I am happy to say that my technology project has come to a close! I love how it turned out and am happy to share it all with you.
Here is a link to the class blog with the assignment on it.
I used blogging and videotaping for this project and learned how to use a flip camera, make a movie out of it and upload it onto the computer.
This task was harder than I thought it would be. The taping part was easy and I was grateful that the flip camera was so easy to use and replay. It was confusing to try and figure out the uploading part and it took me quite a bit of time. After it didn't work on my computer (from transferring on a flash drive) I looked up solutions online and tried to figure out the problem on my own. After several hours I decided to get the help of Ariel and her genius roommate. Ariel had mentioned what I needed to do and her roommate had the things I needed! Sometimes being a teacher will require the help of fellow colleagues! The problem had occurred during the actual putting together of my movie instead of the uploading part so I learned about movie making in general and the steps to go through to make a movie in the right, transferable, format.
I think this project would be a big hit for students and I know I thoroughly enjoyed making my example video. Although the students' videos won't be as comical, I hope they will still have fun making the videos and seeing what other people have to say. This project is all about gaining a new perspective and analyzing other points of view to add to your knowledge, all while forming your own opinion and position on the matter.
NETS met for students:
1. Creativity and Innovation. Students: (b.) create original works as a means of personal or group expression.
2. Communication and Collaboration. Students: (a.) interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.
3. Research and Information Fluency. Students: (b.) locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.
6. Technology Operations and Concepts. Students: (a.) understand and use technology systems.
NETS met for teacher:
1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity. Teachers: (a.) promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness.
2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments. Teachers: (a.) design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.
3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning. Teachers: (b.) collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation.
4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility. Teachers: (c.) promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to use of technology and information.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
End of the Semester Reflection
I have learned that technology plays an integral part in education. It keeps students interested, curious, and engaged, and can make presenting and explaining easier for the teacher. It is remarkable the amount of resources already created for teachers to use supporting technological advances (smartexchange comes to mind). The way students can interact with their learning is, to me, the most important reason for technology in the classroom. It is so much easier (and more fun) to learn when you can manipulate the ideas yourself. I have appreciated this class so much and see it not only as an information session where we learn about different kinds of technology devices to integrate in a classroom, we learn that technology is always changing and it is up to us teachers to figure out what kinds of things makes learning easier for our students from the world they are coming from. I am excited to implement the things I have learned in this class in a real classroom someday!
As far as the NETS I wanted to focus on this semester, I think I have started making progress. I wanted to focus on modeling digital-age work and learning (NETS for teachers #3). By beginning to learn the types of things that could be integrated into a classroom and being able to weigh the positives and negatives of each tool, I believe I have begun the journey to modeling technology in educational ways. Just by completing this blog is a way the tools I have learned have been put into progress and tested out! My understanding and experimentation, I'm sure, will pay off!
Thank you Professor Adair for a meaningful and insightful class experience.
As far as the NETS I wanted to focus on this semester, I think I have started making progress. I wanted to focus on modeling digital-age work and learning (NETS for teachers #3). By beginning to learn the types of things that could be integrated into a classroom and being able to weigh the positives and negatives of each tool, I believe I have begun the journey to modeling technology in educational ways. Just by completing this blog is a way the tools I have learned have been put into progress and tested out! My understanding and experimentation, I'm sure, will pay off!
Thank you Professor Adair for a meaningful and insightful class experience.
Reflection #7-12
Reflection #12
Another way that online resources benefit the general public is....shopping! I know my mom, and many adults out there are especially grateful for this. The internet has made shopping more convenient and stress-free. Although it may be more expensive with shipping costs, many people find it worth it.
Reflection #11:
One great thing about the information being on the Internet is the ability to teach yourself. There are now many oppurtunities to watch youtube videos or just find articles on how to teach yourself to play an instrument, solve a rubix cube, make a recipe...it's crazy! Personally, I taught myself piano chords, and my boyfriend learned to play the guitar just by finding it online. I love how this is now free and available!
Reflection #10:
When I was looking around for information on the future of technology in education I came upon a youtube video talking about a classroom with an interactive ocean that students could explore. It was really cool! The students could observe ocean life and move around to different sections. An ocean researcher was commenting on how students can observe new discoveries from the classroom instead of having them come down with the divers. I thought this was a great learning experience.
