Technology in Education

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.)

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.

GradeSource and Inspiration

So we used two new resources tonight in class: Inspiration and GradeSource. Both seem very useful.

I had no idea how easy grade-keeping could be. But in just a few minutes of using GradeSource, I explored nearly all the features of the site. This seems like an excellent way to facilitate communication between teacher and parent, teacher and student, and parent and student. Click here to see the sample I made.

The Inspiration was a very different resource than GradeSource. But they both allow visual relaying of information. The Inspiration software seems like it could significantly improve students' grades. By allowing them to organize in an easy and fun way, they could keep track of their assignments and schedules. You can click here to see my "Last 5 Years" sample.

K-12 Online Conference

Click here to see the K-12 Online Conference session I attended.

The presenter, Clarence Fisher, is from a small town of 1000 people. He says that he doesn't feel isolated, though, because of the technology which connects him and his students to the rest of the world; he loves collaboration, even internationally. Classroom 2.0, he says, is necessary for redefining our concepts of education, which he believes is a "vital resource" to the U.S. and the rest of the world. And he believes that teachers should be proactive in helping students learn, using the tools available. It's not only about tools, though; he says it's about pedagogy, the methods we use to teach. Teachers, he says, shouldn't wait to be told how to do this; they should consider what is available to them and put it to use. Though curriculum, he says, is mandated, teachers can use it in a variety of ways. The relationship to the curriculum is more important than the curriculum itself, he says. This quote from the link sums it up nicely: "He is an advocate of classroom 2.0, learning spaces that take complete advantage of the tools that are available to learners in their quest to learn rather than having school be something that is done to them."

I learned that the information and tools available for today's classroom is vastly different than those available in the past. That means that teachers should adjust their teaching accordingly. Unfortunately, I think many teachers are stuck in their old ways of doing things. But why not take advantage of things which will promote learning? Learning is, after all, the goal of teaching. I liked the fact that he pointed out that, at the end of the day, it's not about tools. It's about how teachers use the tools to promote learning.

Assignment #4

Click here to see my lesson plan.

What tools would you need to add this technology to your lesson? I would need one computer plus a projector if using YouTube. They would need to be set up so the class could see the movie as projected from the internet/computer onto the overhead screen.
How would technology change the learning environment? How does it make the lesson more learner-centered? This technology would change the learning environment and make the lesson more learner-centered by taking the attention off of the teacher and putting it on the volunteer student, which would encourage participation from the whole class. It would cause students to be visually and audibly engaged moreso than listening to simple lecture. It would add humor and/or relevancy to the class, by relating to them a well-known video clip.
What are some possible challenges to adding this technology and how could they be overcome? The biggest likely challenge would be lack of equipment. Some schools may not have projectors. Also, internet might not be available or might not be working right, which would be a problem when accessing YouTube. Both could be overcome by arranging an alternative ahead of time. For example, a DVD clip could be shown on a television screen instead.
What NETS for Students does this plan cover? How does it cover this standard? 6b- "select and use applications effectively and productively." Students would use YouTube to find an appropriate clip to show the class.
3b-"locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media." Students would use YouTube as a media sources to synthesize the lesson objective with modern examples.

Special Needs and Technology

This is one of the "10 reflective or informative entries regarding technology and/or teaching."

I observed some special needs classrooms today. And I heard something really neat from one of the teachers of the moderately-functioning class. (These students have cerebral palsy, Downs syndrome, etc.)

When I went into the room, three students were working on computers. I was a little surprised that they were able to, honestly. I know that's ignorant of me, sorry. But she explained that the computers are, in fact, excellent tools for helping these students.

"Luke," she said, "we've been working with since 7th grade [2 years], and we could never get him to remember his personal information. But since we started this computer lab a few weeks ago, he knows his address and everything." Typing this information out several times and seeing it on a computer screen somehow helped Luke, a student with cerebral palsy, remember his name, address, phone number, etc.

