Lesson 12 Reflection 3

One thing I feel that I want to do is to incorporate video clips wherever possible. If I organize them using del.icio.us will i be able to open it at school? I know that Lori mentioned that del.icio.us is not good for students because you never knowwhat might pop up at the login. I really need organization to keep track of all the online availability.

I would like to create podcasts, but do not feel comfortable enough in the procedure, so I am hoping there will be another opportunity for the Summer Tech Camp materials. Podcasts of lessons would really be great for absent students wo are out sick, leaving for a vacation during school, or for extending learning.

Lesson 11 School 2.0

What strikes me the most is that everyone is on the same page. Everyone is doing the technology. It is hopefully like fast forward to our current students as parents. There is not a part of the picture which is disconnected from technology, as it is in real life.It is often hard to move forward, when someone insists that they have rights and that the information must be presented the same way it always has because they "don't do computers". In the School 2.0, every classroom is moving forward and using technology, not several classrooms using an "old way of doing it" surrounding the one trying to use technology.

I would definitely keep the Technologists to be the translators and bring others to the conversation. I see them in School 2.0 in "I can help you set up your blog", "I'll set this up for your special ed students", "Thanks for the mentorship podcast", "Now I know how to use the parent portal". Unfortunately there are not enough technologists to be able to actually create our lessons and meet our every need. It would be nice to be able to say, "I need a blog, would you create it for me and then I will use it?" I hope colleges can make changes faster than what I see happening with technology, or we will be behind if teachers don't enter with technology skills. It takes me 10 times longer to learn it now, than if I had earlier. So, hooray for people like Lori, and I'll keep trying.

What I would change is the sitting perspective to the community. Except for the playground, it is all from a sitting perspective. Every computer is next to a chair; they listen to the speaker from a chair. The great benefits that technology can bring to the world, will "sit" next to a host of health problems (back problems, obesity, tendonitis, heart problems) if mobility is not common place in the use of technology.

Another thing I would change is the addition of a cafeteria that dishes up food tailored to your personal nutritional needs, activity level, and health status. We could also add virtual doctors, grocery stores, banks ets, but then I guess it would no longer be School 2.0 but Community 2.0.

Lesson 10

It would be impossible for me to not to agree with Dr. Zhao. The fact that I am attempting this course and listening here is my acknowledgement that I need to embrase the technology that students are learning and incorporate it into my lessons. I took a class back in college on games and simulations, but the games of today have a different challenge for use. It used to be I could create my own games ( paper craft style) to reinforce concepts, but with online games, I am at the mercy of search engines and others creativity.
I noted his idea of what can teachers do versus what can computers do. Hopefully we will reach the harmony of a relationship.
I loved the YouTube. Podcasting to reach students holds interest for me due to the mobility it allows. I want to teach not only info, but lifelong healthy habits, and that means incorporating physical movement. I don't text message, maybe I need to learn that too in order to see the possibilities.

Lesson 9 Collaboration Project

Entrepreneurship can be taught with this type of collaboration project. One group can come up with the idea of an item to invent or make. A second team chooses supplies to make it from within a select budget. A third group could be in charge of promotions, marketing and sales.

Another idea to teach foods and nutrition is to have one group develop some recipes for a large meal. A second group could take those meals and do the mathmatical calculations to double recipes. A third group could work on ingredient substitutions for nutritional enhancement. Each group could then create on recipe for the meal.

I feel that these examples need to have a componet that uites the problem solving to a greater extent. As they are, one group could really do all three componets. That was the same in the Model T example also. Something is missing that I can't identify at the moment.

Lesson 8 Reflection 2

I have the most interest in social bookmarking in del.icio.us. I have been searching for a way to organize web addresses and video clips. When I save to my P drive at school, I don't have access from home and vice versa. Now, I will be able to locate sites, or video clips quickly for instruction or reference. I have found powerpoints on line previously, that I copied and saved, but by placing them in deli.cio.us (if I can go back and find their origin with a link now) I won't forget that I have them. I wish there was a way to save just documents here too, without having to link to another site.

I am looking forward to using the site personally too, with family, to share recipes.

Lesson 6 Reflections of Wikis

Students would definitely thrive as social learners using wikis. It has the glamour of text messaging, with a larger audience. The challenge will be directing their thoughts to the topic at hand, and helping them learn to really know what is a reliable source. It has the potential to also help teach character education as students learn to responsibly respond to other students.

Video Sites

I found it very motivating to explore the video sites. I use a lot of quick news clips now, but have had to be home watching the news to catch the upcoming news in time to pop in a VHS. The potential to access more video by searching topics in very intriguing but also time consuming. One of problems is what my husband calls the "bright shiny object" syndrome. You start exploring on a specific topic, but then you see something linked to that site of interest (the bright shiny object calling you) that looks really interesting and you are off in the direction. I find myself constantly reigning myself back in subconsiously not allowing myself to wander, but to stay on task. For this reason, I could see using these sites to present information in an instructional setting, but very questionable for student exploration.

I liked the rules attached to Next Vista and felt it was safer for students, but very limited availability at this point. I found nothing on nutrition, but did find one career video under Light Bulbs (Oceanography) for our career exploration unit. The fact that it was under 5 minutes, made it possible to consider use for those quick snipits that students need to keep them focused. I liked hearing students from Santa Clara, CA narrating about their town's anemities under Global Views. All the potential uses are mind boggling.

I loved Teachertube mainly for the video on using Excel to make posters.

UTube, while less reliable for accuracy of information, actually had a number of nutrition videos. Some were reliable on National Nutrition Month, others looked like student projects. As student projects go, there was one with good information "Nutrition Remix", but another that never seemed to have really understood the concepts. I think students would be motivated to be able to have an assessment in this format.

Clipblast was the most reliable and had the most nutrition related videos. I liked this site because of its news video search.

Reflections 1 lesson 4

After investigating many blogs, I can now see more justification for blogging such as an authentic audience. When I first investigated it, I felt it was just a social circle and a waste of time. While it can provide individualized teacher feedback, create an audience outside of the classroom, and connect world wide, I do worry about all aspects of education that necessitate sitting. Being a Family and Consumer Science teacher I tend to approach all education looking at the impact on health, family life, and career possibilities.

I needed to expand my search of blogs in a quest for FACS (Family and Consumer Science) blogs. I was excited to see my ideal active classroom already exists as shown in the article on Work Whilst you Work. Pictures can be seen on the mayoclinic site. I've always thought that in order to fight teen obesity, we need to make education in motion. When I learned about podcasting, I've kept this in the back of my mind for my instruction delivery possibilities in an ideal motion classroom.

For ways to incorporate blogging into FACS, I actually see the facelessness of blogging as having potential. One area we address is weight loss. Students are much more likely to ask questions they would not ask in class if they can use a pseudonym. It could create a forum, a support group, with a direct link for teacher input.