Using Technology in Classroom Part 2

    
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     My repertoire has grown significantly since the beginning of the semester. When I started this class, I believed I had a great knowledge of computers and programs. I was proven wrong after the second week of class when we learned about wikis and blogs. I had no experience with either program.  I think that the learning process can be greatly enhanced by technology in my classroom. When I am a teacher, I want to incorporate several of the programs we have learned. I really liked the use of iPadio and screencastr to give explanations or assignments beyond the classroom walls. I want to also incorporate Zoho and Prezi presentations into my teaching. PowerPoint has been overused and I think these programs provide another exciting way to be presented. I think my elementary students will love using them. Teacher Web Pages and Curriculum pages are great to use in a classroom. A Teacher Web Page provides so much information to students and parents. Curriculum pages are a neat way to teach a concept. I have never heard of curriculum pages before and I think it is an awesome idea. I have never created a website before and I am so excited about wikis and that I know how to use them. This will come in handy for several classes and when I become a classroom teacher.

These programs I have used and have learned a great deal about:
-iPadio
-Movie Maker
-Prezi and Zoho
-Screencastr
-Google Sites
-Virtual Tours
There are several others in which I have learned and added to my knowledge and will apply to my teaching. Learning this information about all of these programs has been very helpful and has widen my view of technology.

Ethics

     Ethics is responsible cyber social behavior according to the Cyber Citizen Partnership. Cyber ethics must be taught to children so that cyber crimes and injustice do not happen. Ethics in terms of cyberuse includes giving others credit, protecting others, and behaving appropriatly when using a computer.
     I will teach my students the Ten Commandments of Cyber ethics. These ten commandments are: thou shall not use a computer to harm other people, thou shalt not interfere with other people's computer work, thou shall not snoop around in other people's files, thou shalt not use a computer to steal, thou shalt not use a computer to bear false witness, thou shalt not use or copy software for which you have not paid, thou shalt not use other people's computer resources without authorization, thou shalt not appropriate other people's intellectual output, thou shalt think about the social consequences of the program you write, and thou shalt use a computer in ways that show consideration and respect. I will teach these commandments in more kid friendly terms, but I want them to be aware of proper ettiquete when using a computer. Also, I will make sure my students have a basic understaning of technology and the proper uses of a variety of technological programs. As a teacher, I will monitor online use of my students during the school day and reinforce good computer use. I will also empower the students to create expectations to keep their computer use ethical and safe.
     A pro of being ethical is that you are keeping others safe as well as yourself. Also, providing credit where credit is due honors the hard work of others. A con of being ethical is having to follow rules and restrictions on sites. Also, sometimes information of other people is desirable, but is not ethical to take. Being ethical is also how Christ calls us to be at all times.

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Washington Memorial Clip

Reflection on 2011 Online Conference

Playing with the 4 C's in an Elementary Classroom
                                       http://k12onlineconference.org/?p=985
     The session is by Paula Naugle and Jan Wells. They are both fourth grade teachers. These two women have been collaborating for two years to teach their students the 4 C's. The 4 C's are creativity, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking. However, the two live in separate states and have had to rely on technology to make their collaboration work. One particular tool that is used is skype. They have done interviews, had speakers, sing songs together, and compare data. The two teachers also did a research project that used Google Docs. The two classrooms could have access to the document and add new research. This put a new spin on a research project. They have also collaborated with other schools to have mystery skype calls around the United States. The students have to find where the other classroom is from by asking questions and doing research. They also use Emodo to keep information of skype presentations. Other people can see the information and comment on it. These ladies also have several projects the develop critical thinking by using different mediums and requring research.
    I learned through this session how much collaboration can be beyond the walls of the school and even the limits of the city. I learned so many different ways that communication can occur through skype. I think that I may try to do this in the future. This teaches students good communication skills and critical thinking skills. A great deal of the projects were higher level thinking and would challenge students. I think that when I am a teacher, I will try to connect with another teacher far away and do something like these two ladies did. It is such a neat idea!
     One con of this collaboration is that a school must provide the tools needed to provide such a rich experience. Skype, SMART Boards, and several other products are used by these two teachers. Access to all products is vital for these communication and collaboration opporuntities to be made. There are several pros to incorporating the 4 C's into the classroom. Students learn beyond their classroom and develop many skills. The 4 C's are all skills that are needed for everyday life and students should be learning them at such a young age! I loved these ideas!

