Final Reflection

Well personally I feel this final reflection is a little bitter sweet. I really did enjoy this class and coming up with so many different ideas and tools to use in my classroom, however, I will like the extra time because my house is in desperate need of painting.

Coming into this class I felt like I knew a lot. I'm pretty active with using technology so I was hoping this class would provide me with exposure to new tools, and it did. I knew about podcasts, blogs, and wikis. I'd been exposed to doing assignments online and had used Blackboard before.

What I really wanted to pull out of this class was a list of websites and tools that I could use in my classroom to enhance my teaching. I wanted a list of sites that I could post for the students to check out and hopefully find out some new tools to use in my classroom.

What I got from this class was so much more. At first I was nervous about not using Blackboard. It was what I knew and could function with. However, using the wetpaint was much more beneficial. I provides so much more access and tools to use.

I learned so much this summer. From RSS readers to Podcasts I was able to see the use for each of these tools within my classroom. I also really appreciated the readings. I often find myself wrapped up in the world of fiction and forget about reading professionally. By finding the websites that are up-to-date with technology and educational news I was able to add them to my RSS reader and now will hopefully keep up to date with it.

From all of my learning, I plan to implement a lot this year. I plan to use blogs the way they were intended, and provide topics for the students to elaborate on rather than sentence starters. This allows for so much more creativity as well as different strands of conversation. I also plan to have my students follow each other via an RSS reader as well as following some professional blogs. Next, I hope to have my students create podcasts of their stories. I'm often stressing that they need to read their stories out loud to hear how it sounds, Podcasts will provide a purpose for reading it out loud, as well as accountability and editing.

So I now plan to travel into this new school year armed with many more tools and knowledge to challenge my students both academically and creatively. I hope that my classroom can gain as much as I did from this class.

Podcast- A rant on video podcasts!

Well I started my day by trying to create a video podcast, I almost ended my day by chucking my computer out the window. Therefore I created an audacity podcast that is my rant about video podcasts. I thought this might be a little more entertaining than me reading my class reflection.

However, my next dilemma was that I now couldn't post my podcast because I didn't have a host. In comes PodOmatic! That site is AWESOME! It's very easy to navigate and you can create video podcasts right on the site! Seriously wish I had checked into this before I did the audacity post (I downloaded about 3 other sites first...save yourself the time and go with PodOmatic).

Anyway, it was a big learning experience for me and I'm glad I stumbled my way through it because I can see this helping me in the future.

A Rant on Video Podcasting!

Week 8- Face in a Hole (Free Choice)

Well I'm not sure if this is going to get me credit for the class, but I thought it was worth posting. By the way, Kim, if it's not please let me know. :)

Anyway, while stumbling around on Facebook, I happen to look at one of my friends pictures they'd recently posted and just about fell off of my seat from laughing! It was hilarious. The website was FACEinHOLE.com. The website is a bunch of pictures from advertising, celebrities, sports, etc. What they do is they cut out the face of the person (or animal) in the picture and you can upload a picture of yourself. It's hilarious!

I'm not sure what educational access this provides, but when you think you're going to go out of your mind...this provides some comic relief.

Week 8- Flat as a board

Well I must say, I can remember back to the times when being called "flat as a board" was a death sentence for some girls. However, YIPPEE it's a great term now!

After reading the article Four Weeks to a Flatter You, which sounds like an awful workout routine, I began to think that I'm now "flat as a board!" It's great, each one of those recommendations is something that we've done this summer and through these assignments I've created a ton of new ideas to use within my classroom. In a way I'm kind of excited for school, but wait, don't murder me yet, I would rather add about 4 more weeks to my summer vacation before returning.

Anyway, after reading the article, I was really quite glad that I took this course. This year I plan to have my students use RSS readers, podcasts, and blogs...to start off. It's such an exciting beginning to have new tools and ideas to bring to the classroom that I know the students are going to love. This makes the kids more engaged, which leads to less down time, which leads to less misbehaving, which equals- a happy me!

Anyway, I've had about three cups of coffee by now and I guess it's time to put this energy to use elsewhere.

Week 7- Assessing Technology

Assessing technology is a tricky subject in my opinion. Although I find that I'm pretty quick to say I like or dislike a program or tool, I find it's usually based on it's ease of use. For example, Excel, it is like speaking Greek to me. However, those who know how to use it's functions inside and out, live by it. Also, when what I need to accomplish with it comes out correctly, I must admit that I do like it. I just don't find it easy to use.

I think we should be assessing technology based on: 1. Ease of use, 2. Does it make the work easier or more efficient, 3. Will it enhance our learning or understanding. There are probably many more ways I assess technology, but these are probably the heaviest in importance.

