Grades

I don't even know if anyone will look at this, but grades are due for me next week and I should have them completed by tomorrow. If you're wondering how you did, please check on WebCT early next week. Thanks for a great class everyone.

Final Presentations

Don't forget the order for tomorrow night's presentations:

1. Oceans
2. Nature
3. Natural Disasters
4. Agriculture
5. Sports
6. Healthy Lifestyles

You'll have about 25 minutes for your group to present. We may extend slightly beyond our 7:00 end time, but I hope you'll give the final group as much respect as you expect for your presentation. I'm excited to see what you've all come up with for the final project. Good Luck!

Beam Me Up

A few weeks ago we checked out Google Earth and learned that we can bring the world to our computers. Now, Google has brought the universe to our desktops with a new feature in Google Earth, Google Sky. Check out this great overview.

Skype

So, last night we learned about a video conferencing software called Skype, which allows you to talk through the Internet. The best part is it's FREE! Imagine the possibilities when you can bring the world to your classroom. Whether it's a guest speaker or the ability to have office hours from home, Skype is a great way to see and share with others. Hopefully, we'll be able to chat about your projects next week without being in the same room. See you wherever you are...

Assignment: Arends Post

Read the article by Arends and use your post to discuss one of the following issues.

#1 What are some of the behaviors of effective classroom managers as described in the Texas and Kounin studies?

#2 What is the difference between assessment and evaluation? When it comes to technology projects developed by students, how would you assess or evaluate their work?

#3 To successfully integrate technology through your curriculum, you should consider the planning cylces as described by Arends. List the planning cycles described in the chapter, then give examples of how you would use technology in each of these phases.

Assignment: Grabe Post

Read the article by Grabe and use your post to discuss one of the following issues.

#1 What is the Big Six and how should it be used?

#2 Try this. Choose one topic and do an Internet search on a search engine, on a kid-appropriate search engine, on Pioneer, Utah's Online Library, and some other resource (like MarcoPolo, UEN Curriculum Search, or another portal). Compare your results? What did you find out? What advice would you give students based on this experience?

#3 Take some time to explore the PBS site "Don't Buy It." (www.pbs.org/dontbuyit ). This site deals with Media Literacy - a form of information literacy. What do you think of the site? Do you think this is important, or not? Do you think this is effective, or not?

Assignment: Harris Post

Read one of the Harris articles and post a response to one of the following issues in your blog.

#1 Harris (1998) lists eighteen activity structures for Internet projects as well as numerous examples. Are these learning projects prevalent in today's classrooms? Why or Why not?

#2 Think of the learning environments that Harris (1998) describes. What are the factors that influence whether a teacher teaches this way? Can a teacher work within these factors or do you believe they are insurmountable? What can a technology proficient teacher leader do?

#3 Some critics believe there's no place for Internet projects in today's world of high stakes testing and emphasis on student achievement. What is Harris'(2000) answer to this criticism? What is your answer?

Assignment: CPB Article - TV Goes to School

For those of you having trouble finding the article, click here.

In this week's post, read the CPB article and use your blog to respond to one of the following questions.

#1 Think back to your discussions on learning theory. How is use of video related to what we know about human learning?

#2 How can teachers use video to promote student achievement?

#3 Despite all the research about the effectiveness of video as an instructional tool, why do you think video use is still not very prevalent in today's schools? Should there be more video? Why or why not?

Assignment: Reiser Post

Read the Reiser article and use your post to address issue #1.


#1 Explore the link below from Module 10 in WebCT. How are the examples of Integrated Final Projects and the methods described in the Reiser article related? What would it take to teach this way? Is it worthwhile?

Integrated Final Projects

MySpace

Since we talked about Web 2.0 last week and the value of creating a collaborative world wide community, I thought I'd share another perspective.

Assignment: Grossman Podcast

Instructions for this week's blog/podcast





Read the 15 digital citizen profiles here.

Sign up for Gabcast and follow their instructions on creating a podcast and sharing it through your blog.

GPS and Geocaching

Here's a little video to introduce you into the world of GPS and Geocaching. If you'd like more information go to the geocaching website: www.geocaching.com

Teacher Preview Night II

Thanks to so many of you for coming to the event. I hope it gave you a chance to meet some of the wonderful teachers we have across Utah and to learn about all the great programs that we have access to through public television. Overall, I thought the evening was pretty interesting. We saw a few too many videos, but then a lot of you got some free loot - who could ask for more. For those of you who attended the preview, I'm curious what some of your favorite programs were. Share your ideas in your blog. Here were a couple of my favs:

The War - I can't wait for this mini-series to come out. I am a big Ken Burns fan and this looks to be one of his best series yet.



Frontline - I don't know how many of you have ever watched Frontline, but I think it is one of the best news programs on TV. They tell you the real story, not just what a TV network wants you to see. To watch a preview of this year on Frontline, click here.

WordGirl - I thought this one looks great for the kids. I loved the humor in the clip as the villian and WordGirl struck a pose.



