I edited twice on the 'Strong Webquest components'. I put in Betsy's Quilt for a strong introduction because it really got the reader into the project. It was kind of a cliff hanger that made the reader want to read on and then it ends (and the reader has to pick up the ball and run with it).
The other edit I put on that page was in the 'process' section. I really liked how organized the author was with the steps. Some students really need these steps to be successful, it leaves no room for questions, and yet leaves so much room for creativity.
http://webquestroles.wikispaces.com/WebQuestComponents
I edited on the WebQuests Audiences under 'Bloom's Taxonomy' page, there was still the little blurb about 'need info here on why a good GRASPS makes a strong webquest...' I deleted it to make the page look nicer.
http://webquestaudiences.wikispaces.com/
Monday, October 20, 2008
Thursday, October 9, 2008
How to Help Someone Use a Computer
One thing you have to tell yourself:
"Don't take the keyboard. Let them do all the typing, even if it's slower that way, and even if you have to point them to every key they need to type. That's the only way they're going to learn from the interaction"
I always want to just take over the computer when someone asks for my help. It's really hard for me not to because I look at it as being time efficient. But I realize now, that in order for that person to remember how to do it, they have to do it themselves. And then, next time, they won't have to ask for help. And the only way I can recognize this (besides reading it) is that I used to be like that and I didn't mind when people did the work for me. But then I figured out that next time, I still didn't know what I was doing, so I needed help again.
One Important Rule:
"You are the voice of authority. Your words can wound."
I, myself, am the first to admit that I am not that great with computers. I have really come a long way and I can see that. I can also spot beginners right off, too. I try really hard not to scoff at the newbies because I remember how embarrassed I was when someone made fun of me for not knowing how to do something.
When I present, I will slowly show the class how to navigate the Maine Memory Network and show them all the neat options they have when they check it out.
http://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/pagre/how-to-help.html
"Don't take the keyboard. Let them do all the typing, even if it's slower that way, and even if you have to point them to every key they need to type. That's the only way they're going to learn from the interaction"
I always want to just take over the computer when someone asks for my help. It's really hard for me not to because I look at it as being time efficient. But I realize now, that in order for that person to remember how to do it, they have to do it themselves. And then, next time, they won't have to ask for help. And the only way I can recognize this (besides reading it) is that I used to be like that and I didn't mind when people did the work for me. But then I figured out that next time, I still didn't know what I was doing, so I needed help again.
One Important Rule:
"You are the voice of authority. Your words can wound."
I, myself, am the first to admit that I am not that great with computers. I have really come a long way and I can see that. I can also spot beginners right off, too. I try really hard not to scoff at the newbies because I remember how embarrassed I was when someone made fun of me for not knowing how to do something.
When I present, I will slowly show the class how to navigate the Maine Memory Network and show them all the neat options they have when they check it out.
http://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/pagre/how-to-help.html
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Copyright and Fair Use (LR)
4. "The state mandates technology proficiency for all high school students but adds no money to schools' software budgets. To ensure equity, public schools are allowed to buy what software they can afford and copy the rest.
False. Some interpretations of the 11th Amendment of the Constitution suggest that state schools may in fact be exempt from copyright prosecutions. However, following the guidelines encourages software and hardware makers to keep making quality products for us to buy."
This angers me because why do schools think that they have the right to copy software just because they don't have the money? It's kind of like a poor person saying, "Well, I would pay for my food if I had the money, but since I am poor and have no money, then I guess I will just steal the food." That does not make sense. If anything, the school who is copying software should get into trouble. A good school that runs out of money for software should apply for a grant. Students can get into so much money for illegally downloading music, but if a school copies something illegally, do they get into trouble or do they just get a slap on the hand? I feel like copying software for a school system is so much worse because so many other people will use it and a student who illegally downloads music will just keep the musical for himself/herself, which really isn't a big deal.
False. Some interpretations of the 11th Amendment of the Constitution suggest that state schools may in fact be exempt from copyright prosecutions. However, following the guidelines encourages software and hardware makers to keep making quality products for us to buy."
This angers me because why do schools think that they have the right to copy software just because they don't have the money? It's kind of like a poor person saying, "Well, I would pay for my food if I had the money, but since I am poor and have no money, then I guess I will just steal the food." That does not make sense. If anything, the school who is copying software should get into trouble. A good school that runs out of money for software should apply for a grant. Students can get into so much money for illegally downloading music, but if a school copies something illegally, do they get into trouble or do they just get a slap on the hand? I feel like copying software for a school system is so much worse because so many other people will use it and a student who illegally downloads music will just keep the musical for himself/herself, which really isn't a big deal.
