And just like that, the end of another semester already!
This course really helped me define what my personal teaching strategies are and how I plan on using my ideals in the classroom. With the support of my peers, I made lesson plans, websites, and even this nifty blog that helped me further understand where I am in this field, how far I have come, and how far I still have to go. Using technology in a classroom environment is very important, especially in today's ever-growing digital world. With new advances every day, students need to be exposed to the basics of computer usage and lingo to fully understand what will be available to them next.
It is especially important to utilize these machines for those students whose families may or may not have computers of their own. Technology doesn't seem to slow down. Children in today's world need to learn the ins and outs of computers early so that they can continue to keep up with the latest devices and updates.
Some technologies I learned about that I'm eager to use with my future students are Edmodo, Classdojo, Discover Education, and Edutopia. These sites will help me connect with both students and their families, as well as help me provide the very best information, videos, and content in class. Connecting with the families of students is very important to their growth and development. Keeping one's family in the loop may be what helps the student succeed and pass to the next grade. Some of the sites I mentioned above have apps that make it even easier for parents to comment, ask questions, and submit concerns to teachers on the go.
Resources:
Maloy, R., Verock-O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc. Saad Irfan (2011). Android eating Apple. Flickr.com. Web. Accessed 29 November, 2015.
Smart Technologies EMEA (Education). The History of technology in education (3 October, 2011). YouTube.com. Web. Accessed 10 December, 2015, via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFwWWsz_X9s
The idea of digital inequality was probably not expected to happen with the rapid rise of technology in the past 30 years. While it's main purpose is probably to help people obtain information, stay up to date with news, and to reach out, technology definitely does seem to cause quite the stir among friends, family, and social groups. The idea of children having smart phones and other devices no longer seems to surprise me, though it can be a big deal for their peers. It's not too rare for me to hear a student talking about their iPhone and an adult walking by saying "I don't even have one!" or "I didn't have one until I was 40!", though the latter had different circumstances not growing up with them! Children are naturally drawn to technology today and often inquire about their peers' devices. Unfortunately, cliques seem to arise even from what brand of technology you may have.
I like to think of owning technology as similar to having a favorite sports team. While the two couldn't be more opposite, they do cause people similar feelings. iPhone owners might cringe at the thought of using an Android, while a Windows user might poke fun at both the other two for their choice. Usually it is harmless, playful teasing, but just like in sports, people can get very competitive and lash out at others. This fine line between playful and harmful shows just how big or how little a form digital inequality can come in.
At first when reading about one/two/three time I didn't think I'd know what it was! The idea of centers has always been in lower level classrooms and students seem to really enjoy it. To them, it's not learning, it's playing and freedom within the classroom. They rotate through a number of "centers" or activities to further develop their mind in a variety of ways. I know right now, my school is highly recommending students use programs such as Discovery Education, iReady, and FASTT Math. These approved, educational computer programs promote science, reading, and math and can be accessed from home or school my students. During one/two/three time, students feel independence and success as they do activities on their own and without adult explanation. I think along with expanding their knowledge of academic content, this helps boost their confidence and independence levels.
Resources:
Maloy, R., Verock-O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.
Saad Irfan (2011). Android eating Apple. Flickr.com. Web. Accessed 29 November, 2015.
While student assessment is obvious to happen in a classroom, it's often forgotten that teachers are assessed as well. Right now with my small amount of experience in the field, the thought of being observed and graded on my teaching skills seems very frightening! There is so much that goes with teaching that many people do not even realize. During a lesson, the educator must decide on the spot how to deal with things like interruptions, questions, unrelated comments, and bickering, all the while keeping it together so the students cannot tell there is any issue at all. Pointing out interruptions may distract more students causing a snowball effect. While monitoring a certain child's choices and continued behavior during a lesson or activity, teachers must decide in their head how they must deal with any given situation.
I've often heard in this field that it is extremely important to choose your battles. When you are in charge of 20 students, many situations come up at any given time. Knowing how to correct a student's behavior and let them know you do not appreciate it is an important task teachers must accomplish frequently. Most of the time, a simple look or silent gesture will do. These options notify the child to stop while keeping the rest of the class's attention on the activity with little to no distractions. For a teacher, knowing which situations to address aloud, which to speak privately to the child with later, or which to ignore will help the classroom run much more smoothly.
