I recently read about the possibilities of podcasting. I decided to try it out. I made my first podcast for my students talking them through a quiz review. I added photos to make it a little more interesting and posted it on the class website. Some students used it. Next time, I enlisted the help of my son and turned it into an interview. I interviewed King George III, Paul Revere and Thomas Jefferson. The questions I asked them were amazingly similar to the information that would appear on the quiz. This time I kept it as a MP3 since a couple students had suggested they would like to download it on their ipods and not everyone had video capability.
Having learned that podcasts need to be more episodic, I could continue this interview concept (as long as my son can master the accents). Further, I have thought about putting students in the driver's seat. As a class, we could develop an overall name for the podcast and students could be interviewers and historical interviewees. That would probably be an ever better review than just listening to me. It would certainly have the engagement factor.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
History to Current Events
My thoughts for a wiki to use in class combined with my desire to make connections from history class to real life and my students desire to talk about current events. Unfortunately the pacing of this class leaves little time for anything extra. I thought it would be interesting to start a class wiki where students could share their thoughts about how things connected. Anyone could add a topic and others could add to the conversation about the connections. For example my students are learning about effigies. I showed a picture of an effigy in the Egypt protests. On a wiki, everyone could add viewpoints on the connections from past to present. Another comparison we made was the Committees of Correspondance in the 1770's verses Twitter and Facebook in Egypt today. Other examples the Tea Party of 1773 and the Tea Party political movement today.
I think students would like to have a place where they can "try out" their understanding. It could also have the added benefit of having students be more interested in current events.
I think students would like to have a place where they can "try out" their understanding. It could also have the added benefit of having students be more interested in current events.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Blog, blog, blog
Ok, per my assignment in graduate school I am supposed to blog. Here I go. It's not that I'm anti-blog. I was reading Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms by Will Richardson and I can see the potential for using blogs in various projects or just communication between myself and students. I think it could help me to know students much better as individuals and give voice to those students who might be reticent to speak up in class. Given the privacy issues, I would want to have my middle schoolers blog in a protected environment, not yet open to the entire world. But I do realize that sort of limits the excitement of blogging. The attraction is to publish your thoughts for the world to see and comment upon. But parents sometimes frown upon that.
For full disclosure I am in the age group that tends not to want to share personal information with everyone. I do have a Facebook page but you would laugh if I told you my total number of friends. I understand the net generation is going to feel free to share info electronically. I don't discourage that, but do talk about the possible concerns with students in class. And this is my hesitation with blogging. Now if I had a book to sell, a movie to promote, a product to launch, a campaign to run, I would definitely see the advantages of blogging to the world. But for my observations on life and such, I’m just not there yet. However, I am still learning, so I may get there.
For full disclosure I am in the age group that tends not to want to share personal information with everyone. I do have a Facebook page but you would laugh if I told you my total number of friends. I understand the net generation is going to feel free to share info electronically. I don't discourage that, but do talk about the possible concerns with students in class. And this is my hesitation with blogging. Now if I had a book to sell, a movie to promote, a product to launch, a campaign to run, I would definitely see the advantages of blogging to the world. But for my observations on life and such, I’m just not there yet. However, I am still learning, so I may get there.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Defending the Intuitive
For the past three years, I have show the movie Newsies to my class. It is a good event to use while groups are out of the room 10-15 minutes at a time filming their video news segment. But beyond that, I have always felt it was helpful for several reasons. One, it gave a visual representation of the power of newspapers at the turn of the century. It also shows in context terms we have discussed such as gatekeeper, bias, and objective. Further, it dovetails with the unit that students are learning in Social Studies currently.
This year when I watched it, I realized that if need be, I could write a justification essay on this movie. As I explained to the students, we could have spent classes taking notes and learning the history of newspapers in their heyday. However, seeing the actor portraying Joseph Pulitzer claim to run New York and tell citizens how to think was much more powerful.
Any tinge of uncertainty I had about using this movie in an educational setting has been removed. I see even more the value of alternative lesson building activities. In addition, after they view the movie, I have set up a forum discussion allowing students to share their insights on how the movie shows the concept of gatekeeping.
This year when I watched it, I realized that if need be, I could write a justification essay on this movie. As I explained to the students, we could have spent classes taking notes and learning the history of newspapers in their heyday. However, seeing the actor portraying Joseph Pulitzer claim to run New York and tell citizens how to think was much more powerful.
Any tinge of uncertainty I had about using this movie in an educational setting has been removed. I see even more the value of alternative lesson building activities. In addition, after they view the movie, I have set up a forum discussion allowing students to share their insights on how the movie shows the concept of gatekeeping.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Net Gen Moment
I had a true "net gen" awareness moment over the last two days. I had my class on laptops, and was explaining how to use Vision (Loudoun's new Blackboard). I set up a forum so they could practice their software skills. The forum was also a way to get them to brainstorm some ideas for the upcoming unit.
