1. Do a search using the Key words “Educational Blogs” and “Educational Wikis” with 3 different search engines (Google, Yahoo, msn, Ask Jeeves, Dogpile, or others), and explore the results. Do you get similar results? Why or Why not?
I did get similar results for each search engine, but not identical. Each engine brought up different sites when I did a Science Education Blog search. I assume they are slightly different because of the different RSS feeds for each engine.
1) Identify and describe 3 interesting/innovative ways blogs and/or wikis are being used in K-12 classrooms.
I thought this site http://www.detentionslip.org/ was very interesting because it talked about educational news in the media. This site is an accumulation of the media’s portrayal of education gossip around the US.
This site http://missbakersbiologyclass.com/blog/2009/02/24/on-the-way-to-cure-malaria/ was cool as well. Jennifer is in Miss Bakers class and she decided to blog about the parasitic infection Malaria caused by plasmodium species. She sang a song and uploaded a video about how to stop the spread of Malaria. PRETTY COOL! Another student in Miss Bakers class decided to talk about global warming and the Chesapeake Bay. The students have uploaded pictures and given essentially online reports. Amazing, had no idea this was happening in the field of Science. Upon looking further, she has her blog and a wiki linked to her Biology Science class website, like TeacherWeb, but a little cooler. http://www.missbakersbiologyclass.com/map.html
Another blog site http://thesynapse.ning.com/ is a collection of biology teachers worldwide that collaborate and share information about their science teachings.
At this site http://mwsu-bio101.ning.com/forum/topics/photosynthesiscellular-1 Biology teacher Sean Nash has a class blog site that allows his students to create images of ideas such as photosynthesis. They are able to upload their images and discuss what the diagram means and how it may be different from their class-mates.
2) Describe how you might use RSS readers/aggregators within a classroom setting.
RSS are really simple syndication feeds that are web pages. These pages are “sent” to your aggregator, such as NetNewsWire when there are new contents added. BBC is one such site where you can get these newsfeeds.
These could be used in a classroom setting if the teacher requires students to perform work online. For example, if you wanted to assess student learning online and have them submit their exams/homework etc… This information could be linked to a feed that you access when you want, rather than having that information sent to your inbox.
I think it would be interesting to have my future students submit information to a blog where they could interact and learn from one another. When someone posts to that blog I would know instantly if I had a feed that I could check rather than searching the blog itself.
If I had a class webpage, which I do plan on having, but one I design myself, this information could be sent to a feed as well. When students log on or have questions I would be able to access the feed to see them. Same goes with a wiki page! All I would have to do is add this feed to NetNewsWire.
3) Describe at least 2 pros and 2 cons of using blogs and wikis in education.
Two Cons:
Teachers and students should be ware of publishing things online that they believe will be protected under the right to free speech. Some teachers have gotten into trouble and tarnished their reputations by posting things on blog sites. You may thing that you are anonymous, but this may not always be the case when local officials get involved and the student or teacher is punished. Just use caution.
Another pitfall of using this technology is if the teacher does not use it effectively. I believe this will be utterly apparent if students are not learning. Maybe think of another method in which to teach the content.
Two Pros:
Students will have the ability to collaborate with one another outside the classroom. Projects can be completed and uploaded on an online blog site or webpage. All students of the group could collaborate to the page. The ease of meeting with one another will be greater as well because it is online.
Learning will be taken into the online world, which is more interactive by nature. Students will more naturally be captivated through the use of computers, especially if they are working with drawings or diagrams that need to be explained. Students that do not learn by simple lecture will be engaged as well.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Engaging Students with Concept Mapping Activities
1. My ideas for using Concept Mapping in my future classroom. What are 3-5 ideas or ways to use concept mapping that I have found?
This may be a potential useful technique for me to use in the field of science for students to learn the process of scientific inquiry and investigation. The reason I say this is because often times it is difficult to learn the scientific method. If students were able to identify a problem from past experiences, or prior knowledge, it would be easier to link new ideas to that knowledge. In doing so they learn the process.
It would also be useful to use because students that are visual learners could "see their thinking". They would be able to modify their thoughts easily and rapidly by using this software.
This would get students involved in the inquiry method, give them a basic outline of what they know and where to proceed from there. In this way it is a general view of their ideas that they can modify as their learning deepens.
This type of activity could be used as an attention grabber to start a lesson plan on any number of Scientific ideas. The teacher could ask if students know what the purpose of such a map is to start the class off.
