Think Aloud

When I'm A Teacher...

ipad assignment

I found an app that lets you design pottery  and allows you to paint and sell it. This could be used in an art class that doesn't have the material to acctually make pottery. This could also be used in the general classroom when studying ancient cultures that made pottery. Students could paint the pottery using cultural symbols as well as decorating it in the style of that culture.

Review-
I think this is an app that allows children to express their creativiy. The pottery also looks realistic ,but of course can not replace the actual experience of molding and shaping clay which also means that there is not a big mess to clean up. Children can design their own piece of pottery and can even sell it.
This app can be usefull as a teaching tool ,but it could be more usefull if there were examples of what pottery looked like throughout history as well as information about the various cultures that created pottery.

Driving Questions

Why has storytelling been important throughout history and why is it important now?

Baning Sex Offenders from Social Networking Sites

Response-(argument summary and evidence)--  This article focuses on the negative affects of banning registered sex offender from social networking sites. According to this article the issue with online predators is exaggerated and there are few cases where the child is harmed. Banning these will  make it harder for registered sex offenders to get a job because they are unable to use these sites. These people should still be allowed  to work even though they have commited such a horrible crime. It is also unfare to these people because not everyone that is a registered sex offender is a child molester. Some of these people have been caught with prostitutes, have been caught urinating in public, or have been caught streaking. So, this law would be unaffective and negative if it were implemented.

Website Validation- The website seems to be valid; there is an author listed and the site is associated with cnet news. The information given seems to be biased. The author is writing this article in support of his opinion of this issue.

I believe that sex offenders should be banned from social networking sites. If one child can be saved it is worth it. A childs safety is the most important thing. If we keep these people off these sites there is a lesser chance of a child being harmed however, it will not eliminate the problem.  These people can find other ways to find jobs and  I do not think that they deserve our pity.

Referances-

Magid, L. (2009). Social-networking ban for sex offenders:bad call?. Cnet news, Retrieved from http://news.cnet.com/8301-19518_3-10309421-238.html

(2010). Knowing what's what and whats not the 5 w's and 1 h of cyberspace. Media awarness network, Retrieved from http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/special_initiatives/wa_resources/wa_shared/tipsheets/5Ws_of_cyberspace.cfm

Wikipedia Worksheet- Claude Monet

 1. Start with the main page. Does it have any cleanup banners that have been placed there to indicate problems with the article? (A complete list is available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Template_messages/
Cleanup.)
 There are not any cleanup banners on this page.

2. Read through the article and see if it meets the following requirements:

Is it written in a clear and organized way?	Yes
Is the tone neutral (not taking sides)?	Yes
Are all important facts referenced (you're told where they come from)?	Yes
Does the information provided seem complete or does it look like there are gaps (or just one side of the story)?--- The information seems to be complete

3. Scroll down to the article's References and open them in new windows or tabs. Do they seem like reliable sources? (For help in determining the general reliability of a source, check out the Knowing What's What and What's Note: The 5 Ws (and 1 "H") of Cyberspace handout.)

Many of the referances seems to be reliable but there were some instances where the webpage could not be found.

4. Click on the Discussion tab. How is the article rated on the Rating Scale (Stub, Start, C, B, GA, A, FA)? What issues around the article are being discussed? Do any of them make you doubt the article's reliability?

It is rated as a c-class article. This article was one of the Arts good article  nominees but did not meeet the criteria.
 The issues being discussed  are possible vandilism, need citation, and major format issues and they do make me doubt the reliability of this article.

5. Based on the above questions, give the article an overall ranking of Reliable, Partially Reliable or Unreliable.

I think that this article is partiallly reliable.

Wikipedia Questions

a. What is Wikipedia? 

