Module 14 Blog

Wireless connection is not new to me, but in classrooms it is. I think in the near future students will have wireless laptops in class or netbooks. Artificial Intelligences programs are new to me. I have never worked with AI programs so I am not sure if these types of programs will have much of an impact in the classroom. On thing that is very important is computer literacy. Computers and technology are so important now that being computer literate is a skill that must be taught in schools. This is now a digital age and everyone must learn to use technology to help them understand and learn. Teaching with technology will also give the teacher so many more options in which to teach a concept. I think that being computer literate is the most important thing for classes to learn. i also think that the wireless connection is going to have a huge impact on classrooms.

Ethical Issues

I knew a little bit about ehtical issues, but this chapter went into great detail explaining everything. There were mahy things i didn't realize that a teacher could do to break the law. I didn't know there was certain copies that could be made or that a teacher could only use certain information one time. I am glad that we did this chapter and I think that it will make a great reference when deciding on lesson plans and presenting work to my class.
I really liked the part on the powerpoint about academic dishonesty. It is just as important for the students to understand ethical issues as well as the teacher does. The students need to know that they can not cheat. They should have the help and confidence to do the work on their own. It is important as the teacher to do everything to discourage cheating on papers and on other work in school.

Module 11 Blog

I was interested in learning about audiovisual technologies. I learned that there are alot of different ways to incorporate videos into the classroom. The teacher can use the videos to help explain a less plan. The students can use videos to show or explain their projects to their class or post it on the internet and make it available for others to see. Students want to learn with technology so the teachers must know how to use it. Videos can also let students and teachers collaborate on projects and information. I also learned how to use YouTube Videos even though they are blocked through school internet. It is important that teachers use technology in their classrooms to make students aware of the technology available for them and audiovisual technologies is another way for them to use technology.

Module 10 Blog

I was very surprised by how many places do distance education. I didn't realize that there were classes offered to elementary and high school students using distance learning. I was happy to read that they give students preparations before having them do online courses. Teaching them to work independently will help them be much more successful in their distance education classes. One things that I found very interesting was the videoconferencing. I think that this would be very helpful for high school students, but getting everyone online at one time will be difficult. I was very surprised to see that elementary had online learning for students. When I was in school we hardly used the computers and now they are doing online work on their own. I think that this would be great for home schooled students. Getting help online through a local school would be great for them. As elementary students I just don't see how distance education would work for them. It is hard enough for students to understand work in class, but to get them to do it alone would be very hard for them. I think distance education is a great way to learn for some people, but here are a lot of people who can't learn this way. I think that this is a choice everyone has to make for themselves to see if they will be successful. If you learn better in a classroom setting then it is best to stay in the classroom.

Module 9 Blog

Technology is going to be a very useful tool in my classroom. From the reading I found that class websites will be very helpful. If students miss school they will know what they missed and they will be able to access the work at home. The class web page will also let parents see what is happening in the class. I also like the blogs because the students will get to write exactly what they think and let everyone see their opinion on the work. I also like it beacuase it will help everyone understand the assignment and they can comment oneach others blogs. Another helpful tool is the project based learning. This will get the students into the work and give them a better understanding of what we are covering for the project. Doing project based learning will give the students a chance to review the work again and make sure that everyone really understands the material.

Webquest module 8

I have never used webquest, but it looks very interesting. I learned that webquest is an online tool for teachers to present information for students. Webquest takes a lesson and separates it into stages to make the lesson more understandable. Webquest organizes the lesson so everyone can understand what to do. Webquest also gives the student a chance to include online resources with their projects.
I would use webquest in my classroom to help organize information from a story. If my students do not understand the story, I would use webquest to break down the information and organize it for the students.

Chapter 9 Blog

I was familiar with most of the material covered in chapter 9. I use my computer all the time for email, research, and basic internet access. The part of chapter 9 that was new to me was creating and evaluating web sites. I always read through the sites to see if it seems like a good site, but I have never actually evaluated it. I have come across sites that don't seem ligitament so I just got to a different one. I have also never created a web site. The rubric in chapter 9 will be very helpful in evaluating a web site. This chapter will help me to be able to find good and bad web sites in my classroom.

Chapter 8: Academic Softwares

                Academic softwares are very useful for both students and teachers. As educators, being able to identify which programs apply to our grade level and how to operate those softwares successfully is important.  From the reading, I have been introduced to Tutorials and Drill & Practice Software(s). I feel as though this type of program would work in any grade level since there is a wide range of course material covered through the software. Teachers may use the software in the classroom according to their lesson plans because there are Tutorial softwares that cover every subject (math, grammar, reading, etc).
                The Tutorials and Drill & Practice softwares are great for students because it allows them to access the activities on a one-on-one basis. This allows the students to work at their own pace and is an advantage to all students as well as teachers. Students with learning disabilities are also aided through these types of programs because it allows them to follow in-class lesson plans, as well as work at  pace that works best for them.

