Lesson

This week, I am focusing on how to best present our semester end lesson.  We are trying to teach teachers how to increase rigor in their lessons, and at the same time, show them how to use web 2.0 tools to achieve this.  It has been difficult choosing which tools would best present the information.  We are designing it to be a self-led learning experience.  My Principal, at least, would like us to be in front of the class as little as possible.  I myself prefer to not listen to myself talk.   I think that I would like to use  Story Jumper to present the information.  I like how the books are laid out in this tool.  Brandy is creating an interactive quiz, and Julia is creating a Prezi.  Overall, I think it will be a nice wiki.

Reflections

I am a little late in my reflections from last week.  I learned a lot of valuable information last week.  I really enjoyed the ProProfs, it is a site I know I will use often.  I was also struck by how much global collaboration is taking off.  People are so interested, and if used right, it can be a powerful tool for increasing our student's awareness of the world around them.  The world has grown so much smaller since I was young.  We have the capabilities to communicate so easily and effectively with people around the world at any given time.  My kids don't make phone calls anymore.  They either text or use oovoo.

Tuesday, May 3rd Reflections

  At class tonight, I was thinking about what Michelle said. I agree completely. It really isn't a matter of using the technology, but using it well. How can we utilize the tools we learn in a way that will promote not just technological literacy, but in my case, actual literacy. How can I help my students become successful adults? All year long I have been working off a theory by Robyn Jackson, in a book titled, "Never work Harder Than Your Students." She has a free webinar next Thursday,Click Here for information. She notes the amount of time teachers put into their lesson planning, in hopes of wowing the students. What we should be doing, actually, is tweaking our plans so that they are more rigorous and effective. I have learned so much from her series. It has me thinking about my plans in a different way. How can I facilitate the connections students make in their minds? It is through the connections that true learning takes place, yet some of my students come in lacking many of the basic blocks I need to build on. If they don't know what a noun or a verb is, how am I to teach infinitives and dangling participles? Worse, how do I get the students engagement so that I can teach them? My colleague said to me the other day, "I don't see why we need to use the technology. What is wrong with a pen and paper? What do we really get out of computers?" This was following a session on, "I can't get my students to stay awake when I read in class. They don't read out of class, they don't read in. It's a no win situation." I asked her, did she not notice her engagement level every time we have the computers? We have 100% engagement on Mac Lab days. These are the days when we have to use the technology to teach the basics. It's a twofer. The kids learn tech, and they learn traditional curriculum. 

made on Wondersay - Animate text with style

Capstone

I enjoyed going to the capstone on Tuesday.  It took some of the mystery out of the program.  Of course, it got me to thinking in the future.  Though I am sure I will change my mind several thousand times, what problems would I like to take on?  Several ideas came to mind.  First, since I am teaching Seniors, I thought of the problem of attendance. I get so tired of assigning make-up work, which is often irrelevant by the time the students complete it.  I thought, what if we had a number of lessons available for the students online.  Either they could complete common lessons by grade level, or we could devise a way to make webcasts of class available.  To me, a set of ten or so lessons incorporating key standards would be best.  If a student was absent, and didn't miss something integral to the curriculum, they could make up a lesson.  Allow me to clarify; often, I hold debates, discussions, or Socratic Circles in class which the students receive points for.  It is difficult for a student to make such work up, and yet I hate to give chronic absentees a pass.  Wouldn't it be wonderful to say, make up lesson #7 on the website?  I also like the idea of a share site for the teachers.  My last idea was for a blackboard type program for our classes.  Can you tell absenteeism is on my mind a lot?  Ahhh, spring seniors.

Tagul, better than wordle, doesn't need to download

Lingro

Lingro is a neat site.  You can type in a web address, and click go, and every word can be clicked for dictionary definition.  It would be great if you were assigning a particular reading online, the students could go to lingro first, then get help if need be while reading.  Lingro  

Lingro could be used in any field, but would be particularly good in English and Foreign Languages.