Web 2.0 Tools in the Classroom

The first Web 2.0 I introduced to students and teachers was Wordle.  I first introduced it to students in my BCIS classes.  I had a senior student who was struggling in his English IV class and was needing to do something for extra created.   His English IV teacher gave him the extra credit work to make a word collage from a paper he wrote for English class.  That’s when I said “I have the exact thing you need to complete the task.”  “You need to create a Wordle of your research paper,” he replied “What’s a Wordle?”  The next day, I gave a complete lesson to all my BCIS classes on how to create a Wordle.  The student in question created his wordle and presented it to his English IV teacher who was amazed at the product.  The student explained to his English teacher how it was created and I received an email from the English Department Chair wanting me to conduct a staff development  for the English Language Arts Department.  

PSA for Literacy

 

 

 

I completely enjoyed the PSA project.  It was a true learning experience for me, and I learned you can work collaboratively and be  hundreds of miles away from your teams members and complete a multimedia video project.  At the inception of this project, I was worried how three or more person where going to complete the task.  It was a challenge to find partners in week two to be my partner in the project, and  I was afraid at one point I might not find partners.  Prior to the groups first meeting on google chat, I was struggling to grasp the idea of a Public Service Announcement on an academic subject. I had a concept idea how the PSA look and feel from watching the PSA for St. Judes.  I share this idea with my team members and sent a link on youtube  in the google chat.  The concept  was an emediate hit with my team members.

Week 2-EDLD 5363 Video Podcast

or this version

I was supposed to writing about the value of the Web conference in week 2 to my assignment, but there is nothing for me to say about the Web Conference and how it may have helped me in this week's assignment. First, this week my 5th wedding anniversary and if I spent the entire week of vacation in Las Vegas working on Graduate School Project, my wife would be divorcing me.  I was unable to attend the web conference, and I hope that "powers that be" can understand my situation this week, with a 5th Wedding Anniversary and Thanksgiving all rolled into one week, family had to come first.

EDLD 5363 Multimedia Video Technology

This is the Week 1 assignment to create a multimedia project, story telling with the aide of open sourse photo editing software.

Week 4 reflection

I started my litature review for my action research project, with the aide of course wiki I created in the previous course.  I use the googlesites wikie reader and RSS feed to start gathering litature about 1:1 technology ratio and 8th grade technology proficiency. The RSS is leading to some good sources about other school districts and their 1:1 programs.

Draft Action Research Plan

Action Research Plan

Wonderings.  "New Wondering is Under Construction"

Goal: Determine the most effective classroom instructional strategies with this technology, to improve student high stakes standardized test.

Action Steps:	Persons Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources:	Evaluation:
Prepare interviews and set up survey	Curtis	May 2011	Staff meeting time	*observation *feedback from mentors, teachers, students, and other stakeholders *number of surveys completed compared to number given out *personal journal for
Student Interview	Students in Career Connections Course	September to October 2011	Time and Interview questions
Student Survey	Students in Career Connections Course	September to October 2011	1.   Time 2.   Survey monkey
Teachers Survey	1.  Career Connection Teacher 2.  Curtis	September to October 2011	1.   Time 2.   Survey monkey
Classroom Observations	1.  Curtis 2.  Other stakeholders	May 2011 To October 2011	1.  Time 2.  Observation charts
Action Steps:	Persons Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources:	Evaluation:
Literature Review	Curtis	February2011 To May 2001	1.  University Library 2.  RSS feed on research Wiki	self reflection (invite a coworkers whose opinion I value to help me evaluate my work)
Administrator Survey	Junior High Principals  & Asst. Principals	September  to October 2011	1.  Time 2.  Survey monkey
Campus facilitators Survey	1.   Curtis 2.   Mentor	September  to October 2011	1.  Time 2.  Survey monkey
Compilation and study of data gathered	Curtis	Upon completion of Research December 2011	1.  -time 2.   -computer
Create Report	Curtis	Upon completion of Research December 2011	1.    -time 2.      computer
Sharing findings	Curtis	Upon completion of Research December 2011	1.  time 2.  PowerPoint 3.  blog 4.    report copies
Implementing	Director of Curriculum, Principals, Teachers	January 2012	time

A Research Wondering

I have been reading chapter 3, "The Road Map" in Dana (2009) book, and I having been focusing on a action research top. I have been pondering the technology issues in my own computer lab, campus and district.  Last year my school district issued HP Netbooks to 8th graders, and this year we have expanded the program to issue the netbooks to all Junior High students in grades 6th, 7th, and 8th grade.  This my school district's starting to work its way toward the goal of 1:1 technology ratio for all student K-12. So this is my thought.

In what ways does a 1:1 Technology Ratio with the issuing HP Netbooks to 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students, meet the needs of students to be technology proficient upon entering High School.

Data Collection Strategies:

• Literature Review
• Interview with Teachers at Junior High
• Survey of Students in Junior High
• Survey of Teachers at the Junior High Schools
• Observation of students use of netbooks
• Have teachers journalize how students are using the netbooks in their classroom with the aide of a Blog.
• Have teachers share their lesson plans, and look for how often technology use is lesson plans, how many methods of use, and any discernible patterns that emerge.

Dana, N. F. (2009). Leading with Passion and Knowledge. (C. C. Collin, & J. Haenel, Eds.) Thousand Oaks, California, USA: Corwin.

Week 2 Reflection

At the conclusion to this weeks exercises, I now know that I will receive little, if any all mentoring from my site mentor. There are several reason behind that fact, and some are beyond my control.  So I may be graciously asking some else in a leadeship position within my school assume the mentor role.  Now, on to the good for me this week.  I have settled on two general areas or passions that Dana spoke about in her book and those being Curriculum Development and Individual Student(s).(Dana, 2009, pp. 29-69) Its now to focusing and rewording my wonderings.

In what ways can the addition of innovative hands on living history component in social studies curriculum enhance student learning as opposed to the current textbook-based only curriculum in Texas? 

Compile a list of best practices to share with instructors, to help implement IEP Modification with Assistive Technology

How could help the  with District Technology Committee & Networking personnel, to help refine and update district Acceptable Use Policy and Internet Safety in compliance with CIPA.

Work with District Technology Committee in creation of New Bond initiative plan for new technology to fund the requirements to meet the one-to-one ratio of technology to student, access set forth in the Texas 2020 Plan.

Reference:

Dana, N. F. (2009). Leading with Passion and Knowledge. (C. C. Collin, & J. Haenel, Eds.) Thousand Oaks, California, USA: Corwin.

A few Ways Educationa Leaders can use Blogs

Blogs provide great opportunities to improve the art of your profession.  The benefits of blogging for the student listed in Will Richardson book, “Blog, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classroom” are the same of that for educational leaders.  “Blogs archive the learning that teachers and students do, facilitating all sorts of reflection and metacognitive analysis that was previously much more cumbersome. …. The use of Weblogs can enhance the development of expertise in a particular subject.” (Richardson, 2010, pp. 26-27)

Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, Wikis, Podcast, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms (3rd ed.). (H. Perigo, J. McNail, A. Scott, E. Garner, & N. Conger, Eds.) Thousand Oaks, California, USA: Corwin.