Sunday, May 8, 2011
Interview Skills
Interview skills? Apparently I have none. I just seem to go into a zone where my head is not attached to my motor mouth. No matter how hard I prep, I cannot put a coherent sentence or thought together. And then I actually don't answer some of the questions. What a loser. Check out my google search story http://tinyurl.com/3cgfxwc
Interviewing
Interviewing is always a hard thing to do, but for me it is diaster. I prep very hard, but I always seem to go into a zone where my mind is not connected with my mouth, and even if i am the best person for the job, they wouldn't know it by my mindless answers. More practice, I guess.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyqCVI6u3Jc&hl=en_GB&fs=1 Chech out my google search story.
Monday, January 31, 2011
The end for 515
First,I wish to thank my group members for being great to work with, it truly has been a great experience cooperating and connecting with you.
The good thing about a course like this is that we are exposed to a lot of new and exciting technologies, and the problem with this course is that we are introduced to a lot of new and exciting technologies. What I mean by that is that the amount of new information is really overwhelming for me over the course of six weeks. If it was at a slower pace, and introduced one "thing" at a time, where I would really have time to, not master, but at least work with a program a little more, probably would be helpful. But I understand that this is not the way these courses are done and it is my responsibility to go back and learn more about the items that I think would be useful in my position as LMS. I will say that I have gotten really familiar with googledocs through this course. Can't say that I am totally thrilled about all aspects of googledocs, but I sure love the collaborative part of it.
I understand that technology can not help students to learn any better than the old way, but if the students are more engaged, maybe it will help some students to do better. It is our responsibility, as educators, to put together meaningful lesson plans that are based on standards or learning targets, and then find the right technology to support the lesson.
Also, I have to remember that all these cloud applications are fine and dandy, but we can use what we have already to create lessons. In the last week I have put together two web quests for students; I never thought of webquests as "technology", but according to our text they are.
A big problem in the schools these days is "thinking", for some reason, ours or parents, students do not want to think anymore. When I put a "think" question on a paper, they don't understand!So maybe we can design lessons with technology that will put students back in the thinking mode.
There are many problems in implementing "technology in a school, lack of understanding by administrators, lack of time for the teachers, lack of training, lack of access, and disinterest ("I've done it this way my whole teaching career, why should I change?") BUT what starts with a trickle will turn into a stream and then into a river. An example. A couple of weeks ago I was at a 2.0 conference with a 7/8 grade teacher, he came back and made a wiki for his classroom. Now other teachers are asking to learn.
The pat old saying is probably correct, JUST DO IT.
Thanks.
The good thing about a course like this is that we are exposed to a lot of new and exciting technologies, and the problem with this course is that we are introduced to a lot of new and exciting technologies. What I mean by that is that the amount of new information is really overwhelming for me over the course of six weeks. If it was at a slower pace, and introduced one "thing" at a time, where I would really have time to, not master, but at least work with a program a little more, probably would be helpful. But I understand that this is not the way these courses are done and it is my responsibility to go back and learn more about the items that I think would be useful in my position as LMS. I will say that I have gotten really familiar with googledocs through this course. Can't say that I am totally thrilled about all aspects of googledocs, but I sure love the collaborative part of it.
I understand that technology can not help students to learn any better than the old way, but if the students are more engaged, maybe it will help some students to do better. It is our responsibility, as educators, to put together meaningful lesson plans that are based on standards or learning targets, and then find the right technology to support the lesson.
Also, I have to remember that all these cloud applications are fine and dandy, but we can use what we have already to create lessons. In the last week I have put together two web quests for students; I never thought of webquests as "technology", but according to our text they are.
A big problem in the schools these days is "thinking", for some reason, ours or parents, students do not want to think anymore. When I put a "think" question on a paper, they don't understand!So maybe we can design lessons with technology that will put students back in the thinking mode.
There are many problems in implementing "technology in a school, lack of understanding by administrators, lack of time for the teachers, lack of training, lack of access, and disinterest ("I've done it this way my whole teaching career, why should I change?") BUT what starts with a trickle will turn into a stream and then into a river. An example. A couple of weeks ago I was at a 2.0 conference with a 7/8 grade teacher, he came back and made a wiki for his classroom. Now other teachers are asking to learn.
The pat old saying is probably correct, JUST DO IT.
Thanks.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Week 5
I did not do this yesterday as I did not have my software evaluation done at that time. Frankly learning all this new technology stuff frustrates me. So often I log in as a student and try see if a student can access some of this and it is blocked. Until Districts understand the usefulness of these technologies, we are at a standstill. Districts are so afraid of losing money for doing something wrong. I will slowing start using what is not blocked Wordle, pbwiki, and move forward from there. I just talked to a teacher about Voice Thread, so will see if we can get that opened up.
