tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20855528453940127632024-03-13T22:01:10.301-07:00Sitting "Pooleside"Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2085552845394012763.post-84394671098521970852010-08-08T18:57:00.000-07:002010-08-08T18:57:39.460-07:00We As A Society Are Changing<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-P2PGGeTOA4&hl=en_US&fs=1?rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-P2PGGeTOA4&hl=en_US&fs=1?rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object><br />
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My younger sister currently attends college and one thing that truly bothers me is the lack of technology being used. She is going to school for education at one of the East Coast's "most respected" educational schools and does not have one class that stresses the importance of technology. This is a problem... The future world is one that we do not know much, if anything, about. Therefore we must prepare the future teachers of the world in a such a way where they will have the ability to turn-key the skills that their students will need to survive. These skills do not only include technology; however, students of the future will learn differently whether we choose to admit it or not.<br />
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This video was an eye opener for me simply because the person in it is a college student with a strong message. "He dropped out of college because "college" was interfering with his learning!" Very profound statement from a young person who truly wants to take hold of his own education. I think that we as teachers often think we are the ones who have the "power" to decide what is best for students. In reality, as seen in the video, students today want to take charge of their own education and will do so with or without our consent. It is our role as teachers to grasp the opportunity to learn with our students and facilitate their learning in a professional manner. What a great age to live in!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2085552845394012763.post-66965791633788907252010-01-13T09:20:00.000-08:002010-01-13T09:32:31.471-08:00Wiki-Mania!!!<b><br />
Why Wiki?</b><br />
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Recently I sat down with a few colleagues to talk about wikispaces... I was asked many questions during our discussion and began to realize that many people that I work with are intrigued! I feel it is important to "spread the word" in a way that people are not feeling attacked or questioned. A simple approach always seems best when explaining why we should incorporate any "new" or "exciting" piece of technology into our schools. So the question then is... "Why Wiki?" My answer is "Why Not!" I compare my wiki to a textbook. The difference though is that my "textbook" is interactive, provides true ownership, and is updated daily to provide the student with an exciting learning experience. It is something that is used to enhance the class, the learning, and the teaching. It is something that the students use daily, whether in school or outside of school. It is something that is not used merely as a "cool website," but rather an integral tool to make the learning process more efficient. My students are engaged daily, excited about learning, and "raising the bar" every time we use the wiki, and therefore I feel it is something every student should have the opportunity to experience.<br />
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<b>Reluctant?</b><br />
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There was a mini debate on the #edchat discussion on twitter yesterday that compared new technologies to carpentry and construction. One person claimed that people want to get the newest, cutting edge technologies simply because they are new. He claimed that these "new technologies" are not needed and are not really useful in the way a lot of educators claim them to be. He compared it to a contractor having no need for new tools or the "newest model" when building a house. He related teachers using "new technologies" to a contractor getting the "newest toy" to build with... they are nice and "cool" but not needed. REALLY???<br />
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The first tools "contractors" used 100's of years ago were simply hammers and nails with a few basic accessories thrown in. Sure a house can be built using these tools, but how efficient is the contractor using them? What kind of quality will the final house actually be? The "new toys/tools" that are out today provide the modern contractor with the means to be more efficient and end with a better product. Isn't that what educators should be doing as well? Finding the most efficient way to deliver a quality and polished product... Sure, we can use the same "tools" that were being used 100's of years ago, but what quality will we be producing... Technology, such as wikis, are used to enhance and "build" the quality of learning. How can we not use it? <br />
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If I had the choice between a contractor who used the newest innovations to make my house the best it could be, or a contractor who ONLY used tools from 100's of years ago, I would choose the first... wouldn't you?<br />
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In the same way, if I had to choose between a teacher who used the newest innovations to help my child be the best they can be, or a teacher who ONLY used tools like worksheets, workbooks, and paper driven assignments... I would choose the first EVERY time, wouldn't you?<br />
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I believe that teachers must continue to learn in order to become the best they can be for their students. I am not saying that technology is the ONLY "new" trend that must be learned, but I feel if a teacher is reluctant to this, then they will most likely be reluctant to change as a whole. The world is constantly changing, therefore we must change as well in order to provide the best education possible for our students .<br />
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Enough of my soap box... On with Wikis!<br />
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<b>FEATURED WIKIS</b><br />
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<b>Sample Wikis to Learn From</b><br />
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<b>My Class Wiki<i></i></b> (Twitter ID: <a href="http://twitter.com/cpoole27">cpoole27</a>)<br />
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<a href="http://bit.ly/7otZ8u">My Class Wiki:</a> I use this in my English Class and the students are on it everyday, either in class or at home. <br />
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<b>Thank you to Christina Spiezio for sharing this wiki! <i></i></b>(Twitter ID: <a href="http://twitter.com/cspiezio">cspiezio</a>)<br />
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<a href="http://msspiezio.wikispaces.com/">Ms. Spiezio's Wiki:</a> 7th Grade English wiki, Very well done with a lot of great ideas!<br />
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<b>Thank you to Paul Bogush for sharing this wiki!<i></i></b> (Twitter ID: <a href="http://twitter.com/paulbogush">paulbogush</a>)<br />
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<a href="http://collaborationnation.wikispaces.com/">Good Social Studies Wiki:</a><a href="http://collaborationnation.wikispaces.com/"></a> A lot of links and ideas to incorporate into your own wiki. <br />
