Virtual Field Trips

Virtual Field Trips help facilitate learning in the classroom by allowing students to have vicarious experiences from inside the classroom. Virtual Field Trips are an excellent recourse because even in times of economic hardships Virtual Field Trips are still accessible. They can be viewed in the classroom or, depending on the socioeconomic status of the children and their families, they can be viewed at home. I think they are also beneficial because some places that would yield more understanding through a field trip may not always be safe to visit such as a volcano or an ancient cave. Social issues such as authenticity, bias, stereotypes, and insulting generalizations should be considered before exploring places for Virtual Field Trips.

I was very excited when I saw all the resources for collaborative classrooms and Virtual Field Trips. There is an organization called CILC which stands for Center for Interactive Learning and Collaborating which specializes in connecting people and groups with each other in several different settings from classrooms to professional development. The Virtual Field Trips I liked the most was the one I found that too students on a tour inside of an ancient cave where students could navigate the inside of a real cave and view real cave drawings.

 

Check it Out!

http://www.lascaux.culture.fr/?lng=en#/fr/02_03.xml

 

P.S. the only down side to this field trip is that all of the tabs are in a differnt language. It is still easy to navigate. I managed very well for not being able to speak any other language as fluently as i speak English.

The Role of Audio Communication in the Classroom

The role of audio in the learning process is one that is integral it is the way most information is communicated. There are even students who thrive most when communicated with via audio devices. Students also receive supplementary support via audio communication. It serves as a means to further explain and to highlight a different sense by which students can intake information.

Audacity and Pod Casts are emerging audio devices that teachers and students can use to enhance lessons and learning in the classroom. I would allow students to use Audacity to record speeches in language arts class. I would upload informational pod casts on my teacher webpage for parents to receive important information.

Edmodo for the Classroom

I am so excited to be able to view my cooperating teacher's edmodo page for his classes. In case you have not heard of Edmodo, it is an online school portal set up by class. It is modeled after the all too familiar Facebook. Teachers can post links for students to view to cultivate prior knowledge. Documents, power points, PDFs and images can also be uploaded into Edmodo. Students each have a profile where they can access the class information and post questions about links, documents, and homework. This online social education portal also allows for collaboration much like many other portals. The difference that I can determine from Edmodo and other discussion based learning portals is that conversation is more natural across the Edmodo page. Posts and responses are more fluid and less staged in this Edmodo program. From the amount of participation from students I can conclude that Edmodo is a viable resource for teachers of 21st century learners. Edmodo is also very user friendly in that it is simple to create and maintain. If this seems like something you are interested in feel free to visit the link I post below!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCfnb9vTPSo

Quote of the Week

"We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-face and walking back to the right road; in that case the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive."

This qoute by C.S. Lewis is very fitting today.

Sometimes many things are being accomplshed while on the road of life but somtimes we need to stop and regroup so that no detail is missed; in some cases we need to stop several times and regroup often in order to succeed.

When is the last time you regrouped? I regrouped today!

Flipped Classrooms are Web 2.0

My newest interest that encompasses education and technology, the essence of this course(educational media) is the concept of a "flipped classroom." This is a method of teaching in which the roles of classroom lectures and homework are flipped. Students using the internet will view teacher uploaded, hyperlinked or teacher-made videos at home and take notes as if in the classroom and then upon returning to school, students will be engaged in activities. This is a beneficial model because I cannot count the number of times students come in with incomplete HW because they said they didn't understand it. This removes the "helplessness" of at home homework by allowing students to complete homework in class with the expert i.e. the teacher. This idea of introducing topics to students prior to covering the concept in class is research based by Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory that says students should have an experience first to develop prior knowledge of some students and to provide each student with a launching ground from which to develop new information.

I am looking for schools with a 1-to-1 program in which each student has a technological device for the school year so that I can have a flipped classroom or at least do a couple flipped lessons.

If you are as interested in flipped classrooms please visit the linked websites below!

http://flippedclassroom.com/  (this is a link to the explanation of flipped classrooms)

http://www.bozemanscience.com/  (this is a link to a flipped classroom resource)

CUIN543 Educational Media

I'm so excited to continue this blog through my Educational Media course! I hope you enjoy my blogs about how, why and the effects of media technology in the classroom. If you are intrigued by technology just delve into the archives of this blog to read other technology related posts I've written since October 2011 in my first technology course at NC A&T SU. Happy Reading!