Technology Lesson Plan

I was part of a team of four people that cooperatively created a Learning Plan remotely, without meeting in person to work on the project. The lesson we designed was for a 3rd grade Spanish vocabulary lesson. This is a quote from our plan about the purpose of our lesson:

"We want the students to leave with a better understanding of vocabulary in Spanish.  Working together as a group, the students will get a better understanding of the vocabulary through various games and other applications.  Through the use of these new technologies, they will get a better hands-on feel of the vocabulary and doing it in a fun way!  The students are going to be working on different vocabulary areas such as colors, animals, and other objects they may need to know in the future.  This is a fun introduction to the beautiful Spanish language."

This was the same group that we used to create our Public Service Announcement as well as our Professional Learning Community. Therefore, we already had a great team dynamic. We even nicknamed ourselves the "dream team." This made the task much easier to complete. We evenly split up the work for designing the Learning Plan so that no one person would be stuck with all of the work. We each did a fair portion of the work, so while we each contributed, it did not seem like it took a lot of effort. I personally was able to complete my part of the task fairly quickly.

Our Learning Plan was great practice for designing lesson plans in the future. It also was great practice for working on a team without meeting in person. These are both practical skills for any educator to have, so having this as a project makes a lot of sense. I really enjoyed designing this lesson with my "dream team" and look forward to making more technology-infused lesson plans in the future.

Rethinking Education: Chapter 6 *Book Project*

The title of Chapter 6 is "The Three Eras of Education."

The three eras reflected upon are apprenticeship, universal-schooling, and lifelong-learning, the latter of which we are entering now.  When we moved from apprenticeship to universal-schooling, a lot of changes were made in several different areas.  Examples of areas where change was made include expectations, content, pedagogy, and location.  These areas and more are changing now as we move to lifelong-learning.


Quotes from Chapter 6:

"Before the Industrial Revolution, parents wanted their children to follow in their footsteps.  And so the education they expected for their children was the same education they had acquired." pg. 93

I am so glad that this is not the case.  I truly believe that the majority of parents don't want their children to follow in their footsteps, but to instead get an even better education than the one that they themselves have received.  This is at least the case with my parents.  Neither of my parents graduated from college. My father works in a factory and my mother is a waitress.  While my parents lead fulfilling lives and have a lot to show for all of the hard work that they do, they have always wanted better for me and my little brother.  I am going to be the first in my household to graduate from college, and my parents couldn't be happier for me.

"With the knowledge explosion, it is becoming impossible for schools to teach people all the knowledge they might need as adults. Extending schooling for more and more years to accommodate the explosion of new knowledge and the growing demands for education is not a viable strategy   So learning how to learn and learning how to find useful resources are becoming the most important goals of education." pg. 95
It used to be that a four-year education at a college was the norm.  Now students have to push hard to get through in four years, with the norm being four-and-a-half to five years for many majors.  I personally will have to be at UWSP for five years total to complete my major, which is why I related to this quote.  I also remember in high school how much information there was for me to learn, and how much I could have learned beyond what was able to be taught to me during the short 50 minute class periods.  I completely agree that the best skill to teach a child is to find useful resources so that they can teach themselves because there is no way to teach children everything during the 8 hour school day.

"The pedagogy of schooling has evolved a long way from the early years, when, as Larry Cuban describes, students were expected to recite in order the names of all the bays along the east coast of America. But it is still a mass-production pedagogy, where many students fail to learn what is taught." pg. 97

When I read the quote, I imagined Ms. Trunchbull from the book Matilda slamming a ruler on a desk and calling out a student to stand up and ramble off some relatively useless information. It seems ridiculous to me that there was a time when rote memorization was thought to be the best way to teach students.  If anyone told me to memorize the bays on the east coast of America today, I would laugh in their faces. There are so many more useful things that I could spend my time learning, my favorite being how we learn.  From my studies, I have learned that memorizing information isn't always the best way to learn.  Most importantly, it's not fun.  We need to be able to engage students so that they are having fun while they learn.  We have so much technology and methods to engage students that rote memorization seems like a very barbaric way to teach.  We have certainly come a long way as a culture.

Rethinking Education: Chapter 5 *Book Project*

The title of Chapter 5 is "The Seeds of a New System of Education".  The text has made it very clear that our current education system has to change and has been changing for quite some time.  The question still remains, however, of what exactly the new system will look like.  Chapter 5 addresses this question by looking at new developments in education that may be possibilities for the new face of education.  The chapter addresses home schooling, workplace learning, distance education, adult education, learning centers, educational television and videos, computer-based learning software, technical certifications, internet cafes, and lifelong learning.

Quotes from Chapter 5
"Homeschooling has been successful at improving student learning.  Children who are school at home score significantly better on standardized tests in every subject area."

I thought this was interesting because it goes against what I had thought about kids that are home-schooled   I know that there are families out there that do homeschooling very well.  However, I know more families that don't teacher their children up to par with traditional schools.  I know one family that several of the children do not have their GED certifications, even as they enter their mid-20's and early-30's.  This quote suggests that they are more of the exception than the rule.  This is a relief to me because homeschooling is an option that is growing in popularity.  I take comfort in the idea that more homeschooled children are being educated at a higher level with technology.

