Week 3: BLog Review & Webquest

Week 3:  BLOG LD--THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY

Slide Presentation by Jennifer Wagner

Digital Footprints and the Impact ofOnline Navigation was a thought provoking slide presentation that really grabbed my attention.  Jennifer Wagner examines the use of the Internet and shares some very interesting statistics surrounding social media, especially pertaining to children and teenagers.  I often find myself asking the same haunting question, “How much is too much?” This presentation featured on her post was created with the intention of building awareness regarding the reality of technology and it’s wide spread usage.  Wagner’s facts are specifically alarming and meant to build awareness amongst parents of teenagers, although the statistics presented are powerful enough to leave an impression on anyone living in the 21^st century.  Wagner describes a “digital footprint” as “the amount of content whether it be words, photographs, audio, or video, that is traceable back to a given individual.  Wagner includes, “A recent survey from AVG, found that 81% of kids under the age of 2 have some kind of ‘digital footprint’ online, usually in the form of e-mail accounts, social networking pages and photos posted on the Web.”  This post was very insightful on just how pervasive the exploitation of technology can become and what one can do to guard against its exploitations.  As an educator and a parent, it would behoove us to keep these facts in the front of our mind to guard against any creeping dangers that lurk. 

I was initially drawn to JenniferWagner’s blog for several reasons.  First, Wagner’s blog at first glance was aesthetically pleasing and inviting. It displays vibrant cheerful colors with an elementary school-aged little boy holding out some paint as if to suggest, “Come on! Let’s create something great together!!!!”  Being a big fan of the arts and creativity I was immediately drawn to this blog based on its images and initial impression.  This blog definitely does a great job in appealing to one’s sense of their inner child just waiting to bounce out, get messy, and create something beautiful and exciting!  My impression of Jennifer Wagner’s blog was that it is meant for an audience that is interested in infusing their classroom with creative fun projects—Uhhm, that would be me!  Yes please, AND I’ll take some of that! The visual layout of the blog has an energetic genuine feel that one can associates with free spirit and innovation.  In the traditional sense acrylic paints splattered on a child’s shirt and hand give it that feel.   Secondly, as suggested the blog does an excellent job in delivering a wealth of projects that I find to be potentially very useful within a classroom setting.  Lastly, I love the fact that she provides practical hand-on activities coincided with concrete how-to’s.  As suggested in her heading “Creative projects for Pre-K-Sixth Grade Classroom” certainly delivers!

Jennifer Wagner helps her audience to better understand technology and education by providing project links.  This is a great tool to help one understand the how, why, and when’s of technology.  For example, Wagner lists a literature project depicting how Students around the USA and Canada (and their teachers) created an ONLINE representation of the book, Charlotte’s Web.  She provides the specific technology incorporated into the project to give it an updated fresh feel for today’s young learner.  I think that I liked this one so much because I recall doing a book report when I was in Elementary School.  This project was a new and creative spin off of the old endearing classic that I personally could relate to and loved.  The links are very user friendly and assessable.  I found the tabs on the blog to organize the information very nicely.   This feature helps users navigate with ease, which was a plus in my book.

 Darren Draper’s Blog on the contrary was not necessarily that visually enticing at first glance.   Entitled, “DRAPES TAKES” projects a stark black and white screen redirecting its viewers to his new blogging platform.  However, the new platform doesn’t seem to latch onto a viewers’ attention either in my opinion.  I found the initial impression to be somewhat subdued and dull.  However, I must admit as I investigated onward I found a touching post that I really enjoyed reading—“TO THE TEACHERS OF MY CHILDREN.” It’s contents is a heartfelt letter written to teacher after the passing of his grandfather.  Within it Draper considers the lessons he has learned and parallels them with a teaching philosophy that he deems to be paramount in a technological age of exchanging and creating ideas.  Draper pleads, “I’ve done my best to provide an energetic learning environment in our home, but I’m desperately relying on you, your skills, and the time you have to spend with my child to fill in any holes I might not even know exist. Because my kids have grown comfortable using technology when they learn (and they gravitate toward anything with a screen), I think you’ll have the best luck in leveraging technology’s potential for instruction. Nevertheless, I’ll also trust your judgment in determining how best to reach my child; and hope – earnestly hope – there’s consistently constructive purpose behind the ways you choose to spend the time that you’re given.”  Wow!  Kudos to Draper for appealing to our sense of worthiness and responsibility to rise to undertake such a commission!

