Digital Blog Post #D- Chapter 5

We are living in the quickly advancing digital era. It's very simple to retrieve information because most of us access the digital world throughout most of our days. Classrooms are transforming in ways of using computers more for assignments or activities, or iBooks for textbook reading. Technology creates a more efficient and convenient (in most cases) learning atmosphere. As we can see in figure 5.1 from the text, internet access at home has increased by nearly 80% since 1984. "96% of adolescents have access to a computer at home" (Maloy et, al).As a future educator, we need to be mindful of the advantages and disadvantages of living in this tech era.

 iGoogle allows you to personalize your Google search page. You can make somewhat of a "board" of all of the pages you're interested in. For my iGoogle search page, I will have websites for sponge activities, YouTube for subject relatable videos, a section for news, and maybe some educational games. I think this would be an easy and convenient tool to use, especially since I find that Google is the best search engine to use. I can also add gadgets, or widgets, to my iGoogle. In an article by Sandra Lawrence, I found that the podcast player, dictionary, and world webcam are gadgets I could add to my iGoogle for classroom use (Lawrence).

 Cyberbullying is not an unknown term. Cyberbullying is the act of stalking, harassing, and threatening using one's mobile device. The main target of cyberbullying are LBGT students. Studies have shown that students who are being cyberbullied are twice as likely to turn to abusive substances (pg 122). As a teacher, we may not get to see cyberbullying with our own eyes, but there are ways that we can help prevent this issue. Along with many other teachers, I will have a zero tolerance policy towards bullying of any type. Social media has sky rocketed over the past decade. Many teens post personal information on their social media sites. I will tell my students the importance of keeping their accounts private. Offering consistent support is also important.

 It's an unappealing statistic that in a twenty year span, the number of 17 year olds that read for fun went down about 13%. It's obvious that most children and young adults spend a lot of time of in Internet. I agree with the text that using mobile devices like an e-book or e-reader, students will be able to skillfully navigate through the web and retrieve information that will better prepare them for the real world (Maloy et, al). During some classroom observations, I've noticed students using their e-readers instead of text books. I think the use of e-readers is more convenient than having textbooks because a student could have all books in one e-reader. If technology doesn't fail, e-books would be something to use for a more efficient classroom.

 As a future educator, we have no choice but to keep up with the advancing technology era. We have to keep up-to-date so we can we a helping hand for our students. There are many pros and cons with technology that we have to be mindful about. We know that technology can transform the classroom, The disadvantages are cyberbullying and that people are more attached to social media and being on their mobile devices. More time spent on the Internet leads to less time spent reading. Yes we want our students to skillfully use technology but not lose reading skills.

Resources:

Alaimo, A (2015, September 27). Digital Blog Post D. Created with  

   http://flipquiz.me/u/averyalaimo/chapter-5-terms

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 #C - Chapter 3

We know how much a student’s educational world can change in regards to having technology in the classroom, but we can’t expect them to learn lessons on their own. It’s up to the teacher to deliver the necessary lessons while integrating technology so our students are successful in their futures. There are four different learning theories in which teachers follow.  In the “High Tech High” piece of the section, we read that an entire school is devoted to using new technology and learning theory constructivism in their curriculum. The constructivist approach is where a person takes every situation and piece of information and then perceives it and reacts in their own way. Students are able to shadow adults in real life situations, projects in community service, and a large amount of group work. This school does not practice tracking and I think this is an important component of High Tech High’s curriculum. If students are instructed to work in different groups rather than being grouped by academic ability, they are able to learn how to work with others so they’re prepared for the “real world.” I see many advantages from this program and I am in no shock to know that all of the graduates go to college.

Most of us already use technology every day. We can access almost anything from a digital device and are always checking up on the latest news, events, and social media. As a teacher, we must be able to know how to efficiently use the internet. When a student is given information or is researching, we want him/her to be able to sort through and be able to decide what’s to be used and what’s not. As stated in the text, having information literacy will help students gather and sort through info and use credible sources. Information literacy runs hand-in-hand with internet literacy. To be efficient researchers, our students will need to understand the basic formats on the internet. There are many elements to knowing internet format such as knowing where the search bar is, what search engines are, and simply knowing not to click on pop-ups. Being digital literate is being able to use creativity, cognitive thinking, and social skills to attain information and deliver projects of their own. Media literacy means that our students use social media and entertainment to deliver information. This can be from a digital blog, online research projects, and viewing online dictionaries. Lastly is having visual literacy. Visual literacy is where our students use charts, pictures, videos, and illustrations to further add to their visual presentations. Adapting to these digital literacies is crucial to your student’s academic success. We want our student’s to be confident in using various technologies, as they will use it in their futures. (Maloy, et al, 2013, p.55-58)

Knowing how and when to use technology in the classroom is important but to grasp our student’s attention, we need to be creative. To start, we need to understand that being creative not only comes from designing, but more so in how a child perceives information. Seymour Papert created online environments for students to access on a computer called LOGO. LOGO is a mathematical environment where the navigator is a turtle. The text points out how this helps all students learn math no matter what background they come from. Social media is another way to be creative. In my future classroom, I could also use an online digital blog that my students can access on their own. On my blog, I would have relevant lesson information, videos, extra help, and even extra credit.

