At the end of the semester add an entry regarding your thoughts on the role of technology in education and learning. How has your view of technology in education changed this semester?
Honestly, I used to be a little scared of technology. And honestly, I still am. However, I've learned a lot this semester and now feel much more comfortable with it. I now know how to use several crucial pieces of technology which can be incorporated into the classroom.
The biggest change in me over the course of the semester was not just my skill level but also my mindset. I supposed I'm old-fashioned in the sense that I think everything should be done manually if possible. I had thought that technology was just a superfluous tool for some people to take advantage of. But now, after this semester, I understand that it is a tool which everyone, including teachers, should know how to use. The biggest reason for this is that students will learn technology whether I like it or not; they are digital natives. I can either choose to go against this or embrace it. I see that trying to stop technological advancements is impossible, so I might as well use them to my benefit. While I had been skeptical, thinking that technology was useless because, after all, a good teacher can teach with nothing other than a chalkboard, I have now realized that technology is simply an aid to teachers and to learning. Good teachers are still necessary, but technology is a valuable aid, one which can incorporate all learning modalities, even more successfully than a teacher and chalkboard can.
I personally wonder how I will use technology in my own classrooms since I will be teaching in Uganda. I used to think that there was no use to even try. But, over the course of the semester, I've discovered that there might be options even for me, such as cheap laptops, creating websites, etc. I really can't wait to see what technology comes out next that I can actually use.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Free Rice
This is one of the "10 reflective or informative entries regarding technology and/or teaching."
This is, by far, the coolest thing I've ever seen. Click here to see it.
This is an excellent resource, especially for language arts classes. It's a website which gives words. The player has to guess what the word means from a list of words.
For example: "Mote means...
-catnap
-assortment
-speck
-payment"
If I guess correctly by clicking on "speck," 20 grains of rice are donated to the United Nations World Food Program, which seeks to help end hunger. A player can play as long as he/she wants, and there is no need to sign up or anything.
I think the vocabulary level goes up as the game goes on; it gets very hard. So it's not really for elementary kids. However, a teacher could make students look up words in a dictionary or thesaurus to improve their abilities at finding words; in that case, I suppose elementary kids could do it.
I just see this as a really cool way to combine technology (internet), teaching (building vocabulary), and humanitarian work (helping to end hunger.) Humanitarian work is close to my heart, so this is excellent!
This is, by far, the coolest thing I've ever seen. Click here to see it.
This is an excellent resource, especially for language arts classes. It's a website which gives words. The player has to guess what the word means from a list of words.
For example: "Mote means...
-catnap
-assortment
-speck
-payment"
If I guess correctly by clicking on "speck," 20 grains of rice are donated to the United Nations World Food Program, which seeks to help end hunger. A player can play as long as he/she wants, and there is no need to sign up or anything.
I think the vocabulary level goes up as the game goes on; it gets very hard. So it's not really for elementary kids. However, a teacher could make students look up words in a dictionary or thesaurus to improve their abilities at finding words; in that case, I suppose elementary kids could do it.
I just see this as a really cool way to combine technology (internet), teaching (building vocabulary), and humanitarian work (helping to end hunger.) Humanitarian work is close to my heart, so this is excellent!
TeacherTube
This is one of the "10 reflective or informative entries regarding technology and/or teaching."
Maybe I'm a nerd, but I found a site I think is pretty cool. I'd heard of it before. But I really discovered its usefulness when I was working on my technology project. It is called TeacherTube.
As I said, I discovered it as I was working on my technology project. I needed to know how to use certain SMARTboard features, so I typed something like "linking with SMARTboard" into Google, and this site came up. The specific video I looked at was by a guy called the 60 sec tech. He does 1 minute instructional videos about how to use various kinds of technology. Check out his SMARTboard videos here.
Aside from his videos, there are thousands of others. It's basically like YouTube for teachers. I have used YouTube in teaching presentations but realized that there is sometimes objectionable content on there. It's much more efficient to search on TeacherTube because it's specifically designed for teachers and classrooms, and the content is more closely monitored. It seems like a valuable classroom tool.
