Action Research Part two

Action research is really something else! When our teacher said we'd never look at things the same way, she was right on. I learned more about creating surveys than I thought I would, especially about the wording of each question. It's not the easiest thing in the world to do, especially when they're created for analysis purposes. Sometimes I wonder if the takers of the survey will put as much thought into answering the questions as I did in making them. The answer to that will come when the participants take the surveys. It will be an interesting time, that's for sure.

The part I'm looking forward to is the actual carrying out of the research. I'm really glad we got this part over! I never realized how much preparation time it took to create the information necessary for actually carrying out a project! I'm thankful that we went through the process, though. I'll never think of it the same way again.

Action Research

I've decided to put a new spin on this article, and that's one of thanks, as this is the national week of giving thanks. So, I'm thankful I get the opportunity to do some action research, frustrating that all the paperwork may be. I know I'll be thankful when it gets all done, too. I keep thinking about my research question, and I feel the need to focus on a more specific question. I'm thankful I've made a lot of progress on my PowerPoint, but now need to work on what the questions are I really want to find out about as well as the survey questions for parents and students. 

I'm thankful Linda too us through the IRB packet and helped us fill in what we need to do.

I'm thankful our group has worked hard on chopping through Article 2 and it has been approved. We took Linda's advice and chopped away at the adverbs. We did find and get approval for our third article. Now we just have to get that one done, too.

I'm thankful I've been able to meet with my principals and have their written letters, so that's another thing on my to do list that has been accomplished. 

I'm also thankful we have some time off this week! I'll be using some of it to work on Action Research, too. 

 

 

Nings

This past week has been very informative as to how Nings can be useful in the professional setting. I can't see it of much help to students at the elementary level at this stage. They would rather be in their gaming websites than in a collaborative Ning anyway. Nings are considered social networking sites and our schools are blocked from them. I did find, after hours of searching, a good Ning that I'm following and participating in, the Library 2.0 Ning. I did find that the videos are now able to be searched, as you have to put the word "video" in the search area in the upper right hand corner. Then the videos can be seen.

As far as the Web 2.0 applications are concerned, I do think that there are a lot of applications out there that can be used by the everyone. All they need to do is to learn about the directory. If I wouldn't have learned about it in this class, I'd be searching tremendously for applications that we could use. There are so many things out there for us to use, however, many are not fit to be used in the educational setting. Most need an email address. There are some out there for the younger students, but without an email address, they wouldn't be able to use them. Perhaps this is to make the parents aware, as well, as to what is out there for their child/ren to get into, especially if they are unsupervised. I do think, with all the information available for free, one wouldn't have to spend a cent to get something worthwhile to use.

On a further note, we did use DimDim to get together with our group this past week. It was a good experience, but would have been better if the microphone I had would have accessed the site. We had been on this site before with Louie and the experience was about the same. It's hard to read and follow the discussion at the same time. I could see where I could use this feature when participating in a collaborative discussion with the other librarians in the district, but I'd much rather meet in person. It's great for long distance learners, however, and I could see myself teaching other students how to use this feature on the web to collaborate on their projects. They'd probably love the idea! Once again, though, not all my students have access to the Internet. I asked students yesterday if they had access to the Internet by a show of hands and found a few hands that didn't get raised. DimDim reminds me of the cartoon show, The Jetson's". They had a video conference every time they answered the "phone"! As much as I think we're in close to living in the Jetson's era, I still haven't seen that hover car. When I do, and everyone has one, then I'll know for sure we're living in the future!

Web 2.0 Info

This has been an interesting week, as I was looking high and low for a new Web 2.0 application for my paper. I did my paper and found another interesting link I think all should know about. It's Webspiration!. This is a version of Inspiration that was just released for the web, and does allow for collaboration among various groups of people. I did subscribe, which was free, and it was interesting all the information that was asked. I know they won't share it, but nevertheless, they asked for it. You can assign your own user name and password. The only drawback I could see was for elementary students wanting to use it. Unless you have an email address, you can't use it. It was meant for anyone, as students was a targeted group.

I like the fact that it has various icons used for creating the web, and I also like that you can add your collaborators. You have to have their email addresses to add them, when you create the chart. I can see where students needing to use a graphical user interface for any of their courses would be able to use this one. It's almost exactly like the program Inspiration, which school districts have to purchase. I can see where applications for use in creating an outline for writing, a presentation for PowerPoint, or just wanting to organize ones thoughts. Creating a timeline is another way to use it. It's nice that it can be emailed to professors, so once done, there is no paper involved. It's a great site for students to have access to. I learned about this from the Technology Learning feed I subscribe to. 

I found, searching the GotoWeb2.0.net website, there were a number of good things out there. I joined one called Journeys, which let me choose anywhere in the world to tour. I could set up my own tour, and thought about having this one to do a report on. The tours weren't the best ones to go on for younger students, however. I did join the Seven Wonders of the World and started a profile. I got started, but the journey only happens offline. That meant I could explore around, but wouldn't be able to reach my first destination until later. I can see myself going back to finish the tours, and could see college students use this to find the great brewery sights, or take a winery tour. They could even find the best no tee shirts beaches around the world. Unfortunately, those would limit any teacher from using this site for their students to do some research with. I can see adults using it to take virtual trips and seeing the various sites with some information given about it. I did get to choose my own house, a castle, and a vehicle to move around in - a hover craft. I could start out anywhere in the world I wanted and was able to meet various friends along the way. This website is supposed to let you move around and meet others. Unfortunately, I haven't been on it long enough to meet any buddies yet. I think this is one site hoping to have others around the world gather global cultural information without having to leave their home. 

I was amazed at a lot of the sites that are out there. So many of them would be good for elementary students, yet they all would have to have email addresses to sign up, even the ones for the younger students had to have their parents sign them up. Or else they would have to be over the age of 13 with their own email address. I wonder how many students lie about their age to sign up for some of the sites. I saw a great one about making cartoons, but the content wasn't appropriate for younger students. There was a lot of violence or inappropriate pictures portrayed in their demo for young students. 

Another I found I thought might be good was called Lookybook. It's one that features new picture books with reviews. I can use this one as a place to go to for book reviews about new books that are coming out. It has genre or subject searches, although I found the genre search not separated, and not all genres were listed. Of course, there aren't too many genres for picture books. At present there are only about 300 picture books listed. That means it's a newer website and a lot of the author/illustrators either don't want their new books listed and reviewed, or they haven't been contacted as yet. When I first looked at it, I thought it might be a place for students to write their own reviews, but was wrong. Turns out they can read them, not write them. It's a place for anyone who purchases books to read the entire book first, before deciding whether or not to purchase it. 

