Ed Tech Blog Explorations-Week 3

Preferences, Pet Peeves, and Stop Animation

During this week's blog readings there were several points that struck me.  First, there is so much I do not know.  Second, I need to find some extra time in my day.  And third, the best ed tech bloggers tended to look like real teachers.  I don't know, but I think there might be a connection here.  Now, you are probably wondering just what does a real blogger/teacher look like?  Without getting into specifics, blogger photographs should look like the blogger combed their own hair and are PROUD they did it themselves.  They combed it, and they own it.  They didn't need someone to do it for them.  They're not trying to be someone else like say....this guy:

        Mr. Personality, PhD and TedX Phenom

Maybe I am being overly critical, but I tend to get suspicious when someone uses professional photographs of themselves in their blog.  These suspicions rise even further when their book advertisements take up the majority of the blog.  These two things coupled together make me feel as if the blog is no longer about teaching and technology. It very quickly becomes about the blogger.  Then I begin to wonder if the blogger has implemented their thoughts and tools in an actual classroom.  Technology is constantly evolving.  And to implement this technology the blogger needs to be in the classroom now, not 5 years ago.

The three blogs which I spent the most time reading were Liz Davis's, Angela Maiers's, and Kathy Schrock's.  Of these three, I liked Kathy Schrock's blog the best.  Her posts were practical and clear.  Each post had a distinct purpose and you really learned something by reading it.  Her posts were not just philosophical rants on the purpose and need of tech in the classroom.  After reading a post and trying out what she explained, you could physically produce something of value.  Her blog was obviously technologically savvy and well versed, yet they were written in an accessible way.

In addition, there was a deeper message to what Kathy Schrock was saying.  In her  2 Cool For School post, she discussed the value of creativity while using older technologies.  In particular, she discussed using PowerPoint to create a stop motion animation.  In the right circumstances, using the right techniques, you can create a similar product to Flash, a much more complicated program compared to PowerPoint.  I think this is an extremely important point on several levels. First, many of us are on extremely tight budgets and the coolest, best technologies may not be at our fingertips.  However, that does not mean we cannot create great things.  Sometimes it just means that we need to tap into our creativity and use an old technology in a new way to say something important.  For example, stop motion animation can at times be thought of as antiquaited, but it often is the most original work out there these  days.  And lastly, just because we have the latest and greatest technology doesn't mean we are creating something new or being any more efficient.  The stop animation video above is a great example of these points.  Sometimes what we think is progress, really isn't progress.

Webquests and My Quest to Think of Something Original

As a person who learns in many different ways, I want to create a webquest which allows students to learn about the world we live in through their 5 senses.  So far, I think our schools have got the sight thing down pretty well.  Check.  However, the listening aspect could use a little work.  We have great experience trying to get students to focus and listen to the teachers tell them about geography, but that tends to be it.  I thought it would be a great idea to take students on a virtual field trip through sound, specifically the music of the world.  By connecting the music of the world to the people that live there and the topography that surrounds them, I feel that students may find geography a little more meaningful and memorable.  Through learning geography in this way, the process also takes on a meaning of its own.  Students learn that the land shapes people, people shape the land, and the music of the people reflect this connection.  Ideally, this lights a fire of interest that has a lasting power.

Unfortunately, as I did my beginning research, I found out that other people have had this same idea.  For example, Samantha Kostelecky and Melissa Dellitalia each used this idea and yet they created very different quests.  This fact gave me great hope, I too can create something original and useful.  Now, this may be a little difficult since according to blogger.com, I cannot (at times) prove that I am not a robot.  I don't think I should be surprised...

Strolling with my youngest...

Although I cannot prove I am not a robot, I am OK with that and I do not try to be anyone but myself.  Yay, me!  I still believe I can create something original.   By connecting the music with the geography and topography, I believe I can create an original and effective webquest.

Plans for my webquest are under way.  My target age group is 5th grade which matches my elementary education major and future hopes for teaching.  Students will take on the role of a (virtual) ethnomusicologist traveling to far off lands, listening to music in the (virtual) field, collecting notes on the music, the land, and the people.  Then they will report back with their findings.  Additionally, I plan on integrating NPR World Music Cafe, the Rough Guide Website, Fiddling Around Music, Putumayo, Google Maps and Docs.  I still have a great deal of planning and implementing to do, but I have a great start.

After looking at many lesson plans and webquests, I realize that one of the great hazards is planning something that is too involved and tries to do too much.  Less really is more when planning something.  Lesson plans, in particular can be an excellent tool when planning the webquests.  Preparing a clean and concise lesson plan can result in a clean and concise webquest.  It can help you pare down your plans and keep you from making the mistake of taking on too much.  Additionally, always keeping your chosen Common Core Standard and ISTE in mind can also help you attain this goal.  In particular, my webquest seems best suited for Common Core Standard W.5.7 and ISTE Student Standards 1 and 3.

Until then...