While teachers are told what students should be learning and may even be given the tests to assess them with, the choices are nearly endless when it comes to deciding what technologies should be used to teach the material. Many teachers use software such as PowerPoint to present their topics. This is a great tool to use because of its great customization. Any subject can be taught using PowerPoint and its many features. Charts, graphs, pictures, or even strictly text can be presented in whatever way the teacher wants/needs.
I have also seen the site BrainPOP Jr. used for note-taking. This site offers videos teaching a variety of subjects for all different levels of learning. When I saw a teacher using it for his first grade class, the students learned science and had the video paused often to further discuss topics or write down key elements. This was interesting to me because I originally thought they'd discuss what was learned after the short video had ended. This teacher's way proved to be much more successful than my way, as the children got to ask questions and get answers before they'd forgotten they'd even had one! Writing the information down as they went also helped the students by further reinforcing the new content learned.
Something else I found interesting when assisting in the classroom is the way things were sometimes taught. Due to current standards, students must always draw a picture to help solve their math problems. While the students were not told they HAD to draw one, the teacher highly suggested they should and that it would help them the most. The result was that everyone drew their pictures and it gave these students an element of fun where they could choose what to draw that might help. As long as students weren't spending too much time on the picture (sometimes it became an art project to some!), drawing the picture aided them through their math processes.
Resources:
BK. Flickr. What the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches. 21 August, 2013. Web. Retrieved 1 November, 2015.
Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.
The document camera is definitely one of my favorite pieces of classroom technology. There is so much that can be done with it and I think it is truly an important asset for a teacher to have. In a first grade classroom, I have seen it used for making science journals. The teacher makes the example right there in front of the class as they help think of more examples or ideas to add to it. Charts, pictures, or just note taking was done with the document camera. While the students were thinking of what to add next, they were able to look up at the board and see how a certain word was spelled or how much they should have written down at any given point. This piece of equipment is also great for sharing the class's work without the worry of it ripping or tearing by passing it around physically.
YouTube is another great resource for teachers, though I know its risks. Right now, my school district does not even allow teachers to use this site. Even if the video is 100% appropriate and educational, it's the advertisements at the beginning of each one that might cause harm. The ads are random and can be different each time you watch the same video. Even if the teacher viewed it at home, the next day in class might bring something unwanted. Instead, my school highly promotes Discovery Education for us to use. A related issue is with the music site Pandora. The ads and banners on the page are also random and may not be fully appropriate for teachers to use in class. We are now no longer to use this site and are encouraged to use others.
After some research about YouTube, I came across something the site actually provides for educators. "YouTube for Schools" is a way school districts can provide teachers with the YouTube they are familiar with, without the worry of unwanted content. While I'm unsure about the other risk that the advertisements provide, this is a sure way for the video itself to be safe and welcomed by parents.
Resources:
Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.
Schools (6 December, 2011). YouTube for Schools: Join the Global Classroom Today! Retrieved 25 October, 2015, from https://youtu.be/NegRGfGYOwQ
During my first two years working for the school district, having a school email served little to no purpose for me. My first year, spend with an afterschool program, I was not even told I had an email address. When I returned as a part-time lunch/recess aid, I found literally thousands of emails from the previous school that I didn't even know I'd had access to (and boy did those take a while to delete)!
This school year, my first year as a full-timer, I couldn't imagine the day without the use of email. I send at least ten a day for all sorts of reasons. In the media center, I let teachers know when books are ready for students, if a student made bad choices with me, or what their students' progress reports for tests they've taken on books. Email is essential for schools to run effectively. In my observations, I have also seen that it is a big part of the educator's day as well. Teachers communicate daily with parents to let them know how their child is doing, what is going on in the school, or even what was learned that day. Many parents are unable to volunteer in their child's classroom due to work or other priorities. Email keeps that important element of communication open for those with little extra time on their hands.
Something many people dislike about email, however, is how it is an asynchronous communication. When communicating via email, text message, or through other online sources, there isn't a guarantee you will get your response right away. Many times, email is a waiting game. While it's contents may be of importance, it is not dire that the receiver read it the second it is received. A phone call would be an example of the opposite! When being asked a question on the phone, an answer must be given right away, known as synchronous communication. Both types of communication are great for many different things. Asynchronous is great for asking a question you know will take some time to get or for making announcements that don't even need a response. Synchronous communication is great for that face-to-face feel and for relaying urgent, time-sensitive information.
Sending physical letters is what I like to call extreme-asynchronous communication!
