http://s461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/broncoblack/
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Uses for Social Bookmarking
My head has been spinning with all this new stuff I now have at my disposal, what with trying to figure out how to make it all work and then what to do with it. But I think the light bulb just turned on, hopefully it will shine bright and not dim. I'll write it down and you all can comment to tell me where my thinking is flawed.
The RSS is for our personal use, keeping track of web sites we like to visit.
The delicious web site is for places we like to visit AND we can share them with others.
The blog is where we brag about all the cool stuff we know. Aha I believe that's it in a nutshell for me. Now that I have the big picture what can I do with these resources?
I'm thinking that the social bookmark part can be used as a homework hot line kind of thing. Parents and kids can find all kinds of help in one place. The teacher could have a personal web page that lists the homework for the night, or week or whatever. The pages that need to be read, perhaps problems {math} or questions that needed to be answered. Also, some web sites for homework help, places the kids could go to ask questions from a real live person, or places like Wikipedia where they could find informational answers. The Social Studies and Science teachers could have links to places like the History channel or National Geographic to see videos of whatever topics are being discussed in class.
This could also be a place where students grades could be posted, anonymously of course. I am assuming all students have some sort of student ID number, using this number the grades could be placed on the internet. Parents and students know their own number and can see their current grade, perhaps using a Word table document or an Excel spreadsheet. Small comments could be added, i.e. wastes time in class, has many missing assignments, poor test scores, etc.
Chapter One, What Field Did You Say You Were In?
I know this is dating myself but here goes. I can remember when it was a big deal to watch a movie in school. There really weren't that many films for education thus we didn't see a lot of them, thus it was a big deal when we did. I must also say that we had the most recent technology when the film projector was self threading. The teachers made a big deal out of that, wouldn't they be surprised to see a video streaming through a computer. We even had an audio visual aide-- some kid who was allowed to deliver the film projectors to the class rooms.
I believe we are still struggling with part 2 of the 1970 definition today. How are we as teachers going to bring the use of technology into the classroom to be used as an aide in the learning process? Presently most of the educators I know are still teaching how to use computers, showing the students what a computer can do and how to make it work, that is much different than using technology as a learning tool.
It appears to me that as the use of technology increased in schools the need to re-define the name of what we are doing became essential. A few years ago we had media specialists who had taken over for librarians, now even that name has disappeared because the media has become so broad no one can be a specialist in the whole media realm. Just as the person working in the library has broadened their horizons, so also has the field of Instructional Technology. It can't help but to keep re defining itself as the use of technology continues to expand. Every year the possibilities of learning and growing with technology increases it's almost impossible to keep up with it all, it's growing so rapidly. So then the definition must also grow and change with the times.
I noticed that very little if anything was said about students and education, the focus seems to be more on the workplace. I don't really have a problem with that, I believe the schools are trying to help make people in the workplace better employees by giving them some instruction with the technology available. Apparently the state government agrees because they have written into the law that computer benchmarks must be met before a student can graduate.
The RSS is for our personal use, keeping track of web sites we like to visit.
The delicious web site is for places we like to visit AND we can share them with others.
The blog is where we brag about all the cool stuff we know. Aha I believe that's it in a nutshell for me. Now that I have the big picture what can I do with these resources?
I'm thinking that the social bookmark part can be used as a homework hot line kind of thing. Parents and kids can find all kinds of help in one place. The teacher could have a personal web page that lists the homework for the night, or week or whatever. The pages that need to be read, perhaps problems {math} or questions that needed to be answered. Also, some web sites for homework help, places the kids could go to ask questions from a real live person, or places like Wikipedia where they could find informational answers. The Social Studies and Science teachers could have links to places like the History channel or National Geographic to see videos of whatever topics are being discussed in class.
This could also be a place where students grades could be posted, anonymously of course. I am assuming all students have some sort of student ID number, using this number the grades could be placed on the internet. Parents and students know their own number and can see their current grade, perhaps using a Word table document or an Excel spreadsheet. Small comments could be added, i.e. wastes time in class, has many missing assignments, poor test scores, etc.
Chapter One, What Field Did You Say You Were In?
I know this is dating myself but here goes. I can remember when it was a big deal to watch a movie in school. There really weren't that many films for education thus we didn't see a lot of them, thus it was a big deal when we did. I must also say that we had the most recent technology when the film projector was self threading. The teachers made a big deal out of that, wouldn't they be surprised to see a video streaming through a computer. We even had an audio visual aide-- some kid who was allowed to deliver the film projectors to the class rooms.
