Wikis in the Class

Wikis are a useful tool in the classroom these days. They are great because they promote collaboration between students and teachers and it can allow for student creativity to shine. I would use wikis in my class, however, I understand the concern of those who might balk at using them. Because anybody can add information to many wikis, they might not be the most reliable for information. I would discourage students from using them for information while researching a project. As far as creating projects, I think they are great, especially in social studies. There are limitless possibilities. I would create interactive time lines with pictures, music etc. I would also like to use them for cross curriculum projects with an English teacher, or maybe a project with a teacher from another school. It is exciting to think about!

The Use of V-Trips, Scavengerhunts, and Digital Storytelling

I have not have too much experience with any of this technology, I have used Scrapblog to keep students and parents notified about up coming class events. There are many benefits to using this technique in a class, I just have to get more comfortable with it. The V-trip is something that I could see using all the time. It is easy to create and there are limitless possibilities to what kind of information you can present using them. The scavenger hunt is a lot like a webquest so that will be used in my class because it allows students to explore the internet and find what resources are good and what are not so good. These tools are valuable and allow for students' creativity to blossom

Making Good Use of Social Bookmarking

I have been using Delicious as a tool for a couple of months now and I must say it is extremely beneficial. You can save any kind of site you may come across and ad tags to easily identify what each site is used for. This is a great way to prepare lessons for your class or if you have sites you want your students to use, simply bookmark it and show it on a smartboard. I think students can also use this site as an alternative to APA formatting by just showing you the sites use instead of listing them. This also allows for collaboration to take place beyond the walls of your school which is always a positive.

Smartboards

This week we are exploring the use of Smartboards in the classroom. Many districts have them in their classrooms already and these students are very fortunate. Smartboards allow for interactive lessons to take place and use technology in new and exciting ways. I have used my lesson before to help students with geography. The lesson I used was a map of Eastern Europe and it allows students to click on the country and find capitals and other interesting facts. More steps need to be taken to get this type of tecnology into every class so all students can experience the greatness of the Smartboard.

A New and Wonderful Tool

Podcasts will have a place in my classroom. First, they are easy to do and there is so much you can do with them. It is perfect to record a lecture and students can access it and listen to it as many times as they please. It is also a great tool to use to keep students and parents up to date with the on-goings of the class and what will be expected of the students. Students can use them to create projects, an alternative to writing out papers, and it allows for students to be creative with their presentations. This is such a great tool! I really has limitless possibilities.

Webquest are Great!

This was a great project for me to do. I have heard so much about webquest, but I have never actually done one. Well it was a great experience. I used the site Zunal.com to create my webquest. It was really easy and it walked you through all of the proper steps to create a webquest. I did one one Reconstruction. It will be something I will use in my class in the future. If you want to look at it, here it is; http://zunal.com/webquest.php?user=25392

I am a Digital Immigrant!

I realized that I am a digital immigrant. I did not grow up with computers and I still am trying to feel my way through the technology maze. I came through school when computers were first being seen as a resource in the classroom. We would play some games and use the computer for a few assignments. I did not have a computer until I came to grad school. I still do not know how I got through my undergrad without a computer, but i did! I now see the value of web 2.0 and I love so many of the new programs and sites I have come across. It can be intimidating though. I know I will use technology in my class, but I have to pick and choose when and where to use it. I am becoming better using the computer but I am a true digital immigrant but I am becoming more familiar everyday!

Internet Safety

The internet is great! I do not think you could find somebody to say that it it not a great tool for educational purposes. There are so many beneficial advantages to using the internet. It makes it wonderful for the students to learn using new and exciting technologies to learn. Unfortunately, there is an ugly side to the internet. There are sites out here that are nothing but negative, and there are means to post rumors and inaccuracies about people. This can be very hurtful to students who are trying to find their way through their adolescence. There have been suicides and other awful incidents that have occur ed due to this cyber bullying. It is important to make our students aware of the power of the internet. This is why teachers have to devote a class or two to internet rules and regulations. Involving the students helps include them into the process and they will more than likely follow the rules. Technology is a wonderful thing, but we do always have to be aware of what our students are up to.

The 24/7 Classroom

This week we designed a website that would be accessible to students and parents. This is a wonderful tool to use in our educational world today. It allows us teachers to post assignments and resources, so students can not claim they forgot what to do or lost their assignment. Looking at the sites my classmates created, I feel a little inadequate. I do have some of the basics but I enjoyed what some did with the different widgets and graphics. It was a fun assignment, as well as a worth while one. It is important to give students access to curriculum and requirements and this allows for that kind of access. If you would like to see my site, here is the link: http://emsboss.wetpaint.com/?t=anon I got some great ideas from the others in class and I will add to this as I go forward.

