From Toy to Tool
By Liz Kolb.
Liz Kolb’s first impression of the use of cell phones in the is that they should be banned. After realizing that cell phones are an integral part of her students’ everyday existence, she has since started to rethink this idea. In her article she goes on to tell how students can use their cell phones as a learning "tool" instead of simply as a "toy." She suggests ways that students can be taught to use their cell phone to their benefit and how to use them as a resource in their education. For example, they can use their cell phones to create blogs, collect and store data, and develop multimedia projects. The author also outlines some of her concerns when it comes to audioblogging. These include privacy, copyright, control and cost issues, but despite these concerns, the potential benefits of using audioblogging are numerous.
Questions:
How can we protect our students’ privacy while they are creating audioblogs?
One solution is to use a password-protected blog site such as blogzy.com or have the students post blogs that focus on interviews or research information and not on student journals.
How can teachers control the way in which the students are using the phones within the classroom?
The teacher can give the students boundaries. For example, they can only bring their cell phones when they are being used for an assignment or the teacher could set up a social contract with his/her students. Most importantly the teacher should collaborate with the parents and administrators and let them know how the cell phones are going to used within the classroom.
Friday, May 4, 2007
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Journal 3
Video in the Age of Participation
By Glen Bull.
This article discusses the use of digital video in the classroom as a tool for learning. It states, “digital video is the next frontier in the technology world.” Teachers have been bringing videos into the classroom for years, but it is hard to tag the specific parts of the video that may be relevant to whatever the lesson may be about. Digital video allows the teachers to cut up the video and use the parts that pertain to what they are teaching. As of yet there is no direct connection between digital footage that can be found on the web and teachers’ instructional objectives, therefore it is up to the teacher to link these learning resources and learning objectives.
Questions:
How could a teacher incorporate a digital video into a lesson plan?
I feel that it would be fairly easy to do this. For example, a teacher could be having a Geography lesson on Africa and they could incorporate digital video of different places or people. This could be a video that shows a native ritual dance therefore the teacher is bringing an element of African culture into the classroom.
What are some of the positive on incorporating digital video into the classroom?
It allows the teacher to bring an element of media into the classroom that may be more engaging for the student. It also allows the teacher to clip videos and show the relevant parts. I can not even begin to recount the numerous times I have been forced to sit through a whole video that was uninteresting and half of it did not really apply to what we are learning.
By Glen Bull.
This article discusses the use of digital video in the classroom as a tool for learning. It states, “digital video is the next frontier in the technology world.” Teachers have been bringing videos into the classroom for years, but it is hard to tag the specific parts of the video that may be relevant to whatever the lesson may be about. Digital video allows the teachers to cut up the video and use the parts that pertain to what they are teaching. As of yet there is no direct connection between digital footage that can be found on the web and teachers’ instructional objectives, therefore it is up to the teacher to link these learning resources and learning objectives.
Questions:
How could a teacher incorporate a digital video into a lesson plan?
I feel that it would be fairly easy to do this. For example, a teacher could be having a Geography lesson on Africa and they could incorporate digital video of different places or people. This could be a video that shows a native ritual dance therefore the teacher is bringing an element of African culture into the classroom.
What are some of the positive on incorporating digital video into the classroom?
It allows the teacher to bring an element of media into the classroom that may be more engaging for the student. It also allows the teacher to clip videos and show the relevant parts. I can not even begin to recount the numerous times I have been forced to sit through a whole video that was uninteresting and half of it did not really apply to what we are learning.
Journal 2
Breathing Fire into Web 2.0
By Justin Hardman and David Carpenter.
This article discusses how schools are not keeping up with today’s tech-savvy students and it highlights the steps or changes that need to be taken so that schools can become fully engaged with the Web 2.0 world. The Hong Kong International School (HKIS) has created a virtual learning community called myDragonNet. Its success is explored in this article. David Hardman was hired to enhance and fully develop this tool. He designed it to reflect the ways teachers and students actually work. MyDragonNet allows teachers, students, parents, and administrators to collaborate and communicate, manage classroom curriculum, and create electronic portfolios. All of this combined creates a more productive educational community.
Questions:
What are the benefits?
I feel that this type of multi-faceted virtual learning community promotes a more inclusive learning environment. It allows teachers, students, and parents access to each other on a more regular basis. A concern that I hear all the time among educators is how can we get more involvement from the parents. I feel like this may be the answer to that question. People live busy lives and do not always have the time to sit down for a one-on-one meeting, a tool like myDragonNet allows more options and it is not as time restrictive.
What are some potential downfalls?
