Friday, June 27, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Reader's Theater
I really enjoyed working on the readers' theater. Our group had so much fun working on the script, but especially the podcast. I can only imagine how my students would love doing this but I'm sure it would equally as hard for them to break away. It sure was a problem for us. I know we could have spent all day tweaking our recording with special effects and music. I also appreciated the chance to utilize a small portion of the vast capabilities my computer offers. It's an incredible little machine!
I've done traditional readers' theater with past classes. Doing it this way allows the children more independence and a chance to be creative while learning new technology. I look forward to it trying it but I will probably need some assistance from our computer staff at school.
I've done traditional readers' theater with past classes. Doing it this way allows the children more independence and a chance to be creative while learning new technology. I look forward to it trying it but I will probably need some assistance from our computer staff at school.
Power Point Comment
I love powerpoint! I really love the 15 minute countdown. When I get the smartboard installed in my classroom, I plan to use this visual to help my kids keep track of time. It will be especially helpful for me to stay on track. I also didn't know there were an abundance of ready-made presentations there for the taking. WOW! This will help me so much since I always feel like there isn't enough time to do what I need to do or create. Thanks!!!!
Carol
Carol
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Wednesday's Reflection
I feel like I am experiencing total immersion in a new language. My brain is on overload and I'm not sure it can handle another new thing. On the other hand, I am thrilled at what I have accomplished thus far. When I look at the pieces I'm collecting for my portfolio, I feel proud. I still feel like a computer dummy most of the time but today was the first time that some of the pieces seem to be actually coming together. I have learned so much in these past three days, it is truly amazing.
It has also been a very humbling experience. I am surrounded by young teachers who take this all in stride like it's no big deal. They actually enjoy playing around on the keyboard! I can't say I'm there yet but I do appreciate their patience and understanding. So thank you Marisa and Ari from the bottom of my heart. I am not at the point where I would feel comfortable teaching my students a lot of these techniques but with my notes, I could probably negotiate some of them on my own. Now if I can just make this graphic organizer I can quit for the day!
It has also been a very humbling experience. I am surrounded by young teachers who take this all in stride like it's no big deal. They actually enjoy playing around on the keyboard! I can't say I'm there yet but I do appreciate their patience and understanding. So thank you Marisa and Ari from the bottom of my heart. I am not at the point where I would feel comfortable teaching my students a lot of these techniques but with my notes, I could probably negotiate some of them on my own. Now if I can just make this graphic organizer I can quit for the day!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Comments on websites
The first website I would like to comment on is edhelper, a resource site for teaching professionals. I have found it to be user friendly but a bit on the boring side. It is great for generating literacy units as it includes a wide variety of comprehension question, and activities such word searches and vocabulary. I think it would be very useful for special educators that are looking for ways to increase their students' understanding.
Another website that I found interesting is webquest. I was astounded at the variety of sites it had to offer. There are some very good to excellent webquests but one needs to be cautious. There are also some sites that are unimaginative and would not capture a student's attention. I also found that some sites included perhaps too much information in the way of hyperlinks. It has to be tailored and specific to the task.
Another website that I found interesting is webquest. I was astounded at the variety of sites it had to offer. There are some very good to excellent webquests but one needs to be cautious. There are also some sites that are unimaginative and would not capture a student's attention. I also found that some sites included perhaps too much information in the way of hyperlinks. It has to be tailored and specific to the task.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Is Google Making Us Stupid?
The world is in the midst of a cultural revolution propelled by the internet. When you call for help with your Dell computer, you are likely to reach a technician from India who offers assistance. The internet has brought the world to our doorstep but it has also caused isolation and a shallowness of thought that some find threatening to our minds' ability to think. This article by Nicholar Carr points out how the ever-increasing reliance on the internet may have an adverse, even changing, affect on our brains and how they function. I believe this may translate to extended problems in our cultural society.
