Experimenting with Technologies

After reading chapter 3, I really felt that there were positives to all of the principles listed. However, based on the assignment, we are to select 3 that we find important for education. I felt that the Active, Critical Learning Principle was definitely important. I have always believed that it is much more important to help students understand how to interpret and think critically as opposed to simply memorizing a concept. Thinking critically is what allows you to really utilize the information you have learned. The Practice Principle was also a very important one on my list. I will be teaching math at some point, and if nothing else, practice is by far one of the most important concepts in math. It is crucial to understanding and retaining what you learn. The final principle that I chose to discuss is the Discovery Principle. Allowing students to to truly and explore and discover will allow them to not only retain information, but it also feeds off of practice and critical thinking. In order for students to experiment and discover things, they have to be able to use critical thinking, and it will likely take many trys before a student comes to a final conclusion.

I feel like in a math classroom, simulations are definitley something that could be utilized. Math is very much real world, and it seems as though this is one of the hardest things for students to grasp. They feel as though math is not important and they will never use it. Simulation provide an opportunity to let students use math in simulated situations, which can then be related to real life. The book reviewed one particular simulation called SimCalc which was a specific simulation geared towards elementary mathematics. Even building simulation would in some way incorporate math ideas. Another benefit is that of simulations being seen as games. If students feel like they are having fun while learning, they are more likely to stay engaged.

This was an interesting way to look at technology in the classroom. Most of what we have reviewed this semester, has been in regards to web 2.0 concepts. This was a different concept with games and simulations; however, it is something that seems like it would still be very beneficial in engaging students. What I find to be beneficial about this lesson is that, we have learned how not every student learns the same. I think this concept could very well apply to the technological aspect as well. Gaming and simulations may be a fantastic tool for some students, but not others. Whereas, blogging could be what really helps other students. It is really beneficial to know many different avenues for supplementing a lesson.

Jonassen, D. Howland, J. Marra, R. & Crismond, D. (2008). Meaningful Learning with Technology. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Meanigful Learning

Technology based rubrics are available for every subject. They are used to set a basis for grading. It allows students and the teacher to have a clear definition of what is expected from the assignment. They are very important for both parties to comprehend what they are expected to complete. I liked looking through all of the different rubrics that were available. It seemed like a very good resource and I also noticed that people can submit their own rubrics. I think this makes for a great tool to use in the classroom.

A clicker assesment tool, is a device that allows a teacher, employer, or presenter to take polls while providing information. The results are provided immedietaly and this allows for tweaking if needed. I think this is a fantastic tool for the listeners. It is a great way to find out if they are able to comprehend the information. If they are having problems, it is much easier for someone to answer anonymously as opposed to raising there hand and acknowledging to everyone that they are not understanding. If for nothing else, I would like to use them in the classroom for this reason alone.  

Inspiration Software is a tool that uses visual presentations as a way to teach lessons. The site was really neat, as it had presentations on so many differnt topics. It presented the information in maps and timelines to help build the learning. The other nice thing about it, is that you can pull out the slides you don't need and personalize it to your own lesson. Although I didn't see any on the site, I am sure this could be used in the math classroom, and I have become very open to trying these new tools atleast once to see if they warrant a response.


Discovery Education. (2010). Kathy Schrock's guide for educators. Discovery Education. Retrieved November 24, 2010 from http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/assess.html#rubrics 
Inspiration Software, Inc. (2010). Inspiration Software. Retrieved November 24, 2010 from http://www.inspiration.com/Inspiration

Qwizdom Inc. (2010). Quizdom. Retrieved November 24, 2010 from http://www.qwizdom.com/?gclid=CNLygeH3mpcCFQZqswodWV6D-g

Visualizing with Technologies

Digital Storytelling by Kate Kemker, was a selction in the chapter that we reviewed this week. It is an activity in which students create a storyboard, film the story, and then use technology to edit that video. It involves a great deal of critical thinking and teamwork. It also requires that each piece be done in sequence and that students really spend the time so that the next piece goes smoothly. For instance, if students didn't thouroghly create their storyboard, then they might not efficiently film, and then get to the end with editing and realize they are missing vital pieces. What I really liked about this activity, is that I feel as though it conveyed the concept that technolgy is not meant to takeover the entire classroom. Moreso, it is there to supplement the and enhance the lessons we already teach. I think this would be a great tool in any classroom, because you can truly create a story about anything. Even in mathematics, it could be used to create stories based around mathematical concepts in the real world. I think it would also be a great way to integrate different subjects.