On the whole, I found GotoWeb2.0.net a great site for all of us to look at and be aware of all the applications that are out there for us to use. It's one I'll be going back to for my own use, as there are a number of applications I can use.

Podcasting

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Here's my podcast.

Using Gcast was easy enough to do. I've put the instructions for anyone to use the Destiny OPAC library from the Oconomowoc area school website.  I find students forget to take their book mark home of the site, and teachers, parents and students would be able to follow the podcast directions to get into the website. Another option would be to embed this into my teacher page on the school website, if that would be allowed. I'd have to check that option out. I did have  a little frustration when I posted this podcast. It was added to the first podcast I created, so there are two showing up. I tried to edit the html, but wound up having some problems deleting the correct code. Needless to say, I was a little frustrated creating the second one without it getting attached to the April podcast. If anyone has suggestions as to how to get the first one off, l would appreciate it!

RSS Choices

     Tuesday night we learned about RSS aggregates, first Google Reader and then Bloglines. I thought I'd like Bloglines better, but when I tried it, and then Google Reader, I liked Google Reader better. It was easy to add subscriptions and add every one's blog to it. As I added them, I went reading through those I hadn't read and commented on them. I noticed tonight that Jim didn't like Bloglines as much as Google Reader, either. I wonder if it was because the directions were easier to follow, or if the tutorial made it easier for us to do. 

     I got caught up in looking through a lot of RSS information today. I kept going from one site to the next in my search for information. I started with David Warlick 's 2 Cents Worth and got involved reading the comments, and then going to other sites. He had a really interesting question about technology at the end of his blog today, so I had to read the comments. 

     I read Wesley Freyer's website next. As I was following his links, I found a great site on Media Literacy for the Information Age, which is so appropriate to what I'm teaching now. 

     I certainly can see the value of RSS feeds! I didn't have to look long and hard for the information to come to me! I can see why people use them, as it certainly cuts down on the searching end of things. I subscribed to a number of cake decorating sites now, too, for interest. I've looked through some, but have a few to go. 

 

Blogging Favorites

I like to follow some blogs that discuss education, technology, and cake decorating. I also like to read the Dog Whisper's blog, as she discusses library issues. I like the way she writes, as she's informative, somewhat witty, and always has something pertinent to say. I follow technology & learning's blog, as I can follow what's happening in the world of technology and education. I get ideas of what political and social issues are at the forefront of discussion. I get a heads up about what's happening and can discuss issues with my fellow teachers, principals, and librarians, sometimes even students. 

One of the favorites I follow, for personal interest, is on cake decorating. I love to look at the videos posted, especially gleaning ideas or seeing a "wow" cake. The Ace of Cakes is one such place I like. I've also added a Shelfari site blog to this blog. Already I've been questioned about my opinons about some of the books I've read, as well as made recommendations of what to read to others. My Shelfari blog gets more action than this one, as far as comments or questions go.
After reading some of the articles, and looking for good blogs, I can see how easy it would be to get lost in "blogland". The comment made about finding a good blog is like finding a needle in a haystack was so appropriate. We look for good blogs to read, and there are so many different kinds of blogs out there that what one is looking for, accurate in content, yet relevant, is sometimes looking for that needle.  When that one is found, it's a gem and everyone wants to read it. 

Web 2.0

I have enjoyed many of the courses we've had, but I think this one might be the best. I've been thinking about how I can use blogging in my classes, and right now, I think the best way is to be an informational type blog for parents and students. I'm hoping I can add project information about what the students are doing in library class to my blog. It will be interesting to get one started and available soon. 

 I've been able to look at a number of blogs and I'm going to link to the ones I like.  The first one is the Technorati site. It's one if I link to now I'll be able to search others in the future. Another one I found I liked is Tea reads. The author is a librarian and discusses attitudes and books being read. A third one I found I liked, and every teacher should read is budtheteacher blogspot, especially if you need a good pat on the back! (I'm going to have to make a list in the side of my blog just to list all the good blogs I like). A fourth one is Leader Talk. It leads me to other good blogs written by educators about educating students and ourselves. I even stumbled on one I think math teachers would like to know about, as it lets anyone in a basic math, pre-algebra, algebra, trig, pre-calculus or calculus class put in a problem and the program solves the problem for them. It's called Mathway.  I've looked at Google as well for blogs, but I like the Technorati site better. Maybe it's the directory I get right at the beginning of the program. I like things laid out so I can use them right away as well as get an idea of how the authors have categorized their sites. It must be the librarian in me.

Week 5-Educational Leadership Reflection

This has been an interesting week. I've been reflecting on what type of leadership we'll be having at Meadow View this year as our former sixth grade teacher will now be the new principal. As a staff, we all applaud the administration for making this appointment. As I look at how he went through the stages of change in his life, I see the administration listening to what the group had to say about his leadership skills. He's been able to transition from teacher to principal during the last quarter of the school year. He's personable and cares about the school and the climate. He knows the curriculum and what it's like for teachers in the "trenches", as having just come from there himself. I see the district as being wise in listening to the concerns of our staff, having been living through three principals in the past four years. Hopefully, the change in climate and morale will improve and the staff will once again be a cohesive, collegial unit. Our data day has been scheduled for August 27Th, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and we'll be having building hours the following day, called, "Centers in a Snap". I'm looking forward to seeing the data, reflecting on its meaning, and how we plan on using it this year . We'll have a few new teachers on board, so it will be interesting and exciting helping them understand what the data day is all about. I remember as a first year teacher, data day was somewhat overwhelming. Now that I've taken this course, I understand and appreciate the job the principals and administrators have to do to sort through it all and have us come to consensus and create an action plan. I used to not look forward to this day, as it's long and tiring. Now I'm looking forward to it! Taking this course has helped me understand it. I'm even going to suggest we post the WINSS link to the OASD site.  

Week 4: Analyzing the Game

I've been working on assessing changes in the elementary library field. My role has changed since being hired at Okauchee in 1990. I've seen the role change from one of inclusion of skills into the classroom at one school to going to 50% at two schools and becoming a "drop off" library teacher. I've moved from students learning about the author, subject, title cards and card drawers and what type of information would best meet their needs in book form, to searching on the OPAC stations as well as the Internet, for information. What all this taught me is that change is inevitable.

As I look back at the game we played, I noticed the date on some of the handouts reflected back to 1971. My best guess is that all of our existing administrators know about this game, have played it, and even use it when instituting change in our own school districts. It doesn't mean things haven't changed all that much. It does mean to me that it's a reality game. In order for districts to institute changes, there has to be a way to "play the game", and this is the vehicle used to create a lot of changes. I've seen our district go through changes when trying to get money for building two new middle schools. They started out with surveying the stakeholders and gathering social information. They assessed the problems and addressed the issues of the the schools. They followed all the steps in getting the community involved. When the referendum didn't pass the first time, they talked more and went back to those who were resistant. All in all, after a couple of tries, revisiting their plans, assessing data, etc., the referendum passed, as two new middle schools will be opening this fall. 