The map could also be used to facilitate group work on a project of their choosing.
2.What impact might classroom use of Concept Mapping have upon student learning? Support statement with details.
I almost wish I had this when I was in graduate school! It organizes your thoughts and allows you to interact with them physically as you modify your schema about an issue. We are continually evaluating our data critically based upon the results of our experimentation. This software allows for modification based upon our research of the problem. In this way the Concept Map can grow and change with our changing thoughts about the research.
The concept map would also allow us to see how our research is connected to other scientists' research. Often there is unity in the oddest places we do not expect. This would allow for collaborations with others based upon how our projects morph. For example, two different groups of students may be working on two different problems at the surface, but when data is compiled they may find that their research is actually connected.
3. What criteria would I use to decide whether or not Concept Mapping activities would be used in lessons for my students?
I would have to evaluate what is being taught and if there is a better way (or not) to engage students in a project. For the idea of learning the scientific method, this may be a great way to get students thinking about the process. It may serve as an attention grabber at the beginning of a lesson? It would be good to start them thinking on a problem they may want to look into, but eventually they will have to design their own experiments and evaluate their results. These data could be incorporated into the map, but at this point in time the map may just function as a file of how their data is compiling to either accept or reject their initial hypothesis.
This may be a potential useful technique for me to use in the field of science for students to learn the process of scientific inquiry and investigation. The reason I say this is because often times it is difficult to learn the scientific method. If students were able to identify a problem from past experiences, or prior knowledge, it would be easier to link new ideas to that knowledge. In doing so they learn the process.
It would also be useful to use because students that are visual learners could "see their thinking". They would be able to modify their thoughts easily and rapidly by using this software.
This would get students involved in the inquiry method, give them a basic outline of what they know and where to proceed from there. In this way it is a general view of their ideas that they can modify as their learning deepens.
This type of activity could be used as an attention grabber to start a lesson plan on any number of Scientific ideas. The teacher could ask if students know what the purpose of such a map is to start the class off.
The map could also be used to facilitate group work on a project of their choosing.
2.What impact might classroom use of Concept Mapping have upon student learning? Support statement with details.
I almost wish I had this when I was in graduate school! It organizes your thoughts and allows you to interact with them physically as you modify your schema about an issue. We are continually evaluating our data critically based upon the results of our experimentation. This software allows for modification based upon our research of the problem. In this way the Concept Map can grow and change with our changing thoughts about the research.
The concept map would also allow us to see how our research is connected to other scientists' research. Often there is unity in the oddest places we do not expect. This would allow for collaborations with others based upon how our projects morph. For example, two different groups of students may be working on two different problems at the surface, but when data is compiled they may find that their research is actually connected.
3. What criteria would I use to decide whether or not Concept Mapping activities would be used in lessons for my students?
I would have to evaluate what is being taught and if there is a better way (or not) to engage students in a project. For the idea of learning the scientific method, this may be a great way to get students thinking about the process. It may serve as an attention grabber at the beginning of a lesson? It would be good to start them thinking on a problem they may want to look into, but eventually they will have to design their own experiments and evaluate their results. These data could be incorporated into the map, but at this point in time the map may just function as a file of how their data is compiling to either accept or reject their initial hypothesis.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Teacherweb product critique
1. Describe and discuss the impacts your use of a class web site (like
the one we created on TeacherWeb) might have on student learning,
on student engagement, and communications with students and parents.
I believe TeacherWeb is a great tool to engage students in learning. For example, I was able to use the slate page to have students submit assignments and even draw out concepts that could be taught in a Science lab. I also was able to make a newsflash page that students or parents could use to see what events were occurring that week of class. I though this was very helpful. Notices could be posted without worrying about being lost in transit on the way home. I could also see that parents/students would have the ability to directly contact me through email. Very helpful to keep communication open.
I thought the use of a class website like this one was useful because technology is an important aspect of learning in an environment like ours today. All students need the ability to be able to navigate web pages. I do plan on using a class website in my teaching, if not this one, one that I create myself, to facilitate online interactive learning. I also would like to incorporate a WebQuest and link the site from my home site. If students are able to see the advantages of why they are learning a concept it may make it much easier to accept why they are learning it. Technology is one of those areas where students will use it in their future in some way.
I can also see the benefits of using the Internet to try and incorporate all of the learning styles and intelligences. As long as the lesson plan is well thought out and effective, at some point in time all students will be able to learn by using their strengths and improving on their weaknesses!