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<b>Thank you to Angela Cunningham for sharing these two wikis!<i></i></b> (Twitter ID: <a href="http://twitter.com/kyteacher">kyteacher</a>)<br />
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<a href="http://ow.ly/W2ta">iclassroom:</a> Wiki using front page with links discussing twitter, geography, and civics!<br />
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<a href="http://ow.ly/W2tP">Tools for differentiation</a> Wiki discussing differentiated instruction<br />
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<b>Thank you to Tom for sharing this wiki!<i></i></b> (Twitter ID: <a href="http://twitter.com/xmath2007">xmath2007</a>)<br />
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<a href="http://nuideas.pbworks.com/">nuIDeas:</a> Great wiki with a catalog of online resources for the technology -integrated classroom<br />
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<b>Thank you to David Kapuler for this wiki!<i></i></b> (Twitter ID: <a href="http://twitter.com/dkapuler">dkapular</a>)<br />
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<a href="http://cutting-edge-technology.wikispaces.com/">Cutting Edge Technology:</a> This wiki is dedicated to various web 2.0 technologies and is laid out very well!<br />
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<i><b>Thank you to Will Richardson for this wiki!</b><b></b></i> (Twitter ID: <a href="http://twitter.com/willrich45">willrich45</a>)<br />
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<a href="http://willrichardson.wikispaces.com/">Will Richardson Wiki:</a> Wealth of information on tech ed and more in one place!<br />
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<b>Not sure who to thank for the following wiki's but they are good!<i></i></b><br />
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<a href="http://www.thefullwiki.org/">The Full Wiki:</a> Combines google maps and wikipedia!<br />
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<a href="http://twitter4teachers.pbworks.com/">Twitter4teachers:</a> A wiki that makes it easy for teachers to find each other on twitter!<br />
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<a href="http://gpwiki.org/">Game programming wiki:</a> Pretty cool wiki that has a lot to discuss about game programming language and tutorials.<br />
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If you have a wiki that you would like displayed, simply send me a message on twitter or comment and let me know! I would love to build this post with a good sampling of GREAT wikis!<br />
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<b>WOW WHAT AN AWESOME RESOURCE<i></i></b><br />
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Thank you to Jerry Blumengarten(Twitter ID: <a href="http://twitter.com/cybraryman1">cybraryman1</a>)for this awesome WIKI resource:<br />
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<a href="http://www.cybraryman.com/wikis.html">Wiki Resources:</a> Everything from "how to" tutorials to advanced "wikiness" :)<br />
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<b>Wikipedia... Good or Bad?</b><br />
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Wikipedia, in my school at least, is looked at as EVIL... I disagree totally. I know wikipedia is not a primary source, however if an encyclopedia is allowed, than why not wikipedia? I am not going to get into a heated debate about it, I am just going to post some links to a few articles. Read them and see what you think :) It may not change your mind but hopefully it will get you thinking! <br />
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<a href="http://ow.ly/VeYu">Study: Wikipedia as accurate as Britannica</a><br />
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<a href="http://bit.ly/GPnX">Reliability of Wikipedia</a> (from Wikipedia)<br />
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<a href="http://ow.ly/Vf13">Experts rate Wikipedia's accuracy higher than non-experts</a><br />
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<a href="http://ow.ly/VtMA">Wikipedia Authenticity </a><br />
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I hope that this list has helped inspire you to create a wiki or at least indulge in the idea of learning about a new tool to incorporate.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2085552845394012763.post-63995218645424440772010-01-08T04:07:00.000-08:002010-01-08T04:11:36.042-08:00What Is Literacy?<b><br />
Dictionary Definition</b><br />
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According to the dictionary, literacy means: the condition or quality of being literate, especially the ability to read and write. The condition or quality of being knowledgeable in a particular subject or field: cultural literacy; biblical literacy; to acquire computer literacy.<br />
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<b>Thoughts...</b><br />
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I do not think anyone would argue that literacy, at its core, means to be able to read and write. I have seen, however, people argue intensely that literacy is ONLY reading and writing and nothing else. This bothers me... <br />
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I came across a great article today on "<a href="http://www.mashable.com">Mashable.com</a>" which spoke briefly on this topic. Below is an excerpt from that article:<br />
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<i>Child Literacy<br />
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It stands to reason that children who read and write more are better at reading and writing. And writing blog posts, status updates, text messages, instant messages, and the like all motivate children to read and write. <b>Last month, The National Literacy Trust released the results of a survey of over 3000 children.</b> They observed a correlation between children’s engagement with social media and their literacy. <b>Simply put, social media has helped children become more literate.<i></i></b> Indeed, Eurostat recently published a report drawing a correlation between education and online activity, which found that online activity increased with the level of formal activity (socio-economic factors are, of course, potentially at play here as well).</i><br />
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The full article "How Social Media Has Changed Us" can be found here: <a href="http://bit.ly/6cmRL0">http://bit.ly/6cmRL0</a><br />
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If writing blog posts, status updates, text messages, instant messages, and such, motivate our students to read and write (literacy), than why are we not encouraging this behavior? Literacy has come a long way since the definition of the word was placed in the dictionary. So many skills, computer skills and beyond, have become part of what it means to be literate. Teaching kids simply to read and write out of a book alone is no longer enough. We need to teach reading and writing in schools in various ways and find the avenues in which students are motivated to go above and beyond in developing the skill. We need to change our mindset from "What do I want them to learn" to, "How will they learn the skill I am teaching in a way that matters to them..."<br />
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<b>Side Note</b> <br />
