Wikipedia

For our podcast, we talked about using Wikipedia. We discussed whether or not it was a valid source and also how or if we as individuals used it. So, sit back, relax and join in the discussion by clicking HERE.

Usefulness of a Collaborative Blog

At the Teacher's Desk is a collaborative blog that teachers from all over the nation use to share interesting experiences they have within the classroom. Most of the post in some way involve technology.

My favorite posts were the ones that had to do with Skyping the ESL classroom in with a Spanish classroom in another state. That seems like a very beneficial thing for both classrooms. I personally want to be an ESL teacher eventually so I was involuntarially drawn to those particular posts. I really love that they these students were able to take their common knowledge in order to help someone else in their education.

ATTD as a whole seems like a great way to share ups and downs of technology. Also in the ESL posts was where Mr. Chamberlin shared what he would change about his next video conference and why. I found this to be very beneficial for other teachers to avoid the same difficulties later on.

The Best of the Lists

Doug Johnson has made a list of Seven Brilliant Things Teachers Do with Technology, and Seven Stupid Mistakes Teachers Make with Technology. For me the top two brilliant things on his list were to use the kids’ own devices to teach them and empower kids with technology. Students need to experience things for themselves. Part of doing that is to desire learning. By taking things that students enjoy doing or using and integrating it into the classroom, learning becomes a more enjoyable experience for the students. I feel like people learn the most when they don't realize they are having an educational experience, they just think they are having fun.

Out of the Seven Stupid Mistakes Teachers Make with Technology, I feel like the two most important are ignoring the intrinsic interest of tech use in today's kids and not backing up data. Like I have already said, making students enjoy learning is probably the most beneficial learning experience. I also feel like backing up all data is extremely important. If a teacher is going to utilize technology, he or she must also recognize that sometimes technology can backfire on a person. An educator also needs to show his or her students the importance of being prepared. By being an example of coming to class prepared enough to have backup if something goes wrong for a lecture, a teacher is also able to justify penalizing a student for turning something in late.

The final List I was give was about New Classroom Rules. The two most important rules for me were to be polite, courteous, and respectful at all times in both physical and virtual space and complete all assignments neatly and on time and submit on line or post to your blog or wiki, and share it with your followers on Twitter. I feel like allowing students to turn in assignments online will allow them a certain amount of freedom they might not normally experience. It will also allot them more responsibility. Being respectful while using technology in the classroom is also of utmost importance to me.

The Future of Whatever

Wow. This is definitely something I have contemplated many times after enrolling in this class. This generation, whether it be the "MTV Generation" or the "Cell Phone Generation," tends to not care that much. I myself am guilty of it.

Today, many students want to just slide by. Even people who are viewed as over achievers wish to receive maximum recognition with minimal work. For example, I really enjoy receiving As to boost my GPA, but I'm just as happy with a 90 as I am with a 100. At the end of the day, they are worth the same to my GPA, so why should I care?

It's the lackadaisical attitude that will make it hard to teach later on in my career. I will constantly have to challenge myself in order to keep my students interested. Just like Dr. Wesch said, each generation seems harder and harder to impress. I will not be able to rely on a new ingenious teaching device I come across to captivate my students for many many years. They will eventually outgrow every seemingly brilliant idea I will ever have. I cannot even rely on the experiences in the class to last me long in my education career. Eventually, blogging will be old news, and I will have to come up with new ways to capture my students attentions.

Student Work on the Internet

The kids at PS22 are amazing at what they do. Their songs are so touching and heartfelt it is unbelievable. Many adults cannot comprehend singing with passion, but they do. After watching their video Landslide I realized one the driving forces behind the different formats of posting student work on the internet is pride. Now, I don't mean a cocky kind of pride, but the kind where the students can be proud of the work they have accomplished in the classroom. The students at PS 22 are motivated by their YouTube videos. They gained a huge following from it and that encouraged them to try harder and harder to succeed.


There have been other groups I have seen this semester that have been motivated by placing what they learned on the internet. The Dear Kaia photo essay was a prime example. Going out and taking all those pictures was a learning experience in itself, but putting it on the internet allowed for Kaia to share her wonderful experience. The tremendous response afterward had to be an amazing experience for her. it encouraged her to know that what she has to say is valid and that you are never too young to impact others.


Also, there was Eagels' Nest Radio. It was a group of third graders who created podcasts to share what they had been learning in class with the world. In this case what they had learned about was Julius Caesar. It was an extremely creative podcast and it also showcased the vast amount of knowledge they had gained on the subject. The podcasts they made and responses these children receive help to create an environment where learning is cool and fun.