Reflection #5

What?
I observed a math class yesterday that used a document camera pretty much the whole time. The teacher was doing a math lesson correcting homework from the day before, then presented a new lesson. I have observed this particular class before during a language arts lesson and the teacher used the camera for that whole class period as well.

So What?
I have always had the highest opinions about document cameras and their effectiveness and hope to have one someday in my classroom. The only thing about this particular class was that the teacher never came out from behind it. It was front and center in the room and the teacher could see and be seen by all her students, but that personal touch just wasn't there. The table the camera was on was a constant barrier between her and the students.

What Now?
I am by no means judging this teacher as she was very good, but I would just need to keep in mind in my own classroom to come out from behind the curtain, so to speak. Teachers who keep a barrier between themselves and the students can sometimes not have that level of approachability they need or the effect that proximity can have on student behavior.

Reflection #4

The WIRED Classroom by Jamie McKenzie

What?
At first, I couldn't figure out the position the writer of this article was taking. I thought they were against technology in the classroom, but after reading a while I figured it out! He (she?) talks about how schools jumped on the wired classroom bandwagon without thinking through the effectiveness of it and thinking that it was going to be some kind of miracle cure for their classrooms.
McKenzie makes the point that even with all the latest technology in the classroom, it will do nothing for your students without a competent teacher.

So What?
McKenzie states that in order for technology to make an impact in the classroom, there needs to be enough computers available. The other thing is to have staff development in order to navigate the tools effectively.
Instead of school districts buying x number of computers, the funds should be used on slightly fewer computers and development of staff to maximize the use of the computers they do buy. Having 5000 computers is going to do nothing if only 30% of them are being used.

What now?
Hopefully I can be one of the "developed" staff that will be able to use technology in order to have an advantage in the classroom. According to the article, the placement of the computers in the classroom makes a big difference in whether or not they get used to their fullest potential. Limiting them to the back far corner of the classroom only to be used for fun once the real work is done will not be effective.
Having computers and other technology in my classroom will be a benefit to both me as the teacher and to the students as long as I use it correctly and smartly.

Week #7 Entry

King's Elementary School

I don't know that this is where I want to teach, but I have done a bit of observing here and know a few of the teachers and it seems like a good private school!

One feature of the site I liked was that it spells out very clearly what to expect for each grade. The curriculum is listed and there is a list of things the student should already know before entering that grade. For example, in Kindergarten, the student should be able to print their first name, recognize the letters of the alphabet, count to 20, communicate their needs, etc.

I loved the page for carpooling. It's an animated page that shows you exactly where to drive to pick up and drop off your kids. Fun and interactive, yet informative!

Something that was slightly confusing was how to get to the homepage for the elementary school. Kings is a k-12 school and unless you know exactly how to get to the page you want, it's a little difficult to find.

Another thing that was unclear was the "home" link to get you back to the homepage. It's very small and at the bottom of the page. If I hadn't purposefully looked for it, I wouldn't have found it.

One thing that is missing is a school map. It might be helpful for new students or parents to be able to look that up at home.

Reflection #3

What?
Using Technology for Current Events Lessons
Since my presentation on the SmartBoard, I have been thinking about incorporating the Olympics in lesson plans. It can be used in every single subject and is a great way to get students excited about learning. This website gives a lot of ideas for doing just that. Most of them use technology in the form of the internet for research, but also using SmartBoards. You can also use a lot of clips from past Olympics or find a way to watch it live in the classroom maybe as a reward at the end of a unit.

So What?
I think it's important to incorporate current events into learning. Anytime that has happened for me in the past, it makes it stick. That way, when you hear about it years later you can say, "Oh yeah, I remember when that happened! I was in grade and we learned all about it!" So obviously, this doesn't just have to be the Olympics, but at least you know when its coming and can plan things out beforehand, especially if it takes technology.

What Now?
Using this idea in my future classroom will be fun, not only for my students, but for me as well. Using the internet for research and for video clips will be invaluable for teaching current events. The Olympics is a great way to start because of the sheer variety you can include: weather at the site, geography, language, culture, and much more!

Reflection #2

What?
I've been thinking about the effectiveness of having a blog for college courses for writing assignments, sources for websites and as a way to communicate with your professor and fellow students. It puts everything in one place: future assignments, your past assignments, not to mention giving your notebook a break from a million papers.

