I came across a great source of podcasts for teachers and students entitled the Education Podcast Network:
http://epnweb.org/
This site offers some great features. The first of which is an educational forum of podcasts where educators and philosophers may contribute podcasts discussing "The what, why, and how of 21st century teaching & learning".
Secondly, classes may contribute podcasts. The contributed podcasts are organized into three categories: Elementary Grades, Middle School and Secondary School.
Finally, the site offers Subject Specific Podcasts in 15 categories of subjects. The Miscellaneous category offers 165 different podcasts to listen to!
A site definitely worth some exploration!
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Definitions - Podcasting, Digital Storytelling
Here are the definitions I came across on Wikipedia:
A podcast is a collection of digital media files which is distributed over the Internet, often using syndication feeds, for playback on portable media players and personal computers. The term, like "radio", can refer either to the content itself or to the method by which it is syndicated; the latter is also termed podcasting. The host or author of a podcast is often called a podcaster.
Though podcasters' web sites may also offer direct download or streaming of their content, a podcast is distinguished from other digital media formats by its ability to be syndicated, subscribed to, and downloaded automatically when new content is added, using an aggregator or feed reader capable of reading feed formats such as RSS or Atom.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcasting
Digital Storytelling refers to using new digital tools to help ordinary people to tell their own real-life stories. The broad definition has been used by innumerable artists and producers to link their practices with traditions of oral storytelling and often to delineate work from the highly produced commercial or conceptual projects by focusing on authorship and humanistic or emotionally provocative content.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_storytelling
A podcast is a collection of digital media files which is distributed over the Internet, often using syndication feeds, for playback on portable media players and personal computers. The term, like "radio", can refer either to the content itself or to the method by which it is syndicated; the latter is also termed podcasting. The host or author of a podcast is often called a podcaster.
Though podcasters' web sites may also offer direct download or streaming of their content, a podcast is distinguished from other digital media formats by its ability to be syndicated, subscribed to, and downloaded automatically when new content is added, using an aggregator or feed reader capable of reading feed formats such as RSS or Atom.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcasting
Digital Storytelling refers to using new digital tools to help ordinary people to tell their own real-life stories. The broad definition has been used by innumerable artists and producers to link their practices with traditions of oral storytelling and often to delineate work from the highly produced commercial or conceptual projects by focusing on authorship and humanistic or emotionally provocative content.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_storytelling
Some characteristics of my auditory learners
The auditory learner learns through verbal instructions. I frequently see these students repeating something to themselves to commit it to memory. I recall in teacher’s college our professor telling us that auditory learners are the ones who remember names, but forget faces. So, I imagine that I am more of a visual learner in this respect.
My auditory learners are the ones who move their lips while reading, or talk lowly to themselves while reading, to enhance their comprehension. When I am teaching them spelling, phonics is the way to go. They respond well to and employ word attack strategies that are auditory in nature – sounding words out, rereading the sentence aloud. If they are working on a problem, they’ll talk themselves through it.
When my auditory learners are bored, they like to hum, sing or even talk to themselves! They like hearing themselves and others talk, and they’ll tell stories that are much longer than anyone else’s’!
My auditory learners are the ones who move their lips while reading, or talk lowly to themselves while reading, to enhance their comprehension. When I am teaching them spelling, phonics is the way to go. They respond well to and employ word attack strategies that are auditory in nature – sounding words out, rereading the sentence aloud. If they are working on a problem, they’ll talk themselves through it.
When my auditory learners are bored, they like to hum, sing or even talk to themselves! They like hearing themselves and others talk, and they’ll tell stories that are much longer than anyone else’s’!
