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Going PaperlessUsing Blogs, Email, Net-books, and Websites
In Secondary English Classrooms
NEATE October 28, 2011
Scott, a senior…
Going paperless is a great idea. We have so much great technology in our society, we should use it to make the learning experience better. Without using paper we are saving trees and not having to carry books around would be awesome.
I like being able to email my teacher to ask questions and it makes turning assignments in easier. It would be cool to see schools across America go paperless, imagine how many trees would be saved.
Kelly, a sophomore I personally like the blog because it's an easy way to see
if we have homework or not. Also to see if your classmates agree with you on a certain topic…
Then with email and teacher websites, it also helps when you are absent. This is because one could email the teacher asking what they missed and if there was a worksheet that was passed out there could be a link on the teacher's website. This makes it easier for the student to obtain it and stay on task with the rest of the class.
In the end, going paperless does make things easier, but there are flaws. One of them is if the power goes out, there's no way for people to go online and see what the homework is-- unless they have internet on their phone, but some people don't.
John, a senior…
I believe that the idea of going paperless is actually making my life a bit easier mainly because I do not have to carry a certain number of text books and notebooks and they will eventually get damaged and messy and soon teachers will have to be replacing them because they get outdated.
But with the internet there is always new and refreshing content. So I am all for it when it comes to going paperless.
Samantha, a sophomore
This is a good idea, but I think we still need paper for some things such as taking notes, writing in our homework for backup, and for pure practice of writing manually so it's not such a task during MCAS or other tests and quizzes.
First:Email—not IM!
[email protected] : AP students only for late notes, requests for homework, the occasional assignment
[email protected]: official business
[email protected] : for all students, questions, makeup work, assignments via attachments
Miss Pflaumer…
Using Gmail for communication has been purposeful, as there have been a few times when students had questions on a weekend or after school hours and I could answer them.
Likewise, there have been times when I've sent students email about questions I had regarding the clarity of their posts.
Christine, a sophomore
Being able to e-mail Dr. G, I can get a lot more help if I need it. Dr. G can always put helpful websites and things we need to know on the website.
Sometimes when I am at home, I forget how to do something and if I do, I can always ask Dr. G via e-mail, check out her posts on the blog, or go to her helpful websites.
Erica, Christine’s classmate…
Like Christine said, I can check the homework if I forgot and it helps a lot to be able to see what other classmates posted if I'm stuck. Being able to see what other people wrote also enables me to think differently or see something in other ways that I wouldn't have necessarily thought of before.
It's helpful that we can access the blog from anywhere, so wherever you are, you can get a head start on your homework. I like this because sometimes if we have a worksheet or something, I tend to forget it at school and can't do my homework. But with the blog, I can always get my English homework done. Even if I forget my book, the online links on the blog make it so I can access the book on the internet, and I also don't have to carry another book home.
I find myself doing better in English this year than last year, and I think I can attribute this to going paperless and having a classroom blog.
Shawn, a senior…
Using the Internet has definitely made things easier now if something happened to my original assignment the computer keeps records of what was sent so I can not only prove that I had it done but also resend it without any complications
AttachmentsRubricsTrack Changes
Teacher Website…
http://Dr.G's Virtual Office
Miss Pflaumer…
I like using my teacher website as a means to communicate what's upcoming, as well as the homework. That way, if a student is absent, he/she can look at the website or blog; or if a student wants to move ahead, they can do that too.
Having links to the College Board on my blog and website is also useful for my students.
Lindsay…a sophomore
I don't think that the teacher sites on the Abington website help me at all because i would never go on there to check anything its just too hard to get to. But a blog is easily navigated and easy to respond to.
I also like how you get to see other students opinions that differ from yours. It really opens your mind to other ways to think other than just yours.
I hate how most teachers hate technology just because they don't know how to use it. It could be such a helpful tool in the learning process to them that they just aren't wanting to try something new and different. The world is changing around us, so the schools should change accordingly.
An LCD Projector
Replaces the Overhead
Writer's Almanac with Garrison
The Daily Infographic
Jami:One of my personal favorite websites we have utilized in AP has been Daily Infographic. It's really informative and eye-opening, but it's also very current.
Daily News Highlights
Video screen
Annotation of text on whiteboard
Net-Books
18 netbooks with a 2 hour charge
6 netbooks with a 6 hour charge
Cart and cords
Small keyboards and screens
Nothing is as fast as home…
Network plusses and minuses
Flash Drives—the new binders…
Netbooks Beginning…
This link will take you to an Animoto of my sophomores using their netbooks to post comments during class.
http://animoto.com/play/IwN0mF3277WpeRb9ySUWEw
Megan and Ashley, AP Language
Megan: Having the netbooks in class is incredibly helpful as well. Having the world at our finger tips expands our ability to discuss with one another and gain more knowledge than in a normal classroom. Having the netbooks also allows us to look up any of the information that we don't know, rather than just not finding it out.
