I plan to work with students grades Preschool to Third grade with no specific content area. In my classroom it is my goal to include as much technology as possible with the students still being able to learn and grow. Three of my favorite types of technology and software to use with children would be the SMARTboard, the program kidspiration, and Microsoft Word.
I really like the SMARTboard and the fact that it is a great way to teach a lesson and include games and interactive learning for the students. I would like to have games and activities built into my lessons so that students can come up to the smartboard and have hands on learning as much as possible.
The program kidspiration is a wonderful program to allow children to put their own ideas into concept maps. I would recommend this program for students more around second or third grade and higher but younger children cannot do any harm by playing around on it. It is a great way for them to explain something and create their own fun activity to share with the class.
I have always liked Microsoft Word. There are so many projects that can be created using Word and I plan to show my students all the newsletters, papers, and posters that they can create and print out for the world to see.
One really neat program, InspireData is a great program to create concept maps and interactive ideas, however, it would be much too complex for a student of my grade level to use.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Blog #4
After exploring the following Emerging Technologies: a) Games, b) Interactive Whiteboard Activities, c) Simulations/Role Playing, & d) Virtual Reality/ Worlds (links found HERE), discuss whether or not you see a use for each of these four technologies. Then, pick two different, specific activities (a game, a simulation, an interactive whiteboard activity, or a Virtual Reality or World) and discuss in detail how it engages students in their own learning.
a) I think online games can be a blessing and a burden. There are many online games that can be educational, however, there are many games, while educational, can be so much fun that children, even adults, play these games for hours nonstop. This causes loss of interest in other things such as homework and chores.
b) Interactive whiteboard activities are a great way to include fun in the classroom. Students always love when games are included in their everyday learning atmosphere.
c) I believe that Role Playing games are good to an extent. Yes they can teach lessons and learn time management skills and be entertaining. However, they can also be addicting and seen as just another game to play on the computer.
d) I do not see a use for the Virtual Reality or Virtual Worlds. In my opinion, it is another way for people to not be social with other individuals. I have watched television shows where people become so addicted to their online virtual world that they lose all contact with everyone that was ever in their life. In my opinion, that is not healthy. I believe having these options for children are not necessary. As a child one needs to socialize and learn how to communicate and interact with other humans in a physical presence not through the computer.
I believe that the two most useful technologies are games and interactive whiteboard activities.
One specific activity is the Interactive United States Map. This map allows students to point to any state and see the name and capital. Concepts like this are a good idea for students because I believe hands on learning is very important. Also, getting to chose what they want to understand better gets them involved in the learning process.
Another specific activity is the Bee Game. This game has young children learn their alphabet by clicking on the letters in alphabetical order and the bee picks up the letters and takes them to his hive. If the students do not hit the correct letter the bee will not pick it up.
a) I think online games can be a blessing and a burden. There are many online games that can be educational, however, there are many games, while educational, can be so much fun that children, even adults, play these games for hours nonstop. This causes loss of interest in other things such as homework and chores.
b) Interactive whiteboard activities are a great way to include fun in the classroom. Students always love when games are included in their everyday learning atmosphere.
c) I believe that Role Playing games are good to an extent. Yes they can teach lessons and learn time management skills and be entertaining. However, they can also be addicting and seen as just another game to play on the computer.
d) I do not see a use for the Virtual Reality or Virtual Worlds. In my opinion, it is another way for people to not be social with other individuals. I have watched television shows where people become so addicted to their online virtual world that they lose all contact with everyone that was ever in their life. In my opinion, that is not healthy. I believe having these options for children are not necessary. As a child one needs to socialize and learn how to communicate and interact with other humans in a physical presence not through the computer.
I believe that the two most useful technologies are games and interactive whiteboard activities.
One specific activity is the Interactive United States Map. This map allows students to point to any state and see the name and capital. Concepts like this are a good idea for students because I believe hands on learning is very important. Also, getting to chose what they want to understand better gets them involved in the learning process.
Another specific activity is the Bee Game. This game has young children learn their alphabet by clicking on the letters in alphabetical order and the bee picks up the letters and takes them to his hive. If the students do not hit the correct letter the bee will not pick it up.
Blog #2
Tell us the level of students with whom you plan on teaching as well as your content area or the content area you have chosen for the newsletter. Tell us the standard you are working with. Then, describe the benchmark and/or grade level indicators you were working with on the Newsletter assignment. Most importantly, reflect on how your newsletter activity represents a learner-centered activity where your future students (on their own or with younger children, working with the teacher) would be able to construct meaning regarding the benchmark or grade level indicators by using the technology of word processing.
When I get my degree to begin teaching I plan on teaching grades Preschool to third grade. The content area that I chose to use for my newsletter was language arts. I am working with the research standard. The benchmark that I will be working with is that by the end of the K-2 programs students are to be able to generate questions for investigation and gather information from a variety of sources. Also, they are to retell important details and findings. With my assignment, students are to attend a field trip to the zoo. After the field trip the students will get together with the teacher and create a newsletter to show the information that they gathered on the field trip. The information will be provided by the students but the actual newsletter will be prepared by the teacher. The student will work side by side with the teacher to design the newsletter, however, so it is the students individual ideas.
When I get my degree to begin teaching I plan on teaching grades Preschool to third grade. The content area that I chose to use for my newsletter was language arts. I am working with the research standard. The benchmark that I will be working with is that by the end of the K-2 programs students are to be able to generate questions for investigation and gather information from a variety of sources. Also, they are to retell important details and findings. With my assignment, students are to attend a field trip to the zoo. After the field trip the students will get together with the teacher and create a newsletter to show the information that they gathered on the field trip. The information will be provided by the students but the actual newsletter will be prepared by the teacher. The student will work side by side with the teacher to design the newsletter, however, so it is the students individual ideas.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Blog #1: Wikipedia: Blessing or Burden
From an educational perspective (as a both a current student and a future teacher) is Wikipedia a blessing or a burden? As a future teacher, what would you tell your future students about Wikipedia's role in education?
As a future teacher and a current student I believe Wikipedia can be both a good thing and a bad thing. I have found that Wikipedia has been very accurate most times when I needed to use it to look something up. The burden of it is that anyone can make an account and change the information on any subject. The blessing of it is that is can quickly give you information on anything that you can think of. It is always being updated so even new information, products, or events can be found on Wikipedia.
I will tell my future students that Wikipedia is not something that you can rely on 100 percent of the time. Other sources will be needed when completing a project. It is a good thing to use when looking for a quick answer to something but it is not appropriate to use Wikipedia to write a whole paper.
As a future teacher and a current student I believe Wikipedia can be both a good thing and a bad thing. I have found that Wikipedia has been very accurate most times when I needed to use it to look something up. The burden of it is that anyone can make an account and change the information on any subject. The blessing of it is that is can quickly give you information on anything that you can think of. It is always being updated so even new information, products, or events can be found on Wikipedia.
I will tell my future students that Wikipedia is not something that you can rely on 100 percent of the time. Other sources will be needed when completing a project. It is a good thing to use when looking for a quick answer to something but it is not appropriate to use Wikipedia to write a whole paper.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
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