Constant Confusion

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Thing 10

July 10th, 2008 by · No Comments · Uncategorized

 

          Ownership of creative ideas is a difficult concept for students to grasp.  Not only will Creative Commons be a useful tool to develop lessons, it can be used to demonstrate to students the ownership of ideas.  Students readily understand when someone has “copied” them, but they rarely understand the converse.  

          Creative Commons will expedite my searches for material that I can use because the concern for copyright problems will be alleviated.  I can also indicate to what degree my creations can be copied.

          Time is saved.  Waiting for copyright permission is time intensive and can be frustrating. With Creative Commons, collaboration and re-creation is at the finger’s touch. 

Thing 8

June 24th, 2008 by · No Comments · Uncategorized

I have thoroughly enjoyed the readings related to this task.  I can really see that the techno-savy students will take this and run.

http://burell9english.wikispaces.com/ 

is an exciting site because it encourages young writers and readers.  How fascinating for those students who love to write and share with other students. I can see how this could easily be done as a way to share or peer edit.

http://discoveryutopias.wikispaces.com/

is an intriguing site.  In 7th English, The Giver is taught.  I have the students research totalitarian governments, but this gives me another idea,  After all, the elders thought they were creating Utopia.  This would be a great interdisciplinary unit with social studies.

http://mrlindsay.pbwiki.com/

thrills the English teacher in me as well as the character that tells the students, “Surprise me!”  For the students to be able to share books and create interesting ways to technologically excite their peers has to be inspring for them. 

 

Thing 7A

June 24th, 2008 by · No Comments · Uncategorized

http://weblogg-ed.com/2008/required-reading-on-reading/

Will Richardson discusses the article by Nick Carr “Is Google Making Us Stupid? in his blog article “Required Reading on Reading.”  Both agree that reading is being changed with the advent of the internet.  Each reflects on the fact that attention spans for long periodsof reading are being negatively impaqcted.  Skimming and scanning are a way of life.  While Richardson is certainly an advocate of technology, he admits that there are questions and decisions to be made.  He even questions why he is so happy his children are readers?

May I answer you, Mr. Richardson?  All of us recognize beauty, talent, or ??? whether we have it or not?  We recognize that those who have the self-discipline to read for long periods of time have a talent that has survived the ages.  While information-gathering has dramatically changed, the need for quiet introspection that accompanies reading has not.  Reading books is here to st

*****Four stars for this one.

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Thing 5

June 24th, 2008 by · No Comments · Uncategorized

I found the blog Top 5 Qualities of Good Teachers http://myfla.ws/blog quite thought provoking.  It is written by a high school student who feels that he has input because of his position as a student. 

Passion, this high school student contends, is the #1 must for a great teacher.  Unquestionably, enthusiasm is contagious.   Who would argue or really discuss this point?  For me, teaching something that I am not passionate about would be pure torture. 

Creativity is listed as second; the author argues that good teachers can take prepackaged material and be efficient, but not creative.  I believe that creativity in teaching is taking a subject, activity, or concept and making it “yours.”  Few subjects, activities, or concepts are really new, but it is certainly possible to put a new spin on them.  I, personally, quite often reinvent the wheel because I don’t want to bore me.  The writer suggests that the truly great teacher customizes and develops an “aresenal” of techniques.

Flexibility is #3.  I want to stand an applaud this young man here.  “Realize that learning is not static and you cab’t be either.”  Quite frankly, I sometimes think that I am taken advantage of by students because I believe few if any things are set in stone.  However, I tend to believe that there extenuating conditions exist.  Will my year be ruined if the paper is not in on time?  Not!

Integrating Curriculum is next.  “Life isn’t in isolated boxes, so learning shouldn’t be either.”  I have noticed that the young man always sends accolades to his math teacher and uses him as an example. Yet, I think literature is constantly integrating curriculum.  However, at some point, some of the “unfun” skills must be mastered.  No teacher can make that interesting to ALL students all the time without their cooperation.  Clay Burell (May 26th, 2008) responded that he believes literature and language arts are the hardest things to teach teenagers.  I am obviously an English teacher.  I sometimes believe that we have to overcome an actual resistance to learning.

