Bricks and Mortar Schools are Detrimental to the Future of Education
--This was a debate
This discussion was very interesting and thought provoking. In a nutshell the debate centered around the idea that you don't need a brick and mortar school to be educated. You can view the complete Tuesday Morning keynote debate on istevision.org. As a person who has experienced various forms/types of education I can easily relate to both sides of the discussion. While growing up I attended a traditional public school, a private school, and home-school. Each environment provided varying experiences both good and bad.
In my opinion neither side of the debate was successful in capturing my allegiance. The main thing that I got from this debate was a need for balance in education. There are amazing learning experiences that a student can get from virtual/online experiences that they may not be able to get in a traditional physical classroom. But what about the things a student learns from being in a school and classroom that they can't get from the online/virtual learning environments? What about the homes that don't have computers or internet access?
The bottom line comes down to this: a well balanced approach to educating students is the most effective teaching environment where educators use the best resources available to reach and educate the students. Because when all is said and done isn't it all about the students and what is best for their learning? ____________________________________________________________________________________ Top 10 Web 2.0 tools for K-3 Learners by Gail Lovely
What a great learning experience for me! Gail went over 10 of her favorite Web 2.0 tools for use in education. She focused her list to tools for K-3 learners but most of these tools could easily be used with learners form all levels. In Gail's opinion a tool is only useful if it does something well that she can't do better without using the tool/program--and I completely agree.
I have not had the chance to use and explore all of these tool yet and so I will refer you to Gail's site. glovely09.wetpaint.com
Here is the list starting with 10 and going to 1.
10. Vocaroo-This is a tool that makes recording sound easy and simple. Use it to record students reading. Use it to record instructions for use with ELL students. Really you are only limited by your imagination.
9. Simply Box-This is a bookmarking tool. Use it to create visuals to direct students to certain sites. Not all students can read very well and you can tell them to click on a picture rather than a word, which will help the process be smoother for them.
8. Kerpoof-This is a tool that can be used for creating cards, movies, stories, and books. Use this to help your students learn about perspective, editing, and general imagination and creativity.
7. Yack Pack-This is like voice mail on the internet. Use it to communicate with your students or parents.
6. Glogster
5. Animoto
4. Skype
3. Voice Thread
2. Blogs
1. Wikis
I know that I will be trying all of these programs out and as I learn more about them I will be sure to pass along what I have learned and ways that I think they can be useful to teachers. Stay tuned for more information about how to use these and other web 2.0 resources in your classroom.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
NECC-Day 1
Educational Transformation That Works by Sonny Magana
The bulk of this presentation covered the need and value of using technology for education. Sonny Magana referenced some research that was done with a group of about 200 educators and their students. Mr. Magana said that during the study they found that the more educators and learners use technology the more they get out of what they were learning. However he warned that there is a point of diminishing returns where overuse of the technology actually causes student performance to drop. Mr. Magana proposes a "Sweet Spot" for the use of technology. He says that if you have:
1. experienced teachers
2. teachers that have used technology in and for education for at least 2 years
3. teachers that use technology in the classroom for instruction about 75% of the time
=you will see a 30% increase in the academic achievement of the students.
Mr. Magana also said that good research leads to better questions and better questions lead to better education and better learning. As educators we must find out what our students need and how to reach them. The only way for that to happen is to ask questions and to make changes in strategies and programs based on the answers you receive. Sonny Magana said that meaningful learning comes from knowledge construction not knowledge transmission. What all of this comes down to is finding the correct balance of technology and traditional teaching techniques in order to create the utmost learning environment.
prometheanplanet.com _____________________________________________________________________________________ Chalk House: A 3D Game for Building Middle School Literacy
Chalk House is an online 3D game that teachers can use to encourage, support, and improve reading skills, literacy and comprehension in secondary learners. We know that many students already spend an enormous amount of time gaming every week. I would venture a guess that secondary students would choose to "game" instead of do their homework. How great would it be if educators could grab a hold of that passion/drive in their students and channel that energy into learning? Can teachers use video game play to enhance the learning of the students? Better yet, if students are going to play games anyway wouldn't it be great if the teachers could track the progress and learning of the students as they play educational games?
