Asking the Bigger Questions about Assessment
This podcast was given by a professor from Baylor University. He connected assessment with different Shakespearean plays. He is emphasizing that assessment should be about what our students are actually learning, not about where they fall on the likert scale, curve, and/or ranking. He asks, "What is school for?" He calls many of the national tests the "Mighty Metrics", such as SAT, ACT, etc. He says this only gives a narrow measure of a students learning. How do these tests drive education success and learning? Ultimately the author determines that proving assessment is burdening the true learning success of the students. Towards the end of the podcast he provides many solutions to help this problem, such as witnessing.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Reflection #10
Prof. Sorenson...
Throughout the semester I have been so blessed by you! Besides the great technological training you have put us all through throughout the semester, your heart is one that has not gone unnoticed. I know I speak for the whole class when I say your sincerity and dedication to this school, to us, and to God is very admirable and appreciated. Your gentle spirit and uplifting attitude impacted me every time I was in your class. Thank you for that! Even though I know I will be using you forever as a resource, I wish you the most success with your new job position at the school next year. Thank you for everything! You have no idea how much you and your class benefited me.:)
Throughout the semester I have been so blessed by you! Besides the great technological training you have put us all through throughout the semester, your heart is one that has not gone unnoticed. I know I speak for the whole class when I say your sincerity and dedication to this school, to us, and to God is very admirable and appreciated. Your gentle spirit and uplifting attitude impacted me every time I was in your class. Thank you for that! Even though I know I will be using you forever as a resource, I wish you the most success with your new job position at the school next year. Thank you for everything! You have no idea how much you and your class benefited me.:)
Reflection #9
So in honor of Cinco de Mayo, my friend and I went to a Mexican restaurant and loaded up on arroz con pollo, refried beans, enchiladas, and chips and salsa! Although the food was amazing and well worth it, we did not go just for the food. Taking Multicultural education this semester taught me that in order to really learn a culture it is important to constantly observe! Well that is what I did last night. We were there for about two hours and had alot of fun. The Hispanic culture is so friendly and family oriented. They take pride in who they are and what they do. Compared to me as an American. I feel like they are so much more appreciative for what they receive and have. It was a good observing experience. It was also fun to be apart of the Mexican song and dance while we were eating as well. I am looking forward as a teacher to learn and interact with students from other cultures!
Reflection #6
Here is an article I found on the Education World website. Veteran teachers from all over the nation give "Tips for 1st year teachers" . I thought it was helpful and something to keep in the back of my mind. Hope you enjoy!
So, with thanks to Dawn, Jean, Retta, Jana, Alana, Lisa, Tracy, Lew, Mike, and all the other teachers who responded to our request, Education World compiled a list of the 26 top tips for surviving the first year. We call them...
THE ABCs FOR FIRST YEAR TEACHERS
Admit your mistakes -- and learn from them.
Be firm but flexible.
Communicate with parents.
Develop a homework policy -- and stick to it.
Empower your students; don't just lecture to them.
Find time to attend after-school events.
Get to know all the teachers in your school and make friends with the cooks, custodians, aides, and secretaries.
Have the courage to try something else if what you're doing isn't working.
Institute a clear discipline policy -- and enforce it consistently.
Just listen -- both to what the kids are saying and to what they're not saying.
Keep a journal.
Learn your school's policies and procedures.
Model desired attitudes and behavior.
Non carborundum ignorami. (Don't let the imbeciles wear you down.)
Overplan.
Prepare interesting lessons.
Quit worrying and just do your best.
Remember that you teach students first, then you teach whatever academic discipline you learned.
Stay alert.
Take pictures.
Understand that the learning process involves everyone -- teachers, students, colleagues, and parents -- and get everyone involved.
Volunteer to share projects and ideas, and don't be afraid to ask others to share their ideas with you.
Work within your limits.
Xpect the unexpected -- and plan for it!
Yell if you need support.
Zero in on your strengths, not your weaknesses. (Remember -- nobody's perfect!)
One tip that should be added to this is the importance of the integration of technology into your classroom...:)
What advice did those teachers offer? From North Carolina to Arizona, from Mississippi to Wisconsin, the "grizzled veterans" agreed on several essential points:
- Take charge. Wisconsin teacher Dawn Schurman recommended "having a clear discipline plan set up, with both rewards and consequences. Explain it to the kids on day 1 and review throughout the first week. In addition, I'm very glad that I sent home a copy of the discipline plan. I asked parents to read it with their child and for parents and children to sign and return a contract stating that they agreed to the rules. This has come in handy a few times."
- Keep students busy and engaged. First-year teacher Jean Federico said "I have one big piece of advice for first-year teachers: Before the first day of school, have plenty of activities prepared for emergency use. I learned the hard way that kids will misbehave if they have nothing to do. A class full of bored kids won't all sit quietly for ten minutes waiting for you to figure out what is next."
- Get peer support. Retta Threet, a teacher in Sumter, South Carolina, admitted "My biggest mistake was not insisting on a mentor, or at least a peer teacher. If I had it to do again, I would make a good friend whom I could go to for advice."
- Get parental support. North Carolina teacher Jana Lippe suggested "Use your parents as much as you can. Every time I needed supplies for a celebration, I just sent a note home asking for donations. Every time, the parents came through."
- Organize yourself. Arizona English teacher Alana Morales advised "Find an organization system that you can live and work with and stick with it. With 120-plus students, it's crucial that you stay organized!"
- Organize your students. Said Mississippi teacher Lisa Packard "Don't assume they know how to organize themselves, because they don't. Show them how to organize their notebooks and folders. Show them exactly what you want on their papers and homework."
- Write and reflect. Teacher Mike Powell advised "Start keeping a professional journal. After the course of the year, this journal will allow you to reflect on your professional practices and to witness what is probably going to be enormous personal growth."
- Have fun. "Do your best and have fun doing it. Once I finally relaxed, I had a great time," said teacher Tracy Keirns.
So, with thanks to Dawn, Jean, Retta, Jana, Alana, Lisa, Tracy, Lew, Mike, and all the other teachers who responded to our request, Education World compiled a list of the 26 top tips for surviving the first year. We call them...
THE ABCs FOR FIRST YEAR TEACHERS
Admit your mistakes -- and learn from them.
Be firm but flexible.
Communicate with parents.
Develop a homework policy -- and stick to it.
Empower your students; don't just lecture to them.
Find time to attend after-school events.
Get to know all the teachers in your school and make friends with the cooks, custodians, aides, and secretaries.
Have the courage to try something else if what you're doing isn't working.
Institute a clear discipline policy -- and enforce it consistently.
Just listen -- both to what the kids are saying and to what they're not saying.
Keep a journal.
Learn your school's policies and procedures.
Model desired attitudes and behavior.
Non carborundum ignorami. (Don't let the imbeciles wear you down.)
Overplan.
Prepare interesting lessons.
Quit worrying and just do your best.
Remember that you teach students first, then you teach whatever academic discipline you learned.
Stay alert.
Take pictures.
Understand that the learning process involves everyone -- teachers, students, colleagues, and parents -- and get everyone involved.
Volunteer to share projects and ideas, and don't be afraid to ask others to share their ideas with you.
Work within your limits.
Xpect the unexpected -- and plan for it!
Yell if you need support.
Zero in on your strengths, not your weaknesses. (Remember -- nobody's perfect!)
One tip that should be added to this is the importance of the integration of technology into your classroom...:)
Reflection #8
A funny story...
