Facebook in the Classroom

Facebook in the Classroom 

Richardson, W. 2010, Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. 3rd Ed. Corwin Publishing, Thousand Oaks, CA. Chapter 9.

After reading the section from Richardson's book about using Facebook in the Classroom, I felt compelled to try and set up a course. I had no idea that Facebook had the capability of setting up a course in such a manner. I went to Facebook and set up a course for my Work Readiness class this fall. I have never been a fan of becoming friends with my students and will not when they send me requests. This is a great way to grab the students attention without getting to personal. It is something they are all familiar with and can easily use. I am excited to get this course going in the fall.

Is Wrongdoing Right?

School Change: Make Room for "Wrongdoing"

By: Matt Levinson

Link to Article 

This is something that I totally agree with. I have always felt that we need to let kids fail in order for them to grow. In my opinion, learning from mistakes makes a person who they are. It helps people develop beliefs and opinions. I feel that the growth from failure or wrongdoings is by far more motivating than alternative measures.

Collaborative Editing

7 things you should know about... Collaborative Editing    

Link to Article 

The importance of collaboration in any profession is essential to be successful. This is a very interesting article defining collaborative editing and explaining the next steps in the progression. I have recently been using a collaborative editing tool with my wife to track our finances. I think it is a very effective idea and can be very helpful and efficient. Like they discuss in the article however, the people you choose to share the document with need to be trustworthy. I am anxious to see where collaborative editing goes in the future. 

Integrating Ipads

The Dos and Don'ts for Integrating iPads

By: Ben Johnson 

Link to Article 

A great article discussing the implementation of iPads in the classroom. It is especially eye opening to read some of the reasons teachers do not use iPads in their classroom's even though they are readily available. Most of the examples highlighted in the article are the same complaints teachers in my school use even though every student has a laptop. Interesting read.

RIchardson Chapter 8

Diigo

Richardson, W. 2010, Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. 3rd Ed. Corwin Publishing, Thousand Oaks, CA. Chapter 8.


After reading the chapter, specifically about the tool Diigo, I went online to set up an account. I can see this being a very valuable source not only in the classroom but in my personal life as well. Being able to bookmark different sites and webpages while having the ability to use digital highlights and add interactive sticky notes is very intriguing. I can see myself finding tools on the web and highlighting the portion I want my students to read. It is also nice that these articles or webpages can be accessed anywhere on a number of different devices. I plan on using this tool in my classroom this school year. 

Transforming Direct Instruction

Tools for Teaching: How to Transform Direct Instruction

 By: Rebecca Alber

Link to Article 

As Rebecca quoted Confucius in her writing: "I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand." With PBL and technology taking over the classroom predominantly direct instruction is becoming a thing of the past. While Rebecca still recognizes the significance of direct instruction, she talks about the importance of spending more time preparing lessons that challenge students to discover their own learning.

Better Leadership

Six Paths to Better Leadership

By: Maurice Elias

Link to Article

This article hits home for me as we found out today that we are losing two assistant principals and our superintendent to other school districts in the area. Changes in leadership are ahead in our district which will hopefully be a good thing.