Reflection #9:
For one of my other classes I misunderstood an assignment and I blame it on the increasing amount of reliable information on the Internet! By no means do I mean that this information is bad...it can just cause problems, especially when the directions are given from teacher to student. In one of my classes we were to research a topic using journal articles. What do I, as a member of the technology generation, first think of when I hear the phrase "journal articles"? Not the paper and ink kind of thing of course! I think of the online databases with thousands of journal articles. So, to start my assignment I tried to find the journals my instructor was talking about but couldn't (this was because they were in the library literally, not just on the library's database). So, not knowing what to do, I found an article relevant to the assigned topic from a different journal. After I turned it in my instructor was confused and talked to me about it and we realized the misunderstanding. Thankfully, she accepted the work I did. This just goes to illustrate the gap that has been created in understanding sources of information from one generation to the next. Sometimes what our students might be thinking of will be different than what our older brains come up with.
Reflection #8:
I am amazed at all the things blogging is being used for! When I was doing my research on they future of technology and education articles on that topic were on blogs! It made me realize that there really are serious topics and issues being discussed by important people on blogs. I used to think that blogging was unreliable and purely subjective, which it can be, but as my horizon has opened I have found blogs being used very effectively in a role that is reliable and important.
Reflection #7:
My exposure to blogging within in the educational world is very limited and probably is only limited to the things we have seen in this class--so I was pleasantly surprised when I stumbled upon the use of blogging while inquiring about an assignment for another class. In my Special Needs in Education class we are required to interact with people with special needs in some context and the Special Olympics is an option. I found their website and emailed the point person. This person gave me some brief information but then pointed me to the Special Olympics BLOG. It was so helpful! There was up to date information on events, scores from previous events, news, pictures, and so on. It made me smile and immediately think about this class. It was very cool to see the organization using something like blogging to inform and give option for interaction.
Another way that online resources benefit the general public is....shopping! I know my mom, and many adults out there are especially grateful for this. The internet has made shopping more convenient and stress-free. Although it may be more expensive with shipping costs, many people find it worth it.
Reflection #11:
One great thing about the information being on the Internet is the ability to teach yourself. There are now many oppurtunities to watch youtube videos or just find articles on how to teach yourself to play an instrument, solve a rubix cube, make a recipe...it's crazy! Personally, I taught myself piano chords, and my boyfriend learned to play the guitar just by finding it online. I love how this is now free and available!
Reflection #10:
When I was looking around for information on the future of technology in education I came upon a youtube video talking about a classroom with an interactive ocean that students could explore. It was really cool! The students could observe ocean life and move around to different sections. An ocean researcher was commenting on how students can observe new discoveries from the classroom instead of having them come down with the divers. I thought this was a great learning experience.
Reflection #9:
For one of my other classes I misunderstood an assignment and I blame it on the increasing amount of reliable information on the Internet! By no means do I mean that this information is bad...it can just cause problems, especially when the directions are given from teacher to student. In one of my classes we were to research a topic using journal articles. What do I, as a member of the technology generation, first think of when I hear the phrase "journal articles"? Not the paper and ink kind of thing of course! I think of the online databases with thousands of journal articles. So, to start my assignment I tried to find the journals my instructor was talking about but couldn't (this was because they were in the library literally, not just on the library's database). So, not knowing what to do, I found an article relevant to the assigned topic from a different journal. After I turned it in my instructor was confused and talked to me about it and we realized the misunderstanding. Thankfully, she accepted the work I did. This just goes to illustrate the gap that has been created in understanding sources of information from one generation to the next. Sometimes what our students might be thinking of will be different than what our older brains come up with.
Reflection #8:
I am amazed at all the things blogging is being used for! When I was doing my research on they future of technology and education articles on that topic were on blogs! It made me realize that there really are serious topics and issues being discussed by important people on blogs. I used to think that blogging was unreliable and purely subjective, which it can be, but as my horizon has opened I have found blogs being used very effectively in a role that is reliable and important.
Reflection #7:
My exposure to blogging within in the educational world is very limited and probably is only limited to the things we have seen in this class--so I was pleasantly surprised when I stumbled upon the use of blogging while inquiring about an assignment for another class. In my Special Needs in Education class we are required to interact with people with special needs in some context and the Special Olympics is an option. I found their website and emailed the point person. This person gave me some brief information but then pointed me to the Special Olympics BLOG. It was so helpful! There was up to date information on events, scores from previous events, news, pictures, and so on. It made me smile and immediately think about this class. It was very cool to see the organization using something like blogging to inform and give option for interaction.
