When I went to the Mapping tool on Classroom 2.0, there was only one thread asking a question. I was very disappointed at first, but clicking on that one thread led to a whole series of threads recommending various sites for mapping. Web mapping, as defined by Wikipedia, is dealing with technological issues. Web cartography deals with the designing and generating of maps and their theoretical aspects. Web GIS has a similar emphasis on the exploring aspects of geodata. Wikipedia states that there is a blurry line between Web GIS and what we commonly think of as web mapping.
Within the mapping thread on Classroom 2.0, several mapping sites were recommended by educators for projects with students. The most common, Google Earth, seems the most advanced. There is also Wikimapia.com and Communitywalk.com. I played around with all three of them and really had some fun. It sounds like Google Earth has the most to offer at this time in creating maps, 3D capability, adding text, pictures and even videos to your maps. A couple of the educators wrote they used Google Earth for projects that included tracking typhoons, population predictions, contagious disease outbreaks and pinpointing longitude and latitude coordinates. Wikimapia and Community Walk both have the ability to create maps and explore new places, too. Wikimapia also has the ability to add text and upload pictures and videos. It would be easy to plan a series of fun and interesting projects to use mapping in a social studies classroom.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Journal 5
Measuring Digital Images in Math and Science Classrooms. Learning & Leading, Vol. 35
Mike Charles.
This article is about the use of ImageJ, a website used by scientists and educators to analyze digital images. The prospects for use in science and math classrooms are amazing. Because digital images are made up of pixels, image-processing tools, like ImageJ, allow a user to set a scale and then measure the pixels in the image. The article examines how a teacher could use ImageJ to measure how long lightening strikes, which NBA player dunks a basketball the fastest and what percentage of a fall leaf stops producing food for a tree. The article walks you through the whole process of using ImageJ to do these activities.
1. How can an educator access ImageJ and how much does it cost?
ImageJ was created by the National Institutes of Health and is public domain. ImageJ has a documentation portal and you can download the software free.
2. What other ways could this site is used in a classroom?
The author states that using digital cameras in the classroom is a good place to start getting students used to digital images. Discussing how digital images are made up of pixels and teaching some of the basics of digital imagery would be a good way to introduce this concept to elementary students.
Mike Charles.
This article is about the use of ImageJ, a website used by scientists and educators to analyze digital images. The prospects for use in science and math classrooms are amazing. Because digital images are made up of pixels, image-processing tools, like ImageJ, allow a user to set a scale and then measure the pixels in the image. The article examines how a teacher could use ImageJ to measure how long lightening strikes, which NBA player dunks a basketball the fastest and what percentage of a fall leaf stops producing food for a tree. The article walks you through the whole process of using ImageJ to do these activities.
1. How can an educator access ImageJ and how much does it cost?
ImageJ was created by the National Institutes of Health and is public domain. ImageJ has a documentation portal and you can download the software free.
2. What other ways could this site is used in a classroom?
The author states that using digital cameras in the classroom is a good place to start getting students used to digital images. Discussing how digital images are made up of pixels and teaching some of the basics of digital imagery would be a good way to introduce this concept to elementary students.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Journal 4
Storytelling in the Web 2.0 Era.
Glen Bull.
This is an article discussing many new exciting and free Web tools available for educators’ use in the classroom. The author focuses on storytelling tools. Students can use a huge variety of Web tools to create, illustrate, and put sound, video and animation to their stories. Using Xtimeline in a social studies class can help students make timelines and learn how to place a story in chronological order. The author refers to the facts that most school budgets have limited dollars to spend on software. In this Web 2.0 era, schools can access an amazing amount of software at no cost.
1. What would be the benefits of using free Web tools for storytelling?
The benefits of using Web tools for storytelling would primarily be student interest. Students enjoy “playing” on the computer and creating. Creating a story and putting sound and animation to the story they have created would challenge their minds and they would have a great time doing it. The author of this article refers to The National Reading Panel, which states they see a possibility of enhanced comprehension as a result of using these storytelling techniques.
2. What should educators beware of when using these Web tools?Educators should always have objectives and guidelines ready to explain to students before using any Web-based tool. The use of objectionable language and inappropriate creations should be dealt with up-front and the consequences be made clear to students. Educators should also monitor the students’ work.
Glen Bull.
