I guess I'm going to see if I can have two postings on one date. I found this terrific site through an e-mail from Thinkfinity about different winter ideas you can do with your students. I stumbled upon a link for the Exploratorium and I am so glad I checked it out! The Exploratorium is actually a museum in California, but the Web site has so much to offer.
Across the top of their home page is a menu bar. Go to "Who Are You?" and select Educators to find suggestions and links for teachers of all grade levels. If you go to "Explore" and select one of the items, you will see all sorts of things to make and to do. For example, clicking on "Human Body" brings up 23 hands-on activities, online exhibits, articles, videos, etc., all about the human body.
The other part of the site that I found most interesting was the Shop. Simply click on the "Shop" selection from the menu and all sorts of items for purchase are shown, many for ages 5 and up, so even the youngest students can find something interesting and on their age level. For example, I found a 'Make Your Own Chewing Gum Kit' and a ' Make Your Own Gummies Kit', each for $12.90. I found a 'Thread Art' kit for $6.90 and a 'Silk Screen Factory' for $29.95. I also saw some Giant Microbes (cute stuffed figures) for $8.95 like the Common Cold and the Red Blood Cell. There was also a Binary Clock offered for $26.95, a Pi Ice Cube Tray for $11.95 and a Periodic Table Shower Curtain for $32.95. There are all sorts of DVDs, posters, puzzles and toys, and even magazines. Some of these are specifically made for preschool students.
This site is worth a few minutes of your time to review, even if you aren't a science teacher. If you can't find something to use with your students, you might find something to use with your own child/children. Enjoy!
12 January 2011
How can I use blogs in my classroom?
Continuing the discussion on the use of blogs, today I want to focus on some ideas of how you can use a blog in your own classroom or in your school. I realize that after posting some information on blogs and what they shouldn't be (like a general listing of something), I'm going to break my own "rule" and just list some basic ideas from the book Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms by Will Richardson.
Teacher blogging ideas -
• reflect on your own teaching experiences (be careful not to list student names or other personally identifying information)
• describe a specific teaching unit and ask for ideas on how to teach it
• provide teaching tips for others
• write about something another teacher taught you or shared with you
• share an idea about an activity or game that another teacher could use in their classroom to teach a particular concept
• provide a "how-to" on an area of expertise, such as how to use a certain technology with students or how to conduct a science experiment
• explore current issues and trends in education
• share what you are learning in your master's degree classes or Rank 1 classes (in Kentucky) or doctoral classes
Classroom blogging ideas -
• post class-related information like calendars, events, or assignments
• post assignments on literature readings (create a literature circle) and have students respond
• post writing prompts for students to complete on their own blogs
• provide examples of student work (be careful not to use personally identifying information)
• post photos of class activities (again, be careful about captions and including too much personal information)
• post an online reading piece for students to read and react to
• give students some Web sites to begin researching, including the link and some analysis as to why the site is appropriate for study
• create on online book club
• post tasks for project-based learning
• ask students to create their own individual blogs where they can post their own ideas, reactions and written work
• build a class newsletter using the blog
• allow students to keep an online journal blog instead of a paper and pen/pencil style journal
• use the blog to post the results of surveys taken in class
• let students create entries on current events or daily news items or issues of interest
• write a short entry using the vocabulary terms/words for the week/month
• use the blog as a way to give students whose first language is not English extra practice in reading English online; help them with their English writing skills by having them respond to what they've read
• use the blog as a feedback area for your teaching - discuss activities or assignments you did in class and ask students to comment on them, good or bad (you can learn a lot about your teaching this way)
As many of you are aware, national standards in Language Arts are being put in place and if you read through them, many are connected to student reading and writing; understanding print and nonprint texts; reading literatures from many genres; applying strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate and appreciate texts; communicating effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes; applying knowledge of language structure and media techniques; researching issues and interests; using a variety of technological and information resources; participating in literacy communities; and using spoken, writtten, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes. Of course, blogs can address many of these standards!
Here are some examples of blogs from Richardon's book that you might want to review . . .
http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/
http://practicaltheory.org/serendipity/
http://www.thethinkingstick.com/
http://www.21stcenturycollaborative.com/
http://heyjude.wordpress.com/
My next posting will get you started on your own blog!
