Movie

http://gallery.me.com/teresa105#100123

My movie would be used during a unit on settlements/natural resources in a social studies class. My plan would be to split the class into about four groups with six students in each group.  Each group will travel to different stations throughout the week.  The game Catan would be a fun way for them to put their learning into action because the goal is to use the natural resources on your island to create settlements. The video I made would be viewed by that group before playing the game to refresh their memory about how to play!

Electronic Portfolio

https://sites.google.com/a/malone.edu/electronic-portfolio-erica/home

Williamsburg Webquest

https://sites.google.com/a/malone.edu/williamsburg-webquest/home

Technology in the Classroom

I plan to use multiple forms of technology in my future middle school classroom. At the beginning of the semester I was not confident with my technological skills, but now that I've gone through this class, I feel much more prepared to integrate productive technologies in my classroom. I have also learned throughout the semester, that even though I don't always prefer technology, students are much more responsive to lessons that use some form of technology. I was honestly surprised at how much my opinion has changed about using these new ways to teach. I loved the teacher webpage and can't wait to make a real one for my students/parents in the future. Outside of this class, I learned how to use a SmartBoard and fell in love with it after teaching one lesson! It's a great way to incorporate multiple learning styles because students can manipulate their learning in different ways. I enjoyed making the webquest, even though it's a lot of work. Nevertheless, I believe that students deserve the best, so I hope to find time to put together a solid webquest to use in my first few years of teaching. I am thankful for the information I have learned in this class throughout the semester, and I plan to use these new ideas that I have learned thus far in my future classroom.

Miss White's 5th Grade Teacher Webpage

https://sites.google.com/a/malone.edu/malone-middle-school/

Podcasting

A podcast is a digital audio file that is available for others to download. Podcasts can be downloaded on computers or ipods, mp3 players, etc. for others to listen to at any time. 

At first I wasn't sure if I would use podcasts in my room because I had never made or listened to a podcast. However after making my own, I realized that it's a very simple process that could easily be incoporated into the classroom. I think that podcasts could be used as introductions to lessons because it gives students a break from listening to the teacher.  Also, I think they would be very useful in the case of my being absent. It would make things easier for the sub and would ensure that directions for activities are explained the way I would want. If I had time I think podcasts would also be interesting to keep on my teacher webpage.   

I only see benefits for podcasting.  I think it's a productive way to incorporate technology into the classroom. I think it would be problematic if podcasts were used as the main method of lecture, but I think it's a great additional resource for teachers!

Ethics...does it really matter?

As defined online, ethics are the "moral principles that govern a person's or group's behavior" (http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=navclient&gfns=1&q=ethics+definition).  I think this is a perfect definition of how ethics is relevant in the classroom.  Teachers need to be intentional about modeling for students.  Modeling should include instruction, activities, expectations, and ethics.  Teacher's need to be the first leader in the classroom.  Each person has different beliefs, but morals are accepted as what is right.  As a teacher I will display appropriate and moral behavior in the classroom in multiple ways.  The most relevant example to me it when we learned in class that we need to use pictures that are not copyrighted.  It's so easy, as I proved, to go to Google and copy and paste pictures into a presentation without thinking twice about copyright laws.  As I learned that night, we as teachers need to teach our students to follow rules and guidelines by showing them appropriate behavior.  Even though ethics may seem insignificant at the time, students will remember the actions of a teacher, whether good or bad.  If not we risk effecting children in negative ways - whether it's immediately shown in their classroom behavior, or later on in society.  It's my personal conviction that teachers should even be aware of ethics outside of the classroom because you may never know when students are watching, and I never want to disappoint my students with unethical behavior. 

