What I related to most in chapter 8 was the use of email and blogs to better a student to teacher means of communication and better their learning process. In high school I do not recall anyone emailing their teachers or supervisors but what I see now is that it is becoming more and more common and popular under the collegiate level. Instead of phone calling students and parents between certain hours I feel that communicating via email leaves more flexibility and a greater line of communication open between parents and teachers. I think emailing a teacher or professor is a great way for students to also keep in touch and it can be used for assignment clarification and questions. Chapter 8 also mentioned that blogs are becoming more and more popular. In this class, 7266, it is the first time I have ever experienced writing a blog. According to the text I believe that this blog would be considered an 'active learning blog.' This is so because students are sharing their ideas, thoughts and opinions on current topics and chapter readings in the classroom. I think blogging is a great way for the teacher to assess if students are understanding the knowledge at hand as well as for students to interact and learn from each other.
Chapter 9 also had some very relatable information and what stuck out to me the most was how teachers and students can use their own movie making sot wares and digital cameras to enrich the learning process. This is true and I loved reading more about it because I experienced it first hand. For example when we make our group video projects we are focusing in on a specific topic, learning and applying it to real life. What we don't necessarily think of is that when we are learning about this topic and creating a video we are also learning and practicing our technological skills. Together they go hand in hand to create a broad more diverse learning task. Not only that but incorporating technology such as movies and pictures into everyday or basic lessons makes it more exciting and engaging. There are endless possibilities when it comes to creativity and applying technology to our classrooms.
Questions:
1. What do you think is the earliest grade blogging can be incorporated into a lesson successfully?
2. Do you think making movies or leaning through a digital lens be more beneficial to students with disabilities?
Hey Alexa,
ReplyDeleteI would think the earliest grade to incorporate blogging would probably be in middle school. I would assume they would have more to write and say, whereas the younger grades might not. Even if I were a student I would never think my 3rd teacher would assign me to write a blog but I could see my 7th grade teacher telling us to write in our blogs.
Alexa, I agree that I learned so much from EDU 7266 just by actively participating in the video trailer and class blog. In response to your first question, I think students can start blogging as early as third grade. My cousin has been blogging since she was eight years old with her friends. She lives in the midwest and her closest friend literally lives a half hour away. The blog between her and her friends allows them to socialize no matter where they live. Now she is fourteen years old and constantly on Facebook. I am impressed everyday by how the younger generations are technologically advanced.
ReplyDeleteAlexa, to answer your first question I think that starting from 5th grade and above would be a appropriate grade to start including blogging into lessons. I know that http://kidblog.org/home is a great blog website for teachers who want to use blogs in their classroom. This website is made especially for younger grades, with more structure so teachers can closely monitor activity.
ReplyDeleteAlexa,
ReplyDeleteI had used a blog within my italian class in High School and remember it being a great way for the teacher to check if the students did their homework. i think that blogs shouldnt be included until the students are at a high school level. i think this because a lot of younger students might not have access to a computer as easily as an older student would. with having students not being able to complete the assignment simply because they just dont have the correct resources can lead to bulling or falling behind within his or her school work. if an older student doesnt has access they can always go to the computer lab after school and finish their assignment there.