LL13 - Final Thoughts

What I have learned:

1. Shelfari, blogs, wikis, wordle, GoogleDocs, social bookmarking, RSS feed, Twitter, Audacity
   
2. The main theme in instructional strategies that I learned this semester was to assess each individual student's needs and address them accordingly. I think this flows to each discussion we had in class about instructional strategies, and is of key importance.
   
3. The most important thing about technology in communication is that it takes away the restrictions of time, availability, and distance. With current technologies, people can even see each other and talk while thousands of miles apart.
   
4. The opportunities for technology use in the classroom are endless. From distance learning for sick students to class wikis, from collaboration on documents to research. My favorite technology for use in the classroom is the ability to create a class wiki that the entire class can collaborate on.
   
5. While I used to be nervous presenting, I am not any more. I think this is from lots of experience in other classes, but it also helped that the class was small and we knew each other fairly well. As I have become less nervous, however, I have stopped preparing as much for presentations, which is a disadvantage.
   
6. Problems with internet safety have been over-exaggerated in the media. However, it is important to monitor students' usage of the internet while they are in the classroom. Also, teachers need to impress upon students the importance of internet safety in their homes as well.
   
7. There are many ways to assess students' learning, but the most important thing is to create a standard for grading. Also, students should know what the standard for their performance is before they begin an assignment.
   
8. It is important to be able to see the bias in the media because there are so many exaggerations and deceptions going on today. Students need to be able to tell which networks are more liberal or conservative, and how to decipher their messages accordingly.
   
9. How to compose lesson plans! I had never had another education class that I had to write lesson plans in, and I never realized how much work they are! Rubrics are an important aspect of this, which I had not really considered before this class.
   
10. The learning log was a great way to reflect, but maybe not as many entries where we have to watch long videos. It got tiresome sometimes. It would have been nice to have another break or two during the class, as it was hard to sit still for that long. The class was quite enjoyable overall, but definitely a lot of work.
    

LL 12 - Learning Styles and Multiple Intelligences

My Learning Style - Auditory
Intelligence - Body Style (Kinesthetic)

The intelligence that the quiz came up with for me shocked me. While I am a dancer and enjoy moving around and playing sports, I have never really incorporated this into my studies and schoolwork. I find most of the suggestions for using this in classes annoying, actually, and would never want to trace letters or spell words out in magnets to learn their spelling. In the past I have found that I am much more inside my head than that, and learn best hearing things, as the learning style suggests. That is why I pick up so much information in lectures, and do well on lecture-based exams. However, writing things out also works well for me. I am not really a visual learner, though, so these seem to contradict each other in some ways. Since I was 6, though, I have been involved in dance classes, soccer, and other sports. I am always bouncing around and dancing without realizing it, so I guess this assessment does not really suprise me. I feel as though if students knew what their learning style was before entering a classroom, they would use it as an excuse for not wanting to do things that do not line up with their learning style. For instance, if the teacher was going to give a presentation, a student might "zone out" and then use the excuse that they aren't an auditory or visual learner.

LL 11 - Instructional Strategies and Technology Integration

6. Cooperative Learning - I feel that one of the biggest problems with group work for students is the difficulty in getting groups together outside of the classroom. Another problem occurs specifically with papers, in that it is difficult for all students to work on them at once. GoogleDocs is a great tool for groups. Whether students are working on a research paper, graphs, or a powerpoint presentation, all members of the group can access their assignment via this online resource. In fact, I am using GoogleDocs in a business writing class in order to write a proposal as a group. We each take a specific part of the proposal and edit it on our own time. Then, as a group, we will edit it and make sure it is complete. The only drawback to this approach is the possibility of a lack of continuity in the project if it's split up and lack of interaction with group members.

7. Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback - I think the most useful tool for this would be a class wiki. On it, students could make suggestions as to what they want to learn in a unit. Also, teachers can post what is expected of students in each unit before it is due, like a class calendar. Then students will know the objectives. Creating rubrics with programs like Rubistar and Excel is very easy, and they can be posted to the wiki as well, so that students know what is expected of them before they begin an assignment.

8. Generating and Testing Hypotheses - This could be achieved by using simulations. Students could formulate hypotheses, and then set up an experiment or project on the computer. This would work especially well with projects that either would take too long in real life or are too expensive. One example would be a trebuchet. We discussed in class how a student could set it up online before actually creating the real trebuchet. It would be too expensive to do a trail and error creation of such a big project.

LL10 - Why Play is Vital

My clearest memory of play in childhood took place when I was about 4 years old. My family had just moved to Louisville, KY from my birthplace of Cincinnati, OH. Most of my family lived in Cincinnati and it was a hard move for all of us. We missed my grandparents, aunts, and uncles, as well as all of our friends. For the first winter in Louisville, my dad had a brilliant idea. In Cincinnati, we hadn't had a large yard or driveway, but in Louisville we had lots of room. Dad took me to the store, and we bought a huge inflatable dragon pool toy. When we got home, he blew it up, and we began taking turns riding it down the driveway. I rode the dragon with my sisters and parents, and soon enough the neighborhood kids were joining us. It was such fun, and I will never forget it.

