Digital Blog Post #H

Chapter 9 

Our education world is much different than it used to be. In the past decade, technology has transformed our classrooms. We are using computers for everyday activities like testing and practice assignments, PowerPoints, and apps on a classroom mobile device such as an iPad or tablet. Lectures don’t always keep a student’s attention. Using these technologies in the classroom will assure less snores and more student engagement. Teachers need to integrate multimedia technologies as well as equipping our students with the skills to do the same.

 PowerPoint is a program designed by Word that lets you create presentations. PowerPoint is very commonly used in schools for both teachers and students. You can add text, date and tables, and pictures to as many slides as you want. There are many slide enhancers, like 3D text, or the option to add audio. A popular group assignment is to have students make a presentation on an educational topic. In my hypothetical sixth grade social studies classroom, I would have my students get into groups of four. The topic would be a different country and all about its culture. The project would be completed in class and I would have my students fill out a log and turn it in as a portion of their grade. Not only are my students working together, but they are gaining tech skills that they can build from.

 Although we have to face the sad fact that art has been cut back so much in education, in the “NGA Kids: Digital Art in Classrooms” portion of the text, we can see how digital art has helped bring art back into the system. On a computer or mobile device, students can access a website like The Art Zone where they can create art using colors, images, and textures. I would let students use this website during downtime if we have any, or on a Friday afternoon. I support art classes and courses in education because it lets students express themselves and I think it’s therapeutic. Art has only proven to support brain development as well as helping students think more creatively.

 In the “Tech Tool 9.3” section of the chapter, we can see how the easy use of a podcast can change our classroom. Podcasts are audio recordings that are saved to a recording software, usually Garageband, and accessed via the internet. Most new computers have built-in microphones, but if not, you can always record from a video camera or a clip-on microphone. When you’ve finished your recording, you can save it to sites like iTunes, PodOmatic, or on your own classroom website or blog. I would have students complete a project where they’ll have to interview a family member older than them for a cultural project. I would allow my students to post it to our classroom website and encourage parents to view them as well.

 Technology plays a big role in how our students learn. As a future teacher, I know it’s important that I integrate the use of multimedia technologies because there are many great outcomes. Our students are more engaged, creative, equipped with tech skills, and are working with others. We want our students to feel confident when working with these multimedia technologies and to be able to build from them.

 Resources:

Alaimo, Avery (24 October, 2015). Digital Blog Post H. Made with 

   https://magic.piktochart.com/editor/765#

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New 

   Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.

PodOmatic. (2015). Media for you, created by you. PodOmatic. 24 October, 2015. Retrieved from 

   https://www.podomatic.com/login

Digital Blog Post #G- Chapter 10

Chapter 10 Our classrooms are filled with a diverse variety of students. Students come from different culture backgrounds and speak other languages. On the other spectrum, out of students K-12, over 13% receive disability services. Not only are we creating new ways to integrate technology in the classroom, but we are using technology to work with our diverse students. As a future educator, it is important that I recognize and be prepared for the obstacles that I will have to face so I can help every one of my students succeed. As a future teacher, it is important that I create the best learning environment for all of my students.

 By using the differentiated instruction approach, I can help all of my students meet their educational needs. This approach involves the use all learning styles to create activities for these students. All learning styles are used with this approach so we can satisfy every student’s needs. If I had a student that needed my undivided attention, I would have the rest of the class working in groups so I could be with this student one-on-one. Technology will allow the student to work individually while I teach the rest of the class. I like this approach because it allows me to meet every one of my student’s educational needs.

Creating activities for an individual can be difficult at times and in the “digital dialog 10.1” part of the chapter, there are some things to take into consideration while I make these activities. I have noticed that my I base my learning preference off of what subject I’m doing and this is why I think differentiated instruction is a good approach to use. For math and science, I would create more hands on activities and for language arts and social studies, I would lecture. In a 6th grade classroom I observed, I noticed that the teacher incorporated different learning styles. First, the students completed a scavenger hunt on a hurricane information website, then they listened to a lecture about hurricanes. Not only did the teacher use hands-on, visual, and auditory learning, she also used technology as well.

In the “Tech Tool 10.1” section of the chapter, we can see how a whiteboard can create a more efficient classroom. Whiteboards are large touchscreens that allow you to navigate through the teacher’s desktop with the touch of a finger or by a pen. Anything that is wrote on the whiteboard can be saved to the teacher’s desktop. In a math classroom, I would use this interactive whiteboard and have my students complete math problems on the board. I could save all of their work and post to it the class website so my students could go back and look at notes if needed.

We have a diverse student population and with this comes many different types of learning needs. Every one learns differently so it is important that I create activities that will engage every student while meeting their educational needs. We need to integrate technology into our activities as well because it will further engage our students and help them develop tech skills as well. Technology allows for us to create an effective classroom while being able to assist every student’s specific needs.


 Resources:

 Alaimo, Avery. (17 October, 2015) Digital Blog Post G. Made with 

   https://prezi.com/kj6ejpumlvli/whiteboards-rule/#

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New 

   Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.

SmartClassrooms. [SmartClassrooms]. (2009, April 9) Smart Boards. Why are they so easy to use?

   Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0U05WeXPGlk

Digital Blog Post #F- Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Social media has seemed to take over the world. At first, the social media world was introduced to the younger population but we find that parents and grandparents are using it as well. According to an article by Shea Bennett, around 96 percent of students with internet access use social media. “Social media has revolutionized many industries, but it’s perhaps its impact on the classroom, and the education system as a whole, that is the most striking” (2013). The majority of our student population uses social media. As a future educator, it is important that I “connect” with my students while integrating technology as well so their learning goes beyond the classroom.

