Wiki is a unique system that provides multiple resources for web based discussions and forums. It offers a multitude of assets for a person to draw information from. The difference between the wikis system and the conventional web pages is that the information is a community processes that is always evolving to make the information as accurate as possible while the latter is very limited. The most current concern regarding wikis is the security but for uses in corporate and education settings there is typically a registration process to complete and pass. After understanding what a wiki is and how it operates we need to know how it is beneficial in the education system. Wikis has become a tool for teachers because it offers a way to create group discussions on a common interest and it also offers discussions that can be solved in multiple ways which is a huge plus in group think. Wiki is a great way to allow students to offer individual input which makes up a great group project. This is a revolutionary tool for technology in education and the positives of this program exceed any doubts.
In my opinion of wikis being used in education is very collaborative. The whole point of wikis being used is to get students to take part in what is going on and add their own opinion and add more thought to what the topic is being discussed. I think it is a great way for students to open up and to give an input on what the topic is. " Rather than virtually jumping into an ongoing online collaboration, even to offer positive comments, it may ultimately be more productive to allow students to challenge and correct each other -- the teacher only posting comments, questions or suggestions when absolutely neccessary. As a constructivist learning activity, wikis allow students to "own" their learning experience in an online collaborative environment." I think that this quote explains it all when involving students and wikis in the classroom.
Wikis are a unique tool to be used in education. It is unique for the fact that it has many authors and contributors instead of only one like most web pages. This could be beneficial in the classroom if you decided to create a website for your class with activities and lessons. Wikis makes it possible for other teachers to be able to add content to your page that you could you use in your class. Wikis unlike regular websites has open editing so you can at any time go back and change and update your page. Where with regular pages there is limited editing you can do. Another plus is that they are relatively easy to create. Making them user friendly for those who are not too computer savy. Where normal webpages are harder to create and require more computer knowledge. Teachers have also found it helpful to construct wiki problems and allow students to collaborate with each other to solve them. So overall I think that Wikis are a useful tool to be used in the classroom.
"The characteristic that has most strikingly set wikis apart from other web based forums and discussions is that of multiple contributors" Wikis are not just a regular web based forum. With the ability to have numerous editors and authors as opposed to blogs, who has one main author, I think wikis are a more productive web forum. The idea that a group of contributors can edit each page, and add their own personal interests is very useful. Everybody can work together to make sure the content is accurate. I think it's important for students to have the opportunity to challenge each other in the classroom, it gives students motive to work harder in their education. Overall, I like the idea that students can add their own contributions to wikis while working together.
"As a constructivist learning activity, wikis allow students to "own" their learning experience in an online collaborative environment" (sdsu.edu). The two most important words in this statement are "own" and "collaborative." Wikis allow students to "own" their work because they are direct participants of the creation and constant development of the wikis. Not only are they authors, they are editors as well. By being authors and creators of their articles, a sense of creativity and purpose are instilled in the student. By editing their own work, as well as others, they enhance their language, grammar and research skills. In addition to "owning" their wiki, students also experience a collaborative learning style when developing and editing their wikis. Students learn team-work and communication skills when working in a collaborative learning situation. They learn to share ideas and thoughts with others and also learn to accept opinions and ideas from others. These collaborative skills are sometimes hard to acquire in a classroom setting, therefore integrating wikis into general lesson plans are a great idea for students of all ages.
While pursuing this subject further you can find examples of wikis throughout the internet. I found out who developed the first wiki which was wikiwikiweb. I found a website with a lot of valuable information about wikis. If you look at the first link you will find lots of answer to questions you may have about how to use wikis and also how to use them for certain purposes. This second link also provide good background information as to who started wikis and how they got their name. After you have read all of this information you will have a new found view of such a great invention, especially for the classroom!
http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?WelcomeVisitors
http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?WikiHistory
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Saturday, September 22, 2007
"Smile! Digital Cameras Can Make Your Day" Article Summary
Summary by: Katherine Eastham
The Article "Smile! Digital Cameras Can Make Your Day" was about how digital cameras have many uses in the classroom. A few being that they offer more opportunities for students to engage more, and they allow you to incorporate technology in the curriculum. A Roanoke teacher said," Kids love to take photographs, and with digital pictures they don't have to wait to have film developed". She also made a good point that with digital pictures you don't have to spend money on film. Another good thing about digital pictures that the article talked about was the fact that not everyone can draw well and digital pictures gives all students the chance to be creative. The article also mentions that another great thing is that it can be used to take pictures and post them on a school website, which the children's parents and relatives can look at and it allows that parents to be apart of their child's day. As with every thing in life though digital photography does has its down sides which include the risk of damaging the equipment. Digital Cameras are cheaper than they once were but are still quite expensive so you have to make sure you talk to your students about proper care and explain what is and is not appropriate to take pictures of. And finally there is the issue of privacy. You need to be aware of your schools policies before publishing any photos. Lori Miller, a teacher at an Elementary school in Georgia said" It is most important to remember that it is not all about taking pictures, it is about using the camera as a tool to help explore subject".