Luke wasn't the only student who benefited though. Sam, a girl with Downs syndrome, was also learning how to type her information on the computer. And Jess, another girl, was creating PowerPoint presentations.

Every student in this moderately-functioning class is getting ready to give country reports and use PowerPoint to present them to the class.

I was just a little amazed that these students could use computers in a way that impacted their learning. I thought computers might be difficult for someone who has Downs syndrome, but that's just not true. Considering we're in this Tech. in Ed. class, it's important to figure out how we can integrate technology it into our future general classrooms which will likely contain high-functioning special needs students.

Great experience.

After SMARTboard

After you do your SMART Board presentation add additional reflection regarding the SMART Board and teaching.

I just see, especially after presenting, that the SMARTboard can make lectures so much less boring. Mine was about how to use a thesaurus. How lame! But with the SMARTboard, it was so interactive. Visually, the students are stimulated. Kinesthetically, they are involved. It seems so much more effective than merely appealing to the auditory learners through lecture. We learned in Instructional Design that direct teaching, while necessary, is the most ineffective way for students to learn and retain information. The SMARTboard, though, opens opportunities for guided practice and the inquiry method. (Professor Garrett should give me bonus points for using her terms :-D. ) Why not take advantage of technology like this?

Assignment #3

Create and post a planning document on your blog before the class activity. Include the following information:

Link to the activity or web site: Click here.

Specific NETS for Student standard(s) this activity will fulfill:
7. "Select and use the appropriate tools and digital resources to accomplish a variety of tasks and to solve problems." 6a. "Understand and use technology systems."

Activity plan including a description of the activity, how you will prepare for the activity, how class will participate in the activity and how learning will be assessed:
To prepare, I, as the teacher, will become familiar with the SMARTboard presentation which I am using. (If it was a real classroom, I would likely find vocabulary appropriate for a specific book we were studying.) The class will participate by interacting with the SMARTboard verbally and physically. Assessment will be based on participation.

This activity is for language arts and is based on learning to use a thesaurus. For a 7th grade class, they likely already know the basics of how to use a thesaurus. However, this is good, interactive review. And it gives the opportunity to use an internet thesaurus.

My role, as the teacher, is to simply start by asking the class if they know what a thesaurus is used for. I will then drag the link in the first slide to find the answer. I will explain that a thesaurus can be found in book form but also online, following the link on the first slide. I will ask the class to give me a word that I can type into the thesaurus website, demonstrating how to use the tool.

Moving to the next slide, I will instruct three members of the class to look up one word each: angry, careful, and middle. They will use the aforementioned thesaurus site to do this and will then write one of the synonyms on the SMARTboard. I then might show the answers the slide itself gives.

For the next slide, I will ask one student to come forward and match the words on the left to their respective definitions. I will then allow the student to click "check" for accuracy.

On the next slide, I will underline several words and ask students to shout out synonyms for those words. We will then "click for the answer."

If you have made changes to the SB Lesson Activity please talk about the changes and how they will improve the lesson for your students:
I decided not to make changes. The way in which this activity is set-up does not allow for duplication or deletion of page elements. My only option was to create totally new pages. I did not because it was not necessary for this activity. However, if I was using this to teach a specific lesson in a classroom, I would need to change the words to fit / be more applicable.

Election Curriculum

This is one of the "10 reflective or informative entries regarding technology and/or teaching."

Click here. It's a section of the Washington Secretary of State website. I found it on accident when I was searching for information about voter registration because, well, I don't know how to vote or even how to register to vote.

This site is for teachers and gives "election curriculum," which teaches students about voting in the U.S. and, more specifically, in Washington state. It has curriculum sections for K-4, 5-7, and 8-12. They are very age-appropriate, starting K-4 with the idea of community and voting, leading 5-7 into specific voting terms and the importance of voting, and ending 8-12 with practical help on actually registering to vote and going to the polls. It gives activities for students and pre-made lesson plans for teachers. It also shows the teacher which EALRs are being met.

