I came across a short article called, Technology Expert Visits Minot talking about a man named David Warlick. He is a technology expert that travels around the world speaking to educators. He was visiting North Dakota and speaking to educators across the state about how to take technology and incorporate it into the classroom. Warlick believes that a lot of the same technology that students use for fun can also be used for learning. He says that items such as video games are actually learning engines. (FYI, David Warlick is the author of the blog 2cents worth...one that we in this class had the option of reading)
This short article made me stop and think a little bit about the way that the world viewed technology when I was growing up. Video games were thought to be something that made kids stupid and lazy. This just isn't the case anymore. I see the potential that these items have for learning. I vow to be a teacher that will let students learn in the way that suits them best. If that means playing a Leap Frog video game to practice math facts, than so be it. Who am I to tell a student how to learn? As long as they are learning, what does it matter?
Monday, October 13, 2008
Assisnment #2: Resources
On my del.icio.us account I currently have 5 bundles. They are:
Educational Games where I am keeping a list of sites where I can find good educational games to be used on the interactive white board or by students individually on a computer.
Elementary Math where I keep track of sites that can aid me in teaching elementary math.
Elementary Science where I am putting sites that I come across that offer ideas about good science experiments and lessons for elementary science education.
Teacher Enrichment is a bundle where I am keeping sites that have information that I consider helpful and important to me as a teacher. These sites are things that offer good deals on supplies, articles that are pertinent, and even ideas for lesson plans.
Technology in the Classroom is a place for me to put sites that pertain to the use of technology in the classroom. These sites include links to things that would be fun to use in a class like the ANIMOTO video.
Here are a few of my favorite sites:
How Everyday Things are Made is a site put out by Standford University. It is a really fun site that offers videos about how everyday things are made. The list of items include everything from different candy to airplanes. I think that this is a great resource to have as a teacher. It comes from a reliable source and is something that would be engaging and helpful in the classroom.
Oriental Trading Company is a wonderful place to get supplies for your classroom. They have a special teacher section which includes items such as charts specifically for the classroom at REALLY good prices.
Fun Brain is a site sponsored by Leap Frog. It is a site full of fun, educational games and activities for grades K-8. Games from this site can be played on the interactive white board or individually during computer time.
Math Fact Cafe is a great site where you can make and print custom math flashcards, worksheets, or even game pieces.
I have become a del.icio.us lover! I find this technology very helpful for teachers. Our Internet is so vast it is impossible to know where to find the best sites. With the use of del.icio.us, good sites can be saved and shared with others. This is helpful to teachers because it allows them to check and see what other teachers are doing and to use those resources also. It's an easy way to share resources.
Educational Games where I am keeping a list of sites where I can find good educational games to be used on the interactive white board or by students individually on a computer.
Elementary Math where I keep track of sites that can aid me in teaching elementary math.
Elementary Science where I am putting sites that I come across that offer ideas about good science experiments and lessons for elementary science education.
Teacher Enrichment is a bundle where I am keeping sites that have information that I consider helpful and important to me as a teacher. These sites are things that offer good deals on supplies, articles that are pertinent, and even ideas for lesson plans.
Technology in the Classroom is a place for me to put sites that pertain to the use of technology in the classroom. These sites include links to things that would be fun to use in a class like the ANIMOTO video.
Here are a few of my favorite sites:
How Everyday Things are Made is a site put out by Standford University. It is a really fun site that offers videos about how everyday things are made. The list of items include everything from different candy to airplanes. I think that this is a great resource to have as a teacher. It comes from a reliable source and is something that would be engaging and helpful in the classroom.
Oriental Trading Company is a wonderful place to get supplies for your classroom. They have a special teacher section which includes items such as charts specifically for the classroom at REALLY good prices.
Fun Brain is a site sponsored by Leap Frog. It is a site full of fun, educational games and activities for grades K-8. Games from this site can be played on the interactive white board or individually during computer time.
Math Fact Cafe is a great site where you can make and print custom math flashcards, worksheets, or even game pieces.
I have become a del.icio.us lover! I find this technology very helpful for teachers. Our Internet is so vast it is impossible to know where to find the best sites. With the use of del.icio.us, good sites can be saved and shared with others. This is helpful to teachers because it allows them to check and see what other teachers are doing and to use those resources also. It's an easy way to share resources.
