Last but not least.....Chapter 9

Right at the beginning, Richardson asks the question "what is going to be the impact on education" regarding all the tools and pedagogies out there. But he also makes a very good point and distinction that with the explosion of the internet and with so much information out there it is important that teachers and students use that knowledge effectively. I think the word "effectively" is key. Just because the information is out there doesn't mean it is useful. I think a lot of what is on the internet is purely for entertainment with little value in the educational arena. But a lot of what is out there does have value for educators and their students. I remember as a child I had several pen pals that were from all over the United States. I thought it was sooooo cool to communicate and learn from each other about where we lived and what our schools were like, etc. Of course, we only had the U.S. Postal service at our disposal and so it would be several days before I could receive replies from my pen pals. I think how that would be so obsolete and unnecessary in today's world (using the post office that is....I think having pen pals is a great thing). And, its like Richardson said, "the walls of the classroom are literally made irrelevant...." because technology has created this community of learners that can be near or far. I also think that he gives very good cautionary advice about making sure that our students realize that just because something is posted on the Web does not make it true and I think that is and will continue to be a problem for the "digital natives." But I also think it is not just the internet/web where students fail to be critical thinkers.....I think it is across the board whether it be a textbook or a lecture or whatever they are reading/viewing....they do not seem to scrutinize or think about it and just accept it for what it is. As educators, we need to emphasize critical thinking more.

Richardson uses most of this chapter to highlight the "Big Shifts" that have developed or that will develop as a result of these technologies and the way we think about content and curriculum with the goal of how to best teach students. One of the big shifts, #3, he makes a very good point about the importance of collaboration and how the Web makes it easy for students to produce work in truly collaborative ways for large audiences. In my current job, I have many other labs that I collaborate with be it formally or informally and I can definitely say that it has been very beneficial in giving my work real purpose and real meaning. There is so much to gain from the exchange of ideas, thoughts, recommendations, etc. I can see no reason that this would not be a plus for students in the classroom regarding their work and for educators too. Richardson's next "big shift" was equally profound in that students need to be active participants in the design of their own learning because this ultimately teaches them to take ownership of their lives and future careers. The opportunity for students to have their voices heard, to know that people are listening and responding via what they publish on the Web will could give students the feeling, the knowledge that what they do has meaning....it has worth....and that is something I think a lot of students struggle to find particularly during their teenage years.

Chpt. 8 - Podcasting, Video and Screencasting

Before this class I had limited experience with downloading a few podcasts to my iPod and that's about it. I love that I can have access to these programs because I am usually working when the programs are on the radio. However, I never realized how easy it was to do a podcast until taking this class and I know that I would not have thought to use it in the classroom either. I think the appeal of podcasts are that they are inexpensive and easy to do which Richardson states in the chapter as well. Another thing that he says (and I agree with) is that podcasting is the 'creation and distribution of ameteur radio' and I think that is the appeal.....you don't have to be a professional radio person to do podcasts. Richardson even talks about a 13 year old who did podcasts from his bedroom. Hey, if a 13 year can do it so can educators! Podcasting has caught on with more than teenagers and educators.....businesses, churches, governments, etc. are using podcasts for many things.

What I didn't know until I read this chapter was that on the iTunes store homepage (which I have loaded on my computer) there is an "Education" selection under the podcast categories. Who knew?? They have the top podcasts for K-12. Another reason that I could support using the podcast in class or school is that it is relatively safe. I would use it to record my lectures or reviews so that absent students could access them from the school website. I also like the idea of allowing the students to use them in the lab to record their experiments, observations, etc. to possibly share with other students in the class or other labs. I think using podcasts as audio newsletter could be very effective and I would even let the students organize it, just like they do the yearbooks. Video publishing could also be a good tool for students to record their work like students doing labs....the words from a podcast are helpful but a visual can be even more effective. Any time we, as educators, can make learning more enjoyable/interesting for the student will result in a greater understanding of the lesson by the student.

