Google Doc : Blog Guidelines (for teachers and students)
:)
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Monday, June 25, 2012
Student Homework 6/26/2012 (EXAMPLE)
(Note: Example as part of Prof. Hale's Final Teaching Project)
Dear students, please read the following articles and leave a comment/response on this blog entry.
1) Super Colossal Asteroid Buzzes Earth, Says NASA
2) The End is Nigh...for Asteroid Disaster Movies, Anyway
See you tomorrow!
Dear students, please read the following articles and leave a comment/response on this blog entry.
1) Super Colossal Asteroid Buzzes Earth, Says NASA
2) The End is Nigh...for Asteroid Disaster Movies, Anyway
- Think about what we've learned in class about how gravitational attraction acts upon two separate objects in space (i.e.- Bill Nye and the Online Orbital Simulator)
- Remember the grading rubric!
- We will be discussing both articles at the beginning of class tomorrow. :)
See you tomorrow!
-Ms. Sheehan
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Screencasts Assignment
1. RetailMeNot.com Tutorial
2. MakeUpAlley Review / Tutorial
3. Dragon Age Origins Unlimited Gold Tutorial (NEVER coming soon)
So, the story with the Unlimited Gold tutorial: After four hours of fiddling with it, never came to fruition. Screencast-o-matic is not friends with gaming screens. Instead of recording the game, the screen recording becomes pixelated and indistinguishable. I tried to upload the 'failed' recording, and it stops encoding at about 19%.
While I don't have time to do a different third tutorial, I still see this as a valuable lesson learned. Screencast-o-matic is not good for highly-detailed BioWare games. The end. Now I really need to take an aspirin...
2. MakeUpAlley Review / Tutorial
3. Dragon Age Origins Unlimited Gold Tutorial (NEVER coming soon)
So, the story with the Unlimited Gold tutorial: After four hours of fiddling with it, never came to fruition. Screencast-o-matic is not friends with gaming screens. Instead of recording the game, the screen recording becomes pixelated and indistinguishable. I tried to upload the 'failed' recording, and it stops encoding at about 19%.
While I don't have time to do a different third tutorial, I still see this as a valuable lesson learned. Screencast-o-matic is not good for highly-detailed BioWare games. The end. Now I really need to take an aspirin...
Monday, June 11, 2012
Flipping the Classroom Responses
1) Article: Five Best Practices for the Flipped Classroom
In addition to reading this article, I also skimmed through some of the user comments and this link, which gives an overview of what a 'flipped classroom' is. I understand why a lot of people get nervous about this new model, and why some people seem abhorrently against allowing computers to 'take over' the classroom. We've been using blackboards and pencils for decades, and such a radical change to digital information distribution will not be taken lightly by the majority of educators. Many are concerned that the teacher will become fully obsolete, others muse that the flipped classroom is technology for the sake of technology. On the other side of the spectrum, there are those who see the Flipped Classroom as the greatest invention since the white board.
I am more on the positive side. This is because I believe the essence of teaching methods will not change, even if the vehicle for those methods evolve. I think effective teachers have always been both 'a guide on the side' and a 'sage on the stage'...this reflects Prof. Ruby's "I do, we do, you do" practice. This same guideline can be followed in technological instruction. As I understand it, video lessons like those from Khan Academy demonstrate the material/concepts/skills ("I do"), then assist the student in working through problems ("We do"). This is in collaboration with the classroom teacher, ensuring that the guided practice provides live and immediate feedback (still "We do"), eventually allowing the student to work independently ("You do"). Even if there is less of a role for the teacher in the 'I do' portion, the negative impacts would likely be minimal, as the teacher is still the major player in active guidance ('we do', 'you do'), in my opinion the most significant parts of instruction. Teachers can also take on the 'I do' portions as needed, for students needing extra help. As you can see, the role of the teacher is not diminished, only facilitated.
2) Five Future Technologies That Will Shape Our Classrooms
One commenter on this article scoffed at the idea that these futuristic technologies, even though there are already prototypes, will find their way into the mainstream classroom anytime soon. I somewhat agree; it's like the difference between a hover car (which has been around for many years already) and an actual flying car for mainstream transportation. Or the difference between being able to choose the sex of your baby (already possible) and the personality or athleticism. There are simply too many variables and it would take hundreds more years (tens more years?) before these types of technologies become a reality.
