Mrs. Hayosh's Blog

Technology Blog - More web 2.0 Tools

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 13:00:00 +0000

I have learned so much new information in this class. I cannot wait to start using these skills with my students. I feel like the biggest change has come with knowing what a blog is and how easy a blog is to use. The blog that I have created allows me to communicate with parents in a whole new way. I love that through my blog parents and students have access to social bookmarks,podcasts, wikis, and RSS feeds. The blog is kind of like the gateway to Web 2.0.

I am excited to create a new blog for my class. To start off I will create one blog for all of my students to use. Maybe in the years to come I can have each child set up their own blog. This way we can publish the podcasts that they complete this year in one place. It will be an easy place for the students to look for websites that may be helpful to units we are studying.

I am really excited to give Web 2.0 blogs a try this year!

Technology Blog - New Literacies

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 02:05:00 +0000

Educators right now are being asked to prepare students to be productive in the 21st century. For many educators we do not know what this means. Before this class I was not exposed to many of the different Web 2.0 technologies. I think that one of the biggest challenges that we are having to face is ourselves, and our lack of knowledge. Technology seems to be where the biggest gap in learning is occurring.

As an educator I have to be willing to keep expanding my learning in order to keep up with what my students and their parents have a knowledge of. Curriculum continues to change, but I do not feel that the method that information is delivered to my students has really changed that greatly. This class has opened my mind to a whole new way of thinking about assignments and outcomes. Collaboration and active participation really is the heart of Web 2.0 and also what we are trying to achieve with students. How appropriate that now students can truly collaborate in a global classroom.

Technology Blog - Podcast

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 00:45:00 +0000

I had the most difficult time so far with this podcasting activity. I don't know if it is because I use a Mac or not. It was extremely time consuming. I was back and forth between my Mac and PC. The directions were pretty confusing. I think that I got a little confused because of the feedburner element. I never ended up using this piece. I ended up using Audactiy and LAME and exporting it to http://ourmedia.org using spinxpress. It seems like I was downloading and launching all different types softwares. After completing one podcast I feel like I may need a few more test runs before I use this with my students. I have created a personal blog that I will try them out on!

I see a great potential for using this with my students. I have them present different projects in front of the class. I am going to try having them create a podcast for one of the group presentations they complete this year. This will reach the following NETS-S:
1. Creativity and Innovation
2. Communication and Collaboration
5. Digital Citizenship
6.Technology Operations and Concepts.

Technology Blog- Photo Sharing

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:55:00 +0000

I have had so much fun exploring Flickr. I think of all the Web 2.0 technologies that I have used so far this one has been the easiest. I have had some prior experience with uploading photos to different online sources, but never Flickr. I am so happy that I've been introduced to it! I love all the possibilities.

I chose to upload a photo that I would like to use with my students. We do a unit on Monarch butterflies. This photo is a wonderful close up shot for my students to see. I did have some difficulty using "notes". I was not able to put a note on the photo on Mary Bennett's page. I would like to be able to have my students make notes on photographs that we could use as a diagram for the different parts of the Monarch.

This will help reach the NETS-S of Creativity and Innovation as well as Communication and Collaboration. This is one of the Web 2.0 tools that I know I can use with my second grade students!

Monarch Butterfly,
originally uploaded by _PaulS_.

Technology Blog - Social Bookmarking

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 02:08:00 +0000

Social bookmarking has been the hardest concept for me to grasp so far. I had to re-read Will Richardosn's chapter to fully understand exactly what it is. I now understand that social bookmarking is an online bookmarking service where I can categorize the websites that I visit. I can have access to these sites on any computer through my del.icio.us site. Now that I understand how social bookmarks work I am excited to use them with my colleagues at work. There are numerous emails that are sent between my colleagues and I recommending different sites. Now, with del.icio.us, have the ability to bookmark sites that I find beneficial. We can also tab the sites with common terminology so that when we search for the site it can quickly be found.

There are 2 NETS-S that are being met with social bookmarking: the first is Communication and Collaboration and the second is Research and Information Fluency.

Technology Blog - RSS

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:34:00 +0000

I love being organized, and RSS is a wonderful way to organize the way I receive information online. Instead of me taking the time to search out new information it is directly delivered to me using a Bloglines feed reader. It was so easy to do. I am amazed at the ease of using the different Web 2.0 technologies.

I would use the RSS technology in my classroom to help students gather information on a research project that they must complete. The research project is on an endangered animal. Because my students are so young I would add feeds to my blog and then allow them to search for the information through the feeds I have set up. This is such an easy way to have information delivered directly to you. This would address the NETS-S standard of Research and Information fluency.

Technology Blog - Wikis

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 01:02:00 +0000

I have just finished creating my first ever wiki. I found it a bit more difficult than the blog. I had a very hard time trying to think of a topic to edit on Wikipedia. It was a bit overwhelming to think that I was publishing on a topic instead of just my own thoughts. PBwiki was user friendly.

I am starting to think that my wiki will be more beneficial to use with my colleagues than with my students. I work in a large district and lately everything is about parity and equity between buildings. I think that a wiki is a great way for everyone to be able to list supplies and supplemental supplies that are used in every building. The wiki I created was to be used in my grade level to see what supplies we ask to be donated at the beginning of the school year.

In my classroom I think I would have students list different websites that they have used to do research for their "Famous Person Report". This would help reach the NETS-S standard of research and information fluency, as well as technology operations and concepts.

Here is the wiki I created
http://mrshayosh.pbwiki.com

TEC 950 Technology Blog Assignment

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 02:10:00 +0000

I have started with very little knowledge of what a blog actually is. I am amazed at how many blogs are out there in cyberspace. I am actually feeling a little silly about the lack of knowledge I have had. Through this course I have seen many blogs and now I can't believe that I am actually publishing something on the web!

I am having a difficult time trying to figure out how I can use this blog with my students because they are in second grade. I am thinking that I will use this for their parents as a resource for assignments, publishing work, as well as other general communication.

I think that one of the greatest challenges that a teacher has with using blogs with their students is parental and administrative support. This is a relatively new technology and with that comes lots of questions. I think that the biggest fear is of a child's safety.

I would use this blog with my second graders as my "room enhancer" for the beginning of the year. A "room enhancer" is a get to know you activity that we all share. I would use this blog to show my students a little about technology. This would also help me explain to the students that their parents and I work together. This would also allow me the chance to explain that throughout the year I will be helping them to publish their work to my blog for everyone to see. This would meet the NETS-S communication and collaboration standard.