were making. The end result could be presented in a powerpoint presentation.

Lost Dog--I miss Rex Libris

2010-01-01T21:09:00.001-05:00

Lost Dog--I miss Rex Libris,
originally uploaded by Laney8390.

Missing 9/3/09. We hope someone is being good to you. I wish you had a microchip. But who would know?

My Adventure With Social Bookmarking

2009-12-31T23:36:00.008-05:00

Okay, now take a look at the linkroll I have added to my Technology Blog. My blog is getting very gadget-ladened, but it all goes together so nicely. I am very glad I finally understand social-bookmarking. Delicious was always a mystery to me though I know one high school librarian who was always very excited about it. I think it is a good way to organize links and expand my awareness of what is out there. Right now I am working on three different computers and it has been difficult to keep them in sync. I know I will have to spend some time now exporting Favorites from all three to Delicious and taking time to make some tags and notes. One good thing about Delicious is the tags because labeled folders on Favorites don’t give you the flexibility that assigning numerous tags to one link can do. I am looking forward to seeing how I can network with others and I hope the results are not overwhelming. I have heard numerous mention of problematic spamming showing up on social bookmarking sites.

I think social bookmarking would be a useful tool for a learning the research process for fifth or sixth grade. Using social bookmarking would allow the student to seek out information and broaden or narrow a research topic of their choosing. It would give them practice using searching skills and practice evaluating web sites and gathering information from several sources. They would be able to see how connecting with other people would provide them with sources for information that they may not have found on their own. Of course using this Web 2.o tool would tie in with the NETS-S. As far as I can see, this type of project would cover all the goals of the ISTE's standards for students: Students would be demonstrating creative thinking and constructing knowledge using technology; they would be working collaboratively to support individual learning and contributing to the learning of others; they would be gaining research and information fluency and be using digital tools to gather, evaluate and synthesize and they would be learning good digital citizenship as they made valid contributions to the pool and knowledge and correctly cited their sources. They would make informed decisions as they planned their research strategies and managed their project while using technology systems. I think using social bookmarking would help provide a good learning experience for students.

Exploring RSS Feeds

2009-12-28T23:35:00.003-05:00

At first RSS feeds were confusing to use even after reading the pages on RSS by Will Richardson. He refers to RSS feeds as the “new killer app for educators”. I set up a reader aggregator in Google Reader. It seems most of the Web 2.0 tools I am using are from Google and easy to use and I ended up downloading the web browser Google Chrome. Everything seems to work together and if there is a snag, there is always another way to get at what you need to do. I have a lot more trust in some of the tools than I did before I started this course. One of the problems I have created for myself is that I am exploring too many hyperlinks and finding such interesting sites and information that I wanted to return to that the idea of the RSS feeds and the automatic aggregator really made sense. By the time I needed to add a RSS feed gadget to my Technology Blog, I understood the process.

I found it much easier to click on the RSS button on the Google tool bar than on the RSS button within the actual blog or website. Also, I came to understand how to share an article in my feed and add subscriptions. I can also browse for new feeds from within my Google Reader. It is possible to set up folders to organize my feeds. It is possible to star items and search out the starred items. There is also a section that automatically fills up with ‘Recommended’ RSS feeds. I do not know what information is used to populate the ‘Recommendation’ section. It is also possible to view ‘Popular’ feeds and decide if you would like to subscribe. The details of the feeds can also be viewed--it is possible to see how many people are subscribed to each feed.

I do not know how this would help me in my work in an elementary school library with the time constraints I have except for professional development, book reviews and lesson planning , especially for SMARTBoard uses. Of course this would cover the NETS standards for teachers by facilitating my use of the SMARTBoard. The five main NETS standards for teachers are: 1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity, 2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments, 3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning, 4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility, 5. Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership.
While I would not use this idea, I thought it was very clever how Will Richardson used the RSS Reader to gather all his students’ assignments in order to view and grade their work that they posted in their blogs. That would be a real time saver.

Exploring Wiki's

2009-12-22T12:14:00.003-05:00

I found reading wiki's interesting, but attempting to make additions, deletions, and corrections a bit frustrating. I just seemed to lose my bearings from the initial documents and all the different versions that could be viewed. I can visualize how useful wiki's would be for collaborative work, but I think it would be necessary to be continually, actively involved in the evolution of the wiki in order to make a valid contribution. Of course, if I were involved in a wiki group for a project that is exactly what would occur and that is the advantage of using a wiki--it tends to keep everyone actively informed on the progress of the project and shows how the project is evolving from all the different user's contributions. I am sure the navigation issues I have would fade into the background as my familiarity with a particular wiki increased with use.

