"A mind once stretched by a new idea can never return to its original shape."
~Thurgood Marshall
~Thurgood Marshall
Hopefully you've spent some time considering our exploration of quadrants A and B of the Rigor & Relevance Framework and the potential of Web 2.0 tools to impact learning in all 4 quadrants. In our next meeting we will explore quadrants C and D in greater detail, as well as some additional Web 2.0 tools. In preparation let's reflect a bit. Consider some of these questions and add a comment to share your reactions. In what ways has your thinking been challenged, or stretched? Were you motivated, or inspired, by anything in particular? What ideas do you have for potential ways Web 2.0 tools might impact rigor and relevance in your classroom, or at your school? In what ways can Web 2.0 tools be integrated to help achieve goals of the school improvement plan at your school?
Visit the blog again over the next few days to add the ideas of others to your repertoire and keep the conversation going! Susan and I will be checking in, and sharing too.
12 comments:
"Hooked on Classroom Blogging"--and the teacher blogged to her students while she was in VietNam!
Hmmm . . .a new spin on long-distance education!
I'm excited about expanding on the little bit that I've started with this year's class. I can just imagine students REALLY writing next year. Thanks to BJ's recommendation of a site, my 2nd graders are learning a few keyboarding skills (not very high on the ABCD hierarchy--but a skill that will make them more proficient with their entry skills).
We're going to make wordles from lists about 2nd grade to make a PowerPoint which will play during our end-of-the-year celebration. After showing them the two that I created in class, they were really excited at the prospect of doing it themselves. Most of the questions involved the choices of colors.
Handwriting is often an issue with 2nd graders, and a lot of children hate "writing" (composing) because their "writing" (handwriting) is so bad. They don't ever seem to get tired of "writing" on the keyboard.
I think the bubble.us will be great for team products--and it will help level the playing field as far as looks of the presentations.
We only have one digital camera at school (I'm not counting the two old ones that use floppy disks), so I haven't done much with that. I just bought myself a new one, so I'll be taking my older one to school for daily (or whenever I want to use it) use. Manipulating photographs has become so much easier that I can foresee my students enjoying that tremendously.
I also appreciate the convenience of the tools on the wikis--a little "reference shelf" to use when I encounter problems.
Thanks Patricia,
Keep on with the keyboarding...
Learning to type was the only life skill I brought with me from my liberal arts education at Columbus High School in 1971. Haven't used Trig or much Latin since..so that keyboarding is a worthy occupation of your student's time. The research shows that student's who use the word processor as a writing tool write longer and more complicated pieces. When the mechanics of the writing process such as pencils and paper and erasing and red pens and "neat writing" and editing and revising and "do overs" are subtracted, writers are able to concentrate on what they want to say, not on "what they have to do"
Susan
I plan to share everything that I learn with the teachers in my building so that next year we can plan more technology lessons to go along with what they already have going on in their classrooms. I have already shared wordle with some techers! What a great beginning of the year activity. Words that describe yourself. Or end of the year....words of wisdom that you can leave for the students coming in next year. The possibilities are endless!!
Mary and Patricia- I'm with you both. I just hope I don't forget about all these wonderful resources we are using for next year.
On another note, technology can help to build relationships with students. This weekend I was with a group of great kids at a soccer tournament. Two of the students go to Gentian. I had put on my facebook page that the kids had won a game. Several of my teacher friends commented back. One happens to be the teacher of a kid on the team. He was thrilled to know his teacher commented on them winning the game. This is one of the many ways we can build relationships using technology.
I liked the Hooked on Blogging article. It would be a great lead in for an inservice meeting on technology at my school. As a media specialist I am always on the lookout for new ( and free!) tools to that will empower my teachers. Web 2.0 tools fit the bill. If I can give one teacher the necessary tools to start a blog I feel that I will have succeeded. I liked the term "social technology" from one of the readings for this class. If the students knew the teachers were using the same technology they are used to for teaching, we could possibly engage our students more than ever.
I hope to share the first video from last week with our teachers during pre-planning and encourage the use of blogs. I'm going to search for interesting ones over the summer to peak interest. I will also showcase the 10 reasons to use blogs.
I've learned so much....and so much to learn. I love the idea of watching a video and having students comment while they watch.
I need the PLU so I will continue to do the "homework" to complete the 1 PLU. Last night I could not find the place to post the comment. How funny is that? Now as I am in class and tried again, here it is! Since I am old as dirt.....I have to keep remembering how and where to go!
Jennifer Bray-
My thinking has been stretched to the max with this technology stuff! I am so excited to use the Web 2.0 tools with my students next year. I never would have thought to incorporate this much technology (cell phones, iPods, etc) into my everyday lessons! Instead of paper trails, students could simply email responses to their daily warm-ups or homework. How cool to use the wordle.net website to have them practice their vocabulary or create a Word Wall. It is much more evident to me that I need to get with the 'program' as far as my students and their technology abilities are concerned!
I was so lost in the class, and I'm still very lost, so I don't think I will be able to use the material myself in the media center; however, it seems to be a great tool for many others who were in the classroom. I can definitely see how someone with more computer skills than myself could benefit from this.
Hello, finally! I really enjoyed our class and found more than enough to stretch my way of thinking about the classroom. I was amazed to learn that multiple users can edit and contribute to a document at the same time. I loved the word art and the art pad. I will definitely be using those in my classes. It is somewhat overwhelming because we looked at so many things so fast. I'm looking forward to reviewing and looking into the tools more thoroughly.
will this one work? I can't get the Learning to Change comment to work.
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