I have tried to design a class webpage before. I used Proto Page. You can visit it here, although, I must warn you that I have not kept up with it. I felt that creating this site was very easy and straightforward. I did not like that I could not customize it. I could not make it look the way I wanted or have some of the things I wanted. I looked at other sites to create a class website, but they seemed a lot more difficult to create, although the other sites did allow for more customization.
I have also created a blog on Blogger. I had to learn a little more about HTML and embedding media in order to create this. I liked that I was able to create this blog and customize it the way I wanted. I liked that I could add tags, media, links, have followers, readers can see older articles, and I could make it suit my taste. I do not think I would use this as a class web site because it does not have a homepage with the most important information right up front. Also, I feel that it is more difficult for parents and students to navigate. I am looking forward to designing a class website that allows me to customize it to fit my needs and is easy for parents and students to navigate.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
603 LT1_Act 3
Defend or argue the following:
Designing/writing for a web audience is more different than similar to designing/writing for a paper audience.
Defend
When writing a paper, whether it is for a class, newspaper, or book, one needs to be very detailed and wordy. On the Internet, nearly the opposite it true. It is suggested to create headings, subheadings, and bullet point when writing for a web audience. This is something that I have never been encouraged to do for a print audience.
In both situations, the writer needs to give the most important information in the beginning. This allows the reader to decide if the current information is relevant. In printed text, it is more difficult and time consuming to find sources, so the reader is more likely to give your writing a chance and dig deeper for information. On the web, more sources are only a click away. There is so much more competition for keeping an audience while on the Internet.
I know that when I am on a website, I read the title, the sub-headings, and then the side bar. I figure that these are the places that will get me directly to the information I am looking for. This way I do not have to look through and/or read the entire page. If I do not find what I am looking for, I move on to the next source. The way I search fits exactly into the F shaped pattern.
When I read a print article, I still skim it, however, I skim more thoroughly. I tend to look for more information from the print source than I do from the web source.
It comes down to quality verses quantity when comparing a reader’s use of print and web sources. The Internet is full of sources and if someone does not find what s/he is looking for they move on the next. Quantity is key for a reader’s use of web sources. Print sources are not as easily accessible so readers spend more time with a single source and dive deeper into that sources become moving on. If for no other reason, it is for pure convenience. When readers are looking at print sources, quality is key.
We must remember this when designing for a web audience. We need to make the important information where the reader will see it, we can not simply ramble on and disguise information within the body of the page when we know that the next source is just a click away. Writing for a web-based audience takes a lot more planning and thought than writing for a paper audience.
Designing/writing for a web audience is more different than similar to designing/writing for a paper audience.
Defend
When writing a paper, whether it is for a class, newspaper, or book, one needs to be very detailed and wordy. On the Internet, nearly the opposite it true. It is suggested to create headings, subheadings, and bullet point when writing for a web audience. This is something that I have never been encouraged to do for a print audience.
In both situations, the writer needs to give the most important information in the beginning. This allows the reader to decide if the current information is relevant. In printed text, it is more difficult and time consuming to find sources, so the reader is more likely to give your writing a chance and dig deeper for information. On the web, more sources are only a click away. There is so much more competition for keeping an audience while on the Internet.
I know that when I am on a website, I read the title, the sub-headings, and then the side bar. I figure that these are the places that will get me directly to the information I am looking for. This way I do not have to look through and/or read the entire page. If I do not find what I am looking for, I move on to the next source. The way I search fits exactly into the F shaped pattern.
When I read a print article, I still skim it, however, I skim more thoroughly. I tend to look for more information from the print source than I do from the web source.
It comes down to quality verses quantity when comparing a reader’s use of print and web sources. The Internet is full of sources and if someone does not find what s/he is looking for they move on the next. Quantity is key for a reader’s use of web sources. Print sources are not as easily accessible so readers spend more time with a single source and dive deeper into that sources become moving on. If for no other reason, it is for pure convenience. When readers are looking at print sources, quality is key.
We must remember this when designing for a web audience. We need to make the important information where the reader will see it, we can not simply ramble on and disguise information within the body of the page when we know that the next source is just a click away. Writing for a web-based audience takes a lot more planning and thought than writing for a paper audience.
