Using blogs in the classroom.

I found Mr. Harbecks Math Blog very interesting. It was amazing how he incorporated many of the things we have read about and studied in our last two classes, contextualization, relevancy, cross curricular activities, cooperative learning, and civil discourse. I wonder how his students feel about the work and activities that he assigns. I also wonder what his actual class time is like and how much time the students spend outside of class working on his assignments.


I couldn't agree more with the Don't feed the Trolls article. We can take advantage of technology in the classroom as a way to teach civil discourse. There are so many ways to use blogs in the classroom and reinforcing appropriate ways to have discussions is one. It seems as though some people use blogs and on-line chatrooms to say things they wouldn't face to face. We need to make sure that our students realize the ramifications of anonymous blogging, that they need to have integrity and take responsibility for how they use these forums. By incorporating them into our curriculum we allow them to practice appropriate means of discussion in a "safe" environment.



I checked out the "coolcatteacher" blog and was overwhelmed by all of the information there. After reading several of the posts I had to follow some of the links to figure out what was being discussed. As a "Digital Immigrant" I felt a little lost. There were many icons and features that were totaly ailien to me. Some I could figure out and some I couldn't.



Through the few assignments that we have had I realize that blogs can be used is an almost infinite number of ways to enhance curriculum. I started out thinking that it was just another means of trying to communicate with parents but now realize it can be so much more. As teachers we can use it as a means to engage our students through discussion, and incoroporate intereactive lessons and assignments. We can also use it as a means for peer to peer interaction and collaboration. I am enjoying finding out about new ways in which it can be used in the classroom.

College - Week One

My name is Janice Parker and this blog is a requirement for my graduate program. I am hoping to teach special education preschool or developmental kindergarten. I have always wanted to be a teacher but was sidetracked when my children were born. As the kids got older my interest in teaching grew. I decided to become a staff assistant so I could make sure I still wanted to become a teacher, before investing so much time and money in the program. After working in several schools with several different age groups I found the most joy and satisfaction in working with younger children with special needs.

My favorite animal is my dog. Dogs are my favorite because they have so much personality, are fun and loyal. It is interesting how much you can learn about a person by the kind of dog they have and how it behaves.