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.

Intro to AP Economics

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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.

Eiffel Tower, March 2009

Originally uploaded by D.Franta

Europe 2009

Social Bookmarking

The favorites list on my school laptop is out of control! Using social bookmarking sites, such as del.icio.us, will help to organize my favorite websites. The key to using this tool effectively is to give each saved website tags that will help to identify that specific website. If the tags are too generic or vague, the tool will not be as helpful. My students will love using del.icio.us for research purposes. In the beginning of the research process, I often have my students just browse around online to begin to really understand what their topic is about and to find good resources. If they are saving and tagging websites as they go, they will be able to find the information they want to use for their paper or project quickly and efficiently. The Research and Information Fluency standard as well as the Digital Citizenship standard of the NETS-S are met with this type of activity.

RSS Feeds

I chose to use Bloglines as my RSS feed reader. Once again, setting up the account and adding feeds was really easy to do. As a teacher, this will help me to stay up-to-date on the sites I use for my economics class. I am always looking for ways to connect the content to current events and many of my RSS feeds do just that – this will save me a lot of time! I can certainly add a couple of my favorite RSS feeds to my blog so students can benefit from the updated information as well. I may even teach them how to use RSS feeds for research purposes. The Creativity and Innovation standard as well as the Research and Information Fluency standard will be met with the use of RSS feeds in the classroom.

Wiki Exploration

Creating and setting up a wiki was just as easy and setting up a blog. Wikis, rather than blogs, seem to be a better option when collaboration between students and the teacher is the main goal. Since our computer labs are booked in advance, I will really have to plan ahead to be sure my classes can use the wiki during school. If we are unable to use the labs during the school day, my students will have to contribute after school or during their lunch or study hall.

My wiki site can easily be used as a review guide of sorts for my AP Economics students. They take their AP Economics exams in May and must do well on them in order to receive college credit. Therefore, studying is of the utmost importance. After each unit, students can create lesson summaries (students will be assigned to a unit/lesson) and their classmates can be free to edit and make comments on the posts. By the end of the year, they will have a ready-made review guide to study for the AP tests.

This is the link to my wiki: http://mrsfranta.pbworks.com/

Blog Exploration

Welcome to my blog! Creating this blog was really easy… deciding on the template, colors, and background was the hardest part!  I think I will use blogs with my students as a way to extend the classroom. I plan on using them to as a way to link current events with concepts discussed in class. For example, my first post asked students to read an article and then comment on whether or not they think the recession has ended in the U.S. They can apply the concepts of unemployment, GDP, and banking to this article. I also like the idea of “Find the Facts” from the TeachersFirst website. I could post a statement and then students would find the facts to either support or refute the statement. These types of assignments will meet the Research and Information Fluency standard and the Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making standard from the NETS-S.

Is the recession over?

The jury is still out on deciding whether or not U.S. recession has ended.  Read the article below from CNNMoney.com and decide for yourself if you think the recession has ended.  Provide evidence to support your response.  Also, has the recession affected you and your family?  If so, how have you adjusted to the economic changes?  If not, why do you think your family has not felt the effects of the recession?
http://money.cnn.com/2010/08/06/news/economy/NBER_recession.fortune/index.htm