The Article "Smile! Digital Cameras Can Make Your Day" was about how digital cameras have many uses in the classroom. A few being that they offer more opportunities for students to engage more, and they allow you to incorporate technology in the curriculum. A Roanoke teacher said," Kids love to take photographs, and with digital pictures they don't have to wait to have film developed". She also made a good point that with digital pictures you don't have to spend money on film. Another good thing about digital pictures that the article talked about was the fact that not everyone can draw well and digital pictures gives all students the chance to be creative. The article also mentions that another great thing is that it can be used to take pictures and post them on a school website, which the children's parents and relatives can look at and it allows that parents to be apart of their child's day. As with every thing in life though digital photography does has its down sides which include the risk of damaging the equipment. Digital Cameras are cheaper than they once were but are still quite expensive so you have to make sure you talk to your students about proper care and explain what is and is not appropriate to take pictures of. And finally there is the issue of privacy. You need to be aware of your schools policies before publishing any photos. Lori Miller, a teacher at an Elementary school in Georgia said" It is most important to remember that it is not all about taking pictures, it is about using the camera as a tool to help explore subject".
Thoughts and Opinions of Digital Imagery/Photography Article
Opinion and Thoughts by: Amy Lovett
The most important aspect of this article is when Leila Cross states, "Not everyone can pick up a pencil or paint brush and be happy with the results, but anyone who is willing to try can be really creative with a digital camera and some basic software!" This is the greatest thing about using digital imagery. It does require some creative ability but it is mostly required in the imagination rather than physical skills and abilities. With just a push of a button, a student can "snap" and create individual and unique projects. Going even further, digital imagery allows for students of all abilities, disabilities, cultures, and languages to excel in personal art production and most importantly, individual creativity. In addition, it is very important that both the teacher and the student make use of the digital media both individually and collaboratively. It is important for the teacher to use the media to enhance curriculum, create projects, and personalize memories. In this article, Cross also points out that, "they can also edit the photos to create all kinds of art." This is a great point! Digital images can be used to create ties, coffee mugs, mouse pads, t-shirts, etc. Local stores like Walgreens and Wal-Mart offer online ordering of such items when downloading your photos on their websites. Despite all of the hype regarding digital imagery it is also important to keep in mind that these electronics are expensive and fragile. Both the teachers and students should be aware and cautious at all time when using the equipment. In addition, it is important to follow school policies regarding digital imagery and legal issues involving privacy and waivers. This article was a fantastic read and really helped in outlining the issues surrounding digital imagery in its importance in education.
Thoughts and Opinions by: Alyson Sode
I think digital photography in the classroom is an excellent resource. I think having digital cameras in the classroom will allow students to become more involved with their learning. Like stated in the article, kids love taking digital photographs. Students are able to see instantly the picture they've just taken. Digital photography gives students opportunities to become more involved with their school work and their school in general. Students can use photography to become involved with school actives such as the school newspapers, or photography groups. This also gives students an opportunity to see their work in visual form when it's presented on bulletin boards or around the classroom. Overall, I think digital photography in the classroom is a constructive idea.
Thoughts and Opinions by: Courtney Thomas
My opinion of digital imagery and also photography in the classroom is a positive one. I think that having those two technology based items are a great way for students to become more involved in using technology. Another reason I feel that digital imagery and photography are great is because people along with students can become more adapt to using such technological instruments and it can also help people become more creative with taking pictures and downloading them online to save them. Students can take pictures of things that mean the most of them and can capture great memories of fellow classmates and others in the classroom.
