Reflective Posts

Reflective Essay

During my time taking Intro to Technology, I have had the opportunity to see different types of technological programs, I otherwise would not have experienced. During the class, there were interesting programs used, group class work that thought would be a bad experience but ended up positive, able to listen to fellow student’s opinions and outlook on different views of teaching and read about what we would be learning in the class textbook.

There are many programs available for people that I was unaware of and some I have heard of but never used. Prezi is a program that many of my friends have used but, I have always used power point. Wordle and bitstrips were great tools to add creativity to my assignments and added some enjoyment to what I was doing. I was able to use the tools and critique my experience with each lesson.

During the course I had the opportunity to work with fellow classmates on the group project where we had to make time to speak with each other and work together over the internet to complete the collaborative lesson plan. Each classmate was able to put in their own ideas and then mold the assignment as one project. It is one thing to call our fellow students but to use canvas, blogs, and google docs adds technology into the lesson planning.

During the class, I had to read the book in order to complete assignments. I am not a big reader but it was interesting to find out about what is expected and that teachers have assessments and different ways of using technology to instruct the students.

It has been a busy summer for me and I know the class is completed over a short period of time. The class is well laid out with the assignments, such as the blog post and the discussions. I have never known how to create a blog and now, I understand how to create a blog and add creativity to each post. This I feel should be continued because if I was unaware, then others would be too. In addition, I believe having discussions as a class is a great way to find out input from our fellow students to get different perspectives. Reading over the outcomes, I can relate to the assignments that we have done because they deal directly with what I have completed. It is not a broad spectrum but directly tells us what I will be accomplishing.

Creating an eportfolio is a great way to keep up with what I have done and will be doing in the future. It keeps everything together and easily accessible for future use. Passing knowledge is important to me and using technology has become a large part in that process. I feel that this class has been a valuable asset in taking that will help me further my education as I become a future educator.

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.

Digital Blog Post F Chapters 11 & 12

Digital Blog Post #F Chapters 11 and 12

Assessment in Teaching and Learning

Student Assessment

Everyday teachers are in a class with a group of students; they are educating students to better their-selves and giving them the knowledge that will help them be successful throughout life. In doing so, teachers give tests, quizzes and classwork to give students information to study and test themselves and then the students need to know how they did. The educator must keep track of the grades for the students to monitor their progress. When I was in secondary school, I still remember checking the grade sheet my teachers posted so I would be able to keep track of how I was doing and feel this is necessary to continue so future students will have the same opportunity. Thinking about the work that lies ahead in regards to grading papers, filing out reports and sending in grades could give you a headache but I feel it is worth the headache because I am joining a group of individuals that take pride in passing on knowledge to students. By tracking the grades, it will show how the students are doing and where they need to improve. This also will tell what the educator needs to work on in the future to help the students do better.

Digital Teaching Portfolios

As everyone prepares to apply for a career the applicant creates a resume to give to the employer. This is very important for the applicant for it represents the person as they are and what they have to offer the employer. Hiring managers want to know that the person they will be investing in by training and representing their company meets the qualifications that they hold. As we move forward into a technological era employers are looking to know that prospective employees know how to use technology and a great way to show this is by making a digital portfolio that will last throughout their career. It’s a simply way to add or delete information that could make the applicant look more qualified than others. Information provided can include: talents and accomplishments, education and references, goals and reflections, academic courses and research experiences and teaching experiences. Creating a portfolio would take a lot of time but keeping up with it and having accurate and up to date information could open up the positions a person is applying for and also could land them their dream job.

Features of a Technological-integrated classroom

There are many technological’ advancements that can be used inside of a classroom. To be considered an integrated classroom, I do not believe it must be fully integrated but have a few features. Our book states a “smart classroom” equipped with computers or tablets connected to the internet, digital projector, DVD player, interactive whiteboard, digital pens, a video conferencing system and other interactive tools. (Maloy) Though it is good we use technology in the classroom, it is not necessary to have every form of technology but only a presence of that technology. As to not make up a too futureristic classroom, a smart board, tablets or computers with digital players would suffice to consider a classroom integrated with technology. As we move forward into the future, there may be many more advancements that could add to the classroom to make it efficient at the same time not causing chaos with the many different types of technological features.

Created on Tagxedo.com by: Biagio Malarae

 

References

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.

