Sharing, Successes, Failures, and other stuff...

5/2/2012

Let's face it...sometimes things work and sometimes they don't. With technology, the don't is often the case. It takes time to keep current with the newest technology trends and to learn new software to implement new projects and then even more time to design the project and teach the kids how to use it. Where do you find the time? How do you learn what the new trends are? And most of all, what happens to your morale when you do find that something new, take the time to learn it, develop what you think is the greatest of all great lessons, and it flops!

This forum is open to just those types of experiences that can help us all. We will all be helped by reading about a project gone right! What did you do and why are you so psyched about it? Enthusiasm breeds enthusiasm...I know I would like to hear about the things that worked. The opposite is true...this is also a place to voice your disappointment and receive the support you need to try again.

Maybe you are just looking for ideas for projects that you could try... well read on and hopefully this blog itself will become a valuable resource for all...

10 Comments

Joyce Bourdon

5/2/2012 08:41:41 am

Responsive Classroom Hopes and Dreams...
this project was fairly successful and an easy way to implement the Hopes and Dreams beginning of the year component for goal setting. As the year started, Dana and I started a blog on our classroom web space. We were sure to spend class time teaching the students to become bloggers. We not only modeled the how to blog but outlined criteria and expectations about appropriate blog entries. We were also sure to send hard copy notices home with students to inform parents of their role in our blog. While the students composed their entries in class, we were expecting parents to also post their own hopes and dreams for their child on the parent section of the blog at Open House and our notice informed them of that. We jazzed things up on the blog with the addition of the Frank Sinatra favorite, "High Hopes" playing in the background of the site while our little ant graphics depicted the idea of hard work. The kids loved it because it was such a different project than they had taken part in the past. It was authentic because they could share their own posts with Grandma and Grandpa as well as anyone else in the family or on the World Wide Web. They had fun going through the comments of their classmates during their computer time. Overall, we felt this blog project was a keeper, a great start to becoming a team and establishing our goals for the year.

Kevin Tavares link

5/3/2012 01:06:41 pm

Hi,
I am a recent graduate of Joyce and Dana’s Integrate Technology in the Classroom class. I can’t say enough about how wonderful of an experience it was. Thanks to them, I have created a tool to extend learning beyond the classroom.
I have used the website in many different ways to engage student learning and keep them excited about school beyond the school day.
Over the past few weeks, we have been communicating with a teacher/scientist studying the Larsen Ice Shelf collapse in Antarctica, and video chatted with a teacher/scientist mapping the ice thickness in Greenland. Our latest adventure has taken us around the world through something called QuadBlogging. QuadBlogging is the brainchild of David Mitchell of Heathfield Primary School. It brings together classes with blogs from across the globe into a ‘Quad’. Each Quad has a co-ordinator who is responsible for making sure each of the quad members know what is going on and when. Each week one blog is the focus blog with the other three blogs visiting and commenting during that week. In week two, another school/class blog is the focus with the other three visiting and commenting. This is repeated until each of the classes/schools has had their week in the spotlight. The cycle is then repeated.
We are the focus this week and it has been a tremendous success. One of the schools in England is having some “filter” problems and is in the process of straightening it out. The other schools in England, and New Zealand are up and running. We have been posting things that have taken place in class and the students from the other two schools have been replying. It has brought a new level of excitement into my classroom. My students are blogging from home and at school. The most exciting thing took place today. We used Skype to do a video chat with our Primary School friends in Flamborough England. It was amazing. The kids were pumped up. The blog has been a nice tie in across the curriculum. From the metric system to geography, the experience has been a tremendous success.
The biggest challenge for me has been the time difference. To keep things fresh and up to date, I have had to spend some late nights getting things ready for the replying schools. Particularly for the school in New Zealand. Because I have to read, review, and approve all of the posts that come through, it takes time to do this to be able to have them ready by the time they start their school day.
Besides that, there really isn’t a down side. If you do give it a try, I would suggest using a USB microphone, and have external speakers.
If you have any additional questions, I would be happy to answer them.
You can read more about today’s video event on my home page at www.mrtohs.weebly.com.
Happy blogging.
Kevin Tavares
Old Hammondtown

Joyce

5/6/2012 08:58:15 am

Thanks for your input! Your site is amazing and you can truly see how "ALIVE" it is with your kid's work! The blog ideas you present do seem to be complex... I know all too well how involved some of these projects can get. They seem to take on a life of their own. I too got caught up in some major time commitments! I tried to rationalize them though with the fact that it was more fun than correcting the never ending stack of papers that these web projects were replacing. That and the fact that the kids seemed to get so much more out of this sort of thing...the motivation factor is awesome!

Keep blogging!
Joyce

Kevin T.

5/15/2012 12:39:00 pm

Had another chat with our friends at Flamborough Primary School in England. This was our second chat and it went smoothly. We changed the format a bit and it seemed to work out a lot better. We divided the classes up into smaller groups. The students were already matched up so we it made that part easier. Four in front of the camera asking and answering questions made the exchanges more direct. We are learning so much about our friends in England. It continues to be a positive experience that I would encourage everyone to try.

Joyce

5/15/2012 10:31:46 pm

That is so wonderful on so many levels for your students! What a wonderful way for them to communicate! The authenticity and motivation that goes into this...and of course the learning that is taking place when they probably don't even realize it, it is simply amazing!
You are so involved and committed to this thing...others need to catch your enthusiasm! Keep sharing, PLEASE! (when you can find the time :)

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7/12/2012 06:01:15 pm

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Joyce

7/12/2012 09:31:08 pm

Thank you for you comment about our site. I look forward to learning more about you and your interests in technology in the classroom. Tell us a bit about yourself so we can better suit your needs...

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7/18/2012 01:43:49 am

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Kevin Tavares

9/27/2012 12:57:25 pm

Hi Joyce,
Back at it again. Paired up with 3 more schools in the UK.
Kids are loving chatting with our new friends in England.
Working through the firewall issues across the pond. Will keep you posted as the weeks go on.
I have lots of tech. plans for the classroom and the website.
Thanks again for all of your help and support.
Hope to see you soon over at the Center School classes.

Joyce

9/28/2012 04:22:59 am

Kevin,
I am so happy to hear that you are back at it! Last year, I know you put in so much effort to keep your quad blog going and it is so great to hear that it was worth it! Think of all the technology your kids are learning...not just from the blogging information itself but to participate in all that it takes! Keep me posted on how it is going and if I can help you out in any way let me know!
Hope to see you at some of the Tech Camp offerings or the new courses coming up!

Our Purpose Here...

Hi there...the over-riding purpose of this blog is to provide a space to discuss how we use technology within our classrooms, how we find the time to stay current, as well as find the time to manage the projects we would like to present. In other words, it is an open forum to vent failures and share successes as well as learn from our colleagues.
Sincerely,
Joyce Bourdon

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