I know that I was pretty harsh on the PowerTeacher set up. After a bit (OK much) playing around with it, there are some really nice aspects. I guess that this shows that, just as in everyday life, letting your thoughts out in the open when you're frustrated is a bad idea.
The feature of exporting to and excel-like document (which is working now) is nice and so is having access to the grades my students have in other classes. I see that there are some gains, as it's on 1.0.3.1...or something like that.
While I do feel bad about blasting the program, I'll leave that post instead of trying to erase my mistake. I will, however, not be so harsh on the program. I'm still waiting for any response from a rep, but understand that I sent 2+ pages of thoughts/complaints/wishes. Maybe a month isn't long enough to figure out what I mean, or it's just not something that's top priority. Either way, I'm making headway in my uses of this product and have a crew of 4 people that are to be helping to facilitate its use. I'm hoping to hear something soon, especially in relation to lengthy and paper intense process of creating reports for missing work, student grades by assignment and a couple of other things, but I've resigned myself to the fact that my thoughts are just not that important. I am but a peon, not to be acknowledged or heard. That's life in public education. If you think about it, from the top down, things are dictated, things must be done. Just look at NCLB....how long can you show progress before you hit the 100% mark? Then think about the 4-5% of the population that has no interest/desire to do anything other than cash a monthly check from the government...well anyway, that's the point. We are to do what we're told, right or wrong.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Still Moving Forward
This past week, things went pretty well. The blog and wiki are still growing...I have my first student-made change! A few others are signed on, but this is the first addition to the page so far. This should really become more useful when the wiki is available on all school computers. When that happens, I see the uses and edits expanding quickly.
The blog is growing as well, with many positive comments and some students running with this new type of assignment. Others contribute little/nothing, but that's no different than any other assignment :)
On that line of thought, I thought that I might want to start a delicious (or some other online bookmark system) for my students. The first research project showed that having some mechanism for sharing worthwhile pages would be useful. I'll talk to the tech department and see if this is possible from school, or not.
Things are moving forward, and all is well on the teaching front. I'm just waiting for my level II cert to arrive. I've been told that it was approved on the 16th, but the actual document is in transit somewhere. Nothing big there, just wait and see.
The blog is growing as well, with many positive comments and some students running with this new type of assignment. Others contribute little/nothing, but that's no different than any other assignment :)
On that line of thought, I thought that I might want to start a delicious (or some other online bookmark system) for my students. The first research project showed that having some mechanism for sharing worthwhile pages would be useful. I'll talk to the tech department and see if this is possible from school, or not.
Things are moving forward, and all is well on the teaching front. I'm just waiting for my level II cert to arrive. I've been told that it was approved on the 16th, but the actual document is in transit somewhere. Nothing big there, just wait and see.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Blogs and Wikis
Lately I've been using the edublogs.org pages for a new team blog. It gets through the filter and the students are starting to use it!! I have a few comments so far, with the current topic being the 50 year anniversary of Sputnik and how it still affects our lives today. The uses may change, but right now it's just another tool to interact with the kids and to get some extra science in that doesn't EXACTLY match the curriculum map that I've been given. If something happens, it will be discussed on the blog and linked to a page for the students to read.
As an added bonus, by getting myself an edublog (thanks to another teacher in the social studies department!), I get a free wiki!!! My add-free wiki is now free for me!!! NICE!!!! That saves me the 50 bucks I thought I had to spend to keep it!! I can keep it for free, even though my students still can't really access it at school. Even so, the hits are continuing. Today, after I assigned a small assignment on completing some graphic organizer style of notes, I heard a girl say to her neighbor who was complaining, "It's easy. I saw it on the wiki last night, just go there and there's your homework". While this wasn't the idea, at least a few are looking ahead and/or exploring it. I'm happy that this is working in some way.
On top of that, the learning support classes that I used to co-teach with a LS teacher have ended and a teacher that hasn't taught this stuff in YEARS is now teaching 8th grade science to the LS kids on her own. In talking with this person, I've determined that she could use help and I've been helping as much as possible. This week I directed her toward the wiki and invited her to let her kids have the address, or for her to take the WS and SG off the wiki to use for her classroom. I haven't talked to her since then, but am hoping that this little tool will help her too. I don't care if my stuff is used, just throw a little credit my way once in while and I'll be happy! Yet another way that this semi-banned tool is useful in context of teaching.
