Wednesday, June 24, 2009

The Networked Student; The Movie

I have to say I was a little nervous to take on the next step in Library 2 Play. Last year was really mind blowing for me with the 23 Things. But as I watched the video, I realized that I actually understood all the different parts discussed in the movie. When it mentioned using the reader to keep the blogs organized, and using the RSS stream I wasn't completely at a loss for this new language.
Since I blogged last year, my son has graduated from high school. Unfortunately, he did not graduate from a Spring Branch school. Currently, he does not use My Space, Facebook, or even email to communicate with his friends. He uses his cell phone for texting, but he does not have the computer knowledge that the student in the video had. It was very disheartening to watch where we are going as a school district and know that he missed out on that.
This brings me to my own personal question, not necessarily one that I want the answer to right now. What can I do in my 3rd grade classroom to open the door for my students so they can have the technological skills they need to participate in the world outside or doors? As I go deeper into the 11.5 Things I hope to find the answer to this question.

2 comments:

Barry said...

Very insightful question and very rewarding for me to read. I think many times we as educators place too much pressure on ourselves. Sometimes we need to relax and enjoy the students’ (and our) learning experiences. I feel certain that with your knowledge, your expressed beliefs, and your concerns that once you have the technology available through the Library and the classroom that you and your students will discover all that is necessary for them to succeed and therefore for you to succeed.

Thank you and good luck,
Barry

Wendy DG said...

Luna,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the video. As Barry said, we sometimes try to do everything all at once. I suggest trying one Web app at a time with your third graders. Blogging is a great place to start. I actually taught third grade before I had the high school students in the video, and that's where I started.

Best to you,
Wendy