Technology did not play a significant role in my life as I was
growing up. However, children today are immersed in technology. In today’s
society technology is becoming more of a necessity so it is essential for
people to keep themselves updated. I was never familiar with using technology
up till middle school. Most of the work was done on computers, specifically
emails, researching articles, papers, and slideshows. Not only did this make
tasks easier but made work more efficient.
As a teacher I hope to implement technology in
classroom settings for efficient learning. Learning how to use technology will
allow me to better connect with my students. I hope to make technology
accessible for all kids, even for children with disabilities and use programs
that will allow them to learn through play. However, I also believe hands on
learning is essential for communication.
Personal Learning Goals:
1. To teach the children about both the
positives and negatives of technology.
2. To learn about the latest and updated
software’s or apps in which children can have fun while learning
3. To implement technology in new and
effective ways for improved teaching/learning.
4. To educate the students on which
sources are reliable
5. To use technology for collaborative
working (such as group projects)
6. To teach the students about Internet
safety and the dangers of giving out personal information
7. Allow the students to stay connected
with technology not only inside the classroom but outside as well (ex/emailing,
slideshows, online projects
Lesson Reflection 9/16
In our final activity, we viewed several different images on
education and how it was transformed drastically over the past century. We also
saw a change in the teacher’s role. The idea of education mainly being teacher
centered was shifted to student centered learning. In the first slide you saw
the role of a teacher as parental figure or a baby sitter where as in the third
slide become an educator. As the years progressed, education was not merely
about listening and taking notes but social interaction as well. Students are now
more engaged and eager to learn and you see an increase in participation as
well. Children of different backgrounds are sitting and learning collectively
and the classrooms seem more decorated and lively. A positive learning
environment where student interaction is emphasized allows students to learn
not only from their teachers but their peers as well.
Chapter 2 Review
The introduction of new computer technologies is changing every
aspect of communities around the world today. Chapter two highlights and
discusses six major questions regarding technology and teaching as a means to
discover significant issues, improvements, and trends in technology in
classroom based settings.
In my perspective, some of the biggest issues discussed in the
chapter were, barriers that the teachers faced while using technology in class.
Schools with tight budgets were not able to afford the latest technology. This
can also have an impact on student learning. Students not exposed to newer
technology could interact less confidently with newer devices. Another concern
portrayed in the chapter was digital inequality. As stated in the chapter,
digital inequality occurs when there is an “uneven distribution of computer
technology among low income, nonwhite and older Americans. “ These individuals
are less likely to afford and utilize the newest tools. Even though technology
should be made accessible to everyone of all backgrounds, it is difficult to
surmount the barriers. My goal as a teacher is to find ways to overcome these
difficulties for students.
A positive learning environment where students can interact with
the teacher and their peers allows for an engaging and cooperative learning
environment. As a teacher, student centered learning is very essential,
however, I believe teacher centered approach should also be implemented.
Technology should be integrated into the classrooms to enhance student
learning. In my perspective, students learning should be a collaborative and
fun experience.
Questions?
1. How can schools raise money to replace older technology with
the latest and updated ones?
2. How can we make technology accessible for everyone?
3. Other than technology, how else can we motivate children to
learn in the classroom?
Today’s lecture was very instructive. We learned how the digital
divide has decreased over the years. Today technology and the Internet have
been made accessible for almost everyone worldwide. In today’s generation
students can use technology in and out of the classroom. The video we saw in
class illustrated some significant points about the use of technology by
students and communication through media. Students were assigned to create a
project and you saw student’s helping one another during that process. The
teacher also felt that it was essential to make each individuals project
available for others to look at and discuss. This not only encouraged the
students about their work but also allowed for an engaging classroom environment.
Lesson Reflection 10/14/15
In today's lesson we learned about Internet safety and
reliability of information on the Internet. Some search engines specifically
Wikipedia, which I believed was accessible for anyone to make changes to, was
not. Growing up, teachers always told me that Wikipedia is an unreliable source
and that anyone, around the world, could make changes to it. So it was advised
that we avoided reading any information on that page. However, in today's class
I learned that only registered and approved users on Wikipedia are allowed to
make changes. The author of the changes may be anonymous but the individual
could be tracked down by the computers IP address. We also visited a few pages
on Wikipedia which showed us that information published on the page, years ago,
are still going through changes till this day.
Chapter 5
“Instantly available information on the
Internet is transforming education, creating the need for teachers and students
to learn how to access and assess the resources and materials they find
online.”
This chapter discusses using the Internet among students from k-
12 while, teaching and developing information literacy. We also see how this is
implemented during learning and digital citizenship as well. Chapter 5
illustrates an overview of different search engines and how they function, and
then goes on to teaching today's students how to assess online materials for
information.
As mentioned in the chapter, "Wikipedia is examined as one
of the most visited internet websites." Students often go on to this
website for educational purposes, however it is recommended by most teachers
that students do not use this site because information posted is debatable and
not always reliable.
The chapter then goes on to explore the idea of digital
citizenship by describing how all children can and should use technology
ethically. Additionally it shows teachers how they can assess or address
students that plagiarize and cheat by using online information word for word.
It is essential that students use technology and the information
exposed to them online, responsibly and ethically. If any information used,
either text or online, is applied in any of their own work, students should
cite their materials and sources.
Chapter 6
This chapter reflects on information management necessary for
students and teachers when using resources for learning presented by online
resources and educational websites.
