Tuesday, September 28, 2010
INTASC reflections
All in all, I am so surprised and amazed at how much new information I was presented with over these few short weeks. Not being the most tech-savvy person I know, I was nervous coming in to the class, but I have gained so much confidence working with web-based tools! Can't wait to implement some of these in my classroom. Here is my INTASC self-assessment table. Cheers!
Monday, September 27, 2010
OTEN 2010 - Yodio and Reflection
At OTEN, I attended three sessions: the keynote speaker, a presentation on WoW as social constructivism, and a presentation on SmartBoards. The keynote speaker walked us through a history of classroom technology, which was pretty fun and interesting. Made me realize what a long way we've come! The World of Warcraft presentation was a hoot: it was given by a woman who is getting her Ph.D. at University of Washington and who is a closet online gamer. My reflection on that particular presentation can be listened to above, and here, at the Yodio website itself. The last presentation I saw was on SmartBoard - what they can do, how they can be utilized. Although the presenter was a kindergarten and elementary teacher, I had a lot of ideas about how the SmartBoard could be used in a language classroom, and I'm hoping that I will have the opportunity to use one in the near future. Because they are so neat!!
All in all, the OTEN conference was pretty successful. I saw some great things, and it really made me think about being creative in using technology in my classroom. Although I felt as though there was an underrepresentation of presentations about using technology in Language Arts or Arts classes, I am hopeful that this will change in the future.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
OETS
These standards all seem geared towards one main goal: helping students to understand and be able to effectively use technology and digita media to further their educations and life experiences. Since technology is our future, it is very important that we as educators are not only technologically literate, but that we are working to help our students become the same - not only literate, but technologically ethical and productive, as well.
A few strategies:
1. Creativity and Innovation: Use products like Google Sheets, Presentations or Drawings to create projects that demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of classwork. These can be Powerpoint-type presentations, creative drawings or comic book pages, or data collection in order to create book reports, research projects, textual analysis, etc.
2. Communication and Collaboration: Share these projects on the web with other members of the class - even creating them together, simultaneously while in different physical places - in order to help each other better understand the subject matter and to work together cooperatively. These projects can then be published to the web, shared with the whole class, or even the whole department or district.
3. Research and Information Fluency: Help students learn how to conduct web-based research - not only effectively, but also discerningly, safely, intelligently, and legally - by assigning research papers, and then demo-ing how to conduct research in class. Also, products like Google Sheets or Excel can help students gather and analyze data in an organized, effective manner - help students understand how to collect and compile that data, again by demonstrating in class.
4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making: Technology can really help students get work done quickly; however, they need to be aware of the work they are doing, how they are doing it, and why they are choosing to use specific media. Helping students be aware of and literate in a variety of tools can help them then make more well-informed decisions about how best to go about a project, paper, or assignment.
5. Digital Citizenship: Students must know that many of the things they do on the internet can be accessed by any one at any time. Facebook, Twitter, publishing projects to the web - these are all things that are public on the internet. Students must therefore be made aware of how to go about using the internet in a responsible, legal way. Plagiarism is a huge problem as well, that must be gone over explicitly with students - since so much more information is now open to them, it is hard to know what constitutes illegality and what doesn't. Make sure your students know!
6. Technology Operations and Concepts: This ties back in to showing students a variety of technological tools to help them grow as learners. Things like Screenr, Dropbox, and the Google platform, as well as communication tools like Skype and Twitter, can all be utilized very effectively to further learning.
A few strategies:
1. Creativity and Innovation: Use products like Google Sheets, Presentations or Drawings to create projects that demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of classwork. These can be Powerpoint-type presentations, creative drawings or comic book pages, or data collection in order to create book reports, research projects, textual analysis, etc.
2. Communication and Collaboration: Share these projects on the web with other members of the class - even creating them together, simultaneously while in different physical places - in order to help each other better understand the subject matter and to work together cooperatively. These projects can then be published to the web, shared with the whole class, or even the whole department or district.
3. Research and Information Fluency: Help students learn how to conduct web-based research - not only effectively, but also discerningly, safely, intelligently, and legally - by assigning research papers, and then demo-ing how to conduct research in class. Also, products like Google Sheets or Excel can help students gather and analyze data in an organized, effective manner - help students understand how to collect and compile that data, again by demonstrating in class.
4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making: Technology can really help students get work done quickly; however, they need to be aware of the work they are doing, how they are doing it, and why they are choosing to use specific media. Helping students be aware of and literate in a variety of tools can help them then make more well-informed decisions about how best to go about a project, paper, or assignment.