The most important aspect of this article is when Leila Cross states, "Not everyone can pick up a pencil or paint brush and be happy with the results, but anyone who is willing to try can be really creative with a digital camera and some basic software!" This is the greatest thing about using digital imagery. It does require some creative ability but it is mostly required in the imagination rather than physical skills and abilities. With just a push of a button, a student can "snap" and create individual and unique projects. Going even further, digital imagery allows for students of all abilities, disabilities, cultures, and languages to excel in personal art production and most importantly, individual creativity. In addition, it is very important that both the teacher and the student make use of the digital media both individually and collaboratively. It is important for the teacher to use the media to enhance curriculum, create projects, and personalize memories. In this article, Cross also points out that, "they can also edit the photos to create all kinds of art." This is a great point! Digital images can be used to create ties, coffee mugs, mouse pads, t-shirts, etc. Local stores like Walgreens and Wal-Mart offer online ordering of such items when downloading your photos on their websites. Despite all of the hype regarding digital imagery it is also important to keep in mind that these electronics are expensive and fragile. Both the teachers and students should be aware and cautious at all time when using the equipment. In addition, it is important to follow school policies regarding digital imagery and legal issues involving privacy and waivers. This article was a fantastic read and really helped in outlining the issues surrounding digital imagery in its importance in education.
Thoughts and Opinions by: Alyson Sode
I think digital photography in the classroom is an excellent resource. I think having digital cameras in the classroom will allow students to become more involved with their learning. Like stated in the article, kids love taking digital photographs. Students are able to see instantly the picture they've just taken. Digital photography gives students opportunities to become more involved with their school work and their school in general. Students can use photography to become involved with school actives such as the school newspapers, or photography groups. This also gives students an opportunity to see their work in visual form when it's presented on bulletin boards or around the classroom. Overall, I think digital photography in the classroom is a constructive idea.
Thoughts and Opinions by: Courtney Thomas
My opinion of digital imagery and also photography in the classroom is a positive one. I think that having those two technology based items are a great way for students to become more involved in using technology. Another reason I feel that digital imagery and photography are great is because people along with students can become more adapt to using such technological instruments and it can also help people become more creative with taking pictures and downloading them online to save them. Students can take pictures of things that mean the most of them and can capture great memories of fellow classmates and others in the classroom.
Further Research on Digital Imagery/Photography
Further Research: by: Amy Lovett
These are great articles on digital imagery. They will be very useful in creating and shaping the Virtual Field Trips as well as in your future or current classrooms! Please take a minute to check them out if you can. 1.Introducing your Child to the Arts: Media Literacy http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Introducing_Media/ 2.Increasing Visual Literacy Skills With Digital Imagery http://thejournal.com/articles/17145 3.The Digital Picture http://thedigitalpicture.ac.uk/documents/pdf/digital_picture_final_report.pdf
Further Research by: Sarah Capple
With research I think one of the most interesting things I found is that even elementary classrooms are using digital camera's to teach subjects such as english. I find that intriguing because it is not a typically subject to use pictures for but they are able to take pictures of common nouns and identify them, or even verbs in action. The possiblities really are endless and I found a great website of ideas for primary education: http://www.hardin.k12.ky.us/res_techn/TEC/digitalcamera/primary.htm
Further Research by: Laura Kvaley
Pursuing further research, I found out just a sample of how many things a digital camera can do in the classroom. Not only does it help the children visualize a simple lesson, but teachers can use it for so much more. The can use it to take pictures of a field trip and have the children make the captions to tell about their field trip. They can also take pictues and use them to show parents what their children have been up to in the classroom. I found many other ideas for the digital photography from teachers on http://www.cbv.ns.ca/sstudies/activities/computer/4.html
These are great articles on digital imagery. They will be very useful in creating and shaping the Virtual Field Trips as well as in your future or current classrooms! Please take a minute to check them out if you can. 1.Introducing your Child to the Arts: Media Literacy http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Introducing_Media/ 2.Increasing Visual Literacy Skills With Digital Imagery http://thejournal.com/articles/17145 3.The Digital Picture http://thedigitalpicture.ac.uk/documents/pdf/digital_picture_final_report.pdf
Further Research by: Sarah Capple
With research I think one of the most interesting things I found is that even elementary classrooms are using digital camera's to teach subjects such as english. I find that intriguing because it is not a typically subject to use pictures for but they are able to take pictures of common nouns and identify them, or even verbs in action. The possiblities really are endless and I found a great website of ideas for primary education: http://www.hardin.k12.ky.us/res_techn/TEC/digitalcamera/primary.htm
Further Research by: Laura Kvaley
Pursuing further research, I found out just a sample of how many things a digital camera can do in the classroom. Not only does it help the children visualize a simple lesson, but teachers can use it for so much more. The can use it to take pictures of a field trip and have the children make the captions to tell about their field trip. They can also take pictues and use them to show parents what their children have been up to in the classroom. I found many other ideas for the digital photography from teachers on http://www.cbv.ns.ca/sstudies/activities/computer/4.html
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Virtual Field Trips
Link: http://www.infotoday.com/MMSchools/sep01/stevenson.htm
SUMMARY:
"Over the years, the idea of using field trips to provide opportunities for extending learning through firsthand experience has become commonly accepted. The traditional field trip requires planning and preparation, participation, and follow-up, all needing a great deal of time and energy. Well, so does a virtual field trip! However, the expanded range of experiences extends to the limits of your imagination, and sometimes beyond" (Stevenson). This quote says it all.
