Reflecton #6

What? For my final relfection, I wanted to post something about how I plan to actually incorporate my future (ideal) teaching job with technology. When it comes to teaching, I would really like to use my degree to go abroad and teach English to foreign language learners. I was just talking with several friends about this today, and I also heard from a missionary this morning about how she has the opportunity to teach English in China. There is such a need for teachers to teach English in today's world. I could even use this kind of teaching position to bring the gosepl to people in other countries.

So What? Since I know that I want to go abroad at some point, even if it's only for a year, I wanted to brainstorm several ways I could incorporate technology with this kind of job. Technology could enable me to maintain a blog in various languages so that parents and students alike could read what I post in their own language. I also could post links to websites that are interactive and could add to their English learning experience. I think that the more resources that students have available for them to use, the more immersed they would become in a language.

Now What? I am so excited to hopefully teach English someday and also to use technology in my profession. I also have many friends within my Ed. cohort who are wanting to teach English possibly, and I think that we should encourage one another to pursue using technology to help us teach English better. This summer I'm planning on taking the TESL course in which I hope to use technology to do several of the assignments.

Reflection #5

What? As previously mentioned in one of my other reflections, I have been incorporating technology into the African presentation I am putting together in my Instructional Design class. As I was pondering what to use as an Anticipatory Set for the lesson, I decided that something involving technology would be a great attention grabber. I went online to look up possible youtube videos I could use that had to do with the continent of Africa. It took some time, but I finally found a good one. You can click on the following link in order to view the video I found for my Anticipatory Set.

So What? I'm really excited that I found this video, because I have never before used a youtube video within a school presentation, let alone a lesson I could use with students someday. However, as I become more comfortable with incorporating technology into my academic environment, I am realizing that these kind of resources will be very helpful as attention grabbers in my future classroom.

Now What? For future presentations or lessons that I need to build, I plan to use technology in some way, shape, or form. This may include a youtube video like this one, a SMART board presentation, an interactive website or online picture, or any other kind of visual technology. Students love watching videos (I know I do) and technology reaches them better than any other tool in this generation since kids today have grown up in a world full of technology.

Week 8 Post (Required)

I found the following site regarding the use of the Promethean ActivBoard. This site provides lots of information about this kind of white board. There is a link for educators to view case studies on the use of this board within classrooms. I think that this kind of technology is a viable option to incorporate into the classroom, because it seems like a leading and ground breaking technology in the realm of education. The site states that the Promethean ActivBoard's aim is to "unlock the potential of human achievement in education and training around the world at all ages around the world." While I learned more about what the Activboard is through this site, I am still curious as to how this interactive board compares to the SMART board--their similarities and differences as well as which one is best in the classroom. The Promethean Activboard is painted in a very good light on this site, most likely since it is a good interactive tool and also since the site is trying to sell the Activboard to educators. The site claims that the Activeboard "brings learning to life!"

Comments on Peer Blogs

Throughout the first part of this semester, I commented on the following entries on my peers' blogs:

Kacie's "My Decision to Become a Teacher"
Natalie's "Entry 7"
Alice's "School Website"
Matthew's "Reflection #1"
DeAnna's "The Interactive WHITE board, Yes it has Arrived!"
Bethany's "My Story"

Hope you find their posts as interesting as I did!

Reflection #4

What? In reflecting on my most recent Techology in Eduation session, I am realizing more and more that I know very little about internet technology compared to how much technology is "out there." While I want to be tech savvy, for the sake of best using the resources that are potentially at my fingertips, I am finding that I have only glimpsed the tip of the iceberg. As an upcoming teacher, I want to use the best resources possible in order to help my class learn and be able to access information, as well.

So What? I am so thankful for my Technology in Education class. Even though I usually leave the class feeling a similar feeling of intimidation concering technology than when I came in the door, I am still gaining knowledge in this area of my world and I know that practice and patience will continue to boost my confidence in the realm of technology. As I continue to discover the many online resources that exist, I know that I will find several that will become more comfortable and easy for me to use frequently. At the moment, I am still trying to simply soak it all up and take what I can from the information that I have been given.

Now What? I'm glad that I'm becoming more comfortable with the SMART board, creating web pages, and creating a teacher blog (as well as maintaining this current blog: Technological Perspective). These accomplishments give me confidence to keep exploring resources as I step into my professional career. I hope to create my own teacher blog and use it consistently as a teacher for students and parents to access and reference on a weekly basis.

