Five Pros of online virtual schools:
1. Students who live a very long way from schools are able to get their education without driving long distances.
2. Students who are advanced or very skilled can work through more than one grade per year and get ahead in their studies.
3. Students are able to guide themselves through the curriculum which will help them become more independent.
4. If a student had a parent who was very sick or needed extra help, they would be able to stay at home and still complete school, but also help their parent with daily things.
5. Children learn to work with new technology and are better prepared in working with online functions.
Five Cons of online virtual schools:
1. Students do not get the social impact that schooling provides by interacting with their peers.
2. Students do not get immediate teacher help from a certified teacher since their parents do the schooling.
3. Students do not make as many friends unless they are members of many outside activities
4. This might create fewer jobs for teachers, especially if they aren’t very aware with new technologies.
5. Students are not able to interact with other peers in order to enhance learning. Face to face group projects are pretty much eliminated.
How virtual schools might impact my future teaching:
I think that it’s a neat idea, and I like that it provides opportunities for students who aren’t able to attend school face to face. I don’t think I would like to be a teacher in this type of setting, because I feel like you would lose that personal connection that you make with students. One of the reasons I want to become a teacher is because I want to make a positive difference in children’s lives. You wouldn’t really be able to tell what affect you are having on students in this type of setup, because you wouldn’t ever spend any one-on-one time with the student or be able to interact with them face to face. Emailing back and forth is not very personal, and it doesn’t leave much room for expression or emotion. Part of being a great teacher is helping students on other levels besides academic achievements. What if there was some type of abuse going on at home? If students were participating in this virtual school, who would help those abused children? Teachers are resources for children, and they act as caregivers for them in many situations. I think it’s a great idea for parents who are very set on keeping their children homeschooled, but I really believe that a face to face setting is the most ideal environment for children in school.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Emerging Technologies
Smartboard
The Smartboard is an interactive whiteboard that is electronic. It’s easy to use, and enhances student learning in many ways. The Smartboard is a great tool to use within the classroom because it allows students to interact with different projects and activities in a whole new way. I believe the Smartboard does a better job keeping students engaged, because of its interactive capabilities. The Smartboard is not a common resource that students have seen or used before and because of that, students are interested in exploring all its features.
I would love to have a Smartboard in my classroom as a tool for class projects or even to use for specific work stations within the class. I really like the idea of having “work stations” or “learning centers” within the classroom. I think the Smartboard would be a great technology to have as one of the centers, in which children would feel like they are playing, but still be learning at the same time. They would be able to practice different skills, such as reading, writing, and math, and are also able to work cooperatively.
Skype
Skype is a system where you can make free calls over the internet to other people who have the program. It’s a webcam technology that enables you to talk live to anyone in the world. Skype could be used in a classroom setting in multiple ways. Since it’s a communication tool, it can be used to communicate with your students or their parents outside the classroom. You could have video conferencing with parents if they aren’t able to leave their home for some reason, or you could use it to update students who were out sick that day.
You could also use it to communicate with other classes across the nation or even in another country. It could be used a “pen pal” type system when communicating with another class. Each student would be assigned a pen pal in the other class and be able to have video conferencing with them once a week. It’d be a great chance for students to get an idea of what is going on in other classes and even explore other cultures.
Facebook
Facebook is a social network that connects people with others all over the world. Using a website like Facebook would enable you (the teacher) to stay connected with students and parents. The site is getting very popular, and many new members join every day. The nice thing about Facebook is that it offers a private way for people to communicate with each other. It’d be a great tool to use along with Skype for the students to learn about their pen pal, and also learn interesting things about their fellow classmates. Another great thing about Facebook is that it would allow the teacher to stay connected with students and parents even after they have moved on to the next grade level. I know that when I run into my past teachers they love to know what I am up to, and it probably makes them feel great to know that I am doing well.
As a teacher, you could use some of the features on Facebook to enhance student learning. You could create a group on Facebook that is specifically for your classroom of students, and keep them updated on the day to day lesson plans that you are using. It’d also be a nice communication tool for parents to see what is going on inside the classroom.
