Leah Kirwan

Telecollaboration the new idea...

Curriculum Based Telecollaboration by Judi Harris

This article is about helping student?s telecollaborate with the use of the Internet to complete curriculum learning goals.  Three types of learning are:

1. Interpersonal Exchange
2. Information collection and Analysis
3. Problem Solving

Interpersonal exchange is talking electronically through email, blogs or other modes of communication.  Through these modes students share information and discuss different topics at hand.  Information collection and analysis is basically conducting an electronic survey, collecting the responses and then analyzing them to come up with the solution to the problem.  With problem solving it promotes peer feedback, information searches and social action projects.  The idea is to go through the decision-making process by motivating students to collaborate with other students in other states or just in the classroom.  It promotes across the board learning.

Some ideas that I pulled form the article are keypals.  With keypals students are split up into pairs to communicate about discussion topics through email, blogs or instant messaging.  Some teachers find this to be time consuming monitoring emails, but on a smaller scale it promotes student interaction and it gets them using the computer.  Another idea that was interesting was the ask-the-expert site.  This site is an index to help learners find answers to questions.  So many students have no idea how to find answers to questions that this website will be a great asset to my classroom and I hope to be able to use it soon in the future. 

This article encompasses all the things we having been learning in this class.  It promotes across the board technology integration.  Not only does it involved technology but it gets the students involved with other students across the world or across the hall.  It promotes teacher collaboration not just within a school but also with other teachers in the county or world.  This idea works well with the Magnet school ideal, which I have stated before in my articles.  The next step would be to see if these programs used in this article cost money or do we only need to do an Internet search to find them and use them.  The idea that in the classroom I can make finding answers easier and then making projects more engaging by promoting student discussion really excites me as a teacher.  All students love to use email, blogs, or any form of the internet that to be able to implement it in the lesson in a positive way makes it a good situation for both the student and myself as the teacher.  That seems to be challenge in the classroom when you have computers.  All students want to do is send email to friends and download games that in my opinion are inappropriate for school and at home.  I try to have a tight hold on my students and make sure they stay on task and don?t get on sites they are not supposed to.  The idea of telecollaboration is a great idea that gets students using the Internet in a positive manner and not in a mind numbing activity. 

Posted at 05:35PM Jun 17, 2006 by KIRWAN, LEAH in General  |  Comments[0]

Podcasts

Podcasting 101 by Esther Kreider Eash

Podcasting is a digital recording that can be made available on the Internet for downloading.  Podcasting has many benefits including being cost beneficial for professional development events, it is a viable alternative for delivering lessons and it gives extra support to those who need a little more help on topics. When incorporating podcasting into the classroom students learn to conduct research, write, they enhance their vocabulary and they learn to grab people?s attention.  Podcasts can be used for music, public radio programming announcements, lectures from professors or teachers, international or local news updates and for personal views.  To find podcasts you can do a web search or you can subscribe to a syndicated podcast site.  Podcasts are a new avenue for technology integration in the school systems not only for students but also for teachers. 

After reading the article I thought it was neat for students to engage in oral histories by getting a digital recorder and conducting interviews with World War II veterans.  This activity gets students involved by having them not only be apart of the production aspect but they are also learning pieces of history at the same time because they are actively engaged in listening their interviewees.  I also like the idea of using podcasts for creating promotional and educational videos.  The librarian made podcasts to show people how to use different areas of the library, how to start the process of conducting a research paper and putting school news on the podcast.  This gives instant satisfaction and people can actually access it on their own time and in a more conventional manner.  Another idea that was presented in the article was using podcasts for professional development.  So many teachers say they have no time to be apart of professional development and we all know we need 15 hours of renewal credit every five years so having the option of having professional development delivered online would be a great idea.  This is a time saver and people would still be able to do what they have to and feel constraint to travel the development site.  This is actually a cheaper solution. 

Podcasts would be a great asset to my marketing class and my marketing co-op class.  Students could create podcasts on their daily tasks and give me a digital tour of their work facility.  Their bosses and myself could send each other digital messages about student progress and instead of me visiting or other co-op teachers we could do everything online so there is no wasted time with traveling and making appointment schedules.  With a podcast you get face to face with the employer and you can see their expression versus just sending a simple email.  A podcast could also be used to conduct research on consumer behaviors and have students interview customers to see what they like and don?t like and from there use the lessons learned in class to come up with a solution to the problem is there is one and then present the solution and findings to their supervisor.  Technology can enhance learning in so many different ways that it would be stupid if we did not implement it into our lessons at the lower levels of education.  Students should be prepared for work or college when they walk out the doors of high school.   

Posted at 04:41PM Jun 17, 2006 by KIRWAN, LEAH in General  |  Comments[0]