603 LT1_Act1
I never would have thought to compare the Gutenberg press and the Internet. They are so different that I did not see how they are at all related. I now see that the Gutenberg Press could have been considered the Internet of the time. The Gutenberg Press was created as a way of spreading information. Its first printing was of the Holy Bible. The press was used for a positive and spirititually educating purpose. Prior to this press, the spreading of knowledge was a lot more time consuming and tedious. Once the first mass production press was created, others began to duplicate. As more people gained the ability to print, they amount of information being shared increased. This soon lead way to “secular” or “negative’ knowledge being shared.
Like the Gutenberg Press, the Internet began with very few people being able to use it. It was also invented for a positive reason; to aide the US Department of Defense with the sharing of information. The Internet was then adapted by scientists and educators continuing its use in a positive manner. Anyone who published anything on the Internet had to have a great deal of knowledge about computer coding. As the Internet grew, the ability to publish became much easier and no longer required knowledge of coding. This opened to doors for a lot of negative knowledge to be shared just like the Gutenberg Press. While the Internet is still used for positive reasons and the sharing of knowledge, it is full of negative possibilities. One can now search on the Internet to find sexually explicit material, personal information about anyone, and even falsified lies about people.
Both of these inventions began with the ability to enlighten and spread positive knowledge, yet the more people who had access to them, the more questionable information was being shared.
• Why is each invention heralded as a societal and cultural change agent though they are mere tools?
The Gutenberg Press changed society by creating the ability to mass-produce text. It also allowed more people to have access to important information such as The Bible. Once this ability was created, it does not seem logical to go back to the old way. The Internet is no different. Information is now at our fingertips. Information that may have taken days to share now takes seconds. From this point on there will be no turning back. Each of these inventions changed to way people live and how they share and access information.
• What do these statements have to do with a web design course for educators?
As educators, we must realize that while we may be using the internet and designing a web page to aide our students’ learning, it is very easy for someone to change this positive into a negative. We must limit the amount of people who have access to and the ability to share information on our web page for students to see. We must also remember that once information is on the Internet, there is no deleting it.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
LT5_Act4
Digital Portfolio
I think that digital portfolios could be very useful in my classroom. I think the best way to use them is for a writing portfolio for my students. In the beginning of Kindergarten, most students just draw pictures and by the end of the year they are writing stories with a clear beginning, middle, and end. I think it would be great to have the students see the progression of their writing at various points in the year. The students would be able to reflect on their growth throughout the year. I have done this with paper portfolios and my students look back and cannot even read the beginning of the year writing. They cannot believe that they are the ones who wrote it. It is a very interesting and thought provoking activity. If this activity is done with digital portfolios, parents can access this and students will be able to look back at their work as they grow.
I think that digital portfolios could be very useful in my classroom. I think the best way to use them is for a writing portfolio for my students. In the beginning of Kindergarten, most students just draw pictures and by the end of the year they are writing stories with a clear beginning, middle, and end. I think it would be great to have the students see the progression of their writing at various points in the year. The students would be able to reflect on their growth throughout the year. I have done this with paper portfolios and my students look back and cannot even read the beginning of the year writing. They cannot believe that they are the ones who wrote it. It is a very interesting and thought provoking activity. If this activity is done with digital portfolios, parents can access this and students will be able to look back at their work as they grow.
LT5_Act2
I am not a big fan of social networking sites. I do not like to post my personal business for people I do not talk to on a daily basis. I feel that some students may also have difficultly sharing their thoughts or work for everyone to see in situations of a blog or wiki. I like the fact that you can now decide who sees your information and I believe this to be necessary in the student educational setting.
Since starting this class I have become a bloaoholic. I love following the different Kindergarten teachers’ blogs. I have managed to learn more by following these bog than I could have from my colleagues alone. I think this holds true of students as well. By using blogging, they are able to learn so much more from so many more people.
LT4_Act5
Blogging and micro-blogging have been absent from education due to the lack of teachers who know enough about them to use them as a tool. I also think that many teachers have a negative view of Myspace, Twitter, and many others. Also, the media and news fills our minds with stories of cyber-bullying and teachers want to avoid the facilitation of such situations. By the way this question is worded, it seems as though micro-blogging is more accepted, but I would have to disagree. I feel as though blogs have become more accepted in all areas including education. I have heard of teachers having their students blog or follow the teacher’s blog, but I have never heard of a teacher asking students to “tweet.” I’m sure it happens, but just not in my personal experiences.
