Blogging Advice for Teachers

The use of blogging as a collaborative tool has numerous benefits that enable the student to work cohesively with another individual or with a group in discussing a topic and allows for appropriate peer review. In order to ensure a standard protocol by which students write with a purpose, read critically, and conduct peer and self anlysis with conviction specific guidelines of blogging must be followed. Ann Davis, an information trainer specialist recommends several criteria for blogging which when followed creates an ideal blogging environment. She first recommends that students sign a code of conduct which covers "netiquette" which when compromised risks loss of computer and internet access. When teaching blogging, Davis suggests taking critical practice time to ensure students have a good grasp of the concept. This can be facilitated through demonstration and practice. Specific "Dont's" applied to blogging are to avoid the perception that blogging is another social networking phenomenon, but a venue for scholarly discourse; beware of freebies offered on free blog sites that could intefere with student learning and be disruptive to the overall climate of collaboration, consider open source software for greater autonomy; avoid sequential style as the bloggers submission may be compromised through time rather than substance; and be a part of the community of bloggers in which you have emersed your students. This is all sound advise which I will utilize when initiating blogging assignments for my students.

Sturgeon, J. (2008). Five Don'ts of Classroom Blogging. T H E Journal, 35(2), 26-30. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.

Virtual Reality in the classroom

Virtual reality is defined as technology that allows students to explore and manipulate computer generated, 3-dimensional, multimedia environments in real time. Virtual reality integration within a classroom lesson may greatly impact a student’s overall perception of a lesson.
Virtual reality technology can assist teachers in addressing issues related to content knowledge, motivation, interest, and assessment performance of students in the classroom. The incorporation of this type of technology generates both high interest and involvement with participating students. Virtual Reality in the realm of special education has been shown to positively impact student learning because the presentation of varying formats also addresses varying learning styles. Smedley, T.M. & Higging, K. (2005) in Virtual Technology: “Bringing the World into the Special Education Classroom says that technology based applications give students access to worlds and environments that are inaccessible, too expensive, or too dangerous in a classroom setting; enable students with disabilities to experience laboratories and field trips at their own pace; and allow them to repeat the experience as many times as necessary.” The potential for students with disabilities when using virtual reality simulation is pronounced. Students with cognitive disabilities can learn complex concepts, or a physically disabled student could be afforded opportunities to walk and compete with others. In the Inclusion classroom virtual simulations might serve to equalize disparities between the special education and regular education students. As students would be using similar models to obtain a “skill level”, the special education students might perceive this environment as more “fair” The students can use multiple intelligence(s) to produce a similar product in a manner more suitable to their style of delivery. The same might be said for other subgroup of students such as ESOL, and Life Skills. The overall benefit of Virtual Reality is its positive impact on students learning.

Smedley, T., & Higgins, K. (2005). Virtual Technology: Bringing The World Into The Special Education Classroom. Intervention in School & Clinic, 41(2), 114-119. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.

Strangman, N., & Hall, T. (2003). Virtual reality/simulations. Wakefield, MA: National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum. Retrieved October 26, 2010 from http://www.cast.org/publications/ncac/ncac_vr.html

Working Off-line

Researching Off-line

I was excited to learn about using the internet to work offline. I often find my self struggling to find websites that are suitable for 6years to research on. I worry about security, as well as students getting “lost” in cyberspace. Searching the internet takes skills that many 6years have not obtained. However, I do strive to begin teaching them skills they will need in the future, such as how to research on the web.

My new understanding of using the internet “off line” allowed me to discover that I could integrate offline learning in my own classroom. I can self select where I want my students to go on the internet and provide them with limited sites, therefore decreasing the chances that they will find themselves feeling “lost.”

To monitor of not to monitor...that is the question!

