As I come to the conclusion of my technology course I now have a better understanding of not only how to use technology, but also for the vital role it plays in the classroom especially with today's learners. Today's students are the first generation to be brought up from birth with the Internet and the level of technology we are at currently. It is what they know and know well! If we are not using what they are comfortable with in our teaching, I am not sure if they will be able to relate. It is important more now then ever that teachers embrace technology and incorporate it into our student's daily learning. It is the best way to reach the Net-Generation. If a teacher knows how to relate to the students and does it by using technology in the classroom it open a whole new realm of learning possibilities. There is so much that technology has to offer in the classroom that will engage students in their curriculum.
This class has taught me more than anything to not be afraid of technology. It pushed me to learn new things and to try new things that I don't know if I would have ever done on my own. I never knew that making a video with movie maker could be so easy. Now I have a whole new skill set that I could use in the classroom with students from making book reports into video's to filming group projects. I had also never used a Smart board and with a couple weeks of practice I was able to put together a lesson and learned that it's not to difficult to do and can take a lesson to a whole new level of student involvement. These are all skills that I would never have tried on my own that I can now take with me as I enter the classroom.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Electronic Portfolio Examples
http://www.techteachers.com/megportfolio.htm
I thought this example was a poor sample of a electronic portfolio. It was a lot of written examples about her and she showed her own picture everywhere. Some of the other examples I looked at they actaully showed students work from their class and made the appearance more interesting.
http://www.portfolio.rimestimes.net/
I thought this example of an electronic portfolio was very well done. It was very easy to navigate and he made it visually appealing with his graphics. I liked how he had pictures of students work throughout when he explained his lessons which gave you a good idea of how the students were responding to his lessons. It was a very well organzied presentation.
I thought this example was a poor sample of a electronic portfolio. It was a lot of written examples about her and she showed her own picture everywhere. Some of the other examples I looked at they actaully showed students work from their class and made the appearance more interesting.
http://www.portfolio.rimestimes.net/
I thought this example of an electronic portfolio was very well done. It was very easy to navigate and he made it visually appealing with his graphics. I liked how he had pictures of students work throughout when he explained his lessons which gave you a good idea of how the students were responding to his lessons. It was a very well organzied presentation.
Multimedia Presentations
I enjoyed watching the multimedia presentations from article notebook project. Everyone did a great job of putting together some form of electronic presentation that summarized the article of their choosing. I think by making the media presentation it gave us all a good way to learn what articles others may have read for their project and to give us some new ideas of who to use technology in the classroom.
I enjoyed Joe's play on the Tonight show and how he used humor to present his article. I really enjoyed the top ten list. I thought Paula did a great job of using the video and showing example on the computer of how to use technology in the language classroom. Her presentation gave some good ideas of how as a teacher we can incorporate cell phones and blogging into reading and writing lessons. Josh's song was very creative. You had a good understanding of using movies in the classroom from his song and it was very catchy. He did a great job writing. Julie Y did a nice job with the Glogster. I thought the video about how video games can be helpful in skills was really put together well with the Mario theme song and using the video game pictures in the background. Judy's presentation was cute with the animals and was a nice introduction to her article. It was very animated and she did a great job. I think every one's presentations were interesting and I learned some new things not only from their articles, but how everyone did their presentation a little differently.
I enjoyed Joe's play on the Tonight show and how he used humor to present his article. I really enjoyed the top ten list. I thought Paula did a great job of using the video and showing example on the computer of how to use technology in the language classroom. Her presentation gave some good ideas of how as a teacher we can incorporate cell phones and blogging into reading and writing lessons. Josh's song was very creative. You had a good understanding of using movies in the classroom from his song and it was very catchy. He did a great job writing. Julie Y did a nice job with the Glogster. I thought the video about how video games can be helpful in skills was really put together well with the Mario theme song and using the video game pictures in the background. Judy's presentation was cute with the animals and was a nice introduction to her article. It was very animated and she did a great job. I think every one's presentations were interesting and I learned some new things not only from their articles, but how everyone did their presentation a little differently.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Smartboards in the Classroom
My experience in class with using the Smartboard is my first encounter with using one. Learning about the features that it has to offer and putting together the lesson in multiple slides gave me a good understanding of how it works and what is involved with making lessons to incorporate the Smartboard in your classroom. After my couple weeks with using it, I think that it is a great technology key to in the classroom to keep students engaged in the lesson.