It is a multilingual encyclopedia on the web. b. How would you answer the question posed in this piece “How reliable can a source be when anyone can edit it?
I think that it can be pretty reliable because if someone puts false information in the article then there are many other editors that will notice it and correct the information.
c. Who do the creators of Wikipedia place their trust in when it comes to weeding out misinformation? 
They rely on the volunteer editors and the reader.
d. Why did founder Larry Sanger leave Wikipedia? 
He believed that wikipedia should rely on experts tp create and monitor the website.
e. What would abuse or vandalism look like on a Wikipedia page? 
It would be misinformation that is posted in an article.
f. What do the statistics quoted in the third paragraph of this piece reveal? 
It reveals that this website is popular and it can be used by many different people that speak different languages.
g. Why do you think Wikipedia is so successful? 
 The articles are consise, easy to read and well organized.
h. Why might Wikipedia’s creators not want to accept advertising? 
It is a non profit organization and rely on donations.
i. How does Wikiscanner help increase the reliability of Wikipedia entries?
 It identifies who is editing and what they are editing.

Wikipedia in Education

3 things I  learned
1. I learned that the  articles that are on wikipedia are constantly reviewed.
2. There is more current information represented in these articles beecause they are always being edited.
3.  Readers can review the history of the page as well as the changes that have been made to the page.

2 things that surprised me.
1.I did  not know that there was such intense discouragement against wikipedia.
2. There are tutorials that teach the editors the format, structure and style of wikipedia.

1 question I  have.

1. Why aren't teachers using this source in the classroom in a way that can be beneficial to the students.

Related resource- This site gives tips on how to use wikipedia in the classroom.
http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-teaching-strategies/wikipedia-in-the-classroom-tips-for-effective-use/

Referances-

Crovitz, D., & Smoot, W. S. (2009). Wikipedia:friend, not foe. English Journal, 98(3), 91-97. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/archival/EnglishJournalArticle2.pdf

Orlando, J. (2010). Wikipedia in the classroom: Tips for effective use. Faculty Focus, Retrieved from http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-teaching-strategies/wikipedia-in-the-classroom-tips-for-effective-use/

Using Technology in Education to Aid Students with Learning Disabilities

What I Learned-
I learned that technology can be beneficial to students with learning disabilities. I also learned that dyslexia is a learning disability that affects rythm, meter, and word retrieval.I was also was  not aware that teachers were not trained to work with chldren with dyslexia in the 1950's.

Two ways to use technology to support children with learning differences-
By allowing students to type their assignments and use spell check they will be able to complete their assignment without as many problems because they will not be focused on the spelling mistakes they are making.
By using text reading systems students that have difficulty reading or are auditorial learners will be able to  listen to texts or information that needs to be presented to them for an assignment.

Resource- http://www.teachervision.fen.com/assistive-technology/teaching-methods/3791.html

Referances-

Behrmann, M. M. (1995). Assistive technology for students with mild disabilities. The ERIC clearinghouse on disabilities and gifted education, 529, Retrieved from http://www.teachervision.fen.com/assistive-technology/teaching-methods/3791.html

Jendron, J. (2011, October 14). Assistive technology and learning disabilities. South Carolina Assistive Technology Program , Retrieved from  http://www.sc.edu/scatp/ld.htm

Schultz, P. (2011, September 03). Words failed, then saved me. The new york times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/04/opinion/sunday/with-dyslexia-words-failed-me-and-then-saved-me.html?_r=1

Website Evaluation

Website-The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus
Who-There is not a clearly stated author for this website but, it is associated with the Wild Haggis Conservation Society of Kelvinic University.
What-The information is biased because a conservation society is presenting this information which is about conserving a species that is not technically extinct. There is also a link to pictures of  the "actual" species and a picture that is a hoax. The language that is used is persuasive and is trying to bribe the reader for their support.
When- There is not a date of publication on this web page.
Where- http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/
Domain Name- Zapatopi
net- indicates that anyone could have made this web site
Why- This information is easier to obtain online but, this information cannot be verified and is most likely false.
How- The author of this source is not listed and it would be difficult to verify this information.

