Journal Post #4

Chapter 4 : Integrating Technology and Creating change.

 Focus Question: How can teachers integrate technology into their work as educators?

     This question excites me, I almost feel as though every person in the education field should take a second and ponder about this question; this doesn't just apply to teachers, this could apply to everyone. I'm going to focus on the teachers roll, (For the sake of this blog).
     As an educator, we should be at least one (1) step ahead of our students. Yes there is nothing more enjoyable than seeing our students teach us, but to really embrace integrating technology teachers need to approach it from and educational aspect. I do feel as though  we need to make sure the technological advances we're achieving are still within the students grade window, (assuming they haven't surpassed us).
     Encouraging the use of power point, and more citations from websites, (Allowing us to recognize they understand the five (5) major criteria). I grew up during the "Birth" of technology, some of my teachers were eager to explore the endless world of the internet, and any new programs they could download, and there were others who opposed the internet, and require us to do things the "Old school" way. Granted people have graduated, and become very successful by spending hours on end in a library, but, if we could find the exact same resources in a fraction of the time, wouldn't that mare room for more successes?

Tech Tool: Online resources for lesson planning: Thinkfinity, PBS Teachers, and Gliffy.

     With these resources, (if teachers utilize them) will help sharpen or even develop the skills of many. Not every teacher out there is a veteran, and still even veterans could use a little advise from new teachers. We as a society are only going to advance by communicating. Communication can happen in may different ways, the internet just happens to be the most convenient; we can chat face to face, or check messages when available, my point is, if we explore these sites, display our inputs, and experiences, we as teachers can grow and better our kids. There's no use in teaching if you only know how to teach one way, not everyone learns the same way. So with Thinkfinity, there are an abundance of educational organizations we can embrace and learn from, or Gliffy, where I just discovered it gives tips and pointer on how to set up your class room.

Summery:

    Something as simple as that can be shared and applied, students can only learn what they can see, and what they see is determined by where they sit. I feel as though if they see teachers constantly learning and applying new technologies, it's going to influence them to work harder, and most importantly, together.

Resources:
     Flicker.com
    
Textbook - Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2011). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. ISBN:10 0-13-159611-X, ISBN:13 978-0-13-159611-5    
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Photo credit to Barry Joseph from Flicker 

 

 

 

 

Journal post #3

Chapter 3: Developing lessons with technology.

Focus question: How can teachers evaluate and assess their students?

Tech tool: Online rubrics and quizzes.

     In this chapter I've explored how teachers can evaluate their students; before I even read the chapter I had ideas flowing through my head. I strongly feel as though technology is the best way to track, evaluate and assess our students, because by the use of technology students will probably feel more comfortable using devices that they already know how to use, and feel more secure, knowing that the only eyes who are going to see what they write is the teachers.

     As teachers we can access all of our students windows and screens, see what sites they have visited, and by them doing work over the internet, submitting it to us, the computer is less likely to make a mistake, so grading won't take as long and we can focus more of our attention on our students in the specific areas they need it; instead of grading it our selves and wasting valuable time.

Photo credit to Paco Paco from Flickr

     Online rubrics are wonderful! I can't tell you how many times I lost the assignment paper or it got ruined in my back pack, where as if it's online, it can't get ripped, wet or lost,(unless the teacher deletes it). Quizzes online make it easier to do on your own time. Life is hectic, it's hard to attend class on time every time when there are so many other things we could be doing. Thus, making a rubric and quiz available online allows us as humans to fit more into our day.

     All in all, we live very busy lives, not every student is going to be at the same level, as I read in the section about "Standards-Based Assessments" it's a national test, so scores are compared all around the country. If we were to administer something like that, grade it by hand, and compare it by hand, we wouldn't know what the national average is until it's too late. So, what I'm trying to say is we need technology, to better our students in a timely manor, to progress in our very fast paced world.

Resources:
Textbook - Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2011). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. ISBN:10 0-13-159611-X, ISBN:13 978-0-13-159611-5    
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Journal post #2

Chapter 2. "Transforming Learning with Unique, Powerful Technology."

Focus Question: How does technology create student engagement and collaboration?

Tech tool: Web resources for engagement and collaboration.

          I just want to start out with saying that I had a hard time focusing on just one question. To me some of them actually work together, or happen because of one another.