There is no doubt that since the advent of the internet, the pace of life has quickened. We can reach information with the touch of our fingertips to keyboard. Technology has saved countless workhours and is no doubt more efficient. Gone are the days scanning through books and microfiche for obscure information. At the same time, we are becoming used to, perhaps programmed, to think that everything should be available to us without delay. In other words, our society expects immediate gratification and is unwilling to be patient. Now that dial-up has moved to high-speed fiber optics, we are still not satisfied. The pace of our processing information has also sped up. We are bombarded with pop-up advertising and television shows are in shortened sound bites, making them more palatable for society's taste. We are a society in a state of frenzy and the proof is in our classrooms.
Today's students are restless and easily distracted. Many are unable to sustain concentration for long periods of time unless they are sitting in front of a television or with a gameboy in hand. In fact, it appears that children, in general, need more and more stimulation to keep them interested in the subject materials. Hence, teachers are constantly seeking new ways to engage their students through the use of internet games, smartboards, and the like. Though we spend a lot of time discussing reading and writing strategies, less time is actually spent putting them into practice. Is the ever increasing use of technology to blame?
In conclusion, I suspect that our brains are losing the capacity for deep thought and reflection. Over time, the brain's neural circuitry may be hardwired for shorter, shallow bursts of thought across broader scopes. We have become more adept at skimming text for information, but are losing the capacity to think deeply about a given subject. If we, as a society, are unable to reflect, what then? There is the danger that we will be incapable of effective interpersonal relationships. Email and instant messages have nearly replaced the letter that may have taken hours to write. Despite these changes in the ability to communicate quickly and easily, our society appears to be increasingly isolated with more and more people suffering from depression and loneliness. Is technology to blame? Time will certainly answer that question as technology becomes ever more pervasive in our culture.
There is no doubt that since the advent of the internet, the pace of life has quickened. We can reach information with the touch of our fingertips to keyboard. Technology has saved countless workhours and is no doubt more efficient. Gone are the days scanning through books and microfiche for obscure information. At the same time, we are becoming used to, perhaps programmed, to think that everything should be available to us without delay. In other words, our society expects immediate gratification and is unwilling to be patient. Now that dial-up has moved to high-speed fiber optics, we are still not satisfied. The pace of our processing information has also sped up. We are bombarded with pop-up advertising and television shows are in shortened sound bites, making them more palatable for society's taste. We are a society in a state of frenzy and the proof is in our classrooms.
Today's students are restless and easily distracted. Many are unable to sustain concentration for long periods of time unless they are sitting in front of a television or with a gameboy in hand. In fact, it appears that children, in general, need more and more stimulation to keep them interested in the subject materials. Hence, teachers are constantly seeking new ways to engage their students through the use of internet games, smartboards, and the like. Though we spend a lot of time discussing reading and writing strategies, less time is actually spent putting them into practice. Is the ever increasing use of technology to blame?
In conclusion, I suspect that our brains are losing the capacity for deep thought and reflection. Over time, the brain's neural circuitry may be hardwired for shorter, shallow bursts of thought across broader scopes. We have become more adept at skimming text for information, but are losing the capacity to think deeply about a given subject. If we, as a society, are unable to reflect, what then? There is the danger that we will be incapable of effective interpersonal relationships. Email and instant messages have nearly replaced the letter that may have taken hours to write. Despite these changes in the ability to communicate quickly and easily, our society appears to be increasingly isolated with more and more people suffering from depression and loneliness. Is technology to blame? Time will certainly answer that question as technology becomes ever more pervasive in our culture.
Technology Autobiography
I was born in the mid-fifties so technology was virtually non-existent at that time. We had a landline telephone. I remember that neighbors shared the line and could cut into conversations when they wanted to. We didn't have a television (black and white, no less) until I was about 12. My grandpa felt sorry for us and bought it for us. Fortunately, I had developed a voracious appetite for books and read nearly everything on the children's and young readers shelves in our small town's library by then. TV was a fun pasttime but not that important to me.
