Final Presentation Reflection

I was very concerned with the time limit of only 8 minutes. Because the topic of Information Literacy is so HUGE, I knew I would only be able to brush the surface of it in 8 minutes. I felt that the best way to use our time together was to "teach" you how to teach your students how to determine if a web site's information can be trusted. I hope I was successful at providing you with ways to help your students perform better searches for information and how to evaluate the information once they have located it.

What did I learn?
I learned that Information Literacy is a huge topic. I learned the importance of teaching our students how to find information on the web that can be trusted. I learned how to find who published/owns a web site, how to find the history of web site, and how to conduct better searches for information.

More to learn?
Of course there is more to learn! I would like to know more about how to incorporate information literacy into the classroom with regards to reading and writing.

Pedagogical Applications
There are endless possibilities of how to incorporate information literacy in the classroom. Foremost, we need to teach our students that not everything on the Internet is true and that they need to be aware of the authenticity of web sites. If we don't teach them, who will?

Updated Website

Check out my updated website. I've made some huge changes, so check it out and let me know what you think! Thanks.

It's So True!

The week before Thanksgiving (where has the time gone?) I subbed for the 8th grade English teacher for the entire week while he dealt with some personal things. I was really impressed with what he was doing with his students. He had set up a debate for the entire 8th grade and all the other 8th grade teachers were active in it as well. The debate issues consisted of really sophisticated and relevant issues such as stem-cell research, building the wall to keep immigrants out, video surveillance in schools, etc. On Monday, the students wrote their rough drafts. Being only 8th graders, they had some really great arguments for their sides of the issues. They had previously researched the information on the Internet the week before. Tuesday they did peer-editing with the speeches. It was the typical peer-editing task we all have been through and can consider a waste of time. I do think peer-editing can be helpful, but it needs lots of structure.

Wednesday we went to the computer lab to type the final drafts of the speeches. Here is how I am relating this to our class. Like Shade Gomez said when he came to our class earlier in the semester, students do not know how to do simple things like double space their paper within Word. Even though Shade had talked about this, I was still shocked that it was so true. In the beginning of each class as part of my instructions for the period, I had to walk the students through the steps to get them all set up to have a double-spaced essay. I would estimate that in the 5 sections I taught that day, only about 10 students actually knew how to do it. It was funny b/c these are the kids who were complaining that they couldn't play games or get onto MySpace or IM after they were done typing (although most sites are blocked anyway). It's just interesting I, a digital immigrant, could teach them something. I loved it. Of course, there is a whole lot more that I could learn from them!!

Final Project Summary

Here is my summary for my final project.

Truth or Lies? Information Literacy in the Classroom
Because anyone can create a website these days, it is important to teach our students how to tell if a site is supplying them with the truth or with lies. After reading Alan November's research on this topic, I plan to create a PowerPoint teaching others how to be sure that the information they come across is valid and how to incorporate a lesson on Information Literacy for their students.

I am creating the PowerPoint on my PC at home, and I'm not sure if it will open on a Mac. I would prefer to be in the PC lab, but if there is no room there and my PowerPoint will open on a Mac, I have no problem being in the Mac lab. I can test it on a Mac Tuesday in class.

Professional Website

Here is my professional website in progress. Check it out and make comments for improvements. Thanks.

Professional Website Differences

I created a freewebs account last week to begin my professional website, but I didn't get much further than giving it a title because I didn't feel that it looked very professional. I don't know if you can get rid of them, but I don't like all the ads. Does the iWeb have ads on it, too? I'd love to have access to the website at home, and that's why I was thinking about freewebs, but I might take the time to check out the iWeb option on campus.
Any useful comparisons of the two?

iMovie Reflection

My movie hasn't been viewed in class yet, but I thought I would reflect on my experience with iMovie now instead of waiting. My experience was overall a positive one, though I did run into some saving issues like many of us did. I had some problems with some of the special effects I tried to incorporate. Some of my images at the beginning of the movie turned red every time I used the Burn's effect, so I ended up using different effects on those images. The transitions between shots could have been smoother, but with limited time, I guess what I have will have to do. The experience of filming was a new one for me as well. I had never really used a video camera before, so it was nice to have an excuse to use one.
My husband and I took a hike at Filmore Glen State Park in Moravia, and I brought my camera along and filmed the beautiful scenes and waterfalls that we saw along our 4 mile hike. Then I pieced together some images I found on Flickr to show my peaceful escape into nature and away from the stresses of everyday life.
I have been very impressed by the movies that have been shown so far. I can't wait to see more!