In order for any change to happen, there have to be leaders who are willing to make these necessary changes. Some leaders are in the classroom and some are more noticeable, such as the Superintendent. I do know for me to become an effective leader to implement change, I'll have to keep the Plan, Do, Check, and Act Cycle at the forefront of whatever changes I need to make. I'll need to keep in mind whatever changes are made, there will be resistance from from some, and the stages of change will have to be gone through. When I became a first grade teacher after being in the library role for 13 years, I went through all the changes, from awareness when I found out after the April WEMA convention where a lot of school districts were discussing cuts in the library field, to being told in June that I'd probably teach first grade the following year. That decision wasn't settled until the following August, so I had to prepare to practice in a short time. I was given support and had to learn about the first grade curriculum, how to direct students in reading classes, form groups, find the curriculum's to teach teach with, and spent the year learning how to do things differently. I practiced all the time and went on the second year, feeling confident with the first grade material. Then I moved on to fifth grade. I became "Haw" in the book, "Who Moved My Cheese", and eventually I was offered the cheese again. The cheese being the library. The role has somewhat changed, and I've grown to accept that the role is becoming what I make it. I plan on making positive changes and helping turn the climate of our our schools to one of positive possibilities. 

Changes

Playing the school change game was really enlightening. I knew principals and administrators had many items to consider when trying to institute change, but didn't realize the social aspect played such an important part. I recognized some of the types of characters on the board, as well. What should happen is this game should be played by all teachers entering the school of education during one of their undergrad classes. Is there an undergrad class that teaches Educational Leadership? There should be, if there isn't. I think if undergrad students had the opportunity to play this game they would have a clearer understanding of how "the educational system" works and makes changes. Maybe it could be held in one of the statistical classes, noting how school data plays out in the virtual game world. I appreciate the fact that the game was made and only wish it was around earlier, when I was taking undergrad classes. I would have understood where the administrators were coming from when they talked about making changes.

Looking at the information included in the Beloit list was enlightening. I wonder how teachers would have looked at the list if it were around when I was a beginning college student. The list would have read something like: Didn't know much about Hitler. Color TV's were invented. Transistor radios were invented. Data processing was done with cards. JFK was shot and killed, as well as Robert Kennedy. The Beatles, Bee Gee's, Supreme's, Elvis, and Doors were names of famous singing groups and singers. The Ed Sullivan Show was on every Sunday night. LSD was becoming a problem as well as "free love" and communes. Cults were starting and hippies were in. The Civil Rights movement was creating a lot of rioting; Nixon was impeached; blue jeans were in and finally, girls were able to wear slacks and jeans! Water was water, accepted as a free drink everywhere. Students were being drafted and burning draft cards, some escaping to Canada to protest the war. Scenes of the Vietnam War was on the news every night, the first time war was ever televised.  Recycling was a new thing to do, pollution a bad word. There are more I could add. To say the Baby Boomer generation wanted change was like saying water is water. I believe each generation wants its own way of making changes and there are those out there willing to fight for those changes. It doesn't come easy and some of it come with a price. 

I recognize myself as Haw in the video and book, "Who Moved My Cheese". I've not been one who "sniffed" it out, but I scurried to make the change when I needed to. I was more like Haw, throughout. He moves along with the change and makes some "A HA" statements on the wall as he was exploring. What we're doing now is like Haw. We're learning about making changes, taking risks, and the benefit of those changes. Nothing is ever static in life, as we go through the stages of our own lives. We grew from babies to toddlers, children to teenagers, young adults to adults, middle agers to senior citizens. Each decade brings its own changes and hopefully, we learn and grow through each one. It reminds me of the book, "Passages", about the different stages of life. We need to grow and accept that the world is in constant change. If we stick our heads in the sand, change will happen anyway, without us. If we want to make sure the changes are forward moving ones, we need to help lead in the making of those changes. 

To do so in the school system is to help teachers move forward with technology, introducing new concepts about teaching with technology and helping them learn it. It means I'll have staff development sessions for the staff, using current items such as digital storytelling, pod casts, wiki's, blogs and Web 2.0 and more. Then I'll be teaching appropriate use of those items to students, as they will be learning Web 2.0 skills as well. I'll continue learning new technology as it arises and offer staff development for those, as well. As I do so, I'll remember the lessons learned in the school change game: some may be resistant to change, but others will be looking forward with it. There will be many types of the same characters in the game, no matter what. I'll have to try and reach all.

What's with all the data?

One thing I found out about our school district is that it collects a lot of data, and it uses it, too. Much of it is on our district web site, posted for everyone to see. I have to give kudos to our district Director of Educational Research, Technology and Assessment, Derick Kiger. I never realized what a job he has in developing surveys, collecting data from staff, students, human resources, administration, and the community, not to mention the test data he has to analyze and submit. One of the reports he's generated has even won an award for our district. Without the data, the school would have to work harder to figure out what each schools needs are and what we can do to help fix those areas. For example, the parent survey given out over a year ago showed everyone that communication was a major issue that needed to be worked on. As a school, we brainstormed ways we could communicate our school goals as well as classroom activities, etc., throughout the school year. Teachers used many different ways to communicate with parents last year, including the school's web site. Many times throughout the year information was gathered about what was happening in every one's classroom and published on the web. Teachers sent out weekly newsletters, or even "Daily" news. 

The school academic goals were identified as reading and mathematics, as noted by the WKCE tests and OASD and state benchmarks. Each of my schools has been working on increasing reading skills and math skills this year. As this past year has ended, we'll again be looking at what the test scores say where we are and what goals we need to establish in the coming school year. I'll be using what I've been studying in this class, the data from the WINSS, the parent and student surveys to help lead our teachers in what we need to work on this following year, as we meet in August to define our needs.

I now have a greater appreciation of what Derick Kiger does. Without all his work in gathering data, assessing it and putting it into the AYP report, all of us would be working harder to understand what our needs are at each site that need to be addressed. Thank you, Derick!

