Comments for Burcu Akyol's Blog http://burcuakyol.com reflections and insights about teaching, technology, and life & practical tips and resources Sun, 29 Jan 2012 21:04:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on My PLN Thinks… “Looking For Another Dimension” by Patrick Jackson by DaveDodgson http://burcuakyol.com/2012/01/my-pln-thinks-looking-for-another-dimension-by-patrick-jackson/comment-page-1/#comment-58792 DaveDodgson Sun, 29 Jan 2012 21:04:03 +0000 http://burcuakyol.com/?p=2070#comment-58792 Hi Patrick, That's the thing about my school - we're never sure if these presentations are because they have ordered the product on display or are thinking of it and want our feedback. Usually it's neither - just keeping the publishers happy I guess :) I wish Learning Managment Systems had a different name - it all sounds a bit regimented, doesn't it? 'Content Delivery Systems' sound just as bad. The website I use with my students doesn't really have a name. We kind of use it for everything but it is a great way to motivate them and get them doing things with English outside of lesson time. Hi Patrick,

That’s the thing about my school – we’re never sure if these presentations are because they have ordered the product on display or are thinking of it and want our feedback. Usually it’s neither – just keeping the publishers happy I guess :)

I wish Learning Managment Systems had a different name – it all sounds a bit regimented, doesn’t it? ‘Content Delivery Systems’ sound just as bad. The website I use with my students doesn’t really have a name. We kind of use it for everything but it is a great way to motivate them and get them doing things with English outside of lesson time.
DaveDodgson´s last [type] ..MA Reflections – Preparing for Assignments

]]> Comment on My PLN Thinks… “Looking For Another Dimension” by Patrick Jackson by Patrick Jackson http://burcuakyol.com/2012/01/my-pln-thinks-looking-for-another-dimension-by-patrick-jackson/comment-page-1/#comment-58784 Patrick Jackson Sat, 28 Jan 2012 18:08:57 +0000 http://burcuakyol.com/?p=2070#comment-58784 Absolutely agree with this, Dina. I want my children to learn all sorts of skills. Mightn't super-attactive digital tools become an easy option for schools with less space and we end up with yet another generation of students being spoon fed and in rows? Absolutely agree with this, Dina. I want my children to learn all sorts of skills. Mightn’t super-attactive digital tools become an easy option for schools with less space and we end up with yet another generation of students being spoon fed and in rows?
Patrick Jackson´s last [type] ..Cutting the Love out of Christmas.

]]> Comment on My PLN Thinks… “Looking For Another Dimension” by Patrick Jackson by Patrick Jackson http://burcuakyol.com/2012/01/my-pln-thinks-looking-for-another-dimension-by-patrick-jackson/comment-page-1/#comment-58783 Patrick Jackson Sat, 28 Jan 2012 17:56:32 +0000 http://burcuakyol.com/?p=2070#comment-58783 Hi Penny. Answered your post above...Maybe Burcu will sort this out somehow for me... Hi Penny. Answered your post above…Maybe Burcu will sort this out somehow for me…
Patrick Jackson´s last [type] ..Cutting the Love out of Christmas.

]]> Comment on My PLN Thinks… “Looking For Another Dimension” by Patrick Jackson by Patrick Jackson http://burcuakyol.com/2012/01/my-pln-thinks-looking-for-another-dimension-by-patrick-jackson/comment-page-1/#comment-58782 Patrick Jackson Sat, 28 Jan 2012 17:55:26 +0000 http://burcuakyol.com/?p=2070#comment-58782 Hi Penny. I think we wrote it together. I could feel a guiding spirit! Just back from a wonderful day on the beach cooking sossies on an open fire and filling our boots with Dublin Bay (but were back in position in front of our screens now). Have you come across geocaching? It's getting really popular around here. A nice blend of technology and outdoor adventures http://www.geocaching.com/. Hi Penny. I think we wrote it together. I could feel a guiding spirit! Just back from a wonderful day on the beach cooking sossies on an open fire and filling our boots with Dublin Bay (but were back in position in front of our screens now). Have you come across geocaching? It’s getting really popular around here. A nice blend of technology and outdoor adventures http://www.geocaching.com/.
Patrick Jackson´s last [type] ..Cutting the Love out of Christmas.

