At my Inclusion class’s conclusion, Dr. Mignogna assigned a final project that involved adapting a lesson plan to a student with special needs. I had to adapt a lesson plan on point of view in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee to a student with Asperger’s Syndrome. I already integrated some technology when I modified the lesson plan. In this lesson plan, I made further modifications so I can fulfill the requirements of this final project.
In order to get my students to understand Point of View, I would show a YouTube video that will prepare my class for a group role-playing activity. The video is informative and makes the content accessible for the students. During the group role-playing activity, students will simulate the “Bee Sting” story by coming up with a story told through multiple perspectives. Students will utilize Google Glass headsets to film the story through multiple perspectives. This would be interesting since Google Glass aligns the viewer of the video with that user’s perspective. The students would upload the videos to YouTube and would put a class hash tag on Twitter. This relates to the NETS-S and Common Core Standards because students work together to develop a creative product while using technology.
During my lesson’s next phase, I will hand out a graphic organizer explaining the different types of points of view. I will give a lecture to the students to make sure they understand the content because it is important. Then, I would read a couple of excerpts from different novels. Afterward, I would have a PowerPoint presentation with a question asking which Point of View the passage utilizes. Students would use their clickers. My program would show a bar graph that I could use to determine how the class answered. I can look at each individual student’s answers later to see which students may have issues with the concepts. I then facilitate a discussion about how point of view functions in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. When that is complete, I would show a few YouTube clips from film adaptations and try to have students discuss the differences of point of view between film and the book. This aligns with the Common Core Standard about using two different artistic mediums, but one of the mediums happens to be through technology. Also, the students use critical thinking to make informed decisions, so students cannot be passive consumers of the videos, but active participants making meaning.
The culminating assessment involves comparing and contrasting the point of view between the book and a film adaptation. Students will publish their final product to a BlogSpot, but I will have them work in Google Drive first. I will put students into peer-editing groups and they will share their Google Document with their team. On other students’ documents, students will insert comments saying what they think about the composition. I will also provide feedback through conferencing with students. I can also look at the Google Document and see how students revised; thus, I can evaluate their writing process as well. This is very important when we consider literacy development because sometimes it is not just about the product, but the process. The assessment will hinge upon the NETS-S standard that involves using technology effectively and productively. Students will have to gather the proper information and use Google Drive’s features to aid their learning.
For the rest of the class sessions, I devoted the time to a writer’s workshop. The students will use computers to conduct research and write their compositions. In addition, students will have time to receive feedback from their peers and the teacher. The comments will all be on Google Drive. When the work is completed, then the students post their works on BlogSpot. Students can then go to comment on other students’ blog posts, which I feel will help foster a sense of community the classroom. The alignment with the Common Core Standards is there because during the writing process, I try to have varied activities, but I try to foster critical thinking skills and collaboration through the technological mediums. The blogs and the commenting manage to teach students the importance of being a responsible cyber citizen and show how technology can allow for an exchange of diverse ideas. I tried to do this all in a way where students learn about point of view, but technology helps make the learning dynamic enough where critical thinking and collaboration can become pivotal parts of the process.
URL to Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Amgpgj9Fx1m7dDJhTzZxam5WaHN1YVctWC1xNnc5aFE#gid=0
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Reflection on Technology in the Classroom
I saw this article on The Huffington Post
recently, and it starts by saying one of the most common credos that tons of
people seem to say: “Education is failing.” However, this article’s premise
seems to be that we can help to improve the educational system by integrating technology
into the classroom. I agree with this notion because I know that I can apply this
article’s findings to my English classroom to help improve the learning
environment. However, this article also does have some problems with the nature
of technology integration that it should have discussed.
One of the major claims of the article is that
we can personalize education to the student. I think that this could definitely
be true. I tutor somebody with a reading comprehension disability; as a result of
his problems, his school classified him as needing special education services.
