The Auto-Biography Continues...

My hopes of gaining access to more technologies to enhance my teaching effectiveness have certainly been met. I am so excited about all the web-based tools that we have learned in EDTP 504, that I recently updated my resume just so I could include them under the "Technological Skills" subheading. From Microsoft MovieMaker to Flickr to WebQuests, RSS, Wikkis, Podcasts and Weblogs, I could not be more thrilled with the scope of technolgical tools I have learned. I look forward to enhancing my instruction next year with this vast variety of tools.

Thanks so much to Amy for great instruction! Good luck to all the future teachers!

Web-Quest Supports Differentiated Instruction

Dear Mr. Black,

The free website questgarden.com offers an exceptional opportunity for teachers in all content areas to guide students through web-based research in a structured, easy-to-facillitate manner. Web-Quests also serve as easy and exciting ways to incoporate technology into the classroom and implement differentiated instruction to students of all learning styles and ability levels. I propose that Knight offer an hour long PD in August to explain how, when, and why to use Web-Quests in any content area.

As stated above, Web-Quests are well-structured research guides that can aide teachers in the facillitation of a research project. Teachers need only to create (or borrow) a web-based guide through which students direct themselves through the World Wide Web to answer guiding questions or create any sort of research based projects. The easy one-step creation of the online guide aides teachers in facillitation. The structure aides students who could easily be lost in the maze of webpages and (some false) information online.

In addition to the ease of facilitation and structure for students, Web-Quests provide teachers and easy way to differentiate instruction for various ability levels and learning styles. Web-Quests can easily be altered to match an individual or group's ability level. A "Challenge" could be included on the Web-Quest. Also, teachers could provide small-group instruction to students struggling in one area while students who have successfully mastered a skill could work on their Web-Quest, which could easily span the length of a grading period.

Finally, if Knight were to offer a PD on Web-Quests this August, teachers could learn the varieties of ways in which this tool could aide them in any content area. They could learn how to use the tool with ease, when it is appropriate, why it is beneficial, and decide how to "make it their own." Knight would be a more technologically advanced place for the information, and its students would have the opportunity to build confidence in an activity that would provide them the skills they need to be successful researchers and technology users.

Knight needs to offer an August PD on Web-Quests. This free, technologically advanced tool provides the structure students need to develop research skills. It also provides ease of facillitation for teachers, and makes differentiating instruction easier as well. Finally, if all of Knight's faculty understood how, when, and why to implement Web-Quest, the school-wide knowledge would put Knight on the fore-front of technological advancement. Please consider my idea for an August PD to incorporate Web-Quests!

Thank you,

Ms. Yost

The Importance of Free Information

Reading chapter 9 in Richardson's book reinforced an idea I already held strongly: that it is of the utmost importance to keep the web public and free. Some people in powerful positions of business and government are currently making arguments in favor of privatization of the Internet's web pages. I don't believe there could be a more harmful idea. The world wide web needs to remain public and free to everyone with Internet access.

As a teacher, I cannot imagine something more harmful for my students. Were the government to allow or mandate that web pages be privatized, only those with the proper means could access information, while those without - such as underprivileged students and teachers working in financially stringent conditions - would be censored for the free information we now take for granted. An electronic caste system would be created, in which those who hold power would get more powerful in their access and control of knowledge, while those with less power would grow weaker in their ignorance. The web must remain public so that all people can access information, and decide for themselves what is true and what is not.

Some argue, however, that privatization of the Internet would cut down on the misinformation published on the web. When in history has putting the power of censorship in the hands of politicians and business leaders ever led to more accurate and unbiased information? Richardson says that students now need to learn how to be editors to determine what is true and what is inaccurate on the Internet. This is the perfect opportunity to give students the critical thinking skills they need to be knowledgeable, aware citizens. If web pages are privatized, that opportunity would be taken away from them, if not their easy access to information and knowledge.

