Overview
In the article “Tools for the Mind” Mary Burns starts off by looking back at articles from the early 1990s and how they had a more hopeful outlook on the use of computers and education. Unfortunately, computers are not being used to their fullest potential in the classroom.
Many times classrooms use software for “show and tell” rather than higher level thinking. This can be seen by the use of PowerPoint presentations rather then using spreadsheets to analyze data. The presentations don’t require much complex thinking, as opposed to the numerous tasks that could be done with spreadsheets.
In order for students to use technology to the fullest they must not only use information, but create it. In order for this to happen teachers need to ask themselves questions about what they are using and why they are using it. Bottom line is figuring out if the technology they are using is helping the students achieve a higher level of thinking.
Reference Points
“Computers can provide transformative students learning experiences that would otherwise not be possible.”
Computers can provide students with “eureka” moments because they are able to model different scenarios using spreadsheets.
“Many districts have concentrated on professional development that trains teachers in skills instead of teaching them how computers can enhance student learning.”
“Students generally use the Internet as an electronic textbook, often without questioning, validating, or evaluating the information they find.”
“Higher-order tools, for the most part, are not as user-friendly or visually appealing.”
Reflection
The science class that I am in right now does not use a lot of technology so I have not thought about this area of technology very extensively. The only lesson plan I have created for an on-line assignment was looking at topo maps. The website was free and students could look at any location in the United States. It was a really fun activity, but looking back on it there was not much of the higher level thinking. The computer basically served the same purpose as a paper map. However, it was very nice having so many maps available.
In science it is very important to learn the skills of using computer for data analysis. This is something that could easily be incorporated into multiple lessons. Looking at different lab groups data and then charting, along with a wide variety of other assignment. I totally agree with this article. If schools are going to push technology we should take the time to utilize it to its fullest potential. I have to admit that I am not all that familiar with technology so it would be harder for me to have the students use programs that engage higher level thinking. I would need some more training, or just time to explore the available options.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Energy Project Presentation!
Here it is! After collecting data, putting it into Excel, analyzing it, making a PowerPoint, and doing a presentation, you finally get to see it ALL. If you are interested in the advantages and disadvantages of switching from incandescent to fluorescent bulbs, you should check this out! Click here to see the presentation!
Presentation Review
It is an odd thing watching yourself present. How you picture yourself is nothing like what you really look like. Things you think you are doing well look bad, and then there are the things you have no idea you do. After looking at the presentation of Melissa and myself I took some notes on my strengths and weaknesses. Here it is:
Weaknesses:
One of the first things I noticed was how I didn’t have any emotion during the presentation. It doesn’t even look like I am remotely interested in what I am doing. Second I don’t look like I know what I am talking about. I read off the screen a lot and it seems that I am just reading what someone else wrote rather then talking about a project that I did. When I was talking about the graphs and other things I just stood in one place, I should have moved and pointed to what I was talking about. I shouldn’t assume that a viewer knows what everything means, especially when the graphs were only up for a short time. My body seemed very stiff and conveyed a lack of interest and comfort with what I was doing.
Strengths:
My words seem to flow pretty well together. There were only a few times that I stumbled over my words or needed a second to think about what I was saying.
How could this be better?
Add life to the presentation! Make it fun and something I would want to watch. It seemed like just a bunch of data and didn’t really seem like something an average person would want to see. I also need to add enthusiasm to the way I talk. Especially when presenting to students I need to make sure I am lively in the way I talk. If I don’t sound interested why would they be?
Presentation Review
It is an odd thing watching yourself present. How you picture yourself is nothing like what you really look like. Things you think you are doing well look bad, and then there are the things you have no idea you do. After looking at the presentation of Melissa and myself I took some notes on my strengths and weaknesses. Here it is:
Weaknesses:
One of the first things I noticed was how I didn’t have any emotion during the presentation. It doesn’t even look like I am remotely interested in what I am doing. Second I don’t look like I know what I am talking about. I read off the screen a lot and it seems that I am just reading what someone else wrote rather then talking about a project that I did. When I was talking about the graphs and other things I just stood in one place, I should have moved and pointed to what I was talking about. I shouldn’t assume that a viewer knows what everything means, especially when the graphs were only up for a short time. My body seemed very stiff and conveyed a lack of interest and comfort with what I was doing.
