Storyboarding: Using Pictures to Teach Words
http://www.education.com/activity/article/Storyboarding_Use_pictures_help/
This news article is about how to help children in their writing ability through the use of storyboards in the classroom. Storyboards are a hands-on way to help students organize or even brainstorm about what they want to say with a series of pictures or illustrations. In this specific article, it talks about helping a third grader’s struggle in learning how to write.
Imagine, if you will, giving them a writing assignment in class on a first-person story. The example used in the article was going on a “Family Trip”. You then notice that student’s pencils haven’t even hit the paper because some of them can’t decide what to write. Or, maybe the writing has started but makes no sense at all. I believe a third-grader may become so excited about writing about their fun trip that their ideas and thoughts may become really jumbled around. This might even cause them to become restless and quit the whole thing due to their attention span being challenged. This is where storyboards come in because it’s a great way of organizing ideas and coming up with new creative ideas that they otherwise might not even have thought of.
According to Julie Williams, author of the article, “many kids find themselves especially challenged in third grade”. This is because in early years of school, such as in first grade, all teachers are trying to do is help put words on paper, but by third grade students are expected to come up with whole ideas and work on putting them down in logical ways.
The author provides some great suggestions and tips on how to help guide the writer into a more organized way of writing. Here’s one example from the article of what to do, step-by-step to create a storyboard.
What You Need:
One pack of 3x5 post-its in one colorOne pack of 2x3 mini-post-its in another colorA big sheet of plain white paper, the bigger the betterA space of blank wall on which you can tape your big paperA pencil or pen
Before writing anything, brainstorm and talk about ideas. Take random notes on scraps of paper and then have the student look over and start picking one thing that they would really like to share.
Use post-its to have the children come up with three “big ideas” leaving space at the bottom.
Now have the children fill in the details about their big ideas under each one.
This prepares the student to write effectively. They are able to organize the sequence of big ideas and supporting details.
By the end, there is a story that makes sense and it was fun!
I believe storyboarding is a very effective tool for the classroom. It’s a great technique, for pretty much any age group, in which students can use as a prewriting strategy to roughly sketch out their ideas. It’s also great in the way that it helps students to plan and organize their stories and helps hesitant writers find the motivation to write. In addition, I think that by now having knowledge on how to make a storyboard it will hopefully help facilitate the creative-thinking process for my future students.
After reading this article it has made me more aware of storyboarding. I think I will definitely be using this technique in my classroom one day. For further research I would like to know if Middle to High school students can create storyboards with video and audio. I think this would be interesting, interactive and fun.
.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Wikis
Columbia creates fake 'wiki' sites to promote classroom discussion
http://media.www.dailyvidette.com/media/storage/paper420/news/2006/09/07/News/Columbia.Creates.Fake.wiki.Sites.To.Promote.Classroom.Discussion-2259691.shtml
Wikis, as represented by Wikipedia, are web pages that that can be edited collaboratively by a group of people remotely via the internet. Editing of web pages are quick and easy compared to web pages editing and publishing. . Wiki is either accessible to public to view and edit, or it can be private wiki where it acts as a platform for collaboration and information sharing for certain users. This means that the content of the website is owned by the community, not by individual. Every member has the same privilege to edit the content of the website. In addition, most wikis have people watching over the sites for instances of abuse and misinformation.
A study by the science journal Nature found Wikipedia was almost just as accurate as Encyclopedia Britannica. Wikis are beginning to become popular and Columbia University has begun to use them in their classrooms. The Columbia Center for New Media Teaching and Learning has designed a number of wikis to facilitate conversation in classes.
Columbia’s Student Government Office is developing a wiki, called Project Athena. It would basically begin as a brochure and then would evolve into an insider's guide. Depending on how much inference their will be by the office, they say the site could eventually turn into a campus-wide study guide. This means, class notes could be posted, however, those involved in Project Athena would like it to be somewhere information on the University is shared and not on classes.
Vice president, Michael Diamond, of the junior class says that plans to pre-approve every post has been avoided. However, "Since it's so student-based and student opinion, we don't want it to be restrictive because that will make it slower," Diamond said. "We don't want people feeling like we have to edit it. We want as much information circulating as possible, but our foremost concern is that information is accurate."
