Week 4 -Wimba

Using Technology to improve Reading Project




I attended Week 4 Wimba, but my internet went out and lost connection for the rest of the night.  Needless to say, I was not able to present.

I consequently got critiques from 2 friends.  We planned a short meeting at my home.  We discussed my research project and viewed the keynote presentation.
Here is what they had to say:

Natasha Tillman -Special Education Paraprofessional. I work with self-contained 11^th graders in Maryland. I know that a program like Study Island will be beneficial for learning disabled students. I’ve found that students like computer generated learning systems, such as Imagination Station and Study Island because they offer a variety of subjects in a manner that entertains as well as educate.  I have been able to see students engaged with technology. It is my experience that it is a great tool to help students learn. Keep doing what you’re doing.

Kathy Bourage says:  As a Social Worker for the Exceptional Family Member Program for USMC, I found this research project very useful. I am always looking for the best programs for my exceptional clients. Children need to participate when they learn.  It seems like this a program that the children I service could use. I would like to get more information about this web-based program to share with my parents and the schools I work with. Looking forward to seeing more information from you.  

Week 4-Publishing/Leadership Project

I have decided to do a presentation at the Powering Up With Technology Conference in Maryland. This conference is held yearly in Prince Georges County. My colleagues from Maryland Public Schools are familiar with it.  This conference offers dynamic hands on sessions and engaging lectures.  It is especially designed to expose educators to technology in education.  Since I specialize in working with Special Education students, I could bring something different to the table. I would like to be a part of this powering up conference.  Application submission is July – September. My second choice is

I choose The Maryland Society for Educational Technology  Conference because the organization  is for everyone interested in Technology and Education. I would like to share what I have learned in my action research as it relates to struggling readers and technology.

Using Technology to help improve Reading

Think Out Loud - Blog 2 

Think Out Loud Blog 1

Week 4 -Comments on Classmates Blogs

Ishia Granger says:

My dream teaching environment would be a classroom big enough to seat 20 students (max.) in a myriad of seating arrangements. Lots of closet space for all the novels that each of them could keep forever. Each would have a workspace configured with a laptop and an extra seat for their parents or partners. Parents would be required to attend one class a week. (This would be stipulated in the merit pay legislation recently made law in our state.) My students would be surrounded by neutral shades of green and brown as well as pictures of themselves in various states of learning. And lets not forget my Wall of Fame of successful students from the past. Students would come to class nourished and alert for the days activities which would include a warm-up followed by a discussion and then activity centers based on individual data that students would have access to. An LMS system would be great and would enable me to walk around the room, observe and question.

image from Discovery Education

My reply




Ishia,


I really like your idea about the Wall of Fame.  Students need to see role models  -  see who they can be.  This is a great builder for self-concept.
Jo

microsoft  office image

Bryan Hammitt says:

I have to say that I think I really am close to my dream job right now. My dream job is teaching in an area that I love and to kids whom I really enjoy. Currently, I really have both of those. There are aspects of my job that could be better, but I really enjoy teaching video productions. I’ve been told I’m a bit of a techie – guess I’d have to agree with that- and teaching video offers me the freedoms to explore new computer avenues and apply them to my classroom. Also, the students and the area I teach in are very enjoyable. Being in a rural setting, many of my students have fairly good family values and offer many positive aspects to our school. Our county is the third poorest county in Minnesota and we do have many issues with drugs and alcohol, but as a general whole, the students and their families are very pleasant to work with. This blog made me appreciate my job a little bit more….

My Reply







Bryan,
You are definitely making a difference in your student's lives.  I am sure exposing your students to video productions will open doors for them.  You have the dream job  - making a difference in an area you love.  I am sure the families appreciate you. Keep doing what you do!

Week 4- Art of Possibility ( Chapters 9-12)

The last chapters of the Art of Possibilities gave me a sense of self-awareness. This is a unique book that makes one see the possibility – a way of improving one’s view. I especially enjoyed chapters 9 and 12. In chapter 9 the author talks about practicing generating a spark of possibility for others to share. Special Educators often have to find ways to motivate  and create lessons in order to engage the struggling student. When the right spark is found, this will open the door for all possibilities for the student. 

Chapter 12 the author talks about the “Telling the We”.

We as educators need to move on from the “I” to the “We”. The teacher must have the boldness to speak on behalf of all the students. The author also suggests that leadership that is not based on what qualification you hold, but how can one incorporate what you know into what we know. What is best for the students? What will we do next? All of us must take a part – be open to the art of possibility. 