So, which programs did you like?

Teacher Preview Night

Don't forget that in lieu of class tonight you're welcome to join us at UEN's Teacher Preview Night - 7pm, SL Public Library. This is a great chance to find out what the newest educational video resources are from KUED and UEN. There's plenty to see and learn, plus there are a bunch of FREEBIES! Come check it out!

Assignment: Kauchak Post

Read the Kauchak article and post a response to one of the following issues in your blog.

#1 According to Kauchak (1998) what are three functions of teacher questions? What role does technology play with accomplishing these functions?

#2 Kauchak (1998) lists five Essential Questioning Strategies. Select one of the strategies for a focused observation. Observe a colleague teaching or an administrator leading a meeting. Did they use the strategy effectively? How? If not, why not? What did you learn from this experiment?

New Course Look in WebCT

I know, I know. After sharing the 7 deadly sins in Multimedia with you last week, I realized that my WebCT website broke the first rule. Font color should contrast with the background and be easy to read. That being said, I hope you like the new look for the course in WebCT.

Powerpoint No-No's

Here's some things to think about while you're building your powerpoints this week.

Wikis in the Classroom

If you've heard of a wiki, but didn't really know what they are or how they can be used in the classroom watch this video. I think wikis are a great collaborative software that is only going to get more and more usage over the coming years.

IM Abbreviations

I'm not one to use a lot of IM abbreviations (LOL, BTW, etc.) but I loved this week's article by David Pogue, the technology writer for the NY Times. If you're someone who loves to text and IM friends try a few of these new abbreviations on for size:

* IIOYT -- is it on YouTube?

* DYFH -- did you Facebook him/her?

* BIOI -- buy it on iTunes

* CMOS -- call me on Skype

* GGNUDP -- gotta go, no unlimited data plan

* WLF -- with the lady friend

* JUOC -- jacked up on caffeine

Assignment: Roblyer Post

Read the Roblyer article and post a response to one of the following issues in your blog.

#1 Bereiter (1990) initially supported direct instruction and later shifted to constructivist principles. Two metaphors are used to describe his current view of the tension among theories of learning. What are the two metaphors? Do you agree with this view? Why or why not?

#2 What is the difference between acquiring knowledge and the employment of knowledge as described by Tennyson (1990) in the article?

#3 What is the "new instructional formula" and what is the role technology will play? What does Roblyer (2000) say is the job of a proficient technology-oriented teacher?

Click on Me

Now that you're all experienced using clickers, if you'd like to learn more about using clickers and the effect they have in the classroom check out this article or watch the video from YouTube.

Here's Jared

So, here are a few things you should know about me. I am from Salt Lake City; I've lived here all my life. In fact, I still live in the home I grew up in (I bought it from my parents - important note: I don't live with my parents!). I am married to wonderful woman, Tara, and have two amazing kids, Kennedy (age 2) and Alex (1 year). I have worked at the University of Utah for 4 years and love everything about it. Campus is a wonderful place and I'm glad I've had the opportunity to come back - I earned my bachelors and my masters here. I am a huge sports fan and love the Utes, Red Sox, and the Jazz. My hobbies include playing basketball, blogging, geocaching, camping, and an occasional tea party with a two-year-old.

I got into education because I love to help people learn. There's nothing better than helping someone try to reach an untapped potential. Whether it's a 16-year-old reading a book for the first time, or a college Sophomore realizing they can be a great teacher - I love the spark that good teaching adds to someone's life. My 4 years in public education were amazing. I loved the students, the other teachers, the activities - it was such a great time in my life. I've been teaching for the Utah Education Network for 4 years now and am still excited about teaching.

Technology is a wonderful way to help students get excited about learning. Kids are motivated by activities in which they can explore and develop their own ideas, technology is tailor-made for today's students. I can't imagine a classroom where technology doesn't play a vital role in the learning process, still it can't replace good teaching and solid curriculum. It's so important we learn how to use technology to help us teach fundamental concepts. The classroom of tomorrow should more than a high-tech laser show.

Creating a Blog

For those of you who are concerned about the process of creating a blog this short video should put your fears at rest.

Assignment: Introduction Post

This is your big chance to introduce yourself to the class! Post an entry to your new blog in which you do the following:

• Tell us about yourself - your interests, hobbies, background


• Discuss why you want to be a teacher- high pay, vacation time, love of chalk


• Talk about how you'd like to use technology in your future classroom

For homework, upload a photo of yourself to this post. Show your personality!

Copyright and you

Last week we discussed the idea of using materials that aren't covered under copyright restrictions. I recently discovered a little video to give you more information about what constitutes copyright law and what materials are appropriate to use.

Welcome to T & L 5141

This semester we will be using blogs to communicate about class readings and activities. If you don't have a blog yet, you can sign up for one through Blogger. Some of you may be experienced bloggers, for others this will be a new experience. In the end, I hope all of you will find this a great way to share your thoughts about technology in education.