In class this week, we discussed several topics, among those we discussed if it was ok for teachers to be able to use the computers on their breaks and during lunch periods. I personally feel that teachers should be able to use the computer to handle business and personal matters. I feel very strongly about this because teachers deal with stressors just as everyone else in other professions. Considering this, administrators should have flexibility when using monitoring software. I do believe we must give teachers the opportunity to handle matters that occur during the business day without having to leave their jobs to do so. Sending emails is a great way for teachers to handle matters outside of school. Now, if teachers are sending emails with their school email address, I do believe that could be monitored, but not from their personal emails. I also think teachers should be allowed access certain sites and allow students to do the same. After considering that I may become a technology professional I conducted my own research for a software system that would work for a school while also allowing teachers to access their own emails and I believe CompuGuardian would be great. CompuGuardian can be obtained at http://www.compuguardian.com/

Telecommunication Plan Promote New Literacies

I believe a primary focus of teachers in primary education should be seeking technologies which support instruction and learning for young students. With telecommunications applications becoming increasingly prevalent in schools at all levels, teachers must consistently remain knowledgeable about ever evolving technology, its applications and how it will affect instruction now and in the future. Teachers in collaboration with such individuals as IT specialists and school administrators must develop and implement plans that incorporate technology applications into school programs and courses. They must determine what, and how technology equipment is to be used for curriculum development. This plan must also include recommendations to improve security of the school district’s data, and new multimedia technologies that will enable increased creativity and productivity for teachers and students.

Effective implementation of this first step leads to the next of teaching students new literacies. In this area, I’ve come to believe that there are several individuals or groups responsible for integrating information literacy including students, teachers, school administrators, parents, community members and businesses as well. Researchers explain that teachers are becoming more determined than ever to stay abreast of the ever evolving types of literacies while at the same time discovering creative ways to integrate these literacies into their curriculums. For young students, teachers are designing activities that promote information literacy and include repetition and continued practice.


Rodriguez, P., Nussbaum, M., Lopez, X., & Sepulveda, M. (2010). A monitoring and evaluation scheme for an ICT-supported education program in schools. Educational Technology & Society, 13(2), 166-179. Retrieved from ERIC database October 24, 2010 http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=66&hid=14&sid=ce2dc8b7-b877-4f35-8482-abcfc8b2c688%40sessionmgr14

Internet Workshops

In addition to an effort of school districts implementing an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) to combat some of the pitfalls of internet use such as accessing sites with inappropriate material, safety and privacy issues, computer viruses, and fraud on the internet, educators are providing internet workshops for students, especially those in primary education. Teachers developing Internet Workshops by creating activities applicable to classroom curriculum and students are instructed to complete these activities which typically span over a week’s period. These workshops are designed to help students be better web searchers by providing basic navigation strategies, and an opportunity to work in pairs and groups. Students may share with each other the differences, similarities, features and functions of the most used browsers, and their use as a resource. A benefit example of using the browser is for students who are challenged when spelling a word correctly. They may learn when entering a word incorrectly in a search engine how to spell because the student will receive a prompt “Did you mean:….,” which will display the correct spelling of the word. An example would be my attempt to search the word ornithologist. I entered onethologist in the search engine and immediately the prompt, “Did you mean: ornithologist” appeared.

Finally, I believe with the world of technology changing as rapidly as it is, students typically have more time to search the web so they tend to learn various techniques much quicker than we do. This provides an opportunity for them to teach each other during the workshops, and it provides teachers an opportunity to facilitate instead of direct instruction and learn as well.

Roblyer, M.D. & Doering, A.H. (2010) Technology in special education, integrating educational technology into teaching. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Digital story telling a success!

Digital story telling a success!

The article titled How Digital Storytelling builds 21st Century Skills focuses on use of digital storyboards with students. I tried to implement digital storytelling last year with my 3rd grade students and it was a huge success. I did need a lot of support from other staff members including the Media Specialist but my students were very enthusiastic and successful.

My students were able to demonstrate understanding of the content, as well as meet my expectations for collaboration and achieve understanding of several technology standards. My students however, did not participate in a fully inclusive digital storytelling activity as suggested in the 2009 article. I found that research and creating the story were best suited using technology resources. However, storyboards and note taking were completed by hand.

I look forward to incorporating at least 2 digital storytelling projects this year with my 1st graders.

References
(2009). How Digital Storytelling Builds 21st Century Skills. Library Technology Reports, 45(7), 15-19. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.

Web-based lessons in grade 1.... really ?!?!

Over the past few months, several teachers have asked me how I find the time to incorporate web-based lessons into my first grade classroom, one of my first responses is “you make time.” I truly feel that it is essential for students, even at 6 years old, to learn through various modalities, including technology.

