Chapter 10: What It All Means

So, where do we go from here?

I agree that the definition of literacy is changing with the massive amount of information that students have at their fingertips.  I still remember traveling up to an hour away to amass resources for a research paper in college; today that is unheard of.  My students snicker when I tell them that story.  I have them constantly researching the latest news on topics we discuss in class.  The goal is to get them actively learning, isn’t it?  Plus the way things are advancing in science, I can’t keep up myself.

I have not kept the way I teach my curriculum the same for more than one year.  This is due to all of the free resources available on the web.  I incorporate technology into my classroom more and more each year whether it is through animations, simulations, Prezi, web quests, concept map makers, etc.  Now I will add blogs, wikis and photopeach.  I feel as though the possibilities are endless!    I understand that most districts, like mine have to share computers, but frankly I think that prolonging the inevitable in your classroom will only hurt the students. They need to be geared up to function in the “real” world, so bring the “real” world to your classroom as often as possible.

Chapter 9: Social Networks

Too Social?

This chapter focused on social-networking sites such as Facebook and Ning, which to be honest I have never heard of.  When I think of Facebook, I think of personal social-networking; I never really considered Facebook to be a tool that could be used in the classroom. I think that like anything, if the parameters were set and made clear it could be a valuable tool in the classroom.  One of the issues with social networking sites is that there are too many distractions such as games and activities.  I actually thought that Ning could possibly be a better, safer, more controlled site to use in the classroom than Facebook. In both of these social-networking sites I liked the options of being able to make the site completely private or public.

Aside from this, I think that the fact that social networking sites have so many negative connotations makes it difficult to bring it to the classroom.  I do not really foresee myself using Facebook or Ning in my classroom. I think that a blog or wiki would be more suited to my needs in my classroom. In addition I think it would save me a great deal of grief from the parents.  Maybe having students create their own Facebook or Ning as part of a summer reading project would work, as long as the site is created over the summer, evaluated then taken down.

Chapter 8: Podcasting & Live Streaming

Take two...Action

Podcasting is a great way to get students to organize their thoughts and present without standing in front of a class full of their peers.  To most students presenting is quite difficult, although a necessary skill to learn.  Maybe podcasting could be used as an interim step to presenting.  I also think the idea of having teachers create podcasts for those students who were not able to attend class, is a great way to catch them up without taking as much of your personal time.  When you have a planned absence, a video podcast would be a great way to give directions to the students so that they know exactly what your expectations are.   Often we give assignments that do not require us to be present, such as a worksheet or review, but with video podcasting, you could teach a lesson without being there so that you do not waist valuable class time.   

Again there is the issue of safety.  I feel as though the traditional podcasts pose little risk, but when you enter the world of video podcasting where students are on film, it seems a bit more risky.  That being said, I think that video podcasting provides the necessary visual piece because most students are not auditory learners.  Live video streaming is a great way for students to interact with students all over the world, and could take the place of costly field trips.  It could also serve as a record of student achievement throughout his/her school career.  Prior to creating a podcast of any type requires preparation of facts and presentation style which are important skills for students to learn.  

Chapter 7: Fun With Flickr

Flickerishious

Integrating student photography into science class would be wonderful.  There is a push to integrate art into STEM, which spells STEAM (science, technology, engineering, ART and math).  This would fit in perfectly.  After all, nature is some of the most beautiful artwork I have ever seen, which is also science. 
I like that access can be restricted.  One of the issues that I have with parents is that they do not want their children to be posted on the World Wide Web.  As time goes on, this will no doubt be unavoidable, but for now they have the right to deny the use of these technologies in school.  I think educating the parents on a parent night by doing a brief presentation on the risks and benefits of using these technologies would help to overcome this obstacle.

Features available on Flickr make it a valuable tool in the classroom.   The annotation tool available on Flickr makes it easy to point out features of a picture.  Also the ability to link your photos to Google earth allows for students to make a global connection.  Taking them on a virtual field trip through pictures is fun and engaging.  I think that incorporating Flicks into my unit on Plate Tectonics is going to help make the necessary connections between what happens and why. 

Chapter 6: The Social Web

Linking....Pushed Me Over the Edge

Lifelong learning is what we want to instill in our students, so changing with the times is necessary, however Twitter makes me nervous because it is too wide open so to speak.  I am familiar with Edmodo, although I have not had my students log on yet.  I feel as though it is a bit more regulated which in turn is safer I visited the Westlake high School Twitter Page and it does seem like an easy way for people to update parents and students on what is going on at the school.  .  I don’t quite understand how Twitter can be used effectively in the classroom.

I have not felt overwhelmed, until now!  Bookmarking and creating tags just pushed me over the edge.  Diigo and Delicious are supposed to be used with an RSS feed, I think.  The overall premise of organizing your RSS feeds makes sense to me, just like books used to be organized using a card catalog eons ago.  I think I am going to create a web depicting all of these technologies in order for me to make sense of them as a whole.

Chapter 5: RSS

Linking it All Together

How cool, this answers most of my questions on management.  RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is another amazing and practical app!  I just added a number of blogs to my Google Reader account.  However, I have a few questions.  To start, do I have to log on to Google Reader in order to view the blogs I am following, or are they sent to me via email? I think this “personal information filter” is a great way to weed out the unnecessary information regarding a topic of interest.  It will save me time and we all know that time is money. 

I think integrating this feature into my classroom will be great for my students.  I think that as students do their year-long science fair projects, setting up an RSS feed for their topic could help them stay current with any research/ news articles on their topic.  Essentially all they need is a Google account, correct?    I am still unsure of how to link an RSS feed to my blog and wiki.  One step at a time!

Chapter 4: Wikis

Whackypedia is Not so Wacky!

Wikipedia is just another example of how one person’s ideas can revolutionize the world!  My thoughts on Wikipedia have completely changed after reading this chapter.  I was one of those teachers that said Wikipedia is an unacceptable source for research due to the fact that it can be changed.  I was unaware of the Wiki police and their system of checks and balances.  I was also ignorant of the benefits of using a wiki in terms of the real time collaboration that takes place.  I examined some of the wikis listed in the chapter; however I was a bit confused by how they were set up.  After setting up a wiki myself, I found it to be user friendly. 

My goal is to have students create a wiki on plate tectonics.  They will travel around the world virtually and assemble a unit on ”real time” plate tectonics.  This will allow them to monitor volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis and discuss the science behind them.  I think it will make the unit more engaging for my students.  I think if I have a wiki for each class, then they can collaborate with approximately 25 of their peers in the process.  I think that may be easier to monitor rather than one wiki for 142 students. Just like anything you try for the first time, it will be a process of trial and error to determine what works best.