Blog C

I see several possible educational values of blogs in the classroom. Collaboration is one of the main points. Students can share their views on topics and ideas. Blogs are great for daily writing and allow the students and teacher to see their progress in their writing or deal with shortcomings. Blogs can be used outside of the classroom to allow students a forum to showcase their writings or views and find others sharing their same interests. The teachers role in the blogging process should be one of facilitation and monitoring. The teacher will lead the students to the topics they want them to address and monitor the bogs making sure they stay on task and do not venture off topic. Students should be active participants in the blogs making posts and editing their writings, they should actively read the posts of other students and make comments or engage the other students in discourse. In order for blogs to be effectively integrated into classrooms there needs to be more information presented to students, parents, teachers and school districts. Instead of always showing the possible dangers of blogs, show the positive ways it can be used in the classroom. Case studies of best practices using blogs should be presented to county administrators showing effective uses of blogs in classrooms. Parents need to be shown how to access and monitor blogs because they will be vital in the monitoring of the blogging process. Teachers have to be given thorough in service, along with ongoing support in the blogging process (which is fairly simple). Blogs are a free tool therefore school districts can place more money in professional development for their teachers.

Blog B

I did not realize you could add images and videos to your blog, that was a nice feature I discovered. Images can set the mood and tone of your blog and I have always appreciated setting the tone for a literary work. What stands out most about this blogging experience was the honesty of my teammates and seeing them struggle with many of the same issues I am dealing with. Blogs are a place to store shared or oppossing views to ideas you have.

Blog A

I learned I took my time to formulate posts and responses because I realized I had my peers viewing my work along with my instructor. This made me take ownership and pride in the work I was presenting. I have to admit, I enjoyed seeing my work in a blog format, I almost felt like a columnist for a major publication. I also was suprised at my ideas when I saw them in print. It had always been my beleif that diaries or logs were young girls to write about their crushes, not a place for me to record my thoughts or reflections.

PBL - A Different Point of View

Our group created a group project dealing with recounting history from different points of views or perspectives. I chose to deal with the U.S. led invasion of Iraq after the terrorist bombings of September 11th. I did not want to deal with the political ramifications of the war. I was not looking for winners or losers in this conflict. My main goal was to look at how Iraqi citizens have been dealing with the war and look at the day to day living of these citizens. I also wanted the students to see how populated Iraq is and had them research the population of major cities in Iraq and present their populations in Excel charts and graphs. The students were able to view and see some of the hardships experienced by the citizens and were able to better understand the hatred fostered by Iraqi citizens, similar to the harsh feelings Americans had after September 11th. Students created wikis and other visual organizers for the project. It can be viewed in its entirety here.

This project was far more challenging than I expected. I was dealing with elementary students and I attempted to take a complex subject such as war and make it understandable to the students. I had to be very conscientious of peripheral issues, like violence in videos, displaying anti-American and Muslim messages, and getting too political. I have to admit I was well-prepared for any situation or possible situation that could occur. What I realized is we as teachers should always be this prepared and you are pretty much creating an environment conducive to learning.

My article on PBL dealt with the social aspects of this type of learning. The authors point out the social interaction and collaboration of the students and emphasis the many ways can articulate their understanding of the subject they are undertaking. Several modalities can be used to help students and teachers convey their understanding. PBL also allows the students to use their higher thinking skills and this is the ultimate goal of the teacher in the whole learning process. PBL is a very effective way of teaching if the teacher chooses and plans wisely.

Blog Entry 11 : Supporting Student eLearning

eLearning is a new phenomenon that has come about in the last 15 years. It is learning with the aid of the Internet. Communication among students and instructors is carried on via the intenet. Students communicate with one another through various web based applications and submit work to servers for retrieval by instructors. eLearning can be solely online or a hybrid format for students. This form of learning is supported by many impoverished school districts because it allows them to offer courses that would otherwise be unavailable. eLearning is a format for self-motivated students due to the discipline needed in completing assignments. You have limited face-to-face interactions so you are responsible for your own motivation.

ePortfolios are an excellent assessment tool for instructors (226). These portfolios allow students to collect the work they have done in the course. Many times, due to the structure of web based classes, instructors can not observe all the students. ePortfolios are an excellent way to display work that was completed and show the software and hardware that were used in creating the works in the portfolio. This is also a place to insert reflections of the work or concepts you are addressing at the point in time. It also can be updated as needed and referred to for future reference. On a eco-friendly note, ePortfolios save paper that would otherwise be used for a traditional portfolio.

