Thursday, May 6, 2010
Convincing administrators about Web 2.0 in the classroom
I am extremely fortunate in having a building and a district that embraces technology in the classroom. Our administration reserves the right to question our use of technology (ensuring we are using it as the best resource not as the cool thing the kids will like). We do not have extensive struggles with implementing lesson plans and curriculum with technology components. If we can justify the educational purpose and the cost, if there is one, is reasonable, we are often able to get their support and access to the resources needed for such implementation. I jsut met with my building's LMS to discuss the support and availability of technology in my classroom for nedxt year. Not only was she ready to help and support, she encouraged me to pursue a few additional technology pieces. I have not met recently with my building principal on these thoughts but am fairly confident that she can be convinced of the pedagogical sense of this technology and will lend her support as well.
Delicious Reflection
One of the first things I thought when looking at the delicious website was that someone had a strange sense of humor in naming the site. I had a hard time surpressing a giggle when I would mention my Delicious websites. In using it with this class and exploring the tool more, I have come to realize that that what makes this so delicious is the powerful effect it can have on student learning.
Through the tagging system, students can organize and access the sites they find helpful without all the unnceessary pop-ups, ads, shopping and product pitches with a standard search-engine. With Delicious these tagged sites are available with any computer not limited to a specific computer or one connected to a specific server. The flexibility is a key feature because it accomodates the mobility of our students. They truly can access it from at any time.
When looking at the sites found by the class I did find a few which I will add to my own list. I tended towards those that assisted with technology and curriculum integration, my age level and my content area. I found that many of us had similar tags which helped in the sharing process.
I did make some changes in my tagging as time went on. I typically used the same tags, working different sites into the existing tags. I did add new tags as new topics became part of my information gathering. I tried to use multiple tags so I could access the information even if I didn't bookmark it or couldn't remember how I got to a particular page. I know I need to get in the habit of tagging and saving pages the first time I consider them interesting so I don't lose them. I did find myself often using the recommended tags when they coincided with my tags but I did not follow only the recommended tags for any sites. I think thsi is good because this is my thought process organizing my sites and no body thinks exactly like me (My husband can vouch for that, as can my children and my students). To easily be able to return to saved sites, tey need to be organized and tagged in a way that makes sense according to my twisted little brain.
Since I am going to be implementing Diigo accounts with my Spanish I students next fall, I have been thinking about how I will teach them about tagging. I will have access and moderator privileges so I can manage the information when needed but it is better to teach them to properly manage their account on their own. For the same reasons I did not merely accept the tags of all others all the time, my students will need to be able to tag their own contributions. I think the best methods, in my \discussion on this with my Library Media Specialist, would be to walk through and demo what we can do and then have them complete a training exercise similar to a webquest but using the social bookmarking tool.
I did not purposefully bundle tags together but I did explora how to use that feature in this program. It would be helpfult o have similar categories of sites connected loosely similar to the "related links" that come inherently on cedrtain websites. This could help a student review information from a whole semester just before exam time, or a class could organize the many facets of the story surrounding Picasso's Guernica such as the basque history, ETA and other separatist groups, etc. They could separate grammar practice sites like Quia.com from the the culture sites we will have like those dealing with our imaginary shopping trip to El Corte Ingles in Valencia, Spain. Tag clouds and tag bundling help students see what they have already associated and how others see those same resources. This is very helpful in collaborative work when you must learn to share brain power in order to be successful.
I started using Annotations and found that I needed more time to get a list of sites organized if they were to all have annotations. The annotations are helpful in communicating with others what makes a particular site so helpful and noteworthy. Without this detail, it would be easy to dismiss sites others bookmark and tag if the tags and site content don't seem connected. Annotations allow us to clear thos misunderstandings which enhances cooperation and collaboration.
The network, follow and shared tags would be effective ways to extend one sphere of professional development to encompass teachers of the same content area outside your building, district or even state. This would be helpful in sharing ideas for collaboration on presentations at the state conference and workshop or to connect with colleague using the same textbook but in other districts. I found I had many tags and interests with those at my grade level and content area as well as those who had similar technology reluctances.
