When I first signed up
for this course, I did not know what to expect. I had taken one online class
before and I had to drop it because it was just too hard for me to concentrate
on. This course was a lot different than the one I had previously. I enjoyed
the discussions because I like to hear what other people have to say. I also
enjoyed assignments like making the WebQuest and the online teacher webpage. It
is good to see how much this class has taught me to use technology in a
classroom. Before this class, I had never heard of a WebQuest, and now I know
how to make one and what makes the good components of one. I really enjoyed
this experience and I will take it with me as I move along in the education
program.
I think that it is really good that new technology can be used in classrooms to help children with their studies. I like that iPads can be used because it is more interesting and fun that way. This class has taught me many ways in which I can integrate technology in my future classroom.
Resources:
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
In chapter six, WebQuests are mentioned. WebQuests are designed for students to use technology while gaining knowledge about a subject. While WebQuests can be good for some students, it may not be that great for others. Teachers should understand that WebQuests should only be used if the truly feel that all of the students will benefit from it. But everyone’s strengths and skills can be used in different ways during this interactive lesson. Because there are multiple tasks, different students can benefit by doing the task that they are most comfortable with. WebQuests can be a great tool for teachers to get students to use technology, work in a group, and still understand the point of the lesson.
Chapter 12 mentioned the ides of inclusion and infusion. Inclusion is the idea that technology is included in a student’s lesson, but it is not the center of it. Infusion means that technology is the on-going feature in a student’s and a teacher’s day. Technology will always be infused in a student’s day, whether that includes homework, online activities or research. In today’s classrooms, I think that it is important that technology is infused in everyday because it is something that the students are comfortable with. I hope to infuse technology as much as I can, as I see it as an essential tool to a child’s learning.
Integrating technology in a classroom can be done in multiple ways. It can be a useful tool when a student is doing research on a specific topic. It can also be used for fun activities to gain a child’s interest in a certain subject. A discussion that can be brought up is the availability of technology in a classroom or a school. As teachers, you must do what is best for you students, and going to the computer lab everyday may just not be that. But, if a teacher has access to multiple computers in their classroom, it could be very beneficial to the students. Using the technology successfully can allow the students to gain interest in a subject that they are learning.
Resources:
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. Smith, Katelyn. (2016, April 24). WebQuest. Retrieved from http://www.toondoo.com/cartoon/10010401 Voss, Brenda. (2014, May 2). Integrating Technology In the Classroom. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnBRjeR105g
In chapter 4, lesson planning is mentioned. I liked the part
about using technology in a lesson plan. For many reasons, this is a good idea.
Videos could be used in order to gain the students’ attention. This could be a
vital part of the lesson, because this will determine how the lesson will go.
If the students enjoy the video, then they may pay more attention during the
lesson. Also, TrackStar is a good site to be used when planning a lesson. Along
with its students learning objectives, it also offers models and examples of
what can be used in a classroom.
In chapter 9, PowerPoints are discussed. Many teachers use
PowerPoints in the classroom, but may not know an effective way that they can
be incorporated. In PowerPoint, pictures can be shown for students to discuss
on. This may happen when a lesson is being taught. An image in the PowerPoint
may break up the lesson a bit. This can allow students to discuss on a similar
topic and it can also help them by not staring at words on a PowerPoint all
day. Slides can be used for gaining a student’s attention as well. PowerPoint
can be used for many things in the classroom and can be very effective if it is
used right.
Assessments in the classroom are very important. Whether it
is teacher assessments or student assessments, they are vital in having a
comfortable, educational classroom. Teacher assessments can be anything from
having an observer to taking tests. This allows the teacher to become the best
teacher that they can be. Student assessments allow the students to know how
they are doing in the class. Teachers must monitor the students throughout the
whole year, which helps to tell how much knowledge the student gained that
year. Self-assessments for students are great because it gives them a chance to
be involved in the evaluation process. Assessments in the classroom can help
both the teachers and students be the best that they can be.
Resources:
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. Smith, K. (2016, April 3) Bubbl.us. Retrieved from https://bubbl.us/mindmap.
One thing in chapter eight that has an effect on all
students and teachers now is the idea of electronic communication. It is a
great tool to have because teachers can continue to teach without the students
actually having to be in the classroom. As we all know, email is a great way to
communicate. When students do not understand something, they do not physically
have to be in the classroom to ask. They can email the teacher and the teacher
can respond. Another great tool to have is a classroom website. I think this is
a good thing to have for an elementary classroom. The teacher can update the
website daily so that the parents know what their child is learning and what is
happening for the week. I think teachers and student should take advantage of
the many tools that they have when it comes to electronic communication.
This article, Keep parents in the loop with a class website, explains how parents want to be included in
their children’s education and gives a list of possible sites to allow teachers
to build their classroom website.