Week 3- Think Out Loud-Publishing/Leadership Project

Has it been a year already?  Wow, time really went fast.  I really want to reflect and begin using the skills 100% I have learned in this program.  The Publishing/Leadership Project is approaching quickly. I would like to present my research at a conference in the Nation's Capitol.

Week 3: " Art of Possibility" 5-8

In reading the chapters, Leading from Any Chair – Chapter 5 stood out most for me.  I reflected on my teaching experiences. Like the conductor of an orchestra, who says nothing, but directs with such an art, beautiful music is the outcome. This is the dream Educators desire to have. Give students the guidance and the belief in their own capabilities. Believe your students can! So many Educators lead and lecture instead of being the facilitator. The students are left without a chance to lead, little motivation or creativity. Educators should give the necessary information to the student, and then allow the student take an active part in learning. Give students opportunities to lead each other.   Let the student invest in his/her education or should I say lead from any chair. Allow students to enjoy learning – to be the possibility.

Week 3 -Comments on Classmates Blogs

Drew Clausing says:

When iPads came out, I was eager to get them implemented into our school on a large scale. I went to our Director of Tech and he thought it was a good idea. He consistently came to me for insight and advice about how to use them in the classroom and then eventually got most of the credit for establishing the use of iPads. A little frustrating to say the least. But although he got most of the credit at that time, he has since pushed for me to have a larger role in the tech department which also comes with a large pay increase. So I guess it evens out. I can be a ghost writer if it means more dough

My reply:

Drew,

So often when one helps in the background, little recognition is given.  You shared your expertise and got little credit initially.  Drew, because of your gift and patience, you are going to get paid!  Money, Money, Money!

JoAnn

Tina DeLuca says:


I am one of the few in my school that actually uses technology in my classroom with students. There are a couple of issues with using technology the big one is learning how to use the technology so that you can show your students how. In addition, is the time issue, as with everything teachers have no time during the day to do what we need to get done, not to mention doing something extra. Another issue is the trouble shooting that gets teachers frustrated then they stop using the technology. When I was teaching about ToonDoo I made up a little cheat sheet of all of the issues that I discovered while using that program, the teachers that had already tried ToonDoo found it helpful. The other issue is cost. Who will pay for it the school, the county, or the teacher? There are still teachers that really do not like the online grading program that we have been using the last 2 years. In my short 6 years of experience, I have found that the longer the person has been teaching the more reluctant they are to use new technology’s.


My reply:

Tina,

I agree with you. It seems it is so few of us using technology daily in the classroom. It is definitely a time issue with the teachers I work with. They want to learn about ways technology can help students, but the daily requirements for teaching gets overwhelming. It becomes too hard to add anything on their plate.
Jo

Wimba 3 Session Archive

 Session 3 Wimba- I was glad to make our third session, however I missed the beginning. I visit my sister in a health care center  after work.  I gained insight to the discussion of the "Art of Possibility".  I do need more clarity of the Leadership Project.

Week 2 - Think Out Loud

A presentation, what does that require?  I have learned so much, met many obstacles in my action research journey.  Do I have any new information to share, that has not been heard before?  Lots to think about, lots to do!

Week 2 -Comments on Classmates Blogs

Sharon Clay says:

I love listening to a variety of music genres. I am an old school rap fanatic, and I also enjoy Hip-Hop, Gospel, Soul, Jazz, R&B and some classical music. I was an advid CD collector years ago then I discovered LIME WIRE!!! Ahhhhhh what a nightmare! First of all I was sharing more than music I found out after my computer crashed (the blue screen of death) that I was actually committing a crime and inviting all types of malware into personal computer. Now I only purchase music from iTunes. Occasionally I will pick up a CD from the mark down bin at Walmart. I have never gone back to using any illegal file sharing program since my horrible experience with Limewire.

My reply

Sharon I too, went through the nightmare of losing everything on my new dell computer.  I allowed my kids to download limewire on the computer, not knowing fully what the implications were.  My kids definitely know not to use free internet music without getting the ok from me.  Thanks to this program, I am familiar with the correct places to get free music.  My kids are now iTune savvy.

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Kathleen says:

Podcasts can be a great way to find tutorials, bits of entertainment or news. I searched iTunes for some podcasts that looked interesting and I found:

Grammar Girl: Quick and Dirty Tricks. I am familiar with Grammar Girl from the series of articles they have written on the web dealing with sticky grammar issues. They have a rather whimsical way of presenting. I think this podcast would be helpful to me as reminders of how to present grammar in a not so dry way. It would also be beneficial to students because it is a quick tip kind of presentation.

Photo Tips (www.phototips.biz): This podcast is a series of tutorials about different types of photography such as bridal, portrait etc. The creator is rather humorous. This is a great podcast for digital photo students and teachers using digital media in their classes.

