I have an iPod. Most people have an iPod. When I got my iPod, I didn't really know how to use it. However, I was late in the game when I got one and I waited long enough to get one that looked like it "made sense" (I got an iPod touch...touch screen with pictures... looked like a little computer. It was functional.) However, I had seen the first few generations of iPods on commercials and in my friends' hands. There was a circle with a button and the circle was a spinny thing that did something. I knew if I played around with it, I'd be able to figure it out in a few minutes, but if I got my mom one, she'd be able to figure it out in a few years.
Podcasts. I've never downloaded a podcast (ON PURPOSE). I have, however, downloaded a podcast on accident. I thought it was a song.. it was free. It was Jason Mraz - I like Jason Mraz. So, I was like... where did my song go? I searched on iTunes and go figure... it went into this file folder called Podcasts. Well - I hadn't the slightest idea what that was, but, sure... I'll listen. Holy cow... the dude was just rambling. I don't care! I want to hear my favorite songs, man! Feel free to ramble at my concert, ok?! I like you, but not enough to download your "podcast" and listen to you talk about who-knows-what when I don't even know what the word podcast means.
So, my first "podcast" experience wasn't exactly a positive, memorable experience. Although, I absolutely remembered the word when my teacher told us we were going to make one in class. All I could think was - I can do that. I am perfectly capable of boring the stink out of someone. Then I realized (after doing a little reading... and reflecting) that I don't actually have to bore the stink out of someone to create a podcast - that's not the goal. For me, it can really just be an oral assessment tool - it can be formal or informal. If I choose to use it in my classroom, this could be a great tool for differentiation, especially for students who don't "test" well. I can have evidence of their understanding, while saying that they actually completed a performance task in class, or out of class. When I make one in grad school... well, I guess I'll just have to follow the guidelines!
The students will catch on pretty quickly when I teach them what to do. Me - well, I'm a middle-aged dog. I'll get it eventually. My mom... well, my brothers out-voted me. We got her an iPod Nano in 2009. I've loaded it for her twice (completely loaded it once and completely updated the music once) - twice a year I give her a tutorial on how to charge it...and turn it on so she could use it when she walks. She usually gets frustrated after she realizes that, in order to turn it on, it needs to be charged. This past summer, we spent about 6 hours together updating the music and playing around with it... Dad got her a docking station and she now uses her iPod. :) She's a happy camper, learning to use her iPod...I'm not going to mention Podcasts to her.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Wiki-wha?
Wikis. It's an interesting topic. I never ever considered using a wiki in my classroom (honestly) until, well, a couple weeks ago. Why would I want to take on that challenge? It sounds too difficult. What would be the benefit to my students anyway???
Well.... as it turns out, I guess there could be a lot of benefits. I'm not sure how on Earth I'll be able to swing it this year, so I may have to forgo the idea temporarily, while the hectic evaluation schtuff and interesting classroom behaviors are getting crazier, BUT I definitely want to try it next year. Who knows... maybe I can even try it with one guided reading group and they can do it on their own time, or during one of their centers, after they meet with me.
Students can write about a book that is assigned to them, at their independent reading level. If they are all reading the same book, they can then log on to the wiki and respond to prompts or questions. They can respond together (independently, together, that is.... they can use each other's responses and work off of each other's responses to continue their own response) or they can edit and revise each other's entries if they feel that more or less is needed. I imagine there would be some banter back and forth about what is accurate and what is inaccurate, but a little "healthy" debate is good and we can have a chat about what is an acceptable amount of debate. [And on top of it, I have an anecdotal record of their participation that I didn't have to do any work for.]
Using wikis in the classroom could be a multi-fold lesson on yet another internet-savvy (2.0) aspect, but also respect, common courtesy, responsibility, and working your fair share (among many other lessons that could come from this).
Maybe I'll try it - one group at a time. It probably can't hurt, right?
Well.... as it turns out, I guess there could be a lot of benefits. I'm not sure how on Earth I'll be able to swing it this year, so I may have to forgo the idea temporarily, while the hectic evaluation schtuff and interesting classroom behaviors are getting crazier, BUT I definitely want to try it next year. Who knows... maybe I can even try it with one guided reading group and they can do it on their own time, or during one of their centers, after they meet with me.
