Action Research

This has been a very challenging and stressful class so far. I am pleased with the topic I have chosen. Of course, that could all change if I hit some snags along the way. I decided to study the effects of interactive wiki reports on learning. I want to see if the children learn more when they collaborate on a report and create a web page than they do when they write a traditional written report. I still have a lot of work to do on the specifics, assessments, research proposal, etc. Right now I plan to assign each student a historical figure to read about and research. I will use the same list of people in both the experimental and control groups. I want to do some sort of pre-test to check their background knowledge about the people they are learning about. Following their reading and research, the control group will write a paper about what they have learned. The experimental group will create a wiki page about the person studied. This group will also collaborate with their classmates and help each other create the pages. Once the final products are complete, I will give the same test I gave before the research as a post-test. I will check to see if their is any significant difference between the results of the two groups. I will also give all the students a short survey to see how they felt about their learning as well as their interest level. I have a lot of work to do, but I am just trying to do one thing at a time!

How True!

Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.

Week #5

I really liked an idea I found in the article Web 2.0: from Curious to Competent. The author suggested creating a class online resource, similar to SparkNotes, for a novel being read in the classroom. I think I would like to try that with our next novel. We are too far into The Westing Game to start that now. We don't have a Moodle yet, and I think that would work really well. Instead, I think I am going to try to set up a Ning to use for it.

Our group had a lot of fun with the video conferencing sites (SightSpeed and Oovoo). After reading some articles for our group paper, I realized the many ways videoconferencing could be used in the classroom. I especially like the idea of the virtual field trips, talking to experts in their fields. Students might never have the opportunity to physically go to these places so this would be a great experience for them!

Podcasts

This is one sample of a podcast I created on Friday with my seventh grade literature class. We are reading The Westing Game, and we made podcasts about the main characters. The rest can be found on our classroom wiki. We didn't spend a lot of time on these. I just wanted to try it out with them. I used Audacity for the first time, and it was pretty easy - thankfully! The kids loved it! The next time I do it, we will spend more time preparing. I will also give them more specific criteria.

I do want to take the time to listen to some podcasts and see what other teachers are doing. I think it is a great tool that gets the kids excited.

I hadn't really ever explored Ning before, but I spent some time with it today. I created one for my classroom, and I joined several interesting ones I found. I don't know exactly what I am going to do with my classroom Ning, but I think I would like to create some kind of literature discussion site. I am amazed every week by the new things we are learning!

RSS and Photo Sharing

I had a lot of fun playing with Flickr this week and creating the badge on the right. We just celebrated my nephew William's third birthday, and I took a lot of pictures. Here is a link to the birthday photo set!

I thought some of the ideas in the book (for using Flickr in the classroom) were interesting. I liked the idea of creating a story based on a random photo. I was also very interested in the ideas of the math teacher. When I have some extra time (ha ha), I want to explore his blog. I would have never really thought about using photos as inspiration for math problems! I have always taken a lot of photos during the school year, but now I am thinking about different ways to USE those photos rather than just hanging them up on a bulletin board in the classroom.

Since we started this program, I have been reading a few blogs. I had heard about RSS earlier in the program but never really explored it. Now that I had to do it this week (for the assignment), I am glad I did. I think it will save a lot of time! I have also found a few more interesting blogs to add to my list. I set up both Google Reader and Bloglines, but I think I will eventually just end up using Bloglines. I like it better because it seems easier to use, at least right now.

Wikis and Blogs (class #2)

After listening to the assigned podcast about Think.com and social networking, I began the registration process for our school. This sounds like a really safe environment for students to learn how to network with students all around the world. The teacher in the podcast, Cheryl Oakes, had some great ideas for involving parents in the process and teaching them, and their children, about Internet safety. She mentioned that if any cyber-bullying takes place her students know they will be banned from Think.com. I think that would be an effective deterrent, especially if they enjoy the access as much as I think they would.

