Reflections 7/06 Tom Hanninen

• What are your thoughts about private vs public blogs?
  

I have reservations about blogs and I'm not entirely sure why. It seems like so many people are writing blogs so how can people also have the time to be reading them also. If you are writing a worthwhile blog then it should be public. The purpose of a blog is to express a thought and have people comment on the thought. If it's a private blog then that seems to be more of an essay as opposed to a discussion. I can see where a private blog could be used for a classroom to limit the number of people reading and commenting to ensure some sort of control.

• What about student blogs?
  

Student blogs can be useful if they are taught how to blog responsibly and if it is monitored by the parents and teachers. Students need avenues to express themselves and blogging could be an avenue for a creative or shy student to express thoughts and opinions.

• What ideas do you have about blogs for students?

SInce we spend a considerable amount of time doing lab work students could use a blog to collaborate about there findings or to state conclusions and analysis. Peers could then comment on their findings and offer suggestions for further study

• What concerns do you have about blogging with students?

As we talked about in class, my biggest concern would be inappropriate content expressed by students. People have a tendency of being meaner on the web than the do in person. I know a number of people think the student's identity should be unknown but I think their identities should be known to prevent some of that inappropriate content.

I would like to wade through the hundreds of web 2.0 tools and find a few to use this year with my students in grades 3-8. I have used several tools already, but have not done any collaboration. I only have students one day per week, so projects need to be relatively simple. Would like to do either a group project or an activity involving communications with students from another location.

I am also interested in students' use of Google Apps.

I would like to...

I would like to gain a working knowledge of new techniques to use in the classroom that really engage students. I sometimes fall into the trap of using technology just to use it. I would like those lessons that incorporate technology to do so in a way that engages and improves the learning experience for all  students.

What I expect to get out of this class? I expect to gain ways to inform my students and other staff members about they could used soical networking sites as a learning tool.

Stacy - Goals

I would like to walk away from the class with lessons ready to implement this fall. I would also like to focus on how to use the technology to improve student learning rather that for the sake of using technology.

I am also interested in specific ideas of how to foster collaboration through discussion boards, tweeter, and other similar tools.

Goals

I would like to be able to use technology to teach chemistry more effectively.

When the class is over

The more familiarity with internet functionality, the better. Prior to class I would have held out an example an "RSS feed" (or is it "RRS"?) which we have started to cover.

1. I'm hoping the tools will make me more efficient.

2. In addition to efficiency, the more creative tools to which I am exposed, the better. I would like to be able to use the creative tools in papers I write and powerpoints I create.