So What?
So, I think more professors need to tap into this resource. It's free, it's (relatively) easy and it's eco-friendly. I like knowing that I can find everything pertaining to the class all in the same place. I also wish more professors would take advantage of Discovery. If you don't want to do a class blog, just utilize something that is already there! It helps eliminate miscommunication and is easy for the professor to keep everything in one place as well.

Now What?
I am hoping to take advantage of the technology available to me when I am a teacher. If possible, I will definitely have a class blog or website where students and parents can go to find information they want and also a way for me as the teacher to communicate with everyone at once. I won't have to worry that notes that were sent home have gotten lost along the way. Assignments could be posted online and also exceptional work that students have done could be put in an online gallery for all to see - pictures of artwork included!

Reflection #1

Integrating Technology Into the Classroom, by Melissa Kelly.



What?

Kelly talks about technology in the classroom and the main reasons for having it. She says the first and most important reason is for research. There aren't enough non-internet sources for children to use in schools especially when researching obscure topics.

The second reason is for creating websites. Kelly says this is a great way to integrate technology into the classroom. Kids get excited about it and it's great for posting students' work, such as essays and poems, novel critiques, forums, etc. to be shared with others. Kelly also posts a link to help you figure out how to create a website.

The third reason for technology in the classroom is for online assessment. Kelly advises that this be used by those with knowledge of the internet, but that it is good for helping the teacher to grade online (or have self graded tests).

So What?

Kelly makes a good point about the uses of technology in the classroom - mainly the internet. The convenience of it as opposed to using the library is a huge factor. You don't have to remove the entire class to another location wasting time getting everyone there, set up and then getting them back. If a students asks a question in class you don't know the answer to, you can look it up on the internet in a couple seconds or have the student look it up.

Kelly lists a number of legitimate concerns for having the internet in classrooms, but answers each of those concerns with a solution. One of those concerns that I would have to agree with is time. How do teachers get everything done they need to and still think about getting technology involved? Kelly's answer is to just have one project a year that the class works on. This can be creating a website or simply using the internet as a resource. I think she makes a good point. Just because there is pressure to integrate technology into the classroom does not mean that every aspect of your class needs to be integrated. Start out slow and choose one thing to work on.

What Now?

I would imagine that at least in western WA, most classes are linked to the internet. I may be wrong. If a school I was working at did not have that kind of technology, I would strongly suggest it, perhaps using some of Kelly's counter-arguments for some of the concerns. She even has a link to companies that provide grants for technology to schools who don't have the money for it.

It seems to me that schools would want to be up on the latest technology and internet is just the tip of the iceberg. If they aren't even equipped with that, we are doing our students a dis-service and inhibiting them from learning all that they can. Internet in the classroom is a great starting point and then perhaps ease them into maybe getting SmartBoards, video cameras and other technology.

Week 6 Entry

I was totally enamoured with the Smartboard when I first saw it, but after having more experience with it, I have found that it can be pretty complicated if you aren't familiar with it. I feel that the Smartboard should be used very deliberately because there may be other more efficient ways to teach something.

I learned a lot about the Smartboard by watching other people demonstrate. I learned that you should really be familiar with the activity you're using in order to maximize the class' time, otherwise you are wasting time by trying to figure out the program.

Some questions I have are more technical than anything else. I have had problems with the little tool tab coming out when I want it to. Sometimes it's not there at all.
Another one is about the fill tool. I can't get it to put a background color on the page. What comes up when I click on it is the page recording device. I just have a feeling that my program is flawed!

Overall, the Smartboard is an amazing piece of technology that when used with the correct motives and only as a supplement to your teaching can have a great effect on learning for students.

Assignment #2 - Smartboard Presentation

My Activity Make sure you have Flash downloaded and updated on your computer if you want to use this!
I thought this activity was really great if you want to teach geography, but also pull some current events into it. In light of the Olympics that are currently being held in Vancouver, I found this activity that applies to the geography of the Olympics, past, present and future (so it encorporates history as well). I've always been intrigued with the Olympics and this is a great way to get those students excited about learning and also a way to get those not previously interested in the Olympics to get excited about them as well!

