Reflection #13

I know I've already met the requirement for reflections, but I came across this video on 3-D printers.

Printable Gun

It does not simply focus on the gun issue (being able to print a gun) but also in allowing people the creative freedom to print something that they have thought of, with ease.  The reporter mentions printing a button for a lost coat, but in the arts, the possibilities are endless.   3-D printers are becoming more affordable for the everyday household, also raising the risk for gun parts to be created and used.   They briefly discuss a need to look at regulations as these parts will not be detectable.

Technology Project

Classroom Rules

Grade Level: 4th/5th Grade
Subject: Technology, Theater/Storytelling
Learning Target:

• Students will formulate three necessary rules in a classroom.  They will communicate these rules through a stop motion video by creating a story line that highlights the reason for these rules.
• Students will use sounds, visuals, words, and show techniques of editing, timing/order, and plot sequencing to demonstrate their understanding of the components of a completed, visual piece.

Standards Assessed & NETS Standards:

1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity

• Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments.
• Promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness
• Engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources.
• Promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes.
• Model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments

      Common Core Standards for Communication

• 1.2.1 Applies strategies to comprehend auditory and visual information
• 1.2.2 Recognizes and understands point of view and persuasion in mass media.
• Identifies point of view in an oral story or video, with teacher guidance.

Rationale:  The ability to communicate ideas through a video allows students to think critically about the factors that influence an audience.  Students who effectively communicate will have greater influence upon their community.  Stop motion technology integrated with storytelling will help students plan and work out their thoughts before putting them into action.

Rubric:

Worksheets:

Handout

Blank Storyboard

 

End of Semester Reflection

When I first enrolled in Technology in Education, I was extremely excited about the prospect of integrating tools into lessons.  Believing myself to be tech-savvy, I did not anticipate having trouble with this subject.  Upon taking the course, I've realized how expansive the topic truly is.  Not only will we try to acclimate to an increasingly technological environment, we also have to understand it well to use it seamlessly.  Having been exposed to so many innovative programs, techniques, and creative minds, I feel an excitement to enter the educational field that is rapidly adapting to technological advances.

While technology itself could easily take over a lesson, the key lies in the integration of technology--not allowing it to be the focus but rather in the art of teaching.  To sum up the main criteria for an effective use of technology, we have to ask ourselves two things:

• How does it help students learn the curriculum/content?
• Do I know how to use it well?

This shows where the focal point of the class lies.  The point is to be effective teachers, not magicians or entertainers.  While those roles may help us peak students' curiosities to a state of learning, everything we do must be centered around helping every student succeed.  Technology is just another resource we may use to raise the standard of education.  I hope to use it well, so that students may find relevance in all that they learn.

My focus from NETS for Teachers:
The first NET for Teachers which highlights facilitating and inspiring student learning and creativity.

• teachers to use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments.

Throughout this class, I have thought carefully about how I would integrate technology to allow students the ability to be creative, educated, and innovative.  I did not necessarily think "oh I need to fulfill this NET" for every project; it was an innate and inseparable desire that I'm certain most teachers would want for their students.  Looking in hindsight, the NETS are simply unnecessary to define--they should be always be present (though some are indeed, situational).  For my teaching style, this NET defines my focus.  They cannot be separated.

Comments 2nd Part

Yuliya's Reflection 11
Ilona's Week 13
Jeffrey's Reflection 11
Erin's Reflection 12
Heather's Reflection 10
Nicole's Reflection

Week 14

EnvisioningTech

This site provided an attempt to predict the move of technology in education.  This chart shows a potential for students to interact at a higher level while artificial intelligence helps teachers move to an ability to do away with physical teaching models.  This seems rather difficult as teachers also help modify behavior and the social structure for students.  As education originally functioned to assimilate students into a religious and social constructs, it would be interesting to know how this futuristic structure would address behaviors.

Many of the technological advances that move from 2012 to 2020 seem tangible.  I know that much of technology has gone toward the ability to have digital classrooms and even eye tracking, though eye tracking has not been used much for students.  Having these different parallels (between global communication, education, and invention) help strengthen the technological growth we will face.  I notice that without one of the central pieces, the other main pieces would fail.