I feel the use of web-based lessons with primary students in grades K-5 is not only effective, it is necessary. Although some researchers and objectivists believe that online learning can easily fail or may not be curriculum-based, constructivists believe web-based learning is merely a tool for students to use while learning curriculum-based material. Harris (2000) eloquently said,
“Though it’s true that some Internet-enriched learning activities can seem

disassociated from curriculum standards, we must remember that tools don’t

constitute curriculum. Rather, tools can be used in service of students’ learning

needs, and in powerful, curriculum-based ways.” (p. 1)
Effective web-based lessons can be used to teach a variety of subject areas and curriculum-based standards.

"When is it worth it?" I think the question is ,"When is it not?"

References:
Harris, J. (2000). Taboo topic no longer: Why telecollaborative projects sometimes fail. Learning and Leading with Technology,27(5), 58-61. Retrieved from http://virtual-architecture.wm.edu/Foundation/Articles/Failures.pdf

Key point in my learning...Networks

This week, I have learned in an area that I have truly been waiting on...networks. I always wanted to know how schools and businesses are able to have their computers up and running without seeing cords all over the place. This week, I learned just that. My ideal situation if I were a technology professional would be to have the school set up with wireless but I know in real life situations where funding is needed this may not be possible. I do feel comfortable now that at least I understand the technology professionals lingo as it pertains to networks. For example, I learned that a ring is a system that is used mainly in a school office and does not have a server but instead the computers operate in a loop and will work even if one computer is down. The star would be best used in a media center type situation where several students will access the computer. In this case there is a main computer that is the file server. The main problem with the star server system is when the file server is down, the other computers will not operate. The other network system used is the bus that can be used for the entire school. A bus networking system acts just like a bus line and directs traffic from a central computer.

After reading the article by Roy, I have also taken notice that wi-fi networks that I have previously favored can pose potential harm to student and teachers bodies. Wireless networks expose students to headaches and possible skin rashes and should be considered carefully while children are in such early stages. As a result, Roy has listed several factors that should be taken under consideration with wireless networks in the school system such as: signs that warn on wireless areas and a gauss meter to monitor the electromagnetic field, making certain it does not go above 2-5 milligauss. In 2003, some parents filed a lawsuit that resulted in the school getting rid of wireless connections. Now that I have read about the potential harm of wireless networks, I can now take precautions if I decide to be a technology professional and work for a school or district.

Roy, K. (2008). Should we pull the plug on wireless computer networks?. Science Scope, 31(7), 10-11. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.

K-12 Blogging

As I continue with my learning and about the many tools that are available to us to use for our students' growth I have come to an opinion on blogging in the K-12 setting. I do not think that it is suitable for all grade levels. I feel that we could better use this tool with the older students. In my opinion, I feel that it would be better used in the 7-12 grades simply because they are a little more mature in the way that they would use it and be able to understand it more. For the younger students, I do not feel that using it as a teaching tool would be beneficial to the students. Do not get me wrong, I do think that we need to introduce it to them so that they gain the exposure to the tool and learn how it can benefit them. The reason I say that we use it for the 7-12 arena is that I still think that there are students who are not as open in the classroom as they need to be when asked a question. When in a group setting more often than not students have the fear of being ridiculed when they are wrong about something. Using the blogging tool eliminates the public embarrassment and allows them to speak more freely. That being said, I still think that we need to conduct in class discussions as well to give them the public exposure and how to react or debate on situations or topics. They need this aspect of the learning environment to grow as people and as a part of society. We have become a society of technology with minimal human interaction other than with the use of technology.

The Inclusion Model

How effective is the Inclusion Model as a tool for student motivation, self esteem, and academic progress? The inclusion model in which students with learning disabilities are educated in the general classroom setting is an ongoing trend resulting from the “least restrictive environment” mandate established in 1975 to correct the unfair treatment and substandard educational services those student had been receiving. In their article, a study of the effect of an inclusion model on students with specific learning disabilities by Madhabi and Daily, they indicate that elementary students identified as having a Specific Learning Disabilities were perceived to have increased self esteem resulting from placement in the general classroom environment with their non-disabled peers. The authors cite anecdotal evidence and parent interviews to advance the idea that Learning Disabled students were considerably more socially and emotionally stable in the “stigma-free” environment. The full inclusion model as identified by sailor (1991) should contain key components to ensure that students with disabilities are afforded the same opportunities to aid in a “good” educational experience. Students attend their community school, are age and grade appropriately placed, and are at a site that does not operate a self-contained or other exclusionary model classroom to name a few. The collaboration between the regular educator and special educator to generate positive learning outcomes, positive social and emotional behavior, and effective program process and delivery were seen as the critical elements in the Inclusion model’s successful outcome. My own personal experience in a High School setting having adopted the full inclusion model yielded similar perceptions on the program’s benefit. Based on empirical evidence, student self concept, cooperation, self esteem, and self worth appears more pronounced due to participation rates and reduced referral data for the special needs inclusion population which indicates program effectiveness.

