Rebecca J-L's Posts - Classroom 2.02024-03-29T15:54:28ZRebecca J-Lhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/RebeccaJLhttps://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1950619589?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1https://www.classroom20.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=20m1vvqgmhsob&xn_auth=noBlogging Best Practicestag:www.classroom20.com,2014-05-18:649749:BlogPost:10121472014-05-18T00:11:33.000ZRebecca J-Lhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/RebeccaJL
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1974065763?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1974065763?profile=original" width="276"></img></a></p>
<p> Blogging (whether personal or for educational purposes) is a popular form of communication with others online. Those who chose to blog should also consider some best practices to get people interested in reading their posts and interested in returning to read other posts. Some best practices for educational blogging include establishing norms/guidelines…</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1974065763?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1974065763?profile=original" width="276"/></a></p>
<p> Blogging (whether personal or for educational purposes) is a popular form of communication with others online. Those who chose to blog should also consider some best practices to get people interested in reading their posts and interested in returning to read other posts. Some best practices for educational blogging include establishing norms/guidelines and safety issues.</p>
<p> When a teacher decides to use a blog with their students some norms/guidelines need to be established with students so they follow the rules and become successful with the process. Teachers should model how to post a blog and how to comment on a blog. An acknowledgement of proper language usage and how to respond respectively to others needs to be modeled. One way to get students involved is to create a blogging contract with them. Once the rules have been established a “contract” can be signed by the students acknowledging they understand, will follow these rules and participate in Internet safety. Parents should also be notified of the intended use of blogs in the classroom and be allowed to access the blogs to see the learning that is taking place.</p>
<p> Part of using blogging platforms in schools is adhering to the school/district’s Acceptable Use Policy (AUP). Many families and students sign these policies at the beginning of the year but a review of what these policies are in relation to the blogging world can be useful and helpful for students. This review can help protect the teacher and their students with what can and cannot be done with the Internet and social media platforms.</p>
<p> With the access to Internet by the students, safety issues arise. Digital Citizenship is guidelines that educators and students should follow while accessing the Internet. There are nine guidelines that include communication, etiquette, rights, and responsibilities. These guidelines should be reviewed with students prior to accessing the blogging website. Part of Digital Citizenship is not sharing personal information with others online. Teachers should set up accounts for students with just their initials or some form of identification that only they know.</p>
<p> Teachers should also discuss the possibility of cyber bulling between classmates and others. If a blogging platform that is used allows others outside of the class to access it, teachers need to be aware of what is being posted and protect their students from inappropriate comments. Students need to be aware that once something is posted they cannot take it back. Teachers also need to monitor posts between classmates when they are responding to others. Going back to modeling appropriate responses can decrease the change of classmate’s cyber bulling each other. The students should also feel comfortable enough approaching or contacting the teacher if anything was happening.</p>
<p> Other safety features when it comes to blogging with students include: blocking personal information, using a password protected site, blocking or being aware of pop-up advertisements, using a site geared for students, and monitoring the site and postings on a regular basis.</p>
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<p>Resources:</p>
<p>American School of Bombay. (n.d.). Best Practices in Blogs. Retrieved from <a href="http://estig.asb-wiki.wikispaces.net/Best+Practices+in+Blogs">http://estig.asb-wiki.wikispaces.net/Best+Practices+in+Blogs</a></p>
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<p>LABS. (n.d.). WordPress in the Classroom: Best Practices. Retrieved from <a href="http://labs.da.org/wordpress/wordpress-in-the-classroom-best-practices">http://labs.da.org/wordpress/wordpress-in-the-classroom-best-practices</a></p>
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<p>Office of Instructional Assessment. (n.d.). Extended Learning. Retrieved from <a href="http://elearn.arizona.edu/blogs/bestpractices/bp-extendinglrn.html">http://elearn.arizona.edu/blogs/bestpractices/bp-extendinglrn.html</a></p>
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<p>Ribble, M. (2014). Nine themes of digital citizenship. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.digitalcitizenship.net/Nine_Elements.html">http://www.digitalcitizenship.net/Nine_Elements.html</a></p>21st Century Classrooms & 21st Century Learningtag:www.classroom20.com,2014-05-17:649749:BlogPost:10121762014-05-17T23:00:00.000ZRebecca J-Lhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/RebeccaJL
<p> Teachers are hearing the terms “21<sup>st</sup> Century Classroom” and “21<sup>st</sup> Century Learning” a lot during trainings and within resources. Teachers need to understand what these terms mean in order to fully grasp the concepts behind them.</p>
