Blogs have finally hit center stage in the Internet world and the education world. Nowadays, talking with any college student they have almost always participated in blogging for some class in some form. I have had countless classes from history, political science, and my education classes that have all required a blog or web posts of some kind about every week or so many a semester.
I really enjoy this type of writing much better than a formal, large paper competed at the end of the year. Personally, I am not as worried about grammar and writing to please my professor when writing a blog, which made me wonder why not? When writing a blog and posting it for everyone to see through the web, it's odd how that does not intimidate many people to edit more of their thoughts and opinion, like writing a college paper for a professor does. I have found that I can write about a certain topic for a brief amount and post it for everyone to see without reading it over, drafting before writing, or going back and editing like I would for a paper. It's funny how all these editing procedures should be part of your blog writing, and I admit I do read it over a lot of times before posting, but I am not as worried about things as I would be a paper. After, reading other blogs and talking with friends, I have found that it is not just me who feels this way about blogs. Many people I talked to enjoyed writing blogs for about the same reasons as myself, that there is less stress involved which makes them easier to write.
In regards to keeping this blog for my technology class, I am glad we did it. It providing me with a seg-way into how I want to hold myself accountable to blogging my future classroom to keep all parties involved up to date. Also, looking back on your blogs is a fun way to see how you have changed. Also, how your perspectives have changed on certain issues. In this way blogging is a type of journal, if you will. Many people use the web and blogs as an almost personal diary, which to me is too public but many enjoy it. It's a net way of organizing and keeping your thoughts together to look back on and see what is different and what is new.
In the future, I think that I will use blogging in my classroom. Especially if I am teaching a government class. I think that seniors in high school are old enough to know how to use the Internet safely, and if not this would be a great way to teach them. For a government class, students could blog about current events through the week. This is just one example, but there are many of how to implement blogging in any class.
Therefore, I think blogging is a good tool to get students writing and see their true opinions about certain topics instead of asking for essays, the "old-fashioned" way....
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Why pay for Ning??
This week the social network, Ning, announced that it's service are to no longer be free for any users, including for educational purposes. This brief headline came up on a news pages I was browsing and it caught my eye. It's clear after reading the article that Ning, because it is a business is changing its ways to charge for their services t all users. However, there is much opposition to this new change from the educational users of the Ning sites.
Since Ning has been created educators all over the world have used this social network to create various Ning sites which has led to countless ning sites dedicated to different specialities such as Web 2.0 tools or pertaining to different disciplines. Also, many teachers have used Ning with their classes. By making their own ning site only the teacher and their students are the users and creates a safe place in the Internet world for educational purposes.
Now with Ning throwing a cost attached to it many of these educators are wanting to pull out from this network, but are scared of which other network to turn to. With Ning, everything was a safe environmentof free sharing of ideas and educators were finally able to connect with many people in their disciplines to gain ideas for the their class instead the only other teacher in the building. Its scary for many users that have a lot of information uploaded on Ning to choose a new entwork and move aveyrthing over to the new site. Ning also present users with an easy and hassle-free layout, so even teachers that were not technically inclined could use Ning to learn new technology skills and new ideas for their class. These are all fears of users when they are contemplating the switch to a new network. Also, Ning was able to simulate mini professional conferences that before teachers were only able to attend once a year, and now with Ning educators could gain a plethora of new information by only sitting at their computer at anytime. If many key users that consturcted these sites left Ning, many resources could be lost.
I think it is sad that Ning has decided to make educators pay. Everyday teachers are striving to give back to their students and learn the new best practices to staty fresh, on a shoestring school budget. Thus, now having to pay for the services, no matter how small the amount makes Ning almost tainted to many. Currently, with almost every school cutting back it is highly likely that mroe money be given to pay for teachers to enroll in networks online. Therefore, hopefully something will change and possibly Ning will call back this idea of making educators pay. The article I read can be found at this here.
Since Ning has been created educators all over the world have used this social network to create various Ning sites which has led to countless ning sites dedicated to different specialities such as Web 2.0 tools or pertaining to different disciplines. Also, many teachers have used Ning with their classes. By making their own ning site only the teacher and their students are the users and creates a safe place in the Internet world for educational purposes.