Privatization of the Internet would ultimately make the country less democratic. The less fortunate and public school students would lack the same information that their wealthier counter-parts had access to, and the information allowed on the web would be controlled not by regular, common citizens, but by big business leaders and politicians. Keep the Internet public for the ideals of American equity, liberty, and democracy.

Putting Literature in Context through Digital Innovation

As I read Richardson's chapter on bookmarking websites (such as Furl.net, del.icio.us, and Jots) devoted to making connecting web-users to a variety of weblinked resources easier for everyday web browsers like myself and my students, I kept trying to determine the best possible ways in which to use this resource. The easy connections between students would make it ideal for a basis for a discussion board. Richardson also suggests it for a valuable research tool.

Another idea I had for the language arts classroom is based on my idea for context based (rather than genre based) units. I've been wanting to design a context based writing unit since I began teaching, but I have not yet been able to incorporate the necessary core content to make it feesible. If, however, I am able to do so next year, I would definitely use Jots or Furl as a tool. Students could subscribe to RSS feeds of the Harlem Renaissance or Shakespeare to more fully research and present on obscure aspects of the context in which we were studying the plays, poems, and other writings of the era. I look forward to considering this, and the other tools Richardson outlines, as I plan for next year.

Pod-Casting in the Language Arts Classroom

My prior experience with pod-casting has mainly involved me catching up on missed NPR programs over the internet. Before now, I hadn't thought it could be so easy to actually upload my own students voices onto the internet. In chapter eight of Richardson's Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, he outlays the simplicity and variety of podcasting in the classroom.

My intial question was this: how can I use podcasting specifically in the language arts classroom for authentic learning or assessment. Then I realized what a powerful and effective method of presentation assessment this tool could present. Students could record themselves reading their own poetry and podcast it for all the world to hear. They could write plays and monologues and then perform them over the internet. At last we could reach that final stage of the writing process - publishing - and finally make it authentic.

Beyond literary writing, my students could read their narratives aloud, discuss the topics outlined in their feature articles, argue the opinions put forth in their editorials or give their speeches aloud to a very real audience. Or, I could use pod-casting to have my students reflect on their own writing processes. Literature Circles could also be podcasts. It seems the possiblitiees are endless.

The Digital Story as an Instructional Tool

Because I have worked with digital stories in past classes at the University of Lousiville, I decided to push myself a step further to create a digital story I could actually use with my students. I made a story to introduce a literacy project I plan to do with my students next year called, "Unlocking Poetry."

In this project, students will research a poem that has some sort of special meaning for them. The possibilities for student exploration are unlimited, and I will allow students to use musical lyrics, so long as they can document why the lyricas are poetic. The students will then be required to re-represent their poem in some artistic medium, whether clay, paint, charcoal, colored pencil or any thing else the students can imagine. They will then create digital stories in pairs, in which they will present their individual projects in a fluid and coherent way. Thus, I will push them to make new, more complex connections between individual projects to create a collaborative digital story.

My own digital story will serve as the hook, model, and inspiration for my students' projects.

When they see my former students' work, as well as a model of a digital story, I hope they will be inspired to create a unique and wonderful digital story to express a certain personal connection they had to a poem, and to then connect that in some comparison or contrast to another students' expression. From this project I not only hope that my students will gain technological experience and advancement, but also an appreciation of poetry, figurative language cognitive development, and collaborative working skills. Most importantly to me as a language arts teacher, this activiy should give them authentic access to unlock the mirror and window that is poetry.

Changing for Kids; Changing for Change

I'm excited about the ideas presented in Marc Prensky's article Adopt and Adapt, because he challenges educators to push their uses of technology to a truly contructivist model. As a teacher who believes fully in the ideals of modern day educational best practice, and the constructivist model as the most effective and most democratic, I am willing to push myself to find "new ways of doing new things."

