Chapter ten was a very informative and important chapter. I think all teachers will have diverse learners. Some might need assistive technology to assist them with connecting with the student and others will need technology to help keep students engaged. Technology doesn't have to be the main focal point of a classroom but it can help to break up textbook time. Three main concepts that I liked in this chapter was Text Reading software, accommodations and electronic spellers and dictionaries.
Text reading software or text to speech software is such a great tool to have in a classroom.
Especially when English is a second language to some students. A software like this could really be beneficial. I remember when I was younger they actually had an early morning class that started at like 6:30am for students that wanted to learn English and they had a version of this software. It would show the image of a duck. It would pronounce the word duck a few times and ask that you pronounced it out loud as well. I remember kids actually following along and learning English this way. They had different test at the end to see how much you learned and different levels. You weren't giving a grade for this work it was really just a resource for students that really wanted to learn English.
Electronic spellers and dictionaries is another fun tool for students. Growing up I loved the dictionary. I would read a few pages of the dictionary just to expand my vocabulary. If I didn't know a word I would write it down and look it up in the dictionary. I think tools like this are great for active reading. If a student doesn't know a word in the book they could look it up and have the definition and the way to pronounce it and continue on with reading their book. Electronic spellers are also helpful for students that find spelling to be hard. I know my sister always gets letters backwards so a tool like this could be really helpful for her. There are so many of these devices now a days and they range in price, but can be really resourceful for students of all ages.
Accommodations I thought was a really important concept in chapter 10. Accommodations to learning shouldn't be modifications for a less substantial educational experience. We should make accommodations for students struggling in certain subject areas. Some accommodations that will keep students still doing the same amount of work as other students might be individual tutoring, educational apps and self-paced exams or even extra time on exams. Another key point of accommodations is the technology we use. Technology offers two key routes in the classroom for diverse learners to easily access key ideas and concepts. First supporting changes in the classroom environment and secondly the delivery of the material in the classroom. Low tech accommodations are inexpensive and are easier to make. Mid- tech involves some digital materials to deliver curriculum, and high tech accommodations introduces changes with bringing in computers and other technologies into the classroom.
I think these three concepts are wonderful tools to bring into the classroom. Text reading software can benefit English as a second language students, or even young kids just learning how to read and write. Electronic spellers and dictionaries is another tool that is very helpful for children of all ages. I think being a teacher you learn to make some accommodations for students that are struggling. I think as a teacher you have to be flexible and see what works and what doesn't work.
Resources:
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
ToonDoo created by Ella Kies
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Saturday, February 21, 2015
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Blog Post # E Chapter 7
Software is the brain of the computer, it’s made up of a million different codes that tell the computer hardware how to function properly. In the book it discusses a few different type: system, application, standard, and open- source software. I looked more into software to see if new computers come with software and a lot of them have a startup system installed but they no longer provide a hard copy (discs, c.d) of that start up systems. The system software is responsible for the overall functioning and control of the computer. System software includes operating system, network operating system, database managers and TP monitor. Those systems all communicate with each other to get the computer working properly.
Application software provides a variety of services, many that digital natives grew up with. Some popular application software that many people will recognize is Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat, Norton Antivirus and the list goes on and on. Application software is a set of one or more programs designed to carry out operations for a specific application. There are so many software programs that you can choose from photography, music, if you want to learn Spanish, there are application software for that too. Application software is great but it cannot run itself. It’s dependent on system software to execute.
A really neat application software is Google earth. Google earth is really neat to bring into the class room because there is really no right or wrong answer for students. It’s really an exploration type of software. Google earth was first released in 2005 as a free web tool. It is made up of photos taken by satellites and aircraft of virtually every location in the world. It’s updated by Google and sometimes you can even see the Google earth car rolling around in the neighborhood. Which I have seen on a few occasions myself.
