Developing a Personal Learning Nework

In this class we have done a lot to develop our PLN or personal learning network. The tools we have used to do this so far are twitter, blogging, our RSS feed, and social bookmarking. So far, I think that these tools could be pretty useful. They each offer their own strengths and weakness that can be reflected upon.

Twitter allows tor immediate updates. It can be useful to get a small point across in the most efficient way. The tweet deck allows for constant updates on when someone just "tweeted." That way I can keep track of when my students or colleagues update their twitter. It is the best form to use if you want a fast response for something short. The draw back is that it only allows for so much writing. There is a word limit, so that you can't post an elaborate idea. This makes it hard to share some things at a quick way. Some ideas can't be condensed enough to fit within the word count.

This is where blogging comes in. I have really come to enjoy blogging. It is a great way to get an elaborate idea across and even get feedback. I found that I like to write my ideas or thoughts and see what other people think. It allows for constructive criticism so that others could help make your thoughts better. It can provide the opportunity for different points of view to be heard. This can help a misunderstanding or confusing topic, as if a bunch of people have other ideas, it can be pieced together. Reading blogs is also very beneficial to me. I like to see what other projects people are working on and what other people are thinking. It's cool to see the different blog topics and it even inspires some of my writing. Therefore, blogging ultimately helps the process of reading and writing, since that's essentially what it is. Although, there are drawbacks. One would be that it does not receive immediate feedback. Someone may be on at the same time and comment write away, but most of the time it takes a while. It can take days before someone notices and comments. Which is another drawback. It is hard to sift through all of the blogs and find some interesting enough to read. Although once they are added to the RSS feed it can make things much easier.

Ah, RSS feed, where would I be without you? Honestly this saves me with my ideas for my blogs. Whenever I feel like writing a blog, I head to my RSS feed to see what's new and interesting. The RSS is very beneficial as it is a great way to organize blogs you want to follow. It shows the most recent updates between all of the blogs in the feed. You can even click on each individual blog page to see their updates. It's great that it is all on one page, so I dont have to spend a majority of my time searching for ideas. It organizes the blogs very well, so that all you have to do is look through the feed. This can help update you with colleagues ideas, what the students are bloggin about, or any other topic of interest in the blog feed. The only drawback is actually building the RSS feed. To go and find blogs that will be updated enough and have interesting topics was harder than I thought. I spent hours trying to find blogs to put on my RSS, but once I added them, my life was so much easier.

One other PLN device we used is the social bookmarking through Delicious. To be honest, I haven't had to use this yet. BUT I know that when I do get the opportunity it will prove to be very beneficial. My bookmarks on my computer save me. They make it so much easier to access websites I use a lot. I havent had to use delicious yet becaue it really is the only computer I use. I use my work computer be we are only allow to do so much that isn't work related, so I never need other websites. But to have an account where I can open all my bookmarks on any computer makes me feel safe. I don't have to worry about going somewhere because I would have to search for websites. Instead I can just open My Delicious and have my bookmarks right in front of me. Drawbacks are that you have to update it. If I add a bookmark to my bookmarks now, then I have to go to my delicious account and add it there if I want to use it on another computer.

Overall, I think that PLN's are very beneficial. They allow for organization and to present ideas to receive feedback. We can use them to tell those in our networks what we are thinking and see their ideas. We can also organize our blogs or bookmarks, so no time is wasted. I think with all of them the drawbacks are the effort and time to start them and update them. At the beginning it doesn't see worth it because it does take a lot of effort to build the PLN. Yet, once it's built, it is very beneficial to keep updated!

Voiced Presentation

I was really nervous to post this, I hate my voice on a recorder (as I see a majority of the class also does!). But I had a lot of fun doing it! And it was so easy, I had never imagined it would be that easy. I was dreading doing it thinking it would take me forever to figure it out, but it really didn't!

Matter Presentation

For this slide show I decided to incorporate an idea I went over in SME this semester. I think making this presentation was really fun! It was a cool way to make a lesson. After reading the article on the BBP (beyond bullet points) approach I actually learned a lot. I learned that the less text the better because human memory can handle so much. I have always used bullet points in my presentations so this was definitely different. The article said to have a main headline for the text so that the students were capable of actually taking in what is on the slide. For that reason I simply had a general definition as the "headline" on the slide to make it easier understood. The article also stated that images help people to learn visually. Therefore for each state of matter I had a slide of images as examples. I really think this method is beneficial and hope to remember some of the techniques for my future classroom.

