Summary of chapter:
This chapter explained what a wiki was and how it can be used. I found p. 57 bottom paragraph really interesting where it talks about how everyone can edit a wiki with, "no expectation that their contributions will be acknowledged..." I was just having a conversation with a teacher in my building about how everyone used to keep all their lessons, labs, etc to themselves. She said the attitude was "I might be able to publish this someday and make some money." This is a huge shift for people that started teaching that way to share all their resources.
The other part of the chapter I found useful was about Wikipedia. Often in the past I have really harped on, "No Wikipedia". However, I use it a ton to look up facts (how many miles to the sun, etc) that I don't have stuck in my brain, but always get asked. I found it freeing to say that it's OK to use, if you explain to kids the downfalls and to be critically thinking about what they read on there.
Use in classroom:
Two things really struck a chord in this chapter, Wikipedia and classroom textbooks.
I think I will allow my kids to use Wikipedia more if my goal is not research strategy, just finding the science info. There are some projects I do that have info that is hard to find anywhere else!
Textbooks: I have a class set for 8th graders and use it about 5 times a year (and usually for a diagram that could easily be found on the web). I love the idea of putting up a "Mrs. Kramer's Textbook of Earth Science" and having kids edit what they need to know each year. Putting in my powerpoints and other info so that kids that are gone or just don't get it have a place to go to. I think this may take years to do, but would rather do this and have kids have a laptop (or something) rather than spending $$ on textbooks.
I found this site http://www.ischool.org/studentpages/web_design_07/Dianna/science_fun.htm that I think is a good starting point for me on how to arrange a wiki for my class. I could have all the units on the side that we cover and run the same wiki for both my 7th and 8th grade classes.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Scrapbooking Blog
Scrapbook.com has a great blog that shows you ideas for pages, video tutorials on how to do a certain technique, coupons and deals, and ideas for quotes along with other things. This would be a great resource to inspire me and to look to when I'm stuck for wording (which happens often).
http://www.scrapbook.com/blog/
http://www.scrapbook.com/blog/
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Chapter 3: Weblogs Get Started
Summarization of what you learned from the chapter:
One of the golden rules of science teaching is always try a lab on your own before you have a class do it to avoid disasters. The first part of the chapter says basically the same thing about blogs and I think this is something I need to improve on. You don't fully understand the capabilities of a resource until you have played with it yourself.
Another part of the chapter that hit a chord is that we need to show students why it's important to keep blogging and to keep learning. Part of our re-design is to create "life long learners" and in my classroom I try to emphasize why students need to keep learning, especially as new science concepts are developed and refined throughout the years.
I like the ideas for how to start blogging with students. It is generic enough for any content and grade level to at least start with and take it where they want to take it. I now have a lot of questions about my districts policies regarding blogging and how it will work for me!
Application for your classroom:
I always use "Bell Ringer" (warm up) questions to start each class. I'm thinking a good way to start students in my class using the blog would be to post some of these and maybe some links to related sites/blogs that they would have to post on a certain number of times in a unit. Once I get them used to this, then add in some more complex posting/blogging on units later in the year.
One of the golden rules of science teaching is always try a lab on your own before you have a class do it to avoid disasters. The first part of the chapter says basically the same thing about blogs and I think this is something I need to improve on. You don't fully understand the capabilities of a resource until you have played with it yourself.
Another part of the chapter that hit a chord is that we need to show students why it's important to keep blogging and to keep learning. Part of our re-design is to create "life long learners" and in my classroom I try to emphasize why students need to keep learning, especially as new science concepts are developed and refined throughout the years.
I like the ideas for how to start blogging with students. It is generic enough for any content and grade level to at least start with and take it where they want to take it. I now have a lot of questions about my districts policies regarding blogging and how it will work for me!
Application for your classroom:
I always use "Bell Ringer" (warm up) questions to start each class. I'm thinking a good way to start students in my class using the blog would be to post some of these and maybe some links to related sites/blogs that they would have to post on a certain number of times in a unit. Once I get them used to this, then add in some more complex posting/blogging on units later in the year.
Chapter 2: Weblogs
Based on your reading and analysis of the selection, record
Four of the most critical things that you learned from the reading:
1. From Richardson, "Just about every post in his blog has a link, which is a good blog practice." It is what we teach kids about not plagarizing and giving credit to others work.