Finally, in Darren Draper’s Blog I found the segment based on “The Educator’s Guide to the Creative Commons” to be insightful.  Darren post a video explaining what exactly the “Creative Common” is and how it applies to educators and creators.  I was not familiar with this service so I felt that it was a useful bit of information that I would not have otherwise known about. 

Angela Maiers portrays a blog that exudes confidence, expertise, and guidance.  Her photo is friendly and confident as a first impression piece.  It is clearly a blog that promotes Angela Maiers and her mission--to educate everyone on 2 simple yet powerful words.  "YOU MATTER!"  Her role is very straightforward, as she clarily identifies herself as you would see on a cover letter: author, speaker, writer, and teacher.  The words, "As seen…" pointing out where she has been featured adds to Maiers credibility and markets her a reliable source of education. 

I really like her overall message to educators. 

Moreover, I found Maiers post, Olympic Student-Athletes:  Balancing School and Sports to be very inspiring and interesting.  Our whole family are avid skiers and we really enjoy watching the Olympics and learning about the athletes stories of hard work, perseverance, failure and success.  When a student competes at such a level much sacrifice is necessary in order to propel forward and achieve such astonishing results.  "USA Today reported in 2005 on the growing trend to homeschool elite athletes, with reporter Sal Ruibal noting that athletes who are home schooled have the flexibility to get adequate workout time, nutrition and rest—something a traditional school would not afford." Since my passions include the arts, traveling, and sports.   I believe that the lesson of courage, wisdom, and endurance derived from these disciplines serve as a valuable tool in sparking a student’s own drive to learn.  I am dedicated to involving my students in the learning process to inspire their love of learning.  I think that articles such as this serve as a great inspiration in teaching.  Also, I think that it is interesting to examine the role of technology as a tool in homeschooling as well.  

Blog Assignment Part #2

I can't even put in words how super excited I am to create this webquest!  After I got home from our last class and settled in with all the new information that we received, I did a little soul searching…  I contemplated what would be a subject that I would love to explore and create a lesson around?  I reflected on what subjects that I found to be the most interesting as a young student growing up, and tried to come up with an innovative approach to really engage young learners.  The webquest we viewed in class "Travel To Ancient Egypt WebQuest" served as my inspiration AND the light bulb went off!  I would create a webquest with a theme of assisting the legendary Indiana Jones in his next assignment--to recover the magical stolen amulet.  This jewelry is unlike anything they have ever encountered before, as it contains a rare power of infusing its wearer with protection and eternal life!" HAH HAH HAHHH  My plan is to design a lesson targeting students in grades 5-6.  I will deliver the introduction as a secret agent mission letter introducing them to their assignment as mentioned above.  Their job will be to research and provide Indiana Jones on the history and facts of Ancient Egypt.  Their task will not be an easy one.  Therefore, they will need to go through special training to become an expert in the area of:

• Pyramids
• Mummification
• Hieroglyphics
• Religion and Jewelry Worn

Dr. Jones is relying upon each agent selected to solve this mystery.  My objective for this assignment is to see young learners really delve into the history and explore Ancient Egypt.  I would like them to have a solid understanding of what the Pyramids, Mummification, Hieroglyphics etc. were and how their beliefs shaped their culture.  I will have them work in a team of 8 and pairs to research one particular area.  I will be incorporating into the lesson Hieroglyphics Pictionary, which the whole class will participate in.  I would like them to have an end project of creating an animation of the mummification process, Hieroglyphics, Pyramid making ect. through resource such as: Animation, Padlet, Story Board, or Visual Demonstration of their choice (upon approval).  Students will have the opportunity to brainstorm and design how they would like to demonstrate their knowledge of Ancient Egypt.  I believe that the most challenging part of this lesson is to create something that is original.  I am open to any suggestions on lessons that might be applicable to my webquest.  Best of luck to my fellow peers.  I look forward to sharing our ideas.