Last day of Class

After tonight, I feel that I have really had a great experience in this class and I have learned so much.  From all of the videos that we just watched, I have learned that everyone's ideas are diverse.  We were all given the same task, but we presented it in such different ways.  Everyone put on their creative cap and created something so unique.  I loved seeing videos with facts, pictures, music and even scenarios.  I think that we have all learned how to take an idea and run with it.  We have learned many tools to teach different topics in various ways. Not all lessons have to be lectures.  They can be different types of fun videos.  Yet again, this is a project that I hope to some day use in my future classroom.  I would like to create different videos for my students rather than just show a YouTube video.  Depending on their age, I also think it would be interesting to see them make their own. 

Overall, my thought is that we are so diverse with our ideas.  All teachers will have different methods to teaching the same topic, and one is not necessarily correct over the other. 

Information communication and presentation

         These chapters discuss information communication and information presentation.  Communication technologies in the classroom can be used to communicate with teachers, students and families.  They consist of email, instant messaging, online discussions, class websites, class blogs, and class wikis.  Teachers and students can work together to create some of these communication technologies for their classroom.  When deciding which of these technologies to use in their classroom, teachers must determine what type of communication will be taking place and what skills will be needed?  These communication technologies can be used to teach interactively, share information, build learning communities, publish students work and energize students writing.  The teachers can continue learning outside of the classroom through these technologies. 

                I believe that email is one of the best communicating tools for the families.  Email is a quick and easy way to access parents, as long as they all have access to a computer.  In regards to students, email is also great because it can be recorded and referred back to.  I also believe that online discussions and blogs are very beneficial for students.  They are able to share ideas and respond to others.  A class website would also be a great tool!  So much information can be put up on a website. 

                Information communication through technology also ties in with information presentation.  Information presentation is using multimedia technologies to help convey information in an engaging way for both the students and the teachers.  Types of information presentation include PowerPoint, videos, movies, digital pictures, and digital videos.  I believe that if a class website is created, all of these presentation forms can also be included in it.  Digital pictures can be taken during classroom activities and trips, digital videos can be taken of science experiments, lectures, school plays and talent shows.  This is a great way for the students to view their accomplishments as well as learn from watching themselves.  Students can usually catch any mistakes that they made during a project or activity when watching a video of themself.  This also makes it a learning experience. The students would love to see their work posted online and I believe that their families and friends would enjoy it also.  This will help motivate the students to do great work because it will be published. 

                In regards to PowerPoint presentations, I think that they are a great tool to use in the classroom.  I love making PowerPoint’s; therefore this would make teaching more engaging for me.  It will also make learning more engaging for the student’s because it includes transitions, animations, pictures, and possibly videos and links. Teachers and students have to make sure that they focus on the content of the presentation first and the creativity second.  According to the text, 230,000 students in K-12 stated that creating presentations and movies on the computer was a favorite school work activity.  As a child, I would have agreed to that as well.  I find that this tool is engaging and it presents information to the students, while it is being discussed.  Along with movies and videos, I believe that the students like creating them and it makes learning fun.  I find that reading a story in class and then watching the movie to be very beneficial.  The students will be able to compare the two by finding similarities and differences. 

                Overall, I believe that information communications and presentations should definitely be used in the classroom when necessary and relevant.  They help engage the students a little more and make learning fun. 

Questions:

1.       Would you allow your students to communicate through instant messaging?  Do you think allowing them to textspeak will be damaging to their writing skills in the classroom?

2.       Do you think a class website would be beneficial in your classroom?  If so, what would you include in it?

3.       In the text, Tufte stated, “audience boredom is usually a content failure, not a decoration failure” when discussing the disadvantages of PowerPoint presentations.  Do you agree or disagree?

Chapter 7 Reflection

Interesting fact - 87% of 8-17 year olds play video games at home

This chapter discusses using technology to promote inquiry learning and problem solving skills among students.  This is possible because the technology attracts and engages them.  Computers are used in almost every career nowadays, so why don't we introduce them to our students? 