Get a blog at Edublogs and then get a free wiki with 2gigs of space and 20meg file limit and NO ADS!! So far, the wiki is the most useful, intuitive way to get a web presence. It requires no software and no special computer skills. Uploads and links are easy, and most importantly, only those you give privileges to change things can....Oh and by the way, you can save your wiki and restore it just in case some yoyo deletes or changes things. Right now I LOVE MY WIKI!!!
On Monday, I'll go to a meeting with the committee in charge of blogs and wikis and see what happens. I'm hopeful that I can get students full access to the wiki during school and hope that I can demonstrate the uses and the safeguards in place. So far parents seem to approve and encourage this tool's use. If I can get this across, I'll be OK.
As an added bonus, by getting myself an edublog (thanks to another teacher in the social studies department!), I get a free wiki!!! My add-free wiki is now free for me!!! NICE!!!! That saves me the 50 bucks I thought I had to spend to keep it!! I can keep it for free, even though my students still can't really access it at school. Even so, the hits are continuing. Today, after I assigned a small assignment on completing some graphic organizer style of notes, I heard a girl say to her neighbor who was complaining, "It's easy. I saw it on the wiki last night, just go there and there's your homework". While this wasn't the idea, at least a few are looking ahead and/or exploring it. I'm happy that this is working in some way.
On top of that, the learning support classes that I used to co-teach with a LS teacher have ended and a teacher that hasn't taught this stuff in YEARS is now teaching 8th grade science to the LS kids on her own. In talking with this person, I've determined that she could use help and I've been helping as much as possible. This week I directed her toward the wiki and invited her to let her kids have the address, or for her to take the WS and SG off the wiki to use for her classroom. I haven't talked to her since then, but am hoping that this little tool will help her too. I don't care if my stuff is used, just throw a little credit my way once in while and I'll be happy! Yet another way that this semi-banned tool is useful in context of teaching.
Get a blog at Edublogs and then get a free wiki with 2gigs of space and 20meg file limit and NO ADS!! So far, the wiki is the most useful, intuitive way to get a web presence. It requires no software and no special computer skills. Uploads and links are easy, and most importantly, only those you give privileges to change things can....Oh and by the way, you can save your wiki and restore it just in case some yoyo deletes or changes things. Right now I LOVE MY WIKI!!!
On Monday, I'll go to a meeting with the committee in charge of blogs and wikis and see what happens. I'm hopeful that I can get students full access to the wiki during school and hope that I can demonstrate the uses and the safeguards in place. So far parents seem to approve and encourage this tool's use. If I can get this across, I'll be OK.
Monday, October 8, 2007
New Contact and New Things
Well, in this connected world in which we currently occupy space, I'm amazed that others are interested in this little blog. My rants about the PowerTeacher program have received notice. I'll post more as I know more. At least I feel better knowing that I'm being heard right now and may be working toward some solutions. I know that perfection to me will most likely not be perfection to others, so I'm not looking for a completely personalized program. Progress makes me happy though!
Other than that, school is progressing nicely. I have a really good group of students this year, with only a few that are in the failing range and in need of a little extra persuasion. I also have several that are signed in to edit the wiki and a few others that are willing and excited to remake my rock collecting video. I've given them the scripts and access to the original video too. They are also aware that they are expected to make this video their own and to let their humor show. They are a very funny group of students! If permissions allow, I'll post that when it's done too. It should be interesting to say the least.
All in all, the first mid-term brings with it a change of weather and a change in mindset. Hopefully, the remainder of the year will go smoothly and show improvement across the board.
My wiki got hit pretty hard during the last project, so I think that students are starting to see some of the uses. My list of students that are permitted to make changes is growing, and I'm introducing the blogging to my students this week. Forward motion is most always met with happiness! I hope that progress continues.
More posts will follow on the experiences with all the above...for better or worse.
Thanks for reading!
Other than that, school is progressing nicely. I have a really good group of students this year, with only a few that are in the failing range and in need of a little extra persuasion. I also have several that are signed in to edit the wiki and a few others that are willing and excited to remake my rock collecting video. I've given them the scripts and access to the original video too. They are also aware that they are expected to make this video their own and to let their humor show. They are a very funny group of students! If permissions allow, I'll post that when it's done too. It should be interesting to say the least.
All in all, the first mid-term brings with it a change of weather and a change in mindset. Hopefully, the remainder of the year will go smoothly and show improvement across the board.
My wiki got hit pretty hard during the last project, so I think that students are starting to see some of the uses. My list of students that are permitted to make changes is growing, and I'm introducing the blogging to my students this week. Forward motion is most always met with happiness! I hope that progress continues.
More posts will follow on the experiences with all the above...for better or worse.
Thanks for reading!
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