Something I found very interesting in the reading was how researchers have found texting to be a positive influence on children's reading proficiency. While some abbreviations made through text and email by youngsters seem a bit ridiculous, it does promote the freedom to write words as they hear them and practice the phonetics they might have learned in class. Being able to communicate through text is fun and interesting to children - let's face it, most children do have smart phones today! Communicating outside the traditional face-to-face or phone call methods can give children control of their conversation and might even prove to be educational to them. They will further learn the ins and outs of their phone, as well as begin to remember where certain letters are on a keyboard (a must for adults wanting to type without frustration!). Jan V. Pixabay
Resources:
Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.
"Will the child program the computer or will the computer program the child?" (Papert, pg. 56). This intriguing quote really made me stop and think. I've always had the mindset that everything I do with the young children I work with affects them, even if neither of us realizes it just yet. These young minds are absorbing so much at once and will retain things I say to them that I won't even remember saying - computers are no different. Students of all ages now have access to many types of technology that will help them progress academically and, in today's world, even socially. As working on computers will help expand their knowledge not only of technology, but of problem solving and working independently, students will continue to learn more about what computers are capable of each time and could eventually improve how easily some programs work. I have seen for myself problem solving and independence through navigating technology. Though this is very different from what a student might do in a classroom, recently I had issues with my dryer at home and was able to get it fixed without calling maintenance by finding tutorials, videos, and articles online (It has worked perfectly since!).
Concept-mapping software is a great tool for teachers to use as part of their daily activities. Programs like Kidspiration allow students to map out all sorts of ideas with personalized visuals and hands-on learning through a computer. Adding personal touches to school work, such as choosing what color font to use, will increase the student's focus on the task at hand by making disliked subjects more interesting. Students can use programs like this to make charts, graphs, or even to solve math problems as shown below! Another great mind-mapping tool that can be used on mobile devices is Mindly. This is also a great visual students can use to link their thoughts together, take notes, or brainstorm. I think the element of customization, such as choosing colors and shapes, is what will help students feel they have control of their learning environment.
An important part of teaching is getting your students attention with some sort of hook or interesting opening statement. What I found really interesting in the reading was the section about the video game club created for students in a high school. So many students have gaming systems or participate in some form of video games on a daily basis, so it is no surprise that two-thirds of the school in question were interested in this club (Maloy, pg. 176). Unlike my high school's video game club, the school mentioned in the book did not have its participants simply play video games during its time, but review their storylines, graphics, and overall gameplay. This club wrote reviews and even ended up designing their own game concepts; tasks most gamers would absolutely love! Clubs like these spark the students' creativity, keep their interest, and build social skills as friendly debates and predictions are made about what might happen next. While the basis of the club is video games, what was accomplished in this particular club was so much more!
Children in today's world are exposed to so many types of technology and at such a young age. Working on computers throughout their academic careers will ready them to tackle challenges both inside and outside of school. The programs students might use will help them further understand the concepts they are learning about in a fun, interesting way that may vary from what was learned in class (many times, a concept presented one way may not make sense to everyone!). Lastly, remembering to intertwine the students' interests with skills such as problem-solving, thinking outside the box, and thoroughly analyzing content will help advance students' sense of world and self. Extracurricular activities, in my opinion and as promoted in the text, should highly promote academic skills while still keeping the participants' attention.
Resources:
Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.
Papert, S. (1996). The Connected Family: Bridging the Digital Generation Gap. Atlanta, GA: Longstreet Press.
TeacherTube Math (2009, August 28). Area Models for Multiplication Partial Products. Retrieved October 4, 2015, from https://youtu.be/mjYYbwuued0
Something that always blows me away, though I've done it before myself, is when someone whips out their laptop in a class to take notes. While I am definitely a pen and paper kind of girl, typing is much faster for me and working on a computer makes it easier to reorganize thoughts and ideas. This idea of electronic note-taking reminds me not only of how much schools have changed with technology, but the world altogether. Laptops & tablets are often seen being used for note-taking and mind-mapping. These portable devices can easily fit in backpacks and can be accessed as the student needs them. While there may be the possibility of dead batteries, forgetting a charger, or trouble logging into wi-fi, electronics are the only option for many students who have retained much more when typing versus writing. An amazing balance of both types (paper & electronics) may even be found on some devices. The Galaxy Note phone series, for example, comes with a built in stylus that may be used for writing the old fashioned way while still always being ready for mashing away at those keys with your thumbs! I think this variety of ways to take notes may help students taking different types of courses. Math problems, for instance, might be done best on pen and paper while writing an essay can work best on a computer.