Now with Ning throwing a cost attached to it many of these educators are wanting to pull out from this network, but are scared of which other network to turn to. With Ning, everything was a safe environmentof free sharing of ideas and educators were finally able to connect with many people in their disciplines to gain ideas for the their class instead the only other teacher in the building. Its scary for many users that have a lot of information uploaded on Ning to choose a new entwork and move aveyrthing over to the new site. Ning also present users with an easy and hassle-free layout, so even teachers that were not technically inclined could use Ning to learn new technology skills and new ideas for their class. These are all fears of users when they are contemplating the switch to a new network. Also, Ning was able to simulate mini professional conferences that before teachers were only able to attend once a year, and now with Ning educators could gain a plethora of new information by only sitting at their computer at anytime. If many key users that consturcted these sites left Ning, many resources could be lost.
I think it is sad that Ning has decided to make educators pay. Everyday teachers are striving to give back to their students and learn the new best practices to staty fresh, on a shoestring school budget. Thus, now having to pay for the services, no matter how small the amount makes Ning almost tainted to many. Currently, with almost every school cutting back it is highly likely that mroe money be given to pay for teachers to enroll in networks online. Therefore, hopefully something will change and possibly Ning will call back this idea of making educators pay. The article I read can be found at this here.
Class Websites
For our final in my technology class our assignment was to create a website showcasing our different technology projects that we have completed through the class. Personally, I love this idea instead of a test on how to use the different programs that we have used through the year. Thinking more about creating sites, I think that having a classroom site would be an excellent tool for teachers. My goal for having a classroom site would be to allow greater communication between parents, teachers, and the students.
We have used google Google Sites in creating our first websites which has been a great experience. I have found that uploading and creating different pages is a breeze with this program. At first I was worried it would be hard to figure out, but to my surprise it was not! Also, there are many different applications which I have not even used yet in creating my site that would be useful to a classroom site. I have not tried any other programs in creating sites, but if anyone reading this loves a different website creator let me know!
Please check out my Website and give me some feedback on more ideas. Keep in mind this is the first time Ihave ever made one, so there are still some kinks to work out!
Back to creating classroom sits, I think foremost it is vital to make it easy to read and navigate through for all the users. Also, for the creator, you, because you don't want to have to set away a ton of time every day or week to update your site. Updating is important for a classroom site. My goal is not to just create a site on the first day and never change a thing, instead use the site as a window of conversation and showcase of student work. By uploading pictures (after getting consent) of projects completed by students, such as digital posters, pictures, concept maps, drawings, or podcast.
Another neat way to use your blog would be to have a classroom blog that is updated through the semester or year. It seems like not matter how cool the lesson at school was seven times out of ten the kids when asked what did you learn at school today from parents will say nothing. This way the parents will be more informed about the day-to-day happenings in the classroom and know about what activities and the progress being made by the kids.
On this first site I made, which is a somewhat hybrid of my technology class and what my classroom site would look like, I created an extra credit corner. As of now I only have a couple links, but as the semester goes by I would post more options. I know some people are not fond of the idea of extra credit, however we all have bad days and bomb assignments, therefore I think some extra credit always on hand is more of an action of grace than a freebie.
We have used google Google Sites in creating our first websites which has been a great experience. I have found that uploading and creating different pages is a breeze with this program. At first I was worried it would be hard to figure out, but to my surprise it was not! Also, there are many different applications which I have not even used yet in creating my site that would be useful to a classroom site. I have not tried any other programs in creating sites, but if anyone reading this loves a different website creator let me know!
Please check out my Website and give me some feedback on more ideas. Keep in mind this is the first time Ihave ever made one, so there are still some kinks to work out!
Back to creating classroom sits, I think foremost it is vital to make it easy to read and navigate through for all the users. Also, for the creator, you, because you don't want to have to set away a ton of time every day or week to update your site. Updating is important for a classroom site. My goal is not to just create a site on the first day and never change a thing, instead use the site as a window of conversation and showcase of student work. By uploading pictures (after getting consent) of projects completed by students, such as digital posters, pictures, concept maps, drawings, or podcast.
