This week I have really tried to immerse as much technology into my teaching as much as possible. I feel as the more I utilize and expose kids to various activities the more routine using technology will become. I found some great interactive websites created for friendly letter writing and used it with my kids. Let me tell you these sites engaged my kids and kept them interested in the topic. It was exciting to see all the hands up to try and answer questions. Here are a few of the sites I used with my kids.
edujourney.net/Classroom/PowerPoint/FriendlyLetter.ppt
http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/letter_generator/
http://www.billybear4kids.com/post/office.htm
http://pbskids.org/arthur/games/ecards/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/english/writing/letters/play.shtml
After reading the articles regarding social networking sites I have mixed reviews about using such sites. Teachers need to be responsible in insuring that there is an educational purpose and goal in regards to the way that students are using these social networking sites. If these goals or expectations are not conveyed then yes there will be issues of misuse. I feel if teachers are educating students about the dangers of the internet such as sexual predators and teach students about technology etiquette and anti-bullying (trolling) then social networking can be an effective educational tool for increasing student achievement, can provide a link to the community/world, and can increase student engagement.
Also, a how do I create a wiki page to use with my students/staff to access sites I find to use.
Hope that's not a silly question.
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That's the essence of Constructivist learning approach, classrooms are learner centered where learners take active roles to participate in the creation of learning materials and curriculum. A social networking website makes it possible to build a learning community where participation and collaboration are encouraged. The only issue is whether we can provide a secure environment, especially for younger learners. In this perspective, Ning is a good tool.
ReplyDeleteI can help you with how to create a Wiki --- maybe after class? It will only take a minute. I use Wikispaces.
ReplyDeleteAs you started your blog, really all you are saying it TPACK. You are logically thinking about (now just naturally) how all these work together. Thanks for sharing the sites - I hope others access them! When we get to writing/keyboarding -maybe you'll remember to share with class?