Self Evaluation

I think the most important tools for 21st century learning are all the concepts that we learned about this week in Daniel Pink's book "A Whole New Mind".  We need to teach students to think outside the box, we need them to have creativity without being limited on their thinking.

The most important technology skills to infuse in my classroom will be working on the computer and using Web 2.0 and learning about all the different tools out there.

Create/Innovate:  Class Project for next year

Communicate/Collaborate: Chapter Discussion

Problem Solve/Critically Think: Blogging

Changes I can implement today is using the Web more to find information and tools to enhance the students thinking and my own thinking.

Create more than Consumed: No, we did a lot of creating some activities or registered on some sites, but I consumed so many different examples and websites to visit.  I just wish I had more time to explore the websites in class and share those with created examples from the sites.

Contribute to a Collective/Shared Body of Knowledge: Yes, by working with Julie on the chapter that we discussed.

Participate in digital dialogue: Yes, by daily reflections and ichating work.

Use Self Directed or Discover Learning:  By being given a few hours to explore Web 2.0 and learn tools and different websites on my own.

My thinking has changed from taking this course because I have an overload amount of information and ideas to incorporate into my classroom next year!  Thanks Katie:)

Friday Reflection

Podcasting is a great way for students to ask the questions and present the information.  To also connect to others outside the classroom.  The students make it really personal because it is their voice and their feelings being displayed.  Podcasts need to have a good foundation, good quality, roots in what they are studying, and aware of their audience.  Students need to spend 80% of the time finding their information and 20% of the time recording it.  Students need to develop arguments on subjects and learn that it is okay to see differently on topics.  

Thursday's Reflection

Each day I am learning more and more about what is out there on the internet.  I am enjoying looking at the different websites and building my delicious account.  I liked the power point on the 6 points to remember when teaching.  These are some really great points that will help me next year.  I also liked Lindy's suggestion on ask 3 other students before the teacher:)

9 Principles for Implementation

"We can see significant change when change happens first at the level of the individual educational leader."  I liked this.  It is so true, we the teachers, or principals and superintendents must see the reason for change before we can expect anybody else to change.  We have to be excited about it and jump right in to learning as much as we can.  The whole world is changing and if we refuse to change, we are going to be left behind or in the dark.  Which leads me into the other point the article had to say.  That there are staff members in schools that are resistant against change.  I think these staff members are just scared of the unknown.  They do not have any experience in the new technology and are afraid of failure.  Well, guess what, this is the 21st century and we have to step outside the box and use our right brains.  Otherwise what are we teaching the students of the future?  Left brain thinking and the rest of the countries will surpass us.  The article says that if the school system has a great staff leader to head off all the insecurities then the faculty that are resist will become more relaxed knowing they have a great leader.  I personally think Katie has done a tremendous job on getting technology in the O'Neill school system and being that kind of leader.

Wednesday Reflection

The book by Daniel Pink sounds very interesting.  Brian and Kaye did a great job at presenting it and giving examples.  I liked checking out all the different websites with projects for ideas for my classroom.  There is just so much out there and I know there is even more!  I found the voice threads website interesting.  I tried doing a voice thread but could not get it to do multiple slides on the same movie.  I need to play around with it more to figure it out.

Web 2.0 Tool Promo

This was my promotion for...

Been Verified:  www.beenverified.com

Anti-Teaching

This article goes along with what we have been discussing all week.  A lot of the text were things we have gone over, but there were a few things that jumped out at me.  First, creating an interactive classroom.  Making a classroom a comfortable and fun atmosphere to learn in.  I think about all the different classroom that I have been in as a student and remember learning better when I was relaxed and felt comfortable.  The second thing that jumped out at me was the statement of having students ask the good questions.  We as teachers feel we need to engage the students by asking them a question that will challenge their thinking.  So why not make the student ask good challenging questions too.    

Teaching for Tomorrow

I should have read this article first before I posted my previous blog.  The section on "How I Discovered I Was Producing Highly Educated Useless People" would relate to my fears and uncomfortable feelings during my junior and senior year at college.  (Refer to Tuesday's Reflection Post)  This is why I want to challenge myself into creating problem solving and higher level of thinking skills into my lessons.  I want to challenge my students so they won't feel like a "highly educated useless person".  I want to link my lessons to real world experiences that my students will encounter.  By doing this, they will have a greater chance of remembering the context being taught because they have something to link it to.  Rather then being spoon feed and later asked to regeratate the answer on a test which will be later forgotten.    

Reflection on Tuesday's Class

Today I really enjoyed learning about all the different Web 2.0 tools there are out there in cyberspace.  There were so many different ones to choose from it was a bit overwhelming.  There are so many ideas floating around in my head about what I could do in my classroom to incorporate technology to my students.  All the core subject areas have possibilities of linking technology to them to advance the students higher level of thinking skills.  We have talked about the feeling of being uncomfortable when we aren't spoon feed and told exactly what information we need to know.  For my generation, that is all we knew in school.  Then when I went back to college, I remember taking classes my junior and senior year that weren't all spelled out.  Those teachers wanted us to think outside the box.  I remember hating those classes because I was so confused at what the teacher wanted since they didn't provide examples or even a list of items that needed to be included in our projects.  I had know idea what the teacher wanted.  All I knew was that they wanted us to be creative and innovative on our own.  I really struggled with these classes and spent numerous hours pondering and staring at a blank screen or paper.  But in the end I was amazed at what I had actually created.  I think we as educators need to start teaching children how to think outside the box at an early age.  Because then when they are older and in junior high and high school, they won't feel so uncomfortable.  They will know how to expand their thinking to even greater heights.  

6 Word Stories

Low as ocean, high as mountain.

Literacy in the Digital Age

This article makes me really think about the children of today.  Are they getting the adequate amount of education using technology?  What about the schools that can't afford numerous computers, other programs, and other tools of technology?  Are these students then classified in an employers eye as lacking technology experience?  I personally love all the new technology in today's society, but I have to wonder, could these kids today survive in this world if something happened (economic depression, nuclear war, etc) and they had to survive the old basic ways of living?  Also, will all the technology advances today does it make the average person jobless because companies do not need a large number of employees do to the fact the computers, etc. are doing all the work?  

I enjoyed reading the lesson examples in this article.  The lessons really connected to the basic standards of learning and also made the students think at a higher level.    

Google Tools

I checked out the Google Earth tool and found out that it can measure distances and see all the areas of the earth.  I think this is a great tool to check out other parts of the world and see the different climates, building structures, etc.  This would be a great classroom tool to have students locate certain landmarks that is being discussed in social studies/history.  Also, to measure distances for math and explore space for science.  This is a very "Global" tool:)  

class

I am taking a new class called 21st Century Learning