We decided to choose the 2.0 tool YackPack. YackPack is an online voice communication tool that can be used by both teachers and students. YackPack has many strengths including a very informational website that lists many ideas for classroom use. Some of these ideas include: grading student work and giving verbal feedback; collaborating with other classrooms; answering students’ questions verbally; and assigning oral practice for foreign languages. YackPack enhances traditional classroom by using the expressiveness of voice in a virtual learning environment. Being that it is a web 2.0 tool, students and teachers can access the free site anywhere, anytime. YackPack is a safe and private tool where only those you invite can access your messages. You can also belong to several groups at one time and YackPack automatically stores your voice messages. Before YackPack sends your voice message, you are able to listen to it and rerecord if necessary. YackPack can be used asynchronously so users do not have to be online at the same time to receive messages. There are, however, some weaknesses to the site. At this time they are experiencing some technical difficulties so the site is not running properly. We were unable to create our own YackPack to explore exactly how it works but current users are still able to fully access their YackPack account.
YackPack is user friendly and easy to learn for all ages. On the homepage, there is an informational video that walks you through how to use the tool. To send a message you simply click on the members of your pack that you want to receive the message, record, and send. It’s that easy! All members upload a picture of themselves when they create an account; this picture shows up in your pack. When you receive a message, the box around the sender’s picture lights up green informing you of your new message.
YackPack can be used in the classroom for many educational purposes. Each student can easily create an account and the teacher can invite all students to the classroom pack. Once in the private pack, the teacher and students can communicate. Students can ask and answer each others questions or discuss the topic of the teacher’s choice. The teacher can also verbally answer students’ questions or give verbal explanations of math, science, etc. problems. Students can also create a verbal blog to communicate their thoughts and opinions about a certain topic. Teachers can invite other classrooms to a separate pack to collaborate. Teachers and students can give verbal feedback on assignments as well as encouragement; parents can also access the account to view feedback. YackPack can also be used for distance education. The educational uses of YackPack is not limited to the ideas above.
To work on this assignment, we collaborated the old fashion way. We both sat with our laptops and searched for a useful online web 2.0 tool. We found one that we both liked and continued to critique it together. One of us typed while the other had the web 2.0 tool open for exploration. By collaborating we were able to navigate the website easily because we both noticed and observed different parts or links on the page. Because we worked together and at the same time, we did not use the internet to collaborate but definitely could have.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
When should students collaborate and when should they work alone?
There is a time and place for working collaboratively and individually. Students can work together for any lesson, any project, any experiment, etc. It is up to the teacher to determine what is best for that specific situation. Teachers can have students start working individually and then switch to group work to collaborate ideas or they could work as a group and split up individually. There are also times when students will complete an entire task either collaboratively or individually. Important aspects to consider while planning are assessment and the goal of the lesson. It is difficult to assess the individuals’ understanding of the concept when they work collaboratively as well as how the individual can apply the knowledge being taught. If the goal of the lesson is for the individual student to apply a skill it may be best to have students work independently; however, if the goal of the lesson is for students to gain understanding of a more general topic then group work may be more appropriate. Both collaboration and individual work are useful and beneficial in the classroom but there is a time and place for both.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
About Me
My name is Jill Cronbaugh. I am a senior in Elementary Education at Iowa State University. I am also working to get my minor in Educational Computing. I will be student teaching in the spring in two locations that are yet to be determined.
My philosophy as an educator is to provide a positive atmosphere and high expectations for all students in my classroom. All students have varying ways of learning and each of their needs should be met to the best of the teacher's ability. By differentiating lessons the teacher can adjust for the needs of each student. Students should be given opportunities to construct their own knowledge and build on the knowledge they already have. I want to encourage my students to do well in school and inspire them to enjoy learning.
My expectations for my students will be to work hard to obtain the goals that have been set by them and me. They should have a desire to learn and a willingness to collaborate with their classmates, as well as work individually. I expect students to put forth an effort for every task given to them.
The role of technology in my classroom is to provide additional resources and opportunities for students to learn. Technology can be used for many purposes and will be integrated into the classroom for both student and teacher use. I see technology being used for many lessons and will be integrated following the Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge framework. I believe technology can be integrated into any content area and for any age level.