Teacher blogging ideas -
• reflect on your own teaching experiences (be careful not to list student names or other personally identifying information)
• describe a specific teaching unit and ask for ideas on how to teach it
• provide teaching tips for others
• write about something another teacher taught you or shared with you
• share an idea about an activity or game that another teacher could use in their classroom to teach a particular concept
• provide a "how-to" on an area of expertise, such as how to use a certain technology with students or how to conduct a science experiment
• explore current issues and trends in education
• share what you are learning in your master's degree classes or Rank 1 classes (in Kentucky) or doctoral classes
Classroom blogging ideas -
• post class-related information like calendars, events, or assignments
• post assignments on literature readings (create a literature circle) and have students respond
• post writing prompts for students to complete on their own blogs
• provide examples of student work (be careful not to use personally identifying information)
• post photos of class activities (again, be careful about captions and including too much personal information)
• post an online reading piece for students to read and react to
• give students some Web sites to begin researching, including the link and some analysis as to why the site is appropriate for study
• create on online book club
• post tasks for project-based learning
• ask students to create their own individual blogs where they can post their own ideas, reactions and written work
• build a class newsletter using the blog
• allow students to keep an online journal blog instead of a paper and pen/pencil style journal
• use the blog to post the results of surveys taken in class
• let students create entries on current events or daily news items or issues of interest
• write a short entry using the vocabulary terms/words for the week/month
• use the blog as a way to give students whose first language is not English extra practice in reading English online; help them with their English writing skills by having them respond to what they've read
• use the blog as a feedback area for your teaching - discuss activities or assignments you did in class and ask students to comment on them, good or bad (you can learn a lot about your teaching this way)
As many of you are aware, national standards in Language Arts are being put in place and if you read through them, many are connected to student reading and writing; understanding print and nonprint texts; reading literatures from many genres; applying strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate and appreciate texts; communicating effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes; applying knowledge of language structure and media techniques; researching issues and interests; using a variety of technological and information resources; participating in literacy communities; and using spoken, writtten, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes. Of course, blogs can address many of these standards!
Here are some examples of blogs from Richardon's book that you might want to review . . .
http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/
http://practicaltheory.org/serendipity/
http://www.thethinkingstick.com/
http://www.21stcenturycollaborative.com/
http://heyjude.wordpress.com/
My next posting will get you started on your own blog!
11 January 2011
Continuing the discussion on Weblogs (Blogs)...
I have found such wonderful information and encouragement about the use of Weblogs, or blogs, from Will Richardson's book, Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. Today I want to focus on using blogs as a way of communicating internally for a school, some do's and don't's of blogging, and give you some ideas on how you can use blogs in a classroom.
Schools can utilize blogs as a way to share minutes of open meetings, have a dialogue about an issue, and share links to information. Teachers can share best practices, lesson plans, and other ideas about their classes. Principals can share information about what is happening within their school. One principal at an elementary school in Oregon has been using a blog to increase communication with parents and staff. Teachers post weekly Classroom Notes that serve as a diary of what students are doing and achieving at the school.
So how can blogs improve student learning? Why should we even consider using them in a classroom? Richardson gives us several reasons . . .
First - because the content is on the World Wide Web, it becomes a part of the wider body of knowledge; it is searchable; the potential audience is world-wide
Second - the walls of the classroom are expanded; students can connect and collaborate with others outside the classroom
Third - blogs provide for reflection and an archive of all conversations and work
Fourth - blogs support different learning styles; a blog can give a "voice" to a student who otherwise would not speak up in class; everyone can have a voice in a blog
Fifth - blogs can enhance the development of expertise in a particular subject; students can connect with experts in various fields
Sixth - blogs can teach students new technology literacies they will need for the future; it can provide a way for students to analyze and manage content, learn how to research, organize and synthesize
So what about some do's and don't's? Here's what a blog should not be:
1. Just a posting of assignments.
2. Just a personal journal - i.e. "Here's what I did today".
3. Just a list of links.
4. Just a list of links with short descriptions.
Here's what a blog should be:
1. A list of links with analysis that gets into the meaning of the content being linked.
2. A reflective writing piece - complex writing, not just simple comments.
3. Information about gaining a deeper understanding or relationship to the content being "discussed".
4. Consideration of the potential audience.
5. Extended analysis and synthesis over a long period of time that builds on previous posts, links, and/or comments.
Now . . . how should we introduce blogs to our students? We cannot expect elementary students to create entries of careful analysis and deep understanding, but we can provide them a way to find interesting and relevant pieces of information to share with each other. Richardson says we can ask them to do some basic deconstruction of Web sites and then post about what they learned and what they would like to see. Even at this early age, teachers might introduce some "experts" to interact with the students - perhaps even introducing primary sources to them. Authors, scientists, politicians, and others may be interested in communicating with the students at this stage in their education. Middle school students can become "experts" themselves at topics they care about. They can begin making constructive entries on each other's blogs and learn appropriate reader response. They can also utilize the blog to discuss whether or not Web sites are legitimate, trustworthy, and helpful. High school students can use blogs for extended study and for reflection on topics. They can use blogs as a way to share writing, such as portfolio entries, and then receive feedback from others. They could post reflections on readings in a literature class, or questions about an concept in science or math. Using blogs as a way to introduce effective and valuable writing skills is a great tool for teachers to use with their students.
Here are some examples of blog-style sites that have been used in actual classrooms:
http://apcalc07.blogspot.com/ - this is a blog from an AP Calculus class in 2007-08
http://missbakersbiologyclass.com/blog/ - this is a blog from a biology class in the northeastern United States
http://itc.blogs.com/househighlights/ - this is an example of how a school used a blog to celebrate student success, school success, and information on events
To end today's entry, I want to share some information that Richardson gives on how to "rate" and evaluate a blog. Blogs have become sources of information, but they are just like any other source - you have to be careful of the content.
1. Try to find out as much as you can about the author of the blog. (Look for an "About" link or a "Profile" link)
2. What is the author's profession? What is their title? Where does their authority on the topic come from? Do they have college degrees or have they established themselves as an expert in another way? (Consider doing a name search in Google to see what comes up on the author)
3. Find out what kind of reputation the blogger has among peers.
4. Take a look at the "blogroll" or list of blogs that the blogger links to on their site. Are these valid and reliable as well?
5. Take the time to read through some of the older posts on the site and click the links they provide. Does the author's writing seem credible? Is there a bias? Is something being sold?
6. Look to see if anyone else has commented on the blog and what they are saying.
Students, especially younger ones, tend to stop at the first resource they find that supports their ideas, whether or not they are credible, legal, valid, or reliable. For the most part, students should be able to find out who the author is, what they do for a living, what their level of expertise is on the subject matter, and what others have said (if applicable). Going through some sample blogs with students in the early stages of teaching them about Weblogs is probably a good idea, especially before they embark on writing their own.
Want to find more blog examples to review? Technorati has a blog directory - http://technorati.com/blogs/directory/ - which not only has a "Search for a blog" section, but divides blogs into various categories.
My next post will give you some ideas of how you can utilize blogs in your classroom.
Schools can utilize blogs as a way to share minutes of open meetings, have a dialogue about an issue, and share links to information. Teachers can share best practices, lesson plans, and other ideas about their classes. Principals can share information about what is happening within their school. One principal at an elementary school in Oregon has been using a blog to increase communication with parents and staff. Teachers post weekly Classroom Notes that serve as a diary of what students are doing and achieving at the school.
So how can blogs improve student learning? Why should we even consider using them in a classroom? Richardson gives us several reasons . . .
