Reflection on Using a Blog in a Classroom

            Making a  blog proved an enriching experience. I learned much about technology and how blogs can be used in a classroom environment. Based on my experience with blogs, I intend to use blogs in my classroom.

            I began the semester nervous about using blogs. I know little about technology and did not feel comfortable using computers. However, by the end of this term, I felt more comfortable using technology. I now know how to embed videos, make links on my blog to other websites, and communicate with students through my website. I also know how to make videos on iMovie and plan to use them in my classroom.

            I think that everything I learned this semester is useful and relevant to my future in the social studies classroom. I can honestly say that everything that I learned by making this blog can be used in a classroom. I really enjoyed exploring all of the primary resources available on the internet and think that I will be able to use them in the classroom.

            I am much more comfortable with technology now than I was six weeks ago. I am no longer timid about making blogs or using the Internet for teaching purposes. I look forward to learning more about technology in the classroom.

            Speed proved my greatest concern while learning technology. I always felt a little behind the other students in the class and kept having to ask questions for clarification. I did not want to fall behind but worried about holding the rest of the class back.

            I intend to use technology in my classroom in the future. Students will be encouraged to make blogs related to the courses subject matter. I will encourage discussions by posing questions based on primary sources and requiring students to post their answers online. Students will receive feedback and learn how to write critical responses. Additionally, no student will be able to monopolize classroom conversion online because on a blog, all students will be able to participate. Blogs will be an addition to my classroom and, I believe, facilitate my teaching.

Reflection on Video on Plagiarism

Carla Anderson, Candice Schiesel, Brian Marshall, and I collaborated to produce videos that examined how technology facilitates cheating in contemporary classrooms. We did all of our recording at Westbrook High School. I really enjoyed working with my partners and think we got along well.

If I could redo my project, there is not too much that I would change. I probably would have practiced using the iMovie program more before I made my short video. I also would have gotten some statistics on cheating in the United States today and included them in my video. Overall, there is not too much that I would change.

The video recording and editing process went better than I thought it would. Recording the video is surprisingly easy with a flip camera. Using iMovie made editing the video pretty easy and a lot of fun. The program was easy to learn and to navigate. I enjoyed the process and may make videos again someday for classroom use.

I believe that students in my future classrooms will be able to create movies. There must be ample access to technology. Assuming that there will be sufficient recording devices and computers, I think students could make great use of videos including making short documentaries in social studies classes.  If I have the technological resources necessary for students to make films, then I will provide them with the time and topics required for making a documentary film.

Everything that I learned while making the video was new to me. I knew very little about making videos before making this video on plagiarism. I have seen many documentaries . After making a video, I thought more about how documentarians must sequence images and include both dialogue, sound effects, and appropriate amounts of silence in their films. I also gained more respect for anyone who can edit a film without it having small jumps between scenes.

I enjoyed making this video and collaborating with my partners. It was an enriching experience.

Geography Game

As a social studies teacher, I know that I will teach students about the history and cultures of other nations. This game tests student knowledge of the capitals of South American countries. It's a great way to review for a test and a lot of fun!

History-based websites and Student Responses

These ten websites are educative, informative, and interactive. Students will select two websites, view their contents, and post a paragraph in the comments section on my blog that notes one primary source the website referenced and explains what the student liked and disliked about the website and its content.

Primary Sources

Great news! I tracked down some of the United States' founding documents and converted them to google documents. They can be accessed by clicking on the links below:

"The Declaration of Independence"

United States Constitution

Amendments to the Constitution

Progressive Era Cartoons

I found some Progressive Era cartoons online. Please view them and consider how they reflect events occurring during the Progressive Era. Enjoy!

                                                            

                                                             

Progressive Era Quiz

Please click on the link to take the following quiz. Good luck!

The Tenement Museum

Students studying the Progressive Era will be introduced to urban housing, specifically the tenement houses that were prominent in American cities at the beginning of the twentieth century. Please follow this link to explore the virtual Tenement Museum and I strongly suggest that you examine the primary sources on the website.

Progressive Era Survey

Please follow this link below to take the course survey on the Progressive Era:

Historic Video

On December 8, 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt Addressed a joint session of Congress. As a consequence of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, he requested that Congress declare war on Japan. Historians consider this speech one of the most important speeches in American history.