<p> A “21<sup>st</sup> Century Classroom” and a “21<sup>st</sup> Century Learner” go together. Learners/students come into our classrooms with more technology skills than ever before. School districts need to…</p>
<p> Teachers are hearing the terms “21<sup>st</sup> Century Classroom” and “21<sup>st</sup> Century Learning” a lot during trainings and within resources. Teachers need to understand what these terms mean in order to fully grasp the concepts behind them.</p>
<p> A “21<sup>st</sup> Century Classroom” and a “21<sup>st</sup> Century Learner” go together. Learners/students come into our classrooms with more technology skills than ever before. School districts need to figure out how to incorporate technology into the classrooms for teachers and students to use in their everyday learning.</p>
<p> Classrooms that are “21<sup>st</sup> Century Classrooms” have access to Interactive White Boards computers with Internet, clickers, mobile devices, iPods/iPads, and other tools that students can use to present and gather information. The key is interactivity and collaboration between tools and learners. Raechelle Clemmons points out in the article “Technology, Instruction and the 21st Century Classroom” (2013, May) that “Simply adding technology is not sufficient to address the changing nature of instruction.” Teachers and staff members need to be trained on these technology tools to implement them correctly so they can be used to best benefit the students and their learning. There are still teachers in classrooms who have access to all of these tools but who do not use them because they are uncomfortable with them.</p>
<p> Another option many are moving towards is online learning. Classes and schools are being accessed online by growing numbers. This allows for online learning without even setting foot in a classroom. There are commercials for K-12 public schools and colleges/universities that can be accessed from your home and can be completed all online. Some programs (Edmodo, Moodle, etc.) are also available to teachers who want to whole or partial classes and lessons online. Many of these tools can be accessed by the teacher from home and created by them to meet the needs of their students.</p>
<p> Teachers and schools also have access to the 21s Century Skills guidelines and framework to help guide them in their instruction with the use of technology. Teachers can access skills for: information and communication, thinking and problem-solving, interpersonal and self-directional, digital technology and real-world technology. These skills were created by teachers, business people, and policy makers to meet the growing demand in the workforce and make sure students are ready to meet the needs.</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1974065810?profile=original"><img width="649" class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1974065810?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" height="343" width="477"/></a></p>
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<p> The following link is of a great image of the difference between traditional classrooms and digital classrooms: <a href="http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/06/the-5-important-elements-of-21st.html">http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/06/the-5-important-elements-of-21st.html</a>. This image really gets you thinking about the difference and how classrooms have changed.</p>
<p> Blogging is just one tool that will help create “21<sup>st</sup> Century Classrooms” and “21<sup>st</sup> Century Learners.” Blogging will allow teachers and students to communicate with each other outside of the classroom, add resources, and interact and collaborate with their learning. Many assignments can be created with the use of blogs for the students as well as parents, staff members, and community members.</p>
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<p>Resources:</p>
<p>Clemmons, R. (2013, May). Technology, Instruction and the 21st Century Classroom. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.edtechmagazine.com/higher/article/2013/05/technology-instruction-and-21st-century-classroom">http://www.edtechmagazine.com/higher/article/2013/05/technology-instruction-and-21st-century-classroom</a></p>
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<p>Kharbach, M. (n.d.). The 5 Important Elements of the 21<sup>st</sup> Century Classroom. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/06/the-5-important-elements-of-21st.html">http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/06/the-5-important-elements-of-21st.html</a></p>
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<p>Partnership for 21<sup>st</sup> Century Skills. (n.d.). Partnership for 21<sup>st</sup> Century Skills Home. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.p21.org/">http://www.p21.org/</a></p>
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<p>Stevens, M. (n.d.). National Education Association: 21<sup>st</sup>-Century Learner. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.nea.org/home/46989.htm">http://www.nea.org/home/46989.htm</a></p>10 more ways to use Blogs in Your Classroomtag:www.classroom20.com,2014-05-17:649749:BlogPost:10121442014-05-17T22:13:32.000ZRebecca J-Lhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/RebeccaJL
<p>Classroom blogs can be a good resource and tool for the classroom. There are many ways blogs can be used. Kathleen Morris (2012, Jan.) posted several ideas along with a visual graphic organizer that show the benefits of using blogs in a classroom:</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1974065914?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1974065914?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="612"></img></a></p>
<p>I teach younger students and think of the ways I can use blogging in my class. The following video was uploaded…</p>