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Literacy today travels far beyond simply reading and writing. Skills are needed to become fully "literate" today that did not exist ten years ago. As I was reading I also found another great piece on "10 Ways to Learn in 2010" from <a href="http://theelearningcoach.com">http://theelearningcoach.com</a> Below is an excerpt followed by a link to the whole article. I really found this first "way to learn" interesting and pretty cool!<br />
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<i>Learn through Visual Search Engines<br />
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How would you like your search engine to show results in a collage? <a href="http://spezify.com/">Spezify</a> does just that. It’s a visual search engine that draws content from all over the Web, particularly social media sites. Your collage might show a book from Amazon, a YouTube video and a page from a blog or web site. You drag the results to navigate the page and then click the graphic to view the media. Although the results might not be as robust as with conventional search engines, it’s a lot more fun. Other visual search tools include: <a href="http://www.viewzi.com/">viewzi</a>, <a href="http://www.kartoo.com/">Kart00</a> and <a href="http://www.search-cube.com/">search-cube</a>.</i><br />
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You can read the whole article here: <a href="http://bit.ly/4RqWZT">http://bit.ly/4RqWZT</a><br />
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With the way media and "visual stimulation" bombard our students today, this type of a search engine could work wonders when motivating students to research and study.<br />
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<b>Final Thought</b><br />
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I guess what it comes down to for me is answering the question, "What is Literacy?" There is a broad spectrum of answers to this question but I feel that in order for us to be able to answer it fully, we must first embrace the changes and shifts that are happening. Once we do, we will be able to define, for ourselves and our students, exactly what literacy is and what they will need to be literate in the future...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2085552845394012763.post-78806324919384068232010-01-06T19:15:00.000-08:002010-01-08T08:41:24.456-08:00Do You Believe?<b><br />
Do You Believe Any Student Can Learn?</b><br />
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Talking to many teachers through the years I have found that most enter this profession for different reasons. Some enter for the love of teaching while others enter for the love of kids. Some enter to make a difference while others enter to be in charge. Whatever the reason may be, we have people in this profession that are here for great reasons, and then we have some that are here for reasons that blow our minds. What it comes down to, though, is the student. The most important question, though, must be... do you believe that any student can learn? If you do, then you will be willing to do whatever it takes, use whatever method, whatever tool, whatever avenue it will take in order to help that student learn. You will be a teacher willing to adapt and meet the students where they are! If you do not believe that any student can learn then you will be stuck constantly "teaching to the middle," using outdated techniques because you are comfortable with them, and you will fight "tooth and nail" with anyone who proposes newness or change. The scary thing is that in my experience I find more teachers say they believe any student can learn but in reality aren't convinced of it...<br />
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<b>Do You Believe In Making Excuses?</b><br />
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Most teachers who refuse to embrace change are the ones who are constantly making excuses! It drives me crazy that when I bring up any idea of technology incorporation or 21st century literacy, and am stopped immediately and told "that isn't for our kids" "our kids cannot even write a sentence!" "our kids are too low and that stuff is for high level or ideal students." To me, these are excuses that continue to empower the lack of change in our schools. When will we learn that 21st century skills, technology incorporation, and modern shifts ARE also literacy. Literacy is no longer limited to reading and writing alone. It is VERY important to teach writing and reading, and I am a firm believer that "proper" writing skills and "proper" reading skills must be taught. I am also a FIRM BELIEVER that new 21st century skills are just as important. If only these teachers would spend less time coming up with excuses and more time making a difference.<br />
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<b>Do You Believe In Technology Integration? </b><br />
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Unfortunately, teachers still believe that technology integration is a simple power point presentation or a great word processing session. This is when I ask... what is different in your approach? A power point presentation is simply a glorified overhead in many cases and a word processing session requires little brain activity and little thinking or discovery. I do not blame teachers using these tools (I believe these tools are useful in their own right), but rather I blame the school systems and districts for not making it a priority to train teachers properly. Below are some simple sites and tools that could be used to integrate technology into the classroom for beginners. I feel that if technology is incorporated correctly then ANY and EVERY student will learn all the skills they have in the past but at the same time will take learning to a level that is impossible without technology. We must meet them where they are in order to enable their full potential! Below is a simple taste of some tools that can be used... just a little taste :)<br />
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<a href="http://ow.ly/TvRg">http://ow.ly/TvRg </a> 100 Incredible & Educational Virtual Tours You Don’t Want to Miss. This site provides an opportunity for students to virtually tour many famous places, landmarks, and countries hot spots. It could be used as a great tool for research and gives the students the chance to interact and "tour" the actual place instead of simply reading information about it.<br />
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<a href="http://www.wikispaces.com">wikispaces</a> What a great tool! My students use my wiki everyday and go onto it outside of school because they want to not because they have to! Wouldn't it be an amazing thing if we could find tools that encourage learning in a way where kids look forward to using it! My Class Wiki: <a href="http://www.mrpoole27.wikispaces.com">www.mrpoole27.wikispaces.com</a><br />
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<a href="http://labyrinth.thinkport.org/www/">Lure of the Labyrinth:</a> Nice game site where students in middle school practice pre-algebra through a video game interface. This is a good tool to use as an alternative to homework once in a while. It can also introduced to the students as something they would use to enhance their learning. It is definitely a site that students in middle school will like.<br />
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<b>Thank you to Richard Byrne and his AMAZING BLOG for the descriptions below. Follow His blog for GREAT Technology ideas!<br />
