I have learned so much this semester. Integrating technology has become so common within schools. All this technology have become such great tools to the teachers and it has created a more fun learning environment for the students. They are more entertained, interested, and interactive during class. Having the students to learn and have fun is the best part of all of this technology. Tools like the SMART and Promethean Boards, pod casting, blogging are great assets to teachers and students. It was so much fun to learn all about the different technology that can be used for the classroom. I loved learning to create SMART presentations, finding tools online, and reading other teachers blog. It will be great to see all of these technologies in the classroom.
For the NETS I chose 3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning. I have been working on these by watching how my professors work with the technology in each class and it has been interesting to see how the professors use things like Panapto and other programs to help us with our note taking or misheard information. I'm amazed at all the technology I have learned about in such a short period of time and am excited to use it for my class. I hope that I can continue to find programs and websites that will advance my knowledge of technology in the classroom.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Weekly Reflections 11-12
Reflection #11
The internet is such a great asset to people. You can pretty much look up anything you want and find a bunch of sites. For instance, when my brother played with a rubix cube some of the middle squares poped out. Of course he wasn't all to careful in putting them back the way that they were supposed to go, making the cube completely unsolvable. Fortunately I found a site on the internet that showed where all of the colors go and how to fix it. That was a big relief to me. But you can look up other things too such as math problems, science concepts, or language patterns, which is rather beneficial if you do not understand something.
Reflection #12
My Uncle and his family came up for Thanksgiving this year. He teaches AP Calculus at a high school down in Oregon. I noticed while he was working on some lesson plans, that he was creating them on Promethean software. I asked him if he used the Promethean Boards at his high school and he said yes. He then asked me if we had them here at NU, but I said that we had the SMART Boards. We talked for a little bit about the boards and he asked how I like them. I told him that they were super cool and a lot of fun to play with or create lessons. It was interesting to see how in just one year my Uncle went from writing out his lessons on paper to bringing his laptop and working with the Promethean program. It's amazing to see how quickly advanced technology begins to spread.
The internet is such a great asset to people. You can pretty much look up anything you want and find a bunch of sites. For instance, when my brother played with a rubix cube some of the middle squares poped out. Of course he wasn't all to careful in putting them back the way that they were supposed to go, making the cube completely unsolvable. Fortunately I found a site on the internet that showed where all of the colors go and how to fix it. That was a big relief to me. But you can look up other things too such as math problems, science concepts, or language patterns, which is rather beneficial if you do not understand something.
Reflection #12
My Uncle and his family came up for Thanksgiving this year. He teaches AP Calculus at a high school down in Oregon. I noticed while he was working on some lesson plans, that he was creating them on Promethean software. I asked him if he used the Promethean Boards at his high school and he said yes. He then asked me if we had them here at NU, but I said that we had the SMART Boards. We talked for a little bit about the boards and he asked how I like them. I told him that they were super cool and a lot of fun to play with or create lessons. It was interesting to see how in just one year my Uncle went from writing out his lessons on paper to bringing his laptop and working with the Promethean program. It's amazing to see how quickly advanced technology begins to spread.
Week 13: Future Technology in Education
The future of technology and education
In this article, the author discusses how connection in school could really increase with technology that helps you to gain instant access to all homework assignments and projects. By simply loading a windows account, all of your saved files can be accessed from pretty much any computer. Although I do not see this coming into the schools system any time soon because of the money that would be need to provide for it, I think it would be cool to be able to access assignment in case you forgot it at home or have questions on a particular problem. This program that the author mainly talks about is called Cloud Builders or cloud computing, which is a web based storage system. He also gives some big futuristic things such as holographic lecture styles and such. Technology is being creating and improving at a big rate of speed. Ten years ago cellphones used to be these big, bulky things that were a slight pain to carry everywhere. Now almost everyone in the US carries one and some are almost paper thin. Computers and TV continue to shrink and get thinner and the SMART or Promethean Boards are becoming more widely used.