The different animated features and cool effects that are used in the Smartboard and just little things that can keep students attention during lessons. By using a Smartboard and adding some little effects to a lesson or topic that most students find dull can make a world of difference in their learning potential. Since it is based on using a computer it is something that students already know a lot about and can relate to. It is not hard to pick up. I felt semi comfortable with what I was doing on it after using it for only a week and actually practicing on it a few times so it is definitely something I could feel very comfortable using after a couple weeks of good practice.
I would love to have a Smartboard in my classroom. It would make lessons more interesting rather then showing them on power point which has very little in animation compared to a Smartboard. It would also make showing online videos easy to access and project to the class. There are probably more advantages then disadvantages to using a Smartboard in your classroom if you are willing to put in the time to design lesson on the software and to practice using it until you can teach a lesson without even having to think about it anymore. You can save lessons and add new slides or links to them each year. It is easy to add new content to a lesson that you may have already created. It is an attention getter and is interactive so students can have hands on learning by using the Smartboard during lessons. It also gets students out of their seat when they participate and makes learning fun.
The different animated features and cool effects that are used in the Smartboard and just little things that can keep students attention during lessons. By using a Smartboard and adding some little effects to a lesson or topic that most students find dull can make a world of difference in their learning potential. Since it is based on using a computer it is something that students already know a lot about and can relate to. It is not hard to pick up. I felt semi comfortable with what I was doing on it after using it for only a week and actually practicing on it a few times so it is definitely something I could feel very comfortable using after a couple weeks of good practice.
I would love to have a Smartboard in my classroom. It would make lessons more interesting rather then showing them on power point which has very little in animation compared to a Smartboard. It would also make showing online videos easy to access and project to the class. There are probably more advantages then disadvantages to using a Smartboard in your classroom if you are willing to put in the time to design lesson on the software and to practice using it until you can teach a lesson without even having to think about it anymore. You can save lessons and add new slides or links to them each year. It is easy to add new content to a lesson that you may have already created. It is an attention getter and is interactive so students can have hands on learning by using the Smartboard during lessons. It also gets students out of their seat when they participate and makes learning fun.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
PSA Video Project
I have successfully made my first video and posted it on Youtube! I am very proud of myself. I never would have thought that I would have been able make a video and have it posted online. To be honest I was actually really nervous about this project in the beginning. Editing a video on the computer sounded out of the realm of my technology knowledge and it scared me. Now that I have done it I have become obsessed with movie maker. In fact I just got done showing my Mom how it works and making a slide show from pictures from my sisters wedding in June, set it to music, and added animation to the slides all in about 5 minutes. She was quite impressed with my skills.
For our video project we started with recording out video at Grings Mill park. It took us a few takes to get everything we wanted to, but all in all it only took us about 45 minutes to record the shots that we needed. Then we downloaded our video to the computer. Since we had over 7 minutes of footage it was a large file and copied all into one chapter rather then breaking up into smaller chapters. This made it a little difficult for editing because we had to sift through 7 minutes of video each time we added a slide to the storyline. This was our most time consuming task. Once we had the movie edited down to where we wanted it we added in the music. The music we made through audacity and used royaltyfreemusic.com. The music was probably the easiest part of the project. Once we moved the music to the sound file of the video we had our work of art created. It turned from what I thought was going to be a stressful project into actually a lot of fun!
I think video making could be a great project for a classroom. Using this in the elementary level has lots of potential. One way I would use this since Elementary students may not have access too a video camera, but if the school had one we could loan, as the teacher I could do the filming for the students and then have them do the editing since that is all hands on for the computer and the video camera is no longer necessary. I think a great project would be to have the students make a DVD to send as a pen pal to either students of the same grade somewhere else in the country or some where else in the world. I could have the students make up their own stories of showing them a typical day in their school and maybe even incorporating their community around them and outside where they live. Then the students would work in groups and edit their own videos and add music and dialogue to narrate their video as they want it and then exchange them with the other school. This would not only give the students the chance to learn editing and movie making, but this may really appeal to those that are not strong at writing, but are creative to get them involved and enjoy an assignment. The end result of sharing the videos with another school would also give the students a look at a new place and how people live in other areas of the country or the world. It would open their horizons to new ideas, places and people.
