Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Emerging Technologies Project

The first emerging technology that I researched were iPODs. These are no longer being used for just playing music. Teachers are beginning to use iPODs in the classroom. Teachers are using iPODs to support second language learners, address the needs of diverse learners, and motivate struggling readers. Because the iPOD is portable students are able to learn where and when they want. I feel that using iPODs in my class will have an impact on my teaching or preparation for teaching.

When using iPODs I will have to plan ahead of time to download lessons onto the iPODs. This type of technology will lead to less teacher-student interaction. Although there may be less instructing from teachers when using iPODs students will now have the opportunity to really think things through for themselves. They will get more of a chance to work on their problem solving skills. iPODs are another way to engage students in learning. This information on iPODs was obtained from apple.com.

The second emerging technology that I researched was interactive smart boards. Many people say that using smart boards will both change the way teachers teach and the way students learn. Smart boards allow teachers access to multiple resources. The boards also reach a large number of learning styles in students. This allows more students to be more engaged which leads to more success in the classroom. This information was obtained from the website inderdependenttribune.com.

The last emerging technology that I researched was virtual reality. This is a technology that is slowly making its way into the classroom. Virtual reality allows students to explore, engage, and visualize school work. It allows students to get out of their desks and move around the classroom while still learning. When students use virtual reality they wear headsets which keeps students from being distracted. Students feel more engaged and more willing to learn. If I were teaching using virtual reality I would have to come up with a system so all students get an equal opportunity to use this type of learning. I would also have to have my lessons set up ahead of time so if some students move faster through topics or lessons I am prepared and have something for them to do. The information for this topic was found on thejournal.com.

Friday, March 28, 2008

Kiosk Reflection

I believe that I can utilize PowerPoint kiosks in my teaching to enhance teaching/student learning. Using the kiosk was a fun way for students to interact with computers and technology to learn. It gives students a fun new way to learn material instead of the usual textbook or worksheet. The kiosks are interactive and a way for students to also use and improve using technology.

I believe all learners would benefit from using PowerPoint kiosk. You can reach many learning styles by incorporating reading of the material, but also by watching and listening to movies. Students who have not had technology education or know how to use computers may struggle with the use of kiosks at first, but should be able to catch on fairly easily with proper directions.

I really liked the other kiosks that my classmates made. They gave me many ideas on the types of topics and subjects that can be used for kiosk projects. I especially liked the kiosk's on the four seasons and dinosaurs. Learning about those topics is usually fun, but students can become bored or overwhelmed if only textbooks are used for learning. This is especially true for students when learning about dinosaurs and the many different time periods they lived in. Using a kiosk can break it down and approach a topic this like differently instead of the normal reading from a textbook.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

TeacherWeb Reflection

1. What do you like about TeacherWeb/ Class websites?
I like that students get a chance to use technology as a learning tool. It gives them a chance to look online at class website instead of having to carry around separate sheets of paper that are easily lost. They are also good because it gives parents the opportunity to see what their children are learning. It is also a way to quickly communicate with students.

2. What would you like to see/have differently?
I would have liked more time in class to work on our websites. I felt that I did most of the website work at home instead of in class. Other than that issue I felt that it was a fun and educational project for me.

3. How would TeacherWeb be beneficial in your classroom, as a teaching tool, in student learning?
It would be beneficial in my future classroom as a teaching tool in student learning because it would allow students to learn more about technology. It teaches them how to go from website to website, take quizzes online, and communicate with other students with blogging.

4. What problems do you for see about using TeacherWeb in your classroom?
The only problem that I could see about using TeacherWeb in my classroom would be not all students may have a computer at home. This would be an issue because then they would not have access to the website.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Concept Mapping Software

Concept mapping in classrooms can be a powerful learning tool. The purpose of concept mapping is to start with a broad subject and then slowly break it down. It creates a visual layout of relationships and is easily organized. These can be useful for any subject. One way to use concept mapping is to have the class as a whole develop a concept map of material that is going to be covered in a unit. They can also link material that they have already learned to new material. Concept mapping is a good way to integrate technology into the classroom.

Ideas for units that I might use concept mapping in my future classroom would include a unit on the different regions of Indians. The example concept map that I made in class was about Pacific Northwest Indians. I broke that down into specific topics such as shelter, art, food/hunting, roles of men and women. I would also use concept mapping for topics such as the Oregon Trail and dinosaurs.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Blogs in Education

1) Three interesting ways blogs are being used in K-12 classrooms include what used to be pen pals, but now with blogs. When I was in elementary we had pen pals because we were not used to having computers in class and we were also only just starting to learn to type. Know students are learning to use computers at a much younger age and are able to communicate through blogs which are much faster than regular mail. Another way that blogs are being used in the classroom is to communicate with parents. It is faster and more efficient to post questions or concerns to a blog then to wait for notes to come back and forth. Parents are also able to see what their children are working on. Blogging for students keep them thinking and posting their own ideas. It also gives them the chance to respond quickly to other students views. Students also can use blogs for reflective writing or journals, submitting assinments, groupwork, and sharing course-related resources with other students.


2) Using aggregators within a classroom would be beneficial to student learning. They can teach students how to search topics for research projects. They are quick and easy ways for teachers to connect students to websites on topics that are covered in the classroom. They are also helpful for keeping track of your favorite websites and blogs.

3) There are a couple of impacts that blogging has on K-12 classrooms. Blogging can improve many of students skills. These could include reading, writing, typing speed, and creative thinking. Blogging also allows parents to have advance notice about homework that is due. This allows parents to help students and to keep them updated with what their child is learning. Children become exicted when they get to blog to each other, so it keeps them interested in the classroom.

4) There are both pros and cons of using blogs in education. A couple of cons are not all students have computers at home, so it would be important to make all blogging done in class. Another con is the possible saftey of blogging. It is important that for younger students teachers keep blogs only between the classmates. This prevents outsiders from communicating with the students. A pro is that blogging is quick. A student can post something and a teacher can have a response posted quickly. Another pro is that with older students feedback can come from more people than just a teacher. As a teacher you could set up their blogs to be viewed by outside people, allowing a wider range of feedback to be posted.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom

The intelligence that I scored the highest in was the intrapersonal intelligence. Some of the characteristics that go along with this intelligence are collaborative skills, social influence, social empathy, and social connection. I think the characteristic that best fits me is social connection because it includes a skill for meaningfully relating to others, which I believe I do very well.

Students with this intelligence enjoy collaborative work, enjoy sharing about themselves, tend to be natural leaders, and value relationships. Supporting this intelligence in my classroom would be easy. I would include activities where students could work in groups, allowing competition in the classroom that promotes higher level achievement, and forming cooperative groups where each member has an assigned role. The technology that stimulates this type of learning could include computers, games, and books.

Multiple intelligences could impact student learning within classrooms. As a future teacher it is my job to be able to reach out to all students and teach to all the multiple intelligences, even if it is not the one that I think is the best. My role is to teach students the best way I can so they can understand the material. This means that I need to be versatile in my teaching. All students can learn using all of the multiple intelligences, some just work better for others. Teaching material using the different types of intelligences makes everyday and every lesson interesting.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Day 1

So this is my first day in T & L 445. We used Photoshop for the first time today.