5. Digital Citizenship: Students must know that many of the things they do on the internet can be accessed by any one at any time. Facebook, Twitter, publishing projects to the web - these are all things that are public on the internet. Students must therefore be made aware of how to go about using the internet in a responsible, legal way. Plagiarism is a huge problem as well, that must be gone over explicitly with students - since so much more information is now open to them, it is hard to know what constitutes illegality and what doesn't. Make sure your students know!
6. Technology Operations and Concepts: This ties back in to showing students a variety of technological tools to help them grow as learners. Things like Screenr, Dropbox, and the Google platform, as well as communication tools like Skype and Twitter, can all be utilized very effectively to further learning.
Multimedia Project
Click here to head to the video on screenr.
I demonstrated how to use Dropbox. I love Dropbox - I mentioned in the video that the group of women in Cohort B who are doing Language Arts for their endorsement have a shared Dropbox folder that we use from time to time for projects, or just to share resources, which has been pretty cool. As a resource, Dropbox is great: it ensures that you will always be able to access your files, from anywhere, without having to worry about carrying your computer around or making sure you've remembered your USB or external harddrive. It is easy to set up, easy to update, easy to access - all in all, a really fantastic tool. This could even be useful as a tool in the classroom: for example, you could set up a shared class Dropbox folder (or several, for different groups), and students could share work, resources, ideas - even do peer editing through Dropbox. I love using it, and am certain that I will do so throughout my teaching career, both for work and outside of work.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Analyzing Student Data in a Spreadsheet
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(The link to the whole sheet can be found here.)
Here you can see the table for just the students who were below average on their test scores, as well as the graph that depicts the growth trends for those students. (The averages along the bottom of the table are for all of the students' cumulative average on each test.) The data found seems to point to the overwhelming trend of the students with below-average test scores gradually increasing them, but generally starting out on the low end to begin with. They make progress, but not enough to bump them up to above the average score for the class. You can see clearly on the graph that some of those students are, by the last test, scoring well above the average range, making it clear that they have learned and are doing much better in the class than when the first began - a positive sign.
Obviously, tables and graphs like these are useful for getting a clear picture of which students are having a hard time with your class based on their test scores, both at the beginning and end of the semester/unit. By keeping records like this, and doing just the most basic calculations, it can be apparent which students require a little extra attention from the teacher in order to make sure they do not fall behind, or their grades do not take too big of a hit from low test scores early on. It is a great way to keep track of students' individual performances, as well as get a feel for how the class is doing as a whole.
For me, I was surprised at how easy it was to navigate Google sheets. Not being a friend to Excel, I was nervous about the project. But Sheets is easy to find your way around, and the tools are well-marked and delineated. I could not figure out how to embed the Sheet in my blog by myself, but once it was explained to me, that, too, was relatively simple. All in all, what seemed to be a daunting task actually turned out to be easy, and is something I think I will certainly use in order to compile and analyze class data in the future.
(The link to the whole sheet can be found here.)
Here you can see the table for just the students who were below average on their test scores, as well as the graph that depicts the growth trends for those students. (The averages along the bottom of the table are for all of the students' cumulative average on each test.) The data found seems to point to the overwhelming trend of the students with below-average test scores gradually increasing them, but generally starting out on the low end to begin with. They make progress, but not enough to bump them up to above the average score for the class. You can see clearly on the graph that some of those students are, by the last test, scoring well above the average range, making it clear that they have learned and are doing much better in the class than when the first began - a positive sign.
Obviously, tables and graphs like these are useful for getting a clear picture of which students are having a hard time with your class based on their test scores, both at the beginning and end of the semester/unit. By keeping records like this, and doing just the most basic calculations, it can be apparent which students require a little extra attention from the teacher in order to make sure they do not fall behind, or their grades do not take too big of a hit from low test scores early on. It is a great way to keep track of students' individual performances, as well as get a feel for how the class is doing as a whole.
For me, I was surprised at how easy it was to navigate Google sheets. Not being a friend to Excel, I was nervous about the project. But Sheets is easy to find your way around, and the tools are well-marked and delineated. I could not figure out how to embed the Sheet in my blog by myself, but once it was explained to me, that, too, was relatively simple. All in all, what seemed to be a daunting task actually turned out to be easy, and is something I think I will certainly use in order to compile and analyze class data in the future.
Friday, August 27, 2010
My Favourite Web 2.0 Tools
1. Web2.0 is any tool, program, or product that allows you to access your files where ever you are, when ever you need them by using the internet.
