As I was doing my reference page for my paper I was really mad to find I couldnt find one of my sources that I quoted in my paper. I was going nuts through my emails trying to find it and pondering taking out the quotes. (which by the way would have really pissed me off) So I went off to google to see if I could find the page again. Since I quoted the page I had the author's last name so I started my search with a simple: dickie(author) +blogging. It didnt come up. So I tried Dickie+education+blogging. Nada. So before I threw my computer out the window I took a deep breathe and tried once more and what do you know, I found it!!! As stupid as it sounds it was an accomplishment and I was damn proud.
and yes I have been working on my computer for wayyyyyy toooooo long. :0)
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Sunday, April 15, 2007
last class
This class has definetly been an experience for me. Coming into this Saturday's class I was excited to see everyone again. What I was especially looking forward to doing is putting a face to names. While working through this class online, I have gotten to know many different people throught their blog posts as well at their responses to questions on blackboard. It was kinda fun to go to class and be able to see who was who again. Having not seen everyone in so long you kinda forget who is who. Overall the class was a great experience and I was glad I took it.
(Dont worry Dr. D this isnt my last post. I just wanted to make that comment because I thought it was funny :0)
(Dont worry Dr. D this isnt my last post. I just wanted to make that comment because I thought it was funny :0)
Saturday, March 24, 2007
youtube
Before the assignment I have been on You Tube a few times. Basically I have gone on to see funny clips people have told me about. After the assignment I have seen that people go on it for a number of reasons. There were people posting clips about their political views, world views, or anything that is on a person's mind. In one way I think it is cool. In another I am really upset by it all. I remember hearing on the news about 2 boys who got caught teaching their younger sibling how to do drugs. There are also many other disturbing clips on YouTube.
It is pretty interesting how people all over the world can see each other and learn about each other without even having to ever meet. The potential good uses of youtube is having a class interact with another class that is in another country. Why teach students geography by using pictures and information out of a textbook when you can have them view the actual thing and talk with it's citizens first hand. It makes for authentic learning. Authentic lessons are more interesting to students and are therefore more likely be retained by students.
It is pretty interesting how people all over the world can see each other and learn about each other without even having to ever meet. The potential good uses of youtube is having a class interact with another class that is in another country. Why teach students geography by using pictures and information out of a textbook when you can have them view the actual thing and talk with it's citizens first hand. It makes for authentic learning. Authentic lessons are more interesting to students and are therefore more likely be retained by students.
Hopkin Green Frog?
Hopkin Green Frog from my research is (to kinda quote what I read) an internet hype that was created around 2004. It seems to all stem from a flyer put up around Seattle by an autistic 16 year old who lost his McDonald's green frog and wanted to find it. From what I can understand someone saw the flyers and created a site called lostfrog.org in hopes of finding this lost toy. Then this one site led to another site and so on. One of the sites I found was published by a writer from the Seattle area who wanted to write about the missing frog in a local newspaper. He contacted the family and spoke with the father who claimed that no one else had contacted them about the frog and that he wanted the issue dropped. Further research done by the writer found that 'supposedly' different family members have spoke to people inquiring about the toy, but that because the family did not speak English well stories varied.
My thoughts about this story is that the Internet can definitely be a scary thing. Things that are published are as bad a middle school gossip. Stories get told and re-told and the truth gets lost somewhere in the retelling. It reminds me of the forwards you get that say for every person you forward this email to Microsoft will donate $1.00 to some needy family.
Basically, you cannot believe everything you hear or read.
My thoughts about this story is that the Internet can definitely be a scary thing. Things that are published are as bad a middle school gossip. Stories get told and re-told and the truth gets lost somewhere in the retelling. It reminds me of the forwards you get that say for every person you forward this email to Microsoft will donate $1.00 to some needy family.
Basically, you cannot believe everything you hear or read.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Testing is for the birds!!!!
I am sooooooo very bored. I hate testing. Yea for the first hour it was cool. I got alot done. But after that it is snooze city. I keep trying to find things that I can do here without having to move around alot or make alot of noise. I also think the testing is so ass backwards. How do they expect kids to plan out a story and write in only 25 minutes. More than half my kids were scrambling when I gave them the 10 and 5 minute warnings. Then there is the stupid reading part. First, a few of my kids were asking if they circle the letter they want to choose on the test or do they put it in the answer folder. Duhhh did you not just hear me tell you the directions and show you were to put them??? They have 45 minutes to read and answer 10 MC questions and 2 short answer. ALL of my kids were done before time. Even my slowest of the slow students were done way ahead of the time they were given. Make sense? I think not!!!!!
