Not just another boring blog!

Hello fellow bloggers!

I hope you enjoy my Prezi.  I really did  enjoy all the features!

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I chose to explore Make Belief Comix’s for my 4th emerging technology. I was completely clueless on what this was and how to use it properly but I learned quickly so I am certain my students would likely learn even faster. The comix strips you could create in relation to the subject I teach are truly endless. A student could make a comix strip about ANYTHING. Every unit we cover in US History would work here. This is actually my favorite emerging technology I have covered. You are completely in charge and I think students too would enjoy that!

I would implement this technology in my classroom probably at the end of the chapter when students have taken in all for information and can make key connections. Also, this could be an icebreaker at the beginning of the year. Make a comix strip which best describes you, print it out, and then students would share it with their classmates.

The only issue I could possible think of is again the server is down (At Pike we face that challenge frequently hence why I ALWAYS mention it in this section.) If that occurs students could make their own with markers and construction paper. Also, I had some issues with moving the caption balloons even after I clicked on the move icon. I could see certain segments of my class getting very frustrated and lose focus on the objective and become obsessed with a minor glitch. Still, my favorite emerging technology!

http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix/?comix_id=231114000C218727

I chose to explore TeacherTube for my 3^rd emerging technology.  I had heard of TeacherTube but never really explored the website.  I looked for media concerning Watergate, The New Deal, and the Holocaust.  I found an excellent video on the Holocaust.  The video is around 18 minutes long which is just about how long I want a video clip to be that way our class can reflect.  The video not only discusses the Holocaust, but the 20^th and 21^st century examples of genocide.  The world collectively said never again after the Holocaust ended in 1945, but the fact is genocide continues to tear apart our globe.  This video provides examples in Cambodia, Rwanda, and Bosnia to just name a few.  The images, the music, and the message should really smack students with the truth about genocide happening in their lifetime.

I would use this video clip AFTER I teach a unit on the Holocaust.  I want students to understand the depth of horror involving the Holocaust so they too would think perhaps like the soldiers liberating the camps in WWII that this would never happen again.  Next, we would have a deep discourse on bullying in school and how some believe that provides the first step toward hate.  Lastly, this video clip would as stated above provide recent examples of mass genocide.

The main issue is our school server would be down and this video would not be playable.  I would need to provide a handout of the recent genocide occurrences and use that as a template for instruction.  Also, I would need to get parent forms signed because the clips are rather bothersome and could make some students very anxious or upset.  Lastly, I thought YouTube provided many more options to choose from than TeacherTube in terms of videos.  Some high schools block YouTube and we did until this year.  I am glad to have YouTube because it can serve as a great tool for visual learners.

I watched a really interesting video titled Hula to High Tech: Hawaiian Students Re-create History. In the video technology helps drive and bring enjoyment to the curriculum. Students do a variety of activities. I could not believe my eyes! Kindergartners were helping produce the daily elementary newscast. The kindergartners were presenting the weather while the other grades did everything from book reviews to projects and teacher interviews. What a great combination of current events, grammar practice, speech skills, and application of technology! A second clip showed a 4th grade class which was getting familiarized with their ancestors. The class created a multi-media image of their family tree after interviewing older family members. They included pictures, graphics, sounds, and videos.

The blog I read was by Owen Edwards titled: Can Electronic Reading Devices Replace Classroom Texts? In this blog post he talks about the new wave of technological advances and their affect on the published world. In particular he discusses the ‘Kindle’. I myself am not fully up to date on a Kindle. I know you can download hundreds of books on to this piece of technology and save space and I am sure lots of money. He admits the benefits; most notable the high amount of comfort many school age students would feel with such technology. Also, he comments on how the Governor of California wants to adopt this technology. I can tell of a similar story. Pike High School’s Social Studies Department came very close to digital textbooks. In the end, our school decided not to go that way partly because what if the technology does not work.

Edwards believes the advancement of humanity came from printed text. Those relics one can look at and find inspiration. He often wonders if anyone will read this blog entry in ten years. Will the technology have moved so far ahead that this blog entry is unreadable or just too old looking with its graphics and outdated website? If they are too consumed to print this blog out will it be found? I believe those are pertinent questions and could technology really out due the written word technique of thousands of years? Perhaps so, and in ways to preserve the future lessons better and be found and studied much easier than many parts of the past.