Perfecting Projects

Recently, I came across an article in my google reader, where the blooger is talking about a failed project. He starts off by talking about how his dream is to make a classroom that has lecture and more student involvement. In doing so, he is constantly trying to render up new projects where the students research, discuss, and involve themselves in order to learn. In order to create these projects his criteria is:

• It requires students to interact with material on their own.
• It seems to be a way for students to grab information that I otherwise would have had to convey through lecture.
• It requires students to manipulate the material in an individualistic level–that is, they can emphasize what strikes them as most important.
• It embeds much of the skill-work I try to teach, like writing and reading, and makes it seemingly more relevant.

In thinking of this criteria, he created a project for the students to learn about communication. Instead if lectures, he wanted students to be able to research online for tips on public speaking. The students were to take these tips and pick the most important to them, to complie a unique list of their own. Yet, after a short time the students began to turn in completed work. He was dumbfounded on how the students were getting this activity done so quick. Until he realize they had taken a short cut. The students had failed to reasearch online (since they weren't forced to list sources to make it more fun) and htey had just made up their own tips. At the end, the teacher was stuck with a variety of work. Some students actually put in the effort while some made it up, making the grading process very difficult. The blogger makes the generalization that with almost every project there can be shortcuts available, and students are persistent on finding those shortcuts. It left him in wonder if projects that actively involve students are any better than lecture.

This blog somewhat scares me, as I feel I am going to struggle with these same ideas. I too hope to have a classroom that is extremely active and less of me lecturing straight facts. I think it will make learning more fun and the involvement will keep the students intrigued for a longer period of time. I think his criteria for projects is exceptional. They really are the basis for activities that involve the students with hands on approachs that are very relevant. I am nervous that I may struggle to come up with quality assignments. I'm scared they will either be too easy or won't be understandable. I am going to focus so much on student involvement that I may fail to pay attention to the quality of the work. It seems that these dreams are very similar to current teachers and aspiring teachers. We all want to make the learning environment fun with less of us talking, yet as the blog shows, there are some drawbacks to this approach.

When I think of myself as a student, I can honestly say that if their is a shortcut that the teacher won't notice to get me the same grade, I am going to tak it. So sue me. It's probably safe to say that a majority of students feel the same way. It just seems to be a frame of mind, because we just want to get the assignment done. With this, I think it will be difficult as a teacher to judge whether a student took the shortcut or not. Unless they completely goofed, it is usually something that can be hidden and the teacher won't notice. For example, with this bloggers project, the students can easily make up their own tips and write them out. If they don't have to list sources, who is to say they weren't really found on the internet. This is the problem with trying to make projects fun and enjoyable. The more fun they are, the easier it is to bypass acually working. Like in the example, he didn't want them to have to list sources so it wouldn't be a hassle, but this allowed students to make things up. If sources were required, it would be almost impossible for them to not research, because each soruce could be checked. Of course, no teacher wants to be the mean one to make more work and make assignments more difficult. But it trying to make learning enjoyable means allowance for students to slack, is just simply not acceptable. I would rather be the teacher that they think is too hard, because I know I am doing my job. I don't want to be mean, but it is in my job description to make sure I am pushing these kids to learn. If I make it too easy, then what am I there for?

Overall this blog was very intersting to me because it shared real life struggles of a teacher. We want to make a fun, enjoyable, and active learning environment, but it can be hard when kids don't put in the work. It seems that we need to find the medium of the two and make it work. I know it will take quite a few failed projects to grasp this concept, but I just hope I can make it work!

Enjoy!

Readers Define Books

Today in my TE 348 class (seems to give me a lot of topics to blog about) we had one of our biweekly discussions about a book. The book discussion today was on Seedfolks, a narrative told through the eyes of 13 characters. The book takes place in an urban city, where the city is segregated. Nine year old Kim, who is Vitenamese, plants some lima beans in a trash lot. Other diverse characters join, and it forms a story around the garden that they all take part in. The themes include character development, overcoming diversity, and the transition from a neighborhood to a community.

For this book, I was the personal facilitator. That means my role while reading and thinking about this book was to figure out why I read it the way I did. I had to think about, and discuss, why my personal background and experiences shaped the way I interpreted the novel. After a while of brain scratching, I came up with a few ideas.