]]> Comment on My PLN Thinks… “Looking For Another Dimension” by Patrick Jackson by Patrick Jackson http://burcuakyol.com/2012/01/my-pln-thinks-looking-for-another-dimension-by-patrick-jackson/comment-page-1/#comment-58781 Patrick Jackson Sat, 28 Jan 2012 17:39:03 +0000 http://burcuakyol.com/?p=2070#comment-58781 Hi Dave. Thanks for the comment and this insight. I think it's also overlooked that you can really get physical with a book somehow in a way you can't with a screen. If you know what I mean. Drop 'em and stuff. So did your school end up getting the online readers? Not sure about these learner manager systems either but maybe they help motivate. What do you think? Hi Dave. Thanks for the comment and this insight. I think it’s also overlooked that you can really get physical with a book somehow in a way you can’t with a screen. If you know what I mean. Drop ‘em and stuff. So did your school end up getting the online readers? Not sure about these learner manager systems either but maybe they help motivate. What do you think?
Patrick Jackson´s last [type] ..Cutting the Love out of Christmas.

]]> Comment on My PLN Thinks… “Looking For Another Dimension” by Patrick Jackson by Patrick Jackson http://burcuakyol.com/2012/01/my-pln-thinks-looking-for-another-dimension-by-patrick-jackson/comment-page-1/#comment-58780 Patrick Jackson Sat, 28 Jan 2012 17:23:13 +0000 http://burcuakyol.com/?p=2070#comment-58780 And thank you too, Barbara. As a leader in both the book and the screen worlds...and Second Life (?) , I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts on how these can all work in harmony. And thank you too, Barbara. As a leader in both the book and the screen worlds…and Second Life (?) , I’d be very interested to hear your thoughts on how these can all work in harmony.

]]> Comment on My PLN Thinks… “Looking For Another Dimension” by Patrick Jackson by Barb Sakamoto http://burcuakyol.com/2012/01/my-pln-thinks-looking-for-another-dimension-by-patrick-jackson/comment-page-1/#comment-58777 Barb Sakamoto Sat, 28 Jan 2012 05:22:18 +0000 http://burcuakyol.com/?p=2070#comment-58777 Thank you for this wonderful post, Patrick! And thank you, Burcu, for starting what looks to be a brilliant series. I'm looking forward to reading about what more people in your PLN think. Thank you for this wonderful post, Patrick! And thank you, Burcu, for starting what looks to be a brilliant series. I’m looking forward to reading about what more people in your PLN think.
Barb Sakamoto´s last [type] ..Why I Love Teachers

]]> Comment on My PLN Thinks… “Looking For Another Dimension” by Patrick Jackson by DaveDodgson http://burcuakyol.com/2012/01/my-pln-thinks-looking-for-another-dimension-by-patrick-jackson/comment-page-1/#comment-58775 DaveDodgson Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:27:34 +0000 http://burcuakyol.com/?p=2070#comment-58775 Hi Patrick, I had the exact same thoughts as you last week when a rep from one of the publishing companies came to showcase an 'exciting new' product. It turned out to be a library of readers available online in digital format with all sorts of activites, sound effects, audio narration options and the ability for th teacher to keep track of what everyone's been reading. There were lots of 'oohs' and 'aahs' from my usually tech-shy colleagues and it was naturally assumned that I, the 'tech guy', would be all for it. At the risk of being seen as pedantic (moi?), I actually found myself questioning the whole thing! I'm all for reducing the amount of books we use in class (sorry!) and I'm all for incorporating more tech into class BUT when it comes to stories, a part of me screams out 'keep the books!' There is something satisfying about retreating to a quiet corner with a book in your hand and losing yourself in it for a while. We need to be encouraging kids to love doing that rather than adding another fancy colourful multisensory tool to the kitbox. Publishing work online - all for it. Blogging for homework - great. YouTube videos for authentic listening and discussion - fantastic. Hot Potatoes instead of gap-fills - why not? But let's keep the storybook. :) Hi Patrick,

I had the exact same thoughts as you last week when a rep from one of the publishing companies came to showcase an ‘exciting new’ product. It turned out to be a library of readers available online in digital format with all sorts of activites, sound effects, audio narration options and the ability for th teacher to keep track of what everyone’s been reading.

