Thursday, April 5, 2007
Technology in the 8th Grade
I am not a fan of middle school, but I had to observe it anyways so I decided to embrace it. Algebra is my favorite subject so I decided to spend time in an 8th grade algebra class. I was shocked to see that this teacher used more technology than any other teachers at all levels I had observed. I was mainly shocked because this was a math class, which in my opinion is the hardest to incorporate technology. She presented her notes through PowerPoint and she used a white board as the backdrop. She had example questions on a slide and she let the students work them out. Then, when most students had finished she worked the problem out on the white board. She also told me there were a few other forms of technology she also used. One, I am familiar with but do now know the name, is used in FGCU classes. This technology was the camera device that blows up a paper on the screen, with the two lights to enhance the picture. (If anyone knows the specific name please inform me!) The device that she showed me look much more high tech than what is used in my school. I was very impressed with the technology in this middle school and how some teachers are taking advantage of it.
Ask Three Before Me
How The Red "MayDay Cup" Helps Students Learn Technology By Kimberly A. Saucier
I found this interesting article on a magazine website called Technology and Learning. The article is by a teacher who teaches high school students and uses computers in her classroom. She has taught the students a rule to ask three other students first if they have a question. Saucier claims that this teaches the students leadership, communication, and self-confidence. She uses red plastic cups to execute this rule. What do the students do with the cups you ask? While working on the computers, if a student has a question he or she puts the red cup on top of the computer monitor. When Saucier sees more than 3 cups she stops teaching and asks the students to help others with questions. If three people come to a problem that they can not solve, she takes time to go over that topic.
I think this idea is great. First I just love putting up the red cups if a student has a question. Also, it is great when students are willing to help their peers and that shows that at least some of them are grasping the content. I have had one of my teachers use the rule ask three before you ask me. It is a great way to get acquainted with your classmates. I am very interested in using Saucier's ideas in my classroom but, will kindergarten students understand? Will the students be able to help their fellow classmates? I guess the only way to find out is to experiment in a classroom. I would like feedback if anyone has opinions or ideas on how this will work in a kindergarten class. All in all, I think this article gave me even more ideas for my classroom. Saucier's has positive comments on how this rule has worked in her classroom. "When students are given more responsibility, they always meet or exceed my expectations. Isn't that why we became teachers in the first place? " I urge others to read this article, it gives a good idea for the classroom and encourages you as a teacher.
http://techlearning.com/story/showArticle.php?articleID=196604337
I found this interesting article on a magazine website called Technology and Learning. The article is by a teacher who teaches high school students and uses computers in her classroom. She has taught the students a rule to ask three other students first if they have a question. Saucier claims that this teaches the students leadership, communication, and self-confidence. She uses red plastic cups to execute this rule. What do the students do with the cups you ask? While working on the computers, if a student has a question he or she puts the red cup on top of the computer monitor. When Saucier sees more than 3 cups she stops teaching and asks the students to help others with questions. If three people come to a problem that they can not solve, she takes time to go over that topic.
I think this idea is great. First I just love putting up the red cups if a student has a question. Also, it is great when students are willing to help their peers and that shows that at least some of them are grasping the content. I have had one of my teachers use the rule ask three before you ask me. It is a great way to get acquainted with your classmates. I am very interested in using Saucier's ideas in my classroom but, will kindergarten students understand? Will the students be able to help their fellow classmates? I guess the only way to find out is to experiment in a classroom. I would like feedback if anyone has opinions or ideas on how this will work in a kindergarten class. All in all, I think this article gave me even more ideas for my classroom. Saucier's has positive comments on how this rule has worked in her classroom. "When students are given more responsibility, they always meet or exceed my expectations. Isn't that why we became teachers in the first place? " I urge others to read this article, it gives a good idea for the classroom and encourages you as a teacher.
http://techlearning.com/story/showArticle.php?articleID=196604337
Identifying the Key Skills of Technology for the Classroom
A Step Towards the Creation of Educational Technology Standards: Identifying Key Skills
This article, like many others I have read, emphasises the importance of technology in the classroom. The reason for this is mainly because of how much technology is used in the workplace. The statistics in this article really proves how true these statements are. "'Generation D' (digital) learners will meet a workplace where using technology is as necessary as knowing how to read and write. The virtual office is challenging today's workplace by accounting for nearly 8% of the U.S. jobs. By 2007, 20% of the US workforce is expected to just roll out of bed to commute to work via online in a virtual office located in their home (Newsweek)." I could not have said it better myself, and these statistics are shocking. Every parent, teacher, student, and administrator should know this. There are five categories for the major skills students need to know: Hardware, Internet Applications, Programming, Software, and Networking. This article goes on to describe each of these categories and the components of each.
