So I don't know about the rest of you guys but I was unable to watch the "Podcasting in Plain English" video... I have to say that the accompanying videos have been really helpful as I feel I pay more attention and gain more information out of it rather than just reading.
I liked the setup of "Storynory" the free audio stories and the fact that there were accompanying transcripts. As many of the students at my school have difficulty reading, I think this would be of particular use to them. I realise that the same thing could be achieved with audio books on CD but using Storynory would mean that the teacher would not have to worry about carting a CD player to and from classes, students can replay sections that they don't understand/weren't paying attention in and if a student is absent from class (which happens ALL the time at my school) they can just pick up from where they left off.
SchoolTube was another cool website that I could see myself using in the classroom. I realise YouTube is just as good but the problem with that is the temptation for students to open up irrelevant clips (like music videos or things that their friends have uploaded). At least with SchoolTube you know that even if they aren't looking at the exact clip you want them too then they will be watching something with some sort of education value!
Digital story telling in the classroom would be good for the all students, in particular those who are more creative or those that have learning difficulties as it adds another dimension to their learning. It could be used as an assessment tool, for example a simple creative writing piece could be accompanied with music, pictures or turned into a movie where students act everything out. I'm sure there will always be some students who are not into this sort of thing so in that instance they could be given the option of how they want to present their assessment piece. This will give them ownership over their work and add another dimension because they are deciding on a way that they will best be able to present their work.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Module 3
Yay! So I was finally able to produce my own sample class assessment using google forms... The link to it can be seen below -
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/embeddedform?formkey=dHVaR3Iza0pid3dfX1V1eW42dC1tR0E6MQ
I can definately see the benefits of google docs and use them primarily as a revision tool. I think that giving tasks to students as documents/presentations would be an easy way to keep track of their progress and give constant feedback. This would mean they are able to continually modify their work rather than complete the task in full, receive a large amount of feedback at the end and then have to possibly change the whole thing. Given the type of students I work with, they would find it much more meaningful to have constant feedback and guidance. It would also mean that their work can be carefully scaffolded and therefore set them up for success rather than failure.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/embeddedform?formkey=dHVaR3Iza0pid3dfX1V1eW42dC1tR0E6MQ
I can definately see the benefits of google docs and use them primarily as a revision tool. I think that giving tasks to students as documents/presentations would be an easy way to keep track of their progress and give constant feedback. This would mean they are able to continually modify their work rather than complete the task in full, receive a large amount of feedback at the end and then have to possibly change the whole thing. Given the type of students I work with, they would find it much more meaningful to have constant feedback and guidance. It would also mean that their work can be carefully scaffolded and therefore set them up for success rather than failure.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Module 2
I was most interested in discovering that there is an incredible number of blogs on the web. I already knew about blogs for entertainment/social purposes (like Perez Hilton!) but it I can honestly say it never crossed my mind that blogs could be used for educational purposes.
I especially like reading through the blog - Weblogg-ed - The Read/Write Web in the Classroom. Much of what Will Richardson discusses rings true to the type of students that I work with and student learning in general. Some lines that really stuck out were:
"We’ve become so dependent on the test to tell us about our students that we know less and less about who they really are"
"Every student's brain is wired differently"
And most importantly - "It’s not about the grades they get, whether or not they “pass the test,” or even so much about what they “know” at the end of the year. More, I’m wondering whether they will love learning more next spring, be more patient problem solvers, understand more fully their place in the world, and embrace failure as opportunity, not defeat. None of that, however, will be reflected in their report cards"
This is so true in many schools isn't it? We become so preoccupied with getting all our assessments done, rankings, marking and all the rest of it that we don't really think about the bigger picture - will our students still love learning? Do high assessment marks really mean they love learning? Or does it just mean that they remembered a heap of information?
I think blogs would serve as a great way to get students to love what they learn. In this day and age where technology is becoming increasingly popular, why shouldn't we use blogs to engage students? Get them to start their own blogs as a way to show their understanding of content? It will give the more creative students a chance to display their talent and the students that hate writing in books (or have messy hand writing) something to take pride in.
However, I can see potential problems with using blogs and computers in general with the students at the school I work at - for those of you that know what kind of students attend my school you will understand! There is always the possibility of them "pretending" to do work yet go on Facebook or some other website they shouldn't be on or the possibility of them using the blog in the wrong way (leaving nasty/stupid comments on the blogs of other students).
