Coming Soon to ELO: Blogging!

Starting during the 2011-2012 school year, blogging will enter my ELO classroom.  Students will have the opportunity to reflect on their enrichment experiences, content learning, analysis and evaluation of research and classroom discussions, and overall goal achievement through the consistent posting of an individual blog.  At this time I’m interested in having the students create their blogs in Youth Voices, a network for educators and students to hopefully ensure more safety and privacy.  Podcasts with auditory reflection, images, and videos may also be uploaded to student blogs to enhance and further promote the ideas communicated within their postings.

Blogging will also be incorporated through various enrichment experiences.  Students working with me in writing enrichment will have the opportunity to utilize a blog as a digital writer’s notebook where they have the opportunity to collect important quotes, play with language, brainstorm ideas, and perhaps share personal experiences to prompt and aid in their writing.  If ok with them, they will also have the opportunity to comment on other classmates’ blogs and begin to explore writing shared by other students around the world on the Youth Voices network.

Students may also be collaboratively writing blog entries to share various experiences throughout the year.  There are a variety of possibilities and we will continue to try new ideas.  The important point to remember is that blogs allow the students to reflect, analyze, evaluate, experiment with language and argumentation, share ideas, and build online communication skills; all skills necessary for the 21^st century.

For more information about blogging you can browse various sites listed on my Technology Webliography on my ELO website.   https://sites.google.com/site/msbroegselosite/technology-links

Language Learning Made Easy

 As technology has progressed, our global connections have spanned the globe without even travel.  Collaboration is touted as an important expectation for our youth as they enter the workforce.  I would like to start introducing my students to opportunities to begin learning the basics of another language to ensure they have more access to communication with others.  

Rosetta Stone is highly-rated software that utilizes the “dynamic immersion method” to help individuals learn to “speak, read, write, and think” in the language they are learning.  The visual images utilized helped me make a connection from the words and what I heard to what I saw to make it a more meaningful approach.  I self-taught myself to learn some Russian while I was in junior high and found the program very engaging, and this was almost fifteen years ago.   The program does not involve translation or lists of words to memorize, but does provide interactive speaking opportunities.

Now, there are more advantages with the integration of the Internet.   The classroom edition, can be accessed online or through CD-Rom and flexible licensing options exist.  There are 25 languages available for classroom use and teachers and administrators have access to a manager tool to allow them to customize the learning for their students and view reports of progress.  Students may work individually or collaboratively.

For personal use, the company provides software for 31 languages, offers a 6 month money-back guarantee if you are not pleased with the software, and provides additional online resources.  The learner may choose to go online to speak with a native tutor to practice authentic conversation and “hear” the words.  There are also games and other activities within the online community.  No longer are you confined to your computer at home; learn as you go.  Now, you can use the software on your iPhone, iPod Touch, MP3 Player, PC, and soon iPad.  

I would highly recommend this software.  It is not free, and the challenge for me will be to acquire funds to at least purchase some licenses for some of my students.  Eventually, I would like to have a few different languages available to my students.  This software will help me expand my program opportunities and allow more flexible scheduling with my students as they may work independently at their own pace on the computer or mobile device while I’m working with other students.

www.flickr.com

Assistive Technology: Voice/Speech Recognition Software

I researched speech recognition software as part of my assistive technologies study.  I have worked with students in the past who have had to use personal word processing machines and software for classroom written assignments and I am interested in learning more about these technologies and how to better utilize them with students I may encounter in my future.  

Assistive Technology Training Online suggests that students who would benefit from using this software are those who have difficulty using written tools, struggle with writing mechanics, and/or have difficulty with the writing process.  I have worked with some twice-exceptional students who needed support to share the creative thoughts within their minds.  If I encounter students with this need in the future, I would definitely make sure that the software was installed on a computer within my classroom, so the student could still keep a reflection journal or blog and utilize the software to help him/her write for whatever assignment.  We do have a ReadWrite Gold tool within our server that our students can use to help them research and understand information online.  I definitely think I could integrate this tool also, because it would help support my students during independent studies and then they could use the voice recognition software to take their notes and write their reflections.  The biggest challenge I would face, would be to find someone to help train the student if the student did not know how to use the software program.  The site suggests using “voice recognition to record thoughts for written assignments and then worry about organization and writing later”. I think some of my students could benefit from using this tool just to get their ideas down and then they could go back and write their reflections and organize their notes.

http://atto.buffalo.edu/registered/ATBasics/Curriculum/Writing/speechRecognition.php

Bob Follansbee, Ed. D., discusses the challenges and benefits of speech recognition software within his article SPEAKING TO WRITE / WORD FOR WORD:  An overview of Speech Recognition.  I found this article to be very helpful because it provides several important points to consider before using with older children, usually over age 10.  Speech recognition programs are advanced and should only be utilized by students who are capable of completing the extensive training, clear pronunciations, and understanding literacy’s purpose.  Since this requires in-depth training and must be used within a relatively quiet location, other strategies should complement the use of this program.  Classroom activities involving pre-writing and editing will still be necessary, because the student will still need to be able to learn to identify errors and make corrections.  Also, initial work should be simple and a gradual release of responsibility and advancement should occur as the student builds confidence and learns to use the software. http://www.resourceroom.net/older/speechrec.html

One resource I could use to find more information and locate this software would be The Great Prairie Area Education Agency.  Marge Nash is the Assistive Technology Specialist from the Ottumwa office that I could contact.  Their site also has links to numerous other sites and documents with helpful information.  I could even check out a Toshiba Tablet with the software installed through Snap Smart Search to review the program and become familiar before the school purchased.  http://www.gpaea.k12.ia.us/programs--services/assistive-technology.aspx

Another resource is a website http://www.boundlessat.com/Home/Education-Purchases.  I selected this site because it was geared more towards education purchases and the features of free UPS shipping and flexible ordering methods.