Ashley: I think the netbooks are particularly helpful with class discussions. Being able to pull up the previous nights' blog posts and news articles to support thoughts and opinions really enhance the points brought up during class. If someone is unsure about a definition or the facts someone has presented, they can easily look it up without distracting from the discussion, and the availability of background information on a topic covered in class is practically endless.
Problems?
Mike [AP]:The netbooks are alright. the only problem I have with them is the congestion that the network undergoes when everyone is on them. They are extremely small computer not meant to handle much data. I would rather see full laptops instead of netbooks. That way the congestion will be less and it won't be so darn hard to type!
Nathan[EW] Going paperless is very useful. Unfortunatly viewing pages on the netbooks at 100% (normal print size) is difficult because th full page is not shown and when I change the view to say 80%-75% the page becomes in full view but the print is to small to read.
The Good and Bad…
Positives
No lost work
Beyond the book
Engagement
Everybody Troubleshoots
Multi-tasking
More time on task
Increased student responsibility
Authentic audiences
Negatives
Home: No tech/Low tech
Unfamiliar with email
Locking up…security!
24 netbooks, 29 students…
Charging takes time…
My classes are 2,3,5 and 7
Amanda
In my opinion, ever since I have been using the blog for this course, I have found it is a great tool to use and I wish that we had it in every class.
The blog gives me a chance to expand on what I learned in class, learn new things, or if I need help to clarify things with my peers. It also can lead to great discussions in class and leads to further analysis.
Without the blog, our discussions would end at the end of the class and be shoved under the rug. However, with the advantage of having the blog to use by all of my fellow classmates, the topic never closes for discussion, and it gives us a chance to talk more about it, say what we wanted to say, or delve deeper into what we learned.
The blog really helps me think more critically about what I have learned.
Matt…
I agree with Alex because I too think that the blog is a great tool for us students. It is a way to keep us learning and thinking, outside of the classroom.
The e-mail is a great way for teachers and students to talk privately and for students to receive the Word of the Day, which is very helpful.
Also, on the blog there is everything on one site so you do not have to go searching to find one little thing. I am glad that our class has this blog and I feel that is has made things a lot more convenient for the students and teachers.
Noelle, a senior…
Going paperless has absolutely been helpful this year. I feel I can express my opinions faster on the blog. I also find typing a paper on the netbooks much easier. It’s much more helpful that I can change rewrite a paragraph easier and move around different sentences to different places.
Also, if I have a problem on an assignment, communicating through the email to the teacher makes solving the problem quicker and easier.
Josh, a senior…
Going paperless has been a relief. It is really nice to not have to worry about carrying around a book or notebook and the blog is just so much faster and easier to get my opinion out.
Websites like Writers Almanac and Daily Infographic have expanded my learning horizon and introduces people to different ways of learning or getting the word out, whether it is Garrison's voice or a graphic.
Going paperless also helps the environment and I am all for it.
Cassi, a senior…
I love the idea of going paperless. It has made school a lot easier not having to carry books and notebooks everywhere you go.
You are less likely to lose things and it is easier for athletes that have a game or practice after school to not have to carry a ton of books around and have them get wet if it starts raining outside.
I love having the access to email so if i have a question or need to discuss something with my teacher about my essay and i am at home i can just email them my question or concern. I think that going paperless was a great idea and it was very easy to get used to.
Shannon …
I love having the blog because I have it on my phone as an app now and I love being able to do it on the go.
Also, it's helpful to be able to read everyone else's response to help your response and to compare and contrast your thoughts.
I also like having the net books in class because what is better then being able to go on the web and have tons and tons of resources right on your desk.
I think going paperless is the right way to go!
Rob…
I love the idea of having everything paperless, it’s much easier to deal with, more technological for the time period which is good, and it is easy access to almost everyone including myself.
Netbooks are a unique way to present class and to help us become more use to technology. This way of presenting homework and/or classwork makes class and homework something to look forward to and actually be fun at times.
Also, having a class blog is ridiculously helpful when it comes to discussions, problems, questions, and even more knowledge about any topics at all.
Miss Patricia Pflaumer
As a co-teacher of AP Language and Composition course, I have found the blog to be a great way to unify all the AP students and to work collegially with the other AP instructor.
As an education tool, I have really found the blog to be a great enhancement to class discussion, as well as a means for the two AP classes to communicate.
I find it keeps me better focused and it provides a flexible framework (i.e., we begin class with the Writers Almanac, we review the Daily Infographic, etc. and these are sometimes conversation starters) for each class.
Overall, I have really enjoy using the blog, the links, and Gmail as a means of expanding instruction and encouraging further dialogue with and between my students and colleague.