One part of the chapter broke up different subjects and talked about visual technology and how it can be used to reinforce the concepts of that subject. I was definitley interested and excited to look at the math piece since I am working towards a certification in math. Some of them were familiar to me already. There were ideas for using graphing calculators, data sets, and statistics software. I have seen before some of these ideas, and i definitely feel that the abilty to visualize in math is critical. The concepts can be grasped so much more when we can show students why and how the functions happen, as opposed to just telling them. The one technology that I had never seen, but really intrigued me was the Geometric Supposer. Geometry is one of my favorite math topics, and I also think it tends to be one of the ones that is most struggled with. I think it was awesome to see that the students could test out differenct conjectures and see how they work and compare to others.

I think tv instruction is a great tool. However, just like any other tool we have discussed, I only feel that it is truly beneficial in limited applications and as supplemental to the primary lesson. TV has great qualites such as the visual aspect and also the ability to be consistent in lessons. If a teacher show's every student in every class the same video, then we are sure they are all getting the same consistent message; however, it does not promote very much hands on activity or discussion during the lesson. It is also harder for students to stop and ask questions in the middle of a lesson.

References:

Jonassen, D. Howland, J. Marra, R. & Crismond, D. (2008). Meaningful Learning with Technology. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Podcasting

This was an interesting lesson to look at. I have heard of podcasting before, but not in an educational sense. My youger sister subscribes to some, and when I go visit she will show me some of them. They are all entertainment based. One thing I didn't know is that you can download podcasts to other devices than a computer. I thought that was very interesting and that it brought a new light to what can be done with podcasts.

 

In regards to what we have learned about social media, I feel as thought podcasting definitley has some of the qualities. It is a way to communicate with a very large group of people. This is one similarity that everything we have discussed so far has in common. You can subscribe and or create to different podcast which is another similarity. I think the fact that it is not limited to computers would be a difference; however, I think it still fits under a social media category.

 

I do own a basic iPod, and I really only use it as a devise to listen to music while I workout. I had never thought about it in this sense. It would be fantastic to be able to listen to a podcast from a class while I workout. I think that all of the information we learned in regards to using podcasting in the classroom (whether from computers or media players), was very very helpful. It provided some really neat insight. I think it would be a great tool to maybe create notes or lectures for students to go back and listen to if they are having trouble comprehending the first time, or missed a lesson. I also think it could be as an assessment, for students to create their own and discuss what they are learning. I believe that podcasting, along with all of the other tools, are fantastic supplemental ideas. I don't think we should ever rely solely on one type of communication. Students still need to build face to face communication and physical reading and writing skills. Some of that is limited with podcasting. However, I still believe it is a fantastic tool to use as a supplement to the classroom.

 

Reference:

Podcasting in English. You Tube video. Posted on E college (TAMU- Commerce). 2010

Jonassen, David. Meaningful Learning with Technology. Third Edition.Pgs 159-161.

Web 2.0

In this weeks lesson we were exposed to Web 2.0, or social forms of technology. I must admit that each week I am very intrigued by what we learn about and what I didn't realize technology was capable of providing to us as future educators. I think blogs and wikis will be an amazing supplement to my classroom someday. I currently work for the training department of a corporate organization and we have recently spent time researching social networking and what it offers. My director actually sent me the link to the videos on wikis and social bookmarking that were provided in the lecture. They were the first thing I recalled when I entered this weeks lesson, and I thought it was interesting that they were being used here as well. I want to teach math someday and I thing that both wikis and blogs would be great tools to not only reason through math, but also allow students to communicate and come to solutions regarding math problems. I also think that blogs would be an excellent way to allow students to journal about the class and how they are doing in certain areas.

I was very intersted in social bookmarking. In this class alone I have already bookmarked a ton of sites, and I know this is probably a minimal amount in comparison to what is avaialble to me. I also think it's great that it is public. This would allow someone to predetermine accurate sites to use in their classroom. Students could be directed to use the links on the bookmarking site, or add relevant sites. Voicethread was actually something I had never heard of prior to this lesson. I was really interested in how it worked. I felt like it was a great tool. I think blogs and wikis are very interesting, but there is no voice behind it. It was intersting to see a way in which you can still have discussion online without eliminating the voice factor.

Tapped In is also a new topic to me. I felt that it is probably a tool that could end up being very useful to me. What I liked about it was that it is a community of people from all over the world. This allows someone to not limit their communication to only educators in their school or district. If I am struggling in the classroom, I could find out information from educators all over. I also like the way that even though it is public, you do have the ability to have a private conversation. I remember reading this section of the chapter and wondering why any teacher would not want to open up to what technology allows to offer.

