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?