First - because the content is on the World Wide Web, it becomes a part of the wider body of knowledge; it is searchable; the potential audience is world-wide
Second - the walls of the classroom are expanded; students can connect and collaborate with others outside the classroom
Third - blogs provide for reflection and an archive of all conversations and work
Fourth - blogs support different learning styles; a blog can give a "voice" to a student who otherwise would not speak up in class; everyone can have a voice in a blog
Fifth - blogs can enhance the development of expertise in a particular subject; students can connect with experts in various fields
Sixth - blogs can teach students new technology literacies they will need for the future; it can provide a way for students to analyze and manage content, learn how to research, organize and synthesize
So what about some do's and don't's? Here's what a blog should not be:
1. Just a posting of assignments.
2. Just a personal journal - i.e. "Here's what I did today".
3. Just a list of links.
4. Just a list of links with short descriptions.
Here's what a blog should be:
1. A list of links with analysis that gets into the meaning of the content being linked.
2. A reflective writing piece - complex writing, not just simple comments.
3. Information about gaining a deeper understanding or relationship to the content being "discussed".
4. Consideration of the potential audience.
5. Extended analysis and synthesis over a long period of time that builds on previous posts, links, and/or comments.
Now . . . how should we introduce blogs to our students? We cannot expect elementary students to create entries of careful analysis and deep understanding, but we can provide them a way to find interesting and relevant pieces of information to share with each other. Richardson says we can ask them to do some basic deconstruction of Web sites and then post about what they learned and what they would like to see. Even at this early age, teachers might introduce some "experts" to interact with the students - perhaps even introducing primary sources to them. Authors, scientists, politicians, and others may be interested in communicating with the students at this stage in their education. Middle school students can become "experts" themselves at topics they care about. They can begin making constructive entries on each other's blogs and learn appropriate reader response. They can also utilize the blog to discuss whether or not Web sites are legitimate, trustworthy, and helpful. High school students can use blogs for extended study and for reflection on topics. They can use blogs as a way to share writing, such as portfolio entries, and then receive feedback from others. They could post reflections on readings in a literature class, or questions about an concept in science or math. Using blogs as a way to introduce effective and valuable writing skills is a great tool for teachers to use with their students.
Here are some examples of blog-style sites that have been used in actual classrooms:
http://apcalc07.blogspot.com/ - this is a blog from an AP Calculus class in 2007-08
http://missbakersbiologyclass.com/blog/ - this is a blog from a biology class in the northeastern United States
http://itc.blogs.com/househighlights/ - this is an example of how a school used a blog to celebrate student success, school success, and information on events
To end today's entry, I want to share some information that Richardson gives on how to "rate" and evaluate a blog. Blogs have become sources of information, but they are just like any other source - you have to be careful of the content.
1. Try to find out as much as you can about the author of the blog. (Look for an "About" link or a "Profile" link)
2. What is the author's profession? What is their title? Where does their authority on the topic come from? Do they have college degrees or have they established themselves as an expert in another way? (Consider doing a name search in Google to see what comes up on the author)
3. Find out what kind of reputation the blogger has among peers.
4. Take a look at the "blogroll" or list of blogs that the blogger links to on their site. Are these valid and reliable as well?
5. Take the time to read through some of the older posts on the site and click the links they provide. Does the author's writing seem credible? Is there a bias? Is something being sold?
6. Look to see if anyone else has commented on the blog and what they are saying.
Students, especially younger ones, tend to stop at the first resource they find that supports their ideas, whether or not they are credible, legal, valid, or reliable. For the most part, students should be able to find out who the author is, what they do for a living, what their level of expertise is on the subject matter, and what others have said (if applicable). Going through some sample blogs with students in the early stages of teaching them about Weblogs is probably a good idea, especially before they embark on writing their own.
Want to find more blog examples to review? Technorati has a blog directory - http://technorati.com/blogs/directory/ - which not only has a "Search for a blog" section, but divides blogs into various categories.
My next post will give you some ideas of how you can utilize blogs in your classroom.
10 January 2011
Weblogs
Going back to the book, Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms by Will Richardson, I want to share information from the 2nd Chapter entitled "Weblogs: Pedagogy and Practice". The author notes that back in 2001, there was only a handful of community blogs available for use by the average person. Even though most of them were undistinguished looking, Richardson states that he will never forget the first time he posted his opinion and someone responded. "There was something really powerful about easily being able to share resources and ideas with a Web audience that was willing to share back what they thought about those ideas." Richardson continues just that ability to collaborate and communicate is what he finds so powerful about Weblogs today.
