Week 12

My daily activities have changed so that now I keep all of my events in a Google calendar. My girlfriend does the same thing. Because we are so busy, we have shared our calendars as being

viewable to one another. This is the best way for us to make sure we have time set aside for one another. Additionally, I have a constant line of communication to contact whomever I need to contact. The beauties of technology is that it allows us to take care of little bits of work wherever we are, like scanning a receipt using a Google Drive app as soon as we buy something that we need to be reimbursed for.

In my approach to undertaking activities and responsibilities, I have become much more efficent. I have cut social media out of my life. Now, the only types of social media that I employ are email and text messaging. I do not believe that this is a bad thing, in that facebook and twitter were only a detriment to my relationship with Christ because they caused me to lust and took up the time I needed to be spending with Christ. Now, I only use technology to contact my loved ones and for more efficient work practices.

Week 10

Because Sue’s school (according to the text) does not have a clicker system, the best way to integrate technology into the classroom would be to create an online survey/test for the students to use as a review.

The best tool to use, as it is free and unlimited, is Google Forms. This tool allows the students to complete a survey, which the teacher would use as a test, and puts the results in both a spreadsheet, and a form. The teacher would then grade the student’s results and give feedback. This digital technology speeds up the grading process by incorporating technology that will allow the teacher to quickly compare right and wrong answers.

The electronic review/test would address all levels of blooms taxonomy so that the students who are still struggling with the more basic mathematical concepts are able to work on their skills.  

Interesting Ways to use google forms in the classroom

Week 9

The graduation rates in America are so low because many students are not engaged, see no value in the education, or cannot balance the extenuating circumstances of their home life while being in school. I believe that the minority students leave school so early because, on the whole, they come from a lower SES. This means that they probably cannot balance their home life and school at the same time. I believe that if I use technology well enough I can captivate my students’ attention and hold them in class. If the content is not interesting enough to hold the student’s attention, then maybe the novelty of technology can hold them in the classroom. If I can keep the students in the building I will be able to teach them. It’s just making sure that they are there.

The great educational technology that exists, just waiting for us to use, means that I will be able to have my students create blogs that follow their interests in history, or post to forums about topics that particularly interest them. If I let the students build blogs that center around something that interests them in history, then they will automatically be naturally engaged. Online conversations happen slowly, which means that the students will have time to craft carefully designed posts, but they do not gain the opportunity to practice responding quickly when asked a question verbally. With the integration of google drive into the classroom, and the ability for students to collaborate on a single document simultaneously, small group work using technology becomes much more efficient than it was when group work was done with pen and paper.

Go to Blogger

Week 8

The problem with the first assignment given by the teacher is the lack of guidance in the assignment. No grading parameters or expectations were provided to the students. Therefore, a variety of inadequate responses will be supplied by the students to the teacher. The lack of expectations may drive the students to overproduce, but there will also be those students who do not produce good work. The internal drive will be what determines whether or not a student expends effort on the assignment.

The teacher gives great instruction on what students are expected to do in the broad scope, but there are no parameters given for the conventions of the assignment; there is not a defined minimum length or formatting style. The students have some requirements spelled out, and will put forth more effort than in the other assignment. The students, however, may not take the evaluation of other’s work very seriously, as no expectations for this portion of the assignment have been outlined.

Having the devices out that are necessary for microblogging and texting will result in having distractions readily at hand. The students can appear to be working, but actually just playing on facebook. Therefore, I do not believe it is possible to use microblogging or texting for educational activities. The printing press, letters, and telegraphs did not so readily provide instant communications and instant distractions. While technology has allowed for quicker communication, it has also allowed for immediate diversions of our attention. A telegraph was not distracting. They were simply letters on strips of paper. There is nothing distracting about that. I do not believe that texting and microblogging play a role in the future classroom, as there are too many readily available distractions for the students. 

What does the media say?

