Monday, August 9, 2010
Web 2.0 Tools
It is tough to choose just one Web 2.0 took that really stands out. I liked discovering the usefulness of del.icio.us and RSS feeds (I even shared this information with a colleague today), but I think that blogging really stands out. I will incorporate my blog into the curriculum this year. I can use this tool to post information about the class, link assignments from Google Docs, and even post pictures and videos for students to reflect on. I would engage my students with this technology by bringing them to the lab to log on, become a follow of my blog, and respond to a posted journal question. From that point forward, they will be able to access my blog from home or from the computer labs at school. After experiencing how easy it was to set up and update my blog, having my students create their own blogs for an assignment is definitely an attainable goal for me this year.
New Literacies
It is true that our students are using technology more and more. With this truth, educators need to update the way we teach in order to tap into this new technological age. Students understand and like to use technology so why not incorporate it into our curriculum? The reason why so many teachers are hesitant can be attributed to a lack of technological resources in their district, a lack of resources in students’ homes, and the fear of it taking up too much time in the classroom or lab. Teachers also have the added responsibility of teaching students how to practice digital citizenship. Even with these potential setbacks, teachers should still try to incorporate several of the Web 2.0 tools into their lessons. Web 2.0 will help to promote technological literacy by exploring the numerous ways to collaborate and share online, with each other, their teacher, and their community.
Podcasting
I had to get a little outside help on this one. Once I figured out that I needed to use Audacity to record the audio file and then use another application to convert it into a MP3 file, I was good to go. Uploading the podcast to Podbean and using the HTML code to embed the file into my blog was very easy to do. Podcasts are great for students who would benefit from listening to a lecture or a reading of the notes. I have had several special education students in the past that needed to have assignments and readings read aloud in order for them to learn and understand the material. Podcasts, in this case, would be wonderful. I could also use podcasts for when I am out of the building but still want to go over content with my students. For example, I will be missing two days of school prior to Spring Break for a school trip to Europe. I could upload a podcast that they could listen to in my absence. Finally, students could create their own podcasts, a historical reenactment for example, that we could listen to during class. The Creativity and Innovation standard as well as the Communication and Collaboration standard would be met by implementing these types of lessons.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Photo-Sharing
I have often looked through Flickr to find pictures for class or to look at friends’ pictures, but I never thought to create my own account. I uploaded several pictures of the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Eiffel Tower from my trip to Paris in March 2009. I also uploaded a photo collage to my blog that I created in Picasa using pictures taken during the same trip. In order to upload pictures directly from Picasa to Flickr I had to download a special app that allowed me to accomplish that task. I can definitely see myself using Flickr in the classroom. For example, I could upload images from the Renaissance and have my World History students comment on the features of the painting or sculpture. They could interpret the meaning of the artwork and even add notes as they see fit. Students could also set up their own accounts, create Renaissance artwork sets, and comment on their own pictures. Uploading political cartoons can accomplish the same goal. By promoting visual literacy, this activity will meet the Creativity and Innovation standard as well as the Communication and Collaboration standard from NETS-S.
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