Another neat way to use your blog would be to have a classroom blog that is updated through the semester or year. It seems like not matter how cool the lesson at school was seven times out of ten the kids when asked what did you learn at school today from parents will say nothing. This way the parents will be more informed about the day-to-day happenings in the classroom and know about what activities and the progress being made by the kids.
On this first site I made, which is a somewhat hybrid of my technology class and what my classroom site would look like, I created an extra credit corner. As of now I only have a couple links, but as the semester goes by I would post more options. I know some people are not fond of the idea of extra credit, however we all have bad days and bomb assignments, therefore I think some extra credit always on hand is more of an action of grace than a freebie.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Now tell me students don't care....
As I have been pushing through these last couple week of my semester here at UT I have had assignment on top of assignment for my education classes due. Of course, the stress of classes combined with all the little stresses of life through these last weeks leads one to sometimes question what am I doing all this work for?? Will it really make a difference, or am I just cranking out one assignment after another just to mark that off on my planner? After reading this article about happenings in New Jersey yesterday, I am reminded about my long term goal which needs all these small steps in place to accomplish...become a teacher that makes a difference!
We have seen currently the world of education under fire in America, but every now and then something happens that brings a breath of fresh air to this charged topic. Yesterday in New Jersey, due to budget cuts about to happen in different school districts students finally took a stand on how they feel about budget cuts sweeping America to lay-off more and more teachers. Thanks to one young woman making a facebook group calling for a peaceful demonstration to show that students do not want to lose their teachers thousands of students got up out of their classroom desks and marched outside to protest the budget cuts plaguing the atmosphere of the education system. Some picketing signs saying "We love out teachers" and "Dream Killers!" all with one purpose to let the nation know these teachers mean something to these kids, they are not some number on an end of year budget that someone can just cut off, these are human beings, breathing life into these kids everyday, hoping to inspire them to reach their dreams in life. One group of students even walked all the way to City Hall!
Speaking of City Hall, of course this demonstration was not met without a statement from the side of the governing body in New Jersey. The governor, who is the individual taking away funding from the state education system did have something to say, to quote the governor's press secretary, "...students belong in the classroom. “It is also our firm hope that the students were motivated by youthful rebellion or spring fever, and not by encouragement from any one-sided view of the current budget crisis in New Jersey.”
Well, I am glad to hear that the governor thinks students belong in a classroom, but what does he think they are learning in a classroom, to sit and follow directions? If these teachers have touched these students enough so that they are protesting to not lose their beloved teachers, I think these teachers have achieved the overarching job that any educator has...to help guide their students into becoming a global citizen of the world we live in, which entails standing up for what they think is right. Therefore, I think these students were right where they need to be!
Another interesting point to note about this story is the way that this grassroots movement was started. This did not start by a meeting people attended or speeches to rally the masses, but by a social networking group...Facebook! How better to reach kids of this age! It refreshing to see a network that is more associated with broadcasting the next party for members to sign up to attend, was used to call for a demonstration for the greater good!
For the article in NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/28/nyregion/28jersey.html
We have seen currently the world of education under fire in America, but every now and then something happens that brings a breath of fresh air to this charged topic. Yesterday in New Jersey, due to budget cuts about to happen in different school districts students finally took a stand on how they feel about budget cuts sweeping America to lay-off more and more teachers. Thanks to one young woman making a facebook group calling for a peaceful demonstration to show that students do not want to lose their teachers thousands of students got up out of their classroom desks and marched outside to protest the budget cuts plaguing the atmosphere of the education system. Some picketing signs saying "We love out teachers" and "Dream Killers!" all with one purpose to let the nation know these teachers mean something to these kids, they are not some number on an end of year budget that someone can just cut off, these are human beings, breathing life into these kids everyday, hoping to inspire them to reach their dreams in life. One group of students even walked all the way to City Hall!
