Thing Four: Student Blogging ITEC7430

With every work I give no matter how small or big I always get the question of "Is this for a grade?"  Once in a while I say it is not to see who really wants to do a certain task.  Regrettably since this is the first year that I was trying out blogs in my classroom through a school purchased program I really had no idea how to grade it.  I didn't have any format as to what I wanted my class to do with blogs.  Now that I have been going through this class, in such a short time, I have come to a realization and a better understanding of the importance of a good blog to make them count as a grade.  I will have the opportunity to use a new program at my school that has better blogging capabilities.  Unfortunately sometimes the only way to get them started on an engaging assignment is to assign it a grade.  Afterwards I get the comments I like to hear “I really enjoyed that assignment.  When are we going to another one?”

Criteria	Unacceptable	Acceptable	Target
Blog Posts by Students	The information appears to be disorganized and has little or nothing to do with the main topic.	Information is very organized with well-constructed and clearly relates to the main topic.	Information is relevant to the topic specified
Comments or Responses that students leave on other student blogs	No thoughtful reflection on colleagues work.	Evaluated how the blog can be improved in a coherent and resourceful commenting.  Reflected on colleague’s performance at engaging the topic.	Reflective and insightful commenting

The Chronicle "A Rubric for Evaluating Student Blogs"
Sample Reality "Pedagogy and the Class Blog"

Thing Three: Blogging ITEC7430

Blogs are people’s story.  People have become willing to share their stories.  A person’s story is their thoughts and feelings about particular subject matters.  They begin by reading some articles of interest were it is in the news, a book, another blog, or heard someone else’s story.  People can become more reflective readers.  Reading than becomes one’s own experience. They start to form an opinion about it.  They want to share so they start writing.  Now they do it in their own blog.   So the read/write web keeps spinning. 

Teachers need to inform themselves and really try to put to practice what blogging offers in a classroom. Anne Davis gives many good points (reasons) as to the good nature of using blogs in education in her blog post "Rationale for educational blogging".  Many of which, after reading her blog, I have become more and more in support for having blogs in my curriculum.  It would be a great way to bridge the understanding to my students about why science is important.  Especially when they say in my Earth Science class “Why do I need to know this?  I won’t need it later in my life.”  Many of my students really don’t know what is out there and all the opportunities they have for themselves.  This would be a great way to show all that is possible by having others and in particularly experts commenting to them.  It would them a chance to reflect.  Reflection is a key component to understanding in the classroom.   

Web Design Future: ITEC7445

 Will all of this design and development stuff serve you as an educational technology and/or teacher leader? If so, how? If not, what are your quandries?

I am excited about learning design.  When it comes to technology I don't mind learning all the in's in out's.  Even the more complicated information of design.  I do hope to learn it well in such a way that I may later teach it to other teachers in an easier way. If they understand than the possibility of them using the tools in a classroom would be greater.  Many of my fellow teachers would like to use many of the tools but don't much time to spend learning it from scratch. So this I will do the heavy lifting. 

I just hope that my own school's work won't be to much along with this class that I really don't use it to its full potential.

Thing One: Web 2.0 ITEC7430

The good, the bad, and the ugly.  Everyone starts out explaining how great and marvelous the web is and all the new and cool tools to use. There are many things to Web 2.0.  Some things are great and wonderful others not so good.  It opens new doors and closes some old.  The trick is to find a balance that will be successful.

To use the web there are many factors.  It was funny one day when I talk to my prinicpal about some programs and ideas I wanted to do in my classroom.  He was supportive and told me that the only limited I had was myself.  True to a point.  So I started but limit was not me.  I ran into some obstacles.  The equipment could not connect to the WI-FI at our school so software could not be loaded on. I had to ask permission to bring the equipment home to download it without having connection problems (no servers or networks).    The collabation aspect of the project could not be used at school.  Had to find an alternative.  Lets not even talk about the Firewall and all the legal issues that come into play.  So I laugh it off knowing I was not the limitation.  The tools are there but not for everyone.  Of course I am not saying that it is all bad.  I was still able to use the equipment and had the students complete there work but some parts of the plans had to be changed. 

Schools are a great place to teach about and use the web.  Safety is a big issue when it comes to young students and the web.  There are many things that not only parents have to worry about but teachers as well.  You want a student to have a pleasant experience and be able to use the web.  This does limit some of the tools that a teacher can use in a school environment.  Also the ablity to acquire such tools may be difficult for some because of school policies.  Everyone wants to see schools move into the 21st century but they need to let go a little of those walls.  If you trust the teachers to their jobs correctly then there shouldn't be so many limits placed on everything. Even with so much protection the students of the future will find a way around it. You need to teach them and that can only happen if you can have those teachable moments in class.

Collaboration is important factor with Web 2.0.  Collaboration between teachers in different subjects can help to expand the way a student invisions the connection between them.  Use the Web to collaborate with other students around the world or in the next state.  These are connections and skills that the students of the future will need.  (just notice some of the commercials out there)   

First time blogger...

Following the white rabbit down a hole.  
I have no idea how it is going to end.  
Wish me luck, hopefully I will survive!