Smartboard Features

• Interactive map activity (Hot Spot)
• Pen
• Pull-down Tab
• Matching Activity

Nets

for Students

• 1.d. identify trends and forecast possibilities.
• 2.a. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.
• 6.a. understand and use technology systems.
• 6.b. select and use applications effectively and productively.

This activity meets standards because it helps students to visualize geography and use critical thinking for finding out why certain countries are able to host the Olympics and others are not. They do this while interacting with other students as they use technology to find the answers to geographic questions. The applications are used in an effective way to help solidify information.

for Teachers

• 1.b. engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources.
• 1.c. promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes.
• 2.a. design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.

This activity definitely engages the students and discusses real world issues and events. It's a great way to pull in current events with geography. It incorporates digital tools to quiz the students and help visualize locations that are discussed.

The Interactive Whiteboard

The Interactive whiteboard is really an amazing tool for teachers once they master the ins-and-outs of manipulating it. Students will benefit from them because they are able to engage all of the multiple intelligences. You can have a huge variety of learners in one classroom and in one lesson can help each of them learn the same material in different ways. If I know that a few of my students are really struggling with learning something, I can use the Smartboard to taylor a lesson in a way that will help them learn (through music, visual, linguistic, etc.).

Even if a teacher uses a pre-made lesson, it is easy to change it to fit what you're trying to teach. You are never stuck with the original layout/lesson plan.

Week 5 Entry

Creating Lifelong Learners - Digital Literacy, Higher Level Thinking, Closing the Digital Divide by Matthew Needleman was a very enjoyable blog.

What?

• Like his subtitle suggests, this blog is about helping teachers become lifelong learners and being proactive about learning about technology and other things. Needleman has great ideas, reviews of new technology, rules about copyrights (that he explains in his self-made film) and writes in an easy to understand way that is engaging.



• Needleman's most recent entry was a great example of how teachers can asses what areas their students are struggling in and which areas the teacher needs to improve in. Basically, the students names are written on the lefthand side of the page and the subjects they learn go along the top. If a student is doing well in a particular subject, he/she gets a green dot, if not, a red one. You can gage if a teacher needs to re-think their teaching on a certain subject if many students have a red dot in that subject. I thought it was a very simple, yet clever way of assessing both students and yourself as a teacher at the same time.

So What?

• This blog is great for teachers who want a well informed person to let them know what to be aware of; new technologies that are out there (like the ipad), things to think about in the classroom (like whether or not holiday celebrations are appropriate), and also links to other helpful sources.



• As a teacher, I can see how it could become easy to get stuck in my little world where I am not learning from others and don't realize the support that is out there from people who are just like me. This blog highlights things teachers have posted in a section Needleman calls, "Day in a Sentence", where he highlights things teachers write about reflecting on their day.

Now What?

• As I become a teacher it is good to know what is going on in the world of teaching. A blog like this one will help me to think about the things that will affect me as a teacher. Which technologies would be helpful? What can we do in the classroom to become a better teacher? Though I will probably not agree with everything Needleman says, it is good to have the perspective of someone who is out there in the field and seems knowledgeable about his subject.

Generation IM

Plug into Generation IM by David Rapp

This article talks about online social networks fro children that can be used inside and outside of school. I have kind of been on the side of the fence that says these kinds of things aren't appropriate for children and certainly not in school, but the author brings up some good points in advocating them.

First, I think it's great that it is a way to get to know your students better. Being able to see their likes and dislikes brings out their personalities more and enables you to make more of a connection.

Second, it creates responsibility for the students if it's a site that you can post your syllabus on. Because it is available to the students and parents anytime (considering they have computers at home) and makes them responsible by not being able to say, "I didn't know what the assignment was", or, "I didn't know that was due today."

Third, it is a great way to get students interested in learning outside of school as in the example of the students who formed a book club outside of school with the help of one of these sites.

This article helped me to understand that some of the prejudices I have against technology are not always valid.

Assignment #1 - Technology Literacy

Part I: ERIC Database Article

Righting the Writing Process by Alan Dessoff

Form the District Administration Magazine

This article is about the use of technology in helping students learn how to write better. Studies have shown that since certain school districts have started implementing laptops in the classroom that writing scores have gone up.

