Mimiwheat

Thanks to everyone for great presentations!  I learned so much about all the tools presented and it really got me thinking about possible ways to implement their use in my classroom.  I know of some tools that I definitely can use and I am going to experiment some more with other tools to see how they can be used in a music classroom.  Prior to this class, I have never used any of these tools.  My tech knowledge is geared towards creating iMovies and iDVD’s.  As a result, there are times that I feel like my head is spinning with too much information and I can’t get a fix on where I want to go with all these tools.  Consequently, I am trying to limited myself to a few tools until I am comfortable with them and then move on to other tools.  I will get there but it is going to take a little time!

I am absolutely amazed at how many web tools are available.  I have been going through the directory for several hours now and there apparently is no end in sight.  Through this search though, I have come across several tools which I would like to use in some way in my classroom.  I just need to sign up for the tools so that I can really explore them and determine how they best can be used in my classroom. 

I am impressed with all the web tools that are available and I am amzed that most are free.  I am surprised that school districts are not taking advantage of the free web tools since budgets are always an issue with districts. 

I am having a few issues because I have never taught middle school before and I am going to be learning a completely new curriculum.  I don’t mind learning a new curriculum but it does make it difficult to think of lessons and units since I am not familiar with the curriculum yet.  Hopefully over the next few days, ideas, curriculum and technology use will begin to come together for me.

I have to say that my thoughts have not really changed over the two weeks.  I have just become more familiar with more web tools, which is exciting, but all along I have been wanting to implement new ideas and technology in my classes.  This course is definitly making me realize that there are a lot of exciting possibilities and reading everyone’s blog has given me some great ideas.  However, I want to start small-with students answering essential questions and discussing what they think the answer might be.  However, I am still a little unclear as how to accomplish this…is a blog or wikispace better?  How do I set it up so students have access?  I know as I grow more and more comfortable with the tools, I will begin to implement them.  I just want to make sure that I am using technology to supplement the curriculum and not as the curriculum.

I find that while learning about these tools, I am most interested in how to implement them in the classroom.  Whileviewing some wikis, I noticed that some were used as teacher or classroom web sites and others were used as a means of collaborating.  I believe I would use blogs more as I would want an open discussion forum, especially when discussing an essential question.  However, I think that wikis has their place.  I was thinking it would be a great place where students can collaborate and publish the informatioin they researched about time periods in music, genres of music, composers, etc. It definitly has possibilities.

As I sift through all the blogs listed in the resources, I become more and more aware that I am just at the beginning stages of implementing these tools in my classroom.  I have many ideas running through my head but I need to determine where to begin.  I do want to use a blog to have students answer an essential question.  For example, “What is music?”  This is a very open-ended question and I would be very curious to see what responses students would give.  Of course, this essential question would be the basis for instruction in the classroom and the answer is not always clear cut.  Many students are not aware of 20^th century music (i.e. John Cage) and would be very surprised to discover what some consider music.

I like the idea of using a blog because the students can all contribute in the discussion and they are forced to form an opinion.  Traditionally, class discussions were limited to the few individuals who were willing to speak but now all must participate.  Students are no longer passive learners but are active in their education.

This of course leads to the question, “What about the students who do not have access to a computer and/or internet at home?”  This is a barrier which could limit some students.  Students who do not have access at home will need time in school to comment in the blog.  I will have to make sure that each student has access and if not, provide them time during class to accomplish the task.  I plan to have a survey for the students to complete on the first day of class.  This will give me an idea about music knowledge, technology skills, and technology access.

As I was reading Chapter 2, it confirmed for me that I am a “newcomer” in this world of technology.  I did not grow up with computers so everything that I have learned has been from my years in college until present.  I tried keeping current with technology and for years I did well with this goal.  Unfortunately, this is no longer true.  I realize that there is so much for me to learn about the current uses of technology.  I just never realized the extent of the internet and that basically I was stuck in the Web 1.0 mentality.  I understand the concept of Web 2.0 but I need to acquire the skills and learn the tools needed to navigate in the internet in a meaningful way.  It is no longer just about gathering information or staying in contact with family and friends.  I have much to learn and I am anxious to begin.

A 21^st classroom is a learning environment that has a strong curriculum and uses technology to support and enhance the learning of that curriculum.  Students are taking ownership of their learning by using problem-solving skills, working collaboratively with others, and finding creative and innovative ways to express themselves and to represent their learning.

The task of creating such a learning environment does seem daunting but as an educator I feel it is my responsibility to try to create such an environment.  This change will occur over time and may take many years for the transformation to occur.  I feel that this is an exciting time in education as possibilities are bountiful.  I look forward to the challenge!

It was interesting to work in groups today.  While creating our concept map using Gliffy.com, I was curious how the other group was going to create their concept map.  The essential question was broad enough that each group could respond differently which in some ways we did.  Gliffy.com was a functional tool to complete the task on hand.  However, we had a few issues due to the fact that we had never used Gliffy before and we were unsure of it’s capabilities.  It is a tool that I would use in the future, especially since I do not have access to Inspiration or Kidspiration.  I think a concept map is a great way to bring your ideas together, especially when dealing with a broad topic.

I agree that technology is not the end all and be all of education but it is valuable tool that we all need to know how to implement when appropriate. I believe that students still need to know how to read, write, and compute math without the help of a computer. Of course the abililty of the students will determine the level of proficiency for each child. People can not rely 100% on computers and the internet. Much time would be wasted if a person had to access a computer in order to accomplish everyday tasks. Technology gives us the tools necessary to find the information we need.

It is difficult to define the 21st century learner. I believe that all of us can be 21st century learners and that it is not limited to school-age children. Most of all, it is understanding that the world is changing and that we need to continually learn, update our knowledge, and improve our skills in order to be effective educators. The world is becoming “flat” which means we need to prepare students for jobs that are going to be in demand. They need to be creative and have great collaboration skills. They need to understand the value of the web and to have the skills to achieve their goals.