Blog #4 - Wiki Walk Through

This website, http://www.teachersfirst.com/content/wiki/, is perhaps my favorite of all that I have encountered in this class.  Information is presented in a clear way, it is succinct and it is practical.    This is a site I could spend 10 minutes reviewing and leave with many new ideas for how to address various issues in my instruction.  One of my weaknesses as a teacher is communication of my classroom expectations.  I say it once, and I expect my students to know it, regardless.  This is often ineffective, especially considering the amount students are absent, and that they take 8 classes at a time with 8 very different teachers. One idea I got from this website has the idea of an FAQ written by my students for my students regarding my expectations and procedures.

The picture above shows the text from the Wiki Walk Through that gave me this idea.

A second idea I gained from looking through this website was having a "What do you think will be on the test" wiki.  This would encourage collaboration, which is something I very much expect of my students.  Having them collaborate on a wiki will challenge how and what they explain, as well as encourage them to consider my class, and its content, outside of our scheduled classroom time.

Overall, I rate this site well and will certainly use it in the future.

Blog #3 - A Critique of the Univeristy of Houston Digital Story Website

Overall, I think the idea behind this website is really great.  Having people share information through a digital format that is personal and provocative is great.  However, I was somewhat disappointed with the examples of digital stories as they relate to my subject area.  The "provocative" questions are those that are asked so often that I had zero interest in watching/listening to a 3 minute or even 7 minute video while someone narrated their answer to the question.  For example, the digital story titled "A Day Without Math" failed to engage, and again due to the simple nature at which the topic was approached the "seven elements" of creating a worthwhile digital story did not appear in this particular example.  One of the seven elements that was missing was that the content was not "emotional".  In other words the issue, while imperative, was not presented in such a way that evoked a reaction or a shift in thinking for viewers.  Additionally, the "soundtrack" chosen did not support the story being told, but instead, was distracting.  It seems that such a story needs to be told from the perspective of someone who has been made to become a believer, not a math teacher. 

This is just one example of my dissatisfaction with several of the digital stories posted on the U. of Houston website.  That said, I feel that the overall message and information shared on the website valuable.  I am trying to consider what types of digital stories I can tell as a math teacher, but also a person.  As I write this I am considering topics such as a digital story about how to study for math, or something about how best to LEARN math and why practice is the key to understanding the subject.  That said, I feel that perhaps such a topic is not very provocative as required by the "seven elements".