Using Web 2.0 in Our Lessons

With all of the new technology in the world today, we educators would be foolish not to take advantage. There are soooo many great sites that teachers can use to create effective lessons and allow students to express themselves creativity. There are so many tools, I could not begin to list them, but I checked out mypodcast.com and this very site blogger.com These can be used to present information and gauge information! I would think that for every unit you teach, you should try to incorporate at least one of the thousands of web 2.0 tools into the lesson planning
I decided to use www.blogger.com to have students create a blog. The blog will deal with westward expansion in the 19th century. The students will put themselves in the shoes of those pioneers and post what experiences they would expect to encounter during a long trip west. They will use what they read and learn in class to draw from. Here is the Backboard link to my lesson: http://www.getbackboard.com/view/S6DKrABNx9

Presentations Other Than PowerPoint

This week we looked at the other kind of presentation applications on the web. Everybody and their mother has used PowerPoint and knows all about that program. Don't get me wrong, PowerPoint is great! I have used it and have done some nice presentations. I got a chance to use Open Office presentation to create a presentation and it is really good. It has many of the same features as PowerPoint and it is free! (Yeah!) I looked at Animoto which is also a great site, but it limits your creativity and it cost money to make an extensive presentation. The presentation I did for class was done in Photo Story. It is a great program that allows you to load pics and music into your presentation. You can also provide your own narration to the video. Here is my link to my Name That President presentation, Enjoy it!
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3191934570972052849

21st Century Learning and the NETS

This week the reading for class had to do with the important topic of learning in the new century. Educators have to accept that this is the next wave of education and the can not afford to ignore it. Technology is here and we have to embrace it. We need to be able to integrate technology into the lesson planning process to give students a leg up in the world after school ends. To not use technology is to put our students behind the eight ball. With this said, teachers need to incorporate the NETS, which provide a guideline to teachers to incorporate technology into the classroom. These are the NETS:

-Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
-Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessment
-Model Digital-Age Work and Learning
-Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility

Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership These are great guidelines to keep in mind when designing a lesson or unit plan. I think if a teacher can somehow work a technology based project into each unit, they will be doing there students a great service. Today, these students will most likely have a wonderful grasp of technology because many of them grew up surrounded by it. We as educators have to keep up with technology so we can best implement it into our lessons.

Teaching with Technology Ed. 5700 My Intro

Hello everybody!! My name is Mike Emsworth, i just received my initial certification in social studies 7-12. I am currently working as a sub in a couple of districts, hoping to catch on somewhere. I am almost finished with my Master's program, this class and another this semester are my last and I am taking the comps next month (I'm sooo worried!) I have some experience with technology classes and I have used moodle before. I look forward to learning some new tools and look forward to working with all of you!

Learning Log 3 This is It!

This has been the quickest month! Seems like just yesterday we were starting this class. All good thing must come to an end. This has been a great class. I have learned so much about the issues that face teachers, students, and parents in our schools today. We also learned a lot of valuable tools to use in our classrooms. Teachers would be wise to take advantage of the technology we have because it is a great new approach to education. We have to remember, education is constantly changing and if we as teachers are resistant to change, we will get left behind. If we get left behind, our students get left behind and we do them a huge disservice. I would like to thank my group because we were able to create some great projects and each of the members were wonderful at bringing their ideas and perspectives o the table. I am looking forward to hearing everybody's presentations. If you would like to read mine, it is at my website http://emsboss.wetpaint.com/ I would like to thank you too, Dr. S! Best of luck to everybody!

My Learning Log: What I've Learned so Far!

This class has been extremely educational. I have read and viewed many topics and know am more aware of what is going on in our schools today. I think the most important aspect I will take away from this course is the notion that technology in the classroom is ever so important in schools today. Teachers today have to be aware of technology and have to some how tailor curriculum around technology. Technology allows for so many different projects and if it is readily available in your school, you would be wise to take advantage. I feel confident using some of what I have learned in my class in the future. Another important aspect of this class has been the collaboration with my group mates. We have had a wonderful time working on our group projects and I have been exposed to the thoughts and ideas of three wonderful people. We all have different experiences, and everybody is willing to share their perspectives. This creates a great flow of ideas and sparks wonderful conversation. It is hard to belief that this class is almost over, it has gone quickly! I look forward to the rest of the class and to the sharing of more ideas. This class has opened my eyes to the on goings in education today and I will be able to meet those challenges.

My Community Letter

Here is my letter to the community about multi-cultural change. Enjoy