I chose to create a wiki with wikispaces. In reality my students would not be able to access this space even though the wikispace has a special enrollment section for teachers and the option to set the space to private. I do not like the wiki on my school district website as it is cumbersome to use. But that is a mute point because most of our building has been without network since August due to renovations. The faculty room and the front office have connections if you have a laptop. But when the network does reappear sometime later this year (maybe) I would like to introduce my students (K-6) to a wiki for book reviews and comments!

Here is a link to my wiki space: http://mscaffarelli.wikispaces.com/

Working With Wiki's

2009-12-21T01:51:00.004-05:00

Here is the URL for the wiki I have created to use in the library so that students may post comments about the book they have been reading. Negative and positive comments are welcome and need to be supported with details so that people will understand the reason for the comments.

http://mscaffarelli.wikispaces.com/

New Media, New School Year . . . and a New Resource | Edutopia

2009-12-18T11:06:00.003-05:00

New Media, New School Year . . . and a New Resource Edutopia

Link above to a downloadable PDF

Take a look at the top ten suggestions for teaching with new media!

1. Break the Digital Ice
2. Find Your Classroom Experts
3. Get Off to a Good Start
4. Think Globally
5. Find What You Need
6. Make Meaning from Word Clouds
7. Work Better, Together
8. Open a Back Channel
9. Make It Visual
10. Use the Buddy System

Did You Know 4.0

2009-12-17T15:52:00.010-05:00

Take a look at this movie clip updated Fall 2009. It focuses on the changing media landscape. It's how our students are being molded. We need to meet them where they are at and bring them forward. What do you think?

Follow this wiki vs blog conversation.....

2009-12-16T22:50:00.002-05:00

Here is some good teacher talk on the in's and out's of wiki's and blogs. As far as I know, on our school district blog and wiki setup, the teacher as the moderator has the ability to set the preview rights before any posts are added to a wiki or a blog.

2009-12-16T14:34:00.000-05:00

Here is a more up-to-date blog on using technology in education:

http://portablepd.edublogs.org/ (Jane Smith and Nathan Toft) A blog and podcast discussing the use of technology in the elementary classroom. Ottawa, Canada

From the blog listed above--a posting by Nathan Toft in Musings:

Here are my [Nathan Toft's] choices for the 2009 incarnation of The Edublog Awards:

Best individual blog: The Blue Skunk Blog
Best individual tweeter: Jen Deyenberg (jdeyenberg)
Best group blog: The Committed Sardine
Best class blog: Huzzah!
Best resource sharing blog: iLearn Technology
Best teacher blog: Music Is Not for Insects
Best educational tech support blog: The Edublogger
Best educational use of audio: MP Radio

2009-12-16T14:15:00.000-05:00

To find blogs of interest try http://blogsearch.google.com/.

I found this interesting collection of blogs at
http://supportblogging.com/Links+to+School+Bloggers It is a wikii that supports education related blogging. The links are organized into a directory with headings such as:

Blogs on Educational Blogging (Organized by title A-Z)
Blogs About Literacy
Brain and Cognition Blogs
Classroom Blogs (A-Z)
Classroom Podcasts (Audio Blogs!)
College Bound Students
Individual Student Bloggers
Teacher Blogs
Parent Blogs
Professor Blogs
Principal Blogs
Administrator Blogs
Library/Librarian Blogs
Professional Development Blogs
Psychologist Blogs
Education Company Blogs

Many, many blogs to check out!

Professional Development With Blogging

2009-12-16T13:55:00.000-05:00

I located an interesting blog whose purpose is "to provide opportunities for learning how to use technology, information and media resources at your own pace and at your own convenience". It is blog learning with teachers sharing experience and thoughts about using technology in the classroom. You can post a comment and learn from other's comments.

As the creator suggests: as educators our most precious commodity is time and we don't have the time to be inserviced on every piece of technology equipment or software that comes along so the title of the blog is EDBLOG-PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 24/7.

The site is somewhat dated. The most recent post is 2005. Oh, well. the concept is good.

http://www.edblog.org/howto.htm

Blogging With Student Book Reviews

2009-12-16T05:01:00.002-05:00

I think a certain percentage of students would like to blog their comments on the books that they have read. I would also use the blog to highlight new books I am putting on the shelf. There are not any book clubs in the school right now and I think students would welcome a chance to share their views on books they have read even if it is only a thumbs up or a thumbs down with a detail to back their opinion up.
I think this blog would be satisfactory on the district blog format.