Though I'm not passionate about voting, (the fact that a 21-year-old was searching online to learn how to register to vote points to that fact), I am interested in avoiding dictatorship. I personally think this site is cool because it gives teachers great tools for teaching kids, even from a very young age, about voting. How else will the process of voting be kept alive? People our age (college students) are the least likely to vote. Perhaps if this curriculum is used in K-12 classrooms, that can change.

"Dare to Dream- Classroom Technology"

I found the link to this blog in the list of "educational blogs" on our class blog... Wow, I just typed "blog" about 100 times. Anyway, here is the link: http://dare-to-dream--classroom-technology.blogspot.com/

The entry I'm writing about is called "This one blew my socks off! What a tool!" The author is a school administrator. She was meeting with her technology coordinator and found something called the TouchGraph. To help you understand what it looks like, look at this picture.

Basically, it takes the place of endless pages of Google search results. Instead, a person can enter a topic, just as they do on Google, and come up with a graph which shows a whole network of subtopics. Each subtopic is linked, so it just requires a click. This not only shows search results but also helps students determine relevancy and understand how a network works, linking related information.

This tool will be useful to me as a teacher both to help myself and to help my students. When looking for online resources, I can type in a phrase and easily/quickly get relevant sites. When teaching students how to research, I can show them this tool and how it will make their search for sources better/easier.

"Using Compensating Technology With Special-Need Children" by Ed Clement

This is another one of the "reflective or informative entries regarding technology and/or teaching."

I found an interesting article which addresses both technology and special needs in the classroom. Here is the link: http://www.teachersnetwork.org/ntol/howto/incorptech/c13456,.htm

The author, Ed Clement, describes meeting a millionaire who was in a wheelchair because he was crippled. Curious at how he became a millionaire in spite of his disability, Clement asked the man. The man responded, "technology."

As the author points out, sometimes students with special needs won't be able to do things in a classroom the traditional way. He lists products, simple though they may be, that he uses to help his students with special needs:

-Calcuator: for all students, to help with mathematical and literacy deficiencies
-Pocket translator: for ELL students
-Talking pocket dictionaries: for students who struggle with reading or are bi-lingual
-Pocket spell-checker: for any student who struggles with writing
-PC/Internet: for, the author says, the purpose of finding grant money for additional technological devices

I find it interesting that such simple technology could make a noticable impact on the progress of special needs students. Imagine what the students could do with more advanced technology.

SES

This is another of the "reflective or informative entries regarding technology and/or teaching."

This was something I took note of last Friday as I was observing my 7th grade language arts class.

I mentioned in a previous blog that, in 2nd period, there is a high-cap and low-cap class in the same room. On Friday, I joined the low-cap class as they went into a separate room to take their vocabulary test. After they were finished and returned to their main room, my cooperating teacher, Mrs. P, and I had some time to talk.

Mrs. P thumbed through their vocab tests as we talked. "A student," she'd say. "C student." (She exaplained that she found a strong correlation between the students' first semester grades and their current tests. She could tell, by looking at tests, which grade the student had gotten first semester.) After looking at a blank test Mrs. P said to me, "This student failed last semester." The fact that the test was blank was particularly sad, as she had given them 1 of the answers and instructed them to fill it in.

Perplexed, I asked her why there are some students who don't even make an effort. Mrs. P said that some who continually get D grades actually do try. They come in for the voluntary Tuesday and Thursday study hall, they stay extra hours, and they still do not succeed academically. "But some," she added, "have parents who are not involved at all. This student," she continued, looking at another paper, "I have tried to contact his parent several times; she never calls back. If I had a kid who was failing, I'd make sure he was in study hall. But some of these single-parent homes just don't make time for the kids."

I then asked Mrs. P how Northshore Junior High School was split up in terms of socio-economic status. She told me that they were getting more and more lower students, and that that was key. Parents who have a low income and who are single often work long hours to provide for themselves and literally do not have time to pay attention to their kids' schooling. "It's not that they don't want to be involved; sometimes they just can't be," she said.