Online Classrooms

In a recent article found on Education Week, the increased use of Internet classes is discussed. The article talks about how more and more students are taking online courses instead of waiting for classes to open up or to lighten their daily school load. This is very interesting to me. I wonder what the students really are getting out of these classes. Sure they are getting the material required to pass, for "all the virtual school's teachers are state-certified. Most are either retired K-12 teachers or currently teaching and working at the virtual school on the side," so we know they are being taught the material. But I feel like high school is a time to learn how to act around other people, how to conduct yourself as a fellow citizen. If students start taking these online courses, how will they learn to socialize with others? Ms. DaLage, one of the virtual school's teachers states that "students who are shy or socially awkward excel when removed from the pressures of the classroom. Others who struggle with group discussions thrive when they produce written work online." OK, but are we preparing our students to sit behind computers all their lives or are we supposed to help them thrive as active parts of society?

Also, I think I would hate to be one of these virtual teachers. The great part of teaching is getting to know your students personally. I love subbing right now because I know almost every student in grades 9-12 b/c I sub wherever needed and have really put effort into getting to know these kids. That's what teaching is all about. How could virtual classrooms ever compare to traditional classrooms where there is face-to-face contact??

I have never taken an online course, so I'd be interested to hear opinions from those who have...

Help With iMovie, Please!

Why are my images that I import from iPhoto and apply the Ken Burn's effect to changing to a bright red color? I tried changing the brightness and color, but it still has the shade of red. The images that I don't apply the Ken Burn's effect to don't lose their color quality like these do. What's going on? Any suggestions?

The more information I read about using blogs in the classroom, the more I am convinced that they are a must! I love the idea of them creating an authentic audience. Students will be much more engaged in and motivated to post comments of quality if they know their peers will be reading what they have to say. What a great way to ask provocative questions and get genuine responses!

Update on iMovie project: I have all of my footage (and a lot more) taped. My camera is due tomorrow, so I need to return that. I will need to figure out how to get the footage from my tape to my CD with the needed cable. I have a lot of tweaking to do to my footage with the order of things, and I hope that won't cause me huge problems. I didn't do much talking during filming, so it will be mostly voice-over.

All the ideas I have heard lately about the rest of your ideas sound great! I can't wait to watch all of your movies. I am sure they will all be as original and unique as the podcasts!

iMovie Question

I checked out a camera and microphone today from the library, and I bought the mini DV and DVD-R CD's the other day. I have to have the camera back by next Monday and there are no renewals, so I am wondering how I am going to download my movie to the Macs in class. Is it enough to have the movie on the tape or do I need the camera in class? If I do need the camera in class, what am I supposed to do if someone has a camera reserved so I can't check it out again?

Who is Responsible?

I came across an article recently that from an Indianapolis newspaper about a school punishing students for what they publish on the web, even if it occurs at home. The school officials in favor of this punishment, which has included days of OSS, say that students need to learn that some things are not acceptable anywhere, not even on MySpace from home. The students are arguing back that these new rules are imposing on their constitutional rights for freedom of speech.

I think that the school has to draw the line somewhere. Parents need to take over at some point, and if the school is butting in outside of school, when are the parents called on to take some responsibility toward their children? Parents need to be aware of these sites like MySpace so that they can keep an eye on what their children are writing and who they are communicating with. Perhaps the schools should spend more time educating parents instead of enforcing rules that apply to out-of-school postings.

Check out the article:

www.psychosensei.com/archives/003165.html

Podcast Correction

I was pleased that the audio on my podcast can be heard much better than what I was expecting since it seemed to be muted when I was creating it. However, there is an error in it that I didn't catch until watching it in iTunes. The big brown monster is from Germany, not Palestine. I didn't catch that I said Palestine twice. . . Oops.

Other than that small error and some other timing issues I would correct if I had more time and access to a Mac, I am overall happy with the end result. I am certainly happy to know how to make an enhanced podcast. The possibilities are endless with this medium of communication. It was a learning process, and it's nice to be on this end of it looking back at the experience.