So, what is a Weblog? A Weblog is an easily created, easily updateable Website that allows an author (or authors) to publish instantly to the Internet. The earliest blogs were literally "Web logs" or lists of sites that the author had visited and wanted to share. Most blogs at that time required the user to know HTML coding and particular file servers. Today, blogging doesn't require any knowledge of coding nor do you have to have a separate file server. It takes about as much skills as sending an e-mail.
One of the examples given in Chapter 2 is David Jakes' "The Strength of Weak Ties" blog (http://tinyurl.com/2blpvl). The two entries that I read this morning were on portable whiteboards and a rubric for assessing the use of Twitter. Jakes is an Instructional Technology Coordinator for a district and many of his blog entries are on new technologies and current trends, so check it out!
I believe the focus of the chapter is to encourage schools and teachers to utilize blog as a method of communication with students. Richardson states "One trend that shows no sign of stopping is the movement of curriculum to a digital, online environment." He goes on to give an example of establishing a blog for his journalism class. There he included his course curriculum, syllabus, class rules, homework assignments, rubrics, handouts and presentations. He said he was amazed at how frequently the students checked the blog and at how much time he saved not having to find copies of things that he had already given to the students. He also said it was a way for parents/guardians to keep up with their student's assignments and class information. He goes on to say that students who utilize a blog for all their work, including reflections, can eventually become a comprehensive history of their work and learning that is searchable and shareable.
One idea that Richardson used with his junior and senior students was the reading of The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. His school had adopted the book into the curriculum just nine months after its release and so he used a blog and had his students create an online reader's guide to teh book. In the process, he contacted the author and she agreed to follow the blog and respond to questions the students had about the book. Since that time, their district students have collaborated with Pulitzer Prize-winning authors, elementary school students in other states, high school students in other countries, etc., etc., etc.
In the interest of making my own blog entries short and to the point, I am going to stop here and plan to post other entries from this chapter at another time. Next, I will cover using Weblogs as a school-wide effort, some do's and don't's about blogging, and give you some ideas of how you can use blogs in your classes and with your students.
So, what is a Weblog? A Weblog is an easily created, easily updateable Website that allows an author (or authors) to publish instantly to the Internet. The earliest blogs were literally "Web logs" or lists of sites that the author had visited and wanted to share. Most blogs at that time required the user to know HTML coding and particular file servers. Today, blogging doesn't require any knowledge of coding nor do you have to have a separate file server. It takes about as much skills as sending an e-mail.
One of the examples given in Chapter 2 is David Jakes' "The Strength of Weak Ties" blog (http://tinyurl.com/2blpvl). The two entries that I read this morning were on portable whiteboards and a rubric for assessing the use of Twitter. Jakes is an Instructional Technology Coordinator for a district and many of his blog entries are on new technologies and current trends, so check it out!
I believe the focus of the chapter is to encourage schools and teachers to utilize blog as a method of communication with students. Richardson states "One trend that shows no sign of stopping is the movement of curriculum to a digital, online environment." He goes on to give an example of establishing a blog for his journalism class. There he included his course curriculum, syllabus, class rules, homework assignments, rubrics, handouts and presentations. He said he was amazed at how frequently the students checked the blog and at how much time he saved not having to find copies of things that he had already given to the students. He also said it was a way for parents/guardians to keep up with their student's assignments and class information. He goes on to say that students who utilize a blog for all their work, including reflections, can eventually become a comprehensive history of their work and learning that is searchable and shareable.
One idea that Richardson used with his junior and senior students was the reading of The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. His school had adopted the book into the curriculum just nine months after its release and so he used a blog and had his students create an online reader's guide to teh book. In the process, he contacted the author and she agreed to follow the blog and respond to questions the students had about the book. Since that time, their district students have collaborated with Pulitzer Prize-winning authors, elementary school students in other states, high school students in other countries, etc., etc., etc.
In the interest of making my own blog entries short and to the point, I am going to stop here and plan to post other entries from this chapter at another time. Next, I will cover using Weblogs as a school-wide effort, some do's and don't's about blogging, and give you some ideas of how you can use blogs in your classes and with your students.
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