Sunday, April 24, 2011

Chapter 15

Three new things I learned from reading Chapter 15 in the text were:
1. I loved the distinction the book made between a disability and a handicap.  I think that it is very important for educators to realize and understand the difference between the two; and I did not.  A disability is an impairment that limits an individual from performing an activity in a manner normally expected for human beings.  A handicap is when an individual is unable to fulfill a role due to an impairment or disability.

2. I had heard of the term "assistive technology device," but was not exactly sure what that meant or what it looked like in a classroom.  An assistive technology device is any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of a child with a disability.

3. And finally, I learned that there are target groups of special education students that teachers focus on: students with mild and moderate to severe disabilities, students with physical disabilities, students with sensory disabilities, at-risk students, and students with gifts and talents.

Two ways I could integrate this information into the classroom are:
1. For students who have certain types of physical disabilities, some may not have the ability to type on a keyboard.  Therefore, it could be useful to use joysticks or switches instead of keyboards to help students around the task of using a keyboard.

2. I really liked the idea of having text-to-speech readers for students who have sensory disabilities.  I think that a tool such as JAWS for Windows could be a great idea if it is integrated well by the teachers and also if it is properly used by the students.

One question I have about the chapter is:
Very soon, all special education students will be integrated into a regular classroom setting instead of being separated in special education classrooms.  How will this affect technology use in a regular classroom setting?

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Chapter 13

Three new things that I learned from reading Chapter 13 in our text:
1. I definitely did not know that the terms tweening and morphing were actual words, and therefore, also did not know that these particular terms referred to graphic techniques that can only be done with computer software.

2. For an art educator, having a computerized kiln could be extremely beneficial because it automatically sets required temperatures, monitor lengths of time, and begins the process of cooling down and shutting off.  Without the computerized kiln, teachers or students would need to keep a very careful eye on the process to see when to shut it off.

3. The software for music performance, such as Finale and Sibelius would be really great to use in a music education program also because it is basically like a word processing program, except for the creation of music.  I did not know there was any software like this and certainly did not know the benefits that it could have in the classroom.

Two integration strategies for the material from Chapter 13:
1. I really liked the idea of using the tool called "Doodle Pad" in a music classroom because it would help teach students about the different types of instruments, but they can also write different parts for all of the types of instruments.  I love the interactive quality of this as well.

2. Having students do some research on specific different pieces of artwork and then writing up an interactive brochure and sharing that brochure with the class would be a great because the students would get to learn about different works of art, practice their writing skills, and use technology, all in one project.

One question I came up with while reading the chapter was:
-What would the main problem be if schools and teachers did not meet the standards for art education? Would the problem simply be that technology would not be successfully integrated?

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Chapter 12

Three new things I learned from reading Chapter 12 in our text:
1. I was not aware of the fact that social studies themes and topics are not usually among those included in statewide assessments.  I feel like there are multiple different social studies topics that are essential for students to know in order to be successful in their future years of education.
2. I learned what Adventure Learning is and how it can be successfully integrated into the classroom.  It is actually a hybrid distance education approach that gives students the opportunity to explore real-world issues.
3. I learned that there are some fairly legitimate concerns for social studies teachers as far as the use of technology goes in a social studies classroom.  Teachers need to very carefully choose what websites they let their students use and how the students are monitored while using them. 

Two new integration strategies from Chapter 12:
1. Once again, virtual field trips are brought up in the text.  I really do love the idea of integrating this into the classroom, particularly in a social studies lesson.  The students could go to different museums and explore different events throughout history without having to leave the classroom.
2. Graphic representations of certain concepts would also be a really great idea for the students.  A teacher could easily understand a timeline if they actually saw one that the teacher has already made as an example.

One question I had from the chapter is:
I know there are many downsides when students are allowed to use the internet for research.  What are the downsides for the use of Geospatial technologies in the classroom?

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Chapter 10

Three new things that I learned from reading Chapter 10 in our text:
1. I was thinking that it could be extremely difficult to integrate different technologies into English as a second language classroom.  However, there are multiple ways for integrate technology in this type of a setting.
2. I learned what language labs are and how they can be useful in the classroom.
3. Computer assisted language learning can help to enhance students' speaking and listening skills and can also enhance their interactions with their peers.

Two ways to integrate this information into the classroom:
1. I could use a tool such as Moodle or GoogleDocs in which students work together to help come out with the same end product such as a slide show presentation, a paper, etc.  Things like these would help create opportunities for distributed language learning, which is extremely important for students to work together and collaborate so they can use that skill down the road in their educational careers.
2. I love the idea of virtual field trips in both and ESL classroom and a regular classroom.  For an ESL student, it would provide the unique opportunity to go to a place where they may not get to go to normally.  For an English speaking student, it would also provide the opportunity to go to a place they would not normally get to go to, but it would also allow them to be immersed in a different culture for a short time.