Monday, January 28, 2008
Rubric Assessment of Mathland 4.0
Mathland 4.0 is as user-friendly as a modern program can get. It is very easily accessed via a double-click on the short-cut icon in Windows. Once loaded, the program offers only three options: one player, two players or help. So, even a pre-literate or illiterate child could learn to operate this program via behaviourist, trial and error rationalizations. During the program, the operator uses only the arrow keys, the space bar and the enter key throughout its entirety. It is very easy to navigate this program. There is a comprehensive help guide available via the esc key and at the beginning of the program. Within the help screen an email link is available and trouble-shooting options are also given. There are many help options available and the only feature this game was missing was a 24-hour service hotline. I will not dock points for Mathland 4.0’s overlooking a 24-hour service hotline, given the simplicity of its controls. I give Mathland 4.0 a Level 4 status for Exceeding Expectations with regard to User Friendliness.
The program works well to motivate students. It does a good job of rewarding through the user’s advancement to levels that are dissimilar from previous levels, with interesting new math problems for children to explore. The operator is also rewarded through an “evolution” of their “special powers” when answering a series of questions. If several correct answers are given in succession the operator is afforded interesting powers that range from rainbow bolts to spring- heeled boots. There is also a score keeper and hi-score board to motivate students and stimulate friendly(hopefully) competition. These are all pretty routine aspects of programs/games and they work moderately well to reward/reinforce the acquisition of skills, so I give Mathland 4.0 a level 3 status for Meeting Expectations with regard to Motivation.
Mathland 4.0 employs elements of Ontario’s grade 2 curriculum. More specifically, with regard to number sense and numeration the program demonstrates counting by 1’s, 2’s, 5’s, 10’s, and 25’s and makes users add and subtract two-digit numbers in a variety of ways. Also, the program contains patterning and algebra questions as users must identify and describe repeating patterns and growing and shrinking patterns. Mathland 4.0 also addresses the curriculum in questions that ask the user to read, interpret and display data using line plots and simple bar graphs, and also makes its user organize objects into categories. These skills related directly to the data management and probability aspects of the Ontario curriculum. Given its ability to support and reinforce some standards of the grade 2 mathematics curriculum, I give Mathland 4.0 Level 3 status for Meeting Expectations with regard to Curriculum Connection.
The area in which Mathland 4.0 is severely lacking is its inability to cater to different ethnicities, to girls and to different age groups. Perhaps this is worded improperly. The program does cater to children who aren’t white (as they still play the game without realizing that they are not being represented) and boys and girls, however, the protagonist is male and pinkish in colour. The program makes no effort to represent girls or any other ethnicity. In addition, the game does not have difficulty settings. Although the questions become progressively more difficult, they are still limited to a grade 2 level. Because it lacks ethnic diversity, and children have only the option of using a male protagonist, I give Mathland 4.0 a Level 1 status for being Below Expectations with regard to Differentiation.
Another area where Mathland 4.0 is lacking is in correcting errors. If a student answers a question incorrectly, the program does not show the correct answer or how that answer is reached. There is no pedagogical value in not showing where errors were made. For this reason, I give Mathland 4.0 a Level 1 status for being Below Expectations with regard to Error Correction.
In order to venture to different levels, students must answer 80% of the questions on their present level correctly. As one progresses through each level, the questions become slightly more difficult. Insofar as the grade 2 curriculum is concerned, in the content areas aforementioned, Mathland 4.0 becomes slightly more difficult as the user moves on to higher levels. However, the program asks the same questions repeatedly. I give Mathland 4.0 a Level 2 status for Meeting Some Expectations with regard to Progression of Skills.
At the end of each level the program informs its user of the number of questions answered correctly. The program does not inform the user of the types of questions he/she is answering correctly or the types of questions that could use extra attention. As mentioned before, the user is rewarded with “special powers” (spring-heeled shoes, etc.) if the evaluation at each level’s end exceeds a pre-determined score or if they answer a series of questions correctly. However, if a question is answered incorrectly, the student is not given explanations for what they did wrong, or what the correct answer is. For this reason, I give Assessment and Evaluation a Level 2 Meets Some Expectations for Assessment/Evalation.