Virtual Tours

A virtual tour is a way for students to learn about a place that they cannot physically travel to. This happens everyday in the classroom.  Students learn about places all over the world, but may never truly understand these concepts or places unless they are given an opportunity to "travel" to them.  A virtual tour does just that; it allows students to view these different places as if they were actually there.  Also, there are science experiments that can be done online just by clicking on different icons and words (ex: the virtual cell).  I see many possibilities for virtual tours in my future classroom.  I found one on my own while researching for my webquest that allows students to tour Williamsburg Virginia.  By clicking on different people or buildings information will pop up and students are connected to different links that further explain information.  Because these tours are online, I think they provide a good alternative learning exercise that is more exciting than reading a book or listening to a lecture.  Students love to leave the classroom and go to the computer lab, and what a great activity for them to go through virtual learning tours!  I think it's a positive way for students to interact with their learning in a hands-on way because they control the places they see and the pace that they travel.  I guess virtual tours could be less productive for students who have a hard time staying on task, or for those who require special services such as having things read aloud to them.  Students who need very structured learning environments may also struggle at the open-ended options of virtual tours. To make it more structured if necessary the teacher could go through it with the entire class on the smart board so that the students follow her lead, but are able to view and respond to what they observe.  Overall, I think that virtual tours add richness to classroom lectures and teaching.

Teacher Webpages in the Classroom

A teacher webpage is a webpage that parents and students can use outside of the classroom.  Many good webpages include class rules and policies, photos, homework assignments, and interesting links.  Some are set up as blogs, while others are set up like wikis, or partially online/partially in class pages with password protected sites.  They can provide helpful ways for students and parents to stay informed and on track, as well as have some fun looking through the links posted by the teacher.

Even before this class, I knew that I would have a classroom website.  I enjoy being creative and making things like this, especially when I know it will benefit my student.  I hope to stay on top of it so students and parents can review what is being taught in the classroom on a weekly basis, while staying informed of homework and grades.  I think its a great way to organize the content of the class. 

I think there are many pros to using teacher webpages; as I already stated they are a great tool for parents and students.  Many times, students don't write homework down or listen to dates of upcoming assignments, so the website provides all of this information.  It's a good way for students to feel connected to their teacher and class.  If a student is absent, they can access the class webpage and stay informed about homework and topics they missed.  It provides a quick and easy way for parents to contact teachers through email if they have any questions.  Aslo, if you can post pictures it's even better!

However, there are some cons.  First of all it becomes problematic if the teacher doesn't keep the website up to date.  Moreover, some students may not have computer access at home so they may feel left out ( I realize this isn't common, but it could be a possibility).  I think the biggest problem is if it starts out strong, and then the teacher forgets about it.  I hope to create a fun interactive website for my students that is up to date and not overwhelming.

Using Webquests

A webquest is a way for students to work online to complete a task.  The task is given by the teacher, and it could be long or short...meaning students could work on them for a few class periods or weeks at a time.  Students are to complete a task as a specific thing/individual in order to produce a final project that is evaluated by the teacher.  They can be good ways for students to participate in cooperative learning or can be done individually.  I think that webquests would be great in a social studies classroom.  Many of the webquests allow students to virtually travel to different places in the world, past or present, where they can see and understand things that are typically complex.  For example, students can be a historian or a traveler who is on a mission to accumulate specific artifacts from different cultures.  Students can compose written works about their discoveries of other cultures, or actually create their own story.  Webquests are limitless with their opportunities, and I will definitely incorporate them into my classroom. I plan to specifically select one for a project each year in my classroom, but I would also like to have some shorter ones on hand in the classroom for students to work on for fun if they have free time. 
As with all educational ideas, there are pros and cons to webquests.  First of all, they are very time consuming for the teacher.  There are many components to webquests and creating them takes a long time.  It will become easier the longer you teach because you will have accumulated templates, topics, and websites.  They also allow students to work at their own pace which could be a pro and con.  Some students may fly through them, without giving their best effort, while others will lag behind because their confused or not motivated.  Still, a positive is that students who do well working at their own pace will thrive when given this type of independance in the classroom.  I think they are good because they allow students to use a different approach to learning.  Just because the teacher isn't up front lecturing, they will learn through experience and interaction with the material, which is exactly what a webquest allows.  Personally, I think that the pros outweigh the cons when it comes to using webquests in the classroom. 