 In the future, I plan to teach Kindergarten and first grade and feel as though Tutorial and Drilling & Practice Softwares will be a great tool to help reinforce the material covered in my lesson plans.

Chapter 8 module 6

I was very interested in all the different ways to use softwares in the classroom. The software I would most likely choose for my classroom would be the drill and practice, educational games, and integrated learning system. Students need to review the material more than once and I think that the drill and practice software would help with this. I would have students use this software for different subjects to help this review the work and get a better understanding of the material. The educational games would be great to kepp the students interested and then they are more likely to learn and stay active in the work. I think that the computer games would work great for math. Letting students do math lessons with games would be a great way for them to learn math while having fun. I also like the integrated learning system. I would use this throughout the year in different subjects to see which students were progressing and which students were struggling. This program will also give the students different things to do with different subjects to help them understand the material better. One subject I think the ILS would be helpful in would be reading. It would help students understand nouns, pronouns, etc. and they would have more practice with it to understand how to read and write better. I think that these programs will help teachers out and I plan to use them in my classroom to help make my kids better students.

Chapter 7: Administrative Software

        The reading for Chapter 7 was about understanding administrative and academic softwares work and how they apply to the job of educators.  ISTE's NETS emphasizes the importance of being able to use administrative and academic softwares properly, in order to improve teaching, productivity and learning in schools. As future teachers, we must be able to select and know how to operate software(s) that can be used in our classrooms.
          The chapter reading explained the purpose of administrative softwares and how they are narrowed down into two catergories: Productivity software(s) & classroom management software(s). The two different softwares are used by educators as helpful tools in the classroom that help manage school and classroom tasks. An example of an administative software is the word processing program. Through the software, educators may use transparencies, activity sheets, study guides and class notes to help support productivity in their classroom. Learning about theses types of softwares will help us address the NETS*T standards required for educators in the school system.

Chapter 7 blog

I know that computer software is a big partof teaching and that the teachers must know how to use the programs well. I didn't realize that there were so many different programs available for teachers. As I was reading I was very familiar with most of the software but the portfolio software I am not familiar with at all. I didn't know that there were so many different ways to keep students information. Knowing about these programs is very important and I think that the portfolio software is going to be a good program to use in teaching. I hope to learn more about portfolio software and understand the programs that will help me in my classroom.

Module 4: Chapter 6 - Digital Technologies in the Classroom

      Digital technology has the ability to expand lesson plans and the sources of information that your students have access to. Chapter six gave examples of many innovative technologies for the classroom use, such as electric graphic tables, pen input devices, etc. After reading the chapter, I was amazed by how much technology devices are made to be used in the classroom.
      When I was elementary school, I remember doing reading activities on the computer. We used headphones and speakers to follow along with the activities. Then, we used a mouse to move around the screen but now many schools have advanced to the touch screens. I think touch screens are a great device to have in the classroom, because it assists student with special needs as well as students who are pre-readers (such as Preschool and Kindergarten).  The most advanced piece of technology that I have witnessed in a classroom was a Smart Board in my AP U.S History class. It was similar to the description of a electronic whiteboard in the text, but instead of being displayed on white board, the Smart board displayed information like an overhead projector. I remember many teachers coming into the classroom and asking if they could use the Smart Board in their classroom, because my teacher was the only person in the school with one. The problem was that the device was expensive and the school could not supply many teachers with one for their classroom. That was two years ago, and I feel like sometime in the future, the schools will plan to buy more technology devices for their classrooms with school funding.
       This chapter was significant to us as future educators, because schools do plan to continue to use different and new forms of technology in the classroom. We must be aware of the different types of technology and how to work them, in order to make our classrooms a place of better learning.

Digital Technologies in the Classroom

Digital technology in the classroom has come a long way since I attended school. Today's children are exposed to so many different types of new technologies that can help enrich their learning. There once was a time, that when a classroom got a computer, it was a big deal. That is not so anymore. A computer is a standard piece of equipment for just about every classroom you enter. My four year old daughter's preschool even has a simple computer for them to work on! This chapter helped me to see that there are a wide variety of digital tools that can be used to enhance learning. I was amazed to read about the electronic white boards and graphic tablets that are available for classrooms. I didn't even know that these devices existed until I did the reading for this week.
My own personal use of digital tools has pretty limited. Aside from using the computer for various tasks, I really only have used a digital camera to take pictures of science experiments, which were then used as visual aids in a Powerpoint presentation. I felt that this provided a great way to present my work to other members of the class. Other than that, I have not really used any of the other tools that were listed in the chapter.