The National Council of Teachers of English argues that reading and writing
have a direct link with each other. As a result, if you are bad at reading, you
will usually have poor writing skills as well. This is because struggling
readers spend more cognitive energy trying to decode rather than trying to
internalize good textual structures and fine writing styles. Unfortunately, if
we keep assessing these students on writing, we can wind up punishing them for
something they cannot control. With technology, I can definitely say that this
article is right since we can give students multiple ways to demonstrate
content mastery. For instance, I remember going on another classmate’s blog
post and seeing how we can turn persuasive essays into video commercials. If
the student had an interest in film making, then this would be a great way to
test their abilities. Even though the article does not say it, the author
definitely implies that technology is extremely dynamic and that is why
teachers can personalize it to meet the diverse learning needs of students. If
I have a student with a reading problem in my class, I can scaffold the proper
analysis they need to do by making them do podcasts. Eventually, they may
become more confident enough to do essays after their cognitive abilities
improve. If the student sees their cognitive abilities improve, they will also
see gains in their self-esteem. Improvements in their self-esteem motivate them
more, and I think that technology can be a great scaffold in that regard.
In addition, if a student has trouble
processing long strings of auditory information, which is often the case with
many Autistic students, then providing recording devices such as LiveScribe can
be very helpful in ensuring access to the curriculum. When technology provides
access to the curriculum, those who used to be reluctant learners become more
motivated to participate in the education process. This article says that
recent studies have found that. However, this article does miss a few important
points. One of the most important points is that technology can be useless if
the teacher does not have a sound pedagogical framework. In a previous blog
post, I discussed the fact that many teachers show film adaptations of novels
and they can wind up not being educational experiences. The teacher must make
sure to be very thoughtful in making sure that the technology aligns very well
with strategies, which will thus achieve the Common Core Standards. Technology
alone does not ensure that students learn, but a sharp teacher does. In
addition, the article neglects to mention class issues. As our textbook for
this class said, we need to take a technological inventory. The article seems
to miss that point completely. Many poorer urban districts do not have the
funding to obtain great technology and many of the students come from families
who would not be able to afford some of the technologies I talk about in this
blog post. This article I feel needs to advocate for the kind of political
changes necessary to make sure that this technological revolution in the
classroom happens across the nation. I also think that this article could have
been stronger if the writer included some concrete examples as I did.
The Film in the English Classroom
One of the most prevalent technologies that English teachers utilize in the classroom is film. It is very easy to use the medium of film in the English classroom. You just plug in a VHS or DVD player and put in a movie. Most of the famous novels that we read in the English classroom have a film adaptation. However, most teachers tend to put in the movie after they read the novel, and then do not have their students do anything.
One of the problems with that approach to showing film is that it puts students in the passive consumer position. When teachers thrust their students into that position, it is easy to see why students may not learn anything. In fact, many movie adaptations of novels can wind up being significantly different. Without a clear pedagogical goal, the students will wind up learning nothing. This kind of pedagogy shows how technology can be useless if the teacher does not come up with a structured activity. Technology hinges upon the teacher’s knowledge of how technology can facilitate a learning experience.
In order for movies to become effective in the classroom, we need to be students in a more active role. In addition, we need to make sure that we come up with activities that align with the Common Core Standards. This standard in the English/Language Arts standards, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.7, indicates the following: “Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums, including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment.” The Common Core Standards seem to acknowledge that comparing literature’s treatment in two different artistic mediums is a valid educational activity. You can definitely meet this standard through technology, like the film.
For instance, if I had assigned a unit based around the seminal novel One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey, I could have them watch the film after they read the book. The film adaptation is a very famous and well-respected movie in its own right, but it is very different from the novel. The novel is a first-person narrative that has Chief Bromden, a mostly silent Native American who has some paranoia problems, observe the events that unfold in the novel. On the other hand, the director of the movie significantly diminishes Chief Bromden’s role in the movie. Instead, the movie focuses on McMurphy more. As a pedagogical activity, I could have students compare and contrast how the point of view differences between the novel and the movie can affect the effectiveness of the novel’s overall message.
In addition to the other activities I proposed, there a myriad of ways to share the composition the students produce. They can put it on a blog or post it to movie review sites. Students can also comment on other students’ work by using the internet as well. Film can be an effective tool in the classroom, but only if the teacher is very thoughtful about the pedagogy behind it. Students must interpret films just like literary texts, which makes films meaningful to the students and makes them actually learn something. If a teacher just puts a video in and does nothing, the students will not wind up learning anything most of the time because they often do not correlate to the novel well. This is not the only pedagogical revolving around the film. I wrote this blog post because I felt that the usage of the film clearly demonstrates how the effectiveness of technology in facilitating student learning truly depends on the teacher.
