http://www.flickr.com/photos/31051599@N08/
Hope you all enjoy a few pictures of my trip to Colorado this summer:)
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Week 4 Reflection on Social Bookmarking and Chapter 1
I really enjoyed playing around with the social bookmarking tool on delicious.com. To me, I would compare it to the favorites list you may have bookmarked on your Internet Explorer browser, but with the addition of tagging. The tagging, in my opinion, is what makes this a valuable tool. I was able to find some sites that would be useful for me in the classroom much more quickly than if I had used a search engine. I think that it does a better job of weeding out sites that are not as useful or relevant to the search and then you are able to save the sites that are what you are looking for.
I think this is a great way for teachers to share lesson plans and sites that have tips for teaching. I was able to find some ideas for the fall theme that I am doing in my classroom right now by searching the tags. I also think that teachers could use this to bookmark sites for their students when doing a research project so that the students search process is cut down by a lot. Also, this would ensure the teachers that their students are using reliable sources. For example, if the students are doing a project in a science class on the different systems in the human body the teacher could bookmark various sites on these systems that would be helpful to them. The students still need to dig through and find their specific information, but don't need to go through all the web sites that are nonreliable.
As far as the reading in Trends and Issues, I found it to be helpful to read some definitions on what it is we've been learning about for the last several weeks. I've worked in classrooms where technology has been integrated a great deal, including the use of palms and linking the computer to a projector so that the teacher is able to show websites on a larger screen, so my view was broader than simply instructional media. However, over the course of this class thus far I've realized there's a lot I have yet to learn. I had never thought of instructional technology as being a process, but really it makes sense because education itself is a process. I liked how they've included that in the definition. Another thing that I had not thought about was the noninstructional solutions. I'm still a little unclear about how these fit in. The progression of the definition as time went on was interesting too and it very much reflected the advancements of technology. I didn't see anything missing in the current definition, however this is still a topic that I am still learning about, therefore making it more difficult to spot missing pieces. Perhaps as the semester progresses I may feel different, but I do think the definition seems to be quite thorough for the present day including what I would consider the main points of this field.
I think this is a great way for teachers to share lesson plans and sites that have tips for teaching. I was able to find some ideas for the fall theme that I am doing in my classroom right now by searching the tags. I also think that teachers could use this to bookmark sites for their students when doing a research project so that the students search process is cut down by a lot. Also, this would ensure the teachers that their students are using reliable sources. For example, if the students are doing a project in a science class on the different systems in the human body the teacher could bookmark various sites on these systems that would be helpful to them. The students still need to dig through and find their specific information, but don't need to go through all the web sites that are nonreliable.
As far as the reading in Trends and Issues, I found it to be helpful to read some definitions on what it is we've been learning about for the last several weeks. I've worked in classrooms where technology has been integrated a great deal, including the use of palms and linking the computer to a projector so that the teacher is able to show websites on a larger screen, so my view was broader than simply instructional media. However, over the course of this class thus far I've realized there's a lot I have yet to learn. I had never thought of instructional technology as being a process, but really it makes sense because education itself is a process. I liked how they've included that in the definition. Another thing that I had not thought about was the noninstructional solutions. I'm still a little unclear about how these fit in. The progression of the definition as time went on was interesting too and it very much reflected the advancements of technology. I didn't see anything missing in the current definition, however this is still a topic that I am still learning about, therefore making it more difficult to spot missing pieces. Perhaps as the semester progresses I may feel different, but I do think the definition seems to be quite thorough for the present day including what I would consider the main points of this field.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Reflections on the Wiki
I found the Wiki to be very user friendly. I can see where it would be frustrating if you had trouble logging in, but I think creating and editing were not too difficult to figure out. My partners made it very easy to collaborate together and they both spurred on ideas to make our final product turn out well. I enjoyed using the Wiki because it was a new and different way to do a group project. I found it to be a really handy way to collaborate, because it provided a way to communicate with one another and allow each person to add their own input. I also like that wikis are more private than a blog so that you don't need to worry quite as much about what you are posting.
I could see these being used in a similar way in the K-12 educational setting. Students could collaborate on a research project and each post their findings and edit their group members information as well. They could also link to their sources or terminology. The population of students that I work with would probably not understand how to set up a Wiki, but it would be a handy place to link to different web sites that we use in our classroom on a regular basis. That way they would not have to worry about typing in the web sites. Really, the possibilities are endless. Teachers could get very creative as to how to use a wiki in their classroom for many different purposes.
I could see these being used in a similar way in the K-12 educational setting. Students could collaborate on a research project and each post their findings and edit their group members information as well. They could also link to their sources or terminology. The population of students that I work with would probably not understand how to set up a Wiki, but it would be a handy place to link to different web sites that we use in our classroom on a regular basis. That way they would not have to worry about typing in the web sites. Really, the possibilities are endless. Teachers could get very creative as to how to use a wiki in their classroom for many different purposes.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Of Luddites, Learning, and Life versus The Case for Technology Transformation
The articles by Postman and Reigeluth present a great dichotomy of views of technology. Postman is very much opposed to technological advancements while Reigeluth is highly in favor of it. I find myself falling somewhere in the middle of these two viewpoints.
