I was so happy to have watched this session on the Connected Journey. There is hope that I will get more sleep after organizing all of my favorite tools! Thank you!
Diigo is not one of my favorite tools. The formatting, organization, and user ease is difficult for me to navigate through. I set up my profile and added a few bookmarks. I found that searching for groups could be extremely beneficial. I liked how I could find a group and search for information this way. I do need to visit this site several more times before I feel comfortable.
YES-Information coming to me! It was so easy for me to create my own Google Reader for various RSS feeds. Adding an RSS feed to those groups really will help me stay connected. I'm still getting use to this tool and need more time to play with it.
Flipboard is about the greatest thing around! Why did I not try this before? I love having all of information in one place. I was able to subscribe to my Twitter and Facebook account, as well as, having all of my favorite reads (professional and personal) in one spot. Flip board has definitely helped me to organize!!
The Connected Journey has taught me so much. I am a little nervous about keeping up with it all. I have to remember the "LESS IS MORE" saying. I feel that the more connected I am, the easier it will be for me to move through community of online learners. I am excited for what it ahead.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Monday, August 5, 2013
Twitter-verse
Well, I will be the first to admit I that I was skeptical of Twitter. I, too, had an account and never really used it until these past few weeks. I just did not understand truly how to use it! Now that I am exploring, I can see it as such a powerful tool for professional development. The power of a hash tag is mind blowing! Through my explorations I found #INFOhio, #edchat, and #cybraryman are all great resources.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Godin's Manifesto "Stop Stealing Dreams"Response
As I read through Seth Godin's manifesto, Stop Stealing Dreams, I believe this is someone who wants a change in our educational system. However, changing our educational system will take more than just realizing we are currently producing followers, test takers, and factory workers. We, as educators, must find a way to implement critical thinking skills into our everyday lessons. Here are a few elements that stood out to me:
12. Is it possible to teach attitudes?
Compliant, competitive zombies....this is what our children are turning into. They want to know exactly what it takes to get an A. How many points for this project? How many paragraphs do I need to write? Is this a grade on my report? As early as fourth grade, students are developing the attitude of what do I need to do to get a good grade? Our challenge is to change their desires to not only get a good grade, but to also want to learn more-think outside of the box, be creative, and innovative.
19. Dreams are difficult to build and easy to destroy 29. The other side of fear is passion. 33. Who will teach bravery?
As I read through these statements-dreams, passion, and bravery stood out to me. In order to have a dream, one must have a passion about something. As they become more and more passionate about their dream, it takes bravery to see their dreams come true. As teachers we can help students find mentors and resources to cultivate their passion. One needs to be a risk-taker to make their dreams come true. Parents, mentors, and teachers can make a difference in a students life. One may fail many times before succeed. It is bravery and self-reliance that keeps one working toward their dream and never giving up.
90. Reading and Writing
"Reading opens doors."
"Writing is the tool we use to spread ideas."
Teaching reading and writing is my passion. These are tools that we cannot live without. The stronger one's reading and writing skills, the more power they have in life to express their ideas. I loved the book, "The Book Whisper" by Donalyn Miller. She talks not only how to teach reading, but to LOVE reading. This past year my students were given a 30 Book Challenge. They were challenged to reading 30 books (must have a variety of genres). My students loved this! Not everyone completed the 30 Book Challenge but students were reading for the JOY of reading!
12. Is it possible to teach attitudes?
Compliant, competitive zombies....this is what our children are turning into. They want to know exactly what it takes to get an A. How many points for this project? How many paragraphs do I need to write? Is this a grade on my report? As early as fourth grade, students are developing the attitude of what do I need to do to get a good grade? Our challenge is to change their desires to not only get a good grade, but to also want to learn more-think outside of the box, be creative, and innovative.
19. Dreams are difficult to build and easy to destroy 29. The other side of fear is passion. 33. Who will teach bravery?
As I read through these statements-dreams, passion, and bravery stood out to me. In order to have a dream, one must have a passion about something. As they become more and more passionate about their dream, it takes bravery to see their dreams come true. As teachers we can help students find mentors and resources to cultivate their passion. One needs to be a risk-taker to make their dreams come true. Parents, mentors, and teachers can make a difference in a students life. One may fail many times before succeed. It is bravery and self-reliance that keeps one working toward their dream and never giving up.
90. Reading and Writing
"Reading opens doors."
"Writing is the tool we use to spread ideas."