However, I feel that many schools focus on how kids can misuse something more than how it will enhance the students learning. In my opinion, no matter what you do one or two students will find a way to misuse something, which means that there need to be guidelines set in place AND FOLLOWED THROUGH WITH. I don't know about others, but I often feel there is a lack of follow-through in discipline. Anyway, in order to bring our schools back into the cutting edge of technology, we need to not be so slow in our implementation. I feel that the technology administrators are so fearful of the "what ifs" or "maybes" that we lose the ability to be on the forefront of a movement. Other countries are blowing us away with their technology use and training...we need to get in gear!

Week 7- Project Based Learning

Personally, after reading many of those FAQs I thought a lot of the same things, however, the overall goal and implementation of Project Based Learning is great! I also, personally, think that it'd be way more fun to teach than to lecture in the front of the classroom. I do believe that once students feel that the skills they are learning could be applied to the real world, they become more invested. I'm also wondering if these lessons spark more conversation at home. Instead of spouting off the usual "nothing" when asked what they learned at schools, students can talk about what they accomplished on the project. Therefore in theory it could spark more conversation at dinner, which in turn leads to a family that's more involved.

This year my goal is to become part of our science class's moon resort project. The students create moon resorts that have to sustain life, they learn about the different ways to get water, air, heat, etc. in class. They also get to design recreational activities, the students then build the resorts in class as a team of four. My goal this year would be to have them create a brochure for their resort that details the major systems and entertainment within their resort. The students will divvy up the writing, design, and graphics to create a final group project. Hopefully it all runs smoothly.

Week 7- Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences (free choice)

Well after watching the short video on Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences, I decided to do my free choice on my thoughts. First, thank goodness that he cleared up some of his thoughts and ideas about the Multiple Intelligences. I'm not sure about the rest of you, but during my undergraduate the Multiple Intelligences were extremely popular and tons of my classes focused on how I would design a lesson plan that touched on the them. Let me tell you, I pulled some serious ideas out of "you know where" when I was reaching for a kinethsetic goal for a reading lesson or how to reach the linguistically inclined while playing dodge ball. One of the best things I thought he said was that not every lesson needs to include all eight intelligences, but we need to think about touching upon a few in each lesson. I wish my professors had watched this video before designing some of their assignments!

Another point that I really liked was how he said that we cover so many topics in year that we just skim the surface, without really going in depth into the subject. I know this sounds a lot like tracking, but really why not focus on the topics that students really invest themselves in. Isn't that one of the key components to getting students involved in their own learning...having them invested?

Finally, on a side note, did anyone else happen to catch the hurricane going on outside that interview? At one point it looked like the tree was going to fall down! Just a side note :)

Week 6- Rate My Teacher (free choice)

Well I'm not sure if I read about this site in this class or my other class, however after many weeks going by and it continually popping up in my head, I decided to check out RateMyTeacher.com. If you haven't checked it out yet, it's worth a look. I personally was hoping that I made the rating scale, but sadly haven't yet.

Here's some info on the site. If you aren't a registered user all you can do is search the site for your school and who's rated, you have to register to rate people. Both parents and students can rate teacher, administrators and other professional staff; lunch ladies, security, and secretaries are not allowed to be rated. Well, after fumbling around the site a bit, I finally found the guidelines to the site.

Overall, I think the site is pretty interesting, however, if you are sensitive to what your students think of you, I'd check it when you're feeling strong. I found some teachers that I work with and I don't think some would like how they were rated. However, others may be pleased. The real concept that I found intriguing was that it was a real rating of how students feel about you, because it's anonymous (well at least to the casual user, I haven't signed up). Although I get that a student could be particularly annoyed with you one day, it takes the average of all the rating, so someone out there probably likes you. :)

Week 6- Chapter 5

Chapter 5- Well while I was reading chapter 5, Professional Development, I was thinking what a great idea this is. It'd be really nice to be able to create a group of teachers, in my school, that all worked on professional development together. The ability to share new ideas, websites, and comments are the best part of the web 2.0 experience.

If I were to design a group I think what I'd do was get a group of members, suggest a site, book, or tool, then have everyone investigate it on their own time. Then through that first interaction, hopefully a whole new world of sites, tools, and books would surface. Basically the possibilities are endless. Another great aspect of the idea would be for teachers to post what they're doing in their classrooms or problems their having. The great thing about this is that it's not a faculty meeting and people can post and respond when they have time, not a designated time twice a month for an hour. I really like the idea of using Diigo accounts to link to others and create a vast resource for learning new information.

Personally, I think the key aspect to getting this up and running is to get a core group of people who are invested in doing it. Once it's moving along well, word or mouth will usually get more people involved. I know that the book recommended getting together once a month, which would be helpful so that everyone could be on the same page, since we all never seem to have a common span of free time. My final thought would be that I'd want administration on board so that I could get PD credit hours! I'm thinking that WetPaint would be a good place to house this group.