Response to K12 Online Conference 2010

I watched The Life Practice Model: A Real Life Example on K12 Online Conference.  This video shares the story of a freshmen named, Colby Ratzlaff, who chose to attend a charter school in Kansas rather than a public school beginning in the fifth grade.  The school is Turning Point Learning Center, and it was created for students who are considered to be gifted.  Each student at TPLC receives their own laptop; Colby explains that this allowed him to socialize on a different level, do more hands on work, and provided the most up to date resources available for learning.  The students are expected to work together to complete large projects, and are provided the most current and technologically capable programs as a result of having their own laptops.  Some of the projects include a life-size project on cells, and election project between numerous schools, a school furnishing project, Google Sketchup, and a class garden.  Each one of these projects was enhanced by the technology and one on one experiences provided at this charter school.
I found it interesting that the school employs Piaget's concepts in which students are expected to learn on their own.  The teachers may know that the students are doing something wrong, but according to Piaget, students learn best when they figure out new things on their own.  I think that this type of school would have been a good challenge for me through my adolescent years because I was the student Colby described at the beginning (done with work early, and often bored in the classroom).  I think schools like TPLC offer great opportunities for children like Colby who need a more vigorous curriculum.
My only questions would be how is the data for student progress at TPLC , because I recently watched The Lottery documentary and learned that many charter schools are not actually creating better results in regard to students' test scores or improvement in content areas.  I would be interested to know if TPLC's scores are equal or higher than surrounding public school districts, or if they are falling behind.

Should schools supply computers to all students?

When considering providing each student with a personal computer at school, the pro's and con's must both be considered in order to form an educated opinion.  Computers for each student would promote technological literacy preparing students who will be comfortable with different programs and media.  The other side of the argument would be the cost for school districts in order to provide computers for each student.  I grew up in a school where there were two computer labs as well as a mobile lab which had about 25 lap top computers that different teachers could use.  I feel that I had adequate exposure to technology through these labs.  I also like the process of pen and paper, but that's just my preference, so I would rather not have to use a notebook computer at school.  Many school districts are facing budget cuts and although notebook computers would benefit students, it doesn't seem like a realistic expense at this time. 

My Personal Learning Network

Podcasts in the Classroom

56616_20110131192457.phlog 1.mp3

Integrating Technology into my Teaching

I believe that technology can add to any lesson in new and interesting ways.  After exploring the podcasts available on iTunes, I realized that these will be useful resources to integrate technology into my classroom.  My concentrations are Social Studies and Language Arts; I found two podcasts that could be very beneficial to each content area.  I found a CNN student news podcast that I think would be useful in a social studies classroom to use as a current event at the beginning of the class period.  I will also use vidoes to teach certain topics, such as one I used this week from national geographic to teach about American Indians.  If the resource is available in my future classroom, I will also incorporate the use of a smartboard to allow my students to interact with the lesson. Now that I am learning how to use blogs and wikis I plan to use these for my students and their parents to use at home.  Not only will it be a fun place for the students to learn and stay organized, parents will also have acess to the information their students are learning, and will be able to monitor homework assignments.  I still need to learn more, but I have gotten a lot of new ideas just from the first three classes!

Technology in the Classroom "New and Improved"

Technology is a growing necessity in classrooms today.  So, what are the consequences, whether positive or negative? Well, from my experience, technology has a special way of making learning enticing and exciting for students of all ages.  Just think how much a quick video, internet site, or use of a smart board appeals to students.  Incorporating technology into the classroom can reach out to multiple types of learners. Technology can transform any lesson into an interactive and interesting experience. 
Not only is technology effective during a lesson, it has helped me numerous times while planning lessons. It is true that teachers collaborate, and the internet is a very useful resource for thinking outside of the box.  I believe that "good" teachers gather information from as many sources as possible, and I am learning how to take advantage of these resources to better my teaching.
Though there are many positive aspects of technology, there are some downfalls.  The validity of sources can create problems for students.  Student's must be taught how to use technology in helpful ways, and I hope that, through this course, I will learn how to teach technology effectively to my future students.