“URL bookmarking, social bookmarking, and information alerts and
e-newsletters” is also introduced to show organization of information. Teachers
must prepare and organize their teaching according to the curriculum context.
Questions
1. Do you think information from
websites, such as Wikipedia, is considered reliable and why or why not it
should be used while writing papers for class?
2. How do you feel about online
learning? Should online learning be integrated more into the
classrooms?
Lesson Review 10/21/15
In today’s lesson we learned about Web Quest and our
understanding of it. Web Quest is an interactive, student centered, common core
aligned activity. It is also inquiry based which allows finding information not
only for the student but also for teachers much easier.
We learned about the different sections on Web Quest, the intro,
the task, which includes role, task, and final product. This is then followed
up by the process which illustrates the steps that tells us to go from point a
to point b and websites visited; the evaluation and finally the conclusion or
the take away message.
When doing the web quest the teacher describes to their students
what is expected from them through this journey. Students will ask questions
and as a teacher, you will show them how you get there showing various steps by
presenting the problem first. Guiding them through the resources found and
helping them to create a final project is essential for the students to achieve
success. This is a great way for teachers to lay out expectations and goals for
the student. What I love about Web Quest is that it is not test-driven but a
project based activity. This will allow for student engagement and
motivation.
Chapter 7
Chapter 7 was an interesting read, in that it illustrated how
the use of technology, specifically teaching games, apps and educational
software’s, aid in student learning. In my perspective, this is a great way to
motivate with connect with students. Allowing the use of these technologies promotes
inquiry learning as well as problem solving for students of k-12. These
teaching methods use real world problems and situations to keep the students
engaged and motivated. I particularly enjoyed reading analyzing educational
games and simulations and learning about the different digital games used for
learning. This included simulation games, virtual worlds and intelligent
tutoring systems. These are great instructional methods teachers could use in
their classrooms, specifically math and science. The chapter also introduced
several different educational apps and software’s, “from open source materials
to commercially produced programs.” This allows students to be challenged when
exploring or researching new information.
Chapter 8
“The
move to more personal, social, and mobile screens marks a pivotal moment in our
cultural history. Importantly, it signals the fall of one screen, television,
and the rise of another screen the computer as well as notable different ways
of being in the world.”
This chapter discusses several ways in which
teachers as well as students could use technology, such as computers, to share
their information and thoughts in class and online. Chapter 8 starts with
explaining the benefits and implications teachers might face when using email,
and text messaging. What I really found interesting was when the author
discussed how instead of banning the use of texting, we could use it as a means
to teach students spelling. Students would be easily engaged and motivated to
learn spelling through the use of this device since it is something they all
can connect to.
As
the chapter continues, information on educational websites are discussed and
how this is a great medium for students to attain knowledge about different
information and communicate with one another. Finally the chapter concludes by
providing an outline about wikis and blogs. Teachers can use these online
websites to share information with their students. As a future educator I will
definitely use these websites in my classrooms to create an engaging and a
collaborative learning environment for students. Students can learn how to do
several things using these websites such as, uploading photographs, composing
captions, writing various genres specifically, opinion pieces, comics, news
reports, etc.
Chapter 10
“Teachers
should fashion teaching and learning so that all students have the chance to
learn and to demonstrate what they have learned- not just those who happen to
be gifted with words and numbers.”
This chapter illustrates how teachers can use technology,
specifically the computer to achieve learning standards for all students. These
children include special needs kids and students of different ethnic
backgrounds such as African Americans, Native Americans and Latinos. Technology
provides great ways for these types of children to progress and excel in
education. Not only that but it makes teaching and learning easier since there
are so many styles to choose from.
The chapter continues to discuss the different
assistive digital tools, which can be used for students to maintain and
flourish in learning. These tools include electronic calculators, handheld
spellers, interactive storybooks, etc. All these tools have their advantages
and disadvantages on students. For example, when using storyboard some
advantages discussed were “visual and audio elements create an engaging mood
and reading comprehension skills” and the increase in vocabulary. Some
disadvantages illustrated were “game play might override reading processes, and
children may rely on the computer.” I believe it is essential to use these
digital tools to enhance student learning and create an interactive learning
environment, however proper guidance and supervision is required so students
stay on task.
All in all, this chapter illustrated great ideas,
which I would by integrating the use of technology in my classroom. The great
aspect about using technology is that it is not only limited to one subject
area, there are multiple ways you can use it through different contents.
Students can easily express their thoughts and information using the online environment.
Chapter 11
“One aspect of the power of technology is that it has made
learners both more independent and more collaborative. The core teaching
standards assign learners a more active role in determining what they learn,
how they learn it, and how they can demonstrate their learning. They also
encourage learners to interact with peers to accomplish their learning goals.”
This chapter exemplifies how teachers, through
the use of technology, can assess student knowledge, if they have understood
the information or task assigned. In this case, technology is discussed as a
valuable and a useful tool to determine if students are able to demonstrate
“real-world learning” in different ways. In my perspective, using technology is
a great and easier way for teachers to assess their students.
This chapter also discusses the use of
presentations, project based portfolios and publications to involve students in
the evaluation process. Using a portfolio as a way to investigate how you as a
teacher teach allows you to achieve a distinctive quality of “master teachers-
the capacity to think critically and creatively about how to reach students and
meet your professional goals.”
Questions
1. How can students be more engaged when using, and designing
technology in the lesson?
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