Changes to my curriculum

[Sonali]

I would like to use technology as a way to conduct research, engage the students, create an intellectual community, build on ideas, and take action. Access to computers seems to be the biggest practical and mental barrier at this point. There are ways to use the computers in our building but many of them are no longer reliable, making me feel like my ideas won't come to fruition. However, motivation to find working computers has been inspired by the textbook we've been studying in this class, which has convincing arguments for the use of projects throughout curricula. Ideally, I'd like to incorporate technology into all units especially the final one which involves a research project. Conveying content through reading and facilitation of discussion is really important to me but so are the lessons learned through project based learning. I would like my students to have practical critical thinking and problem solving skills. I haven't had any great ideas for project yet, but I have thought about daily individual and group work using hypertextopia and voicethreads.

Voicethreads can be made by a group of students and commented on by other groups, or voicethreads can be made individually and commented on by groups. Aside from attaining computers, the work that I would need to do is strategic grouping...which I do on a weekly basis anyways. The part that I think will be the most enjoyable is the creation new assignments for the classroom and for homework. Discussion is huge component of my class and I always want my students to refer to the class text during discussion. Voicethread might be a great way to explore various answers to essential questions and to use the texts to support their answers. I could ask them to find pictures to symbolize a reading or parts of a reading so they may use those symbols as they refer to the text in their voicethread.

Hypertextopia can be used as a way to compile different ideas about an essential question. A question I've asked during our unit on Latin America is "To what extent are "fences" barriers to the "progress" of individuals and societies?" The students can use hypertextopia to record their definition of progress and to keep track of the different "fences" that were present during the history of some Latin American countries. While the students begin to answer the EQ, they can use hypertextopia as a running journal and the shards can be used as references to texts. When completing their final project on the unit, which will revolve around the EQ, they will have their explanation of the EQ, their arguments, and evidence in one place.

Aside from formative writing, personal reflection is central to my class and I think voicethread could work wonderfully for this purpose. Also, creative and point of view writing is a part of the curriculum and hypertextopia seems to be the perfect platform. However, reflection is a part of every lesson and considering our lack of working computers, I can't imagine that I would be able to implement these ideas.

[Julie]

I love the way you're thinking about bringing these tools to your classroom, and the benefits they will have for students. What about bringing this to your school? What about your own professional community? How do you want to stay connected so that you can continue to get support and support others in creating richer learning experiences for kids (and for all members of school communities...)?

[Mat]

finding and brining technology into the curriculum is the key. Finding access to the computers, making sure the computers work for the technology you want to achieve. I also think you need to make sure that the kids are using the technology for what you want them to do. This past year I have tried to use technology but just as a tool. Mabye I was at web 1.0 and I am learning web 2.0 for the kids for next year. I am willing to try new ways especially with the hypertextopia for witting and using the ning for weekly reflection blogs. I also am interested to see about tumbler and google mapping. I see a lot of connections to what we are doing to the economics class that I am teaching in the fall.