The Internet and Social Behavior

Quote- "Despite early studies suggesting that internet use leads to anti-social behavior, later findings indicate positive aspects of engaging in online socializing."
Response- I am not surprised that the internet has a positive affect on socialization. By using social media people can interact with people everywhere and at any time. People that are already social are probably more likely to use this form of socialization. Social media could be considerd as a tool to enhance socialization among people and would therefore encourage interaction between people.
Social media has many postitive aspects which include being able to stay connected to others, as well enableing communication with people that live far away.This form of communication in popular in our society because it is simple, fast and an effective way to be connected to the rest of the world.
Realted Resource- This website elaborates on the positves of social networking
http://networkconference.netstudies.org/2010/04/a-social-society-the-positive-effects-of-communicating-through-social-networking-sites/
Referances-

Owen, L. (2009, April 23). Internet and anti-social theory unfounded [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://laura-owens.suite101.com/internet--anti-social-behavior-theory-unfounded-a111897

Wheeldon, E. (2010, April 25). A social society:the positive effects of communicating through social networking sites [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://networkconference.netstudies.org/2010/04/a-social-society-the-positive-effects-of-communicating-through-social-networking-sites/

Japanese/American Math Scores

Quote-"We must teach communication comprehensively, in all its forms. Today we work with the written or spoken word as the primary form of communication. But we also need to understand the importance of graphics, music, and cinema, which are just as powerful and in some ways more deeply intertwined with young people's culture. We live and work in a visually sophisticated world, so we must be sophisticated in using all the forms of communication, not just the written word."-George Lucas

Responce-I agree. I think that these forms of communicatioin will get the students attention therefore getting them interested in their education. These forms of communication are also more appealing to other audinces as well.Acess to these forms of communication is easily obtained so there should not be an issue for educators to obtain these resources.
It is important for educators to undersatand that the world is changing and education needs to evolve simultaneously with the rest of the world. Students can not fall behind and ignore the advances in the world because it will affect them in every part of their lives and not just their education.
Related Resources- This site gives the definition of visual literacy as well as examples. It also provides e-books that promote visual literacy for elementary students.

Referances-
Black Cockatoo Publishing . (2008). Visual literacy k-8. Retrieved from http://k-8visual.info/

Daly, J. (n.d.). Life on the screen: visual liteacy in education. Eutopia, Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/lucas-visual-literacy

Voki Lesson Plan

http://l-www.voki.com/open_pdf.php?file=Dissecting Columbus Day _5th Grade History_.pdf

Teaching Philosophy

Unprepared Teachers

Quote- "Educators face enormous challenges in preparing their students to be critical online readers. For the most part, the teaching of critical-thinking skills is not part of the regular curriculum, and printed text is still considered the mainstay of school reading. Moreover, many recent studies identify persistent barriers to integrating new technologies into instruction, including lack of training and help for teachers and insufficient access to functioning technology (Cuban, 2002; Zhao & Frank, 2003)."- Jane David
Responce-
I think that teachers should be prepared to teach these skills. They cannot teach students the appropriate material if the teachers are not educated about these materials.Students are constantly viewing online material. These students need to be able read online material and understand what they have read.
Teachers could use online material in their classroom to their benefit.The majority of text books that most schools use in classrooms are outdated or are of poor quality. Texts books are also very expensive unlike most online material that is free.
The world of technology is swiftly changing and educators need to keep up in order to prepare their students for the future.
Related Resources- This article gives statistics that support teachers using technology in their classroom and also gives statistics based on teachers that do not use it.
http://thejournal.com/articles/2010/06/28/teachers-report-educational-benefits-of-frequent-technology-use.aspx
Referances-

Nagel, D. (2010). Teachers report educational benefits of frequent technology use. The Journal, Retrieved from http://thejournal.com/Articles/2010/06/28/Teachers-Report-Educational-Benefits-of-Frequent-Technology-Use.aspx?Page=2

