Reflecting on New Technology

What an interesting journey this technology class has been for me! I have learned to create a blog, collaborate on a wiki, and record and upload a podcast. Blogging was not completely new to me, but making my own page was new. Wikis were somewhat frustrating for me, but I understand how I could use them in my classroom. The problem with a wiki in middle school is legalities. If I created a wiki for my class, my students would only be able to contribute to the wiki on my computer as I supervised. Blogging can be accomplished on the safe site my school already uses. After watching how other teachers are using blogging to engage students, I have begun to blog with my own students. Next semester, I plan to explore podcasting with my students. We will upload the podcasts to the school mp3 players. Incorporating these new technologies has sparked excitement in my students and in me.

As my students created a book trailer using digital media and published the project, it became evident to me that all students were engaged in the lesson. I became a resource to my students as they controlled the components of the trailer. Students had guidelines, project requirements, and a time frame in which to work. During this project, I saw firsthand that the learning my students were doing was centered in and controlled by them, not based on me. They made critical decisions such as the music, number of slides, and the narration that would be included. If a student had trouble, they asked their neighbor, not me, for help. Once the project was complete, students published their creation and added a discussion board to allow other students to view and make comments. For two days, students work headphones and they watched each other’s book trailers. This project has inspired me to continue to find new tools and to try new projects. My role as a teacher has changed and inspired me. Students are no longer bored, most days, and love expressing themselves with the new media tools.

To increase student achievement, I would like to find a way to create a wiki for my seventh graders. Although my administration will not allow the middle school students to use a regular wiki because of Internet regulations, I will learn how to use the wiki-like option on ThinkQuest, the safe site we use. In the next two years, I would also like to have all work posted online and make my class paperless. To make this work, I must continue to find unique ways for students to collaborate and ensure that all students have access to the Internet. I have three student computers in my classroom and am asking the administration for more. A goal for me is to create a reading /language arts class that seamlessly incorporates technology.

 I am sharing the technology my students are using with my colleagues and hope that my team will join in the excitement. One way that will help in the transition for my teammates is to require students to add all projects to the ePortfolio. This year we are working on a major grade-wide project but only two teachers are using the ePortfolio. In the next two years, I will help the other three teachers to use the site.

As I reflect back to week one of this course, I now see that my RLA classes can be rich with technology. The one most important impact on my teaching would be the importance of blogging is some form. I may not be able to use a normal blog because of my students’ ages, but I can encourage my students to use our safe and monitored site.  By posting to the site, the rigor and relevance is increased. Students feel empowered as they post their work for others to see. They feel more valued.

Blog with a Few Students About Technology Use

http://podcastmachine.com/podcasts/12130/episodes/59451/media_files/139395/download/3/file_64kb.mp3

21st Century Skills

As I began exploring the website, Partnership for the 21st-Century Skills, my immediate reaction was that my state of West Virginia must be involved with this. As I discovered the states already on board, sure enough, West Virginia was on the list. This was not a surprise to me. Although WV's teachers rank among the lowest paid in the nation, we always seem to be up-to-date with the latest trend in education. Our governor and state education leaders have been preparing us and encouraging us to change the way we teach. Teachers can  be a tough sell, but I think our state has been patient and continues to offer professional development for all teachers in 21st century skills.  Over the past few years, my state has made the shift to project-based learning which promotes these skills. I am proud to say my school is a leader in our state promoting 21 century skills. I will admit this change has not painless, but we now understand the importance of preparing our students, as much as we can, for the job market they will enter.


The Partnership for the 21st-Century Skills is comprised of the US government, the business sector, and the educational community. Just as in WV, all must work together to change the way we educate our children and prepare them for what is ahead. This organization is promoting the necessary skills for the business world and helping teachers understand what our students must know and be able to do. Input from major corporations is necessary so that we, as teachers, understand what is expected of future leaders.


