Aboriginal Storytelling Activity
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada. Aboriginal People Profiles (2004). Retrieved September 29, 2007 from http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/ks/3000_e.html.
Aboriginal Canada Portal (2007). Retrieved September 29, 2007 from http://www.aboriginalcanada.gc.ca/acp/site.nsf/en/ao04580.html.
Storytelling, The First Peoples of Canada (2001). Retrieved September 29, 2007 from http://www.civilization.ca/aborig/storytel/introeng.html.
Grade 5 Social Studies
Stories provide an ideal opportunity to bring history to life. They illustrate and provide information about different cultures, values, beliefs, and attitudes. In social studies, stories provide students with a glimpse into the lives of different peoples, cultures, places, issues, and events that have contributed to shaping Canada’s rich history and diverse society.
An activity involving the sharing of traditional First Nations myths and legends provides an ideal opportunity for students to become aware of the role that Canada’s Aboriginal population played in making Canada what it is today. My activity would involve internet research about First Nations groups. Each student would choose a Canadian Aboriginal group and research their customs, values and beliefs. They would also search for traditional stories, songs, or legends. The students would then prepare a presentation for the class highlighting the unique customs and traditions of their chosen tribe and would share a traditional story. Their presentation would include a visual representation of what they had learned (poster), on which they would show printed pictures and their information would be word processed.
The general learning outcome that this activity would cover is Social Studies 5.2 Histories and Stories of Ways of Life in Canada: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the people and the stories of Canada and their ways of life over time, and appreciate the diversity of Canada’s heritage.
The specific learning outcomes that this activity would achieve are 5.2.1 Students will appreciate the complexity of identity in the Canadian context: by acknowledging oral traditions, narratives, and stories as valid sources of knowledge about the land and diverse Aboriginal cultures and history, and by acknowledging the contributions made by diverse cultural groups to the evolution of Canada.
Several ICT outcomes will also be addressed by this activity. Students will seek alternative viewpoints using information technologies (C2). Students will use electronic research techniques to construct personal knowledge and meaning (C7). Students will also compose, revise, and edit text (P1) to create their visual representation.
This activity utilizes technology to provide students with an opportunity to access information that is not always readily available in the classroom. Searching for pictures and information on the internet can be more interesting for students than simply listening to the teacher speak, and provides images of culture and artifacts that are not easily conveyed by a lecture. It is also possible to hear stories and legends spoken out loud on the internet, allowing students to hear stories spoken by the people for whom they mean something.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Blogging in the Classroom
I have chosen to focus on a grade seven social studies classroom to argue that blogging has an important and unique place in enhancing student learning.
In grade seven, students learn a great deal about the influences of diverse Aboriginal, French, and British peoples on Canada's birth and development. A blog could be used in several different ways to enhance and increase student learning and understanding of this subject. For example, students could use the internet to research Aboriginal, French, or British peoples and could write a poem or other response to the information they have gathered. A blog would not only allow the teacher to provide links to appropriate educational sites that would benefit the student's research, but would also serve as a place where the student's poems and responses could be displayed and shared with the class. This is just one example of how the blog is a positive addition to the classroom.
The article, In the Classroom, Web Logs Are the New Bulletin Boards, several teachers express overwhelming support for the classroom blog. They suggest that blogs allow a continuation of class discussions that were cut short, facilitate faster teacher feedback, and allow students to express themselves in a comfortable environment. Several teachers also state that students put a lot more thought and effort into their blog writing, knowing that parents and others may read their work on the Web.
In the article, Moving to the Public: Weblogs in the Writing Classroom, the positive impact of blogs is further discussed. Focusing on the fact that blogs allow the publication of student work, this article argues that the ability of students to share their responses and gain feedback from the others is integral to positive student development.
Although a blog offers numerous ways to positively impact learning in the classroom, they also pose several security issues that must be addressed. As blogs may be viewed publicly, Students must be informed of issues regarding access, privacy, security, and free expression. As students have the ability to post anything that they want without the interference of an editor, they must carefully consider the content of postings to avoid including anything rude, derogatory, or anything that infringes upon the rights of others. It is also possible to organize a blog group and adjust your comment setting so that only members of the group can post comments. This would stop any outside influences from posting unwanted information.
Blogs are a positive addition to any classroom. They allow students to express themselves, share their interests and classroom work, and get feedback from others. They facilitate connections with other students who share common interests and help maintain bonds within a classroom. Blogs are important tools at a teacher's disposal to enhance the learning of all students.
In grade seven, students learn a great deal about the influences of diverse Aboriginal, French, and British peoples on Canada's birth and development. A blog could be used in several different ways to enhance and increase student learning and understanding of this subject. For example, students could use the internet to research Aboriginal, French, or British peoples and could write a poem or other response to the information they have gathered. A blog would not only allow the teacher to provide links to appropriate educational sites that would benefit the student's research, but would also serve as a place where the student's poems and responses could be displayed and shared with the class. This is just one example of how the blog is a positive addition to the classroom.
