Learner.org Web Site

Learner.org is a wonderful resource for teachers. I took a world geography course a number of years ago, and  the teacher used this site for us to view videos for research on given topics that we needed to write about. I also took an educational class where the teacher also used this site to inform us an educational issues of importance.

The videos range from 4 min to approximately 15 minutes in length. I found that every video I viewed was of high quality and extrememly interesting. Each video is packed with information with pertinent information and very interesting. Videos both capture the interest of adults and school age children alike.

www.learner.org

Hot Chalk website

http://www.lessonplanspage.com/#
Hot Chalk Lesson Plan
This site is free and has many ideas per grade level and subject. You simply select the grade, choose the topic and lesson plans pull up. Some seem ready to go, others may need a little meat added to the lesson plan. However, over all a tremendous resource for teachers. I downloaded a  lesson plan on clouds. It was a very fun lesson, easy to read, understandable, and completely doable.

There are also some subcategories such as Teacher Inspiration from the lesson plans and Articles and blogs.

Digital Storytelling week 5 B

Digital Storytelling week 5 B

I am still quite sure as to the method of a digital story, exactly how it is protrayed. The points made in the article are very important, however, in that stories have key elements that need to have addressed to make them catch the attention of the reading.

The articles point out six elements for digital storytelling. The first one is, Living in your story, which is told in the first person. I am reading a book currently, and I have to say I really like it. I have read other books told in the first person, and I find them almost more interesting than books told as an unfolding story narrative.  The second element is an unfolding lesson learned type of storytelling. This type of writing reveals lessons learned from a personal point of view, a situation or life lesson someone has experienced.  The article states that this type of storytelling should be revealed either implicitly with media or explicitly using words. Another type of storytelling is developing creative tension. In this type of digital storytelling some type of situation has to be addressed, solved or some conclusion needs to come to end. Its a type of storytelling that should keep readings on their edge of their seats. The next one is economizing the story told, which true to the name is a type of storytelling that is told in about 3 to 5 minutes. Its quick and to the point. It does not take out the true essence of the storying however, just uses fewer key words and images to tell the story and point.  Showing not telling storytelling does not tell in a traditional way, instead it uses visual images, sound and music to tell the story, in addition to giving the reading all the visual cues needed to see the story unfold. The last element is developing craftsmanship. Now this method from what I can understand uses all types of media, especially sound effects with an emphasis on design and animation.

I am still a little unclear as to how this all works, but one thing is clear, the avenues for telling stories is broadening, and with our creative up and coming generation, they will surely make excellent use of all these methods in telling and retelling stories.

National Education Tech Standards wk 5 A

Teacher's today that are not familiar with the ever changing technology face challenges that teachers of the past did not even imagine. I am not comfortable currently with technology. It takes sometimes for me to grasp the in's and out's of how to navigate a site and how to use the gadgets within it. I remember when we first got Internet many years ago now, that  my son was showing me how to use the email and upload pictures or document by attaching them to the email. I had to write the steps down to remember what to do. Now of course its as simple as breathing, I don't even think about it. But I wonder how quickly I can pick the necessary skills needed to show confidence in the classroom.

I have watched teachers use the Smart Board, they quickly, and I do emphasize quickly navigate what they want to do on it. Touch this and that to the screen they want, add this and delete that. I watch and think, alright with a little practice I am sure I will be able to master it. But it really is intimating. I like most people get nervous we are going to some irreversible damage.

The articles both talk about teachers being well equipped to teach today's student the standards associated with technology. Teachers need to show confidence and skill as they teach their students, applying current research to a classroom of very diverse students. The lessons should support student learner-centered strategies that incorporate higher-order thinking skills.

Students also need to have modeled for them ethnics in the new world of technology. It is easy and also sometimes confusing to know what can be copied and used in research. As the teacher teaches and models what is appropriate is vitally important. The internet is an amazing tool, if used propery. In the classroom the methods for using the internet should be taught often.

21st Century Learners wk 4B

The processing of learning is ever changing as technology propels us into unknown territory. Each generation hopefully suceeds the prior. Standards that are set for students also need to change to keep challenging them to reach new heights. The article entitled, Standards for the 21st-Century Learner addressess the new standards that todays students should be able to meet.

The first criteria is to Inquire, think critically and gain knowledge. It consists of four sub-categories: skills, responsibilities, dispostiions in action and self-assessment strategies. Students use prior knowledge to reach new learning Use collaborative learning with other students to deepen their understanding of a topic of study and monitor their own information seeking processess to make sure they are effective and sites are reliable. Make sense of information they have gathered from various resources to support ideas to make their points clear.

The second us to draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and create new knowledge. The same sub-categories exists. In this sectins students should be able to refine questions to be able to search for greater understanding.  Organize knowledge so that it is useful  and helpful. Have the ability to use divergent and convergent thinking, which would be using thinking outside the box and the ability to see ideas move together. Students also need to develop the ability to obtain directions for future investigations.

