Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues in the Classroom
As teachers we are faced with many issues in the classroom. When we use many of the educational softwares we must be careful not to violate copyright laws when it comes to intellectual property. Often times teachers feel it is their right to use any information that is available to them to further their students' knowledge. However, we must remember that people still own things such as computer software and it is stealing if we just allow students to just load them on to their home computers. As teachers we must remember to give credit and always site sources of information, as well as respecting the laws that involve intellectual property.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Distance Education
Distance education can be extremely beneficial to many students. One of the ways it could be beneficial is students who move around a lot. Often students have parents whose jobs require them to frequently relocate such as active duty military. When students move they often miss learning about certain subjects and relearn others. By giving these students the opportunity that parents move often a chance to have a consistent classroom you know they are not missing anything and do not have to worry about them being behind when entering a new school.
However with everything that has its benefits there also disadvantages. One of distance education is the lack of interaction with other people. Students may only be comfortable with interacting with other people in a virtual way. So it may benefit there education, but socially it may harm them when they are forced to be out in the real world, and do not have the safety net of a computer.
Since distant education can be beneficial to some students if it appropriate for them. Students need to show an ability to stay on task on their own if they are to use distance education. It also may be appropriate for students with medical conditions.
To be able to teach in a virtual school it would be important to have the knowledge of how to use all the resources available. Since the whole thing is on the computer being able to provide the students with feedback would be beneficial instead of just posting grades.
However with everything that has its benefits there also disadvantages. One of distance education is the lack of interaction with other people. Students may only be comfortable with interacting with other people in a virtual way. So it may benefit there education, but socially it may harm them when they are forced to be out in the real world, and do not have the safety net of a computer.
Since distant education can be beneficial to some students if it appropriate for them. Students need to show an ability to stay on task on their own if they are to use distance education. It also may be appropriate for students with medical conditions.
To be able to teach in a virtual school it would be important to have the knowledge of how to use all the resources available. Since the whole thing is on the computer being able to provide the students with feedback would be beneficial instead of just posting grades.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Emergent Technologies
The technologies I explored were smart boards http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_board , Skype http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skype , and wikis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki .
A smart board is an interactive whiteboard that allows for teachers to use it as white board, but also as a computer. The smart board is nice because it allows for a more interesting way to do many activities. Using a smart board in the classroom could greatly impact the learning environment if used correctly. A way it could do this would be teaching students how to use a program like power point in a fun and interactive way with the smart board. A smart board would be a good way for a student to come up and show the class they understood what was being discussed because most students would find it very exciting to able to use the board.
Skype is a technology that allows telephone calls to be made over the internet. Skype would be a useful tool to enhance collaborating with classrooms room around the country. It would be extremely beneficial because the students would be able to see who they are working with it would make planning the time for the interaction than waiting for an email. This would also be a great way of having students demonstrate what they learned because they would be explaining to another person who is working on a similar subject matter.
Wikis are a way to share information. The reasons wikis are so exciting in the classroom is they are collaborative. Rather than the teacher having to go in update the information every day the students are able to go on share information. It not only saves the teacher time by giving students the opportunity to update it, but gives the students a chance to articulate what they have learned in an informative and professional way for other people.
A smart board is an interactive whiteboard that allows for teachers to use it as white board, but also as a computer. The smart board is nice because it allows for a more interesting way to do many activities. Using a smart board in the classroom could greatly impact the learning environment if used correctly. A way it could do this would be teaching students how to use a program like power point in a fun and interactive way with the smart board. A smart board would be a good way for a student to come up and show the class they understood what was being discussed because most students would find it very exciting to able to use the board.
Skype is a technology that allows telephone calls to be made over the internet. Skype would be a useful tool to enhance collaborating with classrooms room around the country. It would be extremely beneficial because the students would be able to see who they are working with it would make planning the time for the interaction than waiting for an email. This would also be a great way of having students demonstrate what they learned because they would be explaining to another person who is working on a similar subject matter.
