Comments on: The Skeptic Responds http://theline.edublogs.org/2008/02/18/the-skeptic-responds/ Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:44:39 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: plugmein http://theline.edublogs.org/2008/02/18/the-skeptic-responds/comment-page-1/#comment-171 plugmein Sun, 24 Feb 2008 17:33:05 +0000 http://theline.edublogs.org/2008/02/18/the-skeptic-responds/#comment-171 Hey Dina, You win! You're my favorite tech skeptic on the planet....Your thoughts always leave me thinking, and that's the beauty (albeit I use that term in the strictly digital sense!) of blogs. Now check this out: http://ed.voicethread.com/share/62276/ My students are commenting around a collection of political cartoons related to the genocide in Darfur. This isn't an "assignment" at all. Everything you see is completely voluntary and done after school hours or during silent reading and writing time. Where does this sit in the scale of red-herring-with-high-heels-ness? I see a group of kids learning to wrestle with ideas together. They're polishing and refining their thinking about a critical issue that is connected to our social studies and language arts standards. These comments are nuggets of pre-writing, aren't they? They could easily become the beginnings of a longer essay...and they're held up for others to challenge, which makes the thinking "sturdier" before an entire piece is tackled. I also see an opportunity to steal online minutes from my kids. These kids are already online a thousand hours a day. At least I know that they're spending some of that time thinking about content, right? They're drawn to the web. Now, if only I can give them destinations that are meaningful. Whaddya' think? Bill (PS...LOVING the conversation!) Hey Dina,

You win! You’re my favorite tech skeptic on the planet….Your thoughts always leave me thinking, and that’s the beauty (albeit I use that term in the strictly digital sense!) of blogs.

Now check this out:
http://ed.voicethread.com/share/62276/

My students are commenting around a collection of political cartoons related to the genocide in Darfur.

This isn’t an “assignment” at all. Everything you see is completely voluntary and done after school hours or during silent reading and writing time.

Where does this sit in the scale of red-herring-with-high-heels-ness?

I see a group of kids learning to wrestle with ideas together. They’re polishing and refining their thinking about a critical issue that is connected to our social studies and language arts standards.

These comments are nuggets of pre-writing, aren’t they? They could easily become the beginnings of a longer essay…and they’re held up for others to challenge, which makes the thinking “sturdier” before an entire piece is tackled.

I also see an opportunity to steal online minutes from my kids. These kids are already online a thousand hours a day. At least I know that they’re spending some of that time thinking about content, right?

They’re drawn to the web. Now, if only I can give them destinations that are meaningful.

Whaddya’ think?

Bill

(PS…LOVING the conversation!)

]]> By: alicemercer http://theline.edublogs.org/2008/02/18/the-skeptic-responds/comment-page-1/#comment-167 alicemercer Fri, 22 Feb 2008 04:40:33 +0000 http://theline.edublogs.org/2008/02/18/the-skeptic-responds/#comment-167 Ta da: http://mizmercer.edublogs.org/2008/02/20/oral-language-development-its-not-just-for-language-learners/ Answering the question, "What part does speaking have in Language Arts standards?" Ta da: http://mizmercer.edublogs.org/2008/02/20/oral-language-development-its-not-just-for-language-learners/

Answering the question, “What part does speaking have in Language Arts standards?”

]]> By: alicemercer http://theline.edublogs.org/2008/02/18/the-skeptic-responds/comment-page-1/#comment-161 alicemercer Wed, 20 Feb 2008 04:55:40 +0000 http://theline.edublogs.org/2008/02/18/the-skeptic-responds/#comment-161 Dina, post coming up in a few days, ELLs are tested because the CELDT test (which they have to "pass" to be redesignated, and have to take every year to get their EPALL) has a section on listening (where they listen and answer questions, and speaking (where they answer questions and talk). THEY are tested. Thanks mucho for the link love. Dina, post coming up in a few days, ELLs are tested because the CELDT test (which they have to “pass” to be redesignated, and have to take every year to get their EPALL) has a section on listening (where they listen and answer questions, and speaking (where they answer questions and talk). THEY are tested. Thanks mucho for the link love.

]]> By: Dina http://theline.edublogs.org/2008/02/18/the-skeptic-responds/comment-page-1/#comment-158 Dina Tue, 19 Feb 2008 15:02:08 +0000 http://theline.edublogs.org/2008/02/18/the-skeptic-responds/#comment-158 @Alice: keep on keeping on, sister. Glad to have met you in the edublogosphere. Do you happen to know if there's a Speaking *assessment* anywhere? I mean, god forbid us having to deal with another arbitrary standardized exam, but I can't help but think that something that measures our physical capacity for *speaking* serves a more useful purpose than the five-paragraph essay, frankly. @Ben: You will be assimilated. @Alice: keep on keeping on, sister. Glad to have met you in the edublogosphere. Do you happen to know if there’s a Speaking *assessment* anywhere? I mean, god forbid us having to deal with another arbitrary standardized exam, but I can’t help but think that something that measures our physical capacity for *speaking* serves a more useful purpose than the five-paragraph essay, frankly.

@Ben: You will be assimilated.

]]> By: Benjamin Baxter http://theline.edublogs.org/2008/02/18/the-skeptic-responds/comment-page-1/#comment-157 Benjamin Baxter Tue, 19 Feb 2008 04:44:31 +0000 http://theline.edublogs.org/2008/02/18/the-skeptic-responds/#comment-157 A digital native is that which is conscious and is made entirely of ones and zeroes. Like the supercomputer from the Ender's Game series. http://awaitingtenure.wordpress.com/ A digital native is that which is conscious and is made entirely of ones and zeroes. Like the supercomputer from the Ender’s Game series.

http://awaitingtenure.wordpress.com/

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