This is it! Our final blog for our class. Gosh - it seems like it was only 10 weeks ago that I wrote my first one ...
Oh, wait. It was.
Our final blog is on the NETS T4 standards,(http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf) which deal with digital citizenship and responsibility.
I posted last week about the difficulty with technology when it comes to knowing what we can or cannot share. For instance, can I legally post a Robert Frost poem? What about lyrics to a song that I want students to analyze?
For this blog, I'd like to focus on the following:
d. develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital-age communication and collaboration tools
What I envision is eventually opening up what I do with my students to teachers and honors students at different grade levels.
So much of what we do in our classrooms is, frankly, a secret. Our kids come into class, we shut the classroom door ... and they what happens? Well, I'll never tell!
And therein lies the problem! We don't share, at least not as much as we should, what we're having students know and be able to do.
However, so you know: I love when other teachers or administrators come into my classroom while I'm teaching. Even unannounced. Even if I'm having an off-day, all it will do is help me be a better teacher. I've never understood why so many teachers freak out when an administrator pops in.
Also, I've argued since I started teaching at Mason for more collaboration among teachers. The honors freshman, honors junior and AP English teachers and I should be meeting often to discuss what our goals are for our students. And students should be a part of that conversation: after all, they're the clients.
Instead, we seem to muddle through the school year, doing our thing, alone.
I have big ideas, and technolgy like wikis can help me realize those ideas. What if we had AP students commenting on honors freshmen papers that were submitted to their wikis? Having AP students evaluate younger students' papers, knowing now what they know about writing, will help those APers reach the highest level of Bloom's. Or how about having honors freshmen reading sophomore, junior and/or AP-level writing so they can see concrete examples of what is expected of them at each level? Or how about teachers sharing lesson plans/writing drills/literature?
Of course, I want all of this yesterday. And I'm frustrated I can't do it all as quickly as I wish.
But the point of all of this, is to, yes, go ahead and shut that classroom door once your students are settled and ready to learn.
But then use technology to open your classroom to the world. And everyone, teachers and students, will benefit.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
I'm Fred, and I'm ignorant
As promised from last week's blog, I'd talk about my being ignorant.
Got about 8 hours? :)
Last week's discussion was on modeling, and to me, modeling for students also means showing them that you fail sometimes, and that failing is a good thing. Failing, or admitting ignorance, can lead to growth.
So the wikis are a chance for me to show off to my students. Hey kiddies! Look what I don't know! And, because I spend so much of my time trying to show them what I do know, it'll bring me back down a bit - it'll help establish another commonality between the students and me.
So three cheers for ignorance!
The NETS T4 standards (http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf) deal with digital citizenship and responsibility. To me, the first part of the standard is a prime chance to show students ignorance, not only from my end, but from many educators, politicians and the everyday Joe out there. The first indicator states the following:
Teachers:
a. advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources
Of course, much of what occurs online is pretty clear as to whether it's safe, legal and ethical. We've seen this recently with sexting, including the tragic circumstance of Jessie Logan of Sycamore High School, who committed suicide after sending a nude photo of herself to her boyfriend and then was taunted.
But some actions online are more difficult to define. For instance, can a student, on his or her home computer, get in trouble at school for posting negative views on a teacher, including profanity and threats? What about if my students post their favorite music or poems on their wikis? Are they infringing on copyright laws?
It's exciting to be on the edge of this new way of teaching and affecting students, but like any new adventure, there is a level of apprehension, too. It sure would be safer just to continue to teach the way I've always taught ...
Got about 8 hours? :)
Last week's discussion was on modeling, and to me, modeling for students also means showing them that you fail sometimes, and that failing is a good thing. Failing, or admitting ignorance, can lead to growth.
So the wikis are a chance for me to show off to my students. Hey kiddies! Look what I don't know! And, because I spend so much of my time trying to show them what I do know, it'll bring me back down a bit - it'll help establish another commonality between the students and me.
So three cheers for ignorance!
The NETS T4 standards (http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf) deal with digital citizenship and responsibility. To me, the first part of the standard is a prime chance to show students ignorance, not only from my end, but from many educators, politicians and the everyday Joe out there. The first indicator states the following:
Teachers:
a. advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources
Of course, much of what occurs online is pretty clear as to whether it's safe, legal and ethical. We've seen this recently with sexting, including the tragic circumstance of Jessie Logan of Sycamore High School, who committed suicide after sending a nude photo of herself to her boyfriend and then was taunted.