Banerji, M., & Dailey, R. (1995). A study of the effects of an inclusion model on students with specific learning disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 28(8), 511. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database

Key Personal Learning

The merits of taking a course in hardware and software in instructional development has enabled to structure my focus on the components of the computer which are critical for the development of any discipline when using technology to enhance a lesson. The introductory lessons in which the focus begins with the framers of the computer field as well as comparing and contrasting the generations of computers both piqued my interest and made me cognizant of my own awareness of the changing nature of the generations of computers. Through numerous discussions, I have also discovered that the talk of education with integrated Web 2.0 technology is mightier than ever and teachers must avail themselves of all resources to prepare their students to compete or hold their own in this climate. The actual study, implementation, and use of blogging requires more thought than action because the information one ultimately shares must have an intrinsically perceived value for the reader. The questions and statements reflecting personal opinions on the use of Wikis, Blogs, and Podcasts show that many educators espouse the use of these medium that serve as a means to enhance student engagement through collaborative. The discussion, research, and reflection on Assistive Technology, its efficacy, and teacher awareness of it implementation must be ongoing as it is a feature in students’ education which is often overlooked.

Digital Storytelling....Not so much!

This week, we discussed digital storytelling and after numerous exposures, I can say that I am not a fan of creating the story board in order to complete the assignment. I must also add that I love the outcome. I know this sounds very odd but my main concern is the time involved in the technical aspect of creating the storyboard. If I were to enhance my social studies lessons with digital storytelling, I know the outcome would be great. Students would be highly motivated to learn about the upcoming lesson if shown as a prelude of what is to come. On the other side, if I were trying to instruct students as to how to create a storyboard to reiterate the lesson to them, I see it as being too time consuming and therefore distracting from the lesson.

After reading an article titled How Digital Storytelling builds 21st Century Skills, I can see the importance in building skills through the use of digital storyboards. Students will not only learn lesson content but also other requirements that will prepare them for future careers such as technology literacy, digital citizenship and collaboration. Several more benefits and requirements were listed for the students however, the above mentioned were amongst the top advantages. A concern of mine was the skill level of the teacher when it comes to using digital storyboards. Training is a very important element and teachers must prepare for this. Considering that teachers prepare and take the time to learn the software for using digital storytelling, I can easily see where all students and teachers can benefit from using this type of storytelling in the classroom, regardless of which subject they teach.

References

(2009). How Digital Storytelling Builds 21st Century Skills. Library Technology Reports, 45(7), 15-19. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.

H-Cards are the way to go.....

Hypermedia cards are a great addition to any classroom. This week, as we covered multimedia, hypertext and hypermedia I sat up to take notice in the hypermedia cards or h-cards for short. In particular, I learned that these flash cards are set up on a web page, just like a regular flash card and can be flipped over by simply selecting the option to do so. Once the card has been flipped the answer is shown. This type of card will work in any classroom. Although there is not much difference from the traditional flashcard, this type of card is interactive by its very nature. As stated by Palombella & Johnson in their article titled The Design, Use and Evaluation of Hypermedia Flashcards as a teaching tool, "test scores, survey results and other student feedback show that h-cards are an effective study tool and fun to use, whether alone or as part of an active learning experience".

Also, this article pointed out a few advantages of the h-cards such as them being more reliable because they cannot be torn and they also create an excitement that is not found in the traditional cards. H-cards cannot be stained and they are easy to create. Considering that I will teach social studies and its various components, which tend to be boring to students, it is especially important that I allow students to use h-cards to reiterate the lesson and help them to remember key points. H-cards can have graphics added to further motivate students and can easily be used via a Cd-Rom. I especially like the fact that students that used the h-cards tend to score higher than those students not using the h-card as a study tool. Personally, I think h-cards are the way to go.

