week 4 Reflection EDCI5825

What is the right balance between giving students freedom to explore the Web for research and providing them with structure and guidance?

One of the best balances between giving students the freedom to explore the Web for research and to provide them with structure and guidance is by allowing them to use primary source material and authentic learning experiences. One extremely helpful primary source that was mentioned throughout the text was the NARA which is also referred to as the National Archives and Records Administration and is located in Washington, DC. This is an federal agency that contains and manages all useful and important federal records and continues to develop a website to provide the public with quick and easy electronic access to the documents.
Once the material is all set, it is placed with the Digital Classroom of the National Archives. "One of the most useful teaching resources on the Internet, the Digital Classroom opens worlds beyond the traditional textbook" (Novembe, 2010, p. 67). This allows the students to access the primary source material and provides them with the skills in order to use these sources in the learning environment.
Another useful tool is the Archival Research Catalog which is an online catalog that contains information and electronic copies of various different primary source documents. "While traditional curriculum often provides students with exactly the "right" amount of information offered in the "right" order to take the next test, primary source material provides a colorful mosaic with many of the tiles missing or broken" (November, 2010, p. 68). The fun and the adventure of learning are in the hunt. (November 2010). As students research through primary sources the role of the teacher becomes much more crucial. Often times, teachers revoke the idea that answers are move important than the questions and the manner in which you retrieve the answers.

What is the role of the teacher in helping students to make meaning of primary source material?

The mere fact of teaching the students to center their carefully critic and center their questions and communications can be the most difficult of tasks. The teacher's role is to provide the students with the support needed in order to direct the student's towards evaluating the meaning of the primary source material. "One of the most important skills that students should learn is to understand the language and perspective of the organization or the people who have provided the primary source material" (November, 2010, p. 73). Within the reading, there is a excellent example of this. Students were conducting resource using primary source material about the march of the Cherokee from their homes in North Carolina and Oklahoma. Students began their research using the phrase "Trail of Tears" and were stuck at a stand still without much information to work with. The teacher had to guide the students by proposing the question, "Would the federal government have called the removal of the Cherokee "Trails of Tears?" (November, 2010, p. 73) In this case, students were not keying into the perspective of the federal government. It is also vital for teachers to "teach students to think about bias and subtleties" (November, 2010, p. 73). It is important to provide students with guidelines and organization but on the other hand it can be useful to allow students feel frustration and confusion so that when they do reach a level of achievement they can feel the supreme satisfaction.

How can teachers use Podcasting and/or multimedia tools to promote collaborative learning?

Teacher can use Podcasts, video publishing and live streaming in order to promote collaborative in the learning environment. Formulating a Podcast is easy, fun, and exciting. The best part of creating a Podcast is the mere fact that you do not need a lot of computer expertise to develop a successful Podcast. In order to make one you just need a few things. These include a digital audio recorder that can create an MP3 file, some space on a server to host the file, a blog, and something to say (Richardson, 2010). Podcasts are a way to enable many different audience members to view the creation at the same time. The piece of technology used to do so is referred to as RSS, this allows people to subscribe to your podcast at anytime and once you are connected new Podcasts appear on your MP3 player whenever they are developed. "Podcasting is yet another way for them to be creating and contributing ideas to a larger conversation, and it's a way of archiving that contribution for future audiences to use" (Richardson, 2010, p. 115). This multimedia tools allows more many different audiences to contribute to the learning process and enables anyone to learn from others Podcasts.
Video publishing is something that is a bit more intense than Podcasting however, anyone can still create wonderful movies on a very small budget. Before filming, students must students must plan their frames by using a storyboard. They must also become familiar with using the video camera. Once the video is recorded, students are able to develop their actual video by editing by using tools such as IMovie. If youtube is not a viable source of displaying your student's work there is a website called TeacherTube which enables you to share in a more private and secure manner. "Whatever you and your students create can be shared widely" (Richardson, 2010, p. 123).
Lastly, live streaming provides teachers and students with the opportunity to promote collaborative learning. This is relatively easy to access and quick. All you need is a internet connection, a computer with a microphone and a Webcam, a free account on an online video streaming site, and a creative thought. Students can work together to form interviews, skits, performances or school plays and once they have completed them they can sign up on a video streaming site such as Ustream.tv. This website offers a chat room for viewers to interact while watching, archives your shows for later viewing, and, among other feature appealing to educators, allows you to password protect your show so that only those who you share the login with can view the live stream (Richardson, 2010). This will allow students to share their masterpieces with parents, grandparents and other relatives at home. Also, they will have the opportunity to connect with others all around the world and learn from others live steaming videos! What a wonderful interactive way to learn!