Strengths:
My words seem to flow pretty well together. There were only a few times that I stumbled over my words or needed a second to think about what I was saying.
How could this be better?
Add life to the presentation! Make it fun and something I would want to watch. It seemed like just a bunch of data and didn’t really seem like something an average person would want to see. I also need to add enthusiasm to the way I talk. Especially when presenting to students I need to make sure I am lively in the way I talk. If I don’t sound interested why would they be?
Monday, November 3, 2008
Energy Conservation PowerPoint
Well here it is! After a week of looking at the usage of lights in the house I have found out just how much energy goes into lighting my house. It was not too hard to figure out how long each light was left on, and once the correct formulas were in place in Excel the math was done for me!
Knowing how much energy is used to light the house I then calculated what the difference would be if I changed the incandescent light bulbs to fluorescent bulbs. I found that I would save a LOT of energy it I switched to fluorescent bulbs. However, there is always a catch. What is that catch? Well you will have to look at my PowerPoint to find out!
To See the PowerPoint click here!
Knowing how much energy is used to light the house I then calculated what the difference would be if I changed the incandescent light bulbs to fluorescent bulbs. I found that I would save a LOT of energy it I switched to fluorescent bulbs. However, there is always a catch. What is that catch? Well you will have to look at my PowerPoint to find out!
To See the PowerPoint click here!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
The Educator’s Guide to the Read/Write Web - Article 2
Overview
In the article “The Educator’s Guide to the Read/Write Web” Will Richardson talks about how the internet has gone from read only to read and write for the average person. With new web tools like blogs and wikis posting your own information on the web is as simple as typing in text and hitting a few buttons. By incorporating new technology in the classroom students can learn more and have the most up to date information. Using tools like Google students are able to obtain the most current information, as compared to text books that could be a decade old.
With the ability to publish their work students may also take more pride in what they do. Papers suddenly become something that more people can read, and is not just written for the teacher. Students are also able to communicate with people from all around the world. They can ask questions of other students, or even authors of the novels they are reading.
Reference Points
A student doing a project on global warming can have the latest research a short time after it has been published
“The awareness of even a small audience can significantly change the way a students approaches writing and other school assignments.
“consumers of Web content need to be editors as well as readers”
“Google regularly scans in information from more than 50 million books…”
Reflection
Thinking back to when I was in middle school we didn’t even have the internet to do research, we had to go the library and do it the old fashion way, and that was only 14 years ago. With the way technology is changing we have to keep up with it, or our students will fall behind. My generation was more of a learn as you go with the internet. My teachers were learning it along with us. Now it is up to us to stay ahead of the technology so that we can teach it to our students. If we fall behind, we are failing them. In today’s society a student is expected to know how to write an e-mail. It is a standard thing to ask on a form, and one of the first things you place on your resume.
What I found very interesting about this article was the difference between blocking sites and teaching students to regulate themselves. Knowing what sites can be trusted is a major part of taking information from the web. If students go on to college they will have free range on the site they can go to. No one will be with them saying that is a bad site, or you can’t trust that site. They will need to figure that out on their own, and if they have never had any guidance it will be that much harder.
In the article “The Educator’s Guide to the Read/Write Web” Will Richardson talks about how the internet has gone from read only to read and write for the average person. With new web tools like blogs and wikis posting your own information on the web is as simple as typing in text and hitting a few buttons. By incorporating new technology in the classroom students can learn more and have the most up to date information. Using tools like Google students are able to obtain the most current information, as compared to text books that could be a decade old.
With the ability to publish their work students may also take more pride in what they do. Papers suddenly become something that more people can read, and is not just written for the teacher. Students are also able to communicate with people from all around the world. They can ask questions of other students, or even authors of the novels they are reading.
Reference Points
A student doing a project on global warming can have the latest research a short time after it has been published
“The awareness of even a small audience can significantly change the way a students approaches writing and other school assignments.