I believe we are still struggling with part 2 of the 1970 definition today. How are we as teachers going to bring the use of technology into the classroom to be used as an aide in the learning process? Presently most of the educators I know are still teaching how to use computers, showing the students what a computer can do and how to make it work, that is much different than using technology as a learning tool.
It appears to me that as the use of technology increased in schools the need to re-define the name of what we are doing became essential. A few years ago we had media specialists who had taken over for librarians, now even that name has disappeared because the media has become so broad no one can be a specialist in the whole media realm. Just as the person working in the library has broadened their horizons, so also has the field of Instructional Technology. It can't help but to keep re defining itself as the use of technology continues to expand. Every year the possibilities of learning and growing with technology increases it's almost impossible to keep up with it all, it's growing so rapidly. So then the definition must also grow and change with the times.
I noticed that very little if anything was said about students and education, the focus seems to be more on the workplace. I don't really have a problem with that, I believe the schools are trying to help make people in the workplace better employees by giving them some instruction with the technology available. Apparently the state government agrees because they have written into the law that computer benchmarks must be met before a student can graduate.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Wiki page
I found it interesting that group work over the internet is similar to an actual classroom setting. Everyone has to agree on a format, and the work needs to be split up. Then it is up to the integrity of each individual to complete their portion of the assignment. I'm guessing that each group had one person in it that was very concerned about the grade that would be assigned to the group project, in my experience this person would make sure that the project met all the objectives and looked good, because their individual grade was influenced by the work of the others in the group. While I understand that the educational world places a high value on group work, stating that lots of learning goes on between members of the group, as a teacher I have shied away from group work. When I did group projects a few years ago I observed a few things that made me give them up. First and foremost is the idea that I stated above, the student that was most concerned about their grade put in the most work on the project. If I put the kids into groups the way the "educational experts" suggest this would mean one or two students did all the work, while the others in the group socialized. If I allowed the students to choose their own groups then, naturally, they worked with friends, so I ended up with some really terrific projects and some junk. In the end I never really saw the outcome that the experts always predict will happen, that the lower kids will learn from the higher kids. Consequently I don't do group projects anymore!!!
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Reflecting on Education
Reflections on Beyond Technology Integration:
As I read through this article a couple of statements jumped out at me that I will comment on. First, the author states that the educational system needs to switch it focus from "advancement of the fittest" to "advancement of all". This I believe is the same theory as No Child Left Behind, which, in my opinion, will soon fail because ALL children will never be able to graduate from high school. Some do not have the will power to stick it out, some have no desire to stick it out, and some will never be able to do Algebra II in order to graduate, myself included in the Algebra II category.
However, if you look back in history to the beginning of public education in America it was the desire of the powers that be that children of all social classes be able to attend school. This would allow all citizens the ability to read and understand what was going on in the government, thereby allowing every one to form their own opinion about who should run the country and how it should be done. Once again, the idea of "advancement of all" not just the ruling class.
Second, the idea was presented that children all learn at different rates. This I agree with. Also, a child should be able to master a topic and then move on to the next topic at their own speed. Thsi idea is great in theory, but lets look at the practically of it. Two students progressing at their own pace, both students end up in the same class, one student is 16 years old making steady progress, the other is 12 also making steady progress. The problem becomes a social one. The 16 year old could be far more sophisicated is the social setting than the 12 year old. Would the 16 year old be willing to work in a group with a 12 year old? and vice versa. What if the 12 year old is the only one in the class with all 16 year olds, who will that child be able to relate to? Are the parents of the 12 year old going to voice any concerns about their child being in a group with all older students?
Today, high school ends for students when they are about 18 years old. How long should the public education system allow a student to remain enrolled in order to complete their high school education. In the article you could argue that a student should be able to remain as long as they desire as long as they are making progress. If they are not making any progress will the student remain in school forever??
Reflections on Luddites:
I would like to start at the end of this article which poses the question, "What exactly is the business of schools?" and reflect on that for a bit.