"Perhaps it will turn out hat some of our most productive citizens are the older people, who use their retirement leisure time to keep learning." pg 79
The traditional thought in our society is that the younger generations are the ones that are most productive   It really is a revolutionary idea that our older citizens may be the productive ones.  I wish our society was already more like this.  I know the traditional feeling that after one works hard for their entire life that one should just sit back and enjoy retirement by playing golf, caring for grand-kids, and activities of the like.  My grandparents have this attitude for themselves. I hope for something more exciting in my own retirement someday.  I want to participate in book clubs, travel, and learn once I am no longer employed.  It sounds like a much more productive and exciting life than relaxing in a rocking chair.

"Some countries, such as China, have tried to restrict access to the web in order to prevent people from learning about things that the government does not approve of." pg 88
Ummm...what?!  This seems absolutely ridiculous to me.  Sometimes I forget how lucky I am to be an American citizen. We live in the land of the free, and this means that we also have free access to the vast pool of information on the web.  Some material is censored, of course, but as citizens of the U.S.A. we have the world at our fingertips. We should appreciate this a lot more.  

Rethinking Education: Chapter 4 *Book Project*

Chapter 4 of the text Rethinking Education in the Age of Technology is titled "The Development in American Schooling.

The argument of the chapter is that we know how education changes because education has changed so much in the past.  The central topic revolves around the idea that the Industrial Revolution led to universal schooling and how that impacted education. Now, the Knowledge Revolution is changing how we educate students.

I thought this chapter was very interesting.  Even as an educator, I've never looked to deeply into education's past.  I've realized that it's important to look back at how the education system has changed up to this point to understand how it can change in the future.  I also agree that education needs to change.  We've changed so much as a society that it would be silly to think that we wouldn't need to change how we educate ourselves.

Quotes from Chapter 4:

"As Walter Ong argues, old people were revered in oral cultures because they were the storehouses of memory, whereas written records came to replace this role of old people in literate cultures.  similarly, Ong argues that 'study' became possible only when there were written records.   Writing down ideas makes them easier to evaluate and challenge, and thus to be modified an refined over time."
When I sit and think about how education has changed over the years, I usually only think about what has occurred in my own short lifetime. This quote from the book is great because it forces one to think about education in the days before laptops, and even before those little one-room school houses.  We have always been teaching the youth of our respective cultures, even before the written word.  The idea that studying didn't exist until the written word is also an interesting idea to consider.  People from the oral culture passed down information through story-telling.  They listened, pondered, learned, and retold.  However, they didn't sit down and study until the written word existed. It's an interesting idea to wonder about.

"Frederick Carlton argued that there were only three possible ways to occupy children in the cities: 1) working in factories 2) getting into trouble in the streets, and 3) learning in schools.  Once child labor laws were enacted, the choice between education and crime became clear to urban leaders." pg. 54

It astounds me that there was once a choice for children to either work in factories or learn in schools.  I know that this is part of our history, but it still amazes me. I sometimes take for granted the age that I grew up in.  My life would be so radically different had I grown up before child labor laws were enforced.  I could have been stuck in a factory, or worse, confined to the home, had I lived in a different era.  I'd much rather be where I am today: a young woman enrolled in a public university.  I have lots of options for what I could do with my life.  Society has come a very long way since before the days of child labor laws, and I look forward to seeing our society grow and change in the future.

"The increasing diversity of the population has meant that it is often more difficult to use the same instructional strategies to teach students from different backgrounds." pg. 63

Demands on schools have changed radically over the course of the century.  One of the biggest changes was the increase in diversity.  With this diversity came achievement gaps that we, as educators  need to figure out how to close.  We can't just stand up on a podium and teach and expect all students to receive a fair education.  As educators, we need to be sensitive to the needs of all students of all backgrounds and ability levels. A student's education is individual to the student. and we should treat it as such.

Rethinking Education: Chapter 3 *Book Project*

As I discussed in my previous post, Chapter 3 discusses the argument of a technology skeptic.

A major point that the chapter made was the cost and access of new technology.  This is an issue that legitimately worries me about my future as an educator. I have no idea where I'll end up teaching.  My hometown school district has funding for new technologies, but other school districts might not.

I really disagree with the skeptics' vision of schooling. I don't believe that our school systems are locked into place. With new teachers graduating from college every year and entering the workforce, I believe that we can adapt to the changing world of technology. I also believe that the extra time that teachers put in organizing and implementing new technologies is so beneficial to the students that it is worth it several times over.

After reading an example of both perspectives, I agree that it may be difficult to implement new technologies and strategies into some classrooms. However, I feel that the effort would be well worth it.

Quotes from Chapter 3

"From a principal's publication in 1815: 'Students today depend on paper too much.  They don't know how to write on a slate without getting chalk dust all over themselves.  They can't clean a slate properly.  What will they do when the run out of paper?'" pg. 30

I think that it's a little bit hilarious that this quote is a thing that exists. However, it does invite some deeper thought beyond what is obviously funny.  Educators have always had to fight to have new technologies incorporated into the classroom.  Schools have been resistant to change long before modern technology was brought into the picture.  Schools have fought against paper and pens, which we now consider to be the staples of the traditional classroom  As paper, pens, and even basic computers have all won the fight to be incorporated into modern education, my hope is that the new technologies of the day will also win this fight.