Digital Blog Post E Chapters 4 & 9

Teaching Goals, Methods, and Procedures

Teaching goals, methods, and procedures is one of the three related elements of classroom instruction.  These elements, I believe are the most important for creating the foundation of the classroom. Goals are reasons the information is being taught. Many ideas are discussed but unless there is a goal to what the teacher wants the students to learn, there is no foundation. Once there is a foundation, the teacher can figure out the methods to which the information is conveyed. As teachers decide the method, they can also decide what technology they can use or the students can use. The content can be passed on through creative writing, activities in groups, journals, simulations, online tutoring and many others. I feel this is important and an idea I would use in my future endeavors. Once the methods are decided on the procedures can be made. These are made through scheduling and grouping of students and then how much time will be used on each lesson. Through the goals/ reasons, methods/ strategies, and procedures is an important element a part of teaching.

Test Assessments

With norm-referenced tests which compare student’s performance with their peers, I feel that tests should not decide what a student receives as a grade. According to our book the results tend to follow a bell-shaped curve. IQ tests are considered norm-referenced assessments. Criterion-referenced tests are exams which compare a student’s performance to a specific objective or standard. There is not a curve which means students can do very well or poorly on the exam. Another type of assessments is the standard-based assessment are created to see if the students are at the expected level they are supposed to be at. The assessment can be local, district, state or even national levels. 

Made on Piktochart by: Biagio Malarae

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.

Digital Blog Post D Chapters 6 & 10

Virtual Field Trips

Virtual Field trips can be a great way to show students places that would be too expensive to go to. I feel that different destinations such as the Palace of Versailles, Roman Colosseum, and Sistine Chapel are excellent examples of places that not only have a long history but are building marvels that many present day buildings take their architecture from. Understanding the history is important to students to know about and since taking even a few students to would be a budget killer are available in a virtual tour that many students can study. It does not matter whether it is rain or shine, hot or cold, students can experience these destinations anytime of the year.

Debates over Virtual Schools

Taking online classes’ is a great way for adults to take college classes and I believe is necessary for them to continue their education. However for public primary and secondary schools, I feel students should be in the classroom since these years are important for students to grow with the interaction of their peers. It may be cheaper for students to stay home and go online but interaction that students would have at a public school is a valuable experience that students need if they are going to succeed in the world. This experience is not only in the classroom but also in extracurricular activities. According to our book that critics are saying that students are also not performing well on standardized tests which is another key factor why students should be in a public classroom. Teachers are able to spend more time with students and have more opportunities with each student whereas online is limited to the online interaction.

Revealing Hidden Histories and Untold Stories

Using Virtual Field trips and even virtual schools are great ways to educate students, there are untold stories that students do not find out because they are not part of the formal curriculum. By students being able to search online they are able to find stories that interest them that might have an impact on where the student decides to go in the future. Technology makes it more easily to search for these stories for students to gain the knowledge about which could benefit the student the most. Students can also create bookmarks for online sites that they would like to view at a later time. Educators can find ways of integrating this information to students via projects for students to use later on.

Conclusion

In the end, I believe that Virtual Field Trips are beneficial for students to gain interesting facts about historic places that students would not otherwise be able to take. If students are to be in a virtual school that the students understand that they will be giving up valuable experiences that would help them in the future. Finally are the stories that I have found which would be the untold stories which have impacted me in where I am planning on going in life. By viewing internet travel pages, I have found places I have traveled to and seen the ranges in temperatures leading me to study the weather all over the country. 

Created by: Biagio Malarae

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.

Digital Blog Post C Chapters 7 & 8

Steps in solving problems chapter 7

Going to school and becoming a teacher, I believe that taking steps to learn a subject matter is very important. Breaking the steps down can be crucial to understand the problem. In order to start off you must understand the question asking questions until you fully know what the question is asking. When teaching, I believe this is a valuable asset to teach students to be aware of the questions they must ask. Students tend to have problems asking questions because they fear that their question is not important. We have to let them know this is not true.

Second in the solving steps is using problem solving strategies such as start with the basics, breaking the problem down and using computational approaches. For example as math problems increase in advancement to solve there are a few steps to consider when solving them such as solving points on a graph to find the slope intercept form.

Finally when students set of their strategies on how to proceed and answer the problem, they can test the answer by checking their results a second time to see if they come up with the same answer. This has been very useful in my past and I believe this is a great lesson to pass on to students adding in approaches they use calculators or other computer programs to assist in answering the problems. 