Digital Technologies chp 6

I knew there were many different digital tools to use in the classroom, but after reading chapter six I learned about new tools. I never thought about having students use graphic tablets or touch screens in class. These tools weren't available when I was in school so it is amazing to see how different things have changed in just a few years. I have experience with some digital tools but most of the time I was learning with them. I have use wireless internet, powerpoints, data projections, and digital cameras in the classroom. I have had many teachers use these tools to help get their point across to the students. These tools help with my learning because with technology I am interested in it and it helps me stay focused. I haven't really did much for teaching with any tools. I have used an overhead projector and powerpoint to do a few presentations. Besides that most of these tools will be new to me as a teacher. I am excited to get to figure out new ways to make my classroom interesting by using these tools.

Chapter six

Chapter six

In this chapter I learned that technology can be very helpful for our future students. I never really thought about technology until now. I have had many experiences with different types of technology. Learning with technology at my school wasn’t that popular at that time.

               The job I’m at now has been great for learning some of the different technology’s out there. I have worked with special needs kids for four years and they have used some of the technology talked about in this chapter. For instance, the graphic tablet was used in a computer class that my high school student took. She was able to write with this technology and be able to enjoy writing. Her writing skills were somewhat poor and it was a new way to help fix it.  The touch screen has been used in a junior high class for special needs child. She has used this for the ability to go anywhere by a touch of her figure on her own. She does not have the capability to use the mouse, so she uses the touch screen.

                              The only technology that used in school was the computer. The computer was the best way to do research for my classes. I didn’t have an i-pad, touch screen, and all the other new technology. To be honest what we have now for class rooms would have been so beneficial for me. I’m more of hands on learner; these types of technology would have been great for me in school.

               I have learned a lot about the different types of technologies. I hope to be able to use many of them in my future class room. Kids need these in the class room; it will help them learn in more fun environment. I’m glad to be taking this class to help me learn more about technology. For the longest time I thought I knew a lot about technology I’ve been mistaken by my belief.   

  

monica lewis

Chapter four: special needs and technology

I have worked with special needs kids for four years. This chapter was absolutely great learning experience for me. I have had some of the hands on with some of the technology for special needs kids. The technology that I read in this chapter will help me tremendously in my future class room.

My four years of experience with special needs is very frustrating at times and very rewarding. I have worked with autistic kids. Some that I have worked with fit right in don’t have a problem with the other kids. The one I work with this year has sever autism. His behavior contains screaming, not working by throwing his job work, and he will take off running out of the school. He keeps our job interesting. I have to say the little girl that I also work with in the elementary is a shaken baby syndrome. She is one of the lucky ones; her disabilities are her motor skills and a little slow on comprehending what’s going on in the class room. She has to wear braces on her legs to help her walk. I have one other student that I work with in the morning when I’m at the elementary. He is an outgoing living life like there’s no tomorrow. His disability is his legs don’t have enough muscles to keep him up on his own; he is in a standing wheel chair to help strengthen his legs. He also has a feeding tube. Let me tell you that does not stop him. He gets in and out of his wheel chair into a regular chair. He opens doors on his own and many participate in everyday things at school.   

One of the technologies that I read about I have worked with many times. The student cannot use the mouse like a regular person. So she uses her index figure to touch were she wants to go on the monitor. Another technology that I have used is called a “Go Talk”. This helps the student and the teacher to know what the student needs. There are about eighteen buttons with pictures that show them what they need then they push it. After they push it it’s a recording of the teachers voices letting us know if they need to use the bathroom or want something to drink etc. Trust me after reading this chapter I have learned about so many other technologies that are out there to help all kinds of students with different disability’s.    

                

Response to reading (monica Lewis)

Teaching can be a complicated thing to do. It’s hard to find the best ways to instruct all the student needs. By reading this chapter I found important ideas of teaching, things that were meaningful and ideas that I can apply to my future teaching career.


What I found important is teaching styles. After reading this part of the chapter it made more since of how some classes I enjoyed and how some I did not. You found yourself in classes that were way too unorganized; some that lectured way too much etc. When you looked around and found yourself struggling, it was because that’s not how we learn best. It’s so important for us future teachers to teach the way the student feels more comfortable and not how the teacher feels. Our goal in teaching is to learn how to reach each child individually. In our last chapter we learned about the law: No Child Left Behind.

I find learning styles meaningful in my option. It’s important for the teachers to find their students comfort zone. Some students are auditory, visual and kinesthetic. Auditory students learn best by listening, visual students learn best by seeing, and kinesthetic students learn best by hands on. It is very important for the future teachers to understand how there students learn best.

As a future teacher I have thought of ways of using this information into my future teaching. Technology can be used for students that are visual learners or even hands on. If they can see it and do it by using technology, it will make it more fun and easier for them to learn. In school I found in science and even math doing the work online was easier to learn and more fun. That’s why I find this chapter of technology can go a long way for the different learning styles of students.

Teaching can be complicated thing to do. There are things that can help it not be so complicated if we can learn how to reach every child. Helping students with different learning styles can be our first step as a teacher. Another way can be the way we teach our future class and how we can be better teachers in the future by bring technology into our class rooms.