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Thursday, February 28, 2013
Week 8
The task this week was to find a website that uses games to teach concepts, specifically reading and writing. I chose to highlight one of my favorite sites for educational purposes: Sporcle.com.
In looking for sites, I found that many of them targeted an elementary audience, an obvious problem for someone going into secondary education. Sporcle is informative and fun regardless of age. The site features quizzes on anything from Shakespeare to pop culture to word puzzles. The site grew from a few guys who love Jeopardy!, crossword puzzles, and anything trivia-oriented in an effort to build their own knowledge bases.
Users can create their own quizzes, a feature that would be especially helpful to educators. I can see using quizzes to help students understand plot lines in book/plays (see this quiz on Othello) or keeping track of characters. There are also plenty of opportunities to match authors to different works of literature (see here), a study tool that would be extremely handy for students before tests.
In looking for sites, I found that many of them targeted an elementary audience, an obvious problem for someone going into secondary education. Sporcle is informative and fun regardless of age. The site features quizzes on anything from Shakespeare to pop culture to word puzzles. The site grew from a few guys who love Jeopardy!, crossword puzzles, and anything trivia-oriented in an effort to build their own knowledge bases.
Users can create their own quizzes, a feature that would be especially helpful to educators. I can see using quizzes to help students understand plot lines in book/plays (see this quiz on Othello) or keeping track of characters. There are also plenty of opportunities to match authors to different works of literature (see here), a study tool that would be extremely handy for students before tests.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Reflection #4
I work in the Writing Center at my university, and in the course of the job, I get to interact with quite a few ELL students. Our university recently began a foreign exchange program, and most of the students we receive come from sister schools in South Korea. Helping these students with papers has caused me to think about how technology could help them in the classroom.
I can only imagine sitting through multiple classes a day in a foreign language and knowing that I would be tested on what I learned. I wonder if teachers have tried to use technology in the classroom to bridge the language barrier. I'm imagining using a powerpoint presentation to display key words from the lesson in a student's native language and in English. I think this method would help them pick up the academic language faster and keep them on track with the rest of the class.
Do you have any ideas on how to use technology to help ELL students in the classroom? Do share. :-)
Monday, February 25, 2013
Week 7
Math is my secondary (no pun intended) hobby. When it comes to things I would like to teach, math is my second love, so I always find it intriguing to muse about ways to teach math. These musings certainly involve technology.
One of the blogs I looked at linked to Bedtime Math, a blog devoted to posting a nightly math problem relating to something significant happening on the day and attempting to form of a bedtime story. I think this is an ingenious idea because it could help kids link math to the fondness of a bedtime ritual.
While this site is obviously geared toward younger kids, the Math Matters blog does an excellent job of pointing out new discoveries and culturally relevant happenings related to math that would suit an older audience. This blog could serve as a resource for teachers to make their math lessons more exciting.
P.S. While I discovered this site apart from this week's blog research, I simply cannot post about technology and math without referencing Khan Academy. I could waste hours on this site.
One of the blogs I looked at linked to Bedtime Math, a blog devoted to posting a nightly math problem relating to something significant happening on the day and attempting to form of a bedtime story. I think this is an ingenious idea because it could help kids link math to the fondness of a bedtime ritual.
While this site is obviously geared toward younger kids, the Math Matters blog does an excellent job of pointing out new discoveries and culturally relevant happenings related to math that would suit an older audience. This blog could serve as a resource for teachers to make their math lessons more exciting.
P.S. While I discovered this site apart from this week's blog research, I simply cannot post about technology and math without referencing Khan Academy. I could waste hours on this site.
Reflection #3
Lately, I have been pondering the future of education and how many professionals are arguing that we are on the brink of an educational revolution. With the advent and rapid advancement of technology, many say that our educational system will look massively different in as little as the next few years.
These thoughts force me back to thinking of past learning revolutions, and the first that comes to mind is the invention of the printing press. With the written word newly accessible, the way we transferred information and communicated drastically changed.
Is our social-media, information-happy world on the brink of a new printing press? Or have we already stumbled upon it without realizing its potential to change the very way we learn in such a severe way? I'm not convinced that technology will change us as much as the printing press, but perhaps I'm just insisting that the world is flat.