Egbert, J. (2009). Supporting learning with technology: Essentials of classroom practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson-Prentice Hall

Blog Entry 10: Movie Maker

My digital story was created as a timeline of computer technology. The digital story was intended to show my middle school students that throughout history we have had computers based on the definition of the word computer. I have attempted to show them instances of computers throughout history. I have also attempted to show how the computer has evolved from a machine based on computing of figures and has moved on to an instrument of collaboration and socialization. Many of my students are dealing with the concept of timelines and they often complain they are boring and they do not see the relationships with everyday knowledge. It is my hope that through the use of Movie Maker I have shown them a fun and exciting way to create timelines which are vital in their civic courses. This lesson can be tailored to any class or course the instructor is presenting, it is an excellent way to present historical data.
I encountered some challenges with the importing of credits and titles to slides. The dragging feature included presented some problems that I was able to solve with a great deal of practice. I must admit I proceeded into this project with a laissez-faire attitude based on the fact I had used Movie Maker before, but I soon realized this was a major project that would require my concentration and discipline to complete. I would complete slides and feel good about what I had done then read the directions again and be required to make further revisions. The copyright issues with the music and videos were also something I had taken for granted. My teammates have alerted me to some very useful websites with copyright free material I can use for future projects.
I did not realize the potential of Movie Maker in the classroom and in my own personal life. I have just begun to use it in my classroom and the students get upset when it is time to leave, these are definitely the rewarding days for a teacher. I realize I am definitely a visual learner and I comprehend much better with graphic organizers. I was struggling on this project until I revised my storyboard, once I had the storyboard together the Movie Maker project was simplified as it pertained to the content, the technical side was about a lot of trial and error. The storyboard was a great guide to me and I have emphasized that to my students. I have my students creating storyboards, they do not understand why I have stressed the creation of thorough storyboards, but I continue to elaborate on the fact their projects will be much easier if they plan accordingly.

My project can be viewed by clicking on the link.

Blog Entry 9: Supporting Student Production

I was interested in Egbert's take on student benefits of production (185). Egbert shows how student production has a plethora of benefits. Students with different learning styles can have leeway and choose the modality that suits them. Learners on different learning levels are allowed to add to the project on their level. Social skills are fostered in the collaborative effort to complete the project. It allows students who do not speak English a way to communicate their thoughts and ideas. I have begun to use collaborative projects and all my students contributing has been an issue for me and I have seen the pattern of the "slackers" cruising along, but the beauty of Google Docs is I can share their work with their peers and those same "slackers" begin to take ownership of their work. Students taking ownership of their work is the ultimate goal of any teacher.

Egbert, Joy. (2009). Supporting learning with technology: Essentials of Classroom Practice. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Blog Entry 7: WebSense

My school district has begun to use a new web filtering software by the name of WebSense, it was adopted by the county about a month ago to major fanfare (sarcasm). The software not only monitors the county network, it also submits e-mail alerts with information about potential problems and users, this information is then forwarded to principals and tech specialist at the locations. I always complain about the filters the county uses, but I am pleased with the e-mail alerts and the information they contain. I also was suprised at the amount of streaming media coming from my building and the bandwidth it uses. As usual, I am frustrated with all the valuable sites that are blocked, but I am impressed with the effectiveness of the filter and ease of integration.

Blog Entry 8 : Digital Storytelling

There are are many uses and values of digital storytelling in the classroom. The article I referenced was How to Use Digital Storytelling in Your Classroom, the author, Jennifer New, addressed the availabilty and affordability of software such as iMovie provide tools to create vivid and engaging stories. She explains the technology can be challenging to the TEACHERS moreso than the students. This is a frightening thought to many teachers. New talks about not teaching the technology to the students, it should instead be used as a tool to present information. You should not be spending a majority of the time teaching students about the technology as opposed to the product it can help to create. The teacher should view themselves as directors of a movie, allowing their students to lead but ultimately calling the shots in the end. Finally, share and celebrate the work of your students. Make sure you show their work to other audiences which will foster ownership and not encourage students to slack if they know others will be viewing their work.