“consumers of Web content need to be editors as well as readers”
“Google regularly scans in information from more than 50 million books…”
Reflection
Thinking back to when I was in middle school we didn’t even have the internet to do research, we had to go the library and do it the old fashion way, and that was only 14 years ago. With the way technology is changing we have to keep up with it, or our students will fall behind. My generation was more of a learn as you go with the internet. My teachers were learning it along with us. Now it is up to us to stay ahead of the technology so that we can teach it to our students. If we fall behind, we are failing them. In today’s society a student is expected to know how to write an e-mail. It is a standard thing to ask on a form, and one of the first things you place on your resume.
What I found very interesting about this article was the difference between blocking sites and teaching students to regulate themselves. Knowing what sites can be trusted is a major part of taking information from the web. If students go on to college they will have free range on the site they can go to. No one will be with them saying that is a bad site, or you can’t trust that site. They will need to figure that out on their own, and if they have never had any guidance it will be that much harder.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Energy Conservation Project
Everyone is telling me if I use fluorescent bulbs instead of incandescent I will save lots of energy. Well I think I will find out for myself. In order to do this I will first need to know how much energy a fluorescent and incandescent bulb uses. Then I will gather data from my house for one week to see just how long each light is used. This can be done pretty effortlessly by just writing down how much time each light is left on.
Using Excel this data can be entered and compared and I can find out not only how much energy I would save, but money too. Once the sheet is set up numbers can also be manipulated to extrapolate data for different seasons, or assuming different circumstances. Other people could also change the amount of light bulbs and house to see how much they could save.
Using Excel this data can be entered and compared and I can find out not only how much energy I would save, but money too. Once the sheet is set up numbers can also be manipulated to extrapolate data for different seasons, or assuming different circumstances. Other people could also change the amount of light bulbs and house to see how much they could save.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Being an Anthropologist
Technology is wonderful! We can communicate all around the world, send pictures to people thousands of miles away, and have an entire library worth of information at our fingertips. However, all of that is useless unless we know how to access the information. Technology, in today’s fast paced world is essential to giving students a well rounded education. Investigating the technology at any school should be a priority for a first year teacher, or any new staff member.
Blatchley has wonderful technology, and there are many opportunities for students to use it on their own and during class time, for school related projects. Unfortunately other schools in the district have more technology, but Blatchley is still doing well with what they have. Many of the teachers have technology in their rooms because they did the fundraising for it themselves. Hopefully as time goes on their will be more money, but for now it works.
Click here for the full report!
Blatchley has wonderful technology, and there are many opportunities for students to use it on their own and during class time, for school related projects. Unfortunately other schools in the district have more technology, but Blatchley is still doing well with what they have. Many of the teachers have technology in their rooms because they did the fundraising for it themselves. Hopefully as time goes on their will be more money, but for now it works.
Click here for the full report!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Listen to the Natives - Article 1
Overview
In the article “Listen to the Natives” Marc Prensky talks about how the youth of today are native to technology and we, as educators, need to take this into account when we are planning lessons and methods of teaching. When a student of today, “digital native”, is communicating with a “digital immigrant”, or someone who did not grow up with technology, there may be misunderstandings. The students of today can adapt to technology faster and understand it better then digital immigrants.
Students could learn faster and more efficiently if they were given educational video games rather then the traditional classroom setting. Teachers also need to bring more technology into the classroom, such as referencing video games as outside examples.
Students should be encouraged to use their digital tools in the classroom as much as possible. They have become a part of them and using them will enhance their education. Guests in the classroom should be brought in to discuss technology with students so they have a better understanding of the technological world around them.
Reference Points
“…we can no longer use either our 20th century knowledge or our training as a guide to what is best for them educationally.”
“For example, students could learn algebra far more quickly if instruction were available in game format.”
“Outside school, they are fully engaged by their 21st century digital lives”
“As 21st century educators, we can no longer decide for our students, we must decide with them.”
“From computers to calculators to MP3 players to camera phones, these tools are like extensions of their brains.”
“Students should be learning 21st century subject matter, such as nanotechnology, bioethics, genetic medicine, and neuroscience.”