This play experience was definitely a family bonding experience for me. My dad is a doctor, and was in residency at the time, so it was an unexpected time with him. Seeing him ride the dragon down the driveway was quite a sight! This led to me being so connected with my family, as did other experiences playing with my family. Also, it helped increase my confidence because I was able to make friends through this activity. Some of these friends turned into my best friends that I got the chicken pox with, went to school with, and even watched the Kentucky Derby together.

LL9 - Open Letter to Parents

Dear parents:

In Ms. McKinney's class this year, we are going to be spending lots of time on the classroom computers. The students will be working on various projects using Weblogs, Microsoft Office, and various other online resources.

In order to keep you abreast of projects in the classroom, I will be posting everything we are doing on the class web page. This letter will explain most of the resources that we will be using, but if you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me at my classroom phone or by e-mail.

Wikis
One resource we will be using throughout the entire year will be a class wiki. I'm sure most of you are familiar with Wikipedia, and this will work in a similar fashion. I will create a home page, from which there will be sub pages with assignments, readings, and extra information. Students will be expected to check the wiki daily after school. The wiki is unique in that students can edit it themselves, so that they can post assignments to it. I will monitor the students' posts, and inappropriate information will be removed.

Web logs
Web logs are also referred to as blogs. They are essentially online journals. We will be using these as reflection tools in the classroom. After we complete a unit, students will be required to write a blog entry detailing what they've learned. This will be a way of monitoring how effective the teaching methods are.

Podcasts
Podcasts are commonly used in the media. They are recorded sound bites about a specific subject. We will be addressing the media's use of them and then recording some of our own. These will then be posted to the wiki.

Online Security
The school computers have the highest level of security. Sites with inappropriate content are not accessible. Proxies will also be blocked to the best of our ability, to avoid a different way of reaching those sites. Personal information posted online will be limited to first names. Not even the school name will be posted on the wiki, so as to prevent any problems.

Assessment
Students will receive individual grades on each assignment. Blogs will be 10% of students' grades. The wiki itself will not be graded, but the individual work on it will be.

I am looking forward to spending this year with your children in my class. Please contact me at any time with any questions or concerns.

Ms. McKinney

LL8

1. We are making teenagers safe. Dr. Finkelhor says that people assume that the people being affected by sexual predators online are young children, but in actuality they are teenagers and older. Dr. Ybarra highlights that a main reason these teens are at risk is the fact that they have participated “in sexual conversations” and other risky behavior. Another problem is online bullying, which affects every aspects of young peoples’ lives. Ms. Boyd also points out that youth with history of abuse of any sort face online dangers.

2. We are making young peoples’ experiences on the internet safer. Ms. Lenhart points out that many youth are already “protecting pieces of information about themselves from others”. Dr. Ybarra also notes that in the past, legislation and declarations have been made with instinct, not data to back it up. She says that by doing this, “we miss our target”. Kids who are bullies are an important target because they are now bullying online as well. As of now, most people do not think that the internet is well-patrolled; it is seen as a “no man’s land”, according to Dr. Finkelhor. This image needs to be changed as well. The last topic the panel discussed was pornography in e-mails especially, and students are trying to use e-mail less because of this.

3. These decisions will make it imperative for teachers to entice students away from the internet. Danah Boyd says that boredom in school leads to drinking, which is only possible through relationships with 21 year olds and older. This is closely related to online relationships with adults. Also, the message that keeping personal information closely guarded in case of an attack will have to be reversed. While it is important to be safe with personal information, the warning that has been sent out to teens thus far has presented a sense of fear that is not warranted, according to Ms. Lenhart. Dr. Finkelhor says that an important thing to work on is the mobilization of bystanders online.

LL7 - Learning Artifact

1. In this class I've learned about Twitter, which I had heard of but never really used. I also learned about a few concept map web sites, which I think would be extremely useful in the classroom. Those are probably my favorite tools I've learned about.
2. The teaching strategy that have been most influential to me was just the idea of walking around the classroom. While I have done this while volunteering in schools, it never struck me why this was so important until Mr. Sessums did it in class. This is probably the first class I've had where the teacher made an effort to continually wander around the classroom. It keeps me focused on what we're discussing, as well as convincing me that he cares about each person in the class. Just the impact of watching this has truly effected the way I plan to teach, even though it isn't really something that was focused on as much in the book.
3. I would like to learn about the effectiveness of videos in the classroom. I have always liked watching them because it gives a break from the teacher talking, but am not sure how much most students really pay attention to them. Is there a good time vs. a bad time to use them in the classroom?


This picture made such a profound impact on me when I first saw it. We have discussed in class the concept of learning with technology, and not from it. These little girls exemplified this for me. They could not be more than 3 years old, yet they are using technology together, with no instruction. While I'm sure their parents or some other adult taught them how to get on the computer and start up the learning process, it is obvious by the look on their faces that they are learning something new. Perhaps the girl in front is even teaching her friend how to do something. Teaching does not just come from teachers, but also from peers. These girls are teaching each other, as well as learning from the technology in their hands.