"The existing instructional system adapts to the new curriculum in predicable ways. Teachers can regard the new curriculum as a foreign invasion into their regular teaching practices , and try to fit in in with those practices." pg. 34

This quote further proves my belief that far too many teachers use technology in the classroom in ways that are not useful to students at all.  This quote also brings back my example of my old high school teacher that only used his SMART Board for Youtube videos and Powerpoint Presentations.  A new form of technology invaded his classroom and he tried to adapt it to his regular teaching practices, rather than revamp teaching practices in order to incorporate new technologies. I realize that it is difficult to change teaching practices overnight, but we have had existing technologies for quite some time now, and as educators we should embrace the future of education rather than cling to the past.

"Even though the costs of computers and network connections have declined considerably in recent years  cost is still a serous barrier to those technologies becoming central to schooling." pg. 37

Despite being a huge advocate for technology in the classroom, cost and access still worries me.  I know that a lot of inner-city schools do not have access to different technologies. There are always grants and other ways to obtain funds, but even that might not be enough. It's easy for me to forget about these schools because I grew up in a school that had access to computer labs and other technologies.  We didn't have everything, but we did have enough that we could do a lot of technology-based learning. I have never taught in a school without lots of funding, but I would imagine it would be difficult.

Rethinking Education: Chapter 2 *Book Project*

The second chapter discussed the perspective of a technology enthusiast. I thought that it was really interesting how the chapter discussed that we are living in the 21st century and we still tend to teach children like we did in the 19th century.  We have to prepare out students so they can adapt to the work places of tomorrow.  My favorite part of the chapter discussed using interactive web games to get students engaged in what they are learning.  I used to love educational games when I was growing up.  This is something that I want to implement heavily in my own classroom.

I agree with several points in the enthusiasts perspective, especially when it comes to the use of games to engage students.  I also agree that sitting and memorizing lectures is what kills a student's curiosity and eagerness to learn.  I'm interested to read the skeptics view of technology in the next chapter.  I have a feeling I'll disagree with several points, but I'm sure it will be worth reading.

Quotes from Chapter 2:

"Enthusiasts argue that trying to prepare students for the 21st century with 19th century technology is like teaching people to fly a rocket ship by having them ride bicycles." pg 10

I picked this quote because my Educational Psychology professor describes education in a very similar way.  He frequently says that we try to teach students to ride a bike by reading about the bike, giving a presentation about the bike and sketching the bike. We should just let the students ride the bike.  I really enjoy the symbolism and believe it to ring true.  Students are going to graduate from school and be expected to use a vast array of technologies.  If we don't prepare them for this future, then we are not doing our job as educators.

The interactivity of new media technologies provides a number of capabilities to enhance education.  As is evident from the popularity of computer games, interactivity can be very engaging   In fact, this is why drill and practice games, such as typing tutors and Math Blaster, can entice children to learn content that they might otherwise consider "boring." pg 18-19

I owned and played Math Blaster with my brother when we were growing up.  The reason that I can look at the text and type the words without staring at the keyboard on my laptop is that I had typing games that I played in my middle school class that taught me while entertaining me. Using games to teach is a very great way for students to learn.  There are even games such as Assassin's Creed for the Xbox that are incredibly historically accurate.  Players can interact with places and people from different eras of history so they are learning while playing. While this game isn't a directly educational game, it still teaches.  If we can figure out the best ways to use games, we can keep students engaged and learning.

"Like progressive reformers throughout the 20th century, technology advocates do not like the aspects of traditional school, where students are supposed to sit still and listen to teachers talk, memorize the information given them by teachers and books, and regurgitate that information back on tests.  They think that this destroys most students' curiosity and desire to learn." pg 28

I completely agree with the above statement. Growing up, I saw too many of my classmates get bored with the traditional, boring classroom.  I truly believe that if my classmates had been more interested and engaged at school, more would have ended up going to college.  It's really quite sad to think about.  Students in this day and age are not wired to sit and listen to lecture for hours on end.  As educators, we need to engage our students and foster their creativity.  This is the best way to reach all students in the classroom.  If we don't reach all students in the classroom, we are not doing our job as educators.  This is why I am an advocate of teaching with technology.

Rethinking Education: Preface and Chapter 1 *Book Project*

We started reading a new book for our class titled Rethinking Education in the Age of Technology: The Digital Revolution and Schooling in America.  The preface does a good job giving us a teaser of the book's central arguments.  The first chapter discussed how education is changing.  The big point of the chapter is that people no longer need to visit physical locations such as schools and libraries to learn.  With the growing amount of technology we have at our disposal, we literally have the entire universe at our fingertips. However, as teachers we need to restructure the way we teach in order to incorporate the vast array of technology into our classrooms.