The Smartboard is an interactive whiteboard that is electronic. It’s easy to use, and enhances student learning in many ways. The Smartboard is a great tool to use within the classroom because it allows students to interact with different projects and activities in a whole new way. I believe the Smartboard does a better job keeping students engaged, because of its interactive capabilities. The Smartboard is not a common resource that students have seen or used before and because of that, students are interested in exploring all its features.
I would love to have a Smartboard in my classroom as a tool for class projects or even to use for specific work stations within the class. I really like the idea of having “work stations” or “learning centers” within the classroom. I think the Smartboard would be a great technology to have as one of the centers, in which children would feel like they are playing, but still be learning at the same time. They would be able to practice different skills, such as reading, writing, and math, and are also able to work cooperatively.
Skype
Skype is a system where you can make free calls over the internet to other people who have the program. It’s a webcam technology that enables you to talk live to anyone in the world. Skype could be used in a classroom setting in multiple ways. Since it’s a communication tool, it can be used to communicate with your students or their parents outside the classroom. You could have video conferencing with parents if they aren’t able to leave their home for some reason, or you could use it to update students who were out sick that day.
You could also use it to communicate with other classes across the nation or even in another country. It could be used a “pen pal” type system when communicating with another class. Each student would be assigned a pen pal in the other class and be able to have video conferencing with them once a week. It’d be a great chance for students to get an idea of what is going on in other classes and even explore other cultures.
Facebook is a social network that connects people with others all over the world. Using a website like Facebook would enable you (the teacher) to stay connected with students and parents. The site is getting very popular, and many new members join every day. The nice thing about Facebook is that it offers a private way for people to communicate with each other. It’d be a great tool to use along with Skype for the students to learn about their pen pal, and also learn interesting things about their fellow classmates. Another great thing about Facebook is that it would allow the teacher to stay connected with students and parents even after they have moved on to the next grade level. I know that when I run into my past teachers they love to know what I am up to, and it probably makes them feel great to know that I am doing well.
As a teacher, you could use some of the features on Facebook to enhance student learning. You could create a group on Facebook that is specifically for your classroom of students, and keep them updated on the day to day lesson plans that you are using. It’d also be a nice communication tool for parents to see what is going on inside the classroom.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Teacher Web Project Reflections
1. When using a website like TeacherWeb, there are so many more possibilities for parent and student engagement and interaction. Websites like this can enhance student learning, and improve the communication between the teacher and others.
It can be hard for parents (especially if they are busy) to know what is going on in their child’s classroom. Most the time, it’s not because they don’t have an interest in the child’s learning, but simply do not have the time during the day to contact the teacher. Having a website like this gives the parents a resource to see what is going on in class, see how their child is performing, communicate with the teacher, and see if there is anything they can do to additionally help their child.
Let’s face it, sometimes children get bored in school. Using a website like Teacherweb is a great way to enhance learning and keep students engaged in the assignments they are doing. When children use the computer to do a project or an assignment (especially at a young age) they feel like they are doing something interesting and fun, rather than tedious and boring.
Another great thing about a website like this is the student’s ability to explore the web. This is a great way for you to give parents and children some safe websites to explore that are both fun and helpful, and can also enhance their learning. This is great for children who might need a little extra help on things like spelling, multiplication, or any other skills they might be lacking.
2. As mentioned above, there are many advantages of using a website like Teacherweb. However the two biggest advantages I see when using this type of site in classroom activities is the ability for easy and organized grading, and the ability to save paper and other materials by having things done electronically.
I really enjoyed creating the class grade aspect of my Teacherweb. I thought it was great how simple it was to incorporate this type of system into the website and also to have it available to the students and the parents. It makes it easy to keep parents involved in their child’s achievements and weaknesses, and also easy to see if there is an assignment the student missed while out sick or on vacation.
It’s a well known fact that a lot of teachers have to spend some of their own money for the materials and other things they want to use in their classroom. When you are able to use computer resources, you can save a lot of money on other supplies. This is especially helpful when doing class projects and when students turn in paper electronically. Also, you can save the student money by not making them print things out or spend extra money on materials for assignments and projects.