Virtual Field Trips

Virtual field trips are "trips" without leaving the classroom. These trips are all virtual on a computer, iPad, iPod, or any other technological device. A classroom can be viewing the great wall of China while sitting in their desks in Canton, Ohio. A virtual field trip explores a place or an object with videos, explanations, and interactive activities. Virtual field trips allow for explorations beyond the classroom to places that a school bus cannot easily take a class.
     In my future classroom, I would use virtual field trips to explore the other continents when we learn about them. I would have my computer connected to a SMART Board so that my class can interact with the field trip. I think I would also explore different places within the United States that our school cannot send us too. Or even factories and businesses. This allows for exploration outside my classroom with interactive pieces that I cannot provide.
     Pros of virtual classrooms include the easy access to anywhere in the world. Also, virtual field trips have many parts to them. Typically there is a video, some explanation, and sometime interactive portions. This allows students to interact with places and things they normally would not be able to. Also, virtual field trips can be free so the cost is a lot lower than going on an actual field trip. Some cons of virtual field trips is that it is only on a computer. There is not tactile interaction with a place. Some virtual field trips are not extensive and there may not be a good virtual trip for a place a teacher would like to interact with.


Credits
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Weebly Curriculum Page Link!

http://butterflycyclemisswilliams.weebly.com/

Teacher Web Pages

     Teacher web pages are websites used to add to the classroom's learning. Teacher web pages can be implemented for several reasons. Either to have homework posted, parent letters, or just weekly/monthly class news. Teacher web pages will look different depending on a school district. Some schools require teacher web pages and some do not. Some teacher web pages are more blogs rather than websites. The use of a teacher webpages typically depends on the district and the teacher's willingness to go above and beyond.
     When I am teaching I will have a teacher web page. I think they are vital to our internet savvy world we live in. I will post any class updates as often as possible. I will put up resources that parents can download to do with their children outside of school. Another way I may use a web page is to post homework assignments so students never have the excuse of leaving it at school or forgetting to write the assignment down. My teacher web page will have two parts: one for the students and one for the parents. Students can access homework, any news, and resources/games that they can play. Parents will be able to get weekly calendar updates, classroom happenings, lesson details, resources for their use, and a question/answer area.
     A pro of a teacher web pages is to keep in constant communication with families and the community. Its easy for everyone to access and does not require individual contact with parents as often. Also, teacher web pages are very helpful for parents to stay involved in what is going on in their child's school experience. A con of maintaining a web page is that it takes time. If a teacher commits to weekly updates, he/she needs to stay on top of that the whole year. This is hard when the to-do list keeps getting longer. However, the communication that web pages provide far outweighs the time and teachers should try to be as committed as possible to their web page.

Screencast- Pintrest

iPadio Post

Podcasts

     Podcasts are audio or video files using RSS that are prepared and distributed to subscribed users. These files can be shared across the web or on a MP3 player. Podcasts are easily becoming one of the newest trends of communication. One can easily download a podcast and take it anywhere they would like. Podcasts can be visual, strictly audio, or both.
     Podcasts are great tools for teachers to use in their classrooms. Teachers can use podcasts as communication tools with the parents in their classroom. When I am a teacher, if I know I have a tech savy group of parents I may try to use podcasts for daily updates. I can explain to the parents how the podcasting works at the beginning of the year and then hope they use this tool. Also in my classroom, I may choose to use podcasts as additions to my lessons. Students can listen to them for homework and have schema for what I want to do for the next day. Or I may try the flip teaching and use podcasts as my lessons at home and help students with homework and projects in class. I will also use other professionals podcasts to learn and improve my teaching or my classroom.
     Podcasts can be helpful or nonbeneficial to a classroom depending on the use of them. Some cons of podcasting is that it takes away the personal touch of teaching or communicating with parents. Video podcasts still do not count. Podcasts also can take time for teachers to create and some parents/students will not even tune in to listen to them. Podcasts do have pros as well. Podcasts are great supplements to teaching in a classroom. Other teaching professionals may have created great podcasts that you students may benefit from listening to. Podcasts are also like DVR. A student, parent, or teacher can go back and listen to a podcast several times. This can help learners who need to hear the material more than once. Podcasts are great additions to the classroom depending on the use intended.