I decided that I can understand that a garden would encourage character development due to my own experiences with my character. My personal experience is that I played softball, so taking part in such a sill ything seems unimportant, but I formed relationships, hardwork, and dedication just as the characters did in the book. Yet, my group members failed to see something as simple as a garden to alter life ways. They had no personal experiences that could make them more understanding, so we didn't really see eye to eye.

Another idea that I had was that I was shocked of all the diversity of characters in one area. There were 7-8 different ethnic groups mentioned (out of only 13 characters), which was a surprise to me. I came from a community that was so small I could count other ethnic groups within hundreds of people on one hand. In my high school there were maybe 3 people of another race (Mexican and African American). Due to this, it is safe to say that I am not used to diversity and any opportunity to explore it is something new to me. When I brought up this point in our discussion, another girl had gone to a high school where there were a diverse amount of students. She said sh probably had a majority of the ethnic groups listed in the book attending her high school. Reading the book to her wasn't as big of a culture shock to her as it was to me. She was used to the idea that there was a vast array of people in one area. Whereas I have had it stuck in my mind that in one area there are only a few "outsiders."

This whole idea of everyone reading the story really got me thinking for when I become a teacher. Teaching a book seems pretty simple. There are implied themes, character traits, morals, etc. The teacher just needs to make them known and discuss the importance. Yet, what happens when two students interpret a book totally different. Each student will think their interpretation is right. It may be confusing for them to understand that people read differently. Yet, if this were to happen, it would provide for a great learning experience. The studens could learn to understand each other. They could also learn to challenge each other. I feel that challenging and understanding are two very concrete ways to get through a book. The students can learn from each others ideas to either formulate or edit their own ideas. It will be a great way to get the students thinking critically and question why was the book read differently when it is the same words on the page for everyone. Overall, this process will provide the children with deeper analysis to better understand themselves, and to better understand each other.

Overall, I think this discussion really opened my eyes to reading. It is very appareant that background culture and experiences can shape the way we think about a book. It doesn't mean that we are right or wrong, it is just how we think. Through this process we can learn more about ourselves and about our peers. This process really made me enjoy reading more. I was able to critically think about who I am and what does that affect. At the end I had a better understanding of myself on character development, community, and diversity. All in all I really enjoyed this process of reading, and it really makes me want to read this way more often so that I can develop a stronger sense of who I am!

Google Docs

When I first read this weeks assignment, I questioned what google docs was. I assumed some prgoram that I would simply use to complete this weeks assignment and forget about. Much to my surprise, it is actually something I see myself using in the future. I really feel like if google docs becomes more popular, microsoft office may have to watch out! Google docs offers very similar programs, and there are quite a few advantages.

First, it is all free! What a surprise and relief. It's hard to believe that these programs are free! I mean, I paid over $100 for microsoft office for my macbook, yet google docs offers almost the exact same thing for no charge at all. Now that is what every college student wants to hear! It's almost shocking that something like this is free, when it offers so many programs and utilities.

Second, it is available from virtually anywhere. Last night, I was working on my resume, when I got way too tired. I went to bed and gave up on editing. Yet today, here I am, right where I left off and I'm editing at work without saving to a disk or emailing it to myself. It was so nice not having to hassle to find my USB or e-mail the document myself. It seems it saved a lot of time and frustration. Especially since it automatically saves periodically. It allows for almost no way of losing your work, and allows for easy access anywhere.

Third, you can save your work for others to access and edit. Too, this is genius. I am always wanting someone to read over and edit my paper, but I always seem to have to bring it to them or e-mail it. Through google docs they can simply sign in and view my work. This is also amazing for group projects. I don't know how much I can express my hate for group projects in college. With everyone having different class and work schedules, it is always so hard to find a time to meet. With google docs, one powerpoint presentation can be available to the whole group. Everyone can get on, review what others have done and even add to it themselves. What a life saver! This is going to be very sueful for my next class project. I no longer need to worry about where and when my group is going to be able to meet!

