Mid-point

We are about half-way between our first three days and our next three days. I hope all are enjoying the warm weather and working/living in A/C or a shady grove.

PLN - Growth is happening all around us as posts and reply's to the many forum discussions are ongoing. If you are not sure about anything - many of your classmates will certainly be open to helping.

Our next class will begin with a review of the previous three days and homework due.

Don't forget to continue to explore the many wonders Web 2.0 tools have to offer.

Reminder to LTMS 600-03 group:

Just a reminder about the Book discussions. As you're reading our text, we're looking for your discussions in the forum, "Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts ~ Book Discussion Forum" Tell us what interested you or what surprised you or what you think you'll be trying with your students this year.

We're looking for an active discussion. This is your personal learning network. Learn from each other.

Other discussions/posts ongoing you should be participating with:
Clay Shirky - Wolfram Alpha - Great Discoveries - Posting to your personal blog - As well as creating accounts for upcoming sites.

Looking forward to reading your thoughts on the discussions.

LTMS 600-03 First Week Thoughts:

I wanted to publicly share how impressed I am with how far our group has come in the 3 short days we have been together. We’re opening our minds, thinking out of the box while accepting and learning new tools for instructional delivery. A lot of light bulbs are lighting up in class!

The concept of realizing technology (the term) is getting a bad rap is a growing trend in our discussions. We continue building the connection that embedded technology needs to be ambiguous just as any other “old school” tool. However, these new tools, we are finding out, allow for a new set of skills and standards to be addressed in the hopes of providing students with the Global connections they need for the future.

Another accomplishment was an understanding of teaching the appropriate use of the tools while providing students with additional learning opportunities. While some have to look at this style of learning and assess the merits to decide if this is something for them, others are ready to give it a try! Time and the never-ending passion for learning will bring all to the same understanding as we continue to build our personal learning networks (PLN).

Yes, working together, we can begin to look at how and what we currently do that should be modified to meet the learning styles of students in our classes today.

I am looking forward to our future classes with the continued discussions and debates.

Blogs

I have not followed many blogs yet, but I plan on changing that now. I do know that my wife follows quite a few and really enjoys the interaction and opportunity they present.

I thought that the blog we read "Ilaw" was very thought provoking and informative. I was challenged to continue to dig deeper into my own thoughts and opinions about the possibilities and uses for this forum in a classroom setting. Also, the kids are already doing this, so what now grab the excitement and refocus them in a setting that promotes literacy, opinion building and open discussion/debate.

As for interacting with students via blogs, you must make sure things are covered and supported by your home administration!

ISTE 2010: Easy: Not Free

Interesting! I am amazed at how everyone wants something to make their job "easier". I never went into teaching thinking it would be easy. Instead of all of the stuff received in "Vendors' Hall", I'd rather spend the time chatting with fellow educators and sharing ideas and talking about successes in the classroom. All of the advancements in technology are great and they have their place, but we are teaching people and a free t-shirt is not going to help me to reach my students and be effective in my classroom.

article

The main point I got from the article was that ... the bottom line is to use technology but make sure you know what the purpose is and that students are really LEARNING from the technology you use. Also, try not to think about the negative aspects when you decide to use technology.

I read the Fisch article in regards to his list of expectations for his incoming algebra students first because it was already popped up. I completely agree with his opinion in regards to the list of expectations given to parents and students at the beginning of the school year for courses in that most of them sound very negative. I feel this gets everyone off on the wrong foot.

An iPad for Everyone: Is the iPad ready for 1:1?

The blog "An iPad for Everyone: Is the iPad ready for 1:1?" found here wonders whether the new Apple iPad is appropriate for educators. Given institutions that have run with the device the blogger presents the benefits to using an iPad in a classroom setting include the following:

• Long battery life - enough to power students throughout the entire day;
• No OS boot time and no need for peripherals;
• Many applications or apps to use.

The blogger states that the "iPad is going to change the way we think of computing in schools."

Review of RSS Readings

Please post your thoughts about two blogs you read and what you thought about them.