Sunday, May 3, 2009
Reflection on computer apps class
I felt that all the projects and readings were very relevant to our course of study. I came away with so much more then I ever expected. The individual projects always help me grow in knowledge but I was weary of doing group projects but they were invaluable and am so.. glad for the experience. I came away with a very positive experience in group work and collaboration that I never experienced before. I felt that all the class participation in critiques and discussions were incredible and enlightening. This has been by far my most rewarding class experience so far.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Reflection on 5th Discussion Marc Prensky
I thoroughly enjoyed Marc's articles and found myself using them in other classes. This is the first time I have read his materials and I found them relevant and exciting in what I am trying to create in a school library. From his definition's of digital immigrants to digital natives I get a better understanding of the minds I will be teaching and the teachers I will be working with. Even though I am working in an elementary setting I can still learn for Marc's information as to where the students are coming from growing up with computers in the home. Next year I am hoping to be in a high school setting and will be working with digital natives. One of my biggest challenges if I get this job will be to make the library inviting and supportive to student learning. The librarian that is retiring from 28 years of service was not there for the students and I would like to take what I am learning from Marc's articles and change the environment to stimulating and engaging. I will be stepping out of my comfort zone in teaching high school students but thanks to this course and several others I have taken for my Masters I feel I am ready to step up to higher level thinking.
Reflection on Project 6 - Technology and Instructional Strategies
When we were assigned this project I thought didn’t we just complete something like this? How wrong I was! For each kind of technology I chose for this project I researched it deeper and learned of the various types of that technology then applied those to the strategies I had. How exciting and informative it was! It is such great times in the educational world where these exciting new technologies can be applied to motivate and engage students in their learning process. I love learning and applying them to my lessons as soon as I can. It is motivating for me as a teacher and I in turn excite my students into learning these new skills.
I thoroughly enjoyed this project as I did the last and learned so much. It is amazing how my confidence grows as I complete a project. I want to thank-you Dr. Kovalik for having the insight to create such relevant projects. My group all put out their best work forward as always and it has been a positive experience to work with them all. Thank-you Angela, Trent, Debbie, and Karen it was my pleasure to be in your group!
Sandy
I thoroughly enjoyed this project as I did the last and learned so much. It is amazing how my confidence grows as I complete a project. I want to thank-you Dr. Kovalik for having the insight to create such relevant projects. My group all put out their best work forward as always and it has been a positive experience to work with them all. Thank-you Angela, Trent, Debbie, and Karen it was my pleasure to be in your group!
Sandy
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Reflection on 4th Discussion Ubiquitous Computing
Ubiquitous Computing
One of the articles in this discussion posting was “Teaching and Learning in a Ubiquitous Computing Environment” which had three very interesting case studies embedded in it. The other article was “Ubiquitous Computing and Changing Pedagogical Possibilities: Representations, Conceptualizations and Uses of Knowledge” which covered detail findings from the AT&T classroom. I found all the information listed extremely interesting and motivating. I thought everyone that posted added some really important points in regards to ubiquitous computing and its effect on the classroom.
Using computers for hands on learning sometimes can create the concern of are the students just pushing buttons. But I feel that if you are instructing them in a focused and positive way they are going to become positively engaged. Surfing for information and opening several links in the process can get even the best adult side-tracked but they still learning from the experience. (Even if going off track wastes valuable time finding relevant information.)
Having someone in the building to maintain the equipment and give training/support to the teachers to use the technology is very important and as most of you all say is lacking in most buildings. This needs to be more at the top of the priority list for a district because student learning and test scores will dramatically increase.
I found myself agreeing with what most of you all posted. This discussion kept my attention and I feel learned a lot that I will take with me from these discussions. Thank you all for your contributions they make us all better teachers.
One of the articles in this discussion posting was “Teaching and Learning in a Ubiquitous Computing Environment” which had three very interesting case studies embedded in it. The other article was “Ubiquitous Computing and Changing Pedagogical Possibilities: Representations, Conceptualizations and Uses of Knowledge” which covered detail findings from the AT&T classroom. I found all the information listed extremely interesting and motivating. I thought everyone that posted added some really important points in regards to ubiquitous computing and its effect on the classroom.
Using computers for hands on learning sometimes can create the concern of are the students just pushing buttons. But I feel that if you are instructing them in a focused and positive way they are going to become positively engaged. Surfing for information and opening several links in the process can get even the best adult side-tracked but they still learning from the experience. (Even if going off track wastes valuable time finding relevant information.)