Maybe I'm a nerd, but I found a site I think is pretty cool. I'd heard of it before. But I really discovered its usefulness when I was working on my technology project. It is called TeacherTube.
As I said, I discovered it as I was working on my technology project. I needed to know how to use certain SMARTboard features, so I typed something like "linking with SMARTboard" into Google, and this site came up. The specific video I looked at was by a guy called the 60 sec tech. He does 1 minute instructional videos about how to use various kinds of technology. Check out his SMARTboard videos here.
Aside from his videos, there are thousands of others. It's basically like YouTube for teachers. I have used YouTube in teaching presentations but realized that there is sometimes objectionable content on there. It's much more efficient to search on TeacherTube because it's specifically designed for teachers and classrooms, and the content is more closely monitored. It seems like a valuable classroom tool.
Observations
This is one of the "10 reflective or informative entries regarding technology and/or teaching."
I finished my 40 hours of observation today. And I'm a little frustrated. After spending weeks going into the classroom, I feel no more prepared to be a teacher now than when I started. Observations are awkward because I am not allowed to teach. Also, the teachers I observed rarely taught on the days I was there; they were just work days. Additionally, entering a classroom half way through the year means that the students are already trained and used to routine; rarely did I observe any behavioral correction, and the students hardly noticed I was there.
I got a sheet of paper today filled out by my cooperating teacher, which said that I need to interact more with students. Yeah, I agree. I don't understand, though, how to do so in a situation like this. And honestly, part of me is a little scared about next semester. I'm apparently supposed to feel comfortable in a classroom now. I do, as long as it only involves correcting papers and talking with teachers. But, as far as interacting with students, I'm at square 1.
...I can't imagine how substitutes feel.
I finished my 40 hours of observation today. And I'm a little frustrated. After spending weeks going into the classroom, I feel no more prepared to be a teacher now than when I started. Observations are awkward because I am not allowed to teach. Also, the teachers I observed rarely taught on the days I was there; they were just work days. Additionally, entering a classroom half way through the year means that the students are already trained and used to routine; rarely did I observe any behavioral correction, and the students hardly noticed I was there.
I got a sheet of paper today filled out by my cooperating teacher, which said that I need to interact more with students. Yeah, I agree. I don't understand, though, how to do so in a situation like this. And honestly, part of me is a little scared about next semester. I'm apparently supposed to feel comfortable in a classroom now. I do, as long as it only involves correcting papers and talking with teachers. But, as far as interacting with students, I'm at square 1.
...I can't imagine how substitutes feel.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Assignment #5
I used one technology which was fairly new to me (SMARTboard) and one which was entirely new (wiki), both centered around 7th grade language arts students. I will explain my idea for how to actually use these in a classroom:
First, I had created a SMARTboard presentation for my classroom; the topic is "internet resources for paper writing." I wanted to create a presentation I could potentially give in a class, going over some of the online tools available to help students successfully write a paper. The SMARTboard was great for this, as I learned how to create links, both to webpages and to slides within the presentation itself. I did this by creating individual slides, each with a help topic, and each with link(s) about the topics. (The process for linking was simple, but I had to research to figure out how to do it. I had no idea. It just involved clicking on an object, then the drop menu arrow, and clicking the link tab, then inserting either the webpage or the slide number.) So links and creating my own texts/backgrounds were the main new pieces of technology I used. I had used SMARTboard in class but had never made my own SMARTboard page or presentation; neither had I ever edited one. I learned how to do this simply by experimentation, until I got it right. I had only previously found a pre-made lesson online and looked through it. I had planned this to be a presentation to go over in class, as a tutorial for the students, because I know that 7th graders would not be motivated enough to go discover these resources themselves, even if I posted them on a website for them to access. View my SMARTboard presentation here.