Palombella, A., & Johnson, D. (2005). The Design, Use and Evaluation of Hypermedia Flashcards as a Teaching Tool. TechTrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning, 49(2), 46-54. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.

E portfolios….. How can they help?

Currently all students in the county maintain Eportfolios, even students as young as first grade. Most of the information kept in the portfolio is test scores and other documented assessments. However, more and more teachers are beginning to add comments and anecdotal records to each child’s portfolio. It is my hope that eventually the county I work in will move toward keeping a compilation of projects and work the student has completed, thus making the portfolio even more “worth it” to our students.

In addition to communication and long-term progress monitoring, Eportfolios posses the unique quality of providing students with individualized meaningful assessment. Ahn (2004) suggests Eportfolios embrace a potential to bridge the conflict between standardized and individual assessment “as they combine individual student work with standards-based assessment, while also organizing and indexing student data.” Eportfolios and individual authentic assessment allow students to think about material critically. Barrett (2007) concludes that an educational portfolio includes materials that a student has collected over time; many items within a portfolio are student selected, reflected upon, and presented to show growth and understanding. Barrett (2007) suggested that it is well known that individuals have used portfolios for many years; however their main use was to demonstrate best work. Additionally, Wall et. al (2006) stated an Eportfolio should be used to reflect and celebrate a student’s learning. Furthermore, an Eportfolio can be used to express a student’s authentic work, overtime the Eportfolio will allow students, parents, teachers, and other stake holders the opportunity to view success and growth after a while.

References

Ahn, J. (2004). Electronic Portfolios: Blending Technology, Accountability& Assessment. T H E

Journal, 31(9), 12-18. Retrieved from Computers & Applied Sciences Complete database.

Barrett, H. (2007). Researching Electronic Portfolios and Learner Engagement: The REFLECT

Initiative. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 50(6), 436-449. Retrieved from

ERIC database.

My Techno Gender Divide Experience

Though not a teacher and not being in the classroom for many years, I certainly have one illustration of the techno-gender divide. During my entire tenure in the field of business and working in several organizations, small to mid-size, I have yet to see a woman working in any capacity in information technology. Now, before I go any further, let me explain what I mean by that. In every organization we had an IT person or department to assist us (the organization) with any IT related issues. Examples are:

- if the organization was upgrading or converting to a new computer system, that task was assigned to an IT specialist or dept., or
- if I had issues with my computer or software, I called the IT specialist

Now, as stated above, I’ve yet to see a woman in that position. The entire department has been complete with men. Also, based on the statistics provided by surveys in the mini lecture, males will continue to dominant the field. In addition, according to Warschauer (2007) “One recent study suggested that computer science is seen by girls as being too individualistic for their needs and interests as well as too divorced from most academic content areas” (p. 149).

Now, the good news! I do believe and see woman becoming more interested in technology, me being included. I also agree with Warschauer (2007) who also states “developing technology-based instruction in schools that is more collaborative and more closely tied to academic content may be a successful strategy for increasing girls comfort level with pursuing computer-based careers” (p. 149). I believe women in every career and working environment are taking more active roles in learning technology, some because we want too, and other because they have too. I believe the same to be true in the classroom as well.


Reference:

Warschauer, M. (2007). A teacher’s place in the digital divide. Yearbook of the National
Society for the Study of Education. 106(2), 147-166. Retrieved from Education
Research Complete http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu

The Digital Divide

As a teacher in an urban school district and a Title I School (having large percentages of students receiving free or reduced lunch), and since starting this Master’s in Instructional Technology, I have become interested in the issue of the digital divide and its impact on student awareness and access to Web 2.0 technology. In her article Access, Instruction, and Barriers: Technology issues facing students at risks, Monica R. Brown (2000) indicates that the equitable access and use of technology encompasses a wide range of students who are at risk. Students of color, inner city children, females, students with disabilities, limited English proficient populations, and rural students are at greatest risk in the digital divide. Brown states (as cited in Chambers & Clark, 1987) that technology inequities disadvantage students in three ways: “their ability to function as citizens in an increasingly technological society, their capacity to gain adult employment, and their development of general cognitive skills and positive attitudes toward learning.” The author points out that while funding is a primary barrier towards greater equitability it should not prevent schools and educators from pursuing equitable technology for their students (as cited in Davis & McCaul, 1990) . In reviewing Brown’s study, I assessed that the process of attaining, or achieving equitability must be a work in progress. Teachers and administrators must be cognizant of, and proactive in addressing inequities and resolving them. The issues related to physical access and use of technology, instruction and pedagogy, and recognizing barriers are continually being addressed in order to redress the divide as it is presently perceived. The school profile which I documented a year ago has been significantly altered. New and expanding technology, teacher training, and district wide access to Web 2.0 and other technologies are widely available. The current consensus is that the technology is now available and teachers must be willing to access appropriate training to competently utilize the these technologies to assist their students to circumvent the disadvantages related to technological inequities.