<p>Classroom blogs can be a good resource and tool for the classroom. There are many ways blogs can be used. Kathleen Morris (2012, Jan.) posted several ideas along with a visual graphic organizer that show the benefits of using blogs in a classroom:</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1974065914?profile=original"><img width="612" class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1974065914?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="612"/></a></p>
<p>I teach younger students and think of the ways I can use blogging in my class. The following video was uploaded by <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySpKh5GJ3nY" target="_blank">Mark Marshall</a> where several primary teachers and parents discuss the benefits and use of blogging in the classroom:</p>
<p><iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ySpKh5GJ3nY?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0"></iframe>
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<p>Some other ways that blogs can be used in the classroom are:</p>
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<li>A way for all students to respond to a question without having to speak in front of the class. This is a way for those who do not feel comfortable speaking in front of others to still have their voice heard. Also, those who may not be engaged during the lesson are still responsible for participating.</li>
<li>Teachers can use blogs as portfolios for students (<a href="http://www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/educationupclose.phtml/47" target="_blank">Glencoe/McGraw-Hill</a>). Entries will be archived but all types of work can be displayed and viewed with scrolling through the blog.</li>
<li>Students can maintain their writing in the form of an online journal (<a href="http://www.lsa.umich.edu/UMICH/sweetland/Home/Instructors/Teaching%20Resources/UsingBlogsintheClassroom.pdf" target="_blank">Sweetland</a>). Students can complete writings in class or at home. Students can create stories, post questions, or communicate with each other online.</li>
<li>It is a way for students to practice their computer and typing skills. Students new to the country or younger students can practice using a mouse, navigating a page, and typing a response. With the turn to online standardized assessments these skills will be beneficial for them in older grades.</li>
<li>As a classroom website. That way information can be posted and parents/students can respond right in the comments instead of opening a new window to e-mail the teacher.</li>
<li>Committees can post agenda items, poll questions, minutes, and other information for members and interested parties to access. That way a website does not need to be created and people can contribute information.</li>
<li>Principals can communicate information with staff members or parents. The blogroll can make it easier for people to organize information into categories of their interest. New information will be displayed at the top of the page for people to easily access.</li>
<li>Administration/schools can use blogs as a question/answer forum for either staff members, parents, or community members. All are allowed to leave comments (within reason) and a person or several can be assigned to respond.</li>
<li>Teachers can use blogs to communicate ideas they use in the classroom or as a support system. Many teachers have great ideas that you may not have thought of and using a blog will allow teachers to explain their idea, post links, pictures, and videos. Others can respond or ask questions.</li>
<li>Students can post pictures of their work and have classmates respond with their thoughts. Digital citizenship would need to be covered and the blog would need to be moderated for the comments section.</li>
</ol>
<p>Resources:</p>
<p>Glencoe/McGraw-Hill. (2006, Oct.). Using Blogs to Integrate Technology into the Classroom. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/educationupclose.phtml/47">http://www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/educationupclose.phtml/47</a></p>
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<p>Marshall, M. (2010, Jul). Blogging in the Elementary Classroom. [video]. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySpKh5GJ3nY">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySpKh5GJ3nY</a></p>
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<p>Morris, K. (2012, Jan.). Five Steps to Starting a Class Blog in 2012. Retrieved from <a href="http://primarytech.global2.vic.edu.au/2012/01/29/five-steps-to-starting-a-class-blog-in-2012/">http://primarytech.global2.vic.edu.au/2012/01/29/five-steps-to-starting-a-class-blog-in-2012/</a></p>
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<p>Sweetland, G.M. (n.d.). Using Blogs in the Classroom. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.lsa.umich.edu/UMICH/sweetland/Home/Instructors/Teaching%20Resources/UsingBlogsintheClassroom.pdf">http://www.lsa.umich.edu/UMICH/sweetland/Home/Instructors/Teaching%20Resources/UsingBlogsintheClassroom.pdf</a></p>Google Appstag:www.classroom20.com,2013-08-16:649749:BlogPost:9565542013-08-16T21:48:38.000ZRebecca J-Lhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/RebeccaJL
<p> Google Apps has created programs that allow teachers to integrate into their classrooms to help students experience technology. These apps can help me be more efficient as an educator by allowing my students to integrate technology into their learning and experience it for themselves. Gmail allows students to have the responsibility of checking their own mailbox (it is always fun receiving mail when you are young!) but has a component for teachers to have an administration…</p>