High-Cap, Low-Cap

This is one of the "10 reflective or informative entries regarding technology and/or teaching."

This reflection is based on my classroom observations from February 11, 2008 (for a 7th grade language arts class.)

I'm having trouble resolving the 2nd period classroom structure. Since there are two teachers, there are two classes. Normally, the teachers just teach all the students as a whole. But in 2nd period there is a "high-cap" class and a "low-cap" class: one on each side of the room, with their respective teacher.

I asked whether adaptations were made for the lower level. The teacher said no, that the curriculum was the same, though the performance expectations were a bit lower. (I thought she made a good point by saying that she needs to challenge them and can't just adapt because she can't guarantee that future teachers will. Her students need to be prepared.)

I agree with all that. What disturbs me is the placement of the lower students with the higher students. The lower-level class needs so much micro-managing / individualized attention, which is fine; it just distracts the higher-level students on the other side of the room. Also, within the low-cap group, there is so much variation. Some of the kids are very capable at completing the assignments, while some are not at all. In fact, the teacher has requested that one girl be put in special education classes next year.

I say this only because I wonder how effective a classroom can be when it's like this. I guess I'll find out.

Web 2.0

Web 2.0 presents opportunities never before available, as well as enhances already-existing tools. Things like the Wikis and RSS feeds give opportunity for online collaboration, possibly with classmates for a group project. Also, something like podcasting could help students who missed a day of class or parents who want to hear what the teacher is teaching, as discussed in class. The visual programs could be beneficial for students who want to do presentations. Things like the virtual whiteboards make note-taking and organizing data easier. Communication tools like Skype could bring to life other students from around-the-world, possibly making international collaboration a part of the classroom. Blogs could be used by teachers to communicate with students and parents or by students as a way of keeping track of their progress and assignments. The list could go on...

Assignment #2

Diversity Issues

The issue of diversity in the classroom is often ignored or misunderstood. Many people consider only ethnic or racial diversity, when, in reality, there are many other kinds. Ignoring these differences could lead to ineffective teaching. Not knowing one's audience is risky in any setting.

I like the website Creating Safe Schools for Gay and Lesbian Students in particular because it deals with a category of diversity which is often controversial or taboo. This website is for teachers wanting to be aware of the issues facing their homosexual teen students and also wanting to teach other students tolerance. Practical exercises to help teacher and students identify and rectify their prejudices is given. This could allow teachers to create a safe environment for gay and lesbian students. When students feel safe, they are more willing to learn. Since sexuality is explored in the teen years, this is especially important for middle schoolers and their teachers.

I also found The Working Group website to be helpful and interesting. It is basically an anti-hate website. While it is not focused on any certain type of hate, it gives resources for actively preventing hate among teens. Some of these include videos and forums. For a teacher wanting to spread awareness of diversity and tolerance, these media resources would be invaluable in the classroom. As with the gay and lesbian issue, any hate makes students feel unsafe. When students feel unsafe, they are difficult to teach, as their minds cannot adequately focus on lessons.

District Resources

Each school district has different issues, different requirements. It's important to know about my specific school district. (Mine happens to be Northshore School District.) Not only is it important to know about the district and the specific school at which I'm teaching, but it is also vital to understand which elementary schools my junior high students came from and which high school they will transfer to. Understanding those schools' requirements can help in teaching middle schoolers.

Inglemoor High School is the target public school for all Northshore Junior High students. Their website gives information about the faculty, project requirements, parent involvement, WASL prep, and so on. For a teacher at Northshore Junior High, it seems essential to know where students are heading in order to direct their learning. Knowing the expectations of their future school can help establish the expectations of their current school.

The Northshore School District website, as mentioned, is also invaluable. There is a section specifically for secondary education. It gives graduation requirements, PTA information, information on legal matters, and so on. Understanding my district's requirements is obviously essential. If I can't know what is expected by my district for graduation, I can't help prepare my students to graduate. If I can't know what is required of myself and my students, my teaching is aimless.