One of the problems with that approach to showing film is that it puts students in the passive consumer position. When teachers thrust their students into that position, it is easy to see why students may not learn anything. In fact, many movie adaptations of novels can wind up being significantly different. Without a clear pedagogical goal, the students will wind up learning nothing. This kind of pedagogy shows how technology can be useless if the teacher does not come up with a structured activity. Technology hinges upon the teacher’s knowledge of how technology can facilitate a learning experience.
In order for movies to become effective in the classroom, we need to be students in a more active role. In addition, we need to make sure that we come up with activities that align with the Common Core Standards. This standard in the English/Language Arts standards, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.7, indicates the following: “Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums, including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment.” The Common Core Standards seem to acknowledge that comparing literature’s treatment in two different artistic mediums is a valid educational activity. You can definitely meet this standard through technology, like the film.
For instance, if I had assigned a unit based around the seminal novel One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey, I could have them watch the film after they read the book. The film adaptation is a very famous and well-respected movie in its own right, but it is very different from the novel. The novel is a first-person narrative that has Chief Bromden, a mostly silent Native American who has some paranoia problems, observe the events that unfold in the novel. On the other hand, the director of the movie significantly diminishes Chief Bromden’s role in the movie. Instead, the movie focuses on McMurphy more. As a pedagogical activity, I could have students compare and contrast how the point of view differences between the novel and the movie can affect the effectiveness of the novel’s overall message.
In addition to the other activities I proposed, there a myriad of ways to share the composition the students produce. They can put it on a blog or post it to movie review sites. Students can also comment on other students’ work by using the internet as well. Film can be an effective tool in the classroom, but only if the teacher is very thoughtful about the pedagogy behind it. Students must interpret films just like literary texts, which makes films meaningful to the students and makes them actually learn something. If a teacher just puts a video in and does nothing, the students will not wind up learning anything most of the time because they often do not correlate to the novel well. This is not the only pedagogical revolving around the film. I wrote this blog post because I felt that the usage of the film clearly demonstrates how the effectiveness of technology in facilitating student learning truly depends on the teacher.
Twitter in the English Classroom
Social media is very influential in today’s society. Everybody talks about it and you see references to celebrities’ social media accounts on the news sometimes. More users register for accounts on various social media sites every day. One of the most popular social media sites is Twitter. Twitter is a site where people create accounts where they can “Follow” their friends, family, celebrities, politicians, and everything else in between. Other people can “Follow” them as well, and they can see when you send out “Tweets,” which are 140 character limit messages that can be about virtually anything.
There is a multitude of ways that I can integrate Twitter into the English classroom. One method is that I can assign a piece of literature for students to read, and then I tell them to come up with a 140-character summary of the piece of work. This is a very challenging activity, but it forces students to condense a work to its most essential parts. In addition, I can have students add hash tags that capture the themes of the piece they read. It is very important to teach students the art of summary, so I think that this would be a very useful way to get students to learn that skill.
Even though this is not a unique, innovative way to use Twitter in the classroom since many educators already do this in their classrooms, I could have students create Twitter accounts for literary characters. It is important to teach characterization to our students. This would be an interesting assignment for students since they need to get to really know the character’s personality and use plot elements to create an authentic Twitter.
I can also use Twitter to keep my students informed about the class. I can post homework on there and keep my students informed about tests and larger assignments. I can also post supplemental links that might help students who are interested in augmenting their knowledge about the topic I am currently teaching in class. Students can also tweet to me asking questions they may have about certain assignments, and I can give them the proper feedback that they require. Twitter can help facilitate communication between my students and me. In addition, since many students now have Smart Phones, they can access Twitter on their mobile devices. Thus, it is always very easy for students to access Twitter from anywhere. If they have some downtime while waiting in the doctor’s office, they can easily do the assignments while they wait.
Twitter is not without fault though. Many parents are still weary of social media. In addition, many students may not see the educational value in using social media to learn. However, teachers must be sure to state the learning goals explicitly before they allow their students to work on Twitter. Then, they must state the acceptable uses of it because cyber citizenship is important. Teachers need to make sure that the assignments that involve Twitter align properly with standards, and that it is an appropriate way to learn about the content. Many may argue that it is the death of our language, so teachers need to make sure to tell students that they need to use the proper English conventions for assessment. Even though social media does foster bad writing, students are writing more than ever. I feel that is the most important. I feel that Twitter can be a great tool for the English classroom. I just listed only some of the uses of Twitter in the classroom, but I know that there are myriads more.