<p> Google Apps has created programs that allow teachers to integrate into their classrooms to help students experience technology. These apps can help me be more efficient as an educator by allowing my students to integrate technology into their learning and experience it for themselves. Gmail allows students to have the responsibility of checking their own mailbox (it is always fun receiving mail when you are young!) but has a component for teachers to have an administration control. There are no ads and a great spam filter so e-mails can be blocked that they should not receive. The Docs and Talk apps allow for more communication and collaboration between teachers and students. Assignments can be completed as a group online with groups of students having access to a document. The teacher can communicate with students outside of school using the Talk app to get answers to questions. The Calendar and Sites apps allows for communication between parents. Teachers can also create a calendar for students that show due dates on assignments for class. All of these apps allow students to practice their technology skills for integration when they get older. These apps also allow students to complete work at home by accessing these apps outside of the school building.</p>
<p> By using these apps in the classroom with students, they can help educate and train their parents or other siblings on these apps at home or during a school function. Parents can stay in contact with their students and teacher using Gmail. Parents can follow what is going on in their child’s classroom by checking the classroom website on the Sites app. The Calendar app will help families plan for events during the school year. These apps will allow for more communication between families and the teacher.</p>
<p> Looking into Google Apps, I found out more apps that are available for educators to use. I was only aware of Gmail and Google Docs as I have used them for personal use and for my classes that I am taking as a student. Google Talk, Google Sites, and Google Calendar were apps that I was not aware Google offered. I discovered that many of these features can be administered by the teacher and privacy settings can be managed by the teacher. Schools can create a domain name with their school name for students to use within their e-mail addresses. I also discovered that if you sign up for the educational apps, you have to pay a small monthly fee to get your school’s domain name. I was not aware of that feature. I don’t think teachers would be able to administer their students e-mail accounts without paying that fee but they can still allow students to set up individual accounts. Something to think about and it needs to be considered based upon the grade you teach. Individual apps can be used by the teacher to set up a website, talk, the calendar or use the documents.</p>Experiencing Free/Open Source Coursestag:www.classroom20.com,2013-08-12:649749:BlogPost:9552962013-08-12T20:15:48.000ZRebecca J-Lhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/RebeccaJL
<p> We were asked to search and enroll in a free/open source course that we were interested in. The idea was for us to experience a type of online learning that is available. I spent quite a while searching for free/open source courses. A lot of them that I discovered were through universities (MIT, Yale, etc.). I decided to see what courses they were offering. None of the university courses were educationally related. They offered courses in business, science, math, history,…</p>
<p> We were asked to search and enroll in a free/open source course that we were interested in. The idea was for us to experience a type of online learning that is available. I spent quite a while searching for free/open source courses. A lot of them that I discovered were through universities (MIT, Yale, etc.). I decided to see what courses they were offering. None of the university courses were educationally related. They offered courses in business, science, math, history, philosophy, language, and sociology. I began to look into some courses for astronomy. One course I found was an introduction to general astronomy. The course features 10+ lectures from a professor. The lectures were recorded and shared via audio. There were no handouts and no videos included. Each lecture averaged an hour. I thought about taking part of this course but decided to look into something that dealt with teaching strategies.</p>
<p> I found a site that was created just for open source courses, Open.edu. They have several categories of courses to choose from, including education. They have courses that you can take for graduate credit (usually 100+ hours of work) or courses that range from 15 minutes to several hours. To enroll for credit, you do need to create an account but it is free. After searching through their catalog of courses, I chose a course titled Using Visualization in Teaching Math.</p>
<p> This course was broken down into eight parts: the introduction, learning outcomes, and activities. The introduction and learning outcomes portions required users to read. They were not very long but set up the user for what to expect during the course. The first activity provided links to several activities for teachers to use in their classroom that helped students visualize situations. Each activity had directions included for the teacher to use in their room. Most of the activities were for older students (upper elementary and older). The next activity was a link to an article about using visualizations in the classroom. The article was fairly long and included some examples. The next activity was a self-assessment questionnaire with 10 questions about imagery and the classroom. Directions were typed and students were asked to write down their thoughts on each question. Students could then click a link to check their answers to the creators. The next activity featured a case study that included videos and transcripts. The videos were separated into the introduction, completion of the activity, and sharing of the findings. The videos were outdated (late 80s) and the students were high school age. The videos did show communication and collaboration between students while the teacher walked from group to group. The students shared their liking of using visualization along with manipulation of objects during the lesson. The second to last part of the class featured more activities for teachers to use in their classrooms. Finally, the class ended with a list of reading material resources for teachers that included visualization.</p>