Week 13

MS Word:
As a student, I use MS Word for so many different reasons. While note taking, I find the organization tools to be effective (bullets, indentations, etc.) since they have quick buttons where you can easily redefine a level of indentation. Since note taking requires a need to quickly process the information and jot it down--it helps having these quick switches and the knowledge of outlining points easily.

I also use the tables and text boxes quite often in projects. Having the ability to customize the font and structures of these two, allows me the ability to concentrate on the content as it helps organize things visually for me. Their selection of real to cartoon images for clip art are helpful when planning lessons. Children are so easily drawn to visual design traits, and MS Word offers so many variations.

MS Excel:
I must confess that I do not use this program as often as I could. MS Word has tables that I would use on a more regular basis. I find that Excel might be helpful in terms of budgeting--though I have created visual representations of data in Excel. Since there are online spreadsheets (ie. Google spreadsheets) that allow me to share information with others as well as allow them the ability to interact with my spreadsheets, I generally will turn to those first. Since data itself is better served while feeding to an audience, using the offline Excel is less beneficial to the Google version. I know there are methods to share Excel, and it is also more technical with better formulas or functions, but I rarely need anything beyond a basic function of defining sums or lists.

MS PowerPoint:
MS PowerPoint is so helpful with presentations.  I use it often for lessons or class presentations.  The functions I mostly use are embedding images or videos, slide animations (with different levels of timing), and of course the templates they have.  Since it is visual, organizing your information with less text is ideal.  I find that the slide animations help me most in defining what I want shown at a specific time.  I've used this for class games before as well.

Projects for MS PowerPoint:

• Targeting elementary-level students, they would learn the importance of form, structure, and organization through creating a PowerPoint and its animation function.  Students would show a procedure or tell a story with dynamics.  The animation function allows them to control when information is given and teach them the use of structure.
• For middle-level students, I would ask that they create a presentation on the three branches of American government.  Since they will be taking a field trip to the state's capital, I would ask them to incorporate a self-interview embedding video clips, organizational charts, word-bullets, etc. to show their experiences.
• For middle-level students, I would ask them to present 3 short presentations with different themes (three different styles of information perhaps with the intent to evoke sadness/empathy, humor, and excitement).  Students would need to persuade an audience by using PowerPoint's templates, animation, etc. in an effective way.  The teacher will ask students to reason their use of certain functions to show their thought process.

Flipsnack

Week 12

Three question to the NU Educators Panel Members:

• With flipped classrooms showing signs of promise for the future of education, do you see yourselves changing the classroom structure to accommodate that style of learning? 
• How can we update our educational system, especially as it is headed toward a more technologically based learning if the economic ability of families are declining? Does this move upward, in the technological field, add to the difficulties for families to provide the right type of learning environment at home? 
• With a few exceptions, why is there such a large gap in quality and equality of educators in a low-income district versus a high-income district? How might we better bring up a higher standard of education for those in a low-income area?

Reflection #12

Using Movie Maker for the first time, I've run into some issues.  Though problem solving is quite intuitive to my nature, I wonder why the creators neglected to incorporate more user-friendly options.  It seems that the basic functions are there; you can even edit the sound clips--with some effort though.  Why is it that when you add more pictures/sounds in front of previous work, it does not shift or insert the bulk of your work behind the new additions, but rather makes it overlap?  I don't understand why I have to go back into the program to manually shift all else to match with the gap made by the additional pieces.

I wonder how I would help students build these problem-solving skills when it comes to technology.  It seems that it requires for the user to have some experience--though not with that issue.  Users would also have to have some practical sense.  I have a friend who would not be able to work out issues so easily.  How would I help students persevere through frustrating technical issues?

Week 11

Edudemic

With examples and stories from his own experiences, Matheson presents the necessities that technology must follow to be integrated well into a classroom. We have touched upon this topic before, but it never fails to serve as a reminder how easily it is to lose focus on the art of teaching.

What is particularly wonderful about this education site is that it opens up this community of teachers who have had different experiences. It is not by one particular person, but many other posts on this blog address the issues that have and will come up within our own experiences; we can look then to this site to provide another perspective into our own methodologies.

Comment Awaiting Moderation

My comment shares my own struggles to make learning the highest priority with technology. I find that technology should be like water; it is fluid and unseen under all that it carries.

Reflection #11

With more jobs and focuses in the field of technology, will we lose our ability to socialize well with our community?  Many companies have different methods of communicating now, without the need for face to face contact.  I worry that we are moving toward a society that will forget how to behave or socialize.

This trend has shown through oral and written grammar; grammar has increasingly adapted to oral traditions due to the lack of consistency in school standards (many high schools do not even require grammar to be taught).  It also has shown in handwriting.  Some schools have phased out cursive handwriting, when at one point, it was a necessity.

Are we losing our foundations?

Reflection #10

Sketching with Electronics

As you may have gathered from previous posts, I really enjoy TED talks.  After browsing many videos for the older audience in the past, I had noticed TEDYouth, talks targeting a younger audience.  This particular video (I have linked it above) highlights the innovation of the speaker.  She bridges the gap between the complexity of technology with art so to give a more concrete understanding to engineer basic circuits.  This would be such a wonderful way to interest students who are creative but lacking in the mathematical and scientific processes.

Reflection #9

abc's tv show

I came across this and thought it was a bit ridiculous.  This show basically has parents betting on what their child will choose to do.  The justification is that this money goes into the child's college tuition fund.  I just find that it errs a bit on the side of exploitation.  Although the child is simply playing, the fact that it is televised and a form of gambling makes it seem rather sketchy.  Rather like running a test to see if a mouse can navigate properly through a maze to find the door with the cheese.  Do you think this borderlines the inappropriateness of media and entertainment?

Technology Project Plan

This is a podcast of my technology project plan. I will have students create a public service announcement of sorts or a video showing the rules of the classroom using stop motion technology.

Annette's Technology Project Plan >>

Reflection #8

I saw this posting of a project on someone's Facebook feed and thought this was so visually effective.  What more could happen if projects were shared on blogs or the 'cybersphere'. Could science fairs become technologically accessible?   What a great way to showcase health issues than with a simple picture or nowadays there are memes that address so many issues.

Is this torrent of information desensitizing us to the messages that they present?  There are times where I will come across something and find something interesting, then I would move on to the next story.  With information being less readily available in the past, people seemed more starved for news--messengers would be revered, the limited resources would force others to spend time on the quality of their publications. Now it takes only a moment to give millions of people access to your information and whereabouts.

Week 10

Bloom's Taxonomy, this link may not work as I retrieved it from NU's site. 

TechLearningBloomRevision is another one that I pulled up.

Bloom's taxonomy refers to the order of thinking starting with the basic knowledge then building into comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and ending in evaluation. As technology has moved greatly in the past decade, we can see how it has also surfaced in education in the same linear movement as Bloom's taxonomy. While technology had previously been used to introduce information, it has certainly reached the peak of helping students and users, evaluate themselves in that arena (in both a positive and negative manner)

Technology has first introduced our ability to access information. This information made it possible for us to understand the definitions of things (through the world wide web). This made it possible for users to use that information as solid points of research. Information has then moved to the interactive piece, where others were able to offer their perspective and knowledge. Along with this, we saw a greater rise of online journals and blogs where people attested to being knowledgeable about specific topics. With the rise of technology and user ability, we found that information could be falsified, inciting the need to first analyze then synthesize the information. Finally we know that many people have created their own identities in technology. This has allowed others to not only evaluate information but themselves in the context of technological abilities.

Krathwohl, David R. "A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy: An Overview." Theory Into Practice 41.4 (2002):212.  Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection. Web. 23 Mar. 2013

Reflection #7

Prom Invites

Hmm.  This may not be related to education but could lead into a discussion about the rising creativity of students.  If students are creative in ways that do not harness technology, think of how greatly this could be expanded with the use of technology.  It seems that there is such a big increase in videos being uploaded on youtube with parodies or small comedy sketches by younger children.

