After careful consideration of what I would like my multimedia project to be focused on, I decided to join two Thinkfinity groups to further develop my own “collectivism skills”( Walker, Jameson, & Ryan, 2010 p.214) I find discussing and sharing my educational experiences with strangers a bit daunting, so I am sure students would feel the same. If we have a common apprehension, I hope to guide them through the initial nervousness. My project will bring more multimedia use into the classroom so I want groups that can support me in terms of developing technologically, not necessarily the content focus.
My first
selection was Online Tools for Educators.
This Thinkfinity group commented about Flubaroo, an online test generator. This would work perfectly with my News Gurus,
an group of students that love the news and take news quizzes every week about
the major headlines. Every Friday morning
I scramble around to find 25 students, all in different homerooms in order to
give them the test. Monday is similar, a
scramble to collect the quizzes. This can
stop the scramble and encourage more personal responsibility at the same time.
One excellent way to use technology to address one of my concerns,
extracurricular clubs clubs.
Integrating
Technology into K-12 was the second community to snag my attention with a blog
about blogging or more specifically asking how people integrated blogging and
other social media into their classroom.
Within the project I am plan to integrate a Social Studies Journal blog
where students will answer the big questions for the unit like “How does where
you live influence how you live?’ or “What causes change?” As well as fun
questions to get them thinking, such as “What would be a good Facebook status
line for (insert historical figure’s name)?”
Scrolling through the comments in response to the question I was able to
find many ideas for implementation.
I will also
use my favorite blog: historytech.wordpress.com. I stumbled upon this one day
and have faithfully read the blogs weekly ever since. This blog site focuses on history and
technology integration, as the name implies.
The newest apps, web 2.0 tools, 21st Century Skills and
Common Core implementation skills and books are put to the test in this blog. With
so many new and creative tools available to the public, it is such a time saver
to have someone with similar goals as myself filtering out the best, most effective ideas
to enhance instruction.
This is my
jumping off point. It is heavy in
instruction and content, and I may join more communities in relation to visual
art or design as I move forward with my project. The 21st
Century Skills, Education & Competitiveness: A Resource and Policy Guide mentions
“cross-border perspectives and solutions” as a modern offering of success and
thus I feel I may find exactly what I need in the least likely place. (p.7) Similar to the idea mentioned by Hodell
(2011) I will continue to look through the Thinkfinity communities to see what
other ideas or partnerships I can form that will add to my project’s success
and assist me in creating something bigger with community support than I could
on my own. (p.22)
Hodell, Chuck (2011). Chapter 3: Instructional systems
development and the ADDIE model. In ISD
From the Ground Up: A No-Nonsense Approach to Instructional Design (3rd
ed.). American Society for Training and Development: Alexandria, VA.
Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (2010). 21st
Century Skills, Education & Competitiveness: A Resource ad Policy Guide, p.
7.
Walker, S., Jameson, J., & Ryan, M. (2010). Skills and
strategies for e-learning in a participatory culture. In R. Sharpe, H. Beetham, & S. de Freitas
(Eds.), Rethinking Learning for a Digital
Age: How Learners Are Shaping Their Own Experiences (p. 214). Routledge: New
York, NY
Hi Brandi,
ReplyDeleteI think it's great that you're focusing a conscious effort on how your students might feel about sharing their thoughts and experiences with others, especially given your own hesitance to do so.
I'm glad to see that in addition to two Thinkfinity community groups, you'll be utilizing one of your favorite blogs to guide your practice. While it isn't a traditional "community of practice" because the thoughts on the blog are being expressed by one individual (Glenn), I believe that the (teacher) readers who comment on his posts are likely to drum up some discussion about the pros and cons of whatever subject Glenn's addressed in any given blog entry.
It sounds like you have been reflecting on your MMP proposal ideas based on how you describe the reasons for selecting the communities that you've chosen. I look forward to reading about how these community groups will affect the development of your MMP.
On a final note, thank you for taking the time to quote and properly cite the readings -- these efforts did not go unnoticed :)
Nicely done!
Prof H
Hi Brandi! Online Tools for Educators and Integrating Technology Into K-12 seem like two great communities. I decided to join iPad and Project Based Learning, but I may go back and join these as well. I'm glad you decided to join a content based group also. My goals focus on incorporating the technology into my classes as well, but sometimes it is easiest to get ideas from teachers who teach the same subject as you. Often times I come across great ideas that are better suited for an English class and hard to incorporate into a math class. Best of luck on your MMP!!!
ReplyDeleteBrandi
ReplyDeleteI like the two communities that you selected because I'm sure that they will provide good ideas for online learning. The history site that you suggested also seems to be a good source. Since I'm a history teacher, I am also interested in the site. I can see your reservations about student participation on such a web site. I hope that once they get started they will embrace a learning experience. I will keep you posted on my progress. Good luck with yours!