Reflection
My reaction to many aspects of this article is “are you kidding me”. I was just totally astonished at some of the things the author was stating. The first thing that popped out at me was using video games to teach students math. There is already a problem in America with students not focusing in class, and one theory of this is that students have so much stimulation from games that they can’t focus in a normal paced environment. Now take that and double it by adding games to their school routine. I believe that is totally ludicrous. When students move on in life they will have to learn many thing on the job and from reading. What message are we sending to them? Everything will be presented to you in a fun and exciting way. This is not how the world works. There are so many things that we have to learn that aren’t fun and exciting. However, the skill of learning how to learn when something isn't fun is essential.
To further illustrate my point that the author wants to give students a constant fun environment he states that students should have the choice to walk out if the teacher does not deliver compelling content. If there is one thing I have learned from life it is this: things we once thought to be totally useless and boring somehow work their way into being a part of our life. When I took geology in college I hated the class and thought I would never use the information again. As part of my first job I taught a succession class where a major portion of it was geology. At that point in their lives students have no idea what they are going to use after they graduate. Not everything in life can have a “wow” effect.
I am not saying that technology isn’t essential to learn in school, and I am not saying I don’t think school should be interactive and fun. I love science and everyday students should enjoy something they do at school. I am just saying that this author has taken things to the extreme. We need to teach students technology, and yes it needs to be a part of the classroom, but it isn’t the only part. Education needs to be a mixture of many different methods.
In the article “Listen to the Natives” Marc Prensky talks about how the youth of today are native to technology and we, as educators, need to take this into account when we are planning lessons and methods of teaching. When a student of today, “digital native”, is communicating with a “digital immigrant”, or someone who did not grow up with technology, there may be misunderstandings. The students of today can adapt to technology faster and understand it better then digital immigrants.
Students could learn faster and more efficiently if they were given educational video games rather then the traditional classroom setting. Teachers also need to bring more technology into the classroom, such as referencing video games as outside examples.
Students should be encouraged to use their digital tools in the classroom as much as possible. They have become a part of them and using them will enhance their education. Guests in the classroom should be brought in to discuss technology with students so they have a better understanding of the technological world around them.
Reference Points
“…we can no longer use either our 20th century knowledge or our training as a guide to what is best for them educationally.”
“For example, students could learn algebra far more quickly if instruction were available in game format.”
“Outside school, they are fully engaged by their 21st century digital lives”
“As 21st century educators, we can no longer decide for our students, we must decide with them.”
“From computers to calculators to MP3 players to camera phones, these tools are like extensions of their brains.”
“Students should be learning 21st century subject matter, such as nanotechnology, bioethics, genetic medicine, and neuroscience.”
Reflection
My reaction to many aspects of this article is “are you kidding me”. I was just totally astonished at some of the things the author was stating. The first thing that popped out at me was using video games to teach students math. There is already a problem in America with students not focusing in class, and one theory of this is that students have so much stimulation from games that they can’t focus in a normal paced environment. Now take that and double it by adding games to their school routine. I believe that is totally ludicrous. When students move on in life they will have to learn many thing on the job and from reading. What message are we sending to them? Everything will be presented to you in a fun and exciting way. This is not how the world works. There are so many things that we have to learn that aren’t fun and exciting. However, the skill of learning how to learn when something isn't fun is essential.
To further illustrate my point that the author wants to give students a constant fun environment he states that students should have the choice to walk out if the teacher does not deliver compelling content. If there is one thing I have learned from life it is this: things we once thought to be totally useless and boring somehow work their way into being a part of our life. When I took geology in college I hated the class and thought I would never use the information again. As part of my first job I taught a succession class where a major portion of it was geology. At that point in their lives students have no idea what they are going to use after they graduate. Not everything in life can have a “wow” effect.
I am not saying that technology isn’t essential to learn in school, and I am not saying I don’t think school should be interactive and fun. I love science and everyday students should enjoy something they do at school. I am just saying that this author has taken things to the extreme. We need to teach students technology, and yes it needs to be a part of the classroom, but it isn’t the only part. Education needs to be a mixture of many different methods.
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