Creative Cow has several different series for podcasts. They have Photoshop, Final Cut and others. You can find them on iTunes at at creativecow.net. Great tutorials for kids trying to learn the tricks of these programs and offers teachers an opportunity to get a step ahead.

The Public Speaker’s Quick and Dirty Tips is by the same people who put out Grammar Girl. Gives short lessons on many different speaking topics. Great tips for nervous public speakers.

The neat thing about most podcasts is that they are short and to the point and often times entertaining which increases student engagement

My Reply:

Thanks Kathleen,

I enjoy making learning slideshows/movies for the class.  This helps the auditory as well as the visual learner grasp the content.  Your sited podcast will help in making our slideshows look professional. :)

Week 2- Reading(1-4)

The Art of Possibility- Insight 3:  Giving Yourself an A

This is a great book for self motivation.  I was surprised it was the choice for this class.  I now see why it was chosen.  The book holds great insights for this program as it comes to a close.  In a public school setting there are so many obstacles that can hold back the teacher who wants to come out of the box.   So far, this book seems to support teachers as a guide to to breaking out of the box.  Well, my focus is "Giving Yourself an A".  This chapter gives the reader the idea that grades compare students.  Can we be judged without the grade- without being in a competition?  Why not give everyone an A.  Grades somehow separates  students and makes them compare themselves  against other students.   Some of these students become behavioral problems within the classroom, because they feel that cant get the  A.  Thus self esteem has been damaged.  As a teacher of Learning Disabled students it is important not to judge a student on test scores.  A student is more than a grade - look at the total child.  Building the "I can do It" despite my disability is important to the success of the student.
Many of these students, do not make the  Exemplary Standard of the A.  These students make progress, but not enough because of the given state/district standards.  When reporting grades, many times it is a struggle.  The student is doing well on given goals but yet not enough to meet the expectations of the grade level state standards.  It is my hope that more teachers will use project based lessons to become part of our curriculum. This chapter lets us know that students are more likely to feel at ease and feel better about themselves to release their creativity if the stress of a grade is eliminated.

Week 2 - Wimba Session-Copy Right Issues

This week's archived Wimba was very informative.   There were lots of copyright issues explained.

Fair Use.....Fair Use..........

Dr. JBB made sure we knew what copyright means. The author has exclusive rights as long as he/she lives plus 70 years.   As a teacher, lots of music is used in teaching standards in the classroom.  I was a little hesitant when our instructor started talking about all the copyright issues.  Have I been a part of wrong doing?   Fair Use -to trademarks, it is a lot to know.  The best take for me was this statement "If you cannot teach the unit without including the media, then it might qualify for use".  

Week 1 -Comments of Classmates

Comments from Melville Mania

This week has been pretty interesting. It's going to be a pretty interesting month actually. I am due at the end of this month and have been trying to keep up with all the assignments and having them completed as early as I can during the week. After all the work I've put in this week, it's going to be a tough month for me. But I am determined, since this is the last of two classes and on to graduation.

The reading on copyright issues was very interesting, more interesting than I thought it was going to be. I even had a conversation about it with my husband during a show we were watching. Reading some of my classmates thoughts on the matter made me think about the topic slightly different, and brought up some other thoughts that I didn't even think about originally.

Looking forward to what the rest of the class will bring. Next thing to work on is my AR website. Got to finalize a few things and hopefully it will be ready for approval for the month.

Week 1 Reading

The reading gave me further clarification about copyright.  It is important that when you use someone's song, music and any other creation, that one must site it's source.  The video  (Good Copy/Bad Copy) on copyright was very informative.  I have known that it is important for many musicians, movie makers and other artist to have their creations copyrighted.   Copyright laws continue to grow with time.  Many musicians and creative artist need to a way to preserve their creations.  Copyright is the key.  There continues to be people avoiding the copyright laws, when using music of others to copy for enjoyment, remixing or for profit.  Even as a teacher, I have to be careful.  Using media is engaging for students, so it is important to site where I received many of my visuals in class.

Week 1 - Wimba Session

It seems as if there is not enough time ever.  After listening to the Wimba, I have just found out that our Lit Review is due Sunday.  This was not a good news for me.  Just coming from the hospital visiting, I have got to get busy.  My best take away from the archive was that the expectations of the course were explained.  The milestones of the course were explained- The Lit Review, the AR website, Abstract, and Publishing.  The capstone project was also explained further.  Also if your videos  are longer than 30 seconds, it should be uploaded. This is a stepping stone month to prepare us for month 12. This was a great session to get us started. This is definitely a month to pull it all together.