Happy! Happy! Joy! Joy!!!!!!
12 years ago
Thursday, December 17, 2009
My first video clip is a video of someone administering a decoding assessment for the SRA:Corrective Reading program. I do this assessment twice a year with my students. This is a good video for anyone who has never given the assessment and is planning on it in the future. The second clip is a tutorial of a 7th grade writing activity. It is an awesome idea and I beleive we could all model lessons from this one, no matter what your content area is.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
A learner is like...
A learner is like a bicycle, without the pedals, chain and tires all working together.... you will not get very far.
I believe that this quote suites what a learner really is. In order for actual learning to be possible, three things need to be occurring, which are: 1) The ability to read, observe or listen and the ability to recall. 2) The ability to make real world connections with this information and 3) The ability to critically think and formulate ideas and opinions on the information being obtained. Siemens (2005) stated "The ability to see connections between fields, ideas and concepts is a core skill". How many times have you studied a text for a test and immediately forgot the material after taking that test? I would be willing to bet it has happened plenty of times. Now, think about something that you have learned that you were able to relate to and formulate opinions on. I would be willing to bet that you still remember that material. This is what teachers need to be doing in their classrooms, leading discussions and lessons that relate to their students and helping them critically think and formulate opinions. Teaching and testing straight from a textbook is detrimental to our students' ability to learn. I believe the use of technology and social networks could be an invaluable tool. The ability for students to post and respond to ideas and thoughts on networks touches all 3 aspects of learning, which are reading, thinking and opinionating, or taking a position. All happen simultaneously. Siemens (2007) explains "that through social means, we are able to share and connect with each other".
The use of social networking is also a doorway that leads past the thinking proccess. It leads to further intrest and pursuit of knowledge. Students may become so encapsulated with networking on certain topics, they might start spending time out of the classroom networking. This would further develop the mind and ability to learn. This could be especially useful for urban teachers, who have students that never see past the block they live on. Teachers could expand their students' day to day reality dramatically.
The Impact of Social Media on Learning
http://www.youtube.com/watchv=grI_h88vs3g&feature=PlayList&p=3E43054A8703F57A&index=3
Retrieved September 17, 2009
Siemens, G. (2005, January). Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age. International Journal of Instructional Technology.
http://www.itdl.org/Journal/Jan_05/article01.htm Retrieved September 17, 2009.
I believe that this quote suites what a learner really is. In order for actual learning to be possible, three things need to be occurring, which are: 1) The ability to read, observe or listen and the ability to recall. 2) The ability to make real world connections with this information and 3) The ability to critically think and formulate ideas and opinions on the information being obtained. Siemens (2005) stated "The ability to see connections between fields, ideas and concepts is a core skill". How many times have you studied a text for a test and immediately forgot the material after taking that test? I would be willing to bet it has happened plenty of times. Now, think about something that you have learned that you were able to relate to and formulate opinions on. I would be willing to bet that you still remember that material. This is what teachers need to be doing in their classrooms, leading discussions and lessons that relate to their students and helping them critically think and formulate opinions. Teaching and testing straight from a textbook is detrimental to our students' ability to learn. I believe the use of technology and social networks could be an invaluable tool. The ability for students to post and respond to ideas and thoughts on networks touches all 3 aspects of learning, which are reading, thinking and opinionating, or taking a position. All happen simultaneously. Siemens (2007) explains "that through social means, we are able to share and connect with each other".
The use of social networking is also a doorway that leads past the thinking proccess. It leads to further intrest and pursuit of knowledge. Students may become so encapsulated with networking on certain topics, they might start spending time out of the classroom networking. This would further develop the mind and ability to learn. This could be especially useful for urban teachers, who have students that never see past the block they live on. Teachers could expand their students' day to day reality dramatically.
The Impact of Social Media on Learning
http://www.youtube.com/watchv=grI_h88vs3g&feature=PlayList&p=3E43054A8703F57A&index=3
Retrieved September 17, 2009
Siemens, G. (2005, January). Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age. International Journal of Instructional Technology.
http://www.itdl.org/Journal/Jan_05/article01.htm Retrieved September 17, 2009.
assistive tech ning
http://edu700fall2009.ning.com/profile/DougMagee
This social group would be useful to me because it greatly expands the use of assistive technology. It has a differentiated instruction group that has some really innovative teaching methods. There are also links and scheduled webinars that can be utilized which i think is really cool. A webinar is a virtual class that you can watch and participate in from your computer. The only thing about all these groups is that you have to join them and be approved by the administrator, but when you do there are tons of useful assistive technology sources.
This social group would be useful to me because it greatly expands the use of assistive technology. It has a differentiated instruction group that has some really innovative teaching methods. There are also links and scheduled webinars that can be utilized which i think is really cool. A webinar is a virtual class that you can watch and participate in from your computer. The only thing about all these groups is that you have to join them and be approved by the administrator, but when you do there are tons of useful assistive technology sources.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
3 ways to use blogs in my classroom are....
1) A lot of my students have never visited outside of buffalo and have little to no knowledge about places outside the city. I could have the kids look up different cities, states or even countries and blog with people to learn more about these "far away" places. I believe this might spark some interest into looking outside their particular block or street that they live on. Sometimes all it takes is a little information about the seemingly impossible to suddenly make it possible.
2) Blogging could be used as a tool to teach positive interaction skills. My students all lack a degree of positive interaction skills and blogs could begin to teach them this. My students would be able to practice social communication without the added stress of actual person to person contact. My students would be allowed to blog about anything appropriate, from sports to music.
3) I would also use blogging for my own reflective purposes. It is important to reflect on each day as an educator and blogging could be a good way to seek constructive critisicm online about my teaching. Hearing other people's angles on situations and lesson planning always helps me reflect and I am sure blogging would be a very good tool for me to use.
2) Blogging could be used as a tool to teach positive interaction skills. My students all lack a degree of positive interaction skills and blogs could begin to teach them this. My students would be able to practice social communication without the added stress of actual person to person contact. My students would be allowed to blog about anything appropriate, from sports to music.
3) I would also use blogging for my own reflective purposes. It is important to reflect on each day as an educator and blogging could be a good way to seek constructive critisicm online about my teaching. Hearing other people's angles on situations and lesson planning always helps me reflect and I am sure blogging would be a very good tool for me to use.
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