VoiceThread

Since we will be learning about iMovie in an upcoming project and I own a Mac, I decided to explore using VoiceThread as a digital storyteller. I knew very little about VoiceThread previous to this class and found it very interesting to work at actually creating one this weekend. I think students could easily grasp this technology and it could be a very fun way to transform their writing into a visual and audio presentation.

However, I think there is another way that VoiceThread could be beneficial in the secondary classroom. Students can comment on each other's work, therefore the teacher could start a discussion and allow all of the students to record their own comments, making it a virtual classroom.

Internet Communication Project Proposal

For the internet communication project, I am interested in exploring digital storytelling. I've seen it used many times in other classrooms and I think it could be an excellent tool in an English classroom to allow students to share their writing in another medium.

Shakespeare: Subject to Change

Recently, I came across the website, Cable in the Classroom, which offers some excellent suggestions on how to implement video into the classroom. One thing this website offers is an interactive Shakespeare page that has received numerous awards since it launched in 2003, including The Web Awards Competition - "Outstanding Website 2003," USA Today -- Online Edition -- "Hot Pick," and the American Library Associations Great Web Sites for Kids. I think this website would be a great addition to any English classroom studying Shakespeare as a way for students to grasp vocabulary and format, as well as plot structure.

English Classroom Website

My classroom website is up and running at this link:

http://sites.google.com/site/englishclassroomsite/

I actually really enjoyed making it and think that this could be an incredibly useful tool to communicate with students.

Website Discovery

So far in this class, my favorite discovery has been Google reader. I had no idea I could put all of the websites I follow in one place, rather than scouring the web trying to find out if they have been updated. It's definitely something I will use, not only in looking at educational websites, but also other sites that I take a personal interest in. However, in looking for additional educational websites, I came across the website - 50 Must-Read Up and Coming Blogs by Teachers. It is a mecca of valuable resources for English teachers that I thought I would share. I highly recommend looking at some of their suggestions.

Personal Learning Network

The first blog I chose to subscribe to is YA-Lit -- the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. This site offers hundreds of ideas of excellent, up-to-date titles in the young adult market, along with reviews for each one. This is a very valuable resource for English teaching, as it keeps teachers in touch with the latest books out there for his or her student population, as well as information as to the content of each book.

The next blog I chose is a unique site entitled Six Things. Each post consists of six items related to English language teaching. As a TELL minor, this website offers some excellent ideas in helping ESL students, such as book recommendations for English language teachers. It also offers interesting trivia and explanations on cultural differences.

Another good blog that I discovered is Weblogg-ed, a valuable resource regarding technology in the classroom. The author, Will Richardson, keeps readers up-to-date on technological issues and practices in the classroom, covering everything from practical advice to ethical debates.

Another blog related to technology in the classroom is the Edublogger, which offers similar information as Weblogg-ed, but sometimes more practical applications. The information covered in this and the previous blog is material I would otherwise find difficult to follow. Therefore, these are valuable additions to my Google reader.

Finally, an excellent content-specific blog I found is the Shakespeare Teacher, which covers new ways to teach Shakespeare. The author answers specific questions from teachers, along with innovative activities for teaching the bard's different plays. This is definitely a fun and useful website for any high school English teacher.

All of these websites have different things to offer that can help any English teacher become more effective by keeping up-to-date on the various issues related to the field.

Basic Background

In considering my background with technology, I feel like I am currently at a "basic" level. I can use the basic softwares--PowerPoint, Word, Excel, etc. Yet, if I am confronted with a software that I am not familiar with, I can most often figure it out using available resources, especially the internet. Sometimes I consult this website or just google it.

One of my main problems with technology, however, is simply an unawareness of what other programs exist that are available for use in the classroom. I know that I probably am not even aware of half of the possible resources I could be using. Therefore, my hope for this class is to expand my knowledge of what technologies are available and how I could implement them in my teaching.