As far as classrom use goes in my future teaching career, I think the possibilites are endless. First off, like I've noted, it is great for editing. This is someting I feel really important to learn at a young age. Editing is crucial to papers and other work, so students should jump right into the idea. They need to be able to know how to edit. Too look for grammatical mistakes, incorrect sentence structure, and others. Not only is the editing process important, but also the allowing of editing is important. Too many students submit work without a run through (guilty!). It is important to teach them that although they may not want too, it is only beneficial to them to allow others to look at their work. This process can point out their mistakes so maybe they will learn. It can help them to improve on their writing and editing skills, which will only be beneficial in the long run.Also, this allows for various forms of programs to be used at no cost. It can allow for a variety of projects in the classroom, so it is not always boring worksheets. Since it is free, it allows students to creat cool powerpoint projects at home or in a library, where they can be creative. It can allow students to create their own presentations, and post for others to see. It is not something that students will have to pay for, which is what a lot of parents are concerned about. Another use for the classroom, is group projects, like I stated for college use. It allows for group projects incorporating technology to start at a younger age. This give students the opportunity to work together on a project, and even add too it outside of school.Google docs also allows for the teacher, myself, to review work as students post it. It can allow for immediate feedback to the students so they can improve their work. Teachers can review the work and give a quick response. This can give students the opportunity to improve their work before it is actually submitted. This allows for improvement of mistakes, and a better grade, which is the ultimate goal. Google docs also is very important in the technology factor. It is a very basic program that can be put in use at a younger age, for free. It introduces students to technology, and it is not too difficult to grasp. It is a great introduction to the world of technology, which is an idea that needs to be learned as soon as possible. It shows them how to scces the internet, make presentations online, type, submit work, look through other peoples work, edit online, and create spreadsheets. It incorporates technology ideas that are very basic and need to be realized at a young age.

After all of these advantages of google docs, there are always drawbacks. One thing I had a problem with was formating. While constructing my resume, I had an extremely difficult time with formating in the document section of google docs. I struggled for a long time trying to fix every detail. Still to this day I cannot make it work. It seems like it is a waste of time trying to figure out all of the formating issues, and it just leaves me feeling frusturated. Although I feel the urge to give up, I know with all of the advantages of google docs, I should learn how to use it properly.Also, I feel that people are going to become too reliable on the system. I don't think it should take over in any way. I still think pencil and paper technique should be used. Technology isn't always reliable, and sometimes it is a struggle to work with, so I think everyone should keep that in mind.

Overall, I am a fan of google docs and am looking forward to taking advantage of what it has to offer.

That's nonfiction? Really?

Yesterday in my TE 348 class, we discussed nonfiction. Of course, I immediately started to dread this discussion. Ever since I was a kid, I hated nonfiction. Every nonfiction book I read, or was forced to read, was too boring. I don't want all of the facts. I want creativity and imagination. I wanted to read what the dog said to the cat, or what happened when the school bus shrank. I didn't care how a certain conversation played out in a war, I was a kid! So, as I grew older I never gave nonfiction a chance. I always thought of it as the boring and bland books that were simply facts. Yet, after class yesterday, I realized that I actually didn't mind nonfiction!

The Magic School Bus is classified as nonfiction! I was shocked. I guess I should have assumed, it is very educational. But the whole shrinking school bus to go into a human body through me off I guess. It seemed that it may have some weird classification since it is a mixture. Yet, the book says it was nonfiction, it just had some fiction ideas. Which, after the discussion it all makes sense.

I guess the thing for me, was how nonfiction was presented to me in my first interaction. My first presentation of nonfiction was that it was strictly facts. It couldn't be a creative or elaborate story, it was simply hard facts. Boring, right? I was immediately turned off and everytime I heard the word nonfiction I cringed. Also, growing up it seems that when I was presented with nonfiction in school, it was the boring kind. The type that was page after page of straight facts that wasa chore to read. The only time I was presented with something interesting was at home, because I was able to choose what to read. If my teachers would have made nonfiction seem more interesting, maybe I would have a want to read it now. But now, I am stuck in this idea of nonfiction being boring facts.

Ultimately, this got me thinking of how to present nonfiction when I am a teacher. I am without a doubt going to do everything in my power to make it interesting and fun. I don't want my students to be biased just because I am. I also don't want them to be biased because I don't present the material in a good way. I want to open their eyes at a younger age of all of the possibilities of nonfiction. It doesn't have to be all facts. It can be a creative story that has facts embedded them. I want them to see that nonfiction can be creative. It can consist of fake characters or events that are not possible. As long as the sole information is truthful. I don't want them to go through school thinking that nonfiction is boring. I don't want them to turn out like me, and only read nonfiction when it is required for class. Nonfiction books offer so many opportunities for children, and I need my students to be in reach of those opportunities. Ultimately, I hope to show my future students that nonfiction can be fun to read, and shouldn't be a genre that they avoid!