Last year I was definitely a "dappler" in technology, hardly even using technology other than to have my students type their portfolio pieces. This year I've tried to implement technology into my classroom in a number of ways: modeling on the projector, an online gradebook, and a classroom website. All of these are essentially "old things in new ways." Next year will be my year to push myself further to implement "new things in new ways," and push my students to the highest levels of Blooms taxonomy with technology as our guide.

Prensky's idea of incorporating the students into decsion making roles in schools and classrooms is a wonderful notion. Josh McHugh, too, is right in arguing that it is the teachers' duty to speak the students' language (in this case a digital one.) It is true that they are the technological natives, and just as I have often consulted them for constructive criticism of my lessons and class procedures, I will happily consult them for technological advice. If it empowers them, it's worth extra planning and flexibility. Personally, I am more than happy to change for them. I went into education to bring about change, and if technology is a vehicle for that change, I look forward to it. If it brings opportunity to my students, empowers them, connects them to the far-reaching corners of the globe, exposes them to new ideas and information, or gives them a forum on which to the voice their own ideas, I more than welcome it. I demand it.

Flickr Project

The following standards can be applied to a middle school language arts lesson, in which we would implement the technology tool Flickr to prompt students' creative writing.

WR-M-3.5.0
Language: Students will exemplify effective language choices by
· Applying correct grammar and usage
· Applying concise use of language
· Incorporating strong verbs, precise nouns, concrete details and sensory details
· Applying language appropriate to the content, purpose and audience

After viewing the photo prompts, students would be instructed to describe it using as many synonyms and sensory details as possible. They would have the option of exploring the other tags on the web to expand their descriptions.

WR-08-3.5.2
In Personal Expressive/Literary Writing,
· Sudents will incorporate language based on economy, precision, richness or impact on the reader.
Students will develop ideas through descriptive or figurative language.

Students will also be instructed to look at the picture prompts and compare them to something in their lives, or some aspect of their experiences, using three metaphors and three similes.

WR-08-1.2.2
In Personal Expressive/Literary Writing,
· Students will communicate theme/main idea through use of literary elements appropriate to the genre:
o Students will develop characters (fictional/non-fictional) through thoughts, emotions, actions, descriptions or dialogue when appropriate.
o Students will develop plot/story line appropriate to the form.
o Students will develop an appropriate setting, mood, scene, image, or feeling.
· Students will incorporate literary or poetic devices (e.g., simile, metaphor, personification) when appropriate.
Students will incorporate reflection, insight and analysis when appropriate.

Finally, students will be instructed to free-write in verse to build a poem based on these brainstorming notes.

To see our Flickr prompt photos, please go to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7216621@N03/?saved=1

To see our prompts as a Complete Set, go to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7216621@N03/sets/72157594572290590/

The Very Real Possiblilities of a Real Simple Read/Write Web

Before this weeks reading, I had not heard of "RSS" before, but I wouldn't have thought it had stood for "Real Simple Syndication." I would have thought it would have stood for something more technologically sounding - or at least gramatically correct (sorry - the language arts teacher in me comes out.)

As far as Richardson's conception of the Read/Write web is concerned, RSS provides for easy access to the reading half of that complex. Indeed, one of the greatest things about setting up an RSS for student use would be the ability to widen the breath of textual materials the students could access and read. Often times in my two years of teaching I've made the statement: "Whatever gets them reading." I think this would be a really engaging way to appeal to students' various interests . It would allow for more student choice in the classroom, and create an easy opportunity for immediate access to texts. It would decrease the time in which students would conduct research, and thus increase time for instruction and student expression.

While RSS provides greater access to the reading aspect of the Read/Write web, Flikr provides an excellent opportunity for students and teachers to contribute to the network in their own meaningful ways. Richardson suggests using Flickr to publish photos of speakers, fieldtrips, special projects, or as a celebration of students' hard work. These are great ideas. To add to the list, I envision using the website as a tool for collaborative group projects. Students who do group work in my room are each held accountable to certain jobs, such as recorder, presenter, director, etc. Flickr makes possible new jobs: photographer and publisher. By digitally documenting the students' work, I could view the annotated digital images, keep students on task, engage them further, give them a sense of ownership and responsibility over their work, and push them to be more creative and diligent than they ever have before. The online discussions about the photos could even serve as a new means of presentation. The possiblities are very exciting!