LT4_Act4
Micro- blogging in the Classroom
Advantages
Connecting students
Quick updates
Disadvantages
Teacher is not able to monitor posts as well
Does not have the functionality of blogs
Twitter allows students to follow non-educational feeds and non-regulated content which and create conflict and classroom management issues
Does not create the same higher-level thinking as other mediums
Micro-blogs seems to fit better into the small business world. For instance, many food truck “tweet” their location to followers. Some businesses also “tweet” specials they are offering. This seems to work well. Micro-blogs seem to be popular for social connections, but do not provide any more benefits than Facebook or a blog. I am having difficultly seeing the advantages of micro-blogs in the classroom. May someone can help me out.
Advantages
Connecting students
Quick updates
Disadvantages
Teacher is not able to monitor posts as well
Does not have the functionality of blogs
Twitter allows students to follow non-educational feeds and non-regulated content which and create conflict and classroom management issues
Does not create the same higher-level thinking as other mediums
Micro-blogs seems to fit better into the small business world. For instance, many food truck “tweet” their location to followers. Some businesses also “tweet” specials they are offering. This seems to work well. Micro-blogs seem to be popular for social connections, but do not provide any more benefits than Facebook or a blog. I am having difficultly seeing the advantages of micro-blogs in the classroom. May someone can help me out.
LT4_Act2
Connective writing as explain by Will Richardson is “the ability to publish in a variety of media with the intention of connecting and sharing it with others who have an interest (or passion) in the topic.”
He explains that there is a continuum of connective writing. “Real blogging” is the best definition of connective writing. By using hyper links within blogs one is able to transform a “real blog” to a “complex blog.” By students creating blogs they are already accessing the highest level of Bloom’s Taxonomy. If teacher provides open-ended questions using the questions found here, they mold the students into higher level thinkers. Blogs are ever-present in our society, by having students use them as connective writing tools we are creating 21st Century Learners.
The Bloom's Digital Taxonomy Pyramid is complete with links and can be found here.
Photo created by Samantha Penney
Thursday, August 25, 2011
LT3_Act4
GIS Learning
What is your comfort level?
I am not very comfortable using this type of software. I am particularly uncomfortable because it is not something I use in my classroom or in my everyday life. The most contact I have had before this is looking up address in street view on Google Earth to make sure the neighborhood is even worth looking at and possibly living in.
What are your next steps to continue your learning process?
I will continue to explore these resources and learn more through their video tutorials.
Why is Geospatial literacy important to your student?
Geospatial literacy is important because the world is constantly changing and the technology is becoming more and more advanced. Students are expected to learn and know more. Geospatial literacy adds the important element of spatial literacy. This is more important now simply because it is more accessible now.
What new understandings do you have about the area of GIS?
I have a whole new understanding of GIS since I did not know what it was at all. I definitely did not know the many different things you can do with the GIS programs. One thing that really surprised me was the ability to see how areas have changed overtime. I think that is really cool.
What is your comfort level?
I am not very comfortable using this type of software. I am particularly uncomfortable because it is not something I use in my classroom or in my everyday life. The most contact I have had before this is looking up address in street view on Google Earth to make sure the neighborhood is even worth looking at and possibly living in.
What are your next steps to continue your learning process?
I will continue to explore these resources and learn more through their video tutorials.
Why is Geospatial literacy important to your student?
Geospatial literacy is important because the world is constantly changing and the technology is becoming more and more advanced. Students are expected to learn and know more. Geospatial literacy adds the important element of spatial literacy. This is more important now simply because it is more accessible now.
What new understandings do you have about the area of GIS?
I have a whole new understanding of GIS since I did not know what it was at all. I definitely did not know the many different things you can do with the GIS programs. One thing that really surprised me was the ability to see how areas have changed overtime. I think that is really cool.
LT3_Act2
Since I am taking this class as a guided independent study, I have no classmates and cannot review their lessons. Instead I have found a lesson created by someone else.
My Summer Vacation is a lesson I found that was created by Google earth and Discovery Education. The students use Google Earth to pinpoint and capture their summer vacations. I must say that this lesson is much better than mine, which it should be considering its creators. I feel that a lesson like mine could be a great starting point and once students get comfortable, they complete lessons like the one I have found. I also feel that once I have more practice and exposure, I will be able to create lessons of this caliber.
