Web 2.0 in the classroom

Mod 9- Podcast Usage in the Classroom

The podcast I have found on itunes is called "The Easy French Poetry Podcast" done by learnfrenchinboston.com. This podcast will be extremely useful for me in the classroom because it has many famous French poems that are read by a native French speaker. This authenticity is hard to come by in the classroom, and to have this all on one podcast is amazing for a teacher of French. Also, French pronunciation is difficult for native English speakers because a lot of consonants are not pronounced at all, and there are different vowel sounds to learn. By hearing this podcast, students will be able to pick up better pronunciation and learn some French literature in the process. In a lesson, I would give the students the written poems, and then we would follow along to them in class as we listen to the podcast. I would maybe even have some students read it aloud after listening. This will increase the students' confidence in starting to speak the language. I can't wait to see how many more podcasts will be useful in the classroom!

Mod 8- Global Cooperation from Mod 7

The tool I think would be used best in the classroom for a global cooperation project would be chinswing.com by far. Again, this website allows any users to post a short voice message about any ongoing topic, or even create a brand new topic to discuss. This is a more intimate way to talk with others than simply typing through a message board. It puts a voice to the face one sees in the picture. Because it allows simple voice messages, the teacher (or anyone who wants to start a new topic) can create a new forum for the lesson. The teacher can record the directions for the global project and simply post this to the forum, so others in the project from any classroom/country can hear what needs to be done, and students can instantly work together in a whole new way on the project/lesson. This also puts aside cultural differences through understanding and speaking with others around the globe. I feel this would be very interesting to me as a student because it allows us to break language/cultural barriers and see others opinions who are not a part of our culture.
The only difficulty I could see happen is that some students might not have a microphone, or it might be too expensive to "require" students to participate. It would most likely be feasible in school in a computer room.

Mod 8- Global Cooperation

The two global cooperation sites I would like to compare are "The Global Schoolhouse" and "Taking IT Global". Both of these sites deal with collaboration of issues, teaching, etc. around the world. I find this exceptional because it lets everyone be on the same level to learn different ideas and discuss issues together.
The global schoolhouse is a website mainly built for teachers worldwide to collaborate with each other online to create projects for their students to communicate with other students around the world. Teachers have the option of creating various projects, or searching through a database by topic/subject or even age of students to find something appropriate for their classroom. The website also fosters various programs/competitions like "Doors to Diplomacy" that enable students to create projects for prizes to speak about international affairs in the 21st Century. One feature I particularly like is the "collaboration center" where teachers have tools to start an online program to use globally. The tools include maps and visuals, blogs and forums, calendars and even audio/podcasts. There are just so many mediums on this website for global cooperation that it is hard not to use it. It benefits students because in today's world, it is more and more important to have various cultural understandings. This can ready students for a future career abroad or just a better understanding of the world around them which they can benefit from for years to come.
The other site is called Taking it Global. This site is slightly different than the one listed above because it can be for anyone to collaborate on a global level. It includes credible resources for global issues, open forums and discussion boards, as well as advice/resources to take action in one's own community. It is a great way to discuss an issue such as the new President and our country, and get someone's opinion on it who lives in China. Of course there might be language barriers, but the site is very flexible because it can be viewed in many languages. There is even another way to express oneself on the website through podcasts, or even poetry/short story. There are many flexible mediums one can use which is great for those that maybe don't like to type as much.
I would probably use Taking IT Global in the classroom for cultural days that may be difficult for students to understand from the Target Culture's point of view. To teach them more about this, I would use, under "understanding issues" the link to international days. If we have a computer day (or I could just print them out), students could research more about a particular day and do a skit/project about the day to show how/why this day is important to the Target Culture. I could also create a forum online for the students to discuss things in the Target Language. This will better their communication skills and let them get a better comprehension of why other countries celebrate certain holidays. (Might be more suitable for second or third level students).