For our video project we started with recording out video at Grings Mill park. It took us a few takes to get everything we wanted to, but all in all it only took us about 45 minutes to record the shots that we needed. Then we downloaded our video to the computer. Since we had over 7 minutes of footage it was a large file and copied all into one chapter rather then breaking up into smaller chapters. This made it a little difficult for editing because we had to sift through 7 minutes of video each time we added a slide to the storyline. This was our most time consuming task. Once we had the movie edited down to where we wanted it we added in the music. The music we made through audacity and used royaltyfreemusic.com. The music was probably the easiest part of the project. Once we moved the music to the sound file of the video we had our work of art created. It turned from what I thought was going to be a stressful project into actually a lot of fun!
I think video making could be a great project for a classroom. Using this in the elementary level has lots of potential. One way I would use this since Elementary students may not have access too a video camera, but if the school had one we could loan, as the teacher I could do the filming for the students and then have them do the editing since that is all hands on for the computer and the video camera is no longer necessary. I think a great project would be to have the students make a DVD to send as a pen pal to either students of the same grade somewhere else in the country or some where else in the world. I could have the students make up their own stories of showing them a typical day in their school and maybe even incorporating their community around them and outside where they live. Then the students would work in groups and edit their own videos and add music and dialogue to narrate their video as they want it and then exchange them with the other school. This would not only give the students the chance to learn editing and movie making, but this may really appeal to those that are not strong at writing, but are creative to get them involved and enjoy an assignment. The end result of sharing the videos with another school would also give the students a look at a new place and how people live in other areas of the country or the world. It would open their horizons to new ideas, places and people.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
The Rights of Copyright
After learning and reading about copyright laws over the past week I have learned a lot about the rules and regulations of using items which have been copyrighted, especially in the classroom. There seems to be a grey area of what is allowed and what isn't when it comes to using copyrighted material in the classroom. For instance I never knew the laws in regards to showing videos to students in the classroom. Growing up I had watched many movies in the classroom over the years that had nothing to do with what we were learning. It was more of a Friday/Snow Day/End of year event. Knowing what I do now and how watching those movies without permission if against the law is a shock for how much I have seen it done in the school system. They grey area of copyrights come into play when as a teacher you are able to show a movie that has something to do with what you are teaching and can be used as an aid in the classroom.
I have also noticed that a lot of times especially in college, professor's and teachers will copy journal articles to share with the classroom. This is a copyright infringement unless you have called and have permission from the publisher to do so. Teachers think that they are being helpful by sharing important information, but they are actually stealing work without permission.
Outside of schools there are always copyright issues especially with today's technology. The use of computers with copying Cd's and DVDs and sharing music online is all around us. This is probably the most abused form of copyrighting that is done today.
I think it is important to teach students the rules of copyright usage. It would be great to set up a project for a class where in groups they had to create a movie or song and then learn how others in the class would be able to use the song or movie by coinciding with the copyright laws.
I was surprised in my reading of the Educause text of how little students use technology in the classroom. It seemed like the main use was for emailing of either professors or teachers about homework or class, which is actually an outside of class occurrence and falls into how many students only use technology for the classroom in communication. With all the available websites that offer free support to teacher and students it's ashame that more technology is not used in the classroom. It could have to do with the generational gap that the teachers are no comfortable enough to use the technology so therefore it is not brought into the general classroom. I was also surprised that many traditional students would rather take a class face to face rather then online. They feel they do not get the same out of it when it is online. I would think in today's time the NetGen would be so used to technology that it would be easier for them to learning using something they are comfortable with rather then sitting and listening to a lecture.
If I was giving the survey I would ask students what level of technology they expect their teachers to use in the classroom. What would be the most important use of technology in the classroom they would like to see incorporated other then email. If they were the teacher or proffessor how would they use technology in the classroom.
I have also noticed that a lot of times especially in college, professor's and teachers will copy journal articles to share with the classroom. This is a copyright infringement unless you have called and have permission from the publisher to do so. Teachers think that they are being helpful by sharing important information, but they are actually stealing work without permission.
Outside of schools there are always copyright issues especially with today's technology. The use of computers with copying Cd's and DVDs and sharing music online is all around us. This is probably the most abused form of copyrighting that is done today.
I think it is important to teach students the rules of copyright usage. It would be great to set up a project for a class where in groups they had to create a movie or song and then learn how others in the class would be able to use the song or movie by coinciding with the copyright laws.