But some actions online are more difficult to define. For instance, can a student, on his or her home computer, get in trouble at school for posting negative views on a teacher, including profanity and threats? What about if my students post their favorite music or poems on their wikis? Are they infringing on copyright laws?
It's exciting to be on the edge of this new way of teaching and affecting students, but like any new adventure, there is a level of apprehension, too. It sure would be safer just to continue to teach the way I've always taught ...
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
My chance to be a model
Quick story: the wife and I planned a trip to Italy a few summers ago. We were struggling to book a hotel room in Florence, and finally, after hotel #6 told us they too were booked, we asked what was happening in Florence that weekend.
"A model convention," we were told. "Many famous models will be here that weekend."
My wife maintains I've never been more excited to visit a city.
Needless to say, I found a hotel room. Not needless to say, when we got there, we discovered there were indeed many famous models roaming about: male models.
Sigh.
My point with all of this? Well ... I'm not sure. But the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS-T) and Performance Indicators for Teachers, which highlights what teachers should know and be able to do, includes the third indicator, which is (drumroll please): Modeling Digital-Age Work and Learning. You can see the full list of indicators here: http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf
So, these people want me to be a model. It's my big chance!
Okay, so it's not that kind of model. And it's probably just as well. High heels make my feet hurt.
Anyway, on to my focus for this blog: the first part of T3:
a. demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations
My goal, as described in earlier blogs, is to use wikis for a variety of activities, including beginning-of-the-year tasks, where students will "introduce" themselves to their classmates and me. These opening activities are very important to me, as they provide the foundation to the class and set the tone for students: they allow students to see that I care about them as individuals, and that we all, while different in many areas, have commonalities. I firmly believe that my lack of classroom management issues, and a number of students have told me how they enjoyed knowing I cared about what they cared about.
So, the wikis are a chance for me to use new technology with my students. However, there's a snag: I'm not fluent in how to use wikis. This bothers me. Greatly. 'Cause I'm the type of guy who does not, at any point, like to appear ignorant. The good news with this, though, is that when I am clueless, I ask questions. I search for answers.
Luckily, there's info out there. Lots of it. Like this one video that somebody found and posted on his blog: http://jimstechtactics.blogspot.com/
I'm going to need help to demonstrate fluency with wikis, and this video, along with other sources (fellow Mason teachers, and some students themselves) will help me learn and then model this information to students. I will say this, though: while I do want to be fluent with wikis, I really don't mind showing my ignorance to students with this. But I'll blog more about that next week.
Now, if you don't mind, I need to rest my feet. Silly Jimmy Choos!
"A model convention," we were told. "Many famous models will be here that weekend."
My wife maintains I've never been more excited to visit a city.
Needless to say, I found a hotel room. Not needless to say, when we got there, we discovered there were indeed many famous models roaming about: male models.
Sigh.
My point with all of this? Well ... I'm not sure. But the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS-T) and Performance Indicators for Teachers, which highlights what teachers should know and be able to do, includes the third indicator, which is (drumroll please): Modeling Digital-Age Work and Learning. You can see the full list of indicators here: http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf
So, these people want me to be a model. It's my big chance!
Okay, so it's not that kind of model. And it's probably just as well. High heels make my feet hurt.
Anyway, on to my focus for this blog: the first part of T3:
a. demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations
My goal, as described in earlier blogs, is to use wikis for a variety of activities, including beginning-of-the-year tasks, where students will "introduce" themselves to their classmates and me. These opening activities are very important to me, as they provide the foundation to the class and set the tone for students: they allow students to see that I care about them as individuals, and that we all, while different in many areas, have commonalities. I firmly believe that my lack of classroom management issues, and a number of students have told me how they enjoyed knowing I cared about what they cared about.
So, the wikis are a chance for me to use new technology with my students. However, there's a snag: I'm not fluent in how to use wikis. This bothers me. Greatly. 'Cause I'm the type of guy who does not, at any point, like to appear ignorant. The good news with this, though, is that when I am clueless, I ask questions. I search for answers.
Luckily, there's info out there. Lots of it. Like this one video that somebody found and posted on his blog: http://jimstechtactics.blogspot.com/
I'm going to need help to demonstrate fluency with wikis, and this video, along with other sources (fellow Mason teachers, and some students themselves) will help me learn and then model this information to students. I will say this, though: while I do want to be fluent with wikis, I really don't mind showing my ignorance to students with this. But I'll blog more about that next week.
Now, if you don't mind, I need to rest my feet. Silly Jimmy Choos!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
This blog is again dedicated to the second indicator for the National Education Technology Standards (for Teachers), which is the following:
2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessments incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS•S.