There is a multitude of ways that I can integrate Twitter into the English classroom. One method is that I can assign a piece of literature for students to read, and then I tell them to come up with a 140-character summary of the piece of work. This is a very challenging activity, but it forces students to condense a work to its most essential parts. In addition, I can have students add hash tags that capture the themes of the piece they read. It is very important to teach students the art of summary, so I think that this would be a very useful way to get students to learn that skill.
Even though this is not a unique, innovative way to use Twitter in the classroom since many educators already do this in their classrooms, I could have students create Twitter accounts for literary characters. It is important to teach characterization to our students. This would be an interesting assignment for students since they need to get to really know the character’s personality and use plot elements to create an authentic Twitter.
I can also use Twitter to keep my students informed about the class. I can post homework on there and keep my students informed about tests and larger assignments. I can also post supplemental links that might help students who are interested in augmenting their knowledge about the topic I am currently teaching in class. Students can also tweet to me asking questions they may have about certain assignments, and I can give them the proper feedback that they require. Twitter can help facilitate communication between my students and me. In addition, since many students now have Smart Phones, they can access Twitter on their mobile devices. Thus, it is always very easy for students to access Twitter from anywhere. If they have some downtime while waiting in the doctor’s office, they can easily do the assignments while they wait.
Twitter is not without fault though. Many parents are still weary of social media. In addition, many students may not see the educational value in using social media to learn. However, teachers must be sure to state the learning goals explicitly before they allow their students to work on Twitter. Then, they must state the acceptable uses of it because cyber citizenship is important. Teachers need to make sure that the assignments that involve Twitter align properly with standards, and that it is an appropriate way to learn about the content. Many may argue that it is the death of our language, so teachers need to make sure to tell students that they need to use the proper English conventions for assessment. Even though social media does foster bad writing, students are writing more than ever. I feel that is the most important. I feel that Twitter can be a great tool for the English classroom. I just listed only some of the uses of Twitter in the classroom, but I know that there are myriads more.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Google Glass in the English Classroom
In our society, there seems to be one piece of technology that appears to get much publicity in the media. The name of this piece of technology is Google Glass. Many people seem to hail this as a marvel of technology because it is a wearable computer people can utilize to fulfill a broad spectrum of purposes. One of the greatest things about it is that it is virtually hands-free since the user gives the glasses commands through his or her voice. I believe that we can use Google Glass in order to facilitate a greater learning experience for our students. In addition, I think that there are uses that make it a valid educational tool in the English classroom.
I managed to find an infographic that manages to discuss some of the uses of Google Glass in education. One of the useful functions that I found is that students can use SMS texting to give the teacher feedback during a lesson. For example, if a few students believe that the teacher did not explain something well enough and needs some clarification, the students can send a text message indicating their confusion. The teacher will immediately see the students’ messages in his or her display. This is a great function because a teacher can quickly receive feedback from students in a way that is not interruptive to the classroom environment. In addition, it can be completely anonymous to other students, so they will not know who sent the feedback. This helps to facilitate communication in the classroom, so the teacher can immediately modify instruction based on the feedback they receive from students.
Another way that I can integrate Google Glass into my classroom is by using its augmented reality feature. The infographic claims that I can bring people on a virtual fieldtrip and make the places that I discuss in the classroom come more alive to them. I think that this would be great to use in the classroom because some people are visual learners; they do not do too well with just teachers’ auditory explanations or text on a page. For example, The Globe Theatre is heavily important when teaching Shakespeare to high school students. If every student had a Google Glass headset, then I could have students pull up a view of The Globe Theatre. Google Glass makes a wide range of information instantaneously available to students, so it can help to supplement learning by adding a visual dimension.
Even though there are more uses for Google Glass in the English classroom, I will explain one more way teachers can utilize the device. Literacy is heavily important for English teachers.
According to Kylene Beers, the author of When Kids Can’t Read: What Teachers Can Do, the most effective way teachers can make sure students understand a reading strategy is to model them by doing a Think Aloud. Sometimes, that can be difficult. When a teacher is home looking a text, they can use the video recording feature in order to model the strategy for them. In the video, the teacher can go step-by-step in a video that appears from the first-person perspective. The teacher can send the video to the students, and they can access it from their e-mail accounts when a teacher uploads it. This can help to flip classroom instruction, but a teacher would have to be very thoughtful to create effective flipped instruction. If teachers do not use the video for that, then it can still be very useful for students. Through the video that the teacher recorded, he or she can show students how to read by showing how they tackle a text. This is a very powerful way to teach literacy.