I believe the author is correct in the statement that technology will not fix all that is wrong with education and society today. Technology, mainly computers, in schools is just another tool for the teacher to use to educate students. It's no different than the evolution of the black board. Long ago students had their own writing tablets to do their work. Large chalk boards placed in the front of the room allowed the teacher to put information in front of students so everyone could see it at once. The chalk was dusty and created cool puffy white clouds when the erasers were clapped together. The white board solved the problem of the chalk dust, it also let the teacher use color markers, but the ink smelled awful. Then came the smart white board allowing the teachers even more creativity in presenting material if they have the time to figure out how to use them effectively. I could draw the same parallels with technology, the typewriter being just one example. The keyboard hasn't changed in recent history, you use the same fingers to hit the same keys, the words appear as the keys are hit. The difference is how much easier it is to fix a mistake, how much more creative you can be with a virtual piece of paper instead of an actual piece of paper.
So back to the question, What is the business of schools today? In my opinion it is: give students a solid base of learning so that they can live in our society. It includes the basics, reading, writing, arithmatic, and computers because everything runs on computers these days. And, OH, by the way, add some character and self-esteem building, drug, alcohol, health, sex, economics, money management, positive behavior, problem solving, and group work. Make sure the students are being fed, and well cared for at home. If something else goes wrong in society you can be sure it will be put on the schools to fix it. Cram all that stuff into 6 hours a day for 180 days. And just to make things interesting we'll give the students five years of living and growing before we start educating them.
As I read through this article a couple of statements jumped out at me that I will comment on. First, the author states that the educational system needs to switch it focus from "advancement of the fittest" to "advancement of all". This I believe is the same theory as No Child Left Behind, which, in my opinion, will soon fail because ALL children will never be able to graduate from high school. Some do not have the will power to stick it out, some have no desire to stick it out, and some will never be able to do Algebra II in order to graduate, myself included in the Algebra II category.
However, if you look back in history to the beginning of public education in America it was the desire of the powers that be that children of all social classes be able to attend school. This would allow all citizens the ability to read and understand what was going on in the government, thereby allowing every one to form their own opinion about who should run the country and how it should be done. Once again, the idea of "advancement of all" not just the ruling class.
Second, the idea was presented that children all learn at different rates. This I agree with. Also, a child should be able to master a topic and then move on to the next topic at their own speed. Thsi idea is great in theory, but lets look at the practically of it. Two students progressing at their own pace, both students end up in the same class, one student is 16 years old making steady progress, the other is 12 also making steady progress. The problem becomes a social one. The 16 year old could be far more sophisicated is the social setting than the 12 year old. Would the 16 year old be willing to work in a group with a 12 year old? and vice versa. What if the 12 year old is the only one in the class with all 16 year olds, who will that child be able to relate to? Are the parents of the 12 year old going to voice any concerns about their child being in a group with all older students?
Today, high school ends for students when they are about 18 years old. How long should the public education system allow a student to remain enrolled in order to complete their high school education. In the article you could argue that a student should be able to remain as long as they desire as long as they are making progress. If they are not making any progress will the student remain in school forever??
Reflections on Luddites:
I would like to start at the end of this article which poses the question, "What exactly is the business of schools?" and reflect on that for a bit.
I believe the author is correct in the statement that technology will not fix all that is wrong with education and society today. Technology, mainly computers, in schools is just another tool for the teacher to use to educate students. It's no different than the evolution of the black board. Long ago students had their own writing tablets to do their work. Large chalk boards placed in the front of the room allowed the teacher to put information in front of students so everyone could see it at once. The chalk was dusty and created cool puffy white clouds when the erasers were clapped together. The white board solved the problem of the chalk dust, it also let the teacher use color markers, but the ink smelled awful. Then came the smart white board allowing the teachers even more creativity in presenting material if they have the time to figure out how to use them effectively. I could draw the same parallels with technology, the typewriter being just one example. The keyboard hasn't changed in recent history, you use the same fingers to hit the same keys, the words appear as the keys are hit. The difference is how much easier it is to fix a mistake, how much more creative you can be with a virtual piece of paper instead of an actual piece of paper.
So back to the question, What is the business of schools today? In my opinion it is: give students a solid base of learning so that they can live in our society. It includes the basics, reading, writing, arithmatic, and computers because everything runs on computers these days. And, OH, by the way, add some character and self-esteem building, drug, alcohol, health, sex, economics, money management, positive behavior, problem solving, and group work. Make sure the students are being fed, and well cared for at home. If something else goes wrong in society you can be sure it will be put on the schools to fix it. Cram all that stuff into 6 hours a day for 180 days. And just to make things interesting we'll give the students five years of living and growing before we start educating them.
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