Podcasting in the Classroom

After learning about Podcasts and doing some research, I have found that implementing Podcasts into the curriculum can be a very motivating and exciting way to introduce new material. What I like about Podcasts is that they are being made everyday, giving very current news and opinions. As a teacher, I believe that keeping students updated with current happenings in the world is an aspect of our job that we have to take seriously. The one thing that comes to my mind is the tornado's that swept across Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, and parts of the Carolina's in the past couple of weeks. I found a Podcast titled, Tornadoes which was made by college students aiming towards third grade students. This Podcast talks explicitly about tornadoes, giving general information like where they primarily occur, how they form, and how deadly they really are. I would reflect on the event to my students, and then have them listen to this Podcast to learn more information about tornadoes. Teachers have to be flexible, and if something is happening on earth, it often gives time for a teachable moment, such as introducing tornadoes to children who may not know much about them. Furthermore, if I wanted to teach students how to use a podcast of their own, they could do something simple in response to the information learned such as actions they should take in case a tornado struck their area, etc.

ePaLs in the Classroom

If you are a teacher who enjoys advice from other experienced teachers on curriculum, fun activities, and successful lesson plans, then the ePaLs website is for you. ePaLs is a great tool to use when looking for a book to read in class, interactive lesson plans, engaging activities, the list goes on and on. Personally, although I try and make all of my lessons creative and engaging, I do not have that internal creativity that just comes to me. I look through all sorts of websites, collecting a lot of fun and educational activities that I find online. Although I like this website to help aide as a lesson plan builder, there are interactive activities for students to use as well. A great tool I found on this website is called in2books, which gives a student a pen pal to interact with on books they are currently reading in the classroom. The pen pals write back and forth, asking questions and giving opinions about every aspect of the book. ePaLs also posts questions for children to answer and post online, giving them accreditation for their thought out answers. This encourages and motivates children to take pride in their work and answers, especially because their writing will be up for others to view. Furthermore, one of the most influential aspects of this website is that teachers and students from all around the world are members of ePaLs. Sometimes children need the perspective of an outsider to help piece the puzzle together. This type of website allows both students and teacher to think outside of the box by the thoughts, comments, and perspectives of children who are the same age and grade, yet in different parts of the world. Whether you need help with creativity, curriculum, interactive activities, or motivation in the classroom, this website will be beneficial to you!

Study Abroad Italy Via Flickr and Pimpampum

Trevi Fountain - Rome, Italy by DiGitALGoLD">
Trevi Fountain - Rome, Italy, a photo by DiGitALGoLD on Flickr.

I absolutely loved playing around with Flickr photos to upload onto Pimpampum. Pimpampum is an online site where users can use their own photos or photos they find on Flickr which can be used commercially to create comic strips, slideshows, and photo books that can be published for the Internet to view your work. This website is easy and quick to use, it allows you to insert text for blurbs above photos, and can be used in multiple ways. Although I did not use my own photos, I made a strip which documents some of the aspects of by experience studying abroad in Rome, Italy. Thinking from the perspective of a child, it was so much more fun and engaging using this site to write text and display pictures compared to the traditional book report or essay. Teachers can incorporate Pimpampum into the curriculum very easily, such as having students use this sight to create and publish a story with pictures, reflect on their favorite family vacations, book reports, a class photo album from memorable activities, etc. The possibilities are endless especially because it is such a great motivator for students. It is very difficult to get children to want to write whether it is reflectively, creatively, or academically. This site makes children so engaged that it does not seem like work, it really is pure pleasure and children will take great pride and ownership in it knowing that it is published for the world to see! Heck, I even had a ball going down memory lane putting together a strip about my European adventures. Here is my Pimpampum strip titled Study Abroad Italy which gives one example of all the fun that can take place inside of the classroom.

Creative Commons Licensing for Flickr

www.Army.mil, a photo by The U.S. Army on Flickr.

