RSS Feed Week 8

This is a great article about how students can learn from mistakes. As the author says "[e]very time a student errs, or steps outside the rules, or transgresses community norms and expectations, there is a golden opportunity to connect with this young person, his or her family and the teaching team to build stronger relationships through trust and partnership." Teachers facilitate the process of learning through mistakes.

Levinson, Matt. School Change: Make Room for "Wrongdoing".(2013, August) Edutopia. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/school-change-room-for-wrongdoing-matt-levinson

7 Things You Should Know About Second Life

I learned about Second Life years ago when it was first introduced about ten years ago and briefly created an account and explored the Second Life world. Since that initial foray into the Second Life world, I haven't given it a second thought. After reading this article, I am amazed at how the virtual world has expanded and am really interested in how colleges and universities are using it. As the article states "[v]irtual worlds allow students to interact in 3D spaces that are comfortable, facilitating educational exercises such as virtual field trips or visiting a gallery of student created art. The social dynamic builds rapport and exposes students to teamwork, and the sense of presence encourages students to explore and engage in informal, self-directed learning."

Link to article.

RSS Feed Week 7....or Mmmmm Bacon

Ok, I love bacon. So when I saw the title of this article in my RSS Feed, I had to read it. While the article went in a different direction than I thought (no free bacon), it highlighted some great educational ideas. The author's school uses project based learning. This article is about a project that involves bacon. As the author says, "when a student pitches an idea, he or she knows that it's about to turn into a magical tour-de-force of all the science and math I can shove into the process of curing, smoking and serving one of the most storied preparations of pork. The school was designed to facilitate this kind of give-and-take between our students and faculty. Students pitch ideas knowing full well that they might be half-baked or even parboiled. They trust their mentors and teachers to help bloom and culture rigorous projects as a team -- we firmly believe in co-designing curriculum" (Cornally, 2013). To me, this is a fascinating approach to education.

Cornally, Shawn. A Bacon Apart. (2013, August). Edutopia. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/a-bacon-apart-shawn-cornally?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EdutopiaNewContent+%28Edutopia%29

Link to article.

7 Things You Should Know About Google Aps

Prior to starting this degree, I had only used Google as a search engine. Over the past year I have found so many useful applications that Google has created. I have switched to Chrome as my go to browser, use Google docs, calendar, Gmail, Blogger, Google drive, and Feedly. This article highlights some of the interesting implications for using Google apps in education. As the article states, "[wh]ile the financial incentives to use Google Apps might compel a university to try it, the benefits for building a more collaborative teaching and learning environment could be the reason to stay. These benefits potentially include peer review of academic work and the ability to observe and participate in the creation of scholarly material."

Link to article. 

New Baby!!!

Katherine Morrigan Daley made her debut the morning of 31 August at 0245....She is 7 lbs 5oz...and we are all healthy and exhausted....We are so blessed.

RSS Feed, Week 6

This interesting article discusses the use of Twitter by teachers.  As the author says, "[h]aving done some digging around, former English teacher Tom Whitby makes a 'calculated guess' that only about 200-300,000 teachers are on Twitter—a relatively small number if you consider that, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, there are roughly 4 million K-12 teachers in the U.S."

I know that I created a Twitter account several months ago. I have three followers, two I don't know and one is my wife, and I haven't actually tweeted anything. I have retweeted, but not much. If teachers want to use this online resource in education, I believe it is something that could be very valuable.


Rebora, Anthony. Are There Too Few Teachers on Twitter? (2013, July) Education Week. Retrieved from: http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/teaching_now/2013/07/are_there_too_few_teachers_on_twitter.html

Social Bookmarking

Prior to this class, I had no experience with social bookmarking.  When the class started, I created my delicious account and muddled my way through bookmarking several things.  After reading this article, I have a better understanding of the implications of using a social bookmarking site. I recently purchased an Ipad, and now there is a delicious Ipad app! I am now bookmarking stuff much more frequently than before, and I find that this will be a useful tool for me now and in the future.

7 things you should know about social bookmarking. (May, 2005). Educause Learning initiative. Retrieved from: http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7001.pdf

Wikipedia Article

Most classes I have taken since the advent of Wikipedia have not allowed Wikipedia to be used as a resource. This article gives a fairly complete overview of Wikipedia, and it provides an idea for how to use this web resource in the classroom. "Wikipedia offers students an opportunity to hone their research skills—by evaluating its content against other information sources—and to engage in a global community of collaborative content development. Students can see how knowledge is created, participate in that process, and understand when their comprehension of a topic is sufficient to make a valuable contribution. Some learning theorists contend that content creation and analysis is a necessary component of learning. Wikipedia can encourage students to analyze what they read, ask questions, and engage in reflective, creative learning." Until reading this article, I never thought about how Wikipedia could be used in this manner.


7 Things You Should Know About Wikipedia. (June, 2007). Educause Learning Initiative. Retrieved from: http://www.educause.edu/library/resources/7-things-you-should-know-about-wikipedia

RSS Feed, Week 5

Some of my favorite teachers growing up were engaging, dynamic, and great storytellers. This is part of the reason why they stick out in my memory. This article discusses the importance of being a great storyteller. It also provides some tips and ideas about how to become better. "With the new school year fast approaching, this is an ideal time to think about how you and your students can harness storytelling to frame productive conversations about teaching and learning in your community."