Teachers:
a. design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity
b. develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress
c. customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities usingdigital tools and resources
d. provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching
Again, click here to see all the indicators: http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf
For this post, I'm going to focus on the b) portion of indicator 2:
b. develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress
I was hoping to begin having my students create wikis at the beginning of this trimester (which started yesterday). I wanted the wikis to be a way for students to introduce themselves to each other and to me - a place they could make their own so we could see their individuality, and also to see our commonalities. But, I'm not comfortable yet with wikis. I don't think I could explain them well enough to the students (especially since I found out, when I asked a class if it knew what wikis were, only a couple out of 20 actually knew). So ... that part of the development of using wikis in my class will have to wait until next year.
However, section b) discusses students being active participants in setting their own educational goals. I think that's what I'll do this trimester: have the students help me set up these wikis for my next group of honors English students. In looking at the syllabus, how can we incorporate wikis? Asking this question of my students, and letting them explore possibilities, will let them play an active role in their education. I can't wait to see what the creative little darlings dream up!
And, I hate to be such a Vygotskyphile, but golly, I love the man. His idea of constructivism (see it here at http://www.learning-theories.com/vygotskys-social-learning-theory.html) really fits in well with this idea. The collaboration between my students and me is not only beneficial for them ... it's fun for me!
2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessments incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS•S.
Teachers:
a. design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity
b. develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress
c. customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities usingdigital tools and resources
d. provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching
Again, click here to see all the indicators: http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf
For this post, I'm going to focus on the b) portion of indicator 2:
b. develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress
I was hoping to begin having my students create wikis at the beginning of this trimester (which started yesterday). I wanted the wikis to be a way for students to introduce themselves to each other and to me - a place they could make their own so we could see their individuality, and also to see our commonalities. But, I'm not comfortable yet with wikis. I don't think I could explain them well enough to the students (especially since I found out, when I asked a class if it knew what wikis were, only a couple out of 20 actually knew). So ... that part of the development of using wikis in my class will have to wait until next year.
However, section b) discusses students being active participants in setting their own educational goals. I think that's what I'll do this trimester: have the students help me set up these wikis for my next group of honors English students. In looking at the syllabus, how can we incorporate wikis? Asking this question of my students, and letting them explore possibilities, will let them play an active role in their education. I can't wait to see what the creative little darlings dream up!
And, I hate to be such a Vygotskyphile, but golly, I love the man. His idea of constructivism (see it here at http://www.learning-theories.com/vygotskys-social-learning-theory.html) really fits in well with this idea. The collaboration between my students and me is not only beneficial for them ... it's fun for me!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Brainstorming on wikis
Below is how I’m envisioning introducing the wiki assignment:
I. Explanation
A. Explain to students what I’m doing for my graduate class
B. Explain to students what a wiki is
II. Modeling
A. Show students where the wiki is, how to access it, how to add various items, etc.
III. Rules/Regulations
A. Go through parameters – what is acceptable and what isn’t
1. Links
2. Language
3. The rules in the classroom apply – even when you aren’t in the classroom
B. Have students sign off on wiki agreement (it’s on Vennemeyer’s wiki under “Getting Started”)
C. Put notice on Edline for parents; have parents sign off, too
Wiki ideas:
· I want it to be private: just my students and me
· I’ll have my wiki page (so I can model for my students). Students will then access their pages from my page. (Is this right???)
· I want students to post various items. In the beginning, they’ll post the various things they love (music, movies, favorite excerpts from the stuff they’ve read, etc.) to show their individuality. I’ll have students open discussions; they’ll respond to other students’ likes/dislikes (and I’ll respond, too).
· Later, students will post excerpts of their writing, where they’ll work on various writing skills (e.g. characterization; symbolism; grammar; punctuation; etc.)
· Students will also post various texts they’ve found, and then open a discussion on those texts. Students (and I) will be able to have a conversation about the postings.
· Occasionally I’ll post various texts and have students discuss (and I’ll provide feedback, too).
Blog ideas:
· I want students to read my blog daily. My blog will be general musings, but it’ll also be me talking about writing and analyzing literature, and me modeling various skills we go through in class. I’ll also post links for students on various items (from my favorite You Tube videos to grammar exercises on the web to writing I’ve discovered that I want students to copy and paste and analyze on their wikis).