MyDragonNet seems like an awesome idea on paper, but how realistic is it in terms of implementing this type of tool in schools throughout an entire district. What would be the cost? In the article it only discusses it being used in a single school and the cost to maintain it is not mentioned at all, so I guess that is what I am curious about and in the long run I think the money needed to launch a system like this would be its greatest downfall.
By Justin Hardman and David Carpenter.
This article discusses how schools are not keeping up with today’s tech-savvy students and it highlights the steps or changes that need to be taken so that schools can become fully engaged with the Web 2.0 world. The Hong Kong International School (HKIS) has created a virtual learning community called myDragonNet. Its success is explored in this article. David Hardman was hired to enhance and fully develop this tool. He designed it to reflect the ways teachers and students actually work. MyDragonNet allows teachers, students, parents, and administrators to collaborate and communicate, manage classroom curriculum, and create electronic portfolios. All of this combined creates a more productive educational community.
Questions:
What are the benefits?
I feel that this type of multi-faceted virtual learning community promotes a more inclusive learning environment. It allows teachers, students, and parents access to each other on a more regular basis. A concern that I hear all the time among educators is how can we get more involvement from the parents. I feel like this may be the answer to that question. People live busy lives and do not always have the time to sit down for a one-on-one meeting, a tool like myDragonNet allows more options and it is not as time restrictive.
What are some potential downfalls?
MyDragonNet seems like an awesome idea on paper, but how realistic is it in terms of implementing this type of tool in schools throughout an entire district. What would be the cost? In the article it only discusses it being used in a single school and the cost to maintain it is not mentioned at all, so I guess that is what I am curious about and in the long run I think the money needed to launch a system like this would be its greatest downfall.
Journal 1
Finding New Ways to Connect:
Professors adjust their methods to reach technological-savvy generation
By Eleanor Yany Su
The article begins by discusses how Beth Simon, a professor at the University of California San Diego, handles instructing students in her class while a third of them are playing video games, e-mailing, watching videos, or text-messaging. She constantly quizzes the student’s understanding of concepts by using software she created, she keeps her lectures short, and asks a lot of questions. The article goes on to explain how colleges are changing due to the Millennial Generation, or what some call "Generation Y" or “Echo Boomers,” (those that were born between the 80's and early 90's). Nearly half of all colleges have implemented some type of online course management tool and the amount of multimedia devices that are used in the classroom are constantly increasing. Many instructors find teaching this generation frustrating and exhilarating at the same time. They say it is hard to adjust their teaching style to meet the students’ expectations for multimedia components, but rewarding to connect with more of them through technology.
Questions:
What are some of the advantages to incorporating technology into the classroom?
It makes communication easier for the students and instructor and accessing course material is also more convenient. I am a huge fan of using the least amount of paper possible and posting information online that would otherwise have to be printed out and given to the students saves trees! Technology is constantly evolving and there are new tools being introduced all the time that makes the instruction/learning environment easier and more effective for all involved.
What are some of the downfall to having students constantly multitask?
As a teacher I would be put off if the majority of my class was constantly shifting their attention between my lectures and their personal business. I think that it is fine for the students to bring their laptops into class as long as they are using it to take notes. On the other hand if they are checking their Myspace accounts or sending text messages that is just disrespectful and I would have a hard time tolerating it in my class.
Professors adjust their methods to reach technological-savvy generation
By Eleanor Yany Su
The article begins by discusses how Beth Simon, a professor at the University of California San Diego, handles instructing students in her class while a third of them are playing video games, e-mailing, watching videos, or text-messaging. She constantly quizzes the student’s understanding of concepts by using software she created, she keeps her lectures short, and asks a lot of questions. The article goes on to explain how colleges are changing due to the Millennial Generation, or what some call "Generation Y" or “Echo Boomers,” (those that were born between the 80's and early 90's). Nearly half of all colleges have implemented some type of online course management tool and the amount of multimedia devices that are used in the classroom are constantly increasing. Many instructors find teaching this generation frustrating and exhilarating at the same time. They say it is hard to adjust their teaching style to meet the students’ expectations for multimedia components, but rewarding to connect with more of them through technology.
Questions:
What are some of the advantages to incorporating technology into the classroom?
It makes communication easier for the students and instructor and accessing course material is also more convenient. I am a huge fan of using the least amount of paper possible and posting information online that would otherwise have to be printed out and given to the students saves trees! Technology is constantly evolving and there are new tools being introduced all the time that makes the instruction/learning environment easier and more effective for all involved.
What are some of the downfall to having students constantly multitask?
As a teacher I would be put off if the majority of my class was constantly shifting their attention between my lectures and their personal business. I think that it is fine for the students to bring their laptops into class as long as they are using it to take notes. On the other hand if they are checking their Myspace accounts or sending text messages that is just disrespectful and I would have a hard time tolerating it in my class.
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