Mastering the Teacher Voice...

Last year for my TE 250 class, I was placed in a 5th grade classroom at Shasftsburg Elementary. I loved the class, but I was very nervous! Especially when the teacher had me create my own lesson plan! I felt so lost and had do idea what to do! I ended up doing a lesson on sign language, which went pretty well. The kids enjoyed it, but at times they got a little too excited and started to all talk and laugh. I tried to get them to stay on task as much as possible, but it seemed they didn't want to listen to me. That's when I was told that I need to get my teacher voice. How the heck do you get a teacher voice? Turns out, I was being to quiet and soft spoken. The teacher told me that I need to have a more strong voice, which doesn't necessarily mean yelling, it just means don't let the students talk over you. Make sure the tone is that you have control of the class, yet it needs to be welcoming.

While thinking about this concept, I serached online for articles. I came across a book that is 44 Smart Strategies for teachers. Strategy number 44 was all about perfecting the teacher voice. The articl states that screaming will get you no where, which I agree. It will either make the kids listen for just that moment, simple because they are scared, or make the kids act up and push your buttons. I think that both of these ideas are real possibilites for what can happen. Nobody wants a class thta is scared of them because they scream, but teachers do want classes that will actually listen and mind. The article discusses how there are many different teacher voices that should be readily available in in use. For example, the enthusastic voice to get the students excited and make them actually want to listen. There is also the strong stern voice to make students pay attention and behave. The article discusses a variety of other voices that could be helpful in my future teaching career. As a teacher I need to find a balance between all of the voices. I don't want to stick to one, because that could be misleading and boring. I need to learn when to use certain ones and when certain voices should not be used. The tone of the teachers voice can be crucial to the student teacher relationship, so I feel it is really something that should be learned.

In order for a teacher to learn when to use these different voices, they just need to be tested. Within the first couple of days/weeks of school, the teacher should test these voices and obsreve outcomes in different situations. If in a certain situation you realize that a certain voice gets positive results, the article says to make and note and try to utilize that idea. Whereas, if a certain voice doesn't go over so well, discard that voice and try something new. We want to be in control of our class, but we have to work with what our students will accomadate to to gain that control. Another thing the article says, is to use a microphone if needed. I feel that microphones in elementary classrooms are a splendid idea. I volunteered at a classroom that used them, and I found that the kids were more likely to pay attention and understand the concepts. The projection catches their attention so they are able to hear you. Kids in the back are also not straining to hear, so they are focusing on understanding rather than trying to hear.

The article also goes on to state that non-verbals also has to deal with the "teacher voice." For example the teacher eye. Everyone has heard of the teacher eye, but I am not sure if I have it in me to give it! The evil glare showing students that they see that sometihng is being done wrong can be very frightening. Yet, I know it works. Watching students get the teacher eye, they immediately stop and behave. Maybe this is something I sohuld practice in the mirror? All I know is I need to learn it! Other nonverbals can serve as ques on what needs to happen. For example, all through my school days the teacher would give a peace sign for when we need to settle down. Everyone would stop talking and pay attention when that hand went up. I think this sign is somethng I would utilize as a teacher, because it gets the students attention, yet it is less threatening.

Overall, the teacher voice is something that needs to be practiced and mastered. I know I don't want students walking all over me, but I also want to feel approachable to them. I need to find different voices to balance out, to make my persona as a whole friendly but in charge.

Explore the website here!

Personalized Websites: Task 2!

For this weeks assignment, I decided to explore personalized websites. I went to the website Pageflakes that was suggested, and absolutely loved it! I immediately began to add new tools and resources, and organized the whole page! I found a lot of cool tools like a calender, to-do list, sticky note, class schedule, discussion board, etc. These and so many more are wonderful resources for students and parents to have available.

