My word, I can hardly believe we've started December already! Where has the time gone?
I have been keeping very busy with my classroom blog. The kids, their families and I are thoroughly enjoying the sharing that is taking place.
I could really use about a month to get caught up on all the links I have left in my delicious account as well as try out new tools I have discovered over the past few months. I would like time to sit and listen to a pile of podcasts on educational technology as well as design ways to help encourage teachers to move beyond their own fears and begin making use of the tools in their classrooms. Hmm... would a month really be enough time? I try telling myself I'll get caught up this summer, but by then there will be more tools and hopefully more classes (David Jakes that's a shout out directed to you ;-) ). I want so much to be "on top" of the technology, and yet time seems to fly by me....INCREDIBLY quickly. In the meantime....I keep plugging away at it all.....and am lovin' every nanosecond of it!
Showing posts with label David Jakes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label David Jakes. Show all posts
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
My Mind Is Racing....
The little ones have arrived. School has started, I have parent’s permission to begin posting and now the fun begins!
Now the fun begins????
Earlier in the summer I was formally introduced to Wed 2.0 and blogging in a class taught by David Jakes. (I had heard of some of it, but never really explored it)
I left there pumped.
(I still am!)
All summer long I have thought about blogging with my students. I had this idea that I would set up an account and input all their little names and we would just take off. We would share the happenings of Kindergarten Room 102 with our class, our school and our community... with the district and with the WORLD, if they cared to read about them all.
Now that the kids are here, I am somewhat afraid to act on my intentions. I want to make all the right choices. I feel a sense of responsibility for 46 little reputations. And for the first time in years, I am nervous about using technology. I want everyone to get the right image of what Kindergarten is in our classroom.
Maybe it’s not so much the sharing that is causing me angst. I am ready to do that, it’s deciding upon a method of delivery. I need to make a decision on which blog service to use. I worry that I might get into it and have to switch. For some reason, that strikes fear in me! (I tend to be “brand loyal”…. I am not one to change phone, cable, Internet services providers and the like easily ;-/). As I explored options this summer I looked at Blogger (of course), Class blogmeister, and Edublog to name a few.
Currently, I am very comfortable with Blogger. I have two blogs running through them now. But I question if it’s the best option for use with my students. My buddy Tony Powell has been a good sounding board for me. He has been both helpful and patient. I have bounced many ideas off of him in the past few days (poor guy). ;-)
After careful reflection of thoughts generated by his questions and comments, and re-reading my earlier post. I am going to enter this slowly with my students. I am not going to fret and fuss about which service. I am going to go with what I know. I am going to stay within my comfort zone for now. I am going to start here with Blogger. By staying here, I can focus more on the content of the blog and not spend so much time learning a new format (although something tells me there are a lot of similarities between the services). Right now I am not going to worry about having each student contribute individually. That can all come later.
Tony asked me, “What is your plan?” In part, my plan includes having my students develop a “mind set” about communicating, collaborating and connecting with others for learning. I want them to begin on their journey through school with the concept that learning can take many forms, including using technology. I want them to know we can learn from each other, near or far. I want them to see this unfold for themselves, in part, from what we share on our blog.
What I need to keep in mind about “My Plan” is that I don’t have to teach it ALL now….this year… in Kindergarten. If I can open their minds to the “possibilities”, I will have done well. If as a class, we get to the point where kids want to blog individually, we’ll deal with that then. If not this year, then somewhere down the line, I know they will remember these experiences, build upon them and tweak them to fit whatever the “new technology” of the day will be. (Web 85.0?) ;-)
I rolled back through other blogs that I enjoy reading and came across Jeff Utecht’s post at The Thinking Stick: 10 Things to Remember about Blogging. In his post he wrote about his blog does not focus on the reader, but instead on his passions! I like that. I have a passion for teaching Kindergarten, I have a passion for technology and I have a desire to bring those two passions closer together.
Jeff wrote about finding “power” in blogging. I feel that as well. There is something about putting it here, where anyone can see it, (or no one at all) that helps to bring clarity to “My Plan”.