Physical, Emotional, and Mental Health

Teenagers, namely junior high students, deal with all kinds of health issues. Some are more dangerous than others. Some affect classroom atmosphere. Ignoring the fact that students are struggling could lead to ineffective teaching, as well as harm for the student.

The HelpGuide website deals specifically with teenage depression. Depression can affect a teen's ability to learn in school and to do well, especially if his mind is greatly disturbed and distracted. Issues at home or with peers often play out in the classroom. If a teacher does not know how to help his/her students with depression, dangerous side-effects for the students and for fellow students could arise, creating an unsafe classroom environment.

The Child Abuse Prevention Services website has a section which deals specifically with bullying and how to prevent it. Especially for a middle school teacher, I find this important, as students in this age group have gained notoriety for bullying. If a student's physical safety is threatened, the teacher can take the initiative to stop the behavior. Not only is bullying a problem outside the classroom walls, it will also affect the learning environment inside.

Government Sites

Knowing the current issues surrounding education, including education reforms and initiatives, is vital for keeping up-to-date and performing job duties accurately. Government-sponsored websites are good for accuracy, as well as for providing a large-scale scope of education trends.

The Washington State Institute for Public Policy has a link on their website which is specifically for Educators. It offers grade level-specific topics and resources. Topics in this section include WASL performance, graduation trends, ELL and special needs accomodations, etc. for the state of Washington. Realizing trends and issues concerning WA state students can better equip a teacher in how to either match or excel above statistics. Also, taking advantage of the resources for special needs students and those having trouble graduating can equip a teacher to adapt to his/her students' individual challenges.

The Washington State Board of Education website has resources for educators and non-educators alike. Legal issues are discussed on this site, as well as graduation requirements, reviews of standards, certification information, waivers, homeschool information and great links to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction website, which includes EALRs, assessment standards, etc. This covers a whole mileau of topics which will affect a teacher every day. Understanding his/her role in the classroom--what is required of him/her and the students--is the only way to assure effective teaching. Understanding specifically what is expected of his/her grade level (in my case, 7th grade) is part of this and is covered on the links on this site.

Lesson Plan Resources

Many teachers have come before me. Benefitting from their experience in the classroom is invaluable. It seems wise to build on their lesson plans, rather that spending hours planning my own lessons from scratch.

Since this is a technology class, I thought it would be important to explore some of the technology available for use in lesson plans. The Annenberg Media website offers subject- and grade-specific lesson plans, many of which incorporate media. The main resources are internet-based videos and videos for purchase. For language arts, they have a selection of videos on a large variety of literature and reading topics. I could use this in the classroom to help make a lesson plan more engaging for students.

I liked the Layered Curriculum website because it has very easy-to-navigate lesson plans for specific grade areas and subjects. Clicking on "middle school" and "English grammar and novels" gets me to a page with a large selection of poetry and prose, as well as lesson plans for each work. This could be used to quickly and easily find appropriate works for my students and suitable lessons to accompany them. An additional resource from this website is the section on special needs and appropriate lesson plans for special needs students.

Reflection on the SMART Board

Prior to tonight's class, I had no idea what the SMART Board was capable of. I probably still only know a fraction of its features. I was impressed with its pragmatism, both in ease of use and in practicality of application.

I am excited to discover new ways to integrate it in the classroom. Personally, I see it being used in Language Arts (my endorsement area) to make reading material much more interactive. As students get into the junior high grades, many lose interest in reading; this might be because reading does not engage all learning styles. The SMART Board, however, could illustrate the characters or themes of a book in a tactile manner. It could even help teach writing skills by making an interactive game out of piecing together a proper sentence (or something of that sort.)

Spring 2007, "Grand Slam Technology" by Kim Vanderleer

The title of this article immediately caught my attention. I played baseball and was curious to see how something fun could illuminate an oft-considered boring subject like geography. Making learning fun is, in my understanding, one of the most crucial ways to connect with students.