It can be hard for parents (especially if they are busy) to know what is going on in their child’s classroom. Most the time, it’s not because they don’t have an interest in the child’s learning, but simply do not have the time during the day to contact the teacher. Having a website like this gives the parents a resource to see what is going on in class, see how their child is performing, communicate with the teacher, and see if there is anything they can do to additionally help their child.
Let’s face it, sometimes children get bored in school. Using a website like Teacherweb is a great way to enhance learning and keep students engaged in the assignments they are doing. When children use the computer to do a project or an assignment (especially at a young age) they feel like they are doing something interesting and fun, rather than tedious and boring.
Another great thing about a website like this is the student’s ability to explore the web. This is a great way for you to give parents and children some safe websites to explore that are both fun and helpful, and can also enhance their learning. This is great for children who might need a little extra help on things like spelling, multiplication, or any other skills they might be lacking.
2. As mentioned above, there are many advantages of using a website like Teacherweb. However the two biggest advantages I see when using this type of site in classroom activities is the ability for easy and organized grading, and the ability to save paper and other materials by having things done electronically.
I really enjoyed creating the class grade aspect of my Teacherweb. I thought it was great how simple it was to incorporate this type of system into the website and also to have it available to the students and the parents. It makes it easy to keep parents involved in their child’s achievements and weaknesses, and also easy to see if there is an assignment the student missed while out sick or on vacation.
It’s a well known fact that a lot of teachers have to spend some of their own money for the materials and other things they want to use in their classroom. When you are able to use computer resources, you can save a lot of money on other supplies. This is especially helpful when doing class projects and when students turn in paper electronically. Also, you can save the student money by not making them print things out or spend extra money on materials for assignments and projects.
Blogs and Wikis in Education
1. Blogs and Wikis are great tools to incorporate into the classroom to enhance student learning. Here are three ways that blogs and wikis could be used in K-12 classrooms:
1. Blogs can be used as a journal in classrooms. You could have your students respond to a topic that you select and have them write in their blogs about it. You could also have your students do free writing in the blogs, and let their creativity roll.
2. You could use a wiki page to assist in class projects such as state projects, country projects, etc. The website would be a great resource for the students to use in order to save money on materials that they would normally use to create the projects. Also, if all your students had computer access, it would be easy for their peers to review each other’s projects and also easy for you to have quick access to their project.
3. Blogs could also be used for you students to keep in touch with a pen pal. You could get together with another class and have the students write back and forth through their blog to the other class. It’d be a great way to explore what other classes are doing in another place, and for the students to practice letter writing skills.
2. You could use the RSS readers/aggregators within the classroom setting by creating one that your students are interested in. You could have the students discuss as a group what their interests were and maybe some favorite websites (that are appropriate in an education setting) and place all that into one, so that students would have one place to go to have access to that fun and interesting information. This would also assist in students browsing different websites and maybe stumbling upon some inappropriate sites that they shouldn’t be looking at.
3. There are definitely some positive and negative aspects of using blogs and wikis in the classroom. Here are two pros and two cons to using blogs and wikis in education.
Pros:
- They provide an easy way for you to grade whatever you are having your students complete and there is no confusion on their penmanship.
- They provide an outlet for your students to express how they are feeling, and it’s another tool for communication. If your student was frustrated about something in the classroom, they could communicate with you through their blog without having to be embarrassed in coming forward with their feelings.
Cons:
- They don’t provide an opportunity for children to practice their penmanship and writing skills since students will be typing.
- If your student doesn’t make the information that he/she is writing, they are easily read by other people and that could provide potential problems.
1. Blogs can be used as a journal in classrooms. You could have your students respond to a topic that you select and have them write in their blogs about it. You could also have your students do free writing in the blogs, and let their creativity roll.
2. You could use a wiki page to assist in class projects such as state projects, country projects, etc. The website would be a great resource for the students to use in order to save money on materials that they would normally use to create the projects. Also, if all your students had computer access, it would be easy for their peers to review each other’s projects and also easy for you to have quick access to their project.