Week#13: Future of Technology and Education
It took me a while to find sources that actually made me think "wow! really?" by thinking about future technological devices in the classroom. This made me conclude that many people don't really know where technology will take us in the future. The classroom has been a late bloomer in integrating and using technology but the world of education is now embracing these norms and putting them in place in schools. And there are a few people that are thinking about and starting up things that will have a big hand in shaping the future of teaching and learning. Here are a few things I stumbled upon:
-One trend I found while reading a few articles was finding something that bridged the achievement gap, that gap between students that perform and different levels. On the Mindshift website: "What Should Future the Classroom of the Future Look Like?" article Salman Kahn predicted classrooms to look like one-room schoolhouses of the past with each students working at their own pace and the teachers are mentors or guides. There would be no divisions in subjects to eliminate the "pretending" factor in learning. I am not sure I agree with this. This kind of scenario seems to demote teachers to supervisors and rob them of the experience their training prepared them for.
-On a BBC News article titled "Classrooms of the Future" another author comments on the achievement gap. A promotional video starting a conference showed a school where students would swipe cards to enter the school and start them on "self-directed learning" First of all, the swiping cards idea is pretty cool and would definitely help with attendance. I'm not sure how effective this would be with elementary students though. The rest of the article talks mentions laptops and the roles they would play in a student's education. It would help them work at their own pace in an environment they were comfortable in (not necessarily a traditional classroom). The article was a little vague on the role of teachers but it seems like they would again be in a supervisor-type role, available for questions as students initiate their own learning. To me, this is a lot of responsibility to place into a high schoolers hands. The environment described in the article was this: "vast, open-plan spaces containing high-tec study areas equipped with palmtops, laptops, plasma screens, and electronic whiteboards" This study area seems great. I think it may work better with a teacher still present in the role they presently hold.
-The topic I gleaned from various sources and learned a lot about was virutal worlds. I had heard of Second Life and video games but didn't know to what extent they were being used in the classrooms. I was shocked to learn that Harvard University is using a virtual reality to be the site of an accredited course for those who may want to audit it. According to PBS Teachers website Learning Now and the article "CyberOne: A Glimpse of the Future Classroom?" by Andy Carvin, Harvard University already has a course that is supported by an online source of sharing. Documents can be downloaded, lectures are available, and discussions can start on the wiki. Through the virtual reality environment of Second Life people who want to audit the class can do so through this other reality. Harvard is a place you can visit in the parallel universe with the same pathways and buildings. The class is the same, there are just made up people walking around. Such a strange idea to me. Why not just live life in the real world? With who you really are? Needless to say, I was shocked and stunned. I know there are very good things that can come from online support of classes, but I don't think a total immersion into another life is necessary.
Along the same lines of virtual reality, I read an article that proved positive (in my opinion) in the integration of virtual and real life. Duke University's newpage Duke Today had an article called "Looking into the Future of Technology in the Classroom" that talked about a class that enters into a virtual reality to learn about negotiating peace. The program is called "Virtual Peace" and it was created by Duke researchers. Students in a public policy class use "Virtual Peace" to respond to a humanitarian crisis. The crisis is hurricane Mitch--an actual even affecting Honduras and Nicaragua in 1998. The students with their created avatars have to meet as international diplomats and make effective moves and decisions. The point of this whole program is to teach studetns how to negotiate peace, and respond to real-world problems. I think this is a fabulous idea! It helps students work together in groups and apply concepts to real problems.
These were the things I learned from the sources I could find on where technology is headed in the world of education. I know there is much more out there and this assignment has made me want to search for more information. I was amazed at how simply searching on youtube brings up ideas for classrooms of the future and lets others know what is being implemented right now.
-One trend I found while reading a few articles was finding something that bridged the achievement gap, that gap between students that perform and different levels. On the Mindshift website: "What Should Future the Classroom of the Future Look Like?" article Salman Kahn predicted classrooms to look like one-room schoolhouses of the past with each students working at their own pace and the teachers are mentors or guides. There would be no divisions in subjects to eliminate the "pretending" factor in learning. I am not sure I agree with this. This kind of scenario seems to demote teachers to supervisors and rob them of the experience their training prepared them for.