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How Do Educators Learn?

What is a webquest?

     Webquests are used in education as another form of learning. According to Bernie Dodge on Concepts to Classroom, webquests are "an inquiry-oriented online tool for learning." Webquests are lessons that allow students to explore beyond the boundaries of the classom. Teachers can use webquests to build schema of places/things that students have never experienced. Webquests are on the Internet, therefore computer access is necessary. Webquests can last over a period of time or just in one hour. These lessons normally allow students to be creative with the resources given to them. Some webquests also build upon teamwork.

     Webquests are very useful for the classroom and to engage students in a deeper level of thinking. In my classroom, I think I will use webquests often. I am a Early Childhood major and younger students need to be accostomed to using computers in the correct way. I think that webquests in my classroom will be to make learning fun and to show that there are fun educational things on the web. My goal of using webquests will be an extension of teaching. Bringing creativity into the classroom and to teach teamwork will be vital. I will use webquests as either a final part of a lesson or as an introduction. For my practice webquest, I am doing the life cycle of the butterfly. I would use this as an introduction to a more detailed lesson as well as hands-on experiences with the life cycle of a butterfly. Webquests are helpful for differentiation as well. There can be different webquests for the different students in the classroom. The different webquests can be differentiated for those with different needs. But, the webquests will all be the same. I think this is helpful for a diverse classroom.
    There are many pros and cons to using webquests in classrooms. Some pros of webquests are that students learn to work in teams with other students. This can be a challenge for some students because they choose not to get along with others, but it is a good teaching tool. The webquests allow students to have quicker access to information. Society will require these students to find information at an alarmingly fast pace from a great deal of sources. Webquests allow for creativity and a deeper thought process beyond a mulitple choice test. Students have to construct and understand the concept that is being presented. While these pros are helpful, there are many cons to webquests as lessons. Some webquests do not provide the basic knowledge to a subject such as: definitions or factual recall. Many content standards are based off of those two ideas and are sometimes withdrawn from webquests. Webquests also take a great deal of time to create. Many teachers do not have that much time to learn how to make it and gather all of the resources for the students in time to teach it. Some schools have a hard time doing webquests because they do not have the technology to have a whole class on a computer at a time. This poses a problem unless you can have students pair up on the computers. Behavioral problems can arise at this point, because of the "unfair" usage of computers. There are both sides presented. However, I think that webquests can be useful as an extension of learning.






Credits
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http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/webquests/index.html

Thoughts about Technology in Education

I believe that current classrooms either rely too much on technology or too little. I have seen several classrooms that strictly use a blackboard and worksheets. However, I have also seen classrooms that basically let kids use computers, Smart Boards,
and other forms of technology instead of actual teaching. I believe that technology is a great tool to assist and add to learning. Our primary goal as teachers is to have our students learn. Sometimes the use of technology can prevent learning, because students become overwhelmed. Technology is a great addition to the classroom because our world today is so tech savvy. Students are coming into school with far more knowledge of technology that teachers do. Just traditional teaching is not enough, students need to be engaged and technology is a way to do that. There are several tools on the Internet that can be included in lessons to further the learning. Technology with a Smart Board is one way to get students engaged. They can move around and write on the board or answer questions on an interactive site. I have also seen students learning math facts then go to a computer lab and use a website that has math games that correspond with the lesson. This will engage the students and help reinforce the concept learned in the class. Technology is a good addition to learning, but I do not think should be the only way of instruction. I do think that today's teachers need to become more technologically literate in order to serve the current needs in the classroom. Students respond better to technology because their world is immersed in it.

• Some different uses of technology in the classroom are:
• Smart Board
• Power Point
• Prezi
• Computers
• Laptops
• Tablets
• interactive websites
• blogs
• wikis
• videos
• kindles/nook
• projectors

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