Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed this online course and look forward to taking more in the future. I really liked being able to work at my own pace and at times that were convenient for me. I think that the content of the course was very informative and important. I think that teachers need to be constantly learning new technology in order to keep up with our students :). I am much more comfortable with blogging now.....and really like the idea of using it in my classroom. I also feel like I am coming away from this course with many resources. When I return from maternity leave I look forward to incorporating this information into my classroom. Does anyone know if I would be able to take an online staff development course while on maternity leave???

Assignment 12- Reflection

I have enjoyed this online class and have learned a lot. This was my first online class and I really liked the flexibility it offered and being able to do the assignments at my own pace. I hope that Hilton plans to offer more of these types of courses in the future.
There are several things that I plan on incorporating into my classroom after taking this class. I would like to try to have my literature circles respond to books on a blog and be able to comment on each others posts. I also would like to set up some type of collaborative project with other 2nd grade teachers, possibly interactive math word problems. I also realize that I must develop a website........maybe another online staff development???? I would really like to be able to post my newsletters on the website so that it could be a bit more interactive for the parents.
Overall I enjoyed this class- both the content and the setup. I have learned that there are many technology components that can enhance education. There is also the need for constant learning, improving and flexibility in order to stay current. I think that Hilton has already made a big commitment to technology and hope that it continues to grow.

Assignment 9

I enjoyed listening to Kevin Honeycutt's podcast. He had many interesting ideas and was also funny to listen to. I have been thinking about "project based learning" and how I could use it in my second grade classroom. I was thinking that I could have my students create math word problems and post them on a blog. I could then have other teachers have their students solve the problems and post their answers. My students could then "check" the answers and respond. I would have the students work in teams for this project. Different teams could be working on different types of problems depending on their abilities. This would be a much smaller project than the one described in the podcast but it would be something to start with and I could then build upon it.

Assignment 11

The thing that struck me most about the school 2.0 website and map was the vast amount of collaboration between everyone involved- students, teachers, administrators, parents and the community. I like the idea of getting "local experts" involved in our lessons. Giving the students real world experiences definitely enhances learning as well as motivation. I also like the idea of online assessments which would allow for more analysis and feedback. One concern I would have about this model would be accessing information. I wouldn't want students/parents to be able to see other students work/grades etc. Also everything would have to be closely monitored to make sure things being posted were appropriate. I think in order for this model to work EVERYONE would have to be on board- teachers, community, administrators etc.

Assignment 10

I found Dr. Zhao's podcast very interesting. Dr. Zhao talked a lot about students becoming successful in the globalized world. He talked about how they need to learn to be a part of and productive in a digital world. One idea that he brought up was teaching in a "gaming"format. I think this is an amazing idea that students would be extremely successful with. Dr. Zhao talked about how there is a teacher shortage of mandarin Chinese and that this online format would help eliminate this problem. I thought his ideas of having students "play a game" that involved going to an airport and having to interact with a currency operator to have their money exchanged was so interesting. I would think that this would be an incredible learning environment for many many students. One question I have about this type of environment is the need for help or to ask questions. Dr. Zhao did mention that each section of his game had the opportunity to seek help. I found this podcast very informative and an interesting look into educations future.

Assignment 8- Reflection

I found the lesson about social bookmarking (del.icio.us) very interesting. This is a tool that I will definitely use. I really like the concept that you can access your bookmarks from any computer. I often find myself wanting to go to a site that I know I have bookmarked at home but no clue how to get there from a different computer. I also really like the "tagging". It makes so much sense to be able to categorize websites and then be able to search in a more organized way. I really wish I would have known about del.icio.us earlier as I had several language arts sites bookmarked at school that I forgot to save! I definitely will be using this tool both personally and professionally!

Assignment 6- Wiki

I enjoyed learning about wikis as I really had no idea what they were other than a place to sign up for computer lab time at school :)
The videos talked a lot about how wikis are a great tool for collaborating. I like the idea that anyone (who has the password) can contribute, edit or comment with equal access. This could be a great way for students, parents and teachers to work together. I also liked the idea that videos, photo slide shows etc. can be linked to the wiki.
A point made in the videos that I thought was interesting was that using a wiki increases motivation as students know what they post/turn in can be read/commented on by everyone.
I think using a wiki is a great tool, particularly in a secondary classroom.

Assignment 5

I found the podcast regarding video clips very interesting. I think it is a great tool to incorporate into the classroom. There were several points made by Rushton Hurley of nextvista.org that I thought were very interesting. One thing he pointed out was how helpful video clips could be for the struggling student who is embarrassed to not understand something. They could go back and access the video at anytime and re watch several times. The video clips are extremely accessible especially on nextvista.org where there is not even a login required. I also think that the fact that videos on this site have to abide by several rules- length, accuracy and appropriate material make it very user friendly. I think using online video clips would enhance any lesson especially on topics that students were having difficulty understanding. I also like the idea of viewing real world experiences such as watching a video made in a different part of the world regarding the culture. I think that youtube could be useful however needs to be carefully monitored for inappropriate content. I found the other sites extremely interesting and loaded with information. I think video clips would be useful at any level and in every academic area. This lesson made me aware of many useful sites and has me excited to use video clips in future classroom lessons.

Lesson 4- Time for Reflection

I have enjoyed learning about blogging. This has been my first experience with blogging but have found it to be quite manageable once I got started. It seems like there are many ways to incorporate blogging into the classroom. I really like the idea of using blogging with newsletters. I think parents would appreciate the interactive approach. I also think that using blogging during writing instruction would be very powerful. I like the idea of having such purposeful and authentic writing where others can comment and give feedback. I also think that students would be very motivated to have their work "published" for the whole world to read and reply to. I would also like to try using blogging during my literature circles. I look forward to experimenting with blogging in my second grade classroom.

My First Blog

This is my first attempt at creating a blog. I am creating it for an online course I am taking on blogging.