My School Profile
The digital divide is an issue that effects the population of students in my school. I work in a school of approximately 1667 students. The demographic make-up of the school is largely African American: 1251, White: 201, Hispanic: 187, Am. Indian/AK Native: 19, Asian/pacific Islander:9; The number of students receiving free and reduced lunch is high, Student mobility is 29.5 %, and the graduation rate is 80.5% (Maryland Report Card, 2009). The school maintains an ESOL program so it houses an immigrant population. The school is located in a middle income community, but its numerous students often reside two bus rides away from it. I interviewed the Business manager to determine if we as an institution fit the profile of a statistically urban school environment in its acquisition and use of technology. In the five years that I have worked in my school, I have observed computers being discarded at the end of each school year. When I inquired about the process, I was told that the school maintained a budget that allowed for the purchase of a percentage of newer computers annually. The newest technology would be allocated to administration, and then hierarchically to those individuals and classes that utilizes the technology as part of one of the” Career and Technology” pathways currently offered at the school. When asked of other “innovative” technologies that exist within the building he indicated that the school now maintained three Whiteboards. One Board was permanently housed in the “Pharmacy Technician” classroom, one is in the Media Center, and the third is housed in the “Business Academy”. This one appeared to be the only one currently in use as the teacher had been trained to use the technology and is planning to conduct a school based in-service training for the staff. The staff would then be able to rotate to this teacher’s classroom (when available), or to the Media Center to utilize the technology. The school also maintained LCD projectors, but that many teachers simply purchased their own. Outside of this, there was no other types of technology made readily available to staff. In interviewing individual teachers and observing their classrooms, I have seen the use of technology for both basic and higher order thinking skills. I believe that technology education is disseminated in different ways by teachers who are skilled in their pedagogy, but might lack adequate training in the use of varied and innovative uses of technology. I believe my school is well intentioned, but more needs to be done to not only access the technology but to provide necessary training in its use. The sub group of Students within the school who might not have computers at home, and are not in a career technology pathway, and are newly arrived immigrants are the students who are most readily affected by the digital divide. The school and the district have a responsibility to include these populations within the framework that allow them access to technology which mitigate the divide that already exist within an environment already effected by technology disparities. In viewing my districts website, I see notices for trainings offered to teachers having technologies like Whiteboards in their classrooms. The norm should be trainings offered to all teachers it because they all have the technologies needed to engender true educational change within the system.

Maryland Report Card (2009): Baltimore http://www.mdreportcard.org/Demographics.aspx?K=300405&WDATA=school#ENROLLMENTgr ade3all

Brown, M. (2000). Access, Instruction, and Barriers Technology Issues Facing Students At Risk. Remedial & Special Education, 21(3), 182. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.

Solomon, L. (2009). The digital divide. University of Maryland, University College, EDTC 605.

Grade 1 Blogging Plan

Blogging in the Primary Classroom…
If I were to incorporate blogging in my classroom there would be many different obstacles to overcome. With proper planning and modeling students will eventually become more self sufficient in posting and commenting on blogs. Although I feel that proper planning and modeling would be important to any grade level or academic area the age group of my students (6-7 years) would present the teacher with different obstacles.

My blogging plan:
Purpose of the blog: to share, reflect, synthesize and question stories that are at or above the first grade reading level. Students will post a weekly blog inclusive of their favorite book they read that week. The blog can then be viewed during computer lab by students to help select or recommend various titles.
Integrating Blog to our current reading log program: Through modeling and the use of parent volunteers I will have students post to our private classroom blog. Students will have a password protected account that will allow them to access at home if they choose to do so.
Classroom Review: We will discuss as a class what is working and what is not working. Through the use of a Plus/Delta system we will chart the good things and what can be improved upon.
Assessment: The teacher will assess students on their reflections or retelling as a piece of reading comprehension grades.