I am working on re-doing my class wiki. I decided to stick with PBWiki for now. I am trying to get the free upgrade using the Back-To-School Challenge they are offering. I am excited about trying several of the ideas from the chapter in our textbook. I would like to eventually give each of my students their own page on the wiki. We could start by adding their first book reviews. I would also like to include some discussion about the novel we are reading, The Westing Game. I am also working on an idea where they would each research a topic of interest and post some information. Then they could work to revise and edit each others' information - a mini Wikipedia!

Blogs and Wikis (534 - class#1)

Our one, short month of vacation is over, and we are back at it. The end is almost in site now though!

We are back to another more "hands-on" class, it seems. I am all for it! I have really enjoyed all the classes where we learned about new tools that we could immediately incorporate into our classrooms.

One of the movies we watched, "When I Become a Teacher", was very effective. Unfortunately, I have met several teachers like that. I am happy to say that I don't think I teach with anyone like that now. I think, though, if you aren't careful about changing things up and continuing to learn new methods, it would be an easy trap to fall into. It is "easier" to be that kind of teacher. I hope that if I ever became like that, I would realize it and get out of the profession!

I plan to try a form of blogging with my seventh graders this year. We are going to create a "Book Review Blog". They will review books, read each others' reviews, and comment on them. I have also enlisted the help of a couple other teachers and our principal to read some of the posts and comment to them. I am also hoping some of the parents will get into the spirit and make some comments to the posts.

After reading the chapters for this week, I am starting to think about other forms of blogging I could use in my classroom. I do have a wiki currently connected to my classroom website. I only used it with the class a couple times last year, but I think I would like to expand that this year. More to come on that...

Teacher Leaders #5

Our group had some problems with the leadership perception surveys. We really work well together, and we each have individual strengths and weaknesses that we bring to the group. Many of the questions, however, didn't seem to relate to a group situation. I think these questions would be great to evaluate the leadership of members of a school, but it was awkward trying to answer some of these about our group. We did the best we could with it, and we were very consistent in our feelings on most of the questions.

Our whole book was really, in my opinion, focussed on a high school level. We don't have department chairs, and if any "teacher" in our school tried to do the things suggested in this book, they would be stoned =) There are great ideas for administrators in this book, but I just don't think a lot of it was applicable to us as middle school teachers. I do agree that leadership is vital in a school. I just wish the book had been geared more to the elementary/middle school level in which most of us teach.

Teacher Leaders #4

I really enjoyed the "Systems Thinking - Systems Changing Simulation" game we played in class on Wednesday. My group really got into the game, and I think we learned a lot from it. We found out, the hard way, that you really need to communicate often with your staff when a change is happening. There is also a definite order of priorities that needs to be implemented if you want a change to be successful. We were surprised and frustrated by how long it took us to move our reluctant staff members along on the path. That was reality though because we were all able to identify those people within our schools.

Chapter 5 made a lot of sense. I think we all like to be recognized for the things we accomplish. Since we are getting a new principal this year, things will obviously change in this area. Our principal last year did use some of these techniques. She started doing walk-throughs, and she did try to come to our classrooms as often as possible. In our building, however, this is difficult because our principal is our entire "administration." She has a multitude of responsibilities that take up most of her day. It doesn't leave a lot of time to spend in the classrooms. She was good at giving us little "gifts" for holidays and recognizing our birthdays, etc. It will be interesting to see how things change this year. Ironically, our new principal just got her leadership degree... from Stritch!

Teacher Leaders #3

After reading the Mindset List from Beloit college, my first thought was that I am getting old! It is weird to think of a group of teachers beginning to teach who have never rolled down a car window...

I think it is great that new teachers will be much more willing to take leadership roles and are comfortable with change. I think it will be interesting, however, to see how they handle conflict. I didn't realize, until I read the material for this week, that this is the start of a group that were not always given the ability to "fail" at something. Parents and teachers were always told to enhance their "self-esteem" and tell them they did well, even when they didn't. I don't know how some of these teachers will handle making mistakes or being criticized by a parent.

I never really thought about the different "generations" of teachers before reading the "Tune In" article. According to the years listed, I am a Generation X teacher, but I think I have qualities listed as common to Baby Boomers and Millenials as well. I think being a part of this program really helps to keep us up-to-date.

