Trista Beshara
Febrary 23,2010
Black, J. (2008). Retrieved February 23, 2010 from http://web20intheclassroom.blogspot.com/2008/10/ways-to-use-blogs-in-your-classroom-and.html.
This article listed 33 ways that teachers can use blogs in the classroom. The three I found most interesting and maybe most helpful are: creating a blog with the daily lesson plans and assignments, creating a blog with audio clips of students reading their favorite stories and drawing pictures to go with it, and creating a blog where students can post news of "good" things that happen in their community.
First of all I think that creating a blog with daily lesson plans and daily homework assignment would be very helpful and useful. It would be the most help to students that are absent. They can see what the class did that day and try to get the assignment done before they come to class. Another way this is good is because then the teacher does not have to explain to 20 kids what the class did the day they were absent. The student can go on the blog and find out for themselves.
Second, creating a blog with audio clips of students reading their favorite stories and having drawings of them would be so cool. Let's face it. Some kids do not like to read and will hardly ever pick up a book. This way it can get the student motivated to read the book because they can draw pictures of their interpretation of the book or they can be motivated to read the book out loud so they can have their "15 minutes of fame" on the Internet.
Thirdly I think creating a blog with only "good" news of the community would be a great way to encourage kids to stay out of trouble and do the right thing. Everything on the news is just bad. People are dying, are getting robbed, etc. There is hardly ever stories of people going out of their way to help others. This way if students post blogs about the good they see in their community it may encourage others to do good also.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Web Wonders
Trista Beshara
February 18, 2010
Troutner, J. (2004). Web Wonders. Teacher Librarian. Retrieved February 18, 2010 from http://www.teacherlibrarian.com/tltoolkit/web_wonders/wonders_23_1.html.
This article was about where teachers can find the best sites to learn how to use computer technology at its fullest. There are all kinds of web sites that are free and give tutorials on how to use new programs and software. Some of these sites are also kid friendly.
There is a website called webmonkeyforkids that helps kids set up their own web page. How awesome is that? Students can now find new and creative ways to express themselves and their knowledge. Some students are not comfortable writing with a pencil and paper. For some students writing with a pencil and paper is not even possible, they may have learning disabilities which inhibit them from doing this. I think allowing students to be creative in other ways, like creating movies, taking pictures, etc. and sharing them with others on a web site is so wonderful. Students with learning disabilities are now able to partake in learning and sharing creativity.
The article also talked about programs like Home Planet which shows cities from space. It is a lot like google earth but more easily accessible for kids. I think this would be fun for kids because they can learn and have fun at the same time. They can get excited because they can see their school or their house but then the teacher can explain to them how a satellite works or show them how far away they are from a different country or something.
This article gives teachers a place to start to learn how to interactive with students through technology. There are only a few sites in this article but they all lead to more sites and the learning environment in the classroom will be more enjoyable for everyone.
February 18, 2010
Troutner, J. (2004). Web Wonders. Teacher Librarian. Retrieved February 18, 2010 from http://www.teacherlibrarian.com/tltoolkit/web_wonders/wonders_23_1.html.
This article was about where teachers can find the best sites to learn how to use computer technology at its fullest. There are all kinds of web sites that are free and give tutorials on how to use new programs and software. Some of these sites are also kid friendly.
There is a website called webmonkeyforkids that helps kids set up their own web page. How awesome is that? Students can now find new and creative ways to express themselves and their knowledge. Some students are not comfortable writing with a pencil and paper. For some students writing with a pencil and paper is not even possible, they may have learning disabilities which inhibit them from doing this. I think allowing students to be creative in other ways, like creating movies, taking pictures, etc. and sharing them with others on a web site is so wonderful. Students with learning disabilities are now able to partake in learning and sharing creativity.
The article also talked about programs like Home Planet which shows cities from space. It is a lot like google earth but more easily accessible for kids. I think this would be fun for kids because they can learn and have fun at the same time. They can get excited because they can see their school or their house but then the teacher can explain to them how a satellite works or show them how far away they are from a different country or something.
This article gives teachers a place to start to learn how to interactive with students through technology. There are only a few sites in this article but they all lead to more sites and the learning environment in the classroom will be more enjoyable for everyone.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Technology Trends
Trista Beshara
February 11, 2010
This article was about what kinds of technology trends people should expect in the school systems this year. Through help with the government stimulus package a lot of schools were able to buy more computers for their school.
At number one on the list was e-books. Although they will not infiltrate our schools anytime soon, they are a possibility in the future when there is more advancements made for them. They are only in black and white so far. E-books would be good for the schools because then students wouldn't have to Carry so many books in their backpacks.
Number two on the list was net books. Since schools can buy mini net books for as low as $200 or $300. One advantage of these net books is that it would eliminate the need for schools to issue more than one device per student. Net books are capable of being multi-taskers.
Coming in on number three was interactive whiteboards. These are very helpful because they get students up out of their seats and lets them interact with their learning.
Number four was portable devices. A lot of these devices have large screens and are capable of getting internet. Since a lot of children have these devices already, the next step would to be to bring them into the schools.
At five on the list was that technology will have a tailored curricula. Since computers can track many things, teachers could track students progress and could have custom based lesson plans based on an indivisual child's needs.
I think all these technology trends are a great addition to the school system. We live in an age where six year olds know how to chat on facebook, so why not bring this same technology in the classroom. I think with all this technology there is a lot of room for personal discovery for students. They will be able to answer questions for themselves and they can share these answers and discoveries with other students. Students will retain more information if they find it out for themselves and with all this technology available for students this only makes the discovery process more exciting and fun for them.
February 11, 2010
McCrea, B. (2009). 5 K-12 Technology Trends for 2010. Transforming Education Through Technology. Retrieved February 11, 2010, from http://thejournal.com/Articles/2009/12/10/5-k12-Technology-Trends-for-2010.aspx?Page=1
This article was about what kinds of technology trends people should expect in the school systems this year. Through help with the government stimulus package a lot of schools were able to buy more computers for their school.
At number one on the list was e-books. Although they will not infiltrate our schools anytime soon, they are a possibility in the future when there is more advancements made for them. They are only in black and white so far. E-books would be good for the schools because then students wouldn't have to Carry so many books in their backpacks.
Number two on the list was net books. Since schools can buy mini net books for as low as $200 or $300. One advantage of these net books is that it would eliminate the need for schools to issue more than one device per student. Net books are capable of being multi-taskers.
Coming in on number three was interactive whiteboards. These are very helpful because they get students up out of their seats and lets them interact with their learning.
Number four was portable devices. A lot of these devices have large screens and are capable of getting internet. Since a lot of children have these devices already, the next step would to be to bring them into the schools.
At five on the list was that technology will have a tailored curricula. Since computers can track many things, teachers could track students progress and could have custom based lesson plans based on an indivisual child's needs.
I think all these technology trends are a great addition to the school system. We live in an age where six year olds know how to chat on facebook, so why not bring this same technology in the classroom. I think with all this technology there is a lot of room for personal discovery for students. They will be able to answer questions for themselves and they can share these answers and discoveries with other students. Students will retain more information if they find it out for themselves and with all this technology available for students this only makes the discovery process more exciting and fun for them.
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