ParentLink.com - "B"

I mentioned in a previous post that I have three younger sisters and I just recently viewed the school website for my sisters Jillian and Caroline. I read and wrote about an article, which specifically talked about these websites and how it is a useful tool for parents and students. It allows parents to see what assignments are due, what is being completed, and what the grades are. Through ParentLink.com I was able to see all of the assignments Jillian had for the week from her math teacher and her current grade in the class. While all of her teachers use the site, her math teacher uses it most actively. Caroline, who is in high school, logs into the ParentLink website just to check her grades; there are no assignments being posted.
I learned from my own experience on the website that it truly is the best way for a parent to keep track of their children. After reading the article, I wanted to see it for myself and I liked the organization of the website and the privacy. Every student has an ID to login with. I didn’t face any challenges but some of the challenges that students/parents might face is the lack of teacher activity on the site. I know that Jillian was waiting for her science teacher to update her grades, because she wanted to know how much a test helped her. I think the best way to overcome this is for all teachers to make at least weekly updates to the ParentLink site. I learned that when I become a parent, I will want to be very involved with my child’s education. I didn’t realize how important it is for a parent to monitor their children’s progress and I’m happy that my parents have taken advantage of it.

Interactive Quiz - "B"

In one of my other courses, Diversity of the Human Experience, we were assigned to interview and observe an ELL student. ELL stands for English Language Learner and at the end of our project we had to put together a presentation. On PowerPoint, I made a slide show, which reviewed the key parts of our project. Then I made an interactive quiz on PowerPoint, which we had learned to do in our computers course. It was ten questions long and I made unique ‘Correct’ and ‘Incorrect” slides.
I enjoyed making the PowerPoint, because it is easy to do and the simple skills reveal a great outcome. The presentation was by far the most creative done on the computer and everyone liked the quiz aspect. I learned and sharpened my knowledge of using PowerPoint and being able to hyperlink within the presentation. The only challenge I had was making sure the whole presentation flowed and checking to make sure I had all the right hyperlinks on the right/wrong answers. I viewed the slide show and took the quiz, which was kind of fun to review my own work. After doing our presentation, I learned that I seemed to be more technologically skilled than most of my classmates. Almost everyone was interested in how I could have made an interactive quiz on PowerPoint. I think that most of my classmates will learn to use computer programs to their advantage and I’m thankful for having taken this course.

eBook experience - "B"

For our computers in education course, we had an assignment to observe a student reading/listening to an eBook on the Tumblebooks website. I have three younger sisters, so it was easy to have my youngest sister, Jaclyn be my student. I chose two books for her to read; Bintou’s Braids and Wild League on Ice. She read the eBooks on the automatic mode, which means the computer does all of the reading and changes pages on its own. There is also a manual mode, where the reader can move at his/her own pace. Jaclyn did stop two times to click on words that she didn’t know. The eBook program sounded out and repeated the word for her. After she was done I asked her what she thought of the eBooks. She thought it was a fun website and said that Miss Miller (her teacher) should use it during their center time.
I thought that the whole eBook experience was great, because before I let Jaclyn read the books, I read them by myself. I thought the narrators spoke well and I enjoyed the animated transitions in the stories. I learned that eBooks is another way for young students to read, because it is a program that allows the students to work independently. I also recognized that eBooks would be a great tool for struggling ESOL students, because the eBooks allows the students to hear the words being read. There really weren’t any challenges in this experience, but I think that some of the books had too much animation, which might distract the readers from listening. Luckily, I didn’t have to worry about Jaclyn being distracted, because the books I chose didn’t have lots of animation. After this eBook experience, I learned that I should research and explore the Internet for other useful programs. I was amazed that the Tumblebooks website had such a great variety of books. I also learned that I do value the opinions of younger students, because they are the ones using the technology.

Control the Technology - "A"

This article is about the technological equipment that most classrooms have for the teacher to use. The data/video projector, DVD/VCR, document camera, and classroom sound amplifiers are the specific tools the article talks about. For a teacher to use all of this equipment, the article says it should be easy to use. Before some of the recent advances in technology, teachers would have numerous remotes and controls to navigate their way with the equipment. Now there can be wall controls installed which allows teachers to use the media tools without the help of a computer. This can be useful when substitute teachers have to teach, because they usually don’t have access to the passwords on the network computers. Also, there is software that can be used to monitor and shut off equipment that has been idle for a period of time.
I chose this article, because as a future teacher it is useful information to know about the tools we will have available in the classroom. It answered my question of how technology can be used in the classroom and more specifically in secondary schools. The article can be used for a wide range of educators and I thought it was neat how the author was able to connect all of the technology to the willingness of teachers using it. It also was clear with specific materials that can be controlled by a main control panel and the software that can monitor activity. All of the equipment is seen in most of my college classrooms, but in high school it was less common for all the classrooms to have that technology. I’m guessing that it will vary depending on the economic level of the schools, but hopefully the future will bring better things.

