Google Docs

This week for class we used Google Documents to discuss a reading selection. I have used Google Documents in the past, but never quite in the manner where we were supposed to use it like a forum. In the past, I have used Google Documents as a way for the whole group to track the progress of an assignment. It was used where each person had to write a different paragraph and would post it right into the Google Document. I think with the right students this would be useful, but if I was in a younger classroom it would be harder. Students would have to not only know how to use Google Documents, but would also have to get permission from their parents to set up an account.

If the students did have an account, I would use Google Documents for a lot of peer editing. By changing the color of the text that students type, they can make comments or additions right on the document. They can also post their comments in the side of the document so students can see suggestions. Because students can watch what is being typed in real time, it would also be a good medium for students to dictate comments instead of always needing to type them.

Quests in the World Wide Web and Assistive Technology

For class, we had to do a WebQuest about AAC and Assistive Technology (AT). Had the government not been shut down, a lot more of the links would have worked, which would have helped the process tremendously. While I have used WebQuests before and think they can be useful, the reoccurring problem is the unstable nature of internet links. Something that worked on Friday when the teacher creates it could stop working the Monday it's presented to the students. As a future Exceptional Education teacher, I can definitely see how it can be useful for students with disabilities. Instead of having the students read a textbook chapter, they can have a WebQuest that utilizes all types of learning for students. This way they could watch videos, hear testimony of the actual even if it's history, and even have the opportunity to explore the topic on their own.

I've heard of AAC and Assistive Technology before, but not as in depth as I have from this WebQuest. Specifically, I learned about where to locate these resources and how students can use them. Beforehand, there was some confusion about how exactly these devices worked and whether or not they were programmed for the student. Now I know that these boards can be something simple like books or something more complicated like a communication board.

Facebook in Education?

With each new advancement there are those who talk about it being a danger and a distraction to students. It has been said about the internet and is now being said about social media. Personally, I believe that social media is a great tool for learning. Classrooms that integrate facebook, facebook like sites, and blogs can be an integral part of the classroom. Studies have shown that classrooms that have integrated social media sites have more engaged students and better homework scores (Kessler, S. 2010. http://mashable.com/2010/09/29/social-media-in-school/). Students take more accountability into their work when they believe that not only the teacher, but their peers and other people could read their post. It also provides an alternative method of communication and expression for the students. Most students do not feel that blog posting is as much work and in some cases, students would do it willingly, even without a grade (Kessler, S. 2010. http://mashable.com/2010/09/29/social-media-in-school/)  However, there are certain things to look out for when using social media for school. It is a well known fact that there are predators on the internet and having younger students on facebook actually violates it's terms of use. The safer method is sites like Edmodo or Edublogs that are specifically created to have facebook-esque features, but intended for schools (Kessler, S. 2011. http://mashable.com/2011/12/05/educators-on-facebook/). Of course, even with that, it's important to keep certain etiquette. Teachers friending students is certainly taboo and in some schools it's been banned completely (Poole, B. 2011. http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/columnists/poole/poole018.shtml). 

Facebook does not make someone a better teacher. Simply telling students they will be using social media sites does not automatically shift the perspective to make students more eager to learn. Teachers have to know how to use these tools to excite the students and how to use it properly. (Stewart, S. 2011. http://sarah-stewart.blogspot.co.nz/2011/04/just-to-let-you-knowfacebook-does-not.html) Take for instance, a social studies unit. The teacher could create a page for the revolution and have each student create a post as a participant/observer of a famous battle. Students would be required to create their post in order of the battles happening and the newsfeed would give student an "up to date" of the forming revolution. Another idea is to have students create a blog focusing on a specific poet during a literary unit. Students would use their blog to post the analysis for different poems, their own illustrations drawn digitally, as well as posts that describe the time the poet lived in and some biographical information.