As already stated, I intend to use Diigo (has a nice Spanish connotation though that is mere coincidence) with my students next school year. I look forward to being able to share with them consistent and organized websites in a format that they can access from any computer rather than the restrictions already identified which Delicious, Diigo and similar programs supercede. My students will be able to collaborate at an unprecedented level. I think it would even be helpful in communicating with other Spanish I students in my building anm.d my district. Ideally, they could even communicate outside of our district, perhaps share ideas about Velasquez's Las Meninas with the Prado museam's scholar program. The information and technology possibilities are endless.
Through the tagging system, students can organize and access the sites they find helpful without all the unnceessary pop-ups, ads, shopping and product pitches with a standard search-engine. With Delicious these tagged sites are available with any computer not limited to a specific computer or one connected to a specific server. The flexibility is a key feature because it accomodates the mobility of our students. They truly can access it from at any time.
When looking at the sites found by the class I did find a few which I will add to my own list. I tended towards those that assisted with technology and curriculum integration, my age level and my content area. I found that many of us had similar tags which helped in the sharing process.
I did make some changes in my tagging as time went on. I typically used the same tags, working different sites into the existing tags. I did add new tags as new topics became part of my information gathering. I tried to use multiple tags so I could access the information even if I didn't bookmark it or couldn't remember how I got to a particular page. I know I need to get in the habit of tagging and saving pages the first time I consider them interesting so I don't lose them. I did find myself often using the recommended tags when they coincided with my tags but I did not follow only the recommended tags for any sites. I think thsi is good because this is my thought process organizing my sites and no body thinks exactly like me (My husband can vouch for that, as can my children and my students). To easily be able to return to saved sites, tey need to be organized and tagged in a way that makes sense according to my twisted little brain.
Since I am going to be implementing Diigo accounts with my Spanish I students next fall, I have been thinking about how I will teach them about tagging. I will have access and moderator privileges so I can manage the information when needed but it is better to teach them to properly manage their account on their own. For the same reasons I did not merely accept the tags of all others all the time, my students will need to be able to tag their own contributions. I think the best methods, in my \discussion on this with my Library Media Specialist, would be to walk through and demo what we can do and then have them complete a training exercise similar to a webquest but using the social bookmarking tool.
I did not purposefully bundle tags together but I did explora how to use that feature in this program. It would be helpfult o have similar categories of sites connected loosely similar to the "related links" that come inherently on cedrtain websites. This could help a student review information from a whole semester just before exam time, or a class could organize the many facets of the story surrounding Picasso's Guernica such as the basque history, ETA and other separatist groups, etc. They could separate grammar practice sites like Quia.com from the the culture sites we will have like those dealing with our imaginary shopping trip to El Corte Ingles in Valencia, Spain. Tag clouds and tag bundling help students see what they have already associated and how others see those same resources. This is very helpful in collaborative work when you must learn to share brain power in order to be successful.
I started using Annotations and found that I needed more time to get a list of sites organized if they were to all have annotations. The annotations are helpful in communicating with others what makes a particular site so helpful and noteworthy. Without this detail, it would be easy to dismiss sites others bookmark and tag if the tags and site content don't seem connected. Annotations allow us to clear thos misunderstandings which enhances cooperation and collaboration.
The network, follow and shared tags would be effective ways to extend one sphere of professional development to encompass teachers of the same content area outside your building, district or even state. This would be helpful in sharing ideas for collaboration on presentations at the state conference and workshop or to connect with colleague using the same textbook but in other districts. I found I had many tags and interests with those at my grade level and content area as well as those who had similar technology reluctances.