The third standard is to share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society. The fourth and last standard is to pursue personal and aesthetic growth. This section focuses on personal growth in their reading, viewing and listening skills, as well as reading fluently while making connections. They should be able to respond and be creative in response to literature expressions in every genre. They should also be able to indentify their areas of interest.

Students today definately have higher and more advanced critical thinking skills to attain. Teachers need to stay aware of all changes and keep their students moving forward.

week 4 A Copyright

Copyright is an important concept for teachers to understand. If not followed properly a person can get into severe legal issues. The first article called, Copyright 101, discusses Intellectual property, which incorporates copyrights. Intellectual property was created to encourage orginal creative thinking and products. Once a work has been created, it deserves to 1) be protected and compensated and 2) that the owner should be able to control how work is used. These works include the following: literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works such as, novels, poetry and motion pictures to name a few. Must be a tangible product.

Along with the copyright the owner is entitled to exclusive rights. The owner is entitled to having the authority to distribute and reproduce copies, prepare derivate works, transfer ownership, by either lease, rental or lending it, perform the work visually and to have a public display of work.

Another term to know is fair use, which goes on a case by case basis. This entitles users such as  teacher to copy portions of the work for in class use, such as a reference for the teacher, or by the teacher distributing copies to his/her students. However, the whole work cannot be used, only a small portion.

The last term is Public domain which allows the user to free use because the copyright has expired or it was written by the U S federal government.

The second article entitled, What is Creative Commons, discussing a legal help that partners with the copyright. This is a free service that is a legal tool that anyone for the average user to the major corporation can and should use. It is stressed that this is not a substitute for a copyright, but used in addition to it. To obtain a licence is easy by simply visit their website and fill out the simple questionaire that only takes a few moments.

wk 3 Web Quest

This is a whole new world to me. I am not familiar at all with anything tech related, and honestly, trying to understand some of what I am reading is difficult for me to completely understand. From what I can gather Web Quest is a faster, more accurate way of search for specific topics. It can help teachers refine their assignments to students by broading the search capabilites. For example, prior students could only search basic search terms, like a specific country, now however, they can search critieria to make the search more interesting. The example given  in the reading, from Five Rules for Writing a Great WebQuest, is that students studying Canada could search for vacation destinations within specific parameters for a family of four that all have varied interest with a budget. Students can above and beyond what they could ordiarily research.

Two sites recommended by the article are AltaVista Google and Northern Light.

The second article, The Student WebQuest, informs the reader that teachers are now creating  WebQuest data bases, in addition schools also have WebQuest collections. When teachers begin to create a lesson plan they must thnk about their students interest and prior experiences. The well-designed WebQuest has taken all the factors into consideration and added the pertinent resources.

Bernie Dodge and Tom March have sites that direct a person to high quality WebQuest resources, also Kathy Schrocks has a page that has a slideshow that helps teachers design their own WebQuest page

The possibilites it seems are endless. I need to learn more about WebQuest, as I stated initially, I am unfamiliar with all the it entails, but from these two articles I can see it will be a valuable tool to be used in the classroom.

wk 2B Web design

I have to say the three articles we were assigned this week were a little abstract for me since I am not familiar at all with web page design, or anything technology related. The first article gave some very helpful ideas about how to organize a web page. It suggest starting at the end of the page, as opposed to the beginning because starting page should provide quick user-friendly guide to your site, and just beginning a person may not completely know all that information yet.

There are ten steps suggested to organize a web page. A few of the ideas are: Brainstorm, critique the categories, page layout and keep it simple to name just a few. I found these ideas very helpful, since I stated earlier that I am not very confident with technology, a step by step plan appeals to me very much. It goes on to inform to brainstorm many ideas that would be included in the site, and then to group them into categories. Such as in a news category the following topics could be subcategorized under that heading: Homework, puzzles, calendar and student work. Under each heading the subheading would be listed beneath for easy access of topics, very user friendly.

Lastly, some ideas to consider are, who is the audience, what are the possible subjects viewers would find useful or need, what would be important to them. Also , links to useful and helpful sites is important. Listening to parents will greatly help to desing a web page that will meet the needs of both students and parents.

The next article addresses objectives for web pages that students and teachers should consider when constructing a site. Is it user friendly? Can someone that is visually or auditory challenged able to access and use? It is also important for everyone to know the difference between a guideline and a standard. A guideline addresses the assessiblity of the site, whereas a standard is a set of set regulations that apply to the World Wide Web usage.

This is all new to me, a new world, and as a teacher I will need to become as familiar as I am able to help my students, or at least know if they are doing something they shouldn't be doing appropriately on the internet.