The article, In the Classroom, Web Logs Are the New Bulletin Boards, several teachers express overwhelming support for the classroom blog. They suggest that blogs allow a continuation of class discussions that were cut short, facilitate faster teacher feedback, and allow students to express themselves in a comfortable environment. Several teachers also state that students put a lot more thought and effort into their blog writing, knowing that parents and others may read their work on the Web.
In the article, Moving to the Public: Weblogs in the Writing Classroom, the positive impact of blogs is further discussed. Focusing on the fact that blogs allow the publication of student work, this article argues that the ability of students to share their responses and gain feedback from the others is integral to positive student development.
Although a blog offers numerous ways to positively impact learning in the classroom, they also pose several security issues that must be addressed. As blogs may be viewed publicly, Students must be informed of issues regarding access, privacy, security, and free expression. As students have the ability to post anything that they want without the interference of an editor, they must carefully consider the content of postings to avoid including anything rude, derogatory, or anything that infringes upon the rights of others. It is also possible to organize a blog group and adjust your comment setting so that only members of the group can post comments. This would stop any outside influences from posting unwanted information.
Blogs are a positive addition to any classroom. They allow students to express themselves, share their interests and classroom work, and get feedback from others. They facilitate connections with other students who share common interests and help maintain bonds within a classroom. Blogs are important tools at a teacher's disposal to enhance the learning of all students.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Blogging...
I am new to this whole blogging thing. Although I have read other blogs in the past, I have never had my own before. I am eager and excited to try out and explore this new form of communication and to discover how it will fit into my life.
I am also new to the idea of the blog as a classroom tool. As a future teacher, I recognize the increasingly important role that technology will play in the learning process, but I previously did not consider the blog a possible classroom feature. After reading about the potential academic uses for a blog, however, I have to say that I am an advocate for the use of this technology as a learning tool. I like the fact that the blog gives students and teachers immediate access to each other’s comments and ideas. Contact and communication don’t have to end at the end of the school day. Blogs can be accessed from any computer, at any time, and allow the sharing of ideas, questions, and comments.
Blogs can also provide an opportunity for teachers to give links to important information. Although the internet is an important research tool that provides access to often inaccessible information, students sometimes need guidance in deciding which websites are accurate and usable. The blog provides an opportunity to link students to internet sites that have been approved by the teacher and that provide academic aid and information.
I believe that the most important benefit of the blog as a classroom tool is the fact that they are conducive to parent involvement. Blogs can be accessed from home and provide daily updates on classroom activities, progress, and homework assignments. Parents are one of the most important tools at a teacher’s disposal. Their involvement is often integral to their child’s success. The blog offers an opportunity to integrate and involve parents in the learning process.
Despite my support of the blog as an academic resource, I must recognize the problems inherent in sharing information on a public website. There are safety issues involved with sharing personal information on the internet. Students will need to become aware of these issues and briefed as to what is appropriate to post on a blog.
The blog is an exciting new tool that offers several important benefits to student learning. As technology continues to become a permanent and increasingly prominent feature of classrooms around the world, teachers must find new and creative ways to utilize it for the benefit of students. I am eager to try using a blog in the classroom and excited to witness the results.
I am also new to the idea of the blog as a classroom tool. As a future teacher, I recognize the increasingly important role that technology will play in the learning process, but I previously did not consider the blog a possible classroom feature. After reading about the potential academic uses for a blog, however, I have to say that I am an advocate for the use of this technology as a learning tool. I like the fact that the blog gives students and teachers immediate access to each other’s comments and ideas. Contact and communication don’t have to end at the end of the school day. Blogs can be accessed from any computer, at any time, and allow the sharing of ideas, questions, and comments.
Blogs can also provide an opportunity for teachers to give links to important information. Although the internet is an important research tool that provides access to often inaccessible information, students sometimes need guidance in deciding which websites are accurate and usable. The blog provides an opportunity to link students to internet sites that have been approved by the teacher and that provide academic aid and information.
I believe that the most important benefit of the blog as a classroom tool is the fact that they are conducive to parent involvement. Blogs can be accessed from home and provide daily updates on classroom activities, progress, and homework assignments. Parents are one of the most important tools at a teacher’s disposal. Their involvement is often integral to their child’s success. The blog offers an opportunity to integrate and involve parents in the learning process.
Despite my support of the blog as an academic resource, I must recognize the problems inherent in sharing information on a public website. There are safety issues involved with sharing personal information on the internet. Students will need to become aware of these issues and briefed as to what is appropriate to post on a blog.
The blog is an exciting new tool that offers several important benefits to student learning. As technology continues to become a permanent and increasingly prominent feature of classrooms around the world, teachers must find new and creative ways to utilize it for the benefit of students. I am eager to try using a blog in the classroom and excited to witness the results.
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