However, I also created a wiki webpage for students as my second piece of technology, specifically so they can access these resources later. Originally, I was just going to make students take notes during class on all the online resources presented with the SMARTboard. However, I think it would be more effective to have it posted to a class website, in case they lose their notes or want it even further in the future. I didn't make the wiki very detailed, because my main goal was to create a place to post the "internet resources for paper writing." But I learned a lot in creating it, as I had never done so before. I used a site called wetpaint.com. They offer a variety of templates; I chose the "classroom" one, which already included several of the topic areas (assignments, announcements, etc.) But I had to edit these. It's something I had never done using a wiki. It was fairly simple using the "Easy Edit" button; basically, I was able to click anywhere on the page and edit text, pictures, etc. I learned how to use the features by experimentation. There were brief instructions on the site, but I wanted to learn on my own;. I discovered own how to personalize the look of the page and how to add links. One of the more advanced tools I used was adding a "widget," which included an Meebo Instant Messaging tool for students to contact me easily and directly on the wiki. One of the best things I learned is that a wiki does not have be viewable by everyone; nor does it have to be editable by everyone. I set my preferences to "viewable by everyone" but "editable only by invitation." This, I thought, was a nice resource for a classroom website; this way a teacher can post her things and not worry about students editing them. View my wiki here. Specifically, you can view the links to the SMARTboard material here.
All in all, the SMARTboard presentation will function very well for an in-class lesson on internet resources. The wiki will function very well for out-of-class access. It's the same lesson using different technology for different purposes.
I actually feel fairly comfortable with both SMARTboard and wikis now, after using them. I feel like I know enough to use both effectively in the classroom. And I plan to learn more as the need arises. The projects I did were advanced for my skill level. I spent hours doing them, yet they still seem amateur. I think there are far more advanced features available with these tools, and I hope to learn as I go along.
First, I had created a SMARTboard presentation for my classroom; the topic is "internet resources for paper writing." I wanted to create a presentation I could potentially give in a class, going over some of the online tools available to help students successfully write a paper. The SMARTboard was great for this, as I learned how to create links, both to webpages and to slides within the presentation itself. I did this by creating individual slides, each with a help topic, and each with link(s) about the topics. (The process for linking was simple, but I had to research to figure out how to do it. I had no idea. It just involved clicking on an object, then the drop menu arrow, and clicking the link tab, then inserting either the webpage or the slide number.) So links and creating my own texts/backgrounds were the main new pieces of technology I used. I had used SMARTboard in class but had never made my own SMARTboard page or presentation; neither had I ever edited one. I learned how to do this simply by experimentation, until I got it right. I had only previously found a pre-made lesson online and looked through it. I had planned this to be a presentation to go over in class, as a tutorial for the students, because I know that 7th graders would not be motivated enough to go discover these resources themselves, even if I posted them on a website for them to access. View my SMARTboard presentation here.
However, I also created a wiki webpage for students as my second piece of technology, specifically so they can access these resources later. Originally, I was just going to make students take notes during class on all the online resources presented with the SMARTboard. However, I think it would be more effective to have it posted to a class website, in case they lose their notes or want it even further in the future. I didn't make the wiki very detailed, because my main goal was to create a place to post the "internet resources for paper writing." But I learned a lot in creating it, as I had never done so before. I used a site called wetpaint.com. They offer a variety of templates; I chose the "classroom" one, which already included several of the topic areas (assignments, announcements, etc.) But I had to edit these. It's something I had never done using a wiki. It was fairly simple using the "Easy Edit" button; basically, I was able to click anywhere on the page and edit text, pictures, etc. I learned how to use the features by experimentation. There were brief instructions on the site, but I wanted to learn on my own;. I discovered own how to personalize the look of the page and how to add links. One of the more advanced tools I used was adding a "widget," which included an Meebo Instant Messaging tool for students to contact me easily and directly on the wiki. One of the best things I learned is that a wiki does not have be viewable by everyone; nor does it have to be editable by everyone. I set my preferences to "viewable by everyone" but "editable only by invitation." This, I thought, was a nice resource for a classroom website; this way a teacher can post her things and not worry about students editing them. View my wiki here. Specifically, you can view the links to the SMARTboard material here.
All in all, the SMARTboard presentation will function very well for an in-class lesson on internet resources. The wiki will function very well for out-of-class access. It's the same lesson using different technology for different purposes.