Mod-6 Comparing Twitter and Pownce

So, I would have to say that after looking at both sites, that Pownce is so much more user-friendly and more efficient than Twitter. There are just too many constraints on Twitter that would hinder using it as a classroom tool.
One thing I like about both is that they have nice, clear privacy settings. If the kids only want to send a message to one person or not want their work to be seen by everyone, there is a choice to expand/limit the audience. The way in which one does this, however is different on each site. For example, on Pownce, there is a drop down box right below which designates who will be able to see it (one friend/all friends/public). On Twitter, you must first go to direct messages on the right hand side and go into that inbox, kind of like e-mail. This feature isn't as user friendly as Pownce. One thought I had was: what if a student just starts writing on the main page and forgets to click on direct messages first? They would have to either erase the whole thing, or copy and paste. Or if they submit it publicly, it might be embarrassing because it might be something personal only the teacher needs to know. This could get frustrating.
Another reason I like Pownce better is because it allows text, video, urls or even a special event to be posted. These tools are located right on the main text box to avoid any confusion. Again, another reason why this site is extremely user-friendly. For example, if a teacher wanted to post an extra video for students on a topic discussed in class, or if a student wanted to upload his/her paper for the class to view, it is easy and efficient. Twitter, on the other hand, does not have this capability(at least I looked through the different options and this wasn't available). There seems to be more "searching" on Twitter to make sure the tools are available...Either way, this program is very limited. You can only post text up to 140 characters. This is very frustrating for me (as I can be wordy at times) because if you go one character over, it doesn't allow you to send the post. To use this in the classroom would be very hard, especially for submitting homework assignments. I would probably only use this program just for small updates for the class or as a question and answer forum, but nothing more than that.
Another thing I like about both sites is that it allows you to personalize the page by adding a picture. I like Pownce better though because it doesn't have a KB limit on how big the picture has to be, and students can add pictures into their post. Twitter has a KB limit which can be aggravating if the student isn't that computer saavy to understand why this is happening. Also, posts can't be personalized as much because of the limitations of text and other multimedia functions. Both were easy to sign up for. I had no problems with that process whatsoever. In the end, I have to say that for better efficiency for classroom purposes, I would definitely choose Pownce as a microblog.

Mod 6- Microblogging for the classroom

The microblogging article that I read about is at
http://www.writetech.net/2008/04/microblogging-1.html. It has a first part as well, but is only one paragraph, and you can use the "previous" button on the blog to get to it if needed.

This article speaks about how the convenience of these microblogging programs contributes to the classroom. Although the blog speaks about the corporate learning environment also, I believe that the reasons for both environments (classroom/corporate) are interchangeable. One convenience of these programs is explained here:

"Students may continue the conversations outside of class using Twitter. This is especially important when the class is spread out via elearning. The students have a shared experience - your classroom."

Because this program is online and easy to access, the kids will be excited to chat with their friends/classmates on this site. However, it isn't just a social tool, but as the article says, will expand upon their learning in a significant way. As long as it is moderated by the teacher, the students can post about that day's class and have fun doing it. As stated, it is a shared experience for the entire classroom. Also, the students (whether they like it or not) will be thinking about the material in a meaningful way when they post on the sites. For example, as the students leave the classroom already engaged in learning, and the teacher wants them to post a few sentences in French in response to what the teacher said on the microblog, this is engaging and everyone can share what they did on the blog. Their minds become reactivated thinking about the language, even after class is out of session. It is kind of like giving two lessons in one day if you think about it. It keeps students engaged in the learning process.
Another convenience of this microblog is for informative purposes. If a date is changed for a test or a parent-teacher conference is coming up, the teacher can post it on the microblog. The article mentions hooking it up to a cell phone as well, but I don't feel that is needed for a 7-12 classroom. The article gives a good example of this convenience by having a person giving a lecture post on their Twitter his # to give him a call...5 minutes later people started calling him. Also, this is a good way to go "green" in the classroom. Instead of sending out flyers and paper homework assignments, it can all be done right on the Twitter site. These are just a few ways microblogging can be used in the classroom.