Educational Leadership

Leadership roles comes in many styles. I find that I currently use the vertical leader role in the area of library curriculum as the district elementary librarians, along with the head district librarian, are working on seeing that the curriculum is aligned up and down the Kindergarten through fourth grade levels. We've then communicated with the two intermediate grade level librarians, and they communicated with the high school librarian in establishing the up and down curriculum for the coming year. We haven't finished, but we have begun tightening the instructional levels through the creation of common lessons across grade levels. As this is an on-going project, we've agreed to work on curriculum for a portion of our librarian meetings. I've been asking for the library curriculum to be worked on for a couple of years as I've seen the need to change come about with technology being at the forefront of change, yet the curriculum reflect old card catalog issues and teachings. With the arise of Web 2.0, pod casting, blogs, wiki's, social networking, cyberbullying, and research taking place more online than off, the changes in our teachings needed to reflect what we do, not what we have done.
I'm using the adaptive assertive style as well as the dynamic supportive style when I help with these curricular changes. I'm willing to listen to any and all ideas. I'm again, the impartial leader, willing to discuss and hear all sides before making a decision.
At school, I'm the subject area leader, as I'm the only librarian at two schools. I'm responsible for the library curriculum being integrated at the kindergarten through fourth grade levels. I try to meet with teachers at each grade level to find out what they're currently teaching, or will be teaching, and incorporate the appropriate library lesson with their curriculum. For example, when the first grade teachers are doing animal reports, I incorporate how to find information within the non-fiction books, using the glossary, table of contents, index, and citing their information on their paper. This may take a week or two to incorporate all the necessary library skills, depending on what follow up there is in the classroom.
At times this past year, I've been a host teacher for a student taking library courses and needing an experienced elementary library teacher to observe and have a practicum experience. As I found this experience to be very rewarding, I'll continue to host students.
During the school year, I've offered times for staff to come in and learn the basics of searching our Destiny library program. I've taught many of them and will continue to offer this service. I've also had the opportunity to instruct new library assistants in taking over the library when I'm at another school. I'm always available via my email or phone calls when I'm not there to answer pertinent questions.
Sometimes I serve as the technology leader when the computer resource person is unavailable and troubleshooting questions come to me. I'm on the technology committee at the district level, and communicate at times with the staff, as the need arises.

Web site design

At last our web sites were done and I got to see every one elses. I sure was impressed with all the ideas everyone had. I liked the way some of the class members were able to design nice looking web sites using what we learned with html, which is not the easiest thing to do. I got a renewed appreciation for web designers. There is a lot to learn about creating functional web site that's attractive, easy to navigate, and has relevant content to boot. I spent a lot of time redesigning what I had, once I got the idea of what I wanted to do. Getting the navigation I wanted placed on each page was easy, once I figured out exactly what I wanted where. The content of web links for each class I used was appropriate to each grade level. It was very time consuming, though, to get each one listed the way I wanted it. I did learn not to use a windows meta file picture, though. I had it working at home and even uploaded it fine, but once at school, the picture wouldn't show. I'm glad Mr. Sklar took the time to show me how to convert each one so I could have them in my presentation.
I was impressed with many of my classmates ideas. I liked the way in which many of them used different color schemes to go with what they teach. Tom's ski web site was great! I liked the way he inserted forms and had them linked to another where he could just gather the data without having to reenter it. Jim's ideas for his class worked great! I was impressed with the many different ways everyone presented their information. As a whole, I think I learned that I can create a web site, but I'm not a web site designer.

JavaScript

At our last class we had the opportunity to learn some JavaScript and what the difference between Java and JavaScript really is. I'm glad I had the opportunity to practice using JavaScript. I made a drop down menu for homework help I want the students to use. This way, it cleans up my home page and it looks nice and neat. Java is something else again. I like the idea of applets, but I think I'll stick with JavaScript. Thanks for giving us the applications!

Content Management Confusion

I really have to give a lot of credit to technical personnel and the job they do to make head or tails out of comparing Content Management Systems. After looking at some open source ones, e107, PHP-fusion, (where do they come up with these names, anyway), Content Made Simple, BigAce, and then looking at the ones for sale, my vote goes to the ones for sale. I so appreciate all the work that goes into making something easy to use for the end user, and yet is so technically involved for the geeks. I admit, I'm not a geek in the truest sense of the word. I do appreciate what they do for us, however. Comparing them was a chore. I do know why people would want to create their own, as they don't have the money to purchase the high end ones and would want something to suit their needs. Hopefully, they don't need one that needs a lot of security levels. I can see why school districts would leave the technical personnel make the decisions, as they know the infrastructure of what they need to manage. If they didn't, we'd all be in a lot of trouble. I'm also glad they offer demos for us to make some decisions about. Looking at them was mind-boggling. I'm glad we got to do this as a group! It's frustrating to make a good decision based on not enough technical knowledge. So thanks, to all the developers who are out there creating secure web sites for non-geeks like me to use.

Website reflections

Looking at websites, good and bad, has made me aware of all the different ways people see their world. Some are confusing, others are cluttered, and some are very organized. I'm amazed at all the ways people can use the internet to create their own ideas of what they want the world to see. I'm hoping I can do justice to what I want everyone to see and am hoping the upcoming lesson on CSS will help me to develop my website pages. I can understand why people want to use CSS. It's a nice way to get information out there without all the clutter.

HTML Reflections

This week has been one of trial and error. I'm really glad I bought the book that was recommended as it helps me understand all the "Chinese" language, as Jodi so aptly named it. I'm finding as I play around with it and try new things, I'm feeling a little more comfortable in understanding how to add items onto the page. I still need to learn how to get my pictures, or words, where I exactly want them on the page.
I've been looking at other library web sites to get an idea of what other librarians have on theirs and how they've designed theirs. There's a wealth of web sites out there. Some were better looking than others. It all depends on what my purpose is going to be for each web page I create as to what content I want on each one. There's a lot of thought gone into each and every one of them. I can see why web designers get paid the big bucks! Getting the right design isn't easy.