Connect is #5.  The young writer encourages teachers to know and be aware of students’ interests and passions and to connect those to the subject being taught.  The connections should be put into the lesson plans and appeal to a variety of students and their interests. 

I strongly encourage the reading of this blog along with the comments.  Fascinating and thought provoking.!

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Thing 4: Part 1

June 6th, 2008 by · 1 Comment · Uncategorized

Thing 4: Part 1

 

            (Genre) Reading blogs is like reading a persuasive paper or speech.  The writer states his/her position and proceeds to defend it.  (Differences/similarities) One of the differences, however, from a paper or speech is that the author actively seeks the readers’ opinions.  When reading anything, a good reader is interacting with the text, but in reading blogs, the reader knows his/her opinion is actually sought.  (Types of writing) For me, the primary difference in the writing is the intercommunication.  Blogs are not meant to be poor writing.  (Comments)  Discussion is one of the best forms of learning.  New ideas are stimulating and contribute to the development of other ideas.  (Blogging literacy)  Certainly, there technology terms are used in some of the blogs, but others are simply professional articles.  (Facilitate learning)  Blogs open up the world for research, questioning, and collaboration like reading did when it became the common man’s domain.     

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Post 2; Thing 2

June 6th, 2008 by · 1 Comment · Uncategorized

Post 2; Thing 2

 

I.                   Consider the ways in which Web 2.0 tools might change (or have already changed) your professional practice?

 

Web 2.0 has certainly changed the way I disseminate and reinforce information and how information is internalized and reinforced from a student’s point of view.  Implementation of technology will actually develop learners who are more independent and more in charge of their own learning.  Thus, number “2” of successful lifelong learners is addressed.  As far as the teacher is concerned, Number “7” of lifelong long learning supports and sustains good educational practices.  Technology is here to stay.

 

Historically, societal change has expected the schools to step up to the plate and answer the call.  Technology has inaugurated the societal change.  Education must support society and prepare the future generations for their world.

 

II.               How might you be able to use these new tools to engage today’s digital learners?

 

Habit #1 of the lifelong learner is to begin with the end in mind.  If I begin with the end in mind, I can head backwards to the beginning tracing how each step or steps making a concentrated effort to accomplish them technologically.  In order to be able to do this, however, I must gain insights and understandings of different uses for technology.

 

III.            Why would you want to?

 

I love and value my profession.  I want to encourage lifelong learning in myself as well as others.  Adaptation is at the core of all survival.  I see technology as the adaptation that I must address in order to survive as a relevant teacher and be a vital part of the 21st century.

 

 

 

 

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Post 1: Thing 1

June 5th, 2008 by · No Comments · Uncategorized

I am an English teacher who persistently encourages students to read, to give books a chance.  I encourage them to think and try different ways to learn.  If I am philosophically honest, then I must do the same things.  Technology does not come easy for me, in part, because I am always in a hurry; I would rather be moving about rather than sitting behind a computer.  I am a people person; I want to communicate face to face.  Yet, I do believe, as a teacher, that I must understand the importance of technology to the “digital generation” and our society.  This generation certainly communicates, just differently.

            Lifelong learning is magical.  I believe it is what makes life worth living.  It is the twinkle in the eye of the octogenarian; it is clock in pieces by the five year old boy.  To be effective lifelong learners, we should look to our children—“Why?”

            Of the 7 1/2 Habits of Effective Lifelong Learners, the most challenging habit for me will be Habit #3—viewing problems as a challenge rather than a failure.  I am so goal and time-oriented that I often want to stop using technology when I feel like I have wasted time and not achieved my goal.   I become easily frustrated.  I need to remind myself that when the problems are solved, many others are answered, too.  When I solve this problem, the others will fall into place. 

            Habit #2 is the easiest for me.  I am self-disciplined, organized, and I do prioritize and plan. 

            As I work through this course, I need to combine Habit #4 and Habit #6.  I need to develop the self-confidence that technology will be a support, one that will sustain my curriculum and my pursuit of lifelong learning.

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Hello world!

June 5th, 2008 by · 1 Comment · Uncategorized

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