        To begin with creating student engagement and collaboration I just want to break this apart and look at it small pieces at a time. Technology enables us to create almost anything we put our thoughts into, I came across the tech tool, web resources for engagement and collaboration and there's an abundance of them! There's a web site for everything, with that being said, that means a lot of people put time and effort into something that someone else is going to see, thus the collaborating part.

        Under the segment "Group work and collaboration in the classroom" it made me think of how after all the work was done for each specific group, I would look around the room and realize that I know a whole new chapter because we came together as a class, worked on sections, and basically taught it to each other.
Along with this segment is the use of incorporating new uses of technology, while reading is always going to be a necessity, if we gave each kid some sort of kindle with access to a library full of books, they wouldn't be wasting time walking back and forth from the library.

Photo credit IntelFreePress from Flickr

        When kids get together and collaborate their ideas for a project, not one of them is going to have the same exact idea, or may not even be able to decide. By the use of technology engaging them, first of all because they're automatically excited to use something that they are already familiar with, and second, I think by using technology it gives the kids a sense of something "Important." When combining these together I feel as though they're going to come up with something great, and what's even better about technology is as we are not all "Picasso's" by typing into a search engine what you're trying to design, create or express, it's going to come up with something they would have never imagined.

        To wrap this chapter up I feel as though technology creates student engagement by enabling them to express their creativity in unimaginable ways, due to the use of unlimited web based resources and being brought together by a common factor; technology.

Resources:
Textbook - Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2011). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. ISBN:10 0-13-159611-X, ISBN:13 978-0-13-159611-5    
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Journal Post #1.

Tuesday, August 27th 2013.

Becoming an e-Teacher.

Focus question: "How do new technologies create new opportunities for teaching and learning?"

       If not everyone learns the same way, then why not tend to those needs? To be a teacher I believe you need to be able to distinguish all your student's levels of comprehension, and rates. Not everyone learns at the same speed or the same way, so by the use of technology it incorporates a variety of ways for students to learn. I haven't realized how we really are living in a digital world until I began this class. It all just seemed almost natural, (once I got the hang of the new device).
   
     Speaking of new devices, I had read about the "Tech Tool, Ultraportable Laptop Computers," coincidentally, I am on a laptop right now. These are great tools for educators and especially for students!

      If we could give each student their own laptop they would be able to access helpful learning tools to meet their specific needs as an individual, within the classroom and not feel embarrassed to be identified as a "Slow learner." So by having a laptop to take notes on or conduct research in class the students can partake at their own rate.
   
     Also in this chapter I read that different races have a significant difference in the overall use of the computer. If it's the 21st century, we are all created (and now legally) equal to one another then why the difference in statistics? It may be due to the different financial classes we still hold, and on that note being the reason why some kids aren't doing as well in school because to obtain technology it also comes with a price. That is why I feel as though it should be supplied by the school, intended for school. (Just a side note on the school supplying them, they should allow maybe during lunch time for students to play and socialize, just to keep from wondering off during class time; we have to keep in mind students are kids first).

         I would have to consider myself as an "Inexperienced experimenters," because I do have a social networking site, and I do use the internet to broaden my horizon for research. (Honestly I'm too lazy to lazy and wouldn't know where to begin at an actual library). Implementing the use of laptops for students would allow me as a teacher become a student again, learning new material. I didn't have my own computer in my classes, so to me if I had, maybe I would have taken better notes, or have had a better understanding of technology. Indicated by this textbook, we are living with Generation M, in the digital world; with that being said I can only assume that these kids would know their way around technology devices better than I.

    Another topic from the text I want to touch on is motivating students, if we give them their very own computer it will give them a sense of importance, and probably engage more in learning activities. This will give teachers another opportunity to use new technology as well as students learning in a new way. When we teach to the way they think is "Fun" the students will associate their studies with the everyday use of the internet and newer technologies.

         Over all I feel incorporating the use of technology in classrooms is a wonderful idea! Technology is absolutely essential in today's fast pace world, teachers don't have time to do things on paper and spend time in libraries researching topics for their next class. We as teachers need devices to store all of our information so it doesn't get lost, and carrying around mounds of papers just doesn't seem necessary if we can incorporate the use of a laptop. The same applies for students, why cause early back problems by lugging around pounds of books when it can all be accessed through the internet.    

Test post

Blah blah blah! lol :)