Teaching reading and writing is my passion. These are tools that we cannot live without. The stronger one's reading and writing skills, the more power they have in life to express their ideas. I loved the book, "The Book Whisper" by Donalyn Miller. She talks not only how to teach reading, but to LOVE reading. This past year my students were given a 30 Book Challenge. They were challenged to reading 30 books (must have a variety of genres). My students loved this! Not everyone completed the 30 Book Challenge but students were reading for the JOY of reading!
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Response to Will Richardson Video
As I work through the Connected Journey it excites me to learn so many new things. At the same time, it stresses me trying to out figure out how am I going to find the time to dive deeper into all these new learning opportunities!!?? Here we go!!!
Will Richardson said the words I have heard so many times in the past few years, "be prepared for a change in education." He shared with us that we need to consider a world that is different from the world we have painted in schools from when we were young. The world is at our fingertips and we need to know how to use it to engage and teach our students.There is a difference between school and learning. As teachers we need to help build literate successful learners.
I agree with Richardson that learning means "exploring, changing, teaching people how to think, multiple answers, access to information, problem solving, etc..." I believe this starts with the teacher not technology. In order for students to be prepared for college, we need to make sure we are asking our students to create, analyze, and evaluate. The right teachers will improve a child's education. The technology will change the way they learn. I believe this comes hand and hand, but it starts with the teacher.
My concern is how do we create these learners when we have high stakes testing, teacher evaluations/student performance? There must be a balance??? We are required that our students make a years growth and beyond. As a fourth grade teacher, I need to teach reading, writing, and math. I do see how the techniques I use must continue to change-using different forms of technology to get the lesson across to the students.
Another point that resonated with me was the "Friday Folder." Papers piling up to 2 1/2 feet tall filled with information only needed for a test is just daunting to hear and picture in my mind. I agree that we need to be using more problem based learning. Students can learn so much using their higher order thinking skills to solve a real world problem that may really have an effect on them. I must step in as the facilitator of the class and do more of this in my classroom.
One main concern I have is the social media aspect of learning. I teach 9 and 10 year-old children. One click of a button and our children could be exposed to information, pictures, etc. that are inappropriate. There are 2 million teachers out there but there are also 2 million pieces of information that I do not want my students to be exposed to. I like using social media in my classroom that I can moderator- kidblog, edmodo, etc. I love using social media for my own learning and communicating. Maybe through this journey my views will change about social media and young children.
Overall, I agree with Richardson, I think our role as educators has changed from providing all of the information to "helping students make sense of technology, how to learn and create with it- to be literate, to be bold, to be a learning community."
Will Richardson said the words I have heard so many times in the past few years, "be prepared for a change in education." He shared with us that we need to consider a world that is different from the world we have painted in schools from when we were young. The world is at our fingertips and we need to know how to use it to engage and teach our students.There is a difference between school and learning. As teachers we need to help build literate successful learners.
I agree with Richardson that learning means "exploring, changing, teaching people how to think, multiple answers, access to information, problem solving, etc..." I believe this starts with the teacher not technology. In order for students to be prepared for college, we need to make sure we are asking our students to create, analyze, and evaluate. The right teachers will improve a child's education. The technology will change the way they learn. I believe this comes hand and hand, but it starts with the teacher.
My concern is how do we create these learners when we have high stakes testing, teacher evaluations/student performance? There must be a balance??? We are required that our students make a years growth and beyond. As a fourth grade teacher, I need to teach reading, writing, and math. I do see how the techniques I use must continue to change-using different forms of technology to get the lesson across to the students.
Another point that resonated with me was the "Friday Folder." Papers piling up to 2 1/2 feet tall filled with information only needed for a test is just daunting to hear and picture in my mind. I agree that we need to be using more problem based learning. Students can learn so much using their higher order thinking skills to solve a real world problem that may really have an effect on them. I must step in as the facilitator of the class and do more of this in my classroom.
One main concern I have is the social media aspect of learning. I teach 9 and 10 year-old children. One click of a button and our children could be exposed to information, pictures, etc. that are inappropriate. There are 2 million teachers out there but there are also 2 million pieces of information that I do not want my students to be exposed to. I like using social media in my classroom that I can moderator- kidblog, edmodo, etc. I love using social media for my own learning and communicating. Maybe through this journey my views will change about social media and young children.
Overall, I agree with Richardson, I think our role as educators has changed from providing all of the information to "helping students make sense of technology, how to learn and create with it- to be literate, to be bold, to be a learning community."
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