Pamela Livingston’s article “Chatting It Up Online”, puts an emphasis on how technology can provide students and schools with a much broader learning experience. Technology in the classroom helps break down barriers and can bring something unique to the classroom.
Livingston takes us through the process of a 2nd/ 3rd grade all boys classroom and their experience with an online chat with one of their favorite authors. These boys are avid readers, and their librarian was always on the lookout for ways to increase their learning experience. When she heard the offer of an online author chat, she reacted immediately. The class registered for the chat by submitting simple information about the school, and grade levels online. They received a confirmation a few days before the chat would begin. They did not get a confirmation as soon as they hoped for. As they waited, the boys were very anxious to see if they would be able to chat with one of their favorite authors. After receiving the confirmation, they read a list of suggestions on how to chat online. They made sure they read the list a few times so they would be as prepared as possible. They then reserved the computer lab for a certain time period, and made sure that the firewall was eliminated for the time being. This ensured a faster connection, and so every question and answer would be received on both ends. The boys had written out their questions, and were reviewed by the teacher to make sure they were valid questions. When it came time for the chat itself, the boys had a blast, and it seemed to be very successful. The boys were so exited that their questions were being answered almost instantly. Livingston points out that the boys had written to an author the previous year and waited months for an answer. With online chatting, these students can get answers right away.
Technology is such an amazing way to broaden a students’ learning. I would love to incorporate this type of program into my classroom. I would make sure that the author or person we are talking to can be tied directly to the curriculum. An example would be similar to the case in the article. If we are reading a certain book as a class whole, we could contact that author and let the students ask them questions they found interesting about the book or the author. This makes it fun for the students to learn about the authors’ ideas. If we are focusing on a certain topic, such as biology, we could try and contact a professional biologist. I think there is an excitement factor for students when they get the opportunity to interact with a professional, especially when it pertains to what they are doing in the classroom. Incorporating technology into the classroom is a great way to get students exited about learning.
ISTE Nets for Students Link-- http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForStudents/2007Standards/NETS_for_Students_2007_Standards.pdf
ISTE Nets for Teachers Link--http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf
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I agree Ashleigh. I think a subject such as biology, or any science would be exciting to learn through the web. I believe these opportunities in education enliven students interests and create a classroom all students look forward to being in.
ReplyDeleteI also wrote about having other professionals as interviewees. I think it is a good idea to not only have the students talk to authors, but others important people they are learning about. We can use these live chats to introduce other professions to our students.
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