Chapter ten talks about multicultural education. It is
important for students to know about other cultures and traditions and
technology allows that. Teachers and students can learn new stories online and
can bring that to the classroom. Online outlets allow students to do their cultural
project by researching different traditions from a certain culture. Technology
can bring new teaching methods to diverse students and can teach new ideas to
teachers and students about different cultures
Technology can also allow accommodations to be made for
students who need them. Different websites and interactive teaching pages can
be accessed for a student that learns better in that way. The idea to use these
sites in a classroom can make learning easier for those students. Also,
educational websites can act as a “tutor” for students that are struggling with
a certain subject. They can use these websites at home for the extra help that
they may need.
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
One thing that interested me from chapter five was the idea of using e-Books and e-Readers. Nowadays, technology is everywhere and people are constantly using these devices daily. Young students are using the Internet as a place to learn skills daily as well. Today, almost everyone has some sort of e-Reader, whether it is a Kindle or an iPad. Some schools have already switched over to electronic e-Readers and some schools may be in the process. It is a good way to get students interested. If they had a choice between a regular book and an iPad, they would probably choose the iPad. This is why e-Readers should be in every school. It is new and it interests the students.
This brings me to my next point: electronic note-taking. For many students, regular note-taking does not do anything. They are simply just copying everything that the teacher says and they get nothing out of it. Notes written on paper also have a possibility of getting lost. With electronic note-taking, many of these problems are avoided. NoteStar is a program that students can use that has all of their notes in one place, avoiding the chance that it can get lost. OneNote allows students to record what the teacher is saying so that they actually get something out of the lecture. These new programs can allow students to get more out of school because they can pay attention to what they teacher is saying. Electronic note-taking can be a step in the right direction when it comes to note-taking in school.
In chapter seven, computer games being used in classrooms interested me. We all know that new games and apps are coming out every day, and children are playing these games. Why not use the games that they enjoy to teach them something while they are playing it. Gamification is the idea that behavior can be influenced by adding gaming applications in different situations. This can greatly affect the behavior in a classroom because they will want to be rewarded for what they have done. This idea continues to be used in classrooms today.
Here is a Map I made to go along with the chapters:
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Smith, K. (2016, February 21) Bubbl.us. Retrieved from https://bubbl.us/mindmap.
One part of the chapter that stood out to be was the idea of “teacher-centered” and “student-centered”. These are two different teaching philosophies that can lead a classroom. The idea of having a teacher-centered classroom does not seem very realistic to me. With this approach, teachers are basically just telling students what they need to be taught. For my future classroom, having a student-centered philosophy seems more fitting. With this approach, teachers are there as a guide. They can help students learn through different ways such as puzzles, exploration and asking questions to keep them engaged. Learning about these different philosophies really made me think about how I would want my future classroom to be. I would rather give the students a great experience than just drown them in information that they may not be interested in.
The four learning theories are very important to know for teachers. These four theories shape a classroom and teachers should know about all of them. Behaviorism refers to behavior based on something that has happened. When technology is involved in this, the computer can be described as the teacher for the student. Cognitivism states that learning is influenced by memory, motivation and attention. This means that computer programs must keep the students engaged and interested. Constructivism shows that everyone looks at the world in different ways. This means that computer programs should focus on the students and not the teachers. Constructionism states that students build their own knowledge. This shows that when students can create their own computer program, it can help them more than if it was created by an adult. (Maloy, 49). Teachers should understand these theories for classrooms in general, but if technology is being used, they should look out for the right programs that could be used.
The final section that interested me was the methods that are used to engage students. Teachers know that some subjects are just not for everybody. That is why we must use different approaches in order to help get students engaged. I know that learning groups help engage students because they are with their peers. Groups can allow students to engage with one another in order to find the best way to figure out the answer. Metacognitive thinking is also very important for upper level students. If a student really knows how they learn, they will succeed in school. It is important for teachers to imply how important it is for students to understand their own learning styles.
Resources:
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
First, I think it is important to know that today’s children
are from the iGeneration. This is great technology that is being used in homes
for entertainment. Yet it is still just coming into schools. The computer has
many great tools that students can use but, as the book states, some students
do not have access to such tools. This is why I enjoyed reading about what
teachers can use this technology for. If you go into an elementary classroom
today, technology is what you see. You will see some students taking their
tests on the computers. You will see the SMART board powered up and ready to be
used. It is great that some students that do not have access to technology at
home can get it at their schools. Here is a video that describes the Blended
Learning (technology in a classroom) and the effect that it has on the
students.
I liked reading about TPACK. This stands for Technological
pedagogical content knowledge. This is a great way for teachers to use
technology while teaching their students what they need to know. This website, TeachingTeachers for the Future, is a great site that explains what this is. This also benefits the students, as we know
they all learn in different ways.
Lastly, I liked reading about social media in schools. As we
all know, social media is a way of life nowadays. As a teacher, social media
can be a good way to connect with other teachers, parents and students. This
can broaden their own technology use in their classrooms. As the book says, social
media plays an important role in classrooms because it is a way to interact
with your students when they are no longer at school. I think that this is a
great tool to bring into my classroom.
In conclusion, this chapter makes you realize just how
important it is to use technology in your classroom. It is both beneficial for
the teachers and the students because it makes it easier for everyone to
connect with each other. This chapter greatly explained just how important it
is to use technology as teachers.
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
