Podcasting

Well, I just completed my first podcast and to my surprise, I really enjoyed it! The Garage Band program I used was much more user friendly than I expected and I actually had fun doing it. Like most new programs that have been introduced to me in this class, I feel that podcasting can be integrated easily into classroom curriculum and be very beneficial for students now and in their future in regards to knowledge and communication with others.

In my last blog entry I wrote about the importance of learning and interacting with others face to face. I still stand my that, but I think it's also very important that students know and understand how to communicate and learn with and from others through various uses of technology. I totally agree with you Jeff how living in an international community where people and families are more transient than the average family makes the use of communication through technology that much more important for them to remain those close ties with family and friends. This is why I will make a valiant effort to use technology like podcasting in our classroom.

social interaction the base of learning and knowledge

After reading the this weeks Siemens reading a couple of things really hit home for me as a person and educator. Siemens writes, "To know today means to be connected," (pg. 51). I agree almost 100% with this statement, but there is still a piece of me that struggles with communication through technology. Technology does keep us connected, but I strongly believe that nothing is more beneficial than personal, face to face communication and experience. Don't get me wrong, wiki's and other technological advances continue to enhance and bring forth and new way to communicate and gain knowledge, but we can't forget the importance of learning through social interaction and communication. In my eyes, face to face social interaction is the base of communication and knowledge, while technology is the enhancer.

Where did summer go?

I just wanted to thank the person who gave me a great link (21st Century Collaborative)on how to integrate wiki's into the classroom. Thanks!! There are so mnay ideas, It's going to be hard for me to choose which ones will be the best for our classroom this upcoming year.

Well, about one more week and it's back to Shanghai. I can't believe the summer is almost over and we start teaching in less than a month!! I can't complain because Madison has had unbelievable weather since we've been home and we've been able to get a lot accomplished. Thank goodness for the new information we're learning in this class or else I probably wouldn't have done anything for school until I absolutely had too. Thanks Jeff for keeping me on the ball!!

Reflections of this weeks reading

This weeks reading really opened my eyes personally and professionally about the importance of staying up to date with technological knowledge in our world today. Exposing students to the unlimited options that technology and networking has to offer is crucial for their development as a person and learner and that means that I have to make sure to continue to be well informed about the new ways of learning and communicating with technology. I think, though, giving them the proper tools to help them find the most quality resources possible to become a more informed, in touch learner is crucial.

Reading this section (Learning section) from the article "The Theoretical Views of Knowing and Learning" also made me excited about all the endless possibilities of integrating networking as a form of communication and learning into our classroom environment. Kids learn best through exploration and communicating with their peers and networking through blogs and other technological tools is a great way for them to become a more a self-reliant learner. Networking is also a great way to develop a sense of community within the classroom and sharing that community feeling with others and I hope to do this some how, some way in our 3rd grade classroom next year! Any ideas, feel free to share!!!