Class #2: Data

I really liked the experience of having class using the Elluminate program. I have never used a conferencing site like that, and I am amazed by what you can do with it!

I think it is going to be difficult to do the assignments this week because I teach in a Catholic school where the data is not readily available as it is for the public school teachers. Thank you, Patty, for talking to Rhonda (our brand new principal) and getting what you could. I wish we did have access to more data in our school. I think it would help us to improve our program.

I watched the Patrick Awuah video this afternoon. I was fascinated by the impact of leadership skills (or a lack thereof) on a country like Ghana. He is a great speaker, and he really explained the problems facing the country because of that lack of leadership. The school he started really sounds like it is a step in the right direction.

Technology Leadership: Class 1

I can't believe that we are halfway done with the program! At times, though, it feels like we have been doing this forever! I have really enjoyed the first half of the program with all the new tools and applications.

I think it will be interesting to begin to learn how to become leaders in our schools. I never really thought much about becoming a leader, as a teacher. However, we have had a lot of turnover in principals since our school began five years ago. As a result, I can see the value in teachers stepping up as leaders. We need some consistency in our school. I will be interested to see the results of the survey evaluating my leadership skills. I have a feeling they are going to need some serious improvement!

I have never used a CMS with my class or been part of an online class before. I am really looking forward to that aspect. I would like some experience with using one because I am hoping we will be getting one at our school. After learning about Moodle, Patty and I are interested in trying it (or something similar) next year.

Class #5: Java

It was another interesting class. As we learned about Java and JavaScript (which I never knew were two different things!), I was thinking about how I could apply one or both to my final project. At the end of class, during our work time, I did some searching for something I could use. I found some neat ones that, unfortunately, just didn't fit my theme. For example, I saw one that recreated the Star Wars script at the beginning of the movie where the text scrolls back amid the stars. I thought that would be REALLY neat, but it would have totally clashed with my page! I found many other neat ones too, but nothing that really fit my page.

Last night, I finally decided to add a digital clock to the bottom of my page. I searched through several different ones to find one where I understood the directions on how to upload/apply the script. Some of them are really confusing! I finally found one, uploaded it, put the script into my html, and it worked! There was only one problem... I didn't like the digits. They were difficult to read (the contrast wasn't very good), and I didn't like the style. I looked at the rubric for the final project and noticed it said we should "modify" an existing JavaScript. So... I searched on the Internet for some FREE digit graphics that I did like. I found some and managed to successfully modify the existing code so it used the new digits I found instead of the ones that came with the script! It does give me a great feeling of accomplishment when something actually works the way I want!

Now I need to add some more pages to my final project...

Class #4: CSS

Well, another class... another new concept! CSS is very interesting. I think it is really neat that you can set up a style sheet and then have a consistent look to all the pages you create. I am going to try working on one today or tomorrow for the pages I am creating for my final project. I am intrigued by some of the examples shown in class, especially some of the ideas on Eric Meyer's website.

I'm glad the midterm is behind us! I haven't taken a test since college, and I was a little nervous when I saw the syllabus. It was really nice, however, that we knew exactly what we had to do.

Time to go explore some of those CSS sites...

Class #3

My husband, the computer programmer, is now referring to me as a "geek." The worst part is that he sounds very pleased when he says it.

I have to admit, I am enjoying the HTML a lot more than I thought I would. I find myself searching the Internet for ways to add little elements to my pages. It is interesting to see how it all works and fun to make it happen. Will I continue to do this once the class is done? I don't really know. Right now I have to make time for it because it is homework, but once the next class starts and I have a new focus, who knows. If nothing else, I will now be able to understand it if I see it. It also gives me an appreciation for all the work that goes into maintaining a good website.

I really enjoy the work time in class. That portion of the class always goes by very quickly. It is also really helpful to have the time, with the teacher there, to try out some of the new things we are learning.

Class #2: More HTML

The lecture portion of the class was a little long. It was difficult to sit and listen for such a long stretch after working all day. That being said, I did learn some of the things I wondered about while working on my homework last week. I wondered how I could move the text away from the pictures, for example, and now I can do it!

