Chapter 10 and 11

I think that having something in the classroom that can help differentiate learning can be very helpful. We as teachers have a lot on our plate and we always should be making sure all of the needs of all of our students are met. No one is the same and everyone learns differently, yet there will only be one of you, the teacher. How can we teach to all of these different learners and be successful? Some would say you can't, that you should teach one lesson one way and teach to the median of the class. Some will be bored and some will struggle but you got your job done, right? NO, NOT RIGHT. We as teachers are not the same as many other professions. We don't just clock in and clock out and call it a day. We touch many, many lives and we can shape them to be better and better. The kid who is bored could be the net genius who can discover a cure to a horrible disease, but they will not get that way by being bored every day in class, they should be challenged and learn to question and research their questions. The kid who is struggling will just get more and more frustrated, and will fall further and further behind, possibly even drop out of school. Who knows what great things they could do with some patience and  extra attention? The world would never know unless that mind is cultivated. However, I am a rationalist and I realize that all of this is not always possible. Technology can make our jobs a little easier when it comes to success of all students.

I have personally worked with a student pretty low on the autistic spectrum. He was a high school student and was nonverbal. However, he was able to use technology to communicate. He had something that almost looked like a keyboard that had almost anything that he would need to say. He also loved art but had trouble holding a pencil or any writing utensil. His Para got a drawing app on his iPad so he was able to express himself with his abilities. I think technology does a very important thing that we try to focus on the most. It helps the students focus on their abilities and not their disabilities.

Questions:

1. What is one piece of technology that you think would help your education as a young learner and why?

2. Where did you stand in the level of the classroom (bored, struggling, or somewhere in between)? Do you feel that you were ignored and didn't get all of the benefits from your education?

3. Have you seen technology used to help a student with special needs? How was it used?

Chapter 7 and 8

I remember learning Polya’s problem solving methodologies in an undergrad theories class. We learned that you must understand the problem, use problem solving strategies, and check the results. However, when we present a problem to students, we already know the answer or have a few acceptable answers in our head, these are structured problems. “Real life- the social, economic and political world that teachers are preparing students to enter- rarely has well-structured problems” (Page 160). In today’s world there are many more tools and strategies that we can use that were not available in a world without technology. Computers open so many doors for our students. The textbook spoke about a simulation game named River City. This game seemed a little complicated, branching into math, science, economic, social, and research. This made me think of many simulation games I used to play. One of the websites that was very popular when I was in elementary school was Neopets. On this site you had to take care of your pets and you had to make money. You had to use this money to buy food for them to eat, clothing and weapons to make them stronger, and bath and beauty items to keep them clean. This required knowing how much money that you had and how much you could spend. Two of the great features of the website were the bank and stock market. These taught elementary aged children how money grows in a bank, and in the stock market, how to buy stocks, and watch them to grow your money.

I think that many people who have not grown up using technology in their daily lives can see it as being anti-social. They come from a generation where sending a letter to a friend was a great way of communicating, and feel that today we aren’t as personal. However there are two new forms of communication that came about with new technology. “Synchronous communications occur in real time, as with cell phone conversations or text message exchanges. Individuals converse as if face to face; there is little to no wait time for a reply to statements” (Page 188), “Asynchronous communications involve a time delay, as with email messages, online discussions, or blogs. Communicators wait for replies to their statements, although the usual time lag is dramatically shorter than for a letter or postcard sent through postal mail” (Page 188).  Technology can help teachers communicate even better with the students and families. The teacher can remind students of assignments as well as send links to extra material. The teacher can also email parents any important information as well as status reports for the student.

Questions:

What are some new problem solving strategies and tools now available because of new advances in technology?

Have you ever played a simulation game? Did it feel like work? What do you think you learned?

Since I am using asynchronous communication, do you think this form of communication is anti-social, or less personal than writing a letter or discussing the information in person with you?

Reflection of 10-21-2015

I think that the walk threw of the example web quest was very helpful. Along with giving ideas we were able to create our own ideas based on improvements we would make. I think when we do peer review this will also be a big factor. We will help our classmates but can also get some more ideas for out Web quest!

Chapter 5 and 6

I thought that chapter 5 was one of the most important chapters for the class. I helped to teach us how to teach our students about technology and digital citizenship. We live in a world today where when most students are in front of a computer or a tablet they will know how to turn it on, play a game or even search the web. However, we cannot be sure that they know how to use these tools in the best and most appropriate way. I found particular interest in the "Evaluating Online Information" section because this is something I personally as a student had difficulty with. There are so many new websites being added everyday along with blogs being added to every minute. I can type and publish anything here but what makes anything I say creditable? We must teach our students why we use different websites. Some sites are for entertainment only and we can only take the information as that, entertainment. Other, more creditable, websites can be used when we do research or just looking to expand our knowledge on a topic.

Another important thing to introduce in the classroom is the responsibility of digital citizens. One quote that really stood out to me was "rules do not teach students what is appropriate and why, and instead of simply define the uses that are restricted in the school setting" (Page 117) I know I for one was told in school what sites we were not allowed on (i.e. Facebook) and would try different ways on how to get to it. In my opinion rules are meant to be broken. If a school or teacher uses a optimistic approach and demonstrates and explains how the computers are supposed to be used it will produce a much more positive effect. We also must break the trend of using technology for plagiarizing and cheating.

In Chapter 6 one thing that I found extremely interesting was the different types of educational websites that teachers can use as resources. There are lesson plan websites, student-to-expert communication websites, real-time recorded data websites, archival and primary source websites, skills practice websites, and exploration and discovery websites. The textbook gave a URL and brief description of many websites in each category. One website I recognized is the PBS kids website, which is listed under skill and practice websites. I have used this website many times and it is a great website to use in a younger grade classroom. I would love to use it as a website that children can use in their free time. I played the game OhNoah where you had to find items in Spanish and find the quickest route back to your friend.

Questions:

1) What is one way you would teach your students the difference between a creditable and non-creditable website?
2) How do you think teachers can teach the dangers of plagiarism and cheating with the optimist approach that does not encourage the behavior? Or does teaching about it encourage students to test the limit.
3)  Go threw the list of website resources and find one you like. Why do you like it and how will you use it?

Class Reflection 10-14-15

In this class we discussed many different ideas. One big idea I thought about was thinking what websites our students visit daily. I know many of the high school students today are on Facebook throughout the day. I know teachers cannot be friends with their students but I started thinking about the possibility of having a class Facebook page. Since students are on this website frequently it would be a great place to post homework assignments and communicate after the school day. It would also be a great place to share articles and important things that go along with lessons.

Reflection of 10-7-2015

 

Todays discussion on learning theories was very interesting. One of them most important things that I took away from it is that it is very important to make sure that your assessment matches your theory and lesson. For example, if you are doing a behavioral learning activity, it does not need a multiple choice test or a reflection paper. Another important thing to note from todays discussion is the learning that happens outside of the classroom. We must remember this as teachers and use a child's background to their advantage.