Tuesday, February 22, 2011

The Food We Eat and Academic Performance

In responding to an edublog I found this interesting post by Bill Z. Tan. I figured I'd share the blog with you all. You can see my response to it if you would like. Bill focuses on how food affects academic performance and the research studies that have been done to prove this. It is very interesting and I hope you enjoy the reading!

Food Choices and Academic Performance

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Virtual Field Trip

This morning I arrived at work at 6:55am as usual and went to the main office to check my mailbox. Inside my mailbox was a postcard from NYSERDA that was offering a "Free Virtual Field Trip!" . I was immediately drawn to the post card due to our economic times and the challenges we as educators face in the current 21st century budget battle. The idea of a field trip in such a troubling time is one of the areas that schools may have to cut back in.

But, if there is a will, there is a way! And another way to have a "field trip" can be by going virtual.

NYSERDA stands for New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. NYSERDA offers a large array of information in regards to sustainable living in the 21st century and has become an active organization offering workshops to help science educators teach students how to "act green". I attended a Sustainable Living workshop in January. Though I don't feel the workshop was as beneficial as I had hoped, it did offer resources, guides, and some physical tools which are always cool to receive from a free workshop.

The post card I received pertained to a virtual field trip called "Clean Energy Across New York". The way the virtual field trip works is NYSERDA mails a DVD to you completely free of charge that you can use in your classroom. The DVD is 38 minutes log and takes students on a trip of some of the most energy efficient and research driven areas of New York. I am extremely excited to pre-screen this movie to see if it will offer that "field trip" experience.

I currently have not done any virtual field trip activities in the classroom, but I am curious to see if anyone else has. Also, I am curious of your educational opinions if a virtual field trip is comparable to a real field trip.

In my opinion, a virtual field trip could never replace all the excitement that goes into a real trip. From the loud, boisterous bus ride, to the new surroundings and the idea of "I never knew this place existed!" that all have an important place in a real field trip. However,with our current education situation, I think it's important teachers realize there are programs out there that offer virtual field trips so students can still experience content and make connections to places outside of the school building.

In a way to transfer this free virtual field trip to you, here are the directions:
Log on to: Get Energy Smart
Click on Energy Education in the left hand column
Fill out the information and wait for your DVD to arrive!

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Will We Always Have a Library?

The past two days I have taken my students to the “lib lab” which is the term we used to describe the computer lab within the library. The students are working on gathering information on their Element project. The librarian took a few short minutes to show students the location of newly purchased element books that offer great information and wonderful pictures.

I immediately thought to myself, “Yeah right, the kids want to get on the computers and access the information on the computer.” However, after the librarians talk, the kids practically dove to the shelf to grab a book before heading back to the computer. The students began to multitask with their sources – the online databases and a book in hand!

After the day ended, the librarian and I had a small chat. She told me that she recently read an article that one library had completely converted to all e-readers/books. The library would no longer contain any more “leather-bound” books. She expressed her disappointment in this total transformation and how she could never envision that within her own library.

After thinking about this statement and the hot item that e-readers currently are, do you think it’s possible to lose the value and function of a library? I personally like the feel of holding a book in my hand and flipping pages. The rush when I am more than half way through the book and I can see the story coming to an end as each page turns, is something I would not want to replace with an e-reader. But if we take away our books, are we taking away a learning tool for students? Just a thought and question I wanted to share with you and see your perspectives. I also wanted to share a link with you of a student that attends the Harrison school district that I work which was on the cover of the New York Times about e-readers, see what you think!

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Essential Question

The essential question that was posed in our class this week is, "Why can blogging change, or not change, the traditional classroom?". First off, I must say that blogging can change, and has already begun to change, the classrooms of today.

Today I had a faculty meeting that was very productive. During the meeting we were taught how to set-up a blog for our classrooms (talk about a coincidence!). In my district, we use eChalk, a site that allows each teacher to have their own class page to add homework dates and assignments, resources, announcements, etc. Today we found out that the site is also designed to set-up a blog very easily. Students already have a user name and password to access the eChalk site. Now, once logged in, they can participate in controlled blogging set up by educators.

I believe blogging changes the traditional classroom because we are so used to a pencil and paper. However, our students' tools have changed, and thus our methods of teaching must reflect that. I believe a blog is one of the most powerful forms of communication via the web because of it's personal reflection of student work. As stated in the article, Educational Blogging, "But a blog is also characterized by its reflection of a personal style, and this style may be reflected in either the writing or the selection of links passed along to readers. Blogs are, in their purest form, the core of what has come to be called personal publishing." Blogs promote insight, reflection, and personal views of essential questions, issues, or thoughts. When we ask our students to respond to the public about their personal beliefs we can see the personal connection and emotion behind students words.

Aside from having an opportunity to express oneself, students are also forced to reread and focus on their writing. Since what they are publishing is technically visible to everyone in the world (depending on how the blog is setup) students are held accountable for their work. No one wants to have improper grammar, horrible spelling, or run on sentences! A blog forces students to review their work before publishing, which ultimately helps their reading and writing skills.

Finally, I also believe a blog changes the classroom because learning continues to take place outside of the classroom. Students are so tuned in to going home and logging onto their computer. Students willingly contribute to discussion with their peers. This discussion often opens up avenues in which students that may not normally collaborate, are. I believe a blog does not have "social boundaries", and as a result, students are more likely to discuss their view points, opinions, and beliefs.

The traditional classroom is beginning to become innovative much faster than I once thought. I did not imagine creating a blog my first year teaching, but after my faculty meeting and this weeks research on how powerful blogs are, my students will be participating in a blog within two weeks to reflect on their element project!