Do you enjoy taking photos? Have you taken photos that are noteworthy of sharing with others? Want to share your talent of photography and current interests with the world? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then becoming an active Flickr user is the smart way to go for you. In signing up with Flickr, users are able to post a plethora of pictures onto an online account where others can view, comment, and use for their own use. Now I know what many of you may be thinking, what about copy right laws? How can I protect my own work, yet share it with the public? Well Creative Commons Licensing for Flickr has attacked these issues to protect individual rights on photographs with various agreements that will meet all users needs. Are you a person who wants to share your photos with others, but want that photo to remain as is and your name to always be on it? Then this agreement is right for you. Users can see and print your photo, but it must remain in tact without revision and may not be used commercially.

Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike- If you want others to not only see your photo, but to revise it and tweak it noncommercially, then this agreement is right for you. Users may revise your photo; however, your name will be copyrighted not only on the original version, but the revised version as well under the exact same terms.

Attribution-NonCommerical- In this license agreement, users can revise and tweak your photo noncommercially. Although your name will be copyrighted on the original, the new user must mention you in their new work but they do not have to license their new work under the same terms.

Attribution-NoDerivs- With this licensing agreement, your photo can be redistributed commercially or noncommercially as long as the photo remains in its original state and credit is given to the creator.

Attribution-ShareAlike- In this license agreement, users can tweak and revise your photo for commercial and noncommercial purposes as long as they give credit to the original publisher on all derivatives and follow the exact same terms as the original.

Attribution- This agreement is noted for the most accommodating of all licenses. In this agreement, users can redistribute, revise or tweak the original work commercially or noncommercially, as long as they credit you for the original creation.

As you can see, there are a variety of license agreements that Flickr users can choose from to meet the needs of all users. Creative Commons Licensing ensures that your photos are viewed, yet protected to the users protection of choice.

Twitter

As Twitter becomes a global phenomenon, it is no wonder why businesses, organizations, and teachers are creating screen names and joining in on the activity. Where else can you market your ideas for free? Where else can you educate people about a noteworthy cause? Where else can you share great ideas that work in your classroom? Twitter is helping people of all walks of life interact and share ideas because it is fast, convenient, and information is constantly being added and transmitted to the public.

Twitter allows teachers to follow other educators and read their tweets about classroom activities, books to read in class, professional development dates coming up, etc. If you are interested in a topic, there is someone out there who will tweet lots of useful information regarding that topic which you can tweak and incorporate into ones own classroom. It is free resources at your fingertips. Better yet, you can respond to an article, ask a question regarding the topic, or share the article with friends who follow you. Twitter is as educational as you want it to be. The more time invested in finding great resources and tweeting other educators, the more successful your lessons will be.

Not only can Twitter be used as a professional resource, but many teachers are incorporating Twitter into lessons in the classroom. In the blog Twitter, by Purdue University Students, they suggest using Twitter as a simple form of communication between home and school. For instance, the teacher can tweet homework to remind students, or useful links that students may want to refer to for extra reinforcement. Students can also tweet thoughts or opinions on books they are reading, or questions if they need clarification. The teacher can also pose extra credit questions and the first to tweet back gets bonus points. In the blog post, You are Now Entering the Twitterverse by blog-o-licious, the post talks about using Twitter as a great way to get feedback and information first hand from authors of books you are reading in class. Students can pose questions and/or comment and get feedback from the person behind the pages. Likewise, students can create Twitter names for characters in the book and tweet in the characters voice, and playing around with language if it is from a different time period. The possibilities for active learning using Twitter are endless, and it is only a tweet away!

My Junk can be a student's Treasure

In a world which is constantly developing, why do teachers continue to rely on teacher-directed instruction and textbooks that smell as old as they look? In the post, We need more "Junk" in the Classroom, from the blog, TeachPaperless, the blogger made a significant point about incorporating tangible materials and activities in the classroom. While at the museum, the bloggers children were engaged with hands-on activities that fostered creativity, imagination, and was extremely engaging. He had a hard time pulling his children away to see the rest of the museum. Now if only teachers could enhance lessons that we had a hard time pulling our students away, now that would be a great success.

