Letter to Administrator

Dear Mr. Sieg,

I have found yet another technology gem I would like to try out in my classroom. When I first looked at web based inquiry projects, I thought that they were unorganized because it was very open ended. However, after looking more closely at the examples available on the web, I can see many possibilities to use this teaching tool to further my instruction. There are many things to love about web based inquiries: they promote student-centered learning, encourages basic research skills, and it promotes high level critical thinking through the questions that the teacher asks her students to explore.

Over the summer I've done a lot of reading on teaching philosophies. One thing that keeps popping up in all the critical pedagogy theories I read is that we need to build on student's prior knowledge and that student's will thrive when they are active participants in their education. Because web based inquiries are entirely student-centered, they reflect this best practice. Students are hooked to a given topic, given a question (the muddier, messier, and more arguable, the better I believe) and are then encouraged to take that inquiry into whatever territory they see fit. It allows them to sit in the driver's seat and be in charge of their own learning. And as I have read again and again, student constructed learning, because the student has ownership of the knowledge, is an effective way to teach.

Furthermore, web based inquiries encourage basic research skills, because students have to go out and explore the topic in order to answer the question. Students will have to apply those research strategies we teach at the beginning of the year to find information. This will also be a great time for the teacher to monitor and reteach anyone who is struggling.

Finally, the types of questions that lead to the best web based inquiries promote that critical thinking. These questions are not easy. And the product will not be a single answer. Rather students will be encouraged to consider multiple sides of a given issue, research until the feel comfortable enough to formulate and give their own opinion on the given topic.

I hope we can use web based inquiries in our school, and if we do one, you are more than welcome to stop by and see how it is going.

Respectfully,

Ms. Furlong

Chapter 6

Do you know those people who annoy the heck out of anyone around when they are reading a really good book because they want to talk about it whether you've read it or not. Well, that's me. And I'm like that about this class, Teaching With Technology. I've already emailed my principal and our IT head guy about circumventing the firewall to utilize some of the cool stuff we're learning about in class.

So when I read about social bookmarking, I thought, this is really cool (because I'm sold, simply on this class and this book and anything that Ms. Berry says.) I think I'd have to use furl though. On account of my last name and all.

I feel like I wasted time in the classroom last year by NOT using some of this cool stuff.

MORE POD

Just one more reason why Joe and I should never be in a group together:

Our techno Podcast. (just push the play button)

Richardson Ch. 8

Okay, so I know this probably occurred to the rest of you, but I'm slow on the uptake. I realized as I was reading about podcasting how the different tech strategies of learners not only target different levels of Gardner's multiple intelligences (visual for d.s., aural for podcasts, etc.) but also that they CAN kind of address multiple views of philosophies of teaching. Wikis are extremely constructivist, blogs are humanistic, etc. This made the dork inside of me (okay, outside) very proud.

So anyway, back to the point. In chapter 8 of Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts . . . Will (we're on a first name basis now that he responded to my blog) talks about some really neat tools that I'm excited about using at school. I'd done podcasting in Kajder's class (she's awesome if you haven't had her yet), but I like that he walks you through how to do it. Kajder explained it to me because I'd expressed interest, but I'm bad at listening and being able to then "do" when it comes to technology. I'd love to do book talks with podcasts when we do literature circles. I think the kids would eat it up.

Also, screencasting sounded super neat. Right now, I'm working with two other LA teachers, Lauren and Beth to develop a website to act as a resource to our students that provides frontloading material for books, will steer them to resources for these books (internet articles, and such) and will provide a space for them to discuss the books with kids from our three schools. (That is our vision anyway). I see potential for screencasting to be a useful multimedia tool for something like this that is a sight intended to promote student-centered learning. (Of course podcasting would be great for this sight too)

Movies

I was so impressed with the class movies! People did things with them that I have not ever even thought of.

Everytime I do something in MovieMaker, I learn more about this useful tool. And I think my products get more sophisticated too. This time, I tried to create a visual picture book, so I used the multiple media and transitions to try to convey this to the audience (page flips, etc.). As with most of my products from MovieMaker, I could have tweaked and tweaked my project for forever, but I'm pretty satisfied with where I ended up.

For my classroom this year, my students created picture storybooks that they shared with 1st graders at the elementary school down the street. I liked this activity because it gave them a real audience, my kids worked in pairs and got to play on their strengths (illustrator, author, creative, etc.) and for my poorer readers, they read out loud to a very nonjudgemental group of kids. For next year, I'd love to incorporate digital storytelling into this assignment and give them the option to do it via computer, or to make a storybook.

Ch. 4

I have to say as an English teacher and a person who really values knowledge, I did have a bias against Wikipedia. Don't get me wrong, I personally use it all the time, but I often would steer my students in a different direction because I was afraid they would not have the same ability to look discriminantly at the information as I.