Student Collaboration

Enhancing international student collaboration via the blog…

The use of the blog for enhancing international student collaboration would surely prove to be a great asset. This is especially true for middle school Social Studies which is the level and subject that I will teach.  I can see myself easily using the blog to discuss various topics on Social Studies that are covered in the Georgia framework, while forming a partnership with other international Social Studies classrooms. Social Studies covers several areas, including Geography, Civics, Culture and History.  All of these very important areas in the framework could easily be discussed on a blog in which each classroom would exchange information about how they live, spend money, where they are located, share fun facts about their country, etc.  I think blogging would be great as a tool for enhancing international student collaboration. Additionally, as stated by Becstead in her article about International Collaboration, she documented how students could collaborate successfully via blogs for various projects.  In the article a radio drama production is worked on via a blogging and were found to have a high level of interaction with positive outcomes

Beckstead, L. (2006). International, Online Collaboration. International Journal of Learning, 13(8), 143-148. Retrieved on October 11, 2010 from Education Research Complete database.

Social Networks & Instruction - The Connection

For me, and as discovered by others in this class, blogging is a new experience and what I find quite interesting is the many recommended uses of blogs, wikis and other web tools as described by Richard (2010), and my colleagues thus far. The creativity, benefits and thoughts are endless. However, a challenge I feel important is pulling it off. Throughout the readings, I’ve also discovered that there are so many websites, both free and at cost for subscription and access to various web tools. I believe as educators and in order to successfully meet student needs and implement desired instructional programs, we must first become literate and knowledgeable in all areas of technology both in and outside the classroom. Areas of literacy must be acquired in technologies such as social web media, ethics and safety; then integrated and connected with our knowledge of in-class technologies, curriculum and instructional content.

Brown and Slagter van Tryon (2010), emphasize that the difference between pre-twenty-first-century and current literacy has to do with matters of scale such as time, size, distance, audience, and available data. With respect to time, teachers must explain to students the importance of understanding that with the creation of blogs, or a Twitter account, a student can share information in an instant and in doing so, they must understand that pressing send may have consequences – good or bad which last for years. An example of size is the number of characters in a Twitter message. Message content consist of less letters and keystrokes creating a need for teachers to promote both expository and creative writing. Students are establishing and participating more and more in projects and activities in other states, and across the continent. Distance is no longer an issue. However, teachers are challenged with learning and teaching students to understand cultural differences necessary for positive and effective interaction. They are tasked with teaching students how other cultures might perceive their work. In addition, students are no longer limited to small amounts of data. Both students and teachers are now challenged with learning how to work with mega quantities of data. Bottom line, as the world of technology continues to evolve educators must continually examine how literacy is affected by these new technologies.

Brown, A., & Slagter van Tryon, P. (2010). Twenty-first century literacy: A matter of scale from micro to mega. Clearing House, 83(6), 235-238. doi:10.1080/00098655.2010.484438. Retrieved October 9, 2010 from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=9&hid=7&sid=041df7d4-e38f-43c1-a0e4-8d00477bafa1%40sessionmgr4

Richardson, W. (2010) Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (3th ed.). Thousand Oaks: A SAGE Company.

Collaborative Thoughts

I would have to say that if I was to allow this in my classroom I feel that it would be best utilized for conducting research projects. As often as our children are on the computer and surfing the web they are bound to find something that would relate either to their project or maybe even one of their classmates. Working in small groups and using tools such as this allows them the real time research and without having to sit on the phone tying up the phone lines. They would be able to communicate the problems that they are having, information that they have found or even throw around a few ideas to the rest of the group to help spark some other avenue to look into.

Blogging is a fairly new tool for me. I have looked into it but never really used it. I am slowly getting into this but can see the definite advantages to using something like this as a running diary. The applications are so many that we would be here all day discussing them. I am looking forward to learning more as we progress.

"Mrs.Streeters' Saints"

Bringing Blogging to the classroom.....

If I were to bring blogging technology to my classroom I would have high expectations concerning students working together and collaborating on what they have learned.  I would expect that lesson content would be analyzed, sorted and learned more thoroughly through a process that allows students to make corrections between what they thought was wrong and what they found out to be right from their peers. By having a classroom blog, students will be expected to contribute weekly as well as respond to 3 other students in order to discuss what they have learned and what they think about the course content.