2. DropBox: This is a website that allows people to create a web-based folder in which to put important files, music, videos, pictures, etc that can then be accessed from any computer or internet connection (including phones). The folder is automatically synched when changes are made at any location - so if I, for example, I had one, and I put a new presentation into my folder on my laptop, I could open that presentation on any of the school computers. For me, that means I wouldn't need to carry my laptop around with my where ever I go, or if I forgot it one day, I could access my work using any computer. It also appears that you can share a DropBox folder with someone else, if you wish. That means that students could share their folders with me and would no longer need to email me attachments of their documents for feedback or even to turn them in. It would also mean that not every student is required to have a laptop - they can work from parents' home desktops, put their work into their DropBoxes, and then open up that work at school in the lab.
3. Voice Thread: This tool allows you to upload images and create a narration over them. You can use one slide and simply talk about that, or create a Powerpoint-like slide show and talk through the slides. It creates a web-based way to give presentations. So, if a student had a lasting illness, or had to be out of school for an extended period of time (or even just one day, really), he or she could create a Voice Thread presentation, post it to the web, and I could play it in class in lieu of a live presentation. It is also a good way of reporting on something that is not the usual way of creating a report, which may play to some students strengths in a more equitable way.
2. DropBox: This is a website that allows people to create a web-based folder in which to put important files, music, videos, pictures, etc that can then be accessed from any computer or internet connection (including phones). The folder is automatically synched when changes are made at any location - so if I, for example, I had one, and I put a new presentation into my folder on my laptop, I could open that presentation on any of the school computers. For me, that means I wouldn't need to carry my laptop around with my where ever I go, or if I forgot it one day, I could access my work using any computer. It also appears that you can share a DropBox folder with someone else, if you wish. That means that students could share their folders with me and would no longer need to email me attachments of their documents for feedback or even to turn them in. It would also mean that not every student is required to have a laptop - they can work from parents' home desktops, put their work into their DropBoxes, and then open up that work at school in the lab.
3. Voice Thread: This tool allows you to upload images and create a narration over them. You can use one slide and simply talk about that, or create a Powerpoint-like slide show and talk through the slides. It creates a web-based way to give presentations. So, if a student had a lasting illness, or had to be out of school for an extended period of time (or even just one day, really), he or she could create a Voice Thread presentation, post it to the web, and I could play it in class in lieu of a live presentation. It is also a good way of reporting on something that is not the usual way of creating a report, which may play to some students strengths in a more equitable way.
Google Drawing
My group had Google Drawing, which is Google's version of MS Paint. It is a drawing tool that can be used to make drawings or illustrations of all kinds, either to stand on their own or to be inserted into other documents. Here are a few of the things you can do with the Drawing tool:
- Create drawings and diagrams that can be inserted into other Google Docs products
- Import and edit images
- Create custom shapes and lines OR insert pre-made shapes and lines (or a combination of both)
- Insert text with your images
Just as with Docs, Drawings can be published and shared with others, to allow multiple editors and artists to work on the same document. Because of this, it makes for an easy way to make collaborative projects - all invited members can contribute to the picture in real time. It cuts down on "waiting for communication" time, as students can all work on the drawing simultaneously without being in the same place, also using gchat to discuss what they are doing while they work. They no longer have to wait for emails, phone calls, or class time for feedback (both from each other and from the instructor) or bounce around ideas. And, since Drawings is pretty easy to use, students can easily teach the program to themselves, both speeding up instruction time and facilitating student-driven (teacher-directed) learning.
For me, this tool was very simple to navigate: Google does a great job of labeling and making clear what each part of the program does. I was able to pick it up quickly and feel as though I was accomplishing a lot with just a few clicks. Also, since another great feature of the Google products is continuous, automatic saving, I never felt as though I couldn't explore - I wasn't worried that I would lose everything I had done, because I was confident that it had been recently saved.
For our group project, we all took some time to explore the program separately, playing around and figuring out what it could do for ourselves. We then conferred, pointing things out that others had missed, and helped Trevor to create our final drawing. All of us contributed to the document as well, making sure we each had input into all of the areas (especially reflection).
- Create drawings and diagrams that can be inserted into other Google Docs products
- Import and edit images
- Create custom shapes and lines OR insert pre-made shapes and lines (or a combination of both)
- Insert text with your images
Just as with Docs, Drawings can be published and shared with others, to allow multiple editors and artists to work on the same document. Because of this, it makes for an easy way to make collaborative projects - all invited members can contribute to the picture in real time. It cuts down on "waiting for communication" time, as students can all work on the drawing simultaneously without being in the same place, also using gchat to discuss what they are doing while they work. They no longer have to wait for emails, phone calls, or class time for feedback (both from each other and from the instructor) or bounce around ideas. And, since Drawings is pretty easy to use, students can easily teach the program to themselves, both speeding up instruction time and facilitating student-driven (teacher-directed) learning.
