Blog 4

Random Thoughts

So after exploring Prezi for many, many hours I have discovered that it is not as bad as I thought it would be. It is not easy, but it is manageable once one get accustomed to moving things around in the "canvas" that this software provides. My ambivalence comes from the fact that as far as projects are concerned I am used to putting things together with paper, glue stick, and scissors. I like molding and creating with actual paper or objects in my hand. Though Prezi is completely different to what I am used to, I can see now how I will make it work for my Tech Autobiography. Before actually setting out to create this, I plan to create other smaller presentations with Prezi in order to practice and learn as much as I can from it. Spending time getting to know Prezi is enough to remind me that the best way to learn something new is by immersing yourself in the new material.

One word that stuck out this week both in the reading and in the class chat session was "pseudonym". The class seemed torn between the significance and usage of pseudonyms in the classroom, personally I believe that this can work if students are given guidance and instructions about creating appropriate pseudonyms. I understand what many classmates said about pseudonyms and voice and identity for students, but I also believe that this would not be limited if everyone in the class was to know upfront the real identity of every student behind his or her pseudonym. Even when working at the high school level, students should have some sort of rules about what types of pseudonyms are acceptable and appropriate in the classroom setting. I don't believe that this is limiting their "voice" or depriving them of any type of creativity necessarily. For example letting students know that profanity or vulgar language will not be accepted as part of their pseudonyms, will remind students that there are some boundaries and rules in place in order to maintain focus on the assignment at hand.

While reading and commenting on a classmates blog, an idea sparked in my head. In her blog she wrote about students creating an ABC Power Point about a book they have read. The idea is that for every letter students write a word that pertains to the book, for example, A for About the Author, C for Character, etc, etc. I have done something similar with my students without the Power Point aspect. After doing some thinking I was brainstorming about a way in which students could write "book reviews", and post them online for the class to read. My students do Silent Reading everyday, these are books that they select on their own, they are also responsible for maintaining a reading log. My dilemma with Silent Reading is that I do not feel that they are particularly fond of the traditional "Book Report", that they are accustomed to writing for each book they complete. I think that if they are told to write about how good or bad the book was they will feel more ownership of the assignment since they will be allowed to give their personal opinion about the book. Then when it is time for selecting another book, students can read what their peers recommend. I would like to know if there is a way in which these "Book Reviews" could be posted on some sort of classroom website that all of them can go to and read on their own. I am sure there is a way, however because I am not technologically savvy, I am clueless as to where I would even begin to put this together. Any and all ideas will be greatly appreciated?