Strangely enough, I am enjoying HTML. The last hour of the class flew by while we were playing with the new information. I couldn't believe it when I noticed it was time to leave. I really enjoy trying out the new commands, and then seeing that they actually worked! I actually had fun last week creating the pages and looking on the internet to find out how to do what I wanted to do.

I have been thinking about the final project, and I was thinking about creating a class web yearbook. I started something like it while playing over the weekend, and I think it might be neat. I could include pages for different events that took place during the year, and I could have the students help with the text. I could include their memories of the events. I am not completely clear about the requirements so I am not sure if this is a good idea for the project, but it does sound like fun. I think my class would really like it too!

HTML... Yikes!

I was a little nervous coming into this class because I didn't know much about programming. The programming classes I took in both high school and college were in languages that don't even exist today - according to my husband, the programmer! I have looked at the html when embedding videos and the podcast, but it really looked like jibberish to me!

I am feeling a little better after the first class. It was interesting to see how it works, and I am looking forward to playing with that first website a little more. I want to see if I can figure out how to add color, pictures, etc to it.

I am a little apprehensive about the group project (assignment #3) because to be perfectly honest, I don't even know what a CMS System is! It might be that it will be something I understand once we start to look at the material, but right now I don't have a clue!

Week 5: Project Idea

I have recently started creating children’s digital storybooks based on a math concept with my seventh graders. This project incorporates higher levels of thinking because students really have to understand the math concepts in order to apply it to a story situation and explain it in the story’s context (synthesis).

After I read several children’s math books to the students, they broke into pairs. They chose a math concept and created a story to teach the concept to younger students. After creating the story, they broke the story into pages and created illustrations for each page. They then scanned the illustrations into Keynote and arranged them into the correct order and added transitions. They are currently in the process of adding the voiceovers to tell the story and create the timing for the presentations.

This project requires the students to organize, plan, and compose their story. They have to demonstrate an understanding the their chosen math concept in order to explain it to their readers. They also have to adapt their story to match the age group for which it is meant. In addition, they are improving their technology skills by learning to scan pictures and create presentations using voiceovers.

This seems to be a very motivating project. The kids are really excited about it, and they are really looking forward to sharing their “books” with the younger students in our school!

My First Podcast

Well, I planned to use Podomatic, but I couldn't get the recording to work so I went to Gcast and here is my first attempt:



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Podcasting

I must admit that when I saw in the syllabus we would be talking about podcasting and creating a podcast I was not overly thrilled. I didn't really know much about it, but I didn't think it would be something I could use in my classroom. I was wrong!

After listening to a few podcasts and listening to an online presentation for my article review, I am really excited about the possibilities! I think it would be really neat to create a weekly podcast with my students for parents. It would be a review of what is happening in our classroom. I could have the kids talk about what we have learned, upcoming events and tests, etc. I think the students would really be excited about doing something like that. I could even envision expanding it to a school podcast. It could be like a newspaper, relating the current events to parents.

I also think it would be fun to incorporate podcasts into my literature classes. The kids could create book review podcasts, recommending their favorite books.

Elements of Storytelling

After reading through the elements of good storytelling, it seems that they would ALL benefit teachers in the classroom. Some, of course, are more applicable than others.

Point - Hopefully all lessons in the classroom have a point. There is always a specific goal within the lesson.

Dramatic Question - It might not always be dramatic, but I try to get the kids interested in the lesson ahead with some opening activity.

Emotional Content - This one might not be used as often, especially in my math classes. If you can get the kids emotionally involved in something, however, it keeps them focussed and interested. I often try to connect to their emotions in literature.

Voice - I think we all have ways of using our voices to get the kids involved in the lesson and to get them to pay attention.

Soundtrack - This is another one that wouldn't always be applicable in the classroom, but I know our history teacher incorporates music constantly when discussing different periods of history.

Economy - It is always better to focus on key points for the kids rather than trying to cover too much at one time. Their attention spans are limited (some more than others!), and concise is always better!