I was surprised in my reading of the Educause text of how little students use technology in the classroom. It seemed like the main use was for emailing of either professors or teachers about homework or class, which is actually an outside of class occurrence and falls into how many students only use technology for the classroom in communication. With all the available websites that offer free support to teacher and students it's ashame that more technology is not used in the classroom. It could have to do with the generational gap that the teachers are no comfortable enough to use the technology so therefore it is not brought into the general classroom. I was also surprised that many traditional students would rather take a class face to face rather then online. They feel they do not get the same out of it when it is online. I would think in today's time the NetGen would be so used to technology that it would be easier for them to learning using something they are comfortable with rather then sitting and listening to a lecture.
If I was giving the survey I would ask students what level of technology they expect their teachers to use in the classroom. What would be the most important use of technology in the classroom they would like to see incorporated other then email. If they were the teacher or proffessor how would they use technology in the classroom.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Excel and Google Docs in the Classroom
Excel has many advantages and features that can be incorporated into the classroom. If I needed to express some of the top features of Excel to my fellow colleagues as to how they could use the program in their curriculum I would give them the following examples of how it could be used.
1. Daily Schedule- A daily schedule could be made or even a weekly schedule with a column for each day and a row for each half hour. You can then block out your schedule for each subject area or activity. Since it is on excel you could make changes as your week progresses if you find you need to spend a little more time on a certain activity or need to adjust the curriculum you are going to teach for that day. You can make a tab for each week of the school year so if you want to go back in May to see what you class did on the third week of school you can just find the tab for dates of that week.
2. Class Job chart- You can use Excel to make a chart of classroom jobs for younger students that each student takes turns rotating jobs throughout the year. You can out the students names in the rows and the jobs listed such as passing out worksheets for the week or in charge of writing down the weather for each day that week. The jobs can be listed across the columns and then a check can be given in each cell when it is the students turn that week to take responsibility of the classroom task.
3. Contact List- Excel is a great place to store student information such as addresses, phone numbers and parents email addresses. Having everything entered into excel by students name make it easy to find and access and you don’t have to worry about carry around a rolodex or notecards with all of the information.
4. Class Projects- Excel can be used by the students in your curriculum for a class project where they need to track data or make a chart from the data they have entered and collected. Excel can be used in a number of subjects as a data storage place to show students how to analysis what they have found and get new ideas from their research.
5. Classroom Organization- You can set up a data base with a line for each student’s name when you are keeping tracking of permission slips or money coming in for a class trip or field trip. You can easily mark off who has paid and how much as well as who has handed in a signed permission slip so at a quick glance you can see who might still owe you money or information. It can also be used for book club sales to keep track of who placed orders and of what so they can easily be sorted when they arrive.
If I was asked by my principal if we should use either Microsoft Word or Goggle docs I would definitely choose Google Docs. In the elementary school setting it is a basic program to learn and use for students that are using a word processing program to type on for the first time. It is also great to use because it doesn’t force parents to have to go out and buy Microsoft Word because it can be used from any computer that has access to the internet. This is a great feature when dealing with students that may have Macs as opposed to Pc’s at home so you are sure when working on Google Docs there are no specific program needed for the computer being used. It is free as long as you have an account so the school will not have to worry about buying licenses to Microsoft for the computer labs.
Google Docs is also great because students can work on group projects with each other from home because they can all access Google Docs on the same file. They can each add or edit the same file from their home without worrying about the hassle of only one person being able to access the file at a time and needed to either use a portable drive or the same computer that it is saved to.
It makes the life of the teacher must easier too when having the students send homework or projects through Goggle Docs because there is no need for attachments. Opening the files is very easy and it also easier for students sending the homework because they do not have to worry about forgetting an attachment in their email. This could also cut down on viruses being sent from attachments through the web to school computers. I think it would be a great idea for schools to use this because it would not affect budgets and Google Docs bring a lot of options to the students to easily use and to learn to collaborate together with fellow students on projects.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Social Bookmarking
Social bookmarking it the use of a website that allows subscribers to store bookmarks to websites that they find of their interests of helpful that they would be able to find again in a hurry. The way that social bookmarking differs from favorites on your computer is that the subscriber can access their bookmarked sites from any computer whether it is their own or not. The other advantage is you can tag the website to the subject it pertains to or the reason that you like the website or found it useful. This makes storing and organizing your websites much easier because now you have a list of key words and topics to find your website from rather then a list that includes everything. What makes this “social” is that the program allows you and other users to look at other peoples lists of bookmarks. Someone else may have found a website similar to a topic you are looking for so the social aspect gives you the ability to look at others book marked websites.