Another possible use for Flickr is to have the students conduct scavenger hunts or guided tours of the images and respond to particular photos as prompts for entries into their writing notebooks. As I read further, I saw the "Random Writes" idea on p. 107. This would be an exciting activity for my language arts students. I also really like the "Strength of Weak Ties" activity. In addition to using it to illustrate famous poetry, I would also like to use an adaption of the activity to help illustrate and guide the authentic writing of my students own poetry.

It's true that the Read/Write web really is revolutionary. My students, who come from disempowered and often disenfranchised demographics, will hungrily welcome this opportunity to publish in an authentic, public forum. I look forward to implementing these technologies next year to give my students a sense of ownership and empowerment, and to show them how their literacy skills can be applied in the real world so that their perspectives can be "heard."

What Strategies Do You Use When You Research?

The strategies I use when I research depend entirely upon what I am researching. Back in college, when I was completing my thesis for my undergraduate degree, my research was grounded mainly in academic journals and dusty old academic texts found way down in the bowels of our library basement. I used Minerva, and other internet search engines to find these texts, both in the Colgate library (where I did my undergrad) and through inter-library loan from other schools in the region.

Now that I am in education, the research I do is much more web-directed. I feel that because education is a much more practical field than the philosophy and spiritual poetry of the world's religions, my research too has followed suit. It's quicker, more innovative, and probably more effective.

Entering the Blogosphere

After taking Young Adult Literature last summer with Sara Kajder, I was inspired to implement blogs into my classroom and even my team department this year. Unfortunately, because I only started my second year this year and had the responsibilities of KTIP, UofL classes, team leader, Language Arts Department Chair, and the looming KCCT tests in April for both On-Demand Writing and Arts and Humanities, I was too overwhelmed to be successful. The first two chapters of Richardson's book Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, have inspired me once again to try to implement blogs as a learning tool in my classroom.

As I was reading these chapters, my creative teaching juices started flowing, and I started thinking about ways in which I could use blogs with my classes next year. While I am at a slight disadvantage because many of my kids do not have internet access at home, I thought weekly class computer time might help solve this problem. Perhaps, if I were to require weekly blog entries from all my students, I could schedule weekly library or computer lab time. I also just recently learned that we have the opportunity to check out a cart of lap-tops. Students could use the blog assignments as an activity to complete when they are finished with their independent practice for daily mini-lessons. This required and highly meaningful activity could also serve as a motivational tool for encouraging students to finish their independent practice and move on to the Preferred Activity Time on the computer.

The book also provided a strong guide on the frontloading lessons I will have to conduct with my students in order to prepare them for safe and responsible use of the internet. I really liked the idea of the letter home, and I'll definitely "borrow" that idea for next year.

In terms of pedagogy, these chapters push to notion of classroom blogs as constructivist teaching tools in which students not only read, but intellectually interact with the material they read, and finally to push their responses all the way up Bloom's taxonomy. When I use blogs with my classes next year I plan to push them to respond to a variety of material, including assigned reading, class discussions, probing questions, and other students' posts. Also, I'd like to require my students to ask questions of each other, and respond to their peer's questions. That way, a rich, meaningful electronic discussion forum can develop to push my students to fully engage in language and all that we learn. As Richardson also notes, my quieter, more shy students might be more apt to participate in such a forum.

Another advantage of blogging, is the notion of the class archieve. This year, as I've asked my students to return to old Writer's Notebook entries or past assignments, they've often lost their work. With a blog, we will have all previous discussions and many written work stored for later reflection. This will be especially helpful now that the KCCT exams require a Reflective Entry in the portfolio. Finding material to reflect upon will be much easier to access.

