Thursday, March 3, 2011
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Reflection on My Technology Inquiry Wiki
Completing this technology inquiry wiki had an appropriate amount of workload to accomplish the task. I feel that the biggest challenge, was taking a day off from everything and only focusing on this task. I know that many of my classmates have not even started yet, and it just feels good to have everything accomplished for this class.
After I got started, it was pretty easy to do. We had to have 3-5 formal and informal sources to back up our research. It was a little challenging to remember back to freshman year, when I took English 101, on how to write an annotative bibliography. However the professor provided a check list to see if we were on the right track. This was very helpful because I was able to go through the check list and see what specifically needed work and what met his expectations.
Writing the best practices was the easiest part of the assignment. I had all the information I wanted to include and putting my thoughts together was the easiest part. I also had all the information for the additional information slide, and had completed my Annotative Bibliography.
I would defiantly consider using wiki's in my classroom in the future. I would like to have students enter in different literature assignments to the classroom wiki. This would be an easy place to post the various assignments students are assigned and also a great way to place my different screen-casts to allow my students to view them when they are absent. Overall this was a worthwhile assignment because I was able to express my knowledge of online schooling to other people besides my professor. Of course he will check it out, but I will be able to allow other people to look at it as well. In addition I could continue my research on Online schooling, if I wanted to, and keep up to date information on my research. This would be a good way to summerize all my work put into this topic.
To view my Technology Inquiry Wiki press on the link provided below.
http://cbahr261.wikispaces.com/Online+Schooling
After I got started, it was pretty easy to do. We had to have 3-5 formal and informal sources to back up our research. It was a little challenging to remember back to freshman year, when I took English 101, on how to write an annotative bibliography. However the professor provided a check list to see if we were on the right track. This was very helpful because I was able to go through the check list and see what specifically needed work and what met his expectations.
Writing the best practices was the easiest part of the assignment. I had all the information I wanted to include and putting my thoughts together was the easiest part. I also had all the information for the additional information slide, and had completed my Annotative Bibliography.
I would defiantly consider using wiki's in my classroom in the future. I would like to have students enter in different literature assignments to the classroom wiki. This would be an easy place to post the various assignments students are assigned and also a great way to place my different screen-casts to allow my students to view them when they are absent. Overall this was a worthwhile assignment because I was able to express my knowledge of online schooling to other people besides my professor. Of course he will check it out, but I will be able to allow other people to look at it as well. In addition I could continue my research on Online schooling, if I wanted to, and keep up to date information on my research. This would be a good way to summerize all my work put into this topic.
To view my Technology Inquiry Wiki press on the link provided below.
http://cbahr261.wikispaces.com/Online+Schooling
Reflection on Scratch
At the beginning of working on the scratch project, I thought that this was a waste of my time. I didn't see the educational value of figuring out how to place the different sprites on the screen in order for my "game" to do what I wanted to do. Before seeking help from Dr. Boyer, I was clueless on what to do with this program. After first meeting with Dr. Boyer, I was able to get the general idea of how the project worked. I spent countless of time fussing with the program, and looking at other students projects to try to figure out how to sequence my own project. I can honestly say that this is the most time and effort I have put into a project. It was so disappointed when I had my roommate test out my game, which only lasted about 30 seconds at first, and getting to the end and saying "that was it?". Mostly because it took me many hours to just get that 30 seconds of gaming. However eventually this project became much easier to complete, however tedious. It takes a long time developing a game that goes through many different levels of division.
I feel that just because I disliked doing the assignment, I should just throw away the tool all together. I think it would be cool to see what my students can come up and create with the program. Sometimes students are motivated to work with projects that require a higher level of thinking. I think I would offer this as an extra credit assignment on to my curriculum until I got familiar with all the different things you could do with the program. Maybe eventually I would be able to require my students to create their own game for the class. This then would create a large library of different scratch projects. I also would allow students who may be interested in web design/game designing to show learning through this program.
Overall I am very satisfied with my scratch project. It took a lot of work to accomplish, however this is most likely how my students will feel when they are faced with a challenging task. If I want my students to work hard on a project and put forth their best effort, I must do the same. Just because I didn't like the program, doesn't mean that I should dismiss the project all together.
I feel that just because I disliked doing the assignment, I should just throw away the tool all together. I think it would be cool to see what my students can come up and create with the program. Sometimes students are motivated to work with projects that require a higher level of thinking. I think I would offer this as an extra credit assignment on to my curriculum until I got familiar with all the different things you could do with the program. Maybe eventually I would be able to require my students to create their own game for the class. This then would create a large library of different scratch projects. I also would allow students who may be interested in web design/game designing to show learning through this program.
Overall I am very satisfied with my scratch project. It took a lot of work to accomplish, however this is most likely how my students will feel when they are faced with a challenging task. If I want my students to work hard on a project and put forth their best effort, I must do the same. Just because I didn't like the program, doesn't mean that I should dismiss the project all together.
Exit Slip 12-9-10
3 ways to intergrate technology in Ella's class.
If I was a teacher of Ella's 3rd grade classroom I would implement 3 different technology tools in the classroom. First of all I would make sure all of my lesson plans catch my students interest by making them interactive. I would design Interactive white board lessons to help all of my students learn the material. I would make sure not to use the software as a power point lesson, but allow my students come in front of the class and manipulate the lesson to enhance learning.
