Having Tech Access in the Classroom November 3, 2009
After looking at the many web 2.0 sites, Dweeber is one of the sites I would like to use in my classroom. Dweeber is a site that students can network with each other and work on projects and homework. I like the idea of my students being able to reach out to other students for help on their homework. As a student now I realize that there are times that other students can explain or demonstrate ideas to me more clearly than a teacher. This is why I would want my students to help each other. Children have a way of explaining things to their peers that can be more understandable because they use the same language. This tool could also be helpful in the fact that it engages students. It would force students to interact with each other. In turn it could help students who are shy in class open up and receive or give answers to the questions their peers have, especially if they are not comfortable asking questions in class. Students are usually more comfortable asking their peers for help instead of adults. This site could also help students receive help outside of class. This would be important because many students do not have parents or siblings at home that they can ask for help on their homework.
As a teacher I know that I would have to monitor the site. Knowing that the administrator would question the level of work being done, cheating issues and the social aspect. I would think that the two major concerns would be; are students cheating and the social aspect. administrators would be concerned that one student is not just showing everyone how to dot he work but just giving the answers to the assignment. Likewise as a teacher I would be concerned about this as well. Therefore, I would require work to be shown and talk about the homework in class. If students are cheating, they would probably not be able to explain their work and answers once questioned about it in class. I might also require them to write a response to the homework depending on the subject area. The other aspect that could be of concern would be the social aspect because there are more people on the site than just the class in question. Just like with the cheating I would have to monitor the site. This is why I would be a part of the site as well. By doing this I could monitor the work being done and who the students are networking with.
Overall I believe that this particular site would be more beneficial than not. As students move through school they need to learn collaboration and social skills. By using this site it will force students to work with and help each other through their homework and assignments. Having peers that can help with homework outside of class could be the difference in understanding an assignment and the outcome of an assignment. lIke I mentioned before, many students do not have a support system outside of class that enables them to receive the help they need. Knowing that they have a network of help after the school day ends could change their approach to school forever.
Web 2.0 Sites October 19, 2009
After looking at the three Web 2.0 sites there were two that I could see being used in the classroom. PicLit and Scratch I would use in the classroom. The PicLit site I could see being useful in a writing class. It seems that this approach could help students learn to write small. By using a picture and having to describe it by using writing to grab a person’s attention could help with a students creative writing skill and their descriptive writing skills. The Scratch site I would also use in the classroom for its creativity, communication, analyzing and collaboration skills that it defines. This site could also be used to help students enhance their technology skills. The Voki site I didn’t really see its classroom use. The only thing I could think of but I am not sure if it does it, would be if the avatar could translate languages. The avatar could then be used to translate emails, blogs and so on for people in other countries so that ideas could be used around the world.
Dr. Tyson Video October 19, 2009
I had never heard of the idea of Web 2.0 but after hearing Dr. Tyso explain its use I like the idea. I especially like the four point he concentrated on; meaningfulness, significance, connectedness and contribution. As I have suggested in previous posts I like the idea of making students responsible for their own ideas and work. I think this leads students to be more involved in their work, more excited about their work and more rewarded by their work. These are the ideas that I think Dr. Tyson was trying to get across in his speech.
The idea of contribution hit home for me the most. I believe that all children want to make some sort of contribution to their community, country and/or world. By allowing them to work on a project, such as these movies then you are allowing them to reach out to the world and make their mark. The thing that pleasantly surprised me was how well these movies were done. Dr. Tyson allowed these students to connect to a topic that interested them by contributing to society. A project like this also allows students voices be heard and show the students that their voice matters.