In this article, the author discusses how connection in school could really increase with technology that helps you to gain instant access to all homework assignments and projects. By simply loading a windows account, all of your saved files can be accessed from pretty much any computer. Although I do not see this coming into the schools system any time soon because of the money that would be need to provide for it, I think it would be cool to be able to access assignment in case you forgot it at home or have questions on a particular problem. This program that the author mainly talks about is called Cloud Builders or cloud computing, which is a web based storage system. He also gives some big futuristic things such as holographic lecture styles and such. Technology is being creating and improving at a big rate of speed. Ten years ago cellphones used to be these big, bulky things that were a slight pain to carry everywhere. Now almost everyone in the US carries one and some are almost paper thin. Computers and TV continue to shrink and get thinner and the SMART or Promethean Boards are becoming more widely used.
Friday, November 19, 2010
End of Semester Blog Comments
Ashley Buhler: Week #10 Educational Blog
Yahaira Garza: Week 10 and Tech Reflection 11
Alison Langstraat: Reflection 12 and Assignment #3: Teacher Toolbox
Yahaira Garza: Week 10 and Tech Reflection 11
Alison Langstraat: Reflection 12 and Assignment #3: Teacher Toolbox
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Week 12: Klausman Article
Teaching about Plagiarism in the Age of the Internet
The article was very interesting and very applicable to the life of any student. Often times when looking up information online, a student will come across information that could be unreliable or wrong. On the other hand, books, journals, and articles tend to be more trustworthy in their information because they have already been published, but that does not mean that all of them are right, because even published works can have misleading information. Although the Internet may cause a student to plagiarize more easily, it also helps in catching these students because the teacher is able to look up the sites and quotes. Before beginning research, I liked the authors idea of teaching about plagiarism. It lets the students become aware of the different types of plagiarism, the ways to prevent it, and how easy it is for teachers to look up the quotes and check for plagiarizing. I learned that not all students may be aware of the many different types of plagiarizing and that awareness can help prevent it, but not always. My question is: As a teacher, do you learn your students writing style pretty quickly or does it take a little bit time?
The article was very interesting and very applicable to the life of any student. Often times when looking up information online, a student will come across information that could be unreliable or wrong. On the other hand, books, journals, and articles tend to be more trustworthy in their information because they have already been published, but that does not mean that all of them are right, because even published works can have misleading information. Although the Internet may cause a student to plagiarize more easily, it also helps in catching these students because the teacher is able to look up the sites and quotes. Before beginning research, I liked the authors idea of teaching about plagiarism. It lets the students become aware of the different types of plagiarism, the ways to prevent it, and how easy it is for teachers to look up the quotes and check for plagiarizing. I learned that not all students may be aware of the many different types of plagiarizing and that awareness can help prevent it, but not always. My question is: As a teacher, do you learn your students writing style pretty quickly or does it take a little bit time?
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Weekly Reflections 9-10
Reflection #9
Today I realized that even computers need to rest. I was writing a paper, but could not figure out why my computer was running so slowly and when I typed in letters, they didn't appear for about 5-10 seconds. It was really annoying and I had just run a cleaner and virus scan on the computer so it should have been fine. I tried closing all my applications and reopening them, but it didn't help. In my frustration, I shut down my computer and read a couple pages in a book. When I came back to turn it on, I realized that the keyboard was really warm and I did not noticed that before (probably because my hands had been used to it). Thinking about it, I realized I had left the computer on all day and it was probably running slow from overheating. After figuring this out, I had another revelation. At home, Dad has a mini-fan under the counter by the computer, but it's back far enough that I thought it was used for cooling off your legs on a hot day. Now I know it is to keep the computer from overheating.