<p> The design of the course was easy to navigate because it featured the contents on the left of the screen so the user could step away and come back to the part they left off at. There was a lot of reading included in the course and to be honest, it did not hold my attention. I found myself getting up and working on other things then coming back to work on the course. The videos helped but they were so outdated I was focusing more on the fashion style than the content! The sound was not the best quality either. Finding a course to take on the site was not difficult at all. I just needed to set my search criteria and look at the offerings. The courses list what type of media is included in the course (video, audio, transcripts, etc.) and they helps determine whether or not I wanted to try the course.</p>
<p> This course was very much self-paced and required motivation. It differs from face-to-face learning in that I did not have an opportunity to communicate with the teacher or other students within the class. The only communication piece was to leave a comment about the course. There were handouts included but I could not ask questions about them or read any comments from the teacher about them (for example when or how they used them?). The only assignment included was a self-assessment questionnaire.</p>
<p> As for a rich learning experience, I think the course offers it through the activities. The experience will come after the teacher attempts the activities in their own classroom. They can see what works best for their students and what needs to be changed. Unfortunately there is no one involved in the course that they can communicate with about these activities and ideas to use in their room. It all has to be learned through application and experience.</p>
<p> The education theories found within the course design were very limited. I think the course had more Bloom’s Taxonomy influence than Marzano’s strategies. There was not a lot of the language from these theories used in the course but through the activities and videos, a student could apply the Taxonomy and strategies. The activities were repetitive so it did not allow for a lot of variety in the theories.</p>
<p> Some challenges to online learning in K-12 education are time management, motivation, communication/feedback, and finding the right course set-up for the learner. Online learning is mainly self-paced so the student needs to be good at time management (to get their lessons completed and turned in) as well as needing motivation to get their work done. Communication/feedback takes time through online courses so students need to know how to work while waiting. Finding the right course set-up is also a challenge because every learner is different. With me, I need more visuals and interactions than just reading to work at my highest level. Some students do better with reading and group work.</p>
<p> Some benefits to online learning in K-12 education are flexibility, continuous access, more variety, and use of technology skills. Online courses can be taken anywhere as long as the user has access to the Internet. This also applies to continuous access as the user can access the course and its content at any time during the course timeframe. Online courses offer more variety in course offerings and students can take classes that traditional schools may never offer. Finally, online courses allow students to practice and improve their technology skills by using media, organizers, etc. within their assignments.</p>
<p> Free/open source courses and online K-12 courses may not be for everyone. They are more prominent today as access to technology is more prevalent. If a person/student is thinking about taking online courses, they need to make sure the company/school they choose is right for them. They also need to consider how they learn and if self-paced learning is best for their learning.</p>Social Networking & Digital Citizenshiptag:www.classroom20.com,2013-07-26:649749:BlogPost:9487862013-07-26T01:25:51.000ZRebecca J-Lhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/RebeccaJL
<p> Social networking is very popular and sites about any subject or interest can be found. There have been sites created that incorporate social networking and education. These sites allow teachers to integrate social networking into their teaching and lessons. Something teachers need to consider before using social networking is the nine components of digital citizenship. These components were created to help protect students and create a learning environment for technology…</p>
<p> Social networking is very popular and sites about any subject or interest can be found. There have been sites created that incorporate social networking and education. These sites allow teachers to integrate social networking into their teaching and lessons. Something teachers need to consider before using social networking is the nine components of digital citizenship. These components were created to help protect students and create a learning environment for technology education.</p>
<p> After researching social networking I have learned about the variety of social networking sites that are available for teachers and students. Looking into some of these sites, they vary on what is offered. Some sites offer free as well as paid versions that include different features depending on the subscription purchased. Some sites are free for all of the features. Teachers need to consider what they will be using the site for to determine what features they will need.</p>
<p> The sites also vary on how students set up an account. Some sites require a minimum of a name, state, and e-mail to set up an account. This can violate a school’s AUP and can contemplate digital safety. Teachers need to be careful at this step in the process. I have found some sites that only require an e-mail from the teacher while students only need to enter a code. This is safer because no student information is shared with outside sources. Some sites allow teachers to monitor and control their students use. They also allow no one outside of the class to access the information that is being shared. However, some sites do not allow teachers to monitor all student work or block outside users from contacting students. Teachers need to look into these things before signing up a class for use of the site.</p>
