Reflection #7

This has been a very interesting 7 weeks.  I must admit that I have enjoyed working with and learning about the ins and outs of wikis.  I truly want to expand my wiki into a functional page I can use with my classes.  I always walk away from my courses with gained knowledge, but I am walking away from this class with functional technology knowledge.

Reflection #6

I think I'm in love with the Podcast! I have listened to my professor's podcasts before, yet for some reason I have never considered using one myself. Since all of my students have school issued laptops, I am going to test out my podcast week. I have a planned day off, so I am going to creat a video podcast for my students to refer to in my absence. I can't wait to hear their reaction! Just when they think an easy "sub" day is in their horizon, they will get a shock to see my face giving instruction for their lesson.

Our article for this week " A Teaching With Technology Whit Paper Podcasting," y Ashley Deal contributes to my aspirations of utilizing podcasts in my high school classroom. The article questions whether or not podcasting can enhance education and as a student I stand firm that yes it does.  In my ow high education journey I have experienced podcasts and without the, vital information perhaps would have not been as clearly relayed through a handout or email. "Inverting the lecture and lab....by causing video podcasts was a pedagogical success as measured by student performance" (8).

Reflection #4

I HAVE NO IDEA HOW I MISSED POSTING MY REFLECTION 4!!!!!!  I am going to chalk it up to just one of those things.  At least I had it saved and didn’t have to re-do it, but I feel like a total undergrad for not catching that I didn’t post this last week.  My apologies………………..

           

1) 
Are you more comfortable composing documents online than longhand?

I am more comfortable composing online.

              


2) Have you turned your "remembering" (phone numbers, meetings, and so on) over to a technology device?

Yes.  Everything is on my iphone and ipad.

             

3) Do you go to meetings with your laptop, iPad, or tablet?

Yes.  I take notes on my ipad.

             


4) Are you constantly connected? Is the Internet always on whether you are at home or work? Is your cell phone always with you?

 Yes.  My work internet is on the entire time I am at work.  At home, I would say maybe two hours a night of internet and my phone is attached at the hip.          


5) How many different activities can you effectively engage in at one time?

 I need focus.  The most activities I can do at one time are maybe two.       


6) Do you play video or computer games?      

I do not play games.  As a matter of fact, I do not understand those that do.  My husband can spend hours at a time on his Xbox, but I just do not get it.

7) What generational category do you fall in or are you a mixture of a few?

Please see above.

Reflection#5

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Reflection #3

I have used Wikis for several years.  At a school district I worked for, we used wikis as a portal for parents and students to have a site with information.  Students could use the wiki to access power points, worksheets, and contact their teachers.  I thought it was a great, useful tool; however, I had the luxury of using the site, not CREATING it!!!! I know the benefits of a wiki, but I do not think I had a clue, until this week, the work that goes in to creating one.  I am trying to get a wiki up and running for my debate team. I would like to post announcements, display our calendar, and perhaps even move toward on-line debating.  To say the least it is a work in progress………………………………..

Another aspect I would like to add to my wiki is a page of learning games.  In our article for this week, Helen C. Barrett, PhD. touches on the idea of gaming technology.  She suggests that gaming technology can make learning more engaging.  There are important vocabulary words a debater must have ebgraved in their memory.  A fun vocab game on my wiki would be nice and I think my students would latch on to the idea. 

Reflection #2

This week, from my group’s posts, I have given much thought the current technology situation in my own classroom.  My school district is very technologically advanced with each student beginning in the 5^th grade receiving a laptop and many technology tools available to me.  I have clickers, a mimeo pad, and programs such as LanSchool at my disposal.  Yet, even with all this technology at my fingertips, am I engaging my students any more than I would be with old school methods such sticky notes and rewards?  I have found that especially with student laptops, technology can create distractions instead of engagement.  So, what is the answer?  Throw away the technology?  I have to think, no.  Clearly, we can see from colleges and university that in-line learning is a fast and growing trend, so I whole heartily believe the wave of technology is not stopping at the front door of our public education system.  Instead, I think even great technological advances must take place to prevent the distractions.  LanSchool is a program I use to monitor my student’s laptops.  I can view their internet history, watch their screens in real time during class and block/allow websites; however, there are always loopholes, and they of course know how to sniff them out.  So, sadly I have no answers.

My Educational Technology Philosophy and Refection #1

My Educational Philosophy

“Tell me I forget. Show me I remember. Involve me I understand”- Carl Orff

 This quote speaks true to the type of learning that should occur in every classroom, and it is certainly the goal I strive to reach in mine.   As an educator, I do not think of what I do as teaching.  Teaching the material leads to the student forgetting the material.  Modeling is key for understanding, but involving my students, leads to real comprehension.   I believe in keeping my students active or involved to achieve maximum understanding. 

Technology brings on a whole to meaning to the world “involve.”  Twenty years ago, student involvement in the classroom was limited to answering questions when called upon and perhaps a little group work.  Today is a completely new ballgame with the implementation of technology in the classroom.  Instead of checking for understanding through worksheet assessments, educators can use technological tools such as clickers and white boards.  Several local Independent School Districts, including the one I work for, are providing each student a laptop for optimal involvement and engagement.  There is an endless pool of programs designed to keep students engaged without fear of being ostracized by their peers.  For example, LanSchool is a program I use to monitor my student’s computers.  Not only can I control what they are doing, I can instant message a class discussion question and students can respond back via their laptops………OPTIMAL ENGAGMENT!!!

From this class, I hope to learn about more ways I can utilize technology to keep my students engaged.  The best ideas are borrowed from others, so I also hope to be able to bring great ideas back to my fellow educators so that optimal learning can be enriched in their classrooms as well.

Does This Philosophy Help Me?

Seeing my philosophy on paper, instead of only in my head, makes my philosophy tangible.  Of course my goal has always been to involve my students in their own learning and I have been lucky enough to work at a technology advanced district; however, putting the power of discovering technology that will lead to involvement is exciting and overwhelming, but I am ready to see what is out there for my students!

Being Reflective #1

Stephan Downes was so right when he said today’s middle school students know more about technology than their teachers.  Above I briefly described the program LanSchool.  What I did not mention was even though I have the power to monitor their internet and overall program use, my freshman students quickly figure out how to get around the program.  I may think I am controlling their laptop, but in reality they know how to fix their screens to dupe me in to thinking they are typing in Microsoft Word, when really they are playing Halo.   I graduated from high school in 1998.  My high school teachers were still keeping up with grades in those green grade books and they only computer in the school was in the library.  My ten your old daughter just entered the 5^th grade and she has a Kindle, iphone,  and laptop at her disposal at home and a classroom with 10 student computers at school.  Yep, I’d say when she is in Middle School, she will far surpass my technology knowledge, if she hasn’t already.