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</b> <a href="http://www.freetech4teachers.com"> http://www.freetech4teachers.com</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.vokle.com/">Vokle</a> Vokle is a free service for hosting and recording live web conferences. Using Vokle you can host a live conference in which participants can chat with text while you broadcast yourself. You can also broadcast a conversation of yourself and another person who has their webcam enabled. The text chat room can be used to organize a line-up of people who would like to broadcast themselves to the other chat participants. <br />
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<a href="http://www.edmodo.com/">Edmodo</a> A microblogging service designed specifically for educational use. Using Edmodo teachers can create a microblogging network for their classes. The latest version of Edmodo updates in real-time so that members of group can quickly respond to each other. Edmodo also provides teachers with a place to post assignment reminders, build an event calendar, and post messages to the group. <br />
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<a href="http://www.synchtube.com">Synchtube</a> is a new service for watching videos and chatting about them at the same time. Here's how it works; find the url of your favorite YouTube video, copy that url into Synchtube, and begin chatting with your friends while the video is playing. You can comment on the video and share thoughts inspired by the video while you're watching. Right now Synchtube is in beta and you can only have four people chatting at once, but hopefully that limit will be increased in the future.<br />
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<a href="http://www.rememberthemilk.com/">Remember the Milk</a> is a free personal organization tool that works online and with mobile phones. Many high school students are carrying cell phones with them so capitalize on that and talk to parents and students about using a cell phone to get organized. Remember the Milk allows students to add assignment due dates to their to-do lists via text, email, or directly on their account homepage. A word of caution, while this services is free, students could incur a lot of charges from text and data communication on their mobile phones so be sure to discuss these options with parents before having students use the text/ data tools.<br />
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These are simple tools that can be used to enhance interest and learning in and out of the classroom. There are many, fabulous tools, websites, programs, and hardware that can be brought into the classroom and beyond. It is not the tools that make integration work, it is the teachers who are willing to bring their creativity and passion into their day to day classrooms that really make it come together. It is our job as educators to give the students the opportunities and skills they need to succeed in the future they will enter. Instead of students "slowing down" when they get to school... wouldn't it be great to have them stay at the same speed or better when they enter our classrooms... We are in a world where information flies at the speed of light and students are used to learning at that same speed. If we do not teach them where they are, than they will truly learn through another avenue on their own. I, as a teacher, would like to make sure that my students learn the correct things and how to utilize the technology they have access to at a speed in which they are accustomed to. Even though students are "tech savvy" for the most part, many are still very ignorant when it comes to HOW to use these tools properly. When will we learn that it will take effort, passion, and learning on the teachers part in order to integrate technology fully. I truly believe that all great teachers never stop learning... With shifts happening day by day it will be these GREAT teachers (Including all of you in my PLN!) that will make the difference!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2085552845394012763.post-59304799674167874102010-01-04T14:43:00.000-08:002010-01-04T14:43:36.773-08:00Do You Embrace The Shift?<b>Our World Is Shifting</b><br />
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<b>Are our students "Powering Down" in school?</b><br />
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With our world shifting before our eyes and technology being infused in every aspect of how we live, are our kids powering down when they get to school? In most schools students must power down cell phones, computers, ipods, and any other technological system they may bring with them. This however is not the powering down I am speaking of... Our students may be slowing their brains down in order to "catch up" with the slow drag of school and what is being taught there. They are allowed text books, pens, pencils, and notebooks (with paper in them). They are expected to gather information at the speed of the class, work together in groups or individually to find answers in a given amount of time, and are expected to take what the teacher is teaching as eye opening experience! This is a picture that I find to be VERY similar to the classrooms twenty to thirty years ago. Twenty to thirty years ago students came to school and were enlightened by what was being taught. School was the only way they were able to learn about the outside world and all the opportunities therein! In today's world kids are growing up differently and are constantly finding information at the speed of light and have no need for a slower format. They have the chance now to gather any information they need on the internet and school, for many students, is just too slow and not offering information that they see as valid for the future. We as teachers must embrace the shift in learning and find a way to teach our students skills in such a way that they feel it is relevant to their lives and their futures.<br />
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<b>Where are students learning?</b><br />
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Students are learning in school, however this is not the only place where learning is happening. We, as teachers, need to understand that it is our job to provide our students with the skills they will need in a future that does not yet exist. It is our job to bring, into the classroom, material that will be relevant to our students and their future. If what we teach is important to them, they will learn and strive to succeed. If all we try to do is instill facts or teach in a way "that has always worked" than we are not teaching them much at all. We must realize that students today are searching for what they will need to be successful in years to come. We cannot be afraid to prepare them for the unknown future that is ahead of them... if we are than we are doing them a major disservice. It is vital for us as teachers to learn how to embrace this shift and how to incorporate the technology and "new literacies" into our classrooms so that our students will have an "eye opening" experience each time they enter our schools.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2085552845394012763.post-54874587617425377712009-12-28T09:26:00.000-08:002009-12-28T09:48:57.015-08:00What's the Big Deal about PLN?<b>What's the Big Deal?</b><br />
