After taking this course for the past five weeks, I feel as if I have gained a lot of knowledge about certain areas of education which I had previously been unaware of, or had a misconception of what they were really about. Learning how different types of school's actually operate and some of the challenges they face really helped teach me things I knew nothing about, and it helped clear up some incorrect ideas I had always believed.
Being able to take on different educational roles in these assignments was a key aspect of helping me being able to see education from many different perspectives. The tasks of creating our own school of the future and organizing multicultural curriculum were specifically fun and informative for me.
Based on all of the things I have learned in this class, I now have so many different tools, ideas and resources that I can use when I become a teacher. I feel I am now better prepared because I have so many different ways which I can accomplish certain tasks, deal with certain issues, and ways which I can help my students.
I am aware of so many different ways in which I can be an agent of change. I now know of so many more tools which I can use to differentiate my instruction, especially relating to new technology. I now know that I must always be learning and changing because I cannot be an effective teacher if I am not using the most current and effective methods with my students. It does not help prepare my students for the future if I am teaching them using methods from the past.
I thoroughly enjoyed this class and I am always going to remember the valuable ideas I have gained from it.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Week 4 Reflection
This week we did a group work assignment on how different types of schools in the United States are run, and who makes the decisions in each type. It was interesting to see the different types of schools and the advantages and disadvantages of each model, specifically the amount of autonomy each model has regarding funding and their budget. With everything in education boiling down to budgets and money these days it was definitely a good project to see which types of school's can be more free spending and which ones have their hands tied by a strict budget.
Another thing we did this week was watch a video of a lecture by Ken Robinson called "Paradigm Shift". I believe he raises some very key points about the current state of education. He recounts the Enlightenment Period and how it was one of the most innovative, creative and productive times in history, and how we are no longer pushing students to become creative, individuals, or attempting to innovate. Everything that is being done in education right now is attempting to generalize, standardize and make every student fit one specific model.
Clearly those in positions of power who want teachers to follow such methods as differentiated instruction and to teach each student based on their specific needs are not following their own advice when they design one standardized test which every student must pass to decide if the student and teacher are performing at a proficient level. How can they expect the teacher to differentiate instruction and tailor a specific lesson in multiple ways to fit every type of learner, and then the ultimate goal at the end of the year is that everyone passes the same test?
Perhaps the reason why billions of dollars are being spent on education and no progress is being made is because the tests which determine if you pass or fail are not of the same method of delivery which the student is used to from the school year? After a year of differentiated instruction and having assignments designed specifically for them, to then be given a test which is written in a way which is nothing like what they've seen during the year seems very counterproductive.
Another thing we did this week was watch a video of a lecture by Ken Robinson called "Paradigm Shift". I believe he raises some very key points about the current state of education. He recounts the Enlightenment Period and how it was one of the most innovative, creative and productive times in history, and how we are no longer pushing students to become creative, individuals, or attempting to innovate. Everything that is being done in education right now is attempting to generalize, standardize and make every student fit one specific model.
Clearly those in positions of power who want teachers to follow such methods as differentiated instruction and to teach each student based on their specific needs are not following their own advice when they design one standardized test which every student must pass to decide if the student and teacher are performing at a proficient level. How can they expect the teacher to differentiate instruction and tailor a specific lesson in multiple ways to fit every type of learner, and then the ultimate goal at the end of the year is that everyone passes the same test?
Perhaps the reason why billions of dollars are being spent on education and no progress is being made is because the tests which determine if you pass or fail are not of the same method of delivery which the student is used to from the school year? After a year of differentiated instruction and having assignments designed specifically for them, to then be given a test which is written in a way which is nothing like what they've seen during the year seems very counterproductive.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Week 3 Reflection
On July 11 - 17, one of our assignments was to do a group project on the types of schools in the United States. This was an interesting and informative project, because until I was given this assignment it never occurred to me to really research how many types of schools there really are or how they specifically operate.
Through this project, I now feel like I am more knowledgeable about how the different types of schools (Public/Private/Home School/Charter/For-Profit) operate, get their funding, choose their curriculum, and the types of freedoms or restrictions they incur based on what types of school they are.
Through this project, I now feel like I am more knowledgeable about how the different types of schools (Public/Private/Home School/Charter/For-Profit) operate, get their funding, choose their curriculum, and the types of freedoms or restrictions they incur based on what types of school they are.
Week 2 Reflection
On July 4 - July 10, we viewed a video called "When I Become a Teacher".