I. Explanation
A. Explain to students what I’m doing for my graduate class
B. Explain to students what a wiki is
II. Modeling
A. Show students where the wiki is, how to access it, how to add various items, etc.
III. Rules/Regulations
A. Go through parameters – what is acceptable and what isn’t
1. Links
2. Language
3. The rules in the classroom apply – even when you aren’t in the classroom
B. Have students sign off on wiki agreement (it’s on Vennemeyer’s wiki under “Getting Started”)
C. Put notice on Edline for parents; have parents sign off, too
Wiki ideas:
· I want it to be private: just my students and me
· I’ll have my wiki page (so I can model for my students). Students will then access their pages from my page. (Is this right???)
· I want students to post various items. In the beginning, they’ll post the various things they love (music, movies, favorite excerpts from the stuff they’ve read, etc.) to show their individuality. I’ll have students open discussions; they’ll respond to other students’ likes/dislikes (and I’ll respond, too).
· Later, students will post excerpts of their writing, where they’ll work on various writing skills (e.g. characterization; symbolism; grammar; punctuation; etc.)
· Students will also post various texts they’ve found, and then open a discussion on those texts. Students (and I) will be able to have a conversation about the postings.
· Occasionally I’ll post various texts and have students discuss (and I’ll provide feedback, too).
Blog ideas:
· I want students to read my blog daily. My blog will be general musings, but it’ll also be me talking about writing and analyzing literature, and me modeling various skills we go through in class. I’ll also post links for students on various items (from my favorite You Tube videos to grammar exercises on the web to writing I’ve discovered that I want students to copy and paste and analyze on their wikis).
NETS T2 (Sounds like a sequel!)
I wanted to provide some context for these posts, in case those reading these fascinating blogs aren't sure of who I am or what I'm doing.
As it says in my profile, I'm an honors English teacher at Mason High School in Ohio. I'm taking EDT 610, a graduate class at Miami University - although, sadly, I'm not visiting the Oxford campus every Wednesday night (the class is meeting on the Mason campus).
This class is helping us teachers learn about incorporating technology in the classroom: how can we move our teaching into the 21st century?
This blog is dedicated to the second indicator for the National Education Technology Standards (for Teachers), which is the following:
2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessments incorporating contemporary tools and resources to
maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS•S. Teachers:
a. design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity
b. develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become
active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress
c. customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using
digital tools and resources
d. provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology
standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching
By the way, click here to see all the indicators:
http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf
I'd like to focus on two of the aspects of indicator 2:
a. design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity
c. customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources
I've decided that designing a wiki is my technology of choice for this class. I'd like to design lessons/activities that incorporate wikis, for several reasons:
1. I'd like to let students show off their creativity/individuality. This is really important to me to try to get students to do this in the beginning of the trimester/year. We teachers are constantly trying to get students to work on their writing "voice" (their unique writing personality). I also want students to show off their unique personality in classroom discussions/activities. A lot of times, with lectures and other activities, I rarely get to hear from students or see their personalities/creativity. I do one activity in the beginning of the year: students choose their favorite song lyrics and create posters that they tape on the classroom walls. It's a fun way to have students have a sense of "ownership" of their English classroom.
It's always fun to see the various choices for lyrics: some hopeful, some angry, some questioning. While I'd like to continue with this and other assignments, having the students have their own wiki would allow them to decorate as they see fit. I'm envisioning them putting their favorite art/music/movies/TV shows. I'm seeing them write journal entries on various topics (this will replace the old way of journaling, where I have stacks of notebooks that I have to read and then write comments by hand).
And, with item 2(c), I'm also envisioning allowing students to choose various texts to analyze/discuss. All too often, we teachers choose the texts for students. Letting students find various news articles/short stories/poems to post and analyze will, I hope, engage students and be another conduit by which students can show off their individuality.
All of this goes right at the heart of our good friend Lev Vygotsky, with his social development theory (constructivism) (see it here: http://www.learning-theories.com/vygotskys-social-learning-theory.html). I adhere to Vygotsky's views that students learn when they are active participants, and so I'm excited to really work on designing the wikis.
I think my third-trimester students will embrace wikis. I'm also excited to talk to Katie Klahm as she, too, develops wikis, and her fellow teachers who've already been working with wikis.
I know there will be lots of issues to work through (dealing with what is acceptable/unacceptable content; students who do not have ready access to computers); etc., but I'm looking forward to the challenge.
As it says in my profile, I'm an honors English teacher at Mason High School in Ohio. I'm taking EDT 610, a graduate class at Miami University - although, sadly, I'm not visiting the Oxford campus every Wednesday night (the class is meeting on the Mason campus).