Reflection #3
This semester in school I have a lot of classes where the content overlaps or applies to other classes. For instance my Special Needs in Education class and my Instructional Design class both overlap and include material relevant to this class, Technology in Education. Let me explain...
Special Needs is a class that teaches us how to teach students with special needs. Instructional Design teaches us how to teach. Recently we have been discussing ways to effecitivally teach to students with special needs in both of those classes. One thing that is very helpful in teaching to students with special needs is the use of technology...which overlaps with this class.
Using things such as an interactive white board and PowerPoint's helps students who have special needs such as Autism. It provides a hands on approach with moving items. I feel excited to be learning in an environment where everything pertains to one another. The things that I am learning in this class, like how to use the interactive white board, are helping me understand some of the things in my other classes. I can visualize the things I would do with the interactive white board to help a student who has special needs.
It is great when everything comes together in a way that makes you feel confident that you really understand the material that you are learning. I feel confident that I understand the basics of how technology works and will be able to use it not only to help special needs students, but all of my students.
Special Needs is a class that teaches us how to teach students with special needs. Instructional Design teaches us how to teach. Recently we have been discussing ways to effecitivally teach to students with special needs in both of those classes. One thing that is very helpful in teaching to students with special needs is the use of technology...which overlaps with this class.
Using things such as an interactive white board and PowerPoint's helps students who have special needs such as Autism. It provides a hands on approach with moving items. I feel excited to be learning in an environment where everything pertains to one another. The things that I am learning in this class, like how to use the interactive white board, are helping me understand some of the things in my other classes. I can visualize the things I would do with the interactive white board to help a student who has special needs.
It is great when everything comes together in a way that makes you feel confident that you really understand the material that you are learning. I feel confident that I understand the basics of how technology works and will be able to use it not only to help special needs students, but all of my students.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Reflection #2
Technology is a funny thing. It is possibly one of the only things that I sit down and start to fiddle with and look up and two hours have gone by. Case in point: my blogger background. Though it doesn't look like anything special right now, I have just spent the past couple hours playing with it...finally settling on basic with a cute owl picture and a couple punches of purple.
I guess what I am thinking is the fact that teachers are expected to use technology. This isn't a bad thing, however it certainly is a time consuming thing. I feel like there are so many things in technology to learn and see and do...that one can never learn, see, and do them all. How does a teacher learn how to do all of these great things and still maintain a semblance of a normal life?
I wrote a previous blog entry about the technology in my observation class and the fact that it isn't all being used. I understand why...there simply isn't enough time to figure it all out. But I love all of the possible things that I can do with technology. I guess it comes with the passion for learning new things. It's 11:30 on a Saturday night and I would rather sit here and figure this technology stuff out than watch a movie. I just want to know it all...it's just going to come with time.
I guess what I am thinking is the fact that teachers are expected to use technology. This isn't a bad thing, however it certainly is a time consuming thing. I feel like there are so many things in technology to learn and see and do...that one can never learn, see, and do them all. How does a teacher learn how to do all of these great things and still maintain a semblance of a normal life?
I wrote a previous blog entry about the technology in my observation class and the fact that it isn't all being used. I understand why...there simply isn't enough time to figure it all out. But I love all of the possible things that I can do with technology. I guess it comes with the passion for learning new things. It's 11:30 on a Saturday night and I would rather sit here and figure this technology stuff out than watch a movie. I just want to know it all...it's just going to come with time.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Smart Board
Playing...no sorry...using the SMARTBoard was a lot of fun! I can see how it would be so beneficial to use in the classroom. The SMARTBoard brand of interactive boards are so easy to use. The software is very manageable and does so many neat things. I would assume that other brands of interactive boards would do the same thing.
I would try to use an interactive board everyday if I had one in my classroom. I can see it being especially helpful with mathematics, that would probably be my focus. Especially in our reformed math world that we are changing into. It's something that would work for every grade level as well.
The fifteen minutes that we had to spend with the SMARTBoard was simply not enough! I could have spent an hour and not gotten tired of using it and figuring it out. I am excited to have some more time so that I can become comfortable with it.