As far as strengths go, I feel like this website has a lot! For one, it can keep students on track. If a student misses a day of class they are able to go online too see what we did that day. They can look at the class schedule and see what all they missed out on. It also keeps kids on track with the to-do list (my favorite part!). The list contains all upcoming assignments due and tests. The list says the assignment or test then gives how many more days you have to complete it. The student can also click on the assignment, where their is a brief description of what the details are. When the student completes the assignment, they can click the "done" box where it puts a line through the assignment. The website can also be a basis for communication. There is a discussion board where students, parents, or the teacher can post questions or answers. For example, I posted a math question, where if it is clicked on I ask if there are any misconceptions from that days lesson. The website also allows a small twitter box, so if that were a basis of communication in the classroom, the students could access it from the class website. One other key strength is that the website can display that individual students grade and the class average. This way, a student can keep track of their grades so they know where to put more focus on. They can also see how the class is doing, so that if they are doing poorly in the subject, they may see that they are the only one. Not only is this website a strength for students, but also for parents. I know of a lot of students who get newsletters to take home, but they never end up giving them to their parents. Now, parents can log on at any time and keep track of their students progress. This saves them time and me time as a teacher, because some questions they may have may be answered on the website. Overall, the website is a key organizational tool. It allows all of the classroom information to be displayed so students can stay on track and stay organized. It would make life easier for the teacher, students, and parents, since the website displays all the information and allows easy access for questions and answers.

Along with strengths, there are always weaknesses. The biggest constraint would be that technology is not always reliable. This website can not be solely relied on. Teachers would need to make sure to have paper copies of the most important aspects of the website. For example the to do list and calender. Obviously, there couldn't be a paper copy of the discussion form, so if the website had difficulties this would hinder communication. Making paper copies would be a pain since the teacher would feel that the website is sufficient, but like all technology, it can stop working in an instant. Another constraint is that it may confuse children. There can be a lot of stuff going on on one page which may make the students confused on where to look. Depending on the age group, the teacher may have to keep to a minimum of tools so the students feel lost. Although, the teacher could walk through the process of the website with the class so they feel comfortable on what they are doing. One last weakness is that it would be a lot to keep up with. The teacher would have to get on daily solely to update it. The teacher would have to change the to-do list and class schedule everyday, which may be time consuming. The teacher would also have to get on a couple times a day to keep up with the discussion board. If they fail to look, a questioned may go unanswered for a while, hindering the progress of the student. Although there seem to be quite a few constraints, I think they can all be fixed. With a little time, energy, clear directions, and a back up plan, I think the strengths far outweigh the constraints allowing it to be a beneficial resource.

As far as a specific purpose or content area for this resource, I think there are endless possibilities. The purpose could obviously be organization as I discussed earlier. The website could be a basis for schedules and communication. It could provide as a resource to keep the students on track and up to date. As far as content area, I think it would be harder to use this website for a sole subject such as English. It seems that there wouldn't be enough items to put on there to make the website beneficial. Whereas in an elementary classroom, there may be 6 or 7 different subjects to keep track of. This is where this website would be the most beneficial. It allows for organization of all content areas, so the students can keep track. It can be hard to remember what's due for different subjects, so this website would be real helpful. Whereas in one content area there may be only one or two things due a week, so it seems the website would just be too much.

Overall, I love the use of these personalized websites. I am the type of person who likes to stay organized and write down everything I need to do, so this website seems perfect for me. For my own use, it allows me to stay organized on what I am doing, and what more I need to do. This is something I would love to do for my future students. I know some student's wouldn't keep up with it which is fine since it is not something required. But there will always be a couple of students, and a lot of parents who find something like this beneficial. I am really excited to explore this website and find ways to use it in my future classroom!

Looking through my RSS feed, I came across a blog that I am follow that I had forgotten (oops!). Much to my surprise it is a really interesting blog, how could I have forgot!? It is not interesting because of discussion, but it is interesting because it offers different free technology for teachers. It gives websites and programs that are free for teachers to use, and tells how to incorporate them. Pretty cool right? Looking through it I found a lot of different sites that seemed pretty interesting and made be pretty useful. For example one is a witty comics website. It allows students to make their own comics! I thought this would be pretty cool, and very fun, for younger elementary students. I know when I was that age creative ideas like this really engaged me and I learned more. A teacher could use this with their students to learn about story telling. The students would have to make up a plot, a climax, a setting, and such, and it would be way more entertaining than a simple paper. It also allows a certain number of frames, so the students would learn to be concise with their wording. Going through the blog a little more, I found a website that I could see being really useful for not only when I become a teacher, but for something I could use now! It's called Brain Flips and it's an online collection of flashcards that people have made. So you can use others flashcards about the topics to teach your lesson. Yet, you can also make your own flashcards! I make so many flashcards right now for my classes, and I hate writing them out! It is such a long process and such a waste of note cards since you only use them once, maybe twice. This website would allow me to type my flashcards so it doesn't take as long. It can also save in the system so that I don't have to waste note cards in the process. I can simply log in to the website and go to my flashcards. I think this would be really unique as a teacher since some students learn really well through flashcards. The teacher could make a set of cards for the whole class to use, that they can go over in class at maybe a computer lab. the students would get excited that they get to get on the computer, so they wouldn't look at it as a boring flashcard method. Also, the program allows you to track which ones you got wrong, so that you can set it in a different mode, where those cards appear in a greater frequency than the rest. That way the student looks at these cards more so they are able to learn it.