Traditional field trips such as school trips to museums, the sheriff's office, or the zoo, were at one time not well accepted. There were issues regarding liability, funds and transportation that hindered acceptance of the idea of field trips. Also, at one time people believed that everything a student should know was provided in the textbook. Just like the quote states above, it is the idea of, "extended learning through first hand experience," that swayed people into agreement of the importance of field trips.
The largest benefit of incorporating virtual field trips into the classroom is that it is cost effective. When using a virtual field trip, you will be saving money that you would have otherwise spent on gas, food, fees, etc. In addition to commenting on financial savings, Stevenson also pinpoints four ways a virtual field trip can be incorporated into the classroom.
1. An instructional tool when a site visit is out of the question
2. A focus activity prior to a class taking an actual field trip
3. A reporting and reflecting follow-up activity for students after they have been on a field trip 4. A presentation tool for you to share your own travels
Based on the information in this article, and other learned information, virtual field trips are a great asset for school systems, in home schooling, teachers, etc. They are informational, cost effective, and accessible. This is a short but sweet article on the benefits of virtual field trips!
THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS:
"Discover and Create Your Own Field Trips" is a great article by Stephanie Stevenson, a 6th Grade teacher from Ft. Caroline Middle School in Jacksonville, Florida. In her article, Stevenson points out the advantages of a virtual field trip compared to that of a traditional one. In a very precise and informative way Stephanie lists all the risks and costs of taking a traditional field, and then with a great transition moves into the benefits of a virtual field trip, concluding by giving the readers access to virtual field trips that she was able to find searching the internet. This article was really impressive because of amount of quality resources that the reader is given. One of the greatest parts of the article is the chart at the end where Stevenson categorized 11 virtual field trips into 18 different categories. This organization facilitates the choice process of which virtual field trip would be best for his or her classroom based on content, target audience, medium and many more. The chart seemed professionally done and was a great conclusion to a great article.
IDEAS REGARDING TOPIC
From this article it is obvious that there are financial benefits of a virtual field trip versus a traditional one. Students will spend more money and go through so much trouble just to leave the parking lot school. By using the virtual field trips the students won't even have to leave their seat. The money being saved could be used to fund other facets of educational needs. They could save up and spend it on new computers for the classroom itself.
OPINION
Before this assignment I had never heard of Virtual Field Trips. However, after reading this article I can really see how beneficial they can be. Traditional field trips are costly and require lots of planning and preparation. Where as virtual field trips are often cost free and they allow the students' imaginations to run wild. There are also so many virtual field trips available; the educational possibilities are endless. You can create a virtual field trip for any grade level and on just about any topic. I think that virtual field trips are truly a great tool to use in the classroom.
Link: http://www.infotoday.com/MMSchools/sep01/stevenson.htm
SUMMARY:
"Over the years, the idea of using field trips to provide opportunities for extending learning through firsthand experience has become commonly accepted. The traditional field trip requires planning and preparation, participation, and follow-up, all needing a great deal of time and energy. Well, so does a virtual field trip! However, the expanded range of experiences extends to the limits of your imagination, and sometimes beyond" (Stevenson). This quote says it all.
Traditional field trips such as school trips to museums, the sheriff's office, or the zoo, were at one time not well accepted. There were issues regarding liability, funds and transportation that hindered acceptance of the idea of field trips. Also, at one time people believed that everything a student should know was provided in the textbook. Just like the quote states above, it is the idea of, "extended learning through first hand experience," that swayed people into agreement of the importance of field trips.