Mathland 4.0 offers decent graphics and modest sound effects and music. Although the program would have difficulty competing with an Xbox 360 or a Play Station 3, its graphics exceed your typical Math-based learning program. The music is catchy. I frequently hear students humming along with the program. Also, the music changes on each level as to avoid monotony. Because of this, I give Mathland 4.0 a Level 3 Meets Expectations for Graphics/Sound.
Mathland 4.0 can be purchased online for under $10. So the price cannot be beat. However, there are no upgrades available, so no additional levels or questions are available and the answers to the game can be easily memorized if played often. No additional equipment is required to play Mathland 4.0 as all controls are done on the keyboard. I give Mathland 4.0 a Level 2 Meets Some Expectations with regard to Cost.
With regard to methodology, the program is well-designed as it presents an attractive and entertaining way to learn math skills. However, as mentioned earlier, the program does not correct mistakes or demonstrate where errors are made, and this presents a big flaw in the programs methodology. In addition, there aren’t enough questions in the program’s memory to prevent students from memorizing the correct answers if the program is played often. I give Mathland 4.0 a Level 2 Meets Some Expectations with regard to Methodology. Overall, I rated the program a 23/40 which is below the “Meets Expectations” qualification. The program is fun for children, however, pedagogically it could use some work. The program works well only with grade two students, but works as an effective supplement/reward for children after they have completed their assigned math work.
The program works well to motivate students. It does a good job of rewarding through the user’s advancement to levels that are dissimilar from previous levels, with interesting new math problems for children to explore. The operator is also rewarded through an “evolution” of their “special powers” when answering a series of questions. If several correct answers are given in succession the operator is afforded interesting powers that range from rainbow bolts to spring- heeled boots. There is also a score keeper and hi-score board to motivate students and stimulate friendly(hopefully) competition. These are all pretty routine aspects of programs/games and they work moderately well to reward/reinforce the acquisition of skills, so I give Mathland 4.0 a level 3 status for Meeting Expectations with regard to Motivation.
Mathland 4.0 employs elements of Ontario’s grade 2 curriculum. More specifically, with regard to number sense and numeration the program demonstrates counting by 1’s, 2’s, 5’s, 10’s, and 25’s and makes users add and subtract two-digit numbers in a variety of ways. Also, the program contains patterning and algebra questions as users must identify and describe repeating patterns and growing and shrinking patterns. Mathland 4.0 also addresses the curriculum in questions that ask the user to read, interpret and display data using line plots and simple bar graphs, and also makes its user organize objects into categories. These skills related directly to the data management and probability aspects of the Ontario curriculum. Given its ability to support and reinforce some standards of the grade 2 mathematics curriculum, I give Mathland 4.0 Level 3 status for Meeting Expectations with regard to Curriculum Connection.
The area in which Mathland 4.0 is severely lacking is its inability to cater to different ethnicities, to girls and to different age groups. Perhaps this is worded improperly. The program does cater to children who aren’t white (as they still play the game without realizing that they are not being represented) and boys and girls, however, the protagonist is male and pinkish in colour. The program makes no effort to represent girls or any other ethnicity. In addition, the game does not have difficulty settings. Although the questions become progressively more difficult, they are still limited to a grade 2 level. Because it lacks ethnic diversity, and children have only the option of using a male protagonist, I give Mathland 4.0 a Level 1 status for being Below Expectations with regard to Differentiation.
Another area where Mathland 4.0 is lacking is in correcting errors. If a student answers a question incorrectly, the program does not show the correct answer or how that answer is reached. There is no pedagogical value in not showing where errors were made. For this reason, I give Mathland 4.0 a Level 1 status for being Below Expectations with regard to Error Correction.