Software for the students is usually installed on the computers by the school or the district.  They are usually the ones who control what the schools and the students use.  In some schools, the teacher may be able to present their own ideas about additional software to the Principal for approval.  The teachers have to know how to determine which software's are effective.  Three detectors of low-quality software's are - program controls the activity, games that promote competition or violence, and software that expects immediate answers rather than long-term thinking.  We want the software and games that will promote higher order thinking skills. 

Technology in the classroom promotes engaging learning experiences for the students.  It can be used in all subject areas.  When first reading this, I thought it is rare that we use technology in math.  After reading further and actually thinking about it, technology can definitely be used to enhance math understanding and skills.  There are tons of math games and activities, as well as online calculators an Excel spreadsheets.  I remember using Excel in Middle school and I loved it.  I learned how to put data in a table, create formulas to fin answers, an then to put the data collected into a graph.  These are great skills for math students to learn.  The WebQuest that I created also relates to math and I found a lot of great information and videos online that related to the topic of money.  I think that we need to realize how much we can do with technology and take advantage of it. 

I also believe that educational games are very beneficial in the classroom.  I found it very interesting that nearly 87% of 8-17 year-olds play video games at home.  This means that majority of our students are used to electronic games.  Why shouldn't we incorporate something they love into the classroom?  Of course, we shouldn't put in game consoles, but online games can definitely spark student's interests.  I believe that as long as teachers preview games before hand to make sure that they are relevant and appropriate for the students, they should be used.  Educational games can be very effective in helping students learn specific skills.  They are interactive and sometimes include creative thinking.  I found the term stealth learning very interesting because this is indeed what makes learning fun!  Finding a way to help students learn without them even realizing it at times can be great.  I also think that by introducing the student's to fun educational games, they might rather play them at home rather than violent video games.  I know that my 6 year-old cousin loves going on brainpopjr.com when he gets home from school just because he likes it.  Of course, he still wants to play video games, but this website makes him play a little less. 

Questions:

1. Do you think that educational games should be incorporated into the classroom?
2. What type of software would you use in your classroom?  Why?
3. Do you think that Intelligent Tutoring Systems are actually beneficial for the students?

Chapter 4 & 6

            As we know, technology is becoming very integrated in today’s school system.  Technology may be used to reproduce the existing practices (automate) or change the existing practices (infomate). Technology is used in the classroom in both if these ways.  Teachers are the ones who determine how they want to use the technology in their classroom.  The issues teachers have with integrating technology are also mentioned.  Some teachers do not feel that technology is necessary in lessons that they have already created, or do not believe that they have the time to integrate it.  They believe that including the technology in their lesson is only a burden.  I do not agree with this because as times change, lesson plans should be changing.  In modern teaching, technology is very beneficial and if it will enhance the lesson, teachers should make the time to incorporate it.  Teachers should understand that they are integrating technology for the student’s benefit, not just to make a lesson less boring.

            In addition to how the technology is used, I have learned about the different technologies that can be used.  Digital pens sound extremely interesting.  I love the idea of a pen that can write on any type of paper, which can then be transferred onto the computer.  I think that this is great for students, especially older ones because they tend to loose notes.   This would be a way for the students to take notes and upload them in an organized matter.  This will make class notes always available, without having to worry about losing your notebook or pages from your binder.       

             I also find virtual field trips and interactive videoconferencing to be amazing.  They are interesting and can teach students without the hassle of going outside of the classroom.  Some may even be people or places that cannot be accessed outside of the classroom.  I believe that many teachers do not like planning trips because of the responsibilities and travel that come with them, but I know for a fact students love trips and they can be very informative.  An interactive videoconference is also great because sometimes speakers are not available to come into the classroom, but they can give the students the same knowledge through the video.  These are a great way to engage the students in a different type of learning without having to leave the classroom. 

            Lastly, I believe that WebQuests are another great tool that can be used in the classroom.  They are a great tool to use in the classroom because they engage the students in electronic learning.  The students are given predetermined sources, where they have to read and access information to complete a task.  They should be designed by the teacher with the students in mind.  What are the students capable of doing and achieving?  You cannot provide resources that are above your student’s reading level.  WebQuests can be found online, but teacher’s must review them and even possibly modify them for their students.  As we saw in class, the High School teacher used an Edgar Allen Poe WebQuest, but it wasn’t very engaging or meaningful to his students and the goals of his lesson. 