Wikis are a way to share information. The reasons wikis are so exciting in the classroom is they are collaborative. Rather than the teacher having to go in update the information every day the students are able to go on share information. It not only saves the teacher time by giving students the opportunity to update it, but gives the students a chance to articulate what they have learned in an informative and professional way for other people.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Engaging Students with Concept Mapping
Here is an example of a concept map.
1. Concept mapping is a great place start with writing. Whether it is a research paper or a creative free write, concept mapping allows the students to come focus what they want to write about, but also gives them the chance to brain storm ideas and explore options they may have not come up with on their own. For example your class is doing a report on an animal. In the concept map you do as a class you could come up with different reptiles, mammals, and all other sorts of things. Maybe the students will come up with things such as different habitats, or diets, and allow to students to come up ideas and that are more organized because as a class they got a chance to decided how to put their report on an animal together.
Another way a concept map could be used is to come up with different types of things in one category and help those thoughts be organized. An example of this would be a recipe project. Each student would have to write out a recipe but it would be helpful as a class to come up with different types a food and then go over the steps necessary to make a recipe. The ingredient list then giving clear and concise steps that allow for a successful ending product when cooking.
Concept maps are also excellent for checking what children already know. If you are beginning a geometry unit it would be good to test the class’s knowledge of shapes. For example do they know that a square and rectangle are both quadrilaterals and parallelograms? And how they relate each shape to each other, do they understand there are categories of shapes. From there you could then teach students how shapes are organized and what constitutes any specific shapes.
2. Using a concept maps allows the students to teach each other and give other ideas to each other in the correct way. It also gives the teacher a formative assessment to figure of what needs to be addressed or reintroduced to the students. If students completely miss an important topic then the teacher is aware of what needs to be taught. Students also teach each other through concept maps. Students are more likely to remember information shared by other students.
3. Concept mapping should only be used on assignments and projects that a lot time should be spent on, and require a lot of planning and before thought to the topic. Concepts maps are also good for organizing and sorting ideas for papers and stories. If a project does not require these things a concept would probably not be the best a good use of time.
Blogs and Wikis in Education
1) Identify and describe 3 interesting/innovative ways blogs and/or wikis are being used in K-12 classrooms.
Some classrooms are keeping their own blogs or updating their own wikis. This allows the class to chronicle its learning and makes changes to what they have learned as they learn more about a topic which clarifies what they have learned. Another way classrooms are using blogs is they are following someone else’s blog related to a subject they are learning about. If the students are learning about space and the teacher is able to find a blog by an astronaut or someone working at NASA, it would allow the students to learn from an expert on the topic and spark a greater interest than just hearing it from the teacher. The final interesting way is they are collaborating with classrooms around the country. A class can develop a project with a classroom anywhere in the country each can update a blog or wiki about they learned that day. So if the classroom in Maine makes a discovery that the students in Washington missed they can go back and figure out why this happened. They can add to each other’s knowledge and allow each of the classrooms to formulate theories and questions based on the information each is providing to the other.
2) Describe how you might use RSS readers/aggregators within a classroom setting.
RSS readers could be a very helpful tool in the classroom. For example there are many blogs where ideas on a topic are being posted. Rather than as a class or having the teacher check back every day, but whenever something new is posted they will be notified and this will save class time. Another way they can be used is many people write blogs about what they are learning or experiencing. If your class is following say someone who is one a trip to another country that you are learning about the teacher will be able to schedule the class time and whenever ever they are notified there s a new post by that person.
3) Describe at least 2 pros and 2 cons of using blogs and wikis in education.
With everything on the internet there are pros and cons to each with blogs and wikis there a lot of these they allow the class to do. For example a class can post a blog or update a wiki daily to show what they learned about the concept. This allows the teacher to assess what knowledge the students are gaining daily, but also gives parents a chance to check out what the student it learning. Also using blogs or wiki’s give the students computer practice. It gives them a chance to use the internet in a safe supervised environment. It also gives them a chance to practice things such as typing and spelling while on the computer. However, on the other hand using blogs and wikis can also be negative. Since any one is allowed to provide information on their own blog or add it to a wiki sometimes the information the students are encountering that is false or biased. So as the teacher it is very important that we check and verify and the information we are allowing our students to read. The second is tasks on the computer may be difficult compared to the amount of resources a classroom or a school has. If a class only has one computer it would be very time consuming to work as a whole to and give one student the chance to try and type of what they have learned.