This is an article discussing many new exciting and free Web tools available for educators’ use in the classroom. The author focuses on storytelling tools. Students can use a huge variety of Web tools to create, illustrate, and put sound, video and animation to their stories. Using Xtimeline in a social studies class can help students make timelines and learn how to place a story in chronological order. The author refers to the facts that most school budgets have limited dollars to spend on software. In this Web 2.0 era, schools can access an amazing amount of software at no cost.
1. What would be the benefits of using free Web tools for storytelling?
The benefits of using Web tools for storytelling would primarily be student interest. Students enjoy “playing” on the computer and creating. Creating a story and putting sound and animation to the story they have created would challenge their minds and they would have a great time doing it. The author of this article refers to The National Reading Panel, which states they see a possibility of enhanced comprehension as a result of using these storytelling techniques.
2. What should educators beware of when using these Web tools?Educators should always have objectives and guidelines ready to explain to students before using any Web-based tool. The use of objectionable language and inappropriate creations should be dealt with up-front and the consequences be made clear to students. Educators should also monitor the students’ work.
Journal 3
Five Don’ts of Classroom Blogging.
Julie Sturgeon.
This article has great advice from learning experiences of teachers already using blogs in the classroom. The author discusses the first “Don’t” as “just don’t dive right in.” She states a teacher must have objectives and guidelines written about the blog for the students. Having the students sign an agreement about the do’s and don’ts for the blog and the consequences when the students breach that agreement is important. She also recommends the parents sign an acknowledgement of the blog and that their children will be using one is a good idea, too. It is also recommended to not use free blogging sites because they do not have the ability to manage the site that a teacher should have. She also recommends to not confuse blogging with social networking sites like My Space, etc. and to not force a sequential style that will limit the students’ ability to keep important information at the forefront of the blog. The author discusses helping the students understand what makes a good blog. The benefits of blogging in the classroom have been help in writing from short paragraphs to essays; helping each other with course work; and the advantage a blog gives to a typically quiet child in the classroom.
1. Why does the author state that using a free blog is a “don’t?”
The author quotes from an authority on classroom blogging who states that teachers do not have the controls needed to monitor sites like blogger.com. He recommends “Class Blogmeister” which has the management a teacher needs. He also complains about the advertisements on blogger.com and other free sites. I have not seen anything offensive on blogger.com and I do not understand why a teacher would not be capable of monitoring students’ blogs on these free sites. I would reconsider that advice.
2. What other warnings should students be given about blogging?
Warning students about copyright usage on the Web. Advising students about uploading pictures, songs and anything that is copyrighted should be discussed and included in the agreement students should sign before participating on a blog.
Julie Sturgeon.
This article has great advice from learning experiences of teachers already using blogs in the classroom. The author discusses the first “Don’t” as “just don’t dive right in.” She states a teacher must have objectives and guidelines written about the blog for the students. Having the students sign an agreement about the do’s and don’ts for the blog and the consequences when the students breach that agreement is important. She also recommends the parents sign an acknowledgement of the blog and that their children will be using one is a good idea, too. It is also recommended to not use free blogging sites because they do not have the ability to manage the site that a teacher should have. She also recommends to not confuse blogging with social networking sites like My Space, etc. and to not force a sequential style that will limit the students’ ability to keep important information at the forefront of the blog. The author discusses helping the students understand what makes a good blog. The benefits of blogging in the classroom have been help in writing from short paragraphs to essays; helping each other with course work; and the advantage a blog gives to a typically quiet child in the classroom.
1. Why does the author state that using a free blog is a “don’t?”
The author quotes from an authority on classroom blogging who states that teachers do not have the controls needed to monitor sites like blogger.com. He recommends “Class Blogmeister” which has the management a teacher needs. He also complains about the advertisements on blogger.com and other free sites. I have not seen anything offensive on blogger.com and I do not understand why a teacher would not be capable of monitoring students’ blogs on these free sites. I would reconsider that advice.
2. What other warnings should students be given about blogging?
Warning students about copyright usage on the Web. Advising students about uploading pictures, songs and anything that is copyrighted should be discussed and included in the agreement students should sign before participating on a blog.
Journal 2
Speaking Math: Using Chat in the Multicultural Math Classroom.
Janet Graham and Ted Hodgson.