When students have the opportunity to learn from each other and share what helped them learn or how they interpreted the lesson in class, chances are high that each student will walk away from the blog feeling empowered.  Students will also feel knowledgeable about sharing their thoughts and responding to others.  A classroom blog will serve as an avenue for those students that normally will not share their ideas in class to share their ideas online without fear of other students frowning their faces or gesturing in disagreement.

I would introduce the blog to students via a link from the classroom website and require that all students share one website in our current weekly content with their post in order to make certain that students are going above and beyond in their information technology skills.  I would expect that students will retain information better from such a hands on experience.  Blogging will allow them to continually practice digital citizenship which is a necessity for future career planning and higher education. Likewise, I can use blogging to access how well my students are retaining information and if there is a communication breakdown, I am able to see it occur and step in immediately to make corrections. My ideas on blogging and how I would expect to use it in my classroom are confirmed as Mullen & Wedwick state that "blogs are highly effective communication tools that create a variety of authentic writing experiences for students and teachers" (2008, pg. 4).
 
Mullen, R., & Wedwick, L. (2008). Avoiding the Digital Abyss: Getting Started in the Classroom with YouTube, Digital Stories, and Blogs. Clearing House, 82(2), 66-69. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database from http://ezproxy.umuc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=35041971&login.asp&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Classroom Blogs

Blogs and classroom instruction are described as a new form of engagement that offers unique learning opportunities to students. Luehmann and MacBride (2009) identify the six “complementary” blogging practices initiated in the development of a successful classroom as the following:
1. Sharing resources
2. Eliciting and publishing students’ responses to teacher prompts.
3. Recording lesson highlight
4. Posting learning challenges
5. Reflecting on what was learned
6. Engaging in online conversations

The success and potential benefit of a blog as an instructional tool is dependent on how the teacher structures and uses the blog in the classroom. The article identifies the “paradigm shift” (Luehmann & MacBride, 2009) that is occurring in reform based math and science disciplines “calling for experiences that engage learners centrally in their own learning… and experiences that engage learners centrally in the authentic and core practices of discourse.” (Luehmann & MacBride, 2009). This discourse will transpire with the “new media literacys” (Luehmann & MacBride). The new media literacy necessitate a new mindset in which constructivist student centered engagement usurps the teacher centered question and response dynamic. The reasons that I would initiate a blog for my own Biology Inclusion classroom closely align with those identified in the cited article. The students would be able to reflect and revise their work without teacher mediated instruction to do so. Conversations would continue outside the classroom and lead to increased interaction, thus lesson engagement. Student work would be more readily recognized by themselves and others thereby developing increased accountability of student self-directed learning. Student would be engaged with and provided access to technology, and consistant discourse will occur. The structure of the lessons would be designed to allow for collaboration among small groups in order to develop a strong group dynamic. The teacher's own engagement and accountability would occur as facilitator and mediator throughout the course of the specified lesson. I believe these components are the criteria for a successful classroom blog.

Luehmann, A., & MacBride, R. (2009). Classroom blogging in the service of student-centered pedagogy: Two high school teachers' use of blogs. THEN: Technology, Humanities, Education & Narrative, (6), 5-36. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.

Technology Anyone?

Though I lean more toward the constructivist learning theory, I believe the use of either the direct or constructivist theory should be determined by student assessment and need. However, I am a strong advocate of student group work, especially when it comes to the use of technology because I honestly feel that most students already know as much, and in some cases more than many of us. Thus, to put that group knowledge to work in a constructive way where students may teach, and learn from each other I feel would be beneficial to both students and teachers. One of many ways that the integration of technology into the school’s curriculum and usage has been effective is that it gives more independence to both students and teachers. Students introduced to blogging by their teachers are now engaging solely on their own with one another without assistance or instruction. I believe this form of synchronous communication technology, as well as others generate and stimulate student collaboration, and improve a learner’s cognitive skills. Students are using digital and video cameras to document and discuss field trips; and remote clickers are used by teachers for doing real-time assessments during instruction. Students are also using webcams to connect with, and speak in real time with their peers in other places. Finally, I feel these uses of technology are sure to enhance the collaborative construction of knowledge of all students who use them.


LaRon