Michigan Merit Curriculum Online Experience

One of the technologies that I can use myself utilizing in my classroom is podcasting. I will safely assume that 90% of my students have an I-pod or I-phone which would make this process even easier for students to have access to. Those that do not have these technologies can listen to podcasts on their computers. I think that in an English classroom, podcasts can be used in several ways. Since I teach three different sections of English 9, the students can create podcasts that can be shared with students from another section. I can have students choose a podcast they like from another section and bring in another form of technology: blogs. Students can blog about what they’ve listened to, their opinions, ideas and evidence to contradict/support what is being discussed. Podcasts give students ownership, especially when they know other students will hear what they have to say on the subject.

With podcasts, I would use directive instruction. Students would receive feedback on their assignments, examples of how to improve it, etc… Receptive instruction would be used when I model the use of Podcasts to students. I would give an example Podcast, showing students exactly what is expected of them and how they can accomplish this feat. One difficulty would be if students do not have a good microphone that they can record their assignment with, especially because laptops have weak microphones that bring in the majority of background noise.
Another technology I can see myself using is a threaded discussion. Since the school has a class portal with messaging and message board capabilities, this is an easy and private way to get discussions going. I can pose a question and students will have to answer and reply to another student’s work. This, like the Podcast, would be modeled for students. Instructions would have to be clear and concise. The threaded discussion allows students time to reflect on what they want to say, and the ability to proofread, fully develop and support each argument.

One technology that would be difficult for me to use is synchronous learning. Despite the amount of computer access my school has, it is difficult for them to be separated from me during real time broadcasting. Students can watch live broadcasts, view videos, etc…but without me present, they will be unable to use the lab. This would be a great tool for students outside of school, if everyone can go online at the same time. If students could do that, I would love to use this learning. The problem with this technology is that students have jobs, participate in sports, etc…so it is extremely difficult to find a time where everyone can meet.

There are several technologies that seem appropriate for any classroom, especially an English room. I will continue to look into each technology and see which ones would be best suited for my classroom.

Zoho Notebook

I absolutely love this application and think my students would benefit greatly from it. It allows you to add text, audio, video, pictures and links. You can move your notes to different parts of the page and organize it in a way that works best for you. One function I really loved was the audio function. Normally, you have to go to the start menu, applications, find your sound recorder, etc…before you can record sound. With Zoho, there is a built in sound recorder. When you hit insert audio, you can hit record and it will record and immediately save to your notes page. This application is similar to MS Word, but some of the buttons are even easier to figure out. The actual page is very self-explanatory and easy to follow. I haven’t been frustrated or found anything that I don’t like about this application. I wish I had found this when I was taking high school and college courses because group work always played a significant role in my classes.

Students would need to learn how to create a Zoho account, but only need minimal technological skills going into the using of this application. To share documents, there is a share button at the top of the page. When you click share, it allows you to e-mail the document to anyone you would like. This would benefit students in class and when working with groups. In class, students can share notes and compile a new set that has everyone’s notes. It is difficult for every student to write down every important note. The notebook application doesn’t require you to sign up for any additional fees and you can share with anyone that has a valid e-mail address.

I think this application would be invaluable for any subject, but I especially like it for my English class. We have many in-class discussions and several assignments and assessments are based on those discussions. Zoho allows students to take notes quickly and easily organize them later. If they share with other students, they can move notes around to add other student’s notes with theirs and keep an organized, chronological order. I know it would be a great asset to a Math or Science room as well. Students can link to class websites and upload/open notes a teacher posted there, add more, include pictures/websites or videos that teachers have found. An electronic copy of notes also makes things easy to find and stay green!

Group work is made easy using Zoho notebook. Along with what I’ve already mentioned, students can use any document given to them and place it on Zoho notebook. It is simple to take a MS Word or MS Works document and import the information without worrying about formatting. Teachers can create a class/group site on Zoho and students can use all the applications, especially notebook for their group project. With notebook, each student can e-mail their notes to each other and they can be organized in a quick, simple and organized fashion. Some times, a student must retype someone’s notes because they don’t work with the versions of Windows/Mac that the student who is compiling the project is using.

Collaboration is also made easy with an AIM type chat feature. If students create a group, they can leave messages on the chat for each member of the group and the member will receive it when the log on. This can work nicely if you all plan on working at the same time from different locations or even if you are just working and need to leave someone a note.