Blog Entry 6 : Supporting Student Critical Thinking

The teacher's role in a classroom that promotes critical thinking is one of a facilitator. The teacher must encourage students to think for themselves. I become frustrated when students ask me for answers or refuse to look deeper in the text for answers, they want answers expressly stated and don't like the idea of "reading between the lines." Critical thinking is a skill that has to be fostered through successful exercises and modeling by the teacher. Teachers have to be willing to admit and correct their own mistakes, this vulnerability will go a long way to show students it is ok to be wrong or change your position on a subject once you have all the information. One of the biggest obstacles comes in the form of teachers giving up their dictatorial control and allowing students to participate in the democratic process of the classroom. The teacher's role in the critical thinking process is paramount and helps to foster an environment conducive to learning and critical thinking.


Egbert, Joy. (2009). Supporting learning with technology: Essentials of Classroom Practice. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Google Docs Forms

One of my colleagues showed me the great feature in Google Docs where you can create surveys and questionnaires. I was blown away with this feature. All you have to do is use Forms to create a survey and e-mail to your recipient, they complete the survey and submit it back to you. The information is then presented in spreadsheet format or in a graph form. I don't know who was more excited, the students or me!! This makes students more conscientious of quizzes and assessments if they know their results could possibly be viewed by all (I have been avoiding that option). It gives more feedback and helps to better access if your students are grasping the concepts presented.

Blog Entry 5: Supporting Student Communication

Chapter 3 in Egbert's book talked about the need for collaboration in the classroom. The chapter talked about many positive aspects of collaboration amongst students. The concept that I was interested in was Learning Focus (71). The author shows socializing is not beneficial unless the students are communicating about concepts. Socializing has no value in the classroom if the students are not discussing concepts and ideas. This also requires each member have a participatory role in the group and provide input. I have noticed in my classroom when I have collaborative assignments with Google Docs I often have students e-mailing about off-task subjects or more concerned about the individuals working on the document with them. I have to constantly refocus them or remove the e-mail feature of Google Docs until I can refocus them. What I take from this section is socialization with out content focus is nothing more than talking.

Egbert, J. (2009). Supporting learning with technology: Essentials of classroom practice. Columbus: Pearson.

Blog Entry 4: Comic Life

Comic Life is an application allowing students to easily create comic book
pages or an entire comic book. It allows students to use their own images
and drawings as panels. The author can manipulate the panels, font and background designs. The application is very simple and creates exciting presentations enjoyed by many audiences.

My Comic Life dealt with the subject of social behavior and emotions. My school has been conducting classes dealing with decision-making skills and talking about the emotions teenagers deal with in their lives. As you know the teen years can be very challenging for students and teachers alike, we are trying to help them understand it is normal to have many different emotions, but you must make good decisions in dealing with them. I created a presentation that showed various emotions being displayed by various individuals and used speech bubbles to add text the students could relate to. The Comic Life attempts to show non-verbal clues to the emotions the individuals are feeling and relate it back to the emotions the students feel on a daily basis. Comic Life places a concrete image to an abstract idea: emotions. This is highly effective for my visual learners. Comic Life literally placed a face on the emotions being described; please click the link to view the presentation.

I reviewed the article Using Comic Life in the Classroom , the author Amelia Courtis talks about the virtues of Comic Life in the classroom. She talks about the flexibility of Comic Life in the classroom and how all grades and subjects can use Comic Life in daily instruction. The author was very excited by the fact students had to use higher-thinking skills to create visual representation of ideas and concepts and it also gave the teacher more options in communicating their teaching point. Courtis thinks Comic Life is a very useful tool for the classroom and is a strong advocate of its use

Web 2.0 Fight

I have had an ongoing battle with the Technology department in my school district. I have been going back and forth over the virtues of Web 2.0 in the classroom and the savings it provides to the district. I think their major fear is that they do not fully understand the potential Web 2.0 provides to the students and the employees, but I think the gradual surge of technology will cause a paradigm shift in the district's view on Web 2.0.

Voice Thread Part 2

I used Voice Thread with my 5 classes and it was a definite hit. The students caught on so quickly and I watched in amazement as they listened to the tutorial I created and followed the directions with only a few students having issues. Since I am the Tech Specialist at my school I am going to create Voice Threads to share with my staff containing tutorials available for them to review. The Voice Thread has motivated me to place a requisition in to purchase microphones for the students to create entries to share with their classmates.