There were lots of ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ from my usually tech-shy colleagues and it was naturally assumned that I, the ‘tech guy’, would be all for it. At the risk of being seen as pedantic (moi?), I actually found myself questioning the whole thing!

I’m all for reducing the amount of books we use in class (sorry!) and I’m all for incorporating more tech into class BUT when it comes to stories, a part of me screams out ‘keep the books!’ There is something satisfying about retreating to a quiet corner with a book in your hand and losing yourself in it for a while. We need to be encouraging kids to love doing that rather than adding another fancy colourful multisensory tool to the kitbox.

Publishing work online – all for it. Blogging for homework – great. YouTube videos for authentic listening and discussion – fantastic. Hot Potatoes instead of gap-fills – why not? But let’s keep the storybook. :)
DaveDodgson´s last [type] ..Making an Impact in the Classroom… Literally!

]]> Comment on My PLN Thinks… “Looking For Another Dimension” by Patrick Jackson by Dina Dobrou http://burcuakyol.com/2012/01/my-pln-thinks-looking-for-another-dimension-by-patrick-jackson/comment-page-1/#comment-58774 Dina Dobrou Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:59:04 +0000 http://burcuakyol.com/?p=2070#comment-58774 Key words/phrases I'm keeping from this post: "interacting" / "making things with their hands" / "go and do something 3D"... I have a class of 9 year-olds (opening a parenthesis to confess I'm a recent EdTech addict...closing the parenthesis). At the end of a set of Units in our book there was a task: Create a poster. My kids really love technology. We have a blog, a wiki and they enjoy their IWB version of "the book" so I immediately thought of Glogster and asked kids to create an online poster. And then it happened: A young girl stood up, stomped her feet and said: No! I want to draw! Others followed suit so I gave them Glogster as optional. I'm now glad to say all of them created 3D versions which we now proudly display on our classroom walls. May I add one more word to the mix? "Balance". We should know where to draw the line. Thanks. iEnjoyed your post! :) Key words/phrases I’m keeping from this post: “interacting” / “making things with their hands” / “go and do something 3D”…

I have a class of 9 year-olds (opening a parenthesis to confess I’m a recent EdTech addict…closing the parenthesis). At the end of a set of Units in our book there was a task: Create a poster. My kids really love technology. We have a blog, a wiki and they enjoy their IWB version of “the book” so I immediately thought of Glogster and asked kids to create an online poster. And then it happened: A young girl stood up, stomped her feet and said: No! I want to draw!

Others followed suit so I gave them Glogster as optional. I’m now glad to say all of them created 3D versions which we now proudly display on our classroom walls. May I add one more word to the mix? “Balance”. We should know where to draw the line.

Thanks. iEnjoyed your post! :)

]]> Comment on My PLN Thinks… “Looking For Another Dimension” by Patrick Jackson by Penny Hands http://burcuakyol.com/2012/01/my-pln-thinks-looking-for-another-dimension-by-patrick-jackson/comment-page-1/#comment-58773 Penny Hands Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:30:12 +0000 http://burcuakyol.com/?p=2070#comment-58773 Thanks for this, Patrick. I really thought I must have somehow got up in the night and written this post myself! I spend half my life peeling my children off screens and hauling them out into the countryside, and the other half stuck to a screen developing digital learning materials. Thanks for this, Patrick. I really thought I must have somehow got up in the night and written this post myself! I spend half my life peeling my children off screens and hauling them out into the countryside, and the other half stuck to a screen developing digital learning materials.

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