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I was talking to a colleague recently who told me that they have been teaching now for over twenty years and that everything they could possibly need is filed somewhere that is easily accessible. We were discussing the importance of developing a PLN and networking with teachers around the world. Her question to me: "What is the big deal about PLN?" since I already have everything I need. She didn't quite understand the impact of what having access to great teachers around the globe can provide! Although she thinks she has everything she needs, she is living and teaching in the past. Her students, unfortunately, will not be given the same opportunities that other students will be given when a teacher provides access to the world! <br />
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<b>What is a PLN?</b><br />
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Before getting deeper into why developing a PLN is so crucial, we must first understand what a PLN is. A PLN is a <b>"Personal Learning Network."</b> This is a place where people can collaborate together about a specific field of study, profession, or just about anything they choose to focus on together. My educator PLN had grown exponentially over the past week simply by seeking out great resources. My PLN, The educators PLN (<a href="http://edupln.ning.com/">http://edupln.ning.com/</a>) is a great place to start if you are looking for teachers who are striving to incorporate technology into their practice. I also have begun using twitter with the specific purpose of sharing resources and comments with other teachers around the globe.<br />
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I have found that a PLN provides more than just people to chat with on the same level as you. It gives an invaluable resource at your fingertips. If I have a question or if I am searching for something specific that I want to use in my class, I simply put it out to my PLN and I have access to thousands of people instantly. It is awesome! Also, I have the opportunity to share what I find to assist people daily. A PLN is a network where you concentrate on helping people in the same profession as you in order to help them become better at what they do. In return, you will find that these same people will be helping you every step of the way!<br />
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<b>Why is it Crucial to set up a PLN?</b><br />
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With technology on the rise and information changing so quickly, we as teachers must adapt as well. A PLN provides a resource where we can get instant feedback in "Real Time" from people in the same profession as us. A PLN provides constant learning which in turn helps us to become better thinkers, more creative, and overall great at what we do. People without a PLN are very limited in their resources. Yes, they can "google" search just about anything, but imagine the time wasted using that simple tool alone. With a PLN you have thousands of people who can give you what you are seeking in many different ways... instantly! It is crucial in today's day and age to embrace this concept and understand that without a PLN we are limited in many areas, trapped in an old way of thinking, and not quite ready to move into the 21st century as teachers. A good teacher never stops learning and can adapt to the students they have. I think it is time for us as learners to adapt and be great!<br />
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<b>How do I Set up a PLN?</b><br />
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A PLN is very simple to set up and there are many ways in which you can go about doing it! Here is a great video from one of my PLN teachers Shelley Terrell <a href="http://bit.ly/DXdBg">http://bit.ly/DXdBg</a> where she explains a simple approach to setting up your first PLN. Shelley is an avid tweeter as well and can be found giving out great information on twitter daily (<a href="http://bit.ly/4ljlY">http://bit.ly/4ljlY</a>) Another post by Shelley giving a simple explanation of what a PLN is can be found here <a href="http://bit.ly/76wxOA">http://bit.ly/76wxOA</a>, thanks Shelley! One last link on <b>How to Build a PLN</b> <a href="http://bit.ly/7A2nVn">http://bit.ly/7A2nVn</a>. This is a good slide show that gives ideas and step by step instructions! Hope this helps!<br />
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Once you set up your PLN you will see how quickly it grows and how impacting it will be on your professional growth! I encourage EVERY person reading this blog to set one up immediately. <br />
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<b>Where do I go from here?</b><br />
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Instead of going into great detail about where to get started I decided to simply list a few of the tools I use and I would LOVE for those of you with advanced PLN skills :) to comment and let me know what you are using as well!<br />
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<a href="http://twitter.com/"><b>Twitter:</b></a> A great site when used properly (Don't worry about what the celebrities are doing! Instead worry about what those, with common goals as you, are doing!) Complete Guide To Twitter: <a href="http://bit.ly/2nUjxY">http://bit.ly/2nUjxY</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.delicious.com"><b>Delicious:</b></a> A great training video, explains it all :) <a href="http://bit.ly/4BZHpV">http://bit.ly/4BZHpV</a><br />
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<a href="http://edupln.ning.com/">Educators PLN:</a> A networking site using NING to bring people together! <br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com">Blogspot:</a> There are many other blog sites you can use as well! The key thing to using a blog is to find a niche, don't use it as a personal journal. Remember, a blog is about your readers not you! :)<br />
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<a href="http://www.classroom20.com/">Classroom 2.0:</a> Another good NING networking site for educators interested in technology and the future of education!<br />
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<a href="http://friendfeed.com/">Friendfeed:</a> Similar to twitter and facebook but if used properly can be great! There is a good explanation video on the homepage (just click on the link)<br />
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<a href="http://www.plurk.com/">Plurk:</a> Post to multiple networks from one place, fewer users than twitter, and no third party clients.<br />
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<b>Final Thought...</b><br />
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I have found that a PLN is like a family in a way... people who truly care about the same things you do and are looking to help make you better at what you are interested in and what you do...<br />
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You can follow me on Twitter as well here: <a href="http://twitter.com/cpoole27">cpoole27</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2085552845394012763.post-13833335000145073182009-12-24T17:51:00.000-08:002009-12-25T06:16:10.956-08:00Teamwork!This is a fun way to share the concept of "Team Work" to your students or peers! Enjoy :)<br />
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<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/I701LUpzaGA&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/I701LUpzaGA&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2085552845394012763.post-59173833064583836802009-12-24T07:35:00.000-08:002009-12-24T08:12:28.802-08:00We MUST teach our students about "Digital Footprints"<b>Are our students online often?</b><br />