Even though the Google Glass is a great piece of technology that can potentially transform classroom instruction in the future, it does have its flaws. One of the problems that people seem to have is the concern about privacy. The video recording is very quiet, so many people may not even notice that somebody started to record their actions. In addition, the students can be using Google Glass during the classroom time for non-educational purposes. This can be a problem, so the teachers need to make sure that the device does not distract students. The teacher has to model appropriate behaviors for the technology because they do not want to assign projects to students that involve use of the Google Glass and they act in a way that is inappropriate in order to fulfill the project. However, we cannot fully blame the student because teachers need to be mindful that they create projects that do not have students invade others’ privacy or break the law. Finally, like any other technological device, teachers need to make sure that the educational uses of the class align with the instructional standards so students can learn. Technology can be useless and not have students learn anything. The teacher needs to make sure to plan ahead to make sure that the uses of Google Glass in the classroom is productive to learning.
I managed to find an infographic that manages to discuss some of the uses of Google Glass in education. One of the useful functions that I found is that students can use SMS texting to give the teacher feedback during a lesson. For example, if a few students believe that the teacher did not explain something well enough and needs some clarification, the students can send a text message indicating their confusion. The teacher will immediately see the students’ messages in his or her display. This is a great function because a teacher can quickly receive feedback from students in a way that is not interruptive to the classroom environment. In addition, it can be completely anonymous to other students, so they will not know who sent the feedback. This helps to facilitate communication in the classroom, so the teacher can immediately modify instruction based on the feedback they receive from students.
Another way that I can integrate Google Glass into my classroom is by using its augmented reality feature. The infographic claims that I can bring people on a virtual fieldtrip and make the places that I discuss in the classroom come more alive to them. I think that this would be great to use in the classroom because some people are visual learners; they do not do too well with just teachers’ auditory explanations or text on a page. For example, The Globe Theatre is heavily important when teaching Shakespeare to high school students. If every student had a Google Glass headset, then I could have students pull up a view of The Globe Theatre. Google Glass makes a wide range of information instantaneously available to students, so it can help to supplement learning by adding a visual dimension.
Even though there are more uses for Google Glass in the English classroom, I will explain one more way teachers can utilize the device. Literacy is heavily important for English teachers.
According to Kylene Beers, the author of When Kids Can’t Read: What Teachers Can Do, the most effective way teachers can make sure students understand a reading strategy is to model them by doing a Think Aloud. Sometimes, that can be difficult. When a teacher is home looking a text, they can use the video recording feature in order to model the strategy for them. In the video, the teacher can go step-by-step in a video that appears from the first-person perspective. The teacher can send the video to the students, and they can access it from their e-mail accounts when a teacher uploads it. This can help to flip classroom instruction, but a teacher would have to be very thoughtful to create effective flipped instruction. If teachers do not use the video for that, then it can still be very useful for students. Through the video that the teacher recorded, he or she can show students how to read by showing how they tackle a text. This is a very powerful way to teach literacy.
Even though the Google Glass is a great piece of technology that can potentially transform classroom instruction in the future, it does have its flaws. One of the problems that people seem to have is the concern about privacy. The video recording is very quiet, so many people may not even notice that somebody started to record their actions. In addition, the students can be using Google Glass during the classroom time for non-educational purposes. This can be a problem, so the teachers need to make sure that the device does not distract students. The teacher has to model appropriate behaviors for the technology because they do not want to assign projects to students that involve use of the Google Glass and they act in a way that is inappropriate in order to fulfill the project. However, we cannot fully blame the student because teachers need to be mindful that they create projects that do not have students invade others’ privacy or break the law. Finally, like any other technological device, teachers need to make sure that the educational uses of the class align with the instructional standards so students can learn. Technology can be useless and not have students learn anything. The teacher needs to make sure to plan ahead to make sure that the uses of Google Glass in the classroom is productive to learning.
