Then and Now

Final Pause and Ponder

Personally, this course has been very worthwhile. After teaching for 26 years, it is wonderful to find so many new things to try in my classroom. I am aware how my students have changed over the years, but with today’s technology, the change is immeasurable. Students don’t want to simply look in a literature book and answer questions. They want to be active learners. This course had made me personally feel a little better prepared to help them. My beliefs have changed in that now I don’t think the most important thing to do is read as many stories out of the literature book as possible. I no longer think I have to be in front of the classroom all the time. Also I now think students have more than one way to show they are smart.
Some additional areas I would like to develop are using the track changes program in Word among others. The fact that I can give suggestions for improving the students’ writing (including voice and tutorial lessons) is awesome. I have already showed it to a few of my sixth graders, and they really like it. They like that they can talk back on the program and ask me questions.
To find resources on any of these topics I can go to You Tube and get tutorials on whatever I need. There are also several techno-savy teachers down the hall from me who are always willing to help me. I at least know more about what to ask for now than I did before this class.
I am looking forward to seeking out more information on topics discussed in this course this summer when I am planning for the fall semester. I will be going for my National Board re-certification next fall, and these things will really help in that pursuit.
The teachers on my hall and my media specialist think I am a guru now when they hear me talking about embedding things on my blog or uploading something to you tube. When they heard I was doing a voice thread, they all wanted to come in and watch what I was doing. Really, my professional abilities have been enhanced tremendously since I was just a novice when I started this class. I feel much more confident. I am not afraid to try new things now.
I have used the track changes program with a couple of students who email me their weekly responses. I have assigned adding images to my students’ journals that they keep with the novel they are reading. They take on the personage of the main character and write a journal entry for each chapter. I have done this for years, but this time I told them they had to find an image online and insert it in their journals. We just started this this week, but they are enjoying it so far. I have so many plans for applying other things in the fall at the beginning of the new year. I can’t wait.

Voice Thread Uses

Wow! I can see some real practical uses for this Voice Thead thing. I could use it to have students answer questions about chapters in a novel or a short story in our literature book. I could require that students respond to at least two other students for a certain grade, etc. This would be so much better that the usual questions at the end of chapters. I could require that students post their own questions as well. I would probably require them to write some of their comments in addition to speaking them. I plan to use this next year if I can get everything set up with my students.

Adolescents and Digital Literacies: Learning Alongside Our Students

You Gotta Make It Real

As I was reading Chapters 5 and 6 in Sara Kajder's new book, several things jumped out at me. By the time students get in middle school, they are tired of the same old writing prompts and assignments. If we allow them to use these new technologies we have been learning about (podcasts, blogs, voice thread, etc.), and use them for authentic purposes, their writing should improve greatly. Once again it hit me how important having "community" in the classroom is. If they feel this, they feel they can show what they know in different modes and media. Community fosters confidence and encourages innovation in our students. We teachers have a lot of catching up to do with this technology to keep up with our tech-savy students. If they know we are working hard to keep up with them, maybe they will work harder for us. All ELA teachers should be required to take classes like this one to stay in touch with things.

Voice Thread Tutorial from You Tube

I looked through many Voice Thread tutorials and chose this one because the narrator starts with registering for an account and goes step-by-step through the program. There were voice thread tutorials about business and other things, but this seemed just right for educational purposes. I learned how to use Voice Thread by listening over and over to the tutorial. I took notes with pen and paper. If I have any trouble while using the program, I can refer back to my old fashioned notes. I am looking forward to using this program.