Blog Entry 3: Voice Thread

Voice Thread is a free Web 2.0 tool available to teachers and students. Known as a “group audio blog,” Voicethread allows users to record text and audio comments about uploaded images. Voicethread has two distinct advantages for classrooms: communicating and collaborating. Students and teachers are no longer limited by geographical or time constraints.

I am a middle school computer teacher and tech specialist. Voice Thread is very helpful to me. It allows me to visually describe and explain the concepts I am trying to convey (especially to the teachersJ). I have done some research on Voice Thread and found an article, Using Voicethread for Self-Assessment , a teacher discusses how they used Voice Thread to solicit as many responses as possible from images presented to students. The teacher was extremely impressed with the responses but was surprised in the amount of feedback that was received from the classes. The students took the feedback and used the suggestions to change their panels. Voice Thread encourages collaboration which is a higher order thinking skill. Voice Thread also gave the students the opportunity to either verbally communicate or use written text to provide their feedback. When students are given multiple forms of responding, the teacher is better equipped to evaluate the student’s assessment of the skill set they have presented. This article has shown me some great ideas that can be incorporated with Voice Thread, and shows the actual steps and thinking that went into producing the Voice Thread.

I have presented a Voice Thread showing my students how to create a document and save the document in the correct folders. This Voice Thread could easily be adapted to the teachers in my school. More often than not, they create documents and save them then they have no idea were the document is or if they saved it at all. I hope the students benefit from this tutorial and I hope the teachers archive the presentation on their desktops J to view my presentation click here.

Blog Entry 2: My Reading

While I was reading Chapter 2 in Supporting Learning with Technology, something struck me as funny. If you didn’t know how to speak Spanish, would your principal assign you to teach Spanish to your Spanish speaking students? I ask this because we often have teachers who are technologically-challenged attempting to teach digital natives. The 21st century student is quite comfortable using software and even if they are not familiar with the software are more than happy to explore and test it out, which by the way, I have found to be the best way to familiarize yourself with software. The chapter discussed the challenges teachers face and the main point that sticks out to me is the teacher has to become familiar with the software in order to anticipate and alleviate issues the students will have. When I get new software I like to personally use the software for a week before I introduce it to the students. I have 5 classes, and I only introduce the software to one class when I decide to unveil the software, similar to a pilot program. A pilot program allows you to find potential problems you will face and helps you prepare for the unexpected, which can be a major issue with technology integration.

Web 2.0

Have you seen some of the Web 2.0 tools out there? I really love it but the only issue I have is; how do you use it in the classroom? I have been in the process of finding case studies or pilot programs dealing with Web 2.0 or as it is sometimes called Classroom 2.0. I am having some difficulty with locating information. This shows me two things, Web 2.0 is in its infancy and has few restrictions or rules, and it is unlimited potential for Web 2.0 use in the classroom.

Working Definition of Technology Integration

Technology integration is the use of technology (computers, phones, A-V equipment, and PDA’s) as a tool in the process of instruction. It should not be looked as a primary component to the teacher in the delivery of a lesson but as a supplemental part of the whole process. The technology should enhance the ability of the teacher in their delivery of the curriculum. The most important thing to emphasize is the point that the technology is a tool, just like a chalkboard, pencil, or tablet, used to aid in the delivery of instruction. Technology integration is going to be a major issue in the coming years in the field of education and the definition will evolve and changed many times in the near future.

Technology Integration Article Summary

Hong, Wang (2008, October). Exploring educational use of blogs in U.S. education. US-China Education Review, 5(10), 34-38. Retrieved August 19, 2009, from ERIC database.A very popular Web 2.0 tool is a blog. Blogs are tools that allow individuals to record and document ideas and thoughts on various issues that can later be shared with others. It is an electronic log. Blogs have advantages and disadvantages: they allow for more instantaneous interaction and collaboration, helps save paper, and creates a sense of ownership. The downsides are they are hard to regulate, facts may be incorrect and some of the views may be extreme.EduBlogs are blogs used in education and many instructors have moved to this format. This is beneficial not only to the instructors but also the students. This can be intimidating to teachers apprehensive with technology and it also removes authoritarian power from the teachers. Students play an active role in the learning process.Blogs have the ability to remove socioeconomic barriers that have hampered the development of vast populations. It allows students to view ideas from different cultural perspectives they may have previously been unable to share. Blogs have tremendous potential to impact education. Research is being conducted now and will need to continue in order to establish best practices.