Chapter 6 and The Social Web

There's no doubt about it that the Web has become a place to gather, to socialize. And I can see it being used to share what students have done with each other so they can learn from it and create 'a continuous converstions among the participants.' I'm not convinced that Twitter is a way to go about sharing in the classroom. To me, twitter seems more like a distraction. Richardson cites one example where they teacher used twitter to communicate in real time what the class was doing during their field trip with other students who were unable to attend. Why not just use a cell phone or make a podcast. The twittering just seems so intrusive and if a student could not attend obviously they are doing something else or maybe they're sick which means they don't have time to read something that has been twittered.

Richardson also discusses ways in which to track of all the information you might want or need. He identifies Diigo and del.icio.us as two social bookmarking sites that have come to the forefront of all the available sites out there. While I can understand the usefulness and purpose of using social bookmarking as a way to filter and organize your items of interest, I do not see how this type of thing would be useful in the classroom for students. I say this because students have very little flexibility when it comes to using computers in the classroom. The sites they can access are already given to them. Therefore, bookmarking is not realistic. It could be very useful to me in my current research job and in my own personal life. As a teacher I could also see it as a way to store sites so you don't have to go searching for it everytime.

My Updated Technology Autobiography

I started this quest for knowledge about technology two weeks ago and I can honestly say it has been an experience. I found out that I am considered a "digital immigrant" but now I think that I am a well informed "digital immigrant." My use of technology once centered upon using the computer to surf the web, check email and do occasional research. Of course, I have a cell phone and iPod but you could say that I am one of those people who still use 'new things in old ways'.

Now that I have completed this course about the different technologies and how they can be used in the classroom (and outside the classroom too!), I feel much more bolder about using them (blogs, podcasts, wikis, digital stories, flickr) and venturing out on my own to explore the other technology tools that exist (twitter, teachertube, etc.). I really enjoyed reading the textbook assigned for this class too. I think that the author, Richardson, had a writing style that was very engaging and simple in format. He never talked over my head. The book always gave real life examples of how each of the technology tools were being used in the classroom. Therefore, it can be done!

Having taken this course and using the textbook to help facilitate my learning, I now feel much more confident about walking in the classroom and using these tools as an aid to communicate and teach chemistry. The best part of my learning was having the hands on activities as opposed to just reading about it in a book. I am a big advocate of hands-on learning and I will definitely allow my students to get the hands-on opportunity in using technology tools that will help facilitate their learning. I was certainly apprehensive about what to expect on my first day of teaching since I have not been in a high school classroom in almost 20 years. Now, I think I have a much better idea of what the digital natives are doing!

Pick Your Tool....I pick TeacherTube!!

Dear School Administrator,

I have just completed a course in technology as part of my professional development. During this time, I had the opportunity to learn about and investigate several of the technology tools currently available. I think that many of these tools could be used in the classroom, but I was especially impressed with an internet site that shares instructional teacher videos called TeacherTube. It is very much like the internet site YouTube, but it is primarily for educators, schools and home learners.

I have investigated this relatively new website which was established in March 2007. It is free to use and the website has a very good help section on how to use it. With today's economy and limited resources, I think TeacherTube could be a very beneficial tool to share or view instructional videos as well as access support files (lesson plans, assessments, etc) shared by other educators. Technology is becoming part of everything we do, and I believe that we should begin to use it as an enhancement of our professional development. TeacherTube could provide an online community for educators to share their ideas and methods via an instructional videos.

If we want to always be improving as educators, I think we have to have easy access to what our peers are doing in the field. Otherwise, we become stagnant in our methods. TeacherTube provides that venue and I believe it will be very beneficial to make it available to the teachers in our school. I hope that you will take a few moments to visit TeacherTube at www.teachertube.com and realize that it is a very good site for educators to share resources and have fun!