Standard Software Programs

As we think about all the computer programs and software we are running do we think about what was and what will be in the future? Everyday more and more programs are being created to allow for shorter time to do things and with the advancements how much are we depending on the programs and what happens if they fail? Today we are bringing students up to use Microsoft word to write projects and the computer is letting the writer know when they misspell a word rather than the writer re-read the piece and check for their errors. Even now I am using Word on my surface 2 tablet which I believe is necessary to complete my assignments. However since I grew up before all the technology became so advanced, I know the basics. As we bring technology into the classroom, I believe students still need to be able to do their assignments as if they had no technology in the event computers are unavailable. Otherwise, I feel that the standard software we normally receive when we buy a computer is necessary and a valuable asset to the student.

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.

Digital Blog Post B Chapters 3 & 5

Students need to be engaged in what they are doing and active learning is a great way to get them started. Active learning is engaging the student in the class to participate in what the lesson is. When there are math problems, have the student go up to the board and answer questions so they are being involved. Every student can sit at their seat and pretend to be doing work but when they are upfront, they are showing that they can do their work.

Another idea is group learning where students work in a group with each other. There they can collaborate with each other and make the class less teacher-centered and more student-centered. Teachers then take on a more overview and supervise the students while the students figure out what to do for their assignment. Students take on different rolls as leader of a group, note taker, researcher, presenter and artist if making a drawing of sorts. This allows students to be more open to speaking with their fellow classmates on subjects and then working on their social skills at the same time. During group work, this tests the student’s ability to find their strengths and weaknesses and help them overcome them so the students have a better understanding on how to complete their coursework.

When defining students working in groups with technology, they have to be able to know what to look for and where to look for it online. Online, students have a wide net of information that they can search from and knowing where they can go is important. Everything good or bad is online and we as educators must protect them from what could be inappropriate for them. Search engines are set up where teachers and parents can control what the student/child can view. Students start their search by search words and then the internet does the rest and matches the search with the content.

Teacher Centered vs. Student Centered Learning

Digital Blog Post A, Chapters 1 & 2

As we move into the 21^st century we I am learning to understand new technology and its uses in everyday society. As teachers we not only have to understand it but understand it in a way that we can educate the future students we will have present in our classrooms. After reading chapters one and two, it became clear that technology is very much advanced and will continue to advance every year. In a short time we have gone from land line phones and pagers to 4G cell phones and high definition smart TV’s with Blu-ray players. As with any advancement there are draw backs and when we think about it what are they?

 Thinking of becoming a teacher of tomorrow, I believe we need to understand how technology is useful in the classroom and before it can be introduced, learn and understand such technology so that we can teach our lessons using technology and keep students interested. Students growing up today between the ages of 8 and 18 were born and are being raised in a major technological time in our lifetime. As educators we have lived through the changes and are learning the same technology as the students are and feel we need to understand it well enough to use it in our curriculum as we educate the students. While I was growing up we were using chalk boards and erasers during our lessons and now having smart boards to log into the internet to open up an unlimited range of content to teach students with. This makes it a challenge to keep students interested in the content and not what is always being used. At the same time we must educate the students on the technology and the reasoning behind it so students do not skip a vital step in understanding what the technology is being used for.

In a short time it feels like we have made a major leap in technological advancement. From chalk boards to smart boards students are able to use their fingertips rather than a piece of chalk to write answers on a board. Students are growing up using this technology before entering school and I wonder will they still be interested in knowing how we arrived at this point. Many technologies of today were thought of to be science fiction from movies and would take years to create and today we are becoming the movie. I believe it will continue to be a challenge to understand technology and how to adapt it to out teaching curriculum.

When I taught students in the past I taught what I knew and became good at it. I practiced so much that when it was time to pass on the knowledge to others, I jumped at the opportunity to help others know something I enjoyed. When we teach others there are strategies to consider and with combining technology into our class lessons we must use the technology in a way that the students will understand. Rather than throw everything in at once, start with a single advancement as the smart board and let students get used to it. Then throw in another like finding internet pages and activities through the smart board rather than a TV. This way the students can interact. Now the students are up and excited. As our book says each year introduce a couple advancements to keep the students interested and doing so will not overwhelm the student or we the teachers.

Technology has changed in a major way and I believed I knew a lot and every day I am finding out I knew less and less and am trying to raise my awareness to understand more so that I can teach this in the future. The 21^st century holds a lot of new technological advancements to use to teach students with that will keep students interested. We as teachers need to learn and understand them so we can not only teach them to individuals, but to entire classrooms of students.  The way we present the information through technology will not only help us but help the student understand the importance of technology and its usefulness to us in everyday society. 

Sources:

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.