Students can write about a book that is assigned to them, at their independent reading level. If they are all reading the same book, they can then log on to the wiki and respond to prompts or questions. They can respond together (independently, together, that is.... they can use each other's responses and work off of each other's responses to continue their own response) or they can edit and revise each other's entries if they feel that more or less is needed. I imagine there would be some banter back and forth about what is accurate and what is inaccurate, but a little "healthy" debate is good and we can have a chat about what is an acceptable amount of debate. [And on top of it, I have an anecdotal record of their participation that I didn't have to do any work for.]
Using wikis in the classroom could be a multi-fold lesson on yet another internet-savvy (2.0) aspect, but also respect, common courtesy, responsibility, and working your fair share (among many other lessons that could come from this).
Maybe I'll try it - one group at a time. It probably can't hurt, right?
Monday, February 11, 2013
BlaBlaBlog
Blogs... They're like journal entries. They can be used in a variety of ways in a classroom or for personal use. Most of the blogs I've ever read or heard of are basically someone's journal of what their day was like. Ranting on what they dislike - raving about what they like - drooling over the food they just ate - giggling about what their kid just did - rhyming riddles regularly. I don't know. Blogs are blogs. They can be about whatever you want them to be about.
I don't currently ask my students to blog. However, I do have them "journal" in their Google Apps. They respond to a prompt that I give them in a Google Document that they have shared with me. I comment on their response to the prompt, they can comment back, add to the prompt, question me, etc. It's a little bit like a blog, but more private. They don't have to worry about the rest of the world (or even their classmates) seeing what they have written. They get their typing experience, which they need for their online writing state test. They get a chance to use available technology (hardware and Web 2.0). Blogging? Not quite... could this transfer easily into a blogging situation? Absolutely. Do I plan to do it for this exact purpose? Probably not. I think if I were going to have my kids blog, I would start out slow - blog on books. I feel that they would feel less vulnerable talking about books.
My blog is about a teacher's woes and wahoos.
My woe is that school, this year, is not at ALL what I expected or hoped it to be. My wahoo is that the school year is halfway over. My woe is that all of my free time is sitting at a computer, planning lessons and grading papers. My wahoo is that I love the people that I plan my lessons with. My woe is that my students are draining the life out of me. My wahoo is that they really make my day pretty interesting (even if I could probably be ok if a couple of them would be absent occasionally) and they make me laugh often.
I don't have a quote of the day to share. Kids don't say the darndest things. I teach 5th graders... 1st graders say the darndest [cute] things. 5th graders say the darndest [vulgar] things that make your eyeballs pop out of your face, make your face flush, then turn all white, and make you think.. 'Please take it back - I didn't hear that - you didn't say that - Now I have to send you to the office. Crap.'
This is my blog post on blogs.
Favorite quotes from 5th graders (6 years ago... see...they say things, but it's more rare):
"Miss C, you look really young today. [Student A] (Student B smacks Student A) What was that for???"
"You just told her she looks old every other day! [Student B]"
I don't currently ask my students to blog. However, I do have them "journal" in their Google Apps. They respond to a prompt that I give them in a Google Document that they have shared with me. I comment on their response to the prompt, they can comment back, add to the prompt, question me, etc. It's a little bit like a blog, but more private. They don't have to worry about the rest of the world (or even their classmates) seeing what they have written. They get their typing experience, which they need for their online writing state test. They get a chance to use available technology (hardware and Web 2.0). Blogging? Not quite... could this transfer easily into a blogging situation? Absolutely. Do I plan to do it for this exact purpose? Probably not. I think if I were going to have my kids blog, I would start out slow - blog on books. I feel that they would feel less vulnerable talking about books.
My blog is about a teacher's woes and wahoos.
My woe is that school, this year, is not at ALL what I expected or hoped it to be. My wahoo is that the school year is halfway over. My woe is that all of my free time is sitting at a computer, planning lessons and grading papers. My wahoo is that I love the people that I plan my lessons with. My woe is that my students are draining the life out of me. My wahoo is that they really make my day pretty interesting (even if I could probably be ok if a couple of them would be absent occasionally) and they make me laugh often.
