Thursday, February 10, 2011
The Shop Manual (Vocabulary in the Classroom)
A quick google search will reveal many suggestions for teaching vocabulary in the classroom. I found one useful page complied by Mrs. G that includes lots of different teachers idea's for activities to do help increase vocabulary. This can be found on the ProTeacher website at the URL http://www.proteacher.org/c/694_Vocabulary_Lesson_Ideas.html. I found this page to have lots of games that could be modified to be used in any classroom from ELL to Social Studies. Most of these games are very simply aimed at repeating vocabulary words enough times that students become 100% familiar with them.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Nuts and Bolts
There are many rules that should be considered when starting a class blog/wiki, but the longer and more specific the rule list is, the less likely students will actually read and follow the rules. Rules for blogging should always apply and should can be used universally. That being said, as an instructor and moderator of a blog/wiki, the best bet is to start with a set of rules like the ones below and modify the rules if problems arise.
1. One must use proper spelling and grammer.
It may be the internet, but that doesn't mean you can slack off. An educational blog IS, after all, still academic.
2. One must be respectful.
Everything on the internet is traceable and disrespectful comments can come back to haunt you. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but if you disagree do so respectfully.
3. One must cite any sources used.
Give the author credit, if not it's plagiarism. Remember unless you can cite a specific source, it is still opinion.
4. One must think before one posts.
Read and reread to make sure what you've written is what you mean. Will other readers understand what you wrote? Is what you wrote appropriate? Will others take offense to what you've written? If everyone asked these questions before posting, the internet would be a far nicer place.
1. One must use proper spelling and grammer.
It may be the internet, but that doesn't mean you can slack off. An educational blog IS, after all, still academic.
2. One must be respectful.
Everything on the internet is traceable and disrespectful comments can come back to haunt you. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but if you disagree do so respectfully.
3. One must cite any sources used.
Give the author credit, if not it's plagiarism. Remember unless you can cite a specific source, it is still opinion.
4. One must think before one posts.
Read and reread to make sure what you've written is what you mean. Will other readers understand what you wrote? Is what you wrote appropriate? Will others take offense to what you've written? If everyone asked these questions before posting, the internet would be a far nicer place.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Good Blog/Bad Blog
As a student in the 21st century, I've been exposed countless times to blogs relating to many varying subjects, from automotive tech. to European travel, but up until this point I've never considered a blog a legitimate medium from which to teach. Even now I still have my reservations, but I am opening up to the idea of using technology as a teaching aid. Readers can expect me to analyze the appropriate use of technology in midlevel classroom while weighing the pro's and con's of this new approach to teaching. I'm not yet one-hundred percent sold on technology, but I at least now recognize some characteristics that separate a good blog from a bad blog.
It would seem, based on other educational blogs to which I've been exposed, that the key to maintaining a good blog is quite simple; a blogger must realize that he or she must be clear and to the point. More often than not, a blog is used as resource to guide people in a specific direction and not as a direct source of information. Bloggers are most effective if they can point to a specific source, write a short conclusion and present an argument for discussion with his or her readership. A good blogger/blog needs to be open for discussion and willing to further explain his or her point if necessary.
It would seem, based on other educational blogs to which I've been exposed, that the key to maintaining a good blog is quite simple; a blogger must realize that he or she must be clear and to the point. More often than not, a blog is used as resource to guide people in a specific direction and not as a direct source of information. Bloggers are most effective if they can point to a specific source, write a short conclusion and present an argument for discussion with his or her readership. A good blogger/blog needs to be open for discussion and willing to further explain his or her point if necessary.
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