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.