Day,W.C. (2007). Now That's Control.(Column). American School & University 79(6). Retrieved March 27, 2007, from Academic OneFile database.

Full text article

Classroom Websites - "A"

This newspaper article is from one published in Vermont and it deals with the students of the 21st century. It talks about teachers creating classroom websites for parents and students to check in order to complete assignments and view grades. The author makes up a hypothetical conversation, which five years ago would have sounded absurd. Here it is:
Thursday, March 22 Student: The dog ate it. Teacher: I hate it when that happens, but no problem. I know you must have saved it to the hard drive on your laptop, so just print me a new copy. Student: I used our desktop computer at home. Teacher: Not to worry, why don't you e-mail your Mom or Dad at home and have them upload it to our classroom Web site?
That conversation summarizes the advancement that there has been in technology in the recent past. The resources parents now have to make sure students are doing homework is great and the teachers have been able to turn homework into something children look forward to doing on the computer.
I liked this article for its freshness, because the author is able to combine a little bit of humor with his knowledge on the classroom websites. I thought that it was different from the typical ‘technology in the classroom’ article, because it relates more to the outside of the classroom use. It fits in with my question, in what different ways a teacher can integrate technology in education. Being in college, we have been introduced to the ANGEL website which can be accessed by teachers and students. It is neat to see that it’s making its way into the K-12 classroom.

Knp, W. (2007). New Ways to Look at Homework. New England Newspapers, Inc.. Retrieved March 24, 2007, from Proquest database.

Full text article

Bye Bye Verbal-Only: Welcome Interactive Multimedia - "A"

This article is about the radically changing classroom in today’s schools. Technology, but multimedia in particular has paved the path for students and teachers to be involved with their learning. The author talks about how multimedia assisted instruction has led students to solve problems on their own, because it presents a new way of learning. He also brought up the recent reports of using multimedia with small groups of students resulted in a collaborative effort. There are many significant educational and personal skills that can be learned through multimedia. The article brought back the teaching belief of constructivism, which I talked about in some of my other posts.
I thought that this article represented the current activities going on and it gave the positive results of incorporating multimedia in the classroom. It relates to my most obvious question of how technology is used in education and what the prospects are in the future. I liked how the author talked about the multimedia helps students acquire collaborative skills, which he said employees are looking for. I think the article fits in well with giving more insight on using technology in the classroom and I enjoyed reading the author’s views.

Faryadi, Q. (2006). Bye, Bye Verbal-only Method of Learning: Welcome Interactive Multimedia. Online submission. Retrieved March 22, 2007, from ERIC database.

Full text article

Constructivism and technology - "A"

An article I found on the ERIC database reported the similarities of teachers who used technology actively in their classroom. Most of the teachers who do integrate computer-assisted instruction in their classroom are constructivists. Constructivists are those who believe that students must be able to create their learning by doing. They are much more likely to involve hands-on activities and group work. This article observed 32 teachers and had the teachers evaluate themselves on their teaching philosophies. The results were surprising, because the teachers tended to exaggerate the role of constructivism in their class. After direct observation, the teachers who said they were constructivists did not use any of the available technology. They did find though that the teachers who did integrate computers were more likely to be constructivists. Those who have different philosophies were less willing to use computers.
I thought that this article related to the question that I am going to be a future teacher and will have to figure out what my core beliefs are in teaching. I also liked that the article brought in technology and real life reports of teachers incorporating it. There were many articles on ERIC and this one was interesting, because I wasn’t completely knowledgeable to what the constructivist teacher believed in.

Judson, E. (2006). How Teachers Integrate Technology and Their Beliefs About Learning: Is There a Connection? Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 14(3), 581-597. Retrieved March 22, 2007, from ERIC database.