I look forward to using blogs next year for a number of other reasons as well. Not only will I energetically implement them for their democratic forum, the electronic archieve, constructivist instruction, "hook" of technology, but also for the opportunity for ownership, an authentic audience, and the ability to easily connect to a broad swath of electronic links and resources.

Technology Autobiography

When my kids (that is, my students) ask me if I have a Myspace account, I feel ethically compelled to look them in the eye and say, "No; I am too old for Myspace." The sad truth is, however, that not only do I have a fairly well-manicured Myspace account, but also that I am so addicted to Myspace, I cannot bear to close my account. Not even the looming threat of my students seeing my smiling face and all my personal life hanging out like electronic laundry can tear me from the network. It's pathetic. But it also reinforces how close I am to being my students' peer: not just in raw years, but also to the generation of the "natural born" technology specialist. The digital wiz. The computer geek, who is no geek at all, but just a regular person lucky enough to be born in the 1980s or later. A child of the Information Age.

I remember computers as we used them when I was in school. Because I was artistic at an early age, I remember being fascinated by a rather primitive version of Microsoft Paint. Of course all our computers back then were Apple computers. The beige, green-screened kind. We played "Driver" and "Oregon Trail" for fun. For academics, we were challenged to memorize the letters, numbers, and various punctuation marks on the keyboard - some utterly useless infomormation I'm not sure I could even do now unless I consciously followed my fingers.

When my father was in law school, I remember his Word Processor. Hardly a computer at all - more a glorified typewriter - it punched out stacks upon stacks of legal documents, which required de-edging along symmetrical perforated strips. Even then I was fascinated by the technology, and I made confetti out of the printer left-overs.

Then I remember our first home computer. Delight of delights - I painted pictures on Microsoft Paint, played countless trivia games, improved my Solitaire and Free-Cell skills to champion status. And of course there were always the book reports and typed papers. It wasn't until late junior high, however, when I remember AOL and chat rooms. I remember posting my always-vociferous political opinions on message boards, unaware of the creeps no doubt lurking throughout cyber-space.

Looking back on my childhood experiences with technology, gives me great insight into how my students perceive their own opportunities for such resources. There was excitement, fascination, and, I suppose, some sense of entitlement, or of acceptance of the natural course of things, and, not doubt, plenty of naivete. Educating students on the dangers and necessary precautions can keep them safe, while harnessing their natural fascination can serve us educators as a tool of engagement for educational purposes.

Since I've been in education, I've forced myself to become even more in touch with techonology, and to learn about advance beyond Microsoft Word, Google, and Webmail. I've found PowerPoint presentations as a superior means of leading class discussion. I've also discovered interactive tools on the program to help engage students. Using the LCD projector has helped too, because the screen is large enough for the entire class to see. With the LCD projector, I've also been able to demonstrate search engines, documentation, paraphrasing, revisions, and editing techniques for my students on the internet and in Word documents. The LCD projector and tablet have been indespensible for me as a language arts teacher.

Finally, my latest discoveries in technology have been two web-based programs that have helped improve my communications with parents. Engrade.com is the online gradebook program I use to record and average my grades. Students and parents are then able to access their own grades (with an ID and password) from any computer that has internet access. Also, I have a classroom website at TeacherWeb.com on which I record the weekly agenda and homework assignments. This is helpful to many families, when the student is working on responsibility skills and the parents like to stay informed.

From this class I hope to gain access to more technologies and teaching strategies that can help me to be a more engaging and effective teacher. I'm excited to make a new digital movie, and brainstorm ways in which I can use this activity with my students. I also look forward to planning how to implement wikkis and flikr with my classes, as I'm always looking for ways to improve my lessons and capture the kids' attention. Computer technology is already something the kids are engaged in; why not turn that engagement toward something meaningful and substantial beyond r u gon out 2 nite?

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