For decades, education has been mostly about the teacher communicating information to students and student reading a textbook. Then, the students spit back what they have learned, most frequently through paper and pencil tests or a report. Through this course, I have learned that education is no longer about simple teacher-textbook-student interaction; it is more about communication and connectivity. It is about students connecting and communicating with each other, to their textbooks and content, and to people outside of their classroom (Laureate Education, It’s not about the technology, 2009). Our world is changing at exponential rates and as educators we need to prepare our students for that change. We need to teach them how to learn; how to be resourceful and how to use resources. David Warlick points out that we need to prepare students for their future and not our past. Our students’ future is digital media and an online world. (Laureate Education, Skills for the future, 2009). That leads me to this question- how does a digital immigrant, someone who grew up without technology and digital media, teach the digital natives of today?
My goal is to utilize technology in my classroom that will allow my students to connect and communicate with each other and people outside of the classroom. Standards for the 21st Century learner include: (1) Pursue personal and aesthetic growth; and (2) Share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society. (American Association of School Librarians, 2007). This goal has two parts, both of which will cover the standards I mentioned. First, I want to use blogging with my students and create a class wiki page based on the informational passages we read in class. Second, I want to make a connection with other Read 180 teachers and possibly connect our students.
Using a blog with my students will become much easier in the fall. My district will be utilizing new software that will allow staff to incorporate a blog on the staff web pages. My goal is to start a blog with my students that discuss the books they are reading during Silent Sustained Reading (our school has an SSR period everyday for 15 minutes before the start of block 1). I overheard my director of technology say, “Blogs are just opinions.” I wanted to tell him how wrong he is. Maybe some blogs are about gossip and opinions, but they can be so much more. Blogging in about communication; it is about using language to accomplish a goal ((Laureate Education, It’s not about the technology, 2009). I feel that if I can get my students talking about what they are reading, they may become more excited about books and reading. The reluctant readers may just be motivated to pick up a book based on the opinions of a classmate. I want to facilitate that communication. I have a feeling that sounds very basic, but for a digital native with very little experience in “web 2.0 tools”, this is a big step and one that will still benefit my students.
As for my other goal, Read180 is taught all over the country. Scholastic has set up a wonderful website where teachers can connect and share ideas. I have not taken full advantage of this and I believe this has been a mistake. If I want my students to connect and communicate I must be willing to do it myself. One thought I have is the possibility of connecting with another read 180 class and maybe creating a wiki page that builds upon the informational passages we read in class. Since all students will read the same passage, they will have the same prior knowledge to work with and can work together to build upon that knowledge. Before that can happen, I must teach my students how to create their own wiki page with each other (and make sure I can manage it!).
I felt this course had many aspects- online literacy was a large part of it, but also within the many articles there was discussion of becoming digital citizens; how to become part of the online world and how to behave in it. I think this is the part of the course I took the most away from. Learning how to navigate the web, ask questions, conduct research, and transform information is important; but I think knowing how to use the internet ethically, legally, and appropriately from a social and human standpoint is important as well. That is where I want to start with my students.
References
American Association of School Librarians (2007). Standards for the 21st century learner. Retrieved June 27, 2010 from http://ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/guidelinesandstandards
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom. Baltimore: Author.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Saturday, December 26, 2009
A New Mindset
I am a digital immigrant. In order to successfully teach my students 21st century skills, I need to start speaking their language. I need to understand their need for instant knowledge, accept their ability to successfully multi-task, and address their need for graphics and networking. (Prensky, 2001)I need to change the way I think about and use technology.
This course made me aware of “Web 2.0”. Before this course, I was not consciously aware that the web had changed. Now, I have a greater understanding of what it means to be a part of the “Read/Write Web”. I used to have minimal knowledge of blogs, RSS feeds, wikis and podcasts. I knew what they were, but did not have a deep understanding of their purpose and potential in both my personal and professional world. Without this course, I would not have considered starting my own blog, pondered ideas for a class wiki page, or recorded my own podcast.
As a digital immigrant, I need to continue to learn about the potential of technology. One way in which I can expand my knowledge is to continue to use technology in all its forms- both professionally and personally. Also, I can continue to read and contribute to the blogs in which I subscribe. In addition, I will familiarize myself with the National Education Technology Standards (NETS) for both students and teachers. This will make me aware of the skills I need to teach my students in order to be successful.
In order to increase student success, I need to make technology a regular part of my classroom- not just something we do on special occasions or for big projects. My first goal for integrating technology in my classroom is to begin a blog for my students. The goal or structure of this blog may change over time, but initially the goal of the blog will be to discuss the books we are reading on a weekly basis. I will post the initial blogs, with questions designed to spark discussion, analysis, and reflection. Students can respond to my post and each other. This activity covers Student Performance Indicator #2 in the NETS standards: Communication and Collaboration, as well as #5: Digital Citizenship.
(International Society for Technology in Education,2007)
My second goal is to require my students to use the internet to research the people and topics covered in our class text, the rbook. Each “workshop” covers a different topic, such as Killer Plagues, Survival, and Criminal Justice. The students’ task may be as simple as finding out if information is available about a person we read about; or the task maybe more involved, such as a written assignment (complete with references) that explains more about a specific topic. This activity covers Student Performance Indicator #3 in the NETS standards: Research and Information Fluency. (International Society for Technology in Education,2007)
This course has opened my eyes to the world of technology and what it means to be a teacher and learner in the 21st century.
References
International Society for Technology in Education (2007). National Education Technology Standards and Performance Indicators for Students. Eugene, OR: Author: Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForStudents/2007Standards/NETS_for_Students_2007_Standards.pdf
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5).
Database: Proquest Central Database.
Richardson, W. (2006). Blogs, wiks, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
This course made me aware of “Web 2.0”. Before this course, I was not consciously aware that the web had changed. Now, I have a greater understanding of what it means to be a part of the “Read/Write Web”. I used to have minimal knowledge of blogs, RSS feeds, wikis and podcasts. I knew what they were, but did not have a deep understanding of their purpose and potential in both my personal and professional world. Without this course, I would not have considered starting my own blog, pondered ideas for a class wiki page, or recorded my own podcast.
As a digital immigrant, I need to continue to learn about the potential of technology. One way in which I can expand my knowledge is to continue to use technology in all its forms- both professionally and personally. Also, I can continue to read and contribute to the blogs in which I subscribe. In addition, I will familiarize myself with the National Education Technology Standards (NETS) for both students and teachers. This will make me aware of the skills I need to teach my students in order to be successful.
In order to increase student success, I need to make technology a regular part of my classroom- not just something we do on special occasions or for big projects. My first goal for integrating technology in my classroom is to begin a blog for my students. The goal or structure of this blog may change over time, but initially the goal of the blog will be to discuss the books we are reading on a weekly basis. I will post the initial blogs, with questions designed to spark discussion, analysis, and reflection. Students can respond to my post and each other. This activity covers Student Performance Indicator #2 in the NETS standards: Communication and Collaboration, as well as #5: Digital Citizenship.
(International Society for Technology in Education,2007)
My second goal is to require my students to use the internet to research the people and topics covered in our class text, the rbook. Each “workshop” covers a different topic, such as Killer Plagues, Survival, and Criminal Justice. The students’ task may be as simple as finding out if information is available about a person we read about; or the task maybe more involved, such as a written assignment (complete with references) that explains more about a specific topic. This activity covers Student Performance Indicator #3 in the NETS standards: Research and Information Fluency. (International Society for Technology in Education,2007)
This course has opened my eyes to the world of technology and what it means to be a teacher and learner in the 21st century.
References
International Society for Technology in Education (2007). National Education Technology Standards and Performance Indicators for Students. Eugene, OR: Author: Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForStudents/2007Standards/NETS_for_Students_2007_Standards.pdf
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5).
Database: Proquest Central Database.
Richardson, W. (2006). Blogs, wiks, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
21st Century Skills
I read a few articles this past week on the topic of 21st century skills. This evening, I spent some time reading the web site, Partnership for 21st Century Skills. I found the site very informative and in-line with the articles I had read.
While reading the Framework for 21st Century Learning, I had to ask myself, “Do I even meet these standards? Can I meet these requirements?” I ask myself this because of how much I have learned about the internet and technology over the past few weeks. As I read further, I discovered that I do indeed teach some of the student outcomes, such as critical thinking and problem solving. Those two skills, along with several others in the framework, are addressed on the New Jersey High School Proficiency assessment, so I build those skills into my classroom. However, I do lack in the area of information, media, and technology skills. I know this is an area in which I need to grow stronger for the benefit of my students.
While reading the site, I saw that the Partnership was formed in 2002. I had to wonder, if this Partnership was created 7 years ago why I haven’t I heard about it? Why am I just now learning about “21st Century Skills”? Have I been that out-of-the-loop about current best practices in education? What surprised me even more was seeing my home state, New Jersey, listed on the State Initiatives page. I followed the link to the state area of the web site and read some very interesting information about New Jersey’s plans to provide students with an education that provides 21st century schools including standards, professional development, and alignment of new assessments with 21st century skills. I have only seen revisions of state standards and assessments; not initiatives for these 21st century schools.
As an educator, I need to be fully aware of the 21st Century skills. I need to know to what my students are expected to know when they leave high school. I need to be aware of the skills they will need to compete in a global society. Knowing the information is only part of the battle though; implementing the standards is another challenge that has to be tackled.