Acceptable use Policy Importance-Debra M

Acceptable use Policy Importance-Debra M The two articles this week speak about the importance of being aware of the potential and hidden dangers of the internet. The introduction of the internet has been a wonderful and valulable tool that has opened up a world of information to all people. It allows both young and old to research any topic with just a few clicks on the keyboard, and up pop numerous sites to research. In the past, prior to the introduction of the internet, our only option was to go the library and find books, often many years old, to research a topic, or find an encyclopedia, often too many years out of date, to find information about any given topic. Now, however with amazing speed whatever we want to know can easily be assessed. Teacher's can assign their students a topic, and along with library books and resources, students can research and gather information on the internet. However, along with this powerful tool, comes great dangers. All parties involved, parents, students, and teachers need to aware of these dangers. The Acceptable Use Policy covered in the first article, speaks about the schools responsiblity to children and parents to make sure they are informed of how to appropriately and safely use the internet. As well as the boudaries associated using the internet at school. Parents and students often need to sign an agreement stating that they are informed of the correct and proper way to use the internet at school, in addition to the disciplinary actions if it discovered that it has been used inappropriately. Many schools have students complete a class on computer responsiblity prior to be allowed to use school computers.This is a very good idea. Boundaries should be established first, so it is clear what the expectations are in regards to using school computers. Schools can limit students to strictly researching and using the internet for educational purposes. Students should be aware of the dangers the internet possess, and to report any sites or contact that is unacceptable. Computers can be safe if used carefully and respectfully. The second article addressed specifically safety on the internet. It is a guide directed at parents to help them to be aware of how to make the computer a safer tool. It informs parents that the internet is a useful tool, but it also comes with dangers to their child such as, cyberbullying, online predator, and the exploitation of children. Being aware of these dangers helps parents to install filters and monitors to help protect their child. These measures are not full proof, but they do help in protecting unwanted solitations. As with anything, education and research is key. To be aware of the dangers and how to protect your child is of the upmost concern. Teachers need to be fully aware of all the dangers as well, since they are overseeing their students activities for 6 hours each school day. Teachers need to have clear classroom manangment procedures strictly in place since the first day of school, and enforce any violiations of these procedures.

6/22/11

by debrailene4

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Our changing schools wk 2

The three articles we were required to read this week were definately food for thought. The first article stated that kids today have only accumulated 5,000 hours of reading in their entire lives, whereas they have spent over 10,000 hours playing video games and a staggering 20,000 hours watching television. I remember as a child we were never in the house. From the time we woke up to the time our mom's called us in at dusk, we were outside playing hide and go seek, freeze tag or kick ball. Television was not something that was watched in great amounts of time, possibly an hour or so before heading off to bed.

I did not even own a cell phone until a number of years ago. I remember I was at the movie theater one night and I wanted to check on my children at home. I told my friend that I was going to go find a pay phone, she said that she had a cell phone that I could use. I remember standing in the lobby of the movie theater speaking on this cell phone, feeling strange, this just wasn't the place to make a phone call. Now, it is not uncommon for kindergarteners to have cells phones. They are able to text, instant message, in addition to using all sorts of technology way beyond what I and others are capable of doing.

The first article spoke about Digital Immigrants and Digital Natives. Digital Immigrants would include the older and non-tech savy persons, and the Digital Natives include the younger generation that have a firm grasp on technology. One thing that made me ponder is where the article stated that Legacy learning inlcudes the writing, arthimetic, logical thinking and most traditional curriculum, whereas Future learning is mainly the digital and technological subjects, in addition to ethics, politics and languages. This second learning the article stated is more interesting to students and should be where most of the learning should take place. But I question, should we focus more on these aspects more than the traditional. Haven't we seen that by encouraging everyone to focus on the technology that we have had an influx of to many people entering the computer fields, and overlooking other fields. I think that all subjects should be given equal attention. Mathemetics is equally important as politics, or logical thinking is as important as learning the importance of ethics. I agree that the world is changing, and education should change as well, but I feel it all comes down to the presentation of the topic, more than it is the subject itself. If presented properly, students will be engaged. I am proof of that. I do not care much for psychology, however, I had a few amazing teachers, that despite my personal opionions on the subject, have throughly engaged me in the subject, and I completely enjoyed the class.

One thing I did like from the article on Digtal Kids, was it was not so important that students memorize answers, but have been equipped to find and even invent answers. Also, that it is less important what students are learning as it is how they are learning. I agree with these two statement so completely. I have never thought just memorizing something to pass a test shows any intelligence or understanding of a topic, but to have the ability to find the answers is where the true intelligence lies. The presentation of how students are taught is the key to their success. Teachers need to rethink how they teach. They need to think outside the box, and be bold enough to change. As the article states, speak the language their students are speaking.

Lastly, some thoughts the last article gave for teachers to think about is definately something to ponder. It asks teachers to ask themselves if the technology they are currently using helps to deepen the content of the curriculum they are using. So essentially, is the technology they are using helping students to grasp, remember and gain better understand of the subjects being taught. Also, how often and when should computers be used, and when shouldn't they. This is a good question, computers should be balanced. The last thing kids need to do is spend their school day on a computer, then go home and spend hours playing video games on a computer. However, it is proven that computers engage students and do help them learn better. It is again, a delicate balance of how much and when.

It is a new world for teachers, and for those of us getting into this game later in life, and in addition are technology challenged, educating ourselves on how to teach this techology savy generation is a must.