http://wikisineducation.wetpaint.com/
http://itcboisestate.wordpress.com/2008/05/21/10-best-practices-for-using-wikis-in-education/
http://pbworks.com/content/edu+overview
The first thing that was often emphasized was the importance of patience with the technology. Although not an issue I have ignored, I did not understand how important it is to make sure all of your students know how to use your technology. It would be unfair to down-grade your students if YOU failed to explain to them how to use the wiki. Similarly, it is important for the instructor to be familiar with the technology.
Another important detail is to make the activities meaningful. Students do not learn by simply posting on the wiki for points, but must be prompted to evaluate what they are posting and WHY they are posting. I have a class that makes me post five times a week, but I honestly don't have five days worth of posts to make. I would rather create one meaningful post than five useless, grade-giving posts.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
Research and Tweens Reflection
1. What are some of the findings in the Pew Report that intrigued you?
The correlation between boys using social networking sites (SNS) to make friends and flirt more often than girls made a lot of sense. Although girls may use SNS to reinforce current friendships, boys see them as a chance to make friends (i.e. meet girls, likely) in a setting where they have plenty of time to think about what to say next.
I was also impressed by how high the non-public profile percent was. Apparently 66% of teens are smart enough to take precautions to protect their identities, but I hope they match this with equal discretion in making friends. If your profile is private and you accept every friend request, it more or less defeats the purpose.
I was also impressed by how high the non-public profile percent was. Apparently 66% of teens are smart enough to take precautions to protect their identities, but I hope they match this with equal discretion in making friends. If your profile is private and you accept every friend request, it more or less defeats the purpose.
2. What are some of the behaviors displayed by the teens in the videos that intrigued you?
On Sexman: THE BOY'S FACE DIDN'T MOVE. I know that's shallow, but it was the first thing I noticed. Moving on: he almost seemed to be trying out the phrase "bad ass." Aside from saying it several times (5 times in 2 minutes, I believe), he seemed almost tentative to finish it the first time and eased into it later. Else, he sounded confident in his tone and anecdote, but didn't look very prepared to be recorded. He really couldn't have looked more stiff, and this time it was more than cosmetic; it was an important factor in his demeanor. I'm a bit curious if he was doing it on purpose. It's likely he was being self-conscious about his movements because he knew he was on camera and didn't want to move too much at risk of seeming strange, but ironically it had an inverse effect.
On Boxxy: Boxxy changed her voice frequently and predictably. There were certain phrases that she tried to change her accent for (or something) and they became easier to identify as she continued. She was also very expressive, probably for the exact same reason as "Sexman." She knew that her friend was going to watch her video (and possibly others) so she made herself seem as excited and moved as she could. Not only did she change her face as per the situation, but she also used her hands a lot; almost frighteningly so. I doubt she is that enthusiastic in real life, but she was probably trying to be cute for her viewers.
3. What were your results from the quiz above? Were you surprised? Why or why not?
You are an Roving Node
If you are a Roving Node, you are an active manager of your social and work lives using your mobile device. You get the most out of basic applications – such as email or texting – and find them great for dealing with the logistics of your life and enhancing personal productivity. You are more of a hub for information flows than a source of digital content. You are heavily reliant on all of your ICTs for communicating and gathering information.
That sounds about right, honestly. I was quite thrilled when I received my Smartphone and now use it to do as much as possible (schedule, alarm, internet, etc.) Without my smartphone I would probably wake up late every day and forget near-every birthday. I especially liked the comment on gathering information, because I do often look things up on Wikipedia when I am unsure, as I have the means.
The only thing I was surprised about was that I did not get Desktop Veteran. I imagine my Smartphone has become a large part of my life, but I still use my desktop way more often. It possibly did not matter in this survey as it did not ask about PC games, as I use my PC game a LOT; the survey seemed more interested in information distribution. Roughly half the time I am on my computer I am playing a video game.
More to come!
The only thing I was surprised about was that I did not get Desktop Veteran. I imagine my Smartphone has become a large part of my life, but I still use my desktop way more often. It possibly did not matter in this survey as it did not ask about PC games, as I use my PC game a LOT; the survey seemed more interested in information distribution. Roughly half the time I am on my computer I am playing a video game.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Reflection on Lesson Plan 1
What I learned from designing this first lesson plan for class was...
Thomas Edison gives great advice on designing lesson plans: inspiration and perspiration. Starting the lesson plan proved to be a substantial challenge, but once I knew where to start, the rest just wrote itself. I did have to make sure I was covering everything I needed, but once I knew where to start and where to end, the middle came pretty quick. Kind of like making a sandwich :)
Inspiration can come from several places; Sunshine State Standards, new teaching aides, and even homework assignments can be useful springboards for teaching a lesson.
What I want to know more about is...
How do I extend a lesson plan past a single day? I think I did a two week lesson plan for another class, but how do you extend it even further? And just as importantly, how do you know when to adjust the schedule; are you spending too much or too little time on a subject? It hardly seems fair for the first class where a lesson plan is used to be the "test class," but I suppose instructors become better at adapting with experience.
Moreover, can a lesson plan be independent of activities therein? In other words, how do you integrate as many different tasks within a lesson plan (for the purpose of varying tasks with different classes) while still teaching the same idea. Is there a point where you must forgo previous templates or can any template really be "one size fits all?" Questions questions; only time will tell.
Thomas Edison gives great advice on designing lesson plans: inspiration and perspiration. Starting the lesson plan proved to be a substantial challenge, but once I knew where to start, the rest just wrote itself. I did have to make sure I was covering everything I needed, but once I knew where to start and where to end, the middle came pretty quick. Kind of like making a sandwich :)
Inspiration can come from several places; Sunshine State Standards, new teaching aides, and even homework assignments can be useful springboards for teaching a lesson.
What I want to know more about is...
How do I extend a lesson plan past a single day? I think I did a two week lesson plan for another class, but how do you extend it even further? And just as importantly, how do you know when to adjust the schedule; are you spending too much or too little time on a subject? It hardly seems fair for the first class where a lesson plan is used to be the "test class," but I suppose instructors become better at adapting with experience.
Moreover, can a lesson plan be independent of activities therein? In other words, how do you integrate as many different tasks within a lesson plan (for the purpose of varying tasks with different classes) while still teaching the same idea. Is there a point where you must forgo previous templates or can any template really be "one size fits all?" Questions questions; only time will tell.
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