2. "...blogging is a genre that engages students and adults in a process of thinking in words, not simply an accounting of the day's events or feelings." I guess on Facebook it is just an account of what is going on in my life, not really true "thinking". This will be a shift for kids when using blogging.
3. "Knowledge Management and Articulation" I found this section interesting. One complaint has always been not enough knowledge about what other teams, deparments, grade levels are doing. Maybe a school blog (if teachers were trained to utilize effectively) would be a great place to share ideas with each other. Then teachers could practice with each other first before trying in the classroom with kids.
4. Scaffolding blogging on p. 32 of Richardson. I found the middle school section especially interesting to see where I should start and what I should expect from middle schoolers.
Three connections that you made between your teaching and the reading:
1. The idea of sharing science project results on p. 27. I'm thinking of using this with our Water Quality Testing Unit. In the past I've had students write a "Letter to the Editor" but never really did anything with it. Now I could have students blog about different tests, overall water quality, etc.
2. Connection (p. 31). I'm constantly searching of how to make Earth Science connect to the life of an 8th grader or back to Life or Physical Science. It would be interesting to see what connections students are making that I don't.
3. "Reading to write instead of writing to read." My connection here is to my Life Science 7th graders. At our last PD day I got an idea of a body systems debate from a colleague. I like the idea of kids picking which body system is the most important and having to defend their position, but I dread the day of the actual debate. Some kids not participating, some doing everything, not everyone engaged, wasting a day of class time, etc. I'm thinking this could be a blog instead.??
Two connections to other reading (research) or learning you have had related to the topic of the
reading:
1. E-portfolios (p. 23). We used to have 8th graders do this, but it fell by the wayside. Some of it was due to time limitations and also resources as we burned a CD for each kid.
2.Meridith's Weblog (p. 19). I wish I had this resource when I wrote my thesis. It was a lot of running around trying to find obscure books on diatoms. I had the e-mails of a few scientists in Colorado, England, Canada and Germany that helped, but I bet I would have a more organized way of keeping track of everything through my weblog.
One question you have connected to your practice and your continued inquiry:
1. I'm just wondering how parents will react? Will they be open to this? How has this gone with other teachers in our district that have tried it?
Four of the most critical things that you learned from the reading:
1. From Richardson, "Just about every post in his blog has a link, which is a good blog practice." It is what we teach kids about not plagarizing and giving credit to others work.
2. "...blogging is a genre that engages students and adults in a process of thinking in words, not simply an accounting of the day's events or feelings." I guess on Facebook it is just an account of what is going on in my life, not really true "thinking". This will be a shift for kids when using blogging.
3. "Knowledge Management and Articulation" I found this section interesting. One complaint has always been not enough knowledge about what other teams, deparments, grade levels are doing. Maybe a school blog (if teachers were trained to utilize effectively) would be a great place to share ideas with each other. Then teachers could practice with each other first before trying in the classroom with kids.
4. Scaffolding blogging on p. 32 of Richardson. I found the middle school section especially interesting to see where I should start and what I should expect from middle schoolers.
Three connections that you made between your teaching and the reading:
1. The idea of sharing science project results on p. 27. I'm thinking of using this with our Water Quality Testing Unit. In the past I've had students write a "Letter to the Editor" but never really did anything with it. Now I could have students blog about different tests, overall water quality, etc.
2. Connection (p. 31). I'm constantly searching of how to make Earth Science connect to the life of an 8th grader or back to Life or Physical Science. It would be interesting to see what connections students are making that I don't.
3. "Reading to write instead of writing to read." My connection here is to my Life Science 7th graders. At our last PD day I got an idea of a body systems debate from a colleague. I like the idea of kids picking which body system is the most important and having to defend their position, but I dread the day of the actual debate. Some kids not participating, some doing everything, not everyone engaged, wasting a day of class time, etc. I'm thinking this could be a blog instead.??
Two connections to other reading (research) or learning you have had related to the topic of the
reading:
1. E-portfolios (p. 23). We used to have 8th graders do this, but it fell by the wayside. Some of it was due to time limitations and also resources as we burned a CD for each kid.