How Internet Changed Education and Society

The Internet has changed the world through instant news feeds. We are now able to access world and local news as it happens. People are communicating instantaneously as we see students and society text message events as they happen.
Worldwide, people are working at home in Internet-based businesses. They no longer have to go to the office to do their work. Others have found a way to make working on the Internet a profitable business, especially with sites like Amazon.com or EBay. Society is changing its way of accessing information and now even new laws are being created to fit the digital environment's use and misuse.
Educationally, parents have the ability to access their child's grades daily. They can see whether or not they have handed in their homework, and kept up with their daily assignments, as they too, are posted. Students have no excuse for not doing their homework since it is posted. Parents can email the teacher and communicate information about trips, needed assignments, missing grades, etc. They can have more input and necessary feedback.
The tools for education have changed with the advent of the Internet. We used to teach with books and go to the library for resources for reports. Now, the Internet has made the access of information immediate. We can collaborate globally and disseminate information immediately. The curricular areas need to be changed to meet the challenges of the Internet and how we address student learning issues and needs. For example, students now have to be taught how to access relevant information and critically examine websites. This means Boolean strategies must be taught at an earlier age, as well as what constitutes an appropriate site for accessing needed information. Cyber bullying is a new topic, and students need to be taught the consequences of online abuse.
Teachers are now expected to be a facilitator instead of a teacher who disseminates information. We need to incorporate online environments to facilitate students living in today's world and expected to graduate into a global workforce with skills necessary to obtain a job. They are text-messaging, using cell phones as cameras and instant messaging devices, downloading information and music as well. They are listening to pod casts, which teachers could use in their teaching, as well. There's a lot of free software on the web teachers and students could be using to collaborative with on their assignments. Students need to have access to computers, and this means there could be a problem if students don't have access. The schools need to provide adequate access for all students so they can do their online assignments. We're coming to an age where students need to almost have a computer on their desk as a tool,like a pencil, and not as a "class" to go to.
The public libraries have free access to the Internet, yet it's limited on a first come, first serve basis and not all can wait for an hour for access. There are the homeless whose needs have to be met, as well. Having a computer might not be their priority. Not all places in the world have equitable access to the Internet as well. We do have a digital divide to overcome. There are many people in society working on that issue, too.

Digital Storytelling Project Reflections

My final project finally got published! YES!!! I was excited to get it out there because I kept having to redo it. First it was too long. I discovered I had to delete the whole thing in Voicethread and upload all my pictures and slides again. Every time I pared it down it meant cutting slides and starting all over again. It kept getting easier as I knew exactly which pictures I should leave in my project and which ones I could delete. I must have started over 5 times. What I found out in Voicethread, too, is if you upload a picture, you can't delete it. To get rid of it I had to start over every time. I kept changing my narration, cutting out what didn't have to be there and adding a better opening and ending, so as to have some consistency in the project.
I know working with students on such a project, even a short, biographical sketch of themselves, would take a lot of time. Multimedia projects such as this means allowing time for students to be in a lab setting for a great portion of the day, or work on it at home, like we did. That isn't always possible with all students. I did find the project frustrating at times, especially trying to get the photos edited and the timing right. I spent time practicing what I was saying, too, just to try to sound as natural as I could. Knowing what I went through will definitely help me in planning out the time students would need to complete a project such as this. Now I'd go and do a project, feeling more comfortable in what I'm doing and asking the students to do. Now that I've got my project embedded, I feel I've not only learned something, but accomplished something as well.

Digital Storytelling Project

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Reflection of Digital Storytelling

Since starting this course on Digital Storytelling, I've learned so much about how to present and what to do to create a good presentation. Lately I've been using Flickr to upload and try to edit my pictures. I've done more scanning and retouching of photos that I didn't know I could do until I started doing it. I'm spending lots of time editing and wanting to create the best story I can. I'm going to remember this when I start teaching the students how to create their own stories. The planning, laying out and finding of resources takes time. If students are doing an ancestral story, I'm going to have to give them more time, especially if they need to scan family photos. The script will take time to write and practice, as well. I'm also going to tell the students the pictures are there to tell the story, and not to put a lot of words on their pictures. They'll have to practice their script before they record it and make sure it goes along with their transitions. There are a number of ways students can make and share stories as well. We have a lot of free resources on the Web to use. I"ll also remind them about the copyright issues that come with taking images and music. The one thing I'll reinforce is the planning part, as that's where it all gets put together.

Using Elements of Storyboarding in Instruction

Last week we learned about the seven elements of storyboarding which are: point of view, dramatic question, emotional content, gift of voice, power of the soundtrack, economy, and pacing. If I were to choose one or more to apply in my instruction I'd choose emotional content for sure. I'd get more students involved in their studies when I show them how excited I am about it myself. Whenever I talk about a book with excitement, a lot of the students want to check it out. This goes along with the gift of voice. I don't quite know how you can separate one from the other. The excitement I have goes along with my voice. If I say I'm excited but my voice doesn't convey the fact, the kids know I'm faking it. They know when someone is really motivated and has shown it in their actions and voice. I know when I talk about copyright and the Dewey Decimal System the students don't want to listen. If I change the way I talk about it and present it in a different way, somewhat more meaningful to them, I'd have more students interested in learning the content.

Cedu 531 Applications

Over the past week I've learned quite a bit about some new programs to use in our class. The one that I like is Voicethread as it allows students to record their voices to their projects. It'd be awesome to have students create a digital story about something they're really interested in sharing. That's the number one way that really gets them hooked into their own learning: have them tell a story they want to tell and then share it with others. The ability for them to have others view it and make comments is wonderful. Talk about getting students to share what they're learning in school with their parents is a hard thing to do. Sometimes parents don't have the time to listen to their children or see exactly what it is that they're doing in school. Words can't always convey the meaning that visuals do. The fourth grade right now is learning about how and when their families moved to Wisconsin. They had a visit with a Wisconsin storyteller and were asked to go back and discuss their ancestry with their parents. Here's one way they could import pictures from a scanner or camera, create a picture album on Flickr, import it into Voicethread and have their living ancestors comment on it, even elaborate on a picture with a story themselves. It's a great personal history of the student.
I'm also reviewing and learning more about copyright and it's one area that I do teach as students get involved with reports or taking pictures, etc. off the Internet to use. At each grade level we talk about copying and what it means. As the students progress through each grade, the lessons are more formal as they learn how to create their own notes and sources cited page.

Digital Storytelling Ideas

This past week we've been introduced to Digital Storytelling. It was interesting to see how others had made their own digital stories. I'll probably use digital storytelling in a number of ways with my students. As I have many grade levels, I can pick and choose what might work best with different grades. For example, all fourth graders in the district have just listened to a storyteller from Madison tell all about the immigration process that happened in Wisconsin from the early 1800's on. She told stories about her own ancestors, as well as other peoples. She admitted she did a lot of research from the historical society to make sure her information was correct. One of the students had asked if all the stories she told were true. "Yes!" she said.
She then asked the students to raise their hands if their ancestors/parents came from Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, etc. She then asked if they themselves were an immigrant, and we did have a few students raise their hands. One is from Romania, one from Germany, one from Mexico, and one from Costa Rica. She asked them a little bit about their remembering of the process of coming to America. The students were informed their ancestors were all immigrants, unless they were Native American born. Interestingly enough, none of the students were of Native American descent. This was a great way for her to inspire the students to start their own studies of ancestry, which leads right into the aspect of digital storytelling. The students were asked to find out about their own ancestry; immigration to Wisconsin is a unit taught in fourth grade. Here's one way I can integrate digital storytelling into the technology/library/research skills in the fourth grade social studies unit. What perfect timing!
Another idea would to take a look at biographies at the third grade levels and have them create one of their own. As students read about another person's life, they can create a digital storybook about their selected person. In kindergarten, first, or second grade, students could scan a picture or pictures they drew that told a story. They could use PhotoStory3 for Windows to record their voice to their scanned pictures, telling their story. Their story can then be emailed to their parents, and shared with the rest of the class.