Wikipedia is another important topic from the reading. While I know it is open for anyone to edit and there may be tons of inaccurate or even made up information in its articles, I do tend to flock there for research needed outside of my academics. There are plenty of great sources within its articles and even links to more at the bottom of each page. What I love about this site is how the information is broken up into easy to understand sections that get right to the point. Information within an article, like this one about Disney World, links to related topics the reader might not know much about so that they may click to find out more about something that's even just briefly mentioned (like this article does with the individual theme parks, hotels, etc). While a great source of information at its core, Wikipedia has been discouraged many times to me before precisely because of its open-editing style, but it's important to check other sources no matter where I am getting my information from!
Many people outside the world of education probably think today's teachers have it so easy. Worksheets, classroom procedure signs, and even entire lesson plans are readily available to download online. But as we who are involved in this system very well know, it's how you present the information and deliver your words to students that will get them retaining and using course content. As the text states, using lesson plan sites with caution is definitely a good idea. There are plenty of sites, such as those developed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (Maloy, pg 117) or even TeachersPayTeachers where one could easily get help with lesson plan building or finding; teachers just need to know where to look to provide adequate information to their students. So do teachers have it easier today with ready to download lesson plans? I say no! (For the most part!) Educators strive to improve their teaching skills so that their students may get the most from the experience. Teaching is much more of "What strategy should I use?" and "Will this work with this type of student?" than it is "Where can I download that?".
Resources:
Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.
The students in today's classrooms are really quite lucky with the technology available to them. Most likely the child has access to computers both at home and at school, resulting in information being obtained at any given point. Figure 3.1 on page 47 shows the five main areas of focus a student may use technology for learning: expressing creativity, thinking critically and solving problems, developing new literacies, communicating and collaborating, and building digital citizens. These areas are basic standards used throughout today's schools and help students prepare for the advancing technologies they may encounter next (Maloy, 2013). Each is an important factor that helps shape the student and further their individual collection of knowledge and may or may not be developed only through computer usage. Building digital citizens, of course, would be one only accessed through the use of technology but the others differ from their offline counterparts immensely (i.e. creating digital art is very different from say finger painting).
To me, student-centered instruction seems the most difficult to organize. I highly enjoy being active with the kids and showing them I am also doing my best. Stepping back and letting a class truly sink their teeth into the material in a way that seems 'non-traditional', however, also seems to me to be how my students might learn the most someday. If students feel welcome and as if they are truly the purpose of the activity, they will more likely to retain the information and dread disliked tasks less frequently. Giving the students something they can connect the lesson to will further their understanding of the content and help them build on that information later on.
Information literacy is a term I found interesting in this section. Knowing how to find, source, use, and interpret information is essential for enhancing learning. Students need to remember that not everything they read may be entirely true. I remember in high school learning of a website that was about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This site, instead of being informational and peaceful, actually bashes Dr. King and provided many racist remarks, links, and advertisements. While I can't remember the exact site, it was at one point the number one search result on Google, therefore, many researching this historical figure would flock to it right away only to find misinformation. This example shows just how important it is to be able to pick up on the publisher's point of view and how to avoid obtaining incorrect information.
This chapter has definitely furthered my understanding of some different teaching styles as well as some tech tools. I'm finding out about a lot of 'techy lingo' that I did not realize existed in the massive world of technology and am able to sort different types into categories because of it. Knowing what to look for and how to use it effectively will impact my ability to teach and grow the minds of my students.
Resources:
Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.
Information and communication technologies, or ICTs, are all broken down into three major parts. The first is the software on the device. Whether it be word processing programs or the card game Solitaire, computers are all equipped with software even before the user's initial log in. It's how we use these tools that can assist students with their learning. The second part is all that the miracle of the internet can bring to the device. Teachers are able to access, share, download, and much more via online capabilities, and many lessons may be utilized this way. The third is what other devices can be connected to enhance the experience further. Whether scanners, printers, or interactive white boards are connected, teachers can easily engage students with the many tools that can easily be connected with their computers. The more the teacher can do to keep the focus of students, the better! Students, for the most part, are children eager for some fun throughout their day. With tools like the Mimio pen, students may want to participate more than if they were just using Expo markers!
The second section that caught my interest is the section on the different types of technology users (sectioned titles as "Identifying Groups of Technology Users" in the book). It is probably very interesting to the generations that remember the onset of computers that there are so many ways to use these now essential to life machines. Within the many ways are the groups identified of the actual types of computer users based on what is actually being done. Digital collaborating is a huge part of the online world and can be used as informative or entertaining content (sometimes both!). The digital collaborator shares and receives information to use as they please, sometimes spending more time than others on social media or other interactive sites. This idea of having different types of computer users is so interesting in that it proves there will always be new ideas and room for a larger audience in anything. What was probably initially created to share information and to simplify calculations has become the most popular way today's generation communicates with one another - even when they are in the same room!
