Journal Post #4

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Journal #4

As I read Chapter 4 I had a hard time deciding what focus question I would discuss in this blog, while the Tech Tool was easy. There was only one! As I type I really am not sure which one to choose! To me personally they were all great questions and the information that followed to answer those questions is all valuable and needed to know for inclusion of technology in the classroom.

I think I will go with Question 4

What instructional strategies and approaches promote technology integration while addressing the participation gag?

1)   One on one laptop computing initiatives provide every student with technology they can use for learning. Some schools (more not don’t) have laptop computers in the classroom for each individual student. This allows them to participate in the lesson in class and be able to do the assignments in class. While this would be an optimal choice for all classrooms I am sure, however many schools do not have the resources for this option.

2)   One/two/three time formats to use computers as a learning center or station where the students can do academic activites while the teacher works with other groups of students. I personally know of centers in the classroom for my oldest son. The students use the computers during centers while other students for example may be doing reading, spelling or other assignment with the teacher at another table.

3)   Computers support cooperative learning and small-group activites by giving individual students and small groups the opportunity to work independently on academic assignments during class time or outside of school. Again this is giving more access to the students and teachers to work more together outside of the classroom. The teacher can create a website that allows them to post assignments do chats with the students outside the school to help them with their assignments. Assignments can also be posted on these websites.

4)   Electronic textbooks provide students with learning materials they can access for any online computer. I love for the most part ebooks as many call them. I use them personally on my computer and on my iPad. However I feel that while these ebooks do give a greater opportunity of access they can hinder in many ways. But if we have ebooks, a student saying he/she left their book at home won’t matter, just pull it up online. Also this will cut down on the load that students phsycially carry to and from class. One thing I do love about ebooks is you can type in a word and it will search for that word through out the book and take you to that page. And you can digitally highlight and make notes on many of them. Good use of technology for the most part!

5)   Dialogue among students, and between teachers and students, is a method for involving students in educational change efforts in the school.  Technology of today gives students many avenues of communicating with one another as well as the teacher and their students. Email is a great source of communication. As I also said before using a website for the teacher will also provide a source of communication between students and student and teacher. More so than what was available when I went to school. You saw the teacher in class and that was it! So this is much better! Of course it does take up more time on the teacher’s part, however if we are passionate about our teaching and students we won’t mind!

Now let’s talk about the tech tool. Of course I chose the first Tech Tool as it was the only option in the chapter.

Edtopia- a website from George Lucas Educational Foundation (anyone know that guy?). This website offers a variety of resources in reference to technology integration. I love this site. Select by grade level and so many other options. Watch this video I selected about integration of technology in the K-2 section (this is also the grade level I wish to teach that is why I am selecting it).

Once you go to youtube and find edtopia you can subscribe to them and see so many different videos that are connected to their site! Check it out when you can! Overall this is a site that every teacher today should know about, use and share with others. A great tool in our tool belt if you will. And of course its FREE!

http://www.iste.org/docs/pdfs/nets-t-standards.pdf?sfvrsn=2
Now lets talk about National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS-T)- includes two different types of resources.  http://www.iste.org/standards
Great place to get information and resources! Access rubrics as well as a variety of resources and information. The newsletter is FREE after you register. However there is a membership fee for this website. There are five different levels of memberships to this site. Premium $225, Standard $105, Online Student $45, and Retired Educator $65. Annual renewals required for the site. I recommend the Premium for anyone who is really interested in getting access to this site because of all the information and resources that will be available to you. If you want to access certain areas additionally to let's say a student membership it can cost actually more than the premium would anyway. Great source for a teacher to have. Worth the cost.  Using the Inbox and Inbox Blog from NTCE are also great resources, so again worth the membership!

In summary Chapter 4 provided a variety of tools that as teachers we can use as well as a vast array of information that is useful for each one of us as we integrate technology into our classrooms. As many school districts continue to lack the financial capabilities of integrating technology completely into all classrooms, we as teachers can have access to technology and be able to use that in the classroom. Edtopia offers a great variety of resources for us to use in the classrooms. The ability to use technology in the classroom is more and more effective to help students learn, and offering a teachers website is also a great idea, offering more access to their teacher and information and notes that may otherwise not be available. Technology is the future and as school districts add more and more technology into the classrooms, teachers need to learn about the technology and how to use it.

 I encourage you to go to the above websites, and as a final thought...IF you don't know who George Lucas is, Google him. He by far is one of the most creative minds I've ever known....just think STAR WARS!!!!!!

Have a great week everyone!!!!!

Chau!

Textbook - Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2011). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. ISBN:10 0-13-159611-X, ISBN:13 978-0-13-159611-5