Social bookmarking is a great tool and could probably fit into any industry. It is especially helpful in the education field because there is a lot of research and websites that are accessible for teachers and students use. Using a social bookmark program as a teacher gives you an advantage of storing information, videos and websites that you may come across while preparing for a lesson that you may want your students of colleges to use. You can bookmark the page or video and then if you can direct your students to your bookmark page and have them click on the link rather than emailing a website or having the students write down a web address. It is useful for fellow teachers because it gives them the ability to share websites with each other and the option of looking at other bookmarks of teachers that may be a new idea of lesson they had not heard of. The nice use of tagging the websites also makes it easier for students and teachers to find what they are looking for. If you are a teacher with different level classes such as math you can make a bookmark for each class name which makes it easy for your students to find their relative content on your social bookmark page.
There are many advantages of using this program and it is also a huge time saver for teachers because you can easily access a mass amount of lessons on a given subject without having to search the web for legit and relative content.
Monday, September 13, 2010
How The Net Generation Percieves Online Learning
It is amazing to me that in the technological advanced world we live in that students of today don’t want to take all online classes and use total online learning. Being at the end of Generation X, I have actually only taken 1 online class in my college career. It was one of the first classes offered at the institution that was online. I found not the content to be hard, but the actual class itself to be difficult. It was a class offered on Blackboard and there were very little instructions on how to use the program. I can totally see how students today can get frustrated with the used or lack of use of technology in the classroom. They may know how to figure out texting or a new computer game, but when given an online class with a classroom management program without any instructions, it becomes a difficult task for the student to take the time to figure out how to even get in and work on the site for the online class without even getting into the subject matter.
Students today don’t pay much attention to instructions. They learn by doing especially when it comes to technology. They would rather play with a new cell phone, computer or Ipod to figure out how to get it to work then to sit and read an instructional booklet. Students today and so used to using multi tech gadgets at once that they don’t even think twice about it. Instant messaging and texting becomes second nature to them so it is surprising to me that they still want the face to face instruction from teachers. Maybe they feel that they will get more out of the class using the face to face instructions rather than taking an online test while instant messaging with someone across campus.
What is most surprising to me is that students today who have completely grown up around technology have issues or do not prefer to use course management programs. I think just like the Blackboard course I took years ago, there is not a lot of instruction from institution on these programs. Students can figure out the basics of the course managements, but I am sure there are lots of extras that are available on these programs that students never learn to take advantage of because of a lack of instruction and proper use. There are a lot of advantages that students have today with using these programs such as grades being available from online access so you can stay on top of your academics. Since most faculty for higher learning institutions are not of the net gen, they don’t get the instant response and access that students want today. Students expect from the use of technology for teachers to respond in a fairly fast time because they are so used to having information and the answer at their fingertips. Today’s faculty uses technology as a different means of communication with a student, but may not respond in the time frame that student’s feel is legit. Until there are more net generation students entering the workforce, there will probably always be a technological gap between the faculty and their students. I think course management and using technology in the classroom with explode once the Net Generation is the ones that are instructing because they will know what works and what doesn’t when it comes to technology and education.
The Google Docs program I used for my lesson plan project ended up being a very frustrating task for me. Once I was copy and pasting in my lesson plans, I had issues with the curser not falling where it was actually typing and this made for a very difficult time. I did however like the idea of the google docs and being able to access the document from any computer to work on the project rather than only being able to use word. I think when used correctly this can be a very beneficial tool for the classroom. Students can write papers and send them easily to the teacher for editing and comments without having to worry about using the same system that the student/teacher is using. It could also be great for group projects for students adding information for various locations into one document.
Students today don’t pay much attention to instructions. They learn by doing especially when it comes to technology. They would rather play with a new cell phone, computer or Ipod to figure out how to get it to work then to sit and read an instructional booklet. Students today and so used to using multi tech gadgets at once that they don’t even think twice about it. Instant messaging and texting becomes second nature to them so it is surprising to me that they still want the face to face instruction from teachers. Maybe they feel that they will get more out of the class using the face to face instructions rather than taking an online test while instant messaging with someone across campus.