Project Presentations

Last week we had the opportunity to present our project-based learning units to the class. It was great to see the units that either are or will be taught in the near future. Cindy turned her Crayfish unit into one the students will really enjoy. Learning about crayfish is not the favorite of many teachers, but nonetheless, is one that really turns third graders on. I like how you're involving the students in their own learning, comparing life cycles of other animals with that of a crayfish. I'll bet they learn more about other animals, too.!

Sheila has an interesting project, involving students research other states, like Idaho, to Wisconsin, involving all sorts of research tools within the project. I like the way you presented it, with a culminating project of their convincing you to move to their state. It gets their interest because you've included a lot of choices within their project.

I really enjoyed learning about the way Shari Incorporated geometrical shapes in having students put together their own dream house. I'm still working on mine!! It was interesting to see where the kids can go to look at floor plans and learn about how to put one together. I like the idea of having an architect coming to visit your class and looking over the plans. It puts a real world spin on their dream houses.

Jim's project of getting the students involved in their own accounting is wonderful! Accounting is not one of the world's greatest subjects for kids to study, unless they're really into it. I like the way you stimulated their interest in getting them involved in their learning. The way you presented the project, I thought students would have a longer time to work with it. I could see you expanding and growing with the idea of projects in accounting.

Jody, I wish I could go shopping with your class! What a great way to get them stimulated and learning about money! Taking pictures along the way to record their progress and trip is an excellent idea. Making a "movie" out of it could be done, as well.

Tom, you had a great idea for incorporating Geometry into planning a pool and a gazebo. Having guest speakers come in and talk about the real world application of knowing perimeter, area and volume is great! I like you you had your students blog about how they'd use geometry in their dream job. Even the musician had an idea!

Megan's idea of having her kindergartners bring in pictures of their family car and house is a good one. I like how you're having the students draw their own houses and putting them up, side by side, with their real house. The idea of sharing their pictures on a secured site so family can see it is a interesting, keeping in mind the legalities and safety issues involved in the posting.

Wendy, what a great idea for students sharing information about their cultural heritage. You have them involving their parents, grandparents, and others via e-mail and letters, or other means of communication. Posting it to the web is a great enticement for them to do their best work!

I was amazed at Lori's project of sickle cell anemia. She really got to the heart of what one student, especially, wanted to work on. Having staff and students learn about this in the way you're presenting it, really gets at the heart of what everyone should know.

Katie L. really has her students involved in building a new Munich. I can see the students getting into this project. They have a lot of choices in creating their cities. I like the way you're having students present to each other in German. Incorporating people who live in Munich to look and respond to their cities is a great idea!

Kris, you really involved your students in your project. Having them take surveys and samplings of how people would be voting on the referendum, and then having them present their findings to the Superintendent is awesome! As they're the ones who'll be voting in the fall, it makes sense to have them involved in the process itself.
Mike had an interesting project involving Newton's law. I can visualize all the students being really involved in it, especially since they get to build a rocket and blast it off! They get really involved when it comes to doing something they're interested in.
Katie A. had involved her high school students with elementary students in a conservation project. This was an interesting project as it has to work on two levels, one, getting the 9th - 12th graders involved in conservation and second, reaching the 2nd and 3rd graders at their level. All the students become involved in learning about the project. By presenting to the younger students, the older ones have a real, targeted audience. The project involves something all students need to learn about, conservation. It was an interesting project.
I was amazed at all the different types of projects that were presented. There were so many different ways to do projects and it is interesting to see how many different subjects and grade levels were represented. I think we all learned something new.

Project-Based Learning - Session 4

Looking over the past few weeks, I've really come to a better understanding of what Project Based Learning is and how it can be used in a variety of ways with all levels of students. I've found it's not easy to jump in and do one because it means giving up some control over what I've been used to doing. I do like the fact that students are more in control of their learning as it really excites them and makes coming to school a joy instead of a chore, especially when they get to focus on their topic of choice within a curricular area. The more choices the student gets to make, the more excited they become about the project. I've seen this when I started the Caldecott Unit project with the third graders. They were excited to go on the Internet and do a scavenger hunt. They also were happy when they learned they were going to make a multimedia class project for their parents to see at Open House in May as well as hold a mock Caldecott Award vote with books they haven't seen yet. They're the ones who get to make the final decisions.
I can see their incentive for learning increase when they get to do some of the same things that their parents do. When the students were taught to scan, and one student was teaching another, one third grade student said to me, "I get to scan pictures like my dad! He scans pictures for his work all the time. He makes labels."
At that point, another student said, "My mom does, too!" I could see the excitement in their eyes and actions. They were learning something their parents do all the time and felt their learning was real world and relevant.
The impact it's had on me was just as relevant. I was excited to see the students learn and get involved in researching their author. Developing the unit has taken a while but is well worth the effort. It'll be great to see their class projects, presentations and votes.

Session 3 Blooms

Reviewing the material on Bloom's Taxonomy this week was helpful. The handouts are a good resource for daily lesson planning as well as for our projects. I enjoyed breaking into groups and jigsawing one of the lessons presented. It's always a reminder that we can do this in our own classrooms as well. At times I have students collaborate on their work. It's good practice to give them a jigsaw session to learn not only how to work on a project but how to collaborate as well, especially at the elementary level.
The Wall of Fame activity was a good one for us to practice. It's interesting to see we, as a class, came up with almost the same ideas as to what was wrong with the lesson and to what audience the lesson was aimed. I know we're all busy figuring out our own lessons for next week. I'm going to look over the lesson format and streamline it so I'm evaluating only the areas I want assessed.
I was glad we had time to collaborate with our teachers about our projects! I really appreciate the input and new ideas as to what to incorporate within them. I felt something was missing and knew when we talked that it was the mock voting piece I needed to add as a culminating event. It's also a great reminder that when I do this and any other project, students also need one-on-one teacher feedback and to build time into the lesson(s) for it. Thanks!

Cedu 521 Session 2 Reflections

Last week we had the opportunity to look at the LoTI scenarios and discuss our thoughts on them. I'm thankful we had the opportunity to have this discussion as it helped to clarify the situations. They were interesting to go through and will help me to try and apply the GD index when I incorporate technology into my project. I also came away with an understanding that technology doesn't have to be incorporated wholy to be considered a multimedia project. By that I mean that students don't have to work on the computer 100 % of the time to create a project.