Quotes from Preface and Chapter 1:

"If educators cannot successfully integrate new technologies into what it means to be a school, then the long identification of schooling with education, developed over the past 150 years, will dissolve into a world where the students with the means and ability will pursue their learning outside of the public school." Preface pg xv

I found this quote thought-provoking. The quote is worded in a way that I actually had to read it twice to understand it.  I completely agree with what it is saying.  Our public schools are in desperate need of an update. People are already turning to online schools, and this trend may mean the end of the traditional public school.  This is a startling idea for an education major, which is why I chose this quote.  I think it's great that we have so much access to the vast pool of information that we have collected as a society, however I'm not ready to see the end of the public school system. Right now it seems that educating oneself with technology and public schooling are two separate entities.  We need to update our school system so they can be one and the same.

"Instead of accessing knowledge through visiting physical locations such as schools and libraries, people can find information on practically any topic and communicate with others wherever they are." Chapter 1 pg 4-5

I have always been a lover of books and the written word.  In the summers back home, I would spend hours in the local library reading every book I could get my hands on. I find it sad that libraries in the traditional sense aren't as necessary anymore. However, the accessibility of information today is incredible. I love being able to access a wealth of information from not only my laptop, but from the iPad and my cellphone as well.  I also remember the days long since past when people actually sent each other letters through the mail. As everything changes, now people can communicate via phone calls, emails, text messaging, and video calls through programs such as Skype.  It's amazing to think how far we have come as a society in terms of technology in the past two decades.

"Schools often provide computer labs, tech prep courses, and computer literacy and programming courses to help students learn about technology, but do not try to rethink basic practices of teaching and learning."

This idea has always amused and troubled me.  Schools do often spend thousands of dollars on computers and SMART Boards and other fancy new equipment, but teachers don't adapt the way they teach.  The worst case scenario is that a lot of teachers get these technologies but then never use them.  I remember in high school that one of my teachers got a SMART Board during my senior year. However, all he used it for was Youtube videos and to show Powerpoint presentations.  He might as well have been using a projector screen.  This seems to reflect the general attitude of teaching with technology in many parts of the United States right now.  We have technology, and we can show students how to use the technology, but not how to use technology to enhance learning.  I aspire to be part of the generation of teachers that changes this mentality.

Evaluating Online Games

We were asked to find three educational game sites for our content area and evaluate them. I chose to evaluate a classic game that I played as a child, along with two new sites that I found recently.


Oregon Trail : http://www.virtualapple.org/oregontraildisk.html

1. Who created the web site: 
Oregon Trail was created by Don Rawitsch, Bill Heinemann, and Paul Dillenberger in 1971. The game was produced by MECC (Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium) in 1974.
2. Why was the gaming site created? While this is a very entertaining game, it has a lot of educational value. The game was created to teach school-aged children about the realities of life on the Oregon Trail.
3. User Friendly? The graphics in the original version that I have linked to above were engaging for the time that the game was created.  Now the graphics are severely outdated.  However, there are apps and other updated versions of the game with updated, engaging graphics.  The game is very simplistic and easy to play. 

4. Fun Factor?
I remember playing a version of this game when I was in elementary school. It is fun enough to span the generations. Children can learn the educational concept without being bored.

5. Wisconsin, Common Core State Standards, and/or WMELS: Make a list of two or three standards the games meet. Choose two from your discipline and one outside your discipline. If you are Early Childhood and/or Elementary, list Language and Literacy and one other core content area.

I actually had a lot of trouble coming up with standards for this game.  I had always believed that it was very educational, but it doesn't seem to meet state standards.

6. Ease in Finding an Educational Game Site: 
The site was not difficult to find. I just had to download a new plug-in in order to play the game.

7. Bilingual: 
The original version did not have an ELL component, however, the updated versions do.

8. DI: Could this game be used to differentiate instruction?
This would not be a good site to differentiate instruction. This game doesn't really have a lot of adjustment options for difficulty level. Since this game is heavily strategy-based and not so much content knowledge-based, the game is not set up to differentiate.


FunBrain: www.funbrain.com

1. Who: The site was founded in May 1992 by Pearson Education, specifically by the division known as the Family Education Network.  

2. Why was the gaming site created?
This is another site that is educational in nature but is incredibly entertaining. The site was designed to foster skills in math and reading.

3. User Friendly: 
The site is very easy to navigate.

4. Fun Factor: I thought the games were quite fun. I specifically enjoyed the math arcade. It is a collection of 25 mini-games that are all math related.

5. Wisconsin, Common Core State Standards, and/or WMELS: 
Number and Operations in Base 10

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

6. Ease in Finding an Educational Game Site: This was a very easy site to find.  It is the top search result for "funbrain" and it has a very basic url that is easy for children to remember and type.

7. Bilingual:
This site is available in English only, which is it's main major drawback.

8. DI: Could this game be used to differentiate instruction?
This site is a great way to differentiate instruction. The grade level/difficult level of the game is easily adjusted. This way the students can all play the same game, regardless of ability level.

ABCya: abcya.com

1. Who created the web site: ABCya.com, LLC

2. Why was the gaming site created? This site was created purely for educational purposes, but the games on the site are fun and engaging.

3. User Friendly ABCya is a very user friendly site that is easy to navigate.  The graphics are colorful, bright, and engaging to young students, as well as adults.

4. Fun Factor : I found the games fun and engaging.  The nice part about the site is that there are a wide range of different mini games to play.  I played around in the 4th grade level and found several games that I found interesting.