By the time I was in college, we had graduated to microfiche but still had to write everything out long-hand. It sounds like the dark ages now. After I was married, my husband attended graduate school and was required to write a thesis. We bought a used Royal typewriter so that I could transcribe his notes. It was soon after that we discovered a woman who ran a business out of her home using a word processer. What a relief!! It changed everything and seemed to be a miracle. The second and third drafts were a breeze and it was finally published.
My next real encounter with technology began when I started teaching and my children were young elementary students. We purchased an Apple computer at an exorbitant price and had fun with simple games and word processing. Well, needless to say, we have upgraded many times since and now own a total of five working computers, four of them laptops. I was given a new I-book for my latest teaching job and have grown to love its quick response and handling ease. I want to learn how to navigate and use it more effectively as I still feel inept using it, but I continue to grow in my tech. literacy each day. My girls remind me constantly of how computer illiterate I truly am, which only increases my anxiety and frustration. I must admit that I do enjoy surfing the web when planning a trip or looking for a shopping bargain though.
In addition to the computer, I am now faced with learning how to utilize a smartboard in my classroom. I find it challenging and rather daunting to say the least. I felt overwhelmed with the pressure to get up to speed when I started this new job but I am slowly finding ways to integrate its use in my classroom. There are endless possibilities to engage my students while teaching them new learning strategies. We can explore new directions, use games to reinforce learning, and teach new concepts with weblinks. By giving them the freedom to choose what to write, wordprocessing can free them up from the limitations and intense labor of handwriting.
Probably the only other technology gadgets I own are my cell phone and digital camera. I've been shown how to send text messages, and can take pictures with the camera but I generally stick to basics. My cell phone's biggest use is when I need to call friends and family in an emergency. Otherwise, it stays turned off most of the time since I don't have reception at home. If I leave it on, I often forget to turn it off, only to find that the battery has run out again when I really need it. I need to learn how to download my camera's pictures easily and would love to know how to send them out to friends and family.
When I look around my household, especially my kitchen, I realize that everything is going techy. My new stove, dishwasher, and even the refrigerator are all computer driven. I have major trouble operating the television remote if I press the "wrong" button. I can program my handheld phone for basics but forget the fancy settings. In this increasing technologically based world, I feel like I am a dinosaur. I see the necessity for keeping up to speed but it is advancing so rapidly that I sometimes want to shut down and revert to my familiar ways of doing things. They feel safer somehow. I find that people who are technologically savvy often have very little patience for people like me. It's hard for them to understand how foreign and difficult computers can be to use. When explaining things, they often rattle directions off at such a speed that I'm lost from the outset. When I am learning how to use new technology, it helps to show me step-by-step, taking time for me to imitate the modeling on my own. It also helps to have good instructions written down so that I can refer to them when on my own.
Probably my biggest challenge is organization of data. In order for me to keep up with all the latest technological changes, I know that it is essential for me to keep good records. I keep a file at school with directions on how to hook up the smartboard. I also have post-it notes under my blotter, in my desk drawer, and stuck to my computer with the various passwords and websites that I use the most. I need to get better at organizing this information if I am to utilize what's out there effectively. I not sure how others manage this but I would love to hear suggestions. I'm sure there are ways to organize these things on my computer but I have yet to be shown them. I'm looking forward to increasing my technology learning curve through this course, but be patient with me. Remember, this does not come naturally.
By the time I was in college, we had graduated to microfiche but still had to write everything out long-hand. It sounds like the dark ages now. After I was married, my husband attended graduate school and was required to write a thesis. We bought a used Royal typewriter so that I could transcribe his notes. It was soon after that we discovered a woman who ran a business out of her home using a word processer. What a relief!! It changed everything and seemed to be a miracle. The second and third drafts were a breeze and it was finally published.