In order to venture to different levels, students must answer 80% of the questions on their present level correctly. As one progresses through each level, the questions become slightly more difficult. Insofar as the grade 2 curriculum is concerned, in the content areas aforementioned, Mathland 4.0 becomes slightly more difficult as the user moves on to higher levels. However, the program asks the same questions repeatedly. I give Mathland 4.0 a Level 2 status for Meeting Some Expectations with regard to Progression of Skills.
At the end of each level the program informs its user of the number of questions answered correctly. The program does not inform the user of the types of questions he/she is answering correctly or the types of questions that could use extra attention. As mentioned before, the user is rewarded with “special powers” (spring-heeled shoes, etc.) if the evaluation at each level’s end exceeds a pre-determined score or if they answer a series of questions correctly. However, if a question is answered incorrectly, the student is not given explanations for what they did wrong, or what the correct answer is. For this reason, I give Assessment and Evaluation a Level 2 Meets Some Expectations for Assessment/Evalation.
Mathland 4.0 offers decent graphics and modest sound effects and music. Although the program would have difficulty competing with an Xbox 360 or a Play Station 3, its graphics exceed your typical Math-based learning program. The music is catchy. I frequently hear students humming along with the program. Also, the music changes on each level as to avoid monotony. Because of this, I give Mathland 4.0 a Level 3 Meets Expectations for Graphics/Sound.
Mathland 4.0 can be purchased online for under $10. So the price cannot be beat. However, there are no upgrades available, so no additional levels or questions are available and the answers to the game can be easily memorized if played often. No additional equipment is required to play Mathland 4.0 as all controls are done on the keyboard. I give Mathland 4.0 a Level 2 Meets Some Expectations with regard to Cost.
With regard to methodology, the program is well-designed as it presents an attractive and entertaining way to learn math skills. However, as mentioned earlier, the program does not correct mistakes or demonstrate where errors are made, and this presents a big flaw in the programs methodology. In addition, there aren’t enough questions in the program’s memory to prevent students from memorizing the correct answers if the program is played often. I give Mathland 4.0 a Level 2 Meets Some Expectations with regard to Methodology. Overall, I rated the program a 23/40 which is below the “Meets Expectations” qualification. The program is fun for children, however, pedagogically it could use some work. The program works well only with grade two students, but works as an effective supplement/reward for children after they have completed their assigned math work.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Additional Criteria
So many excellent suggestions have been offered. I like Keethai's suggestion that the program be upgradeable and that this process be effortless to ensure that, as Mark said, the program is modern and up-to-date. Being user-friendly (with use and installation) and the quality of interactivity are important concerns surfacing throughout this discussion thread. Mike and Keethai also tapped into the importance of making sure the software is gender and culturally sensitive and neutral - providing depictions of people from varied ethnic backgrounds. Patricia offered important insights into the cost of the program and the "peripherals" such as upgrades that may be hidden initially, but absolutely essential to the longevity of the program.Here are some additional ideas...it was difficult for me to come up with some that didn't touch on something previously mentioned. Also, some of these ideas may actually be two or even three different categories within themselves.
Personalization - the program should be personalized to cater to the individual abilities/interests of its users. So, it should have a multitude of varied settings to appeal to the learner using
it. Does the program scaffold the learner and adjust to their level to promote learning.Goal Setting: Does the program motivate students to achieve a goal and adequately reward them for doing so. Does it take note of student progress?
Educational Value: Does the program offer clear learninggoals and adjust to the student by personalizing the program? Does the program continually challenge the learner to strengthen their grasp of the concepts introduced.
Methodology:Does the program encourage inquiry and respond with answers that can be understood by the learner. Does it teach what it sets out to teach?
Thursday, January 17, 2008
The intrigue of Facebook
I have found a link that explains, for the layperson, 7 things that you should know about Facebook:
http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7017.pdf
From my personal experience using the social networking facilitator that is Facebook, I have realized that it allows one to keep in touch with friends and also to reconnect with old friends. Maintaining contact with old friends would be of great appeal to teenagers, especially when they begin to part ways - go away to school, etc. Additionally, having the most appealing Facebook page becomes a competition between adolescent-aged users. They compete for the most friends and also compete to "jazz up" their page to appeal to and attract users with the variety of applications that are available. People also log into different applications to see how their standing is amongst their friends - e.g. My Hottest Friends.