5. Wisconsin, Common Core State Standards, and/or WMELS: 
Phonics and Word Recognition
Measurement and Data

6. Ease in Finding an Educational Game Site: 
When typing "educational games for kids" into a google search, this site will be one of the first in the search results. It is very easy to find with a clear, concise url.

7. Bilingual: While the site teaches Spanish vocabulary to English speakers, it does not have ELL capabilities.

8. DI: Could this game be used to differentiate instruction? This site could be used to differentiate instruction. It is quite easy to adjust difficulty/grade level in the games so that each student can play regardless of ability level.

Using Data to Drive Instruction

In class, we took a quiz and collected data on the results.  This is a really good way to drive instruction.  For example, by using data collection we can see if the majority of students are getting a question right or wrong.  If there is a question on a quiz that only 30% of the student answered correctly, we know what we have to reteach.

I personally will use data to drive my instruction.  I believe that it's important to give lots of short, simple quizzes to students to constantly assess comprehension.  I would use the results to see which concepts need to be retaught and which concepts the students already understand.  This is crucial at all grade levels, but especially so at the elementary level.

Wallwisher

We did an activity in class where we discussed a chapter of the text using a website called Wallwisher.  The site allows for a person to create a board and for people to create "sticky notes" to attach to the board.

This site has a lot of strengths.  I like the ease of access and the simple nature of the site.  The best part is the moderator approval.  The owner of the board can choose to have all posts approved before being accessible to the general public.  As a teacher, this would be very useful because this would prevent bullying via the notes on Wallwisher.   In terms of weaknesses, my group actually had a couple of technology glitches with Wallwisher.  We aren't sure whether it was the web browser or some plug-ins not being up to date, but Phyllis and I did not have the same capabilities for moving and editing the notes as Jason and Jenny. Also, it is impossible to "comment" on another person's note.  This could make the site confusing if somebody wanted to respond to something someone else had written.

In a K-12 setting, this could be a great organizational tool that would be much easier to read than sending a chain of emails.  This could be useful for setting up group projects or any collaboration of the sort.  Also, it can be a great way for students to give feedback on a unit or a book.  I think in an elementary school classroom I would use it as a place for students to put up a favorite quote from a book or ideas for a class project.

WTI: Wisconsin Technology Initiative

On Saturday November 10th, DC Everest hosted a teaching conference called the Wisconsin Technology Initiative Academic Forum.  I went with my friend Christina Lang, and we spent the day learning about different technologies to incorporate in our classrooms.

The first session that we attended was about the site Edmodo.  Edmodo is like the Facebook of education.  It's a great way to share information and connect with students.  Unlike Facebook, we control who can be a part of our groups and students cannot have private conversations via Edmodo.  Everything that a student posts, we can see.  The second session and third sessions were about podcasting, vlogging, and flipping the classroom.  These were things that we have discussed in class. We had a lot of good discussion about creating content and having students learn at home and practice at school instead of the other way around. The final session was a workshop in iPad apps.  I had a lot of fun working with my peers discovering new apps to use for education.  It was especially helpful because I was working with people who educate grades 3-5, which are the grades that I'd ideally teach.

Overall, the conference was a great experience.  It was a nice, informal way to introduce me to teacher conferences, which was great since this was my very first one. I had a great time and can't wait to go to my next one.

Creating a Professional Learning Community

Recently, three of my friends and I created a Personal Learning Community to look at how ereaders and tablets can be used in the classroom to better foster learning. The site can be found here. 

I think that we all contributed pretty equally on the PLC.  The only extra little thing that I did was create a Google Doc so that we could get our thoughts organized in advance. 

There is a great value in comopleting a task such as this.  One important part was learning how to use Google Sites.  Another important aspect of working together on the PLC was just that, collaborating with peers.  Finally, this task required us to research an issue related to educational technology and explore the answers.  

Completing the PLC page will help me because through this assignment I found a lot of really good apps for foriegn language education.  Also, I realized how easy it is to create, edit, and maintain a google site.   I hope to use a site such as this one when I am a teacher.  

Another Podcast Reaction

I had a good time working with my group to prepare a podcast about Chapters  2-3 in the Rethinking Education text. What we did was set up a Google Doc a week in advance and we edited it and created questions through out the week. As the facilitator, I took everybody's input and selected a few questions that we would discuss in detail during the podcast.  Some topics that we discussed were barriers for the use of technology in schools, our overall philosophy of technology in education, and specific programs and equipment that we would like to implement in our future classrooms.

We actually attempted to do the entire podcast in one straight shot to avoid editing, but we ended up needing to make a few small edits. When it came to editing the podcast, the first thoughts that went through my head were, "I HATE AUDACITY WITH A PASSION! KILL IT WITH FIRE!!!"  We had issues cutting parts out of the podcast and it took a lot of trouble-shooting to actually get the lead-in and lead-out music into the podcast. I'm not sure why, but I have this problem every time I work with the Audacity program.

I actually like the idea of using podcasts with my younger students. I believe that it is a great way for students to show off what they've learned in a creative, interactive way.  I would use it to allow students to report on what they've learned in a given unit, and I think it would be especially useful for foreign language learning. However, I very much dislike the editing process.  Hopefully there will be a program that I can agree with once I actually get out into the field.  I know that Garage Band is a pretty good program, but it is only available for Mac users.  New programs and technologies are coming out every single day.  I await the next revolutionary podcast program.