Having someone in the building to maintain the equipment and give training/support to the teachers to use the technology is very important and as most of you all say is lacking in most buildings. This needs to be more at the top of the priority list for a district because student learning and test scores will dramatically increase.
I found myself agreeing with what most of you all posted. This discussion kept my attention and I feel learned a lot that I will take with me from these discussions. Thank you all for your contributions they make us all better teachers.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Reflection on 3rd Discussion Technological Pedagogical Content
Technological Pedagogical Content
This topic for discussion had a lot of information in the article that was presented. It seemed overwhelming to me at first and then as I read I began to see the content coming together and I found it very interesting. I also felt that the postings from other students were informative and helped me understand what the article was saying. All seemed to agree that interweaving all three key sources of knowledge: technology, pedagogy, and content create a powerful framework for teachers and the curriculum.
Some of the students’ postings gave us insight as to how technology is not being used to benefit everyone equally. The upper grades seem to get the bulk of districts technology equipment while the lower grades have to defend their ideas to use technology by being the most creative. I know this is true in our district where the high school rooms all have smart boards in them but the elementary where I work has two boards in the whole building. In order to become proficient in a form of technology you have to be able to play with it so you can see how to best use its potential. This doesn’t happen in an elementary building with 17 classroom teachers and two smart boards. This opened my eyes that we are not the only district with this problem!
I felt that this discussion topic and its sub-topics were very interesting and informative to me. I enjoyed learning about other people’s ideas and actual situations with integrating technology into the classrooms. I was impressed to read how Karen’s district started a program two years ago which was initiated by the school board to have one computer for every student. Then they had monthly professional development to focus learning and exploring Web 2.0 tools, software etc. Their goal was not to make technology an addition to what you are teaching but to teach the content. I feel this discussion was valuable to me and my dreams for my district in technology.
This topic for discussion had a lot of information in the article that was presented. It seemed overwhelming to me at first and then as I read I began to see the content coming together and I found it very interesting. I also felt that the postings from other students were informative and helped me understand what the article was saying. All seemed to agree that interweaving all three key sources of knowledge: technology, pedagogy, and content create a powerful framework for teachers and the curriculum.
Some of the students’ postings gave us insight as to how technology is not being used to benefit everyone equally. The upper grades seem to get the bulk of districts technology equipment while the lower grades have to defend their ideas to use technology by being the most creative. I know this is true in our district where the high school rooms all have smart boards in them but the elementary where I work has two boards in the whole building. In order to become proficient in a form of technology you have to be able to play with it so you can see how to best use its potential. This doesn’t happen in an elementary building with 17 classroom teachers and two smart boards. This opened my eyes that we are not the only district with this problem!
I felt that this discussion topic and its sub-topics were very interesting and informative to me. I enjoyed learning about other people’s ideas and actual situations with integrating technology into the classrooms. I was impressed to read how Karen’s district started a program two years ago which was initiated by the school board to have one computer for every student. Then they had monthly professional development to focus learning and exploring Web 2.0 tools, software etc. Their goal was not to make technology an addition to what you are teaching but to teach the content. I feel this discussion was valuable to me and my dreams for my district in technology.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Reflection on 2nd Discussion Pros and Cons of Presentation Software
Pros and Cons of Presentation Software
In this discussion about presentation software it seems unanimous about Guy Kawasaki’s 10/20/30 rule for a PowerPoint presentation, the passion of the presenter, and how if used correctly the power behind a PowerPoint. It was also evident from the discussion that these three things don’t always exist in a presentation. It seems presenters’ have a greater tendency to use PowerPoint’s in lazy ways and not to their full potential. There were mixed feeling as to the use of hand-outs especially depending upon the audience (businessmen or educators) and Rick Maurer’s article.
As far as did I learn anything for this discussion I’d have to say not too much. Yes there were some good points made that I also understood from the readings and I enjoyed the articles and videos. The postings themselves had a lot of repeated information that was just reworded and I seemed to skim through the postings more this time because of this. I didn’t want to miss a new idea if it was out there. I still think we discussed as a class it’s just that the discussion topic seemed to be limited this time whether we chose to discuss that way or we didn’t have the variety as before. I enjoyed the idea on what else can we use PowerPoint’s but here too I was hoping to see discussions on a lot more uses because I think they are out there. Maybe everyone is just like me still looking to discovering them.
I have a suggestion to offer with this discussion. It seems that maybe we could of viewed other presentation software along with PowerPoint. The more the different types of a topic are presented the better the discussions I think.