One of the biggest challenges I see facing K-12 education in the next five years is meeting the needs of English Language Learners. They are responsible for learning the content in the classroom while also learning the English language. With the difficulty of this task they often receive low grades and are then judged to have a lower ability level. Their needs must be met by providing additional support while still keeping them in their usual classroom as much as possible. We must focus on literacy skills to help students do well in all subjects and build on their strengths to encourage them to continue to work hard in the classroom.
The biggest challenge I see affecting my effectiveness as an educator is classroom management. Classroom management is a skill that is hard to teach and takes experience to learn. There is no class offered at ISU that is specific to learning classroom management skills. I want my classroom to be one that flows well and where the students know their responsibilities as a member of the class. There are many little tips I have learned throughout the years, but I feel as though it will be difficult to implement them in a way that the students know what is expected of them.
My philosophy as an educator is to provide a positive atmosphere and high expectations for all students in my classroom. All students have varying ways of learning and each of their needs should be met to the best of the teacher's ability. By differentiating lessons the teacher can adjust for the needs of each student. Students should be given opportunities to construct their own knowledge and build on the knowledge they already have. I want to encourage my students to do well in school and inspire them to enjoy learning.
My expectations for my students will be to work hard to obtain the goals that have been set by them and me. They should have a desire to learn and a willingness to collaborate with their classmates, as well as work individually. I expect students to put forth an effort for every task given to them.
The role of technology in my classroom is to provide additional resources and opportunities for students to learn. Technology can be used for many purposes and will be integrated into the classroom for both student and teacher use. I see technology being used for many lessons and will be integrated following the Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge framework. I believe technology can be integrated into any content area and for any age level.
One of the biggest challenges I see facing K-12 education in the next five years is meeting the needs of English Language Learners. They are responsible for learning the content in the classroom while also learning the English language. With the difficulty of this task they often receive low grades and are then judged to have a lower ability level. Their needs must be met by providing additional support while still keeping them in their usual classroom as much as possible. We must focus on literacy skills to help students do well in all subjects and build on their strengths to encourage them to continue to work hard in the classroom.
The biggest challenge I see affecting my effectiveness as an educator is classroom management. Classroom management is a skill that is hard to teach and takes experience to learn. There is no class offered at ISU that is specific to learning classroom management skills. I want my classroom to be one that flows well and where the students know their responsibilities as a member of the class. There are many little tips I have learned throughout the years, but I feel as though it will be difficult to implement them in a way that the students know what is expected of them.
Project-based Learning
Project-based Learning: Effective and Engaging
Students in today’s classroom need the opportunity to construct their own knowledge with meaningful learning experiences. With the free Web 2.0 tools available for use, teachers can now easily develop lessons to engage students in project-based learning activities. According to Web 2.0: New Tools, New Technologies, project-based learning involves “allowing students to use inquiry-based methods to engage with issues and questions that are rich, real, and relevant to their lives.” These are the exciting lessons students will remember for years to come.
There are many benefits to project-based learning. What Works in Public Education states that, “By bringing real-life context and technology to the curriculum through a PBL approach, students are encouraged to become independent workers, critical thinkers, and lifelong learners.” These lessons challenge students to go beyond traditional school experiences and to work together with their classmates to research real-world situations.
Another important topic educators often look for in their lessons is the use of higher order thinking skills. According to Cengage Learing Online Study Center, “project-based instruction enhances the quality of learning and leads to higher-level cognitive development through students' engagement with complex, novel problems.”
With the online tools that are available in today’s schools, project-based learning is easier than ever to implement into the classroom. Many content areas can be integrated into a project-based lesson. These types of projects also encourage students to develop 21st century skills and collaborate with diverse groups of students. Challenge your students. Motivate your students. Include project-based learning in your classroom.
Web 2.0: New Tools, New Technology
What Works in Public Education
http://www.edutopia.org/teaching-module-pbl-why
Cengage Learning Online Study Center
http://college.cengage.com/education/resources/res_project/students/c2007/background.html
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