System software, application software and Google earth are three important types of software. Without system software any other software would not be able to function. System software is like the foundation of software it haves to be there to make a computer function properly. Application software is all the fun and interesting things we can do on a computer a lot of application software is used in school. Growing up PowerPoint was one of the main application software we used in school. Google earth is a neat type of software that teachers can use in the classroom for many different subjects. Whether it’s for science to explore space, or geography to learn different states or countries. Its great to incorporate software in school giving students great tools to play with.
https://magic.piktochart.com/editor/piktochart/4504298#
Maloy,
Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly
Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston,
MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/T/TP_monitor.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application_software
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Blog Post # D chapter 5
Three concepts that I picked to blog about this week from chapter 5 is search engines, electronic note-taking, and free text search. These three concepts are things that I use on a daily or weekly basis or plan to use in the future. I think there all great ideas that have impacted many people lives. Changing the way we receive information. Technology is a great tool to have when searching for information.
We all use search engines to get information from the internet. I know I use google all the time. Just last week I seen a guy that reminded me of an actor in a movie I seen a long time ago. I couldn’t remember the actor name or any of the movies he had a role in. I asked my mom and sister by describing him and saying he was a 1980 actor, they couldn’t help me and really had no information for me based on what I told them. So I just googled it. I put 1980 actors in the search box and sure enough he popped up, Steve Guttenberg. I really didn’t need to know that information but the technology allows me to get answers to silly questions like that. I really didn’t look into the real technology behind search engines until I read chapter five. A Search engine is a software program that uses networks of computers to access information from its databases. Its fast and it gives you a ton of sites with information related to whatever you typed in the search box. It’s one of the most popular activities on the internet. I personally use google all the time and I’m pretty good at finding the information I’m searching for.
Now depending on what you’re looking for you have a few ways to search. A lot of search engines offer three ways to search information on the internet. I personally like free text search also called full text search. But that’s only if I’m looking for random information. Like on celebrities or anything that I’m just browsing for myself. Basically you type something in the search box and it looks for sites that have those words in the title, keyword, and description fields. Then you quickly get thousands of sites with the information you wanted. The only problem with this kind of search is its time consuming. If you have deadlines you would want to do a keyword/exact match search which retrieves only resources that contain that exact word or phrase you put in the search box. I usually do a free text search I personally find my information faster that way. The last way is Boolean search you use the terms AND, OR, and NOT to create more complex queries. I’ve never used this way of searching and actually never heard of it till this chapter.
My last concept is electronic note taking, at first I thought it was those like receipt scanners that file all documents and stuff, but I was wrong. But I picked this because I thought it was very interesting because you use technology to organize and speed up note taking. Electronic note-taking transfer the work of writing, filing, and organizing to your computer allowing you to just take notes without thinking about anything else. It allows you access to your notes from any electronic device. This type of system is great for teachers who move from different classrooms. I thought it was interesting because a lot of times note taking makes your hand hurts. So I thought it was a neat idea for students who have classes with a lot of note taking. But it’s also great for teachers. There are more and more programs coming out for electronic note taking. I’ve personally never used any I have like a note pad feature on my phone but that is not the same as the electronic note taking that is being discussed in the chapter. I ‘am interested of actually working in one of these programs.
These three technology terms are a familiarity with the majority of the U.S population. I know that I really enjoy using search engines and the different types of ways you can research information whether it’s for leisure time or because you have a report due. The electronic note taking I have never used but I ‘am intrigued by the system and having your notes and stuff there and available to you whenever you need them. I think these are great things to have as a student or a teacher.
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| photo credit to: FindYourSearch on Flickr |
Resources:
Maloy, R., O’Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.
Flickr
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Digital Blog # C chapter 3
There was so many informative concepts in chapter 3. This chapter talked a lot about research in the science of learning. How teaching is organized around four different learning theories. How technology can aid with problem solving and critical thinking for students of all ages. One concept that I thought was something important to reflect on was Internet Literacy and its importance for students. I will also reflect on group work and digital citizenship.
There is so much stuff on the web these days good and bad. Having students access the web they really need to grasp an understanding that not all things are true. With information literacy and internet literacy they can do just that. Information literate students can go through information and realize the difference between persuasive Information sources, objective sources, and satirical sources. If a student can’t decipher between these they can become overwhelmed. Making it hard for them to be good critical thinkers. Internet literacy branches off of Information literacy. What many students do these things is believe whatever they see on the web. That’s why it’s so important to be internet literate. When a student is internet literate they can go through websites finding real information that is relevant to their assignment.
