Progressing through my goals has been tough (with report cards due last week), but I have made some gains in reaching my goals. Each of my goals are very different from each other, therefore require a lot more time and thought than having similar goals. I do enjoy having extremely different goals though because it allows me to look at different areas to improve; one is directed more for my own personal growth, but the other is directed to allow more student growth.
As I look for information and resources on appropriate Internet etiquette, I have found a few that fit what I am trying to do. One resource is especially helpful. It is from Kids Domain. This site has a list of several different ways to be polite while using the Internet. As I read through them, I even learned a few new things, although most were review. One of those new things is called a "flame war." It is when someone floods another's email inbox with unnecessary messages until if fills up.
Resources about technologies to be used in the classroom have been easily come by. I have recently set up my class with pen pals in New Zealand through www.epals.com. So far, this has been a fantastic learning experience for my class because we have used new technology. They had the opportunity to Skype with our pals and it was fascinating to see and talk to them. From that we moved to digital cameras and creating a presentation about our school to send, via email, to our buddies. There are so many possibilities that I have found and that I am excited about.
At this point, I do not feel a need to modify my goals. I think that with a little time and effort, each of my goals is obtainable and would be valuable for me to reach.
I have learned that no matter how much time and effort is put into something, you are not always going to get what you want. With many of the resources I have found, it has been necessary to find out more because each resource has a snip it of what I am looking for. Because of this, research seems endless although very valuable.
Throughout this process, only one true question has come up; are these possibilities endless? It seems as though there is no true end to the amount of information and research I can come across. When do I need to tell myself to stop? Is there ever too much information to use? I am asking these questions because I feel that soon I will be bogged down with too much information, if that is possible.
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I love the idea of epals. Activities like these could easily turn into collaboration projects. I am also very jealous that your county allows skype. I have been trying to find a skype alternative that wouldn't take up to much bandwidth and would be as user friendly. Still, the good news is that the price of webcams and other materials for this type of communication are crashing like crazy.
ReplyDeleteI also wanted to comment about the feeling of being overwhelmed by research. One thing that I have had to do to help me get past that feeling is to step away from the computer for a while.
Skype has not been tested in my district, so I am the guinea pig. They are keeping an eye on the bandwidth levels during my Skype sessions and seeing if there are any changes in my building or the district. From my understanding, as of right now, with only me using it, there have not been any huge disturbances. But I am assuming as other people start hearing about it, there might be.
ReplyDeleteEpals is an excellent example of creatign educational communication across borders and will ultimately be a beneficial addition to your classroom. I also like the idea of using a website that defines internet ettiquette. I wonder if it would be a "double-edged sword" though to explain to students how to act when you could in fact be developing "cyber-bullies" as well? This is me playing devil's advocate obviously, but none the less it could be another topic to discuss in your class.
ReplyDeleteI am excited to hear about your experiences with epals and Skype. I have one class of geography students that I believe could benefit from this type of interaction with other cultures. I hadn't even thought of the possibility of Skype being blocked by my county. I plan to try it and then petition for its use. I can add this to my GAME plan. School's are sometimes so afraid of the bad that can come from the internet, they neglect to see the positives that could far outweigh the risks.
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