Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Week 9 -- Caught on Video
I thought that this article beautifully captured the potential of video in schools. Students documenting their own learning does seem like a great idea, and having their progress and triumphs on an easily accessible database seems like a wonderful prospect! The financial side would be difficult, though, in that it seems that nearly every student would need a camera, or at least multiple ones for every class. Though they're relatively inexpensive, that would still add up.
I also liked what he had to say about diverse learners--that perhaps filming progress rather than relying on letter grades would encourage those students for whom test taking is a difficult prospect. I want a camera in my classroom! :)
I also liked what he had to say about diverse learners--that perhaps filming progress rather than relying on letter grades would encourage those students for whom test taking is a difficult prospect. I want a camera in my classroom! :)
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Reflection 6
Technology: what is its place in education?
Students of today are growing up with an ever-increasing knowledge of technology, both its good side and its bad side. This is a pandora's box, however, since technology's dark side is very dark and its bright side is extremely bright. Students know more about technology (the internet, phones, gaming systems, etc) than many of their teachers and this brings us to the question of how teachers should use technology in the classroom.
Students clearly get enough of it at home, but since their brains are being wired differently due to their exposure to electronics and other technology, there is no question that some of it must be integrated in schools. I believe that teachers shouldn't completely abandon books for eBooks or online text, but that technology should be employed in productive forms (SMART technology, Powerpoint, document cameras, etc.)
I firmly believe, however, that technology should merely be a conduit for information, rather than the focus of the lesson. It has its place, but it should not come before content in any situation. Teachers must still teach, but technology should be used for the betterment of the students and their continued learning.
Students of today are growing up with an ever-increasing knowledge of technology, both its good side and its bad side. This is a pandora's box, however, since technology's dark side is very dark and its bright side is extremely bright. Students know more about technology (the internet, phones, gaming systems, etc) than many of their teachers and this brings us to the question of how teachers should use technology in the classroom.
Students clearly get enough of it at home, but since their brains are being wired differently due to their exposure to electronics and other technology, there is no question that some of it must be integrated in schools. I believe that teachers shouldn't completely abandon books for eBooks or online text, but that technology should be employed in productive forms (SMART technology, Powerpoint, document cameras, etc.)
I firmly believe, however, that technology should merely be a conduit for information, rather than the focus of the lesson. It has its place, but it should not come before content in any situation. Teachers must still teach, but technology should be used for the betterment of the students and their continued learning.
Reflection 5
In the classroom where I tutored with AVID, the teacher used her projector almost exclusively. She organized her desks so that students could universally see the screen and have easy access to the information being presented. Rather than putting a schedule on the white board, she put her schedule on daily powerpoints that were always formatted the same so that students were never taken by surprise. I like the fact that she took that time to make powerpoints rather than write on the board.
Additionally, she didn't rely on technology at the expense of her teaching. She showed videos occasionally, but students mainly wrote on white boards or had discussion, something which I believe there should be more of in classrooms. Her consistency and presence greatly aided her students' learning, and she used technology rather than the other way around.
Reflection 4
One of my professors (who will go unnamed) had a fondness for Powerpoint. I would normally say that that's a good thing, but my professor's problem was a fondness for over-graphics and over-animation. By that, I mean that literally everything spun, flew, or danced onto the screen, and every graphic was animated and borderline irrelevant to the lesson.
Though this may come from not being a technology native, this habit makes it very difficult for students to focus on what is actually being presented. Powerpoint must be the conduit through which information is passed, and overly-decorating that conduit leads to obfuscation of the information.
I think that powerpoint should be simple, yet engaging. Not everything has to be animated, and links to external videos or images are probably more effective than cramming an entire powerpoint full of clip art and spinning words.
I think that powerpoint should be simple, yet engaging. Not everything has to be animated, and links to external videos or images are probably more effective than cramming an entire powerpoint full of clip art and spinning words.
Content over presentation.
Reflection 3
Many of the classrooms at NU have SMARTboards, but I don't think that I've ever seen a teacher use one outside of Instructional Design and (obviously) Tech in Ed. Are college students "beyond" SMARTboards? Are they simply a tool to be used for the younger grades? I think not.
Aside from the added convenience of not having to lecture from behind a computer, SMARTboards provide a variety of options for testing, quizzing, and learning material. Students can interact with the board, and though the games that are found on SMARTexchange are definitely at a lower level than college students, I think that the teachers of NU would benefit from better learning how to use the technology that's available. What will happen when the children of today who learn from SMARTboards in class come to school with professors who still use white boards? It could be a bit of a shock or awkward transition.
Though I may not like it, technology is becoming more and more prominent. As such, we as professional educators must adapt and master technology so that fear of it does not master us or our teaching styles.
Aside from the added convenience of not having to lecture from behind a computer, SMARTboards provide a variety of options for testing, quizzing, and learning material. Students can interact with the board, and though the games that are found on SMARTexchange are definitely at a lower level than college students, I think that the teachers of NU would benefit from better learning how to use the technology that's available. What will happen when the children of today who learn from SMARTboards in class come to school with professors who still use white boards? It could be a bit of a shock or awkward transition.
Though I may not like it, technology is becoming more and more prominent. As such, we as professional educators must adapt and master technology so that fear of it does not master us or our teaching styles.