For me, this tool was very simple to navigate: Google does a great job of labeling and making clear what each part of the program does. I was able to pick it up quickly and feel as though I was accomplishing a lot with just a few clicks. Also, since another great feature of the Google products is continuous, automatic saving, I never felt as though I couldn't explore - I wasn't worried that I would lose everything I had done, because I was confident that it had been recently saved.
For our group project, we all took some time to explore the program separately, playing around and figuring out what it could do for ourselves. We then conferred, pointing things out that others had missed, and helped Trevor to create our final drawing. All of us contributed to the document as well, making sure we each had input into all of the areas (especially reflection).
Saturday, August 21, 2010
So, I have a blog - now what do I do? - Post #2
Blogging is a pretty popular activity these days: from travel blogs, to sports blogs, to food blogs, people like the idea of being able to talk about what they like in public. (Don't we all.) But blogging is a pretty sharp technological tool, if you think about it, and it is interesting to consider how we can use it in the classroom. So, here are a few ideas:
Blog is short for web log - it's a place to log information, to keep a record of thoughts, ideas, projects, and other work. In this regard, just as Barry suggests, it is like a digital portfolio. In today's day and age - the era of the digital native - the concept of a digital rather than paper portfolio is probably more appealing to students than having to keep extensive records and files that invariably get lost, scrambled, and messy. Probably one of the most obvious ways to incorporate blogging into a class room, then, is to have each student create one, and use it to post [informal] work and reflections. That way, they have kept a record of their thought processes and work for later use.
Another way to use a blog is similarly to the way that Willamette uses WISE - as a place for the teacher to post assignments, lesson plans, reminders, et cetera. However, unlike WISE, students can then respond to the teacher - ask questions, clarify assignments or instructions, give their own opinions or ideas. This is a useful, immediate (as long as the teacher and students is good about checking the blog) way to stay in communication about course work.
Something that I have considered is to use blogging in almost a combination of these two previous ways, as a forum for the students and the teacher to interact about assignments and course work - in other words, to use the blog as an extension of classroom discussion, in order to facilitate further conversation. Students from other classes of the same grade level and subject could also be involved, creating a means of cross-class discussion which could open students up to even more opinions and ideas.
Blog is short for web log - it's a place to log information, to keep a record of thoughts, ideas, projects, and other work. In this regard, just as Barry suggests, it is like a digital portfolio. In today's day and age - the era of the digital native - the concept of a digital rather than paper portfolio is probably more appealing to students than having to keep extensive records and files that invariably get lost, scrambled, and messy. Probably one of the most obvious ways to incorporate blogging into a class room, then, is to have each student create one, and use it to post [informal] work and reflections. That way, they have kept a record of their thought processes and work for later use.
Another way to use a blog is similarly to the way that Willamette uses WISE - as a place for the teacher to post assignments, lesson plans, reminders, et cetera. However, unlike WISE, students can then respond to the teacher - ask questions, clarify assignments or instructions, give their own opinions or ideas. This is a useful, immediate (as long as the teacher and students is good about checking the blog) way to stay in communication about course work.
Something that I have considered is to use blogging in almost a combination of these two previous ways, as a forum for the students and the teacher to interact about assignments and course work - in other words, to use the blog as an extension of classroom discussion, in order to facilitate further conversation. Students from other classes of the same grade level and subject could also be involved, creating a means of cross-class discussion which could open students up to even more opinions and ideas.
A bit about me - Post #1
I grew up in Southern California, in a small town called Ojai, nestled in the foothills of the Los Padres National Forest and 20 minutes from the beach. My parents live on a 10-acre orange orchard, and we grow a lot of our own fruits and vegetables. Being outdoors and involved in my food production are important parts of my background that inform how I live today: I enjoy being active, going on camping or hiking adventures, and growing and cooking with whatever herbs or veggies I can.
I am a middle child: my sister is six years older, graduated from Washing University in St. Louis with an MFA, specializing in photography, video art, and print making. My brother is six years younger, involved in sports and music in his high school. Although we are all fairly far apart in age, having siblings has had a profound impact on me and how I think about myself. Apart from them, I have a large, close-knit extended family on both sides, and that sense of family and community plays a large part in my identity. In my family is also based another important part of my self-identity: my mother’s family is Catholic, and my father’s family is Jewish. Although I practice neither religion, I identify culturally with both and have made it a priority to understand their respective customs and practices.
As far as my scholastic interests, I am working on endorsements in both English and Spanish at the high school level. I was a Comparative Literature major in undergrad, with a focus on Latin American literature. I have been studying Spanish since the second grade, and I studied abroad in both Spain and Ecuador. Literature is a passion of mine, and has been since an early age, and that is where my teaching interest most strongly lies, both in English and in Spanish. It is my belief that the study of literature is the study of human beings, and it is first and foremost the most effective tool we have for studying the human condition.
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