I have selected this article as important because I want others to know about the facts and statistics revealed in this article. It is important for all educators, especially those in training, to realize how important technology is in the classroom. Many teachers will have to adapt to this digital world, and those of us still in school can form our own ways that include technology. This article does not specifically address either of my inquiry questions but it does support them by stressing the need for technology in the classroom. With every article I read I become more passionate about what I will be doing in the future and want to utilize every tool possible in my classroom.
Originally Posted At: http://www.teach-nology.com/tutorials/tech_standards1/
This article, like many others I have read, emphasises the importance of technology in the classroom. The reason for this is mainly because of how much technology is used in the workplace. The statistics in this article really proves how true these statements are. "'Generation D' (digital) learners will meet a workplace where using technology is as necessary as knowing how to read and write. The virtual office is challenging today's workplace by accounting for nearly 8% of the U.S. jobs. By 2007, 20% of the US workforce is expected to just roll out of bed to commute to work via online in a virtual office located in their home (Newsweek)." I could not have said it better myself, and these statistics are shocking. Every parent, teacher, student, and administrator should know this. There are five categories for the major skills students need to know: Hardware, Internet Applications, Programming, Software, and Networking. This article goes on to describe each of these categories and the components of each.
I have selected this article as important because I want others to know about the facts and statistics revealed in this article. It is important for all educators, especially those in training, to realize how important technology is in the classroom. Many teachers will have to adapt to this digital world, and those of us still in school can form our own ways that include technology. This article does not specifically address either of my inquiry questions but it does support them by stressing the need for technology in the classroom. With every article I read I become more passionate about what I will be doing in the future and want to utilize every tool possible in my classroom.
Originally Posted At: http://www.teach-nology.com/tutorials/tech_standards1/
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Having Kindergarteners Use PowerPoint
After creating my own eBook in PowerPoint and Dr. Baylen showing 1st graders books in class I started thinking if this could be done in kindergarten. I was inspired by the books showed in class from the children Dr. Baylen had been working with. The stories and pictures they came up with were adorable. Then, having them record their voices for the story just topped it off. I loved the outcome of this project and I really want to use it in my kindergarten class. Would it be possible for such young children to complete an extensive project like this?
I began to brain storm about the steps I would take to execute this project. I would first have the children draw and color their own pictures. This would be used as the artwork in the PowerPoint. Then, the students could come up with a story to go with that picture. This would be a great time to get the parents involved. The parents could help them write the story for homework. The parents would fix spelling and grammar mistakes and praise the child's creative ideas. I strongly believe that parent involvement in their child's education can make a huge difference. To continue, I would then have the students practice typing and begin to type their story. I would review their story and split it up in slides and scan their pictures. In class, I would show them the features of PowerPoint and help them pick a background and slide transitions. The next step would be recording their voices.
This project would have to spread out over at least half of the year and require an assistant to help the students on the computers. I think this would be successful but I hope I am not overestimating the students ability to use the computer at such a young age. I would defiantly do this project the second half of the year and work my way up to it slowly. The end result would make the children and parents so proud. I will have to put much more planning and thought into the project before I can introduce it to my classroom. I am very excited and hope it is successful. If anyone has ideas on how to make it easier for the younger children, I will gladly accept them.