I don't have a quote of the day to share. Kids don't say the darndest things. I teach 5th graders... 1st graders say the darndest [cute] things. 5th graders say the darndest [vulgar] things that make your eyeballs pop out of your face, make your face flush, then turn all white, and make you think.. 'Please take it back - I didn't hear that - you didn't say that - Now I have to send you to the office. Crap.'
This is my blog post on blogs.
Favorite quotes from 5th graders (6 years ago... see...they say things, but it's more rare):
"Miss C, you look really young today. [Student A] (Student B smacks Student A) What was that for???"
"You just told her she looks old every other day! [Student B]"
Sunday, February 3, 2013
My year... getting a peak inside...
So... I'm supposed to tell you a little about myself. I'm a 5th grade teacher, teaching in a K-6 building, except, we really have a program called "Bright Beginnings for Babies" which teaches kids as young as 2 years old (with hearing disabilities) life skills... so, we're really a 2 years-12 years building, I guess. This is my 3rd year teaching at this school (after 3 years in another state, same grade) and I genuinely love it. The peole are great, the school is great, and there's not much to complain about.
This year, we're all on a new evaluation cycle. It's a little stressful, but it's not just me - it's EVERYONE, and I can't even imagine what it's doing to admin. This year, we have a new principal, with Assistant Principals, who both started last year as new APs. I really like them all a lot, but I bet they're all pretty stressed with this whole eval system too. With the new eval system, my class has really kept me on my toes this year. The kids are incredibly bright, which is wonderful, but sometimes it makes me worry that I'm not meeting their needs accurately enough and they are going to get themselves into a little mischief. To say it in t he "PC" way... I'm exhausted at the end of the day. Luckily, it's still rewarding. Even though it's 5th grade... I still get hugs, I still get compliments and high fives, I still get the kids conspiring [which will start to concern me...] and then I'll ruin the surprise when I can't bear it anymore and learn they were going to take up a collection to replace the electric pencil sharpener they broke.
This year is my 6th year teaching 5th grade. Going into the year, I imagined that it might hopefully be my last as a classroom teacher and that I might become a technology teacher for the following year. As the year has progressed and as I've struggled... I know that I still have that goal, amongst others. My husband and I still have our plan (start grad school [x] get married [x], find/buy a house [x], graduate [SOON], new position [?], start a family...dog first [ ]), but I think I'm becoming stronger in my weak moments. If I can stay at my school and be part of the community that I really enjoy, I think I'd rather stay a classroom teacher than leave, unless it's the "perfect" job offer."
I wonder how I'll feel in a couple months...?
This year, we're all on a new evaluation cycle. It's a little stressful, but it's not just me - it's EVERYONE, and I can't even imagine what it's doing to admin. This year, we have a new principal, with Assistant Principals, who both started last year as new APs. I really like them all a lot, but I bet they're all pretty stressed with this whole eval system too. With the new eval system, my class has really kept me on my toes this year. The kids are incredibly bright, which is wonderful, but sometimes it makes me worry that I'm not meeting their needs accurately enough and they are going to get themselves into a little mischief. To say it in t he "PC" way... I'm exhausted at the end of the day. Luckily, it's still rewarding. Even though it's 5th grade... I still get hugs, I still get compliments and high fives, I still get the kids conspiring [which will start to concern me...] and then I'll ruin the surprise when I can't bear it anymore and learn they were going to take up a collection to replace the electric pencil sharpener they broke.
This year is my 6th year teaching 5th grade. Going into the year, I imagined that it might hopefully be my last as a classroom teacher and that I might become a technology teacher for the following year. As the year has progressed and as I've struggled... I know that I still have that goal, amongst others. My husband and I still have our plan (start grad school [x] get married [x], find/buy a house [x], graduate [SOON], new position [?], start a family...dog first [ ]), but I think I'm becoming stronger in my weak moments. If I can stay at my school and be part of the community that I really enjoy, I think I'd rather stay a classroom teacher than leave, unless it's the "perfect" job offer."
I wonder how I'll feel in a couple months...?
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