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I chose to explore Sasha Barab video on new media engagement.  He presents very strong arguments for why technology must become more of a driving force in the curriculum and standards of 21^st century learners.  The 1^st claim he made has complete merit.  30 years ago the internet, gaming, and other interactive software with information already embedded did not exist.  Textbooks were necessary for students to just work to get the information be it history, geography, or political science.  Today that is not the case.  The information is there and a need exists from just working to gather information to examining the available info and using it.  Students can become the geographic explorer, decide if Vietnam is a just war, or create and run a congressional campaign.

I was glad to see he did point an accusatory finger towards teachers.  He confesses that there is a huge disconnect between the tools available for teachers and the goals people like Barab hope to see technologically happening in the classroom.  Many schools do not have the software, the teacher training/workshops, or even enough available computers for active use.  He states students are being set up for failure.  I never really attached a lack of technology to failure but I believe some truth can be attached to such an assertion.  Students are savvy and engagement could erase boredom and a sense of what does this mean to me?

A major goal I have for myself is using more interactive software in my lessons.  Transporting students to the lab, stopping attempts at searching the internet, and down servers are frustrating.  However if the software is truly engaging as they say the behavior will mostly take care of itself.   Students consider technology like breathing and why not tap into such a talent?

In choosing my second emerging technology, I wanted something both interesting and interactive.  I examined and become interested in Thinkfinity.  Thinkfinity is an online system containing thousands of lesson plans, worksheets, assessments, and primary sources.  I have never heard of Thinkfinity but after only a few minutes of exploration I saw how beneficial this would be in my classroom.  I searched Watergate, civil rights, and 9-11, and found many interactive lessons for all three topics.  I thus assume most topics would have detailed information and lessons.

I would have no trouble implementing this technology in my classroom.  The site is extremely user friendly for both teachers and students, but more importantly useful.  I searched for civil rights and found a spectacular media lesson on the Greensboro diner sit-ins.  It did not consist of status quo lessons.  The lesson had a brief introduction with media.  After that, you could click on 6 different squares which included participants, siblings of participants, a tour of the diner, and the move to bring it to D.C.   The leader of the movement to bring the diner to D.C. for history lovers also was included.  Lastly, the eyewitnesses discuss what they believe are 21^st century versions of segregated lunch-counter mentality.  I appreciated the effort put into this website.  I can definitely apply this to my classroom and allow for more interactive lessons with eyewitnesses speaking to you not reading it from a textbook!

I can think of 2 main issues that could arise.  One is this uses sound and if 32 of my students are in the lab working independently at their own speed I think it could be chaotic.  I could look into headphones for all the students though I have never seen them used by our students or provided by the media center.  I believe they charge for them unfortunately.  This issue could be erased by either me buying cheap ones or asking the school to cough up the money.  I could also show the website on my classroom projector and stop after each section and allow students to debrief.  Secondly, what if we get to the lab and the server is down.  What would I do?  I have the students in the lab.  We could either go back to the classroom to a back up assignment or I could check out the website at home and make a quick lesson plan, (graphic organizer, etc) but I would hope it does not come to that when Thinkfinity is much more enjoyable!

http://www.objectofhistory.org/objects/intro/lunchcounter/

http://www.objectofhistory.org/objects/explore/lunchcounter/

Hello!

Welcome to my 1st ever blog.  I hope everyone enjoys my blog and most importantly finds helpful information.  Please provide any feedback as I hope to become a strong blogger very soon!

I chose to explore Story Bird.   Story bird is very functional and quite enjoyable.  With story bird you tell a collaborative story about any subject and all sorts of images appear as you type your story.  Most interestingly, as you type, the images appear related to the text.  If you tell a geography story about Antarctica, then images of cold appear.   I had a very nice time creating my progressive movement story.  Also, the directions are simple and user friendly.  Any student in any grade level could easily utilize this system to create a telling story.

I could implement this without any hesitation.  Story telling is an important part of US History.  The struggles of the past can only come alive from a story.  Perhaps a story of joy or even a story of sadness.  This program could be used to tell about the civil rights movement (Ruby Bridges, MLK) or even Japanese Americans during WWII.  I believe when students create the stories they learn the content but also recreate history which brings their talent and ideas of the past. The Davis and McGrail article I reviewed talked about the need for student talent to be prized and creating community.  I believe story bird does just that.  Students would share their stories and comment about their classmates stories in regards to what they learned and reflected on.

I did not encounter any problems while creating a story.  The only issue that could arise is the server being down in our school and thus greatly complicating the story bird capabilities.  If this happened, we could create our stories on paper and use paint, etc.  Also, I would want to stray away from making this a competition for highest quality.  Kids are competitive and a rule on blog comments would be not to compare but understand each blog individually.

Here is my Story Bird!

Create your own Story Bird!