Facebook is a massive social phenomenon. Being a member (user) I can attest to the number of conversations that include something pertaining to or that simply revolve around something that happened on Facebook. I joined in March of 2007, and after a month of intense addiction, the craze wore off and I am able to limit myself to checking Facebook a couple of times a week. I have heard many stories of people becoming addicted to Facebook. So many so, that I would address it as a major problem arising from the use of the site. Still, it is very rarely that I meet someone in a social setting whom doesn't inquire "Do you have Facebook?"
Facebook allows you to meet the friends of friends and connect with people through the ever-growing number of groups that its users create. It is easy to find companionship and commonality on Facebook, as there are groups for everyone. However, of particular danger is the fraudulent representation found in profiles. I post a story I had heard concerning this as a reply to one of David Whicher's postings on internet safety. Unless it is a friend, you don't know if the person contacting you is who their profile depicts them as. Facebook allows users to store, "tag" and make comments about photos. Some of which can be embarassing to other users. However, one is always given the option of accepting or declining a tag on a photo (a tag is having your name affixed to the visage of a person in the photo). Here, we may run into problems with copyright infringement and libel.
With regard to implications beyond socializing with friends. Facebook can help people network, and in the future perhaps users will pursue jobs and sell themselves online to potential employers.
http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7017.pdf
From my personal experience using the social networking facilitator that is Facebook, I have realized that it allows one to keep in touch with friends and also to reconnect with old friends. Maintaining contact with old friends would be of great appeal to teenagers, especially when they begin to part ways - go away to school, etc. Additionally, having the most appealing Facebook page becomes a competition between adolescent-aged users. They compete for the most friends and also compete to "jazz up" their page to appeal to and attract users with the variety of applications that are available. People also log into different applications to see how their standing is amongst their friends - e.g. My Hottest Friends.
Facebook is a massive social phenomenon. Being a member (user) I can attest to the number of conversations that include something pertaining to or that simply revolve around something that happened on Facebook. I joined in March of 2007, and after a month of intense addiction, the craze wore off and I am able to limit myself to checking Facebook a couple of times a week. I have heard many stories of people becoming addicted to Facebook. So many so, that I would address it as a major problem arising from the use of the site. Still, it is very rarely that I meet someone in a social setting whom doesn't inquire "Do you have Facebook?"
Facebook allows you to meet the friends of friends and connect with people through the ever-growing number of groups that its users create. It is easy to find companionship and commonality on Facebook, as there are groups for everyone. However, of particular danger is the fraudulent representation found in profiles. I post a story I had heard concerning this as a reply to one of David Whicher's postings on internet safety. Unless it is a friend, you don't know if the person contacting you is who their profile depicts them as. Facebook allows users to store, "tag" and make comments about photos. Some of which can be embarassing to other users. However, one is always given the option of accepting or declining a tag on a photo (a tag is having your name affixed to the visage of a person in the photo). Here, we may run into problems with copyright infringement and libel.
With regard to implications beyond socializing with friends. Facebook can help people network, and in the future perhaps users will pursue jobs and sell themselves online to potential employers.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Some thoughts on week one's readings
Reading the article Get Connected, Get in the Know, it is mentioned that all members of the school community must "develop a broad understanding of the appropriate and inappropriate uses of technology". Such education must be started early, and still I don't think it will curb the problem. Cyberspace has become for many younger people "a primary social channel" and as and as in reality, there will exist social cliques, gossip and bullying. We are informed that "0ver 70% of respondents" to Kids Help Phone have "experienced cyberbullying". Unless there is a way to hold students accountable for their actions, this behaviour is going to persist. Those who bully will continue doing so, they know it is wrong, they do not need lessons in using technology ethically to know that they are causing harm. However, because there are no consequences, and consequences are difficult to enact, there is little to deter them from carrying out unethical deeds online.