The third part of the text that I was most interested in was Figure 2.6 on page 34. This pie graph shows the percentages of moderate, frequent, infrequent, and sporadic usage of technology by teachers. It isn't so surprising that the teachers of today are divided up into these percentages (17%, 22%, 34%, and 26% respectively). I think the main source of difference here is the teacher's overall knowledge of technology. Older teachers, perhaps, might not know as much about a computer's capabilities as those who are fresh out of college. These teachers with little knowledge of today's technologies are far more likely to use the classroom tools provided to them than that of those more tech savvy. Some teachers, the 26% labeled 'sporadic users', are most likely using the everyday tools necessary in today's schools (outlook email, esembler, etc.). This repetition of usage increases the user's knowledge of the program, therefore not seeming as advanced for the teachers unfamiliar with other technologies.
To conclude, technology seems to have a lot of differences in usage and even users. The many types of programs and software can ultimately help anyone with anything if they know where to look and how to properly take advantage. The knowledge of computer users, while they do vary, can definitely grow as they become more exposed to it. The more you participate in something, even outside of technology, the better you will be at the process! But computer users need to stay aware that it goes both ways! Not keeping up with the newest updates or how-to's can decline a user's knowledge and will make it that much harder to catch up!
Right away, the text speaks of the iGeneration and of how these children have never lived a day without technology. While I'm in my eighth year working with children and know exactly how much electronics are a part of their lives, this section in particular still opened my eyes. Children today spend most of their time outside of school on computers or mobile devices and I am constantly hearing them reference Twitter, Vine, and other outlets of online recreation (Maloy, et all, 2013, p. 4). This growing interest in technology in youngsters shows just how important it is for teachers to1 use it whenever they can; whether it be inside the classroom or out! Sites such as ClassDojo and Edmodo are great for students and parents to keep track of progress while still leaving that important line of communication open. ClassDojo in particular gives students that element of fun they're so in need of in the elementary levels and can be used for various tasks throughout each school day.
Following behind the area of social media-type sites in the classroom is the actual usage of tablets, mobile phones, and laptops by the students. These two areas may not always go hand in hand, but there are various times when they could. When observing a middle school classroom for my Intro to Teaching course, I was introduced to Kahoot!. This fast-paced quiz program has a gaming atmosphere to it that allows students to buddy up and have some friendly competition based on course material. The actual usage of devices, as I saw that week, is very inviting to children in today's world. Along with the learning, reviewing, and quizzing that may be done through them, I think it is also important for students to be able to mix in their personal lives (i.e. the allowance of bringing in and using their beloved devices) and interests with their learning.
Lastly, the section about technology-based offices really caught my eye! This school year I have started working in a school library and use many different computer programs a day. Constantly, I am sending out mass emails to teachers for a multitude of reasons. The option of grouping school staff members together speeds along the process of delivering grade-specific news and allows me to return to the busy life of the media center (for example, making an email group of only the second grade teachers allows me to quickly notify them of something without having to look up each individual email address). For my current school position, the most important office management program used in the library is of course the book checkout system, Destiny. This record-keeping program lets me know who has what book, when it should be returned, and if it has been put on hold by another student. I can't imagine running the media center without Destiny! It is the ultimate way of keeping track of everything and has probably saved us a forest of trees by not having to leave sticky notes everywhere to let each other know who and what to look for! While I know this will not be used in my future classroom, it is a great reminder of how important record-keeping is for any school staff member. I will be documenting grades, attendance, and progress on a daily basis someday and need to continue perfecting that vital trait of organization to successfully run my classroom.
To conclude, technology is simply everywhere a child looks and should definitely be used in their schoolwork. There are so many programs that can be used to keep students engaged while retaining interest in what they are doing and learning. Keeping track of progress is essential not only for the student, but for their teachers and families. School might not always be a child's favorite part of life, but it does take up the majority of their time. This alone is motivation enough for me to continue researching the newest classroom technologies so that my future students can expand their minds while also having an element of fun.
Resources
Effective Marking For Small Businesses (2013, September 25). Social Media Statistics 2013. Retrieved September 6, 2015, from https://youtu.be/sd9NZq6H7IM
Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.