Reflection #10
Have you ever played Dance Dance Revolution? I have only played it once, but I always hear about it or see videos of it on Youtube. It's a pretty popular game and it's super fun. After I read, P.E. Classes Turn to Video Game that Works Legs, I though it was so cool that schools are beginning to use "video games" in the system. You can totally connect with the students with music of their time, and they are getting a workout in PE. Many times, students like to play video games more than sports because that is the society they are growing up in. It's cool to see school incorporating some of the new game technology. I think that traditional sports should always be played in schools for PE, but playing games like DDR once in a while if fun also.
Today I realized that even computers need to rest. I was writing a paper, but could not figure out why my computer was running so slowly and when I typed in letters, they didn't appear for about 5-10 seconds. It was really annoying and I had just run a cleaner and virus scan on the computer so it should have been fine. I tried closing all my applications and reopening them, but it didn't help. In my frustration, I shut down my computer and read a couple pages in a book. When I came back to turn it on, I realized that the keyboard was really warm and I did not noticed that before (probably because my hands had been used to it). Thinking about it, I realized I had left the computer on all day and it was probably running slow from overheating. After figuring this out, I had another revelation. At home, Dad has a mini-fan under the counter by the computer, but it's back far enough that I thought it was used for cooling off your legs on a hot day. Now I know it is to keep the computer from overheating.
Reflection #10
Have you ever played Dance Dance Revolution? I have only played it once, but I always hear about it or see videos of it on Youtube. It's a pretty popular game and it's super fun. After I read, P.E. Classes Turn to Video Game that Works Legs, I though it was so cool that schools are beginning to use "video games" in the system. You can totally connect with the students with music of their time, and they are getting a workout in PE. Many times, students like to play video games more than sports because that is the society they are growing up in. It's cool to see school incorporating some of the new game technology. I think that traditional sports should always be played in schools for PE, but playing games like DDR once in a while if fun also.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Week 11: Integrating Microsoft Office
Three subjects that I chose consist of: 5th grade Social Studies, 3rd grade science, and 6th grade English. Although technology is a great asset, I would not have the students us it for every assignment. Using technology for some assignments can make the learning easier and less boring.
1. For their Social Studies class, the students will choose a country and research on the birth and death rate over a specific period of time when that country went through a dramatic incline or decline. After researching the statistics, they will present there results on Excel and give an explanation for the dramatic change in rates.
2. In science, students will pick a plant and research the environment and the growing stages of that plant. They will present the information with pictures on PowerPoint.
3. For their English assignment, I will display a given number of sentence on the SMART Board using Word. Students will then have to write down the sentence pattern and verb tense used in each sentence.
1. For their Social Studies class, the students will choose a country and research on the birth and death rate over a specific period of time when that country went through a dramatic incline or decline. After researching the statistics, they will present there results on Excel and give an explanation for the dramatic change in rates.
2. In science, students will pick a plant and research the environment and the growing stages of that plant. They will present the information with pictures on PowerPoint.
3. For their English assignment, I will display a given number of sentence on the SMART Board using Word. Students will then have to write down the sentence pattern and verb tense used in each sentence.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Assignment 3: Resources for Teachers
My toolbox consists of blogs filled with videos, games, worksheets, or music. While others are about teachers the experiences they have had in the classroom. The grade that I chose was second grade and I covered most of the subjects. It was hard to figure out which sites I wanted to put into my toolbox. I chose the sites that I considered to be more relevant to the teacher and the lessons. They are organized by teachers blogs, official sites, to game blogs.
The blogs that I found and put on my toolbox really captured my attention. When I become a teacher it will be great to look back and easily find websites that could help with my teaching. It takes a while to look up and find sites that suite your purpose, and just trying to find twelve sites for this project took a good deal of time. It's always nice to have a site that has a list of links to things. It just saves time and it's so much easier.
1. Hooda Math Blog
- This site has a few math games that are fun. I played the princess math game, even though it was super easy for me. I got to dress up the princess in different clothes in order to find the correct combination that solved the math problems. They also have cool worksheets and many different games that could work. The games are for all ages and some of them are pretty tough. They have all different kinds of games: logic, business, science, and more. These games could be used as review for different lessons or as part of introducing a new topic. Students always have more fun when a game is involved.