The idea is that students are used to using computers; they use them at home, and get bored with pencils and paper. There are many programs out there, like MY Access, that help with the writing process while using technology. One pro to using technology is the instant feedback it provides to teachers to let them know where their students are without having to grade dozens of papers. They can provide instand feedback, which helps the students to learn the correct way as they do it.

One program, called, Kidspiration, helps K-5 students organize their writing. It is a great visual for teachers when doing book reports. Programs like this help students be able to do their pre-writing on a computer instead of the discouraging task of pre-writing on paper, then doing a first draft, then revising your first draft and so on. Kidspiration gives them the ability to organize it efficiently and to see it visually.

What I learned form this article is that children are already tuned in to technology. Teachers need to be aware of the fact that some of the things we've been doing for years and years are outdated. Though I can't imagine ever eliminate writing with pencil and paper, I can see the point that for many students (especially those with learning disabilities) using that process can be a daunting and time consuming task that doesn't really help them learn the content of what they're studying, but makes them concentrate on the actual hand-writing exercise instead.

Another thing I learned is that technology can raise the question of creating teachers who are more "guides on the side" than actual teachers. The challenge is to make technology the teacher's tool and not the other way around. It also enables the teacher to change from the role of the evil grader to a coach. For example: traditionally, a teacher gives an assignment to be graded and the student gets it back with a grade. With technology, the teacher can be there to correct a problem and "coach" the student in the process, therefore helping the student learn as he does, not after the fact.

In applying this article to future classroom use, I definitely would use technology like laptops to help students in writing papers and organizing their writing. Not only does it help in writing skills, but it also helps in typing and documentation skills, which is an invaluable ability to have these days. As in everything, I would have a balanced approach to using technology in my classroom. I would not have the students do every single writing assignment on a laptop, but would use it to my discretion when I think it would be benneficial, especially when considering which grade I will teach. 5th or 6th graders would probably bennefit more from it than a 2nd or 3rd grader.

Another thing I can apply to the classroom is the use of technology for formative assessment. Using technology for that can really help the teacher to know that the students are really learning what they're supposed to be learning.

Kidspiration Example: Shows how students can visualize information from the story in order to organize it into thoughts for their writing.

Part II - NETS for Teachers

The NETS I am choosing to focus on this semester is #2: Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessment incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS•S.

Teachers:
a. design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.

b. develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.

c. customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources.

d. provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching.

This is important to me as a teacher because I will be developing learning experiences, which really describes using technology in a classroom. Technology creates experiences and I find that to be inspiring. I want to be an engaging teacher that has an infectious enthusiasm for learning.

Ways I will work on this this semester is,

1) through adapting my learning about teaching to include technology. I can already see this happening in other classes and getting ideas about how to do this or that with technology.

2) to think about how I can use technology to reach students with different learning styles and abilities. Technology can help teach to every multiple intelligence from musical to kinesthetic and I want to be able to possess the knowledge to do that.

3) familiarize myself with the wide span of technology available to me as a teacher. The more I learn about the options out there, the more I realize I don't know! The possibilities are endless, but the more I learn about what is out there, the more I can pick and choose what will be best for my teaching style.

Part III - NETS for Students

The NETS for Students I am focusing on is #2: Communication and Collaboration

Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.

Students:
a. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.
b. communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.
c. develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures.
d. contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.

This standard struck a chord with me because I think collaborative learning is an effective tool for teachers to use. Working together on projects promotes co-operation and communication, an imprtant skill for children to learn.

Project #1

The first assignment I could do with my students using this standard is to emphasize point c. by having the students write to penpals from different countries through email. We could focus on one country, or have teams that would cover certain countries and then teach the other students what they are learning from their penpals. Another option is to get in contact with a classroom from another country, match up students to be penpals, and then possibly have a "party" with video streaming at the end of the year. This would be a great way to teach students about not only communicating with people from your own country, but from other countries as well. You can pull so many different things into this like geography, food, dance, music, art and clothing.

Project #2

Another assignment I could do is to have the students create a story complete with pictures on the smartboard. There could be teams where the students would have to co-operate with each other on the storyline, the illustrations, the characters, etc. This could be after a lesson on plot, setting and theme and they would have to follow a certain pattern of story writing. Laptops would be a great tool for this so that each team could work on their own laptop. This lesson would emphasis creativity, communication and collaboration all while using technology.