This is not to say I wouldn't at least try to get them to use blogs in the classroom, it would just have to mean being extra vigilant and making sure they were not abusing the system.
I especially like reading through the blog - Weblogg-ed - The Read/Write Web in the Classroom. Much of what Will Richardson discusses rings true to the type of students that I work with and student learning in general. Some lines that really stuck out were:
"We’ve become so dependent on the test to tell us about our students that we know less and less about who they really are"
"Every student's brain is wired differently"
And most importantly - "It’s not about the grades they get, whether or not they “pass the test,” or even so much about what they “know” at the end of the year. More, I’m wondering whether they will love learning more next spring, be more patient problem solvers, understand more fully their place in the world, and embrace failure as opportunity, not defeat. None of that, however, will be reflected in their report cards"
This is so true in many schools isn't it? We become so preoccupied with getting all our assessments done, rankings, marking and all the rest of it that we don't really think about the bigger picture - will our students still love learning? Do high assessment marks really mean they love learning? Or does it just mean that they remembered a heap of information?
I think blogs would serve as a great way to get students to love what they learn. In this day and age where technology is becoming increasingly popular, why shouldn't we use blogs to engage students? Get them to start their own blogs as a way to show their understanding of content? It will give the more creative students a chance to display their talent and the students that hate writing in books (or have messy hand writing) something to take pride in.
However, I can see potential problems with using blogs and computers in general with the students at the school I work at - for those of you that know what kind of students attend my school you will understand! There is always the possibility of them "pretending" to do work yet go on Facebook or some other website they shouldn't be on or the possibility of them using the blog in the wrong way (leaving nasty/stupid comments on the blogs of other students).
This is not to say I wouldn't at least try to get them to use blogs in the classroom, it would just have to mean being extra vigilant and making sure they were not abusing the system.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Module 1
So here I am... On maternity leave looking after my 10 week old baby girl and blogging away like a mad woman... Hows that for multi tasking?!
Just to give you an idea of who I am in a nutshell, I am a PDHPE teacher at a school in Lewisham, I've been there for 6 years and have found it to be a rewarding, challenging and amazing experience.
My thoughts so far on Module 1 and the whole Web 2.0 business are varied to say the least.
Firstly, I had no idea that there were so many different tools on the web that could be used in the classroom to help engage students. Working in a school where it is a constant challenge to keep students engaged I can certainly see the benefits of doing this course.
Secondly, I've come to realise that the number of passwords and email accounts I now have is a few more than I would like. No doubt that before the end of this course I will have gotten passwords and user names muddled up.
Thirdly, how good is You Tube for just about anything?! I've used it in the past to look up really trivial things like how to cast on when knitting, when I've wanted to re-live my days as a child of the 80's and watch snippets of cartoons like Fraggle Rock and for more important things like ways to spice up lessons for students. Can I just say I'm glad that there are tutorials for things like how to add blog details to the course Wiki because without it I would have no idea.
Finally, I can see the appeal of blogging although I am unsure of how people find the time to do it regularly.
Just to give you an idea of who I am in a nutshell, I am a PDHPE teacher at a school in Lewisham, I've been there for 6 years and have found it to be a rewarding, challenging and amazing experience.
My thoughts so far on Module 1 and the whole Web 2.0 business are varied to say the least.
Firstly, I had no idea that there were so many different tools on the web that could be used in the classroom to help engage students. Working in a school where it is a constant challenge to keep students engaged I can certainly see the benefits of doing this course.
Secondly, I've come to realise that the number of passwords and email accounts I now have is a few more than I would like. No doubt that before the end of this course I will have gotten passwords and user names muddled up.
Thirdly, how good is You Tube for just about anything?! I've used it in the past to look up really trivial things like how to cast on when knitting, when I've wanted to re-live my days as a child of the 80's and watch snippets of cartoons like Fraggle Rock and for more important things like ways to spice up lessons for students. Can I just say I'm glad that there are tutorials for things like how to add blog details to the course Wiki because without it I would have no idea.
Finally, I can see the appeal of blogging although I am unsure of how people find the time to do it regularly.
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