This video is filled with some of the unfortunate opinions and ways that many teachers act in today's society. I feel that this video reflects some of the reasons why education is currently in the state of crisis that it is in. I believe that teachers are just as responsible for learning as their students are, maybe even more responsible. The fact that certain teachers are allowed to continue to teach today's children using the same teaching methods that they were using ten, twenty, thirty, even forty years ago, is ridiculous.
The word changes, information changes, technology changes, and the way students learn and react to things changes. If a teacher is going to be an effective teacher, the teacher also needs to change and adapt to everything changing around him or her.
I understand that some teachers who have been teaching for a long time may me scared or intimidated of change, especially change regarding technology that they may have no idea how to use because it did not exist when they starting teaching, but we live in a technological age and that is what most children respond to these days. Technology makes learning and teaching easier and more fun, and I believe that those who resist technology and change would benefit from attempting to accept it, and their students would definitely benefit from that change as well.
This video is filled with some of the unfortunate opinions and ways that many teachers act in today's society. I feel that this video reflects some of the reasons why education is currently in the state of crisis that it is in. I believe that teachers are just as responsible for learning as their students are, maybe even more responsible. The fact that certain teachers are allowed to continue to teach today's children using the same teaching methods that they were using ten, twenty, thirty, even forty years ago, is ridiculous.
The word changes, information changes, technology changes, and the way students learn and react to things changes. If a teacher is going to be an effective teacher, the teacher also needs to change and adapt to everything changing around him or her.
I understand that some teachers who have been teaching for a long time may me scared or intimidated of change, especially change regarding technology that they may have no idea how to use because it did not exist when they starting teaching, but we live in a technological age and that is what most children respond to these days. Technology makes learning and teaching easier and more fun, and I believe that those who resist technology and change would benefit from attempting to accept it, and their students would definitely benefit from that change as well.
Week 1 Reflection
On the week of June 27- July 3, I had my first week of "Nature of Schools". This is an online class about education which challenges the students to think about education in new, innovative, and creative ways. In an always changing society, it is important that we continue to update our methods of teaching to stay in pace with the ways our students will be changing.
We did some interesting team collaborative work too. It is a different experience having to collaborate with another person over the internet than how I am used to, which is normally in person in an actual classroom setting. Once I got used to using the WizIQ program, it because easier.
I am familiar with several of the programs and web sites we have been using so far because I remember them from Teaching With Technology from the Fall of 2010, so not all of this is as unfamiliar or intimidating to me as I'm sure it is to some of the other students.
We did some interesting team collaborative work too. It is a different experience having to collaborate with another person over the internet than how I am used to, which is normally in person in an actual classroom setting. Once I got used to using the WizIQ program, it because easier.
I am familiar with several of the programs and web sites we have been using so far because I remember them from Teaching With Technology from the Fall of 2010, so not all of this is as unfamiliar or intimidating to me as I'm sure it is to some of the other students.
Monday, July 18, 2011
A Community Letter
Community Letter
Dear Parents,
We are excited to inform you of a new aspect of our curriculum that will provide a more well rounded education. As our student body continues to grow into an even more diverse and multicultural population, it is important that we continue to strive to provide each student with the highest quality of education, regardless of their background.
Throughout the school year we will be implementing aspects of the curriculum which will be taught from the perspective of another country or culture. We already have innovative and exciting projects planned for Black History Month, Cinco de Mayo, as well as several other important holidays and historical events spanning a multitude of countries and cultures.
We feel that this aspect of our curriculum will benefit the children by opening up their eyes and minds to the ways of other countries and cultures. Through this new direction, we hope to not only educate, but to create an environment of knowledge and acceptance of things which may initially come as unfamiliar to our students. It is important for the students to understand and accept that there are different cultures and aspects of life than what they may be familiar with.
We hope you will join us in ushering in this new and exciting aspect to our curriculum and please feel free to contact us with any comments, questions or concerns you or your children may have.
Thank you, and let’s all have a productive school year!
Sincerely,
Jeff Lampack
Chair of Curriculum
Chair of Curriculum
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Learning Outcomes
At the beginning of this class, I was very intimidated by the thought of having to rely on technology. I have always been weary of technology and assumed that it was unreliable and would fail on me when I needed it most. Throughout the semester, I have learned that this is not the case, and I have learned and experimented with numerous ways that I can actually use technology to my advantage.