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Blogging in the English Classroom
Throughout the 21st century, many schools were able to secure more technological resources. More computers with internet access are readily available in school buildings for students to be able to use during school hours. The internet has had such a monumental impact on the teaching of writing. The writing strand of the Common Core Standards for Language Arts acknowledges the impact with the following standard: “Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically” (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.6). The Common Core Standards acknowledge that the internet has the ability to be an authentic platform for writing instruction because it engages people with cyber citizens across the world. One way that teachers seem to take advantage of the spirit of the platform in a way that can be consistent with the new standards is blogging. The NCTE’s position statement on the teaching of writing also indicates that writers only get better when they practice writing. Blogging is a way to practice writing constantly, so we see that this technological tool is an update to achieving certain learning goals.
In the English classroom, I think that blogging can be incredibly effective. In many writing classrooms across the country, teachers have their students keep a writer’s notebook. Students often write their ideas and a book and only share their notebooks with the teacher. During some workshop activities, some students can engage in a dialogue about the contents of another’s notebook. However, blogging is great because when students write about the content taught in the classroom and their own lives, other students in the classroom can finally engage in a conversation about ideas that would only appear in the writer’s notebook.
When it comes to what kind of work I would have students do on the blog, it could vary. I can have some structured activities where I have students answer questions or complete some kind of task. Students can also complete unstructured activities where they can just freely write about topics of their choosing. Thus, blogging is a truly dynamic platform that can serve many pedagogical purposes. I can have it serve many different learning goals. Students can also comment on their classmates’ blogs, so there is a free exchange of ideas. The writer’s notebook takes a digital form, and it becomes a much more democratic text. Most importantly, this blogging platform fulfills the Common Core Standard I talked about earlier. Blogging can also be like a formative assessment if utilized correctly because it can provide checks for understanding. If I see that students are struggling with a particular aspect of writing or do not understand a reading I assigned, then I can change my instruction to fit the needs of the students.
I have discussed how Google Drive can be an effective pedagogical tool in a previous blog post. However, students can post a URL to an essay that they uploaded onto Google Drive on a blog so other students can view it. Other students can receive input from their classmates through the comment section of a blog. Thus, blogging is great because it can support the writing process by allowing peer conferencing to take place on the internet. Students can gain support from many other classmates, and this process can take place during any time. Thus, the peer support in the writing process is not restricted to just classroom time. In addition, students from other classes and people from the world can comment as well. The audience for classroom writings is no longer restricted to just other students from the classroom. When students write in their online blogs, they engage with the real world. Blogging can also be a good platform to teach students about how important an audience is; thus, it seems to serve many useful pedagogical purposes.
One of the drawbacks that I think is possible is that many students do not feel like they want to share their work publicly. Some students do not like showing their work to other students because they feel they subject themselves to ridicule from their peers. Teachers need to make sure that their classroom environment is a safe one where students are able to trust each other. Another issue can be the many parents may feel that they do not want their students engaging in tasks that have to do with the internet.
In addition, many students may also feel that blogging is a chore, so they may not want to do it on their own. Thus, it seems like teachers would need to assign a grade to the blogging; however, that also seems to undermine intrinsic motivation of students. Educators definitely need to address this paradox because it is not an easy one to fix. This has always been a problem with assessment of informal writing tasks. Teachers also need to understand that students should know why blogging could help them. Teachers need to make the pedagogical goals very clear. Otherwise, this technology can fail to achieve its purpose in transforming the way students learn and interact with the world. Finally, teachers have model acceptable online behavior. With commenting, teachers need to explain to students how to create constructive comments because when a student says a particular sentence is vague, they could confuse the reader. Students also need to refrain from making cruel comments that border on personal insults as well.
In the English classroom, I think that blogging can be incredibly effective. In many writing classrooms across the country, teachers have their students keep a writer’s notebook. Students often write their ideas and a book and only share their notebooks with the teacher. During some workshop activities, some students can engage in a dialogue about the contents of another’s notebook. However, blogging is great because when students write about the content taught in the classroom and their own lives, other students in the classroom can finally engage in a conversation about ideas that would only appear in the writer’s notebook.