Chalk House is a ready made tool that educators can use to facilitate reading and comprehension. It is a 3D game that requires students to read and understand information presented in the game and then act on the information to advance and succeed. Chalk House incorporates aspects from other popular online games that the student gamers would recognize. Chalk House tracks and reports the progress of the students and then reports the progress to the teacher. The students will need to take notes on real paper and complete writing assignments in order to advance from one point in the game to the next. This Chalk House 3D environment is a safe and secure area for students to learn, play, and work. If you are wondering how to justify this type of classroom activity, wonder no more. Chalk House is correlated to the NETS-S, ISTE, and MCREL standards. Students will receive feedback on their writing according to rubrics and they will take quizes and tests throughout the game play. Is it possible to use online game play as a tool in the classroom to encourage and facilitate learning? I say it is. There are many games out in the online world that require the participants to read and comprehend directions in order to be successful. Stay tuned for more information about games that can be used in your classroom instruction.
http://created-realities.com/
The bulk of this presentation covered the need and value of using technology for education. Sonny Magana referenced some research that was done with a group of about 200 educators and their students. Mr. Magana said that during the study they found that the more educators and learners use technology the more they get out of what they were learning. However he warned that there is a point of diminishing returns where overuse of the technology actually causes student performance to drop. Mr. Magana proposes a "Sweet Spot" for the use of technology. He says that if you have:
1. experienced teachers
2. teachers that have used technology in and for education for at least 2 years
3. teachers that use technology in the classroom for instruction about 75% of the time
=you will see a 30% increase in the academic achievement of the students.
Mr. Magana also said that good research leads to better questions and better questions lead to better education and better learning. As educators we must find out what our students need and how to reach them. The only way for that to happen is to ask questions and to make changes in strategies and programs based on the answers you receive. Sonny Magana said that meaningful learning comes from knowledge construction not knowledge transmission. What all of this comes down to is finding the correct balance of technology and traditional teaching techniques in order to create the utmost learning environment.
prometheanplanet.com _____________________________________________________________________________________ Chalk House: A 3D Game for Building Middle School Literacy
Chalk House is an online 3D game that teachers can use to encourage, support, and improve reading skills, literacy and comprehension in secondary learners. We know that many students already spend an enormous amount of time gaming every week. I would venture a guess that secondary students would choose to "game" instead of do their homework. How great would it be if educators could grab a hold of that passion/drive in their students and channel that energy into learning? Can teachers use video game play to enhance the learning of the students? Better yet, if students are going to play games anyway wouldn't it be great if the teachers could track the progress and learning of the students as they play educational games?
Chalk House is a ready made tool that educators can use to facilitate reading and comprehension. It is a 3D game that requires students to read and understand information presented in the game and then act on the information to advance and succeed. Chalk House incorporates aspects from other popular online games that the student gamers would recognize. Chalk House tracks and reports the progress of the students and then reports the progress to the teacher. The students will need to take notes on real paper and complete writing assignments in order to advance from one point in the game to the next. This Chalk House 3D environment is a safe and secure area for students to learn, play, and work. If you are wondering how to justify this type of classroom activity, wonder no more. Chalk House is correlated to the NETS-S, ISTE, and MCREL standards. Students will receive feedback on their writing according to rubrics and they will take quizes and tests throughout the game play. Is it possible to use online game play as a tool in the classroom to encourage and facilitate learning? I say it is. There are many games out in the online world that require the participants to read and comprehend directions in order to be successful. Stay tuned for more information about games that can be used in your classroom instruction.
http://created-realities.com/
Saturday, June 13, 2009
New Job
I am very excited to be a part of the curriculum technology staff at the Jordan School District. This has been something that I have wanted to do since I started teaching. I love teaching and working with students and I feel that I will be able to impact more students from this position than I would have been able to as a normal classroom teacher. I look forward to assisting teachers in their never ending quest to inspire and to educate their students.
Later this month I will be able to attend the NECC conference being held in our Nation's capitol. This looks to be an amazing learning experience for me and I can't wait to share the things that I learn with other educators who want to impact the 21st Century Learners that we love to teach.
Later this month I will be able to attend the NECC conference being held in our Nation's capitol. This looks to be an amazing learning experience for me and I can't wait to share the things that I learn with other educators who want to impact the 21st Century Learners that we love to teach.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)