Pause and Ponder March 21

Some key points that will stick with me from my readings are the importance of having community in the classroom to give students the confidence to take risks and try new things. I have always given students some freedom or choices when doing projects, but I need to expand my choices to the things they are good at and enjoy doing. I understand that this digital thing is here to stay and all of us are not at the same point as others. It is a time consuming thing, and I am glad that I have grown some in my knowlege of it all.
The way I can apply things I have learned in my class is to try to get even closer to my students and know what their intersts outside the classroom are and try to bring their interests inside the classroom so they can explore things of importance to them.
When I reflect on the technology I have learned so far in this class, I can't believe I can do some of the things I am doing. I find myself thinking, "Oh, I can blog about that!" when something happens in my classroom or anywhere. I really enjoyed Photo Story 3 and was surprised how easy it was. I plan to let my kids use it before the year is over when doing a book report or research topic. My kids are doing power point projects now on poetry and biographies, and I just may let them go one step further and make them into a digital story. I feel it will enhance their learning of the topic they are working on because they will want it to be especially informative if it is in this form.
The class discussion has been wonderful. I like to hear what other professionals think about topics we are studying and reading about. So many time the things others say is exactly what has been on my mind. Then there are times that i don't totally agree with what they say, or don't understand how they thought that way, but we are all different.

I Am From

I am from fried chicken and potato salad, peanut butter sandwiches and Lays Potato chips. Going swimming at the state park in the summer after Bible School in the mornings, getting sunburned at the beach at Aunt Soothie’s house in Myrtle Beach.

I am from Sunday School every Sunday and training union every Sunday night.

Yes mam and no sir all the time.

It’s your turn to do the dishes, I did them last night

I am from where did you put my brush and who hid the dryer?

I am from go help your sister with the laundry and then you can go down to the beach.

After Daddy died I was from you have to help your mom- be brave!

Where will you go to college? What will you be? Who will you marry? And there isn’t enough money! Let your sister go first, no your brother- he’s so small.

How did you get that done so fast, now will you help me?

Your sister is in trouble again, can you go get her?

Where will we live? Will I get a job? What? I can’t be pregnant! Now I can’t teach. But, Oh, what a pretty little girl. She is so beautiful. She has hands like granny and long, long eyelashes. Look, she is sitting up by herself, she is crawling and getting into everything! I can’t believe she is a year old! Where has the time gone? Maybe we should have another baby, what do you think? Yes, another little girl! I am from a lot of love and family!

Adolescents and Digital Literacies Chapter 1

Sara Kajder says in the first chapter of her new book that she counts it a privilege to help kids work as "intentional, self-directed, reflective learners who are able to make meaning from a range of texts and share their knowledge and understanding in smart and useful ways." Wow! That would be wonderful if I had a handful of those kinds of students. I feel that all my sixth graders want to do right now is chase each other with magic markers playing "tag." However, there was a text message going around yesterday afternoon warning certain students that they were going to be the primary targets today, so maybe my students are using technology in useful ways. If it sounds like I'm a bit discouraged, I am. If I didn't have to make sure all my standards were covered and all my students' MAP scores and PASS scores are going to go up from last time, I would feel like I could spend time teaching my kids some of this new technology. I am going to have them do a digital story before the end of the year, though. I have already worked with a little 6th grader who is in our book club and showed an interest in digital story telling. He is so excited and so am I.

I Did It!

I have been worried about doing my podcast ever since we were assigned the task. My wonderful media specialist here at OBM gave me some material on it and we talked about it, but I was still hesitant. Finally, yesterday, my colleague, Julie Newell, said she had done her podcast the night before and it was easy. Since my student teacher is now at the point that she needs to be left alone with my students some during the day, I decided to try my luck. We are studying poetry in my classroom now, so I decided to read some poems for my podcast. I slipped into a classroom that wasn't being used at the time and made my recording. Other than the custodian coming in and asking how I was doing, it went off without a hitch. Later in the day I decided I wanted to add a picture to my podcast. I went back down to my trusty media specialist for help with this. She told me I had inspired her and that she had done a book review on her blog yesterday morning. This all goes to show anyone can do a podcast if I can. Maybe I won't be as hesitant the next time a new thing comes my way. I also discovered that it is wonderful to be able to get help from others as well as to give help to others.

My First Podcast

What a Staff Development!