Even if such innovations were invented, there is also a difference between being invented and being used mainstream. For example, the electric car still hasn't quite caught on, or even Kinect video games, the technology that the holographic desk is based off of. This is because there are still inconvenient kinks to work out. The electric car can't go beyond 100 miles from home. Kinect can be finicky at the best of times.
It is true, however, that in 10, 20, or 50 years there will be mainstream technologies that the average citizen couldn't have dreamed of in their most imaginative moments. I never thought that Facebook or the IPhone would work as well as they do, or have as great of an impact as they do. Perhaps the holodesk WILL become 'the next big thing'...perhaps flying cars will become a reality in one hundred more years.
What will remain constant is that it is impossible to fathom what will and won't be invented, and what will and won't be popular, no matter the technology we have on our hands. There are no statistical programs that can account for the human whim.
3) Big Thinkers: Salman Khan on Liberating the Classroom for Creativity
Most of my thoughts on this video were already covered in my review from the first article. Khan Academy, at the end of the day, is still a tool. Perhaps a useful tool, an innovative tool that will change the nature of the classroom in ten years, but it's up to the teacher to determine to what extent something like Khan Academy would advance learning in the classroom.
For example, it is the hope of founder Salman Khan that the 'lecture' portion of class would get out of the way and free up class time for independent work - the brighter students helping the slower students, and giving the teacher a greater chance for conducting creative projects and activities for students. But if the teacher fails to connect what is being performed in the classroom with the material learned from Khan's lectures at home, then learning will not be achieved. This is no different from teachers who fill their science labs with fun, hands-on activities and then fail to help the learner see the relevance or connection to key core concepts.
I would be interested to try out Khan Academy for myself for a primary review. I think it's free, and maybe I'll do so in the future as I look for ways to enhance and advance learning in my own classroom.
In addition to reading this article, I also skimmed through some of the user comments and this link, which gives an overview of what a 'flipped classroom' is. I understand why a lot of people get nervous about this new model, and why some people seem abhorrently against allowing computers to 'take over' the classroom. We've been using blackboards and pencils for decades, and such a radical change to digital information distribution will not be taken lightly by the majority of educators. Many are concerned that the teacher will become fully obsolete, others muse that the flipped classroom is technology for the sake of technology. On the other side of the spectrum, there are those who see the Flipped Classroom as the greatest invention since the white board.
I am more on the positive side. This is because I believe the essence of teaching methods will not change, even if the vehicle for those methods evolve. I think effective teachers have always been both 'a guide on the side' and a 'sage on the stage'...this reflects Prof. Ruby's "I do, we do, you do" practice. This same guideline can be followed in technological instruction. As I understand it, video lessons like those from Khan Academy demonstrate the material/concepts/skills ("I do"), then assist the student in working through problems ("We do"). This is in collaboration with the classroom teacher, ensuring that the guided practice provides live and immediate feedback (still "We do"), eventually allowing the student to work independently ("You do"). Even if there is less of a role for the teacher in the 'I do' portion, the negative impacts would likely be minimal, as the teacher is still the major player in active guidance ('we do', 'you do'), in my opinion the most significant parts of instruction. Teachers can also take on the 'I do' portions as needed, for students needing extra help. As you can see, the role of the teacher is not diminished, only facilitated.
2) Five Future Technologies That Will Shape Our Classrooms
One commenter on this article scoffed at the idea that these futuristic technologies, even though there are already prototypes, will find their way into the mainstream classroom anytime soon. I somewhat agree; it's like the difference between a hover car (which has been around for many years already) and an actual flying car for mainstream transportation. Or the difference between being able to choose the sex of your baby (already possible) and the personality or athleticism. There are simply too many variables and it would take hundreds more years (tens more years?) before these types of technologies become a reality.
Even if such innovations were invented, there is also a difference between being invented and being used mainstream. For example, the electric car still hasn't quite caught on, or even Kinect video games, the technology that the holographic desk is based off of. This is because there are still inconvenient kinks to work out. The electric car can't go beyond 100 miles from home. Kinect can be finicky at the best of times.
It is true, however, that in 10, 20, or 50 years there will be mainstream technologies that the average citizen couldn't have dreamed of in their most imaginative moments. I never thought that Facebook or the IPhone would work as well as they do, or have as great of an impact as they do. Perhaps the holodesk WILL become 'the next big thing'...perhaps flying cars will become a reality in one hundred more years.