Very Respectfully,
Kathleen Bowen

Fun with Flickr in chapter 7

I'm really glad that I had the chance to experience Flickr in class because now I have read all there is to know about Flickr and it was a much more interesting read. I think that's the point about reading things in general. You can connect to it so much better if you have experienced it too. I'm not so sure I would actually go out and try Flickr without having the exposure to it in class. I thought Richardson did a very good job of selling it in chapter 7. Of course I can see myself using it for personal reasons (sharing, connecting with my family and friends through photos online) but I can certainly see using it in my classroom as a instructional tool and also allowing the students to use in in a variety of ways. You've probably heard the saying that "a picture is worth a 1000 words" and I think that can apply as a way to reach out and better communicate with our students. As Richardson states, it's free and it's easy!! What more could an educator ask for? And I like that, as a teacher, I can control access to the photos which I think is a good thing. I could see Flickr being useful for all content areas too. As a chemistry teacher, I think it would be useful to take pictures of laboratory set-ups or to show the timeline of an experiment, especially if a school does not have a laboratory. This could be a good substitute. I believe that when a student can use all of their senses to learn with it makes a lesson so much more effective. If my students can not only hear what I am saying but connect to what I am saying through a photo then there ability to understand is much greater. On a personal/work related note, I've decided to use Flickr this summer to document our field research which takes place in the western mountains of North Carolina.....now that is some pretty country!! And I know the pictures will be a great tool to show future students that come in our lab to do research but have not had the experience of doing field research. How cool is that!

Everything I ever wanted to know about Wikipedia is in Chpt 4!!

Wow! I'm reformed! After reading chpt. 4, I can now say that I have a different perspective of Wikipedia. My only experience with Wikipedia was the occasion viewing of what would come up when I would google a topic; sometimes I would open the entry and other times I would not. I don't think I have ever used anything I have read from a Wikipedia posting for any of my work however. I didn't know that it was so trusted and used by so many: corporations, schools, cities, etc. What can I say?? I've been living in a cave somewhere I guess. I also had no idea how or where the word "wiki" originated from....I figured it was something like how google originated. But now I know that it is a short form of the Hawaiian 'wiki-wiki' which means "quick". My limited experience with Wikipedia would support that it is indeed a quick read. As for using and/or teaching my students about Wikipedia or wikis, I could envision a purpose for it especially after reading that the postings are, for the most part, accurate. Apparently, there are a vast number of people (that could be considered editors) who collaboratively correct any mistakes or vandalism. This has been tested many times according to Richardson.



More importantly was my take on using wikis and Wikipedia in the classroom. Richardson stated that Wikipedia is the "poster child" for collaborative construction of knowledge and truth. As an educator, I could collaborate with other educators or professionals in the science field. I think it is important to stay current and certainly postings on Wikipedias are ongoing. I would teach my students about Wikipedia (although I am sure they already know of it) but I would also encourage them to be critical thinkers about what they read from Wikipedia (or any other source for that matter). I thought Richardson cited some great examples for how educators are using wikis in the classroom. Especially the teacher, Vicki Davis in Georgia, who started to use wikis to connect her students to other learners from around the world through a project she created called "Flat Classroom." Moreover, what I really like about this textbook (Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and other powerful web tools for classrooms) as a whole is how Richardson cites many real world examples of how the different technologies are being used in the classroom. Great source for ideas! Additionally, he goes one step further and tells you how to create your own wiki as well as how to post on a wiki site. I just think that information like what Richardson provides in this book is what is needed (as well as taking a class such as the one I am in now) to facilitate educators use of these different technologies.

