final

I have learned a lot in the class and have more confidence to try something new. I have created a google site that will be used as a common assessment for a unit. I am proud of that accomplishment. I am hoping to continue to try new technology and take a chance. What is the worst that is going to happen? Stepping outside the box and staying relevant are important to my profession. I am hoping to do more with podcasting and google docs to free up the copier.
The free sources are amazing for my science curr. There is so much that can be used for the 8th grade or other exploring challenges. I am constantly looking for something new to allow the students to have another avenue of choice. You never know that something can spark an interest in a child.

presentations

I thoroughly enjoyed the presentations. I learned different methods of presenting and I would be willing to try deviate from something I do to create more diversity. I enjoyed presenting something I learned to do while taking the class. Using a website creates a greener classroom and students have access to the site anytime. (As soon I move it from UNE).
My website will be presented to the staff as a quad d lesson to show rigor and relevance. Taking a challenge of learning something new and trying it in our class helped boost confidence and relax about making a mistake.

Podcasting

There are many ways that my students can benefit from podcasting. I was think that I could post something on homeworknow.com for the students to listen to if I was out for the day. The sub plans could be given to the students from me. This way I know what I told them.
I need to learn more about podcasting. My learning is limited so far, but I do see the big picture of what auditory learners need.

Marvel

I have had to teach students what plagiarism is this year. I have had a few students show direct copy and pasting from websites and had to teach what bad it is to do that. Some really have no idea what they are doing wrong. I think that is a major problem. I think Marvel can come to the rescue for reliable material and the teachable moment of how to gather information and put it into their own words. The district should keep encouraging students to use Marvel by keeping it on the home pages for schools. With all the information that is false on the internet, students can gather direct links to reliable information and keep the research moving to prepare them for high school.
The good news about wikipedia is that people can no longer post whatever on sites without logging in. I think it would be good for students to see that wikipedia is not the first site to pop u when searching. It can also help students search for reliable sites with learning some new tools for research.

wiki

I find the wiki to be easier than the google site. I created my wiki of my portfolio for my grad. I liked that I could go back and forth and add or delete items. I keep kicking myself for my online group project for class would have been so much easier to create a page and add information. Group projects online are difficult enough and the wiki would make it easier.
Using them in the classroom, would be great for a research project. Each question could be a different link. The site is easy to edit and the students could learn editing from something that is placed online. The students could reflect with a journal set up as a wiki for a project. Students could reflect on a what they know. It may be an excellent formative assessment tool leading up to the summative.

google sites 2

I was very proud of myself and wanted to make my website better only to find that the link does not work. My density project was going to provide students with a site to visit and learn responsibility to not lose the directions. I have dreams of making all my projects websites.
I should have done it through my spsd good account. I am not sure why the page will not publish. I really hope I do not have to start over. over the summer, I finished my portfolio class and tried playing with google sites. No luck.......I went with a wiki. I feel as though google sites and I are not meant to be. I can add pics and change fonts, but getting the public to see it is a problem.
I can appreciate how much easier google sites will make my life at the beginning of the year. No more photo copying letters to parents and supply lists. Parents can click on a link for appropriate materials.
I will keep at it, but my tech person and myself are baffled. Not sure when google sites and I will get back together.

Google Sites

I have started my website for google sites. I was thinking of doing this site for years and now I have been given the perfect opportunity. I have added all the content on the pages, but pics/presentation could use some help.
My site is about a project that I spend a lot of time photocopying. For organizational purposes, the site gives students a responsibility.
I find that there are other site builders that are easier, but I am willing to try this to see how it works. I do feel I need more of a one on one when it comes to building the sites. I was able to navigate through the page, but I am not sure if I did it right.
I look forward to learning more to put the site to work.

Google Docs

Google Docs are going to be the future of education. They are free and "green" in the sense of the environment. The money that could be saved using google docs might change a lot of the budget.
I appreciated what a fellow colleague had to offer to the class. I was interested to see how someone would use and was in use. There are so many uses. The example shown offered excellent daily use of the laptops and places more responsibility on the students. Papers do not go missing on google docs.

I would plan to use google docs for spreadsheets and data collection of experiments. We could look at many other students' data from other places. We could continuously track data of all experiments and note trends for classes. Using data from other schools would offer a bigger picture for my students. Organizationally, this may be the answer many students are looking for.

Delicious

I am excited about delicious as a social bookmarking tool. It takes the sting out of having the laptops reimaged. Looking for a topic that others have searched and found sites worth bookmarking takes the reinvention of the wheel out of a search. This will save a lot of time in creating information worth seeking for students.
In my classes, the students can use the site and complete their own search that shows sites worth investing time in. I am thinking for my density projects (which will be this week) that students will complete delicious searches for their own websites. I think this would be a great way to introduce the site as well as offer autonomy to gather the information that are responsible for. Just playing with the site, I was able to find information about how density relates to the Titanic. I teach this concept as well as offer it as a possible project surrounding essential questions. I can also bookmark sites I found for those struggling, although I am interested in students completing their own to determine relevance they invested.

RSS

Before the unit on RSS, it was something that I had really never heard of. I imagine this will be a regular occurrence in the world of technology.
I created a google page and added some sites with RSS feeds that were overwhelming to manage. The key was to try to manage what I wanted to know with folders. I can learn more from the feeds based on interest than reading the entire paper. RSS to me is instant gratification for what I want to know.
In my classroom, I would want to follow events currents to what we are studying in science. Sometimes there are more or less depending on topic. When students are working with current events, they may be able to grab a page to browse. Students would be able to have many choices for current events.
I would like to use RSS more in science when the genetics and evolution units are learned. Many times there is news about some research. Those units involve the most critical thinking which is where the feeds may come in handy for the students.
I would like the students to have certain topics in their feeds whether it be density disasters or robots. Students do not need the same feeds since this is based on their interest. With relevance being associated with our curriculum, RSS makes it easy for students to make their learning relevant.

portaportal

Portaportal is a gift for me. I have a portaportal and this is the fourth year it has been in use. I find that booking marking the sites by unit offers communication to students easily. Whenever I need the students to access their website, they will find it on portaportal. It works well with every class and the students are familiar with the set up which makes my life easier. Many times when the students would type sites in themselves mistakes are made. If they do not get the immediate gratification of the website, then it does not work. Portaportal allows the instant gratification of reaching the site and allows for an engaged classroom.
I use portaportal almost daily and offer resources for research. The next project my students complete is density. I am hoping to make another folder for research websites to help students struggling with information. The students are able to access reliable sites bookmarked by myself with pertinent information.

If you would like to see my portaportal, you can use the guest password: mannwe

I am still adding sites when new finds arise. I feel this is truly a successful method to bookmark sites. Reimaging of laptops is no longer scary.

blog summary

I find that with blogging the hardest part is where to start. I feel that the fear of the unknown with technology can be overwhelming and exciting at the same time. Instead of balking at it, why not embrace what we will be the future.
Blog writing genres can relate to interest. Many people will read a blog they are interested in for informational purposes. I find myself reading blogs to compare notes on consumer items I am interested in purchasing. As far as students, the blogs need to be designed in a way that promotes rigor at the same time relevance. If it is not relevant to students, they may dismiss it. Our unit asked us to offer ways we would blog with kids. I think we need to choose the genre that will interest them. Blogging in general can be a method for students to engage without using a voice that is heard.
Blogs are a great way for kids to communicate in ways they would not express vocally. Teachers need to keep a handle on the language used. Blogs are a newer genre as a method of expression. While a child may not be the best artist, their technology may be what is most comfortable.

Sorry to ramble.