Week 7

            Last semester, my PSP introduced my to “Fling the Teacher.” This game allows the teachers to control and develop the content of the game, which means that the teachers determine the level of blooms taxonomy that the students will have to approach. The teachers use windows based software to create multiple choice questions that will be published in the game for the students to play as a group. The game can be designed so that the students begin at the lowest level of bloom’s taxonomy and then progress after their prior knowledge has been engaged. The game itself falls in the category of edutain, as there are aspects (flinging the teacher when a question is correct) that are purely entertaining. However, those aspects are the result of the students achievements in the academic endeavors that the teacher designs. When the students get a question wrong, they have to completely start over, so we will have a drilling of information into the students. When this occurs, that basic information will be recalled and applied in tests. 

       After just 5 minutes fumbling around with “The Blood Typing Game”, I learned more about how blood types than I ever have. I had no clue how blood types were determined, or what could mix with what. Additionally, I did not know that there were so many different blood types. The information in this game results in higher level thinking, as the students are evaluating and applying the clues that are presented in the game to determine a patient’s blood type and then select what types of blood can be used in transfusions. There are not many game elements or lifelike graphics in the game that entertain the students. The game should therefore be classified as Educate and Analyzing. 

Week 6

In looking for websites to bookmark with Diigo, I looked at what other teachers were using and bookmarked many of those same sites. Additionally, I used google as well as sites I already new about to create a collection of strong reference material on colonial America. Looking through all the resources and evaluating what was a good resource took a long time, but I am happy with the outcome.

Over my year and a half in the college of education, I used Google Drive to collect and store all of my information that I would like to use in my classroom. I have PDF scans of books I read in my history classes here at AU, I have notes from classes in high school and college, and I have pictures pulled off the internet. Google drive is great because it can house things that I create or that anyone else creates. I have a document with links to websites that I will use in my classroom.

Because of the variability in using Google Drive, I will continue to use this program for knowledge management in the future. I can access any of my files from any of my devices. Unlike Diigo, I can access pictures and files without use of the internet, which is important considering I do not have internet access at home. Diigo is a great way for me to find new resources, but I will probably not use it as my main place to store information. The fact that I can automatically sink all of the information directly to all of my devices and then access it on the internet when needed makes Google Drive much more efficient..

Make a Bookmark for yourself on Diigo!

Week 5 - Kinestetics, Wikipedia, and Bias. Yes, they are connected

1) As teachers prepare lessons, they must consider the auditory, kinesthetic, and visual learners. The web provides quick access to materials that can be displayed during classroom instruction. Using google, one can immediately switch between search types. Image searches, text searches, video searches, and map searches produce vastly different results that are all useful in the classroom. However, just like when we search for research information, we must be careful in every search we conduct. 

2) Textbooks and Wikipedia are both written by human beings who are innately interested in the topic upon which they are writing. Therefore, the authors will have a bias that comes across in their writing. Using Wikipedia, it is easier to submit error reports to the publishers/monitors of the site. Additionally, there is more volume coming through Wikipedia’s audience than through a textbook’s audience; therefore, Wikipedia has millions of editors (all double checking one another) reviewing the material daily where a textbook only has a handful of editors.

3) Most students rely on Wikipedia as their main source of information as it is readily available. I normally use Wikipedia, but I would never cite it as a source. Wikipedia has become incredibly reliable as it has matured throughout its existence, and I feel completely confident employing it as a means for me to learn.

The dangers of searching on google - when we search, we must carefully consider what we search for, otherwise, we may come up with results like these:

Searching "Saw" Produces these Results

Week 4 - Understanding By Design

- Ecological Footprints -

·              In this UBD lesson, we look at what understanding the students gain from the lesson, not what their new abilities are. This lesson results in students understanding that people have such a large impact on the environment. Humans change the ecological balance of the planet, and this lesson results in the students’ acquisition of this concept. Concepts are purposefully more abstract as they become more universal and applicable as facts are forgotten. However, the application of facts is not strongly emphasized in this type of lesson.