Musical Sessions by Kids:
Lennon and Maisy (cups)
Lennon and Maisy (I Won't Give Up)

Lego Clip not by a kid:
Stop Motion

I came across videos made with a stop motion program (ikitmovie).  It would be interesting to set up, in the higher levels of elementary ed or middle school, a video recording station where students could create video scenes of what they have learned.  Perhaps students could create a stop-and-go lego production of a historical event.  I remember there was an A/V Club in our school, but they still worked with very bulky cameras then.  With video devices being cheaper, more portable, and easier to access, students could express their creativity in so many ways.

Week 9

Caught on Video

First question: What are the parameters of security/privacy for recording in a classroom?  Would a waiver have to be signed even for recordings to be made of the student while presenting in a classroom even if the video is only streamed to their parents or classmates?  It seems that there would be many privacy waivers at the beginning of the year and precautions to take.

I love the idea of presenting clips from the classroom of student work.  It seems that it would give more focus on how the student actually is performing versus a recap from the perspective of a teacher. When Professor Adair showed videos of student projects, I was surprised by the quality and detail that went into their work.  Integrating recordings into the basic outline of the class would bring a stronger sense of ownership for students.  I wonder though how certain students would feel if they needed accommodations in case they have a social anxiety.  It seems that students could either feel more comfortable having to only speak to a video or having the ability to control the environment for videos.  That would make me question though again the parameters for which we could record students.

Comments

Comment to Yuliya's Reflection 4
Comment for Erin's Week 8
Comment for Ilona's Reflection 3
Comment to Jeff's Week 5
Comment to Heather's Week 7
Comment to Nicole's Week 4

Reflection #6

School in a Cloud
Sugata poses a question of how the school structure is not broken but that it is made for a different time.  He had noticed that wealthy parents called their children special as they were able to maneuver their way through computer programs.  Next door, there were children who could not afford a computer.  Sugata  gave the poor children computer with no instruction (hole in the wall: computer inside) Months later, they became proficient in using it and learned English as the computer's information was in English.

"Punishment and tests are seen as threats...brains shut down...and we say perform!"  Speaks about education needing to go from threats to pleasure. "Learning is a product of educational self-organization...The teacher sets the process in motion and stands back in awe."

SOLE (self organized learning environment) : broadband + collaboration + encouragement/admiration.
Curriculum of big questions.

This was an interesting TED talk as Sugata desires for the educational system to re-evaluate for what purpose it was built.  With his studies, he had found children to do well on their own in exploring different ideas and subjects.  Although he is a bit of an idealist, his ideas border those of the ones in the AVID program.  The main question in both AVID and Sugata's vision is the idea that we need a curriculum of big questions.  In this way, teachers are given less responsibility to produce students who know; students become responsible for their own learning (with one prompt/question from the teacher) and excel.  My question is whether Sugata is being unrealistic about his vision and if education moves toward this direction, if the job of teaching would become obsolete just as he poses "knowing is obsolete."

Week 8

Before Class: Find a website that uses games to teach about reading or writing. Add a link to the site on your blog. Write a post describing the site and how you might use it in your classroom situation.

Harrington's Pinterest

Surprisingly I came across a pinterest that had different ideas for reading/writing games.  It seems that more teachers are using pinterest to express ideas for classrooms.  This is a great forum to share ideas and effective methods of teaching.  In Ms. Harrington's pinterest alone, I have found many activities well-worth trying and adapting for a classroom.  I imagine there are many other activities or classroom ideas on pinterest to explore.  Here are a couple that I found to be such great ideas:

Donut Words (Students have a donut with a blank spot/the hole as a missing vowel.  Students move the donut to incorporate the vowel on a page and sound out the word)
Digital Picture Frame (Students cycle through sight words that display through a slideshow)

Also as a child, I recall playing Word Munchers that helped me.  I know that games are an effective way to draw the child into the material.  My only concern would be that it builds children into only associating learning with games so there would have to be a good balance within the classroom.