Combining the 3 Rs and the 4 Cs is the focus of the 21st century skills and that is the challenge for me as teacher. The 4 Cs, critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, and creativity and innovation, have been the center of my project planning. It has been exciting for me to see that every school year has brought another teacher in my school closer to the understanding of the importance of Project-Based Learning. Incorporating the 4 Cs is crucial for our students. A major shift is about to take place in WV and I feel that the teachers at my school are ready to join the country in the Common Core Standards. I am sure it will not be without a few hitches, but as we make the necessary changes, we will be preparing our students for the 21st-century.


My only problem I see that our students still struggle with the 3 Rs. The graphic used to show the framework for 21st Century Skills is centered around the 3 Rs. That looks great on paper, but the reality is that some of our students have difficulty moving through the 4 Cs because they have not mastered the 3 Rs. This is exactly why some teachers are slow to change the way they are teaching. The argument is if students cannot remember their times tables or other basic information, how can we expect critical thinking and problem solving skills to be mastered. 


As a contemporary educator, I am thankful for groups like the Partnership for the 21st Century Skills. I found the skills maps provided for each core subject to be very helpful .I downloaded the Common Core Toolkit and subscribed to the site so that I will receive up-to-date news and information. Next year my state will begin implementing the Common Core Standards and while WV is very good at giving teachers tools and support, this website will be an important resource for me. Ready or not, I must change the way I teach my students. When my career began, I became weary of my own voice. As a facilitator, I can step back and allow my students to guide their own learning. This kind of education is much more exciting for us all!

Blogging with Younger Students

I'm being to feel as though I belong to some private club. One of my county technology people stopped by my school today, and as usually, I shared what I am learning in this course. I voiced my concern over Internet safety with our middle school students and she said I have to be very careful because they are  under 13. She shared a blog called "classchatter.com" that is free and can be set up just for our class. I checked it out and plan to play with it before I launch it with my students. This site would still need to be monitored by me. Because my school already uses ThinkQuest, I may just stick with it. We are finding it to be a terrific place for our students to store work, turn in assignments, and run discussion or blogs. Students can create discussion boards among other things to interact with one another. The bonus is that my school technology specialist helps monitor it!

As I began reading and viewing this week's resources, a friend of mine shared a story.  A major network asked  a potential guest to respond to one their blogs. This blog would give them an idea of what this man stood for, how well spoken he is, and see if he would be a good fit for them. I found this very interesting because I can see blogging as a portal to an interview or job. My middle school students have no idea what is coming  in the future. I hope I can figure out how to use all the tools of this class to help them on their way!

Blogging in the Classroom

In my reading and language arts classroom, students enjoying posting what they think online. At the present time, we use a secured site for students under 13 years old. I post questions about the current novel we are reading and the students enjoy sharing what they think. Students also post any projects we have completed which allows them to view and make comments on each other's work. We could do all this on a class blog site.


 My question to my classmates would be how do I get around the safety issue? I know some others of grade school students are using blogs, but my school is very careful about the students' work being so public. If students use username, I suppose we could work it out. 

My First Blog

This technology roller coaster I've gotten on is running full-speed up the the first hill! As a 40+ year old teacher, I am converting from "old school" to "new school" but my mind is having trouble keeping up. I must admit that I love learning all these 21st-Century skills that my students need. The scary thing is that at this moment, I am trying to lead them! I am not ready, but I am afraid they cannot wait. The time is here. Actually, I am already behind so I don't have time to pause. This girl is jumping in with both feet. I figure I can't hurt anything and I don't have time to look silly. My students need me to step up to the plate and introduce them to what is out there waiting for them. What they will be doing with it after they leave my classroom, I may never see, but I must help them learn how to express their thoughts and understand the responsibility of using this wondrous invention called the Internet. Technology is an integral part of who my students are. I need to get out of the way and let these future leaders flourish! But first, I think I'll try to "publish" my thoughts.....and I'm  not sure I understand why anyone would care. Me, blogging? And to think I didn't even know how to upload my first paper in my master's class six months ago.