<p> I would like to pursue closer research and possible membership to some of the social networks that were posted during our discussions. I do teach young students but I think introducing them to this technology and allowing them to practice using this technology will increase their understanding of how to use these tools. I would like to use sites that are geared towards younger students so they are not too confused while using and students do not get overwhelmed. Modeling how to use these sites will increase understanding for students and make them feel more comfortable accessing them on their own to complete assignments.</p>
<p> I think any issues I share with my colleagues at school would focus on the AUP and maintaining digital citizenship while using social networking. I never hear these topics discussed at school and I am not sure how many of my colleagues are aware they exist! I want to share these things with them so they understand what is acceptable, not acceptable and how to keep our students safe while using technology. To do this, I would ask for PD time where all staff is gathered. Creating a presentation and how to find these resources would be easiest. A handout to give staff members would allow a resource for teachers to refer to outside of the PD. If PD time was not granted, I would ask to send an all school e-mail with the information and I would keep my door open for anyone who has questions.</p>
<p> Social networks are only one piece of technology that is available for teachers to use in the classroom. Many types of networks are available and teachers need to consider what would be best for their students to use.</p>Acceptable Use Policiestag:www.classroom20.com,2013-07-16:649749:BlogPost:9454252013-07-16T00:00:00.000ZRebecca J-Lhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/RebeccaJL
<p> Searching for my district’s acceptable use policy (AUP), I discovered we do not have just one policy. We have policies for electronic mail, the Internet, network connections, and copyright compliance. After speaking to a couple of people in the district for my field experience, I found out there is a policy that is being created for social media. For this discussion, I am going to focus on the Internet policy. The district Internet policy is the same for students as well as…</p>
<p> Searching for my district’s acceptable use policy (AUP), I discovered we do not have just one policy. We have policies for electronic mail, the Internet, network connections, and copyright compliance. After speaking to a couple of people in the district for my field experience, I found out there is a policy that is being created for social media. For this discussion, I am going to focus on the Internet policy. The district Internet policy is the same for students as well as teachers.</p>
<p> The National Education Association lists six key elements that an effective AUP must have. The elements are: A preamble, a definition section, a policy statement, an acceptable uses section, an unacceptable uses section, and a violations/sanctions section. My district’s AUP begins with a preamble that discusses the district’s network and the opportunities users have. Searching the document some of the parts that makes an effective AUP are located further down in the document (middle and bottom). There is information on why the policy was created, that the policy applies to students, and its goals. There is no information about the development of the policy or why it is needed.</p>
<p> There is a definition section that lists six definitions. The terms that are defined within the section are illegal activities, obscene activities, inappropriate use, system administrators, dangerous information, and compromising personal safety. The definition for Internet is found in the first paragraph within the preamble. The term network is also mentioned in the preamble and that it is in-district and worldwide. There is no definition for educational purpose.</p>
<p> A policy statement is not given in the AUP. There is a little blurb about educating the district’s students about appropriate online behavior but no outline about how that will happen. There is also no mention about acceptable uses in the document. It is stated that users must use the Internet correctly but no examples are given about what that looks like or entails.</p>
<p> The district’s AUP has a large section about unacceptable uses. They give many examples of “inappropriate behavior” when using the Internet. Vandalizing the network is also listed and includes viruses, malware, or trying to alter data. Violating copyrights, licensing agreements, or plagiarizing are not acceptable. Giving out passwords or personal information is also prohibited. There is no information about specific sites being off limits (I know Facebook and Youtube are blocked but teachers can access these sites through their staff log-ins). Social networking and chat rooms are mentioned further in the document but it just states that users should be educated in using these sites.</p>
<p> Finally, there is not a specific violations/sanctions section. Throughout the document, termination of access, denial of future access and possible disciplinary action is mentioned if the policy is violated. There is nothing mentioned about what to do to report violations. The district mentions that district staff can “review and inspect directories or messages.” Students and parents are expected to sign an Internet authorization form every school year that states they read the policy and will use it for educational use only. If they violate the policy they can have their access revoked or disciplinary action can take place.</p>
