Reflection Questions 1/22/09

While I find myself to be rather adept in regard to technology, there is certainly quite a list of unexplored ones I have yet to utilize. Keynote is a program I currently use to visually engaged my student, but it is a one way communication that occurs. I simply dictate, students record notes and watch short video clips and animations. While these have their own value, I am glad to have come across this website - www.voicethread.com - which allows users to create interactive slideshows. Students can comment on and respond to comments using voice, text, drawing and and even video. As many of my students are not confident enough or capable to richly express their thoughts through text, it seems this avenue of expression might lend them a new mode of showing me what they mean.

It is ironic that my second prompt question for this response deals with blogs because as I type this response it is being included in my personal blog. The function of a blog is only limited to the imagination of its creator. I've considered creating and utilizing a blog for my students to keep them informed about assignments or their progress in my class. The trouble I have most is keeping the paperwork I collect from them integrated with a technological update so they can see how they are doing. Throughout the year, I have experimented with a few different methods of posting grades and communicating with parents and students alike. In the beginning of the year, I even asked them to email me just to see if they had the capability and used that means of communication with ease. While implementing a blog or some other form of communal technological communication can be daunting, I think, if well-executed, it can be extraordinarily beneficial for students, parents and teachers.

Professional Development Workshop Series Integration

At work I am participating in a professional development workshop series that deals with the integration of technology in the classroom. As a part of this workshop, participants are required to keep journal entries. In order to maintain this blog and keep journal entries for the class, I am going to attempt to combine the two. So, from here on out, I intend to have the postings in this blog be responses to prompts for this workshop series. Hopefully I can save this sinking ship of a blog.