Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Importance of Technology
There are many pieces of technology that can be used in the classroom such as porjectors, smartboards, computers, video, televisions, DVD, video cameras, digital cameras, PowerPoint, etc. The list is never ending. These peices of technology can be used to enhance the curriculum in many ways, such as mathematics and reading practice, blogs as writing prompt, interactive lessons and activities, video cameras can be used for class presentations. The use of technology in the classroom makes learning more fun for the students and gets the teacher's creative juices flowing to create new and exciting lessons to engage the students with the latest forms of technology. As technology is always changing, teachers have to keep up with the newest technology to keep up with their students. Technology sparks the students interest and engages them in their learning process.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Examples of Electronic Portfolios
A bad example of an electronic portfolio
http://depts.washington.edu/tepacct/tucker/indexl.htm
I think there is too much information and writing on this electronic portfolio. It is very overwhelming to read. I do like the part on classroom management because I think how a teacher manages a classroom says a lot about the type of teacher they are. I wish their were more forms of artifacts other than writing. I wish he would have shown more examples of his own pieces of work he created.
A good example of an electronic portfolio
http://www.cesa8.k12.wi.us/teares/math/it/samplePort/SARAH%20B/Index.htm
I think this is a good example because it has all the aspects needed in a portfolio. It shows examples of the teachers work as well as his views and philosophy of education. I like how simple the page is to navigate around and how the sections are clearly labeled. Her background section really allows you to get to know her as a teacher and you get the feel that she truely loves what she is doing, especially with her memorable moments section. I think adding the resume was a nice touch and also the professional development peice and what she learned from each training session. I think this electronic portfolio was put together very well and is also user friendly.
http://depts.washington.edu/tepacct/tucker/indexl.htm
I think there is too much information and writing on this electronic portfolio. It is very overwhelming to read. I do like the part on classroom management because I think how a teacher manages a classroom says a lot about the type of teacher they are. I wish their were more forms of artifacts other than writing. I wish he would have shown more examples of his own pieces of work he created.
A good example of an electronic portfolio
http://www.cesa8.k12.wi.us/teares/math/it/samplePort/SARAH%20B/Index.htm
I think this is a good example because it has all the aspects needed in a portfolio. It shows examples of the teachers work as well as his views and philosophy of education. I like how simple the page is to navigate around and how the sections are clearly labeled. Her background section really allows you to get to know her as a teacher and you get the feel that she truely loves what she is doing, especially with her memorable moments section. I think adding the resume was a nice touch and also the professional development peice and what she learned from each training session. I think this electronic portfolio was put together very well and is also user friendly.
Reaction to Online Presentations
I really like the way the glogster posters turn out. I actually tried to do one for my notebook project but I couldn't figure out how to work the website. I found a lot of useful and beneficial information when viewing my classmates' online presentations from the notebook project.
When viewing Adam's glogster poster, I was reminded of the importance of getting to know your students so that you can relate to them. The teachers from the meantioned study from the article Adam chose, found a way to connect with students and find out what motivates and interests them. Every student has different strengths and weaknesses and it is the teacher's responsibility to talk with the students and assess those strengths and weaknesses. Communication between teachers and their students is extremely important in the management of a classroom and I think the teachers from the study were able to communicate and connect with their students to increase the students' performance and give then a more positive outlook on their school career.
I found Kevin's narrated powerpoint very interesting. I thought it was interesting to know that the implementation of technology is slower in k-12 than in higher education. Other than my education classes taken at Albright, there has not been much technology in my college curriculum. In fact most classes were only textbook and lecture style class. I feel that there is more technology in the elementary school I am currently in and even when I was in high school, I used technology more than I did in my undergraduate classes. Yes, I used technology outside of class when checking my grades, email and typing papers. But I rarely, other than my education classes, had assignments to complete online or with technology. I found the article very interesting when comparing it to my experience.
Lisa's glogster reminded me that not all country's have access to technology for their students. I think it is important for the teachers of America to realize how much technology can add to a curriculum and there is so much technology at our fingertips that unfortunately some teachers are reluctant to use. Lisa's online presentation serves as a good reminder to be mindful of the resources that can be used in the classroom. Teacher's shouldn't be afraid to try new things because as the one note stated, technology can extend the curriculum.
When viewing Adam's glogster poster, I was reminded of the importance of getting to know your students so that you can relate to them. The teachers from the meantioned study from the article Adam chose, found a way to connect with students and find out what motivates and interests them. Every student has different strengths and weaknesses and it is the teacher's responsibility to talk with the students and assess those strengths and weaknesses. Communication between teachers and their students is extremely important in the management of a classroom and I think the teachers from the study were able to communicate and connect with their students to increase the students' performance and give then a more positive outlook on their school career.
I found Kevin's narrated powerpoint very interesting. I thought it was interesting to know that the implementation of technology is slower in k-12 than in higher education. Other than my education classes taken at Albright, there has not been much technology in my college curriculum. In fact most classes were only textbook and lecture style class. I feel that there is more technology in the elementary school I am currently in and even when I was in high school, I used technology more than I did in my undergraduate classes. Yes, I used technology outside of class when checking my grades, email and typing papers. But I rarely, other than my education classes, had assignments to complete online or with technology. I found the article very interesting when comparing it to my experience.
Lisa's glogster reminded me that not all country's have access to technology for their students. I think it is important for the teachers of America to realize how much technology can add to a curriculum and there is so much technology at our fingertips that unfortunately some teachers are reluctant to use. Lisa's online presentation serves as a good reminder to be mindful of the resources that can be used in the classroom. Teacher's shouldn't be afraid to try new things because as the one note stated, technology can extend the curriculum.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Interactive Whiteboards
I feel as though interactive whiteboards can add so much more to a lesson and a classroom curriculum. Interactive whiteboards are easy to learn as well. I knew very minimal on the smart board before our class where Mrs.Mislevy taught us all about its features. When I was working on my smartboard project, I remembered the features and I was able to navigate pretty easy around if I did forget something. With only one 3 hour class on learning about the smartboard, I was able to create my own lesson on it. I can only imagine what I will be able to do with lessons after I learn more and more about the smartboard technology. Interactive whiteboards can spice up a lesson. It can get teachers away from the typical ways of teaching and steer them away from lecturing at the students. Interactive whiteboards get the students up and out of their sits and participating in the lesson. It has been stated by many different researchers, many different times that students who are actively participating in their own learning process, learn and obtain the information more than if it was simply taught directly to them. Students have technology at their fingertips constantly and they are good with technology. They grew up with it so they get it. When technology and interactive whiteboards are added to the curriculum, they allow students to learn in ways that are familiar to them. They are feel more confident with the content material because they are confident with technology. I feel as though students would be much more engaged if interactive whiteboards were used in classrooms more often. It takes me by surprise to learn that some school districts received grant money for interactive whiteboards and they are sitting in the closet. I understand that some teachers are reluctant to learn technology but the software for interactive whiteboards is not difficult to understand and I feel as though if they gave them a try, every teacher would be fighting for one in their classroom. When I have my own classroom, I would love an interactive whiteboard. I would use it for teaching all the time. Interactive whiteboards can be used with any content area to make it more interesting and it allows the children to participate and stay engaged.
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