Sites used in a classroom October 5, 2009
After looking over the glogster site I believe that this site could be useful in the classroom when teaching poetry and alternative book reports. I viewed a number of glogs that used the visual aspect of a glog to express their ideas and stories through poetry. The site could also be a creative way to do alternative book reports. Students could post and use images and words to describe the book they are reading. Gabcast would be useful in a classroom through the use of interviews. A student could use gabcast to conduct and record interviews on a subject they are researching. Gabcast could alos possible be used for students to debate a topic. By having students debate a topic by recording their opinions and then reviewing the debate in the classroom. Museum Box could be used in the classroom through a unit on perspective. By having a student choose a character either from literature or a historical period students can get a sense of a character/person’s perspective. Through this activity a student could learn how and why a particular person or character makes the choice he/she made and why. TimeRime could be used by students to make time lines of literature to show how events in a story took place. This site could help students place events in a time line to then help them use the information in future writings. All of these sites could be very useful in the classroom for a number of reasons. If teachers are willing to encourage the use of this technology it could help students be more creative in their work and show more responsibility and pride in their work.
Multimedia Concepts September 22, 2009
This article focused on a number of issues but I believe that boils down to that multimedia; “paves the way to mastering the skills required for lifelong learning in a constantly changing world” (6). The idea that media and its uses are always changing and evolving is something that we need to conform too. The key is though, how to use it to our advantage. By teaching students how to read images and sounds just like printed communication is one of the key elements to medialit. Also understanding the definition of text is important. Text now is any message form not just printed messages. In doing this we have to be careful though and teach ourselves and our students what makes media legitimate and another a hoax.
In order to teach medialit we have to understand that different people experience the same media message differently. Discovering the many levels of meaning and the many ways a media message can be interpreted is why this education can be so intriguing to kids. Throughout the reading we are given different chart to help with key questions and concepts. By using these as guide we can help students understand and analysis different media and help them understand what they are looking at and looking for. When analysis is combined with creative uses, this allows students to express the learning and it becomes a natural process. This also helps in todays classroom because as teachers we are supposed to teach to different types of learning. By incorporating medialit into the classroom we would be teaching to multiple intelligences.
Another important point the reading made was the idea that media does not influence our culture, it is our culture. With this in mind medialit is about helping students become, “competent, critical and literate in all media forms.” By doing this students can control what and how they interpret media that they come in contact with. As for the classroom it is important to know what medialit is not. As in the article says, “bringing videos, the internet or other mediated content into the classroom is not media literacy.” Understanding that it is how the media is presented and interpreted is what makes it medialit useable in the classroom. Letting students explore, question and analysis media is what is important not necessarily the media itself. As teachers, parents and adults we have to realize that we do not have control over the message of media but we do have control over the meaning we get and extend from the media. Allowing students to participate with media in the classroom, allows them to learn how to become responsible for questioning the content of the media.
Websites Targeting Kids/Teens September 15, 2009
As you would expect there are an enormous amount of ads targeted at kids and teens. I looked at a number of these sites and two struck me; Lucky Brand Jeans and Cheetos. The site for Lucky Brand Jeans I found interesting because of its use of words, font and font size. When you first pull up the site the first thing that hits you is the word “skinny” in large bold print. Next to this is an image of a women wearing their “skinny jeans.” I found this interesting but typical. The idea that being skinny is the way all women or girls should look. Another thing that struck me was when you click on the kids page the first thing you see in large font is the word “Cool.” This seemed to go along with the whole notion of name brands, wear our jeans and you will be cool. I also find this interesting because when you look at the prices, the average person could probably not afford them. This feeds into the idea the more expensive the better.
The other site I found interesting was the Cheetos site. This site was actually little about the product and more about activities to do on the site involving Cheetos. For example, there is a game that you can play that involves a man on a unicorn shooting arrows at various objects. The object being to collect or eat the Cheetos. I found it interesting that you win by eating the Cheetos and at the top it tells you your “health,” but Cheetos would not be considered healthy. The game is very basic but captivating. Another activity on the site is feeding cheetos to a woman and then she responds with various sounds. You can also create your own Cheeto character. If you want to know about the actual product, cheetos you have to go pretty far into the site to the information you want, like nutrition facts. This site would be targeted towards teens especially those into online gaming.
It was interesting to see all of the different techniques companies use to draw you in. When you see them you tend not to think about things, such as color, font, images and so forth. When you sit and really explore a site you find all of the hidden subliminal messaging.
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