Thing #5

So, I’ve been reading and feeding…And, Shelley’s suggestion about just skimming through the reader content (rather than reading it thoroughly) is great!  I’ve never been good at skimming, so it’s good that I have a reason to now.  I found some neat things on three of the feeds:

Successful Teaching

Summer Professional Development – It is very true that, as educators, we owe it to our students and ourselves to become more educated about our profession.  It is in that spirit that I enrolled in this Web 2.0 course in the first place.  And what better time is there to accomplish that goal than during the 2 months we have “off” in the summer?  It is no accident that I signed up for this course during the summer.  While I have not created a regiment to follow, as the author of this blog post has, I can see the merit in her suggestions.

I Can’t Hear You – I have always believed that it is important for students to explain what they think.  No matter what subject matter they are studying, it is important to voice their thinking.  In some class settings, this is easy: discussions about a novel in Literature class, presentations about stories from History class, demonstrations of scientific processes, etc.  In math class, I call students to the board and have them work through a problem and explain what is happening at each step.  Or, I have one student work the problem and another “narrate” it.  Or, we work on what I call a “popcorn problem,” when we work out a problem as a class and I call on students all around the room to explain it one step at a time.  Whatever it takes, students should be given the opportunity to verbally express what they understand.  The author of this blog post seems to share a similar opinion.

Infinite Thinking Machine

We Need Our Earth – What a fantastic way to get students to take responsibility for their education!  And, I love the idea of giving students a Google Earth Scavenger Hunt!  I can see how easy it would be to incorporate geography (history class), unit conversion (math class), and land formations (science class) into one cross-curricular project.  Great!

Instructify

Munsel Hue Test – This is so neat!  I didn’t have a lot of time to work on it, so I only spent about five minutes.  I scored 99, which is dreadful!  I will go back and try that again, for sure.  Try it…it’s so cool!

Thing #4

Before this Web 2.0 experience, my exposure to blogs was very limited.  So, as I began writing in my own blog during Thing 3, I really didn’t know what I was doing.  So, I really enjoyed exploring other people’s blogs this week!  I feel like I learned a lot and have a new perspective on the advantages to blogging.  I’ve decided to organize my findings into four categories.

Blogging as a Genre

• As with other Web 2.0 tools, blogging allows people of different walks of life, different interests, and even different time zones to communicate and collaborate.

Writing a Blog

• Writing in a blogging environment gives you the freedom to express your opinions without a fear of rejection.
• As in Boeun’s Scribe for December 4th, students have an avenue through which to reflect what they’ve learned in class.
• It is really easy to reference outside sources, including other blog entries and newspaper and articles.  No need for in-text citations!  Spies Like Us is a really good example of this.
• You are allowed to break some of the traditional rules of writing mechanics!
• It is easy to get a point across using only a few words.

Reading a Blog

• While reading a blog, you have quick access to opinions that are different from your own, those that you otherwise may not hear.
• Alternatively, blogs also give you a way to communicate with people who are in similar situations or have similar experiences as your own.  By reading the stories and advice they share, you can glean insight from their wisdom.

Commenting on a Blog

• While commenting on someone’s blog, you have the freedom of hiding behind your computer screen.  You can express your views without the confrontational environment of an in-person debate.
• When students blog, as in Boeun’s Scribe for December 4th, they are able to comment on each others blogs, thereby encouraging and supporting each other.