What to I want to include in my online learning hub? First, I wanted to define the word, “hub.” This short, one syllable word has a large connotation.
Hub: a center around which other things revolve or from which they radiate; a focus of activity, authority, commerce, transportation, etc.
My goal is to have my hub be the central focus of my classroom. The Leu artcile repeatedly referred to communication as one of the internet’s main contribution to the 21st century. Communication is a key to all aspects of life. I wish to have my hub act as a place for students to refer to when they have questions, are confused, or want to share their thoughts.
Leu’s article also poses the idea that the internet is/is not a literacy issue and that “technology standards will become integrated/separated into subject area standards” (p. 265). I want my hub to frame the internet as a place that does integrate subject and technology standards. The 21st century is internet-dependent and I find it hard to teach my English subject matter without teaching technology; hence, my enrollment in this program!
Using the Google Sites seems like a gret option as my disctrict uses Google email for students and teachers. I have this idea that my students will blog about books we’ve read and ideas discussed in class in Google. I also envision using Google as my hub to keep communication easy. If I can have everything for my class, syllabus, lessons, questions, blogs, etc. all in one central place, or “hub,” I believe my communication and rapport with students would improve.
My hub, hopefully, would include videos and pictures to support my online brand. I am very school-oriented and full of school spirit. Besides the technical classroom business, I would include information about activities that I am part of at school. I can’t imagine I would build a hub, curate an online brand, and NOT include information about the basketball and softball teams that I coach at Bristol Central. My sense of humor and personality would be evident throughout the posts, pictures, and videos. I have already had a student tell me she saw my acoustic rendition of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little, Star” via Twitter and read my blog post which included the outtakes of “Twinkle.” This is exactly the type of brand I would like to create.
I hope students would use this hub as a source of information, communication, and a place to feel comfortable. If I can put myself out there while trying something new, I hope that would influence my students to as well. Without the benefits of the internet, I would never have played the guitar for my students.
In reading the Coiro article which discusses online reading comprehension and integrating think-alouds into online reading comprehension, I feel as if my students would benefit greatly from having access to these lessons via my Google Sites hub. “Sub-sequent think-aloud examples are designed to highlight particular text features, thinking processes, and/or content knowledge necessary for students to complete the information challenge successfully,” (p.111). Active participation in the modeling and guided practice elements of a lesson are so much more beneficial for comprehension, which has been greatly discussed as more challenging than traditional text-reading. If I can create a hub that will scaffold, challenge, and advance the skills of the 21st century learner, why would I not try to continue to develop my brand and hub?
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