I am now aware that as teachers in the Web 2.0 world, it is our jobs to keep up with the ways that the world is evolving and to adapt to the technology that students are using in their free time. If a student can use technology to stimulate their interests in their free time, it would be unproductive to attempt to gain their attention with something that is dull and uninteresting. Through the use of programs such as Voice Thread, powerpoint, and many different search engines and web quests, I have discovered numerous ways to make learning seem like something more than the same old lecture style or using a paper and pen.
I was intimidated at first, there were many things I was not sure of, and I needed help along the way, but I am proud to have been able to complete all of the assignments. I have completed assignments and used resources that I had no idea existed or thought that they were too complicated for me. I am glad that I had the opportunity to take this class now and get a head start toward being a Web 2.0 teacher. I now have a "tool kit" of resources that I can use before I ever step into the classroom to teach for my first day.
I still have a lot to learn, as is clear by the WoW presentations of my fellow classmates. Everyone did a fantastic job, and it was a great experience to be able to see some of the things that everyone else was working on. Now, in addition to what I learned on my own, I now have an every bigger "tool kit" of resources thanks to my classmates presentations, which made me aware of many other resources that I did not know existed. I look forward to playing around with some of those resources in my spare time and being able to understand them even more and figuring out how I can use them to teach.
I am now aware that as teachers in the Web 2.0 world, it is our jobs to keep up with the ways that the world is evolving and to adapt to the technology that students are using in their free time. If a student can use technology to stimulate their interests in their free time, it would be unproductive to attempt to gain their attention with something that is dull and uninteresting. Through the use of programs such as Voice Thread, powerpoint, and many different search engines and web quests, I have discovered numerous ways to make learning seem like something more than the same old lecture style or using a paper and pen.
I was intimidated at first, there were many things I was not sure of, and I needed help along the way, but I am proud to have been able to complete all of the assignments. I have completed assignments and used resources that I had no idea existed or thought that they were too complicated for me. I am glad that I had the opportunity to take this class now and get a head start toward being a Web 2.0 teacher. I now have a "tool kit" of resources that I can use before I ever step into the classroom to teach for my first day.
I still have a lot to learn, as is clear by the WoW presentations of my fellow classmates. Everyone did a fantastic job, and it was a great experience to be able to see some of the things that everyone else was working on. Now, in addition to what I learned on my own, I now have an every bigger "tool kit" of resources thanks to my classmates presentations, which made me aware of many other resources that I did not know existed. I look forward to playing around with some of those resources in my spare time and being able to understand them even more and figuring out how I can use them to teach.
WoW Projects
I thought that everyone did a fantastic job presenting their WoW Projects. Being able to listen to presentations about these examples of technology made me aware of so many things that I never even knew existed. We are all technological learners, and it can be frustrating at times to try and figure out what things online are legitimate and which things work for us, and being able to watch these presentations really made me aware of some of the truly great things that can be done educationally on a computer and using the internet.
These projects, and this class in general, have provided us all with a "tool kit" as we either continue teaching or move closer to becoming teachers. This will truly give us the advantage of having knowledge of technology and programs, web sites, and strategies that we have already experimented with and that we know work for us. Personally, learning about this stuff know will take a lot of stress away from my life than would have been there if I tried to learn about technology in education while I was already teaching and didn't have the opportunity to really test it out and play around with so many different options like we were able to do in this class.
On my personal WoW project on "Research Tools and 21st Century Literacy Professional Development", it was a very rewarding experience. These are tools that can help teachers and students to better organize their searches on the internet, as well as ensure that they are finding helpful and reliable information from safe sources on the internet. I gathered all of my information directly from the web sites, so those web sites are my references.
Click here to view my WoW project!!!!
These projects, and this class in general, have provided us all with a "tool kit" as we either continue teaching or move closer to becoming teachers. This will truly give us the advantage of having knowledge of technology and programs, web sites, and strategies that we have already experimented with and that we know work for us. Personally, learning about this stuff know will take a lot of stress away from my life than would have been there if I tried to learn about technology in education while I was already teaching and didn't have the opportunity to really test it out and play around with so many different options like we were able to do in this class.
On my personal WoW project on "Research Tools and 21st Century Literacy Professional Development", it was a very rewarding experience. These are tools that can help teachers and students to better organize their searches on the internet, as well as ensure that they are finding helpful and reliable information from safe sources on the internet. I gathered all of my information directly from the web sites, so those web sites are my references.
