Because technology is so prevalent in today's society it is only natural to incorporate aspects of technology into teaching and learning at schools. Just the way society is going, children are going to need to know the in's and out's of using basic technology in their lives.
Three ed tech standards that resonated most with me are...
1. Communication & Collaboration: Much of the technological resources we have learned throughout this course are user friendly and help to facilitate productive communication and collaboration. For example, Google docs! This is something I have heard of prior to this program (especially this class) but have never really spent much time exploring. What a God send!! It is so much easier to work with groups, share and retrieve information through the use of these documents! I can see myself incorporating the use of Google documents as journals for students to write reflections on daily lessons. I'd also really like to create a classroom website (if I ever get a job and a classroom of my own!) :)
2. Digital citizenship: "Students understand human, cultural and societal issues related to digital technology and practice legal, ethical, and responsible behavior." Along with the freedom of technology comes great responsibility! I think it is so important for students to learn the importance of digital citizenship in classroom environments. There are so many stories about children & teenagers who abuse the internet by taking advantage of its resources in a negative way. Responsible behavior in regards to technology can be both modeled by the teacher and explored in class. For example, sending home a slip of paper notifying parents that I want to create a website for my classroom and to let me know if they have an issue or question regarding the purpose or intent of the website can be sent home. Students will be able to learn and understand the value in practicing legal and ethical behavior if they see their teacher modeling it.
3. Creativity & Innovation: This was another standard that I really liked. Being able to apply knowledge in unique ways to create original work can really empower students to take ownership of their learning. I think by simply creating a podcast, students can see how their learning can be applied to the real world and have fun exploring the different applications that are available to them that's only a click away. For example, in our Equity class my group is working on a video for our project. It is a lot more time, work, and effort I think we all wanted to put into the project but we are having fun and learning not only about the intent and purposes of the assignment but also how to make a video! I hope to have students make podcasts in my future classroom because they are so easy and fun to make!
While there are many cool things educators can do with technology, there are often many challenges and hurdles to overcome. One of the biggest is funding. Many schools don't have the resources for many of the cool tools that are available. And on a side note, I don't want to loose the value in the "old school" methods of learning. For example, I think it is still important to teach students how to use books as sources for research in addition to the internet. I mean, with the invention of the calculator, we still teach students how to solve long division by hand, don't we? So I guess what I'm trying to say is technology can be a great resource for the classroom and should definitely be incorporated into the classroom but not to loose sight of the foundational and traditional methods of learning. Diversify teaching methods so that students can grow even more in their learning.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Analyzing Student Data in a Spreadsheet
Hi fellow blog readers!
This assignment was a nice review for me. I took an excel class in college but it's been a few years and I have lost most of what I learned in the class because I hardly used excel as a barista :) Anyway, it was great to refresh my memory and explore all the cool functions and tools that excel allows!
For this assignment, we were given data that we had to sort and organize in a few different ways. First, we had to pull all tests scores for tests 6-10. Then, we had to determine average scores for each test (6-10) and average scores for students. From this data, I pulled the students who fell below the class average (192). I placed these students and their scores for tests 6-10 in a separate sheet where I was able to select, highlight, and graph the growth trend for these students. From the data, I am able to identify two students who seem to struggle on the tests with the lowest averages of 143 and 144 (Queen Isabella & Walter Scott). As an instructor I can seek these particular students out and have a conversation with them about their scores. Perhaps they need extra help from a tutor or another student or perhaps I need to re-teach concepts or ideas that they did not understand.
This assignment was a nice review for me. I took an excel class in college but it's been a few years and I have lost most of what I learned in the class because I hardly used excel as a barista :) Anyway, it was great to refresh my memory and explore all the cool functions and tools that excel allows!