This class is helping us teachers learn about incorporating technology in the classroom: how can we move our teaching into the 21st century?
This blog is dedicated to the second indicator for the National Education Technology Standards (for Teachers), which is the following:
2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessments incorporating contemporary tools and resources to
maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS•S. Teachers:
a. design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity
b. develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become
active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress
c. customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using
digital tools and resources
d. provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology
standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching
By the way, click here to see all the indicators:
http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf
I'd like to focus on two of the aspects of indicator 2:
a. design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity
c. customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources
I've decided that designing a wiki is my technology of choice for this class. I'd like to design lessons/activities that incorporate wikis, for several reasons:
1. I'd like to let students show off their creativity/individuality. This is really important to me to try to get students to do this in the beginning of the trimester/year. We teachers are constantly trying to get students to work on their writing "voice" (their unique writing personality). I also want students to show off their unique personality in classroom discussions/activities. A lot of times, with lectures and other activities, I rarely get to hear from students or see their personalities/creativity. I do one activity in the beginning of the year: students choose their favorite song lyrics and create posters that they tape on the classroom walls. It's a fun way to have students have a sense of "ownership" of their English classroom.
It's always fun to see the various choices for lyrics: some hopeful, some angry, some questioning. While I'd like to continue with this and other assignments, having the students have their own wiki would allow them to decorate as they see fit. I'm envisioning them putting their favorite art/music/movies/TV shows. I'm seeing them write journal entries on various topics (this will replace the old way of journaling, where I have stacks of notebooks that I have to read and then write comments by hand).
And, with item 2(c), I'm also envisioning allowing students to choose various texts to analyze/discuss. All too often, we teachers choose the texts for students. Letting students find various news articles/short stories/poems to post and analyze will, I hope, engage students and be another conduit by which students can show off their individuality.
All of this goes right at the heart of our good friend Lev Vygotsky, with his social development theory (constructivism) (see it here: http://www.learning-theories.com/vygotskys-social-learning-theory.html). I adhere to Vygotsky's views that students learn when they are active participants, and so I'm excited to really work on designing the wikis.
I think my third-trimester students will embrace wikis. I'm also excited to talk to Katie Klahm as she, too, develops wikis, and her fellow teachers who've already been working with wikis.
I know there will be lots of issues to work through (dealing with what is acceptable/unacceptable content; students who do not have ready access to computers); etc., but I'm looking forward to the challenge.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
NETS T1: A Second Look
For this blog, I'm going to continue to look at the NETS T1 standard, which you can find here: http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf%20focuses
I'd still like to focus on the following two standards:
d. model collaborative knowledge and construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments
c. promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes
In my prior post, I talked of the frustration of searching for teachers who've already experimented with wikis/blogs as a way to engage more students - and engage them more effectively. Katie made a good point in her comments: I need to talk to our technology coordinator (Randy Doughman). Certainly he would have a plethora of ideas.
Katie also mentioned two language arts teachers in her building who use wikis for their classrooms, so those could be two excellent resources. Way to go Katie! Thanks so much for the suggestions!
And hey ... now that I think about it ... maybe even that Vennemeyer guy might have some ideas ... hmmmmmm... :)
I will say that, even if I am the guinea pig in many respects when it comes to trying new ideas, I enjoy that role, and I'm very comfortable with sharing with my students the risks that I take. In fact, I relish this role: I want my students to see that I'm constantly challenging myself to be better. And, because I do believe firmly in student-centered learning, maybe my students themselves should be a part of this process. What if I included them in helping me design the class? After all, they're the clients. They're the ones who would have insight into what would've helped them perform better in my class.
Maybe part of my project will include having students work with me to design this new component to Honors II.
** POSSIBLE SUCCESS ALERT! ** POSSIBLE SUCCESS ALERT! **
Just found this website: http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/teachersatwork/1371/ The teacher, Shannon Reed (soooooo close to a great last name!), a teacher at Brooklyn Theatre Arts High School, brings up some great points about wikis (e.g. what if your students don't have easy access to a computer?) She also has some links for possible blog sites and links where people have compared wiki farms: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wiki_farms
Reed also mentions "an engrossing blog about using blogs in education." The website - http://weblogg-ed.com/ - looks fascinating. Now I need to spend a lot of time going through all the entries/links.
I feel like I'm getting somewhere ... but I also feel like the more I uncover, the more layers I have left to peel back. And if they're onion layers ... well ... I might just start crying.
;)
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