What I found out is that this article focuses on a specific teacher, Pat Shook, who teaches special needs students. When she met with a technology consultant and told him she was working with her students on locating the 50 states, he suggested the SMART Board. Already having one in her classroom, Shook simply utilized it. Knowing that her students loved baseball, she displayed on the SMART Board the logos of all the major league teams. She then asked students to drag each logo to the city/state in which the team played.

I learned several things from this article. Firstly, I learned that the SMART Board has several functions of which I am not aware; being very unfamiliar with this technology, I am excited to learn about it. Secondly, I learned that integrating technology with lesson plans really can make learning more effective and engaging. Thirdly, I learned that special needs children can benefit from technology; in this case, they learned to use their motor skills by dragging the pen or their fingers to move items on the SMART Board. Fourthly, and of most interest to me, is the fact that there is such a thing as a technology consultant. In this case, he travelled to the different schools in the Lexington school district holding seminars but then met with the aforementioned teacher, Shook, individually to address her specific classroom technology issues.

Assignment #1

Currently, my knowledge and use of technology, both educational and non-educational, is limited and outdated. Computers, with which I feel very comfortable and experienced, are the only resources I use for educational purposes; the software I utilize includes only Microsoft Works. This is partially because I don't know about many other resources; it is also partially because I don't know how to use the other resources I do know about, such as other software. As far as non-educational technology, the extent of my knowledge and use includes CD players, digital cameras, and internet on my cell phone. Again, part of the issue is that I just do not know about new technology; the other part is that I don't know how to use things like MP3 players, Palm Pilots, and so on.

This semester, there are two main areas I would like to work on: numbers three and four from the given website, which are "identify technology resources available in schools and analyze how accessibility to those resources affects planning for instruction (I, II)" and "identify, select, and use hardware and software technology resources specially designed for use by PK-12 students to meet specific teaching and learning objectives (I, II)." As stated in the previous paragraph, I have a limited knowledge and use of technology. Therefore, I need to start with what I consider basic areas: identifying what kind of technology is available to classrooms and, similarly, identify specific software appropriate for grade levels. From there, I will be able to see how these can impact and be integrated into my teaching.

Technology should be simply a tool for teachers to use in the classroom when it will enhance a particular lesson and/or make it easier for students to comprehend the lesson more fully. Using technology does aid learning. Paying particular attention to the word 'aid', it is assumed that there is a main component to learning, which is an effective teaching; technology does just that: aids the teacher. Ease, speed, capacity, and level of engagement can all be increased by technology, as it takes some of the extraneous work away from the teacher, takes some of the extraneous work away from the students, and sometimes provides resources neither the teacher nor the student could access otherwise.

(I will base these next paragraphs on the 7th grade classroom in which I am currently doing my observations. For each standard, I realize that it is necessary to incorporate it into my endorsement area, which is Language Arts. Rather than simply helping students learn about technology, I also need to focus on assignment which can enhance their reading skills or writing/communication skills.)

The first standard I want to consider is number seven, which is "select the appropriate tools and digital resources to accomplish a variety of tasks and to solve problems." For this assignment, I would first present the tools and resources for consideration through lecture. Then I would give the students a homework handout of the tools and resources discussed along with a list of tasks and problems. They students would need to match which tools were appropriate for which tasks. The next day in class, the students would be tested, possibly corporately. I would present a problem or task verbally and call on random students to tell which tool should be used; they would then demonstrate its use.

The second standard I want to consider is number two, which is "create original animations or videos documenting school, community, or local events." For this assignment, I would give each student a particular event to cover. Then I would give them several options for recording and creating their event, whether by digital video camera, digital camera, PowerPoint, and so on. I would lecture to the whole class on each item of technology beforehand. Then I would expect the students to give their presentations of their completed projects in class, as well as submit a written report of how they created their video or animation.