Self-Grading tests

Recently in class we worked with self-grading online quizzes.

I think that the time taken to set up a self-grading test would be well worth the outcomes.  Online quizzes have a lot of different features that show which questions students got wrong which can give the teacher immediate feedback in what they need to teach differently.  I also like how self-grading quizzes can give immediate feedback to the student.  This way, I could design a test where a student needs to get a 100% to pass it, but the student would receive immediate feedback about which questions they got wrong.  This way, the student could go look up the answers in the book, proving they've at least looked at the material, and then take the test again.

Online quizzes are great ways to teach young adults and have numerous benefits.  It would be a little bit more difficult for me, however, to use online self-grading tests in my classroom because I intend on teaching in elementary schools.  However, if I can get all of the students a device on which to take a quiz, I think it would be a fun way to switch up how students take tests. As teachers, we need to pander to students love of technology and desire for variety in instruction.  Using online quizzes are a great way to benefit the student in this way.

Credible Sites?

For my class, we were instructed to go to several different sites on the web and evaluate them for credibility.

Save the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus
One of the first tip-offs that this site is not credible is the lack of author information.  The site lists no names for the authors and only lists an obscure organization.  Also, the host of the site is not an educational site.  This site was created in 1998 and hasn't been updated since 2005. 

The site is very deceiving because there are several links within the site that will take the user to find more information, and it is very user-friendly.  However, many of these links will take the user to sites within the same host which decreases it's credibility.

If the reader did not already know, upon research of the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus, we find out that this site was a hoax created to test Internet literacy. It was a very successful hoax, because the majority of the students in the experiment believed the content on the site.



Martin Luther King Jr. - A True Historical Examination

This site was much easier to deem not-credible than the first.  The site had rap-lyrics on it's front page, which does not lend to credibility.  Also, when clicking around the site for further information about the authors, it can be found that the site is hosted by a white-pride group.  The site references articles in newspapers, but doesn't give any links or show the actual newspaper article. There is nothing on this site to give any indication that it would be a credible source of information.


All About Explorers

Again, this site appeared credible at first.  However, upon closer examination it can be quickly ascertained that this site is another hoax.  First, the content of the site is clearly not historically accurate.  The site claims that Christopher Columbus used telephones and that Magellan named the Pacific Ocean after his daughter and was shot by an AK-47. 

When looking at the link for the authors of the site, it can be found that the entire site was created by teachers to teach internet literacy.

Dihydrogen Monoxide Research DivisionThe first major tip-off that this site is not credible is that Dihydrogen Monoxide is a fancy way of saying "water."  Also, the site is hosted by a blogging site, not an actual educational site. While it does provide links to accredited conservation sites, the linked sites are water conservation sites, which do not support the "claims" made by the site. 

Overall, this was a very engaging assignment.  I had a good time looking though these funny sites and assessing their credibility. 

Creating a Public Service Announcement

Three of my classmates and I created a Public Service Announcement on Digital Citizenship called Enter if You Dare.  After reviewing the Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship, we decided to focus on Digital Security. 

Our group spent a considerable amount planning out our PSA.  One of my personal strengths is organization and coordinating, so I set up a Google Doc where we could work on our ideas, write our storyboard, and discuss logistics and materials needed on our own time.  I also set up a Doodle where we could set up a convenient time to film.  Doodle is a wonderful site that I was introduced to this summer, and I use it all of the time now.  I was fortunate to work with several creative minds, and together we created a great tagline and storyboard.  The amount of planning we put in shines though in the final product.

Creating the PSA reminded me that I have to share the knowledge of Digital Security with my future students.  Also, I think it would be fun to create skits with my future students.  However, as an aspiring elementary school teacher, I doubt I would give the task of editing the PSA to my students. I think it would be fun and educational for them, however, to help act of skits and see their work on video with special effects. If I ever work with older students in the future, I would definitely consider having them create and edit their own videos. My group had a good time putting together our skit, so I can see it working at several grade levels. 

Blogs Wikis Podcasts: Chapter 10 and Epilouge Reflection

The last assigned reading out of Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts was the final chapter titled "What It All Means" as well as the epilogue.

The final chapter was a good summary of the book.  It focused on the "Big Shifts" in how to teach students based on all of the new technology and sites on the web out there today. Seeing the ten big shifts in education was interesting and changed the way that I'll think about teaching my future classroom.  For example, as a teacher I will look at teaching as more of a conversation than a lecture (Big Shift #4). 

I thought the epilogue was a nice way to close out the book.  Going through 45 minutes as an average teacher, it showed how much technology that the teacher uses on a regular basis.  It reminded me of how much, as educators, we use technology in a short period of time.

My overall opinion on the book is that there were chapters that were interesting to read, yet there were several others that were not. It is difficult to apply all uses of technology to all of the content areas.  I definitely learned some new ideas about Flikr and blogging that I feel confident about using in an elementary school classroom.  However, some of the other chapters, such as the one on social networking, I have difficulty believing that I will use in my future classroom.  The difficulty with printed books about technology is that they are outdated as soon as they come off the press. I appreciate being able to read a textbook, however, I also appreciated having supplementary videos and readings online while reading this particular textbook.