These thoughts force me back to thinking of past learning revolutions, and the first that comes to mind is the invention of the printing press. With the written word newly accessible, the way we transferred information and communicated drastically changed.
Is our social-media, information-happy world on the brink of a new printing press? Or have we already stumbled upon it without realizing its potential to change the very way we learn in such a severe way? I'm not convinced that technology will change us as much as the printing press, but perhaps I'm just insisting that the world is flat.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Week 6
Scholastic's "Generation IM" talks about how today's children are immersed in technological soup. From the second they're born, they hear thousands of digital messages every day. Our educational system is not "wired" to suit such learners.
We insist on valuing rote memorization over critical thinking skills. In today's information happy society where individuals can get a hold of any piece of information almost instantly, critical thinking skills are, well, critical. The only solution to this "language barrier" is to integrate real world tools into our classrooms (i.e. podcasts, blogs, social media, etc.).
Anytime I read articles like this, I find myself wondering how a future English teacher (English teachers are notorious for being the most technologically backward teachers in schools) could successfully integrate technology into the classroom. I found the article's suggestion of using Google maps to be thoroughly engaging. Perhaps I could integrate the same idea into a study of Shakespeare's England.
We insist on valuing rote memorization over critical thinking skills. In today's information happy society where individuals can get a hold of any piece of information almost instantly, critical thinking skills are, well, critical. The only solution to this "language barrier" is to integrate real world tools into our classrooms (i.e. podcasts, blogs, social media, etc.).
Anytime I read articles like this, I find myself wondering how a future English teacher (English teachers are notorious for being the most technologically backward teachers in schools) could successfully integrate technology into the classroom. I found the article's suggestion of using Google maps to be thoroughly engaging. Perhaps I could integrate the same idea into a study of Shakespeare's England.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Reflection #2
When is attempting to use technology in the classroom not admirable? When is it better to just leave it out of the picture?
We all had teachers who, embarrassingly to the rest of us, were entirely incompetent with technology. This, of course, never prevented them from trying, however. Whether sitting through a powerpoint presentation displayed in editing mode throughout the class or watching as the teacher suffered to figure out how to close a program, we all have been distracted by such teachers.
I wonder if such teachers would be better off leaving out the technology altogether. Is their lack of proficiency with the technology more distracting than a total lack of technology? Of course the best solution would be to educate them on how to use it correctly, but we live in an imperfect world.
What shall we do with the tech-incompetents of the education world? I can't say that I know, but I can only hope that I will never become one.
We all had teachers who, embarrassingly to the rest of us, were entirely incompetent with technology. This, of course, never prevented them from trying, however. Whether sitting through a powerpoint presentation displayed in editing mode throughout the class or watching as the teacher suffered to figure out how to close a program, we all have been distracted by such teachers.
I wonder if such teachers would be better off leaving out the technology altogether. Is their lack of proficiency with the technology more distracting than a total lack of technology? Of course the best solution would be to educate them on how to use it correctly, but we live in an imperfect world.
What shall we do with the tech-incompetents of the education world? I can't say that I know, but I can only hope that I will never become one.
Week 5
The Promethean ActivBoard is an interactive whiteboard which many schools use as an alternative for the SMART technology. I was curious, as I was with the SMART board, how a teacher in secondary schools could utilize the board to its fullest potential.
This article detailing the Promethean technologies in a British vocational college shows how even older students can benefit from the technology. The article mentions Promethean’s ActivExpression Learner Response System, which allows full text responses so that students can respond with full sentences. This aspect contributes to easier discussion. The article also mentioned that students can lean up against the board without disturbing any of the presentation content, an obviously helpful quality. The Promethean technology also seems to be very holistic with plenty of resources for teachers trying to integrate technology into the classroom.
With the ActivBoard, you can do real-time assessment with the response system. Is this a good idea in the classroom, or does it hinder students?
This article detailing the Promethean technologies in a British vocational college shows how even older students can benefit from the technology. The article mentions Promethean’s ActivExpression Learner Response System, which allows full text responses so that students can respond with full sentences. This aspect contributes to easier discussion. The article also mentioned that students can lean up against the board without disturbing any of the presentation content, an obviously helpful quality. The Promethean technology also seems to be very holistic with plenty of resources for teachers trying to integrate technology into the classroom.