I have been pushing for over two years for more technology based lessons. Finally teachers are getting Promethean Boards and they are excited about technology. I need to feed off of that.
I have not done enough to help teachers forward into the unknown. I should be a leader. I don't know if I am afraid or what, I guess I think the teachers will expect more than I can provide and then I will feel worst about my self than I do now.
What is the worst that can happen?
I have been pushing for over two years for more technology based lessons. Finally teachers are getting Promethean Boards and they are excited about technology. I need to feed off of that.
I have not done enough to help teachers forward into the unknown. I should be a leader. I don't know if I am afraid or what, I guess I think the teachers will expect more than I can provide and then I will feel worst about my self than I do now.
What is the worst that can happen?
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Week 5 Comments
First, I want to comment on Sir Ken Robinson's comments. What a fun speaker, I would go anyplace to hear him. And so true, I think we educators, parents, and just as normal people unknowingly squash all the creativity out of kids. Luckily, my son rebelled and he is a very creative!
What I have been reading just reinforces what I try to do more in class. I try to have activities that the student actually has to think about the outcome. However, I probably am only allowing students to be creative to a point, as I have a desired outcome, lessons are not open ended. I had a discussion this week with a 7th grade math teacher. He has a highly intelligent student that can pass the class-with a D-without doing any of the homework, but passes the tests with a 100. The teacher says the student HAS to do the homework. I practically begged the teacher to allow the student to work within a web tool to create instructional materials to present to the class. The teacher does not buy it. HE HAS TO DO THE WORK-THE SAME WORK. How sad.
As I said in another post this week I talk the talk, but I don't walk the walk. I can do activities with the students that involve technology, but I use excuses not to: like I don't have time or I don't understand the technology good enough. Or I am just afraid.
After reading about "technology", it can be as easy as using a paint program. Or setting up a webquest, where students go online to access the assignment and the materials to use. Or using Inspiration to organize thoughts. It does not have to be a super hard to use application. Start small and work from there.
I am afraid that I cannot live up to "someones" expectations, consequently I don't.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
InTime site
The area I viewed was Information Literacy.
I viewed 4 videos:
1)Fictional Presidental Candidate-Grade2-3-The students first studied the presidential process. Then they created a fictional Presidential candidate. The technology they used was Hyperstudio. Hyperstudio is described las a mutimedia athoring tool, but is very easy, like paint. So the students created a song, poster and campaign materials for their candidate. This particular project sounds great. The political process is a hard concept for students to understand at this age level. This would be a great way to have deeper learning, other than rote learning. So maybe when there is a particularity difficult concept to learn maybe a project based learning would be the way to go.
2) Habitats- Used KidPix, a paintlike program. Students study habitats and organize information. Then when they understand what is in their habitat, they create an animal that could survive in that habitat. They draw the animal on KidPix. This would be a great project for the fifth grade classroom in my school, they do habitats. Again, I keep forgetting about the technology that we all ready have in the classroom. I certainly could use a paint program, or one of the drawing programs we just learned about to use in this assignment.
3) Shakespeare 5th grade-Web Quest- Here the teacher, or librarian, designed a web page were the students go and discover information about Shakespeare. They discuss phrases like "dead as a doornail". A webquest is LOTS of work for the teacher. The teacher must research and design a web page for the students to go to, look up information, and do activities. The important part is that students are directed to quality sites with information at their level. Even though it is more work for the teacher, the student engagement will be higher. I could design a webquest for any classroom project, like we have a Dust Bowl project.
4)Assertive Technology in the writing Process-Inspiration-In the pre-writing phase students brainstorm using Inspiration. Then go onto the qriting and post writing part. Again we have Kidspiration for organizing information at our school already. So why don't I use it? I could have students brainstorm on a variety of subjects.
Well here is the problem, I would love to use what we have, but I can never get my students into the computer lab. So last year, I bought for the library with CSF, enough computers for a classroom to use. But as of yet, we can't print to the printer yet, don't have microsoft works on them (do brouchures), and they don't work half the time, for I don't know why reasons.
I guess the point I am making is technology is great, IF it works.
I viewed 4 videos:
1)Fictional Presidental Candidate-Grade2-3-The students first studied the presidential process. Then they created a fictional Presidential candidate. The technology they used was Hyperstudio. Hyperstudio is described las a mutimedia athoring tool, but is very easy, like paint. So the students created a song, poster and campaign materials for their candidate. This particular project sounds great. The political process is a hard concept for students to understand at this age level. This would be a great way to have deeper learning, other than rote learning. So maybe when there is a particularity difficult concept to learn maybe a project based learning would be the way to go.