The largest benefit of incorporating virtual field trips into the classroom is that it is cost effective. When using a virtual field trip, you will be saving money that you would have otherwise spent on gas, food, fees, etc. In addition to commenting on financial savings, Stevenson also pinpoints four ways a virtual field trip can be incorporated into the classroom.
1. An instructional tool when a site visit is out of the question
2. A focus activity prior to a class taking an actual field trip
3. A reporting and reflecting follow-up activity for students after they have been on a field trip 4. A presentation tool for you to share your own travels
Based on the information in this article, and other learned information, virtual field trips are a great asset for school systems, in home schooling, teachers, etc. They are informational, cost effective, and accessible. This is a short but sweet article on the benefits of virtual field trips!
THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS:
"Discover and Create Your Own Field Trips" is a great article by Stephanie Stevenson, a 6th Grade teacher from Ft. Caroline Middle School in Jacksonville, Florida. In her article, Stevenson points out the advantages of a virtual field trip compared to that of a traditional one. In a very precise and informative way Stephanie lists all the risks and costs of taking a traditional field, and then with a great transition moves into the benefits of a virtual field trip, concluding by giving the readers access to virtual field trips that she was able to find searching the internet. This article was really impressive because of amount of quality resources that the reader is given. One of the greatest parts of the article is the chart at the end where Stevenson categorized 11 virtual field trips into 18 different categories. This organization facilitates the choice process of which virtual field trip would be best for his or her classroom based on content, target audience, medium and many more. The chart seemed professionally done and was a great conclusion to a great article.
IDEAS REGARDING TOPIC
From this article it is obvious that there are financial benefits of a virtual field trip versus a traditional one. Students will spend more money and go through so much trouble just to leave the parking lot school. By using the virtual field trips the students won't even have to leave their seat. The money being saved could be used to fund other facets of educational needs. They could save up and spend it on new computers for the classroom itself.
OPINION
Before this assignment I had never heard of Virtual Field Trips. However, after reading this article I can really see how beneficial they can be. Traditional field trips are costly and require lots of planning and preparation. Where as virtual field trips are often cost free and they allow the students' imaginations to run wild. There are also so many virtual field trips available; the educational possibilities are endless. You can create a virtual field trip for any grade level and on just about any topic. I think that virtual field trips are truly a great tool to use in the classroom.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Storyboarding: Summary, Opinions & Reflections
Story Boards
Professor Diana Haney
South Suburban College
http://www.oncourseworksh=op.com/Motivation019.htm
Intro to Article: (For the entire article, please click the link above)
“I teach Reading and Study Skills at South Suburban College in South Holland, Illinois. At some point in the semester, some students forget why they have decided to pursue a college education. They also stop doing what is necessary to be successful. Just as a road map leads a traveler in the right direction, a story board can help students from straying off course from the goals they have set for themselves. It will help them feel successful, one step at a time. Collaterally, they build self-confidence by speaking in front of their classmates. This activity could be used in any class at any time during the semester. (For an artistic student, this activity might even suggest a new career goal, as artists can make their living creating storyboards.) I decided to use it in the middle of the semester to remind students why they enrolled in college in the first place” (Haney).
Summary
In the article a professor at South Suburban College in South Holland, Illinois, gives an assignment of creating a storyboard. The storyboards purpose is to re-motivate the students and to recall what their reason was for enrolling in college, to build self-confidence in presenting in front of their peers and also to define the specific steps they need to take in order to reach their goal. The professor gives an immense amount of detail in describing what the students should do and how they should do it. She provides directions and also asks the class what their goals are. The professor then made the class present their storyboards after 30 minutes of planning it out and creating it. Each one was different and each person had different goals that pertained to them. The professor made the students realize that they needed to get focused again and to realize that they need to think about the steps it takes to get to their goals and why they decided to even go to college. The professor herself even realized that each student had huge goals. Although they were a bit extreme most of them were going to do what it would take to achieve that goal of theirs. The point of the matter is making the students realize what their goals were to get into college and what they were going to do when they get out of college and also how they were going to achieve those goals.
Thoughts and Reflections
From reading this article I feel that storyboarding is a good form of communication throughout the classroom. Storyboarding allows people such as these college students to stop and put something into an order and realize what they are doing and what they should do. Storyboarding is also great for classrooms because it provides interaction throughout the students. For example, in the article we read the college students were organizing their thoughts and presented their storyboards to the class. I believe that storyboarding is a fun and easy way to organize your thought and be able to present them to a group of people.
