My plan of attack for next school year is going to be "taking baby steps." I would like to try a few of the things that I have learned with my AP biology class. Typically, they have access to the internet at home, and they are motivated students. I am definitely going to publish more of their work and have them collaborate.
I plan to share what I have learned with the other members of my science department. I want to get others involved in social bookmarking. We have a fairly young science staff, so I am sure that some of them are very aware of the amazing technology opportunities.
I would still like to know more about other applications such as Twitter and Skype. I guess I should be signing up for "13 MORE Things." However, to fully understand and appreciate the information from "11 Things," I will probably wait a little while before doing that.
I hope to stay in touch through my feeds on bloglines. I am off to Hocking Hills tomorrow, so I will do some more reflection (and rehashing of all I have learned) when I return. Thanks for a great class...it was very worthwhile, and I have learned so much!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
THING 9 Part 2
I think SlideShare could be very useful in my classroom. The easiest way to begin using it would be searching for particular biology topics and sharing interesting PowerPoints with my students. I hope that I will also be able to share my students' PowerPoints as well. My biggest concerns with it will be privacy and accessibility.
THING 8
Google docs is yet another exciting way to collaborate with colleagues. There are several biology teachers in my building, and we all like to put our own spin on a lesson. How great would it be for all of us to share our documents and be able to edit as needed? It would also be great for my AP biology students to share data and results from their experiments with other AP biology classes. It is clearly an advantage to be able to have all of your documents and presentations in one place. I often find myself wondering when and where I saved a particular document. The biggest disadvantage I see is accessibility. Not everyone has internet access at their fingertips.
THING 7
Wow...how did I not know that social bookmarking existed? What an amazing way to share resources with your colleagues! I can certainly envision many practical applications of this "thing." I can't wait for our first science department meeting so I can share this with my colleagues. Just being able to consolidate all of my great websites is amazing...I currently have "My Favorites" on three different computers.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
THING 4
After reading all of the articles related to "Web 2.0" and "Teaching and Learning in the 21st Century," I have to admit that I am a little overwhelmed and intimidated. However, I am also excited to be part of this technology revolution. I have been teaching for over thirteen years, and some of these possibilities could be just what I need to rejuvenate my style of teaching. I have always considered myself a creative and flexible teacher, but when I think about all the things I could (and should) be doing that involve technology, it leaves a little to be desired.
One of the articles mentioned Web 1.0 involving reading, receiving, and researching. That was my experience with the internet during my college years and first years of teaching. The article went on to describe Web 2.0 as contributing, collaborating, and creating. I would love to create blog assignments, do podcasts, and use wikis. My biggest concern is time. It seems like it takes a lot of time to keep up with blogs. However, I am sure that it would be time well spent. And the more I use it, the better (and faster) I would become. Just like anything, practice makes perfect.
It is very important to keep students interested. Using all of the available technologies to create meaningful assignments would surely do that. If I don't take advantage of these opportunities, I am doing a disservice to my students. I would be comparable to one of my old high school teachers who used the same overhead transparencies for 20 years. Being a teacher in the 21st century is exciting, and I want to share that excitement with my students.
One of the articles mentioned Web 1.0 involving reading, receiving, and researching. That was my experience with the internet during my college years and first years of teaching. The article went on to describe Web 2.0 as contributing, collaborating, and creating. I would love to create blog assignments, do podcasts, and use wikis. My biggest concern is time. It seems like it takes a lot of time to keep up with blogs. However, I am sure that it would be time well spent. And the more I use it, the better (and faster) I would become. Just like anything, practice makes perfect.
It is very important to keep students interested. Using all of the available technologies to create meaningful assignments would surely do that. If I don't take advantage of these opportunities, I am doing a disservice to my students. I would be comparable to one of my old high school teachers who used the same overhead transparencies for 20 years. Being a teacher in the 21st century is exciting, and I want to share that excitement with my students.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
THING 3
It is amazing to me how far technology has come in the last two decades. The technology highlights of my high school years include a basic computer programming course, playing "The Oregon Trail" with miserable graphics, Atari (followed by Nintendo), and using a camcorder to make a commercial for a government class. I was part of the yearbook staff and we cropped pictures "the old-fashioned way" without the benefits of digital technology. I didn't even have the internet for research until my sophomore year in college, and that's about when I got my first cell phone...more like a car phone for emergencies only.
Most of my years in school were spent listening to teachers lecture, having to stay seated, and putting a pen or pencil to paper. A major difference now is the focus on technology. Teachers are helping students become lifelong learners. Not only are students expected to be good citizens in the classroom, they must have digital citizenship. Teachers encourage active learning through cooperative learning. Students can communicate and collaborate both locally and globally. There is so much information available to students. I think that it is very important to make sure that students are able to filter the information and apply the information.
Most of my years in school were spent listening to teachers lecture, having to stay seated, and putting a pen or pencil to paper. A major difference now is the focus on technology. Teachers are helping students become lifelong learners. Not only are students expected to be good citizens in the classroom, they must have digital citizenship. Teachers encourage active learning through cooperative learning. Students can communicate and collaborate both locally and globally. There is so much information available to students. I think that it is very important to make sure that students are able to filter the information and apply the information.
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