RSS

Thanks to the ease of use of current Web 2.0 technologies, my prior experience with technology and your (as my course instructor) clear and concise directions, I found that it was easy to set up an aggregator and my first RSS feed and to place an RSS feed on my blog.

After registering for a Bloglines account, I waited to receive a verification email message. After receiving this email, I was able to begin using Bloglines. I am planning on subscribing to various RSS feeds that may be relevant to scientific topics which are included in my district’s sixth grade science curriculum. I will view additions to these RSS feeds and will share current scientific information with my students in a variety of ways. These ways include viewing web sites and video segments on my classroom’s interactive whiteboard, listening to podcasts, oral discussions, writing prompts and printing web materials to use during class language arts activities. Many of these activities have the potential to contribute to NETS-S standard number one (letters A-D). I will post extremely valuable feeds to my blog and or sixth grade science web site Feeds placed on my blog or web site will be able to be used by students to conduct research and I am hoping these feeds will help my students become life long learners. Parents will also have access to my blog or web site feeds.

Sixth Grade Science Wiki

Peanut Butter Sandwich Anyone?

As part of a graduate course, I learned about a special type of web site called a wiki. A wiki is a web site that allows people to add information to the web site or revise and edit information already posted on the site.

I chose to use a type of wiki named PB Wiki. Yes, PB stands for peanut butter (as in PB and J for peanut butter and jelly). There are many free wiki web sites to choose from. I chose to use PB Wiki for the following reasons: PB has pages that are made for teachers and students to use, PB Wiki sites are free of advertisements, PB is easy to use and lastly, I like peanut butter sandwiches:).

Beginning our PB Wiki web site was easy. I simply typed my name, a name for our wiki web site, email address and a password I chose. PB Wiki then sent me an email when the wiki was ready to begin developing. During development, I chose Create a page and began our wiki.

As a class, we are going to use this wiki to create web sites later in the school year. Everyone will have an opportunity to add to our class wiki (or web site). Others will be able to view our web sites online. One of the web sites we design and develop will be about electricity, electromagnets and alternative energy.

Visit Class Wiki:
http://sixthsouthern.pbwiki.com/Introduction

Introduction

Welcome sixth grade science students! I recently learned about using blogs as a teacher while taking a graduate class. I am planning on using this blog to have you answer higher level thinking (remember Bloom’s Taxonomy), improve your writing skills and share opinions with your classmates, thus acting as real scientists.

While adding to his blog you must follow these rules:
Do not use any offensive, disrespectful or inappropriate language.
Type in complete sentences using capital letters and proper punctuation.
Do not add any information that is inaccurate or not true.
Do not use any real names (yours or classmate’s) while adding to this blog.

First assignment: Answer the following question by typing a 6-10 sentence paragraph. Begin your paragraph with a main idea sentence.

How do you think Pennsylvania would look different if glaciers never existed in our state?

Assignment’s NSTS-S Technology Standards: Number 2, A and B. Number 5, A-C.