Even though I've been working within a wiki this academic year, I still considered myself a novice and tonight's class reminded me that I still have a lot to learn! As I created, added and embedded onto my wiki I still felt like I was on an island. I have always been aware of the other educational wikis that exist out there but still somehow I felt alone. Seeing other elementary classroom teachers and school districts using wikis, moodles, discussion boards and blogs; many of whom have Smartboards in their classrooms has made me realize how much our school district likes to talk about being progressive when in fact, we are barely on the verge.
I am thrilled to see that 21 of my closest (at least in proximity) colleagues are taking on the task of creating some sort of web-based communication platform. I am excited to discuss the endless possibilities as well as the trials and tribulations of moving forward with technology in our classrooms as well as on a district level.
Lori and I are hoping to use Earth Day as a unit from which to start. We intend to set up a wiki for our team and have students create Glogs, a sort of virtual poster, via glogster. I also hope to use voicethread, a tool that I have plenty of experience but with which Lori has no experience.
I haven't yet embedded video onto my wiki so I'd like to try my hand at that this spring. I'd like to find more ways that my students can interact with technology-- as independently as possible! With one very slow-working computer in my classroom this might be tough...
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I am happy to join you gina, your sharing of your wikki inspired me. I look foward to getting and sharing ideas with you.
ReplyDeleteI feel like I am ages behind you in our capabilities, but I think you have nicely jump started just some of the possibilities there are for others to do. I totally agree with you that it is hard to want to do a lot of these things when it is often the case that neither computer in my room works.
ReplyDeleteI am glad that you became really interested in technology and we were able to try to collaborate on a few things. It made me look into a few things I might not have. You had asked about standards for REACH. Yes, I do have to teach keeping in mind my REACH standards, but I do have control over the curriculum to accomplish it. I have been able to use lessons that I have received from REACH teachers that have been teaching REACH for quite a while. They have given me some excellent ideas. I hope that I will now learn some things and be able to give some ideas to them.
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