Classroom Newsletter - NETS (1,2)

This is a sample newsletter I created for my "imaginary" junior high school classroom, using Microsoft Word.

Newsletterbam

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Other Academic Work

Journal #4 - Create, Collaborate, Communicate: Empowering Students With 21st Century Skills

Riedel, Chris. "Create, Collaborate, Communicate: Empowering Students With 21st Century Skills." T.HE. Journal, Jan 2009. Retreived 19 Feb 2009 http://www.thejournal.com/articles/23872_1.

The title alone of this article speaks volumes. It is a fact that in order for us to remain competitive in the global economy, we need to nurture these 21st century skills in our youth. The good news is that today’s kindergartners often enter school with at least some knowledge of computers. When these children graduate from high school and college, they will possess vital technology skills to carry into their careers and daily lives. The top three skills potential employees should have are listed in the article as: a) Creative problem solving, b) Critical and analytical thinking skills, and c) Information gathering and evaluation.

QUESTION #1:
How can we encourage students to obtain these skills?
Think tanks, group collaboration with open discussion, and access to computers for internet research are three specific ways to encourage these necessary skills. The way in which we teach a lesson, whether it is math, science, or language arts, will have an impact on the retention factor. An example of this is for students to present a topic. A simple (but boring) option would be to have the students individually read a chapter and present the topic. Another (more engaging) option would be to divide the students into groups, assign sections in the chapter, invite them to research online to gather data for analyzing and discussion, and create a PowerPoint presentation.

QUESTION #2:
Why create a social network for schools?
Although many students today have access to MySpace and Facebook, there are just as many that don’t. A variety of factors determine who has access, with socioeconomic status being the most obvious. The students in this category would gain a significant benefit from a social network such as Ning. Having access during the school day not only provides a rich technological resource, but it also encourages a sense of community within a school setting.

Journal #3 - Keep Them Chatting

Cole, Jennie (2009, February). Keep Them Chatting. Learning & Leading with Technology, Retrieved 02/15/09, from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/200902/

This article contains excellent ideas to encourage meaningful online discussions, aka chats. Although this topic is somewhat foreign to me, I still found it to be another great information resource to incorporate into the classroom. The title of the article lends itself to the importance of finding a relevant and thought-provoking avenue for students to adopt when interacting online. In doing so, students will not only find their chats engaging, but also relevant and interesting. Teaching these collaboration strategies imparts lifelong learning skills.

Question #1:
Why are these instructional strategies so important?
The number of students taking online courses is continually growing. Developing these types of strategies will help guide the increasing numbers of students embarking on the online bandwagon. Giving specific parameters regarding the project requirements alleviates the tendency to veer off-course. Without these parameters, students may lose sight of the goal of the project. Using the “illogical comparisons” strategy causes students to think outside the box and engage in brainstorming that essentially takes them to an entirely new level of thinking and learning.

Question #2:
What age/grade level can best use these instructional strategies?
The specific strategies in this article are geared toward the middle school and higher grade levels. K-8th grades are less likely to enroll in online courses overall, but finding age-appropriate guidelines is nevertheless important in guiding positive online interaction and collaboration.

Social Bookmarking

National Archives:
The “History of Women” exhibit caught my eye mainly for the reason of learning more about women who made significant contributions in our past. As we all know, especially in United States history, there is an abundance of historical information about men, but very little about women. This exhibit opened my eyes to the importance of teaching students more about those women who were liberated and unafraid to stand up for their rights as citizens who were willing to make positive changes in society. Women’s rights today are reflective of these important contributions in our nation’s history. The videotape available on this site would be an excellent classroom resource.

NEA – National Education Association:
“Becoming a Culturally Competent Educator”
The following three areas fit my teaching style the best:
1. Create a cultural competence committee or task force.
2. Ensure that your school has a mission statement that commits to cultural competence as an integral component of all its activities.
3. Network with parent, family, minority community, and faith-based organizations concerned with the needs of diverse students.
I believe these areas demonstrate the most effective ways to learn, demonstrate, and implement effective strategies to understand the variety of cultures present in schools. Creating a task force and mission statement helps to focus on a single purpose of compassion and unity within a community. Having a network, or base is essential in establishing the foundation for this group that ultimately represents a sound platform within a school district.

Kidsclick:
21st Century Problem Solving site – at hawaii.edu
This site links directly to step-by-step problem solving skills for students as well as teachers. These helpful links provide a relevant and useful data resource for reading level 7+ (grades 3 and up).

Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators:
The bulletin board ideas for middle school gives access to many useful ideas to incorporate in the classroom. These pictures and ideas are the perfect resource for new teachers! I will definitely refer to this site when I begin teaching…

Edutopia:
The “Instructional Module on Multiple Intelligences” is a resource that contains everything you could possible want to learn about regarding multiple intelligences. I took an interest in the “why” section, for its attention to the details of why recognizing the fact that we all have different ways of learning is so important for teachers to consider. Learning about the interests, learning styles, and learning levels of each student allows teachers to develop lesson plans that work within each grade, level, and subject individually.

Teaching Tolerance:
The “Harry Potter” middle grades activity will give students the opportunity to examine magic, science, and friendship. The topic of social and cultural themes, among others, allows students to brainstorm ideas about magical powers (fictional) as well as discuss what powers they might wish to possess. I would utilize the “questions for discussion” to provide and initiate an open, meaningful dialogue between students. I think this forum would inspire a creative outlet of thought-provoking ideas and exchanges.

