I've used many of the web 2.0 tools I have learned as an ETrainer. There are a few I particularly like since my students love them also. Edmodo being the first on on the list since I can posts all notes, assignments and other school related stuff on it. What I may want to do next school year is give the kids 90 minutes every other night where I will be actively monitoring Edmodo and answer any of their questions during said 90 minutes.
As upper school math department chair, i also set up an Edmodo account for all the math teachers at WAIS so we can communicate and post on it without having to search our emails which gets pretty full throughout the week. Important documents are shared through Edmodo.
I use Edmodo for student reflections which also makes very easy to track students replies.
While I have tried blogging before, students are not particularly receptive with leaving comments on the blog. I find they leave more comments on Edmodo. I guess they feel more secure on Edmodo.
I'm also a Mac person so I find most tools on a Mac easier to use than PC based or web based apps. But I consider myself lucky that i can easily work with both OS with no problems.
While I've used Stupeflix, I find iMovie much easier to use but I can understand why Stupeflix is better for most students since many don't have personal iMacs or MacBooks to work with.
I wish there were more online support for my higher level math courses. Khan Academy and WolframAlpha are great but it's more video presentations which I think is great but not really geared for higher level thinking skills.
I guess we all choose what we feel comfortable with with all the tools available to us and stick to it and get really good at using it.
Having online "office hours" could definitely expand learning beyond the school day. I wonder if students could sometimes conduct those hours - do they have the skills to facilitate learning with their peers?
ReplyDeleteCould you have this year's students create the online support for next year's students? Isn't that a great opportunity to provide authentic learning and authentic audience?
I think my IB kids have the skill set to do this since they already conduct after school tutorials for me. Since I have 6 preps this year there not enough days in the week for me conduct tutorials for each class. My IB students help me concentrate on helping students who need the one on one review.
DeleteHave you considered using Khan and WolframAlpha with flipped learning practices--and using class time for problem solving and higher level challenges? I agree, using the videos, unless with personalized learning, during class time would not be beneficial. with 6 preps, you need to figure out how to make the technology work for you instead of you working for it. I think you know this because you do not hesitate to try new tools. Edmodo seems to be working well for interaction with both your students and your colleagues.
ReplyDeleteI have considered using Khan Academy but have not had enough time to actually sit down and plan accordingly since I have too many preps and I teaching a brand new course this year also. Although my students use Khan Academy on their own, I can see how it can be effectively used in flipping the classroom with a little more deliberate planning on my end.
DeleteI'm hoping my preps can be cut down to three next year since I teach mostly juniors and seniors. I have one support class which I had asked for this year ( freshman/sophomores).
I agree with Karen, I think it would be really powerful project to allow this year's students design online videos to help explain the most commonly misunderstood topics to your students next year.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure what courses you are teaching but if they are higher level math, you might want to take a look at some of the MOOCs out there - I know Coursera and EdX have some math classes that you can audit and pull information from for your classes. iTunes U might also be a good place to look for some supporting videos from college level math courses. Good luck!