I actually feel fairly comfortable with both SMARTboard and wikis now, after using them. I feel like I know enough to use both effectively in the classroom. And I plan to learn more as the need arises. The projects I did were advanced for my skill level. I spent hours doing them, yet they still seem amateur. I think there are far more advanced features available with these tools, and I hope to learn as I go along.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Classroom in 5 Years
What do you think a classroom will look like in 5 years? What technology will you and your students be using?
I suppose that depends on the country in which the classroom is located. In Uganda, where I will be, classrooms will likely look similar to the way they look now: small, stone floors, dirt walls, children in uniforms, a separate area for eating lunch, outdoor pit latrines, and no technology aside from a blackboard. I have a hard time picturing progress in any way, including technologically, especially since there is no public education system and therefore no public education funding. But one advancement I can see is that the government has become more aware of the schools being started and requires regular government approval, as well as health inspections; this could lead to additional government sponsorship. The other advancement I see is the possibility of faster/cheaper internet; as it is, internet is incredibly slow and incurs per-minute fees. But my brother-in-law and others have informed me that an under-ocean telephone link between Europe and Africa is being started; this will likely improve internet speed. However, the issue of power is still around; until power is more consistent, students can't count on using computers regularly, especially in rural areas. Personally, regarding the technology I will be using, I will try to introduce the use of such things as inexpensive laptops, as well as overhead projectors when in developed areas; in rural areas, no such thing will be possible until a long time in the future. I never expect to use a SMARTboard or an ELMO or anything like that in any of my Ugandan classrooms.
I suppose that depends on the country in which the classroom is located. In Uganda, where I will be, classrooms will likely look similar to the way they look now: small, stone floors, dirt walls, children in uniforms, a separate area for eating lunch, outdoor pit latrines, and no technology aside from a blackboard. I have a hard time picturing progress in any way, including technologically, especially since there is no public education system and therefore no public education funding. But one advancement I can see is that the government has become more aware of the schools being started and requires regular government approval, as well as health inspections; this could lead to additional government sponsorship. The other advancement I see is the possibility of faster/cheaper internet; as it is, internet is incredibly slow and incurs per-minute fees. But my brother-in-law and others have informed me that an under-ocean telephone link between Europe and Africa is being started; this will likely improve internet speed. However, the issue of power is still around; until power is more consistent, students can't count on using computers regularly, especially in rural areas. Personally, regarding the technology I will be using, I will try to introduce the use of such things as inexpensive laptops, as well as overhead projectors when in developed areas; in rural areas, no such thing will be possible until a long time in the future. I never expect to use a SMARTboard or an ELMO or anything like that in any of my Ugandan classrooms.
Addition to the original post:
It dawned on me, at 4:00 this morning, as I was helping my fiance with his homework, that Uganda actually is more advanced than I had given it credit for. My fiance is currently completing another degree (he already has one in theology and one in computer science), yet he lives far away from where the school is located. The way it works is this: the school has computer books available- books which exist in print but have been typed up and saved on the computer. So his professor sends my fiance a file link to his email. My fiance then downloads the book file to his jump drive, transfers it to his laptop, reads the material over a couple weeks' time from his laptop, types out his assignments, then emails them into his professor. (My fiance does not have internet available for his laptop, so he must visit an internet cafe to email his assignments.)
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Internet Safety Issues
There are several internet safety issues for students; I will reflect on those which affect the students in the 7th grade class I observe. They are often allowed to use the library computers to do research for projects. While this activity is supervised by the librarian and by the teachers if it is during school hours, I have been in the library during this activity, and the supervisors' attention is usually focused on helping few students at a time. It would be easy for students to do whatever they wanted while the supervisors' were distracted. Also, the students are allowed to use computers in the library after school. I am not sure what kind of blocks are on these computers, but nevertheless, the students don't have individual sign-in names and could do something on the internet without being detected. Also, sites like Myspace are likely not blocked; students can share information over a site like this, even without their parents' knowledge, if allowed to use the computers at school.
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