Wiki technology relates to teaching and learning in a variety of ways. Wikis encourage group social interaction and collaboration. In addition, they support asynchronous communication allowing users to contribute at a time, and from a place that suits them. It’s easy to contribute and teachers can also comment or monitor progress and see the variety and level of student contributions.
In my opinion, I believe wikis are a great tool in the classroom. Columbia University is taking advantage of the opportunity and using it as an information filter and communal storage space where children, as a class, can share important knowledge that will help them as a group to move forward in what they know. I also believe learning is most effective when we, as students, are involved in the construction of our knowledge and wiki makes that possible. Wikis allows flexibility and ease of use. Who doesn’t like that?
I’m interested in what the future holds for wikis. Further research would be helpful to know from which grade it works best with and what grades should be avoided. Could it become something like youtube where users can upload videos? Will they be able to control false information? I would also like some research on what’s the most effective way to teach students in each grade level through the use of wikis.
http://media.www.dailyvidette.com/media/storage/paper420/news/2006/09/07/News/Columbia.Creates.Fake.wiki.Sites.To.Promote.Classroom.Discussion-2259691.shtml
Wikis, as represented by Wikipedia, are web pages that that can be edited collaboratively by a group of people remotely via the internet. Editing of web pages are quick and easy compared to web pages editing and publishing. . Wiki is either accessible to public to view and edit, or it can be private wiki where it acts as a platform for collaboration and information sharing for certain users. This means that the content of the website is owned by the community, not by individual. Every member has the same privilege to edit the content of the website. In addition, most wikis have people watching over the sites for instances of abuse and misinformation.
A study by the science journal Nature found Wikipedia was almost just as accurate as Encyclopedia Britannica. Wikis are beginning to become popular and Columbia University has begun to use them in their classrooms. The Columbia Center for New Media Teaching and Learning has designed a number of wikis to facilitate conversation in classes.
Columbia’s Student Government Office is developing a wiki, called Project Athena. It would basically begin as a brochure and then would evolve into an insider's guide. Depending on how much inference their will be by the office, they say the site could eventually turn into a campus-wide study guide. This means, class notes could be posted, however, those involved in Project Athena would like it to be somewhere information on the University is shared and not on classes.
Vice president, Michael Diamond, of the junior class says that plans to pre-approve every post has been avoided. However, "Since it's so student-based and student opinion, we don't want it to be restrictive because that will make it slower," Diamond said. "We don't want people feeling like we have to edit it. We want as much information circulating as possible, but our foremost concern is that information is accurate."
Wiki technology relates to teaching and learning in a variety of ways. Wikis encourage group social interaction and collaboration. In addition, they support asynchronous communication allowing users to contribute at a time, and from a place that suits them. It’s easy to contribute and teachers can also comment or monitor progress and see the variety and level of student contributions.
In my opinion, I believe wikis are a great tool in the classroom. Columbia University is taking advantage of the opportunity and using it as an information filter and communal storage space where children, as a class, can share important knowledge that will help them as a group to move forward in what they know. I also believe learning is most effective when we, as students, are involved in the construction of our knowledge and wiki makes that possible. Wikis allows flexibility and ease of use. Who doesn’t like that?
I’m interested in what the future holds for wikis. Further research would be helpful to know from which grade it works best with and what grades should be avoided. Could it become something like youtube where users can upload videos? Will they be able to control false information? I would also like some research on what’s the most effective way to teach students in each grade level through the use of wikis.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Blogging
Lawsuits Against Bloggers Seen Rising
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=5406538&page=1
Blogging became popular around 2004. This specific article speaks about how the blogging community has increasingly been under question since then. Lawsuits and legal action have been taking place, anywhere from being subpoenaed to cease-and-desist notices. According to the nonprofit Media Law Resource Center, there have been 159 civil and criminal court actions involving bloggers. Several cases that resulted in guilty have cumulative penalties totaling $18.5 million.