I would try to use an interactive board everyday if I had one in my classroom. I can see it being especially helpful with mathematics, that would probably be my focus. Especially in our reformed math world that we are changing into. It's something that would work for every grade level as well.
The fifteen minutes that we had to spend with the SMARTBoard was simply not enough! I could have spent an hour and not gotten tired of using it and figuring it out. I am excited to have some more time so that I can become comfortable with it.
Blogs for Educators
I found a blog that I really enjoy. It's called The Tech Savvy Educator. I like this blog because the writer is being honest about his experiences with using technology in education. He also has some great ideas.
I appreciated his entry, Reading...that thing we did before video. I find this entry interesting because he is telling about a little problem he is having with students trying to find information without reading the material. I think this is an important problem that teachers, as digital immigrants, need to be aware of. Children today are used to seeing a video that tells them the answers or being able to just skim a paragraph on a website and have the answer jump out at them. I think that while using technology is a great thing, we need to be sure to properly educate our students in the way to do research.
Another entry that I really enjoyed was a lesson idea called The Google Earth Scavenger Hunt. This is a fun scavenger hunt where the students use the wonderful world of Google to find landmarks. I cannot wait to use this idea in my class! You really should check it out.
I appreciated his entry, Reading...that thing we did before video. I find this entry interesting because he is telling about a little problem he is having with students trying to find information without reading the material. I think this is an important problem that teachers, as digital immigrants, need to be aware of. Children today are used to seeing a video that tells them the answers or being able to just skim a paragraph on a website and have the answer jump out at them. I think that while using technology is a great thing, we need to be sure to properly educate our students in the way to do research.
Another entry that I really enjoyed was a lesson idea called The Google Earth Scavenger Hunt. This is a fun scavenger hunt where the students use the wonderful world of Google to find landmarks. I cannot wait to use this idea in my class! You really should check it out.
Reflection #1
My cooperating class is in a large school. They are in a district that has money. The classrooms are all stocked with brand new technology. My third grade class has two teacher computers, four student computers, an interactive board, and a document reader just to name a few. I think this is so amazing!
However, I don't see it being used! This frustrates me. My teacher uses the document camera quite a bit and will at times use the projector to post class rules or on task behavior expectations...but that's it. I feel like there is so much teaching and learning that can be done by using these resources. What is hard is that it takes up so much time to try to incorporate these pieces of technology into lessons. Designing a lesson plan on the interactive board takes a lot of effort.
The other week the math lesson was on elapsed time. My cooperating teacher and I could not figure out why the students were having such a hard time learning this concept. Now that I am thinking about it, I can see how using the interactive board would have been so helpful! We could have had the students go up to the board and actually play with a clock to see the change in time. They used little clocks at their tables but it was confusing to them. The students were having trouble figuring out where the hour hand should be when the minute hand moves...that it doesn't always stay pointing to the hour.
I hope that in the future I am able to be in a class that has all of these resources. That being said, I want to make sure that I am using them. I feel like there is this great opportunity that is currently going under utilized in my classroom in particular. Hopefully this is something that will change as the school year goes on. The longer that these interactive boards are in classrooms, there will be more information and lessons available. It's too bad that these great tools take up so much time to get going with them.
However, I don't see it being used! This frustrates me. My teacher uses the document camera quite a bit and will at times use the projector to post class rules or on task behavior expectations...but that's it. I feel like there is so much teaching and learning that can be done by using these resources. What is hard is that it takes up so much time to try to incorporate these pieces of technology into lessons. Designing a lesson plan on the interactive board takes a lot of effort.
The other week the math lesson was on elapsed time. My cooperating teacher and I could not figure out why the students were having such a hard time learning this concept. Now that I am thinking about it, I can see how using the interactive board would have been so helpful! We could have had the students go up to the board and actually play with a clock to see the change in time. They used little clocks at their tables but it was confusing to them. The students were having trouble figuring out where the hour hand should be when the minute hand moves...that it doesn't always stay pointing to the hour.
I hope that in the future I am able to be in a class that has all of these resources. That being said, I want to make sure that I am using them. I feel like there is this great opportunity that is currently going under utilized in my classroom in particular. Hopefully this is something that will change as the school year goes on. The longer that these interactive boards are in classrooms, there will be more information and lessons available. It's too bad that these great tools take up so much time to get going with them.
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