Creating a Screencast

We are studying Cool Technology Tools in class this week.  For this unit, each person in the class chooses one Cool Tool, writes a SWOT (Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats) analysis about the tool, and then creates a screencast discussing the analysis.  I signed up very early and chose Twitter as my Cool Tool.

I had a surprisingly good time creating my screencast.  I thought it would be daunting at first, but I enjoyed researching Twitter's strengths and weaknesses.  The part that was most difficult was that I had to record my screencast several times because I would tend to stumble over my words and make mistakes.  It was very frustrating! After about 3 or 4 tries, I got myself down to minimal errors and then posted the final product.

I learned that screencasts themselves are great ways to instruct others about how to do something on the internet without actually being there to show them.  This is why the majority of instructional videos on youtube are in the form of screencasts.  They also provides a great visual versus a podcast, which is strictly audio.  By using screencasts, not only could I instruct my students about certain tools and websites, but parents would also have the opportunity to be informed.  The only complication would be that the students and parents would all need to have internet access in order to view the screencasts.

My screencast of Twitter can be located here: Twitter Screencast

Digital Nation: Reflection

A few weeks ago, I watched the video documentary called Growing Up Online which was about multitasking and technology in schools.  Frontline created a follow-up to this documentary titled Digital Nation.

The documentary was very interesting.  It focused not only on the children that have grown up with the information overload of this century, but also on the adults that are currently learning to adapt to all of the new technology of today.  The chapter titled "South Korea's Gaming Craze" was eye-opening.  It is difficult to believe that as a society we have gotten to the point where chronic gaming is now a health-crisis.  Not only do student just social network, but the internet is where they create relationships and live virutal lives in virtual worlds on sites such as Second Life.  For students, the internet is a way of life.

As a teacher I will have to be aware that students will need to be stimulated in the classroom at a level that they haven't before.  Even though my students will claim that they are great multi-taskers, I know that science will back me up when I disagree.  It will be a challenge to teach students that are used to having the entire world literally at their fingertips.  However, as discussed in the chapter titled "Distracted by Everything," the performance of students goes down once multitasking and distractions start to pile up.  It's important as teachers that we find the balance between integrating technology into our classrooms and permitting information-overload.

Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts: Chapters 7, 9 Reflection

In the text Blogs, Wikis, and Podcasts Chapter 7 discussed Flikr and Chapter 9 discussed social networking sites such as Facebook and Ning. 

I had never thought about using social sites in my classroom.  The idea of using Facebook in the classroom had never crossed my mind.  These chapters definitely altered my opinion on this subject. For older students, Facebook could be a great way to engage students.  As a future elementary school teacher, I still doubt I will use many social networking sites.  However, they could be educational for older students.

As a teacher I will use online photo sharing in my classroom.  A genius idea I found in the book was finding photos online that students could write about.  This would be a great way to write short fiction stories or even haikus in my classroom.  I still don't think that I will use Facebook in my classroom, but this book was the very first time I had ever been told that I don't need to delete my Facebook account in order to be an educator.

Creating a Podcast

Jenny and I created a podcast over the weekend based on an article that we found on the web titled "Flipped Classrooms Still Finding Their Way." The article is about the idea of "flipping" a classroom and the positive ways it can impact a classroom as well as some challenges that teachers face implementing this new strategy.

The actual writing of the script and recording of the podcast did not take a lot of time.  I had expected the project to endure several hours, but really the bulk of the work can be completed in well under an hour.  The part of the process that takes the longest is editing.

I can see how this would be a fun way to engage my future students. I wouldn't have my primary school students tackle such a serious topic as the one that Jenny and I discussed.  I would include jokes, funny sound effects, and crazy music.  This is a great way for young students to get creative while learning.

Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts: Chapter 8 Reflection

In the text Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, the eighth chapter is about Podcasting, Video and Screencasting, and Live Streaming.

This reading impacted my thinking about technology's role in education.  Until this class, I had never listened to a podcast.  Sure, I'd heard of them, but I never bothered exploring them.  Now I realize how useful they can be in the education field.  I've enjoyed the the live streams of my favorite authors and musicians, but I've never thought about how they could impact a classroom.

As a teacher I will have my students create podcasts because they are a great way to show off student knowledge in a fun and interesting way. I also like the idea of screen casting to better explain concepts to parents and children.  So many people are visual learners, so screencasting is a great way to explain a concept in contrast to written notes or a youtube video.

Blogs, Wiki, Podcast: Chapters 4-5 Reflection

In the Blogs, Wiki, Podcast text the fourth and fifth chapters are about wikis and RSS feeds.

In my high school chemistry class we actually used a wiki as a class project.  It was a really great way to collaborate together without having to meet at the same time.  I really enjoyed the wiki project that I have already done and would like to do something similar with my future students.  With the knowledge from these chapters, I now have plenty more ideas for how I can use wikis in my classroom.  I believe that the upper elementary school students that I plan to teach could use wikis to do brainstorming and book reports with a little bit of help and encouragement.