Group work was a concept I wanted to talk about because I remember being in middle school and loved when we had group work. For me group work was a time to talk with your friends while getting your work done. I could easily get help on a part of the assignment I didn’t understand. It also made it okay to not understand something because if one person didn’t get it usually more people didn’t get it as well. Technology sets up great opportunities to work in groups. It takes the teacher from being the focal point and lets the students take on different roles. Collaborating with my peers was something that I enjoyed and I know many other students enjoyed doing as well. I wasn’t much of a speaker so I could choose to take notes. “Delegating authority in an instructional task is making students responsible for specific parts of their work”, sociologist Elizabeth Cohen stated. Technology allows group work to initiate a lasting learning experience among peers.
Digital citizenship extends the concept of citizenship to all aspects of the digital experience. Broken down in 3 parts with a total of nine elements digital citizenship is now an important part of the school curriculum. When you post certain things online it’s subject to copyright protection. Just like other copy right laws of plagiarisms they also extend online as well. As a digital citizen you have the responsibility of being ethical online and rejecting material that may get you in trouble. When students access material online at school teachers have to teach students how to give credit where credit is due and then it’s up to a student to be truthful.
I think a lot of teachers do fail to teach students the right way site sources and it has become harder for the student, myself as well to find the author or publisher of a website or of different information online. I think we as people have gotten into a nasty habit of taking things online and just putting them wherever we need them without giving a second thought of who created this image, poem, or whatever the case may be. Digital citizenship is our rights to be able to express ourselves online but we also have to have respect for other citizens online and the information they post. Group work is something I enjoyed as a student growing up. I think with all the new technology the world haves now it’s even a better experience than before. Internet literacy I think is one of the most important concepts I’ve talked about because we as learners and educators have to get educated on online information. It’s not all real or helpful and people are becoming too gullible with research they find online. You have to research the research to make sure its real factual information.
This was actually in our book about how The university of Connecticut and Clemson University created a website with a fake animal. If you read the comments below the video some people believe it or are confused about it. This is one of the reason its important to be internet literate.
Resources:
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
"Save the Tree Octopus." YouTube. N.p., 15 Nov. 2008. Web. 28 Jan. 2015
Digital Blog Post # B Chapter 2
Understanding educational technology issues and trends was a very interesting chapter. It showed the impact of technology on the way Teachers teach and students learn. I think technology is going to have more of an impact on academics each year because there is so many neat teaching tools out there that can be used to help students learn. Three things that really sparked my interest was teacher centered teaching,student centered teaching, and digital divides.
Teacher centered and student centered teaching I think are two concepts that have to be discussed together. Both are types of teaching philosophies. As a teacher you will kind of have to decide which teaching style you will convey in your classroom. Teacher- centered teaching is what many adults born before 1980 had growing up. The teacher is the main focal point of learning information they are the knowledgeable ones and they give information to the student who is a novice. They use quantitative measures like test scores to determine who is receiving and comprehending the information correctly. I don’t necessarily disagree with this method of teaching, but I think it can be boring and outdated. I say outdated in the sense of; there is so many technology tools out there that we can expand on this teaching style.
Another teaching philosophy is the Student centered teaching. With this style of teaching teachers believe that making different experiences for students that they can explore and discover things on their own is the best way to teach them. Student centered teaching takes the focal point off the teacher, and gives the students a chance to ask questions, and engage in conversations with the teacher and each other. I like this style of teaching because it does give the students’ time to interact with each other and gain social skills that will be helpful in the real world. With this style of teaching you’re able to incorporate technology to be a resource in aiding in exploring and discovery of information.
Digital divides was a concept that I think effects many schools and is one problem that teachers have when trying to incorporate technology in the classroom. Digital divides is basically students not having the access to the latest technologies at home or in the school setting. According to our textbook low- income, nonwhite, urban, and rural youngsters are the ones affected by digital divides. Digital divides causes a chain reaction causing participation gaps which causes achievement gaps. I know living in Naples even for a short while I didn’t have a computer at home but I’ve always had access to computers at school, and public libraries. I know a lot of other schools in poor areas don’t have that luxury. Which is a sad thing because being educated in technology is a great skill to have and something you need in today’s society. I see so many job posting requiring for people to have knowledge in different computer software.