I thought I would use this story to prove two things...1) How much of a generation gap there really is between us and older generations 2) How technology illiterate people can really be! My boyfriend's family owns a jewelry story in West Seattle and one day we were visiting. In the back room I noticed his mom working on the computer, but getting quite frustrated. It was clear that the computer was not doing what it was supposed to be doing. From a distance I watch her get up to turn the heat down. This was odd considering that it was already chilly in the back room and that she loves heat! I went up to give her assistance and asked, "What is wrong with the computer." She told me that the computer had a virus, but that it was ok because she turned the heat down. She was under the assumption that the computer was too "cold" in the back room and that is why it contracted a virus. I bit my lip to keep from laughter and quickly explained that temperature really has noting to do with whether a computer contracts a virus or not. My boyfriend and I still laugh about this today!
I thought I would use this story to prove two things...1) How much of a generation gap there really is between us and older generations 2) How technology illiterate people can really be! My boyfriend's family owns a jewelry story in West Seattle and one day we were visiting. In the back room I noticed his mom working on the computer, but getting quite frustrated. It was clear that the computer was not doing what it was supposed to be doing. From a distance I watch her get up to turn the heat down. This was odd considering that it was already chilly in the back room and that she loves heat! I went up to give her assistance and asked, "What is wrong with the computer." She told me that the computer had a virus, but that it was ok because she turned the heat down. She was under the assumption that the computer was too "cold" in the back room and that is why it contracted a virus. I bit my lip to keep from laughter and quickly explained that temperature really has noting to do with whether a computer contracts a virus or not. My boyfriend and I still laugh about this today!
Reflection #7
Special needs experience...
I interviewed Jim Bahr, a Special Olympics coach at Puyallup High School, who has a son that has a disability called Trisomy 18. Jared is 22 and attends the Puyallup High School off campus special education program. Even though Jared’s disability is technically called Trisomy 18, according to Puyallup High School IEP he is categorized as mentally retarded. When Jared was on campus he was placed in a self-contained classroom with ten other students, two teachers, and four para-educators. The school accommodates in many ways and basically will do anything the students need. Jared is considered to be high functioning and one of the top students in his class. Due to Jared being placed in a self-contained classroom, Jim explained clearly that he was more concerned with modification than he was with accommodation because Jared learns better that way. This was encouraging to hear as a future teacher because this is contrary to what other parents ask for. Jim said that the Special Education teachers let the students in class mingle with the other students as much as they can. Students at Puyallup overall are responsive to the kids that have special needs and are well known. The main concept I took away from Jim and his interview was that Jared responds better to teachers that do not try to sympathize or feel sorry for him. It is important to modify in curriculum but don’t treat them differently than other students. The connection effort should be the same. Overall it was very encouraging to hear from Jim about the success Jared has had at Puyallup High School and the emphasis the school puts on acceptance of all students. Furthermore it was very impressive to see how involved Jim is and was in his son’s life. I would consider his involvement unique to the overall special needs community. While participating in cycling events for special Olympics and observing classrooms I started to become curious in how much technology is integrated into a special needs classroom! Besides computers I have not really noticed any other technology used in a special needs classroom. It will be interesting to see how beneficial the technological world will be for special needs in the future.
I interviewed Jim Bahr, a Special Olympics coach at Puyallup High School, who has a son that has a disability called Trisomy 18. Jared is 22 and attends the Puyallup High School off campus special education program. Even though Jared’s disability is technically called Trisomy 18, according to Puyallup High School IEP he is categorized as mentally retarded. When Jared was on campus he was placed in a self-contained classroom with ten other students, two teachers, and four para-educators. The school accommodates in many ways and basically will do anything the students need. Jared is considered to be high functioning and one of the top students in his class. Due to Jared being placed in a self-contained classroom, Jim explained clearly that he was more concerned with modification than he was with accommodation because Jared learns better that way. This was encouraging to hear as a future teacher because this is contrary to what other parents ask for. Jim said that the Special Education teachers let the students in class mingle with the other students as much as they can. Students at Puyallup overall are responsive to the kids that have special needs and are well known. The main concept I took away from Jim and his interview was that Jared responds better to teachers that do not try to sympathize or feel sorry for him. It is important to modify in curriculum but don’t treat them differently than other students. The connection effort should be the same. Overall it was very encouraging to hear from Jim about the success Jared has had at Puyallup High School and the emphasis the school puts on acceptance of all students. Furthermore it was very impressive to see how involved Jim is and was in his son’s life. I would consider his involvement unique to the overall special needs community. While participating in cycling events for special Olympics and observing classrooms I started to become curious in how much technology is integrated into a special needs classroom! Besides computers I have not really noticed any other technology used in a special needs classroom. It will be interesting to see how beneficial the technological world will be for special needs in the future.
Monday, May 4, 2009
End of Semester Reflection
What are your current thoughts regarding technology and teaching?
After taking this class I now know the importance of the integration of technology in the classroom. As a teacher there is so much more creativity, organization, help, and connection in the use of technology. Not to mention technology is the what the younger generation basically uses for extra curricular activities today. It is important as future teachers we can connect and relate to our students through technology! As a future teacher I can expect to spend many hours learning new software's, putting together SMARTboard presentations, and updating my class website. It is the spirit of the times!
How has your view of technology in education and teaching changed this semester?
My view on technology was never a negative one, however, I don't think I thought it was ever worthy of time. Now, I see how beneficial it is and can be to students! I will use my website as an example. At first it was hard to start cause everything was new, but once I got the hang of it, I was addicted! It became more fun for me because I saw how easy it was for parents and students to use. Not only am I more willing to put more time towards technology, I my knowledge of useful websites has tripled. I am excited to see how I can integrate different websites into my lesson plans. Future technology use in my classroom makes me even more excited to be a teacher!
After taking this class I now know the importance of the integration of technology in the classroom. As a teacher there is so much more creativity, organization, help, and connection in the use of technology. Not to mention technology is the what the younger generation basically uses for extra curricular activities today. It is important as future teachers we can connect and relate to our students through technology! As a future teacher I can expect to spend many hours learning new software's, putting together SMARTboard presentations, and updating my class website. It is the spirit of the times!
How has your view of technology in education and teaching changed this semester?
My view on technology was never a negative one, however, I don't think I thought it was ever worthy of time. Now, I see how beneficial it is and can be to students! I will use my website as an example. At first it was hard to start cause everything was new, but once I got the hang of it, I was addicted! It became more fun for me because I saw how easy it was for parents and students to use. Not only am I more willing to put more time towards technology, I my knowledge of useful websites has tripled. I am excited to see how I can integrate different websites into my lesson plans. Future technology use in my classroom makes me even more excited to be a teacher!
Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
Word features:
1) Synonyms (in the review tab)
2) Works Cited/ Bibliography (references tab)
3) Track Changes (this is for editing, review tab)
Excel features:
I took a Statistics class the first semester I attended Northwest and that honestly is the last time I used the program. I forgot all the shortcuts and codes that I learned in that class. I need to start using it again though! I can imagine it is good for finance and personal organization.
PowerPoint features:
1) Use the design tab to decide the color scheme of my PowerPoint
2) Use the animation tab to determine the format of my PowerPoint (how it closes and opens each slide)
3) Spellcheck (review tab for editing)
I could have a contest with my students to help them learn the different programs. For example I could split my class into groups of four and gave them a rubric for any type of Powerpoint, as long as they included different features from the program (such as narration, sound effects, animations, etc). This would help them get more comfortable with the PowerPoint program. For Word I could have my students edit each others papers in the computer lab using the features of Word. Like I mentioned before, I don't use Excel very much, so hopefully I will learn more about the program in class so I can use it in my classroom. There are many ways I can incorporate all three of these programs into my classroom.
