Thursday, June 3, 2010

Tool #1 Blog Set-Up and Registration

This is probably the 4th or 5th blog that I have had to set up for various classes that I have taken, so I did not encounter any problems. However, Voki was new to me...so I had some fun playing around with that. I think that blogging can be a good tool to have students share ideas with other students. I also like the possibility of going outside of the classroom walls and students from other schools being able to work together. I still have difficulties figuring out how blogs can be truly put to good use in the math classroom though.

22 comments:

  1. If your Voki is any measure of how you could go outside the walls, your students are lucky!

    As for using blogs in math...what about students posting word problems of their own creation and letting other students work them and comment on their results...or let students write up solutions or formulas to certain types of problems and share them through blog posts...or discuss math vocabulary...

    As time moves forward, maybe other math teachers will chime in on your question with much better uses!

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  2. I think that is a big challenge... figuring out the best way to use a blog in the classroom. One blog question I gave students this year was to have them create a museum display with five items having to do with a topic we had studied. The students had to explain why they included the items. Maybe students could create a math display and choose tools you use to do math or discuss ways they use math they are studying outside of class.

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  3. Voki was the new experiece for me as well and I had some fun with it too. Although being so low tech and doing all this for the first time it takes me so long!

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  4. Is writing in the math classroom to explain thinking a tool we are encouraging teachers to use? I think students would be eager to write online in a blog - an online "journal" where you could identify misconceptions and observe growth over time... Could the blog be a weekly "station?"

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  5. Looking forward to see how you use this in a math oriented classroom. Maybe with some story problems?

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  6. I agree that math could be a difficult thing to use a blog with. Working out equations in only 1-dimension (unable to properly work vertically) in these text-boxes makes it rather restrictive. In college, we often used message boards instead, as a quick way to discuss difficulties we were having with problems and to aid others in how to figure them out. Some instructors actually required us to post as part of our participation grade (2-posts a week) to help foster it. Some people did well with it, you could tell some only posted because it was required.

    There are other online web-apps though that might work and could be embedded into a blog, or at least linked to from the blog.

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  7. I'm also wondering how to use a blog for art curriculum. I photograph student work quite a bit - so students could make a 'digital portfolio' & share it this way.

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  8. Amy,
    Hope the summer is going great. How to blog for math? Darla's idea for "story problems" was interesting. I'm just trying to figure out how to keep up.

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  9. Amy... When you get to Tool #6 that may help you come up with some ideas. On the right side bar there is a link "11 Tools Wiki" Click on that and scroll down to "Classroom Wiki Samples". Click on that and scroll down to the last one... "algebra & geometry". I know that's not what you teach, but it can give you some math ideas. On that site is a link about when will you ever use math. It's really good and has ideas I had not thought of. I'm going to show it to Zlatka, because she complained about that this year in 6th grade math!

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  10. Going outside the classroom walls is a good way for students to network and gain new insights from their counterparts across the district. Good idea!

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  11. I thought about using a blog as a place to get help on math homework like the wiki I thought about creating during our T3 training. It would be open to students helping each other out as well. I like the idea of students from other schools interacting as well!

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  12. I like the idea that blogging can allow kids to help and support each other but as with all things in education- will they choose to use it? I hope so!

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  13. The challenge continues to be implementation in such a way that we retain curriculum focus, utilize new technologies, and succeed in mass participation from the students. Hopefully, with a bunch of us pursuing this, we will find ways to do just that.

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  14. You got alot of comments on this post. It will be interesting to see how you help your math teachers use blogging in their classrooms. You have been given several great ideas.

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  15. Amy, tool #2 is about creating a PLN and attracting comments to your blog. You have already achieved that by having 14 comments and lots of good ideas shared by others. By the way loved your Elphaba, hope you enjoyed the show.

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  16. Hey McGruff-
    Can't wait to blog all of our WAIS adventures. The students will learn so much from all og our innovative blogging!

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  17. I particularly enjoyed your final comment. Thanks.

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  18. WOW! You have a great following. I have also blogged before, but I had a problem with the Voki. I could not sign in...until a miracle occurred and suddenly it recognized me. As always technology is great when it works. Truly I do look forward to using this in class.

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  19. Amy, I love your Avatar and it's theme fits "Wicked" which I finally saw. I know that you will have so much to offer the math department with technology integration ideas when you are not multi-tasking for at least 3 things at a time.

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  20. Unlike some of you this is my introduction to blogging. As a counselor I can see this as a useful application to get students communicating about important topics.

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  21. I am so excited that so many of the math teachers are thinking about the ways that we can use these tools in the math classroom to plug into our "digital" students.

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  22. WOW!!!! I have to say I'm stunned at the amount of comments on my first "thing". Since today is officially my first day of summer vacation, and I go back to work in 3 days, I better get a hustle on this. Sorry that I didn't respond any earlier.

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