Speaking of City Hall, of course this demonstration was not met without a statement from the side of the governing body in New Jersey. The governor, who is the individual taking away funding from the state education system did have something to say, to quote the governor's press secretary, "...students belong in the classroom. “It is also our firm hope that the students were motivated by youthful rebellion or spring fever, and not by encouragement from any one-sided view of the current budget crisis in New Jersey.”
Well, I am glad to hear that the governor thinks students belong in a classroom, but what does he think they are learning in a classroom, to sit and follow directions? If these teachers have touched these students enough so that they are protesting to not lose their beloved teachers, I think these teachers have achieved the overarching job that any educator has...to help guide their students into becoming a global citizen of the world we live in, which entails standing up for what they think is right. Therefore, I think these students were right where they need to be!
Another interesting point to note about this story is the way that this grassroots movement was started. This did not start by a meeting people attended or speeches to rally the masses, but by a social networking group...Facebook! How better to reach kids of this age! It refreshing to see a network that is more associated with broadcasting the next party for members to sign up to attend, was used to call for a demonstration for the greater good!
For the article in NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/28/nyregion/28jersey.html
Monday, April 26, 2010
What is a Masters in Education Worth?
Well, being a member of NEA, I of course get countless e-mails about news going on in the education world in America. This morning one article in particular caught my eye, "SC creating Adjunct teaching certification." I read the short summary and decided to browse through the article.
In general, the state of SC State Board of Education has approved a new adjunct teaching certificate that would allow anyone to work as part-time teachers until completely certified. This certificate lasts one year and can be renewed annually. Also, these individuals must have spent at least five out of their last ten year doing something in their, "field of expertise," to qualify.
Honestly, I am not sure where I stand on a bill like this, I see both sides as somewhat valid arguments.
Myself, being in the middle of completing my masters in education because I have been told this is vital in getting a job in the current market is outraged to hear this article. Maybe I should move to South Carolina and apply to be a history teacher (I have been in college for four years and add in one year of high school history, I have met the requirement of doing something in my field for five years) clearly this new certification system is demeaning to anyone that has studied in the field of education. With a law like this why even get your teaching certificate the old-fashioned way of actually interning and taking education classes on psychology, special education, methods, and now technology?
However, the other side poses the argument that this certificate program would attract more individuals in hard to get areas like math or auto mechanics, because they would not have to go back to school to get their teacher's license. Which, honestly if I had a son or daughter on the vocational track would I want a true auto mechanic or someone that had More schooling in education? Or another scenario, if I had a gifted son or daughter that had never been challenged in any math class before and now someone that has been a mathematical engineer for twenty years wants to come teach, I would be excited.
Therefore, I end at this question, "How valuable is a masters in education?" I admire that at my university students are not allowed to major in education and instead must first major in their discipline they plan on teaching along with a minor in another discipline, making you highly qualified and well-versed in your subject before getting an extra minor in education and your masters. But, how important is this program if proposals like this adjunct certification program are out there. Why should we not major in our interest, work for several years, probably making more than a starting teachers salary and then come back and teach if we want to?
The answer, people will say, is that there is much more than knowing the content that goes into being a skillful teacher. This I will agree with, however who is to say that you learn this "extra stuff" in a theory and practice class? Why are these classes called theory? Because you cannot replicate a classroom setting, bottom line. Therefore in my opinion, the most important part of an education program is finishing an internship in a school and having the guidance and support from your program director and professors of how to deal when new scenarios arise that were not found in any of your textbooks!
P.S. For anyone interested in the article:
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/apr/26/state-to-create-adjunct-certification/
In general, the state of SC State Board of Education has approved a new adjunct teaching certificate that would allow anyone to work as part-time teachers until completely certified. This certificate lasts one year and can be renewed annually. Also, these individuals must have spent at least five out of their last ten year doing something in their, "field of expertise," to qualify.
Honestly, I am not sure where I stand on a bill like this, I see both sides as somewhat valid arguments.