Some classrooms are keeping their own blogs or updating their own wikis. This allows the class to chronicle its learning and makes changes to what they have learned as they learn more about a topic which clarifies what they have learned. Another way classrooms are using blogs is they are following someone else’s blog related to a subject they are learning about. If the students are learning about space and the teacher is able to find a blog by an astronaut or someone working at NASA, it would allow the students to learn from an expert on the topic and spark a greater interest than just hearing it from the teacher. The final interesting way is they are collaborating with classrooms around the country. A class can develop a project with a classroom anywhere in the country each can update a blog or wiki about they learned that day. So if the classroom in Maine makes a discovery that the students in Washington missed they can go back and figure out why this happened. They can add to each other’s knowledge and allow each of the classrooms to formulate theories and questions based on the information each is providing to the other.
2) Describe how you might use RSS readers/aggregators within a classroom setting.
RSS readers could be a very helpful tool in the classroom. For example there are many blogs where ideas on a topic are being posted. Rather than as a class or having the teacher check back every day, but whenever something new is posted they will be notified and this will save class time. Another way they can be used is many people write blogs about what they are learning or experiencing. If your class is following say someone who is one a trip to another country that you are learning about the teacher will be able to schedule the class time and whenever ever they are notified there s a new post by that person.
3) Describe at least 2 pros and 2 cons of using blogs and wikis in education.
With everything on the internet there are pros and cons to each with blogs and wikis there a lot of these they allow the class to do. For example a class can post a blog or update a wiki daily to show what they learned about the concept. This allows the teacher to assess what knowledge the students are gaining daily, but also gives parents a chance to check out what the student it learning. Also using blogs or wiki’s give the students computer practice. It gives them a chance to use the internet in a safe supervised environment. It also gives them a chance to practice things such as typing and spelling while on the computer. However, on the other hand using blogs and wikis can also be negative. Since any one is allowed to provide information on their own blog or add it to a wiki sometimes the information the students are encountering that is false or biased. So as the teacher it is very important that we check and verify and the information we are allowing our students to read. The second is tasks on the computer may be difficult compared to the amount of resources a classroom or a school has. If a class only has one computer it would be very time consuming to work as a whole to and give one student the chance to try and type of what they have learned.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Teacher Web Project Critique
1. A TeacherWeb would a useful tool to for a classroom. It allows the teacher to connect to families and also allow for safe web resources to be supplied to the students. The website gives the students family a chance to be involved and see what is happening in the classroom. It also gives the students an opportunity to check what homework may have been assigned while absent. It also gives them safe links to help practice skills such as math or vocabulary. The last thing Teacher Web allows students to do is get to know the teacher better. Things like the about me page give the students and families a chance to learn about the teacher outside of the classroom.
2. Some advantages of using a TeacherWeb in the classroom are it allows the students to link to the web and gives them a chance to guide their own learning and discover what you want them to learn on their own. This gives the students a chance to feel more independent in their learning. The second advantage of using a TeacherWeb is it allows you to give students the opportunity to use supplementary resources to future their knowledge in subjects that interest them on their own. You can put up practice for math, or a link to a science site that may interest a student who would like to continue to learn more about a topic you have finished in class.
However, when using TeacherWeb and sites like it a teacher must be careful to allow the students to interact with real people. Teachers will often get caught up in the things a website allows them to do they forget that the student-teacher interaction is important for student learning and development. Some activities may be better on the internet, but some are still more helpful for the students to have them complete in real life working with their peers and their teacher.