After reading this article I have realized that storyboarding is a great tool that can be used to organize your thoughts and it can be used to plan step by step process when you are creating a project. It can also be used like in the article when you want to write down how you will achieve a goal. I think that it helps you break it down into smaller achievable goals that give you instant gratification when you achieve it. It helps you see what you are working towards making all your hard work worth while once you get to the completed project. Whether it be a project for school or your life goals.
Storyboarding gives students an opportunity to be more organizes with their thoughts. In this article, students we're asked a question on regards to their own personal educational goals. Not only does the storyboard process help put their ideas and goals in a structures manner, storyboarding gives them a chance to be creative by using words and pictures. I think organization and creativity are two words that help students achieve what they set out to do. Storyboarding not only helps structuralize your thoughts, it gives the student a chance to put their creativity at use. As the article mentioned, some students labeled their storyboards, while others used their artistic talents. Overall, I feel storyboarding is a good concept for creating structured ideas for the students in the classroom.
Further Research
Chronology and History of Storyboarding:
“Stories can be told in many different ways—word of mouth, written word, movies, plays. One of the fastest, most universally understandable and information-rich ways to tell a story is with a storyboard. Storyboards have been used throughout history to depict events through pictures. Even when created very quickly, storyboards can convey a wealth of information, showing a particular order of events in an interesting and easy-to-understand way (www.teched.com).
This abstract beginning quote does a great job of explaining the significance of storyboarding. The article itself goes into the history of storyboarding as well as step by step instructions on how to create an effective storyboard.
http://www.teced.com/PDFs/upa2006_storyboards_a_dynamic_storytelling_tool.pdf
The Difference Between a Script and a Story Board:
This article does a great job of explaining the differences between storyboards and a script. It also states all of the benefits of using storyboards when creating projects or scripts.
http://www.create.cett.msstate.edu/create/howto/Storyboard_Handout.pdf
Professor Diana Haney
South Suburban College
http://www.oncourseworksh=op.com/Motivation019.htm
Intro to Article: (For the entire article, please click the link above)
“I teach Reading and Study Skills at South Suburban College in South Holland, Illinois. At some point in the semester, some students forget why they have decided to pursue a college education. They also stop doing what is necessary to be successful. Just as a road map leads a traveler in the right direction, a story board can help students from straying off course from the goals they have set for themselves. It will help them feel successful, one step at a time. Collaterally, they build self-confidence by speaking in front of their classmates. This activity could be used in any class at any time during the semester. (For an artistic student, this activity might even suggest a new career goal, as artists can make their living creating storyboards.) I decided to use it in the middle of the semester to remind students why they enrolled in college in the first place” (Haney).
Summary
In the article a professor at South Suburban College in South Holland, Illinois, gives an assignment of creating a storyboard. The storyboards purpose is to re-motivate the students and to recall what their reason was for enrolling in college, to build self-confidence in presenting in front of their peers and also to define the specific steps they need to take in order to reach their goal. The professor gives an immense amount of detail in describing what the students should do and how they should do it. She provides directions and also asks the class what their goals are. The professor then made the class present their storyboards after 30 minutes of planning it out and creating it. Each one was different and each person had different goals that pertained to them. The professor made the students realize that they needed to get focused again and to realize that they need to think about the steps it takes to get to their goals and why they decided to even go to college. The professor herself even realized that each student had huge goals. Although they were a bit extreme most of them were going to do what it would take to achieve that goal of theirs. The point of the matter is making the students realize what their goals were to get into college and what they were going to do when they get out of college and also how they were going to achieve those goals.
Thoughts and Reflections
From reading this article I feel that storyboarding is a good form of communication throughout the classroom. Storyboarding allows people such as these college students to stop and put something into an order and realize what they are doing and what they should do. Storyboarding is also great for classrooms because it provides interaction throughout the students. For example, in the article we read the college students were organizing their thoughts and presented their storyboards to the class. I believe that storyboarding is a fun and easy way to organize your thought and be able to present them to a group of people.
After reading this article I have realized that storyboarding is a great tool that can be used to organize your thoughts and it can be used to plan step by step process when you are creating a project. It can also be used like in the article when you want to write down how you will achieve a goal. I think that it helps you break it down into smaller achievable goals that give you instant gratification when you achieve it. It helps you see what you are working towards making all your hard work worth while once you get to the completed project. Whether it be a project for school or your life goals.