Overall, I love this blog! It has so many great resources and gives so many tips and ideas on how to use them! I am excited not only to look for what I can find for when I am a teacher, but anything I can use now! If it works for me as a student now, then I am sure it will work for at least a couple students in my future classroom!

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Burning, Banning, What's the Difference?

Recently, I read a blog that I follow about the banning of books, and now websites. It really caught my attention because it compared the idea with burning books. A quote from the website says "web filtering is book burning. The goal is to use your power to prevent those you control from accessing information." I honestly had never thought of it that way, I just seen it as mere censorship, not that I agreed with it, but that I didn't see it to such an extent. The blog's main idea is that people see burning books as a really horrible idea, but banning books is simply needed. Teachers and administration are just trying to "protect" young children from inappropriate information, and the way to do that is just to block these ideas from the classroom. After reading this blog, I am not sure where I stand.

I can probably say that I am leaning more towards not banning books or websites. I can see why people would want them to be censored though. There is plenty of information that seems way inappropriate for say a 6 year old. This information my be one of those ideas that get's banned. Fro example, I find it hard for a 6 year old to understand concepts and ideas of racism, when they are trying to learn to read a sentence. IT just doesn't seem probable that they will fully understand or grasp the concepts. They would probably just be more confused than ever and form many misconceptions. These can alter how they see different races at a young age, started off on the wrong foot.

Yet, do I believe that the idea as a whole should be banned? No. I think (as the blog explains also) that our job as teachers is to find the medium between banning and discussion. Our job is not to hinder these kids of learning new concepts, but allow them the opportunity to look into it. We need to be there to make sure they stay within context. Challenging their misconceptions can help them from more accurate ones. I still think there may be "too young of an age" to openly discuss certain things such as race, sex, and such, because they won't understand. Yet, it should not be fully banned. I believe that each idea can be presented to different grade levels, in the right context. It is obvious that a middle school class will have more in depth understanding of race than 1st graders, but the idea still should be presented. The 1st grade class may just have to stay at a general level where they discuss what race is maybe. Whereas the middle school can discuss racism, and it's effects.

Overall, I understand where both sides are coming form. I think it is up to the teachers to make a stand and say no to the banning of books. We have the power to presenting all ideas and concepts in any way we deem necessary. Is it because teachers will feel uncomfortable with presenting certain ideas to students? OR is it because the parents say so? To me, it is a little of both. But I feel it needs to end. Teachers can present material in a manner to allow kids to analyze and guide their misinterpretations. It will take a lot more effort on the teachers part, but I think it is necessary so that we are not censoring ideas that run society. The concepts that are being banned are everyday issues that need to be face. Even some of the students may be going through the idea! For example if we simple ban the idea of talking about homosexuality, the students who may be homosexual may feel inferior. If their lifestyle isn't allowed in schools, are they allowed to feel the way they feel? It is also on the parents. They need to understand that their are certain issues that they can't hide their kids from forever. THere comes a point where we all need to learn the realities of life whether we are ready or not.

I will say that if it will make parents, teachers, and the community feel better, a letter could be sent home by the teachers. It could explain when certain issues were going to be brought up. This way parents could possibly talk to their children before hand if they would like to be the ones to explain ceratin things. It could also allow parents to ask questions, and if they really feel it isn't necesarry something could be worked out.

ALl in all, I think banning of books and burning of books are basically equal: they both don't allow ideas to be expressed. Hopefully I am not the only one that feels this way!


Read the blog here!
Picture from: http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article4170944.ece

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My finished picture slideshow from flickr! =)

Twitter Thoughts

After using twitter for a couple of weeks now, I can't say my feelings have really changed about it. I still don't see it as something that I feel worthwhile to keep up with. Kind of harsh, but I think when comparred to things such as a blogging, it just doesn't keep up. Maybe this is due to the idea that I haven't given it as big of a chance as I have blogging. I don't find myself wanting to really "tweet" or even check what other people have tweeted. It could because I have this preconceived notion that it is somewhat pointless. Maybe it just isn't my thing?