There are a few communication technologies to keep in mind while interacting with my students outside of class. I could provide a telephone number for my students to reach me if needed. I would also send a text out to remind students when big assignments are due, or to study for a quiz. I could make a website with notes, topic related videos, and a discussion area where students can ask and answer questions. In a blog, I could branch off from our lessons and talk about similar topics and post about current events. These technologies can create a better connection with students and give them a chance to discuss and share ideas.

Teenagers do text a lot and in the “Digital dialog 8.1” section of the chapter, it’s no surprise to see that teen’s text more than any other part of the population (2011). There are some things to be mindful about with this popular form of communication. I think texting is so popular among teens is because of the social scene as well as keeping their privacy secure. Teens more than anyone else are focused on fitting in and making friends. Text messaging allows them to interact with others in a private way. All cell phones give you the option of setting up a password in order for you to unlock the phone. I know from personal experience that texting has changed my spelling, reading, and writing skills. Using slang, shortened words, and acronyms is common to use while texting. If elementary students are using texting as well, they may not be using critical thinking or focusing on their spelling and writing. I think teachers will have to involve more critical thinking activities and maybe more writing activities to strengthen those reading, writing, and spelling skills. In a discussion board, I submitted my response to my professor and said “lol” at the end of it. The professor didn’t mind and laughed but it shocked me that using text language has become like a second nature to me.

In the “Twitter for Teachers” part of the chapter, we can see how conveniently easy Twitter is to use for out of classroom learning. As of 2011, there was 250 million tweets sent per day. Twitter incorporates texting, social networking, and blogging by letting users share interests by sending a tweet. Your page displays all of your previous tweets and retweets. You can search a desired topic by using hashtags and see search results from all around the world (2011). Using Twitter will allow me to post about upcoming assignments and assessments, tweet other teachers to share ideas, and allow my students to ask questions and share ideas as well. For an extra credit assignment, I could have my students follow a presidential debate and tweet about their opinions. I think this activity would be engaging and help students become more politically active.

Not only has technology changed our teaching world, but social media has made such an impact that it’s becoming more and more popular for teachers to use it as well. Our students are consistently checking their social networking sites so as a future educator, I can take advantage of this to help my students learn beyond the classroom. Will Richardson agrees that we can do this by posting about upcoming assignments or tests, creating discussion boards and blogs, and “tweeting” about current events. “This tectonic shift of connections has huge significance for the way we think about our roles as educators, our classrooms, and, most important, our own personal learning.” (2011).

Resources:

Alaimo, A. (October 11, 2015). Digital Blog Post F. Created with https://bubbl.us/mindmap

Bennett, Shea. “How is social media used in schools? Statistics, facts, and figures.” 

   SocialTimes. 2013. Retrieved from http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/schools-social-media-

   stats/488104

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New  

Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.

Digital Blog Post #E- Chapter 7

Chapter 7

In the “Rosie rediscovers Math” section in the text, we can see how engaged a student was while using a mobile device. The teacher explains that she’s always busy making lessons plans focused on tests that she doesn’t make time to create activities that the students will actually enjoy.  (Maloy, et al, 2013, p. 158) We know that the majority of our students already use technology for large portions of their days, so why not integrate it into our classrooms as a successful learning tool?

We want our students to learn based off of real-world situations. Our education system uses problem- based learning so our students are prepared for their futures. George Polya brought forward a three step problem solving method in completing math problems.  Understanding the problem is the first step and that includes knowing what you are being asked. Students can reflect on previous knowledge to help them prepare to solve the problem. The second step is using problem-solving strategies and this will require the student to break the problem down. Students will choose the best strategy to get the correct answer. The last step is where students check their answer and decide if their answer is the best choice. The student might go back and complete the problem again or get rid of choices they know are not correct. (Maloy, et al, 2013, p. 159) I like this approach because students are able to use and build their critical thinking skills.

Certain programs promote either higher-order or lower-order thinking in students. As educators, we have to be able to tell the difference. Lower-order thinking requires students to reflect and interpret information while higher-order thinking involves breaking down the information while using one’s perspectives and real-world experiences to evaluate it. An example of a lower-thinking order website would be ABCYa. This website serves as practice for spelling bees and requires students to use their memorization to solve the “problem.”  Energy City is a game that involves higher-thinking order where students learn how to sustain energy using renewable and nonrenewable resources (Filament games). With this game, students aren’t memorizing information, instead, they are using real-world situations to learn.

Google Earth is a very successful learning tool. Google Earth is accessed by computer and lets you see the world from a bird’s eye view. I think so highly of Google Earth because it allows students to learn more about direction, landmarks, and details of the world around them. (Maloy, et al, 2013, p. 166) I would create a scavenger hunt activity for my students where they will need to use coordinates provided by me to locate certain areas. I will ask the students to describe or even illustrate what they find when they type the coordinates in.

Using the appropriate technology tools can promote higher thinking and prepare our students for real-world situations. If our student’s our using technology for most of their days anyway, we should create ways so they can learn and grow from it. I thought this chapter displayed many good points and ways to use these technology tools. These tools will engage our students and then help them transform into more creative and complex thinkers and problem solvers.

Resources:

AbcYa.com. "Spelling bees and Spelling practice." AbcYa. 2105. Retrieved 

   from  http://www.abcya.com/spelling_practice.htm

Alaimo, A. (2015, October 3, 2015) Digital Blog Post #E. Created

   with https://prezi.com/ik9ub1c3eq8i/3-step-problem-solving/#

Filament Games. "Stem learning game projects." Filament Games. 2015. Retrieved 

   from https://www.filamentgames.com/project-categories/stem

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New   

   Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc