Wireless Learning

In today's classrooms, students are learning in whole new ways.  They are learning through advancements in technology which are digitizing the classroom and enhancing the learning experience. Instead of a traditional chalk board, teachers are using electronic blackboards with laser pointers.  Instead of paper text books, kids are using e-readers like iPads or laptops instead of paper. 

Technology has transformed the educational model.  Gone are the lecture-based lesson plans. With their new ability to research, collaborate and communicate online anytime and anywhere, teachers now create project-based lessons that require students to use their new tools to complete assignments.  They are not lecturing to the class, but making students more instrumental by relying on them to search for answers and discoveries.  A teacher will type a question onto a digital blackboard and rely on the students to go online and discover the answer.  Teachers and students now produce PowerPoint presentations and use social media for project-based work.

For students with disabilities, the arrival of the netbook (A small laptop computer designed primarily for accessing Internet-based applications), has improved their lives and prospects. With netbooks, teachers are accessing educational software and resources online that help them teach those who are hearing impaired or have other special needs, more effectively.  Additionally, pictures and videos taken with mobile phones in a classroom can be shared immediately with students all over the world using blogs and social media tools.

By combining a strong curriculum with technology that helps students clearly hear individual phonemes and match them to frequent spellings, teachers can effectively engage a student's senses in the reading process.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
References:

Saldivar, E. (2012). Wireless learning: how mobile technology is transforming classrooms and empowering          young women in Jordan. National Geographic. Retrieved from http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2012/07/18/wireless-learning-how-mobile-technology-is-transforming-classrooms-and-empowering-young-women-in-jordan/

Picardo, J. (2012). Mobile phones in the classroom: teachers share their tips. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/teacher-network/2012/sep/10/mobile-phones-classroom-teaching

Teaching children to read using technology (2001). MindShift. Retrieved from http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2012/10/will-the-new-online-standardized-tests-be-different/#more-24291


Image:
Joe Burbank (2011). Audubon Park Elementary School third grader Trent Cate raises his hand to ask a question. [print article], Retrieved October 16, 2012, from: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/education/orl-digital-classroom-pictures-001,0,6809271.photo

Tips for Blogging with your Teens

 

Here are some tips that parents and educators can follow when blogging with teens or pre-teens.

1. Go over internet safety rules

Online safety can never be underestimated.  Kids should be aware of the dangers that exist and become knowledgeable about general safety rules. Kids Health and the SafeKids.com share helpful information on the subject.

2. Set guidelines 

Guidelines should be set for what your child/student can and cannot share.  While there are a variety of subjects to blog about and share, blogs are usually accessible by a wide range of viewers, so they should be careful not to share content that is personally identifiable.

3. Choose a good platform

Review the websites that allow for blogging and determine which one best suits your needs.  This will usually be according to the type of blog you want to have.  Education blogs with lots of tips and resources usually find their home on platforms that are more conducive for that type of function.  According to Edudemic, you should decide whether you want your blog to be public, so you can share and interact with other classes, or private. "Tumblr for beginners and WordPress for more advanced users" (Gopin, 2012).

 

4. Emphasize content over form

Blogging is an informal form of writing. While the blog has to be readable and make sense, it’s more important for students to feel comfortable expressing themselves.

5. Encourage the use of Web 2.0 technologies 

Blogs don't have to be limited to just text. Students should be encouraged to add streaming video, and integrating lots of pictures, video diaries, interviews, chat features and more.

6. Relax!

The internet and blogging can be intimidating.  Help your child/student relax and not become nervous or anxious.  Blogging can be a wonderful thing and is no different from writing in a journal or diary.  The more they use technology, the more relaxed they'll feel.

Do you have more tips for blogging?  Feel free to add them in the comments section :)

References:
Gopin, L. (2012). 8 Tips for Blogging with Students. Edudemic. Retrieved October 2, 2012 from http://edudemic.com/2012/02/blog-with-students/

Image 1: Blogging Tips http://www.aglimpseinsideblog.com/2011/03/blogging-tips.html

Image 2: Montrose and Olathe Schools http://montrosesd.schoolfusion.us/modules/cms/pages.phtml?pageid=225724

Blogging for Collaboration

Blogs are useful tools for teacher-student collaboration and peer-to-peer collaboration because it creates a space where people can freely reflect and share their ideas and opinions without any formal rules.  A blog post can be written in the style of the writer.  A student doesn’t have to adhere to any specific writing guidelines, or tense.  Blogs are very informal that way.  They also allow for other students (within the class or abroad) to comment on each blog post and share their perspectives as well.  Blog posts can be anonymous, or not.

According to escrapbooking,com, an online resource for creating educational scrapbooks, states that blogs are designed to “stimulate new questions, promote sharing of process, encourage alternative ideas and promote interaction” (Lamb & Johnson, 2011).  Student blogging also lends itself to other learning initiatives like exploring Web 2.0 technologies.  Students can research online content to put on the blog like streaming videos, audio, moving images and links to their favorite online websites. Students will enjoy the interaction they experience with adding their own favorite content for the world (and their peers) to see and comment on.  

Teacher collaborative blogs are also useful where teachers can share lesson plans, tips and ideas with other teachers.  There may be a slight learning curve and teaches may want to introduce student blogs slowly, with some parameters and tips for online safety.  But after the learning curve, it should be a fun, online learning experience.

References:

Lamb, A & Johnson, L. (2011). Escrapbooking.com. Retrieved September 21, 2012 from http://escrapbooking.com/index.html.

Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts. (pp. )Thousand Oaks: Corwin.

Web Resources for the Week

I'll try to update the blog each week with a new web resource.  Hopefully I'll stumble upon some really interesting and useful ones.  Here are a few for this week:

Teacher Vision 
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/
Techer Vision is an active website with lots of resources for educators.  You can find lesson plans, subscribe to their newsletter, receive hints on how to collaborate with parents, and much more.  In fact, if you are currently teaching, you may already be familiar with this useful site.

Discovery Education  http://www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/
Discovery Education is a free online resource for teachers that provides lesson plans, games, activities and informational webinars.

Tween Teacher 
http://tweenteacher.com/
Tween Teacher is a blog created by Heather Wolpert-Gawron, an award-winning teacher who blogs about her experiences in the classroom and shares witty commentary, resources, articles and suggestions.

Welcome to my Blog!

I created this blog to discuss my educational journey through the Fall 2012 semester of EDTC625. I am currently not teaching, but hope to have a second career as an educator.  I love the learning process and am a lover of information & communication.  I will use this blog to reflect on my experiences in this course and share some relevant resources as we move along throughout this semester.