Sunday, February 2, 2014

I teach middle school english/Language Arts. The four components of SAMR model are: Substitution, Augmentation, Modification and Redefinition. Here are my items:
Substitution: I would use social networking sites to replicate the discussions and subgroups crfeated by the average communication form of speaking. This tool would alleviate some of the "performance anxieties" that some students may have. Using social media to create study groups may also prove interesting. For example, I could give criteria the class would have to search for in others Facebook accounts. I could tell everyone that they needed to have 4 people in their group and each person had to meet a certain criteria such as: one person has to have photos of them in another state. One person has to have at least 10 people designated as "family" in their friends domain. One person has to have posted something in the last 24 hours. One person has to be involved in at least one group. Using this format would allow for the normal caste system to be dissolved.
For augmentation I would use the RSS feed. I would use the RSS feedbecause it can redesign how students hold their bookmarks for research and homework. For example, if my students were researching Othello and they found useful sights at home and at school an RSS feed would be greatly beneficial for them to be able to access their information at school or at home.
I would use a WIKI for the modification part. I would use a WIKI to redesign our task. For example, if my students were working on a book study and they had to remain in groups and create a publication using a WIKI would allow them to collaborate ideas and resources. That way, regardless of snow days or other unforseeable things the students could still work together and be successful.
Lastly, I would use a podcast for redefinition. I would use that tool because it would allow for a creation of a new task. After having done the research on a book involving the Holocaust the students could interview a Holocaust survivor and publish that interview at large via Podcast.
To be honest I had no idea what Web 2.0 tools were. As it turns out, I have been using them in my classroom for a myriad of things for several years now. I used podcasts using video with my kindergarten students to help reinforce numbers and letters so I am very happy to know that I have been using Web 2.0 tools for a while.

10 comments:

  1. I love the idea of using an RSS for hold research articles! The students I work with never remembering to cite so can not go back and look at their research a second or third time. I have started to use it that way for my studies, why not our students as well. Great idea! I would be cautious about using fb though, it is public and you can not control what they post or what they see that others have posted. And to make it a requirement of a class, I would hesitate.

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    1. Thanks for your comment Barabra. I understand your hesitation about using faceBook in class. I have been on both sides of the issue. Its just that I keep reading articles about using FB and how it can eventually be a useful tool. As someone said, they are on it all of the time anyway. Why not find a way to make it useful.

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  2. Hi Mr. Wettstein, I really like your ideas of how you would use the various technologies in your classroom. I particularly like the idea of the Podcast project for students to publish their interviews of Holocaust survivors. I am amazed at how you used 2.0 in your kindergarten to reinforce numbers and letters, and this is an idea for me to support my students in pre-algebra and algebra.

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    1. Thanks Regina. I did use podcasts or vodcast with my kindergarten students and it saved a lot of instructional time. For example, a kindergarten student needs to be able to count up to 100 by ones, and fives, etc. Before using the technology I would sit in front of them while the rest of the class were doing Lord knows what (kindergarteners can be "energetic") and tabulate their effort. Once I introduced the video cast and trained the whole class how to use it they would go to a predetermined area and take a video of themselves all the while I could continue teaching my class and helping other students. They were trained how and where to save it. I, at a later time, would go and view the video. Not only would this allow for more classroom instruction but gone were the days of not knowing for sure if they skipped a number because another student was having difficulty. Also gone were the days of parents getting upset and telling me that I was nuts because their 5 year old has been counting to 1000 since they were 2 years old. I would simply show them the video and the argument was done.

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  3. If you look at the 2.0 assignment, the use of social bookmarking (Diigo and Delicious) is VERY useful for students and citations. Diigo allows for bookmarking, sharing, annotating, and highlighting parts of the page.

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    1. Very good point Professor. I was introduced to Delicious a few years ago but I never really used it enough to become comfortable. Upon reflection, that does seem like a very useful tool to have in my classroom and also for myself in this course.

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  4. I think using social media to have discussion is great! Just as we're doing in this class, I don't know why but I prefer discussing things on a blogger rather than on the discussion board link on blackboard. And though they are both forms of technology I enjoy the newer, more contemporary form. I believe that is a great idea you have to use social media to have students discuss. Most of them are on there all the time anyway, why not allow them to be on there for school work.

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    1. Thanks for your response Tracie. I agree with your sentiment that they are using it anyway why not find a way to help with their education. I also understand your point about Blogger instead of FB. It isn't because it is the newest for me but instead because I think I associate FB with the social aspect of life not the educational because I have always used FB for socializing and keeping up. Where as I have only ever used Blogger for education. I guess it all goes back to what we are comfortable with and that there is no right answer for everyone.

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  5. Hello Mr. Wettstein.

    It would be nice to have PD that teaches us the technology that we have to use which school district have had in place for a number of years. The not knowing what is out there is a problem and as you stated you have been using it for number of years and did know it. Train the staff and they will use it.

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    1. Thanks Jeff and I agree. Sometimes I feel as though we are intriduced to too much as educators and we aren't given enough time to master what we already have. I know students are quicker on the draw than I am but I have to believe that they may feel the same way. "Oh great, some other program he wants us to use."

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