Good evening. I just wanted to share my frustration as a teacher with certain websites being blocked by a school district. I teach environmental science at the High school level and my students and I have been focused in on the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. My brother-in-law is part of the air force that is dropping chemicals on the oil spill to help clean it up. This is the first time in history this has been done and I would love to have him talk with my students about it. The problem is he probably won't be home until school is out. I would love to be able to use Skype and have him explain to the students exactly what he is doing but Skype is blocked by our school district. Arg!!!! If Skype was blocked by your school district and you were able to get it unblocked I would love to hear how you did it.
Thanks!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Time went by fast
Well this class went by quite quickly. I have learned many new ways in which I can use technology to support learning and how it can be used in a teacher centered classroom as well as a student centered classroom. I have realized through this course that I mainly use technology in a teacher centered classroom but I really want to strive to have a student centered classroom.
One instructional technology tool I would like to use in the future is using computers to help them take notes or summarize notes. Ideally I would love to have laptops in my classroom but I they could take the notes into the computer lab and reorganize them or have a computer activity to help reinforce the notes they were given.. Another way I would use the technology is by having them blog with me on certain subjects or with each other. There is a website called Weeble for Educators where I have a page set up for my students with websites that they used for a poster project we just did. It also has a blog there where my students could have posted any questions they may have had.
Next school year I plan to be more organized with my ideas about where and how to use technology. I would have them set up blog accounts early on so it can be an active source of communication between myself and the students. I would also use different strategies in providing notes to my students and provide different ideas in how they can organize them. This would require me to get into the computer lab more often so I have the access I need to the computers because it can get difficult to get lab time. Of course, ideally I would love to have laptops for my own room.
One instructional technology tool I would like to use in the future is using computers to help them take notes or summarize notes. Ideally I would love to have laptops in my classroom but I they could take the notes into the computer lab and reorganize them or have a computer activity to help reinforce the notes they were given.. Another way I would use the technology is by having them blog with me on certain subjects or with each other. There is a website called Weeble for Educators where I have a page set up for my students with websites that they used for a poster project we just did. It also has a blog there where my students could have posted any questions they may have had.
Next school year I plan to be more organized with my ideas about where and how to use technology. I would have them set up blog accounts early on so it can be an active source of communication between myself and the students. I would also use different strategies in providing notes to my students and provide different ideas in how they can organize them. This would require me to get into the computer lab more often so I have the access I need to the computers because it can get difficult to get lab time. Of course, ideally I would love to have laptops for my own room.
Friday, April 2, 2010
voice thread
Okay, I am not sure I did this right but here is the link to my voice thread.
http://voicethread.com/#u831993.b1040339.i5545379
http://voicethread.com/#u831993.b1040339.i5545379
Cooperative learning
"Cooperative learning is not so much learning to cooperate as it is cooperating to learn" (Pilter,H., Hubbell,E.,Kuhn M.,Malenski,K.,2007). This was the phrase that stuck with me as I read our learning resources on cooperative learning and the social learning theory.
Cooperative learning can be used in conjunction with social learning theories because students have to learn to work together in order to learn the material. Technology can do this in many ways. I usually use the Internet for just as a resource for my students but eventually what I would like to do as a teacher is use it as a communication tool between my students and other students within the United States or even the world. Many of my students will probably never leave the area in which I teach. In using the Internet for a communication tool it will allow them to see what else is out there.
Another resource the text mentions is web-enabled multiplayer simulation games. I did not know these were available to play as a group. I like that it would involve problem solving and academic information both at the same time.
I really wish I could have been introduced to the process of cooperative learning and how to introduce it to my students at the beginning of the year. I will investigate possible ways of using the technique this year but I know for sure I will incorporate this into my next school year at the beginning of the year.
Cooperative learning can be used in conjunction with social learning theories because students have to learn to work together in order to learn the material. Technology can do this in many ways. I usually use the Internet for just as a resource for my students but eventually what I would like to do as a teacher is use it as a communication tool between my students and other students within the United States or even the world. Many of my students will probably never leave the area in which I teach. In using the Internet for a communication tool it will allow them to see what else is out there.
Another resource the text mentions is web-enabled multiplayer simulation games. I did not know these were available to play as a group. I like that it would involve problem solving and academic information both at the same time.
I really wish I could have been introduced to the process of cooperative learning and how to introduce it to my students at the beginning of the year. I will investigate possible ways of using the technique this year but I know for sure I will incorporate this into my next school year at the beginning of the year.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Constructivism and Technology
This week at Walden University we are studying about the constructivist and cognitive theories of learning and how technology can be used to help teach our students based on these theories of learning. Dr. Orey (2001) says with constructivism the student is actively building knowledge as they learn and is a learner centered classroom. This what I want to talk about.