Project Idea

I haven't forgotten that we were to post ideas for our projects this week. It's just that I am having a hard time coming up with a project that will be worthwhile and that won't totally stress me out because I will be working alone with technology that I am not 100% comfortable with. I was toying with the idea of creating an interactive story guide like the Holocaust one in Richardson's book on pg. 69. However, I have no confidence when it comes to wikis. Sure I can post an entry, but to add images and links to create an interwoven story with countless variations based on which choices are made seems way too intimidating.

So, I was thinking that I might create a unit that incorporates technology in several aspects. I have to hand in my portfolio in November, and I need to include a middle school unit plan. I really didn't get the opportunity to create a unit plan with my middle school placement, so if I could kill two birds with one stone, that would be great. I was given one week to teach poetry to 7th graders, and one week did not do it any justice. I could have taught poetry for the whole time I was there. I would like to create a unit on poetry that I could possibly use when I get a job. These are just ideas right now, but I was thinking of incorporating flickr with pictures they could write poetry about, I could use blogs as a way for them to communicate ideas and reflections about poetry. . . These are very rough ideas, as I have been toying with many possibilities for this project.

What do you think? Boring? Feasible? Suggestions? Questions?

Teaching for their futures?

I just finished reading Frank McCourt's Teacher Man which I definitely recommend for any teacher or future teacher to read. He has some great insights into teaching English at the high school level. He has some pretty funny stories to tell, too! In his last chapter, he states this about parents: "All they care about is success and money, money, money. They have expectations for their kids, high hopes, and we're like workers on an assembly line sticking a little part in here, another little part in there till the finished product comes out at the end all ready to perform for parent and corporation." (235)

This goes right along with our discussion last week with Shade. Are we producing students who will survive in this flat world? If we don't know all the new technology, how can we hope to produce individuals who will survive in this ever-changing world?

I think that it is important to teach students things that they will take with them into their futures, but I really believe that we need to teach them in the present. If we are always preparing them for the next year, when are they being themselves at the moment? Kids need to be kids, and I feel that by constantly thinking of only their futures, we may miss a crucial time in their lives to reach them--RIGHT NOW IN THE PRESENT!

Wiki Question

I would like to copy a picture onto one of my wiki pages, but I don't know how to do that. Can anyone help??

Paper Vs. Computer

After reading several blogs regarding the difficulty of blogging and the course wiki, I now know I am not alone. I do think, however, that I know why I have such a hard time. I like to write everything out on paper. My thought process is not as smooth and it certainly doesn't flow as well if I am typing my first draft instead of writing it on paper. However, with blogs and wikis, it seems such a waste of time to sit down at my desk and write what I want to say on paper, then come to my computer and type the same things here. This is definitely a sign that I am a digital immigrant.

When I was subbing the other day, the seniors were working on brainstorming ideas to put into their college essays. Several of the students had a hard time writing what they wanted to say. They said that it is hard to think on paper and that they prefer to type on the computer. This opened my eyes to how removed I really am from these digital natives!

Podcast

After adjusting the volume settings on the computer within Garage Band, I still can barely hear my recording within Garage Band. I know it's not the borrowed microphone from the library because I can record at any level at home on my PC. I am running out of time that I have available to hit the campus to access a Mac. Between subbing and the baby, I will be lucky if I make it up once more to do the final viewing and saving.

Speaking of saving, when I saved and then reopened my podcast yesterday, some of the audio I had recorded was missing and some was duplicated in the spots where it was missing. I went back through and recorded and shifted things, but I am dreading opening it back up to find that it is changed again. Any ideas about why it did this?

Another question, are we to go through all of Chapter 12 with our podcast? That is, are we supposed to publish and share it on iWeb? Or are we just sharing our podcasts off our copy we create to be handed in?

Thanks for any feedback.

Technology as a Tool

I couldn't agree more with David Sharos's article from the Chicago Tribune titled "Technology: Enabling or Disabling Youth?" While he presents both sides of the issue of whether technology benefits our students or not, one argument that he does seem to stick behind is that technology is a tool. When doing my research for my thesis paper in Spring of 2005 on the effects of technology use in the English classroom, my findings all reflected that technology is only as good as the teacher/user. By incorporating technology into the curriculum, teachers embrace the real world that their students live in. However, teachers must use the technology in an enriching way to benefit the students. Sharos quotes a Director of Education as saying, "The key is about empowering kids. We like to use technology as a tool, not have kids all wrapped up in it as an escape."

