International Classroom Blogging

Still on the topic of blogging, we now move to international uses. The first blog I discovered, entitled "El Blog para appender inglés" (which translates to: "The blog for learning English") is a site based out of Madrid, Spain. This site is provide supplemental instruction in the English language to the students of her class. She has her lessons linked in the blog, with mp3 audio tracks giving examples of spoken English, as well having written examples.This is Mónica pictured to the left.

The other bog that I found is a German based blog, called "Informeller Blog". To be honest I cannot understand German, but the site has links for extra information and is constructed very well. It seems to focusing on the growing trend in "e-learning", giving many links on the subject. Pictured below is a girl using a computer for class (presumably):


I feel that these two blogs show that the trend of introducing the internet and other tools like that into the classroom is not just found in our country. It is clear that other countries are doing the same things that we are; in some cases (like Japan) they beat us to the punch.

Of course, the technologies are not merely limited to the Internet. As in our country, projectors and smart boards, as well as clicker systems, are being introduced all over the globe in an attempt to aid teachers. The internet, however, can prove to be the most accessible to the most amount of people; after all, dial-up internet (or the 56K modem) can be used in most areas, even if high speed is unavailable. Plus, with the trends of continuing to add computers into school, there will soon be no excuse as to why computers should not be accessible, and, most importantly, used.

K-12 Blogs

Blogging, a method of using the internet as a conduit for communication, has spread all across the U.S. Blogs are even sneaking into the classrooms. Teachers are now using these once journal exclusive sites to share their ideas with students, as well as providing them with extra tools with which to succeed.

The first blog I looked at, "Blogical Minds" can be found here. This blog is distinctive in that it uses blogging as a literary tool; by reading blogs, as well as posting meaningful answers, students improve their reading levels. Each student has their own blogs (which are linked tho the main "Blogical Minds" blog), where they are assigned a certain topic for a blog. Then the students respond to one another, building up a forum.; it encourages the student to question and think independently.

The second blog was called "Mrs. Elliot's Homepage" seen here. This is more of the central hub, with links leading off to the various blogs that she has for her class. She uses this as a reminder to her students of test days, vacation time, as well as keeping them apprised of the happenings in their text. She also provides supplemental information for each unit she covers.

Teachers in the U.S. are trying to incorporate more technology in the classroom, whether it be a projector system, working in tandem with a computer, or a clicker system. I believe this is a more common trend due to the fact that technology is everywhere in our lives; to keep the students sheltered from technology would be doing them a disservice. It also provides the teachers with new ways to get their students involved.

The most interesting new technology to me would be a clicker system. This hand-held device allows the students to interact with the teacher through questions that would appear during lecture (if the teacher is using PowerPoint. This serves many purposes, including allowing the teacher immediate feedback on the amount of retention or confusion, as well as allowing for a quick way to take attendance.

ACCESS

ACCESS (Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, and Students Statewide) is a fascinating program that takes advantage of all the internet has to offer. It combines traditional teaching with e-teaching, or even goes completely virtual by having a teacher beamed in from another part of the state in order to teach a class, without having to drive the whole way. It could also allow impoverished schools to gain access to AP programs, and electives that the school could not normally afford (such as a foreign language program or even higher sciences/maths).

This program also takes allows students to take more initiative in their education. The example was given of lab work in the sciences. By doing an electronic lab manual, students can have a sense of owning their project, not just that it was some busy work that they had to do. It also could (in a situation where both online components as well as a live teacher were available) allow for the teacher to have more one-on-one time with students having trouble in their specific disciplines.

ACCESS Home Page

ALEX

ALEX, which is an acronym for the Alabama Learning Exchange, is a program designed for teachers and administrators, allowing them links to useful web pages, as well as allowing for custom lessons plans to be made at the teacher's discretion. Covering the entire teaching spectrum (from kindergarten all the way through high school, using subjects to divide the information efficiently), it is ideal for any teacher who would like help in making lesson plans, or just needs some extra information on a subject that he or she has to teach.

What was impressive about this site was the amount of information available to teachers. Whether you are teaching Biology to a first grader or a senior in High School, ALEX can help point you in the right direction, even showing high school teachers what issues are to be covered by the Alabama High School Graduation Exams (AHSGE). It also allows you to submit you lesson plans so that they may be reviewed by other teachers on the site, with emailed feedback and critiques.

I would use this tool in order to make the most efficient lesson plans as possible. Since I will most likely be teaching several different subjects at the same time (as most teachers do), ALEX will make it easy for me to assemble lesson plans, and even share them with others. And since this tool appears to be free, there is little reason for a teacher not to have an account.

I could also see using this program to help keep my classes organized and on track with what the AHSGE test requires. Since the information is given to me as to what is on the test and what is not, I can adjust my schedule accordingly. For example, I may save sexual reproduction until the very end of the semester, since it is not predominately featured on the state mandated tests.

ALEX Home

First Post

Hello!

My name is Neal Sells, but I prefer to be called Alan. I am a 20 year old college student currently going to the University of South Alabama, where I am a major in Secondary Education and Biology. I am active on campus, including jobs with the Department of Housing, as well as the Department of Academic Computing. So, sometimes this class can become boring, but I enjoy helping whoever I can.