Thing #5

While exploring RSS and Google Reader, I chose to add an Education bundle of sites from which I would like to receive updates. One of them has to do with Technology in the Classroom. I chose this subject because I frequently feel like my knowledge and/or application of technology in an educational environment is never adequate. Could be the high speed of change in both areas, or so it seems. I received an update on Essential Classroom Technologies by Henry Thiele. I was pleased at his simple, non-technological response that even I could understand. The three things he recommends are a computer of some sort, preferably powerful enough to allow the "world into the classroom." Next was a projector which allows for one computer to be used to show information to the entire class. Last was some type of audio equipment to allow projection of sound to a classroom, his recommendation was a set of speakers. The lone comment posted so far debated this stating that it was just as, or more important, to have a microphone and recording capability. I enjoyed reading this post since it was simple enough for me to understand and it validated the fact that at our school we are in possession of and using at least the essential technology tools in our classrooms. I know that feeling of validation won't last but a second longer, so I will end this post and go back to Google Reader to see what technological challenges for the classroom pop up next.

Thing #4

Blog writing, in general, seems like a very laid back form of writing. Many contributors took time to make sure their writing included facts to back up their opinions as well as links to other sites that they referred to while writing. There was generally a variety of writing samples where the authors were sometimes direct, sometimes factual, sometimes colorful, sometimes just plain cute as in the 2nd graders blog about ducks. Most provided some information, it wasn't just opinions. I found that blog reading can be tedious, and took weeding through much information to get to a few good ideas from responding bloggers. It may have felt this way because I was choosing blogs from a preselected list of blog posts. Had I been independently participating, either writing my own blog, or reading/responding to a blog that I had chosen to go to on my own, it may not have seemed so tedious. While I do not see myself reading or writing blogs for entertainment, I did find at least one to be entertaining. Blogging was very much like a conversation between a group (classroom type discussions). I saw value in the development of the discussion about homework as each person posting continued to expand their ideas, and thus the conversation, about assigning homework, taking into consideration what the previous (or original) blogger had written. This was an excellent example of how you might want a blog to work with your class at school to facilitate learning. I am uncertain about a blogging literacy. I did not see any use of acronyms or text-messaging type of spelling. Most bloggers used language & grammar that was correct. The conversations were easy to follow. I did notice that often, the comments just went on and on. In the Why I Don't Assign Homework blog, the conversation developed and redeveloped. In the blog about plastic grocery bags, the conversation just went on and on about the same thing. I wanted to quit reading, but was afraid I would miss a great pearl of wisdom if I didn't read it all (that is where the tedious came in although the original post was interesting information). Also, in Spies Like Us by CoolCatTeacher, while the actual blog post was very factual and good information to have, the comments tended to be thank you for talking about this or that was a good idea instead of an evolving discussion.

Thing #2 Thoughts about Web 2.0

Web 2.0 provides opportunities for student use of technology in a school environment. It can be used to

• give the teacher feedback about what learning has occurred.
• replace some pen and pencil forms of information collected by teachers
• allow students to research, report and present to a teacher or class
• help trigger and develop critical thinking about a subject through conversation with others
• through pod casts, help a student who has missed class, or who is slower to grasp concepts, to catch up
• allow parents in on what is going on during class
• invites convenient conversation with teachers when it is difficult managing class time and answering all students' individual questions.

Today's learners generally know more about the tools available on the Internet and through the use of computers and Ipods than the adults who instruct them. They are

comfortable using these tools and allowing them to do so meets the

needs of those who have different styles of learning. It is very

important that we teach our students in a form of communication that

is being used world-wide so they can continue to learn in high school

and college and after formal education is no longer being provided.

Initial thoughts about Web 2.0 is that it provides us an opportunity

to teach and our students an opportunity to learn about communicating

with others in a real world environment.

Thing #1 Habits - Reflections on Lifelong Learning

The 7 1/2 Habits of Highly Successful Life-long Learners was an excellent reminder about goal setting. It is kind of like the things learned at an early age that we do automatically. Often the steps we followed to learn those things are forgotten. So, we know how to read, but we would have a hard time teaching someone else to read because we have forgotten about the path we took to get there. The easiest habit for me with most learning experiences is beginning with the end in mind. This is one of those things done automatically without prompting. For example, I want to learn to dance, or to cook something new, or find out how to put up a tile backsplash. (Can you tell I love to learn new things?) The most important habit (for me) has to be viewing problems as challenges. More frequently, the challenge is accepted. However, more often than I would probably want to believe, a goal is derailed due to a problem. No dance partner, ingredients needed for new recipe are out of season, or the tile job is just too overwhelming. All frustrating roadblocks for the goals that were set. However, if the challenge is accepted and success becomes the ultimate goal, the realizations begin taking place. You don't need a dance partner to dance, there are at least a million types of foods out there to use as a substitute in a recipe, and that if a job is broken down into smaller goals or pieces, a job that is overwhelming can become manageable. Probably the most challenging habit is the mentoring or teaching someone else. That's kind of funny for a teacher, huh? The problem is not so much teaching or mentoring as getting a receptive student or mentoree. Someone who also is a life-long learner and maybe more of the problem is finding someone who wants to learn the same things I want to learn.