My ideas and thoughts for the digital storytelling

I actually knew a few days ago when Amy first mentioned that we would be making a digital story and to start thinking of ideas.....well, I knew that my love of animals, in particular dogs, would be the focus. I do alot of animal rescue work by helping transport dogs from shelters to rescues or forever homes or I even help by fostering dogs from shelters that are at capacity and need a place for the dog to go until adopted. Otherwise, many of these animals would be put to sleep without people willing to foster. So, I was thinking of doing a story about transporting animals from the shelter to a rescue or to an adopter......it is a pretty incredible process: emails go out from the person coordinating the effort and then people start signing up to drive a "leg" of the transport. Some of these transports take days and some only hours. Sometimes the transports take place and sometimes they do not have enough drivers and it starts over the following weekend. That is one idea of what I was thinking to do for my digital storytelling. My other idea involves a dog that was very special to me. He passed away about a year ago. I adopted him from a rescue that had saved him from a high kill shelter. He had been with this rescue for 6 months and no one had inquired about him until me. He was 8 years old and lived for 8 more years. He was deaf and he loved tennis balls!!
So, if I do the animal rescue transports I was thinking of a title like, "A Second Chance" and if I did one about my dog I would title it, "An Unfinished Life"........hmmmmm, decisions, decisions.
Pictures will not be a problem since most of us that participate in doing transports will take pictures of us doing our driving leg and then send to each other. And we usually have a pic of the dog and how pitiful, sad he or she looks in the shelter.....very heart-wrenching!! Of course, I have too many pictures to count of my dog so it will really be more about picking the pictures that say or communicate how special he was.......of course, I could get home and think of something completely different. times up....have to go!

Enjoyed reading Adopt and Adapt: Shaping Tech for the Classroom

Since I am not in a classroom teaching and I graduated high school at a time when manual typewriters were still the norm, I found much of what the author said to be very interesting and informative. I guess I am one of the "digital immigrants" that the author talks about in the article...... And, to be honest with you, I would not have much technology background had I not gone back to school in the 1990's during which time I had to learn to use the computer for more than just email! But after reading this article I now realize that many of the educators continue to use technology for limited uses. I suspect that they are comfortable in their old ways and changing things around is not easy. The author contends that a "technological" factor stands in the way of making more and faster progress in technology adoption in the schools. By this, the author means that each student should have a device he or she can work on, keep, customize and take home!! I don't think so! I would have to ask the author, why? Most students already have every tech gadget out there or can easily get access to it without schools having to provide it. While the author says that money is not the problem (even though he says that schools will cite it as a reason), I DO think that money is part of the problem. Let's face it, when schools can't even buy enough textbooks or supplies I think money is an issue. Maybe there needs to be better budgeting of the money (more here, less there) to invest in technology, but I also think along with buying the tech gadgets for the classroom there has to be an investment in teaching/training the educators in the benefits that can be obtained from using this technology.

I was forced to learn about technology when I went back to school and I also knew that I would need to know about it for employment. But I think the "digital immigrants" that are educators will vary in their degrees of technological abilities, much of that will depend on the resources available to train them about how to use technology in the classroom. Certainly, there is some fear in venturing into the unknown, something our students have no trouble doing. But I am less fearful to try new things if I have had some training. I guess that is one of the things that I think the author fails to address as a real solution to promoting technology in the classroom. As human beings, we "adopt and adapt" to news things all the time (cell phones, GPS, etc) and the same can be done for educators and technology. I guarantee that if you expose and train enough teachers on how to use the technology and all the benefits that come with it, there will be a greater emphasis, basically a cheering section, to have it integrated into the classroom. I can tell you from experience that just putting the computers, for instance, in the classroom/school is not enough. What will happen is that the computers will sit there and collect dust! I think that teachers should take a course, or courses, like the one that we are in right now, "Teaching with Technology." Some kind of training....and, if necessary, make it mandatory because this is how kids are learning and socializing and educators need to understand that these tools are out there and these tools will help them communicate with and teach students better.

My five cents regarding chpts. 3 and 5

I enjoyed reading chapter 3 even though the class has already created our individual blogs so alot of what Richardson writes about I already know. But he also provided some other interesting tidbits like the 1 gigabyte space per blog, photos should be sized and formatted before uploading to blog, and that there are some safety features associated with blogs. The last bit of info is good to know especially since I would want to use blogs in my classroom but at the same time ensure (as best possible) that students are not being linked to some random weblog that is not appropriate for their viewing. From discussions in class, it sounds like schools put a lot of restrictions on what the computers can be used for in class so I'm not sure if they would allow me to use a blog or let my students use a blog. It's understandable because bad things can happen and there has to be much scrutiny by the teacher at all times. Students like their freedom and I think if they know the teacher is going to possibly "edit" their post then they are less likely to participate. I still think Blogs are an interesting concept that can be used in a classroom but with the understand that there will be some limitations and restrictions (if the school will even allow the use of Blogs).