1) Synonyms (in the review tab)
2) Works Cited/ Bibliography (references tab)
3) Track Changes (this is for editing, review tab)
Excel features:
I took a Statistics class the first semester I attended Northwest and that honestly is the last time I used the program. I forgot all the shortcuts and codes that I learned in that class. I need to start using it again though! I can imagine it is good for finance and personal organization.
PowerPoint features:
1) Use the design tab to decide the color scheme of my PowerPoint
2) Use the animation tab to determine the format of my PowerPoint (how it closes and opens each slide)
3) Spellcheck (review tab for editing)
I could have a contest with my students to help them learn the different programs. For example I could split my class into groups of four and gave them a rubric for any type of Powerpoint, as long as they included different features from the program (such as narration, sound effects, animations, etc). This would help them get more comfortable with the PowerPoint program. For Word I could have my students edit each others papers in the computer lab using the features of Word. Like I mentioned before, I don't use Excel very much, so hopefully I will learn more about the program in class so I can use it in my classroom. There are many ways I can incorporate all three of these programs into my classroom.
Blogs for Educators
Wiki Success
I chose to read the blog site called Adventures in Educational blogging. The entry I enjoyed the most was about the implementation of the Wiki for school conferences. Susan Sedro, the author of this blog, talked about the timeline of the Wiki including elements such as training, problems/solutions, procedures, and success. In her blog she talked about how the wiki is much more accommodating for families and is less work for the teacher. Many families would sign up for a specific time on the wiki then would go back and change their times as conflicts arose. She mentioned several accounts of teachers not having to make any phone calls to the parents. Some problems that they ran into during the implementation of the wiki was accidental deletes made by other people and multiple parents editing the wiki space at the same time. These were just minor problems due to the way the wiki was setup. A lot of the times the wiki would not allow the page to be edited at the same time (in which case they would have to try later) and if there was a name deleted it was usually filed in its memory. Out of all the parents that used the wiki only 10% didn't find it helpful. The reasoning they gave was because they were uncomfortable with technology. After reading this blog, I realized how useful wiki's can be in the classroom. Besides it being helpful for parent teacher conference sign ups, it would also be great for in class projects, chore list, etc. This is something that can be easily put on my teacher website as well.
I chose to read the blog site called Adventures in Educational blogging. The entry I enjoyed the most was about the implementation of the Wiki for school conferences. Susan Sedro, the author of this blog, talked about the timeline of the Wiki including elements such as training, problems/solutions, procedures, and success. In her blog she talked about how the wiki is much more accommodating for families and is less work for the teacher. Many families would sign up for a specific time on the wiki then would go back and change their times as conflicts arose. She mentioned several accounts of teachers not having to make any phone calls to the parents. Some problems that they ran into during the implementation of the wiki was accidental deletes made by other people and multiple parents editing the wiki space at the same time. These were just minor problems due to the way the wiki was setup. A lot of the times the wiki would not allow the page to be edited at the same time (in which case they would have to try later) and if there was a name deleted it was usually filed in its memory. Out of all the parents that used the wiki only 10% didn't find it helpful. The reasoning they gave was because they were uncomfortable with technology. After reading this blog, I realized how useful wiki's can be in the classroom. Besides it being helpful for parent teacher conference sign ups, it would also be great for in class projects, chore list, etc. This is something that can be easily put on my teacher website as well.
SMARTBoard Presentation Reflection
The SMARTBoard Presentation was a good experience for me. It is a lot harder to teach something when you are using a new program or technological tool. I found myself forgetting how the particular activity worked on certain slides. I definitely think it would be easier if I was actually the one to create a SMARTboard activity. The SMARTboard was very effective though and I think my students would enjoy interacting with different activities on the SMARTboard. Overall is helped me become more comfortable with the SMARTboard.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Assignment #4- Part 2
My website link: Living History
Reflection:
This was both very addicting and frustrating! Once I started I wanted to make everything perfect and would take a sufficient amount of time on each page of my website, but after a while I had to come to the realization that not everything is going to be perfect and that I can always go back and work on it after this class. I really wanted to provide as many tools for my future students as I could. This includes a calendar, class wiki, forum, history resources, and important documents. I did run into some trouble however in creating the web page and still have not figured out how to do it. I wanted to put a media player on my "Everything History" page that had a couple songs from each decade in the 1900's, but after spending two hours trying to figure it out, I gave up. In addition I wanted to upload some word documents to my web page that I have don't in previous classes, but couldn't. I am sure sooner or later I will figure it out. I will say that I am a lot more comfortable with the web page creation process and am excited to learn more about it. I can truly say that I am proud of what I have accomplished thus far and hopefully I only get better at it. Even though this was very time consuming it was worth it!
List of the features of the technology that you learned and used:
Wiki: set up an account for wiki and created a page for my students to use for presentation sign ups! This was fairly simple.
Google Calendar: set up a google account in order to create a personalized calendar for my class and learned how to embed it onto my website.
Links: became more familiar and comfortable in creating links that I used for my "Everything History" page.
Forum: this was pretty simple because it was a part of free webs, however I learned how to add categories for my students to respond to.
Spell Flikr: I added "one voice" to my homepage.
Overall I learned a lot about the URL and embedding process. Even though I didn't figure out how to add a music widget to my page, I learned a lot through the process and I WILL FIGURE IT OUT!
NETS students:
1. Creative and Innovation- this is a creative website that encourages the generation of ideas, photos, videos, and thoughts.
2. Communication and Collaboration- the class forum is a tool that opens communication for students and parents.
3. Research and Information Fluency- there are multiple research links that relate to history and culture.
4. Digital Citizenship- stated clearly on the website to not abuse the right of free speech and to be respect. Only appropriate material should be shared.
5. Technology Operations and Concepts- through the interacting on this website, student will learn and become more comfortable with the technology systems.
NETS teachers:
1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity- requires students to show their learning through photos, videos, research, and words all using technology.
2.Model Digital-Age Work and Learning - creating a website is proof and does demonstrate some knowledge in technology.
3.Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility- I clearly state on the home page that inappropriate behavior or abuse of the freedoms on this web page will not be tolerated. The emphasis is to provide a healthy learning environment.
4.Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership- after creating this website, I am very eager to keep learning about technology and to make it a priority in my classroom.
Reflection:
This was both very addicting and frustrating! Once I started I wanted to make everything perfect and would take a sufficient amount of time on each page of my website, but after a while I had to come to the realization that not everything is going to be perfect and that I can always go back and work on it after this class. I really wanted to provide as many tools for my future students as I could. This includes a calendar, class wiki, forum, history resources, and important documents. I did run into some trouble however in creating the web page and still have not figured out how to do it. I wanted to put a media player on my "Everything History" page that had a couple songs from each decade in the 1900's, but after spending two hours trying to figure it out, I gave up. In addition I wanted to upload some word documents to my web page that I have don't in previous classes, but couldn't. I am sure sooner or later I will figure it out. I will say that I am a lot more comfortable with the web page creation process and am excited to learn more about it. I can truly say that I am proud of what I have accomplished thus far and hopefully I only get better at it. Even though this was very time consuming it was worth it!
List of the features of the technology that you learned and used:
Wiki: set up an account for wiki and created a page for my students to use for presentation sign ups! This was fairly simple.