Pacing - This one is probably the most important, in my opinion, in the classroom. You have to be aware of the feedback you are getting from the kids. Did they understand that? Are they ready to move on? Pacing is key in any lesson.

Testing BubbleShare and Jumpcut

BubbleShare: Share photos - Find great Clip Art Images.

Here is my first attempt at Jumpcut!

Voicethread

In class this week, we spent a lot of time working with our groups on Voicethread. It was a little frustrating at times, but overall it worked very well! It was really helpful to work on it in class with Louis's help. If we had had to do that project on our own, I think the frustration level would have been much higher.

I was thinking about my classroom and how I could use Voicethread, and I came up with some potential ideas. As I mentioned last week, my seventh graders are reading The Outsiders right now. We could create "scrapbooks" about the characters. We could also explore how the themes of the book (ex. gangs) exist in the world today. The article I read for the first review mentioned creating a digital story about heroes in our lives. This would also be applicable to the novel. After discussing Pony, Johnny, and Dally as "heroes", the students could create Voicethread stories about their "heroes".

Whenever we learn a new tool in this program, I always try to think about how I could apply it to my four math classes. Digital storytelling doesn't seem to lend itself as naturally to math as it does to literature. I could have the students create stories explaining concepts.

I enjoyed the "We Didn't Start the Fire" video. I think that would be neat to do something like that with a history class! It actually helped me to understand some of the phrases in the song that I hadn't been able to identify before =)

CEDU 531: Digital Storytelling in the Classroom

I have spent some time this week watching samples of digital stories on YouTube and some other video sites. I know the kids in my class spend a lot of time on these sites because they are constantly talking about the weird videos they have found (and made!) I must confess that I have never before really taken the time to look at the videos on these sites. It was amazing to me how much is out there! The videos I saw have given me some ideas for things I could do in my classroom.

The first idea I had was based on a VERY strange video I found on YouTube. It was called Mathmaticious, and it was bizarre. It did, however, give the idea of creating stories to explain mathematical concepts. I think it would be a great activity to have my seventh and eighth graders create stories to explain math concepts (like fractions) to the students in younger grades.

Right now, my seventh graders are reading The Outsiders. Since the novel has such great characterization, I thought that the students could create digital stories to tell the "life story" of one of the main characters. The students could pretend to be one of the characters and tell the story of their life through pictures, video clips, music, and narration. I think they would really be excited by a project like that.

A third idea I had involves our eighth graders writing a digital story about their experiences with grade school. As a final project, they could write biographies, highlighting the best and worst of their grade school experiences.

I am anxious to read the ideas from others in our class. This is all really new to me, and I can't wait to hear all the different ways people plan to use digital storytelling!

Reflecting on 521

Looking back on the last class, it seems like A LOT of time was spent presenting and listening to presentations. I really enjoyed watching the samples of multimedia projects from Ed's classes. I also really appreciated the time we were able to spend working in our groups. Learning about the LoTi levels was interesting and eye-opening. I do wish that more time was allocated to learning ABOUT multimedia and how to do it, and I wish we talked about more ideas and ways to incorporate it into our classrooms. I really think there NEED to be time limits set on the presentations in the future. While I see some value in listening to the unit plans, listening to the same group presentation over and over didn't seem like the best use of our time. Activities like Ed's examples make me think about all the things I could be doing in my classroom; they get me excited about the possibilities. Listening to five versions of the LoTi levels, on the other hand, leave me clock watching and daydreaming.

I know there are certain things we are expected to cover in each class to complete our program, and I don't mind doing the presentations. I do think, however, that something needs to be done so that they do not take the ENTIRE class. I think Ed was a great teacher, and he made the class more interesting and more "user-friendly". I hope we have him again for another class!

Reaction to the Blogs

After reading all the blog entries from the class so far, I guess I am a little surprised. When we were given the assignment, I thought there must be a lot of disgruntled posts. There really weren't. It seems like many of us are frustrated by the lack of clear criteria provided for us in previous classes. I know I personally really appreciate the rubrics we've had in this class. It is really the first time in this program I felt that I knew what was expected of me. (Thanks, Ed!)

