Teaching the iGeneration- ch. 5

     One aspect of using technology we have talked about a lot in our class is Wikis.  This is what this chapter focuses on and how to use them in the classroom.  This chapter explains how to get students comfortable with characteristics of good wikis.  They need to become aware of specific defined roles for participation and then as a teacher you will be ready to start projects in the classroom using wikis for different content.  I really enjoyed the section of this chapter where it talked about how to use wikis to enrich and remediate learning.  Wikis are great ways to differentiate learning opportunities for students.  Technology can add a new dimension to learning that teachers need to take advantage of.  The education community and software companies are looking at ways to combine problem solving and collaboration that will engage students in a study of skills, behaviors, and ideas important for success in the world.  It is important to focus on how to incorporate tools and technology into learning so they will also be prepared to use the same tools and technologies in other aspects of their lives.  Wikis are just one tool that can be used and taught in the classroom by teachers to incorporate student centered learning in the classroom. 

Teaching the iGeneration- ch. 4

     Chapter four touches on the topic of how media is changing today's teens.  Conversations through technology play a huge role in the lives of students today.  My favorite aspect of this chapter is the discussion of different learning experiences that digital teens are drawn to.  The first one is self-directed exploration because students are surrounded by so many opportunities to expereiment and explore withoutcertain goals or outcomes that are predetermined.  The second learning experience is peers to demonstrate authority and expertise which means that students are regularly learning from one another rather than only seeing authority and people with expertise as teachers.  The third is students to wrestle with meaningful issues where they are being charged with preparing for meaningful careers and learning the mastery of skills that will be essential.  It is important to use every opportunity to connect school content with digital conversations and assignments.  One way of communication that is used in todays world is Skype.  This form of communication can be used by teachers in the classroom to involve their technology within the classroom.  Some ideas would be Skypeing in schools wiki, Skype with other classrooms, and Find classes for joint online projects.  A great way for teaching in a way that will influence students is by independence and action making them be active and not passive.  This type of teaching would be know as student centered instruction or discovery that would be a great learning environment for students as long as the teacher is willing to create the opportunities necessary for such a thing to happen.

Teaching the iGeneration- ch. 3

     There are many different ways to be creative with the new advances in technology.  The problem with this is that schools need to be prepared and equipped to teach students how to use these tools.  One new program to use in the classroom in digital storytelling.  Digital stories use images, music, narrative, and voice to bring characters and situations and ideas to life.  Learning to create different infuential multimedia expressions in not only essential, but its exciting for them and this will pay off for teachers by having students excited and willingly involved in the assignment.  It is important to scaffold learning by showing the students and letting them practice and work with each aspect and then letting them put all of these tools together to create a project.  It is important to set standards and structure with these projects but also let the students be creative in their work.  It is important as a teacher to make sure with a project like this there is time and support for students to do the work they need to for mastering new skills and content.  Students are surrounded by visual messages all day long and so they need to be taught how to take images and video to create their own ways for communication and messaging.   

Teaching the iGeneration- ch. 2

     Chapter two in this book is Writing Open Letters to World Leaders.  This chapter talks about the importance of being heard and this generation has so many opportunities to present information that students need to be taught about all of this.  Chapter two lays out several strategies for introducing written persuasion to students that teachers can use.  One main aspect they look at is that of blogging and how this can be used to elevate student voice.  This chapter is helpful by walking students through the process of creating an online open letter to a world learder addressing a controversial issue.  To get students involved and familiar with blogs it might be a good idea to set up a classroom blog.  With setting up a classroom blog the students will become familiar with how to put content out on the web and create important messages that they will share and will be read by others.  It is also important to encourage students to read other blogs so they become familiar with interactive forums and how they can continue conversations around topics of interest.  An emphasis to focus on with the students is that anything they write plays a role in their credibility.  Publishing online is so easy and most approach it with a careless attitude they need to be taught that anything written and published should be of quality work.  Blogging projects can take time and might take a while for students to become comfortable and produce work that you like, but it is a great way to encourage them to get their thoughts and opinions out their and learn how to write about topics they are interested in.

Teaching the iGeneration- ch. 1

     The first chapter in this book is Managing Information in the 21st Century.  This chapter gave information about how children used to attain information and how they do now.  To get information for papers and other assignments students used to go to libraries and go through books now however students are learning how to find the information they need on the computer.  This means that it is important for teachers to understand and become familiar with the resources that are now available so they can help students with their understanding as well.  One really important aspect of using websites and online material is rating the reality.  There are four questions that this chapter thinks needs to be taught to students while working online and they are: Does the information on this website make sense? ; What kinds of sources does this website like to? ; Can I find any evidence of bias on this website? ; What does the fine print say?  A big topic that is being focused on during this time is the "digital divide" and it is important for teachers to understand and guide the students so they fall on the rights side of this divide by introducing them to new tools and strategies available.  The responsiblity falls on the teachers and their ability to teach these concepts to the students, but the schools also have a responsibility to provide the tools and computers that will let the students work and become familiar with these new strategies. 

Electronic Portfolios: Students, Teachers, and Life Long Learners

I looked at a website that was based on creating electronic portfolios for teachers and students and why they are such a great idea. students are always having to creat work land turn it in so with the help of electronic portfolios they are able to be creative by sharing information, artifacts and work done in the classroom. If a teacher is using this for themselves they can include teaching ideas, about themselves, work that they have created lessons, etc. for students this can be incorporated as a final project that the students would need to turn in. This can be an evaluation and assessment used for the students and their learning. A portfolio like this could be used for getting a sample or understanding of a person's work showing their range of abilities, experiences, and achievements. This website was great for giving links that would lead you to examples of both teacher and students portfolios that have already been used. This would help o it teachers a lot giving them a feel of how to implement the and effectively use them in the classroom. There are also links to places that tell you how to begin using this and giving them important background information they should know. This is not just a good idea for student work but also for teachers and professional development. Teachers can create these to document to develop fresh thinking about education, let them reflect on their teaching goals, and also include different methods and strategies that a being used. This is a great site that I think is very helpful for teachers who are trying to implement online portfolios. I think this way of assessm ent and students involvement is a great idea and would be a great thing for teachers to use with different subjects and activities.

Engage me or enrage me- Chapter 3

"Yesterday’s education for tomorrow’s kids.". This quote from the article I read really stood out to me and seemed to wrap everything up. This article Engage Me or Enrage Me was really investing and very blunt about pointing out that the kids of today's society are not the ones at fault for not listening or learning but it is the teachers. We as teachers are not using the technology that kids today are addicted to within the classroom. Children can sit anda play games or do other activities on the computer all day long, but in the classroom we are not utilizing their desire to use technology for our advantage. If we include the technology and give in a little to the desires and interests of students they will be able to learn the curriculum at hand but still enjoy and feel like it is part of their interests. In chapter 3 the author had a lot of statistics and research that shows just how much technology is being used by students as young as age eight. There seems to be a disconnect between teachers and students about what styles of learning should be used. I do feel that the curriculum and what Ned's to be learned is the most important thing to consider but if teaching sources and strategies use can change then the learning will happen in a better way. As someone who wants to be a teacher in this society and time I believe it is essential to understand the best ways to incorporate technology in the classroom. Like the article pointed out wE can engage students by reaching out to where they are and guiding them from there or we can enrage them and not care about what interests or different ways of learning would help them best.