This week our lesson focused on online communication tools, and our books also discussed software programs in the classroom. Learning about the available types of software for the classroom was very helpful, because I am not teaching and I have little information about useful programs. I was also excited to see games I played in school such as Oregon Trail and Carmen San Diego have been updated and are still being used today. I always enjoyed playing these games in school, and after reading this chapter I see how they can be incorporated in the classroom. We also researched both asynchronous and synchronous online communication tools. Although I was familiar with many of these tools, such as email, blogs, instant messaging, and video conferencing, I only knew their benefit in the corporate world and not in education. I enjoyed learning about how these tools could be successfully implemented in the classroom.
I have not used online communication tools in the classroom, because I am not currently teaching. After researching communication tools, I decided the easiest and most beneficial tool to incorporate in the classroom would be a blog. I would like to setup a teacher blog and also have the students create their own blogs. I would use my blog to communicate information such as homework assignments, class updates, and calendars with students and parents. I would also use it to correspond with other teachers, so we could discuss and share ideas to improve our classrooms. Setting up a teacher blog would fulfill NETS-T 5 a, because I would be improving my skills as a teacher through participating in online communities to collaborate on new ways to incorporate technology in the classroom. I would have students use their blogs to publish their work, join forces with other students, and communicate with students from other areas of the country and the world. Working with online blogs will give students the opportunity to communicate and collaborate with other students fulfilling NETS-S 2 a, b, and c. Students will interact with peers using different forms of media, they will communicate ideas to multiple audiences, and they will develop cultural understanding by engaging with learners from different cultures.
I would introduce my students to blogs through showing them my blog and allowing them time to explore it on their own. Then I would create or use an online tutorial to walk the students through the steps of creating their own blog. This part of the preparation process could be used in conjunction with an electronic blackboard or projector so the students could see a large computer screen while they are working on their own computers. I would also provide additional help for students struggling with the blog either through one on one instruction with me or having them work with other students who have mastered the skill. As with any technology it is important for the instructor to be familiar with the tool being used and how it can best be used in the classroom. Online communication requires extra care for student safety and the school districts AUP should be consulted before any blogs or other communication tools are setup.
I have not used online communication tools in the classroom, because I am not currently teaching. After researching communication tools, I decided the easiest and most beneficial tool to incorporate in the classroom would be a blog. I would like to setup a teacher blog and also have the students create their own blogs. I would use my blog to communicate information such as homework assignments, class updates, and calendars with students and parents. I would also use it to correspond with other teachers, so we could discuss and share ideas to improve our classrooms. Setting up a teacher blog would fulfill NETS-T 5 a, because I would be improving my skills as a teacher through participating in online communities to collaborate on new ways to incorporate technology in the classroom. I would have students use their blogs to publish their work, join forces with other students, and communicate with students from other areas of the country and the world. Working with online blogs will give students the opportunity to communicate and collaborate with other students fulfilling NETS-S 2 a, b, and c. Students will interact with peers using different forms of media, they will communicate ideas to multiple audiences, and they will develop cultural understanding by engaging with learners from different cultures.
I would introduce my students to blogs through showing them my blog and allowing them time to explore it on their own. Then I would create or use an online tutorial to walk the students through the steps of creating their own blog. This part of the preparation process could be used in conjunction with an electronic blackboard or projector so the students could see a large computer screen while they are working on their own computers. I would also provide additional help for students struggling with the blog either through one on one instruction with me or having them work with other students who have mastered the skill. As with any technology it is important for the instructor to be familiar with the tool being used and how it can best be used in the classroom. Online communication requires extra care for student safety and the school districts AUP should be consulted before any blogs or other communication tools are setup.
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