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Yesterday I polled my classes and found out that 98 percent of my students have a facebook account that they update daily, 80 percent have a twitter account that they check ON THEIR PHONES daily, and about 65 percent upload photos to some sort of page (either facebook or something else) weekly. I asked them "what kinds of things do you discuss on these pages and what types of photos are you posting?" They proceeded to explain that they talk to friends about "stupid stuff," they swear or use slang in almost every post, and the pictures are usually of them doing something stupid or "fun," as they put it, because that was was what people like to see. The students I polled were in sixth grade...<br />
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Imagine if their "digital footprint" is starting out in this way, what will it be like when they are ready to join the real world? Isn't it time for someone to take charge and teach our students exactly what they are doing wrong? They do not understand the impact of how what they are doing right now at age 11 or 12 may have on them in the future depending on which road they choose to go digitally. Our job as educators is to prepare them for their future... why are our schools not catching on to the importance of this simple concept. We seem to be so bogged down with teaching to the standards, which are important as well, but we forget that no matter how good our students score on a test, it may come down to their digital footprint when it comes time for them to be hired into the workforce. This video is a great simple explanation of some statistical information regarding the importance of our digital footprints. Imagine if if employers are using this technology now to hire candidates, how much more impacting will it be in six years? I feel it will be a tool all companies will be looking to when hiring new candidates for a job. (Thank you to my PLN network for providing this video!)<br />
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<embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" bgcolor="#EED990" flashvars="config=http%3A%2F%2Fedupln.ning.com%2Fvideo%2Fvideo%2FshowPlayerConfig%3Fid%3D4241570%253AVideo%253A5207%26ck%3D-&video_smoothing=on&autoplay=off&isEmbedCode=1" height="306" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" scale="noscale" src="http://static.ning.com/socialnetworkmain/widgets/video/flvplayer/flvplayer.swf?v=200912171415" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="456" wmode="opaque"></embed> <br />
<small><a href="http://edupln.ning.com/video/video">Find more videos like this on <em>The Educator's PLN</em></a></small><br />
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It is time for educators to stand up and teach our kids about the benefits of technology and the importance of using it to their advantage...<br />
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<b>Further Reading on this topic...</b><br />
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A great essay regarding "Digital Footprints" by Will Richardson... <a href="http://bit.ly/8GZ4">http://bit.ly/8GZ4</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2085552845394012763.post-30864209739840482992009-12-23T06:19:00.000-08:002009-12-23T06:27:23.246-08:00What is our true goal?<b><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An Educator's Goal</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As an educator, as well as in any area in life, to be truly successful we must have a clear cut goal in which we are trying to achieve or strive for. I believe that every teacher, every good teacher, does have a goal of some kind coming into each year, as well as an encompassing goal that is being reached throughout the year. My fear however is that the goals we are striving to reach may be the wrong ones completely. It reminds me of a person who is taking a long road trip. They have destination, a goal, and they have a plan in which to reach that destination. They have a map and guidelines in order to assist them in finding all the wonderful places they seek. Yet in all the driving and all the planning they seem to miss the true beauty of what the actual goal of a road trip is, to explore and see new things along the way! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our teachers today continue to have a focus and much of it has to do with what the district or school is forcing them to do. Too many teachers use the "Test" that the state provides as the ultimate standard on which to base their teaching, and therefore they "teach to the test." (After reading this article I was saddened to see that this continues to go on</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; line-height: 16px;"><a class="tweet-url web" href="http://bit.ly/5hC5q4" rel="nofollow" style="color: #ff3300; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/5hC5q4</a>) </span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When will "teaching to the test" end and true learning and teaching begin?</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Times have truly changed as demonstrated here: </span><a class="tweet-url web" href="http://ff.im/-deZ9V" rel="nofollow" style="color: #ff3300; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://ff.im/-deZ9V</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. It is so crazy to think that after only 10 years it is like we are living in a completely different world. Our technology has advanced one hundred fold and continues to do so everyday! What will our world be like 10 years from now? If we continue to "teach to the test" than our students will be great test takers, however they will not be able to function in society or in the future world that is ahead for them. Most of the jobs they will seek do not even exist yet, so how can we as teachers prepare them for what we do not know? That is a difficult task, but if we teach them to think, create, and set goals than they will be able to achieve just about anything they put their minds to.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What should our goal be? </span></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I think that depends on the teacher, however I do not believe that our goal should be based on funding or old fashioned ideals. I believe our goal should be to train our students in a way that will make them successful in the world they will enter, to teach them to think outside the box, to help them utilize their true potential and embrace the technological minds they possess, and to provide opportunities for them to explore and understand that the sky is the limit for them, all they have to do is take the initiative to grab it!</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is an exciting world we live in and I am so happy to be living in it! </span></span></span><br />
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- Albert Einstein<br />