As already stated, I intend to use Diigo (has a nice Spanish connotation though that is mere coincidence) with my students next school year. I look forward to being able to share with them consistent and organized websites in a format that they can access from any computer rather than the restrictions already identified which Delicious, Diigo and similar programs supercede. My students will be able to collaborate at an unprecedented level. I think it would even be helpful in communicating with other Spanish I students in my building anm.d my district. Ideally, they could even communicate outside of our district, perhaps share ideas about Velasquez's Las Meninas with the Prado museam's scholar program. The information and technology possibilities are endless.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Outside of class Tech tool
Our district just added a new piece of technology designed to help students who struggle with reading and writing skills. It is called Read Write Gold and has a reader which can be used with any word or pdf or internet document. When you highlight the text it will say it for you. The pronunciation can be off at times but it has helped some of our lowest readers and our ELL students. We have found it comes with a Spanish voice option so I look forward to usin that with my students. It also has English writing prompts and several other tools. I don't have a link to an internet example or resource but I think Library Media or Reading Specialists would be able to help you find it if you are interested. I will be looking at how I can make it available to my students, especially when I am not at school because my kids are sick.
Check it out and tell me what you think!
Check it out and tell me what you think!
Tech Tool-Collaborative drawing
I think this is an interesting tool. I have some concerns about my middle school students and what they would draw without rigid guidelines but I like the idea of them sharing their drawing with others. I think for my class this would be a great tool for vocabulary practice and proficiency. It could be a partner exercise where one person speaks in Spanish describing a scene or a story and the other partner would then draw based on their understanding. The teacher could check vocab comprehension. this could even be done with a podcast and the drawing tool. I look forward to experimenting with thismore.
Tech tool - Mindmapping
I have used Inspiration before and have seen it on a shared network like my district has. I have seen it used to brainstorm ideas in class on a Smartboard or even whiteboard /chalkboard. I like the idea of it being web accessable so students can all contribute to it as they continue their independent work once the class brainstorming session is over. I also like the idea of students being able to enter the words and the mindmap being drawn for them. i see this as effective with some of our special education students who know the key words for a lesson or project but can't see the connection themselves. As a related Arts teacher I have the students while their core teachers and learning strategists have team meeting or prep so my in-class support is limited. This is a tool the students could access for themselves to organize their thoughts. (See upcoming post on Read Write Gold for another great tool to help with writing skills.)
I see this working for my students to organize grammar concepts visually, collaborate on research ideas and focus their energies when reading or writing. I will add this to my list of integrated technology.
I see this working for my students to organize grammar concepts visually, collaborate on research ideas and focus their energies when reading or writing. I will add this to my list of integrated technology.
New tool - Google Earth
One of the tools I explored was GoogleEarth. Nicely presented information helped me see this as a potentially useful Web 2.0 tool for my Spanish classes. The privacy issue does concernc me but I think knowing it has this concern will help me prepare my students in advance and set boundaries before we use GoogleEarth. I thought of several possible uses in my classroom, assuming we have addressed the privacy and appropriate issues concern. It would be a great tool for a cultural fantasy trip. Helena Curtain taught me how to use a few simple props and decorations to create an imaginary trip in a world Language classrroom and I think she would love this tool. I could take students on a prepared tour of Mexico City and show them where key sites are, we could analyze the unbeleivable growth of this city over time, and see the street view of places I am not able to physically take my middle schol students. I could see using it to have students plan a virtual vacation to a Spanish speaking country. I even thought about using its images with voicethread (if that is possible (help me tech-gurus)to discuss places or use vocabulary to describe locations and have them be authentic rather than the sketches in our text-only but what they might actually see if they traveled. I will definitely keep exploring this tool for implementation with my students.
Twitter in the classroom
I have been looking at curriculum revision and technology integration for next year, using this class, this year and this summer to get my skills somewhere close to what my students can do. I have really been thinking about how microblogging could be used in the classroom. I am concentrating more on the internet version of rather than the cell-phone because of district policy with cell phones in school. I am leaning towards a more secure site such as Edomo because students could do quick posts and share thoughts while working on projects. It would also be a great reminder and quick communication device from me the teacher should we need it. Though initially I balked at twitter in the classroom (having discussed in staff meetings the overdramatized microdisasters of the lives of my middle schoolers communicated via twitter), I admit I have changed my mind. The difference to me is the parameters set by the teacher. I see how it can be beneficial with the proper guidance. Perhaps I am learning to embrace the technology that is so ingrained in my students and will be able to meet them where they are at in 21st Century skills.
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