For this week’s blog posting, I needed to share some of the resources and information that I will need to carry out my action plans as well as my intended learning strategy.
What resources will you need to carry out your plan (video, reading, experts or colleagues, etc)?
For the first indicator that I am working on, I plan to create a class website. In order to create my website, I will simply need to log into my school district’s website program called SWIFT. This website provides its users with several capabilities and options for both posting and sharing information with families/students.
For the second indicator that I will be focusing on, I will need to continue to familiarize myself with the eBeam technology in order to determine the best methods/activities for integrating the technology with.
What additional information do you need?
For my class website, I will need to determine what types of assignments and activities that will be most useful for both my parents and students to access.
For the eBeam tool, I will need to test out different activities with the students to see which lessons can either benefit or enhance from the incorporation of the eBeam.
What steps have you been able to take so far?
I have already started working on my class website. I am currently putting together a lay out that will be the most user-friendly and easily accessible for my students.
As far as the eBeam technology, I am planning on attending a second workshop to gain some additional ideas about how the tool can best be used in a classroom setting.
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Does your district web creation program allow any type of student and/or parent log in that would give them access to post onto the site? This website could be used for many things, in addition to your postings. If there was a question and answer section, students and parents would be able to post their thoughts. It could provide another form of communication. There could also be a forum set up for student discussions about topics posted. If there was a way that you could set up a page that asked for a password to acces it, it could be a very useful tool for you and your class.
ReplyDeleteI have not heard of the "ebeat" tool. Can you post a link that would lead me to information about this? I am always looking for new ideas and with this one being something that I have not heard of, I would be interested to check it out.
When it comes to the layout for the class website, it would be very interesting if you let the students have input on the design. This may get some excitement going about the site and encourage the students to visit it more often.
Sounds like you have some good progress being made!
Hi Kevin,
ReplyDeleteAre there any other classroom websites in your school district that you may be able to look at in order to learn some more ideas for your own website? That has helped me in the past to help me brainstorm some ideas to include in my own website
Hi Kevin,
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like have done a lot of work completing your GAME plan. I have never heard of eBeam before. Can you explain what it is and how that technology adds to your instruction? Thanks!
Jennifer
Kevin -
ReplyDeleteIt sure sounds as if you are well on your way to accomplishing your GAMEplan! I would love to create a class website, but have never done it. When you are finished doing so, would you mind including in your blog the ins and outs, the dos and don'ts of putting one together? I think a lot of us could benefit from that! In addition, if your website is accessible to outsiders like us, why not include the link so that we can see the finished product!
Also, I have never heard of ebeam - could you give us a bit more information about this technology? You have most certainly piqued my attention!
A class website is a great idea. I think you can get some good ideas and suggestions if you ask your students and parents what they would like to see on the site. Maybe you could send out a short survey to parents and have an informal discussion about it during class with your students. I bet you'd be surprised how many things they will come up with. You could also recruit student volunteers to help you create the actually page and to update it regularly. Good luck with it.
ReplyDeleteDo all of your students have internet access, and if not, how will you deal with that? I used a tutorial and a worksheet last week, but some students didn't finish in class. Most were able to take it home and finish, but i have just a few who don't have internet.
ReplyDeleteDo you plan on getting your students involved in the design of the site? Maybe asking them to state the features they would like to see on the site - especially being that it is for their benefit. It might also be nice to ask parents to include some ideas as well. By getting both the students and the parents involved in the creation of the site, then they might use it more often because they are familiar with some of its features. My brother has a class website, but that is all my mother knows about it. She does not access it because she is what we call a "digital immigrant" and is not familiar with its capabilities or features. I feel that if the teachers/ school would have made it more parent friendly by bringing the parents in to reflect on their wants and needs, then maybe some of them would take advantage of it more often.
ReplyDeleteWesche,
ReplyDeleteYes, our district’s website program allows its users to create discussion threads and posts assignments, links, etc. My initial plan was to finish setting up the website and then have students begin posting to a bi-weekly discussion regarding content covered in class. Thanks for your ideas about including students’ input when creating the website. Here is a link to the eBeam technology I am currently piloting with my students.
http://www.e-beam.com/
Brianj711j,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the idea. There are several other staff members/teachers within my school district that have already created class websites. I am planning on checking out some of their websites to serve as some examples as to what to include in my own website.
Jennifer Conrad,
ReplyDeleteI am currently serving as my school building’s representative for the eBeam product. My district is in the process of evaluating the technology to see if it would be something to purchase for the entire district. The product works very similar to a SmartBoard/Mimioboard in that it allows its users to interact with a traditional whiteboard. The main difference is that the display is projected onto a regular whiteboard through a projector. Teachers/students can use a specially designed stylus pen to touch and “grab” various items on the whiteboard. Your stylus pen serves essentially the same purpose as the cursor on your computer screen. Hope this makes sense. Here is a link to the products website if you would like additional information.
http://www.e-beam.com/
Heather,
ReplyDeleteI have used a class website in the past simply through the online tool provided at Scholastic.com. This website program is very simple, but still provides its users with several capabilities. I really liked using scholastic’s website as start to creating a class website. My district recently integrated a program called SWIFT that allows all of our district’s employees to create their own sites. Once I get my site up and running, I have no problem providing the link for you to view some of the “dos and don’ts” of creating a website for your families/students. Here is a link to view additional information about the eBeam product I am currently piloting. I have also included more specific information about the eBeam in discussion responses above.
http://www.e-beam.com/
Cathhgy,
ReplyDeleteI work in a school that is located in a middle-to-upper class population. I would say that about 95% of my students have access to the internet and would be able to respond to a discussion posting on our class website. For the students that do not have access at home, I plan to allow them to use our class computers to respond throughout the week during regular school hours. We also have a weekly lab time for about 45 minutes each Wednesday that I will allow them to use.
J. Salomon,
ReplyDeleteYes, I definitely plan on getting feedback from my students as to how “our” class website is designed. I am currently working with a group of fourth grade students, so a lot of them are not very familiar with discussion postings. Some of them have social networking accounts (i.e. Facebook/MySpace) and have at least been exposed to blogging.
I plan to send a family letter home once my class website is completed. Students will have already accessed/viewed the website at school with me, so they would be able to show their parents some of the features included on the site. I currently have the contact portion of my website up and running, and several parents have already used the email link to contact me about questions/concerns regarding the class and their child. As with anything new, I anticipate running into a few technical problems here and there, but I am more excited than anything. I think a class website will help to provide stronger communication and resources, and make my job more efficient and reliable in the end.
Vicky,
ReplyDeleteGreat idea about having my students help to update and add items to my class website. This will not only save me a little time each week, but also provide my fourth grade students with some simple practice on working with technology, specifically proofreading/editing our class website. Thanks Vicky.
Hi Kevin,
ReplyDeleteCreating a website is an excellent idea, I always wanted to have my own classroom and create a website for my classroom. I just want to know what's eBeam because I have never heard about it before.
Howayda,
ReplyDeleteAn eBeam is a teaching resource very similar to a SmartBoard/MimioBoard. It essentially captures the work you complete on a normal whiteboard and saves the information on your computer.
Kevin
ReplyDeleteThe website is a great idea. With a little practice you can almost turn your classroom paperless. There is a good site which I have referenced before 'teachpaperless.com'
He blogs about ways to reduce the use of paper in the classroom. Lots of unique ideas. Check it out.