3. Blogs could also be used for you students to keep in touch with a pen pal. You could get together with another class and have the students write back and forth through their blog to the other class. It’d be a great way to explore what other classes are doing in another place, and for the students to practice letter writing skills.
2. You could use the RSS readers/aggregators within the classroom setting by creating one that your students are interested in. You could have the students discuss as a group what their interests were and maybe some favorite websites (that are appropriate in an education setting) and place all that into one, so that students would have one place to go to have access to that fun and interesting information. This would also assist in students browsing different websites and maybe stumbling upon some inappropriate sites that they shouldn’t be looking at.
3. There are definitely some positive and negative aspects of using blogs and wikis in the classroom. Here are two pros and two cons to using blogs and wikis in education.
Pros:
- They provide an easy way for you to grade whatever you are having your students complete and there is no confusion on their penmanship.
- They provide an outlet for your students to express how they are feeling, and it’s another tool for communication. If your student was frustrated about something in the classroom, they could communicate with you through their blog without having to be embarrassed in coming forward with their feelings.
Cons:
- They don’t provide an opportunity for children to practice their penmanship and writing skills since students will be typing.
- If your student doesn’t make the information that he/she is writing, they are easily read by other people and that could provide potential problems.
Engaging Students with Concept Mapping Activities
1. Concept mapping is a great tool to use for both written and visual representation. It allows students to explore storytelling in a different manner than just writing an essay. There are many things you could use concept mapping for within the classroom.
One idea is to use a concept map to create a family tree. This would be a great way for students to explore their family heritage and see a visual representation of how their ancestors relate to them. They could also compare their family trees with other classmates and see the differences and similarities between each other’s families. This would be great to show how every person comes from different backgrounds and that we each have our own something special about us.
Another idea is to use a concept map to tell a life story. The student could use a template that is already created for them in Kidspiration to explain the history of themselves and some interesting things about them. They could add their likes and dislikes onto the concept map, and also some of their interests. This could be a great “getting to know you” activity, and could even present opportunities for a presentation to the class with their concept map as a visual aid.
A third idea is to use concept mapping to outline a story that the student is assigned to read. There are templates made in Kidspiration that the children could look at as examples of what something like that looks like, and then they could created their own storylines based on whatever book they are reading. This would be a great way to assess kids on what they remember from the story they are reading, without making them feel like they are being tested. This might relieve some of the pressure and stress that testing causes, and let the creativeness of the child flow, while still allowing you to see what the child knows.
2. Concept mapping can affect student learning by giving people who are visual learners an outlet for their creativity, and an opportunity to understand a concept that they might not have been able to before. It would also allow students to explore different ways of expression when it comes to writing their own stories or writing about themselves. Students need other ways to explore learning concepts rather than just using pencil and paper. It makes learning interesting for them, and also gives them the opportunity to create something original and be proud of their own work.
3. I wouldn’t use concept mapping in a lesson for my students if I was teaching something in which I needed the students to write very detailed and descriptively. This is because in that case, I would want them to use their words to do the describing and not have the option to use pictures instead. I would use concept mapping if I wanted the students to use some sort of visual to further explain what they are thinking or what they are assigned.
This is an example of a concept map I created as a representation of a class trip to the zoo:
One idea is to use a concept map to create a family tree. This would be a great way for students to explore their family heritage and see a visual representation of how their ancestors relate to them. They could also compare their family trees with other classmates and see the differences and similarities between each other’s families. This would be great to show how every person comes from different backgrounds and that we each have our own something special about us.
Another idea is to use a concept map to tell a life story. The student could use a template that is already created for them in Kidspiration to explain the history of themselves and some interesting things about them. They could add their likes and dislikes onto the concept map, and also some of their interests. This could be a great “getting to know you” activity, and could even present opportunities for a presentation to the class with their concept map as a visual aid.
A third idea is to use concept mapping to outline a story that the student is assigned to read. There are templates made in Kidspiration that the children could look at as examples of what something like that looks like, and then they could created their own storylines based on whatever book they are reading. This would be a great way to assess kids on what they remember from the story they are reading, without making them feel like they are being tested. This might relieve some of the pressure and stress that testing causes, and let the creativeness of the child flow, while still allowing you to see what the child knows.