-On a BBC News article titled "Classrooms of the Future" another author comments on the achievement gap. A promotional video starting a conference showed a school where students would swipe cards to enter the school and start them on "self-directed learning" First of all, the swiping cards idea is pretty cool and would definitely help with attendance. I'm not sure how effective this would be with elementary students though. The rest of the article talks mentions laptops and the roles they would play in a student's education. It would help them work at their own pace in an environment they were comfortable in (not necessarily a traditional classroom). The article was a little vague on the role of teachers but it seems like they would again be in a supervisor-type role, available for questions as students initiate their own learning. To me, this is a lot of responsibility to place into a high schoolers hands. The environment described in the article was this: "vast, open-plan spaces containing high-tec study areas equipped with palmtops, laptops, plasma screens, and electronic whiteboards" This study area seems great. I think it may work better with a teacher still present in the role they presently hold.
-The topic I gleaned from various sources and learned a lot about was virutal worlds. I had heard of Second Life and video games but didn't know to what extent they were being used in the classrooms. I was shocked to learn that Harvard University is using a virtual reality to be the site of an accredited course for those who may want to audit it. According to PBS Teachers website Learning Now and the article "CyberOne: A Glimpse of the Future Classroom?" by Andy Carvin, Harvard University already has a course that is supported by an online source of sharing. Documents can be downloaded, lectures are available, and discussions can start on the wiki. Through the virtual reality environment of Second Life people who want to audit the class can do so through this other reality. Harvard is a place you can visit in the parallel universe with the same pathways and buildings. The class is the same, there are just made up people walking around. Such a strange idea to me. Why not just live life in the real world? With who you really are? Needless to say, I was shocked and stunned. I know there are very good things that can come from online support of classes, but I don't think a total immersion into another life is necessary.
Along the same lines of virtual reality, I read an article that proved positive (in my opinion) in the integration of virtual and real life. Duke University's newpage Duke Today had an article called "Looking into the Future of Technology in the Classroom" that talked about a class that enters into a virtual reality to learn about negotiating peace. The program is called "Virtual Peace" and it was created by Duke researchers. Students in a public policy class use "Virtual Peace" to respond to a humanitarian crisis. The crisis is hurricane Mitch--an actual even affecting Honduras and Nicaragua in 1998. The students with their created avatars have to meet as international diplomats and make effective moves and decisions. The point of this whole program is to teach studetns how to negotiate peace, and respond to real-world problems. I think this is a fabulous idea! It helps students work together in groups and apply concepts to real problems.
These were the things I learned from the sources I could find on where technology is headed in the world of education. I know there is much more out there and this assignment has made me want to search for more information. I was amazed at how simply searching on youtube brings up ideas for classrooms of the future and lets others know what is being implemented right now.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Week #12: Klausman, Plagiarism, and the Internet
The article "Teaching about Plagiarism in the Age of the Internet" discusses a very prevalent issue in today's educational world. I can identify with the students that are encouraged now to use at least one paper source when it used to be encouraging one Internet source. The Internet has become a new kind of library to the students researching and writing papers. Not only is plagiarism a problem for students but finding reliable sources is another hurdle whenlloking at online information. I just finished a paper for my history class this last weekend and it's difficult to find the information you need, from a source that's valid, and then paraphrase/cite it properly. One thing I learned from the article was that there are different kinds of plagairism: direct, parahprase, and patchwork plaigairaism. The last two are unintentional. One thing that confused me was why using different sources for a paragraph made a difference. If that source was the only source helpful for the topic of the paragraph why would others be needed?
Monday, November 8, 2010
Week #11: Lessons Integrating Microsoft Office
Three different lessons integrating Microsoft Office:
1) Students doing a math lesson on statistics and graphing could work in groups to collect data about a topic and enter the information into Excel. Then they could make a relevant chart from their findings and show the class.
2) Students practicing writing could type a letter on Word addressed to the teacher about one thing they want to do when they grow up. They can go through the writing process, print it out, and put it in an envelope addressed to the teacher.
3) In social studies when talking about different cultures students could make a Powerpoint presentation on the place they are from or a place that interests them.
1) Students doing a math lesson on statistics and graphing could work in groups to collect data about a topic and enter the information into Excel. Then they could make a relevant chart from their findings and show the class.
2) Students practicing writing could type a letter on Word addressed to the teacher about one thing they want to do when they grow up. They can go through the writing process, print it out, and put it in an envelope addressed to the teacher.
3) In social studies when talking about different cultures students could make a Powerpoint presentation on the place they are from or a place that interests them.
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