David, J. L. (2009). Teaching media literacy. Educational leadership, 66(6), 84-86. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar09/vol66/num06/Teaching-Media-Literacy.aspx

The best teachers teach from the heart, not from the book-author unknown

media in education

Quote- "Explicit teaching of 21st century literacy metaskills can position students to anylyze and evaluate news reporting in today' s visual drenched world."- Debbie Abilock

Response- I think that these skills are important for students to learn. Many students spend most of their time viewing various forms of media. What they might not know is that they can not believe everything they read or see in the media. I believe it is our job as future educators to teach our students how to seperate the truth from what is false. By doing this the students will be able to judge for themselves what is correct and what may be exaggerated. By teaching students how to do this educators may change the students perception of an issue or an event. The students will then be basing thier beliefs on the truth and not what the media wants them to believe.
Related Resource-This web site has alot of information and useful tools that are related to media literacy.
Referances-
Abilock, D. (2003). A seven-power lens on 21st century literacy. Multimedia schools, Retrieved from http://www.infotoday.com/mmschools
Action 4 media education. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://action4mediaeducation.org/index.html

Picture Analysis

Photo Analysis

Graphic Organizer

Using Digital Storytelling in the Classroom

In our digital story telling project we chose a quote and pictures that expressed the meaning of the quote. We then used photostory to make a movie with the quote and pictures that we had chosen. We added music that coincided with our pictures. When the project was finished eveyone in the class had created a movie based on a quote. This process taught us how to use a new form of technology but we also got to use creativity and critical thinking to put together our project.
According to the article " The World of Digital Storytelling" students benefit from digital storytelling programs because they learn how to use various types of media, how to write a report, and use critical thinking skills. They learn how media is used to get the attention of viewers and how it influences them. They use critical thinking skills while creating the idea for their story, They have to have a written form of their idea in order to create their story. By writing this story they learn how to write a report because they have to chronologically order their story and express their ideas through this format (Ohler, 2006).
Last year in one of my classes I had to create a lesson plan and go teach that lesson at a school.  The lesson plan was based on asian folktales. I read a folktale and played  a song based on folktales; then had them to create an original folktale based on the song. I could have adapted the lesson and  had the children use a digital story telling program. I could have had them create their folktale story and then chose music appropriate for their story. After they had chosen their music they could find pictures to illustrate their story and by using the digital storytelling program they could have created a movie based on their story instead of writing a story. They could have learned how to use a new form of technology as well as acomplishing an assignment that would be easily evaluated.
Digital storytelling covers many standards such   as 2.a. design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity; 3.d. model and facilitate effective use of current or emerging digital tools to locate, anylyze, evaluate, and use informtion resources to support research and learning; 1.a. promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness.
Referances-
Iste Nets.2008.http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers/nets-for-teachers-2008.aspx

Ohler, J. (2006). The world of digital storytelling. Retrieved from http://www.jasonohler.com/pdfs/digitalStorytellingArticle1-2006.pdf 

Art and Technology Working Together

Quote-"Beyond a literacy that facilitates learning and communication across a wide spectrum of activities, art skills also translate into real-world jobs . Each of the thousands of channels of video, the thousands of CDs and DVDs, the millions of incipient Web-sites- and the other media not yet on imagination's horizon-will require musicians, choreographers, videgraphers,graphic designers, creative consultants, and many other "artistic" professionals. Artists are finally having their day".- Jason Ohler
Response- I never thought tthat technology affected the art world in such a positive way. I thought the developement of advanced technology would make the art world suffer. I also did not know that there were so many jobs that incorporate both art and technology.
I have always believed that art should be incorporated into a childs education and now I believe that it is even more important because there are so many jobs available that require creativy and technology skills. I think that because of this technology education should be incorporated in to the curriculum more frequently. Students should be introduced to new technology as well as creativity because there are so many jobs in this market. Our job as future educators is to make sure that we use this knowledge and prepare our students for thir future.
Related Resources- This website lists several jobs that incorporate both technology and art skills. It also elaborates on the skills that students need to learn for these jobs.
Referances-
Ohler, J. (2000, October). Art becomes the next r. Education Leadership, 58(2), 16-19. Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vCKbHYY-gzXtLXnLak8i_hoV7TPAOfxNIamNrkWW3Pc/edit#