Click here to view my WoW project!!!!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Teaching Newsletter
Today I created a teaching newsletter for the first time. I created it in the content area of Social Studies because that is the area which I have the most experience in and will hopefully one day be teaching. This was an interesting and helpful project because it made me not only learn about Education 2.0 but it it challenged me to think of ways I would explain it to parents. In many cases, parents are not as concerned or impressed with technical definitions and are simply looking for a simple explanation on how this is going to help their child.
Explaining Education 2.0 to parents and practicing explaining how certain class assignments will incorporate elements of technology is definitely an aspect of education which will become more and more prevalent as we more into the future.
Explaining Education 2.0 to parents and practicing explaining how certain class assignments will incorporate elements of technology is definitely an aspect of education which will become more and more prevalent as we more into the future.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Engrade Review
After signing up and reviewing this web site, I think it is really confusing. I don't think this is a software that I would choose to use as a teacher in real life. I like the fact that it is easy to manually enter the names of the students and the number of assignments, as well as how much of the final grade percentage each assignment will be worth. It is also a nice feature to be able to drop the lowest grade.
However, all of those nice features do not make the site any less confusing. I have been playing around with the web site for hours and have still not been able to figure out how to enter grades for what each student would have earned on the assignments, so I can not even utilize any of the grade calculation aspects of the web site.
My suggestion would be to make the program more user friendly and maybe have a tutorial for teachers on how to use it. It needs to be more clearly labeled what each section is worth and how to properly use each section of the web site.
If a teacher can actually fight with the program long enough to actually figure out how to use it, I can understand why a program like this one would be useful to students and teachers. The ability for parents to see their child's grades can be helpful in being proactive and contacting the teacher before any severe academic problems arise with their children. I know a lot of students who receive poor grades often either attempt to hide them from their parents, or do not tell their parents right away. The ability for a parent to be able to log on and see their child's grade regardless of if they actually show them their classwork or not.
Below is a picture of a grading matrix I attempted to create. It includes the assignments I created and how much of the final grade each assignment was worth. Unfortunately I was unable to figure out how to enter grades, so I was unable to experiment with what comes next as far as the grading process.
However, all of those nice features do not make the site any less confusing. I have been playing around with the web site for hours and have still not been able to figure out how to enter grades for what each student would have earned on the assignments, so I can not even utilize any of the grade calculation aspects of the web site.
My suggestion would be to make the program more user friendly and maybe have a tutorial for teachers on how to use it. It needs to be more clearly labeled what each section is worth and how to properly use each section of the web site.
If a teacher can actually fight with the program long enough to actually figure out how to use it, I can understand why a program like this one would be useful to students and teachers. The ability for parents to see their child's grades can be helpful in being proactive and contacting the teacher before any severe academic problems arise with their children. I know a lot of students who receive poor grades often either attempt to hide them from their parents, or do not tell their parents right away. The ability for a parent to be able to log on and see their child's grade regardless of if they actually show them their classwork or not.
Below is a picture of a grading matrix I attempted to create. It includes the assignments I created and how much of the final grade each assignment was worth. Unfortunately I was unable to figure out how to enter grades, so I was unable to experiment with what comes next as far as the grading process.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Digital Story
Today I created my first Digital Story. This was the first time I had ever created a presentation like this with any program other than Power Point. It was stressful at first because I consider myself somewhat of an expert on Power Point and have become very comfortable creating presentations with the program to give in front of my classes.
However, once I became accustomed to the Photo Story 3 program and started to get the hang of using it, the project became fun and easier. I chose to do my story on the United States use of the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima at the end of World War II because I am studying to become a Social Studies teacher and it is easier for me to teach my own content obviously.
I particularly like being able to narrate the video myself, as it can be a little more exciting for people watching the presentation to hear a real voice, rather than having to read the words themselves.
Click here to view my page about my Digital Story on Hiroshima
However, once I became accustomed to the Photo Story 3 program and started to get the hang of using it, the project became fun and easier. I chose to do my story on the United States use of the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima at the end of World War II because I am studying to become a Social Studies teacher and it is easier for me to teach my own content obviously.
I particularly like being able to narrate the video myself, as it can be a little more exciting for people watching the presentation to hear a real voice, rather than having to read the words themselves.
Click here to view my page about my Digital Story on Hiroshima
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Tools for Collaboration
This week we learned about some new tools to help us with collaboration. Collaboration is a key element in education because when multiple individuals work together toward a goal it can be accomplished faster and with more effectiveness.
I explored three specific online tools for collaboration which I felt were especially helpful. The first cool was Google for Educators. It is an online discussion board where the user can browse, ask, or answer questions pertaining to education. This is helpful because chances are any questions one has about education have probably already been asked and answered, so the user can simply browse for their answer. In the event that their question has not been asked and answered, then the user has the ability to create a discussion and ask their question to the online community.