I liked when we jigsawed the "Technology Tool Showcase". I was familiar with a lot of the software programs and audio-visual equipment out there, but wasn't familiar with Kid Pix, some hand held computers such as a PDA since I don't have one, the graphing calculator, and the Quiktionary Pen. It was interesting and very beneficial to see how students could use these in their learning. When we posted up all the types of audio-visual hardware available to students, it was amazing to see there were things I hadn't known were available to the special education students that help them learn.

The video, Pay Attention, was one which really emphasized the need for teacher to change their teaching style or risk losing students attention. It stressed the fact we must continue to improve upon what's technologically available to teach today's students. They've grown up in a digital age and are use to the digital world. Granted, not all have equal access, which is a fact we have to try to overcome. The question is still raised, "Why aren't we teaching the way students are learning anyway?" Look how far we've come since the stone age. Since the invention of the wheel, people have been changing their way of life based on "new" technological advances. Look at all the tools we have to use in our everyday life that we take for granted: electricity, television, microwaves, coffee pots, sewing machines, stores that sell everything we could possibly want and we don't even have to leave our home..we can order online. Why not learn and use technological inventions in education? I know education is slow to change. We have to help move it forward.

Reflections on Project-Based Multimedia Learning

When I read about project-based multimedia learning in chapter one, I was excited. Here was a true example of how technology can be seemlessly integrated into the curriculum. The students were all on task and excited about learning.

Project-based learning means students take control of their learning, working collaboratively on a project of their own choosing and turning it into a multimedia presentation to a real world audience. It takes the student through a variety of curricular areas. I think it's a great way for students to get excited about learning. They can get as creative as they want, adding pictures, video clips, sound, animations, cartoons, and even create their own drawings to best represent what they learned. When they get to share their project with others in the real world, it empowers them to do a better job of learning. They know what they're producing will be noticed, reveiwed, evaluated and even commented upon by others. By getting them involved through projects ensures they'll want to get involved in their own education. Their learning becomes relevant and authentic. They're producing for the real world and not just for a teacher who's said they have to do something. The life lessons they learn through project-based learning are priceless. Students have the chance to problem-solve, make decisions, collaborate and gather all the materials they need for their project. They learn the life skills necessary to make it in the real world marketplace: collaborating, analyzing, problem-solving, evaluating and turning their learning into a final multi-media project that sums up what they've learned. Then they present to a real live audience, just as people in the workforce do today. It's a way of preparing them for their future.

Multimedia Project

The project I have created includes a Caldecott Internet Scavenger Hunt and it's on the Meadow View School Website, under the News tab. I'm currently using it with the third grade students at Summit and Meadow View Elementary Schools. The students are to answer the various questions about the Caldecott Award by following the pre-selected links and search for the information off of the web sites. Students work collaboratively in groups of two and are given a worksheet on which to write their answers. They then are to read about the different mediums artists and illustators use when creating pictures for books. Next they are to read as many Caldecott books as they can, hilighting the ones they've read on their handouts. Working in groups of four they discuss the books they've read and help each other discover the type of medium the illustrator used when creating the pictures. They've been given handouts that describe various art terms as well as have been given web sites within the scavenger hunt to go to for information. Finally, they each choose one book to present to the class and discuss the one picture they liked best of the book, including information about the artist's medium used.

This activity takes one class period to do the scavenger hunt, and at least three more to read the books. They then have to choose one and give a presention about it for their teacher(s) and classmates. Then all have to have time to share their presentations, which could last at least two more library times. I put this activity at a LoTI level 3.

CeDU 521 LoTI Information

We had a good introduction session using two truths and a lie. It's always fun to get to know others in this way. I've learned more tidbits about each of the class members.

The discussion we had about LoTI, Levels of Technology Implementation, was very beneficial. I've heard of the term before but hadn't really fully understood the various levels and implications of what really good integrated technology projects were to look like. I know getting the students in elementary grades to level six is extremely difficult, given the perameters we have to work with. I've always thought that integrating technology meant we had to create projects using multimedia and the computer. It's great to see the examples of where students actually used the computer more as a tool of their learning. When I took the LoTI survey it became apparent I'm not at the level where I'd like to be. showing me I'm around a level three on the whole. I'm better in some areas than others.

Learning about the different levels of what technology looks like via the LoTI PowerPoint presentation makes me aware of what I need to focus on. It really opens the door wider to what implementing technology really is and what I'm going to have to do to create more meaningful situations for learning. Right now I'd say I'm at a LoTI level of 2 to 3, project wise. I get to work with students from prekindergarten through grade five on a more consistent basis. One of the hurdles I face is time, as I'm 50% at two buildings and don't see the students on a daily basis. I get to see them about once a week which means I have shorter lessons. Some lessons do take quite a while to do, especially when I'm working on a unit and need to review before continuing to on to the next lesson. I try to focus in on integrating technology when it fits the best, such as teaching students how to use the library database and how to access it at home for their own use. I've included many websites for them to use for their research projects on the library home page, which I've introduced to them via the computer and projector during library lesson time. They then have the opportunity to use the websites in their own research projects at home and at school. I've taught students how to create citations and hear feedback from the teachers that the students are using the forms I've given them as well as the web sites to create their own sources cited. As I continue learning more about seemlessly integrating technology into the curriculum, I'm going to keep the LoTI levels sheet handy! I do think it's necessary to try to engage the students in their own learning because it's a lifelong skill. I believe students need to think of the computer as a tool to help them in their learning, not as a subject to master. I also believe they need to be excited about what they're learning. The GDI index comes into play here. When students are engaged in their own learning, they have ownership of their learning. The more they're interested, the more they're willing to reach out and learn. I love to see the light bulb go off when they reach the "aha" moment! It's worth the effort and why we try to overcome the hurdles.

Social Networking, EduWiki and Quizlab

We had a great discussion about Social Networking and the impact it could have on education. There is so much out there that kids have access to, we need to start using the social networks as a tool for stimulating students learning. I took a look at some of the videos on social networking that were presented by kid on EduWiki, and I really was impressed by the song that was created by the teenagers. They're wondering when educators are going to start incorporating their information and thoughts interactively within their subject areas. They do want to learn but not the "old way". They really came across strongly with their point of view. If you haven't watched this video, you should. Education has been static and seems to take eons to change direction. We should be embracing technology and using what the kids use in order to prepare them for the workplace environment they're entering.