My next real encounter with technology began when I started teaching and my children were young elementary students. We purchased an Apple computer at an exorbitant price and had fun with simple games and word processing. Well, needless to say, we have upgraded many times since and now own a total of five working computers, four of them laptops. I was given a new I-book for my latest teaching job and have grown to love its quick response and handling ease. I want to learn how to navigate and use it more effectively as I still feel inept using it, but I continue to grow in my tech. literacy each day. My girls remind me constantly of how computer illiterate I truly am, which only increases my anxiety and frustration. I must admit that I do enjoy surfing the web when planning a trip or looking for a shopping bargain though.
In addition to the computer, I am now faced with learning how to utilize a smartboard in my classroom. I find it challenging and rather daunting to say the least. I felt overwhelmed with the pressure to get up to speed when I started this new job but I am slowly finding ways to integrate its use in my classroom. There are endless possibilities to engage my students while teaching them new learning strategies. We can explore new directions, use games to reinforce learning, and teach new concepts with weblinks. By giving them the freedom to choose what to write, wordprocessing can free them up from the limitations and intense labor of handwriting.
Probably the only other technology gadgets I own are my cell phone and digital camera. I've been shown how to send text messages, and can take pictures with the camera but I generally stick to basics. My cell phone's biggest use is when I need to call friends and family in an emergency. Otherwise, it stays turned off most of the time since I don't have reception at home. If I leave it on, I often forget to turn it off, only to find that the battery has run out again when I really need it. I need to learn how to download my camera's pictures easily and would love to know how to send them out to friends and family.
When I look around my household, especially my kitchen, I realize that everything is going techy. My new stove, dishwasher, and even the refrigerator are all computer driven. I have major trouble operating the television remote if I press the "wrong" button. I can program my handheld phone for basics but forget the fancy settings. In this increasing technologically based world, I feel like I am a dinosaur. I see the necessity for keeping up to speed but it is advancing so rapidly that I sometimes want to shut down and revert to my familiar ways of doing things. They feel safer somehow. I find that people who are technologically savvy often have very little patience for people like me. It's hard for them to understand how foreign and difficult computers can be to use. When explaining things, they often rattle directions off at such a speed that I'm lost from the outset. When I am learning how to use new technology, it helps to show me step-by-step, taking time for me to imitate the modeling on my own. It also helps to have good instructions written down so that I can refer to them when on my own.
Probably my biggest challenge is organization of data. In order for me to keep up with all the latest technological changes, I know that it is essential for me to keep good records. I keep a file at school with directions on how to hook up the smartboard. I also have post-it notes under my blotter, in my desk drawer, and stuck to my computer with the various passwords and websites that I use the most. I need to get better at organizing this information if I am to utilize what's out there effectively. I not sure how others manage this but I would love to hear suggestions. I'm sure there are ways to organize these things on my computer but I have yet to be shown them. I'm looking forward to increasing my technology learning curve through this course, but be patient with me. Remember, this does not come naturally.
About Myself
Hi, I'm Carol. I live in northern Massachusetts in a rural community that's near the coast. I grew up in southern Maine on a dairy farm with a large extended family. I've lived all over the country and have spent most of my adult life working with children in some capacity. I currently teach fifth grade but have taught preschool, early intervention, second, third, and fourth grades in other places.
I'm also the mother of two young adult girls and married to a great guy who happens to be an environmental consultant out of Boston. I love traveling to new places, gardening, and being active outdoors. I enjoy kayaking, tennis, hiking, skiiing (especially cross-country) and beaching it. Books are a huge fav too! Someday, I hope return to Vermont where I previously lived to have a little farm and enjoy the beauty and serenity the state offers.
I'm also the mother of two young adult girls and married to a great guy who happens to be an environmental consultant out of Boston. I love traveling to new places, gardening, and being active outdoors. I enjoy kayaking, tennis, hiking, skiiing (especially cross-country) and beaching it. Books are a huge fav too! Someday, I hope return to Vermont where I previously lived to have a little farm and enjoy the beauty and serenity the state offers.
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