Week 8 -- Reading/Writing Game Site
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks1/literacy/
I had a hard time finding ones that had middle school games, but the BBC website has a lot of really fun games that could easily be used in a classroom setting. The game that I tried out was Kung-Fu sentences. It helped kids at a younger age to select parts of a sentence that go together to help Max learn Kung Fu. It was relatively easy, but the funny graphics and moves will make it enjoyable for the kids. I would have them line up and pull this screen up on a SMARTboard so that they could tap whichever part of the sentence comes next for themselves and work as a class to find the answers. This would also get them moving, which is good.
http://pbskids.org/lions/games/flood.html
Another good website I found was the PBS website, specifically Between the Lions. I watched that show with my sister when I was little, and it helped us to learn fluency very well. The games are (again) pretty easy, but would be good for younger children. The ones who are working at their desks could write the answers in a notebook or work in pairs to try to figure out the answer.
Both these websites should help prove to kids that learning can be both fun and productive! :)
I had a hard time finding ones that had middle school games, but the BBC website has a lot of really fun games that could easily be used in a classroom setting. The game that I tried out was Kung-Fu sentences. It helped kids at a younger age to select parts of a sentence that go together to help Max learn Kung Fu. It was relatively easy, but the funny graphics and moves will make it enjoyable for the kids. I would have them line up and pull this screen up on a SMARTboard so that they could tap whichever part of the sentence comes next for themselves and work as a class to find the answers. This would also get them moving, which is good.
http://pbskids.org/lions/games/flood.html
Another good website I found was the PBS website, specifically Between the Lions. I watched that show with my sister when I was little, and it helped us to learn fluency very well. The games are (again) pretty easy, but would be good for younger children. The ones who are working at their desks could write the answers in a notebook or work in pairs to try to figure out the answer.
Both these websites should help prove to kids that learning can be both fun and productive! :)
Reflection 2
In high school biology class, I was continually amazed at the amount of technology that was available to us. I didn't go to an affluent school district, but rather, a middle class school. We had micropipettes, computer programs, and a video-connected microscope for guided practice. My teacher implemented them better in my biology class rather than AP Bio, but that's a different story.
I came to class continually excited for class because of the incredible opportunities presented through this equipment. Even during early morning lab, I was amazed by the precision of micropipettes. Our teacher explained thoroughly how all the devices worked, so I had a better understanding of how it's done in the "real world". Through all of this technology, I feel that I didn't solely receive a "classroom" experience, but more than that, an experience with how it's really done. It helped me to see the importance of the work I was doing, as well as to make connections with the real world.
I came to class continually excited for class because of the incredible opportunities presented through this equipment. Even during early morning lab, I was amazed by the precision of micropipettes. Our teacher explained thoroughly how all the devices worked, so I had a better understanding of how it's done in the "real world". Through all of this technology, I feel that I didn't solely receive a "classroom" experience, but more than that, an experience with how it's really done. It helped me to see the importance of the work I was doing, as well as to make connections with the real world.
Reflection #1
In one of our ed classes (Instructional Design) a few weeks ago, Professor Garrett was teaching us about some of the options that we could use when we started to present our lessons as far as technology goes. She brought up the document camera v. the white board (non-interactive). While both, she said, have their uses, the document camera is generally better for doing guided practice. We all wondered why. Professor Garrett explained that in using the document camera, it is still possible to keep an eye on students, thus ensuring more competent classroom management. It was interesting, and made me think about my own experiences in the classroom and how kids would wait until the teacher's back was turned to text, pass notes, or even throw a punch or two.
Ensuring that you keep an eye on the students means that there's a higher chance that they'll be engaged, paying attention, and ready to learn.
Ensuring that you keep an eye on the students means that there's a higher chance that they'll be engaged, paying attention, and ready to learn.
Week 7 -- Math Tech Blog
http://explorationsinmath.org/news-events/math-matters/
I visited the "Math Matters" blog, and was pleasantly surprised. I sort of expected a bunch of boring ideas about a subject that I likely will not teach. However, the articles are well thought out and certainly bring up valid points. There were not many about tech in math, but one suggested using internet math games in the classroom to set up the lesson. I think that this is a good idea for several reasons. Firstly, the students will be engaged in the game. Secondly, it gives students a connection to something that they can turn around and do at home. Thirdly, it eases the environment and makes kids less anxious if the lesson begins with a game.
Though it's not related to tech, I loved what the one teacher tells her students when they answer incorrectly. I'm not going to teach math (at least, it's not likely) but I know that I want to have this attitude with my students anyway.
"If a child gives a wrong answer, I tell her that that’s OK—I like wrong answers. They’re not as good as correct answers, but here’s why wrong answers are also good: They tell me three good things about her: she’s listening, she’ s thinking and she’s trying, and what more can we ask? Any child who listens, thinks and tries is going to succeed."
I visited the "Math Matters" blog, and was pleasantly surprised. I sort of expected a bunch of boring ideas about a subject that I likely will not teach. However, the articles are well thought out and certainly bring up valid points. There were not many about tech in math, but one suggested using internet math games in the classroom to set up the lesson. I think that this is a good idea for several reasons. Firstly, the students will be engaged in the game. Secondly, it gives students a connection to something that they can turn around and do at home. Thirdly, it eases the environment and makes kids less anxious if the lesson begins with a game.
Though it's not related to tech, I loved what the one teacher tells her students when they answer incorrectly. I'm not going to teach math (at least, it's not likely) but I know that I want to have this attitude with my students anyway.
"If a child gives a wrong answer, I tell her that that’s OK—I like wrong answers. They’re not as good as correct answers, but here’s why wrong answers are also good: They tell me three good things about her: she’s listening, she’ s thinking and she’s trying, and what more can we ask? Any child who listens, thinks and tries is going to succeed."
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