Full text article

Canon U.S.A. Inc article - "A"

This article is about the Canon U.S.A., Inc. company bringing in numerous forms of digital technology to the classroom. They introduced the new equipment at the annual Florida Education and Technology Corporate Conference (FETC) hoping to show the vast knowledge students can learn through digital imaging. Some of the technology includes the new liquid crystal on silicone (LCoS) as opposed to the LCD screens, which will give a clearer image. Canon wants to better supply schools and teachers so that students can get the best education. The article also talks about how involved Canon is with education and incorporates a year-long competition called Canon Envirothon, which has students working on helping the environment.
I chose this article, because it showed me the new technology that will make its way into the classroom. In my blog, I talk about being excited for learning about technology and how it can be integrated in the classroom. This article relays the goals of Canon for having technology reach the schools. I find that I am constantly learning about new and different equipment that can be used in the classroom. This article lists over twelve different products that Canon has come out with; all of the products are not only geared for home use, but educators will find the equipment helping reduce the time in preparing lessons. I liked the fact that Canon is well connected with education and the environment, because those are two of the most important issues in our society.

Associated Press (2007). Inc. Helps Educators Integrate Technology into the Classroom at the FETC Conference in Orlando Digital Imaging Leader Displays Its Solutions for Educators. Associated Press Financial Wire. Retrieved March 22, 2007, from LexisNexis database.

Full text article

Pinecrest Elementary - "E"

When I went to Pinecrest Elementary in Immokalee, the first thing I noticed was the lack of technology. There were no computers in most classrooms and if there was, it was a lone computer. In the class I was observing, the teacher had her laptop from home and told me that it’s usually hard for her to even get a television during their ‘free time’. I was surprised that the school didn’t do more involving technology, but I realized that the school was in the lower socioeconomic area. Unfortunately, Pinecrest Elementary is an ‘F’ school, so I don’t think under the No Child Left Behind act that they get as much funding from the government. I hope things will change at the school, because I know it’s important to gain a variety of skills through regular instruction and computer assisted instruction.

Technology - can it be bad? "C"

I know that technology has greatly impacted the education of students in K-12. In USA Today, I found an article about the negative aspects of technology in the classroom. A substitute teacher in Connecticut, Julie Amero, was convicted of exposing children to pornography. However, it was debated on how much control she had over the pop-ups and ultimately she was found not to have diligently tried to eliminate the pop-ups. She could face up to 40 years in prison. In the article, it talks about the Internet and how the Web browser can’t distinguish between what was intentionally clicked on and what was a pop-up. It also said that some pop-ups are never-ending loops that are sometimes impossible to stop.
I understand the reasons behind Mrs. Amero’s charges, but I do believe that some aspects of the Internet are hard to control. This made me think about my role as a teacher and how I can ensure my student’s safety when it comes to using the computer. I think that if I explore the sites I intend to use ahead of time, I will be able to guarantee that my students won’t see material unsuitable for their age. I found the whole article to be interesting and I think that Mrs. Amero should be punished, but 40 years in prison for a possibly uncontrollable pop-up is a little extreme. However, I do believe that teachers should never put their students in inappropriate situations and should be punished if found doing so. This article opened my eyes to the disadvantages to such a vast amount of information on the Internet. I wouldn’t think pornography would ever be an issue that is brought into the school, but again as wonderful as technology is, there are some faults.

Full text article

Reflecting on a classroom experience - "B"

When I went into Miss Miller’s first grade class at Pinewoods Elementary, I got the chance to use technology to help her students learn. Everyday there is a set amount of time for center activities, which are associated with reading and writing skills. One of the centers was the computer center, where I helped the children log on and play reading games. The game that I thought was the most interesting was the ‘name the body part’ game, which had the students picking out of a bank of words the correct body part. The word ‘arm’ was among them and the student would click on it and drag it to the picture of the person and place it where the arm is. Another game that the students were playing was a fill in the blank game and it allowed the student to choose which tense of the verb fit. For example, one sentence would say something like ‘Billy is ______ for the bus’, The choices would be ‘waits’, ‘waited’, or ‘waiting’. It got more challenging as the game went on and I noticed that most of the students avoided this game.
I learned from this experience about the different types of reading materials that can be used to teach an exercise. At the computer center, the children can work independently and are encouraged to help their neighbor if they ask. It was neat to see how technology has evolved since my days in elementary school, because the only computer games we had were Number Munchers or Word Munchers. Some of the challenges that I noticed were that some students repeated the same game two or three times during their center time. This won’t help them learn new lessons and it is hard for the teacher to catch the students doing this. I was able to tell the students to try three different games during their center time, because it was important they learned many different lessons. Of course, since I was the ‘helper’, everyone listened and wanted me to watch them do their exercises. I don’t think they realized how much they could learn from the simple games, but as a future teacher I saw the material trying to be taught. As a learner, I found that I still am new in the whole using computers in education. I’m amazed each time I see a new game, program, or website that gears itself to teaching students. I’m anxious to use technology in my own classroom.