One question I have about this information:
What are some negatives about using technology in an ESL classroom? I think that it could possibly get confusing for the students.

Chapter 9


Here are three new things that I learned from reading Chapter 9 in our text:
1. I sort of knew what the term "literacy" meant, but was not aware that there are so many different definitions and I absolutely did not know that the definition has been expanded so much.
2. I did not know any different ways to help students develop their literacy and now understand that there are multiple ways for students to develop literacy in the classroom.  Examples include: writing in blogs, video projects, and digital storytelling.
3. I had never heard of electronic outliners (which would have come in handy while writing my term paper junior year of high school), but now understand that they could be extremely useful for students in high school who are writing long papers, such as a term paper.

Two ways this information could be integrated into the classroom:
1. For projects having to do with literature, I could have my students map out their thoughts using concept mapping software.  This would help them learn how to organize their thoughts before they actually write them out in a formal paper or essay.
2. Interactive storybooks could be very useful (especially in an elementary classroom) because they have activities for the students to do, pieces of stories that the students can have read to them, etc.  This more interactive form of learning could be very helpful in instilling motivation in the students.

One question that I have about the chapter:
Some of the technologies mentioned in the chapter seem like they would be working towards taking over the teacher's job.  Is that true?  Is there a way to integrate these technologies without replacing the actual teacher in the classroom or diminishing their position?

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Chapter 8

Three new things that I learned from reading Chapter 8 in our text were:
1. I was not aware of the existence of VRML, but now I understand that it is used to develop and display 3-D objects on web pages, which gives the object the illusion of being more "real."

2. I also had no idea that there were so many different ways to store images, to many different image formats to choose from.  Included in the text were: BMP, EPS, PDF, PICT, TIF, GIF, and JPEG.  I also did not know that any of those suffixes stood for.

3. In order for students to successfully develop their own webpages (if that is a project if I am interested in having my future students do), there is a step-by-step process that students must go through.  They need to plan and storyboard, develop pages with text, insert images with media, insert links and frames, insert interactive elements, test in a browser, publish the site, and gather evaluation comments and maintain the site.

Two ways that I can integrate this chapter into my teaching are:
1. I loved the idea in the book of having my students do some kind of social action project while integrating technology into the lesson at the same time.  It would get them to become aware of events that are occurring globally and they will have the ability to voice their concerns and viewpoints.

2. I also liked the idea of having the students go on a virtual field trip to a place that they might not get a chance to visit normally.  An example of this would be to have the students use the tool Picasa on through Google, which lets them visit seventeen different art museums around the world.  They would get to see the museum and the artwork up close and would get the chance to study it virtually.

One question I had from this chapter was: How can teachers effectively control the dangers of Internet use in the classroom? Just close monitoring of the students while on the internet?

Chapter 7

Three things I learned from Chapter 7 of our text are:
1. The first web browser was called Mosaic and it caused an explosion of internet use by the year after it was invented.

2. I had no idea what a bulletin board was (unless it was the kind you hang on your wall), but these kinds of bulletin boards refer to message centers that send messages to group members who visit the bulletin board.

3. I did not know that distance learning was really a term that existed, but I learned that some examples of distance learning are student research, online materials, web-based lessons, and virtual courses and programs.

Two ways that I can apply what I have read to teaching are:
1. Using bulletin boards (or a Wiki) could be a great idea to incorporate technology into my students' learning processes.  They could post whatever questions they have about a project, communicate with their peers, and even give each other ideas on what to do for a particular project or homework assignment.

2. In the chapter they talked about smartboards as a way to use distance technologies in the classroom.  I think it would be awesome to have a smartboard in my classroom so that students could learn how to use a piece of technology like this on a daily basis.  Having a smartboard would be a great way to integrate technology in small way that would be useful for the students in the long run.

One question I had from the chapter was: What are some possible negative outcomes with regards to the use of distance learning? The main one I observed was that the dropour rate is higher for online courses.  However, are there other negative consequences for using distance learning?

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Chapter 6

Here are three new things I learned from reading Chapter 6 in our textbook:
1. I learned the difference between multimedia, which is a combination of media, and hypermedia, which is linked media.

2. I learned what supplies are necessary to design and develop hypermedia: computer with keyboard, mouse, and monitor; digital cameras; scanners; video digitizers; and camcorders or other video input.

3. I learned more about Web 2.0 technologies that have potential to be used in the classroom.  Some examples of these types of technologies are blogs, wikis, podcasts, e-Portfoloios, social networking sites, and photo/video sharing communities.

Ways I can apply this chapter to my future classroom:
1. In this chapter I learned more about how Power Point or Keynote could be used in my classroom, and not just by me as the teacher.  I learned that these two types of presentation software have more uses than I thought.  One obvious use is that I can use them to support my lessons, but in an elementary classroom, this simply may not be practical.  Another use for this type of software is to have practice screens where students' eyes are drawn to the screen because there is a presentation of spelling or vocabulary words with pictures running on the screen.  This use of Power Point or Keynote would hopefully capture the students' attention well.