The resources we looked at, Voice Thread, Soda Constructor, Vyew, and Jing Project were all of some educational value. I really like Voice Thread and Ning. I could see using VoiceThread in the classroom, especially when trying to get a point across. What better way than to illustrate it and comment on it. I can also see this a a way to preserve family information. Students who are asked to create a family tree could do it here and have the voices of their ancestors recorded with a little bit of biographical history. There are a lot of ways students could come up with for using this program. Soda Constructor is one I'd leave to the mathematicians, or students who are creating a project and want to test it out before making it. I like Ning because it has the potential to bring in only those class members the teacher invites. This is very helpful, especially when reading up on the limitation of items published on the Internet. The fair use law would come into place here. I also liked Jing because I could see myself creating a mini tutorial about our library program and how to access the features from the web at home. This way anyone could have access to the information when they needed it.
Quizlab was an eyeopener for me. I was able to create a quiz and take it based on the DVD I used with the fourth graders about researching on the Internet. There was a lot that was covered within a short space of time and all of it pertinent to their learning. One teacher had them take notes and collected them for a grade. This is a great tool for teachers and I'm going to pass it on to my staff.
Web quests are a great way for students to learn and construct meaning for themselves. I found in evaluating the web quest on Reader's Theater that this would be fun to do, except some of the links had linkrot. The evaluation tools were helpful when looking to see if the ones I found were good. I liked WebQuest.org because it was easy to search for the type of web quest I was looking for, by putting in the subject area and grade level. QuestGarden is a very useful tool for creating your own web quest and they've updated it so it's easier to make one. Best WebQuests rated the best of the web quests that are out there, which is great for looking for a really pertinent one. They gave the information about what a web quest should look like. I liked Zunal as it led me to one on the library this weekend. After looking at it, I wouldn't use it as it's meant for older students. I could adapt some of the resources to the fourth grade, however.
This session had so many places for me to explore for resources that I really appreciate all the effort it took to make all of us aware of what's available to use. Thanks!

Social Networking, Internet Safety & More

Social networking happened to be the main topic of our class Tuesday. Creating the Facebook account was a new experience for me. I'm not one to go out creating profiles of myself, and this was really an eye opener. I took a look at some of the groups created by others, and some were not very impressive. Some were looking for friends, and others were announcing places to go to meet for a party. Others had blatant vulgar language within their headings. Many of them were young and exercising their freedom of speech rights. With the discussion we had about cyberbullying and Internet safety, I wonder how many of them had been taught about Internet safety.It really brought home the need to be educating students about Internet Safety, chat rooms, instant messaging, acronyms and cyberbullying. I was amazed at Leet speak and how fast the kids can pick it up and their parents don't know what they're saying. It reminds me of speaking "Pig Latin" when I was young, although it wasn't as sneaky. The shows 20/20 and Dateline have been really good at putting specials on TV about the dangers of Internet predators. I do know there have even been programs in our community for parents to come to, discussing the dangers of the Internet for children. The presentation raised the awareness that we all need to start educating our students about Internet safety and cyberbullying. That is actually a new topic of discussion in our lives, as that issue popped up with the advent of the computer. When Edward Bulwer-Lytton said, "The pen is mightier than the sword.", he was completely right! Words have more power than people realize. They can be used to build a person up or ruin a person's life. How sad that someone had to lose their life because of a few words written to them via email, text message, podcast, wiki, note, or blog. I'm sure glad there is a place to go for students who are being harassed to go to! I'll be sure to recommend it to students as a place to go. Introducing ISafe at the elementary is a way to approach the issues. I really liked the sample activities we were given in class. They are of the type I can use with the 5th and 6th graders. It really brought home the fact about using the Internet safely. We took a look at Tapped In Calender and subscribed to it, but it didn't work for us. It's a website that allows teachers to discuss issues with each other. One must be able to follow protocol to participate in the discussions. The calendar feature is great as it lets us see what topics will be under discussion, the times noted as well. I was glad to see we could change the time to cental standard so we wouldn't have to do the conversion in our heads! I can see it would be useful to use as educators.

I liked the Spyware/Malware information given to use about the use of Facebook. Once again it points out the need to be careful about the maliciousness of internet predators. We have to assume what we put out there can be seen by everyone. It reminded me of the commerical about the girl hanging up her picture on the high school bulletin board and then everyone coming to take it. She tried to take it down, but it was too late. We also need to be careful about what we put up. Thanks for the website about the Malware removal program. That will come in handy.

The educational websites we were directed to were interesting. I really like BrainPop and BrainPop Jr. I wasn't sure if there was anything related specifically to the library, but there was, and it's a good activity under the reading heading. I can incorporate that one when we talk about choosing the right books to match the reader. It talked about the "5 Finger Test", (raising a finger up for every word you don't understand or can't read fluently), and choosing the right book to read. The clips are short and engaging. The students would enjoy the "hook" as much as I would giving it to them. In my estimation, BrainPop was the best tool I've seen to use with students this round.

KerPoof was one I felt was for the student at home who wanted a place to do his/her own picture or movie. It's a place to start, but the teacher who used it would really have to already know the program to be able to write a good lesson plan for all to do. Maybe an art teacher could use it with his/her class, or the technology instructor wanting to introduce animation.

Book-My-Lesson has potential for teacher to jump onto the bandwagon and offer their services for one on one lessons. It's just getting started and I didn't see a lot of instructors listed for classes. One neat thing was a waiting list area created for filled classes. MyICourse is one that I can see people wanting to start an online course would be able to use. I don't see students using it to create courses, just teachers as yet.

All were useful to learn about. The most eye opening ones, though, were about Internet safety and cyberbullying.

The pen is mightier than the sword. (2008, January 3). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 02:52, January 17, 2008, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.phptitle=The_pen_is_mightier_than_the_sword&oldid=181983808

Knowledge Newtwork & More

We had the opportunity to share our internet search engine comparisons via presentation. Many of us found we liked a certain one, but again, there's no one single seach engine that does everything. What was really made apparant to me was that we need to promote more than one single search engine to our students. I asked a group of fourth graders if they knew of any search engines. They didn't know what I was talking about until I mentioned Google. Then they said Yahoo. I need to teach them a few more appropriate ones.
Looking at Knowledge Network was interesting. I liked being able to search Filamentality for lessons without having to create another web page. I started creating one at home so I could access one site, but didn't have a microphone. I could see having Filamentality as a curricular place where students could create one themselves. There was a wealth of material here, but I like the Thinkfinity website for educational lessons better. At least it's good to know where to go for more information.
Taking the quizzes was interesting and fun. I'm glad we had the opportunity to explore the fun side of the internet. I'm sure students would love to take some of those quizzes, too. I think for it to be relevant educationally, teachers would have to put some in there for students to do. However, it is a way to get to know the students a little better personally, what makes them tick, their likes and dislikes. It can build a sense of community, and we all had fun sharing what we found, building relationships with one another in class. We got to know another side of each other. It's already one of those memorable moments!