The second and third collaboration tools which I explored where online video web conferencing platforms. FlashMeeting and IT4ALL. This can be more helpful to some users, as message board discussion forums can be an impersonal method of communication. The ability to see, hear and speak to another person can be much more effective and help the user understand.
I was not aware of any of these tools before taking this class and being asked to explore them. Now that I know about them, I am very happy to know that they exist to help me in my career as an educator if I should need the collaborative help of others.
I explored three specific online tools for collaboration which I felt were especially helpful. The first cool was Google for Educators. It is an online discussion board where the user can browse, ask, or answer questions pertaining to education. This is helpful because chances are any questions one has about education have probably already been asked and answered, so the user can simply browse for their answer. In the event that their question has not been asked and answered, then the user has the ability to create a discussion and ask their question to the online community.
The second and third collaboration tools which I explored where online video web conferencing platforms. FlashMeeting and IT4ALL. This can be more helpful to some users, as message board discussion forums can be an impersonal method of communication. The ability to see, hear and speak to another person can be much more effective and help the user understand.
I was not aware of any of these tools before taking this class and being asked to explore them. Now that I know about them, I am very happy to know that they exist to help me in my career as an educator if I should need the collaborative help of others.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Online Meetings
This week has been another bunch of new experiences. For group work this week we had to construct a page called a "Teaching Tool Kit" which contained links to helpful sites we found about integrating aspects of teaching with technology.
I am so used to having classes in person and meeting in the library to collaborate on group projects, and it is a totally new experience to get on the computer and use a program like gtalk to meet as a group. These forms of technology are confusing at first, but once I get a handle on them they can make some aspects of life and school a lot easier. On my days off from school, it is a lot easier to get on the computer from my house to have a group meeting, rather than get in the car and come all the way to school.
It is also helpful to be able to go on moodle and read the discussion forums to see what questions or problems other students are having. A lot of the time, before I E-mail the teacher, I go on the discussion forum to see if somebody has had the same question and maybe my question has already been asked and answered. Not like I want to see other students have problems, but it also feels good to know that when I am confused or when I have a problem with part of an assignment that I am not the only one. Sometimes in class I feel like maybe I'm the only one who is not understanding, but probably a lot of people feel the same way and are just not saying it out loud.
I am so used to having classes in person and meeting in the library to collaborate on group projects, and it is a totally new experience to get on the computer and use a program like gtalk to meet as a group. These forms of technology are confusing at first, but once I get a handle on them they can make some aspects of life and school a lot easier. On my days off from school, it is a lot easier to get on the computer from my house to have a group meeting, rather than get in the car and come all the way to school.
It is also helpful to be able to go on moodle and read the discussion forums to see what questions or problems other students are having. A lot of the time, before I E-mail the teacher, I go on the discussion forum to see if somebody has had the same question and maybe my question has already been asked and answered. Not like I want to see other students have problems, but it also feels good to know that when I am confused or when I have a problem with part of an assignment that I am not the only one. Sometimes in class I feel like maybe I'm the only one who is not understanding, but probably a lot of people feel the same way and are just not saying it out loud.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Picasion
I have never made a Picasion or any type of animated .GIF before. This was a fun assignment because it allowed me to post an image of all of my work so far, and it allowed me to see exactly what I have done so far. This was fun because it actually showed me all of the progress I have made since the beginning of the class so far and it symbolizes all of the new things I have learned that I have done for the first time.
Here is a link to my Picasion:
http://i.picasion.com/pic29/80dac174a8c95b8e58e190faf07d5efc.gif
Here is a link to my Picasion:
http://i.picasion.com/pic29/80dac174a8c95b8e58e190faf07d5efc.gif
Reflections of a technological learner....
Reflections of a technological learner....
This week brought on another group of new experiences and challenges involving technology. On Monday night, we had our first online class. I had never had an online class before and trying to figure out how to work the program and get everything to work correctly was a challenge. However, once I figured out how to use the program, it was a rewarding feeling.
It was a totally new experience to have an online class meeting. To be sitting at my computer and listening to the teacher and talking through a microphone to the class are things that I have never done or thought about doing in the past. I think technology is a good thing, and the more we learn to use it can make our lives easier. However, I am always scared that relying on too much technology can be a bad thing because I live in fear of technology failing on me.