Mod 5 add on

The post I commented on was from http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/. Post is from 9/18.

Jen

Technology in the classroom

The blog I would like the comment on is the 2 cents blog by Dave. In the blog post on 9/18/08, he was in a teaching conference in Shanghai (which I thought was quite interesting) and summarized some important points. One being-

"Teacher now talking says that for it to be about the kids, "it’s got to be about me first." The teacher has to understand the value of the technology, and then the professional can figure out or invent ways to take into the learning experiences. She says that wikis are easier to maintain in the classroom than blogging with students. Also,
lots of talk about people Skyping into classrooms and talking about stuff with they’re doing."

I found this post important because we have all these sources of technology out there for use, and it sometimes can be overwhelming. We have to choose what is best for our students, and in turn find out which type of technology fits into their learning style. For example, if students are more auditory learners, podcasts might be a valuable tool, or if they are more visual/hands on, a blog is a nice way to foster that learning style. We can't let the technology be the "creative" aspect, but instead we need to take what we have to work with and use it in creative ways for the students. Also, the "value" of this technology is worth more than tearing down the classroom walls. It allows students to think outside the box and exposes students to different kinds of technology they might encounter in the future in their careers. In conclusion, we can't just throw that technology out to the students and tell them to pick one. It is the teacher's responsibility to tweak what we expose them to and make sure it makes the most of the way they learn and the material they produce. Teachers need to "monitor and adjust", even with technology choices.

Mod 3-Social Networking

The social networking site I believe will be the most useful to me is http://nextgen.ning.com/ Because I am not yet a teacher, being a part of this networking site will allow me to connect with progressive teachers that are trying to look toward the future as far as new methods tied in with new technology. I would rather look at "collaborative" methods that the students can relate to instead of the standard or isolated methods. Also, I am studying to be a French teacher, and looking into new innovative methods within this site can help me show my future students the culture in a new light, instead of feeling isolated within the classroom.

Mod 3-Connectivism

After thinking long and hard, I finally realized that if I could compare a learner in today's world with anything, the answer is simple: a chameleon. I say this because like a chameleon, the learner is constantly changing and tweaking ideas because of his/her environment. We need to adapt the way we learn and what we learn to a changing world to fit the circumstances of the workplace, or in everyday life, for example. Siemens said it well in his idea of connectivism when he stated:

"Decision-making is itself a learning process. Choosing what to learn and the meaning of incoming information is seen through the lens of a shifting reality. While there is a right answer now, it may be wrong tomorrow due to alterations in the information climate affecting the decision."

A chameleon needs to change its colors depending on its environment in order to survive. For our survival, we need to make crucial decisions as to how we learn material because of constant change. If, for example, tomorrow the internet was completely obsolete and we still needed incoming information. The lens is "shifted" and we would have to decide how to adapt to that. We learn essentially through the decisions we need to make, and therefore are adapting to the fickle environment of today.

3 Main Uses for Teaching and Instruction

3 ways I could use this blog in the classroom are:

I could use this to facilitate learning by having students critique each other's work and/or give suggestions in an organized way. Within the classroom, this is hard to do because the students might be afraid of putting others or themselves "on the spot", however on the blog they have the time to think about how to give a suggestion without pressure. This would be beneficial for a paper or project the students are working on to get a more global opinion.

Another way a blog can be used is by posting videos for students. Teachers can post additional instructions/lectures through a video on a blog in case something was not covered in class that day. This could also help for a very diverse class (inclusion) because of the various levels of learning. The teacher can modify things as they wish and not have to explain things more than once in class (hopefully).

A final purpose for blogs in the classroom is to prepare students for the future. Using blogs allows students to "think outside the box" in terms of how we analyze just about anything. It shows students new technology and this is important in a world that one really needs to be technologically literate to succeed in a career later in life.

Image from Letchworth State Park, summer 2007 :o)

Hello

Hello Everyone!

This is my new blog. I'll be putting up some more interesting stuff later...

Jen