2. Some advantages of using a TeacherWeb in the classroom are it allows the students to link to the web and gives them a chance to guide their own learning and discover what you want them to learn on their own. This gives the students a chance to feel more independent in their learning. The second advantage of using a TeacherWeb is it allows you to give students the opportunity to use supplementary resources to future their knowledge in subjects that interest them on their own. You can put up practice for math, or a link to a science site that may interest a student who would like to continue to learn more about a topic you have finished in class.
However, when using TeacherWeb and sites like it a teacher must be careful to allow the students to interact with real people. Teachers will often get caught up in the things a website allows them to do they forget that the student-teacher interaction is important for student learning and development. Some activities may be better on the internet, but some are still more helpful for the students to have them complete in real life working with their peers and their teacher.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
MI in the classroom
1. According to my test I was extremely high in interpersonal, intrapersonal, verbal and logical. As a interpersonal person I agree with this because I am able to collaborate well with others and I have good leadership skills. I am intrapersonal and a core characteristic of this that I show is I am able to set my own moral and principle priorities, and I am to regulate my own thoughts and behaviors. As a person who has verbal intelligence I often think and remember things through internal language, and often find the best way for me t0 express myself is verbally. Lastly because I am also very logical so I need things to be ordered and consistent in my life.
2. When I am in the classroom and other students like myself being a interpersonal enjoy working in groups and also working in groups where everyone has an assigned role. Being intrapersonal I enjoy classroom where I am given the chance to reflect on my learning and able to express my feelings on a topic. Students who are verbal learners tend to find classroom activities that involve public speaking, and also opportunities for creative writing. Lastly logical students prefer things to have the criteria explained at the beginning as well as finding things such as classroom debates interesting
3. Since I have 4 types of intelligence that are very prevalent I will give students chances to do group work and also individual activities that each student to work and reflect on their learning. I will also try to present things to my students in an organized well thought-out matter. In addition I would like to provide them opportunities for in class discussions and daily journals.
4. Technologies that support interpersonal intelligence are things such as board games, class discussions, and post-it notes. Some that support intrapersonal intelligence are journals, diaries, and self assessment. Others technologies that support verbal intelligence are textbooks, pens and pencils, and word processing. Students are logical find technologies such as calculators, tangrams, measuring cups and scales. Activities that involve each of these will stimulate students with these types of intelligences.
5. As a future teacher it is important that each student has intelligence in different ways. Often students who do not demonstrate logical or verbal intelligence they are not recognized as being intelligent. We have to remember that every child is intelligent in one of the nine different types. Also we need to remember to praise the students for their type of intelligence when it is expressed. Every child needs someone to help the realize they are intelligent in some way.
http://surfaquarium.com/mi/profiles/index.htm
2. When I am in the classroom and other students like myself being a interpersonal enjoy working in groups and also working in groups where everyone has an assigned role. Being intrapersonal I enjoy classroom where I am given the chance to reflect on my learning and able to express my feelings on a topic. Students who are verbal learners tend to find classroom activities that involve public speaking, and also opportunities for creative writing. Lastly logical students prefer things to have the criteria explained at the beginning as well as finding things such as classroom debates interesting
3. Since I have 4 types of intelligence that are very prevalent I will give students chances to do group work and also individual activities that each student to work and reflect on their learning. I will also try to present things to my students in an organized well thought-out matter. In addition I would like to provide them opportunities for in class discussions and daily journals.
4. Technologies that support interpersonal intelligence are things such as board games, class discussions, and post-it notes. Some that support intrapersonal intelligence are journals, diaries, and self assessment. Others technologies that support verbal intelligence are textbooks, pens and pencils, and word processing. Students are logical find technologies such as calculators, tangrams, measuring cups and scales. Activities that involve each of these will stimulate students with these types of intelligences.
5. As a future teacher it is important that each student has intelligence in different ways. Often students who do not demonstrate logical or verbal intelligence they are not recognized as being intelligent. We have to remember that every child is intelligent in one of the nine different types. Also we need to remember to praise the students for their type of intelligence when it is expressed. Every child needs someone to help the realize they are intelligent in some way.
http://surfaquarium.com/mi/profiles/index.htm
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