The third standard I want to consider is number 10, which is "independently develop and apply strategies for identifying and solving routine hardware and software problems." For this assignment, I would not lecture. Rather, I would give each student a specific potential hardware/software problem, allow them to research it, then expect them to prepare a report including the details of the problem as well as how to fix it. This would include written and illustrated explanations.

My Website

Link to my website

Making a website with html was difficult. But making one with the Google tool was easy, and I enjoyed it. I think I'll make it a point to update my website periodically. I feel it's a very good way to get ideas out there for people to read. Had I realized how simple it was, I would have made one sooner.

DOVE Uganda Children's Fund

Perhaps this is a cheap way of advertising something I'm passionate about, but that's ok.

This blog is one of the 10 required as "reflective or informative entries regarding technology and/or teaching."

If you have time, you should visit this website: http://doveugandachildrensfund.org/.

This website pertains to education in the following way: Many children in Uganda don't have access to education. Since there is not really a public education system and since schooling is not required by the government, private schools are the main means of education. With private education comes school fees. Many people in Uganda work hard but make only enough to survive on; they don't have extra to pay for their children to attend school.

This organization provides for children to attend school, eat one meal per day at school, receive necessary medical care, and so on. And it's only $20 per month. Consider how cheap that is for education. School in the U.S. is outrageously expensive; it's only that we have a dependable public education system.

(Just so you know, it's run by my future parents-in-law who are in Uganda and 2 pastors from the U.S.- one from my home church.)

Laptops for Developing Countries

This blog is one of the 10 required as "reflective or informative entries regarding technology and/or teaching."

Because I'm a nerd and because I love Africa, I pay attention to BBC News. (It covers issues related to Africa and the rest of the eastern world much moreso than do U.S. news channels.) That said, I recently read an article titled "Politics 'stifling $100 laptop.'" Here is the link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7094695.stm. The main issue in this article is the difficulties which have arisen in the political arena regarding distribution of laptops to students of developing countries.

However, the main issue which caught my attention is the fact that many developing countries have the same goal as discussed in Prensky's "Adapt or Adopt" article about which I previously blogged. As I stated in that blog, one of the goals in the U.S. is one-to-one computer interaction, meaning that each student would have his own laptop. Also, I stated, "This article said that, by the end of the year, a basic laptop might cost as little as $100." Surprisingly, at least to me, the BBC article said nearly the exact same thing: "It aims to put thousands of low-cost laptops, known as the XO, in the hands of children around the world. The machines are planned to cost $100." (The "it" at the beginning of that sentence refers to the organization heading this endeavor, known as One Laptop per Child (OLPC); the name suggests the intent.)

Similar challenges are being faced by these developing countries as are being faced in the U.S. The cost, the issue of distribution, and the schools' lagging behind are all issues for both. The situation in developing countries is perhaps more extreme. One quote from the BBC article said, "What is the sense of introducing One Laptop per Child when they don't have seats to sit down and learn; when they don't have uniforms to go to school in, where they don't have facilities?" It's interesting to me that the U.S., with all of its resources, is at the same point as other countries which have little or no public education funding and which are still developing or "third-world."

Northshore Junior High School Website

The school at which I'm doing my observations is Northshore Junior High School in Bothell. The URL is njhweb.nsd.org.

I'll start with the positive and discuss the features I like about the site. The homepage contains the pertinent information, such as the hours, contact information, school closure information, calendar/events, etc. I also liked the easy-to-navigate links on the left side of the homepage.

As far as what was confusing, there was only one main thing. The number of links was too extensive. Instead of clicking on a link and being taken directly to a page, sometimes I was just taken to another page with another link. For example, when I click on the school closure link (on the homepage), I'm taken to a page where I have to again follow a link, either to the district website or to a third party website, to see the information.

As far as what was missing, there were two main things. There were incomplete links. When I click on the left-side links from the homepage, there is no link back to the homepage. I ended up just clicking the "back" button several times. Also, some of the pages were inconsistently structured. In the "7th graders" section, there were links for Social Studies. In the "8th graders" section, there were links for Social Studies and Science. In the "9th graders" section, there were links for Social Studies/English and Science. It seems as though all the subject areas should be complete for all grades. If it's the fault of the teachers for not posting assignments for their subjects, they should make a change.