During my research, I found that technology use does not always guarantee increased student achievement, for technology needs to be used in the right manner in accommodation with other teaching practices. It is a tool that current and future teachers have in their tool belts that can help motivate and engage their students.

Thank you James!

After visiting James's blog and reading about his "21st century blog," I just had to try the feed thing. I had read about it in Will's book, but I had no plans of actually trying it. But after James commented on how easy and convenient it is, I had to try it. Thank you James. Now it's so easy to see what new information is posted out there without wasting time going to each blog. This new technology stuff is too cool!!!

First Day of Subbing

Today I started a new year of subbing. It was nice to get back into the school and see some familiar faces from my student teaching experience. Today just reinforced how excited I am about getting a teaching job. I can't wait to have my own classroom where I can start the year off with the students. They are so full of energy, and you can't help but get energy from them.

Children Without Books

On pg. 385 of Friedman's "The World is Flat," he states "...this crisis [faltering education] we see in our schools has its root in American homes increasingly devoid of books and printed material, where children turn exclusively to television, computers, and electronic games for entertainment- and see adults around them doing the same." This is such a depressing picture. I was raised with books, and I can't imagine a home without books in which children can get lost in. I couldn't agree more with Friedman in regards to literacy starting in the home. I think it is very important for children to see their parents reading for entertainment.

When thinking further about this, I am disturbed at the prices of books these days. No wonder parents don't have bookshelves full of books. If the parents aren't interested in reading in the first place, the price of the books alone is sure the deter them from buying any.

This, however, is no excuse!! Thank goodness for book sales!!!!

Wiki Questions

How do we share our wiki page w/ the class? How do we access other students' pages?

Elmo has Email!

Since we started this class, I have been much more aware of technology in my surroundings that I just didn't take note of prior to this class. Yesterday I was watching Sesame Street with my daughter, and Elmo has a segment where he learns to do something. Yesterday he was learning how to build things, and he was building a dog house. He needed help, so he called for his computer, which arrived promptly, and he emailed his friend for some advice. She got right back to him about how she built Snuffy a house and what materials Elmo would need, how to build it, etc.

It was a real eye-opener to me that this is the world we live in now. Computers are just another thing to help our children learn and connect with others. I think this is great. Our students are going to be so much further ahead than we ever were, and we can only increase this knowledge by tapping into the medium (is that the correct term?) that they are used to using.

This Elmo segment also shows this idea of Technology and Shared Learning (which is the subject of my first wiki in progress). Elmo was stuck, and asked his friend for help. When I was in school, it was all about the individual. Now education has changed to a group effort more than an individual effort. My main concern with this change is for the students who aren't able to work with others. I have seen many of those kinds of students both when I was a student and when I was student teaching. With team work and cooperation being such an important aspect of this new world, will the shy kids get left behind? Will group work become the norm in classrooms? Does anyone have much experience with group work? And how do you make sure everyone is benefiting from this sort of learning environment?

Just some thoughts. All triggered by that cute little red monster!

Flickr and Beta Blogger

Does anyone know why I can't blog a picture from Flickr to Beta Blogger? I didn't have a problem with the previous Blogger we were using, but it won't allow it here. Any ideas/suggestions?

Are the new Beta Blogger addresses posted on the course blog yet? Are they updated from Tuesday's switch?

"Listening to the Natives"

Monday, September 04, 2006

"Listening to the Natives"
After reading Marc Prensky's article "Listening to the Natives," I agree with most of what he advocates for a technology-rich learning environment for our students. However, one of his points hit a nerve with me. When he is discussing the use of cell phones in the classroom, he writes, "Why shouldn't our students have the same option [voting with their attention]with their education when educators fail to deliver compelling content." Ok, cell phones can be used productively in the classroom if the teacher knows what he/she is doing, but my experience is that students text message one another while the lesson is going on. Regardless of how stimulating the lesson is, not every 16 yr. old in your class is compelled to learn everyday. If a relationship ended at lunch, no lesson is going to keep a 16 yr. old girl from talking with her friends anyway possible. Since I wouldn't permit chatting in my classroom, I certainly wouldn't permit text messaging, which I feel is inevitable if the cell phone is handy. I know Prensky isn't saying that we should allow our students to zone out, but all it takes is one student who is having a bad day to distract all the others from your top-notch lesson. At this point in my experience, I think that cell phones should be banned from the classroom. Am I being a "digital immigrant" here? Is my accent showing??
posted by Danielle Utter at 12:13 PM

