I am obsessed with organization and spend more time than I'd like to admit trying to think of better ways to organize my life. TCPCG has certainly put my organizational skills to the test and, to be honest, I'm still working on the best way to put everything for this program together! So, I explored some of the websites that were suggested for organization/projects and really like iGoogle. I think that many students struggle to organize themselves and iGoogle could serve as the answer. My issue is that I would be forcing students to have some kind of online account and I'm not necessarily comfortable making a high school student sign up for a google account without his/her parents or guardians permission. With all of the various issues surrounding proper web etiquette and all of the ways parents try to control the web use of their teens, I would have to find a way to ensure that parents knew about the google account. This same issue extends to some of the other sites that edutopia suggested. For that reason alone, I may be more comfortable using something like thinkquest.org (which has nothing else attached to it). I had never heard of it before, but ThinkQuest looks like it would be a fun way to help kids get organized and stay on top of their work. Perhaps it would even encourage them to do work since being on a computer tends to be more attractive to students than putting pen to paper in a planner.
I also can't end this post without saying that I LOVE the idea of using virtual classrooms to get in touch with a class in a different part of the world. It's so easy for teachers to simply talk about culture, but what about literally inviting a different culture in through teaming with a class from a different part of the world?
This article goes in the "keep" pile!
Funny, I, too am obsessed with organization, mostly because it doesn't come naturally to me! I definitely had to learn its importance the hard way, and even though I love the idea of being organized, I have to exert a very conscious effort to make it happen. I wish someone had shown me how to set up an maintain an organizer when I was a student, particularly as commitments became heavier and projects began to require more forethought. It's a skill that many teachers overlook, but it should be taught. That said, my biggest fear is that it's too early to rely heavily on technology, since not all homes have a computer or internet. I don't want to set up my students with a planner and a wiki page of resources for my class that they can't access at home.
ReplyDeleteI also love the idea of meeting a class in another country! Just figuring out how to work that into an English lesson... Maybe they could meet a class in Scotland after reading Macbeth?
totally agree... i bookmarked a bunch of those web sites for later use.
ReplyDeletewanted to add to your point on appropriateness of technology use without asking parents, etc. i think it's also difficult to assume that students would have access to computers outside of school. depending on where you're teaching, perhaps it's best to keep most technology use inside the classroom? you could still utilize most of these tools, and encourage further use, during class time.
ooh! carrie and i had the same thoughts, there. :)
ReplyDeletebtw, carrie, LOVE your idea about Macbeth and Scotland. could be so fun to link classrooms from across the world. never too early to learn about different cultures. probably a good idea, too, to teach students that some countries limit the use of the Internet (great part of a lesson on censorship and books, maybe?)
Wow, thanks Blogger! Web-page failed to load when I submitted my comment. Short version: I think being organized is definitely a skill that will pay dividends in the classroom, down the road. It's something I'm trying to get better with.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I wasn't privy to the convo, but I like the Macbeth / Scottish students idea. Perhaps have the Scots collaborate with your students on Huck Finn