Instructional strategies and Web 2.0 technologies

There are several instructional strategies that fit well when using blogs in the classroom. At the beginning, you must be a sage on the stage, but you get to switch to a guide on the side. The sage will explain the components of creating a blog, the use of it in your specific class and the requirements for your class. You can integrate other technologies into it, teaching students how to adapt to changes in the curriculum. Teachers must model for students how to write properly for a blog. Just because the assignment is done online doesn’t mean that students can use computer and cell phone lingo, a common misconception. Teachers must teach students that proper writing can be done on the Internet and teach students proper netiquette. Just as a teacher must model the proper way to behave and discuss in class, she must do the same for Internet postings. With blogs, teachers can post videos/voice comments that students must listen to/watch and respond.

With the use of blogs, you do lose some strategies that are important to a classroom. It is difficult for formative and summative assessment to take place. Also, immediate feedback is a little more difficult. A teacher must read each post and the comments posted for each student. Assessment of understanding is difficult to determine, so teachers must be ready to adapt and discuss the difficulties students have with the material. Teachers will need to respond via the Internet because you cannot have students use the resource and not use it yourself. With blogs, you also lose the implementation of formal writing. Students can write using complete sentences, but the form and flow of an essay are not prevalent.

I will use blogs in my classroom in many ways. Since I teach English, I can have students discuss a text that we have read. I can have them bring in outside sources, which they can link to in their blogs, and fully analyze the question presented. Students can then respond to each other, forming an out of class group discussion. Another way I would utilize blogs would be as a continuation of a class discussion. If students are unable to speak up during class, they can make their points online. Blogs also provide a great forum for group work because students can hold discussions online.

Wikipedia

I went to Wikipedia and looked up my school, University Liggett. They had more information than I knew about the school, so it was difficult to find a place to edit. Knowing this portion will probably be deleted because I could not provide a picture of the logo, I decided to mention that Liggett has changed its logo several times. We discussed this during school last year, but I was unable to find out what the former logos were and why they were chosen. I added a part about how the logos have changed and the last change was during the 2008-2009 school year. I also added what the logo symbolizes, but would've liked to accompany my post with a picture of the logo. I also created a wiki on wikispaces.com, but haven't been able to add much to it yet with conferences approaching this week.

Computer-Based Instructional Objects

When creating computer-based instructional objects, it is vital that the project is organized in an easily accessible manner. If students cannot figure out where their links to resources, assignments, tools, etc... are, they will not be able to complete their end of the assignment. Along with organization, credit must be given where it's due. If a teacher doesn't credit outside sources used, they are condoning the thing they consistently tell their students to avoid (plagiarism). Links must be checked to ensure they work and the sites still exist. When creating a StAIR project, if the link between slides doesn't exist (if PowerPoint is used), students cannot procede to the next element or finish the assignment. On WebQuests, broken links can disrupt the entire assignment.

Along with these elements, access can be difficult to obtain. In my current school, I don't have to worry too much about computer access as my room is adjacent to the computer lab. At the school where I student taught, it was very difficult to book the computer lab in time. In addition, the majority of my students didn't have computers at home and the lab was only open for 40 minutes after school. I don't foresee that problem at my school now, but this is an issue for many students.

WebQuest examples:
Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice
http://homepages.wmich.edu/~j2burke/prideindex.html

William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
http://chalk.richmond.edu/education/projects/webquests/shakespeare/

I chose these particular WebQuests because I liked the layout and information provided. They are easy to access and contain pertinent information. One strategy in the Shakespeare WebQuest is to rewrite the story in a different era. To complete this task, you must research the other era and have a handle on the material presented. If you didn't understand the task, it is difficult to put it into a different context. Students must also change the Elizabethan language into modern language, thus making them experts on both languages. I like that the Shakespeare WebQuest addressed everything with the teachers that might be using this site. The creator included objectives and what the learners need to know ahead of time. Both WebQuests give step by step instructions for group work. I like this because it teaches students are to work together in a group and helps guide them in ways to achieve their goal as a cohesive group.

Websites vs. Blogs

I think that websites and blogs are both tools that can be used in the classroom. Blogs allow students to voice their opinions and hold discussions on different topics. Websites created specifically for the classroom can accomplish the same task. When using websites as resources in the classroom, I feel more comfortable about the credibility of my source. Since blogs are similar to "online diaries" they may be more opinion based. This isn't always the case, but it is difficult to find the credibility about each blog. I use blogs in my classroom as a discussion forum for my students. If a site like weebly, google sites, wikispaces, etc... are used, as a teacher, I can respond easily, especially if I am a subscriber or owner of the website.