After reading this chapter, however, I kind of changed my mind. One thing that struck me was when Steve Jobs called wikipedia "one of the most accurate encyclopedias in the world". I also liked the quote that writing in a wiki "is to compose within a living organism." As a teacher, I often harp on the notion that every student can contribute, that more minds are better than one. My bias against wikipedia was kind of hypocritical to what I was telling my students. Also, our encyclopedias are out of date because the world continues to change, this medium allows for the knowledge contained to evolve as change occurs.

We are always looking for ways to get authentic audiences to look at our student's work. Why not a wiki?

Digital Story Script

Title Screen: A Year in Books



Voice: This is Alison.

(picture of Alison, exaggerated smile)

Voice: She likes to read.

(picture of Alison reading and giving a thumbs up)

Voice: But that doesn't mean that she's shut up in a room all by herslef.

(picture of sad Alison, reading in a closet)

Voice: In just one year, she reads books that her teachers have her buy.

(picture of textbooks)

Voice: Well, she reads MOST of them.

(slightly smaller stack of books)

Voice: She talks about these books with the students in her class.

(picture of Alison talking to students)

Voice: She exchanges books with friends.

(Many cheesy pictures of friends giving books.)

Voice: and with family

(many pictures)

Voice: She even reads what Oprah tells her to.

(picture of Oprah and maybe Dr. Phil for good measure)

Voice: She gets books from teachers in her school, her librarian, she buys some, but she borrows more from the library and from the people she knows.

(fast moving montage of above visuals)

Voice: Alison reads. But she doesn't do it alone.

(picture of Alison and friends)

Articles

In Adopt and Adapt the thing that struck me close to home was where the author talked about how teachers resist change. The reason why it stuck out to me was because I was so irked about our inability to do our Flickr project and me feeling technologically stupid. (I found out later that the router was down and we had a wireless outing, and that was one of our many problems that day.) I said, I'd rather do this in Movie Maker because I know it'll work. BUT! Flickr was very different with different things you can do, like put where you want the pop ups to go on a picture. It's a very useful and valid tool but I wasn't comfortable enough with it to not stress out because of time constraints. (Let's face it, I freak out sometimes.) My stress, along with this article reminded me that what is important is not always easy.

In Synching Up With the IKid, I think this article points to our adaptability as a human race (and thus the reason we evolve). I think children who grow up immersed in technology should think and learn differently than us because they have new tools that allow them to do so. I only hope I can keep up as a teacher.

I also really liked what Papert said about kids learning more if they construct their own learning environment. I think we can do things in a classroom to deal with this: forming relationships, adding choice to our lessons, etc. But with the possibilities technology could accomodate, I think we could push this idea even further. I don't feel smart enough technologically to predict in what ways, but I'm excited about the implications of this article.

Flickr

Goal 1: Students are able to use basic communication and mathematics skills for purposes and situations they will encounter throughout their lives.

1.16 Students use computers and other types of technology to collect, organize, and communicate information and ideas.

You can view our flickr project here.

Chapters 3, 5, and 7

CH. 3
This chapter was a more in depth look at blogs and how to use them. Some useful advice I gleaned from the chapter include that you should keep a blog if you want your kids to. (I try to ascribe to this in general with my teaching: I don't want to make my kids do something if I don't feel it's valuable enough for me to take the time to do it.) Also, there was some handy issue about how blogs should look, blog safety, tips on grading (grade the exemplar, not every single one), where to get free internet blogs, and more useful information.

CH. 4
I got scared at first because I didn't know what RSS stood for, but now I'm more excited about this concept.

I have a couple of stupid questions:
Do Facebook and Livejournal and other likewise programs have built in RSS feeds that allow you to see what your friends have updated etc? Is that considered an RSS?

Also, I loved the recommendation to use RSS feeds for search terms. I thought that could be a really cool way to go about getting information. I think I may recommend doing this to some other content areas for Transactive Papers. I think this has potential to be a fun way for kids to get relevant and timely material on a given topic.

**Also, I have a random connection to a book I read. There is this really cool little young adult novel called Feed. In this novel something like an RSS actually comes into your brain via a microchip. **

CH. 7
One of the reasons this book is so good (Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms), is that it not only introduces you to the technology that is out there, but it gives practical implications for classroom use. I liked the examples in here about how a Math teacher uses images to teach his class from Flickr like the die when talking about probability.

Research Strategies

I learned to write research papers armed with many postcards in a library.
I often start my research there, because I like the way libraries feel and they put me in the mood to write papers. I also usually start with physical books, not from online sources.
From there, I like EBSCOhost and other internet sources that allow me to peruse many articles from Academic Journals. I have fallen in love with the Kentucky Virtual Library.

I am kind of anal about how I copy down information to.
I always direct quote onto notecards so I can paraphrase later without accidently direct quoting.
I have MLA notecards for each source, and I arrange my notecards in that manner.

I like www.picsearch.com for my kids. It's a good source of "clean" pictures.