What will remain constant is that it is impossible to fathom what will and won't be invented, and what will and won't be popular, no matter the technology we have on our hands. There are no statistical programs that can account for the human whim.
3) Big Thinkers: Salman Khan on Liberating the Classroom for Creativity
Most of my thoughts on this video were already covered in my review from the first article. Khan Academy, at the end of the day, is still a tool. Perhaps a useful tool, an innovative tool that will change the nature of the classroom in ten years, but it's up to the teacher to determine to what extent something like Khan Academy would advance learning in the classroom.
For example, it is the hope of founder Salman Khan that the 'lecture' portion of class would get out of the way and free up class time for independent work - the brighter students helping the slower students, and giving the teacher a greater chance for conducting creative projects and activities for students. But if the teacher fails to connect what is being performed in the classroom with the material learned from Khan's lectures at home, then learning will not be achieved. This is no different from teachers who fill their science labs with fun, hands-on activities and then fail to help the learner see the relevance or connection to key core concepts.
I would be interested to try out Khan Academy for myself for a primary review. I think it's free, and maybe I'll do so in the future as I look for ways to enhance and advance learning in my own classroom.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
TrackStar Link for Alfano's Theories Class
Click me now or you will not learn ANYTHING.
Password: tcpcg
Description: TrackStar activity for Theories class presentation (Week 2) on Module 6 (The Brain and Development)
Password: tcpcg
Description: TrackStar activity for Theories class presentation (Week 2) on Module 6 (The Brain and Development)
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Review of Copyright TrackStar
Audience- Middle School to Adult
Year Published- 2005
1. First link didn't work! It's always disappointing when this happens, but not surprising since this TrackStar was created in 2005. I think TrackStar should have some sort of expiration date for TrackStars older than five years with detected broken links (if that's possible), so that educators looking for valuable and meaningful TrackStars won't have to sift through all the broken ones.
2. This site is sponsored by the Library of Congress, so it is a reliable source. It also makes the student look for the answers, rather than sending students to the right page automatically.
3. This link is also broken, which is too bad since the questions connected to this frame are valuable and important for anybody learning about copyright.
4. This was a very interesting article that I found useful to read myself. I like how it was updated until 2008, which meant it would have been relevant to the time when this TrackStar was first published in 2005.
5. This is a good activity for those in middle school and gives a great summary otherwise to what should have been gleaned from this TrackStar overall. I would have liked some sort of interactive activity but it still brings everything together. This TrackStar should be supplemented with some sort of follow-up activity either in class or as homework (in class would be more beneficial since it would encourage discussion about copyright).
Year Published- 2005
1. First link didn't work! It's always disappointing when this happens, but not surprising since this TrackStar was created in 2005. I think TrackStar should have some sort of expiration date for TrackStars older than five years with detected broken links (if that's possible), so that educators looking for valuable and meaningful TrackStars won't have to sift through all the broken ones.
2. This site is sponsored by the Library of Congress, so it is a reliable source. It also makes the student look for the answers, rather than sending students to the right page automatically.
3. This link is also broken, which is too bad since the questions connected to this frame are valuable and important for anybody learning about copyright.
4. This was a very interesting article that I found useful to read myself. I like how it was updated until 2008, which meant it would have been relevant to the time when this TrackStar was first published in 2005.
5. This is a good activity for those in middle school and gives a great summary otherwise to what should have been gleaned from this TrackStar overall. I would have liked some sort of interactive activity but it still brings everything together. This TrackStar should be supplemented with some sort of follow-up activity either in class or as homework (in class would be more beneficial since it would encourage discussion about copyright).
Monday, June 4, 2012
TrackStar Activity
Title: Aeromonas Hydrophila (We be gettin' science-y up in this joint right here!)
PASSWORD: sc!ence
URL: Click on Me to head to TrackStar!
Warning: I made sure there weren't any graphic photos (or, really, photos at all), but the content nature can be a little disturbing (deals with flesh-eating bacteria), so if you're very easily queasy I'm putting a disclaimer here.
PASSWORD: sc!ence
URL: Click on Me to head to TrackStar!
Warning: I made sure there weren't any graphic photos (or, really, photos at all), but the content nature can be a little disturbing (deals with flesh-eating bacteria), so if you're very easily queasy I'm putting a disclaimer here.
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