EdChange:
Equity and Diversity Awareness Quiz
1. According to a study by the American Association of Physicians for Human Rights, what percentage of physicians report witnessing a colleague giving reduced care or refusing care to lesbian, gay, or bisexual patients?
2. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median annual income for U.S. white men, 25 years or older, who have earned graduate degrees, is $80,000. What are the median annual incomes for Latina and Native American women, 25 years or older, who have earned graduate degrees?

The first question blows me away, simply because I refuse to believe that people would actually provide reduced care or refuse to care for these members of society. In this day and age, why would people consciously choose to be so ignorant?

The second question serves to remind us of the inequalities that have been present in society for many years, and which are most recently being changed. Fortunately, we are making progress in assuring a lesser gap in pay equality between men, women, and minorities.

Netiquette Guidelines:
Netiquette Quiz score: 80%
Teaching netiquette to students is important because it sets up a specific list of online rules. These rules pertain to every single entry into the wonderful world of cyberspace, and providing these rules to students at a young age will help them adopt necessary responsible computer habits. An important part of netiquette is remembering to treat others with the same respect you would expect to receive. If you are not careful in your choice of words, you might unintentionally give someone a !-( and not even know it! YIKES!

Journal #2 - Museums in the Classroom

Reissman, Rose (February, 2009). Museums in the Classroom. Learning & Leading with Technology, Retrieved 02/05/09, from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/200902/


This article introduces us to a variety of online museum-related resources. How exciting it is to learn about the availability of numerous resources accessible to anyone with a computer! The possibilities for creating a meaningful and relevant lesson plan are endless. Curriculum standards provide a basis for instruction, and vary from district to district, state to state. Online resources give educators unlimited access to ideas for enhancing their lesson plans, while still addressing curriculum standards. Cyber museums in the classroom serve as convenient “interactive encyclopedias.” What a great tool for teachers and students…that not only keeps them interested, but engaged technologically as well.

Question #1:
Is it more beneficial for students to visit a cyber museum or to visit a real museum?
Some might agree that the benefits of visiting a real museum far outweigh sitting in front of a computer terminal, however, each circumstance has its own particular benefit. A field trip to a museum can have long lasting implications for students and teachers. The experience of researching, studying and actually seeing museum artifacts in person gives a sense of relevancy to a project and students carry the memory long after the project or lesson ends. The benefit for teachers is further relevant as they have the ability to show rather than just tell. Although we know that taking a field trip to a museum is beneficial, the reality is that not all schools have the luxury of resources and funding to take advantage of this opportunity. This is when access to online resources is invaluable. Teachers and students can collaborate to create their learning agenda. They can decide whether they will focus on a general topic or a broad spectrum of ideas to incorporate into the classroom.

Question #2:
How can you incorporate an interesting multidisciplinary lesson plan using a museum theme?
Incorporating museum themes using online resources is the perfect avenue for introducing a multidisciplinary lesson. The specific museum resources in this article provide access not only for teachers, but for students to a seemingly unlimited array of ideas. An example is the National Cryptologic Museum site, where teachers can find ideas to combine math and social studies into a single-themed lesson. Offering hands-on activities supports not only increasing retention rates, but also keeping interest levels high.

Journal #1 - Passport to Digital Citizenship

Ribble, Mike (January, 2009) Passport to Digital Citizenship
retrieved 2/2/09 from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigatorMenu/Publications/LL/Current_Issue/

This article addresses the importance of social rules regarding the use of technology at home and school. The NETS Refresh Project provides the perfect parameters for technology use and represents a vital aspect of bringing these important issues to light. The nine elements of digital citizenship (access, commerce, communications, literacy, etiquette, law, rights and responsibilities, health and wellness, security) incorporate the issues necessary to advocate in order to define the standards of appropriate and responsible behavior regarding the use of technology. Children today need to be prepared for our ever-increasing and constantly changing technological world. When teachers, parents and communities come together on these issues to agree on the guidelines necessary, future generations will be part of a functional foundation of responsible and ethical technology users.

Question #1:
Why is it so important for students to know and understand these issues?
Because technology has imploded in the past ten years (especially) no one is immune to the constant changes in advancement. In today’s society, technology plays a part in most aspects of the average person’s day, regardless of their age. For example, a kindergarten student often uses the computer to play educational games or take a math test. This student’s teacher in turn uses the computer to monitor individual test assessment and use this data to compile classroom stats. Grade school students often are exposed to technology not only at school but also at home with gaming systems, personal computers, and MP3 players. Junior high and high school students have the opportunity to take media technology courses, with daily hands-on use and exposure to a vast variety of the latest devices available. Adults in the business world rely on daily use of internet, email, cell phones, and blackberries to get them through the day. Today’s students will take their technological knowledge into their adult lives. It is especially vital for them to learn at a young age the importance of ethical (safe, legal, and responsible) computer technology use. Setting clear parameters and providing safety monitors are necessary not only for legal reasons, but to teach young learners there are boundaries and limits to which their use is held.

Question #2:
How can we bring teachers, parents, and communities together on these issues?
This is an important question because the disconnect between schools and home/community is a difficult hurdle to overcome. Culturally disadvantaged families do not have access to the same resources as more affluent members of society. This disconnect is also evident where children are more advanced technologically than their parents are, or ever might be. Many school districts help to bridge this gap in communication by providing very specific guidelines to parents and students in the form of a contract. This contract is signed by both the student and the parents prior to the start of the school year, and represents not only a written guideline of rules for the student, but also a legal protection for the school district. This is obviously in the best interest of the school as well as the students and parents within the community. Many communities can also benefit by offering classes through the local community center.