For this assignment, we were given data that we had to sort and organize in a few different ways. First, we had to pull all tests scores for tests 6-10. Then, we had to determine average scores for each test (6-10) and average scores for students. From this data, I pulled the students who fell below the class average (192). I placed these students and their scores for tests 6-10 in a separate sheet where I was able to select, highlight, and graph the growth trend for these students. From the data, I am able to identify two students who seem to struggle on the tests with the lowest averages of 143 and 144 (Queen Isabella & Walter Scott). As an instructor I can seek these particular students out and have a conversation with them about their scores. Perhaps they need extra help from a tutor or another student or perhaps I need to re-teach concepts or ideas that they did not understand.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Multi-media project - voicestream
Hi there interweb users!
I chose to explore voice thread for my multi-media project! It's really user friendly and very efficient. If you go to the website and sign up for a new account it shows you a few videos to help you through the first few steps.
Basically it is a multi-media slide show that allows you to comment throughout the presentation. There are five ways to record comments including: microphone, telephone, audio, text, audio file, or webcam. With the flexibility and diverse ways to comment, each project can be unique and cater to the style you prefer! You can upload pictures, text, excel documents and even video into your slideshow! Another cool tool with voicethread is doodling over your media while you make your comments.
This can be a great tool for educators. Teachers can subscribe their class and up to 50 students can be registered in a secure environment. Teachers and students can work collaboratively on projects or assignments. Also, using this tool can greatly increase productivity because it is so easy to use and can also heighten student interest/motivation because it's fun to use and creates a new spin on the old fashion power point or poster board presentations. You can also subscribe as a school or even district-wide. Visit here to explore the pricing details for school subscriptions and visit here to read scholarly articles about voice thread in the classroom and receiving grants to fund this spectacular on-line tool!
Take a look at my own voicethread! I made this in less than 10 minutes and the longest part of it was deciding what to do my voicethread on and which pictures to choose :) In the spirit of October and Halloween I decided to do my voicestream on my nephew's past Halloween costumes.
I chose to explore voice thread for my multi-media project! It's really user friendly and very efficient. If you go to the website and sign up for a new account it shows you a few videos to help you through the first few steps.
Basically it is a multi-media slide show that allows you to comment throughout the presentation. There are five ways to record comments including: microphone, telephone, audio, text, audio file, or webcam. With the flexibility and diverse ways to comment, each project can be unique and cater to the style you prefer! You can upload pictures, text, excel documents and even video into your slideshow! Another cool tool with voicethread is doodling over your media while you make your comments.
This can be a great tool for educators. Teachers can subscribe their class and up to 50 students can be registered in a secure environment. Teachers and students can work collaboratively on projects or assignments. Also, using this tool can greatly increase productivity because it is so easy to use and can also heighten student interest/motivation because it's fun to use and creates a new spin on the old fashion power point or poster board presentations. You can also subscribe as a school or even district-wide. Visit here to explore the pricing details for school subscriptions and visit here to read scholarly articles about voice thread in the classroom and receiving grants to fund this spectacular on-line tool!
Take a look at my own voicethread! I made this in less than 10 minutes and the longest part of it was deciding what to do my voicethread on and which pictures to choose :) In the spirit of October and Halloween I decided to do my voicestream on my nephew's past Halloween costumes.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Google Docs Group Project
The purpose of this assignment was to explore Picasa, a google application that allows you to share, edit and organize your photos. I had not heard of picasa before but was excited to learn about this program.
Sarah and I were both designated to work on the personal productivity or ways to enhance teaching/learning. Some of these ideas include:
* Turning pictures into slide shows for parent night
* Enhance learning by presenting information to students via picture images
* Integrate pictures into research assignments or projects.
Visit our google doc for more information!
Sarah and I were both designated to work on the personal productivity or ways to enhance teaching/learning. Some of these ideas include:
* Turning pictures into slide shows for parent night
* Enhance learning by presenting information to students via picture images
* Integrate pictures into research assignments or projects.
Visit our google doc for more information!