What is most surprising to me is that students today who have completely grown up around technology have issues or do not prefer to use course management programs. I think just like the Blackboard course I took years ago, there is not a lot of instruction from institution on these programs. Students can figure out the basics of the course managements, but I am sure there are lots of extras that are available on these programs that students never learn to take advantage of because of a lack of instruction and proper use. There are a lot of advantages that students have today with using these programs such as grades being available from online access so you can stay on top of your academics. Since most faculty for higher learning institutions are not of the net gen, they don’t get the instant response and access that students want today. Students expect from the use of technology for teachers to respond in a fairly fast time because they are so used to having information and the answer at their fingertips. Today’s faculty uses technology as a different means of communication with a student, but may not respond in the time frame that student’s feel is legit. Until there are more net generation students entering the workforce, there will probably always be a technological gap between the faculty and their students. I think course management and using technology in the classroom with explode once the Net Generation is the ones that are instructing because they will know what works and what doesn’t when it comes to technology and education.
The Google Docs program I used for my lesson plan project ended up being a very frustrating task for me. Once I was copy and pasting in my lesson plans, I had issues with the curser not falling where it was actually typing and this made for a very difficult time. I did however like the idea of the google docs and being able to access the document from any computer to work on the project rather than only being able to use word. I think when used correctly this can be a very beneficial tool for the classroom. Students can write papers and send them easily to the teacher for editing and comments without having to worry about using the same system that the student/teacher is using. It could also be great for group projects for students adding information for various locations into one document.
Monday, September 6, 2010
The Net Gen Learner
The students in today’s classrooms play an intricate role in the changes that are occurring in education curriculum and how teachers are presenting subjects and areas of academics to these students. Well, at least that is what should be happening in the classroom, but in actuality these students are more advanced and knowledgeable in using technology then the classroom has access today. With all the resources through technology that students have access to that they use as lines of communications, it’s no wonder that hearing someone stand in front of them lecturing is boring and loses their attention quickly. Students today have been raised in the internet age. They can look up anything on the internet that they want to find out about or learn. Having this power and access at their fingertips has changed the way students learn. Twenty years ago if you needed to do a research report on zebras you would go to the library and start with looking in the encyclopedia. Today’s students can just Google zebras and a much larger amount of information then an encyclopedia could ever offer then is right there in front of them. Most students today probably take for granted the fountain of knowledge that they have access to. Having this access has greatly changed the way these students learn compared to the encyclopedia students of the past.
Relationships for kids today have changed greatly due to technology. The way they speak to their peers and their parents is done through technology so why wouldn’t their way of learning be affected by technology too. If students feel more comfortable in using technology to learn that is should be implemented into schools. Unfortunately technology comes at a price, which is usually too high for public schools to afford the best of the best, especially with all the recent economic struggles. Not only is affording the technology for the classroom expensive, but you also need to train teachers in how to utilize it in the classroom. We are just starting to have teachers entering the workforce that are at the edge of Net Generation and understand technology, but there are a lot of teachers that are out there that it’s very new to them and the thought of using something they are not knowledgeable in or comfortable with scares them, but this is how students of today learn so it’s important for teachers to learn how to use it.
Technology in the classroom for students should not be used to replace the teacher, but the assist the teaching in reaching the learning levels of students today. Students are used to video games, tv, internet, cell phones and iPods and often these items are used at the same time. Students are reading less because of these devices in their life. Most students learn from experience of doing something rather than reading directions. Any student that buys the newest video game gets home and put the game on right away and starts playing rather than pulling out the instruction book that comes with the game and reading about it first. They are learning by doing. Just this past week end I had an experience with this. I helped my Mom (baby boomer generation) buy a new cell phone and when we got it home and looked in the bag from the store for the instruction manual. She thought they forgot to put in in the bag when they took her phone out to set it up so she called the store and they told her that they no longer print the manuals, but she could go online and read the manual if she needed. This is a perfect example of how technology is changing how we learn. If I was the one who got the cell phone I would get home and play with the phone to figure out how it worked rather then read the instructions. If this is how our students are learning we should be adapting education to fit their needs.
