Digital Blog Post #G: Chapter 10

First, the Revealing Hidden Histories and Untold Stories section of the chapter was very interesting. It makes sense that when you incorporate someone else's history into a lesson, they will be more interested. The example that the textbook used was girls being more interested in a career in math and/or science when they hear more stories about famous women mathematicians and scientists. They also point out that online bookmarking, like Delicious that we use, can come in handy because textbooks do not always include the inspirational history that students will learn from best, and the online bookmarking is a convenient way to find and keep websites that have information on those historical characters.

Second, I liked the section titled International Newspapers and Interactive Maps. It reminded me of my English Composition teacher. She likes to include current events in our classroom assignments. She only does it occasionally, but if she were to use the Newspaper Map website, I believe it would be a very good resource for ideas for our assignments.

Third, I enjoyed reading about the differentiated instruction. The example described about a class being given the option to choose in which activity they participate, while each student still learns the same probability lesson. I think it is very strategic and smart to create group activities like that because it would keep the students interested, not only in their own probability results, but they would also be intrigued by the other groups' results.



Resources:

Giuliano, J (1 March 2015). Chapter 10. Created with Emaze.com

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Digital Blog Post #E: Chapter 7

I enjoyed reading the section on the steps in solving problem, on page 159, because I took the course called Cornerstone Experience last semester and a lot of what the course was about was critical thinking and problem solving. I have always enjoy debates and things that were explained in more than one way. I think it is cool to learn about it in that class, as well as, this class. They both generally say the same thing, but to read it from a different aspect helps me understand more in depth. I created a ZooBurst pop-up book to illustrate the steps given in the textbook, as shown below:

 Like I said, I enjoy debates and I have previously heard quite a bit about the controversy involving video games. I agree that social skills are not enhanced through video games, but with many video games actually promote a person’s critical thinking and problem solving skills. Hand-eye coordination, along with many other advantages are given through playing video games. I also just recently watched a documentary on the history of video games and many people blame video game creators for adolescent violence, but one person on the film made a good point, he said that the games have ratings for a reason, and when parents don’t follow the guidelines, they purchase a video game not suitable for all ages.

 I remember playing strategic, critical thinking games on the computer, when I was little, like, Where in (Time, The World, etc.) Is Carmen San Diego?, along with some other games that helped with math and/or reading. I loved them, playing those made me enjoy school and learning so much more, which in turn is some of what guided me into going to school for elementary education. Anyway, back on track, reading about the games and apps for educational purposes brought back those memories of the games that I loved. I was intrigued to check some of them out for myself. I downloaded and installed on called Math Ninja, it was only a trial version, but it was interesting. I really like the idea of incorporating actual games and apps into education because I have personally experienced the influence it can have on you when you enjoy school.

Resources:

Giuliano, J (11 February 2015). Exploring Problem Solving. Created with ZooBurst.com

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Snead, J. (Producer & Director). (2014). Video Games: The Movie [Motion Picture]. USA.

Digital Blog Post #D: Chapter 5

The chart on page 105 in the textbook was very informative. I love that it specifically describes what each search engine or database is used for. For example, Technorati is a search engine specifically for blogs, and open library is working on being one webpage with EVERY SINGLE book ever published. This chart will come in handy for my future research papers. I wish I could use delicious for paper material too!

Electronic note-taking. I have been using technology for everything and yet I still cannot get myself used to electronic note-taking! I have tried, but for some reason the information does not stick in my head. I like the idea though, I have tried to keep my grocery list on an app I have on my phone and my husbands, so that it syncs to both of our apps. But, of course, I forget its on there because I am still stuck on looking for a written list. I hope I can change my habit of only written notes so that i can help my students with it as well.

I never realized how many parts there were to evaluating a website. I knew about basic things like update information and if the links are not usable. Again, I find that I learn something new every day. There are so many false websites out there and they look very real! It amazed me to see the Tree Octopus website and realize that it wasn't real. It was very entertaining though to read that their predators included the Sasquatch!

Resources

Giuliano, J. (2015 February 8). Evaluating A Website. Created with http://piktochart.com/

Maloy, R., O'Laoughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Digital Blog Post #C: Chapter 3

"What can you teach with technology that you cannot teach just as well without it?", as posed in the textbook, is a very good question. I like the way that the book put it, that it isn't necessarily that you cannot teach something without technology, but that you cannot always teach with the same amount of impact when not using technology. Unique, Powerful, and Transformative are the perfect words for the use of technology in the classroom. Unique is the impact that technology has on the learning experience, Powerful is the word to describe the longevity of learning when using technology. Transformative is the term used to explain how using technology in the class room transforms the way teachers teach and students learn. The use of technology can have an amazing effect on many aspects of a student's life, not just in the present, but also in their future. Which leads me to the next topic that greatly stood out to me...