Storyboarding gives students an opportunity to be more organizes with their thoughts. In this article, students we're asked a question on regards to their own personal educational goals. Not only does the storyboard process help put their ideas and goals in a structures manner, storyboarding gives them a chance to be creative by using words and pictures. I think organization and creativity are two words that help students achieve what they set out to do. Storyboarding not only helps structuralize your thoughts, it gives the student a chance to put their creativity at use. As the article mentioned, some students labeled their storyboards, while others used their artistic talents. Overall, I feel storyboarding is a good concept for creating structured ideas for the students in the classroom.
Further Research
Chronology and History of Storyboarding:
“Stories can be told in many different ways—word of mouth, written word, movies, plays. One of the fastest, most universally understandable and information-rich ways to tell a story is with a storyboard. Storyboards have been used throughout history to depict events through pictures. Even when created very quickly, storyboards can convey a wealth of information, showing a particular order of events in an interesting and easy-to-understand way (www.teched.com).
This abstract beginning quote does a great job of explaining the significance of storyboarding. The article itself goes into the history of storyboarding as well as step by step instructions on how to create an effective storyboard.
http://www.teced.com/PDFs/upa2006_storyboards_a_dynamic_storytelling_tool.pdf
The Difference Between a Script and a Story Board:
This article does a great job of explaining the differences between storyboards and a script. It also states all of the benefits of using storyboards when creating projects or scripts.
http://www.create.cett.msstate.edu/create/howto/Storyboard_Handout.pdf
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Opinions and Such...
I think that blogging is a great tool to be used in the classroom. Just as the teachers in the article "In the Classroom, Web Logs are the new Bulletin Boards" said, Blogs are a way that quieter children in class can voice their thoughts and ideas with out feeling intimidated or scared. It is also a good tool for teachers as well because it allows them to read students journals faster than hand written journals. They are faster because you don't waist any time to trying to figure out what a student wrote if their hand writing is illegible. It also allows teachers to respond quicker to their students journals. On the other hand, I understand that there are concerns with slang being used in the Blogs but that can be fixed if you require the students to pre-write their journals before typing them and posting them on the blog site. In conclusion, it can be argued that there are pros and cons to blogging being used in Education, but in my opinion there are more pros than cons and I think that blogs should be used in the classroom.
Jeffery Selingo proposes positive and negative opinions and reflections in his article, "In the Classroom Web Logs Are the New Bulletin Boards." It is obvious, as with any new technological inventions or creations, there is a certain amount of negatives attached to the idea of blogs. However, in this article, the positives seem to outweigh the negatives. Mrs. Dudiak, a second grade teacher in Frederick County, Md. States, "it (blogs) allowed them to interact with their piers more quickly than a journal and it evened the playing field." By evening the playing field Mrs. Dudiak means that each student had a chance to express themselves via blogs. I agree that blogs are a great tool for child expression, given that some children may resist sharing their thoughts and ideas if they are required to speak in front of the class or pressured to use neat handwriting. Another key idea in the article is that "class does not have to end when the bell rings." I think it is great that in addition to doing homework at home, students may go on the web and participate in their class blog rather than playing video games, internet games or watching T.V. Although the article states, "few entries seem to come after school hours," I think it is important to note that the article was written in 2004, almost four years ago, meaning that participation in online blogging and an increase in technology and internet education has already occurred. I am sure, with updates and changes to blog sites, that blogging could possibly be much simpler as well as more interesting for students than it might have been in 2004. Another great point addressed in the article is, "the Web has turned bloggers into modern-day pen pals, allowing students to collaborate easily with their peers in other classes or even other countries." This extension of communication is another positive aspect of blogging. Communication with foreign neighbors is a facet of multicultural education, and should be highly useful in integrating cultural education into the classroom. This article is a great example of the usefulness of blogs and technology in the classroom. It would sure be interesting to discover Mrs. Dudiak's experiences with blogging in her classroom during the past three years and compare that finding with her proposed expectations and experiences from 2004.
In response to this article, I feel that blogs are a necessary means of learning to have in the classroom. I personally feel it's easier to interact and get more involved in education when you have an ultimatum to hard copied journals. I feel it makes students more enthusiastic because internet holds attention more than that of just writing in hard copied journals. Blogging gives students the opportunity to express their thoughts in a more structured manner. I also think it's an accurate way for parents to get involved with their child's education. Parents would feel more self assured if there able to log on to the blog and see their child's progress in class. I agree with the article in the sense that when students think it's more than just there peers reading their work, they put more thought and effort into it. Blogging also offers the opportunity for students to interact with peers in other countries which gives them a feel for diversity. Overall, I think blogging is an accurate means of communication and learning throughout the classroom.
