I am so glad I took this class. I went in to it with the attitude that I would take the knowledge I gained and adapt it to an early primary level. I'm finding that I really don't have to adapt to use web tools and that web tools are available to enhance my teaching ESPECIALLY at the primary level. Instead of making my life more difficult, they are indeed tools and make my life easier.
I came in the the class firmly believing that I would not have my students blog. I thought that blogging would be too difficult for my students who are still learning the difference between d b p q and g and who, more often than not, write the letter s facing the other way. My gramma refused to use an ATM. My mother doesn't put gas in her own car. Blogging is beyond my students' capability.
After playing around with blogs, I now see that my students are perfectly capable of blogging their scientific findings. I see that video blogging lends itself perfectly to collaboration. I plan to have my students blog in order to share their findings as a result of Inquiry based science. I see now how video blogging dove tails in to the sense making portion of any science lesson. I am very excited to use video blogging with my students.
I still have not figured out how to use wiki and am open to ideas and suggestions that to not contain writing literacy at the base.
Perhaps you could build a wiki that showcases favorite books or fun math and science games? Kids are playing computer games at this age, so maybe your wiki could be used to direct them to fun learning sites and let them share ones that they've found. Ok, that makes me think that I should include a page like that on my wiki too. :)
ReplyDeleteI love that idea, Carol! It could be my classroom home page and the kids could go to their favorite sites with a click. Thank you so much!
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