Blogging doesn’t happen just in the United States. It also occurs overseas, particularly if they criticize governments or deals with human rights abuses. 64 bloggers have been arrested around the world, with Egypt,China and Iran having more than half those arrests, according to the World Information Access Report.
There is no agreement on how to make bloggers aware of their legal responsibilities. However, lawyers and media activists are trying to help out. The EFF and the Citizen Media Law Project offer detailed legal guides for bloggers. Some bloggers may choose to buy a product that covers defamation, copyright and privacy violations, just like in newspapers.
The use of technology in the classroom has changed the way children learn, allowing both students and teachers to unlock their creativity. Blogging is a great way to do this and although technology could sometimes be messy, as educators we can reflect on our instruction, get student feedback, and make adjustments to improve through the blogging world. It gives the children a chance to exercise their right to freedom of expression and also see other student’s ideas.
In my opinion, as long as you don’t defame someone’s reputation you have the right to state an opinion through blogging. However, you do not have a right to make up facts or publicize information that may be damaging to an individual or small business without being prepared to back up your statements in a court of law.
For further research and investigation I would be interested in what the number one blogging topic is that gets legal action the most. I’m also interested in how profoundly how lives and world will change through the upcoming years of blogging. Will it get better or just worse? Will more and more lawyers be taking on cases dealing with the internet world?
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=5406538&page=1
Blogging became popular around 2004. This specific article speaks about how the blogging community has increasingly been under question since then. Lawsuits and legal action have been taking place, anywhere from being subpoenaed to cease-and-desist notices. According to the nonprofit Media Law Resource Center, there have been 159 civil and criminal court actions involving bloggers. Several cases that resulted in guilty have cumulative penalties totaling $18.5 million.
Blogging doesn’t happen just in the United States. It also occurs overseas, particularly if they criticize governments or deals with human rights abuses. 64 bloggers have been arrested around the world, with Egypt,China and Iran having more than half those arrests, according to the World Information Access Report.
There is no agreement on how to make bloggers aware of their legal responsibilities. However, lawyers and media activists are trying to help out. The EFF and the Citizen Media Law Project offer detailed legal guides for bloggers. Some bloggers may choose to buy a product that covers defamation, copyright and privacy violations, just like in newspapers.
The use of technology in the classroom has changed the way children learn, allowing both students and teachers to unlock their creativity. Blogging is a great way to do this and although technology could sometimes be messy, as educators we can reflect on our instruction, get student feedback, and make adjustments to improve through the blogging world. It gives the children a chance to exercise their right to freedom of expression and also see other student’s ideas.
In my opinion, as long as you don’t defame someone’s reputation you have the right to state an opinion through blogging. However, you do not have a right to make up facts or publicize information that may be damaging to an individual or small business without being prepared to back up your statements in a court of law.
For further research and investigation I would be interested in what the number one blogging topic is that gets legal action the most. I’m also interested in how profoundly how lives and world will change through the upcoming years of blogging. Will it get better or just worse? Will more and more lawyers be taking on cases dealing with the internet world?
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Virtual Field Trips
Schools substituting field trips with video links
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/969989.html
Imagine yourself in a fifth grade classroom. The seats are placed in rows, one right next to each other. In front of the classroom is a large screened-projector with a woman teaching about tide-pool ecology. You would think it was just a movie at first but in today’s society the popularity of Virtual Field Trips, like the one in the fifth grade classroom are being used.
At Kingswood Elementary School students were able to listen to waves, learn about tide pools and talk to a park ranger from Crystal Cove State Park in Orange County. The park ranger was able to virtually interact with the students, showing them different sea creatures and quizzing their knowledge of different animals.
The videoconferencing technology allows us as future teachers to teach about places we might otherwise not see. What if there was a child who had never been to the beach? By being on the virtual excursion the student would be able to not only be at the beach but learn about it at the same time,
Other classes at schools throughout California and throughout the entire world use virtual field trips. However, the interesting thing I read was that in California most of the park rangers’ lessons are directly tied to the science and social studies standards public schools are expected to teach. The trips are offered by the state Parks and Recreation Department through a program in which they don’t have to pay for but must have the right technology to participate. This includes a high-speed internet connection and a screen and a camera for videoconferencing.