<p> Thinking about the key elements that make an effective AUP in the eyes of the National Education Association, my district is missing a lot of them! The last time the policy was revised was in June of 2012 so it is still very recent. </p>
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<pre>AUP Wordle: <a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/6874942/AUP_Wordle">http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/6874942/AUP_Wordle</a></pre>Blogging about Bloom and Marzanotag:www.classroom20.com,2013-07-10:649749:BlogPost:9443342013-07-10T23:50:03.000ZRebecca J-Lhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/RebeccaJL
<p> Both Marzano and Bloom have created skills and strategies that impact teachers in how they deliver instruction in their classrooms. They have also helped teachers focus on how to help their students learn the content of their presentations. Information on both processes can be found on the Internet.</p>
<p> Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy and Digital Bloom’s Taxonomy help teachers choose activities that move students from lower order thinking skills to higher order…</p>
<p> Both Marzano and Bloom have created skills and strategies that impact teachers in how they deliver instruction in their classrooms. They have also helped teachers focus on how to help their students learn the content of their presentations. Information on both processes can be found on the Internet.</p>
<p> Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy and Digital Bloom’s Taxonomy help teachers choose activities that move students from lower order thinking skills to higher order thinking skills while focusing on verbs to show action at each level. Each skill builds on the lower level and requires students to transfer knowledge and make connections to reach the next level. Implementing these skills into lessons will allow for comprehension and independence in learning. The Digital Bloom’s Taxonomy was created to integrate technology into the skills and meet the 21<sup>st</sup> Century Skill demands our students need to succeed.</p>
<p> Marzano’s Instructional Strategies were created to “guide classroom practice in such a way as to maximize the possibility of enhancing student achievement.” (Marzano, Pickering, & Pollock, 2001) There are nine instructional strategies that teachers can integrate into their instruction. Some of the strategies focus on student work while some focus on what the teacher can do. Strategies can be combined or used on their own, depending on the lesson.</p>
<p> After researching about Bloom’s Taxonomy and Marzano’s Instructional Strategies my knowledge in how I plan lessons has changed. I feel I have more “tools” that I can pull from to enhance my lessons to best fit my student’s needs. I was aware of Bloom’s Taxonomy but never really looked at it while planning. Now that I have had the time to sit and study it, I was happy to find out I do use some of his skills in my lessons. There are some skills that I hardly use that I would like to integrate more into my planning. I think to make these skills more effective, a teacher needs to get to know their students and how they learn. A teacher also needs to know themselves and what they can do well and what they are comfortable with teaching. The skills are guidelines that help teachers reach the highest level of thinking. They offer ideas for teachers but can be changed as every classroom is different. My knowledge about Bloom’s Taxonomy will help challenge my student’s more in their thinking and processing of information.</p>
<p> The Digital Bloom’s Taxonomy also allows me to add technology elements to my lessons that still allow for higher order thinking skills. Digital Bloom’s Taxonomy is new to me and something I would like to become more familiar with for my next year of teaching. I would like to implement more technology for my student’s to use in their assignments. I currently use a Promethean board for all of my lessons and allow students independent time on our classroom computers for educational games. Adding more assignments that have students create projects on the computers will integrate Digital Bloom’s Taxonomy.</p>
<p> Marzano’s Instructional Strategies are newer to me as I was not aware of them and have not heard colleagues talk about them. After researching the strategies, I was confident in implementing them into my lessons because I already did without knowing I was! There were aspects of each strategy I already used in my classroom. After researching, I found more ideas and better ways I can incorporate them into my lessons. Many strategies can have technology incorporated within them that still meet the requirements of the strategy. I think to make these strategies more effective; teachers need to alternate using them. Teachers should not use the same strategies for every lesson. They should mix and match strategies so students do not become accustomed to specific strategies and allow for practice in all. Not all strategies are good fits for every lesson either. Some strategies will produce better outcomes than others.</p>
<p> Thinking about my school, I do not hear about these resources during conversations. I am not sure how many of my colleagues are aware of these skills and strategies and actually use them in their classrooms. One way I could share this information with my colleagues would be to create a simple presentation and handout. I have found at my school that the shorter a presentation could be and if there is a handout provided (for those not so tech savvy) they are all ears. Making a connection with these skills and strategies to our teaching and our school will also be useful because I know a lot of teachers won’t pay attention if they do not see a connection to their class. Having a visual for teachers to refer to (on the computer as well as a handout) will be beneficial and something I can refer to. Giving examples of the strategies and skills for use in the classroom would also help and give ideas. A quick brainstorming activity for more ideas can check for understanding and give more resources for teachers to use in their classrooms.</p>
