Gianella’s Blog

I think the biggest problem teachers face with using on-line video in class is the overprotective content filters the school district installs to prevent students from viewing inappropriate information. These filters can block wikis, blogs, or WebPages that can be used to expand learning. Maybe because these tools are relatively new, the administrators don’t create the appropriate policies about website use. It is necessary to teach kids how to use these tools effectively and start using them at an early age. Asking for access to these tools to the technical staff when it is needed is one way to solve this problem. Another way I would consider would be to start educating the kids early on digital citizenship and provide them with appropriate adult supervision to help them be responsible web-users, so students and teachers could take advantage of the technology integrating it in the classroom to provide a powerful and long-lasting effect on the kids. “Fatheree and Lindvahl are very proud of the high-quality film their students produced, but they’re more impressed with how the kids worked as a team while employing a wide range of skills. Students acknowledge the teamwork and credit the course with providing them with such diverse skills as organization, budgeting, grammar, and critical thinking.” (Film School: Making Movies From Storyboard to Screen).

Teachers can use videos related to classroom topics to reinforce the learning. They can make their own videos, they can post the videos on youtube since it doen’t take them that much time or effort to do so. They can also have the students create their own videos, where they can employ and improve their learning skills, making the learning more effective using their own knowledge to create their work under a joyful environment. “I give them just enough of the technology to be able to navigate,” says Lindvahl. “What they learn because they want to is so much more effective than what I can teach them. Nothing pleases me more than to hear a kid say, ‘You know, unless you do this, you can’t do that.’ That’s when they really learn something.” (Film School: Making Movies From Storyboard to Screen).

These videos can be uploaded to private sites or distributed to the general public, to receive feedback from other people beside the teacher. Teachers can also use videos made by other people as a powerful tool using video-sharing sites.

Sources:
http://www.edutopia.org/web-2.0-tools-filtering-firewalls

http://teacherlingo.com/blogs/sharingtechnology/archive/2008/02/23/using-youtube-in-the-classroom.aspx

http://www.edutopia.org/film-school

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techinnovations/2005-11-21-video-websites_x.htm

Five (or more) good rulers for students bloggers
http://wyatt67.edublogs.org/2008/05/21/we-are-all-blogging/

1. Make your students create their blogs and been responsable editors.
2. The students will write comments on others students blogs sharing their individual perspective.
3. The students have to respond the comments on their blogs helping to build better communities.
4. The students will write reports on their blogs and post  articles as often as the teacher says motivating the use of technology.
5. Before publish a post the students have to emailed the teacher for aproval. 

Addressing parent concerns when beginning a student blog (including permission forms)

http://wyatt67.edublogs.org/2008/08/22/new-widget/

http://beyond-school.org/2007/11/09/blogging-parent-letter-choose-your-privacy-levels/

Before begining a student blog, if they are school students, teachers always need to ask for parent authorization. To get this first step done I think it is convenient to have a meeting with students and parents to instruct them about blogging and clear all their doubts about it, at the same time they could be invited to interact in the blogs, creating a stronger bond between them and the students, and keeping them informed about school activities. After the meeting an school letter should be sent home asking for parent authorization, in which they will choose the level of privacy for their children and inviting them to visit some of the blogs the students will use in class to be connected with the real world.

Dealing with spam, trolls, and inappropriate comments on student blogs

http://wyatt67.edublogs.org/2008/05/21/we-are-all-blogging/

One of the rules students need to follow is always before publish a post first email the teacher for arpproval. School administrators and teachers must be very careful choosing the most convenient material for the students to access and post, encouraging them to use their skills to colaborate keeping a safe environment.

What does a good student blog look like?

http://wyatt67.edublogs.org/2008/05/28/looking-at-comments/

http://theedublogger.edublogs.org/?s=how+a+student+blog+look+like%3F

Organization is the first point to give a good impression to the blog reader, always avoid clutter. Choosing an appropriate blog theme, customizing the blog page, and having links will make the reader navegation easier. Asking questions, accepting comments, and keeping the blog updated will help the student to keep a good looking blog. It is very important to take care of the language, opinions, and make the best effort to improve the written and thinking skills.

Encouraging students to write better posts/comments
http://wyatt67.edublogs.org/2008/11/23/last-week-is-this-goodbye-or/

http://theedublogger.edublogs.org/?s=Encouraging+students+to+write+better

Using blogs in the school to improve writing skills is part of the teachers and students goals. Students must be encouraged to use their creativity when they post blogs, because they will have a voice and an audience to share experiences and knowledge. Teachers have to find the ways to help students to participate actively in their blogs, like postting and answering comments, entering in blog contest,ect. Providing students with the right information to write their blogs and challenging them to use their thinking skills, teachers and students will reach their goal.

http://www.becomeabetterteacher.com/

The author of this blog is Lauren Maynard, a 3rd grade teacher in Phoenix, Arizona, who wants to becoming a better teacher every single day, based on her experiences as a teacher she can help others to succeed.

http://eduspaces.net/csessums/weblog/13194.html

In Christopher D. Sessums’ blog a clinical assistant professor in the College of Education at the University of Florida, I found articles about professional learning using the web.

I am not against any blog; all of them show some kind of information that can be useful for different kind of users. Maybe those blogs that express personal feelings or preferences are the ones I don’t prefer to read. Like http://anonteacherblog.blogspot.com/.