Boss, Suzie. Why Teachers Need to be Great Storytellers. (2013, July). Edutopia. Retrieved from: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/why-educators-need-to-be-great-storytellers-suzie-boss

RSS Feed Week 4, Part 2

This blog article is an interesting look at a proposal to make educational training similar to the training progression of doctors.  A former teacher discusses how doctors go through a residency program that provides them with mentorship from more experience doctors prior to their certification as professionals. What is interesting is that there are programs that do exist that at least partially model the doctor residency program, and they seem to be paying dividends. "Though they don't last anywhere near as long as medical school, such programs combine graduate-level coursework with extended classroom apprenticeships (or clinical practice) in which teacher-candidates work alongside master teachers. According to our colleague Stephen Sawchuk's ever-on-the-ball coverage, a recent study out of Tennessee found that teachers who graduated from the Memphis Teacher Residency were more effective, in terms of test-score gains, than the average veteran teacher in the state."   

Rebora, Anthony. What Ed. Schools Can Learn From Med. Schools. (2013, July). Education Week Teacher. Retrieved from: http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/teaching_now/2013/07/what_ed_schools_can_learn_from_med_schools.html

RSS Feed Week 4

"When Bad Things Happen to Good NAEP Data" is the name of this article that caught my eye. It is an interesting look at how raw data can be manipulated for use in a variety of ways. Some good, and some bad. There is no doubt that any kind of data could be manipulated, and the National Assessment of Educational Progress seems to be no exception. As the author points out, while the NAEP "is widely viewed as the most accurate and reliable yardstick of U.S. students’ academic knowledge ... when it comes to many of the ways the exam’s data are used, researchers have gotten used to gritting their teeth".

Sawchuck, Stephen. When Bad Things Happen to Good NAEP Data. (2013, July). Education Week. Retrieved from: http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2013/07/24/37naep.h32.html?utm_source=fb&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mrss

RSS Feed, Week 3

It is said that a major challenge of adolescence is surviving disillusionment without becoming cynical" (Phillips, 2013).  This article examines resources that teachers can use to work through this challenge.  Phillips also states that he believes, and I agree, that "the most important way to combat cynicism and help our children develop both integrity and a sense of empowerment is through modeling".  We should all be examples integrity to any students, mentees, and children that we come into contact with.  Great ideas and a great article.

Phillips, Mark. Teaching Integrity in an Age of Cynicism. (2013, July). EDUTOPIA. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/teaching-integrity-age-of-cynicism-mark-phillips

Week 3 - Flickr

Prior to this course, I had heard about Flickr. I have several friends who use Flickr, but I had never used it. After reading the chapter in the textbook about Flickr, I realized that there are many uses for this web resource. I really like the annotation tool that the book introduces.  It is extremely user friendly and didn't take me too long to figure out how to use.  I uploaded a family photo and put a bunch of notes on the photo, just to see how to use the function. Super easy to do!

The original photo is below, the link will send you to the Flickr image with annotation notes.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/97614171@N06/9192549211/

RSS Feed, Week 2, Part 2

After finishing the article about recommendations for a summer reading list, there was a suggestion on the side for this next article. In the author's own words, "if we decide to do summer learning at all, it should be fun, meaningful and engaging. You've spent a lot of time and energy this school year working on many accomplishments" (Dabs, 2012).  The first tip is to attend a free webinar. Given the subject of our current course, I was very interested in discovering another online resource.

Dabs, Lisa. Hip-Hip Hooray for Summer! Three Tips to Spark Your Learning. (2012, July). EDUCASE. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/summer-PD-3-tips-lisa-dabbs

RSS Feed Week 2

"Summer is the time when new teachers learn and when veteran teachers relax and then learn" (Vilson, 2013). This opening sentence made me chuckle.  The article following this humorous opening highlights some great books that fall into the categories of  leadership, race, or math as they relate to teaching. The books that are reviewed seem like really good reads.  The article also has hyperlinks for each book, if you want to purchase them from Amazon.  

Vilson, Jose. Book Recommendations for Awesome Teachers. (2013, June) EDUCASE. Retrieved from  http://www.edutopia.org/blog/book-recommendations-for-awesome-teachers-jose-vilson

RSS Feed Article

RSS Feed Article

I thought that this particular article was somewhat relevant to the subject that we are studying.  It has four tips to help those who are not experts at social media.  Through these tips, the author suggests that we should all "take some time to think about how you can use social media to support you, and what it can do to support your growth. After you test drive these tools, think about how they can support you in your classroom" (Dabs, 2013).  Part of the reason I am pursuing this degree is to understand all of the new tools that are available to both teachers and students.
 Dabs, Lisa. Social Media Savvy? Four Tips to Help You Get Started. (2013, June). EDUCASE. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/social-media-savvy-4-tips-lisa-dabbs

Creative Commons

Creative Commons

This article gives an overview of Creative Commons. It is a succinct article that is chock full of information about Creative Commons. The article is illuminating because it runs through how Creative Commons was developed, what purpose it serves, why it is important and where it is going.  Great article about a relatively new approach to sharing intellectual property. 

7 things you should know about Creative Commons. (2007, March). EDUCAUSE. Retrieved from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7023.pdf

New Class, New Blog

The start of a new class and the start of a new blog. Looking forward to both!