Last Blog!

I my opinion I feel that taking this class has given me much more insight on technology/internet. At times, it can be difficult with a busy schedule to find new and useful information for the classroom.
Kathy Schrock’s article, The ABC’s of Web Site Evaluation shows much information one should consider when they come across information from the internet that needs to be used for students.
In my opinion, I feel that internet material needs serious time and evaluation before putting it out there for students. It is crucial that the material is from a valid source and that all material is school appropriate. I feel that Kathy Schrock’s Evaluations for websites are a great tool to use for finding proper material for school. This is a great tool because it can be difficult at times to know what may or may not be valid. Thankfully, in this class and with our resources we’ve learned, it has helped me to decipher what a valid site is.
In class we discussed a few things worth knowing and remembering such as……
Who made the website? Where did they get their sources? What are the credentials? When was the site last updated? Is there a way to contact the author? Can the website be altered in any way? Thankfully, most schools block inappropriate content and provide students with a school website for assisting in resources.
I have always loved computers and anything to do with technology. It certainly makes our life a lot easier when used appropriately and efficiently. This technology class has certainly done a lot for my future as a teacher. Thank you!

My thoughts on ed tech.....

To me… I think it is imperative to improve student achievement through the use of technology in elementary and secondary schools. I think technology is pretty much everywhere. Even jobs without a high school diploma or college degree, require some knowledge of using technology. Working with sales, food, travel, and hospitality require some knowledge of technology.

Technology is growing and we have to understand that it’s percolated through our lives. The internet is increasingly becoming a vital tool in our daily living. Being digitally connected is so critical to educational advancement. A substantial amount of Americans regularly use the internet to perform their regular activities. Whether they’re using it for social networking, research, business, emails, ect…. People who lack these access tools are at a huge disadvantage. They can’t communicate efficiently or even gather proper resources for research.

Although, it does have it’s disadvantages too. I sat down to do this blog and my other assignments, and the power went out! At that point I couldn’t do anything! I still had my laptop and tried finishing the blog but the battery could only last for so long. I guess you have to take the good with the bad. I understand for some people it can be very hard to learn about technology considering they haven’t grown up with it like myself. I guess with a little effort and help from others we can all be successful and enjoy the benefits technology can bring to us!

A fun educational technology tool!

One technology tool that has been a huge success is inspiration. I’ve always admired it and I enjoy using it for my own individual needs. Students love to work with inspiration and can construct some great work through inspiration software. Inspiration is an effective visual learning tool that can help students advance in many ways. Inspiration is a great foundation of learning, and can benefit many.

Students can develop graphic organizers and create webs maps, diagrams and webs, which entails to higher-order thinking. They can use these to help organize and group their work for a better understanding of the topic. Its also a great tool for collecting and organizing data, which can often be a hard task for some students.

At first teachers may need to direct students and show them how the software works. After a mini tutorial/lesson, students love to work on their own and explore. This is beneficial for the students and the teacher. Students learn to become independent as well as learn the avenues of finding information, as for teachers it may free up some time to help others.

Students can use inspiration to learn how to organize certain projects and thoughts for understanding, remembering, or writing about any type of material. Inspiration is a great tool mainly because, not all students learn the same. Inspiration is an excellent way to break up the uniformity in the everyday curriculum that students encounter. Students can bring their own individual way of interests and ideas to their work on inspiration. They can add their own personal touch to their inspiration project, but still adhere to requirements in education.

Can teachers provide equal access to the digital world for all students?

No, this is not very feasible. Teachers cannot provide equal access, for all students to the digital world. Every school district works with different budgets and that money needs to be allocated in different ways besides technology.

Although it would be a great to say that teachers can provide equal access for all students with technology, they do the best they can, but it’s not practical. Teachers must integrate technology into their lesson plans and policies for all members of the learning community, and make the community have equitable access and use. Not being equipped with the proper technology can make these tasks certainly very difficult if not impossible. Many schools try to provide scheduled computer lab time for all students in order to give them the access that they need for research, assignments, ect…. Even set ups like this, still isn’t enough time.

The fortunate part, is that our society has made such great technological advances, that it would be so beneficial for our students to have and learn from, but unfortunately it’s costly. If students could have more access to technology, they could be more productive and ready for any type of job market. What we’re seeing in the classroom are computers that are old, large, and very slow! With technology like this it makes it almost impossible for teachers to accomplish any task at hand and have students acquire any type of skill. Hopefully, in the near future our classrooms will be equipped with more technology and students can learn the new way. Either way, I feel students can still learn and utilize technology if they have the desire to. They can access some form of technology by the library, friends, relatives or after-school programs.

Week 3- Collaboration!

Teachers often share common difficulties in the classroom. Other teachers and administrators may have already found solutions that have worked for these difficulties. A fresh set of eyes for a problem can help to find a solution to some of these difficulties. Through regular meetings, teachers can learn more about their students, such as what works for instruction, delivery, ect. With students' permission, teachers can also share information relevant in students' personal lives.

Teachers and administrators have common goals. Through collaboration, teachers can share ideas and feedback. Therefore, students can receive lesson plans and instructions created by several teachers instead of one. This will likely turn out a much more powerful lesson.

Collaborating with other teachers will help to build an appreciation for each role teachers play in the school. Teachers will learn what a typical day entails for their colleagues. They will soon learn their colleagues role is a lot busier and stressful than they originally imagined. This will build a newfound respect for each teacher's role throughout the school.

Essential Questions

Why should you use technology in the classroom?

Technology in the classroom can open up the door for vast amounts of information to students. Technology brings outside experts on various subjects to students. Students can use resources such as teachers and books, but in comparison, the Internet can be quicker and more effective. Beyond the classroom, technology is found everywhere. Integrating it into the classroom at an early stage will help to prepare them. Lastly, students are already using technology outside of the classroom. Sites such as Twitter, BlogSpot and Facebook have created a technology-based life for students. Bringing technology into learning will help students become more engaged and interested.

What is the purpose of using or integrating technology into learning?

Using technology in learning will help to capture students' attention. A lesson that includes resources students already use outside of the classroom will make the curriculum feel more modern and practical. For example, Microsoft Excel is a program used in a broad spectrum of businesses. Including a lesson involving Microsoft Excel will help students to realize this information will be useful. Learning through the use of technology can be much more effective. For example, a student doing a presentation on tornadoes can include a multimedia presentation into his or her project. Video clips through YouTube can be shown, which will show much more detail than a picture from a book can. Students can find information online from experts in tornadoes and include this with pictures into a PowerPoint presentation. The final result is a project a student can be interested in, and that has also prepared him or her for life after school. The main purpose of integrating technology into learning is to teach students efficiently, effectively and in a manner they will enjoy.

By: Georgia Melas

Georgia's Educational Journey

Hello!

My name is Georgia. I am a student at SNHU taking a graduate level technology course.
A few things about myself...I enjoy working with computers and technology. I spend at least 2-5 hours a day on my MacBook (that I love) and you will always see me with iPhone. I enjoy using facebook, twitter, and surfing the web. I love technology because it helps me stay connected to my friends and family from all over the world at the palm of my hand!
I am definitely super-excited about my technology course because, I will learn more about daily applications that everyone uses and integrate it in the classroom. Did I also mention that I love shopping?????????

:)