The topic of discussion today was the use of Twitter in education. I am not a personal fan of Twitter. The fact that there is less control over privacy makes it less appealing to me. I haven't understood why it has become so popular. I feel that it's main forum is just random thoughts. It is not necessary, in my mind, to know what someone else is thinking 24/7, which is how I view it's function. I have, however, started to see some small, interesting uses for Twitter.
All of my complaints aside, there are some aspects of Twitter, that I have only recently learned about, that I see as useful, or at least entertaining. I wish I could say that today was the day that I acquired my Twitter account. This is, unfortunately, not the case. It was two days ago, when I learned about a Twitter account devoted to tweets about Dr. Torello, that I decided to join the masses. But today in class I also learned of some great uses for Twitter when it comes to networking with other educators. The use of #hashtags to converse on popular topics can be helpful when trying to find ideas or solutions to problems in the classroom. It has been difficult for me to see past the informal uses of Twitter and realize that it can also be used for professional gain.
Though we did not talk about it in class, I could also see Twitter as a way to connect with older students in the classroom. Posting homework assignments or projects on Twitter may be an effective communication since teenagers (and some younger students) tend to check their Twitter every day, multiple times a day. With younger teachers, though, it may be a good idea to have a Twitter account devoted to their classroom that has no association with their personal account, if they have one.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Friday, January 20, 2012
Thomas Pasatieri
One of my favorite composers is Thomas Pasatieri. This past semester was the first time that I had ever sang one of his songs, "Lullaby for a Lost Child", which I had a great personal connection with. Here is a video that I found on Youtube of another young lady singing this song.
As a small child I experienced the death of my infant brother. This song helped me to conquer the sadness that I have felt twelve years after that tragedy in my life. This song is what drew me to Pasatieri's music. My favorite part of being a musician is making an emotional connection with the audience, which this song made it very easy to do.
Among his 22 operas, Pasatieri has also composed film orchestrations for some of my favorite movies. These films include The Little Mermaid, American Beauty, and The Shawshank Redemption.
Blog Reflection 1
Today we learned about different blogging platforms and how they can be used to better the educational experience. Looking at Mrs. Riley's blog gave me some perspective on how you can use a blog to communicate with students, teachers, or the community in general. In this age of technology, I feel that it is important for educators to use every possible avenue in order to make themselves accessible to their students. Blogs provide a way for students and their parents to learn more about a teacher without the informality of social media sites such as Facebook.
I thought it was interesting, and slightly humorous, to see what children had to say on Mrs. Riley's Kidblog site. An article from Education World discusses the use of blogging with young children. The article mentions that blogging can help to improve writing skills in small children. Another key point made is that many older students are already using blogging sites, but that these sites may not be appropriate for the education of small children. There are certain blogs that teachers can use for kids where they can monitor the activity and sensor what can be said on the site. Some of these sites include: KidzBlog, Thingamablog, and Think.com.
Though there are obvious cautions that need to be taken when dealing with small children and the internet, blogging is a great way to get students more interested in their education. Some children that may be sheepish in class may express themselves more freely on a blog. The more methods that an educator can have in their arsenal, the more likely they are to capture the interest of all of their students. This is why blogging is a great medium for education.
I thought it was interesting, and slightly humorous, to see what children had to say on Mrs. Riley's Kidblog site. An article from Education World discusses the use of blogging with young children. The article mentions that blogging can help to improve writing skills in small children. Another key point made is that many older students are already using blogging sites, but that these sites may not be appropriate for the education of small children. There are certain blogs that teachers can use for kids where they can monitor the activity and sensor what can be said on the site. Some of these sites include: KidzBlog, Thingamablog, and Think.com.
Though there are obvious cautions that need to be taken when dealing with small children and the internet, blogging is a great way to get students more interested in their education. Some children that may be sheepish in class may express themselves more freely on a blog. The more methods that an educator can have in their arsenal, the more likely they are to capture the interest of all of their students. This is why blogging is a great medium for education.
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