How can I start this? I absolutely love Google and once I was shown how to create a Google website, there was no stopping me! I love to play around and create. I guess you could call it my 'scrap booking'-a hobby. They say a hobby is something you do in your spare time, something you do for fun. They also say you should lover your job and do something you love to do. So what's the difference? I have found a way to use my hobby in my career. I have two examples of using Google Sites as a teacher.
First off, I've seen first hand how to create a site from a teacher's point of view. As I continue my work-study with Doc Waters, we create and collaborate with Google Sites. She and I have created three separate sites, one for each course she teaches. It's been amazing to brainstorm and deliberate the many ways of creating a course website. I love the idea of everything living online. Nothing ever gets lost! When you use it in conjunction with Google Docs you can't go wrong. You create in Google Docs, email in Gmail, display on Google Sites, share in Blogger and the list keeps going. Now that I've learned all this and actually created a course website, doing it in my classroom seems obvious.
This brings us to my second example. http://sites.google.com/site/projectclassroom/
This is the site I've all ready created for my English class at my old high school, Pine View. Although the information will change and I'll have a much better grasp of what I'm doing once graduated, this is a great start and a solid base to build from.
Now my classroom has entered the home of my students. They are able to retrieve information and their parents have everything at their fingertips (I hate cliches but seeing as nothing else comes to me at the moment). Parents of students like my brother, can have all the information their child forgets to mention, all of the actual times and dates of school functions, the where's and when's of my classroom. My colleagues have access to my information when I'm not there. They are able to add, critique, and give insight. This also allows me to spend more time with family. The fact that I don't have to live in my classroom while completing lesson plans or grading. I can take it with me, not that I encourage taking work home with you, however if it means more time for children and vacation--well you be the one to decide--to each his own.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
#2 Google Tools
Ha, right, blogging, right.
I absolutely love Google! Everything Google has to offer I love! I found out about Google Tools last semester and can't be separated from them now-it's kinda like an addiction-which scares me just a little, but I like it.
Google Calendar is my lifeline! I am an organizing freak! And G-Cal allows me to organize, color-coordinate, share, schedule, describe, view, alert, and embed! What else could I possibly need? In a classroom setting it is unmatched! Create a website, embed the calendar and BAM! Parents and students have all assignment, parent-teacher meetings, dances, club meetings, assemblies, you name anywhere!
I don't know how Google Docs was kept a secret from me but man oh man it ain't no more! Hallelujah, praise the Lord! This has been a lifesaver and could have been helpful a few years ago (like at birth). I can't even begin to describe the uses in a classroom-my fingers cannot type as fast as my brain is thinking of ideas. Group projects, different computer, different software, on vacation, no money for over-priced software, the list goes on!
iGoogle is nice because all of your Google Tools live in one place. Well they do as well if you're logged into your Gmail account, but this gives you a nice little "home" where everything can live-as well as being able to add your own gadgets for fun! Weather, quotes, dictionary, National Geographic pix, crosswords, how-to articles, etc.
As for the videos! Woohoo! Finally someone who can explain math to me! Well at least I can get started on my fraction homework. Mr. Duey rocks! Thanks so much for sharing-in a fun way, because math just isn't the brightest spot in my day. Videos are so essential for young learners. Lets face it, they'd rather watch TV than do anything! Even though it's about something they aren't interested in learning-they'll probably pay more attention than if they had to listen to their teacher drone on about it like everything else.
I absolutely love Google! Everything Google has to offer I love! I found out about Google Tools last semester and can't be separated from them now-it's kinda like an addiction-which scares me just a little, but I like it.
Google Calendar is my lifeline! I am an organizing freak! And G-Cal allows me to organize, color-coordinate, share, schedule, describe, view, alert, and embed! What else could I possibly need? In a classroom setting it is unmatched! Create a website, embed the calendar and BAM! Parents and students have all assignment, parent-teacher meetings, dances, club meetings, assemblies, you name anywhere!
I don't know how Google Docs was kept a secret from me but man oh man it ain't no more! Hallelujah, praise the Lord! This has been a lifesaver and could have been helpful a few years ago (like at birth). I can't even begin to describe the uses in a classroom-my fingers cannot type as fast as my brain is thinking of ideas. Group projects, different computer, different software, on vacation, no money for over-priced software, the list goes on!
iGoogle is nice because all of your Google Tools live in one place. Well they do as well if you're logged into your Gmail account, but this gives you a nice little "home" where everything can live-as well as being able to add your own gadgets for fun! Weather, quotes, dictionary, National Geographic pix, crosswords, how-to articles, etc.
