Wikis as a Classroom Tool

After exploring and reading about wikis I feel that I have a better understanding about wikis. I feel that in many classrooms wikis could be a useful tool in posting and sharing knowledge. I like the fact that anyone can contribute to a wiki. I also like the fact that work can be shared with others, including parents. The home/school connection can easily be established. This empowers the students to add what they have learned and gives them a way to broaden their knowledge. It also allows them to collaborate both at school and at home. It is an easy way to change and revise their work.

I like the comment made in the video about using wikis as, "a portal for learning." Students in the classroom can really come together and build their ideas. My overall impression of wikis is that they are a positive resource to be used in the classroom!

Free Online Video Resources for Teachers and Students

After listening to the podcast by Wesley Fryer, I liked the ideas that he has brought forth with using video sharing for teachers. I liked the comment about, "blending learning opportunities with face to face interactions in order to create richer educational opportunities." The online video resources all seem to provide another alternative to enrich our students. I also liked the fact that students could feel empowered in their learning. In the podcast, it was mentioned that students could learn in their home environment and not feel the pressure of feeling, "stupid." As a teacher and a parent, I like the resources provided in video sharing, in order to provide information at home that may not be remember from class. It also provides another way to review the material along with the text.

Next Vista seemed to be relevant and provided educational content that could be pertinent and helpful to many teachers. I think it would be easy to use and the five minute videos would provide a quick resource to many students. The "Global Views" helped students to make connections and feel empathy for learners all over the world. Their personal stories would help students to learn and understand other cultures and world events.

Although I liked Next Vista I don't feel like I could use it in my classroom, yet. There were very few videos that were pertinent to my curriculum. I think in the future with the addition of more videos it could be an excellent resource.

YouTube, Clip Blast, and TeacherTube could be used in my classroom! Many solos and concert performances are able for viewing on these sites and could be used to show my students different performers all over the world. In my curriculum, students need to listen to recordings of solos they are playing. There are many good performances of solos my students are playing.

The negative of these sites is the other content that may come up in finding the pertinent videos. Some videos are inappropriate and these sites are often blocked by schools. I feel though, that these could be excellent resources for my classroom, if monitored and used properly.

Lesson 4- A Time for Reflection

WOW! I really have enjoyed learning about blogging! I was new to this and I have already gained a ton of knowledge. I think there are many benefits to classroom blogging. I think a strong benefit of blogging is the sharing of work and ideas. Everyone can see the hard work you are doing and reflect on the progress that others have made. Being an instrumental music teacher, I feel I can still use blogs in my classroom. I feel that I can use them as a tool to work with the parents and to have students share their thoughts about their education. We can use it to communicate ways of improving instruction, sharing new pieces, and providing links to other educational sites.