       Student Objectives

       This is much more concrete that understanding by design. Students will be able to move beyond the idea that humans have an affect, but will evaluate and quantify the information. The students will also be able to list off real life changes that can be made to reduce the human ecological impact. Student objective focus on the application of information, which is a valuable skill that is necessary through like

     I would begin the series of lessons with the Understanding by Design model. This will best allow me to communicate concepts (such as the affect of humans’ vehicles on the environment as a result of CO2 production). Then, I will use a student object model lesson to teach students to quantify data on the output of CO2 from different model cars so that they can effectively present arguments and improve problems. Then in the third lesson, I will have the student’s present arguments to the class using data on how to best improve CO2 emissions.

Week 3 - My old eMachine

When I was growing up, my first computer was a giant white machine. I played with it at home when I was in late elementary school. I was always such a nerd and enjoyed making powerpoints of what I wanted for Christmas. This was the result of me wanting to be a businessman when I grew up. I was self-taught, but as computer interfaces improved over the years, the use of the computer became much easier. The interfaces that are employed with mainstream technology today has resulted in students being much more naturally accustomed to using technology.

Students today are much more innately talented with technology than the teachers who try to show them how to use them. It is not a result of the inefficiencies on the part of the teacher; it’s just that the students are raised by their parents using technology. In a classroom setting, the students are the masters of the technology and the teachers are the students, except in rare cases. Teachers are parents and workers whose time is spent investing in people while students often have more time to invest in and be consumed by non purposeful technology. Then, because of their understanding of interfaces, students can automatically understand and operate the interface of a technology that is used for productivity.

 Teaching Students to use technology responsibly

Week 2 - The Power of Drive

Currently, I am using Google Drive apps on all my devices as a way to manage my documents.  Everything from pictures, to slideshows, to essays gets stored on my Google account. Other than Google Drive, I do not use any apps for the teacher education program. The Google drive app has increased my productivity by allowing me to switch from device to device without much difficulty or layover time. The only apps that I employ increase my productivity. I do not use facebook or twitter, which means that I do not waste time with technology. Because of my personality, I am constantly working, so my technology is a means by which I make my time more effective. The apps that I use make my work much more effective and has resulted in my being a better leader and administrator of tasks. Apps are not instructional tools, but ways through which teachers can better manage their time. Because technology is clearly not available to all students, it is logical that apps and cellphones (personal technology in general) cannot be used as a direct instructional tool. Additionally, students have enough exposure to technology that they innately understand it, and do not need someone to teach them how to use it. Teaching a student how to use an app is like teaching them how to walk. We need to be teaching uncomfortable things, like oral communication and the value of attention to detail, which are two things that the workforce is looking for.

 

Week 1

For reasons that I cannot explain, I have always been better at manipulating
technology than most of my peers. Technology seems to be something I am naturally
good with, but most people would not realize this when they first meet me. I work for a
software company, so I have gained a great deal of hands on experience with servers and corporate systems, just like the infrastructure of a school. I realize just how efficient
technology can make an organization, when it is applied appropriately. If the technology
that is implemented has flaws, it will result in larger problems than the company had in
the beginning. I see these fears in potential clients regularly, which makes me a better
evaluator of software and hardware. I will pick out the software that I use in my
classroom based off of the evaluations I perform on the software, using the skillset my
experience as an employee of a software company has given me.
Due to the potential for personal security compromises, I have chosen to remove
myself from social media. Additionally, I realize the importance of being present in a
room and being present in a conversation. Therefore, I put away the distractions that
come from emails, cell phones, computers, and iPads while I’m with other people.
Additionally, I do not watch TV because I am too busy to waste time watching movies
and television shows. Overall, I use technology to increase my effectiveness as a leader
and communicator, but I do not let technology control my life.
Similarly, I will not allow technology to control my classroom. It will be a tool
that I use to assist my students assimilate information into schema through visual
stimulants. I will not just use technology to be using technology. Additionally, I will not
replace interpersonal communication with technology, because students text and post
enough to be experts on how to communicate outside of speech. I will foster the growth
of their social skills through classroom forums that are done in person, not in online chat
rooms because the digital divide results in half of my students not having access to the
internet or computers.

I'm naturally good with computers, but do you think kids are naturally better with technology than their parents?