Podcast in My teaching

Podcast are interesting tools in which can prove very helpful in the classroom. You can create your own or download other podcast from another source. Its creation has opened up a lot of new venues for teachers across the globe. After doing some research and searching the Internet for podcast, I came across a large number of podcast from all over the world. Many teachers have already began to take advantage of this tool. One particular podcast I came across is here: http://www.dansmath.com/pages/podpage.html. The author of this podcast has created a number of podcast (30 +) covering a wide range of math topics. Once I finish my masters, I plan on incorporating podcast in my classrooms including this authors. Also I can create many of my own for my students to use if they don't have at home instruction. They can easily go to my site download and listen. This could ensure that the students have used every resource possible. Also creating a podcast would allow a teacher to run through the lesson plan a few times and really get a walk through of lesson before having to deliver impromptu. This is a really useful tool.

My Idea for Using the Global Cooperation Project

Of the two tools I explored in the last mod (VoiceThread and Hot Potatoes), I would use the Voice Thread site. This is a site in which you can post videos, pictures, power points and etc. This site is similar to the I learn project and could prove to be just as valuable. On this site there are much more random subjects/topics but you can easily search through them all to find what you’re looking for.

A sample project I would execute with my class would be similar to the one on I learn. Instead of combining forces with another country to make awareness on nature disasters, I would do a project with a couple of math classes from the same grade around the country. The project would cover different learning methods of our students on how they study for the different test and quizzes we had for that semester.

Say my math class and three others from around the country are covering decimals, percentages and fractions in this next marking period. We will have our teachers and students record their different teaching and studying methods for the different subject areas. We will then have each teach and a number of students talk about and discuss what they did to teach and learn the different subjects on camera. We would then post them on the site. This would prove to be a valuable tool for both students and teachers. Teachers and students could see how different subjects were taught and learned.

My Comparison of Two Sites for Global Cooperation

From The http://www.iearn.org/ Project site, I viewed a video / slideshow created by students from Pakistan, the USA and Uzbekistan. The video / slideshow created by students was an “animated public service announcements focused on teaching lessons about natural disaster preparedness.” The students joined forces to help create awareness for nature disaster preparation world wide. In this video / slideshow, they had animated characters that lived out real life nature disasters. Different students from the three different countries created different types of list and examples of needs for different types of disasters.

I thought the idea behind three different countries joining forces to create an awareness announcement was created and very helpful. The reason being is that nature disasters happen all around the world not in just a few areas. Also using the internet to do so was very resourceful. This exemplified how the internet isn’t just a tool to check out pictures and communicate meaningless ideas. Using the internet in this fashion to connect students from around the world is innovative. More of this stuff needs to be done.

From the http://takingitglobal.org/ project site, I viewed a number of different projects created children and students from around the world. Topics varied from women rights to about anything else you could think of. This is a non-profit organization headquartered in Toronto, and Ontario, Canada. This non profit organization also has other organizations that team up with them and work together. This site is very diverse. This site has different tools which help those looking for different opportunities in different areas. This site serves as a very helpful tool for those looking for information on just about anything.

These two sites have there good and bad. There is much more good then bad. But of the two, I liked the taking it global site best because it had much more to give in terms of information on a number of topics. Also you can use this site to reach out to the world just you could with the I learn site but do much more with it. I will definitely use this site because it covers most of the topics I will cover in my classroom. Also it is very user friendly.

My Social Networking Group

From the Ning website I search through all the different Networking groups. I came across a couple i thought were pretty interesting. The one i chose to join was title "Educational Technology A Network for Educators Seeking to Leverage Technologies in the Classroom". I found this one in particular to be of favor because it has all types of educators who correspond with one another. They talk about the different tools they use in their classrooms to help teach. I think this will be one i will definitely use. The link for it is here : http://edtech100.ning.com/

Comparison of the Two Microblogging tools

Between the two site Twitter and Pownce, I like Pownce much better! Twitter seemed much more fit for back a forth conversations rather than using different tools. Pownce has many more features which allow you to be creative and do different things. I can see how some would prefer one over another but in my opinion I would chose Pownce.

Microblogging & Education

From this article

http://www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2008/06/24/01twitter_web.h02.html
I found some really interesting points about micro blogging. I found that teachers are reaching out to use this tool in their classrooms. One teacher came up with the idea to create an on going story using twitter. Students would add to the story over time, each contributing their own portion to the story. Another was concerned about the content students would use so he came up with an alternate site called youth twitter which would allow teachers to edit the post of their students. After reading this article I've come to the conclusion that this site would be really useful as an alternative networking site. It would help out a great deal for teachers across the world looking for new ideas and experiences.

Article Response

From one of my subscriptions entitled "#59 Picture This!" there talking about the power of a picture. They ask you to take a photo or one already taken and submit it discussing why you chose it and its significance. I agree dead on with the thinking of a picture is worth a thousand words. Since people learn differently, a picture could definitely heighten ones articulation and develop anther's. Cool way to promote thinking.

SOCIAL NETWORKING

http://www.washingtonnetworkgroup.com/

The Washington Network Group is an organization of professionals in all realms of business, technology, government, etc. They collectively work together to further one another's careers and networks. Using something like this could really help to further someones career, networks, and overall education. The amount of people using this networking group and the totality of knowledge these people possess is amazing.

The Learner of Today

From George Siemens article, there was a lot of valid information pertaining to the numerous theories of learning that are out there. From that, I've created an analogy which I think is fitting for the learner of today. Knowledge today becomes older faster because of technology and the multitude of information outlets. With that in mind, older forms of information delivery are constantly being surpassed by newly developing systems.

The learner of today is much like the man who commutes to work. Every day the man who commutes to work is looking for a faster more efficient means of travel. His current car is old. I mean it’s a 1996 and here it is 2008. The man decides to go to a dealership to get something different. He has a decision to make. Does he purchase a used car that’s a little newer for less money or a new car for more money? “Our ability to learn what we need for tomorrow is more important than what we know today." Siemens, George . "Connectivism:A Learning Theory for the Digital Age." (2005): The older used car is obsolete in that it’s been out and others cars have already surpassed it. The newer car is unique in that it’s the latest model and nothing has surpassed it yet. The commuter needs to know that the latest car he purchases is like the ability to know what he needs tomorrow. If he chooses another used car, which gets him there a little faster, he will still be looking to get to work faster. If he chooses a brand new car, he won’t be searching for a faster means to work as soon.

Three Ways to use Blogs in the Classroom

Using a Blog in the classroom/education environment can prove to be very useful in many ways. It provides an additional means to communicate to students without having students to be in your presence. I am familiar with this practice in that we used the blog feature in college. It was very beneficial.

Blogs can be used to communicate assignments to students outside the classroom at anytime with no regard to in school hours. Meaning an assignment can be assigned during the weekend or twelve o'clock at night. It wouldn't matter when your assigned the work.

You can also have your students use the blog feature with group projects. For example; you assign groups and a situation arises where a student can't make a group meeting, he could use the blog to communicate his portion of the project to his group or discuss certain aspects.

One other additional way a blog could be used to facilitate teaching and communication would be to use the blog as a means of communication between student and teacher. Any time a student has a question or vice verse, students and teacher could use the blog to discuss whatever it is that's needed.