Technology Standards

I'm not sure if this was supposed to be done in class. But the instructions were to "talk about some of the technology standards that you would like to work on." There are two sets of standards to consider: those for myself as a teacher and those for my students.

Reading over the handout "Profile for Technology-Literate Teachers," I'm seeing that I need to work on #1, which is to "demonstrate a sound understanding of the nature and operation of technology systems." I personally feel as though I'm not a digital immigrant, but I'm also not a digital native. Experiencing computers for the first time at age 11 and being solely self-taught about their use since, I fall somewhere in the middle. I still do not feel very comfortable with certain technology systems, as I don't keep track of updated technology. (In fact, if I don't hasten my current progress, I will end up like my great-grandmother who doesn't know how to check her email, because I've never used a Smartboard or even an MP3 player and was stubborn about getting a DVD player until I received one as a gift last year.) That said, I believe that I need to meet the standard of feeling more comfortable with technology, having a "sound understanding" of it, because my students undoubtedly will.

Reading over the handout "National Educational Technology Standards for Students: The Next Generation," #2 catches my attention. It reads, "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." For my students, I would like to work on this area, especially "c. develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures." I see this as one of the most beneficial options given to us by technology. As my fiance says, "the world is becoming a small village." This is a good thing. Though many high school students cannot travel the world, they can become aware of it. It seems that, as of now, awareness of diversity doesn't really happen until college; this is unfortunate and can be changed.

Adopt or Adapt: Shaping Tech for the Classroom by M. Prensky

What I learned from this article is that change in the methods and frequency of technology in the classroom is actually possible and necessary. The author made three very good points. The first is that the world itself is changing rapidly, with technology as a vital part; school classrooms should be no different. (Yet, he argues, schools often are different, taking much more time to update than the outside world.) The second is that, thusfar, people are doing the same activities as they've always done but now using computers to make the job slightly easier. Filing, grading, and so on still happen, simply in new ways; this author presents the idea that new things can happen with technology in the classroom. Software programs and the internet could enable students and teachers to learn new things in new ways. The third point is that students can be an important part of this shift to using technology more prevalently in the classroom. Teachers and administrators, especially older ones, really are "digital immigrants;" but students are "digital natives" and could assist their teachers.

My question after reading this article is about the implementation of this idea of one-to-one computer interaction. I wonder who would fund it, how the computers would be distributed and monitored, who would actually own the computers, and so on. This article said that, by the end of the year, a basic laptop might cost as little as $100, but I see other issues in addition to the initial cost. Maintenance, replacement, updating, and so on would cost money. Would the schools have special tech guys? Who would pay for that? It all seems costly, unless in the long run it might save time, and therefore money, in the classroom.

Why I Want To Be A Teacher

God revealed to me about 6 years ago that He wanted me to be a missionary to unreached people groups. I assumed that would consist of landing and preaching. But, as I spent time in foreign countries, I realized that it can't really work that way. They, like anybody else, want to know that they are cared for as a whole person. So I realized I needed a skill to offer. I chose teaching; or, rather, God chose teaching for me. I'm glad He did because I've seen the impact first-hand that schools can have on communities. In fact, my fiance and I are right now starting a school in Northern Uganda which will begin February 4. Over Christmas break, I was able to see the kind of hope that it is bringing to that community. They consider it their miracle. ... That's why I want to teach.

I'm majoring in Secondary Ed, and my endorsement is in English/Language Arts. However, I don't care which age or subject I teach once I'm overseas. I will just teach wherever there is need. (Though the largest need is often for secondary education; many students' education stops at age 12 because secondary schools simply do not exist in some areas.) While in the U.S., I prefer high school; but my Practicum I is 7th grade. I'm open to anything.