2.Meridith's Weblog (p. 19). I wish I had this resource when I wrote my thesis. It was a lot of running around trying to find obscure books on diatoms. I had the e-mails of a few scientists in Colorado, England, Canada and Germany that helped, but I bet I would have a more organized way of keeping track of everything through my weblog.
One question you have connected to your practice and your continued inquiry:
1. I'm just wondering how parents will react? Will they be open to this? How has this gone with other teachers in our district that have tried it?
Chapter 1: The Read Write Web
Based on your reading and analysis of the selection, record
Four of the most critical things that you learned from the reading:
1. "We are no longer limited to being independent readers or consumers of information; as we'll see, we can also be collaborators in the creation of large storehouses of information."
2. In "Extrordinary Changes" it talks about how everything is changing but, "..education has been slow to adapt to these new tools and potentials."
3. On page 5, ..."accounts allow them to be "always on" and always connected. That is their expectation, one that has greatly changed in the past ten years."
4. "Before you attempt to bring these technologies to your students, first be selfish about their use in your own learning practice." I'm glad this class is making me do this, so I will be more comfortable using it with students when I get there!
Three connections that you made between your teaching and the reading:
1. I feel pretty saavy in consuming information off the web and having my students do the same, but I have not been good at the creating of information or having my students create info.
2. Maybe new teachers feel better about sharing on the web, but when I first started everyone said, "be careful, you'll be fired if you use technology wrong." Many teachers (myself included) decided to stay away rather than risk being fired or otherwise getting in trouble. Since I've joined Facebook I realize it's not all "bad" like I felt I was being told and am more open to trying things.
3. If students are expecting to be connected and schools ban them from this connectiveness, I think we are losing them. Makes teachers seem even more out of date.
Two connections to other reading (research) or learning you have had related to the topic of the
reading:
1. I kept thinking back to Tech Bytes that we used to be able to take in August. This is where I would add in more technology to my class, but find it harder now that there is not actually time set aside for it. Wish there was more PD available for tech stuff.
2. Twitter - our school just set up Twitter and our team did on Friday. So I'm learning how to set up the account and Tweet while taking this class!
One question you have connected to your practice and your continued inquiry:
1. As I have been trying to figure out which units/topics this would fit best with, my main question has been how will this logistically (time, computer lab availability, how much instruction for students, how many posts, etc) work in my classroom?
Four of the most critical things that you learned from the reading:
1. "We are no longer limited to being independent readers or consumers of information; as we'll see, we can also be collaborators in the creation of large storehouses of information."
2. In "Extrordinary Changes" it talks about how everything is changing but, "..education has been slow to adapt to these new tools and potentials."
3. On page 5, ..."accounts allow them to be "always on" and always connected. That is their expectation, one that has greatly changed in the past ten years."
4. "Before you attempt to bring these technologies to your students, first be selfish about their use in your own learning practice." I'm glad this class is making me do this, so I will be more comfortable using it with students when I get there!
Three connections that you made between your teaching and the reading:
1. I feel pretty saavy in consuming information off the web and having my students do the same, but I have not been good at the creating of information or having my students create info.
2. Maybe new teachers feel better about sharing on the web, but when I first started everyone said, "be careful, you'll be fired if you use technology wrong." Many teachers (myself included) decided to stay away rather than risk being fired or otherwise getting in trouble. Since I've joined Facebook I realize it's not all "bad" like I felt I was being told and am more open to trying things.
3. If students are expecting to be connected and schools ban them from this connectiveness, I think we are losing them. Makes teachers seem even more out of date.
Two connections to other reading (research) or learning you have had related to the topic of the
reading:
1. I kept thinking back to Tech Bytes that we used to be able to take in August. This is where I would add in more technology to my class, but find it harder now that there is not actually time set aside for it. Wish there was more PD available for tech stuff.
2. Twitter - our school just set up Twitter and our team did on Friday. So I'm learning how to set up the account and Tweet while taking this class!
One question you have connected to your practice and your continued inquiry:
1. As I have been trying to figure out which units/topics this would fit best with, my main question has been how will this logistically (time, computer lab availability, how much instruction for students, how many posts, etc) work in my classroom?
Thursday, February 3, 2011
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