I began to brain storm about the steps I would take to execute this project. I would first have the children draw and color their own pictures. This would be used as the artwork in the PowerPoint. Then, the students could come up with a story to go with that picture. This would be a great time to get the parents involved. The parents could help them write the story for homework. The parents would fix spelling and grammar mistakes and praise the child's creative ideas. I strongly believe that parent involvement in their child's education can make a huge difference. To continue, I would then have the students practice typing and begin to type their story. I would review their story and split it up in slides and scan their pictures. In class, I would show them the features of PowerPoint and help them pick a background and slide transitions. The next step would be recording their voices.
This project would have to spread out over at least half of the year and require an assistant to help the students on the computers. I think this would be successful but I hope I am not overestimating the students ability to use the computer at such a young age. I would defiantly do this project the second half of the year and work my way up to it slowly. The end result would make the children and parents so proud. I will have to put much more planning and thought into the project before I can introduce it to my classroom. I am very excited and hope it is successful. If anyone has ideas on how to make it easier for the younger children, I will gladly accept them.
Does Technology have an Impcat on Student Achievement?
THE IMPACT OF INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY ON STUDENT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN READING AND MATHEMATICS by Betty Middelton and Richard Murray
This article discusses the importance of incorporating technology into education so students can make a smooth transition from school to the business world. Many business owners and managers think that technology is an important tool for educators to use. It is important that students learn the technologies so they are prepared for jobs in the future but, these technologies are so costly that many schools can not afford them. This study was done to find if students achievement on standardized tests was higher if technology was Incorporated into their classroom. I think this study is important because the uses of technology in the classroom should prepare the students for the future but also provide them with a better education.
The initial focus was on the teachers and they were ranked for how much they used technology and their precept ion of it in the classroom. "Through their responses to this instrument, teachers were categorized as teachers who utilize a high level of technology in their classroom or teachers who use little or no technology in their classroom. " The fourth grade students did not show a difference in their math or reading scores and their teachers reported using little technology in their classroom. On the other hand, the fifth graders showed a difference in both and their teachers had used more technology in the classroom. "These findings support the research of Johnson & Johnson (1996), who determined that successful implementation of technology depends on the classroom teacher."
Technology alone can not make a difference in a students education, that is what I learned from this article. It is up to the teacher to successfully use that technology to improve students skills in math, reading, and other aspects of education. Although the teacher has impact of the success of technology in the classroom, it has been proven that it benefits the students. This answers some of my questions about this subject but, leaves me with many more. As a teacher how do I successfully incorporate technology into my classroom to benefit my students? What did the teachers in this study do that allowed their students to preform better on standardized tests? These are answers that I will seek before I become a teacher in order to influence my students education as best I can.
http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.ezproxy.fgcu.edu/hww/shared/shared_main.jhtml?_requestid=1558
This article discusses the importance of incorporating technology into education so students can make a smooth transition from school to the business world. Many business owners and managers think that technology is an important tool for educators to use. It is important that students learn the technologies so they are prepared for jobs in the future but, these technologies are so costly that many schools can not afford them. This study was done to find if students achievement on standardized tests was higher if technology was Incorporated into their classroom. I think this study is important because the uses of technology in the classroom should prepare the students for the future but also provide them with a better education.
The initial focus was on the teachers and they were ranked for how much they used technology and their precept ion of it in the classroom. "Through their responses to this instrument, teachers were categorized as teachers who utilize a high level of technology in their classroom or teachers who use little or no technology in their classroom. " The fourth grade students did not show a difference in their math or reading scores and their teachers reported using little technology in their classroom. On the other hand, the fifth graders showed a difference in both and their teachers had used more technology in the classroom. "These findings support the research of Johnson & Johnson (1996), who determined that successful implementation of technology depends on the classroom teacher."
Technology alone can not make a difference in a students education, that is what I learned from this article. It is up to the teacher to successfully use that technology to improve students skills in math, reading, and other aspects of education. Although the teacher has impact of the success of technology in the classroom, it has been proven that it benefits the students. This answers some of my questions about this subject but, leaves me with many more. As a teacher how do I successfully incorporate technology into my classroom to benefit my students? What did the teachers in this study do that allowed their students to preform better on standardized tests? These are answers that I will seek before I become a teacher in order to influence my students education as best I can.
http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.ezproxy.fgcu.edu/hww/shared/shared_main.jhtml?_requestid=1558
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