Best+Practices

__Unit 5 - New Instructional Tools for the Classroom__ 6/16/10
I have been impressed with all the available Web 2.0 tools for teachers. I have begun a Teacher Toolbox for myself through my Delicious account. Here is the link so that all interested teachers will be able to easily access these tools as well. This is only a small list as I have just created it. Furthermore, I have bookmarking tools that I find useful and will work well within my writing English curriculum.Deicious account

__Unit 4 - Podcasts__
I am thinking of incorporating a student created podcast where students would give examples of figurative language. They would need to learn examples of similes, metaphors, alliteration, personification etc. and record these. I would then have the students play their podcasts for their classmates. What an entertaining way to create, analyze, and then hear the information. This project would meet my writing, as well as speaking and listening standards. I think the value in podcasts is that students are aware of their global audience and would step it up a notch and be sure the information is correct.

__Unit 3 - Google Earth__
I was impressed with the many aspects of Google Earth. This technology is amazing! My first thought was that this would be wonderful for a Science class, but what could I do with this in an English class? I had to think about my focus as writing. Then, I began to think of all the magnificent creative stories that would be written if students took a tour using Google Earth before hand. As I was exploring the Earth, I felt as though I was flying or soaring through space. Students could go anyplace on Earth, take a tour of famous landscapes, and write a fictional story about that location. Students could use descriptive language as they describe the settings of their stories. Google Earth would certainly bring their stories to life! Students could also use Google Earth to follow wildfires in California and write non-fiction newspaper articles reporting on the events as they happen. The more I explore this program, the more ideas I have.

__Unit 3 - Google Maps__
In the 8th grade curriculum, we read and explore the play "Anne Frank." As a before reading activity, we discuss setting and the students color a map of Europe in the early 1940s. Although having the students color the maps themselves is a worthwhile activity, I am thinking of incorporating Google Maps into the lesson as well. I think students would be excited to work with technology that they are so familiar with and include it in out course of study. This would bring the character of Anne and her story of the Holocaust into the 21st century learning. I am actually thinking that I could incorporate Google Maps into any unit as a great way to introduce setting. I also believe it is something memorable that students are more likely to put into long term memory. I have never had experience with Google Maps until this unit. But I can already see the endless implications this App has for education. I would certainly utilize Google Maps as a unique way of introducing setting. As an English teacher, I have found myself going online to endless sites looking for the "perfect" map for the unit I am covering. For example, when teaching "Anne Frank," I have searched the Internet for a map of Europe during WWII that includes Amsterdam, Holland (the setting of the story.) I did not know that I can create the "perfect"map that will include all the points of interest that we discuss (ex. Poland - concentration camp locations.) The possibilities are endless. I will certainly be utilizing this tool next school year. Below is my link for the Google Map I have created of my school district.

Troy Area School District: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=114119643760792425767.0004882b3f82f504ddff7&ll=41.927825,-76.864471&spn=0.4659,1.352692&z=10&iwloc=0004882bb8b8ec7e368f1

Two of my favorite Mashups in Google Maps was the local news. I was able to enter my zip code and the map showed the exact location. I could then click on the link for the local news of the day. This I will use everyday, not only in education. My other favorite mashup was the New 7 Wonders of the world. I enjoyed the video. I felt like I was in a helicopter touring these places myself. It truly felt like I was there. I was very impressed! I could see how kids would find this virtual tour intriguing as well.

__Unit 2A - Blogs in Education__
I have learned not to fear Blogs, but rather embrace their capabilities for student learning. Before this unit, I was under the impression that blogs were a place for gossip, self-promotion, or simply a daily journal. I had not recognized the potential for blogs in education and specifically in my English classroom. I learned that blogs are changing the way educators view the writing process. Students are interacting with one another, writing and responding spontaneously and the publishing stage is now somewhere in the middle rather than at the end. I have also learned that students are now experiencing "connective writing" when writing within a blog. They are practicing writing skills while they are responding to peers in real time. My eyes have been opened to the value of the blog. I would like to utilize a classroom blog as a place for parents and students to have access to the instructor. As educators, we are aware of how important social relationships are to student learning. While the blog would have the necessary aspects of information such as lesson plans, weekly announcements. It could also serve as place for student and parental questions. As I am a sports fanatic, students could post the results of their games or other extra curricular activities for others to respond. I feel it is important that children have a forum where they can boast about all of their achievements.

While Wikipedia has its obvious benefits for students within a classroom, it also has its pitfalls. According to Jimmy Wales himself, he refers to the site as "pretty good." As an educator, I am not terribly comfortable with anything being pretty good. In all fairness to Wikipedia, it it just like anything else in education. Any strategy or resource must be time tested and reviewed in order to achieve maximum potential. Wikipedia may have a place in the classroom as a place to begin a search. In my opinion, I would not and do not recommend Wikipedia for research for my eighth grade students. I require my students to research and write a four page, double spaced research paper on issues surrounding the Holocaust during our "Anne Frank" unit. Considering the context of the Holocaust and the horrific events that happened during this time, I want to feel comfortable that my students are receiving factual information and not someone's opinion. I realize that Wikipedia corrects vandalism usually within 24 hours. However, with my luck, that would be the time frame one of my students accessed Wikipedia and received inaccurate information. I feel as teachers, we have many eyes on us as we are doing our jobs such as students, parents, administrators, school districts, and school boards. For this reason, I want to feel confident that my students are receiving the most accurate up to date information that I can provide for them. I would feel comfortable with students using Wikipedia as starting point for links to other sources, but certainly not as any academic article that could be cited in a paper. With all of this being said, I would also like to acknowledge that wikis do have a place in education. From the authoring and collaborating stand point, they are extremely valuable.
 * Wikipedia in the Classroom**