This article is about the use of using online discussions to promote encouragement in math among a multi-cultural student population in a suburb of Washington, D.C. As a means to not only supplement the learning going on in the classroom, the teachers have been able to determine extra needs in classroom discussion. Because the online discussions focus on math vocabulary, students help each other to develop a better understanding of math concepts. Students are able to identify with each other’s ethnicity and find ways to understand and communicate about math that makes sense to them. What the teachers have found is that students using electronic discussion are showing significant improvements in their understanding of math concepts as compared to students in a traditional classroom setting.
1. How could chat be used in other classroom settings?
Chat could be used in every classroom setting. If math concepts can be discussed, then anything is possible from literature, history to even grammar. Giving a student a prompt and then allowing a discussion is a wonderful way for students to learn from each other.
2. What are the downfalls or difficulties of using chat?
One difficulty is getting access to computers for those students who do not have access to a home computer. Allowing time in a computer lab, library or time in classroom if computers are available would have to be arranged. In addition, the chat would be monitored, not just for content, but to make sure the chat is not being abused.
Janet Graham and Ted Hodgson.
This article is about the use of using online discussions to promote encouragement in math among a multi-cultural student population in a suburb of Washington, D.C. As a means to not only supplement the learning going on in the classroom, the teachers have been able to determine extra needs in classroom discussion. Because the online discussions focus on math vocabulary, students help each other to develop a better understanding of math concepts. Students are able to identify with each other’s ethnicity and find ways to understand and communicate about math that makes sense to them. What the teachers have found is that students using electronic discussion are showing significant improvements in their understanding of math concepts as compared to students in a traditional classroom setting.
1. How could chat be used in other classroom settings?
Chat could be used in every classroom setting. If math concepts can be discussed, then anything is possible from literature, history to even grammar. Giving a student a prompt and then allowing a discussion is a wonderful way for students to learn from each other.
2. What are the downfalls or difficulties of using chat?
One difficulty is getting access to computers for those students who do not have access to a home computer. Allowing time in a computer lab, library or time in classroom if computers are available would have to be arranged. In addition, the chat would be monitored, not just for content, but to make sure the chat is not being abused.
Journal 1
Social Networking for the K-12 Set. Jim Klein
Klein discusses how educators are continually trying to eliminate social and geographic boundaries, which prevent communication and collaboration. He would like to use technology to meet these ever-challenging goals. He says that by the time educators come up with new ideas about how to use technology and disseminate those, most of the ideas are outdated and irrelevant. He discusses how community sites or as he calls them, “learning landscapes” are emerging as an optimal vehicle to bridge the social and geographic boundaries. He suggests creating a site, which can be accessed only by the school district employees and students. There would be access controls on this site, which would require student posts and comments to be first reviewed by a teacher. The site would contain user profiles with basic information about employees and students; blogging tools; secure file storage and sharing; and RSS and podcasting. He has successfully designed a site, which now engages 350 teachers and 450 students online. They are seeing a nine-point gain in test scores and higher student achievement in writing and language fluency.
1. What basic information about employees and students would be available on a site?
Students and staff could share information about like interests, new ideas, questions about lessons and student projects. All student information would have to be approved before it could be posted on a site. Only the individual staff member would be allowed to share any info about them. Privacy protection is important.
2. How would a site like this benefit students in any classroom?Students could work on team projects from science to literature. They could use the Internet to research a subject and then use a web-based word processing program to jointly write a paper. The whole project could the
Klein discusses how educators are continually trying to eliminate social and geographic boundaries, which prevent communication and collaboration. He would like to use technology to meet these ever-challenging goals. He says that by the time educators come up with new ideas about how to use technology and disseminate those, most of the ideas are outdated and irrelevant. He discusses how community sites or as he calls them, “learning landscapes” are emerging as an optimal vehicle to bridge the social and geographic boundaries. He suggests creating a site, which can be accessed only by the school district employees and students. There would be access controls on this site, which would require student posts and comments to be first reviewed by a teacher. The site would contain user profiles with basic information about employees and students; blogging tools; secure file storage and sharing; and RSS and podcasting. He has successfully designed a site, which now engages 350 teachers and 450 students online. They are seeing a nine-point gain in test scores and higher student achievement in writing and language fluency.
1. What basic information about employees and students would be available on a site?
Students and staff could share information about like interests, new ideas, questions about lessons and student projects. All student information would have to be approved before it could be posted on a site. Only the individual staff member would be allowed to share any info about them. Privacy protection is important.
2. How would a site like this benefit students in any classroom?Students could work on team projects from science to literature. They could use the Internet to research a subject and then use a web-based word processing program to jointly write a paper. The whole project could the
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