When it comes to what kind of work I would have students do on the blog, it could vary. I can have some structured activities where I have students answer questions or complete some kind of task. Students can also complete unstructured activities where they can just freely write about topics of their choosing. Thus, blogging is a truly dynamic platform that can serve many pedagogical purposes. I can have it serve many different learning goals. Students can also comment on their classmates’ blogs, so there is a free exchange of ideas. The writer’s notebook takes a digital form, and it becomes a much more democratic text. Most importantly, this blogging platform fulfills the Common Core Standard I talked about earlier. Blogging can also be like a formative assessment if utilized correctly because it can provide checks for understanding. If I see that students are struggling with a particular aspect of writing or do not understand a reading I assigned, then I can change my instruction to fit the needs of the students.
I have discussed how Google Drive can be an effective pedagogical tool in a previous blog post. However, students can post a URL to an essay that they uploaded onto Google Drive on a blog so other students can view it. Other students can receive input from their classmates through the comment section of a blog. Thus, blogging is great because it can support the writing process by allowing peer conferencing to take place on the internet. Students can gain support from many other classmates, and this process can take place during any time. Thus, the peer support in the writing process is not restricted to just classroom time. In addition, students from other classes and people from the world can comment as well. The audience for classroom writings is no longer restricted to just other students from the classroom. When students write in their online blogs, they engage with the real world. Blogging can also be a good platform to teach students about how important an audience is; thus, it seems to serve many useful pedagogical purposes.
One of the drawbacks that I think is possible is that many students do not feel like they want to share their work publicly. Some students do not like showing their work to other students because they feel they subject themselves to ridicule from their peers. Teachers need to make sure that their classroom environment is a safe one where students are able to trust each other. Another issue can be the many parents may feel that they do not want their students engaging in tasks that have to do with the internet.
In addition, many students may also feel that blogging is a chore, so they may not want to do it on their own. Thus, it seems like teachers would need to assign a grade to the blogging; however, that also seems to undermine intrinsic motivation of students. Educators definitely need to address this paradox because it is not an easy one to fix. This has always been a problem with assessment of informal writing tasks. Teachers also need to understand that students should know why blogging could help them. Teachers need to make the pedagogical goals very clear. Otherwise, this technology can fail to achieve its purpose in transforming the way students learn and interact with the world. Finally, teachers have model acceptable online behavior. With commenting, teachers need to explain to students how to create constructive comments because when a student says a particular sentence is vague, they could confuse the reader. Students also need to refrain from making cruel comments that border on personal insults as well.
Friday, November 15, 2013
Collaboration Canvas
The canvas that I remixed belonged to a music education major, and I thought that the unit her canvas introduces could directly link to the English discipline easily. Her unit discusses the links between music lyrics and other art forms like literature and film. I searched for a lesson plan that I believed would complement her unit well. I thought that the lesson I found was great because it has students create soundtracks consisting of existing songs that relate to a literary work. Song lyrics are poetry, and students can analyze literary devices and themes. These skills are important for students because they are in the Common Core Language Arts Standards.
I decided to keep her canvas’s original theme of exploring communication barriers because I felt students would benefit from analyzing a very common, strong theme existing in so many literary works. However, I felt that developing a soundtrack to a short poem by Robert Frost called “The Mending Wall” might have been too narrow of a task. Thus, I decided to find a longer piece of literature that related to the theme of communication barriers and their detrimental consequences. I picked Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare because it is a text widely read by students across the nation and it embodies the themes the original canvas discussed. I felt that students would be able to find examples of that theme in the play, and then be able to search for songs that relate to it for the soundtrack.
URL to Remixed Canvas: http://www.play.annenberginnovationlab.org/play2.0/challenge.php?idChallenge=2592&mode=view
Lesson Plan I Used: http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/musical-note-exploring-reading-861.html?tab=2#tabs
I decided to keep her canvas’s original theme of exploring communication barriers because I felt students would benefit from analyzing a very common, strong theme existing in so many literary works. However, I felt that developing a soundtrack to a short poem by Robert Frost called “The Mending Wall” might have been too narrow of a task. Thus, I decided to find a longer piece of literature that related to the theme of communication barriers and their detrimental consequences. I picked Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare because it is a text widely read by students across the nation and it embodies the themes the original canvas discussed. I felt that students would be able to find examples of that theme in the play, and then be able to search for songs that relate to it for the soundtrack.
URL to Remixed Canvas: http://www.play.annenberginnovationlab.org/play2.0/challenge.php?idChallenge=2592&mode=view
Lesson Plan I Used: http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/musical-note-exploring-reading-861.html?tab=2#tabs
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