I took them through the requisite first time sign in procedure and then explained the concept of a forum to them. I told them it was like all of my students in all my blocks having a discussion with no one waiting to be called on. We went over expectations of behavior on electronic academic discussion and then I told them to go for it. They had to make at least one original post and comments on two others.
They were entranced. It was really interesting to behold. I got questions such as "Can we post more than one?" "Can we reply to more?" "Can we log on at home and add some more ideas?"
Say that again. You are asking to do more than I assigned? OF COURSE YOU CAN!
Now I know that part of it is the novelty and it won't always be this wonderfully received. But for this age group, it is very engaging and I plan to make use of their interest.
I took them through the requisite first time sign in procedure and then explained the concept of a forum to them. I told them it was like all of my students in all my blocks having a discussion with no one waiting to be called on. We went over expectations of behavior on electronic academic discussion and then I told them to go for it. They had to make at least one original post and comments on two others.
They were entranced. It was really interesting to behold. I got questions such as "Can we post more than one?" "Can we reply to more?" "Can we log on at home and add some more ideas?"
Say that again. You are asking to do more than I assigned? OF COURSE YOU CAN!
Now I know that part of it is the novelty and it won't always be this wonderfully received. But for this age group, it is very engaging and I plan to make use of their interest.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Process not Product
The quote from Dr. Norton that often the learning is in the process not the product has stuck with me. I have been one to want perfect (or at least good) products from my students, thinking that was the assessment of their learning. I am backing off that.
Recently as we were learning principles of photo design, I changed my lesson from previous years. Before, students would find examples of the photo design principles in magazines. That had merit. However, this year, I gave them cameras. In small groups, they had to actually take photos using the principles. Again, I am amazed at what I probably should have known, but the understanding of the principles was so much higher with the students actually taking the photos. Last year, they would have come to me and asked if a photo in the magazine met the criteria. They were often just trying to check off all the boxes. This year their questions were more engaging. For example, they wanted permission to go into the hall because they had a great idea for a photo containing leading lines using the multi-colored tiles on the wall.
Now, are their photos the same quality as the the ones they might have found from professional photographers? No. But, do they understand the principles better. I think so. Other things I added in this lesson was encouraging collaboration among the three team members. Next class, they will get a writing component where they have to write a fiction story and use the photos to illustrate their story.
Recently as we were learning principles of photo design, I changed my lesson from previous years. Before, students would find examples of the photo design principles in magazines. That had merit. However, this year, I gave them cameras. In small groups, they had to actually take photos using the principles. Again, I am amazed at what I probably should have known, but the understanding of the principles was so much higher with the students actually taking the photos. Last year, they would have come to me and asked if a photo in the magazine met the criteria. They were often just trying to check off all the boxes. This year their questions were more engaging. For example, they wanted permission to go into the hall because they had a great idea for a photo containing leading lines using the multi-colored tiles on the wall.
Now, are their photos the same quality as the the ones they might have found from professional photographers? No. But, do they understand the principles better. I think so. Other things I added in this lesson was encouraging collaboration among the three team members. Next class, they will get a writing component where they have to write a fiction story and use the photos to illustrate their story.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
What is it I want to accomplish here?
This blog is about my endeavors to improve my teaching, which in turn should improve the ability of my students to learn, think, reason and create. Coming from my first class in my master's program, I admit to feelings of being overwhelmed. Everything I went to accomplish today for my own classroom was scrutinized through the lens of "Has this been designed or just thrown together?" I have so far to go and so much to learn since I couldn't answer my own question most of the time.
On the positive side, I would say that my first class gave me a refresher on the perspective from the student side of things. As a person who tries to follow directions (except when I am baking), I found myself missing a step or two in our computer exercises. When I realized my problem stemmed from the fact that I had not read the next sentence, I mentally heard myself say as I do to my students "You guys have to read the directions." I was humbled.
I was also a mediocre, just making it student in this exercise. It was enlightening (although a bit frightening) to be in that position--to know others around you were "catching on" and you were not. I want to remember that for my students.
Finally, I realized the time we had spent during class to get to know each other had resulted in a group which was already collaborating and bonding. I want to try that with my own students next Tuesday when school begins. Middle school students are not as forgiving as fellow teachers, but I want to try for that collaborative atmosphere as a starting point.
On the positive side, I would say that my first class gave me a refresher on the perspective from the student side of things. As a person who tries to follow directions (except when I am baking), I found myself missing a step or two in our computer exercises. When I realized my problem stemmed from the fact that I had not read the next sentence, I mentally heard myself say as I do to my students "You guys have to read the directions." I was humbled.
I was also a mediocre, just making it student in this exercise. It was enlightening (although a bit frightening) to be in that position--to know others around you were "catching on" and you were not. I want to remember that for my students.
Finally, I realized the time we had spent during class to get to know each other had resulted in a group which was already collaborating and bonding. I want to try that with my own students next Tuesday when school begins. Middle school students are not as forgiving as fellow teachers, but I want to try for that collaborative atmosphere as a starting point.
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