Keeping up with my goals has been a difficult process. I have been trying to stick with the
philosophy that I have read so many times over this course, technology needs to
become a part of the curriculum and not just included for the sake of adding
technology.
My global experience is coming
along much slower. I have not heard from
my Russian teacher partner for ePals in a couple of weeks. I tried to e-mail him two days ago but have
not received a response back. I may need
to adjust my action plan. If I do not
hear from him soon, I will be looking for another class partner. Due to this, I do not want to spend too much
class time studying Russia if they will not be our partners. I am wondering if any of my Walden colleagues
are from another country or know another class that would be interested in
using ePals?
References:
Macmillan/McGraw-Hill (2006). Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
social studies-virtual field trips and state resources. Retrieved from
Hi Mrs. Webb,
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you are making systematic progress towards your goals. Perhaps you could use a virtual tour of Russia to offset the e-pals disappointment. This might be turned into a cross-curricular adventure by studying the climate (National Weather Station website), Math (average temperatures, population, etc.) Location (Geography on Google Earth), History (Napoleon's march to Moscow, the last Czar, the "Mad Monk' Rasputin, etc.). You might even include some economics by comparing how the disappearance of the middle class (causing the Russian revolution) has parallels in our country today. Graphing software and YouTube would lend technical support as would the vast resources of the Internet.
Dennis
Dennis,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestions. It is very disappointing I have not heard back from the Russian teacher. I am going to start looking for another country to partner with.
Hi Christina,
ReplyDeleteIn reading your post your thoughts definitely show that you are giving your goals a concerted effort. In noting how “technology needs to become a part of the curriculum and not just included for the sake of adding technology” (Webb, 2012) the resources being incorporated and the actions you are taking will undoubtedly be ones that will generate longer term success.
In discussing virtual fieldtrips I too am endeavouring to utilize these types of activities more regularly with my students, as having the ability to experience materials firsthand will undoubtedly aid my students in personalizing their learning. However much like you, I am also having a challenging time finding ones which align nicely with my targeted concepts. Fortunately I have been able to tackle this challenge with assistance from my grade four colleagues who I have convinced to accompany me on my search –I am hoping that many minds will make for an easier and more successful outcome in relation to finding appropriate resources. Do you have school colleagues with whom you can collaborate? Perhaps they may have some leads that could help in your search for a matching virtual fieldtrip.
Good luck with your search.
Trevor