Yoder, C. (n.d.). Art and technology: creative careers for the 21st century. Retrieved from http://www.intstudy.com/articles/saww4a12.htm

Copyright Law and Educational Use

1. Yes they can
2. Yes there are limitations but there is not a specific amount that can be used by educators
3. No, if the material is used for education and in the approprite manner

Digital Storytelling: A Useful Tool

Quote- “Such technologies give voice to a number of otherwise quiet students and to students whose skills don’t fit the usual academic world .”- Jason Ohler

Responce-  I think that Digital story telling technology is very beneficial to the teacher as well as the students. Students can be creative, and expressive. The instructor can engage the students in technology that they may not be familiar with. This technology gives the students a basic format to work which keeps the students work organized and enables the teacher to better assess the students work.  The instructor can also determine if the students understand the idea putting together a story unlike written work which may be difficult to judge the students understanding.  The student can take advantage of this technology by expressing themselves through their work. They can be more creative by designing their story instead of writing the standard essay. I believe that digital story telling technology can be very useful in the classroom.

Related Resources- This website gives examples, instructions on using digital storytelling, and even instructions on how to create rubric to assess student’s projects. http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/

References-

Ohler, J(2005). The world of digital storytelling. Educational Leadership, 44-47. Retrieved from http://www.jasonohler.com/pdfs/digitalStorytellingArticle1-2006.pdf

Robin, B. (2011) The Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling Website
http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu

Acronyms:Nothing New

Quote-
"In fact, he said, with the exception of a few recent coinages like LOL, “virtually all the commonly used ones can be found in English a century ago.” For example, bn (been), btwn (between) and wd (would) can all be found in a 1942 dictionary of abbreviations".
Reaction-

I was surprised to find that most of the abbreviations that people in the present use while texting have been used for the past 100 years.  If this is so then why is there an issue with the use of these acronyms all of a sudden? If they did not affect spelling and the English language in the past then why is it such an issue now?

I believe that the use of acronyms did not significantly impact the English language in the past; it will not impact the language that we use today. Even if people did start spelling words by using the acronyms, what would be the harm? The spelling of words has changed before and our language has survived.

I think that this texting issue has been blown out of proportion. The fact that many people text and use the abbreviations of words should not be such a big deal. It is not going to change, so what is the point of fighting it.

Related Resource-

 This website gives the history of the use of acronyms. Presidents, businesses as well as physicists initiated the popularity of using acronyms.

References-

Joyner, J. (2010, October 1). A history of acronyms. Retrieved from http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/a-history-of-acronyms/

Shea, A. (2010, January 22). The keypad solution. The times magazine, Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/24/magazine/24FOB-onlanguage-t.html

How I Learn

I have discovered that I can learn in many different ways. I learn best by doing and by seeing. My scores on the vark learning test are 7 for kinesthetic learning, 6 for visual learning, 3 for read/write learning, and 5 for aural learning. One learning strategy for me is is to use pictures, diagrams, videos, and charts. Other ways that I can learn is by discussing topics with others and attending class and discussions as well as participating in hands on activities. I think that the test was accurate because I respond to many different learning methods.

Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity

Poll everywhere is a tool that is used to have students interact with one another.Each student will set up a poll by typing a question; their peers will then respond to that poll. After every student responds to each others poll, the information that they have gathered can be viewed in a variety of ways.
Wordle is a tool that allows students to use words in a creative way. They can be creative and choose the font, color, and positions of the words.