Reflection #3

What? Yesterday I was able to create a website page in my Technology in Education class. It was so great because I could do the encoding for the page and create my own page about whatever information I wanted to put online. I chose to make my page about Africa, because I have a presentation in another of my classes this week regarding this topic.

So What? Since I chose to make a page with material on it that I am also using in another class, I wanted to be able to access the website page for my other presentation. The tricky thing was being able to get to it from another computer, one other than my own. At first, I was only able to access it through my computer, but I realized that if I sent it to my email account, then I could access it from any other computer, via my email. In doing this, I realized that I additionally had to add a link for the google picture that I had originally included on my page. This way I could easily access the picture of North Africa during my presentation by clicking on the link.

Now What? I plan to use this website as a piece of the presentation I have been putting together for my other class. It's all pretty exciting for me since I have never done this before, and with practice, perhaps I can make another webpage sometime that is more complex than this current one. I learned that creating sites takes time and is not as easy as it may seem. I'm not only proud of the simple one I made, but I now have a much greater appreciation for the people who create various websites.

Week 7 Post (Required)

I currently work at Lakeview Elementary and hope to teach at a public elementary school like this one someday. The following is a link to its website: Lakeview Elementary. I like how bright and cheerful this website is. I also enjoyed looking through the many activities it has for students there. Although a bit plain, the website seems inviting and is extremely informative. Personally, I wish that the website offered more pictures of the school and of the children there. The layout seems a bit outdated and could be possibly updated, but its current layout does work. I enjoyed exploring this website, especially since I am familiar with the school.

Reflection #2

What? In reflecting on technology within education, I considered how much more enjoyable and exciting classes would be if all my teachers used some form of interactive white boards to present material. Just this week, during our SMART board presentations in the Tech Ed. class, Jonas presented an interactive lesson covering European geography. This reminded me of the Geography class that I am taking right now at Northwest, because we recently studied European countries, cities, and geographical landmarks within that class, as well.

So What? During my geography class, when we were discussing the very places Jonas covered in his presentation, I don't think that my teacher succeeded in engaging the entire class. However, if he had been using a SMART board and/or a lesson similar to Jonas', he may have had much more of a chance keeping the class' attention. I would prefer to learn about Europe through the SMART board presentation, rather than through an unmoving map up on the board. Learning can be accomplished in both cases, but an interactive white board would grab the attention of more students since it demands student involvement and class interaction.

Now What? I want to remember this example of the use of technology within teaching, because it makes me want to strive to build interactive lessons for my future students. By going the extra yard to make a lesson interactive, I believe that more students will get the most out of the objective the teacher has set out to accomplish. Teachers should consider the benefits of engaging the class whenever they are planning lessons.

Reflection #1

What? In my Instructional Design class, I am learning how to plan lessons. This past week we were assigned a project in which we have to create a lesson. Beginning with the lesson objective, anticipatory set, lesson itself, and assessment plan, my class and I are creating lessons which we can use in our future teaching careers. Since I have been learning about the SMART board in my technology class, I decided to do my lesson using the SMART board. I chose a lesson activity regarding the water cycle, and I am excited to present it in my Instructional Design class.

So What? As I gain confidence in using interactive white boards, I hope to incorporate technology more and more into my lessons. I am learning about the process of teaching this semester and just how useful technology can be within the classroom. It's actually rather fun looking for SMART board material and brainstorming ways to shape a lesson around it.

Now What? While I am in the teaching program at Northwest, I want to continue to make the most of opportunities to learn about technology, especially regarding the SMART board. The Water Cycle lesson has been enjoyable and enlightening to plan, but I know there is still more out there to learn.

Week 6 Post (Required)

Today I got some great SMART board ideas to use in my future classroom. I enjoyed the various presentations, especially the one about the Titanic. Also, I learned that the teacher can record the presentation in order to play it back at a later date (for students who may need to see it again or who may have been absent on the original day of the presentation). Another interesting feature that I observed was converting written words on the board into text in order to copy them into a word document. This could be very helpful for certain lessons. All of these features are just a partial glimpse of the power of the SMART board within the realm of teaching. I feel much more confident with using it than I previously did; however, I would hope to have more practice during my student teaching semesters so that I can feel fully confident to use it in my classroom someday. I am still not exactly sure about how to hook up the students' response touch pads for interactive responses to the lesson and immediate feedback of their answers.

Assignment #2: SMART Board (Required)

Click the following link to download my SMART board presentation about Evaporation.
This learning activity is designed for a third-grade science lesson, but it could be used for other grades, as well. During the presentation, I will use the writing feature of the SMART board to type a text box in order to list answers to questions about evaporation. In addition, I would use the SMART pen to write on the board or allow children to write answers the board, when needed.