Yet, I think if I were into it and I found it something I kept up with, it could be something considered useful in the classroom. When I do get on, I see that people have posted links to certain articles or blogs that they find interesting. This is pretty cool to be able to share these resources, so that others that follow, may be able to receive that knowledge too. I am not sure how it could be incorporated for say elementary students though. I feel that they may struggle with what to tweet about and such, maybe it's just because I'm struggling! The one thing I could see for elementary is maybe as a source for discussion or questions and answers page. Students could get on and ask homework questions and the teacher could facilitate this. But I feel there are better websites for this. Maybe it could be something where every week the students have to get on and write a tweet on what they felt was the most important topic in a certain subject. It could be a source for teachers to see what students are taking away from the assignments and reading. Although these may be some alright ideas, I feel that twitter isn't the best website that could be used.

As far as professionally and communication, I feel that twitter is much more appropriate than for say the classroom. Professionals can put up sources of information, meeting information, or any other announcements that they want their followers to see. (which I suppose teachers could do too, but I don't see how kids twittering themselves would tie into this). It also is a great way for communication if you have friends or family that use it. It is an easy way to get in a little announcement about your life or what your up too. This is what I see as it's main purpose, simply a status update. I can see how it could be used as more, I guess I just don't know how.

As far as drawbacks, I feel that it may be a tool that a lot of people, including myself, don't know how to properly use. Everyone is so use to facebook, so it seems like it is just a status update. I always try to update it, but I never have anything to say. All that comes to mind is what i'm doing or how i'm feeling. I feel that most people would probably think the same thing. I think with a little more direction and resources people could figure out the potential that it actually has.

So overall, I guess you could say I have a lot of bad ideas about twitter. But I really feel it's because I am not sure what to do on it! I see people post posts with websites and such, I guess I am just not very resourceful. I know if I gave it a chance this blog would have a whole different feeling, but for now i'm stuck. Any ideas and suggestions?!?

While looking through Creative Commons I came across the solar system picture. In my SME 301 class we just got done working on astronomy, so this picture fit in perfectly for what we were talking about. The picture can show kids, and myself, how the planets are organized. It shows the order of the planets to give an image of what they may look like in one view of space. This image, and others, can be very useful within the classroom. It can be hard for kids to picture things on their own. Just a little wrong wording can alter the image that they see in their minds, which could be inaccurate. Using images in the classroom can further clarify what a teacher tries to convey in words. It can also show children ideas that teachers can't convey in words. It gives the students something to look at to provoke more thought and allow for deeper analysis. It can also help visual learners, by allowing an accurate picture to be seen if they don't understand the words.

Images may be incorporated through a variety of ways. They can be shown through books, the Internet, PowerPoint, magazines, newspaper articles, or even an image the teacher takes themselves. All of these mediums provide images and allow them to be seen in the classroom. They can be used in a wide array of subjects to clarify any misconceptions and to make things more interesting .A picture always captivates a student more than words would, so images allow for a more fun way of learning! I know as a teacher I will try to incorporate as many images as possible to have more fun and clarify information!


Photo Attribution:

Original Image: "Released to Public: Solar System Montage (NASA)"
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pingnews/420390416/sizes/m/
By: pingnews.com
Released under an Attribution-Share Alike License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en


My Flicker Page!


My Licensed Picture


MSU Tailgate by Jamie Thompson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

Fall Feelings!

Walking through campus today, the weather gave me a really good feeling. Something about the fall air makes me so happy and excited! I am really not sure why. Maybe the colors? Or maybe the fact that I am not sweating hot walking to class, or freezing cold, it's just right with my North Face jacket on. Today really made me want to get into the fall season. One thing I am very anxious to do: go to Uncle John's Cider Mill! I LOVE that place! Just the atmosphere makes me excited. Even though I am not much of a Halloween person (I'd rather be putting up a Christmas tree), I still want to invest in some pumpkins this year to carve. I haven't done it in so long! So all in all, I just wanted to write a post about how pretty it is outside and wish everyone a Happy Fall! =)

Picture taken from: http://ifohdesigns.com/wp-content/fall-trees-01.jpg