One way that I could use wordle in my classroom is to have my students create their spelling list using this tool. If the words were associated with colors students may be able to memorize the word quicker and accurately.
Poll everywhere could be used as a way to answer word problems in class in math or literature. I could post a question and provide multiple chioce answers and allow students to respond.

By using poll everywhere students will collaborate with each other by sharing their ideas or thougts in a poll. They will also engage in the ideas of their peers by responding to their polls.

Students can be creative and inventive in designing their wordle.

Updating Education

Quote- "Most schools have abandoned teaching handwriting, but a few have held their ground, to the good fortune of their students."- Naomi S. Baron

Response- I believe that students should still be learning hand writing, but teachers should not put so much emphasis on this subject. Many schools are requiring students to type papers, because it is easier for them to read, but handwriting is still used. Therefore it should still be part of the curriculum. It is important that educators and students take advantage of technology, but we should not rely on computers for everything. Technology is not flawless, so we cannot give up skills that we may need, such as hand writing. There would also be an issue with creating boundaries between generations. Even though technology is continuing to advance and has become an important part of our society; there are still many people that do not have a computer or internet access. Technology is prevalent in the present time, but we should not give up on skills that we have depended on for thousands of years.

Related Resources- In this blog an educator describes her experience with technology in education. She mentions that she used to be against technology, but now believes that technology can be used in effective ways. She also mentions some pros and cons of using technology.

References-
Baron, N.S. (2009). Are digital media changing language?. Educational Leadership, 66(6), 42-46.
Lynne, R. (2010, April 13). Pros and cons of technology in the classroom and where i stand [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://racdab2819.wordpress.com/2010/04/13/pros-and-cons-of-technology-in-the-classroom-and-where-i-stand/

Hobby Poll

http://www.polleverywhere.com/free_text_polls/LTcwNjc3OTk3MA/web

Hobby Poll

Hobby Poll

The Importance of Technology in Education

Quote- "Pundits may be asking if the Internet is bad for our children’s mental development, but the better question is whether the form of learning and knowledge-making we are instilling in our children is useful to their future."- Cathy N. Davidson
Reaction-As a future educator I am worried about the future and status of this nation. If children are not being taught the necessary skills for future jobs then who be able to take over those jobs and run this nation. The United States are already behind in education, but where will we be if we are not able to catch up or if we continue to fall behind others.
I believe that one way to solve this problem is to begin with the future teacher’s education. It is not possible for teachers to educate and inform students when they themselves have not mastered the skills that they are trying to teach.
If teachers become familiar with technology they can learn how to incorporate it in their classrooms every day. Instead of fighting technology educators should be embracing it which will benefit both teacher and student.
It is an educator’s job to make sure that students have the knowledge that they need to be successful. It is just a waste of the students and the teacher’s time if the students are learning information that is useless to them. That is why it is important for teachers to realize that the world of education is changing and to stop suppressing it.
References-

Heffernan, V. (2011, August 07). Education needs a digital-age upgrade. The newyork times. Retrieved from http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/07/education-needs-a-digital-age-upgrade/

JES&Co contributors. (n.d.). Importance of technology in education - this week’s topic on the gateway to 21st century skills . Retrieved from http://www.jesandco.org/component/content/article/96-importance-of-technology-in-education-this-weeks-topic-on-the-gateway-to-21st-century-skills

Related Resources- This article elaborates further on the importance of education in classrooms. It also gives examples of how teachers use technology in their classrooms.

Introduction

I am from Rivesville, WV and have lived there my entire life. I have wanted to be a teacher since I was in the 1st grade. I have decided that I want to be an elementary teacher and teach in Marion or Monongalia county. I believe that children learn by doing. I also believe that students benefit from listening to the thoughts and opinions of their peers. I would like to incorporate group activities and hands-on activities in my classroom. By doing so my students will learn how to use and apply thier knowledge; as well as how to share ideas and work with other to complete tasks.