Teaching Spelling and Vocabulary is one of those necessary evils. I am always looking for new ideas to incorporate into my lesson plans so students do not have to pull out the "old Webster's Dictionary". I thought this would be a fun option for them to use in practicing their words for either their Spelling or the Vocabulary that is assigned each week. A couple of issues with Wordle include: some schools have this blocked, and my many of my students would need additional help in studying their words for Spelling or Vocabulary Tests. I guess the might have to look in Webster's Dictionary from time to time.
http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/3332176/Vocabulary
About Me
- murphdog350
- I love to travel to faraway places. I enjoy shopping and learning something new every day.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Module 4-2 Digital Literacy
After reading a post from the Big List Blog titled, "Paper and Pencil Curriculum: How much do you really rely on it?", I began thinking about my own lesson plans. Paper has alway been part of my day in some shape or form. It was astounding to see the large numbers that the average teacher uses each year. The post stated that if the average school of 100 teachers gets a 50-ream allotment and each ream holds 500 sheets, then each teacher would use about 25,000 sheets of paper per year. These statistics didn't even include what a school spends for copying worksheets, etc. I realize that the sheets of paper don't engage the students either. The author, Ben Johnson, used his son as an example. When his son went on a field trip to an engineering firm and learned first hand about the different areas which included a lot of math, science, and language arts, his son was excited to talk about it. Mr. Johnson said this was about the first time since he was six years old that he was enthusiastic about his day at school. Students want to see light at the end of the tunnel. They need answers to their questions as to why they have to know something. When they will need to use it (Johnson, 2011).
We do need to look at the culture of our students today. Although our school system does not require the teachers to model and apply the National Educational Technology Standards for Students, we need to incorporate these into our daily lessons. The post referred to Abe Lincoln getting his education using the tools of a shovel and a piece of coal. This reminded me of our Ancient Greeks and Romans that created many of the tools we use today. They didn't have all of this paper, but what they did have was someone to facilitate and inspire students with their learning and creativity. I believe they were some of the first teachers called Socrates, Aristotle and Plato.
As today's teachers we need to engage students in real- world
issues so they can solve authentic problems. These have to be constructed personally for each and every child. Assessments must be given that allow each and every child to demonstrate what he/she has learned. We need to be versed on using different forms of technology so that we can model digital-age work and learning. Another reason we need to be informed so that we can address the standard of promoting Digital Citizenship and Responsibility. If our students are spending that much time "social networking" and "surfing the web" we need to work with their parents so that our children know what to do with all of this valuable information.
This semester I have probably used technology more than I have in previous years. Presently, my students are doing blogs for their book reports. It was difficult to find websites for children under thirteen. I still see that I need to teach about digital citizenship and responsibility. I have had several students doing things that was not appropriate in school. They do seem more engaged and have stated that, "Wow, this day flew by!". One goal that I would like to incorporate is to have the staff meetings focus more on the use of technology. This could be one area that some of the more technological teachers could collaborate with the others whom are less savvy to develop and implement a paperless classroom. A goal would be to have one week without using any paper. I might save a tree!
(Johnson, B. (2011 February 23). Paper and pencil curriculum: how much do you rely on it [Web log comment]. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/spiral-notebook-ben-johnson.
We do need to look at the culture of our students today. Although our school system does not require the teachers to model and apply the National Educational Technology Standards for Students, we need to incorporate these into our daily lessons. The post referred to Abe Lincoln getting his education using the tools of a shovel and a piece of coal. This reminded me of our Ancient Greeks and Romans that created many of the tools we use today. They didn't have all of this paper, but what they did have was someone to facilitate and inspire students with their learning and creativity. I believe they were some of the first teachers called Socrates, Aristotle and Plato.
As today's teachers we need to engage students in real- world
issues so they can solve authentic problems. These have to be constructed personally for each and every child. Assessments must be given that allow each and every child to demonstrate what he/she has learned. We need to be versed on using different forms of technology so that we can model digital-age work and learning. Another reason we need to be informed so that we can address the standard of promoting Digital Citizenship and Responsibility. If our students are spending that much time "social networking" and "surfing the web" we need to work with their parents so that our children know what to do with all of this valuable information.
This semester I have probably used technology more than I have in previous years. Presently, my students are doing blogs for their book reports. It was difficult to find websites for children under thirteen. I still see that I need to teach about digital citizenship and responsibility. I have had several students doing things that was not appropriate in school. They do seem more engaged and have stated that, "Wow, this day flew by!". One goal that I would like to incorporate is to have the staff meetings focus more on the use of technology. This could be one area that some of the more technological teachers could collaborate with the others whom are less savvy to develop and implement a paperless classroom. A goal would be to have one week without using any paper. I might save a tree!
(Johnson, B. (2011 February 23). Paper and pencil curriculum: how much do you rely on it [Web log comment]. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/spiral-notebook-ben-johnson.