Myself, being in the middle of completing my masters in education because I have been told this is vital in getting a job in the current market is outraged to hear this article. Maybe I should move to South Carolina and apply to be a history teacher (I have been in college for four years and add in one year of high school history, I have met the requirement of doing something in my field for five years) clearly this new certification system is demeaning to anyone that has studied in the field of education. With a law like this why even get your teaching certificate the old-fashioned way of actually interning and taking education classes on psychology, special education, methods, and now technology?
However, the other side poses the argument that this certificate program would attract more individuals in hard to get areas like math or auto mechanics, because they would not have to go back to school to get their teacher's license. Which, honestly if I had a son or daughter on the vocational track would I want a true auto mechanic or someone that had More schooling in education? Or another scenario, if I had a gifted son or daughter that had never been challenged in any math class before and now someone that has been a mathematical engineer for twenty years wants to come teach, I would be excited.
Therefore, I end at this question, "How valuable is a masters in education?" I admire that at my university students are not allowed to major in education and instead must first major in their discipline they plan on teaching along with a minor in another discipline, making you highly qualified and well-versed in your subject before getting an extra minor in education and your masters. But, how important is this program if proposals like this adjunct certification program are out there. Why should we not major in our interest, work for several years, probably making more than a starting teachers salary and then come back and teach if we want to?
The answer, people will say, is that there is much more than knowing the content that goes into being a skillful teacher. This I will agree with, however who is to say that you learn this "extra stuff" in a theory and practice class? Why are these classes called theory? Because you cannot replicate a classroom setting, bottom line. Therefore in my opinion, the most important part of an education program is finishing an internship in a school and having the guidance and support from your program director and professors of how to deal when new scenarios arise that were not found in any of your textbooks!
P.S. For anyone interested in the article:
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/apr/26/state-to-create-adjunct-certification/
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
iMovie...Do you movie???
This week through my technology class we worked on making movies with web-based programs and the movie programs with Windows and Macs. I made my first movie using a Mac...it was an experience.
First of all I am a PC User...always have been...therefore I have only recently grown more accustomed to Macs (not sure if I will ever reach the fully accustomed area). After reading the directions and watching a demo...how hard could it be?? Well truthfully, it is not that difficult if you know how to make iMovie behave, which took me several hours to accomplish. However, once I learned which buttons and directions to give each slide the movie making was a fun process!
The best part about this whole process was seeing the movies that other classmates of mine produced. From Chemistry Rules in a lab to great short life story movies, the viewing of all the different movies made the task worthwhile because it displayed how many different uses for movies in a classroom can possess. We had art teaches, chemistry & science, music, history, ESL, geography, and foreign languages all represented in the movies through our class.
My movie is for future use in my Government class. This idea stems from conversations and classes I have had during my teacher training program with professors and mentor teachers. Through many conversations different people stress the importance of not only giving examples for students when teaching concepts, but making sure the examples provided are understood by your students. Therefore, I got to thinking after making an Inspiration chart about how a bill becomes a law at Capitol Hill here in the U.S. , that many if not the majority of my students have never been to the nation's capitol, so let's make a quick movie representing a tour through Washington D.C.! Here it is....
First of all I am a PC User...always have been...therefore I have only recently grown more accustomed to Macs (not sure if I will ever reach the fully accustomed area). After reading the directions and watching a demo...how hard could it be?? Well truthfully, it is not that difficult if you know how to make iMovie behave, which took me several hours to accomplish. However, once I learned which buttons and directions to give each slide the movie making was a fun process!
The best part about this whole process was seeing the movies that other classmates of mine produced. From Chemistry Rules in a lab to great short life story movies, the viewing of all the different movies made the task worthwhile because it displayed how many different uses for movies in a classroom can possess. We had art teaches, chemistry & science, music, history, ESL, geography, and foreign languages all represented in the movies through our class.
My movie is for future use in my Government class. This idea stems from conversations and classes I have had during my teacher training program with professors and mentor teachers. Through many conversations different people stress the importance of not only giving examples for students when teaching concepts, but making sure the examples provided are understood by your students. Therefore, I got to thinking after making an Inspiration chart about how a bill becomes a law at Capitol Hill here in the U.S. , that many if not the majority of my students have never been to the nation's capitol, so let's make a quick movie representing a tour through Washington D.C.! Here it is....