Week 7

Mr.Avery's Blog

Mr. Avery's blog was very engaging and incorporated videos, facts, memes, visuals, etc.  I appreciated that his blog was very dynamic.  Having a blog that incorporates many mediums engages students who might be reading this blog.  Also for him to include a how to leave a comment video on the right suggests this openness to communicate.  This encouragement of conversation helps this blog to be interactive.  In one of his posts, he also tracked other classrooms of which he had formed professional relationships with the teachers. Together, they tackled a project that was hosted by a third party, but this meant a collaboration with teachers from all parts of the world.  It was a sharing of currency that related to this math class while exploring how each currency is used in different cultures.  This project seemed so well thought to incorporate these two topics with a world aspect so that students could grow from their interactions. Mr. Avery also placed reflective questions after each blog to challenge the reader.  Overall, his blog models one that I would like to have of my own.

Reflection #5

I found this absolutely amazing site by chance.

National Gallery of Art

This site provides parents and educators different ways to "play" with art with technology.  The fun textures and different mediums just instantly captured my interest.  Any site that introduces a way to explore art deserves recognition.  There are programs that even use found items as a collage on the page, making it seem 3D or realistic.  There are different styles of art that can be created with their programs, guided by the styles in art (ie. folk art, collage realistic, abstract, 3D models, etc.).  This site also gives other resources so that the educator or parent may have cd-roms of info/programs, magazine articles, guides to projects, and notable events or exhibits.  Having the realistic aspects of art heightened by technology will not only foster interest from students but integrate learning into play.

Animoto Video

Week 6

Generation IM

It was helpful to have the tips of integrating the technology into the classroom.  The article addressed "A Universe of Potential" which describes the virtual world as a rich learning environment that isn't as high stakes as real world school. (Sheehy)  I had never thought of the virtual world as an environment.  With this thought, it only means an ability to create opportunities of growth only limited by imagination.  Can we truly put children on a level playing field equal to their peers?  We have been talking so much about socio-economics and the effect it has on educational growth.   Does technology transcend the trouble of socio-economic problems and break the inequality of privileges?
______
Applying some of the tips that were given in leading classrooms with specific activities, students can produce a lab on another level.  With a general theme, students can collaborate online or create their own experiment.  Then having students share their findings in a blog, within a forum or social network, podcasts, update wikis, etc., they would be able to match their data or analyze information from other experiments quickly and efficiently.  Students could also post graphs and charts so other students can track their progress.  Perhaps students can even add another factor by having a poll that would affect the choices made in the experiment.

Reflection #4

I had been seeing the growing amount of cases of toddlers interacting with technology.  It seems that parents are allowing their children access to their phones for games or movies especially during long car rides.  When I babysat, I had left my phone on the counter and a 4 year old was asking whether or not it was an iphone.
Children + Magazines
It is a bit sad that there were some children poking and prodding at magazines as if they were ipads.  I wonder if there will be new books based off of parenting with technology.  It seems that with our world going in this direction, our whole society will have to have a new list of rules and social etiquette that will dictate how much is too much technology, how to behave with all these new technologies, etc.

Reflection #3

Khan Academy

Salman Khan speaks of how he uses youtube videos to teach his cousins (and others now).

Education is accessible for anyone who has access to a computer.  Khan mentioned that teachers are able to use his lecture videos at home for homework, then doing the actual homework in class.  This he brings up as a way to humanize the classroom.  This would only work of course if the students are invested in their own education, for parents to be invested, and if they have access to a computer for these lectures.  In a way, it might be beneficial so that teachers would not spend as much time lecturing, but at the same time, teachers are not only lecturing in the class.  Students may not learn through the video at all and the pace of the classroom would be different as it takes their commitment.  I'm a bit skeptical about this experience but think it has potential to be helpful.  Why not build centers so that underprivileged children can access these lectures?

Khan goes deeper to show the data that is gathered from the student.  It allows teacher to see when a student has paused a video, how long they spent on a concept, etc.  It seems that either way, it produces more for teachers to evaluate so that they can better plan the classroom activities. This will also bring up the amount of time teachers have to interact with children in the day.