Sunday, October 9, 2011
OTEN Conference
The Oregon Technology in Education Network Conference was located at Willamette University this year. Honestly, I was not very excited about spending one of my free mornings at a conference but I am so glad that I had the opportunity to attend OTEN!I walked away feeling really inspired (and a little overwhelmed) by all the unique roles technology can be used in the classroom. Click here for my reflections on the key not and sessions I visited.
Web 2.0 & Dropbox
Ah, wireless. I remember the day when I first heard about it... I was so confused and couldn't quite comprehend how I was able to connect to the internet with out my ethernet cord... "Wait, I don't need any wires?" Now, we don't need to carry around our flash drives or email ourselves our papers??! This idea is just as difficult for me to comprehend.
Web 2.0 allows more than one way to access or retrieve information that is virtually saved. This process is commonly known as "cloud computing" because files exist "in the cloud" rather than on computer hard drives or other electronic devices. This can be a major lifesaver especially for those who are in the process of their gigantic work sample or research papers. No longer do we have to lug around heavy laptop computers, remember to pack our external or flash drives, or email ourselves our papers because we can access our files anytime and anywhere on Web 2.0! Hooray!
Drop box is one way to utilize web 2.0! Drop box allows people to store, share, and sync files between various computers and programs. Just by signing up and downloading drop box you automatically receive 2 GB of free story space. This application also works offline which can be especially handy when you live in an area that doesn't consistently receive a strong wireless signal. Watch this handy you tube video to explore more aspects of drop box!
Dropbox can be used to enhance learning by being able to:
* Access and share documents with partners or groups.
* Increased communication between students, teachers and parents
* Promote active learning
* Works across computer platforms: When creating a document on your home computer on a mac, it can easily be accessed through school computers that may be a PC
Web 2.0 allows more than one way to access or retrieve information that is virtually saved. This process is commonly known as "cloud computing" because files exist "in the cloud" rather than on computer hard drives or other electronic devices. This can be a major lifesaver especially for those who are in the process of their gigantic work sample or research papers. No longer do we have to lug around heavy laptop computers, remember to pack our external or flash drives, or email ourselves our papers because we can access our files anytime and anywhere on Web 2.0! Hooray!
Drop box is one way to utilize web 2.0! Drop box allows people to store, share, and sync files between various computers and programs. Just by signing up and downloading drop box you automatically receive 2 GB of free story space. This application also works offline which can be especially handy when you live in an area that doesn't consistently receive a strong wireless signal. Watch this handy you tube video to explore more aspects of drop box!
Dropbox can be used to enhance learning by being able to:
* Access and share documents with partners or groups.
* Increased communication between students, teachers and parents
* Promote active learning
* Works across computer platforms: When creating a document on your home computer on a mac, it can easily be accessed through school computers that may be a PC
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Blogging applications in the classroom
Blogging can be very useful for instructors and students!
For students, blogging can be an especially strong motivator for students to complete homework assignments because it utilizes technology, is personal to them, and is a fun way to express themselves and their thinking. Posting and reading blogs can also help to improve literacy skills as they write their own posts and read their classmates. Blogs can act as student portfolios where they can store and share their academic work with their professors. For example, blogs can be used as reader or writer notebooks for students to keep track of their academic progress.
For instructors, blogs can be a place to share ideas with fellow educators. It can also be a place for educators to post classroom requirements, share handouts, homework assignments, etc with their students.
Fun fun fun :)
For students, blogging can be an especially strong motivator for students to complete homework assignments because it utilizes technology, is personal to them, and is a fun way to express themselves and their thinking. Posting and reading blogs can also help to improve literacy skills as they write their own posts and read their classmates. Blogs can act as student portfolios where they can store and share their academic work with their professors. For example, blogs can be used as reader or writer notebooks for students to keep track of their academic progress.
For instructors, blogs can be a place to share ideas with fellow educators. It can also be a place for educators to post classroom requirements, share handouts, homework assignments, etc with their students.
Fun fun fun :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)