Teaching with New Media

Edutopia suggests several ways in which teachers can incorporate technology into the classroom. As a future educator, I hope to be able to facilitate student learning by taking advantage of many of the resources found on the Internet.

Three suggested websites listed on Edutopia struck me as particularly useful for teachers. First, I believe that the Internet be used to help both teachers and students remained organized. While we are currently using wikispaces.com in our class and have already seen its benefits, it is helpful to see how other teachers have used it in their classrooms. Having a central website that lists all assignments, references, and due dates should help both teachers and students remain organized. Teachers who rely on these websites to organize their classes must make sure that all students have sufficient access to the Internet.

Second, donorschoose.org looks like a great way to generate funds for classroom activities. School budgets remain limited. Voluntarily contributions online not only help teachers to get funds necessary for class activities, but they also allow private citizens some input into what activities money should be spent on in public school classrooms.

Third, wordle.net seems like a great asset to help students learn vocabulary. It can be used in any discipline and appears user-friendly. I firmly believe that teachers must find ways to help students develop a broad vocabulary. It will serve students well in school and in life.

Edutopia’s collection of education-related websites demonstrates how useful the Internet can be in enabling education. For my part, I hope to one day be able to incorporate many of these websites into my classroom and look forward to the new websites being developed daily.

Screencast-o-matic Post

November's Article

Alan November’s “Creating a New Culture of Teaching and Learning” raises several issues and questions regarding contemporary technology and education. I tend to agree with his emphasis on developing professional relationships between teachers and the importance of sharing information through the Internet. Most professionals share stories and experiences with their colleagues and, in doing so, share ideas about what works and what does not within their professions. Teachers must adopt a similar strategy.

I also agree with his distinction between automating and informating. Automating, using technology to perform activities that could be performed without technology, has limited uses and can lead buyers to purchase unnecessary items. Informating, however, emphasizes that goods be purchased that will enable information sharing and communication. This makes more economical sense to me and certainly fits the criteria of November’s goals for education.

November makes a compelling argument in favor of incorporating technology in the classroom. His example of the student who failed to validate an online source regarding the holocaust exemplifies the need to teach students how to assess an Internet website’s credibility. Not only will this exercise help a student to learn how to validate an online source, it will also help him to develop critical thinking skills.

In contrast to November, I am ambivalent about the utility and effectiveness of online cameras in classrooms. While I agree that it will force teachers to evaluate themselves regularly, I can picture instances in which a classroom camera would be a nuisance. Perhaps, as November suggests, the cameras can only be used for a few minutes a day. 

Do You Know 4.0

Do You Know 4.0 illustrates several ways in which some recent technological advancements have shaped the world in which we live. Three lessons stood out in the video. First, computers, including those found in cellphones, provide access to previously attainable information found on the ever-growing Internet. Second, established industries have been forced to adapt to changes in technology in order to compete with newer companies. Finally, as demonstrated by Barack Obama’s campaign fundraising in February 2008, successful use of social networking websites, including Facebook and Twitter, can have a profound impact.

As educators, we must remain cognizant of, and adapt to, continuing technological developments. Just as major industries have changed in order to accommodate changes in technology, teachers must find ways to accommodate new technology in the classroom. For example, educators can access an unprecedented level of information that can be used to enable student learning. Accessing new information, however, cannot supersede teaching. Technology cannot be viewed as a replacement for teaching but instead as a compliment to teacher-led classroom instruction. Furthermore, students must learn the benefits of technology and the beneficent ways in which it can be used. Both teachers and students must also be aware of the problems posed by changes in technology and the Internet. These problems include computer viruses, identity theft, and the temptation to plagiarize work posted on the Internet. Despite these few problems, technology can be a welcomed addition to the classroom.

First Week

Today marks the final day of the first week of the TCPCG UConn program at the Waterbury Campus. It has been a challenging and tumultuous week. Each student appears to have adjusted well to the rigors of the program. I look forward to working with each of them.

As a novice technology user, I look forward the EDCI 5825 class. I hope to learn about the basic technology used in contemporary public school classrooms.