<p> The most important information I would want to share is how these skills and strategies can be integrated into the classroom through technology. All of our classrooms have Promethean boards that teachers use to deliver and support instruction. We are always sharing resources with each other for these boards. Showing how Marzano and Bloom’s skills and strategies can be used with our Promethean boards would get more teachers using these ideas. Ideas for practice that meet each skill and strategy that students can use and teachers can implement would also be beneficial. Ideas for students to use on classroom computers could also be shared. Creating a wiki for teachers to add information and ideas to would keep the collaboration component going throughout the year.</p>
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<p>Resources:</p>
<p>Marzano, R.J., Pickering, D.J., & Pollock J.E. (2001). <i>Classroom Instruction That Works</i>. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.</p>Bloom's Taxonomy & Digital Bloom'stag:www.classroom20.com,2013-07-10:649749:BlogPost:9441102013-07-10T01:50:23.000ZRebecca J-Lhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/RebeccaJL
<p>In my writing lesson in our “How-to” unit, I think I do a pretty good job at integrating Bloom’s Taxonomy into my lessons, including the highest level of creating. I allow my students to create and plan their own how-to books throughout the unit. They can choose their own topic, plan their book using a draft paper, and create their how-to book using pre-printed pages with only lines. As students create a new book, they are challenged to improve their writing by adding more details and more…</p>
<p>In my writing lesson in our “How-to” unit, I think I do a pretty good job at integrating Bloom’s Taxonomy into my lessons, including the highest level of creating. I allow my students to create and plan their own how-to books throughout the unit. They can choose their own topic, plan their book using a draft paper, and create their how-to book using pre-printed pages with only lines. As students create a new book, they are challenged to improve their writing by adding more details and more steps to the process. The one higher level thinking skill that I need to integrate into my lessons is evaluation. I do not have a process for my first graders to evaluate their book or others. I evaluate their books myself as they are completing them and after they are done. I do allow students to read their completed book to the class if they choose but we all clap when they are done to show our support. I think showing students examples of work that others have done and discussing what they see can help them improve their creation and final project. Students are taught to check their writing for capitals and periods. I sometimes have to remind students to check their writing before coming to me to show me their finished work. Creating a kid-friendly rubric can also help in this process and allow me to conference with students when they complete their book.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>After completing this assignment, I realize that I do not integrate much of Digital Bloom’s Taxonomy in my lesson for my students. Honestly, I was not aware there was a digital version of Bloom’s Taxonomy until this assignment. I think integrating my classroom computers into the creation of the how-to books (letting students type their text) would be beneficial because it allows students to practice their computer skills as well as creating a different type of book (not pencil and paper). I can find examples of how-to books on the computer and display them on my Promethean board for us to analyze and evaluate. We can make comparison charts of the information we found. I think the application process for my first graders would be the most important part because they would have to draw from their memory information about computers to create a book as well as remember what a how-to book incorporated and transfer that knowledge to the computer.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I think remembering to integrate technology into my lessons for me to teach with as well as for students to use in their assignments will help all of us practice using the Digital Bloom’s Taxonomy regularly. Regular use will improve the level of thinking skills that students use.</p>Wiki word cloudtag:www.classroom20.com,2013-07-02:649749:BlogPost:9421992013-07-02T00:06:46.000ZRebecca J-Lhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/RebeccaJL
<p><a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/6864818/Wiki_Wordle" target="_blank">Wiki word cloud</a></p>
<p>Attached is my Wiki word cloud from Wordle.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/6864818/Wiki_Wordle" target="_blank">Wiki word cloud</a></p>
<p>Attached is my Wiki word cloud from Wordle.</p>Welcome!tag:www.classroom20.com,2013-07-01:649749:BlogPost:9421982013-07-01T23:46:40.000ZRebecca J-Lhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/RebeccaJL
<p>Welcome to my blog! I will be using it to comment on assignments for my course.</p>
<p>Welcome to my blog! I will be using it to comment on assignments for my course.</p>Blog Wordletag:www.classroom20.com,2013-07-01:649749:BlogPost:9420492013-07-01T23:30:00.000ZRebecca J-Lhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/RebeccaJL
<p><a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/6862109/Blog_Wordle" target="_blank">Blog word cloud</a></p>
<p>Here is the link to my blog word cloud from Wordle.</p>
<p>I am learning more and more about blogs from everyone's charts and was excited to experience creating a word cloud.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/6862109/Blog_Wordle" target="_blank">Blog word cloud</a></p>
<p>Here is the link to my blog word cloud from Wordle.</p>
<p>I am learning more and more about blogs from everyone's charts and was excited to experience creating a word cloud.</p>