And just when I didn't think I could feel anymore out of touch with technology, I read chapter 5!! I'm glad I read it because learning about RSS is going to make my life a whoooooole lot easier! I definitely see myself establishing a feed for getting anything new that comes out about Plethodon salamanders since that is the basis for much of the research that I do in the lab. Usually, I dread the times I need to start filtering through all of the publications online. It is time consuming and tedious. But now that I have this handy tech tool to send me feeds when something new comes out on this salamander I can just sit back and wait for the info to come in. Yesssss! Seriously, though, I can definitely support using this in my job but I can also see using this in the classroom both for the students and for myself as an educator. As with most science fields, there is just an enormous amount of research being published everyday. I would use the RSS feed to filter my specific interests/themes that I want to teach in class. I don't want to teach chemistry in a dry, boring way. Even though the content does not change much I do think that it is good to supplement it with some current event that can be linked to the subject. Students crave for teachers to tell them why it is important that they are learning something and I think having some type of "Did you know......?" sort of minute in the lesson would do that. With a RSS feed, I can always be getting the latest info out there. Even Richardson said that "RSS feeds can add to your knowledge base, help you communicate, and make your teaching better." Sign me up!!

Flickr Energy Lesson

http://www.flickr.com/photos/38371972@N06/sets/72157618014254987/

Grade: 8Set: KY-4-1Standard: SC-08-4.6.2.1 The Sun is the major source of energy for Earth. The water cycle, winds, ocean currents and growth of plants are affected by the Sun’s energy. Seasons result from variations in the amount of the Sun’s energy hitting Earth’s surface.;KY-4-1.SC-08-4.6 Science > describe or explain energy transfer and energy conservation;

My two cents regarding Chpt. 1 and 2

I had no idea the magnitude of all the things going on with the internet and all the different things you can do. Richardson cites that, in 2005, fifty-seven percent of teens were consider "content creators" for the internet. And the numbers today are likely much higher. Where do they get the time?? I'm lucky if I can get on the internet for more than 15 minutes a day. But I guess so much of what teens do today are directly linked to the computer. How times have changed......which leads me to the next point that Richardson makes (and that I totally agree with): education has been slow to adapt to these new tools and potentials (read/write web). I would think that with the many benefits that the computer/internet provide, the education system would jump at the chance to make it a part of classroom teaching and learning. But...... change is hard! My boss teaches Dental Biochemistry and he only just started using power point (before that he used transparencies and overhead projector)! I think one of the problems is that many educators did not grow up with (or even have in college) the technology being used today. And they get set in their ways taking the attitude that "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

As teachers, however, we depend on our ability to communicate with our students. Richardson states that the way students communicate and learn are very different from our own. How true. If we hope to teach our students anything, we must force ourselves to rethink how we communicate. I think that if we do not adapt some of our teaching methods/curriculum by using current technology we will lose the students....to them we will be speaking a foreign language. Richardson was also correct when he wrote that implementing technology tools like Weblogs, wikis, etc., will better prepare students for a slew of new literacies and competencies in their post-education lives. Isn't that the point of what we do as educators......teaching, as best we can, our students to go out in the world prepared for what may come their way.

So, I can now relate to some of the things I read in chapter two on weblogs since I now have my own blog!! I must admit it is my first blog and until I created it I had no idea how easy it was to create a blog. It's has been a fun and beneficial learning experience to say the least. I agree with what Richardson says about the core reason for why weblogs have such huge potential in an educational setting: creating and writing to weblogs is easy and there is an audience to share your ideas, thoughts with. My only real struggle with writing on my blog is doing so in a manner that is more reflective and converstional.....something that Richardson also talks about. I guess with time I will get more relaxed in my thinking and writing but right now I tend to be more rigid, organized in thought versus just writing whatever comes to my mind. Practice makes perfect right? It was good to read about some real life examples of a teacher and a student who have blogs and how they use them. I can see how a teacher could use a blog in many different ways but most of all to communicate with other teaching professionals which I think is a must! We can definitely help each other out and learn from one another in such a way that it can only benefit our students. Although I have not done it yet, I think the part about adding links to interesting or educational sites on your blog is a good thing, too.