2) Habitats- Used KidPix, a paintlike program. Students study habitats and organize information. Then when they understand what is in their habitat, they create an animal that could survive in that habitat. They draw the animal on KidPix. This would be a great project for the fifth grade classroom in my school, they do habitats. Again, I keep forgetting about the technology that we all ready have in the classroom. I certainly could use a paint program, or one of the drawing programs we just learned about to use in this assignment.
3) Shakespeare 5th grade-Web Quest- Here the teacher, or librarian, designed a web page were the students go and discover information about Shakespeare. They discuss phrases like "dead as a doornail". A webquest is LOTS of work for the teacher. The teacher must research and design a web page for the students to go to, look up information, and do activities. The important part is that students are directed to quality sites with information at their level. Even though it is more work for the teacher, the student engagement will be higher. I could design a webquest for any classroom project, like we have a Dust Bowl project.
4)Assertive Technology in the writing Process-Inspiration-In the pre-writing phase students brainstorm using Inspiration. Then go onto the qriting and post writing part. Again we have Kidspiration for organizing information at our school already. So why don't I use it? I could have students brainstorm on a variety of subjects.
Well here is the problem, I would love to use what we have, but I can never get my students into the computer lab. So last year, I bought for the library with CSF, enough computers for a classroom to use. But as of yet, we can't print to the printer yet, don't have microsoft works on them (do brouchures), and they don't work half the time, for I don't know why reasons.
I guess the point I am making is technology is great, IF it works.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Googledocs-spreadsheets and more
After reading Chapter 5 (I believe) let me be the first to say that we should fire Ms. Groves! She is diffinately a creativity squealcher.To delete a student's work is...well unthinkable. I think I pretty good at going with the flow when kids say something, or do something that is way out there, but I remember one time, I couldn't think of what to say except no to a student, I saw that child shut down immediately. I have made it my goal to somehow take what a child says and turn it for the positive and use it as a teaching moment.
The recipe assignment was fun, I had a few problems with the formula, until my group mate helped me, and it took awhile to figure out how to lenghten a cell. But, it still is not embedding correctly, there, so here it is here https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AnNy7zQtklUSdE9DYVM3UWpDZkhwQTdoLXhPallYZ3c&hl=en&authkey=COexqZYG
I think creativity many times lost in youth. And that is really scarey, because I think this Country was built on people that were not afraid to dream and fail. Rather that tell, I like to show a concept and let the kids figure it out. For example, one lesson that is great fun is Roman numerials for third grade I write IX=9 and XI=11 on the board and have them tell me what I and X stand for, and I go through all the numerals that way. They have fun and they teach themselves. But, sometimes it is just easiler to tell rather than design a learning experience.
I have used NetTrekker before, and found some excellent lessons, however when looking for ones on spreadsheets, I didn't find much that excited me. maybe I was just searching wrong.
Now, I want to comment on the text. I am finding the information excellent, BUT the way the text is set up is driving me crazy. Were do they want me to look next, and how many different types of information can they put on one page? I understand that this is how texts are now set up. Even in the non-fiction library books now there is lots of white space, the blurbs of information, different concepts on one page. But my mind is hardwired linearly, so I feel very disjointed when I read it.
The recipe assignment was fun, I had a few problems with the formula, until my group mate helped me, and it took awhile to figure out how to lenghten a cell. But, it still is not embedding correctly, there, so here it is here https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AnNy7zQtklUSdE9DYVM3UWpDZkhwQTdoLXhPallYZ3c&hl=en&authkey=COexqZYG
I think creativity many times lost in youth. And that is really scarey, because I think this Country was built on people that were not afraid to dream and fail. Rather that tell, I like to show a concept and let the kids figure it out. For example, one lesson that is great fun is Roman numerials for third grade I write IX=9 and XI=11 on the board and have them tell me what I and X stand for, and I go through all the numerals that way. They have fun and they teach themselves. But, sometimes it is just easiler to tell rather than design a learning experience.
I have used NetTrekker before, and found some excellent lessons, however when looking for ones on spreadsheets, I didn't find much that excited me. maybe I was just searching wrong.
Now, I want to comment on the text. I am finding the information excellent, BUT the way the text is set up is driving me crazy. Were do they want me to look next, and how many different types of information can they put on one page? I understand that this is how texts are now set up. Even in the non-fiction library books now there is lots of white space, the blurbs of information, different concepts on one page. But my mind is hardwired linearly, so I feel very disjointed when I read it.
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