2. Identify and discuss what you see as the two biggest advantages of designing
and using a classroom web site within your teaching activities.
Also, identify what you see as the biggest disadvantage of using a class website
for instructional activities and why.
I can see that students, as discussed briefly above, will be able to learn how they learn best. If the teacher is culturally responsive and incorporates "real world" material into the learning environment this will also be a great advantage ie: WebQuests and local issues. I believe students will learn and retain more information when they are actively learning and the learning is student based. I also believe that having the Internet allows for easier communication between students and parents. Although some say that email communication is taking over our lives and we do not have enough face to face communication, I would say that it much more probable that a teacher/parent would email to get the communication going, then a meeting could be arranged.
The two biggest disadvantages to using a website for instructional activities is that the website is ineffective, especially if that is the main form of instruction that the teacher is using. The teacher should have the year planed out and the website should be used as supplemental material. I am sure as first year teachers we will have guidelines and books to follow. Supplementing the lessons with web page activity is probably the best way to go.
Another disadvantage to having a class website is assuming that all students have regular access to the Internet at their disposal. Some of us are going to be teaching at inter-city schools where the money is just not there to have computers for student access.
the one we created on TeacherWeb) might have on student learning,
on student engagement, and communications with students and parents.
I believe TeacherWeb is a great tool to engage students in learning. For example, I was able to use the slate page to have students submit assignments and even draw out concepts that could be taught in a Science lab. I also was able to make a newsflash page that students or parents could use to see what events were occurring that week of class. I though this was very helpful. Notices could be posted without worrying about being lost in transit on the way home. I could also see that parents/students would have the ability to directly contact me through email. Very helpful to keep communication open.
I thought the use of a class website like this one was useful because technology is an important aspect of learning in an environment like ours today. All students need the ability to be able to navigate web pages. I do plan on using a class website in my teaching, if not this one, one that I create myself, to facilitate online interactive learning. I also would like to incorporate a WebQuest and link the site from my home site. If students are able to see the advantages of why they are learning a concept it may make it much easier to accept why they are learning it. Technology is one of those areas where students will use it in their future in some way.
I can also see the benefits of using the Internet to try and incorporate all of the learning styles and intelligences. As long as the lesson plan is well thought out and effective, at some point in time all students will be able to learn by using their strengths and improving on their weaknesses!
2. Identify and discuss what you see as the two biggest advantages of designing
and using a classroom web site within your teaching activities.
Also, identify what you see as the biggest disadvantage of using a class website
for instructional activities and why.
I can see that students, as discussed briefly above, will be able to learn how they learn best. If the teacher is culturally responsive and incorporates "real world" material into the learning environment this will also be a great advantage ie: WebQuests and local issues. I believe students will learn and retain more information when they are actively learning and the learning is student based. I also believe that having the Internet allows for easier communication between students and parents. Although some say that email communication is taking over our lives and we do not have enough face to face communication, I would say that it much more probable that a teacher/parent would email to get the communication going, then a meeting could be arranged.
The two biggest disadvantages to using a website for instructional activities is that the website is ineffective, especially if that is the main form of instruction that the teacher is using. The teacher should have the year planed out and the website should be used as supplemental material. I am sure as first year teachers we will have guidelines and books to follow. Supplementing the lessons with web page activity is probably the best way to go.
Another disadvantage to having a class website is assuming that all students have regular access to the Internet at their disposal. Some of us are going to be teaching at inter-city schools where the money is just not there to have computers for student access.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Multiple Intelligences In the Classroom
There are many intelligences that students exhibit in the classroom. However, for this assignment I will focus on two that I am strong in, kinesthetic and rhythmic or musical.
Kinesthetic learners learn by doing. For example, I would learn by thinking how I would do something, and performing that task, rather than being told how to do something. Some of the words used to describe this learning style include sensory, reflexive, tactile, concrete, coordinated and task oriented. This describes me because I can stay focused on hands on activities for long periods of time. I enjoy movement and learning by interacting with others. I very much enjoy laboratory work, the act of learning through completing a task.
I also learn by developing patterns aurally in my head. It is difficult for me to work in noisy environments because I am easily distracted. This was interesting for me to learn about myself. For years I have carried around ear plugs to block out background noise when I need to focus. I have even brought them to exams, and they have helped me perform better!