Chapters 1 and 2 response

Chapter 1 was mostly about what the author, Will Richardson, perceives as the shift from an internet where we go to get information to an interactive internet: one where information is shared, given, and edited by everyone. The author also discusses the implications this has on our current educational system.

There were many parts of this first chapter that stuck out in my reading. For one thing, I found it fascinating that the fastest growing group of internet users are 2-5 year olds (Page 6). I mean, what does a 2 year old even do on the internet? I also found it extremely cool that neurologists are considering the affect early exposure to this type of technology can have on the growth and development of the human brain. On page 7, Richardson talked about students brains working in a "hypertext" kind of way. This really does not surprise me, since it seems that as we get more used to receiving information from a certain source, it would be good if our bodies adapted to it. (Who says we can't evolve?) I just hope I didn't get in to late in the game for my own brain to work to its fullest capacity given the technologies of the day. I actually found an article about this idea of a "hyperlink mind" that helped solidify what Richardson was implying. One of the interesting ideas presented in the website I've linked is when Dr. Leon James remarks that says computers don't necessarily prevent more human to human interaction. Rather, they are an extension of the human itself.


I also would hope to use more of the information in Chapter 1 about what students should do if they come across bad content and what content they can and should give out via the internet.

In Chapter 2, Richardson focused on weblogs as tools to easily publish student work, and an ability to create a community of learners. I like that Richardson pointed out that weblogs both "combine solitary reflection and social interaction". These two types of learning seem like polar opposites, but anyone who has ever blogged can see how this could be true. The original posting is typically one person's independent reflection, but what happens after that post become social. People will respond and build upon what is said, causing the author to rethink and refine their original ideas. As an English teacher, I thought about the writing process. Blogs can really help an individual in the revising stage of their ideas.

Technology Autobiography

I was one of the students who entered college without an email address, a myspace account, or any desire for either. This is not to imply that I had an aversion to technology; I just saw the computer as a means to play games, a place to type papers, a new version of a perfectly fine working library card catalogue, or a way get questionable information when all else fails. Entering college, I saw technology as interesting and fun, but not necessary. I was used to having a television, a phone, and a computer that stayed off for days on end. We also used technology a lot on my father’s farm, using tools that made growing tobacco and raising cows easier. In short, my technology at that time was not necessarily comparable to my fellow classmates, but I recognized it as cool and possibly valuable.

However, Centre College was an undergraduate institution that, like most, relied on technology as a means of communication. As soon as I entered my dorm as a bright eyed freshman, I was given my email account address and instructed to create a password. I soon grew to love email, both as a means to communicate and procrastinate.

Throughout college and in the years following, I discovered how incredibly useful technology can be. I learned to use computers to access reputable information via the internet (an important bit of information for writing papers after the library had closed). I soon began to use computers for other things: purchasing goods, downloading for entertainment, creating an online blog, communicating with teachers and fellow classmates via blackboard, and editing movies. I found software and programs that made it easier to write plays, balance my checkbook, and do my taxes. In short, I became a technology junky. Now not only do I have an email account, I have several. I also have an IPod, a couple of blogging accounts, a facebook account, a digital camera, a digital video camera, a laptop computer, and other bits of technology. I now wonder how I survived life without these things.

In the classroom, I have used technology in a variety of ways. I have used programs like Imovie, Moviemaker, and Powerpoint to present new information via movies that I have made with images, music, and information gathered from the internet. I have used overhead projectors and digital projectors to share information with my students. I also use email to communicate with students and their parents concerning upcoming assignments, grades, and more. Furthermore, I have attempted to instruct my kids on how to access trustworthy information via the internet. My students have typed several papers for my classroom. Several of my students have learned how to use Moviemaker and/or powerpoint in order to create digital story for projects we did in my 7^th grade Language Arts class. Shelby East Middle School, my school, also started podcasting on a regular basis this year. Many of my students were involved in this venture.

As you can probably tell, I think technology is a valuable part of today’s modern classroom. I think, when properly used, technology can propel our students to think about and work with information in new and exciting ways. It can be used to supplement lessons, to allow kids to find out more. Technology through the use of various programs can also offer a way for students to demonstrate and apply knowledge through projects. I do think learning can occur without technology, but that would be kind of like owning a class set of textbooks but never using them. Technology is a resource that can add to what teachers already do in their classrooms, and in most classrooms today technology is available.

I am by no means an expert in technology. In many instances, my kids know more than I do. I have had to ask my own students technology related questions from time to time. I also have struggled with technology. For example I currently have my music saved on Itunes, but I generally use Moviemaker to make movies. I’ve had to learn to circumvent the two systems incompatibility by copying music off my Itunes onto a disk only to download it back into my computer in a Microsoft compatible music file. From these types of problems, I have learned to be flexible when it comes to technology. We also have to share technology at our school, and that has been a challenge. I know there are a lot of really cool things I could be doing out there that I haven’t been exposed to. I’m also excited to learn more in this class and the following years. It is my hope that this new information will find its way back to my classroom.

6-5

My first blog entry!