Postman states that new technology has “nothing whatever to do with the fundamental problems we have to solve in schooling our young.” He goes on further to say that education is not exclusively academic, but rather learning how to behave socially. I could not agree more with this statement. When a student leaves their schooling career it is not very realistic or likely that they will remember the difference between a metaphor and a simile or theorems used to solve a geometry proof, but rather the relational lessons they learned from their peers. In this regard I can see where Postman makes a valid point in calling technology a “distraction.” I really believe that many of our youth are losing the ability to relate to their peers without the use of technology; they are constantly hiding behind the computer screen or their cell phone. I am not trying to say that these methods of communication are not valuable, but we should not rely on them for our sole means to communicate with each other. Not only that, but I think that many students use technology as a crutch and do not know how to do basic skills, such as addition or subtraction or writing a letter, without the use of technology.
I do, however, believe that he is incorrect in saying that technology needs to solve a problem in order to have use and value. Technology has made great advancements for our society and has not necessarily solved a problem, but it has enhanced our way of living. Whether he wants to admit it or not technology has improved the convenience of our lives as well as the efficiency and it is here to stay.
On the other hand Reigeluth takes a different viewpoint saying that “technology can transform the way we teach,” but also that to date it “has had minimal impact in K-12 education in the United States.” Part of this is because many teachers are not equipped on how it can transform the way we teach and I also think it is because many schools do not have the monetary resources for the latest technology. I think that technology can be a great tool in the classroom, when used in the right way, to present information in a new way, to make use of virtual field trips just to name a few. Not only that, but it does make learning more exciting for the students because it is something that they can relate to, seeing that it is such a large part of their world. I am sure that technology use in the classroom and will only continue to increase as time passes; I just hope that educators use it in a way to better the students’ education.
One other point that Reigeluth makes that I see as very important is that we cannot rely only on technology. I am firm believer that peer learning and cooperative learning are very effective methods of learning. It has always been said that if you can teach someone else, then you have a firm grasp on the material. Not only that, but technology cannot replace the teacher. The reading curriculum that my students use is from an internet program on headsprout.com and while it is good because it is repetitive and makes things very visually stimulating, both key things for my students with autism. It is not, however, a foolproof way of monitoring the progress of my students because they have figured out how to trick the system, by simply clicking when necessary and they pass through, thus fooling the computer into thinking that they have mastered that level. So you see that the students still need a lot of monitoring. While they should theoretically be able to do this independently, a teacher is still needed for additional teaching. Not only that, but it is hard for them to recognize the same words in other settings. Sometimes doing things the old fashioned way is not such a bad thing, because while technology is a marvelous tool, it does not take away the way that a good feelings that you get when you think about your favorite teacher.
Postman states that new technology has “nothing whatever to do with the fundamental problems we have to solve in schooling our young.” He goes on further to say that education is not exclusively academic, but rather learning how to behave socially. I could not agree more with this statement. When a student leaves their schooling career it is not very realistic or likely that they will remember the difference between a metaphor and a simile or theorems used to solve a geometry proof, but rather the relational lessons they learned from their peers. In this regard I can see where Postman makes a valid point in calling technology a “distraction.” I really believe that many of our youth are losing the ability to relate to their peers without the use of technology; they are constantly hiding behind the computer screen or their cell phone. I am not trying to say that these methods of communication are not valuable, but we should not rely on them for our sole means to communicate with each other. Not only that, but I think that many students use technology as a crutch and do not know how to do basic skills, such as addition or subtraction or writing a letter, without the use of technology.
I do, however, believe that he is incorrect in saying that technology needs to solve a problem in order to have use and value. Technology has made great advancements for our society and has not necessarily solved a problem, but it has enhanced our way of living. Whether he wants to admit it or not technology has improved the convenience of our lives as well as the efficiency and it is here to stay.
On the other hand Reigeluth takes a different viewpoint saying that “technology can transform the way we teach,” but also that to date it “has had minimal impact in K-12 education in the United States.” Part of this is because many teachers are not equipped on how it can transform the way we teach and I also think it is because many schools do not have the monetary resources for the latest technology. I think that technology can be a great tool in the classroom, when used in the right way, to present information in a new way, to make use of virtual field trips just to name a few. Not only that, but it does make learning more exciting for the students because it is something that they can relate to, seeing that it is such a large part of their world. I am sure that technology use in the classroom and will only continue to increase as time passes; I just hope that educators use it in a way to better the students’ education.
One other point that Reigeluth makes that I see as very important is that we cannot rely only on technology. I am firm believer that peer learning and cooperative learning are very effective methods of learning. It has always been said that if you can teach someone else, then you have a firm grasp on the material. Not only that, but technology cannot replace the teacher. The reading curriculum that my students use is from an internet program on headsprout.com and while it is good because it is repetitive and makes things very visually stimulating, both key things for my students with autism. It is not, however, a foolproof way of monitoring the progress of my students because they have figured out how to trick the system, by simply clicking when necessary and they pass through, thus fooling the computer into thinking that they have mastered that level. So you see that the students still need a lot of monitoring. While they should theoretically be able to do this independently, a teacher is still needed for additional teaching. Not only that, but it is hard for them to recognize the same words in other settings. Sometimes doing things the old fashioned way is not such a bad thing, because while technology is a marvelous tool, it does not take away the way that a good feelings that you get when you think about your favorite teacher.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