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Today I was reading a book titled "It's not how good you are, it's how good you want to be" by Paul Arden and this quote ended one of the chapters. How profound a statement and how true it is! Einstein, one of histories most amazing thinkers, knew exactly what it took to foster success. Why is it than that in America no matter what path life has taken us we seem to think that success is achieved by doing the same thing over and over again until we reach our goal. In business, we go to work everyday and continue to "crunch numbers" or network to gather a client base, yet we refuse to think outside of the box and take risks. It is the risk takers that truly succeed and head out in front of the pack! In education, teachers are comfortable with teaching the same things in the same manner everyday with the thought "Repetition will force them to understand!" In reality, the repetition is simply squelching the creativity that is dying to get out and be exposed. Repetition is forcing them to memorize instead of internalize. We, as teachers, need to understand that our students our creative, intuitive, intelligent, and bored! Why not take out the mundane, "same old thing," and replace it with fresh new ideas and ways for students to express their knowledge. Learning has changed and therefore teaching must do the same. Our students are ready to explore their learning and achieve their goals in various ways, therefore we must provide variety and thought provoking opportunities for them to learn and in turn, succeed. If we do the same thing over and over again, day in and day out, we will know the outcome every time. Imagine taking an idea, a concept, and exploring that concept in various ways to achieve numerous outcomes... the possibilities would be endless!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2085552845394012763.post-58650442548531159432009-12-20T08:37:00.001-08:002009-12-25T06:21:29.097-08:00Something to think about...Is this what we really strive for? <br />
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<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/lm1sCsl2MQY&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/lm1sCsl2MQY&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2085552845394012763.post-83745010281280082922009-12-20T08:28:00.000-08:002009-12-20T08:28:01.124-08:00Using backchannel tools in the classroom!After reading about some of the newest innovations out there I thought... "How can I incorporate some of these things into my classroom?" I began to research some of the backchannel tools and decided to begin using them. One of these backchannels is Live Audience Polling.<br />
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<b>Live Audience Polling</b><br />
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I have talked briefly on this before, however this is a great tool to assist in discussion and a great way to get instant feedback! The other great thing is that it is completely anonymous and the students have no fear of failure or embarrassment when answering questions or commenting. I found that when I used this, my students were actively engaged and were able to express themselves in the conversation/discussion in a comfortable way. Every student was involved, not one student refused to answer... it was awesome! In an age where 90 percent of our students are texting instead of calling and feel more comfortable chatting with their fingers as opposed to chatting with their mouths this was right down their alley! When class ended they wanted to continue with the work we were doing and did not want it to end. They took so much out of the class and learned so much through the use of technology. Imagine being able to take the things that our students are passionate about and using that to help them learn! The link to the site I used for my polling is below... and it is free so check it out!<br />
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<a href="http://www.polleverywhere.com/">www.polleverywhere.com</a><br />
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<b>Todays Meet</b><br />
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<b> </b>Todays Meet is a terrific tool to use in different situations when you are looking to begin an online chat. This is something that can be used to discuss a movie for instance while it is playing in class. As I walk down the halls of my school I often see movies being shown for education purposes. The teacher often uses the movie to enhance the learning. The problem is the students will have a question sheet to answer during the movie or they will be asked to take notes during the movie for a discussion afterward. How many ideas and how much insight is lost in the process??? I say plenty! Using this tool you have the opportunity to put up a chat room designed specifically for your class. You can open the chat for one day or one year or anything in between and the students can discuss DURING THE MOVIE! They can give insight and ideas and you as the teacher can discuss simultaneously... This is just one way to use this tool however I feel there are many ways to incorporate a class chat room and it can be very beneficial in the classroom! Imagine the possibilities and the student participation with something like this! The link for this site is below... try it out!<br />
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<a href="http://www.todaysmeet.com/">www.todaysmeet.com</a><br />
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I will be posting more backchannel ideas that can be used in the classroom and beyond. These tools are often used in college as well as business presentations everyday! Why are we not preparing our students to be comfortable with them? It is exciting what is out there and I am excited to continue researching and finding out new ways to explore the technology we can use! Hope this post was helpful to many of you...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2085552845394012763.post-61823267224250429422009-12-19T11:51:00.000-08:002009-12-19T11:51:32.885-08:00Avatar: Glimpse into the future of technology? I saw the movie Avatar and I have to say it was pretty amazing. The visual effects and the "alternate world" was very interesting. The movie itself had a good story line and kept me very interested for the three hours I sat and watched, but what was even more fascinating to me was thinking "how did they do that?" The technology used in this movie must be cutting edge and it was great. <div><br />
</div><div>The reason this amazed me was because while people like James Cameron are creating these amazing technological breakthroughs in their area of expertise, our schools refuse to teach kids how to surf the internet properly. How do we expect our students to become pioneers, experts, or even inspired to do something great when we do not give them the tools they will need to function in the society they will enter six years from now? I am not saying that our future leaders cannot achieve great things without the use of cutting edge technology but just imagine how the tool of technology could enhance their endeavors. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Life skills such as reading and writing would never be overlooked in school. If they were, people would be in an uproar and want all teachers fired! In our world today, and their world tomorrow, we need to realize that there are a few things that need to be added to the list. I do hope that teachers become more comfortable with using the tools we have to teach the kids. Just bringing laptops into the classroom for word processing is not enabling them to tap into the full potential of what they have at their fingertips. We need to fully engage ourselves in the world we live in now in order to totally understand the world our students will be entering in the future. There are too many teachers "stuck in their ways" and therefore the students they teach are becoming crippled in their education. Hopefully we will find a happy medium between teaching them the "essentials" that are needed as well as embrace the fact that technology is our future... Once this happens across America, I feel we will be taking the first step toward true greatness.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2085552845394012763.post-58967035517847754012009-12-16T12:42:00.000-08:002009-12-16T12:42:39.560-08:00SimplicityJust some thoughts for today...<br />