References

Jonassen, David, Howland, Jane, Marra, Rose, and Crismond, David. (2008). Meaningful Learning with Technology. 99-135. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall

LeFever, Lee. (2007) "Social Bookmarking in Plain English." Dailymotion. Retrieved on October 15, 2010. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2rqw9_social-bookmarking-in-plain-english_school

VoiceThread. (2007). Retrieved on October 16, 2010. http://voicethread.com/

Assessments and E Portfolios

Assessment activities are used to assess the learner. In other words, to determine how much information the learner has retained or can recall. There are many types of assessments available ranging from pen and paper to technological possibilities. If assessments were not available or performed, then it would be nearly impossible to determine how effective the lesson at hand is being taught. Once an assessment is performed, it can tell an instructor so much valuable information concerning a learners strenghts, weaknesses, and even the qualities of the lesson. Therefore allowing future improvement.

Generally speaking, a portfolio is a collection of work. It is composed of someones best work in order to show the type of work they are capable of performing. An e-portfolio is an electronic version of a portfolio. It allows someone to still compose there best work and reflect on it, but in a much simpler concise manner. There are benefits to e-portfolios. All of the work is stored and can be viewed by anyone if you allow it. This enables the candidate to show it to anyone without having to actually be there. It also helps to keep all of the information in one spot and organized efficiently. It helps both teachers and students by allowing assessment on ones skills. Both the teacher and the student can review the work, along with the reflections, and determine the level of understanding and where growth can be achieved. Computer based testing is an assessment that is given on a computer. I feel that this valid means of providing assessment, assuming that the testing is created thougtfully, and that the testing areas are monitored.

I was really interested in reading about the electronic portfolio. We have talked so much throughout my education courses about creating a portfolio and I think that this is a really good way to allow high access to your abilities, as well as combine and keep everything organized. I also think it is a great tool to comprehend as an educator. I highly agree with the book and the negative impact that "teaching the test" can have on students. I have always felt that it is more important for students to understand the why's and how's or what teach as opposed to memorizing specifics. In math, if you can reason through, you can solve almost anything, but I see so many students just trying to memorize a formula.

Resources:

Jonassen, David, Howland, Jane, Marra, Rose, and Crismond, David. (2008). Meaningful Learning with Technology. 217-239. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall

Copyright Laws

Understanding and following copyright and fair use rules is important because for one thing, it's the law. Secondly, it is respect for the original creators of the work. The laws were created to protect the publisher of a piece of work. This is important to remember because, if you spent a long time and alot of hard work writing a book, then you probably want the credit for it. Without these laws, other people could claim it as there own and there would be nothing you could do about it. I think that I would bring this point up in class. Possibly even create an activity where students could see first hand what it would be like to spend time working on something, and another person receive credit for the piece.

Online safety and cyberbullying are not necessarily the same thing; however, they can lead to each other. Being safe can help prevent cyberbullying. We have to help students to understand how to be safe and secure online. We also have to help parents to understand the importance as well. With the world being so involved in technology, and a large part of communication being done the same way, it is important for students to understand the need for politeness. Once you read and interpret something a certain way, it is hard to change that thought. Therefore, it is imperative that students learn about netiquette and how to portray their tone in words. Doing so, will also help with cyberbullying, as a student would be less likely to offend someone.

This weeks activites were extremely eye opening for me. I learned a ton of new information. I began by reading over the first assignment that was 12 pages, and in all honesty, I didn't obtain as much information as I should have. I made a 50 on the quiz. There was so much information, and it just seemed like it was repeating. I have to admit that I really thought I knew and understood copyright laws better than I do. I was very relieved to see the "cheatsheet" and I saved it to my desktop immedietaly. I also saved all of the links from the lecture into my discussion. The quiz is where I felt as though I learned the most. I realized how many details of a situation can determine whether you are breaking the law or not.

What really stood out in my mind, is that, I am about to graduate. I only had one last class to take this semester before internship. I only signed up for this class because I needed another class to qualify for financial aid, and I figured that I might as well choose something that would benefit me in my career. In my entire education, I have never once been informed of all the rules and aspects of copyright laws. I only ever hear it when teacher's discuss citing our work. If it hadn't been for this lesson, I am sure that I would have not known how indepth it can be. After this lesson, I can not honestly say that I have never used copyrighted works in a manner that is unlawful. This is eye opening because if I didn't know I was doing it, I can only imagine what students don't know they are doing.

Resources

Fryer, Wesley. Copyright 101 for Educators. 2003. Retrieved September 29, 2010. http://www.wtvi.com/TEKS/02_03_articles/copyright.html

Carnell, John. Bullying UK.  Retrieved September 29, 2010. http://www.bullying.co.uk/

CopyRight Quiz. Retrieved September 29, 2010. http://www.csus.edu/indiv/p/peachj/edte230/copyright/quiz.htm

Joilet, Francis. A Visit to Copyright Bay. 2002. Retrieved September 29, 2010. http://www.stfrancis.edu/cid/copyrightbay/index.htm

U.S. Copyright Office. Copyright. 2010. Retrieved September 29, 2010. http://www.copyright.gov/