Module #4 Video Reflection
A Commitment to High Tech Education was a short video clip that shared what a fifty year plus old high was doing in order to engage their students. Harrison High School was very traditional in that they had the sports teams, cheerleaders and core subjects; however, they used various tools to educate their students. As Teacher Olivia Graves stated, "discovery is the most important part of education" and these students got out of their seats and used different gadgets to learn about Science, Social Studies, Mathematics, and Language Arts. They were able to use probes in an outdoor Nature Preserve and work collaboratively just as if they were adults working in the real world. During their Social Studies Class they used the E Clickers to respond to questions in a "game format". The Math Teacher brought in some older students so that the younger ones could explain to the older ones, how to use some the technology and bring them up to date. Students were able to go on Virtual Field Trips which proved to be extremely helpful since many of them had never traveled out of their home state. This school was definitely working together to provide a high tech education for everyone. It made me think of how our school needs to work more as a team in order to incorporate these ideas. It also made me realize that the younger students are probably more versed as using technology than the older ones. I am referring to our primary grades versus intermediate or middle schoolers. We should utilize our sources in order to make learning personal and full of "richness".
http://www.edutopia.org/harrison-high-school-technology-integration-video
http://www.edutopia.org/harrison-high-school-technology-integration-video
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Emerging Technology 1+ (Medieval Help Desk, Piano, "Aha" Moment)
This video, Help Desk, was hilarious. I felt like that poor guy with the book five years ago when I went to a Computer Workshop to learn how to use the MacBooks. I didn't even know how to copy and paste. Everything kept disappearing on me. I was afraid to touch anything so I moved by the instructor, because she said that anyone who needed extra help should sit by her. This was my first year teaching at this respective school and I could tell everyone though I was nuts. Unfortunately, I still take "baby steps" when I try something new with technology. It is hard to teach an old dog new tricks. I guess maybe that is how the people whom went from the tablets to books felt. Anyway, they did a great job with the satire. My next goal is to find a way to have my students use these short video clips to engage them in their subject matter. I think the Medieval Help Desk will encourage the more timid child to try new things. I want to reach those students as well.
Piano Stairs does an excellent job in describing "human nature". Advertisers as well as teachers have to be very creative in order to sell their ideas. As a teacher I am constantly looking for new ways to engage my students. We still have to teach the "basics" - "Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic", but we need to do it with tools that will make them want to learn. This gave me an idea for a goal to have the students make a pod cast for their Literature Groups. They are getting to the point where some of them detest having to share their summaries so they mumble. Maybe I could spice it up a little.
The "Aha" video made me think "Yes" I can relate to what they are saying!", a couple of times. I though of my daughter's first year and the times I had her sitting on my lap while checking my emails each day. She grew up watching Madeline while mommy surfed the web.
She could log into her little games by the time she was four. Another "Aha Moment" was thinking about the amount of time young people spend on their cell phones. My daughter and her friends will sit in the same room at a sleep over and text one another with their earbuds in listening to music and conversing with each other through texting. It is a different world that our young have grown up in. As educators we have to be able to interact with this new culture that exists and be ready to embrace it.
Piano Stairs does an excellent job in describing "human nature". Advertisers as well as teachers have to be very creative in order to sell their ideas. As a teacher I am constantly looking for new ways to engage my students. We still have to teach the "basics" - "Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic", but we need to do it with tools that will make them want to learn. This gave me an idea for a goal to have the students make a pod cast for their Literature Groups. They are getting to the point where some of them detest having to share their summaries so they mumble. Maybe I could spice it up a little.
The "Aha" video made me think "Yes" I can relate to what they are saying!", a couple of times. I though of my daughter's first year and the times I had her sitting on my lap while checking my emails each day. She grew up watching Madeline while mommy surfed the web.
She could log into her little games by the time she was four. Another "Aha Moment" was thinking about the amount of time young people spend on their cell phones. My daughter and her friends will sit in the same room at a sleep over and text one another with their earbuds in listening to music and conversing with each other through texting. It is a different world that our young have grown up in. As educators we have to be able to interact with this new culture that exists and be ready to embrace it.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Emerging Technology I
As a Language Arts Teacher, I am constantly searching for new ways to engage my students. Each month the class constructs a book report. They have their usual choice of creating a diorama, a poster, or writing a description of the main points from the book. By the time my children arrive to Sixth Grade, they are ready for something new and exciting. The Prezi can achieve this task in a challenging and fascinating manner.
Prezi Uses for my Classroom!
Prezi Uses for my Classroom!
A few weeks ago I overhead some young Graduate Students discussing their presentation for a class that they were taking. They wanted to use a Prezi as a tool to present their research to the class. I thought to myself, I don't even know what this is! My young daughter, a Seventh Grader, quickly filled me in to what a Prezi looked like and how I could incorporate into my curriculum. Wow! I thought what a perfect way to spice up my monthly book reports. Students can share their main points about the book and add pictures to connect their classmates to the novel. They could even create a different ending for the book to share with the class. My favorite thing about using a Prezi to summarize a book is how there are lines to connect points. It offers organization for that child that needs extra support.
Challenges or Problems:
Unfortunately, learning Prezi is not an easy task. It was time consuming. It took me about four hours to learn. I know that many of my Sixth Graders probably can and will grasp this concept in a shorter amount of time, but there are a lot of gadgets to learn. The Prezi could be difficult to maneuver for a student that is not adapt with keyboard. Some of the tools are sensitive. You can purchase a Premium Prezi, but it does cost money, which could be a problem as well. I used the free one from the internet. As with most technology, the teacher would have to monitor the students and this can be difficult to do with twenty-five students.
Unfortunately, learning Prezi is not an easy task. It was time consuming. It took me about four hours to learn. I know that many of my Sixth Graders probably can and will grasp this concept in a shorter amount of time, but there are a lot of gadgets to learn. The Prezi could be difficult to maneuver for a student that is not adapt with keyboard. Some of the tools are sensitive. You can purchase a Premium Prezi, but it does cost money, which could be a problem as well. I used the free one from the internet. As with most technology, the teacher would have to monitor the students and this can be difficult to do with twenty-five students.
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