23 Things. Complete

My favorite learning exercises in this course were the exploration of the tools we can use to integrate into our blogs, wikis and moodles. They are also tools we can introduce to our students, so they can use them on their projects, or presentations as well.

This program has given me the opportunity to see what it is like to join the online dialogue about education, technology, and how rapidly ideas are given, shared, and implemented. This will help me grow in my profession, and keep up with what I can do for my students, and with my students in using technology.

Overall, there were not too many surprises, just a whole selection of how I can use these tools with my teaching, and professional development. I appreciate this since I am constantly searching for ways to improve upon. I would not recommend any other improvements for this course. It is organized, and flows well.

If there was another discovery program like this in the future, I would likely participate in it.

I will use the tools I have learned to improve my teaching, and help bring my students online in mathematics, and their education. If they can learn to use cyberspace to understand concepts, and share their ideas, I think it will be rewarding for them. I plan to go back, and examine the tools I can implement right away for them to use.

I like the RSS feed to keep up with bloggers, and new ideas that I can use. It will not be difficult to follow, as I have been glancing at it every other day or so. There is so much information, but with practice, weeding it out is not too difficult.

Thing # 23 Educator’s Networks Ning

My overall impression of the Ning network is that it is a good idea, and a very good resource to obtain and share ideas. One can begin or join another network with other educators, and may also begin one on his or her own. This is a very good way to network ideas with other people of the same subject area, and teaching level.

I found resources in the area of high school educators, and mathematics useful, and valuable. Each discussion offers a resource in the postings. There was one resource on video lessons about math, another on accessing resources from someone’s wiki, etc. It is a good place to go to find resources, and ideas.

In looking at these educational social networks, I think we have access to one in our district, and I plan to use it this year with my students. Moodle is the tool I am referring to. It is a good site to have students share their ideas, make journal entries and take quizzes. It is a little more controlled than a social networking site, in that I facilitate what we do with it, but it is still an area where ideas are shared, and resources may be found.

Thing # 22 – Facebook, social networking

It is important for educators to know how social networking operates due to relating with their students. Our students use social networking countless times a day, and this has impact on their lives. If we can incorporate these networks into our lessons, and connect them with our subjects, students will feel engaged.

I have been using facebook since it started when I was in college. The site is a time consumer, as it is basically a personal blogging site with all the whistles added on. It also enables information to be given at lightening speed, which can affect student’s lives. We need to be aware of this, and understand the source of cyberspace, and where it is originating.

I like facebook because you can stay connected with people you normally would not talk to. I am friends with people I knew in elementary school, and keep up with them through the site. I also keep tabs with people I went to college with, and my family. The reason I don’t like facebook because it consumes time when face-to-face conversations are much more valuable. It seems to degrade our methods of communicating. It is also a place where people may gain information that you would not wish for people you not close with to see, which is why the privacy filters are appreciated. I am on facebook, but have a hidden profile to those who do not have any connection with me. I am not very fond of the social network, so I appreciate the privacy.

LinkedIn has the most useful features in networking with people on a professional level. It is easy to find co-workers, and see who they know, put your resume online, so people can give, or request advice from you. Then you can find other people who know others in your professional field, and possibly some who aren’t, but relate to what you do.

This link connects to my profile for LinkedIn.

The only educational application I can see is a pursuit of professional development using LinkIn, and staying connected with colleagues, and staff members on facebook.

Thing 7b – Math Reasoning and Practice Patient Problem Solving

http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2010/07/08/phenomenal-math-curriculum-makeover-video-by-dan-meyer/

In this entry, our author has identified a teacher who examines the way we teach mathematics, and why students are not learning the concepts. Dan Meyer compares our textbooks that students use to sitcom shows like Two and a half men. He claims since students are so used to being entertained with three-minute commercials, and seven minute runs that they do not pay enough attention to learn what he’s teaching. I think this is very true.

Dan Meyer lists five symptoms that students have that demonstrates this need for instant gratification:

Lack of initiative
Lack of perseverance
Aversion to word problems
Extremely low retention
Eagerness for formulas

All of these are forces students bring with them to combat their own learning. Math requires two very important concepts to understand and learn the standards and objectives. In math it is about math reasoning, and patient problem solving. Meyer’s points out that this can be achieved through breaking apart the word problems into separate pieces. Then the math may serve the conversation, since the conversation does not serve the math. He suggests we give each problem to the students with a visual, and a question. Let them figure out the structure, and steps to answer the question. He forces them to think about what they need, instead of giving them all the information needed to solve the problem, which is not reality.

He also uses multimedia in his lessons to present a real situation for students. This allows them the real world-view, and gives them another perspective to see.

I found this presentation very interesting, and enjoyed the way Meyers presented his idea of pin pointing math reasoning, and patient problem solving to improve and combat all the experiences, and behaviors that students come into class with.

Thing 21 – Google Tools

I looked at igoogle, and the picasa google tools, and I find both nice to keep information organized. Picasa is a nice place to store photo albums, and organize pictures, as well as edit them. It would be good to use for providing students with a library of organized pictures through creative commons, so they would not have to worry about copyright. I could also find pictures that suit what they would need to learn.

Here is a link to one of the albums I created on Picasa Web Albums.

The igoogle tool is neat, because I can keep track of what I need in the weather, the news, daily comics, and puzzles, etc. This would be a good tool to get small engaging pieces from to use with students.

In examining the tools, I can see sharing the calendar with colleagues, and students, letting them know when assignments, and projects are due a head of time. These are a few topics I came up with from the google tools, what other suggestions do you have for using these applications?

Thing 20 – Google Docs

I have had experience with google docs before in my college courses. I used a spreadsheet with one of my classes. We had to contribute ideas to everyday about any idea or fact we found interesting. There were columns to fill in our names, and then contribute our fact, and where it came from. Our professor was able to track our progress through visiting the spreadsheet often.


I could use this to see what students know before we begin a unit by having them fill out a KWL chart on a spreadsheet or word document. I could also use it to create a class presentation, with each pair working on one concept, being responsible to teach it through two or three slides only. Then, his or her class can see the full presentation of the lesson through everyone’s slides put together.

Thing 19 – Voice Thread

This application is really neat. It enables one to have an online classroom, and enter in to discussion with teachers, and students. You can also see all the different points of view that are being added to each picture, or interaction.

For math, students can look at one problem in a group, and each can show a different way to solve a problem. They can also talk about what implications that has. There is always more than one way to solve a problem. With the solving of these problems, instead of presenting once in class, they would be saved, and other student groups could view them, add to them, and reflect on what their peers are seeing, and what they are seeing.

Another idea for voicethreads is to have students make a lesson teaching elementary students how to add, subtract, multiply or divide. This way they can have a better understanding and grasp on the fundamentals of math.

You can also use voiceThread to collaborate with colleagues in adding to lessons, and planning ideas, offering ideas on professional developments, and further growth in teaching. When we collaborate, we learn more from one another, and integrate ideas to make our lessons, and teaching stronger.

Voicethread is pretty neat, and I will find a way to implement it for my students.