In the Connections Possibilities section on page 50, I read about High Tech High in San Diego, California. The school, now a network of schools, amazes me. Each student has their own advisor, they create their own digital portfolios for the school year, they support full inclusion of students with special needs, and laptops are always available to them. They have semester long internships that are on the curriculum, and they shadow adults in their local communities. There is no tracking or ability grouping, teachers work as a team, and all graduates go to college. The methods and results are admirable in my eyes!

I am 24 and I thoght that I had internet literacy, but I was mistaken. I thought I knew what was educational, correct, and so on. But after reading about the project conducted by Teaching Internet Comprehension to Adolescents (TICA), I am not as sure of myself as I was. The researchers created a website about an animal that does not exist, but made the page sound academic, with realistic pictures, and what sounded like legitimate contact information. Again, this textbook has opened my eyes, happily, to new possibilities and opportunities!

The wordle below includes many, but not all, terms that technology used for educational purposes affects.

Resources:

Giuliano, J (2015, January 30). Edu-Tech. Created with http://www.wordle.net/

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Digital Blog Post #B: Chapter 2

I have always believed that the best way to learn is when you aren't trying to learn anything. When using technology, such as, games and videos, students are more likely to be enveloped in the technology used compared to reading a lesson out of a book. Especially today, almost all children, of all ages, play some type of video game, whether it be on the computer or some other gaming console. When the children of this generation are told to read a book, it's almost like pulling teeth...you hear moaning and groaning as if it is the worst thing they could be doing right then.

Imagine telling a class that their homework for the night was to go home and play their video games for an hour or two, then to write three different strategies that they learn to use while playing. Students would probably be ecstatic, and they would complete their homework without a peep. This is one of the reasons that the Roger's innovation curve on page 26 in Transforming Learning with New Technologies surprised me.

I thought that there would be a much higher percentage of Frontier Developers/Innovators in the business and management department. Knowing the many different learning styles, you would think that more people would want to include technology as a visual and/or kinesthetic aid. The high percentage of individuals that chose to avoid the use of technology was also very alarming. 

Another thing that pretty much blew my mind was the lack of teacher conviction to at least trying to include technology into their lessons. Maybe I am biased, but to me teaching is all about change. I believe that when a student progresses and their knowledge evolves, that is change; as society changes, we need to adapt; and as science and research shows, much of what we know is not actually correct and true, and that as we learn new facts of life, our education of these facts change.

As I continue to read this textbook, I hope to remember to repeatedly re-evaluate myself and my attitude toward technology, so that I never give up because of too much change. 

Resources

Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Sadker, David M. and Zittleman, Karen R. (2012). Teahcers, Schools, and Society. 10th Edition.  

Digital Blog Post #A: Chapter 1

The first concept that caught my interest was the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge, or TPACK. It is the act in which teachers include three different types of knowledge to create an exciting way for students to learn. This concept was intriguing to me because I enjoy learning about the many learning styles and personalities, and TPACK is a way of including those styles along with today's use of technology. It still amazes me to see how much children of all ages use technology, such as, computers, ipads, etc. Below is a video that I found to be, although long, a very good example as to what it truly means to include every part of TPACK in a lesson.

Another part of Chapter one that not only caught my interest, but also surprised me was the "must-have" pieces of technology in classrooms. When I was in school, we were privileged to just have a computer lab with the gigantic monitors that were each the size of a school desk. Students are now using tablets and laptops, as well as, Smartboards and even smartphones for school work. According to Mashable, more than two-thirds of teachers want more technology in their classroom, along with many other surprisingly high classroom technology statistics. I am very excited to learn and experience ways to incorporate these technologies in everyday lessons.

Lastly, I was surprised to learn that there were so many ways to use technology in the classroom. I realized the basic forms such as listening to music from an ipod or watching a video on YouTube, but I have never put some technology into consideration, such as, social media. Reading about them in the textbook has opened my eyes to more technology incorporating opportunities than I thought possible.

As my first post comes to an end, I have realized how much I really do not know about using technology in the classroom. I know that teaching will always be a learning experience for me, and I look forward to learning and growing, along with technology, along the years that I am a student and a teacher.

Resources

F, A. (2013, June 23). TPACK Example. Retrieved January 16, 2015, from http://youtu.be/_a90EvWfoLU

Larson, E. (2013, February 5). How Many Teachers Use Technology in the Classroom?. Retrieved January 16, 2015 from http://mashable.com/2013/02/05/teachers-technology-infographic/

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwars, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.