As for the videos! Woohoo! Finally someone who can explain math to me! Well at least I can get started on my fraction homework. Mr. Duey rocks! Thanks so much for sharing-in a fun way, because math just isn't the brightest spot in my day. Videos are so essential for young learners. Lets face it, they'd rather watch TV than do anything! Even though it's about something they aren't interested in learning-they'll probably pay more attention than if they had to listen to their teacher drone on about it like everything else.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
#1 Ideal Classroom
Let's put this blog post's setting as 'in a perfect world', then I won't have to say it every time I make a ridiculous statement about having the perfect class, with tons of money, parents that are involved and district that listens to teachers.
So in a perfect world I would be teaching 6th grade. I remember having such a fun time in 6th grade myself and I suppose it was because I was still young enough to enjoy the simple things life has to offer, but old enough to care about learning and growing. And I loved what we learned about that year. No, I couldn't tell you what was covered in math, but I know we did ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, and of course Rome. We read some fun books and did a fun unit on ships.
My Mom teaches 7th grade and use to have the little theater as her classroom, for a long time I thought that would be a great place to teach, but the more I thought about it, it only worked for her because she was teaching one subject. In 6th grade you can't do that so I typical classroom would probably be best.
I would like individual desks because I love to re-arrange! I hate having the same-old, same-old. I like to mix it up and I think it's good for students to move around, meet new people and just view class from a new perspective.
As for the technology aspect, would it be nice to have it all? But of course that can't be. So I would like to have a projector and drop-down screen. Also I would love to have a desktop computer and a laptop, but a laptop will do. This way I can have my lesson plans, outlines and whatnot online and display for all to see. This will help to keep me organized and I can make changes as I need to without wasting paper. Everything can live online or on my computer-I really like that!
I like to have the class feel like a conversation, every one contributes everyone hears. I want the students to feel like there is open communication between each other and with me. This will be hard to achieve without the students keeping a respect for me and their classmates. However, if it ca be achieved it wil be one of the best things learned.
I want the students to walk away with a better understanding of the core curriculum of course, but also with a stronger sense of who they are. I want them to be ready for 7th grade academically as well as emotionally. I know it is a crutial growing time for students and life gets crazy. I want them to leave my class with a good taste in their mouths. I want school to be a positive experience because it is such an important thing in their futures. At the least, my class will be a good thing in their lives and hopefully they will remember that.
So in a perfect world I would be teaching 6th grade. I remember having such a fun time in 6th grade myself and I suppose it was because I was still young enough to enjoy the simple things life has to offer, but old enough to care about learning and growing. And I loved what we learned about that year. No, I couldn't tell you what was covered in math, but I know we did ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, and of course Rome. We read some fun books and did a fun unit on ships.
My Mom teaches 7th grade and use to have the little theater as her classroom, for a long time I thought that would be a great place to teach, but the more I thought about it, it only worked for her because she was teaching one subject. In 6th grade you can't do that so I typical classroom would probably be best.
I would like individual desks because I love to re-arrange! I hate having the same-old, same-old. I like to mix it up and I think it's good for students to move around, meet new people and just view class from a new perspective.
As for the technology aspect, would it be nice to have it all? But of course that can't be. So I would like to have a projector and drop-down screen. Also I would love to have a desktop computer and a laptop, but a laptop will do. This way I can have my lesson plans, outlines and whatnot online and display for all to see. This will help to keep me organized and I can make changes as I need to without wasting paper. Everything can live online or on my computer-I really like that!
I like to have the class feel like a conversation, every one contributes everyone hears. I want the students to feel like there is open communication between each other and with me. This will be hard to achieve without the students keeping a respect for me and their classmates. However, if it ca be achieved it wil be one of the best things learned.
I want the students to walk away with a better understanding of the core curriculum of course, but also with a stronger sense of who they are. I want them to be ready for 7th grade academically as well as emotionally. I know it is a crutial growing time for students and life gets crazy. I want them to leave my class with a good taste in their mouths. I want school to be a positive experience because it is such an important thing in their futures. At the least, my class will be a good thing in their lives and hopefully they will remember that.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)