With the ActivBoard, you can do real-time assessment with the response system. Is this a good idea in the classroom, or does it hinder students?
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Assignment 2 - Interactive Whiteboard Lesson
For my SMART board presentation, I will be using Sarah Lorntson's Writing Improvement Mini-Lessons.
During the presentation, I will use the highlighting tool, a drag and reveal feature, and links to other pages within the lesson.
My presentation satisfies:
NETS-T #2. Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
NETS-T #3. Model Digital Age Work and Learning
NETS-S #2. Communication and Collaboration
NETS-S #6. Technology Operations and Concepts
This activity requires the teacher to create a technologically rich learning environment for her students in the context of a broader lesson. The presentation is intended to be supplementary to a writing unit. Using the SMART board will help students apply their learning in a relevant way. Also, this activity requires that the teacher be able to effectively and accurately use the SMART board, exhibiting knowledge of and skills to operate an interactive whiteboard.
This activity requires the students to work collaboratively as each individual student comes up to the board to answer the questions. It also requires students to have a basic knowledge of how the SMART board works so that they can use it correctly to aid understanding.
I really like the idea of using the SMART board to aid understanding of small things. I don't think any amount of technology can replace the teacher in the classroom, but on hard to understand/hard to remember concepts, I think using the SMART board is effective. It engages the students when they might otherwise shut down because the concept is difficult.
During the presentation, I will use the highlighting tool, a drag and reveal feature, and links to other pages within the lesson.
My presentation satisfies:
NETS-T #2. Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
NETS-T #3. Model Digital Age Work and Learning
NETS-S #2. Communication and Collaboration
NETS-S #6. Technology Operations and Concepts
This activity requires the teacher to create a technologically rich learning environment for her students in the context of a broader lesson. The presentation is intended to be supplementary to a writing unit. Using the SMART board will help students apply their learning in a relevant way. Also, this activity requires that the teacher be able to effectively and accurately use the SMART board, exhibiting knowledge of and skills to operate an interactive whiteboard.
This activity requires the students to work collaboratively as each individual student comes up to the board to answer the questions. It also requires students to have a basic knowledge of how the SMART board works so that they can use it correctly to aid understanding.
I really like the idea of using the SMART board to aid understanding of small things. I don't think any amount of technology can replace the teacher in the classroom, but on hard to understand/hard to remember concepts, I think using the SMART board is effective. It engages the students when they might otherwise shut down because the concept is difficult.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Week 4
I had been acquainted with SMART boards for a while, but I had no idea how much they could do! I thought that they were simply interactive whiteboards/screens. I knew you could write on them virtually, show a powerpoint presentation, etc., but I had no idea that the boards come with independent software with interactive tools and games. (My most exciting discovery was the interactive compass tool - I was getting in touch with my inner math nerd.)
Per our class discussion, I'm still curious how a high school teacher can effectively utilize the SMART board without making their students feel like they took a trip back to kindergarten. Perhaps utilizing the SMART response technology would be the best approach. I'm excited to see what it's like to integrate the board into my classroom.
Per our class discussion, I'm still curious how a high school teacher can effectively utilize the SMART board without making their students feel like they took a trip back to kindergarten. Perhaps utilizing the SMART response technology would be the best approach. I'm excited to see what it's like to integrate the board into my classroom.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Week 2, Part 1
I can't say that I had any earth-shattering revelations after watching Sir Ken Robinson discuss the future of education, but he had wise things to say about how children learn. I truly enjoyed his comparison of education to agriculture. I had never thought of it in that way before. True education happens often spontaneously: just as plants shoot up at different times, so all of us learn at different times and at different paces.
I don't remember Robinson stating anything specifically about technology, but pointing out the necessity of watches to those over 25 showed how much culture changes and how education needs to change with it. (Coincidentally, I am under 25 and still wear a wristwatch, but that could just be a testament to my stubbornness.) Even if I may not think something necessary or vice versa, it might be important to my students' understanding.
I don't remember Robinson stating anything specifically about technology, but pointing out the necessity of watches to those over 25 showed how much culture changes and how education needs to change with it. (Coincidentally, I am under 25 and still wear a wristwatch, but that could just be a testament to my stubbornness.) Even if I may not think something necessary or vice versa, it might be important to my students' understanding.
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