This week saw us examine some new tools, and work with some previously mentioned tools as well. The first activity we did was recapping Will Richardson's book, providing a summary in the form of an Eyejot. We then were supposed to explore a web application that we previously didn't have any experience using. I found this to be quite "eye-opening," helping me realize that there are many beneficial applications on the web. We also had to continue work on our websites, along with setting up a shared collections folder. Finally, in our groups we were to recap all of the aforementioned activities, along with exploring a couple of new articles.
As far as those activities that can help me in my professional life, I can see myself utilizing the website and Eyejot emails. Considering the fact that the website I am creating deals specifically with helping students/parents, the tie here to my professional life is rather obvious. Since I am creating helpful links for students/parents to use, they can simply access my website if they feel they need additional assistance, or simply want some additional practice. In regards to the Eyejots, I believe they'll directly correlate to my professional life due to their simplicity alone. It is so much easier to just talk, versus typing up a long email; I've started sending these to colleagues, students, and parents. Efficient tools simply can't be ignored.
Jared, getting back to you on your question on my blog, I found setting up a class wiki to be pretty easy. I used wiki spaces and I am able to divide up the site into 9 chapters for each of the chapters I typically address with my Civics class in the course of the year. It is very easy to add questions to each page and there is plenty of space for students to add their answers. There have been no issues with students accessing it from school, so that has been another plus. Basically, I've been having the students work on scenarios that I set out for them. They answer these questions in a form of a Word document or presentation. When they are finished, I tell them to go to the wiki and fill in the blanks to show what they found so they can share it with the group. I've only used the wiki for a week now, but it really seems to be working nicely and I'm going to continue using it the rest of the year. If you have any other questions, just let me know.
ReplyDeleteJared,
ReplyDeleteI like your idea of using a website for parent outreach--I think it's a great idea. Is there an interactive aspect where parents can post questions or is the communication more one-way where you are supplying resources and the website is a place for parents to gain access?
Jared - I hadn't really thought about using eyejot to communicate with coworkers. That's a great idea! Have you received any feedback from coworkers about your use of it to communicate with them?
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