Saturday, March 10, 2007
me as a reader
Describe yourself as a reader. Do you like to read? Why/not? How do you teach reading? How might technology impact that?
I consider myself to be a good reader. I have always loved to read. When I was younger I read of all the usual kid books, Baby Sitters Club, Nancy Drew, etc. In high school I read Danielle Steel, Jonathan Kellerman, and V.C Andrews. I generally have always stuck with authors I like. As I got older I tried to break away from series and read more randomly. I absolutely loved The Davinci Code and have read it 3 times!
Even though I consider myself a good reader, I think I sometimes do not pick up on certain story elements. I many times miss the inner lying messages and symbolism. I think that has alot to do with the way I was taught to read in school. I can remember not liking the stories we had to read in elementary school. We read long boring stories from a textbook. I can remember one particially dreadful story in 5th grade that had to do with an island being born. In highschool we did get to read some literature books. We read Lord of the Flies and parts of Canterbury Tales. I think my love of reading stems from my family. Many of my family members love to read. My grandmother reads atleast 2 books a week.
I truly believe that reading should be taught through literature. Literature students will enjoy. If they enjoy what they read, they will learn. In my district we actually use a combination of basil reader and literature. I really like it because I use the basil to introduce a topic I want to teach and then have my students use it with the literature books. The basil stories are usually nice and short so it allows me to teach what I want and be able to assess if my students understand it before they utlize it with the books. I think technology can be a great aide to me. Whether it is used to create discussion boards, finding sites that discuss stories we are reading, or even doing projects using technology. I am really enjoying being in this class to learn about the different ways I can encorporate technology into my class without having to do the traditional slide show, watching video ways.
I consider myself to be a good reader. I have always loved to read. When I was younger I read of all the usual kid books, Baby Sitters Club, Nancy Drew, etc. In high school I read Danielle Steel, Jonathan Kellerman, and V.C Andrews. I generally have always stuck with authors I like. As I got older I tried to break away from series and read more randomly. I absolutely loved The Davinci Code and have read it 3 times!
Even though I consider myself a good reader, I think I sometimes do not pick up on certain story elements. I many times miss the inner lying messages and symbolism. I think that has alot to do with the way I was taught to read in school. I can remember not liking the stories we had to read in elementary school. We read long boring stories from a textbook. I can remember one particially dreadful story in 5th grade that had to do with an island being born. In highschool we did get to read some literature books. We read Lord of the Flies and parts of Canterbury Tales. I think my love of reading stems from my family. Many of my family members love to read. My grandmother reads atleast 2 books a week.
I truly believe that reading should be taught through literature. Literature students will enjoy. If they enjoy what they read, they will learn. In my district we actually use a combination of basil reader and literature. I really like it because I use the basil to introduce a topic I want to teach and then have my students use it with the literature books. The basil stories are usually nice and short so it allows me to teach what I want and be able to assess if my students understand it before they utlize it with the books. I think technology can be a great aide to me. Whether it is used to create discussion boards, finding sites that discuss stories we are reading, or even doing projects using technology. I am really enjoying being in this class to learn about the different ways I can encorporate technology into my class without having to do the traditional slide show, watching video ways.
Saturday, March 3, 2007
The Matrix
Here are some of the random thoughts on the matrix I have had after watching and reading our class's posts about it, and doing some (although I have to admit minimal) research.
The technology used in the Matrix set off a whole new set of ideas for shooting action scenes in movies. This is an example of technology moving forward. Older movies' fight scenes are not as interesting.
One post on blackboard talked about the many websites, books, sequels, etc. that have been made devoted to the Matrix. This is also similar to the world the students were working in in last week's reading assignment. These sites are allowing people (students) to practice their literacy. Even though what they write may be grammatically incorrect, they are practicing writing skills. They write persuasive essays to get others to see their views, they write with details so that their messages are clearly seen by those who read their opinions. Almost all types of writing is done today without even knowing it. Students can see other's writing and learn from them. Some of what they pick up may not be the proper way to do it, but still think of the potential learning possibilities. Think of how many students have become inspired to do things just because they happen to come across someone else who feels the way they do.
One post on blackboard talked about the many websites, books, sequels, etc. that have been made devoted to the Matrix. This is also similar to the world the students were working in in last week's reading assignment. These sites are allowing people (students) to practice their literacy. Even though what they write may be grammatically incorrect, they are practicing writing skills. They write persuasive essays to get others to see their views, they write with details so that their messages are clearly seen by those who read their opinions. Almost all types of writing is done today without even knowing it. Students can see other's writing and learn from them. Some of what they pick up may not be the proper way to do it, but still think of the potential learning possibilities. Think of how many students have become inspired to do things just because they happen to come across someone else who feels the way they do.
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