Google Calendar: set up a google account in order to create a personalized calendar for my class and learned how to embed it onto my website.
Links: became more familiar and comfortable in creating links that I used for my "Everything History" page.
Forum: this was pretty simple because it was a part of free webs, however I learned how to add categories for my students to respond to.
Spell Flikr: I added "one voice" to my homepage.
Overall I learned a lot about the URL and embedding process. Even though I didn't figure out how to add a music widget to my page, I learned a lot through the process and I WILL FIGURE IT OUT!
NETS students:
1. Creative and Innovation- this is a creative website that encourages the generation of ideas, photos, videos, and thoughts.
2. Communication and Collaboration- the class forum is a tool that opens communication for students and parents.
3. Research and Information Fluency- there are multiple research links that relate to history and culture.
4. Digital Citizenship- stated clearly on the website to not abuse the right of free speech and to be respect. Only appropriate material should be shared.
5. Technology Operations and Concepts- through the interacting on this website, student will learn and become more comfortable with the technology systems.
NETS teachers:
1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity- requires students to show their learning through photos, videos, research, and words all using technology.
2.Model Digital-Age Work and Learning - creating a website is proof and does demonstrate some knowledge in technology.
3.Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility- I clearly state on the home page that inappropriate behavior or abuse of the freedoms on this web page will not be tolerated. The emphasis is to provide a healthy learning environment.
4.Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership- after creating this website, I am very eager to keep learning about technology and to make it a priority in my classroom.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Future Classroom
What will my classroom look like in 5 years?
Because of the many features that many programs have (such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Google Docs, Gradebook, etc) my classroom will be organized. Having this programs allows work to be done neatly and professionally. Furthermore I imagine my communication with the students and teachers will be a lot stronger due to resources such as family integration emails, wiki spaces, student blogging, and community calendars. Technology will hopefully keep both my student and I organized! Technology will be more comfortable and easier to incorporate into my classroom on a day to day basis.
What technologies will my students and I be using?
Document cam, SMARTboards, individual remotes, google docs, blogspot, etc. I am sure there are plenty of other helpful websites that my students will be using in 5 years as well as equipment. These are just the main ones.
Will my role change?
I think my role will get easier. Like I said earlier, communication will be a lot easier. Plus students will probably have more of a motivation to use technology than me! My role will mostly be the same, however the means of connection and communication will be different. By then hopefully I will have a better grasp on technology, however I will always need to keep up on the "new stuff".
Because of the many features that many programs have (such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Google Docs, Gradebook, etc) my classroom will be organized. Having this programs allows work to be done neatly and professionally. Furthermore I imagine my communication with the students and teachers will be a lot stronger due to resources such as family integration emails, wiki spaces, student blogging, and community calendars. Technology will hopefully keep both my student and I organized! Technology will be more comfortable and easier to incorporate into my classroom on a day to day basis.
What technologies will my students and I be using?
Document cam, SMARTboards, individual remotes, google docs, blogspot, etc. I am sure there are plenty of other helpful websites that my students will be using in 5 years as well as equipment. These are just the main ones.
Will my role change?
I think my role will get easier. Like I said earlier, communication will be a lot easier. Plus students will probably have more of a motivation to use technology than me! My role will mostly be the same, however the means of connection and communication will be different. By then hopefully I will have a better grasp on technology, however I will always need to keep up on the "new stuff".
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Grade Source Reflection
What d0 you consider to be three of the "best" features of this software?
1) Easy Access
2) It keeps track of attendance
3) Like the announcements category
As a teacher how easy was it to learn and use?
Everything was pretty self explanatory. The only thing I had trouble with is the students reports. It seems if you know how to create a user name and password it would be easy to use as a teacher.
As a student how easy was it to access and use?
As long as students know their identification number the links lead the student easily to their grade or their status report.
What additionally features would enhance this software?
1) Maybe if their was a podcast option, so if students were gone and they missed the lecture I could load it on to the site.
2) I think it would be helpful if their was a comment option for the students to use if they had a question about a specific grade they got. More interactive opportunities.
Would you recommend this software to other teachers? Why or why not?
Yes...
1)Easy to use
2)Great communication device for students
3)Really organized software, links are easy to understand, and it covers all areas of assessment.
Overall it would make teachers jobs easier in percentage calculations and they would have less responsibility to keep track of a grade book.
1) Easy Access
2) It keeps track of attendance
3) Like the announcements category
As a teacher how easy was it to learn and use?
Everything was pretty self explanatory. The only thing I had trouble with is the students reports. It seems if you know how to create a user name and password it would be easy to use as a teacher.
As a student how easy was it to access and use?
As long as students know their identification number the links lead the student easily to their grade or their status report.
What additionally features would enhance this software?
1) Maybe if their was a podcast option, so if students were gone and they missed the lecture I could load it on to the site.
2) I think it would be helpful if their was a comment option for the students to use if they had a question about a specific grade they got. More interactive opportunities.
Would you recommend this software to other teachers? Why or why not?
Yes...
1)Easy to use
2)Great communication device for students
3)Really organized software, links are easy to understand, and it covers all areas of assessment.
Overall it would make teachers jobs easier in percentage calculations and they would have less responsibility to keep track of a grade book.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Technology Project Part #1
I want to create a website that will be both informative and interactive. I am envisioning a section of the website being an "about me" section where both parent and students can see who I am, where I have been, what I like, people I know, and get a feel for my teaching style. I would like to have a video of the month that will illustrate something unique or fun that happened to me in that month. Another section of my website I am planning to have a weekly current world problem that my students can blog or hold a forum on. I would also like to have links such as resources, calendar, upcoming activities, contact information, and important documents. These are all some ideas that I have been working through. I have a feeling when I start this project, my creative juices will start to flow and a lot of the other ideas will come to mind. I am hoping to use software such as free webs, flikr, delicious, freerecorder, and audacity. I would like to use the tools within my websites such as a wikis, podcasts, media libraries, and photo albums. I want this website to be used by students, parents, and other teachers. I want it to be information loaded, anything that I can put on there I will and should. This way it is a reliable information tool used by the parents and students that they can used to get updated on or just continually participate in. I also want this website to be a way of documentation of what I do as a teacher inside and outside the classroom. I want my students to be as involved as they can. This is just another way to document our progress and our year. Furthermore, it would probably be beneficial to have technology information and resources on the websites to help inform the parents of their students! They come from a different generation of technology so it would probably make them feel more involved when they actually know what their kids means when they tell them they recorded a podcast today. It would be great if I could set up a wiki for parents to get them involved in the classroom. Whether it be volunteering or parent teacher conferences, the wiki would be a helpful tool to use on my website. Like I said earlier I am just jotting down as many ideas that I can think of now. This will probably change some and I will most likely remove ideas and add ideas. Overall I want my website to be attractive to BOTH my students and parents. Colorful and creative with pictures and videos. The process of this creation will be interesting and fun. I am excited.
As of now I have mapped out what I would like my website to look like on paper and started to format it. I have realized through the creation process that I will not be able to include all the features I had mentioned in the above paragraph due to lack of time. Some features that are going to be included are an "introductory podcast" of who I am, an endorsement resources folder (history and social studies resources that my students can use), and lots of pictures! So far so good, I am seeking help from those that know what they are talking about.