I could have listened to Sara Kajder for another 3 hours (provided we had a snack or something to drink). She is so down to earth, yet, so knowledgeable about all this technology stuff. A couple of things that struck me were the fact that she keeps going back into the classroom so she can stay in touch with real teaching problems that come up every year. The other thing is that she kept saying, "What can I do better with this technology?" In other words, she doesn't just go out there and try out new technology just to say she has used it, she checks it out critically to see if it will help the student. I liked the way she told us to always have parents informed about what you are doing and have them on your side. I have found that to be true always. I think I am going to go ahead with her new book instead of our other text. She gave us so much information, but told us to take it slow and easy-just try a little at a time. I plan to take lots of time this summer to investigate some of the things, and then I can implement new things in the fall.

Pause and Ponder / February 7

I have learned so much from Kajder's Bringing the Outside In. Some things that stick in my mind are the following:

• Save early and often ( I have had many 6th graders crying because their piece is not there the next day when they go back to work on it)
• Start slow and simple (I used to try to do too much new stuff at one time; after many mistakes, I now try a little new at a time)
• Presentations should be graded 80% content and 20% effect
• Students need to read and write for authentic purposes
• Be open to knowing our students
• Be open to thinking about reading and writing instruction in different ways
• We aren't learning a new technology; we are using a technology to learn
• I continue to learn to read by reading
• Good readers reread, write while they read, read, reread again
• Many students simply lack confidence
• Students need to complete tasks that extend their thinking beyond a quick interaction with the text
• Learning happens during discovery, sharing and dialogue
• I like the vocabulary squares ( I have done things similar to this)
• I like the pictures to represent the vocabulary words (I have the student draw a picture, but the photograph would work nicely)
• Vocabulary Word Wall with pictures instead of just words sounds like a great idea (we have been using Word Walls for several years now and they are invaluable for review )

I could go on and on, but these are the things I remember the most this week. I don't think I have been reading enough of everyone else's blogs, but I have enjoyed the book. Maybe I will do better this week.

I Just Feel Like Praising God

There's a new song my choir at Socastee Baptist Church is learning Called "Tell Somebody!" It says we must tell others of the good things God has done for us. I have just returned from a 2 hour wonderful experience of reading at Barnes and Nobles right outside the Cafe where you can hear the cappicino machine and smell the coffee and brownies. It was so cold outside, and every once in a while I would look up from my novel to see Sunday afternoon shoppers walking outside bundled up in hats and scarves rushing to their car with purchases in tow. I just feel so fortunate to live in a place where I am free to go to a book store and read or do whatever I want without fear. God has let me raise three wonderful girls to adulthood so I have the freedom to go somewhere and read and not worry about them. Last night I ate dinner at our local Cracker Barrel in front of a roaring fire. When I finished my meal, I sat there for over an hour and read. Once again, it is with God's grace that I can go relax in front of a fire and enjoy a good book without fear. I will share with my students this week about my delightful reading times this weekend, hoping to inspire a love of reading in them. At the 6th grade level, they try to imitate you sometimes. I want to thank God for all my students who I can encourage to be avid readers.

I have been out of the loop for a week or more now. All kinds of things have been going on at my house and to my body. To say I had an intestinal virus this past week would be putting it mildly. As I was slowily recovering here at home, I would think of ideas to bring some of the things I am reading about in Kajder's books into my classroom of 6th graders. Here I am trying to get them to correctly write a 5 paragraph composition to get ready for their PASS writing test in March, and I am reading that there are many wonderful ways to get students to express their ideas by different visual presentations where sometimes a paragraph is not found. What a world we live in! I loved someone's blog I have been following that told about how she taught a particular student to always be prepared because technology not work or it may mess up on the day you are presenting your project. She actually wrote in cursive on her board instead of using the Smart Board for a lesson because the technology was not working. Her point was to the student to always be prepared with a backup in case things don't work, and you have to know the basics-not just the fancy ways to present information. So my students are going to learn the old-timey way as well as some new fangled ways to present information.

All About Me

I am a sixth grade language arts teacher at Ocean Bay Middle School. I am a grandmother of 5 beautiful children ages 4to 10. I am looking forward to learning lots of good things in this class to use in my classroom.