When referring to "Junk" in the classroom, teachers often take fore-granted items that seem irrelevant to us, when they actually foster critical thinking, problem solving, and imagination. Students may look at old clocks, train collections, and old camera and become engaged and interested in learning it's story. Let children play and touch these objects that may mean nothing to you. To them, it may be the coolest thing they've ever seen.

Ning- Another Educational Resource

While searching for a Ning which I could relate to on a professional level, I came across something that is every elementary teachers dream! The Ning, K-3 Teacher Resources Forum, is a great tool to use on so many levels. They talk about behavior management plans, children with special needs, literacy concerns, everyday encounters...you name it, they talk about it. What is just as great is that there are printable's which you can print out and use in your own classroom, vocabulary words, ways to incorporate technology in the classroom, and educational websites. If a teacher is ever in a bind and needs worksheets, or seeks advice from experienced teachers on a certain topic, you get back many replies which will definitely help aide in an appropriate course of action. Just like Alan-Levine says, "We can't know it all," so seek assistance from someone who has that piece of knowledge you are missing!

The Learner of Today

It is well understood that students no longer rely on one source of information to gain knowledge and better their understandings. Would we want our student's to rely on one source anyways? Isn't it believed the more sources the better, because not only do you get more reliable data, but you get the opinions of many to help us interpret and evaluate in order to come to our own decisions about a certain topic. Looking at the learner of today, so much more is available to help foster critical thinking in the classroom then just ten years ago. One aspect that plays a very important role in fostering such growth is technology.

The learner of today collaborates, shares thoughts and opinions, and is always up for gaining insights from others. This learner of today is like a team mate, knowing that there is no "I" in team. Team mates know that collaboration is extremely important, otherwise a wrong play could have been made if only 1 person was allowed to voice their opinion. This goes for the learner of today. Listening to others views and opinions help to engage and enlighten a certain topic, opening doors where one may have not thought to go before. Like a team mate, the learner of today (teachers as well) has to stay current with what is going on. If a player doses off for a split second, the other team may have a chance at scoring. Similarly, technology is always advancing, always opening new doors to collaborate, share opinions, and enhance our education. If we do not take advantage of this ever changing atmosphere, we may miss out on something that can really impact our learning. Teachers especially need to stay current because as times change, so do learning styles. Technology is a great way to enhance education and and to motivate students because most students are already familiar with new technology, and they may become more engrossed as the learning options multiply.

George Siemen's learning theory of Connectivism supports collaboration and understands that learners must utilize what is given to them. In his article, Connectivism, A Learning Theory for the Digital Age, Siemen's makes it known that learning no longer has to take form in memorization, as long as the learner knows where to find his information. He is quoted, "Know-how and know-what is being supplemented with know-where (the understanding of where to find knowledge needed)." This could not relate more with the digital world we are living in because information is constantly at our fingertips. We will be learning more in knowing how to utilize this information then trying to remember everything we have ever read, which would be impossible. Furthermore, in his YouTube video The Network is the Learning, Siemens takes note that we are constantly able to stay current with people all over the world through collaborating, either through the internet, skype, phone, etc. Because technology is constantly evolving and stays current, it is essentially the learning because so much can be done with something that is constantly changing and constantly connected. We use the internet to learn from others, whether it is reading their blogs, asking for advice, or collaborating for a meeting. The learner of today utilizes what is at their fingertips and is essentially preparing themselves for the future.

Technology in the Classroom

Have you ever wondered what education is going to look like thirty years from now? Do you ever ponder on the progress education has made in the last fifty years? What about all the new technologies that have developed in the past five years? This is something I do on a regular basis, intrigued by all of these great developments currently at our fingertips. After viewing the videos "A Vision of K-12 Students Today" and "Pay Attention," it was hard not to get goose bumps at the chilling realizations that were touched upon. Society is at a time where we are running full throttle and not looking back. It amazed me to take into consideration that in five years from now, half of the jobs students will apply for currently do not exist. Half of the jobs?! From a teachers standpoint, I embrace these technologies whole-heartedly. Why you ask? Because as a teacher, our job is to motivate and intrigue our students into wanting to learn. It should not be a chore, but something that they are driven by. Too many teachers today are not taking advantage of these tools to help enhance our students education. More then half of our students use these technologies on a daily basis, so why not incorporate their interests into learning? Furthermore, living in a digital age, these children are most likely going to get jobs that are required to use technology, so why not build on their love and interest of the digital world to help build motivated employees of tomorrow? If using technology in the classroom helps drive a child's passion of learning, creating a life-long learner, in the end I would be greatly satisfied.