The second method I would intergrate in my classroom is different blogging tasks. I believe it is a good idea to have students write for other reasons besides getting a grade from the teacher. I want my students to see the value of why they are learning material and not just doing the assignment to recieve a grade. I would love to intergrate my English and Literature subjects onto the blog. Students would be able to write different ideas, and also collaborate with other students.
The last element I would like to incorporate into my classroom is the idea of learning from any where. This not only allows parents to see what is happening in my own classroom, but allows my students to follow my class from anywhere around the world. I would have my students create pod casts to update parents and allow students to share feelings about the ideas they have learned. I would also have Screen casts available online for students to follow If they were stuck on a math assignment.
Overall my thinking about technology has changed over the course. Before entering this class I thought technology broke at the sight of me. But now I am able to embrase technology. I always thought I would use technology in my class, but I never really had a vision on how my classroom would look with technology. I now have a clear picture of how technology should look like in a classroom and am excited by the different possiblities technology can change my teaching style.
If I was a teacher of Ella's 3rd grade classroom I would implement 3 different technology tools in the classroom. First of all I would make sure all of my lesson plans catch my students interest by making them interactive. I would design Interactive white board lessons to help all of my students learn the material. I would make sure not to use the software as a power point lesson, but allow my students come in front of the class and manipulate the lesson to enhance learning.
The second method I would intergrate in my classroom is different blogging tasks. I believe it is a good idea to have students write for other reasons besides getting a grade from the teacher. I want my students to see the value of why they are learning material and not just doing the assignment to recieve a grade. I would love to intergrate my English and Literature subjects onto the blog. Students would be able to write different ideas, and also collaborate with other students.
The last element I would like to incorporate into my classroom is the idea of learning from any where. This not only allows parents to see what is happening in my own classroom, but allows my students to follow my class from anywhere around the world. I would have my students create pod casts to update parents and allow students to share feelings about the ideas they have learned. I would also have Screen casts available online for students to follow If they were stuck on a math assignment.
Overall my thinking about technology has changed over the course. Before entering this class I thought technology broke at the sight of me. But now I am able to embrase technology. I always thought I would use technology in my class, but I never really had a vision on how my classroom would look with technology. I now have a clear picture of how technology should look like in a classroom and am excited by the different possiblities technology can change my teaching style.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Reflection on IWB lesson
My interactive white board (IWB) lesson was very easy to complete. I feel the hardest part of the assignment was having to come up with a topic to design my IWB around. When I was in high school, I volunteered in my local Elementary school. The teacher I was assigned to, taught math class every day using a SMART board. When I was choosing what topic I should do mine on, I just knew that I saw a lot of math lesson plans, which all seemed easy to do. I was then inspired to do something using reading because I feel that teachers are less likely to create a IWB during a reading lesson. One challenging thing with developing a reading IWB lesson is the amount of words on a given page. We have discussed that you should only have roughly 30 words on a page. I however wanted to put a page of text on the IWB which isn't always the best thing to do. However when I developed my IWB lesson I needed more words on my page to show the class how to use context clues.
I feel that it was beneficial to do reading as a IWB lesson because I was also able to see other lesson plans relating to reading. Teachers can use a IWB to assess the students if they understood the plot of a story, explain different elements to a story, learn about literary elements.
I would also love to have an IWB inside my classroom. When I am in practicum around the Stevens Point area I see many SMART boards inside the classroom, however teachers use them just like they would use an overhead projector. I personally believe if these schools are paying big money to incorporate this expensive technology inside their classroom they should use the technology like it was designed and not teach a lesson like I was taught when I was in 3rd grade.
Designing this lesson opened my eyes on how to make a particular lesson interactive. When you teach you shouldn't just put a piece of paper on the board and read off of the sheet of paper. You shouldn't make a IWB lesson like a PowerPoint. There are many other tools in the SMART notebook technology to allow students to participate in your lesson besides calling on a student and having them respond while sitting in their seats. For example you can have students solve different math problems using manipulatives created in SMART notebook. In reading you can have students illustrate what clues they actually used to find the meaning of a word.
IWB lessons are also engaging in students involvement. When I was younger we didnt' have a IWB board and would have loved to be involved in moving objects across the screen with only the touch of our finger. As a future educator, I would make sure to develop different lesson plans that are engaging to students and are very interactive to promote learning in my classroom.
I feel that it was beneficial to do reading as a IWB lesson because I was also able to see other lesson plans relating to reading. Teachers can use a IWB to assess the students if they understood the plot of a story, explain different elements to a story, learn about literary elements.
I would also love to have an IWB inside my classroom. When I am in practicum around the Stevens Point area I see many SMART boards inside the classroom, however teachers use them just like they would use an overhead projector. I personally believe if these schools are paying big money to incorporate this expensive technology inside their classroom they should use the technology like it was designed and not teach a lesson like I was taught when I was in 3rd grade.
Designing this lesson opened my eyes on how to make a particular lesson interactive. When you teach you shouldn't just put a piece of paper on the board and read off of the sheet of paper. You shouldn't make a IWB lesson like a PowerPoint. There are many other tools in the SMART notebook technology to allow students to participate in your lesson besides calling on a student and having them respond while sitting in their seats. For example you can have students solve different math problems using manipulatives created in SMART notebook. In reading you can have students illustrate what clues they actually used to find the meaning of a word.
IWB lessons are also engaging in students involvement. When I was younger we didnt' have a IWB board and would have loved to be involved in moving objects across the screen with only the touch of our finger. As a future educator, I would make sure to develop different lesson plans that are engaging to students and are very interactive to promote learning in my classroom.
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