Week 6-PLN

Personal Learning Networks...well after searching around and finding many different education blogs, I decided that PLNs are a pretty great idea. Not only can you stay up with many different tools and updates in education, but you can do it when you have time. It's not like a class where you have to attend and complete a certain amount of work, but a place where you can keep yourself current with your students and collegues on your own time. To top that all off, having an RSS reader makes it ridiculously convenient and simple. One good site I bookmarked gave some suggestions on how to begin a PLN

Through my navigating of the web, I came across a ton of different websites. One that I decided to start following was Thomas Friedman's Blog. He's the author of a book that I'm reading called The World is Flat, 3.0, which details the how the internet has flattened the buisness world.

Another site that I discovered was A Teacher's Writes. This blog is from another Language Arts teacher who chronicals some ideas, thoughts, and lessons he has used. I found it rather helpful to read that someone else goes through the same frustrations that I do with students' writing.

Finally, the last site that I bookedmarked has a list of some helpful and useful web 2.0 sites that I hopefully will be able to use in my classroom this year. It's called 21st Century School Teacher, the only downfall I can see to using some of these sites this year is if they require email addresses. Our school doesn't allow our students to have email addresses so we'll see how it goes.

Week 5- Podcasts

Well to tell the truth, I never really was interested in clicking on the podcasts button in itunes. I had my music, my books, and playlists, why did I need podcasts when I could just turn on the radio. So since I needed to investigate it for class, I clicked on the itunes store, click podcasts and just about fell out of my chair! There is a ridiculous amount of podcasts out there! My next thought was...darn, where do I begin?

I first began by clicking on the "Book Lovers" genre, but then decided that I really don't want to hear a publisher's review of a book, I want to hear the book. However, then I focused on what I usually listen to on the radio...comedy. So I clicked on the comedy and found a few to download...then hit a brick wall the side of Texas. You see it becomes increasing difficult to download a podcast when you have moved and your only Internet connection is through the Verizon Wireless VZAccess Manager, oh and your signal isn't that good. And to complicate things even more, your laptop screen died and now it's not a portable tool, but basically a ghetto desktop. Seriously, I didn't make this up. So after waiting 27 minutes for a clip to download I finally got to listen to a podcast, then I realized why it took so long. It was a video podcast. Pretty funny though

After surfing through a bunch of different podcasts on itunes I realized how far reaching they are. There are walking tours for walking The Davinci Code in Paris, The Boston Public Gardens, and even Civil War Tours. Some of the tours are chaptered by the different areas you go to, while others are one long tour.

Not only are there tours, but there are a million different genres. I listened, once I improved my connection speed (took about a day), to "how-to" podcasts on cooking a snowcrab pizza with summer vegetables and tips for staying awake while you drive.

Then it dawned on me...the best thing about podcasts is that for the most part they're all free. I said for the most part because I haven't come across one that charges yet, but I'm sure they're out there. So now I have a new resource to explore, and it gave me an idea for my final podcast project. Whew!

Week 5- Blogs

When I started thinking about what a blog is or isn't I had a hard time. Then I decided, it's whatever you want it to be. For a business it can be a place to advertise your information and inform your consumers about your products. For example LiveScribe has done this to inform their consumers about their Pulse Pen.


The New York Times has many blogs that cover a wide range of topics. Here's a snippet of a couple I found interesting. Bits is a blog on current topics involving technology is Silicon Valley. The Moment is a blog that focuses on men's and women's fashion, food, design, and travel around the world, but mostly in this nation. While The Choice focuses on "demystifying the college admissions and aid." Although these are a few that I checked out and was intrigued by, I could have spent all day checking out The Times blogs. They cover so many topics that I would wager that it's impossible to not find one that would interest you. Here are a few others, I found their titles were pretty true to what they were about: ArtsBeat (current culture and news), Formula One (Formula One racing), and even WordPlay (a blog about The Times's crossword puzzles).

So after looking through a ton of different blogs, I figured out that it can be anything to anybody. From a blog about a person's everyday life to current topics in the news, a blog is basically whatever you want to write about, made public. So I don't think we can say that they aren't anything...they can include EVERYTHING!

Week 5- Pulse Pen (free topic)

Well this week I had an easier time figuring out what to write about. In my Computers, Curriculum and Change class I had to find a new tool that could be related to my Language Arts Class. Well the tool that I found was the Pulse Pen.

This pen has many different applications, in my opinion. This pen has an infrared scanner, microphone, speakers, headphone jack, and writes. So what happens is you write your notes while the pen is recording the audio. Then when you go back to your dorm room, home, or apartment you can download your notes, which the infrared has copied, into your computer. Or if you missed writing down something you can double click on what you wrote just before you missed the words and the pen will replay the audio that was recorded when you were writing.

The way it works is that you write on special "dot" paper that has microdots on it. The pen is able to use that paper to orient the audio and text. It looks like normal lined paper. At first I thought that having to buy the pen as well as special paper was kind of a rip off, however, they just put out that you can print your own paper.

This pen has some pretty big implications in the school world. College and high school students would be able to record lectures as well as share notes online. While students who have learning disabilities would be able to review lectures and concepts after the class has ended. Pretty impressive in my opinion.