Monday, April 12, 2010
Full Circle of Integration
Integration, "is an act or instance of combining into an integral whole, " by the definition provided by dictionary.com. However, what does integration mean to education today? After a conversation I had with a friend last week in my opinion, integration has come full circle in the world of education...
Last week as I sat having dinner and conversing with a friend she began to ask about how I was coming along in my Teacher Ed. program here at the university, (by the way my friend is nearing sixty while I am still early twenties, to paint a better picture). Well, as I began to talk about my different class in theory and practice, psychology, and special education, eventually we got to talking about my technology class. I started to tell her how the main idea now behind technology in the classroom is integration, meaning that using only power points and word processors are not enough anymore. Now we have Web 2.0 tools involving all web-based content such as blogs, wikis, podcasts, social bookmarking, EPALS, etc.
This was all very new to my friend and she started reminiscing about her days in high school, which would have been in the late 1960s in East Tennessee. But what surprised me was that she loved the new concepts that I was telling her about. She mentioned her seven year old granddaughter and how the girl is always on top of the latest technology gadget and teaches her about the Internet, so it makes perfect sense to need to push for more technology use in the school, because how else can you keep kids attention nowadays???? I laughed telling her how I agree with her point exactly, but sadly not every educator out there does, especially educators with many years of experience getting good results using older methods.
Thus, we continued this topic about integration and specific ways and examples to really integrate in the classroom. Through the end of our conversation she started to laugh, which probed me to ask what she was thinking about, getting an answer that really started to make me think about how the word integration has changed in education. My friend said, looking back to her high school days they also had integration in their classroom but, then in the 1960s it was not technology but the integration of blacks and whites together in her school for the first time!
Wow, was my immediate thought, look how far our world has come that now, about forty years later it is time to integrate again in our schools! However, this time it is not of different races, but instead of new technology!
Therefore, this conversation left me thinking about how much the concept of integration in the classroom has changed through the years,and always for the better. In my opinion, now is the time for more educators to embrace the new concept of integration, if only on the grounds to keep that one kids attention a little longer in class, instead of finding that student gone to another world by listening to a podcast on his ipod.
Last week as I sat having dinner and conversing with a friend she began to ask about how I was coming along in my Teacher Ed. program here at the university, (by the way my friend is nearing sixty while I am still early twenties, to paint a better picture). Well, as I began to talk about my different class in theory and practice, psychology, and special education, eventually we got to talking about my technology class. I started to tell her how the main idea now behind technology in the classroom is integration, meaning that using only power points and word processors are not enough anymore. Now we have Web 2.0 tools involving all web-based content such as blogs, wikis, podcasts, social bookmarking, EPALS, etc.
This was all very new to my friend and she started reminiscing about her days in high school, which would have been in the late 1960s in East Tennessee. But what surprised me was that she loved the new concepts that I was telling her about. She mentioned her seven year old granddaughter and how the girl is always on top of the latest technology gadget and teaches her about the Internet, so it makes perfect sense to need to push for more technology use in the school, because how else can you keep kids attention nowadays???? I laughed telling her how I agree with her point exactly, but sadly not every educator out there does, especially educators with many years of experience getting good results using older methods.
Thus, we continued this topic about integration and specific ways and examples to really integrate in the classroom. Through the end of our conversation she started to laugh, which probed me to ask what she was thinking about, getting an answer that really started to make me think about how the word integration has changed in education. My friend said, looking back to her high school days they also had integration in their classroom but, then in the 1960s it was not technology but the integration of blacks and whites together in her school for the first time!
Wow, was my immediate thought, look how far our world has come that now, about forty years later it is time to integrate again in our schools! However, this time it is not of different races, but instead of new technology!
Therefore, this conversation left me thinking about how much the concept of integration in the classroom has changed through the years,and always for the better. In my opinion, now is the time for more educators to embrace the new concept of integration, if only on the grounds to keep that one kids attention a little longer in class, instead of finding that student gone to another world by listening to a podcast on his ipod.
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