My Summer Vacation is a lesson I found that was created by Google earth and Discovery Education. The students use Google Earth to pinpoint and capture their summer vacations. I must say that this lesson is much better than mine, which it should be considering its creators. I feel that a lesson like mine could be a great starting point and once students get comfortable, they complete lessons like the one I have found. I also feel that once I have more practice and exposure, I will be able to create lessons of this caliber.
LT2_Act4
I visited many of the data visualization sites and did not truly understand how I can use them to visualize my data. I am somewhat familiar with Wordle and do not know how this will help me with my data. Currently I use Excel to keep track of my data. I color code and sort students by proficiency level, race, gender,ELA status, and if they are SPED. I like the fact the I can sort my data by any of these categories. I can see how all of my boys scores compare to those of my girls. I can also sort the data to see how the achievement gap is affected in my classroom. My team also groups all of our data together to see which teacher is best a reaching the students in a certain area (letter sound correspondence) and have that teacher share her strategies. As a school we have tried many other data programs and ideas and this seems to be the one that works the best for us. If you know of any that can do more than Excel and are user friendly, please let me know.
LT1_Act5
Incorporating Multimedia
• Interactive Whiteboards
o Motor skills such as handwriting practice
o Centers- math, literacy, social studies, etc...
o Shared writing
o Hands-on math activities
o Phonics games
• Student Response Systems
o Formative assessments
o Summative assessments
o Student interest survey
o Anonymous polling
o Check for understanding- mid-lesson
• Interactive Whiteboards
o Motor skills such as handwriting practice
o Centers- math, literacy, social studies, etc...
o Shared writing
o Hands-on math activities
o Phonics games
• Student Response Systems
o Formative assessments
o Summative assessments
o Student interest survey
o Anonymous polling
o Check for understanding- mid-lesson
LT1_Act4
I used the Polls Everywhere software to create a cell phone poll about the five senses, since it is what I am currently teaching. I found that it was extremely easy to create, but not as easy for the student user to follow. I even made a video to explain it to my students. (I am still trying to figure out how to upload it) The students had to type a six or seven-digit code and send it to another five-digit number. Being a person who has difficulty inverting numbers, I think that this was quite confusing. I think that if the students typed and word and texted it to a number it would reduce some of the possible confusion. This is necessary if students will be receiving a grade for their answers.
LT1_Act2
Are there any classroom areas that lend themselves more to use of interactive boards or are not good fits, why, what is your evidence?
I think that SMART Boards can be used in any subject area. I feel that the younger the students, the more beneficial the board. The board creates more hands-on experiences for students, which younger kids need. I do feel like math and science are areas where the board is less of a benefit. I think students should use actual manipulatives in math and in science, I feel like students should do experiments. I do, however think that these lessons could be started with a SMART Board lesson and then moved into the experiment or hands on math lesson.
Create a brief lesson - 2 to 3 pages using the notebook software of one of the products you explored. Add images or clip-art and text.
See attached
Share your experience and the notebook file or screen captures of your exploration.
· What was difficult to use? What was easy to use?
I did not have difficultly with any of the lesson because I am very experienced with Notebook software. I have taken many classes specific to notebook software and have learned many of the tricks.
· How would use of the notebook software benefit student learning?
I feel that notebook software and the SMART Board engages students so much more than teaching without it. All my students pay more attention to the lesson and are eager to come have a turn manipulating something on the board.
I think that SMART Boards can be used in any subject area. I feel that the younger the students, the more beneficial the board. The board creates more hands-on experiences for students, which younger kids need. I do feel like math and science are areas where the board is less of a benefit. I think students should use actual manipulatives in math and in science, I feel like students should do experiments. I do, however think that these lessons could be started with a SMART Board lesson and then moved into the experiment or hands on math lesson.
Create a brief lesson - 2 to 3 pages using the notebook software of one of the products you explored. Add images or clip-art and text.
See attached
Share your experience and the notebook file or screen captures of your exploration.
· What was difficult to use? What was easy to use?
I did not have difficultly with any of the lesson because I am very experienced with Notebook software. I have taken many classes specific to notebook software and have learned many of the tricks.
· How would use of the notebook software benefit student learning?
I feel that notebook software and the SMART Board engages students so much more than teaching without it. All my students pay more attention to the lesson and are eager to come have a turn manipulating something on the board.
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