- What group did you join in diigo and why?
The diigo
group I am following is idea garden
where yearbook design comes to life!
This is my first year as the yearbook advisor and I am looking for any
resources that will help me with the syllabus,grading, page design, the ladder,
and any new ideas. It has really good,
up to date trends, photo ideas, an inspiration gallery, checklists, and
organization tips. All things I need as
a newbee!
- What is the appeal for the young and old to network in online places like the ones you examined this week?
Being able
to network in online places allow people, both young and old, to stay in touch
with friends and family and share pictures and videos. I know many grandparents who are unable to
visit with their grandchildren, but use Facebook to stay in touch with them and
literally watch them grow up. No longer
do they feel like they are missing out!
The appeal for the younger generation, in my opinion, may not be as
positive as it is for older people. I
see a lot of younger people using it in more of a negative context than a
positive one. I have seen it used as a
showcase for them to hide behind a computer screen and be rude and
disrespectful. It seems like more than often it is used to tell trivial aspects
of a person’s daily life and not used for the right reasons. Some people use it as a gossip place, a place
to slander others, and many other negative reasons. I know there are many positive aspects to
networking especially for businesses and people who do want to make a
difference for positive reasons, but regardless I think Facebook and Twitter
time should be earned! For example, an
hour of volunteer time at a homeless shelter or humane society earns you an
hour on Facebook and Twitter ;) A crazy idea, I know, but it would eliminate a
lot of foolish choices some people make by putting harmful comments out there!
- If used in a classroom, how might networking websites positively and negatively affect teaching and learning?
Networking
websites positively affect teaching in many ways. Teachers can connect and learn vicariously
through other teachers work. They can
collaborate with each other and make connections with other educators. I teach in a very small rural district where
everybody knows each other. In larger
school districts this can be impossible, but through social media teachers in
different buildings can work together to enhance learning. Students can also benefit from incorporation
networking websites into the classroom.
They can participate in chats and use screencasts to demonstrate
learning. Social websites might also
provide an opportunity for students to work on collaborative projects outside
of class as well as work with students completely outside of their classroom
walls. A classroom can be opened to the
world for both teachers and students with social media.
The one
negative aspect I see is social media sites in many schools are blocked because
of the negativity associated with them.
I am not sure teenagers are mature enough to have access to these during
school time because they would be so distracted by them. Possibly through the correct training and
follow through, students could use this type of media.
- In what kind of site might you tend to spend most of your time networking and for what purpose?
The
site that I have found I am already spending a lot of time in is Edutopia. It’s founder and chairman is George Lucas
(yes, the Star Wars guy!) He states on
the site, “Education
is the foundation of our democracy -- the stepping-stones for our youth to
reach their full potential. My own experience in public school was quite frustrating.
I was often bored. Occasionally, I had a teacher who engaged my curiosity and
motivated me to learn. Those were the teachers I really loved. I wondered,
"Why can't school be engaging all of the time?" As a father, I've
felt the imperative to transform schooling even more urgently.”
The main goals of Edutopia is to inspire
positive changes in schools by using evidence-based strategies and best
practices to improve learning and to engage students. One of their main focuses is project based
learning.
Just searching the word “Algebra” brought up so many great links, I think two hours went by before I realized where the time had gone. I was reading about 9 strategies for motivating students in mathematics, how to improve the flipped classroom, best resources for teaching the common core, and even tidbits on how to answer the question “when am I ever going to need this?” It is a great site to network with other teachers who are trying to answer the question of how we can effectively motivate secondary students and how to engage them to learn math.
- In what ways will this benefit you and what do you think might be the drawbacks?
There
are many benefits to being a part of social media websites. It can bring professional development right
into your classroom. This is very
beneficial to our school district. Last year there was no funding for teachers
to take part in professional development!
You can collaborate with teachers that teach the same subject areas that
you teach. This is also an advantage to
a school district like ours where I am the only Algebra 1 and Algebra 2
teacher! The one drawback is that it’s
almost information overload. There is so
much out there to look at and take in, you have to remember to not get caught up
in every idea that teachers are using in their classrooms.
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