Internet Safety

I was asked recently to talk about Internet Safety with a group of parents at my son's middle school.  For that presentation, I put together the prezi you see below...

Internet Safety on Prezi

Not the same old announcement...

Today I sat in on a training that provided quite a bit of information regarding the online classroom.  One tool that I ran across that I had to try was Voki.  This may be a tool you've heard of before, but if not, Voki is a great way to convey messages or announcements to  your online students in a non-traditional way.  If you've ever gotten the feeling that they just don't respond to your online announcements, use an avatar from Voki.  Check out this one.  It took me five minutes to create it and post it on my blog.  If you're interested in one with more bells and whistles, try Sitepal.  Also, move your mouse around the message below.  The avatar will follow your mouse movements.  Just something fun to change-up the online classroom or any website.

Visual Learners and Tips on the Web

http://search.creativecommons.org/#

Before I even begin, I am about to break the same rule I am complaining about.  That rule is to provide visual content to address the needs of visual learners.  Visual learners learn best when content is presented along with graphs, charts, clip art or video.  The reason I bring this up is, as you may know, I have been researching information on differentiated instruction.  In my research, I have found that most websites that provide tips for the visual learner, have no visuals.  I found this very interesting and funny at the same time.  I know that the average high school or middle school student probably wouldn't be scouring the web for information such as this - it is often teachers and parents that search out this information.

While we are on the topic, I have to say that the needs of the visual learner are something that often go ignored.  I remember being a student in school and sitting in class lectures that mostly consisted of words on a chalkboard or worksheets with text and no visuals.  When I became a teacher, I mostly taught the way I had been taught.  I slowly began to incorporate pieces into my delivery to aid different learning styles, but it was difficult.  Mostly due to the fact that many resources cost money that I and the school did not have.  Some pictures crept into my overhead transparencies, but were often black and white because we didn't have a color copier.  While passing pictures around the room was an option, I often didn't because you never knew the condition in which the picture would return.  Passing photos around also provided too much of a distraction  because by the time the photo reached some students, we had already reached a different point of discussion in the lecture, which confused them. 

Then, textbook publishers and the web enabled me to provide more visual content.  PowerPoint and SMART Notebook were lifesavers.  I connected a TV to my computer using an Averkey and began producing lectures in a digital format.   I would link my lectures to streaming content on the web via a web service our school subscribed to.  Small two minute videos that reinforced content we were covering helped those visual learners to make a connection between scattered words and thoughts. 

There are many ways, new and old, to provide a connection to content for visual learners.  These were just a few examples of what I have done in the classroom.  What are you doing in your classroom?

Virtual Learning Environments

Virtual Learning Environments are nothing new, but many people believe they are still in their infancy.  I'm not talking about the online classroom or distance learning, a format in which the learner had contact with students and an instructor via the internet.  I am talking about an online environment in which students learn through a structured curriculum - an environment which may have no instructor and one in which the student works through a series of tutorials, lessons, and tests.

Some may view virtual learning environments (see APEX or Florida Virtual School for examples) as putting more distance between the educator and the learner, but I believe these environments may have some merit to them.  They provide a format for a variety of learners, at different paces.  For instance, you may have an under performing high school student who needs to make up credits for classes failed.  They can make up credits in a program such as the one mentioned above, without having to sacrifice an hour out of their schedule reserved for elective courses.  Or a college-bound student wants to get a leg up and graduate sooner so they can enter college earlier.  That student can enroll in courses with a virtual school that offers that curriculum.  And still yet, to provide another example, some colleges and technical schools can use these environments to help dropouts complete their GED before entering a career program.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thetorpedodog/

While virtual learning does have its advocates, there are also opponents.  Some believe that this "canned" curriculum is making it too easy for some students to walk through curriculum without actually internalizing any information.  Is this the case?  Or do these settings provide a path for the student who does not perform well in a normal face to face (F2F) setting.

As educators, one topic that often falls to the wayside, is that we daily impart information in a way that we were taught or in a way in which we learned or learn best.  But our audience is composed of auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learners who may not do well in certain settings.  Some argue that this is the very reason many students fail in a normal F2F setting.  Take for instance the kinesthetic child who is expected to sit in a F2F class in which the instructor lectures and writes on the board from bell to bell.  This child will most likely tune out the instructor and begin causing havoc because they can't sit still.  Kinesthetic learners often learn best by "doing", even if that means typing on a keyboard - this keeps their hands busy.

The example above is just one of many. But is the virtual learning environment a solution for everyone?  What are your thoughts?

Interactive Whiteboards - Good or Evil?

There has been a lot of talk on the blogosphere lately about Interactive Whiteboards (IWBs).  As a teaching/learning tool, IWBs (sounds like a nuclear delivery device when you say it that way) have gotten a bad rap.  Many arguments on the web discuss the idea that IWBs have no relevant value in education.  One thing that bothers me in most of these posts is that the basis for bashing IWBs is that the companies are selling them to schools when they can do the same thing with other tools.

Now I have to admit, there are other tools out there that can do some pretty neat things - for free too.  There are many interactive sites out on the net that can be used whether you have an interactive whiteboard or not - check out our Wiki to see.  However, that doesn't necessarily mean that IWBs can't be effective in the right hands.

One one hand, companies do a pretty good job of pushing their wares - but what company doesn't.   Let's say you're teaching writing to students.  In an article on IWBs, "The Innovative Educator" contends that the task of presenting and discussing writing is hard to do on an IWB without a keyboard.  My argument to this would be that 1.) IWBs have a virtual on-screen keyboard and 2.) you don't have to do the writing on the board to discuss it.  Teachers can use an IWB to present examples of student or other writing to the class.  Teachers and Students can then use the tools in the software to markup and change examples so students can see writing mistakes and mishaps.

But beyond this, not every teacher is an English teacher.  IWBs can be used for so much more.  You can present material in a more rich and dynamic platform with stunning interactive visuals and flash files.  Videos can be embedded and introduced without having to stop a presentation and go to the web.  Most IWB software enables you to create links or insert material in a single presentation file.

I can honestly say that student involvement in my classroom increased dramatically when and IWB was introduced.  IWBs allow students to come to the board and get more of a hands-on approach to an activity.  Prior to the use of IWBs, many students were apprehensive about approaching the blackboard in front of the class.  But with IWBs, I have noticed that even the most shy student feels no apprehension.

In her defense, "The Innovative Educator" does a great job of addressing arguments for and against her position.  One blogger that stands out is Peter Kent.  Whether you are a supporter or detractor when it comes to their use, you have to see both sides of the argument.  I believe wholeheartedly that you cannot argue a point without seeing both sides of the argument.

Read the posts from each of the links above and make a decision of your own.  Also, check out Betchablog.  Tell me your thoughts on this issue.  Post a comment below.  I'd like to hear from you.