There was a two sided view of having blogs in Education and in the classroom. Some teachers gave great reviews toward the blogging. They mentioned that it helped thosed students who were more quiet in the classroom to open up and express how they feel towards certain subjects provided by the teacher. One teacher had mentioned that "It allowed them to interact with their peers more quickly than a journal," (http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C04E5D7113FF93AA2575BC0A9629C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=print) On the opposing side, blogs do not really enforce grammar with the students. The teachers who are reading these blogs tend to focus on how much more the students are writing more with online blogs. There are some things that critics are worried about and that is the grammar from people and also those students using the blogs. Also when one is writing and email grammar is not important to them. Those critics are worried that abbreviations and computer slang will over rule the correct way of spelling. In my own opinion I believe that blogs are a great way for students and also other people to express themselves. Some people do not like to speak and answer questions in front of the class, but by posting a blog about a question would be more effective to grab students' attention.
Jeffery Selingo proposes positive and negative opinions and reflections in his article, "In the Classroom Web Logs Are the New Bulletin Boards." It is obvious, as with any new technological inventions or creations, there is a certain amount of negatives attached to the idea of blogs. However, in this article, the positives seem to outweigh the negatives. Mrs. Dudiak, a second grade teacher in Frederick County, Md. States, "it (blogs) allowed them to interact with their piers more quickly than a journal and it evened the playing field." By evening the playing field Mrs. Dudiak means that each student had a chance to express themselves via blogs. I agree that blogs are a great tool for child expression, given that some children may resist sharing their thoughts and ideas if they are required to speak in front of the class or pressured to use neat handwriting. Another key idea in the article is that "class does not have to end when the bell rings." I think it is great that in addition to doing homework at home, students may go on the web and participate in their class blog rather than playing video games, internet games or watching T.V. Although the article states, "few entries seem to come after school hours," I think it is important to note that the article was written in 2004, almost four years ago, meaning that participation in online blogging and an increase in technology and internet education has already occurred. I am sure, with updates and changes to blog sites, that blogging could possibly be much simpler as well as more interesting for students than it might have been in 2004. Another great point addressed in the article is, "the Web has turned bloggers into modern-day pen pals, allowing students to collaborate easily with their peers in other classes or even other countries." This extension of communication is another positive aspect of blogging. Communication with foreign neighbors is a facet of multicultural education, and should be highly useful in integrating cultural education into the classroom. This article is a great example of the usefulness of blogs and technology in the classroom. It would sure be interesting to discover Mrs. Dudiak's experiences with blogging in her classroom during the past three years and compare that finding with her proposed expectations and experiences from 2004.
In response to this article, I feel that blogs are a necessary means of learning to have in the classroom. I personally feel it's easier to interact and get more involved in education when you have an ultimatum to hard copied journals. I feel it makes students more enthusiastic because internet holds attention more than that of just writing in hard copied journals. Blogging gives students the opportunity to express their thoughts in a more structured manner. I also think it's an accurate way for parents to get involved with their child's education. Parents would feel more self assured if there able to log on to the blog and see their child's progress in class. I agree with the article in the sense that when students think it's more than just there peers reading their work, they put more thought and effort into it. Blogging also offers the opportunity for students to interact with peers in other countries which gives them a feel for diversity. Overall, I think blogging is an accurate means of communication and learning throughout the classroom.
There was a two sided view of having blogs in Education and in the classroom. Some teachers gave great reviews toward the blogging. They mentioned that it helped thosed students who were more quiet in the classroom to open up and express how they feel towards certain subjects provided by the teacher. One teacher had mentioned that "It allowed them to interact with their peers more quickly than a journal," (http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C04E5D7113FF93AA2575BC0A9629C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=print) On the opposing side, blogs do not really enforce grammar with the students. The teachers who are reading these blogs tend to focus on how much more the students are writing more with online blogs. There are some things that critics are worried about and that is the grammar from people and also those students using the blogs. Also when one is writing and email grammar is not important to them. Those critics are worried that abbreviations and computer slang will over rule the correct way of spelling. In my own opinion I believe that blogs are a great way for students and also other people to express themselves. Some people do not like to speak and answer questions in front of the class, but by posting a blog about a question would be more effective to grab students' attention.
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