This SMART board activity involves the following four standards for both students and teachers:

NETS Standards for Students:
1. Creativity and Innovation- Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. Students:
a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes
b. create original works as a means of personal or group expression
c. use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues
d. identify trends and forecast possibilities

2. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making- Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decision using appropriate digital tools and resources. Students:
a. identify and define authentic problems and significant quiestions for investigation
b. plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project
c. collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions
d. use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions

This particular SMART board activity meets these two standards in similar ways. Students must predict why and how they believe that evaporation is a work in the example given at the beginning of the lesson. Consequently, students must take what they know of the world and apply it to the given situation, both creatively and critically. Throughout the lesson, they must not only reflect on previous knowledge, but they must also analyze the given situation and predict reasonable outcomes as they explore the scientific topic of evaporation. Therefore, I believe that my SMART board lesson fulfills both of the above NETS Standards for Students.

Also,
NETS Standards for Teachers:
1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity- Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments. Teachers:
a.promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness
b. engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources
c. promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes
d. model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments

2. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning- Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society. Teachers:
a. demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations
b. collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation
c. communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats
d. model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning

Additionally, the activity meets the above standards for teachers, because teachers must use their technological, social, and teaching skills to perform the SMART board lesson. As they engage students in the lesson, both virtually and face-to-face (by having students watch the SMART board as well as write on it), they are modeling the current technological tools for teaching science. In doing so, educators will ideally challenge students to learn and grow through the processes of critically thinking and analyzing. The SMART board is a fun way to show students the benefits of technology in the classroom.

For the sake of learning in my future classroom, I think that the SMART board would be very effective. Children get excited to engage in interactive activities, and the SMART board would be an excellent way to allow them to have fun while learning, hence making learning more enjoyable and exciting. If my students are enjoying what they are learning, then they will want to learn more. Therefore, as the SMART board hopefully piques their curiosity into the elements of science and other subjects, they will be more engaged in school and education. I hope that by using the SMART board, I will creatively and effectively portray subject matter and lessons in a way that will help students remember what they are learning. I am now very excited about using the SMART board in my future classroom, especially now that I feel more comfortable with using it.

Week #5 Post: Blog for Educators (Required)

Following the links under "Blogs for Educators" on the Class Blog, I explored an excellent blog today, Edutopia.org. It's a blog site for educators to post and get advice for ideas that work in public education. Not only are there recent blog posts on the main page, but there are also links to core concepts, videos, specific blogs, groups, a magazine, and special reports. Within the core concepts heading, there are ideas for comprehensive assessment, integrated studies, project learning, social and emotional learning, teacher development, and technology integration. Edutopia.org seems like a very helpful blog site for educators who are wanting to see what other educators are doing in their everyday classrooms. Not only is this helpful for seeing what else is out there, but teachers may also be encouraged to see that other teachers are dealing with some of the same problems, etc. which they are dealing with. Teachers who want to post on this blog can create an account with the network and then easily sign in anytime they wish to visit or interact with the site. As a result of finding this blog, I know that I will want to be a member of either this blog or a similar blog when I become a full-time teacher in order to gain ideas and support from a network of people in my same career.

Week #4 Post: Generation IM (Required)

It is so fascinating to consider the average, modern student. Today, these individuals truly are "wired in a wireless world" as the article Generation IM article points out. In my regular day of college classes, I go online at least once every day (if not much more), and, as a result, using the internet has become very much a part of my daily routine. However, I still can't believe how young some children are who use the internet and technology on an every day basis. According to the article, even preschoolers use technology in their young lives. Compared to the past, students of any age may choose to research a school project by first accessing the internet, rather than cracking open a book. Consequently, technology has quite a grip on today's generation of learners.

In reflecting upon this reality, I want to be pro-technology rather than against it when I assign projects and assignments as a teacher. I truly believe that technology should be viewed as a tool within the classroom, rather than as a hinderance. This article was a fresh reminder of the many facts that characterize the uniqueness of the current generation of students. Even though I don't understand all the "ins and outs" of technology quite yet, as well as the numerous resources available to me as an educator, I am willing to approach technology with a positive and open outlook since I plan to teach the current generation of students.

Educators who are opposed to using technology for teaching purposes should read the article Generation IM and ponder its many statistical insights. There are clearly many ways to bring technology into the classroom. The final one listed in this article is my favorite: Using Google Maps. I hope to incorporate all of these suggestions into my classroom in an effort to connect with my students and enable them to better connect with each other.