It is also interesting to me that in the past, without even knowing it, I have combined these two skills by teaching fitness classes. This now makes sense to me because being a fitness instructor requires a high level of motor coordination along with being able to understand patterns in music and rhythm. I believe this is why I get restless in traditional classrooms where the instructors talk at me for extended periods of time, or even worse, kill me with ill-prepared and boring powerpoint presentations!
#2. Kinesthetic learners are typically well suited for lab exercises, they may be able to put together experiments quickly, or learn how a circuit works etc..., simply by using their hands and interacting with their classmates. Kinesthetic learning is a type of interactive learning.
Rhythmic learning is related to the analytical domain of learning. These domains are analytic because they involve learning by incorporating information into existing schemas. This child may find it easy to identify the down-beat in a musical selection. They may also get easily distracted when music is being played because they find it difficult to "tune out" the music to concentrate on the task at hand.
#3 To keep a student with kinesthetic or rhythmic intelligence "tuned in" in the classroom it is best to have them doing rather than being. Laboratory exercises (in my content area) are best suited for this.
The teacher could also use games, such as Jeapordy or puzzles, to require students to use their strengths in this area. For example, if a student was having a difficult time learning chemical formulas, these formulas could be placed onto puzzle pieces that the student would arrange and get the correct structure.
#4 Kinesthetic learners could use the game of cherades to "act out" specific vocabulary words or concepts that are tied to the lesson plans. The rhythmic learning individual would like to have books that are interactive and have auido elements available. For example, I like the books that have CD's with them so that I can go online and use flashplayers and interact with the material. These types of activities help me to commit material to long term memory more easily.
5. I have learned, through this exercise and through others, that most learners do not enjoy being "taught to" they enjoy discovering things on their own. I believe this is paramount in their learning. However, I also believe that they should "not reinvent the wheel". It is good to have them interacting as they learn, but the cons to this is that there is only a specific amount of time in the day. Some lessons will be less interactive than others.
Kinesthetic learners learn by doing. For example, I would learn by thinking how I would do something, and performing that task, rather than being told how to do something. Some of the words used to describe this learning style include sensory, reflexive, tactile, concrete, coordinated and task oriented. This describes me because I can stay focused on hands on activities for long periods of time. I enjoy movement and learning by interacting with others. I very much enjoy laboratory work, the act of learning through completing a task.
I also learn by developing patterns aurally in my head. It is difficult for me to work in noisy environments because I am easily distracted. This was interesting for me to learn about myself. For years I have carried around ear plugs to block out background noise when I need to focus. I have even brought them to exams, and they have helped me perform better!
It is also interesting to me that in the past, without even knowing it, I have combined these two skills by teaching fitness classes. This now makes sense to me because being a fitness instructor requires a high level of motor coordination along with being able to understand patterns in music and rhythm. I believe this is why I get restless in traditional classrooms where the instructors talk at me for extended periods of time, or even worse, kill me with ill-prepared and boring powerpoint presentations!
#2. Kinesthetic learners are typically well suited for lab exercises, they may be able to put together experiments quickly, or learn how a circuit works etc..., simply by using their hands and interacting with their classmates. Kinesthetic learning is a type of interactive learning.
Rhythmic learning is related to the analytical domain of learning. These domains are analytic because they involve learning by incorporating information into existing schemas. This child may find it easy to identify the down-beat in a musical selection. They may also get easily distracted when music is being played because they find it difficult to "tune out" the music to concentrate on the task at hand.
#3 To keep a student with kinesthetic or rhythmic intelligence "tuned in" in the classroom it is best to have them doing rather than being. Laboratory exercises (in my content area) are best suited for this.
The teacher could also use games, such as Jeapordy or puzzles, to require students to use their strengths in this area. For example, if a student was having a difficult time learning chemical formulas, these formulas could be placed onto puzzle pieces that the student would arrange and get the correct structure.
#4 Kinesthetic learners could use the game of cherades to "act out" specific vocabulary words or concepts that are tied to the lesson plans. The rhythmic learning individual would like to have books that are interactive and have auido elements available. For example, I like the books that have CD's with them so that I can go online and use flashplayers and interact with the material. These types of activities help me to commit material to long term memory more easily.
5. I have learned, through this exercise and through others, that most learners do not enjoy being "taught to" they enjoy discovering things on their own. I believe this is paramount in their learning. However, I also believe that they should "not reinvent the wheel". It is good to have them interacting as they learn, but the cons to this is that there is only a specific amount of time in the day. Some lessons will be less interactive than others.
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