Copyright and Fair Use (SR)
1. This makes sense, as long as the the copies are not being shared with other people, be they students or fellow teachers.
2. I thought that the answer to this question was false because I was thinking that more than one person was using the software at once, so it was definitely a violation. It turns that as long as one copy isn't being used at the same time as the other, you are ok. I guess it's right because it is only on one server. A tricky question!
9. It seems logical that a teacher can use music if he/she downloaded it from MP3.com and put it into a project. They obviously paid for the music and it was totally legal. The only problem might be that a student would try to take the music for his/her own purposes, and then it might get sticky.
10. It seems odd to be allowed to get clip art and music from a file-sharing site, but not be able to post it on the web for other students and teachers to read. To me, it's all kind of the same, the other teachers will read it anyway, I don't think it's that big of a deal where exactly that person happens to find it.
12. I thought for sure this would be a violation because when I was in high school, my teachers might have taped something off the television, they would always say, "shhh!" don't tell anyone, and the sincerely thought that what they were doing was bad. I wonder why they thought that is was illegal?
13. I was surprised to find that using another person's interview that was put on the web was entirely illegal. I thought that since the person who downloaded it didn't have the permission of the person who was being interviewed or the student, it would a violation. But, I guess that it works both ways: your own information can be used and you can use other peoples'.
15. I have never heard that it was illegal to compile videos. I figured since you already owned the videos and were just showing them in class, it wouldn't be a big deal. I wonder why? Maybe because only a part of a movie won't show the real idea or might be misleading?
16. I thought this was very interesting because I immediatly figured that it would be totally illegal to defeat the copyright protection of DVDs, CD-ROMs, etc. It turns out that the machines are no longer being made, instead! This would be a useful tool for a teacher and finding neat movies/information on the internet.
20. I thought that it would be no problem to make copies of the DVD and sell them for the school to make money, after all, it was all pictures of the school and students from the school, what's the big deal? I guess the 'wider distribution' part got them!
2. I thought that the answer to this question was false because I was thinking that more than one person was using the software at once, so it was definitely a violation. It turns that as long as one copy isn't being used at the same time as the other, you are ok. I guess it's right because it is only on one server. A tricky question!
9. It seems logical that a teacher can use music if he/she downloaded it from MP3.com and put it into a project. They obviously paid for the music and it was totally legal. The only problem might be that a student would try to take the music for his/her own purposes, and then it might get sticky.
10. It seems odd to be allowed to get clip art and music from a file-sharing site, but not be able to post it on the web for other students and teachers to read. To me, it's all kind of the same, the other teachers will read it anyway, I don't think it's that big of a deal where exactly that person happens to find it.
12. I thought for sure this would be a violation because when I was in high school, my teachers might have taped something off the television, they would always say, "shhh!" don't tell anyone, and the sincerely thought that what they were doing was bad. I wonder why they thought that is was illegal?
13. I was surprised to find that using another person's interview that was put on the web was entirely illegal. I thought that since the person who downloaded it didn't have the permission of the person who was being interviewed or the student, it would a violation. But, I guess that it works both ways: your own information can be used and you can use other peoples'.
15. I have never heard that it was illegal to compile videos. I figured since you already owned the videos and were just showing them in class, it wouldn't be a big deal. I wonder why? Maybe because only a part of a movie won't show the real idea or might be misleading?
16. I thought this was very interesting because I immediatly figured that it would be totally illegal to defeat the copyright protection of DVDs, CD-ROMs, etc. It turns out that the machines are no longer being made, instead! This would be a useful tool for a teacher and finding neat movies/information on the internet.
20. I thought that it would be no problem to make copies of the DVD and sell them for the school to make money, after all, it was all pictures of the school and students from the school, what's the big deal? I guess the 'wider distribution' part got them!
Monday, October 6, 2008
Chapter 10: Going Beyond the Classroom
“In 9th grade science, two times a week we went out to clean up a park with a pond in it. We learned about fish and the environment.” Page 176.
The teacher had her/his class clean up a small park a couple times a week, which really stood out to me. It is such a good idea to have the class go out once a week and clean up, because it would show the students that littering is bad for the environment and it’s a bummer to clean up; therefore emphasizing that point of not littering. And the teacher also talked about the environment while they were out there, so it was a hands-on activity.