I actually had to laugh when I read the part about not everyone who creates a blog becomes a dedicated blogger and that two-thirds of all blogs go for more than two months without being updated. As soon as I read that I wanted to raise my hand and say, "yup, that would be me." And, don't get me wrong, I like having a blog. I just need about six more hours in my day to do everything I need/want to do. You should see all of the newspapers, etc., that pile up because I have not had time to read them, but I'm hope for a few minutes to open up. Anyway, just smiled when I read that.

I don't agree, however, that 'through the unique process of blogging,......students are learning to read more critically, think about that reading more analytically, and write more clearlly.' Well, that all depends on what they are reading. And as far as writing......with the advancements in word processing a lot of the writing is automatically corrected such as spell check, ect. Sure, writing a paper using Microsoft Word is easier than writing on paper (and certainly a time saver)....but I'm not sure if it is helping students to be better writers. That's not to say that I don't think blogs or blogging can be beneficially; I'm just not sure that it can take the place of a teacher. I think it can be an excellent tool for the teacher to use to facilitate critical thinking, writing. But by itself, no way.

Technology Autobiography

Hello! My name is Kathleen and I am currently a part-time student enrolled in the MAT (Masters of Art in Teaching) program at the University of Louisville. My goal is to become certified to teach high school chemistry. I am also working full-time managing a lab in the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology department at the University of Louisville. Most of my work involves the purification and characterization of proteins collected from Salamanders (pretty cool stuff, really!).

I’m excited that the “Teaching with Technology” course is being offered and that it is a requirement for the program. I say this because I have little knowledge of how much or what kind of technology is available or used in the classroom since I came much later in life to the world of technology. I can still remember in high school learning to master the keyboard on a manual typewriter. The teachers told us that learning to type was an essential skill needed in the workplace or in college. They were right! When I went to college, a student was considered “lucky” if they had an electric typewriter……especially if it had the self-correction feature (and they didn’t have to use white-out all the time). Needless to say, I had no computers, no cell phones, no iPods, etc., when I was in high school.

Nevertheless, I can identify with the importance that technologies play in the workplace as all of my jobs have used some kind of technology in some manner. As a retail manager, I would place orders using hand-held devices that would scan the product bar codes; this information would then be transferred to software on a computer. In my current job as a lab manager, I use a tremendous amount of technology. Many of the instruments that I use in the lab operate through software programs that are loaded on the computers. Research is also a big part of my job. Years ago, I would have had to go to the library and manually search for information. Today, I can use the computer and get instant access to the internet. I also use many features of the computer software applications such as Word, Excel, and Power Point.

Therefore, I think it is essential that students, at some time during their K-12 education, receive as much knowledge/exposure to the different technologies being used in the world today. As educators, we cannot ignore that every aspect of living in today’s world has some connection to technology. From using your television to using a GPS……technology is a part of everything we do! While it is important and essential that we educate students to read and write, it is also necessary that we expose them to as many different technologies as possible. Most jobs now require a technology background.

As an educator, I will welcome the use of technology in my classroom. The subject of chemistry is a difficult concept to understand without the ability to demonstrate those concepts. I would use the computer to access websites, conduct presentations, etc. to facilitate the learning process. I also think that having the technology will be a big time saver that will allow me to spend more time on other areas.

Unfortunately, technology can also be a problem. Most students have cell phones, iPods, etc. and I know that this must be a distraction for them and the teachers! And with access to the internet, I am sure that students can more easily cheat or plagiarize when writing papers, doing projects, etc. Overall, I think the benefits outweigh the cons. But, as educators, we will have to be vigilant to ensure that any problems that arise as a result of cell phones, iPods, computer/internet are addressed in a timely, appropriate manner.