Week 5

Source

Promethean has teamed up to even address Common Core [learning] Standards for the board.  Only having the experience of SmartBoard, I thought that only lessons were uploaded from other teachers and meant to use only as a guideline.  Having the ability to use lessons that are built around a Common Core Standard, it means that teachers will spend less time needing to build up a full lesson from scratch.  It would allow teachers a reliable source while building from a foundation of learning versus from finding potentially poor sources (as on the SmartBoard with spelling errors).

youtube source
Multi-touch: Students can actually interact at the same time on the board.  With the SmartBoard, when someone touches another point on the board while one point is already accessed, a long line is drawn between the two.  It seems that the Promethean also allows students to write upon pictures and items, while the SmartBoard seems to only allow writing on another layer over something is shown on the main screen.  This means that when you interact with the board, the text does not translate back to the original item, but rather it stays on screen while rotating/sliding the original text.  Promethean somehow also ignores unintentional touches and other functions that would work well with a classroom.  So far, it seems that this has a greater ability in the classroom because of its consideration for the user.

My question is around the idea that with technology, it grows very quickly and already we are a bit outdated with the SmartBoard's functions.  How can we know what programs or technology to use, when it seems that with limited resources, we might be potentially spending our budget on something that could be obsolete in even less than a year.

Reflection #2

I just realized how much of an issue it is that the older generation have an even harder time with technology than we do.  When my family members ask about technology, since I'm the most "techie" person, I'm the one who they turn to in order to email, figure out online billing, etc.  I just realized that in my church (Seattle Chinese Alliance Church), we are gravitating to this larger production style of service.  I have decided to pursue an endeavor to bring the older generation to a newer ability to grasp knowledge.  Technology in a classroom is not only about the teacher trying to be updated to work toward the newer generation, but it is also bridging the gap for those in the past.  I sent out an email to some friends in the tech field to see if they would lead small live sessions or maybe even videos of how to's.  This way, our parents, grandparents, etc. can learn technology in a friendly way.  We'll see how it goes!

Assignment 1: Interactive White Board Lesson

Create a post called “Assignment 2” before the class presentation and include the following: (25 pts)
	Link to the activity that you will use in your presentations.
	List of SMART Board features you will use during your presentation.
	List the specific NETS standards for Students & Teachers this activity covers (at least one for each) and discuss how this activity meets the standards.
	Discuss how an interactive white board could improve student learning in your future classroom.

Original Activity: Fact or Opinion (Originally created by Elizabeth Oliver)

Features Used: 

• Pen/Smart Ink
• Eraser
• Embedded Link/Outsourced to music video
• Interactive Game/Multiple Choice Test

NETS:

• Teacher Focus: 
• 1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning: Promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes and creativity.
• 3. Model Digital Age Work and Learning: Communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital age media and formats
• Rationale:  The presentation includes different ways of demonstrating the information about facts and opinions in order to better help students understand the concept of each.   Students will have an opportunity to share their thoughts with a classmate.
• Student Focus: 
• 2. Communication and Collaboration: Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.
• 4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making: Collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions
• Rationale:  Students will learn of the difference between fact and opinion.  They will be able to define these two concepts and apply it to a few methods of assessment.  Students will approach the board to share with their classmates their thoughts.

Application for Student Learning:  Although there are some shortcomings with this particular board's software, having an interactive board would allow students to reinforce the material through different mediums.  While using a link to a music video, the teacher can engage students even through the sense of sound.  Without setting it as a lecture style presentation, students are more able to tune in because of the different involvement.  It becomes a group style of learning (rather than one direction: teacher to student).

Week 4

The SMART Board is not just a presentation tool but can be integrated into the classroom for students to even use for the benefit of their learning.  Students, if taught correctly, can appropriately interact with the board even outside of classroom lectures.  When I first knew of the SMART Board, I thought it would only be more beneficial to students from middle school to high school.  I still am having struggles with differentiating between the lessons taught on the SMART Board and activities/games that utilize the SMART Board.  I do not believe I see much of a distinction because of my mindset of technology.  I wish we also had the small tablets (just the writing feature/image capture aspect) where those could be integrated with the SMART Board alongside "clickers."  As a side note, I appreciated that Professor Adair recommended having also a concrete activity for the other students at the desks.  Our goal as educators are to help engage all students and not just the one.  There are just so many levels of this, I fear I may drop the ball at some point.  This is the aspect of multitasking that educators must face.