There are many ways we can use technology in the classroom that builds upon this theory. We can use it to generate and test hypothesis through a system analysis, problem solving, historical investigation, invention, experimental inquiry, and decision making. (Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K., 2007). Web resources can be a great resource in historical investigation and decision making. My students have used internet resources to help investigate certain environmental issues and to decide which problem they want to work on. The text also gave a website called Smog City which I want to use as another way for my students to understand the knowledge and concern behind pollution. We are also going to be doing studies on the air quality in our area and they can use data collection tools to help keep track of the information. These all involved the student actively building knowledge and makes it more of a learner centered classroom.
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with
classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Orey, M.(Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology.
Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/
There are many ways we can use technology in the classroom that builds upon this theory. We can use it to generate and test hypothesis through a system analysis, problem solving, historical investigation, invention, experimental inquiry, and decision making. (Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K., 2007). Web resources can be a great resource in historical investigation and decision making. My students have used internet resources to help investigate certain environmental issues and to decide which problem they want to work on. The text also gave a website called Smog City which I want to use as another way for my students to understand the knowledge and concern behind pollution. We are also going to be doing studies on the air quality in our area and they can use data collection tools to help keep track of the information. These all involved the student actively building knowledge and makes it more of a learner centered classroom.
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with
classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Orey, M.(Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology.
Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/
Friday, March 19, 2010
Cognitism and technology
There are several ways that technology can be used to emphasize the cognitive theory of development. The cognitivist persepective states that learning is a mental operation that takes place when information enters the senses and then undergoes mental manipulation and then stored and eventually used(Lever-Duffy, J. & McDonald, J.,2008). There are many ways in the learning resources that showed how this can occur. One way is with Word processing programs. This includes graphic organizers to help organize information in which a student can organize their reading or notes. They can use KWL charts to help establish what they know, what they want to know and what they learn. Using mutlimedia can help to activiate prior knowledge. Students can then use this information to help them to understand the new information they receive.
One area that my students struggle with is summarizing information they have learned. They give me a look that says, "How do you do that". A graphic organizer would help them to do this but computers are not always available to do this. I feel this would be a very beneficial way for my students to be able to summarize the information they are given. I am fortunate that I have a least three computers in my room but ideally I would love to have a computer for each student.
I would really love to be able to use wikis and blogs with my students. Unfortunately most of them are blocked by our school or my students do not have internet access at home. I will continue to do what I can with the technology that is available to me and hope that one day I can have laptops for all my students.
•Lever-Duffy, J. & McDonald, J. (2008). Theoretical Foundations (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
•Chapter 1: Theoretical Foundations, pp. 2–35
One area that my students struggle with is summarizing information they have learned. They give me a look that says, "How do you do that". A graphic organizer would help them to do this but computers are not always available to do this. I feel this would be a very beneficial way for my students to be able to summarize the information they are given. I am fortunate that I have a least three computers in my room but ideally I would love to have a computer for each student.
I would really love to be able to use wikis and blogs with my students. Unfortunately most of them are blocked by our school or my students do not have internet access at home. I will continue to do what I can with the technology that is available to me and hope that one day I can have laptops for all my students.
•Lever-Duffy, J. & McDonald, J. (2008). Theoretical Foundations (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
•Chapter 1: Theoretical Foundations, pp. 2–35
Friday, March 12, 2010
Behaviorism and technology in the classroom
In my readings for my college course online I have learned that there are ways you can correlate the principles of the behavior theory with instructional strategies.
The first one is using web resources to allow students to practice concepts and skills repeatedly which provides immediate feedback and follows along the lines of modeling and shaping the skills of students. The second one is using a spread sheet software to help with reinforcement by using it to help the students to track their performance and progress. Many times students do not feel even if they put in extra effort that it will help. If you have them follow a rubric based on how they are doing in the classroom and then do before and after statistics the students can see the benefit of putting more effort into their work. This in turn would hopefully give positive reinforcement to learning. A third way teachers can provide immediate feedback through technology is from using communication software such as WordTrack which allows teachers to insert comments directly onto students papers.
In our learning materials this week we are reading from an online textbook titled Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology and it states “Students work for things that bring them positive feelings, and for approval from people they admire (Orey, 2001). If we can use just the above mentioned techniques to provide positive feedback and feelings then there is a better chance of success amoung our students.
The first one is using web resources to allow students to practice concepts and skills repeatedly which provides immediate feedback and follows along the lines of modeling and shaping the skills of students. The second one is using a spread sheet software to help with reinforcement by using it to help the students to track their performance and progress. Many times students do not feel even if they put in extra effort that it will help. If you have them follow a rubric based on how they are doing in the classroom and then do before and after statistics the students can see the benefit of putting more effort into their work. This in turn would hopefully give positive reinforcement to learning. A third way teachers can provide immediate feedback through technology is from using communication software such as WordTrack which allows teachers to insert comments directly onto students papers.
In our learning materials this week we are reading from an online textbook titled Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology and it states “Students work for things that bring them positive feelings, and for approval from people they admire (Orey, 2001). If we can use just the above mentioned techniques to provide positive feedback and feelings then there is a better chance of success amoung our students.
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