6 Comments:

KES said...
In short, I would say yes you are .. and I can hear your accent!!! You say just as you wouldn't permit chatting..clarify. I know you're not advocating a silent classroom with all eyes trained on teacher!! KES
1:56 PM

Danielle Utter said...
Of course I'm not advocating for a silent classroom. My most successful days in the classroom were when I had every student engaged and interacting. Interacting, not chatting. By chatting I mean whispering to a neighbor during class about what happened at lunch. I think this can be reduced when students gain respect for you and you respect them. At this point I just see cell phones as another way to lose the interest of students. During my student teaching, I had to take a cell phone away from a student who was texting her friend across the room. It is disappointing when you have spent time on a lesson when the students just zone you out. So again, I certaintly do not advocate a teacher-centered room by any means, but I do expect the students' attentions to be united as a whole class, not divided by students texting one another about what happened at lunch. I'm not against using cell phones for productivity, but I don't know how I would do that. Ideas?
2:34 PM

Larisa said...
Danielle,I agree with you that, at this point, cell phones should be banned from the classroom. We had a huge issue with students text messaging each other answers during tests. When doing an activity during science, their friends, who were taking a test in math, would text message the question and wait for the response. Not only did the student who was taking the test receive the answer, but the test questions were now "out there" for the rest of the students to know. There are just too many other factors to worry about on a daily basis, then to deal with cell phone use in the classroom.
2:38 PM

Sarah said...
I have had to compete with cell phones in my classroom as well, and it can be extremely frustrating. My first day of teaching not only did a phone loudly ring in class, but the student answered it. There was no apology for disrupting the class. I was appalled.Now, having read this article, I am encouraged. I would love to be able to say to my students, "We're not using our phones - yet." I would love to be able to create a time and place to use this technology that is so readily available. I personally think that banning cell phones is not the best way to handle the situation. The reality is that the majority of students have cell phones which are parent-santioned (of course, cheating with the phone is NOT acceptable in any way). Students need to be taught how to responsibly use their phones in the same way that they need to learn how to responsibly participate in the Read/Write Web (as Richardson calls it). In addition, I have to wonder how/why students had time to text back and forth during class. Shouldn't they have been actively learning? Shouldn't the teacher be monitoring the room durinng the test? Shouldn't there be "test taking conditions" set up in the classroom?Finally, I will attempt to step outside the box in an effort to really think about how to integrate technology into the classroom. Could cell phones be used to study for the test? Quizzing each other back and forth using their cell phones might make review more engaging. Maybe even more successful. It also would demonstrate a time and place to use cell phones as a learning tool. I'm just trying to shift my paradigm over here...what do you all think?Sarah
3:46 PM

Dave E. said...
I'm not going to make a long comment here or anything, but I think that if you can keep the students engaged... moving... on their toes... et cetera... then the TXT messaging can be kept to a minimum. An active classroom has much less potential for "chatting" than a lecture classroom. Sure, you won't eliminate it, but you're never going to.
3:53 PM

Danielle Utter said...
I have heard of students cheating on tests before with use of their cell phones, but I have never witnessed it. Similar to what Sarah said, it would be nice to take away some of the rebellion associated with sneaking messages in class. If the teacher embraced the use of cell phones for certain things (such as studying, perhaps) then maybe texting wouldn't be such an attraction. The student I was talking about earlier who I had to take the cell phone away from was clearly rebelling against me. If it wasn't a big deal to have a cell phone in your hand in the classroom, maybe the issue would die down. What do you think? Thanks for the reactions and ideas. Keep 'em coming!

Welcome!

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Welcome to my blog! I am excited about getting this blog going, as it is my first attempt. Please make your comments here about Eng 506 and other important matters!
Thanks