As of now I have mapped out what I would like my website to look like on paper and started to format it. I have realized through the creation process that I will not be able to include all the features I had mentioned in the above paragraph due to lack of time. Some features that are going to be included are an "introductory podcast" of who I am, an endorsement resources folder (history and social studies resources that my students can use), and lots of pictures! So far so good, I am seeking help from those that know what they are talking about.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Caught on Video
Overall I enjoyed the many ideas that were behind the use of the Flip camera. Getting students motivated to learn because they really are learning (and being able to document this by video) is more rewarding and important than students learning to get a grade attached that may not really reflect their work amongst the rest of the class. The Flip camera would definitely put a spin on educational assessment. Instead of a class of students all turning in hard copy assignments, their is a video that is proof that each kid knows or doesn't know how to do a particular problem/activity. Furthermore sharing a "video assignment" is easier and more immediate to the parents. In the article in mentioned a net base that would store, organize, copy, and send parents videos for each student. Although this may be a rigorous to set up, once it is done, it seems well worth it. In addition students like seeing themselves do things and probably learn a lot more from watching their own videos. It fits with the generation of students that are in the classrooms today! The only downside I found to this is TIME! I can imagine shooting a video of each student (including the students that are not cooperative or hard to manage) doing a particular problem takes time out of the classroom. How much could really be covered or accomplished in the classroom daily? It seems that if a teacher did want to try this method, they would have to have helpers in the classroom to be more time efficient. Overall, if trained properly, the Flip Camera would be a great tool to use in the classroom.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Comments on other blogs
Cathy's Blog: http://accaghayes.blogspot.com/2009/03/reflection-3-my-kids-and-technology.html?showComment=1236407220000#c6044901753068711585
Annie's Blog: http://englishteacherannie.blogspot.com/2009/03/what-if-we-had-no-google.html?showComment=1236407700000#c8146692599411433039
Danielle's Blog:http://danielletrettevik.blogspot.com/2009/03/reflection-5.html#comments
Hillary's Blog:http://missott-hillary.blogspot.com/2009/03/impact-of-technology-on-learning.html?showComment=1236408420000#c7968981704938097659
Tammy's Blog:http://misstammylee.blogspot.com/2009/03/chinook-middle-school.html?showComment=1236408660000#c4235788220913897687
Reflections
Reflection #1: Technology equipment
Technology use in the classrooms that I have observed thus far has been pretty limited. Most classrooms have the traditional technology equipment such as computers, TV’s, and projectors. What was most interesting was to see how they used in the classroom. One teacher had an interactive DVD that he used for an activity within his history unit. The students responded positively because it was something different than a lecture. The projector is most commonly used on a continual basis in the classrooms. Both the teachers and the students used the projectors for lectures, videos, power points, and Internet in the classroom. It has been disappointing not seeing any other technology used in the classrooms; it makes me wonder how accessible other equipment is to schools. The Puyallup School District is considered a middle class district, but is average when it comes to technology use whether it is equipment or websites.
Reflection #2: Rainier Beach is where my heart is
Observing Rainier Beach was an eye opening experience for me. My whole life I knew I wanted to be a teacher but I didn’t know what kind of school fit my personality. Originally I wanted to go back to Rogers High School which is where I went growing up, but I didn’t know it that would really be a challenge for me. Little did I know that one time observing Rainier Beach High School, would clear up my confusion about what type of school I want to teach at. Being in an intercity school I realized a couple things. Firstly, the stereo types that are put on the school by the media and the surrounding community are completely inaccurate. They want to learn, succeed, be social, and have a future. Yes, a good majority of their students come from poor broken homes; however, they still have the same needs as any other students in any other school. I realized that I want to be challenged to relate to students of different cultures, socio-economic status, and upbringings. Teaching at Rogers would be easier for me because my name is known and most all the kids are the same, I don’t want that. Secondly, it was disappointing to see the lack of finances the school had to provide good resources for the school. Their technology was completely outdated, they had minimal textbooks, and the maintenance of the school was not kept up. It was discouraging to see, however I walked away from those observations feeling like this is where I belong. I want to touch the hearts of the kids that are tough to get to and I want to help them be motivated to learn.
Reflection #3: Technology and Standardized testing
Technology can be a great resource used in the classroom; however in my Assessment Class I have learned that technology use doesn’t always prove to be a sufficient method for learning. Randy Dorn , the new OSPI guy, has opted to take the WASL testing out and replace it with the WCAP. The Washington Comprehensive Assessment Plan is supposed to start in 2010 and has two tests. The first text is called Measurement of Student Progress (MSP) which is for grades 3 thru 8. The second test is the High School Proficient Exam (HSPE) which is for high school students and is essentially reading and writing. The problem with these new tests is they will be done on computers. I am not sure how this is going to work. There are a couple of questions I have regarding this new testing process. Would these tests be taken at home or school? How would the schools monitor the accuracy of its grading? What about low socio-economic schools that cannot afford computers to take these new standardized tests? Even though this new test gives feedback immediately after the test is taken, there are many problems that arise with this new process. This test does not give an equal opportunity to every school; therefore it should not be in effect. In my opinion, there is no one standardized tests that would give every school and every student and equal opportunity to succeed.
Reflection #4: Technology at the 2B Basketball State Tournament
While watching my boyfriend's team play in the state tournament I noticed that I was surrounded by technology. Firstly, for every game they had broadcasting with commentators so people in the Spokane region could listen over the radio. Secondly, they had a jumbo tron that was in the middle of the coliseum that would post text messages written by spectators, players, and coaches. Lastly, there were two or three professional camera men that would tape the games and then post them on the venue's website or on demand. They also made highlight reels for teams that were in the winners brackets. Twenty years ago, with all the technology that they were using a 2B tournament, you would of thought it was an NBA game. Even though the team lost two games right away, seeing what they did for broadcasting and promotion was interesting.
Reflection #5: Learning Technology
I wanted to reflect on the technology in education so far. The websites that we learn about in this class is helpful, but it is only a snipit of what it does. I wish I had more time to just fiddle around with different websites so that I could become more familiar with how to really use it to my benefit. Learning one thing to the other can be overwhelming at times. I know I could be good at creating a website for my future classroom someday, however I am not good with keeping up on it. I have facebook and myspace accounts and I probably check them once every two weeks. I think that stems from me not being confident or creative with technology. I want to set aside more time to fiddle around with some of the websites we have learned and make it a higher priority.
Technology use in the classrooms that I have observed thus far has been pretty limited. Most classrooms have the traditional technology equipment such as computers, TV’s, and projectors. What was most interesting was to see how they used in the classroom. One teacher had an interactive DVD that he used for an activity within his history unit. The students responded positively because it was something different than a lecture. The projector is most commonly used on a continual basis in the classrooms. Both the teachers and the students used the projectors for lectures, videos, power points, and Internet in the classroom. It has been disappointing not seeing any other technology used in the classrooms; it makes me wonder how accessible other equipment is to schools. The Puyallup School District is considered a middle class district, but is average when it comes to technology use whether it is equipment or websites.
Reflection #2: Rainier Beach is where my heart is
Observing Rainier Beach was an eye opening experience for me. My whole life I knew I wanted to be a teacher but I didn’t know what kind of school fit my personality. Originally I wanted to go back to Rogers High School which is where I went growing up, but I didn’t know it that would really be a challenge for me. Little did I know that one time observing Rainier Beach High School, would clear up my confusion about what type of school I want to teach at. Being in an intercity school I realized a couple things. Firstly, the stereo types that are put on the school by the media and the surrounding community are completely inaccurate. They want to learn, succeed, be social, and have a future. Yes, a good majority of their students come from poor broken homes; however, they still have the same needs as any other students in any other school. I realized that I want to be challenged to relate to students of different cultures, socio-economic status, and upbringings. Teaching at Rogers would be easier for me because my name is known and most all the kids are the same, I don’t want that. Secondly, it was disappointing to see the lack of finances the school had to provide good resources for the school. Their technology was completely outdated, they had minimal textbooks, and the maintenance of the school was not kept up. It was discouraging to see, however I walked away from those observations feeling like this is where I belong. I want to touch the hearts of the kids that are tough to get to and I want to help them be motivated to learn.