Week 3

Marc Prensky's article

Prensky's article does a wonderful job in challenging and defining the way technology interacts with our current population.  Looking at it from the perspective of citizenship versus a generational gap, changes the view that it is not simply a misunderstanding of times; rather, technology is a completely different culture and land that shapes our biological makeup.  I can only think of countless stories where I heard the outdated line of "Those teenage punks!" or "Those young hoodlums!" and have applied that thought to a generational gap.  This goes beyond that however.  This new definition of technological citizenship allows us to see our place in technological world.  Not leaving the people behind, but adapting it so that they can also function in an increasingly digitally advanced world.  This article does discuss the need for educators to adapt new techniques for the digitally native, but also gives a place for those who are immigrants.  It goes beyond taste and preferences.  It is a different world.

Reflection #1

I really appreciate the schedule that I have for this semester.  Not only am I taking a course on Technology in Education, but I am also enrolled in Foundations in Multicultural Education.  Having both of these courses at the same moment challenges the notion some may have, that technology is not cultural.  This is not the case.

After having attended a few classes of both, I realize how deeply cultural technology has become.  This brings a challenge of "How do I fit into this?"  I am a product of growing up without many of the technologies that are now available.  I did not even have a cell phone until I graduated from high school (a tiny flip phone mind you) but did have a game boy, super nintendo, tamagochi, only one computer that was available in our living room with dial-up, and in middle school-a teacher who would physically slap a printer for not printing on those sheets that were connected on a roll.  I am an inbetweener.  My cultural identity in technology is exactly the point of transition between those who do not understand for what subject lines in an email are used, to those who have to swipe their fingers across every surface, in the thought that everything is touch screen.

I appreciate the challenge of knowing where my identity lies, but fear that I will be lost among those who cannot adapt to the change.  I value those concrete skills of handwriting, creating music from something other than a soundboard or computer, and reading hard copies of books.  It is not unwillingness but trying to also prevent our future from not understanding how these things factor into their ability to use a computer.  I think my greatest fear is that the future generation will use things with technology but not know how to even create something without that aid.

A Nets Focus

My focuses will be on...


the fourth NET for students which highlights critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making.

This entails

• students to use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.

and the first NET for teachers which highlights facilitating and inspiring student learning and creativity.

This entails

• teachers to use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments.

Week 2

Sir Ken Robinson stirs up such hope for a new direction to which education should be taken.  It is an educator's call to arms for movement outward and not necessarily forward. When we look forward, our goals still match the road that we have been treading on.  Although he does not speak in specifics, so many different manners of which this idea could apply came like a flood.  A current example of how technology is helping change the look of education is in clicker classes.  I just love the idea of giving students the ability to respond in different ways other than just raising hands and answering questions.  Although I know that both have exceptions, merits, and flaws; it makes for a case that we should be pursuing more creative ways to draw in technology in a classroom.

I wonder if we could develop this idea further to have children with tablets to submit classwork while learning a concept.  (Traditionally: calling a student to the whiteboard/chalkboard to do math problems.)  Students could try their attempt in solving problems and on the board, it would anonymously display the full work of all the students on the smart board.  Teachers would be the ones to help correct without shaming the student by explaining why it may not work correctly--I'm thinking specifically Algebra in this case.

Week 1

I am not one of those people who had grown up knowing exactly what I wanted to do with my life.  It is strange how things just fall into place; hindsight leads me to know that God directed the moment where that changed.  I had gone to Kirkland to meet with a friend for coffee and stopped by the pre-school in which she had just started working.  The director of the school came over and gave me a tour of the school, and before I knew it, I was employed there that following Monday. After a few weeks, I just felt a joy that I had never experienced before and knew that teaching was the only job for me.

I think when technology is used well in a classroom, it can not only add to the effectiveness and efficiency of the  process but also change the dimensions of learning.  I find that my strength is in thinking outside of the normal ways of presenting material, so I am looking forward to enriching the imagination, development, and expression of education for children.  My only fear of technology is that it may just widen the gap of knowledge and opportunity even more between the socio-economic groups.  We might be looking at the provision for areas of low-income, but there are others in between (just above the low income threshold) who might not have the opportunity to have new technology.

Spring 2013 Fellow Bloggers

Class Blogs:

Erin

Heather

Ilona

Nicole

Jeff

Yuliya

Professor Adair