2. I also learned that it may be beneficial to my students if they could figure out how to use reference materials, but in a way that integrates technology.  Therefore, showing my future students how to access atlases (like Google Earth), almanacs (such as The Time Almanac), or encyclopedias (such as Encarta), would benefit their knowledge of technology and the topics that these tools would help them learn about.

One question I have from the chapter is:
What are the drawbacks (if there are any) to using Web 2.0 technologies in the classroom?

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Where's the Beef?

Three new things that I learned from reading this article are:
1) The technology that I will use in my future classroom needs to have some sort of substance or else the students will not take anything from it.  Again, technology can never replace a good teacher.

2) Transitioning from a text-based form of teaching to a form of teaching that integrates technology involves teachers understanding and being able to demonstrate the skills necessary to be able to effectively teach with multimedia products.

3) According to this article, being a master of technology tools in the classroom is no longer enough.  They must be used to help students demonstrate what they know, understand, or what they do not understand.

Two connections I made to teaching are:
1) As a teacher, I must be able to use effective elements of communication, design information and media planning, collaborate with students, as well as manage projects in order to become an effective user of technology in my future classroom.

2) Using Bloom's Taxonomy will actually be fairly beneficial in my future classroom because the students that I will have will need to analyze, evaluate, and create knowledge beyond existing facts.  I was not really sure how Bloom's Taxonomy would be included in my future classroom environment, but now I know that it can be applied in a technology sense. I also now understand that my students will need to be able to acquire these things in order to be successful learners.

One question I had from this article was:
How does the type of assessment discussed in the article assist in increasing student learning?

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Chapter 3

A few things that I learned from Chapter 3 of our text are......
1) The benefits of drill and practice are immediate feedback, motivation for students to do the practice they need, and the conservation of teacher time because teachers do not present or grade student drill and practice.

2) Simulations can very easily be misused if the concept could be just as easily demonstrated with paper and pencil.  In this case, technology is not being used at its fullest potential and is therefore not as effective as it should be.

3) Instructional games can and should be used in the classroom if and only if they are used appropriately.  They should not be used just to take up time or just to fulfill a lesson.  They should be used to enhance the students' learning and to create motivation for the students to participate.

One connection that I made between the chapter and teaching is that tutorial software can and should be used in the classroom but only if I assign them to students individually.  I learned that it would be extremely difficult to assign one tutorial to an entire group of students because they all learn so differently.  Another connection that I made is that the five instuctional roles for software (drill and practice, tutorial, simulation, instructional game, and problem solving) can all be used in the classroom, only if a teacher uses them with discretion.  Technology in the classroom can never replace a good teacher and also cannot be used to cover up bad teaching.  Therefore, instructional software should only be used to enhance learning and not to cover up a potential lack of a plan on the teacher's part.

The question that I had about this chapter was: Specifically, how can Logo be used in the classroom to enhance a student's learning experience?

Chapter 2

Here are a few new things that I learned from reading Chapter 2 in our text...
1) Objectivism is grounded primarily in behaviorist theories of learning while constructivism comes from other brances of thinking in the cognitive learning theory.

2) For either model of learning (constructivist or objectivist) technology integration should be used to generate a motivation to learn for students.

3) Some assessment practices that those who follow the constructivist approach use are project assignments (web pages), self-report instruments (student-prepared journals), and portfolio entries.

One of the main connections that I made between this chapter and teaching is that it would most likely be best to incorporate elements of both constructivist and objectivist styles instead of just sticking to one.  This way, my teaching methods will be better understood by the majority of students instead of just some students.  Another connection I made is that it will be essential for me to find funding for sustainable technology integration so that I can put it to good use in my future classroom.  Finding funding could determine the success or failure a technology enriched lesson plan.

The main question that I had while reading this chapter was: What would combining constructivist and objectivist approaches realistically look like in a classroom? And how would it affect students?

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Chapter 1

Three new things I learned from chapter one of our text are:
1) There are a few different societal changes which affect a teacher's use of technology in the classroom.  They include economic conditions, anti-technology positions, and the impact of No Child Left Behind.

2) Technology can be used to illustrate connections between what they are learning in the classroom and some real-world situations.

3) The term digital divide refers to the differences between the availability of technology to students of different socioeconomic statuses.  Some students may not have access to a computer at home and I will have to take this into account in my future classroom.

One connection I made between this chapter and teaching are that technology can never replace a teacher.  Therefore, bad teaching cannot be covered up with the excessive use of technology in one's classroom.  The second connection I made is that I can use technology as a way to engage my students in the classroom.  If students can walk away from a lesson encouraged and inspired to do something, then I will certainly try to use technology to do this.

Question: What are some ways that technology can be used ineffectively in the classroom? This chapter of the book mostly focused on the positivity of technology in the classroom. But what are some negative things about it?