The article mentions that students want/require a "supportive school climate" that offers someplace to report cyber bullying and discusses equipping students who are bullied with the "interpersonal skills to respond online to an individual who is bullying". I feel that these are good practical measures when combined with an effective education, that includes character development on ethical uses of technology, mentioned above, at a young age, we can come closer to absolving cyber-bullying.
Something that confused me in this week's readings was the mention of learning that can be provided "just in time", under the "Advantages of Online Learning". Does this mean that the learning is provided in "real-time" or that the learning is much needed and coming just in time, given that technology is progressing at such a rapid and steady pace? I was also unsure of the meaning of "endpoints". In the Visual Collaboration section of one of our weekly articles it stated that in 1999 there were 398,000 endpoints at $15,000 each and in 2003, this number had risen to 2.1 endpoints at $1,500 each. What are endpoints?
I also began to wonder while reading about the development of online learning, can online learning take into account the different "types" of learners that we seek to cater in our classrooms? If a child is catered to throughout their academic career as an auditory learning, will her/his needs be met in an online course? Or will such learners be forced to adapt to new learning methods?
The Stephen Downes article on educational blogging also notes that students in the future will develop "new skills and attitudes" and states specifically that these students will have more experience writing online that with a traditional pen and paper. This is great news for me given the horrible and ever-worsening (perhaps I am online too often?) state of my handwriting!
I felt a particularly interesting point in this article was the "situation of equity" that blogs afford their users. Some students do speak more than others in the classroom, just as some would write more than others online. But, everyone can view their similarities and differences and an equal forum is created for the expression of these.
The article mentions that students want/require a "supportive school climate" that offers someplace to report cyber bullying and discusses equipping students who are bullied with the "interpersonal skills to respond online to an individual who is bullying". I feel that these are good practical measures when combined with an effective education, that includes character development on ethical uses of technology, mentioned above, at a young age, we can come closer to absolving cyber-bullying.
Something that confused me in this week's readings was the mention of learning that can be provided "just in time", under the "Advantages of Online Learning". Does this mean that the learning is provided in "real-time" or that the learning is much needed and coming just in time, given that technology is progressing at such a rapid and steady pace? I was also unsure of the meaning of "endpoints". In the Visual Collaboration section of one of our weekly articles it stated that in 1999 there were 398,000 endpoints at $15,000 each and in 2003, this number had risen to 2.1 endpoints at $1,500 each. What are endpoints?
I also began to wonder while reading about the development of online learning, can online learning take into account the different "types" of learners that we seek to cater in our classrooms? If a child is catered to throughout their academic career as an auditory learning, will her/his needs be met in an online course? Or will such learners be forced to adapt to new learning methods?
The Stephen Downes article on educational blogging also notes that students in the future will develop "new skills and attitudes" and states specifically that these students will have more experience writing online that with a traditional pen and paper. This is great news for me given the horrible and ever-worsening (perhaps I am online too often?) state of my handwriting!
I felt a particularly interesting point in this article was the "situation of equity" that blogs afford their users. Some students do speak more than others in the classroom, just as some would write more than others online. But, everyone can view their similarities and differences and an equal forum is created for the expression of these.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Reflection #2 - On Educational Blogging
I found a site called SupportBlogging.com, with an informative section subtitled "Educational Blogging".http://supportblogging.com/Educational+Blogging
This section informs us that educational blogging looks at the educational process or educational interests through blogs created by students, teachers, administrators and other involved "entities". Amongst the uses for blogging in education which are examined are: 1) Teacher Communication (to students, parents, or other teachers), an accessible conduit (given both parties have access to a computer) vessel through which teachers can better elucidate what is going on in the classroom and entertain questions or concerns. 2) Dialogue Generation, questioning subject matter and, as a class, collaboratively contributing answers, thoughts, opinions, questions, etc. 3) Student Blogs, this is most similar to how blogs are used in our course - here the author makes a point of saying how unrestricted blogs are usually reserved for older students, whereas the blog community of younger students is restricted to a much smaller community.