The following Student NETS would apply to this project:

1. Creativity and Innovation

Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. Students:

a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.
b. Create original works as a means of personal or group expression

2. Communication and Collaboration

Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. Students:

a. Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.
b. Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.

3. Research and Information Fluency

Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. Students:

b. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.
c. Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.

4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making

Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources. Students:

b. Plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project.

5. Digital Citizenship

Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior. Students:

a. Advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology.
b. Exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity.
c. Demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning.
d. Exhibit leadership for digital citizenship

6. Technology Operations and Concepts

Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. Students:

a. Understand and use technology systems.
b. Select and use applications effectively and productively.
d. Transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies.

© 2007 International Society for Technology in Education. ISTE® is a registered trademark of the International Society for Technology in Education.

How Will I Really Use Blogging

2009-12-16T04:44:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure how I will use blogging in my subject area which is the elementary library. I would like to have a blog that lets people in the school community know all the neat things available to them in the library and the activities that go on. It would not hurt for the library to have a web presence.
This blog I am on now is like a web page but better. I can post quickly and receive comments that can be tracked so the progression of thought can be viewed easily. I could add a survey gadget to get feedback so the library program could be adjusted as needed.
The problem I foresee is that outside blogs like this one are not accessible to students in school. This is a security and filtering isssue in the school district. A blog format is provided by the technology director but it is a rather lifeless format and cumbersome to use compared to the google blog I am working in right now.
I will have to talk to the technology director to see if any avenues would be open for student blogging other than the district server.

2009-12-16T04:27:00.000-05:00

According to a paper written by Stephan Mosel (2005), Self Directed Learning With Personal Publishing and Microcontent, "The learner-centered approach of the weblog-format facilitates self-organized learning processes on the web and corresponds with a constructivist’s theoretical view on perception, consciousness and learning."

In other words, blogging is a learner-centered activity and the learner learns by focusing on a specific topic and making connections to others in relation to that topic and also learns from the comments that others make in reference to the blog posts on that specific topic. I would say that this is the way students are operating and thinking in their real lives and if this brain activity could be harnessed in the classroom--WOW.

Differentiating With Blogs

2009-12-16T04:00:00.000-05:00

My Instructor mentioned that she is looking forward to seeing how I am able to differentiate using blogs as a tool. Considering that a major goal of differentated tasks is to keep the students engaged in a challenging (but not too challenging) task, I think the use of blogs in the classroom would lend itself well to the principles of differentiation. I think the key challenge would be in creating the instructional goal. A well-defined task would move the students past the type of social blogging that they may be used to doing and into blogging used to extend learning.

I think the activity of blogging could also be used as a formative assessment. A teacher would be able to get a good idea of the students' grasp of ideas and concepts by reading their blogs.

I'm Working on 2.0 and Now There's 3.0

2009-12-16T03:35:00.001-05:00

According to NetLingo ;-) Business Word of the Day for Monday, December 14, 2009, Web 3.0 is a " buzzword used to describe the next generation of Web and Internet applications after Web 2.0." "It is not an official phrase, title, protocol, or standard, nor is it a technology, product or company, but rather it is another new way of architecting software and services on the Internet." Check it out: http://www.netlingo.com/word/web-30.php

Huh???? Well, I think it is basically referring to the omnipresent ability of the Web and all its tools to follow you everywhere. It also has to do with the ease in which content may be created and connected to others for social or educational purposes and not just text. This would include voice and visual tools.

I am thinking that an example of this may be the recently launched Google Wave which incorporates many of the Web 2.0 tools in one place. I have been 'invited' to join the Wave' and give some feedback, but where do I find the time to create a web presence on the Wave? Maybe after I complete this class.

I'm Discovering Blogging

2009-12-16T02:50:00.000-05:00

This is my first entry in my blog created for my current online class at Fresno Pacific University entitled Web 2.0 Tools for the Classroom. I am learning the practical side of blogging right now as well as the pedagogical aspects. My knowledge base is growing as I am stating to see applications for using blogs as a tool for student learning. The book we are reading with this course is helpful. It is written by Will Richardson and called Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, 2nd edition. He is passionate about encouraging teachers to utilize the Read/Write Web to motivate and advance students in their learning and connections to the world outside the classroom walls!