            Teachers have loads of information and resources available through the technology library, but they have to know how and when to use them.  Teachers should make bookmarks to store useful websites and to make accessing them easier.  Teachers have to be able to explore all of these online resources and find what meets their curriculum goals and standards.  I believe that a tag cloud is also a great way to manage information.  I was amazed to see all of the educational resources listed in Chapter 6 because I have never heard of many of them.  As a future teacher, I think that I should start exploring educational sites now so that I am prepared with sources when I need them. 

Questions:

1.     Do you think that the digital divide will decrease over the course of the next few years due to the fact that technology is increasing at such a rapid pace?

2.     Integrating technology in the classroom has become important.  What do you do when you have one or more students who are not interested in the technology?  It is not that they have not been given the opportunity to access it, but they simply do not care for using it.

3.     Do you believe that electronic textbooks will ever become the only form of textbooks used?

3/12 "Take Away" Message

At the closing of this class, I have a much better understanding of a WebQuest and how it can be used in the classroom.  I have learned that this is an inquiry based learning tool, that engages the students and includes technology in the lesson.  It is important to first introduce the topic, state the task that the students will be working on, along with the process they will be going through.  Lastly you have to create a rubric for evaluation and a conclusion.  I think it is great that the WebQuest includes websites for the students to view and access for additional information.  After watching the videos, I have learned that they can be used positively and negatively in the classroom.  Proper use involves the students and motivates them.  The second grade students were very involved in the WebQuest, while the older students were just answering questions.  I think that creating this WebQuest will be exciting.  I hope that in the future I can create great WebQuests that engage my students effectively. 

WebQuest Definition

I believe that a WebQuest is an online source of information regarding a unit for students.  All of the information related to the unit is available to them through this website.  This allows the students the opportunity to explore and discover the topic for themselves.  I find it to be a more hands-on-learning experience for the students.  They can view the tasks and goals for on their own.  They will always have access to what is expected of them. 

Chapter 5 Reaction

                Chapter 5 discusses how teachers and students can access and assess information from the internet.   This is referred to as information literacy.  We have so much information at our fingertips, and the question is do we know how to use it?  I have never heard of this term, information literacy, but I think it is something that definitely has to be incorporated into the classroom now.  Teachers like to use the internet to bring their curriculum to life.  I know from experience that the great videos, pictures and articles from the internet can be shown to the children to engage them in a lesson.  Teachers have to know how to use the internet wisely in their classroom. 

                When it comes to the students, we have to make sure that they know how to locate information and determine if it is useful.  According to the text, the ETS pilot study proved that most college and high school students do not use media literacy skills correctly.  Something else you have to be more aware of is plagiarism.  Do your students know how to read information off the internet and put it in their own words?  No matter what it comes down to, technology does play a huge role in our classrooms and we have to monitor it.  I loved the idea of the bookmarking portal.  This makes the teacher more comfortable because she knows what the students are accessing and it gives the students new options to explore.  As stated, most people use Google and Wikipedia.  This opens the students to new information and sources.  I myself was shocked to see the number of search engines listed in the chapter.  I use Google for almost everything.  Wikipedia didn’t surprise me too much because I have heard that this site is unreliable due to the fact that anyone can edit it.

                Overall, I believe that technology is a must in today’s society.  Technology skills are needed to get most jobs as well.  I know that having technology skills on my resume was a must.  Most businesses strive and communicate through the use of technology.  It is great that we are giving our students a head start. 

Questions:

1.       By allowing our students to use technology in and out of the classroom for projects and research, are we overwhelming them since there is so much information on the internet? 

2.       How can teachers ensure that their students understand how to choose relevant information when searching a topic?  I know that some students struggle with knowing how to highlight what is important just from a book or a printed article.  How can they distinguish importance when there is so much on the internet?

3.       How can we encourage our students to read more for fun at home vs. going on the computer?