Podcasts....ever heard of them? Just do a Google search and you will find hundreds of them. Podcasts are basically a voice recording on a topic that's posted to the internet. They are usually set up as a series of recordings all set around a certain topic. They often have music and can sometimes have "guest speakers" or interviews. The word podcast came from combining "broadcast" and iPod.
I have used podcasts in the classroom a few times. Many kids love to hear themselves on a recording, so it's a great motivator to get the assignment done. We've used podcasts as interviews with famous americans, "experts" on a certain topic, or as book reviews.
All you need to get podcasts started is a microphone and a recording/editing software such as audacity. It's free and simple to use. :)
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
To Wiki...or to not Wiki...that is the question...
Wikis, you've heard of them, are online environments where information can be quickly added and updated by a community of users. Wikipedia being the most popular wiki...is the perfect example of one. This particular wiki has a team of editors who are on the ball 24/7 correcting errors and validating information. (So, it can be used as a source when researching....but that's a different soap box.)
But what about wikis in the classroom? Is there value in it? How about introducing students to the concepts of open-source software, community collaboration, respect for other people's ideas, intellectual property, and public domain? These are skills now needed for the 21st century. Web 2.0 is here to stay and increasingly our students are becoming web 2.0 users, whether we are ready or not.
Wikis are also a great way to create a system for collaboration on any number of different projects. Teachers have control. It's equitable for all students because it's accessible from anywhere there's internet. Wikis have the potential to be global...set it up for global collaboration and really tap into the power of wikis. Students are the authors and editors of their own projects; they take ownership and therefore the learning is much more powerful.
Often times it's hard to tell who did what work in collaborative projects, but there is a record of who posted and what they posted in wikis which makes it easier for teachers to see who is putting forth the effort.
So what are some ways wikis can be used in classrooms?
But what about wikis in the classroom? Is there value in it? How about introducing students to the concepts of open-source software, community collaboration, respect for other people's ideas, intellectual property, and public domain? These are skills now needed for the 21st century. Web 2.0 is here to stay and increasingly our students are becoming web 2.0 users, whether we are ready or not.
Wikis are also a great way to create a system for collaboration on any number of different projects. Teachers have control. It's equitable for all students because it's accessible from anywhere there's internet. Wikis have the potential to be global...set it up for global collaboration and really tap into the power of wikis. Students are the authors and editors of their own projects; they take ownership and therefore the learning is much more powerful.
Often times it's hard to tell who did what work in collaborative projects, but there is a record of who posted and what they posted in wikis which makes it easier for teachers to see who is putting forth the effort.
So what are some ways wikis can be used in classrooms?
- Literature wiki
- text books
- SOL reviews
- Assessment tool
- year round portfolio
- Collaborative final project
- Easy tool for ESOL students to use to put pictures together with text
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Blog about Blogs
Honestly, I've never gotten the whole blog thing. Why would anyone want to read or care what I have to say about anything....seriously. I have a hard time with the idea of just spewing my thoughts out there for the world to see. That being said, I subscribe to a few blogs myself and find them interesting to read and I can see the benefits of using blogs with students.
Our society is more plugged in than ever. Will Richardson says in his book Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms that "the fastest growing age group for using the internet is 2 to 5 year olds and that today's students, of almost any age, are far ahead of their teachers in computer literacy." What does this mean for our classrooms today? What needs to change in our curriculum to meet the needs of today's digital learners?
One thing we must do is rethink our idea of literacy. Our students are not only readers and writers in the linear classroom, but thanks to Web 2.0 tools have the opportunities to reach out globally and become readers, writers, editors, collaborators and publishers in the non-linear, hypermedia world of the internet. It's no longer good enough to be literate in the book sense...our students MUST become digitally literate as well. The perfect way for students to hone these skills are by using blogs in the classroom.
What in the world could you use blogs for in the classroom, especially in an elementary classroom? Here's a list from Richardson's book
The Edublogger
Web 2.0 in the Classroom
http://www.scoop.it/t/using-blogs-in-the-elementary-classroom
My goal in the upcoming months is to create a blog for use with students at my school. I'm not sure what grade level I'll be using as my guinea pigs...but I'll keep you posted.
Our society is more plugged in than ever. Will Richardson says in his book Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms that "the fastest growing age group for using the internet is 2 to 5 year olds and that today's students, of almost any age, are far ahead of their teachers in computer literacy." What does this mean for our classrooms today? What needs to change in our curriculum to meet the needs of today's digital learners?
One thing we must do is rethink our idea of literacy. Our students are not only readers and writers in the linear classroom, but thanks to Web 2.0 tools have the opportunities to reach out globally and become readers, writers, editors, collaborators and publishers in the non-linear, hypermedia world of the internet. It's no longer good enough to be literate in the book sense...our students MUST become digitally literate as well. The perfect way for students to hone these skills are by using blogs in the classroom.
What in the world could you use blogs for in the classroom, especially in an elementary classroom? Here's a list from Richardson's book
- learn how to blog
- class writing assignments (think of the trees saved)
- express opinions on topics you are studying in class
- complete project work in small groups
- showcase products of project-based learning
- reactions to thought provoking questions you post
- journal entries
The Edublogger
Web 2.0 in the Classroom
http://www.scoop.it/t/using-blogs-in-the-elementary-classroom
My goal in the upcoming months is to create a blog for use with students at my school. I'm not sure what grade level I'll be using as my guinea pigs...but I'll keep you posted.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
REALLY?
It seems these days that the policy makers, school board members, superintendents, don't really care that they are about to lose excellent teachers. I can say that most of the teachers at my school are among the hardest working, most caring, intelligent professionals around. Are they treated as such? No. For about the 4th year in a row, we are not receiving raises, not even cost of living. Our health ins. premiums went up a couple of years ago so even less money comes homes to our families. Teachers are given more and more to do and less and less time to do it. They are expected to cram about 15 hours of work into a 7.5 hour day. Nothing is ever taken off the plate just added to it. Many teachers work at home during the week and on weekends until the wee hours of the night....taking time away from their own families.
When are the powers that been going to learn that to keep quality educators, they need to be treated as such? The morale in my building is so very low right now. No one is pumping these teachers up, only beating them down. The "way to go" and "thanks for all your hard work" comments land on deaf ears because it's said all the time, but isn't shown. Actions speak louder than words. Stand up for us...treat us with the respect we deserve. Demand the best and reward us for giving it.
When are the powers that been going to learn that to keep quality educators, they need to be treated as such? The morale in my building is so very low right now. No one is pumping these teachers up, only beating them down. The "way to go" and "thanks for all your hard work" comments land on deaf ears because it's said all the time, but isn't shown. Actions speak louder than words. Stand up for us...treat us with the respect we deserve. Demand the best and reward us for giving it.
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