Linda
While reading the Framework for 21st Century Learning, I had to ask myself, “Do I even meet these standards? Can I meet these requirements?” I ask myself this because of how much I have learned about the internet and technology over the past few weeks. As I read further, I discovered that I do indeed teach some of the student outcomes, such as critical thinking and problem solving. Those two skills, along with several others in the framework, are addressed on the New Jersey High School Proficiency assessment, so I build those skills into my classroom. However, I do lack in the area of information, media, and technology skills. I know this is an area in which I need to grow stronger for the benefit of my students.
While reading the site, I saw that the Partnership was formed in 2002. I had to wonder, if this Partnership was created 7 years ago why I haven’t I heard about it? Why am I just now learning about “21st Century Skills”? Have I been that out-of-the-loop about current best practices in education? What surprised me even more was seeing my home state, New Jersey, listed on the State Initiatives page. I followed the link to the state area of the web site and read some very interesting information about New Jersey’s plans to provide students with an education that provides 21st century schools including standards, professional development, and alignment of new assessments with 21st century skills. I have only seen revisions of state standards and assessments; not initiatives for these 21st century schools.
As an educator, I need to be fully aware of the 21st Century skills. I need to know to what my students are expected to know when they leave high school. I need to be aware of the skills they will need to compete in a global society. Knowing the information is only part of the battle though; implementing the standards is another challenge that has to be tackled.
Linda
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
An idea about how to use a blog in my classroom
The idea of using a blog in my classroom is new to me. I am just becoming familiar with blogs on a personal level. However, I can't wait until I feel comfortable with blogs before I try to incorporate them in my classroom. I have thought about how I could utilize a blog with my students and I have developed a plan.
Let me start by explaining that I teach 9th and 10th grade English. My school has a daily 15-minutes Silent Sustained Reading (SSR) time at the beginning of the school day. We are in the second year of this program and in the opinion of many teachers it has been successful. My curriculum has an independent reading component as well; therefore my students participate in a substantial amount of reading.
My idea is to provide a blog for students to discuss the books they are reading. The purpose of the blog would be to serve as an on-line book club. I would create the blog. The students would post to my blog their reviews and recommendations about the books they have read during SSR or in class. My intention is for my students to discuss with their peers why a book was great or not so great. I can further develop the discussions by asking analytical questions about a book such as author’s intent or symbolism. My hope with this blog is to (1) create more interest and enthusiasm in reading, and (2) introduce different genres of books to students. Maybe a student who would have not looked twice at a “vampire lore” novel would be interested in reading a particular “vampire” book after reading a discussion on the blog.
I think there are many benefits to the blog. First, it gives the students the chance to interact with their peers in a new way. Everyone has the chance to participate- speak their minds. Too often in class the “shy” students fail to speak up while the out-spoken students dominate the conversation. Also, students have to effectively communicate their thoughts and ideas in a public forum, viewable by not only by the teacher but by their classmates. Hopefully, the discussions will lead to reflection, analysis, and possibility debate. These are only a few benefits of this type of blog.
Since this is my first time developing a blog to use in my classroom, I am sure there are things I am overlooking. Your comments and suggestions are welcome!
Linda
Let me start by explaining that I teach 9th and 10th grade English. My school has a daily 15-minutes Silent Sustained Reading (SSR) time at the beginning of the school day. We are in the second year of this program and in the opinion of many teachers it has been successful. My curriculum has an independent reading component as well; therefore my students participate in a substantial amount of reading.
My idea is to provide a blog for students to discuss the books they are reading. The purpose of the blog would be to serve as an on-line book club. I would create the blog. The students would post to my blog their reviews and recommendations about the books they have read during SSR or in class. My intention is for my students to discuss with their peers why a book was great or not so great. I can further develop the discussions by asking analytical questions about a book such as author’s intent or symbolism. My hope with this blog is to (1) create more interest and enthusiasm in reading, and (2) introduce different genres of books to students. Maybe a student who would have not looked twice at a “vampire lore” novel would be interested in reading a particular “vampire” book after reading a discussion on the blog.
I think there are many benefits to the blog. First, it gives the students the chance to interact with their peers in a new way. Everyone has the chance to participate- speak their minds. Too often in class the “shy” students fail to speak up while the out-spoken students dominate the conversation. Also, students have to effectively communicate their thoughts and ideas in a public forum, viewable by not only by the teacher but by their classmates. Hopefully, the discussions will lead to reflection, analysis, and possibility debate. These are only a few benefits of this type of blog.
Since this is my first time developing a blog to use in my classroom, I am sure there are things I am overlooking. Your comments and suggestions are welcome!
Linda
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