We can not replace the human contact we have in life. It is bad enough that we communicate more through text messages and face book with our family and friends then actually talking face to face, but this is what is happening with technology and how it changes out lives. We still need teachers in the classroom to work face to face with students and through research it is still apparent that students want to learn from teachers rather than learning everything through online contact. There are always students who need the motivation from a teacher in order to stay on task with school work. I think that teachers could become even more affective to students that need that motivation if they implemented technology to the student’s level of learning to make it new and interesting to students and not as boring as a lecture. The use of blogging or message boards in classrooms to discuss areas of study is something that today’s student understands and might fine more beneficial in learning then writing a research paper. We need to use the technology that the Net Generation is comfortable with to improve learning, but we can’t use it as a replacement. Students still need the fundamentals of reading and writing, but using games or computer programs to get students to learn these fundamentals is what they need today compared to the students of decades past. Maybe the use of Kindles in classroom would make reading a classic novel for an English class more enticing to students then reading a paperback version. Schools need to start small and build the use of technology in teaching students. School is also a great place where students can learning the importance of proper use of technology and how to keep yourself safe from the dangers that are out there on the internet. Parents of these children may be naïve when it comes to their children and the internet so schools need to teach the responsibility of technology if they are going to use it in the classroom. It is not going to be cheap to take these routes of using technology to teach to students of today, but if we want to reach the students of the Net Generation we need to start thinking like they do and seeing these through the digital age.
Relationships for kids today have changed greatly due to technology. The way they speak to their peers and their parents is done through technology so why wouldn’t their way of learning be affected by technology too. If students feel more comfortable in using technology to learn that is should be implemented into schools. Unfortunately technology comes at a price, which is usually too high for public schools to afford the best of the best, especially with all the recent economic struggles. Not only is affording the technology for the classroom expensive, but you also need to train teachers in how to utilize it in the classroom. We are just starting to have teachers entering the workforce that are at the edge of Net Generation and understand technology, but there are a lot of teachers that are out there that it’s very new to them and the thought of using something they are not knowledgeable in or comfortable with scares them, but this is how students of today learn so it’s important for teachers to learn how to use it.
Technology in the classroom for students should not be used to replace the teacher, but the assist the teaching in reaching the learning levels of students today. Students are used to video games, tv, internet, cell phones and iPods and often these items are used at the same time. Students are reading less because of these devices in their life. Most students learn from experience of doing something rather than reading directions. Any student that buys the newest video game gets home and put the game on right away and starts playing rather than pulling out the instruction book that comes with the game and reading about it first. They are learning by doing. Just this past week end I had an experience with this. I helped my Mom (baby boomer generation) buy a new cell phone and when we got it home and looked in the bag from the store for the instruction manual. She thought they forgot to put in in the bag when they took her phone out to set it up so she called the store and they told her that they no longer print the manuals, but she could go online and read the manual if she needed. This is a perfect example of how technology is changing how we learn. If I was the one who got the cell phone I would get home and play with the phone to figure out how it worked rather then read the instructions. If this is how our students are learning we should be adapting education to fit their needs.
We can not replace the human contact we have in life. It is bad enough that we communicate more through text messages and face book with our family and friends then actually talking face to face, but this is what is happening with technology and how it changes out lives. We still need teachers in the classroom to work face to face with students and through research it is still apparent that students want to learn from teachers rather than learning everything through online contact. There are always students who need the motivation from a teacher in order to stay on task with school work. I think that teachers could become even more affective to students that need that motivation if they implemented technology to the student’s level of learning to make it new and interesting to students and not as boring as a lecture. The use of blogging or message boards in classrooms to discuss areas of study is something that today’s student understands and might fine more beneficial in learning then writing a research paper. We need to use the technology that the Net Generation is comfortable with to improve learning, but we can’t use it as a replacement. Students still need the fundamentals of reading and writing, but using games or computer programs to get students to learn these fundamentals is what they need today compared to the students of decades past. Maybe the use of Kindles in classroom would make reading a classic novel for an English class more enticing to students then reading a paperback version. Schools need to start small and build the use of technology in teaching students. School is also a great place where students can learning the importance of proper use of technology and how to keep yourself safe from the dangers that are out there on the internet. Parents of these children may be naïve when it comes to their children and the internet so schools need to teach the responsibility of technology if they are going to use it in the classroom. It is not going to be cheap to take these routes of using technology to teach to students of today, but if we want to reach the students of the Net Generation we need to start thinking like they do and seeing these through the digital age.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
First Day of Class
Today is the first day of class. This is my debute of blogging. Future blogs to come!
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