Before this chapter, I had never heard of and RSS feed before.  I think it will be a useful tool as an educator. When my future students have their own blogs, I can use the RSS feed to access all of their blogs in one convenient place.  I'm sure with all of the work I will have to do as an elementary school teacher, using an RSS feed will make my life that much easier.

Frontline: Growing Up Online

I viewed Frontline's video Growing Up Online. After giving my opinion of the documentary a lot of thought, I have responded to the two following questions.

How does this video impact your thinking about technology's role in the lives of your learners?

For the students that I will teach in the future, technology is so much more than a learning tool.  It is a part of their personalities and a vital part of their day-to-day lives.  In Chapter 3 of the video, a student named Jessica discusses how she created a completely new persona online named Autumn Edows.  Jessica created an entirely new goth persona online that she felt proud to be.  Autumn Edows didn't get shoved into lockers or bullied; she was famous.  It's normal for adolescents to experiment with their self-image, but now they can do so online. I had already known that teenagers do this, but the documentary really brought it home for me.

As Steve Maher, Social Studies Teacher, said in Chapter 2 of the documentary, "We almost have to be entertainers. If you look at the advertising world and the media world that they live in, they consume so much media. We have to cut through that cloud of information around them, cut through that media and capture their attention."  Teaching has changed a lot in the past decade because of the constant stream of media that kids absorb.  It has impacted students' ability to focus, and as teachers we need to adapt to that.

What will you do differently as a future teacher as a direct result of this new thinking?

I will be more sensitive to the several different types of pressures that students encounter online.  Cyber-bulling is a threat that is something that several students of this generation have experienced.  Students not only have the opportunity to be bullied in school, but also in their own homes.  An example of this is discussed in Chapter 6 of the video.  Ryan asked his dad how to fight because he was being bullied at school.  The part that the dad didn't know about was how Ryan was also being bullied online.  Ryan decided to seek relief elsewhere online and found a boy who he discussed death and the best ways to commit suicide with. Tragically, Ryan went through with the suicide in October of 2003.  As a teacher I will be extremely sensitive to the possible bullying going on both inside of and outside of the classroom.  I will be sure to give students as much support as I can give as well as refer students to getting more help if needed. 

Also, with all of the media that students absorb, the pressure to be "beautiful" is stronger than ever.  In Chapter 5, Sara discusses her anorexia and the support she finds online to resist eating and tips on how to purge.  From personal experience, I know that children as young as elementary school can be affected by negative body image.  I want to be an elementary school teacher, and I know that this is an issue that I will have to deal with.  As a teacher, I will promote a positive self-image in my classroom.  Every child is beautiful, and they need to be taught to love their bodies.

Have you ever been a victim of cyber-bullying, or felt the pressure to be skinny from the onslaught of media that we are subjected to on a daily basis?  What would you say to kids that have experienced this type of pressure?  I'm sure my opinions aren't the only ones out there.

14 Steps to Meaning Blogging

I read the article "14 Steps to Meaningful Blogging" which discussed strategies to take when introducing blogging to students. The strategy that I chose as my favorite is Number 11: Don't grade!  In certain situations, grading an assignment can stifle creativity because students are afraid to make mistakes.  The best way to go about student error in blogs is by asking them to go back and make revisions without docking points.  As a teacher, I will not grade my students for their blogs and not punish them for making mistakes.

The article can be found here: 14 Steps to Meaningful Blogging

Blogs Wikis Podcasts: Chapter 2 Reflection

The enduring understanding of this chapter is that weblogs can be a great tool to enhance student learning if used correctly. 

Essential questions:

1. How could a blog be more beneficial in a classroom than a more traditional method such as a classroom discussion?

Some students are too shy to benefit from class discussions.  A blog would be a great way for the more quite students to voice opinions and participate without feeling intimidated by the more boisterous students in class. In relation to that, it is impossible to shout in a blog, which can lead to more meaningful discussion and less arguments. Finally, a class discussion is a one-time occurance.  When a blog is used, people outside of the classroom can view and gain perspective from the content.  A blog is a great way for students to create content that other people can benefit from.

2. Give an example of how blogging can be useful across the curriculum.

A blog can be equally useful for an English class as a math class.  An English class blog may be used more as a discussion tool whereas a math blog could be used to share useful links and websites.  The limits to what a blog can accomplish is only limited by the imagination of the user.

Multitasking Reflection

The main point of the Frontline videos, the article "Multitasking Makes You Less Productive" and the Multitasking game was the dangers of multitasking.  Our generation is more apt to multitasking, however we  aren't necessarily very good at it.  When I played the game, I never made it past playing three different flash games at the same time.  Also, with every game that was added, it became more and more difficult to maintain all of the games at the same time.

The resources that I looked at impacted my thinking about technology's influence on multitasking.  Technology has given my generation a lot more resources that can be accessed with the click of a button.  We have smartphones, tablets, laptops, music players, and dozens of other devices that are constantly being checked and fussed with.  I now understand that I am distracting myself an decreasing my performance rather than multitasking.

As a teacher I will make sure that my students are constantly engaged.  Also, if we are not using a piece of technology, there is no need for that technology to be turned on. For example, if we are not actively using laptops in a class, then they should be turned off or at least shut.  The minds of students are likely to wander off if they are not actively engaged.