Hide and Seek

I’ve learned a lot this course.

1. A mashup is a web page or application, like a blog, that combines data from two or more external online sources. I’ve know a couple of them, iGoogle and Blogger, but I didn’t know they had a name.

2. I like more structure than less.

3. Google Docs has a very simple way to make a survey.

4. Widgets are fun and fun to make.

5. Karen and I like to work on our own projects together. Does that make it group work or collaboration?

6. Wimba is great but I like to go to class and see and interact in person. We has a class of special people.

7. Amy A has a tough exterior and a warm fuzzy interior.

8. Our students use their phones for a lot, but not to listen to music. They would rather carry a phone and an ipod when their phone can do it all. Obviously, the music interface on most/all phones needs some work.

9. Students don’t know what a “website” is but they use them everyday.

10. I’m looking forward to Sept. and starting all over again.

Wow, what an amazing project! So many questions run through my head. Where do they store all those projects through the year? I work in a school where the majority of teachers work together for the good of the students, but they really don’t want to go much before their contracted hours. I really am so impressed that these teachers work together not only for the betterment of the students but with an eye on what the community needs. How lucky the community is to have those teachers and obviously they realize it because the community supports their efforts with so much time. I’m in awe. I’m sure Brigantine Schools are proud of their teachers and their community.

I have no clue what Web 3.0, but What I want is a web where all my apps speak to each other. I’m tired of going to all my individual stuff having to be put in each individual places. For instance, when I upload new pics, I’d like to click a box that says, place on my Facebook account, change this pic to my avatar in gmail.com, and so on. It just seems like I spend so much time changing and updating stuff.

For teaching, I could load files and click a box that says “put this on my Schoolfusion page”, send an email to my students and or student’s parents. When I update a worksheet, that update would automatically go to all the places that I have that page.

The Internet has made life in the classroom so easy in so many ways but in the process takes so much time with other things.

So, I hope the powers that be are reading my blog…but I doubt it.

I’ve finally settled on a tool! (I hear angels singing) I’m going to use Blogger.com .

Blogger.com is a simple mashup. It allows me to put the content on the page in html, add pics and maps. Using html will allow me to have a post that looks like a page off of geocaching.com. Students will be able to use the post to log a cache that I’ve hidden just for them. I started working on it and I have a long way to go but I’m getting there. My only concern is that I want to add separate pages but if that doesn’t work I’ll be able to just make each post a separate cache.

Web 2.0 is like a restaurant with a menu that is so big that you can’t make up your mind and at the same time you realize that everything on the menu can’t be too fresh or good.

There are so many options. I really like Netvibe but it’s doesn’t have a lot of web safety. I want to work on SchoolFusion but I’m not finding the help to be all that helpful!! What to do? I will spend tonight, once again searching the options.

I’m really excited about the new semester of class. I’ve been trying to figure out a way to make a log sheet online for geocaching with my students. I’m going to try a mashup. I started working on one with Netvibes. Dr. Ackerman has been told that this in the best one for a startup with lots of extras. Here is the link to what I have so far: Netvibes. It’s not much but I have spend quite a few hours searching for the objects to put on the page. It’s been a bit frustrating but in the good way. I’m enjoying it and hopefully, working with Karen tonight, I’ll solve some of my issues.

Last week we had a presentation of ARCS from Amy O. I really liked the theory. I plan to try incorporating it more into my style. Amy M presented Constructivism. I found it very complicated. She did a nice job of walking us through it but it seemed to me to be very teacher-centric and that’s far from my style.

I’ve been working on my presentation all week and I’m looking forward to my turn! Originally I was very concerned about how much this work would be. It’s been coming together nicely and I’ve really enjoyed working on it. It’s not often I get to teach adults. I’m hoping they have a better attitude than 8th graders do during the 3rd marking period!

Tomorrow will tell!

I attended the From Our Classroom to Yours again this year. My first workshops were canceled and I had to replace them with something else. Not always a good sign. The first replacement was ok but not really what I was interested in. It was suppose to be project ideas and it turned out to be 2 teachers who are from Vineland. One of their schools has implementing cross curriculum projects. Each grade level does 1 a quarter. We’ve tried this in the past and science always seems to be an after thought. The LA teacher chooses a book and then the rest of us had to find something to fit. It hasn’t worked. Their belief is that it should be science or social studies driven which makes a lot more sense.

The second was also a replacement for a canceled workshop. It was on Thinkfinity. The presenter was great and Thinkfinity has a lot for everyone!

The Third workshop was suppose to be more project ideas but it turned out to be a workshop presented by Tech4Learning, who “wasn’t trying to sell us anything” but of course everything she showed us was done with her product….and it was pretty boring. She did introduce us to a pic site but it doesn’t have very many pics. You can send in pics that you would like to share with other teachers and they will publish them.

Google Sites was the 4th workshop and the best. It was a very fast 1 1/2 hrs. I could have spent all day in there! Google Sites is a great, easy web site builder. I loved it!

If a conference gives me 2 good workshop, I’m happy! As always, I can’t wait till next year.

I found both of tonights presentations interesting. Ann’s was particularly interesting to me. I have an Epipen for wasps and bees. I didn’t realize that the main usage for the pens today is for food allergies. And with both of their demonstrations, I realize that I use them both in the classroom regularly.

At the end of class 2 weeks ago, Dr. Ackerman went around the class and and discussed our Personal Theory proposals. I told her what my idea was and she began giving me ideas that seemed to me, would get the students more active than they already were as I’m trying to get them to listen to me as I explain how to set up and perform the lab. Then, she tells ME, that its seems that it is all about me. Me focused! WELL! if there is one thing my class is not is all about me…look at me…listen to me…etc.

So, I went home and I had all this going through my head, and I thought about it all night long. I finally got up, very tired and annoyed. I went to school, still thinking, because I had a lab. I had no idea what I was going to do. I decided that I’m was going to try it without it being ME focused. I suppose, unconscienciously, that I it was a bit of “I’ll show you!”

I got into class, set the lab up as I usually do, but I set the lab up and placed it on the front table. When the students came in for class, I told them to get out their labs, a printed lab report form with all the materials and procedures on it. I told the students to read the lab, just like I always do. After they had enough time to finish it. I told them to setup the lab the same as the one on the front desk that I had already setup. When they were ready, they were told to call me over for permission to start. I went to each table, when they were ready and check their labs and gave them so quick pointers and allowed them to begin. Much to my surprise, every table began the lab. There were no questions and they all got it right!

I believe that I have worked very hard, all year, to raise the level of my students understanding from the Knowledge level of Bloom’s Taxonomy to at least the Synthesis level, but I was continuing to conduct lab introductions on the Knowledge level! What a shock!

Now I have to figure out where I’m going with my Personal Theory Paper! But I must say, I’m very proud of my students. We have had a total of 3 labs since that day and they have all gone well!