Blog Post 11

 1st grade students can blog!  What can you do?

One thing I have not thought about is the privacy issue with students blogging.  Mrs. Cassidy endeavors to protect student's identity. 
What she does:

• Sends out permission forms on the first day of school regarding student work being on the internet
• Only uses student's first name
• Doesn't match any names with pictures

I think I can use blog as an online portfolio.  I like the fact that parents can watch their kids grow.  Kids love technology.  It is a natural part of their world.  With technology in schools, kids don't have to power down when they come to school.  They can live in their world and not the world of the 20th century.

Are elementary education teachers held most responsible to show students how to learn with technology?  I know it is never to late to use technology with your students, but I feel like the elementary teachers have some of the biggest responsibilities because they are indoctrinating these students into their long like of learning.

Now is the time to learn.  I say this with lots of things.  It is kind of like my scholastic version of the "just do it" saying.  Now is the time to learn how technology can help you learn.

A cool advantage of blogs verses pen and paper
With blogs, the students have a massive endless audience.  This is an aspect you don't have to teach the kids.  They know and understand what the internet is and what it allows.  Does it make a difference if students have an audience?  I think it makes a huge difference in one of the hardest areas about learning, motivation.  They want to be heard.  Everybody loves feedback on something they put personal time into, and I think it motivates students to do better quality work.

I think it's a good time to talk about twitter.
Okay I'm glad Ms. Cassidy said it, "Twitter doesn't feel worthwhile at first".  That's how I feel now.  I completely understand that I am following people who have similar interest as me, and I can learn from immensely from these people.  Or, maybe I'm following too many old people.  I have enjoyed some of the links people tweet, but there is so much material being thrown.  Maybe my stream of knowledge is too much for me right now (I bit off more than I could chew).  Also, I feel this way about the blogs I am following and in the RSS feeds being sent to my Google Reader.  I just don't have near enough time to read, comment, speak my mind, and enjoy these things I'm interested in.
 
What do I want my students to use?  What do I see as having utility?
Well, I definitely want to develop my students to be self learners.  I do not want to be the person that supplies facts and grades them on how many they can retain.  Here's a rough mini outline of what I want to do in my science class!

• I want organize my class around the theme that the student IS the scientist.  The student scientists must be observant, form questions, collaborate questions, and test these hypothesis.  (This is the scientific method)
• I would like to present assignments (ideas, facts, problems, deep questions, or let them ask questions) on a class blog 
• I would like them to research the assignments using their self created learning environment.  I can show them things I'm using now in EDM310.  Also, I want to encourage learning from the natural world.  I want them questioning things they experience in nature, around their home, and in everyday life.  The student scientists generate the questions. Then, use the internet (their PLN) to do further research.
• They have to keep track and record their data they collect in their blog.  This can be video, images, audio, or text.

This is just an idea formed from my desire to have people control their learning, and enjoy the world they live in.  I would really like your feedback! What do you think about this outline?