2. Concept mapping can affect student learning by giving people who are visual learners an outlet for their creativity, and an opportunity to understand a concept that they might not have been able to before. It would also allow students to explore different ways of expression when it comes to writing their own stories or writing about themselves. Students need other ways to explore learning concepts rather than just using pencil and paper. It makes learning interesting for them, and also gives them the opportunity to create something original and be proud of their own work.
3. I wouldn’t use concept mapping in a lesson for my students if I was teaching something in which I needed the students to write very detailed and descriptively. This is because in that case, I would want them to use their words to do the describing and not have the option to use pictures instead. I would use concept mapping if I wanted the students to use some sort of visual to further explain what they are thinking or what they are assigned.
This is an example of a concept map I created as a representation of a class trip to the zoo:
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom
1. After taking the multiple intelligences test it was revealed that I am strongest in Intrapersonal, Logical, and Verbal intelligences. Some of the core characteristics of the intrapersonal intelligence are affective awareness, ethical awareness, self-regulation, and metacognition. Some of the core characteristics of the logical intelligence are the abilities to use linear reasoning, concrete reasoning, abstract reasoning, causal relationships, and complex operations. Lastly, some of the core characteristics of the verbal intelligence are ideation, functional literacy, self-regulation, oral expression, and written expression. Out of all these characteristics I think I best fit into the intrapersonal intelligence. This is because I have a knowledge of my feelings, attitude and outlook—which goes along with the core characteristic of affective awareness. Also, I have strong principles and moral priorities, which is ethical awareness. I am aware of my own though process, which is what metacognition is. Lastly, I monitor my thoughts, actions, and behavior, which goes along with the core characteristic of self-regulation.
2. Students with a strong intrapersonal intelligence are usually comfortable with themselves. They are expressive when it comes to their liking or disliking of activities. These students usually make appropriate choices and follow their instincts. They are realistic goal setters and can sense their own strengths and weaknesses. Lastly they are good at communicating their feelings and relate to others based on their sense of self.
3. Some of the ways I can support this type of intelligence is by always trying to make variations in my instruction. Also, it would be a good idea to have daily journal writing as a piece of the curriculum I use. Another useful strategy would be to include student self-assessment in the classroom assessment strategies. Lastly, it would be wise to have current events in terms of social justice be part of the curriculum in my classroom.
4. When students have a strong intrapersonal intelligence they are stimulated by many various technologies. Some of these technologies include, but are not limited to, journals, diaries, surveys, learning centers, class discussions, online surveys and forms, and self-assessments.
5. Having knowledge of different multiple intelligences could be very useful in the classroom. It’s always been obvious to me that not all people learn the same way, and some things will not work for certain people like we’d all hope. Now that I’m aware of the different multiple intelligences, I can structure a curriculum that includes a variety of teaching strategies catering to many different intelligences.
2. Students with a strong intrapersonal intelligence are usually comfortable with themselves. They are expressive when it comes to their liking or disliking of activities. These students usually make appropriate choices and follow their instincts. They are realistic goal setters and can sense their own strengths and weaknesses. Lastly they are good at communicating their feelings and relate to others based on their sense of self.
3. Some of the ways I can support this type of intelligence is by always trying to make variations in my instruction. Also, it would be a good idea to have daily journal writing as a piece of the curriculum I use. Another useful strategy would be to include student self-assessment in the classroom assessment strategies. Lastly, it would be wise to have current events in terms of social justice be part of the curriculum in my classroom.
4. When students have a strong intrapersonal intelligence they are stimulated by many various technologies. Some of these technologies include, but are not limited to, journals, diaries, surveys, learning centers, class discussions, online surveys and forms, and self-assessments.
5. Having knowledge of different multiple intelligences could be very useful in the classroom. It’s always been obvious to me that not all people learn the same way, and some things will not work for certain people like we’d all hope. Now that I’m aware of the different multiple intelligences, I can structure a curriculum that includes a variety of teaching strategies catering to many different intelligences.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
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