Let's Use Quality Videos In the Classroom!

As teachers, we are, or should be, continually attempting to find better ways to engage our students in the learning process.  As a special educator, I have found that, sometimes, this is a difficult task.  But, through my experience in a self-contained classroom last year, I found that using videos was something that truly worked for my students.  Videos kept their attention and they were able to absorb information they may not have in a text or lecture.  Therefore, I am always keeping my eyes out for useful sites that provide free videos that could be integrated into the classroom. 

Upon exploring Google Reader and various blogs available through the site, I found one dedicated to sharing free Internet resources: Free Resources from the Net for EVERY Learner.  One particular post provided information on the website called WatchKnow.  This website provides teachers or individuals with a database of videos that can be used in classrooms.  This website allows individuals to use search and filter options to find the best video for their needs.  This site is similar to TeacherTube, but the more resources, the better!

There is a short video that gives a great overview of the site!

Classroom 2.0: A Resource For Teachers

After exploring Ning, I found this group that I believe could be useful to me in the future.  The group is Classroom 2.0 (click on the picture for hyperlink).  This group is composed of many teachers from all around the world and is a place where there can be a collaboration of ideas.  In addition, there are opportunities for professional development type of events that are promoted on the page.  It is a great way to get connected to experienced teachers that have great ideas and answers to many important questions!

Connectivism: Learners Are Like Highways

A learner is like a well developed highway.  A highway that is a one-lane road that gets us from point A to point B is not nearly as effective as a highway that has several lanes with many exits between point A and point B.  The same is true with learners in today's society; a leaner that does not branch out to connect to many different people and places of information is just as ineffective as a one-lane highway.  Therefore, an effective learner develops the ability to create many different branches (or exits) that connect to knowledgeable people or resources. 

There are so many sources of knowledge in society, students need the skills to be able to make connections and use these sources.  In his video "The Changing Nature of Knowledge," Siemens states "the learners themselves, the connections they form with each other, the connections they form with databases, with other sources of knowledge, is really the primary point of learning."  In that, it is where students branch off (like exits on a highway) that are the essential points in the learning process because they give the learner more opportunities to connect with other sources that may be more knowledgeable than them.  The more sources they have in their network, the more knowledgeable they will be presently and in the future.

In addition, the actual process of learning how to connect to others is a vital skill needed for the ever-changing nature of knowledge.  In his article "Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age," Siemens (2005) states that "[as] knowledge continues to grow and evolve, access to what is needed is more important than what the learner currently possesses."  This statement is an integral principle in connectivism because knowledge is viewed as something that is constantly changing and it is how we receive this knowledge that is, now, more important than ever.

Watch Out! Digital Literacy Has Arrived!

The terms digital literacy and new literacies were very foreign to me when I began my graduate work, but now, they are terms that I cannot stop coming back to.  They summarize the new types of literacy experiences that students of this generation are embracing: texting, blogging, social networking, picture messaging, skyping, etc.  All of these forms of literacy are not only vital to their success in this new and every-changing world of technology, these literacies are engaging. 

Students no longer need to pick up a textbook to learn how to divide fractions; they can simply open the Internet and type it into google.  That, in itself, is amazing!  But, as stated in the video hyperlinked below, it is vital that with these new types of literacies, students learn to analyze and evaluate.  They need to be savvy, but intelligent:

• Do the authors of a blog have a significant bias?
• Are the resources reliable?
• How many resources should I check to make sure this is the correct information?

These are just a few questions that our students need to keep in mind when using new literacies.  We have to teach them to analyze the information and evaluate whether or not it is reliable.

In the following video, students of this generation open our eyes, as educators, to a new way to look at digital literacy: it is not a hassle to learn how to use it, it is a necessity!  As teachers, we should always be reflecting on our practices and I believe that these students provide an important and essential viewpoint on new and upcoming technology that should be used in classrooms to prepare students for life in an ever-changing world.

"Teach me to think... to create... to analyze... to evaluate... to apply.  Teach me to think"

How Can We Use Blogging in the Classroom SAFELY?

The Internet is not only a invaluable resource, it can also be a very dangerous place for adults and children if the right precautions are not taken.  Therefore, it is essential to lay some ground work before allowing students to interact with the world of blogging in the classroom. As teachers, it is important that we teach and model these Internet safety tips while we are in the classroom!  I have compiled a list of tips that I think are the most important to teach and model for children in a school or home setting:

1. Be anonymous: do not use your name, address, phone number, location or pictures with strangers
2. Be in control: set up your privacy preferences so that only the people that you want will be able to check out your blog AND so that you are able to control (in some way) the comments that are posted to your page
3. Think twice: about uploading pictures, giving out personal information, opening files or e-mails from strangers or blogging about an issue that may get you into trouble
4. Ask for help: if you find that a stranger is making inappropriate or unwanted comments, ask an adult to help you solve the problem
5. Be true to yourself: blog with your morals and ideals in mind and do not do anything/post anything that you would not do/say in real life

In addition to teaching and modeling these tips for students, I believe parents should be aware that they have a part in this type of educational adventure too.  If students are able to access their blogs at home, parents should be advised to monitor the amount of time their children are on the computer, what types of websites they are visiting and what information they are giving out on these websites.

With these precautions in mind and with effective modeling, students can use the Internet and blogging as an educational tool without any safety concerns.  But, before we let our future adults take control, let's make sure they are aware of the importance of these issues!

How Can We Use Blogging in the Classroom?

Although I have never really had the chance to use blogging with any of my students in the past, the reading for this week and other resources I have viewed create great insight into different ways of using blogs in the classroom.  It was interesting to discover the many uses for blogging in the classroom.  One thing that concerned me about the students I have worked with is their lack of computer skills.  Working in an urban school district, many students do not have outside access to computers and, therefore, all computer skills must be honed in the classroom.  As a result, a few weeks would have to be spent on using a computer and improving typing and navigation skills.

If I were working with a higher grade elementary classroom (grades 4 or higher), I would love to use blogging as a creative book club.  In this way, students could interact with each other and each other's thoughts/comments through the blog set up by myself.  As a facilitator, I could propose questions or points-of-view that my students could answer or react to.  In addition, the students could comment back and forth to one another.  There would have to be set guidelines on what would be expected of the students (i.e. effective communication of ideas, number of posts, length of posts, etc.).

I also believe a classroom blog that could be visited by the families and friends of the students would be a creative way of involving important people in the classroom activities.  By creating a schedule of activities, projects or assignments, parents/guardians will be able to make sure their children are keeping up with their work in school.  Also, this could be an area where students with exemplary work could post it for others to see.  This could create a sense of accomplishment for both the students and their families!  But, I would be sure to read all of the comments before they are posted so we would not have any issues in the classroom.

As a future teacher, it is vital that I am able to reflect on my teaching practices and situations that arise throughout my career.  I believe that blogging would be a great way to reflect on lessons, activities, routines or other matters in the classroom (that are not confidential, of course!).  In this way, I would be able to received feedback from peers that may have had the same struggles.  This type of reflective practice will only strengthen my skills as a teacher!  I value the opinions of other, more experienced, teachers and would love for this type of interaction to be possible in order to benefit each other in the professional world!

Standards met by blogging: ELA 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1 and 3.2.  Not all of these standards would be met in one single blog, but all of these standards could be covered depending on the types of skills the students will be using to write the blogs.

After viewing several videos online about blogging in the classroom, I found this one created by a group of students.  I found this video to be an interesting insight (from the students' perspective) into why we, as teachers, need to keep progressing with the new technology of the times.  Here goes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfJETK3am1M