Most people seemed to enjoy seeing the different LoTi group presentations. Some felt it was repetitive. I guess I agree with both! I think, as I stated in the last post, that it might be more beneficial to assign different topics to groups for presentations. That way we would not only see the different presentation styles (and get ideas from them), we would also be learning new information.

Another topic mentioned more than once was the discussion aspect of the class. Several people have posted that they really get a lot out of the time when ideas are shared. I completely agree with that. It really gets you thinking about what you can do in your classroom when you get a group of people bouncing ideas off each other.

It was also comforting to read that other people were stressed out. It is nice to know that I am not alone!

Session 5: Unit Presentations

I really enjoyed listening to the unit presentations in class on Wednesday. I think that this kind of presentation is more valuable to me as a teacher than the LoTi presentations. I liked hearing the wide variety of ideas and thinking about how I can use them in my classroom. If they are not at my level, then I think about other teachers in my school that might be able to use the idea. Any sort of sharing activity is great for me because it gets me thinking. I start to adapt the ideas I hear to my situation or I pick out pieces that I can use in my classroom. I think a time limit might be a good idea for the presentations though because they have been taking up the entire class.

The LoTi presentation was a valuable activity in that it helped me understand what would go into a presentation I may have to make to a school board someday. I don't think it is as valuable to me, however, to hear the same information repeated several times. I do think it is important to do group presentations. It is a good skill to have, but maybe the presentations could be on different topics we don't have enough time to cover in class? That way we would still be "presenting", but we would be learning new information from the presentations.

LoTi Presentations

This class was definitely a little different than most. I think many of us came in with a lot of anger and frustration. I am glad that Louis came in to talk to us and listen to our concerns. All we really want is to know and understand what is expected of us BEFORE it is due. I don't think that is asking too much.

After asking questions, I feel I have a better grasp of the unit plan assignment. It is really helpful to have that checklist to use while writing up the plan. I am slightly concerned about another presentation (Poster Session), but I am sure it will be fine. I am REALLY looking forward to the week off for Easter!

It was interesting to see the different interpretations of the LoTi assignment. I thought some of the presentations were really well done. A big THANK YOU to Bill for putting our presentation together! We felt that a video presentation would be effective because we were implementing the technology we were asking the "administrators" to make available to out students. We were a little concerned that our presentation was shorter than some others, but we were really pretending that this was for a meeting with the administrators. Most administrators don't have the time or patience for a long presentation. I hope we interpreted that correctly. We put everything in the presentation listed in the rubric, but we didn't linger on any area.

Slightly Overwhelmed

I enjoyed seeing the examples of how technology can be used in the classroom. I would really love to be able to do some of these things in my classroom, but right now my skill level is way below where it needs to be. I want to learn how to use iMovie, iPhoto, and Garage Band. I did go to Border's, and I bought a tutorial book with a DVD. Now I just have to find the time to use it!

I was very grateful for the class time where we could work on our group presentations. It was nice to have the time with Ed there to answer our questions.

Right now, I am feeling a little overwhelmed. The group presentation is taking us A LONG time - we are probably over thinking the whole assignment. Between that presentation, the unit plan, and all the regular homework, there just don't seem to be enough hours in the day... BUT I know we will get through it.

I thought the "Pay Attention" video was extremely effective! The simple format of the phrases with the music in the background really made me pay attention. It was very well done.

CEdu 521 - Class #2

In class today, we watched a video from the George Lucas Foundation. It was based on Project Based Learning and provided us with lots of concrete examples of how it can work in our classrooms. I was struck by how well everyone seemed to work together. I think that would take some time and practice. When I have done group projects, I have always had issues with getting everyone to do their share. Some of the kids tend to goof around while others end up doing all the work. I know Patty mentioned this in one her entries - our seventh and eighth graders are ability grouped for the core subjects. In one way, that is wonderful because I can cover so many more topics in math with my advanced groups. On the other hand, it makes projects difficult. The higher group does a great job and stays focussed (for the most part), but the lower group is VERY difficult to work with in that kind of situation. When we did the Google Docs presentations, the results were night and day. We do have the typical 50 minute class schedule, as well. That makes it difficult to really "get into" a project, especially with the lower group. As Patty mentioned, half the class is sometimes spent reviewing the last class. I don't really know what the answer is or how to fix our situation, but it is definitely something to think about. PBL really seems to be an effective way to make the learning permanent for the students.

