Reactions to Chapters 3, 5, and 7

1. During student teaching last semester, I frequently gave students a journal prompt as a sponge activity at the beginning of class. An example of one of my journal prompt topics would be something like, "what do you think this world need more of, what do you think it needs less of" or "what would you change about yourself and why". Students would be given 10 minutes to write about the assigned topic. While they were writing, I would walk around the classroom and monitor. Chapter 3 gave me several new ideas to improve my teaching pedagogy. First, students should journal in the form of a weblog (blogging), because their writing would be for real purpose and to a real audience. We do not have time to share everyones journals everyday (an upsetting fact for most students), and if they blogged their writing, then students could read and comment on people's journals before and after class. Second, Will Richardson affirmed that if "we want our students to learn... we have to experience that learning firsthand". While proximity and classroom maintenance is a priority, I believe I, too, must blog. By blogging with students, I encourage a sense of classroom community not only amongst students but also between student and teacher, and ensure appropriateness and value in the activity given. Third, I like using blogs as a way of assigning and collecting homework. For example, students can be given an assignment to answer a question pertaining to that weeks discussion via weblog. I can show anonymous student work to jump start discussion the next day. Fourth, if students blogged in my classroom, I would make sure that they only posted classroom assigned blogs. I would want them to personalize their profiles, but not posts blogs irrelevant to calssroom instruction as I want all our blogs to be focused on classroom work. However, I will assign activities that allow them to choose and create. For example, a journal topic one day could be "free write". Fifth, feedback from teachers and parents was my single most influential motivation for achieving good grades in middle school, high school, and college. Therefore, I vow to comment on all my student's blogs on a weekly basis.
2. Incorporating technology in the classroom requires MUCH pre-planning. There are so many ways for teachers to fail considerably by using technology; therefore, they must plan accordinlgy. Set student expectations and ENFORCE them. Advise parents, staff, and administration how weblogging will be conducted in your classroom. Set appropriate personnel permissions.
3. The sacriest part about using technology in the classroom is safety. I'm worried that child stalkers and pedofiles on the Internet will learn too much about my students. When I create student weblogs, is there any way to set privacy restrictions so that not everyone can read their blogs, only people I personally select or give access?
4. Honestly, I have never heard of RSS till last week. But, now, I can't imagine living without it. The goal of RSS is to make teachers' lives less stressfull and less bogged down. I love it already! I will use RSS predominately as a research tool and a grade checker tool (to receive feeds that students posted new weblogs daily and weekly). Richardson commented in chapter 5 that it is a technology that will "change your life", but I believe all technologies I have learned thus far, in this course, have changed my life, more specifically my education skills and strategies toolbox, for the better.
5. Flickr reminds me so much of of Facebook. Both programs upload photos quickly, freely, and easily. Both allow the administrator to "tag" photos. And, both allow viewers to comment on the photos. I believe many students will feel comfortable using this tool because of its stark resemblance to facebook.