Teacher- centered teaching, student- centered teaching and digital divides are three concepts that stood out to me in this chapter. I think with teaching you have to find a balance between the two teaching styles. I think bringing technology in the classroom can only be a plus to the learning experience. I think test and lectures are good every now and then. But I know when I was in computer class I paid more attention to Mavis beacon teaches typing then my actual teacher going over the keys on the keyboard. I think digital divides also reminds us that not everyone can afford a computer or the latest gadget that comes out. Not all schools are equal or have the same level of income. But I also think teachers do a great job of making sure students can access online assignments at home or making sure there is enough time to get things done in class.
Resources:
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Digital Post Blog # A Chapter 1
I did observing
hours today for one of my college courses and it made me think of one of my
concepts that I’m going to be discussing and that’s a digital childhood. I was
observing in a high school, I haven’t been in my old high school for 9 years.
Looking around all I saw was technology. Beats by Dre. Head phones, cellphone
and tablets. I even saw a kid walking around with a modern day boom box. Still shocking to see walking the halls of a
high school. I remember when I was younger and although we had many of those things
that I saw today, the main difference was the acceptance of the technology
devices in the school. The teacher himself told me that he doesn't even try to argue
with the students on putting those things away because the work is still
getting done. It’s true that many of these students that are now seniors in
high school grew up with a digital childhood, to them this behavior is normal,
and to me I was honestly quite stunned. We were also in the computer lab so I
was defiantly surrounded by technology today.
The differences 9 years make was amazing to me. It got me thinking about
school when my son gets that age. He is also living a digital childhood. ABC
mouse, puzzle apps and painting. My son is part of a new generation he will
never know what it’s like to not have so much knowledge at his fingertips. All
great but what is going to happen to books?
Technology based
textbooks, I thought I was surprised by all the use of technology in the school
but when the teacher told me they no longer had textbooks my mouth about hit
the floor, he said students access the textbooks online and that they do not
assign textbooks anymore. To read that in our book about technology based text
books and then to actually see it coming to reality is unbelievable. The school
does get a class set but they only get assigned if someone doesn't have access
to the internet at home. In our textbook it mentioned about “low income youngsters
are less likely to have access to the latest high-speed, highly interactive
technologies” (Maloy, et al (2014, pp. 4-5) .Which causes a participation gap. I
know in our course book it refers more to technology – based text books as not
being a core textbook but the teacher can find material related to the subject
for students to read or the teacher can even author their own material and post
them to keep the students engaged in the material. I think that’s great
especially in subjects like poetry or math, I think sometimes fresh ideas is a
good way to get a student motivated.
Technological Pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) is three forms of
knowledge brought together by teachers to give students a more engaging
learning experience. This gives students the ability to use technology to
understand the material. It also means teachers using different methods and
ideas when teaching academic material. I think technology and education should
really start going hand and hand together. I think that the generation has
changed. We are now living in a digital age, I think to not let technology be a
helper in the education process is not going to keep a student with a digital
childhood engaged.
I think all
these concepts will be a factor on my teaching style. It will impact me as a
teacher because I will have to keep up with the technology, if I don’t want to
be left behind and if I don’t want to leave my students behind as well. I think
homework programs and tutoring style technology is great. Students get
automatic feedback and teachers can see how much time a student spends on a
problem. I think that when it comes to TPACK and knowing my students are from a
digital childhood, I think you can tailor your delivery of teaching
differently. You can explore with the new technologies out there. I think
actually being in a high school or a school and seeing the digital generation
is really amazing. You can see where one might not be engaged if everything was
straight out of a textbook. I can see the slow movement toward a more
technological society. Below i put a hyperlink of the pro's and cons of digital textbooks and my video link is a great idea of how the classroom will look in the future.
Resources:
Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.
"Technology in Education: A Future Classroom." YouTube. YouTube, 2014. Web. 22 Jan. 2015.
"Tablets vs. Textbooks - ProCon.org." ProConorg Headlines. N.p., 2004. Web. 21 Jan. 2015.
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