The discussion we had about PBL and time frames was very worthwhile. I think that sometimes I am the only one who has reservations about some of the things we are learning. It is nice to see that others face the same obstacles and that we can discuss ways to resolve the problems.

Project-Based Learning

In class this week, we were introduced to LoTi (Level of Technology Implementation). This was something completely new to me. I have always known that I could be doing a lot more in the way of integrating technology into my classes, but I thought I was doing pretty well. After reading the various levels, I now realize how far I still have to go! I also realized that my level of integration depends on the class I am teaching. I am doing far better with my math classes than I am with my reading classes. Right now my math level is probably a 2 or a 3, but my reading level is no more than a 1. I am anxious to learn how I can improve my level of integration in all the classes I teach.

I am excited to learn more about project-based learning. I have only looked at a few of the videos so far, but I already have some great ideas I would like to try out. I found more than one video concerning the "Math Trail". The students use digital photography and iPhoto to create and solve real world math problems. It sounds like such a neat idea that I may use it for the unit plan we have to create in this class.

Final Reflection on CEdu525

It is amazing to me how quickly these classes are passing us by! I can't believe we have finished three classes already!

I have learned a lot in this class, and I have so many new resources to use... I just wish there were more "free" hours in a day so I could sit and explore some of them more thoroughly! I think "Thinkfinity" is still my favorite site we have learned about in this class - there is just so much there. I have gone back to it a few times already while planning lessons for my students, and I have used a couple ideas already. I am sure I will use many more in the future.

Toondo is another site I am excited about. I have not used it with my students yet, but I am planning to use it with my literature classes. I want to have them create a cartoon based on a scene in the novel we are reading. I think they would really enjoy that - it is something different than they have done in the past.

I enjoyed creating the scavenger hunt, and I plan to use that soon. We haven't started the Geometry unit yet. I found a few other neat ones while I was looking for examples and I will have to go back and look at those again.

Trinie and I have had an absolute blast with Facebook. I have never played so many Scrabble games in such a short period of time. It is really a good way to stay connected with people. I didn't really understand how I would use it in my classroom, but then when we talked about the closed social networks, I started to see some possibilities. When Wayne showed us his Chemistry network last night, I realized the potential. I think it would be great for the kids to be able to talk in a "safe" situation about homework and to discuss topics related to the curriculum. I am going to talk to my principal about the possibility of doing this with my class.

The 10 website assignment was a lot of work and at the time I was complaining about it, but now that it is done, I really like what I have. I needed a change in my tessellation unit, and now I have MANY new ideas to incorporate.

Voicethread really seems like an amazing resource. I think it would be great to create a slide show for Open House and let the kids add dialog to the pictures. The parents would really enjoy seeing/hearing something like that.

Finally, I am excited about Web Quests. I found a neat one on M&Ms and statistics. I don't know if I will use the entire web quest with my seventh graders, but I am going to take parts of it and include it in my unit. I want to look for more web quests and maybe, eventually, make one of my own.

I am always excited after class and anxious to implement the things I am learning about!

Internet Safety

It was a sobering class this week. It is really scary to see what can happen to kids who don't take internet safety seriously. It is amazing how easy it is to locate someone based on seemingly small bits of personal information. The videos we watched in class and the articles I have read this week really show the need to educate students of the dangers that are out there and how to stay safe. It is not realistic, in our world today, to keep kids away from the internet to keep them safe. It is so important for them to be exposed to all the information out there to prepare them for life after school. Therefore, we have to take the initiative, as educators, to do what we can to talk to them about the problems and how to avoid the dangers while still using all the valuable information out there!