“Transformative learning with technology is a central goal of the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) and the Student Outcomes for Learning from the Partnership for 21^st Century Skills.” (Maloy, et al, 2013, p.45) We want our students to be creative and critical thinkers. We can use technology in such ways that let our students adapt to the advancement in technology. I need to be creative as well using blogs, online posts, topics and videos, and interactive research assignments.

Resources:

Alaimo, A (2015, September 19). Digital Blog Post C. Created with  https://www.powtoon.com/online-

   presentation/ekn6vuzx95U/digital-blog-post-c/#/

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 #B-Chapter 2

In chapter one, we learned the importance of using technology in our classrooms and what Web 2.0 tools were. We use these tools, or ICTS (information and communication technologies) to know what is on a computer, what can be accessed, and what can be connected to them. These Web 2.0 technologies include bookmarking, blogs, podcasts, social networking, and wikis that are used to “solve problems and extend human capabilities.” Because we have to use these technologies, we have to attain Web 2.0 knowledge. There may be a struggle with fitting these technologies into our curriculums, but it can be as simple as downloading an app on your mobile device or iPad. Questia Library is a popular app that allows students and instructors to find scholarly and credible books and articles. I myself have used this app and found it very helpful.            

                        

In 20^th century classrooms, we used overhead projectors, blackboards or dry erase boards, and audio tapes. These non-computer-based technologies may still be used but overall, we have transformed classrooms into using computer-based-technologies. Teachers have come across issues like what methods to use for teaching, why you want to integrate technology, and what your readiness is. In Figure 2.1, I was asked how I would classify my interest in using technology in teaching and I chose Early Adopter. There is still a lot for me to learn and have a good grasp on, but I’m very willing to keep myself educated, as my job depends on it.

With all of this tech talk and work, we want our students to actually be engaged in their assignments. A few statistics show that overall, student’s engagement to the lesson is higher with technology involved. According to Figure 2.3 in the text, we can see that students are least engaged when being lectured. I know from personal experience that statistic is undoubtedly true. Listening to a lecture for a whole period can be boring. Having a PowerPoint presentation along with the lecture can help your students connect more to the lesson and help their attention spans last longer.

In conclusion, we now know what technologies we will be using and how they impact our student’s learning. We must be up-to-date on advancing technologies and be creative in our lesson planning. Change can be a stressful, but having an adapting outlook will be very helpful. In this article,  10 Major Technology Trends in Education, we can see that there are many different ways to use technology in the classroom, from online learning to easier access from a mobile device. 

Resources:

Alaimo, A (2015, September 10). Non-tech VS Tech. Created 

  with https://magic.piktochart.com/editor/piktochart/7837473#

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

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

Riedel, Chris. "10 Major Technology Trends in Education" Public Sector Media Group. Retrieved from 

   http://thejournal.com/Articles/2014/02/03/10-Major-Technology-Trends-in-Education.aspx?Page=1

Digital Blog Post #A- Chapter 1

Digital Badge #A - Chapter1

We live in the era of technology. Many people know how to use it and its advancement has changed our world, but more in general, our student's world. The iGeneration (youngsters aged 8-18) uses the Internet, computers, and other devices in their everyday lives.  It's no shock that these students spend about one-thirds of their day on the Internet. As I was researching the importance of integrating technology in the classroom, I found an article called Impact of Technology in Elementary Classrooms. The article had a list of statistics that proves that technology makes an impact. My favorite statistic is that over 70% of iTunes apps are designed for elementary and pre-school students (Everyday Family.) As a future educator, it is important that I stay updated on new technologies to create more efficient and engaging ways for my students to learn. 

In a teacher's world, this technology demand may be overwhelming.  I will be using technologies including a Technology-Based Library which holds a large number of curriculum resources, a Technology-Based Textbook; also known as Net Text that serves as a guide for teachers with previously made lesson plans, a Technology-Based Learning Environment which is an "online classroom" where students can view posts, notes, and discussions from their own source, a Technology-Based Teaching Tool; a device that makes it possible for teachers to lengthen time spent with his/her students such as dividing the class in to two, and lastly a Technology-Based Office; an electronic office used for organizing work such as Microsoft word, emails, and grade keeping. Using these technologies are critical to a student's learning educational succession. 

Lastly, we need to focus on working with our students using 21st century skills. For our students to be more successful in this advancing technology world, we must use these skills to teach our students to be more complex and creative thinkers. Using 21st century skills means using computers, the Internet and social media will help my students be more critical thinkers and problem solvers. A big and important 21st century skill is Web 2.0 tools. These tools include blogs, wiki, and social networking. 

In conclusion, we know the extreme importance of bringing the technology world into the classroom. This will transform a student's world immensely.  Many statistics prove that almost everyone uses some form of technology every day. With the fast advancement of technology, i need to stay educated and creative to create the best environment for my classroom. 

Photo credit to Wayan Vota on Flickr

References

Bhaskar, K., Santosh. "Impact of Technology in Elementary Classrooms." EdTechReview. Web. 2015. 5 September, 2015.

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.