Reflection #3: Technology and Standardized testing
Technology can be a great resource used in the classroom; however in my Assessment Class I have learned that technology use doesn’t always prove to be a sufficient method for learning. Randy Dorn , the new OSPI guy, has opted to take the WASL testing out and replace it with the WCAP. The Washington Comprehensive Assessment Plan is supposed to start in 2010 and has two tests. The first text is called Measurement of Student Progress (MSP) which is for grades 3 thru 8. The second test is the High School Proficient Exam (HSPE) which is for high school students and is essentially reading and writing. The problem with these new tests is they will be done on computers. I am not sure how this is going to work. There are a couple of questions I have regarding this new testing process. Would these tests be taken at home or school? How would the schools monitor the accuracy of its grading? What about low socio-economic schools that cannot afford computers to take these new standardized tests? Even though this new test gives feedback immediately after the test is taken, there are many problems that arise with this new process. This test does not give an equal opportunity to every school; therefore it should not be in effect. In my opinion, there is no one standardized tests that would give every school and every student and equal opportunity to succeed.
Reflection #4: Technology at the 2B Basketball State Tournament
While watching my boyfriend's team play in the state tournament I noticed that I was surrounded by technology. Firstly, for every game they had broadcasting with commentators so people in the Spokane region could listen over the radio. Secondly, they had a jumbo tron that was in the middle of the coliseum that would post text messages written by spectators, players, and coaches. Lastly, there were two or three professional camera men that would tape the games and then post them on the venue's website or on demand. They also made highlight reels for teams that were in the winners brackets. Twenty years ago, with all the technology that they were using a 2B tournament, you would of thought it was an NBA game. Even though the team lost two games right away, seeing what they did for broadcasting and promotion was interesting.
Reflection #5: Learning Technology
I wanted to reflect on the technology in education so far. The websites that we learn about in this class is helpful, but it is only a snipit of what it does. I wish I had more time to just fiddle around with different websites so that I could become more familiar with how to really use it to my benefit. Learning one thing to the other can be overwhelming at times. I know I could be good at creating a website for my future classroom someday, however I am not good with keeping up on it. I have facebook and myspace accounts and I probably check them once every two weeks. I think that stems from me not being confident or creative with technology. I want to set aside more time to fiddle around with some of the websites we have learned and make it a higher priority.
Beginning of Semester Reflection
What about technology?
Honestly I know enough about technology to get by. I do not experiment often with creating websites, podcasts, or blogs. I know about networking sites such as myspace and facebook, I have three different email accounts, and being a student I have become a pro at finding information for research. I have never heard of or used SMARTBoards, "clickers", document cams, ect before this class. In addition to technological equipment, websites like delicious, flickr, blogspot, and HTML code are all new to me. I am excited to learn more about how to use both technology equipment and websites.
What role should it have in a K-12 classroom and in your life as a teacher?
Now more than ever I think it is important to incorporate technology as much as possible into all grade levels. It is the way the younger generation connects with content and each other. I would like to become more familiar with helpful teacher websites to keep my content lesson planning organized and creating presentations on the SMARTBoards for my future classroom. I think the use of technology would help me be a more effective and versatile teacher in the classroom.
Honestly I know enough about technology to get by. I do not experiment often with creating websites, podcasts, or blogs. I know about networking sites such as myspace and facebook, I have three different email accounts, and being a student I have become a pro at finding information for research. I have never heard of or used SMARTBoards, "clickers", document cams, ect before this class. In addition to technological equipment, websites like delicious, flickr, blogspot, and HTML code are all new to me. I am excited to learn more about how to use both technology equipment and websites.
What role should it have in a K-12 classroom and in your life as a teacher?
Now more than ever I think it is important to incorporate technology as much as possible into all grade levels. It is the way the younger generation connects with content and each other. I would like to become more familiar with helpful teacher websites to keep my content lesson planning organized and creating presentations on the SMARTBoards for my future classroom. I think the use of technology would help me be a more effective and versatile teacher in the classroom.
Improving Instruction with Interactive Whiteboards
This was article was interesting because it was actually an account of teachers and classrooms reactions to the Interactive Whiteboard. The impact that the interactive whiteboard has had in subjects, more specifically in this article math, is encouraging and motivates me more to incorporate into my future classroom. The principal in the article advises, "We shouldn't be investing enormous amounts of money in history textbooks anymore, when we can get all the history we want online." It is time for schools to budget wisely and use money where the students will benefit the most from it. Like this article illustrates, investing in interactive whiteboards for schools would be an effective for students in the classroom, more so than a traditional textbook.
Generation IM
I agree with the article when it says that the younger generations brain has developed differently. I had exposure growing up with technology, but no where near the exposure the students in jr. high and high school have now. I truly believe that mass technological exposure had made the younger generation "multi taskers". That is their specialty! This is a positive and a negative. Furthermore, the concept of the young having an "active voice" in the public issues of America is because of the availablity of technology. The three barriers of integrating technology for teachers were interesting because I think the priorities have changed. As a teacher if technology is a high enough priority for me, I will make time to explore or go out and seek help whether it is supported by my administration or not. I think technology is hard at first (while learning), but then makes classroom presentations, lectures, and organization easier. These barriers can easily be broken, it is just a matter of really wanting to integrate technology into the classroom. "The 7 Ways to Bring Today's Tech into your Classroom" will be something that I keep in my future folder for my own classroom someday. Overall I thought this article was really thought provoking.
SMARTBoard
The SMARTBoard is a good resource, but I definitely would need to have a couple hours to play around with it. The SMARTBoard has so many great features and engages students in such a creative way. Features like the slide show, split screen, cover sheet, and patterns all help in the classroom while presenting or lecturing. Something else I really liked was the "SMARTBoard technology" website that offers a plethora of subject based websites that teachers can use according to their grade level. I am hoping whatever school I do teach in some day the SMARTBoard will be available to use. Downloading the software on my computer now will be helpful, because then I could get a head start in creating presentations and learn how to better use it. I enjoyed experimenting with the SMARTBoard.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Assignment #3
SMARTBoard activity: Before the Cold War-Potsdam
http://education.smarttech.com/ste/en-US/Ed+Resource/Lesson+activities/Notebook+Activities/Browse+Notebook/United+States/Secondary/10-12/History/Before+the+Cold+War++Potsdam+SMARTcreated.htm
NETS standards:
For students:
Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources. Students:
a. Identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation.
b. Plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project.
c. Collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions.
d. Use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions.
The whole Potsdam Conference smartboard slide show consisted of problems that were to be collaboratively solved between the students and did require analysis and critical thinking of the Potsdam Conference.
Digital Citizenship
Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior. Students:
a. Advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology.
b. Exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity.
c. Demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning.
d. Exhibit leadership for digital citizenship.
Through my example of safe and ethical behavior in using the smartboard the students also learned how to use the smartboard properly and appropriately.
For teachers:
Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments. Teachers:
a. Promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness
b. Engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources
c. Promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes
d. Model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments
I used my knowledge of the Potsdam Conference to review the upcoming unit that we will be covering in class and helped the students use the smartboard activity to figuring out the points specifically that will be covered.
Model Digital-Age Work and Learning
Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society. Teachers:
a. Demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations
b. Collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation
c. Communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats
d. Model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning
I demonstrated this by knowing how to effectively present the smartboard activity on the Potsdam Conference. Furthermore I was able to instruct the students on how to solve problems in the Potsdam activity.
SMARTBoard in the future classroom:
The SMARTBoard would be great for visual learners. The different features that the SMARTBoard program offers gives students the opportunity to be creative in developing their presentations and/or teaching their presentation in front of their class. Secondly, the websites that use the SMARTBoard program and give already made presentations, create a continual interactive classroom. Most of the pre-made presentations involve students interactions. This would be very beneficial for the kinisthetic learner. In addition to interactive learning, some of the SMARTBoard presentations also have audio connected to them, which would help the audiotory learner some as well. Overall, using the SMARTBoard would benefit multiple types of learners. Furthermore, the SMARTBoard could potentially teach students more about a different use of technology and how to create a "powerpoint" using the SMARTBoard, instead of the traditional Microsoft PowerPoint. Overall I think the SMARTBoard would be very beneficial for student learning and contributes to the kinisthetic, auditory, and visual learner.
http://education.smarttech.com/ste/en-US/Ed+Resource/Lesson+activities/Notebook+Activities/Browse+Notebook/United+States/Secondary/10-12/History/Before+the+Cold+War++Potsdam+SMARTcreated.htm
NETS standards:
For students:
Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources. Students:
a. Identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation.
b. Plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project.
c. Collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions.
d. Use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions.
The whole Potsdam Conference smartboard slide show consisted of problems that were to be collaboratively solved between the students and did require analysis and critical thinking of the Potsdam Conference.
Digital Citizenship
Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior. Students:
a. Advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology.
b. Exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity.
c. Demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning.
d. Exhibit leadership for digital citizenship.
Through my example of safe and ethical behavior in using the smartboard the students also learned how to use the smartboard properly and appropriately.
For teachers:
Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments. Teachers:
a. Promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness
b. Engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources
c. Promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes
d. Model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments
I used my knowledge of the Potsdam Conference to review the upcoming unit that we will be covering in class and helped the students use the smartboard activity to figuring out the points specifically that will be covered.
Model Digital-Age Work and Learning
Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society. Teachers:
a. Demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations
b. Collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation
c. Communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats
d. Model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning
I demonstrated this by knowing how to effectively present the smartboard activity on the Potsdam Conference. Furthermore I was able to instruct the students on how to solve problems in the Potsdam activity.
SMARTBoard in the future classroom:
The SMARTBoard would be great for visual learners. The different features that the SMARTBoard program offers gives students the opportunity to be creative in developing their presentations and/or teaching their presentation in front of their class. Secondly, the websites that use the SMARTBoard program and give already made presentations, create a continual interactive classroom. Most of the pre-made presentations involve students interactions. This would be very beneficial for the kinisthetic learner. In addition to interactive learning, some of the SMARTBoard presentations also have audio connected to them, which would help the audiotory learner some as well. Overall, using the SMARTBoard would benefit multiple types of learners. Furthermore, the SMARTBoard could potentially teach students more about a different use of technology and how to create a "powerpoint" using the SMARTBoard, instead of the traditional Microsoft PowerPoint. Overall I think the SMARTBoard would be very beneficial for student learning and contributes to the kinisthetic, auditory, and visual learner.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Assignment # 2 Resources for Teachers
Four sites I would like to share...
1) Social and Cultural History: Letters and Diaries Online: http://asp6new.alexanderstreet.com/ladd/ladd.index.map.aspx
This site is useful because it provides all kinds of personal documentation all in one website. Usually it is hard to find letters and diaries while doing research, however this site does a great job of organizing the documents so that they are easy to find within the website.
2) American Government Theme Unit: http://www.edhelper.com/American_Government.htm
I though this site was useful because it provided game templates, crosswords, worksheets, and study guides for all grades relating to American government. In order to access and use these templates in the future you have to create your own account with ed helper. This could provide some new ideas but also be a great time saver in the future.
3)USA Geography- Map Game- Geography Map Games: http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/web_games.htm
This website taught me the most! In all the branches of history geography is my worst so the interactive games that this website provided were fun and really helpful. It has interactive games for anything that involves the US, this includes capitols, states, and landscapes. Plus this website offered games at different levels for those who progress or are better than others. Each game gets harder when you go up a level.
4) Social Studies Lesson Plans: http://www.col-ed.org/cur/social.html
When you click on this site originally it says it has mini lesson plans for different social studies content in all grades, however these are not mini lesson plans. These plans consist of overviews, objectives, activities, group work instructions, and resources/materials needed. It basically does everything for you. The website is not very colorful or interactive, however, in the end it gets the job done!
Two ways that I could use delicious in the website or with other teachers...
When using the delicious website I immediately thought what a great tool this would be for my future students. It would help them organize their information that they found on the Internet not just for my class, but for all of their classes. The "bundle" feature is one way they could keep their topical information organized. Similar to students, teachers can also benefit from the delicious website. Teachers can also collect, organize, and share resources that they discover through this website. Furthermore, this would also help teachers stay informed on what popular Internet websites are used among other teachers in their specific area of content.
1) Social and Cultural History: Letters and Diaries Online: http://asp6new.alexanderstreet.com/ladd/ladd.index.map.aspx
This site is useful because it provides all kinds of personal documentation all in one website. Usually it is hard to find letters and diaries while doing research, however this site does a great job of organizing the documents so that they are easy to find within the website.
2) American Government Theme Unit: http://www.edhelper.com/American_Government.htm
I though this site was useful because it provided game templates, crosswords, worksheets, and study guides for all grades relating to American government. In order to access and use these templates in the future you have to create your own account with ed helper. This could provide some new ideas but also be a great time saver in the future.
3)USA Geography- Map Game- Geography Map Games: http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/web_games.htm
This website taught me the most! In all the branches of history geography is my worst so the interactive games that this website provided were fun and really helpful. It has interactive games for anything that involves the US, this includes capitols, states, and landscapes. Plus this website offered games at different levels for those who progress or are better than others. Each game gets harder when you go up a level.
4) Social Studies Lesson Plans: http://www.col-ed.org/cur/social.html
When you click on this site originally it says it has mini lesson plans for different social studies content in all grades, however these are not mini lesson plans. These plans consist of overviews, objectives, activities, group work instructions, and resources/materials needed. It basically does everything for you. The website is not very colorful or interactive, however, in the end it gets the job done!
Two ways that I could use delicious in the website or with other teachers...
When using the delicious website I immediately thought what a great tool this would be for my future students. It would help them organize their information that they found on the Internet not just for my class, but for all of their classes. The "bundle" feature is one way they could keep their topical information organized. Similar to students, teachers can also benefit from the delicious website. Teachers can also collect, organize, and share resources that they discover through this website. Furthermore, this would also help teachers stay informed on what popular Internet websites are used among other teachers in their specific area of content.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Assignment #1 (Technology Literacy)
There is not one specific grade I would like to teach more than the other in high school, grades 9th through 12th all interest me! From what I observed thus far, most all grade levels in high school use the same types of technology. Technology equipment such as projectors, computers, and smartboards are all options of use in the classroom. In addition computer software is being heavily integrated into the classroom curriculum and proves to be helpful for students and teachers. Tools such as the Internet, spreadsheets, databases, and wordproccessors are all consistently used by students. The Internet will be one of my best friends while teaching history. I would like to start out every class period with a You Tube video that relates to what I am teaching in my history class that day. Furthermore the Internet will be helpful for research projects, history games, and activities. The second way I would like to incorporate technology into my classroom is through a website. This website would serve as a tool to distribute information, connect with my students and parents, and provide an "open forum" on the curriculum we are covering in class.
I read an article called More than Bells and Whistles? Using Digital Technology to Teach American History that talks about the improvement of teacher's classrooms because of the use of technology. This article's emphasis was on the willingness of the teacher and the integration of technology into their classroom. It gave different examples of how History teachers have used technology in their classroom and why it was a success. For example one teacher uses an interactive textbook only online. This is more engaging than just reading a traditional textbook. Furthermore this article noted that teachers using email in the classroom does not count for "real" integration of technology into the classrooms. I learned various things from this article. First, it was interesting that the institution of educational technology included email. In my perspective the use of email is old news and is not the most effective attempt to incorporate technology into the classroom. Secondly, even though it is mostly college professors that post their syllabi online, it still seems like a good idea to use in high school classrooms as well. A hard copy would be provided as well, however an online copy would help parents be informed. Lastly, I learned that students are intrigued by instant access. So more independent research work on the web would be more applicable to their generation as well as in the history classroom. In addition, this prevents me as a teacher to lose their attention spans or lecturing them to boredom. Overall this article helped me understand my future students generation and how technology effects them in the classroom, more specifically in the history classroom.
Kornblith, Gary, and Lasser, Carol. "More than Bells and Whistles? Using Digital Technology to Teach American Histoy." The Journal of American History, March 2003: 1456-57.
There are 5 NETS standards for teachers, they are the following: teachers must Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity, Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments, Model Digital-Age Work and Learning, Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility, and Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership. These standards are important to teachers because it gives them a foundation to work from in learning how to enhance their students knowledge through their subject using technology. In addition teachers can use these guidelines to organize their curriculum and include technology for their students. Lastly, these standards challenge teachers of all generations to enhance their own technology skill and learn through technology as well. Students however, have a different set of NETS standards, they are the following: students develop Creativity and Innovation, Communication and Collaboration, Research and Information Fluency, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision making, Digital Citizenship, and Technology Operations and Concepts. These standards are important for students because it challenges them to develop new knowledge through the use of technology and provides them with long term professional skills once they get out of school into the world. Furthermore, these standards will eventually create "technological minds" that can better in the future teach others. Overall the NETS standards for teachers and students are important for the continual enhancement of knowledge and the incorporation of the "new way" to learn.
I read an article called More than Bells and Whistles? Using Digital Technology to Teach American History that talks about the improvement of teacher's classrooms because of the use of technology. This article's emphasis was on the willingness of the teacher and the integration of technology into their classroom. It gave different examples of how History teachers have used technology in their classroom and why it was a success. For example one teacher uses an interactive textbook only online. This is more engaging than just reading a traditional textbook. Furthermore this article noted that teachers using email in the classroom does not count for "real" integration of technology into the classrooms. I learned various things from this article. First, it was interesting that the institution of educational technology included email. In my perspective the use of email is old news and is not the most effective attempt to incorporate technology into the classroom. Secondly, even though it is mostly college professors that post their syllabi online, it still seems like a good idea to use in high school classrooms as well. A hard copy would be provided as well, however an online copy would help parents be informed. Lastly, I learned that students are intrigued by instant access. So more independent research work on the web would be more applicable to their generation as well as in the history classroom. In addition, this prevents me as a teacher to lose their attention spans or lecturing them to boredom. Overall this article helped me understand my future students generation and how technology effects them in the classroom, more specifically in the history classroom.
Kornblith, Gary, and Lasser, Carol. "More than Bells and Whistles? Using Digital Technology to Teach American Histoy." The Journal of American History, March 2003: 1456-57.
There are 5 NETS standards for teachers, they are the following: teachers must Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity, Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments, Model Digital-Age Work and Learning, Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility, and Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership. These standards are important to teachers because it gives them a foundation to work from in learning how to enhance their students knowledge through their subject using technology. In addition teachers can use these guidelines to organize their curriculum and include technology for their students. Lastly, these standards challenge teachers of all generations to enhance their own technology skill and learn through technology as well. Students however, have a different set of NETS standards, they are the following: students develop Creativity and Innovation, Communication and Collaboration, Research and Information Fluency, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision making, Digital Citizenship, and Technology Operations and Concepts. These standards are important for students because it challenges them to develop new knowledge through the use of technology and provides them with long term professional skills once they get out of school into the world. Furthermore, these standards will eventually create "technological minds" that can better in the future teach others. Overall the NETS standards for teachers and students are important for the continual enhancement of knowledge and the incorporation of the "new way" to learn.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
html Code
Although this process sounded very intimidating in the beginning, I soon realized how easy it was to learn how to both read and write html code. The preciseness of the actual html was a bit frustrating, however once I actually figured it out and was successful in adding a image, it was well worth it.
This is definitely a good experience and I am excited to be able to use the tool later on in my teaching career. One thing I will keep in mind is practice makes perfect!
This is definitely a good experience and I am excited to be able to use the tool later on in my teaching career. One thing I will keep in mind is practice makes perfect!
High School Website
I chose Roger's High School's Website. This website is well organized and somewhat appealing. The various links provide easy use for viewers such as teachers, parents, alumni, outside prospects and students. This website helps teachers easily communicate with parents and students. Parents have the capability to see their students grades through a few easy steps. Alumni are informed on upcoming events such as reunions and fundraising. Students are provided with teacher contacts and dates to remember. Lastly, outside prospects know the mission statement of the school and their accomplishments, this is helpful for future students. The one critique I would give this website is its lack of creativity. The website as a whole is pretty traditional. There are no pictures or videos, which is another great way to attract people and let them see what is going on. Visual use might draw more viewers as well as make them feel apart of the school environment. As far as availability of any and all information that anyone would ever need to know pertaining to the school, the website does its job!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Turning On the Lights
This article was an eye opener. I never really thought about education the way Marc Prensky promotes in this article. I definitely thing there is truth to what he says about what true education is. According to his article one of the expectations of school is to lead kids into intellectual light and remove them from the intellectual darkness. Prensky clearly argues however, that kids come into school with more intellectual light than they receive leaving school. In today's society the educational curriculum in the classroom does not credit kids with the intellectual knowledge or light that they already have through various technology mechanisms. In the article Prensky says, "They teach one another to actively participate as often as possible in the world, locally and around the globe." Methods of technology seem more attractive and beneficial to students today than any book curriculum in the classroom. Technology is the future and it seems that the education system is resistant to that trend. I did find the tips on how to turn on the lights very helpful as a future teacher.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
My inspiration to become a teacher came from the many great teachers I had while growing up. I truly believe I am a positive example of what teachers can really do through teaching. Through being a student and observing other students I realized the impact teachers have on individuals both positively and negatively. This eventually helped develope a passion to work with kids within me. I look forward to the opportunities I will have to impact kids lives. Establishing a relationship with them and motivating them to learn are equally important to me. I particulary desire to teach History to High School students.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)