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The simple things in life seem to always be the things that are most important or most impacting! Why is this?<br />
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Simple inventions have made us think, "why didn't I think of that?" Something so basic yet at the same time something we cannot live without. Simple gestures or acts of kindness can impact us for a lifetime. Things that people choose to do everyday for no reason at all can be that one thing that changes lives. Simple memories, things that are forgotten in the short term, but in time come back as the best times of our lives, are the memories that last forever.<br />
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I was reading an article currently discussing the need for people to be the best no matter what the circumstance. In the article it spoke of a man who put all of his time building a business and in turn became extremely wealthy. The price he paid however, to me, was not worth it. He ruined his marriage by cheating, never spent time with his children, and his family was not known to him anymore.... but he was rich and therefore successful? I do not understand the way America defines success but I do think we need to get back to being simple. Jack Johnson says it best in his song Banana Pancakes: "It's just so easy when the whole world fits inside of your arms..." I think we need to understand how important it is to put those we love first and show them each day how much they mean to us.<br />
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So why is it that being simple seems to be a concept so difficult for people to understand. We try in our society to be the biggest, the richest, the most intelligent, or the most successful when in the end the core of who we are is really what matters. Too many of us have become superficial, looking for the things beyond simplicity. I do not feel it is wrong to be successful, rich, intelligent, or strong but if these are the things that define us than I do feel we are missing the boat. When I look back on my life I do not want to be defined based on the superficial but rather on the person I have become, the people I have impacted, and the time I took to appreciate the simplicity in life.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2085552845394012763.post-75391651739489156952009-12-14T11:29:00.000-08:002009-12-14T11:32:24.522-08:00Where do we start as educators when it comes to infusing technology?I constantly am trying to convince my peers of the importance of technology infusion...<br />
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As I converse with my colleagues on a regular basis I find that many people are willing to infuse technology if given resources or a direction in which to go. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that some people just need that little push in order to take the step needed to "teach the future of our world" to the students. "Web 2.0" seems to be what I have found in many educational technology circles to be a trend coming to the surface over the past few years as I read blogs, articles, and books. This includes social networks such as facebook, diigo, and delicious where people can connect to each other and find out what is happening. The sites are not just information transfer but rather a two way forum that can have endless possibilities. These are terrific sites and can also be infused into the classroom if you are savvy enough to do so. There is a site however that can be a great resource for teachers (although navigating through it to find the right thing for a specific classroom may take time) and I have found that many of the Web 2.0 applications are great!<br />
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The website is:<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><a href="http://beta.go2web20.net/" style="color: #660000; text-decoration: none;" target="blank">Go2Web20</a>- The Ultimate Web 2.0 Directory</span><br />
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This is basically a directory where teachers can search through hundreds of applications and see which ones fit best. I feel as educators it is our responsibility to seek out and research the possibilities that are out there. Too often we get "stuck in a rut" when it comes to educating and in turn we fail miserably in preparing students. How can we prepare students if we are unwilling to prepare ourselves?<br />
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</div><div>Today was a great day in my class because I decided to use a "real time" polling software to discuss what we are learning. The students absolutely loved it and took so much out of class that I was simply astonished! The maturity and honesty in their answers were fantastic and would not have been the same if we had discussed in a "normal" way. Just by incorporating a piece of technology into class the learning that took place was out of this world! I was pumped! <br />
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</div><div>(Website used: <a href="http://www.polleverywhere.com/">www.polleverywhere.com</a>)<br />
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</div><div>Again, to me this demonstrates the importance of moving forward in our thinking, teaching, and learning in general. Simple ways of adding technology, such as websites, programs, computers, or wikis can sometimes be the best ways to reach the students where they are.<br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2085552845394012763.post-20073072480318208872009-12-13T16:03:00.000-08:002009-12-13T16:03:40.786-08:00Education needs to embrace the shifts that are happening<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">“At ACU it’s like they see [the iPhone] is the way of the future and they might as well take advantage of it,” Stratton said in a phone interview. “They’re preparing us for the real world — not a place where you’re not allowed to use anything.”</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">In colleges across America today we have technology being infused because it is inevitable that technology is not going anywhere. It is our job as educators on all levels to prepare our students for what they will be facing when they are expected to lead our world. In our schools today we are being told (as teachers) that we are not allowed to use this device or that site but "here is a book that looks good to use in class." Do not get me wrong, textbooks are great depending on what they are, however why are we using books written in 2001 when we could use technology that was updated two hours ago? I think that leaders in education need to realize that the way our students think, learn, and function is different than when we were in school. We, as teachers, need to adapt to this and embrace it. There are too many teachers stuck in the "old school" ways of teaching with the idea that "if it isn't broken.." when in reality it may not exactly be broken but rather it has changed. We must change with the times or we will be doing a disservice to our students. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">A great teacher never stops learning, researching, and adapting. We must research the newest trends, learn how to infuse them into our classrooms, and adapt in order to prepare our students for the future...</span></span><br />
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</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0