The difference between computer literacy, information literacy, and integration literacy are that simply having knowledge of computers and their uses is not the same as having the actual ability to put those uses into action. Knowing that you can look information up on the computer is not the same as being able to actually get on the computer and know how to look information up. Integration literacy is being able to combine knowledge and ability of technology and add them to other teaching and learning strategies to enhance student learning. This is 21st Century Learning, and as we progress into the future and new technology continues to be developed, the way we teach and learn in schools will continue to be enhances by new technology.
Digital Students today are different from students of the past. In the past, when a student needed information they would go to the library and look in books. Now, when students are in need of information the internet is the first place they look. People today in general believe that "Google knows everything". Also, with the new development of what cell phones and blackberry's are capable of, most students walk around with the internet and information accessible to them at all times.
Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making is probably the bets implemented of the six National Educational Technology Standards for Students. Those are aspects of school and life that are important for all students to utilize, regardless of the use of technology. However, using technology that they are familiar with can potentially make learning those problem solving skills easier to absorb. As a teacher, I think this is an attribute that I am prepared to teach, but they are also traits which I am learning to adapt to new technology myself. In order to make all of these standards available to implemented, there needs to be more training for teachers so that they can be aware and capable of utilizing technology.
We are living in a world which is shifting from Education 1.0 to a new world of Education 2.0. In the past, it was strict lecture and the traditional tools such as worksheets and pen and paper assessments. We are now shifting to more of a technological and interactive classroom. Students use so many stimulating forms of technology int heir spare time that it is difficult for a teacher to maintain their attention and motivate the students with traditional education tools. Because of this, it is more of a crucial need for teachers to incorporate technology into their lessons, such as web quests, interactive web lessons, and incorporating other forms of technology into the lessons to stimulate the student while providing them with a quality education.
This week brought on another group of new experiences and challenges involving technology. On Monday night, we had our first online class. I had never had an online class before and trying to figure out how to work the program and get everything to work correctly was a challenge. However, once I figured out how to use the program, it was a rewarding feeling.
It was a totally new experience to have an online class meeting. To be sitting at my computer and listening to the teacher and talking through a microphone to the class are things that I have never done or thought about doing in the past. I think technology is a good thing, and the more we learn to use it can make our lives easier. However, I am always scared that relying on too much technology can be a bad thing because I live in fear of technology failing on me.
The difference between computer literacy, information literacy, and integration literacy are that simply having knowledge of computers and their uses is not the same as having the actual ability to put those uses into action. Knowing that you can look information up on the computer is not the same as being able to actually get on the computer and know how to look information up. Integration literacy is being able to combine knowledge and ability of technology and add them to other teaching and learning strategies to enhance student learning. This is 21st Century Learning, and as we progress into the future and new technology continues to be developed, the way we teach and learn in schools will continue to be enhances by new technology.
Digital Students today are different from students of the past. In the past, when a student needed information they would go to the library and look in books. Now, when students are in need of information the internet is the first place they look. People today in general believe that "Google knows everything". Also, with the new development of what cell phones and blackberry's are capable of, most students walk around with the internet and information accessible to them at all times.
Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making is probably the bets implemented of the six National Educational Technology Standards for Students. Those are aspects of school and life that are important for all students to utilize, regardless of the use of technology. However, using technology that they are familiar with can potentially make learning those problem solving skills easier to absorb. As a teacher, I think this is an attribute that I am prepared to teach, but they are also traits which I am learning to adapt to new technology myself. In order to make all of these standards available to implemented, there needs to be more training for teachers so that they can be aware and capable of utilizing technology.
We are living in a world which is shifting from Education 1.0 to a new world of Education 2.0. In the past, it was strict lecture and the traditional tools such as worksheets and pen and paper assessments. We are now shifting to more of a technological and interactive classroom. Students use so many stimulating forms of technology int heir spare time that it is difficult for a teacher to maintain their attention and motivate the students with traditional education tools. Because of this, it is more of a crucial need for teachers to incorporate technology into their lessons, such as web quests, interactive web lessons, and incorporating other forms of technology into the lessons to stimulate the student while providing them with a quality education.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
First Blog
Hey everybody, welcome to my blog. This is part of my online teaching with technology class. I've never done a blog before so this is a new experience for me.
I am currently completing my Master's Degree in Education so that I can hopefully one day be a Secondary Social Studies teacher. I am also currently a substitute teacher.
I am currently completing my Master's Degree in Education so that I can hopefully one day be a Secondary Social Studies teacher. I am also currently a substitute teacher.
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