This is a really great activity, especially for a science class because you can do so much with it. You could talk about different trees, weather, the food chain, and maybe a little about things have evolved over time (that might be a can of worms you wouldn’t want to open, though). I would think that it would be hard, though, if the students had block scheduling, because at the most, they would have the class 3 times a week. I would think that the ‘class clean-up’ could only be once a week. But it is an awesome idea, all you have to do is get permission!
The teacher had her/his class clean up a small park a couple times a week, which really stood out to me. It is such a good idea to have the class go out once a week and clean up, because it would show the students that littering is bad for the environment and it’s a bummer to clean up; therefore emphasizing that point of not littering. And the teacher also talked about the environment while they were out there, so it was a hands-on activity.
This is a really great activity, especially for a science class because you can do so much with it. You could talk about different trees, weather, the food chain, and maybe a little about things have evolved over time (that might be a can of worms you wouldn’t want to open, though). I would think that it would be hard, though, if the students had block scheduling, because at the most, they would have the class 3 times a week. I would think that the ‘class clean-up’ could only be once a week. But it is an awesome idea, all you have to do is get permission!
Chapter 9: When Thing Go Wrong
“I hurt when I get a bad grade! You feel like you’re doing all that hard work for nothing. Then you don’t want to work more, if you’re just going to get bad grades. Whenever my grades get low I feel like dropping out of school.” Page 163.
This girl would get really disappointed when she received her report card with low grades. Yes, she probably did work hard for them and everybody gets bad grades once in a while. Teachers should try better to emphasize that grades aren’t everything, learning and effort is more important.
I think that professors should write on the report cards something like: “grade does not reflect the time and effort put into class” or something like that, that shows the teacher understands how hard you worked and your grade should have been better but you had a low test grade, etc. I remember in high school (and even now in college) when I get a low quiz or test score, I am immediately ashamed and I feel like crying (sometimes I still do). I quickly hide the test and wish that the class was over, and I just zone out for the rest of class.
This girl would get really disappointed when she received her report card with low grades. Yes, she probably did work hard for them and everybody gets bad grades once in a while. Teachers should try better to emphasize that grades aren’t everything, learning and effort is more important.
I think that professors should write on the report cards something like: “grade does not reflect the time and effort put into class” or something like that, that shows the teacher understands how hard you worked and your grade should have been better but you had a low test grade, etc. I remember in high school (and even now in college) when I get a low quiz or test score, I am immediately ashamed and I feel like crying (sometimes I still do). I quickly hide the test and wish that the class was over, and I just zone out for the rest of class.
Chapter 8:Teaching Teenagers who are still Learning English
“I was put into ESP and I was pulled out to read, and we would read really easy books. We could read already, and it was insulting. You were like the outcasts, and that made me mad.” Page 152.
This girl was learning English (obviously not her first language), and she was being pulled out of the classroom to try to teach her the English language. She felt humiliated and frustrated because it disrupts the class as she goes to leave and come back, but she is also missing that information during the class.
My younger brother had a very bad learning disability and he had a really hard time learning how to read and write. When he was in 3rd grade, a teacher would pull him out of class and set him down at a desk right outside the door and try to teach him to read and write, and Ben hated it. He knew that the other kids knew that he couldn’t read and write and it humiliated him to no end, not to mention that he was missing out in being with the other students. My mother was furious when she finally found out about this. She really just wanted him to be in a classroom with that teacher, not in the hallway, outside the door where passing students would stare and disrupt. Mom actually taught my brother how to read and write in a summer using the SPIRE program, and my brother is just like any other kid now (which he is very grateful for). I think the best way (in high school) to teach English to a student would be during study halls, or maybe even a lunch once or twice a week where all the English learning students could get together and talk.
This girl was learning English (obviously not her first language), and she was being pulled out of the classroom to try to teach her the English language. She felt humiliated and frustrated because it disrupts the class as she goes to leave and come back, but she is also missing that information during the class.
My younger brother had a very bad learning disability and he had a really hard time learning how to read and write. When he was in 3rd grade, a teacher would pull him out of class and set him down at a desk right outside the door and try to teach him to read and write, and Ben hated it. He knew that the other kids knew that he couldn’t read and write and it humiliated him to no end, not to mention that he was missing out in being with the other students. My mother was furious when she finally found out about this. She really just wanted him to be in a classroom with that teacher, not in the hallway, outside the door where passing students would stare and disrupt. Mom actually taught my brother how to read and write in a summer using the SPIRE program, and my brother is just like any other kid now (which he is very grateful for). I think the best way (in high school) to teach English to a student would be during study halls, or maybe even a lunch once or twice a week where all the English learning students could get together and talk.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)