Edublog Reflection

    I have learned a great deal through the creation of this Edublog.  Although I am not nearly as proficient as I would like to be, I now feel much more comfortable with the blogging experience.  I am able to change the background image and fonts of a blog.  I know how to link URLs and insert pictures and videos (that are properly cited) into a blog.    Throughout this blogging experience, I have also learned how to create short movies with pictures, texts, and sounds using Windows Live Movie Maker.

            I see great potential in using classroom blog.  A blog helps develop a sense of community.  It provides a platform of communication with the teacher, students and parents alike.  It encourages dialogue through reflection and connection.  I think that a classroom blog is a great way to send reminders to parents and students about upcoming events.  It can also serve as a hub for shared documents (i.e. providing a link for Google Doc study notes).  As well, posting to a blog provides authentic learning experiences for students, creating their own learning.

            Edublogs can be used for all grade levels.  As demonstrated on my Edublog, for primary grades, material can be posted to provide review, reminders and information for the parents.  Links to games, videos, websites, etc. will promote learning outside of the classroom.  For the junior grades, the Edublog would serve a similar purpose; it would also encourage more dialogue amongst the students.  In my grade4/5 placement, the students were being introduced to Google Docs and they were co-creating science and social studies notes.  I think that a classroom blog would be a great place post links for such things.  The students at my placement were also starting to post podcast and once again the classroom blog with be a perfect forum to do so.

Tricks for Tweets

I just finished reading Tricks for Tweets from the Professionally Speaking December 2011 article.  Click  here to read the article.

If you had asked me in September how to incorporate technology in the classroom, I would have shrugged my shoulders and said email and surfing the web.  I am now starting to see so many new uses for technology in the classroom.  As the article mentioned, and as I learned today in tech class, there are so many Web 2.0 tools that can be used in the classroom.  Most of the Web 2.0 tools are extremely interactive and collaborative.  I was researching Voicethread today (click here).  It is a great tool that allows students to comment  on other's peoples work using text, voice, and video.  It also provides a forum for a collaborative projects and sharing.  It can be used to showcase students' work and present problems and content.  Teachers may also use this tool to create virtual field trips.

OCT Professional Advisory

I just watched an OCT Professional Advisory on Technology in the Classroom and as seen above, I brain stormed the pros and cons presented in the video.  

From what I gathered from the video, and from a common sense standpoint, technology in the classroom can be a very effective tool as long as it is used properly.  As teachers, when using technology we have to be objective and use professional communication and conduct.  If we do not act in a professional manner there could be unintended misuse or even legal implications.

There are a plethora of reasons for technology in the classroom.  The students are already using these technologies at home, why not the students them how to use them responsibly, effectively, and safely?  Technology can be a source of collaboration, sharing, experimentation, and motivation.  It is a way reach students in something they are interested in.  As one of the teachers in the video said, "technology is the students' window to the world."  

The Power of Twitter

I was just on Twitter and saw this post.  I followed the link to a Google Doc and was amazed by the collaboration going on.  Within a matter of minutes, there had been 20+ people working on this French rhyming document.  I added a couple of words and now I have a bank of rhyming French words, that I may hopefully be able to use when I am at my French Immersion placement in a couple of weeks.  The power of Twitter has once again been proven to my once unbelieving eyes!

Ooggled by Google

I am very impressed by Google.  Before I started teacher's college, I had no idea of the networking capabilities it had.  Now, I use its various tools on a daily basis. I have always consider Google to be a very strong search engine, but now I know Google as so much more.  Google allows me to translate, to search, to blog, to communicate. and to share.  I love Google Docs!  It is such a great way to work on group projects, especially when we do not all live close to the school.  I can definitely see an application for Google Docs in the classroom, preparing group study notes and for group jigsaws.  I cannot wait to have a classroom of my own to try it out.

Storytelling Workshop

I just attended an awesome storytelling workshop put on by Cathy Miyata.  I did not know exactly what to expect going in, but knowing Cathy I expected something fun and interactive.  My expectations were met and were surpassed.  We spent the bulk of our morning learning various storytelling techniques by actively retelling a story.  At the start of the story, we focused on remembering key details and points that were necessary for the flow of the story, while also incorporating our own personal details.  We worked on eye contact and audience participation as a way to keep listeners engaged.  As the story progressed, hand actions, voice, and animation all became important to our storytelling.  As the morning progress and we became more confident with our abilities and more invested in the story, we work on our body positioning. Whether sitting down or standing up, it is important as a storytelling to appear confidant and engaged.   I never really realized how much ones posture could affect storytelling.  For the end of the story, we work in larger groups, taking turns retelling the story.  I found it very inspiring to listening to others speak.  It is amazing how much we all grew as storytellers within the span of a couple of hours. 

Problem Based Learning/ Inquiry

I just watched a video on problem based learning (http://tinyurl.com/3fvuzxy) and I could easily relate to the topic as I just did a presentation for my methods class on Indirect and Experiential Learning (http://tinyurl.com/73vmjuk).  My specific part was on Indirect Learning and I looked at setting up an inquiry in the classroom.  To model inquiry with my fellow teacher candidates, I brought in various pieces of fencing equipment (weapons, whites, wires, masks etc.), coaching equipment, manuals, newspaper articles, comics, medals etc.  I strategically placed the material at each table group, providing each table with KWS table as well.  In order to model both guided and unguided inquiry I designated two tables as specific curriculum areas, science and social studies, the other four tables were able to determine their own interest area.  I gave the table groups time to investigate the material on their desks, trying to determine what it was and how it may be used.   I circled around the class to listen to the discussion and ask questions to provoke thought.  After sufficient time, I had the table groups complete the W section of their chart with questions that they would like to research.  The two designated groups had to have either science or social studies based questions.  Once they had a couple of questions, they then had to complete the K section of the table, trying to hypothesize answers based on the material on their desk.   Had we continued with the exercise, the S section on the chart would have been used to write down sources in which the groups intended to look at to verify their hypotheses.  This activity worked really well, as it had the entire class involved in their own learning, investigating questions that they wanted to learn about.