I needed this…Thanks to you all David, Tony and Jeff!
I will continue to look to the bloggers in New Zealand (Rachel Boyd, Manaina Kindergarten, and Jody Hayes) among others as sources of inspiration for what can be accomplished with this age group.
Having said all of this….I am off to have my evening cup of coffee and begin to set up our classroom blog.
If you happen to read this…..(and even if you don’t) ;-)
…..wish me luck! ;-)
Now the fun begins????
Earlier in the summer I was formally introduced to Wed 2.0 and blogging in a class taught by David Jakes. (I had heard of some of it, but never really explored it)
I left there pumped.
(I still am!)
All summer long I have thought about blogging with my students. I had this idea that I would set up an account and input all their little names and we would just take off. We would share the happenings of Kindergarten Room 102 with our class, our school and our community... with the district and with the WORLD, if they cared to read about them all.
Now that the kids are here, I am somewhat afraid to act on my intentions. I want to make all the right choices. I feel a sense of responsibility for 46 little reputations. And for the first time in years, I am nervous about using technology. I want everyone to get the right image of what Kindergarten is in our classroom.
Maybe it’s not so much the sharing that is causing me angst. I am ready to do that, it’s deciding upon a method of delivery. I need to make a decision on which blog service to use. I worry that I might get into it and have to switch. For some reason, that strikes fear in me! (I tend to be “brand loyal”…. I am not one to change phone, cable, Internet services providers and the like easily ;-/). As I explored options this summer I looked at Blogger (of course), Class blogmeister, and Edublog to name a few.
Currently, I am very comfortable with Blogger. I have two blogs running through them now. But I question if it’s the best option for use with my students. My buddy Tony Powell has been a good sounding board for me. He has been both helpful and patient. I have bounced many ideas off of him in the past few days (poor guy). ;-)
After careful reflection of thoughts generated by his questions and comments, and re-reading my earlier post. I am going to enter this slowly with my students. I am not going to fret and fuss about which service. I am going to go with what I know. I am going to stay within my comfort zone for now. I am going to start here with Blogger. By staying here, I can focus more on the content of the blog and not spend so much time learning a new format (although something tells me there are a lot of similarities between the services). Right now I am not going to worry about having each student contribute individually. That can all come later.
Tony asked me, “What is your plan?” In part, my plan includes having my students develop a “mind set” about communicating, collaborating and connecting with others for learning. I want them to begin on their journey through school with the concept that learning can take many forms, including using technology. I want them to know we can learn from each other, near or far. I want them to see this unfold for themselves, in part, from what we share on our blog.
What I need to keep in mind about “My Plan” is that I don’t have to teach it ALL now….this year… in Kindergarten. If I can open their minds to the “possibilities”, I will have done well. If as a class, we get to the point where kids want to blog individually, we’ll deal with that then. If not this year, then somewhere down the line, I know they will remember these experiences, build upon them and tweak them to fit whatever the “new technology” of the day will be. (Web 85.0?) ;-)
I rolled back through other blogs that I enjoy reading and came across Jeff Utecht’s post at The Thinking Stick: 10 Things to Remember about Blogging. In his post he wrote about his blog does not focus on the reader, but instead on his passions! I like that. I have a passion for teaching Kindergarten, I have a passion for technology and I have a desire to bring those two passions closer together.
Jeff wrote about finding “power” in blogging. I feel that as well. There is something about putting it here, where anyone can see it, (or no one at all) that helps to bring clarity to “My Plan”.
I needed this…Thanks to you all David, Tony and Jeff!
I will continue to look to the bloggers in New Zealand (Rachel Boyd, Manaina Kindergarten, and Jody Hayes) among others as sources of inspiration for what can be accomplished with this age group.
Having said all of this….I am off to have my evening cup of coffee and begin to set up our classroom blog.
If you happen to read this…..(and even if you don’t) ;-)
…..wish me luck! ;-)
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