It seemed to be a very interesting conversation that we had on Monday evening using Tapped In. It is amazing to me how such small things like changing the font and maximizing the screen can make all the difference in your expierence using the site. Yet when I first logged in that was the first thing that I did was change the font and maximize the screen for my own comfort. Even though we were using a new “technology” some of us wanted it to work like the other technology we had been using. I just kind of find this strange. Actually it didn’t matter to me which chat tool we used. I will say that I did like the Tapped In space a little better that the MOO space.
It was interesting to see what different people picked out to like over the Moo. For example some liked the non-refreshing screen every time you turned around, others like the fact that you could still use some of the same commands in Tapped In as they did in the MOO. I think I just liked the fact that we were doing something different. I enjoy getting out and seeing new different things on the web.
We were asked to discuss some essential tools that we need for teaching. To be quite honest I had never really thought about that. I just take for granted I guess that I will just go to work and everything will be right there for me to use and I don’t have to worry about anything. I have sense realized that one of my biggest essential tools that I need is a room, and I don’t know why I didn’t think of this the other night, but I have thought about it sense then. I entered into my third year of teaching this year, and since my first year I have shared a room with the art teacher. Now don’t get me wrong I love her dearly, as a matter of fact she is like a second mom. None the less I have not had my own room for which to call my own, and last year I spent the whole year on a cart traveling from room to room. I often wonder how my world would be different if I had my own room with which I could put my things where I wanted them and not have to worry about whether the other person will approve. Fortunately, I should have a brand new building in a couple of years, so maybe just maybe I will get to finally see what my own room will be like.
1 response so far ↓
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Karen
// Mar 10, 2006 at 6:06 am
Great insights, Kelly! I loved the observation about how we wanted the new space to work like the old space (except we wanted it to work like the perfect version of the old space).
I’ve been writing about constructivism this week. The ways that learners construct their own knowledge and one of the arms of that philosophical branch of learning theory is cultural constructivism. That refers to how cultural artifacts, like computers, influence the knowledge we construct. Your post says something about that (and you might just end up in the reflective part of my paper)!