Please watch these videos, they are very inspiring:

A Vision of k-12 Students Today

Pay Attention

Internet Safety

Blogging is a great way to get your ideas out and be heard. It showcases your thoughts and opinions, allowing your followers to understand you more clearly, along with challenging them about topics posted for discussion. Although it is a great place to express ones ideas, safety precautions should be taken to enable a safe and friendly atmosphere.

• Never offer any personal information including your last name, contact information, home address, phone numbers, school's name, e-mail address, last names of friends or relatives, instant messaging names, age, or birth date.
• Never post provocative pictures of yourself or anyone else, and be sure any images you provide do not reveal any of the previously mentioned information. Always remember to look at the background of a picture too.
• Assume what you publish on the Web is permanent. Anyone on the Internet can easily print out a blog or save it to a computer.
• Use blogging provider sites with clearly stated terms of use, and make sure they can protect the actual blogs, not just the user accounts, with password protection. (Even so, it's better to assume anyone can see it.)
• Avoid trying to "outdo" or compete with other bloggers.
• Keep blogs positive and don't use them for slander or to attack others.

• Seek an adult if someone on the internet is making you feel uncomfortable.

For more information on internet safety, please visit:

Safety Tips on Blogging

Internet Safety

Netsmartz Workshop

Blogs in the Classroom

Although I am fairly new at this, I am becoming quite a big fan of implementing blogs in the classroom. Since a large part of working with children is motivating them and helping them find themselves and their passion, what better way to do that then use resources that are fun, exciting, and familiar! One way I would use a blog in my classroom is by creating a community of learners. A class home page would be established and children could post current book interests, places they would like to travel, questions regarding homework, etc. Children may find common interests with others which they would not have known otherwise, or students who are more reserved may feel more comfortable interacting this way. It would also of course serve the purpose as a "go-to" when children forgot the homework, need class worksheets, helpful links, etc.

Another way I would use a blog in my classroom is by having a question of the week, which would be an opinion question, challenging students to think outside of the box and let their voices be heard. This would be related to a topic covered during the class and they have until Friday night to post their response. Children will learn that we are all entitled to an opinion, and sometimes there is no right way of thinking about a certain topic. Students can learn from the intricate thoughts of others, along with challenging the authors opinion as long as it is thoughtful and respectful.

Writing and reading go hand-in-hand, and blogs are a great example of this. Children often feel that "why should I learn to write well, I'm not an author." These feelings will do a complete 180 once children have real-life experiences with blogging. They will be authors for a plethora of readers, encouraging them to do their best work. Whether students are reading independently or a book as a whole, questions which they must respond to will be posted and a cyber portfolio will begin to grow. They will enjoy seeing how their writing improves over time.

A blog I am interested in joining is a teachers blog of helpful websites, creative ideas for curriculum, management techniques, and of course, a piece titled "kids say the darnedest things." (Because we all know they do). This would be a great blog to look at for resources and to talk about common do's and don'ts in the classroom. An occasional laugh every now and then helps remind us why we all decided to become teachers in the first place--the kids.

My first idea relates to Standard 4:

Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction.

Students will use oral and written language for effective social communication with a wide variety of people. As readers and listeners, they will use the social communications of others to enrich their understanding of people and their views.

My second idea relates to Standard 3:

Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and evaluation.

As listeners and readers, students will analyze experiences, ideas, information, and issues presented by others using a variety of established criteria. As speakers and writers, they will present, in oral and written language and from a variety of perspectives, their opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues.

My third idea relates to Standard 1:

Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding.

As listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas, discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information.