k12learning2.0

Thing 23

dgnote — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:14:16 +0000

I have enjoyed learning about the Web 2.0 tools mentioned in this course, and look forward to incorporating some of them into my teaching. There is just so much information out there, that I am grateful that someone took the time to choose some of the more useful tools and organize this course. I have already started using some of the tools, especially Google Docs, and as I go through the school year, I know I will be able to incorporate some of what I learned this summer into my sixth grade teaching curriculum. I also enjoyed the fact that this course was all online so that we could complete assignments at our own pace. This is also something I want to think about finding a way to incorporate in my own classroom. Students learn in various ways, and with all the Web 2.0 tools available, I hope to be able to teach to these various learning styles.

Thing 22

dgnote — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 19:04:32 +0000

I was overwhelmed by the amount of information available at Classroom 2.0, and I found much of the information was written in a practical, easy-to-understand format. Under Forums then Success Stories, I found an interesting discussion on “How Are You Using Your Classroom Smartboard?” started by Rich White, and another discussion on “Reflections on Student Blogging” by Colette Cassinelli. I found a “Teaching Writing with Web 2.0 Media” discussion on having students writing fairy tales or myths on a wikki. Using the Tags, I found a discussion on blogging without student emails, started by Amy Capelle that was interesting to me since Lower School students do not have email addresses through the school. I liked the video “One woman’s Wanderings with Web 2.0″ because this teacher told us how she used some of the various Web 2.0 tools in her school. I liked the discussion format of Classroom 2.0 and Ning, and see these as places to return to when I want answers to questions to classroom uses of Web tools.

Thing 7c

dgnote — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:28:53 +0000

I am always looking for ways to increase reading comprehension with my sixth grade students, and in the past, I have been surprised that students do not visualize. In one of my readings, I came across a “Sketch to Stretch” reading comprehension activity that might interest my students. Students are asked to read a passage then make a sketch of how they visualize that passage. Other students are asked to comment on a students sketch, then the student that made the sketch can comment on his sketch.

Thing 21

dgnote — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 18:48:31 +0000

I can see many uses for Pageflakes for my own use, both at home and at school. If I had more time, I could organize pages by themes. I could have a page for each novel I am reading, or other type of unit I am teaching, and put in bookmark pages, You Tube videos, Flickr pictures, etc. that would relate to that book or unit. I could have another page relating to what I am teaching in English. This would be a great way to organize teaching materials. Students could create their own pages and put in calendars, schedules, memo pages, etc., but I am not sure that I would want to take class time to do this at school. It would be a wonderful way for a tutor to help a child who is having organizational problems, though.

Thing 20

dgnote — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 18:34:47 +0000

I can see that Google Docs would be something to make communication easier. One way that I could use Google Docs would be just to have a colleague proofread a handout that I plan to use for students. I created a “Word” handout that is a list of materials students need to bring with them to each class on the first day of school. I can share this with the other sixth grade teachers, and they can make additions or corrections. The second thing I tried was importing a spreadsheet. I am not very good at working with spreadsheets, so this task proved to be more difficult. Some of the formatting did not transfer over, but overall, my spreadsheet still worked. It is a sheet that summarizes how many students read each of the choice summer reading books. We use this each year to decide which books to change for the next summer reading list. Now, instead of having each teacher email me their numbers, I can invite them to use the document on Google Docs, and they can enter their own numbers! I can see also using Google Docs with students. I could give the link to a particular document to my students, and they could view and print the document; I would not let them edit the document. I probably would not use this as much with students because I can already give them a link to a document through Edline.

Thing 19

dgnote — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 20:53:00 +0000

I had been looking forward to this “Thing!” This was a great excuse to spend hours looking at You Tube and Teacher Tube videos. I found several interesting videos, some of which were not very appropriate. I found a couple that I could use when teaching Johnny Tremain. The first one is Schoolhouse Rock – The Shot Heard ‘Round the World.

A second video that I might use when teaching Johnny Tremain is “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere.”

There were so many interesting “how to” videos. One that concerned me, but I thought teachers should be aware of was “How to cheat on any test.”

A video I chose for fun was “How Not To Use Powerpoint By Comedian Don McMillan. This one was hilarious, but also drove home some good points.

Thing 18

dgnote — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:18:46 +0000

It took me a little longer to record my podcast than I thought it would. I kept getting tongue-tied and had to start over! I wonder how long it will take students, even after they have practiced a few times. I think students would love to hear themselves, though. Can we use podcasts in Edline?

Thing 17

dgnote — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 02:18:34 +0000

I have mixed feelings about using podcasts in the classroom. I am more of a visual learner than an audio learner, so I really liked the video podcasts, but I wasn’t all that thrilled with many of the audio podcasts. I used Grazr and found a history podcast on the Battle of Lexington. I enjoyed it because I have visited Lexington and most of the places mentioned in the audio podcast, so I could visualize what they were talking about. I can see using this as a link on Edline for those students who would like further information about the Battle of Lexington when we are studying Johnny Tremain, but I am not sure very many of my students will access it. Many students are audio learners, so they might actually enjoy listening to podcasts. I also liked the “One Minute How To” videos on Grazr, and wished I had more time to listen to more of them. I have not used iTunes, and confess that the one gadget that I do not own yet is an iPod. I downloaded iTunes and found myself soon wishing that my son was home to help me because I kept getting lost on the site! I am sure that most of my students already know a lot more about the iTunes site than I do! I did subscribe to a few podcasts including Aesop’s Fables Podcast, Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips, and Discovery Channel Video Podcasts. I know that I will have to weed out some of them, (as well as some of my other RSS feeds on Google Reader,) but I wanted to give them a try.

Thing 16

dgnote — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 19:15:25 +0000

This was a wonderful site to explore. This is one assignment that I wish I would have been at school when I worked on it. I would love to have my classroom library books put into Library Thing. So often a student will come in and ask if I have a particular book. Sometimes I can remember, but sometimes I can’t, and it would be easy to look it up if I had them all on Library Thing. I put in some of the books I had at home. I did have to refresh the page every time I put in a new search, or nothing would happen when I hit the search button. It seems like it might be easy to have a book club in the discussion groups on Library Thing. Teachers at the Lower School have often talked about having a book club, but we can never seem to find a time that we could all get together to discuss the book. I also loved the suggester link. I loved Richard Lavoie’s new book, The Motivation Breakthrough, so a did a search using his name, and came up with a list of other books that I might want to read.

Thing 15

dgnote — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:05:21 +0000

I spent the morning using delicious to find information that I could use when teaching Johnny Tremain. I already have 25 bookmarks, and this is only on one topic! I have used bookmarks before, but found it difficult to go back and find a particular web page once I got too many bookmarks. Also, every time I got a new computer, I lost all of my old book marks because I did not want to go to the trouble to save all of them and transfer them to the new computer. I love being able to add tags so that when I go back to find a page I will have a better chance of being able to locate it. I tried the stretch activities, and can’t wait to see what information the subscription on the Black Plague will bring to me. I will be able to use that with The Door in the Wall, that we teach in sixth grade reading. My delicious link is http://del.icio.us/dgnote.