Some critics of this article were worried about Virtual Field Trips. Many expressed the need to actually get out there and be able to engage all their senses. I would have to agree with this point. On the other hand though, school budgets and gas prices have caused hard times to be able to travel. "I understand why teachers and schools are doing it. … But we need to make sure those virtual experiences do not take over for real experiences, because they do not compare." said Martin LeBlanc, The Sierra Club’s national youth education director for outdoor education at schools and after-school programs that serve low-income children. Overall, I can see both the pros and cons of Virtual Field Trips.
I believe this videoconferencing has provided a good foundation for students to get comfortable using technology and learning worldwide. Being able to interact with another human being thousands of miles away gives the opportunity to share what they know and what they want to learn about. In addition, the students’ will be able to take pride in themselves by gaining knowledge from across the world.
Video-conferencing, like the one mentioned in the article, is a synchronous linking of individuals. I think this is really interesting because, just like when you’re on a real field trip, you are able to establish a sense of shared space among everyone who is working on a common task but are not in the same physical area that is being taught about. We are able to observe each others facial expressions, hear voices, and work on things at the same time.
Further investigation and research would be useful to see if the students actually learn more by being at the actual place or just as equally when sitting in front of a screen. It would be interesting to see if students who interacted virtually read better, had a more advanced vocabulary or a better comprehension of the content knowledge. I say this because on some elementary school field trips I remember certain kids paying no attention at all but with this interactive virtual field trip they may be more engaged, and thus learn more.
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/969989.html
Imagine yourself in a fifth grade classroom. The seats are placed in rows, one right next to each other. In front of the classroom is a large screened-projector with a woman teaching about tide-pool ecology. You would think it was just a movie at first but in today’s society the popularity of Virtual Field Trips, like the one in the fifth grade classroom are being used.
At Kingswood Elementary School students were able to listen to waves, learn about tide pools and talk to a park ranger from Crystal Cove State Park in Orange County. The park ranger was able to virtually interact with the students, showing them different sea creatures and quizzing their knowledge of different animals.
The videoconferencing technology allows us as future teachers to teach about places we might otherwise not see. What if there was a child who had never been to the beach? By being on the virtual excursion the student would be able to not only be at the beach but learn about it at the same time,
Other classes at schools throughout California and throughout the entire world use virtual field trips. However, the interesting thing I read was that in California most of the park rangers’ lessons are directly tied to the science and social studies standards public schools are expected to teach. The trips are offered by the state Parks and Recreation Department through a program in which they don’t have to pay for but must have the right technology to participate. This includes a high-speed internet connection and a screen and a camera for videoconferencing.
Some critics of this article were worried about Virtual Field Trips. Many expressed the need to actually get out there and be able to engage all their senses. I would have to agree with this point. On the other hand though, school budgets and gas prices have caused hard times to be able to travel. "I understand why teachers and schools are doing it. … But we need to make sure those virtual experiences do not take over for real experiences, because they do not compare." said Martin LeBlanc, The Sierra Club’s national youth education director for outdoor education at schools and after-school programs that serve low-income children. Overall, I can see both the pros and cons of Virtual Field Trips.
I believe this videoconferencing has provided a good foundation for students to get comfortable using technology and learning worldwide. Being able to interact with another human being thousands of miles away gives the opportunity to share what they know and what they want to learn about. In addition, the students’ will be able to take pride in themselves by gaining knowledge from across the world.
Video-conferencing, like the one mentioned in the article, is a synchronous linking of individuals. I think this is really interesting because, just like when you’re on a real field trip, you are able to establish a sense of shared space among everyone who is working on a common task but are not in the same physical area that is being taught about. We are able to observe each others facial expressions, hear voices, and work on things at the same time.
Further investigation and research would be useful to see if the students actually learn more by being at the actual place or just as equally when sitting in front of a screen. It would be interesting to see if students who interacted virtually read better, had a more advanced vocabulary or a better comprehension of the content knowledge. I say this because on some elementary school field trips I remember certain kids paying no attention at all but with this interactive virtual field trip they may be more engaged, and thus learn more.
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