I think that a school-wide blog could be monitored with success and still provide a diversity of opinions and discussion oppurtunities while concurrently upholding student accountability. However, I suppose we run into security problems as there is no way that I can think of that would stop students from creating a "pseudonym" through which they could post whatever they wanted, and consequently, harass and bully freely without accountability. In such circumstances, teachers and administration would have to patrol the blog and delete any such instances of cyber-bullying and ensure that personal data is not communicated onto the Web. A school-wide blog would provide a great oppurtunity to teach about responsible journalism and the lasting effect of the remarks that are made through blogs. In addition, teachers and administrators would have to keep an ear to the ground and an eye on the playground as a security measure to increase awareness of who is doing the bullying.
This section of the website also examines how teachers might use blogs to share philosophies, experiences and methodologies.
Perhaps the most informative section of the article is where it examines what blogging does for students. The author writes that many individuals are intrigued by blogs as blogs allow them to "express their ideas in a medium that appears to have life and longevity". Aside from a much larger audience for the blog posting, this seems to be a primary difference between a typical paper journal and blogging. Blogging is an enduring archive of its author's thoughts.
The article also states that blogging creates enthusiasm for writing and communication, however it does not go into detail on how it does so. One might assume it is the "cool" appeal of the technology, the aforementioned permanance of the entries and the potentiality of reaching a global audience. In addition, a more dynamic reality is brought to the classroom through this technology. Whatever the intrigue or appeal, the important thing is that blogs inherently engage students in conversation and learning and promote literacy.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
My Reflections - Assignment #1
I think that blogs are advantageous in that they entertain opinions and comments from sources outside of the immediate environment of the classroom. Anyone from anywhere may provide information and collaborate with the blogger, thus making an infinitely large classroom! In addition, blogs offer a vast explanse of space (compacted to an area the size of the computer the blogger is working on) for students to organize and view the assignments and work that they complete in their classes. This seems a much more efficient alternative to traditional hard-copy school work, which would eventually be misplaced, or thrown away. In essence, students who blog are generating an archive of their education!
Because the internet and blogging offer a "no holds barred" forum, students are open to cyber abuse and other bullying. If there are methods through which to close down access from outside sources, using such security measures would negate the advantage of having worldly offerings and opinions on student blogs. The blogs would have to be patrolled by us to ensure that these "contaminants" were dismissed from the forum.
Well, this concludes my initial thoughts on the idea of blogging and my first blog entry!! I'll be back in a couple of days with an article and some information to share with everyone.
S
Because the internet and blogging offer a "no holds barred" forum, students are open to cyber abuse and other bullying. If there are methods through which to close down access from outside sources, using such security measures would negate the advantage of having worldly offerings and opinions on student blogs. The blogs would have to be patrolled by us to ensure that these "contaminants" were dismissed from the forum.
Well, this concludes my initial thoughts on the idea of blogging and my first blog entry!! I'll be back in a couple of days with an article and some information to share with everyone.
S
Introduction - Hello All!!
My name is Shane Parisi. I am presently employed as a kindergarten teacher at a private day care. I'll be looking into employment within the DSBN, the TDSB or any other takers in the coming year. I am ever-seeking new and exciting ways through which to convey lessons to students. I enjoy using Power Point and Microsoft Word to deliver and plan lessons. I feel this course will be a great oppurtunity for me to expand my knowledge and bring that knowledge into my classroom. I'm greatly looking forward to working with all of you!!
To a great semester,
Shane
To a great semester,
Shane
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