2. Learn English
- This site has many different features for teaching English. There worksheets are simple to use and easy to print out. They cover grammar, give examples for different tense, and so on. This would make finding quick and easy worksheets a lot easier. A teacher's time is precious, even the littlest thing can go a long way in preparing a lesson.
3. 2nd Grade
- This teacher has provided some really cool posts. She has put up songs to help the students learn different lessons. For instance, putting the water cycle to the tune of "Oh My Darling Clementine" and doing hand motions with the song is pretty ingenious. These would be great ways to help the students remember bigger words, as well as learning the order of different cycles. Music is only part of what she has posted. She also has some things on technology, games, and others. This would be a good resource to have when teaching, because it can help you think of creative ideas for your own classroom.
The blogs that I found and put on my toolbox really captured my attention. When I become a teacher it will be great to look back and easily find websites that could help with my teaching. It takes a while to look up and find sites that suite your purpose, and just trying to find twelve sites for this project took a good deal of time. It's always nice to have a site that has a list of links to things. It just saves time and it's so much easier.
1. Hooda Math Blog
- This site has a few math games that are fun. I played the princess math game, even though it was super easy for me. I got to dress up the princess in different clothes in order to find the correct combination that solved the math problems. They also have cool worksheets and many different games that could work. The games are for all ages and some of them are pretty tough. They have all different kinds of games: logic, business, science, and more. These games could be used as review for different lessons or as part of introducing a new topic. Students always have more fun when a game is involved.
2. Learn English
- This site has many different features for teaching English. There worksheets are simple to use and easy to print out. They cover grammar, give examples for different tense, and so on. This would make finding quick and easy worksheets a lot easier. A teacher's time is precious, even the littlest thing can go a long way in preparing a lesson.
3. 2nd Grade
- This teacher has provided some really cool posts. She has put up songs to help the students learn different lessons. For instance, putting the water cycle to the tune of "Oh My Darling Clementine" and doing hand motions with the song is pretty ingenious. These would be great ways to help the students remember bigger words, as well as learning the order of different cycles. Music is only part of what she has posted. She also has some things on technology, games, and others. This would be a good resource to have when teaching, because it can help you think of creative ideas for your own classroom.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Week 10: Educational Blog
My Plate Runneth Over
I found many educational blogs that had been done by teachers. There were blogs that gave different ideas for certain projects, told about their experiences in the classroom, or talked about the difficulties of dealing with adults inside and outside the school. For instance, one of the blogs discusses how, although she loves her job, sometimes the stress of dealing with other adults can get in the way of teaching the students. In this particular post, she talks about balance. Balance among life, work, new methods, relations with other teachers, or new technology. Although, her talks are more on the side of venting from frustration, but it was really interesting to see a blog that gave a "less happy" point of view. Many of the other blogs that I read talked about their cool experiences and different strategies, which is definitely great, but it was nice to see that there are also plenty of hardships that go on in the classroom. The community learned about a student in college who is ready to learn about both the good and bad that happens as a teacher.
I found many educational blogs that had been done by teachers. There were blogs that gave different ideas for certain projects, told about their experiences in the classroom, or talked about the difficulties of dealing with adults inside and outside the school. For instance, one of the blogs discusses how, although she loves her job, sometimes the stress of dealing with other adults can get in the way of teaching the students. In this particular post, she talks about balance. Balance among life, work, new methods, relations with other teachers, or new technology. Although, her talks are more on the side of venting from frustration, but it was really interesting to see a blog that gave a "less happy" point of view. Many of the other blogs that I read talked about their cool experiences and different strategies, which is definitely great, but it was nice to see that there are also plenty of hardships that go on in the classroom. The community learned about a student in college who is ready to learn about both the good and bad that happens as a teacher.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)