In this discussion about presentation software it seems unanimous about Guy Kawasaki’s 10/20/30 rule for a PowerPoint presentation, the passion of the presenter, and how if used correctly the power behind a PowerPoint. It was also evident from the discussion that these three things don’t always exist in a presentation. It seems presenters’ have a greater tendency to use PowerPoint’s in lazy ways and not to their full potential. There were mixed feeling as to the use of hand-outs especially depending upon the audience (businessmen or educators) and Rick Maurer’s article.
As far as did I learn anything for this discussion I’d have to say not too much. Yes there were some good points made that I also understood from the readings and I enjoyed the articles and videos. The postings themselves had a lot of repeated information that was just reworded and I seemed to skim through the postings more this time because of this. I didn’t want to miss a new idea if it was out there. I still think we discussed as a class it’s just that the discussion topic seemed to be limited this time whether we chose to discuss that way or we didn’t have the variety as before. I enjoyed the idea on what else can we use PowerPoint’s but here too I was hoping to see discussions on a lot more uses because I think they are out there. Maybe everyone is just like me still looking to discovering them.
I have a suggestion to offer with this discussion. It seems that maybe we could of viewed other presentation software along with PowerPoint. The more the different types of a topic are presented the better the discussions I think.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Reflection on 1st Discussion Topic 21st Century Skills
21st Century Skills
This was our class’s first discussion topic and I was impressed with the amount the relevant posts everyone made to it and the good ideas that supported each others questions or concerns. Some of the online classes I have had in the past I had a hard time trying to see the connection of a post to what the article was about or how their post related to someone else’s but not this class. I was excited to post and read what others posted. This group feels more like a class reading, responding, and working together. Everyone seems to have ideas about what they learned or experienced and this has helped me to see another point of view or more support for a point of view I share. I am enjoying learning from reading and contemplating what I am reading.
In the discussions on the 21st century skills I learned that a lot of us felt that computer literacy basics are important for students to have learned prior to college and the younger they use a word document the better. By the end of high school they should be familiar and can easily use the basic programs such as word, excel, publisher, and PowerPoint. Far too often the most they use is texting, IM, or editing myspace. If the computer program skills were included in their elementary learning they would be familiar with the mechanics and the content of the curriculum could be the main focus like it should be. It was also agreed upon that paper and pencil must continue to have its place in the classroom but at the same time wonder about the green movement and its effect on the paper/pencil writing. Others were afraid that history of handwritten drafts would be lost but it was then pointed out that some computer programs adapt for this with a “track edit”.
It is very evident through the discussions that learning does not end at graduation. Educators should have opportunities to continuing education through their place of work in building in-services and updating technology skills throughout their teaching years.
Yet at the same time it was expressed how varied the technology support was from some using land lines to connect to high speed cable. Computers offered at school yet are not in the students homes. It seems it goes from one end of a scale to the complete opposite not only in skill but in equipment as well.
We seem to agree that education is heading into a new wave and teamwork is what is needed.
This was our class’s first discussion topic and I was impressed with the amount the relevant posts everyone made to it and the good ideas that supported each others questions or concerns. Some of the online classes I have had in the past I had a hard time trying to see the connection of a post to what the article was about or how their post related to someone else’s but not this class. I was excited to post and read what others posted. This group feels more like a class reading, responding, and working together. Everyone seems to have ideas about what they learned or experienced and this has helped me to see another point of view or more support for a point of view I share. I am enjoying learning from reading and contemplating what I am reading.
In the discussions on the 21st century skills I learned that a lot of us felt that computer literacy basics are important for students to have learned prior to college and the younger they use a word document the better. By the end of high school they should be familiar and can easily use the basic programs such as word, excel, publisher, and PowerPoint. Far too often the most they use is texting, IM, or editing myspace. If the computer program skills were included in their elementary learning they would be familiar with the mechanics and the content of the curriculum could be the main focus like it should be. It was also agreed upon that paper and pencil must continue to have its place in the classroom but at the same time wonder about the green movement and its effect on the paper/pencil writing. Others were afraid that history of handwritten drafts would be lost but it was then pointed out that some computer programs adapt for this with a “track edit”.
It is very evident through the discussions that learning does not end at graduation. Educators should have opportunities to continuing education through their place of work in building in-services and updating technology skills throughout their teaching years.
Yet at the same time it was expressed how varied the technology support was from some using land lines to connect to high speed cable. Computers offered at school yet are not in the students homes. It seems it goes from one end of a scale to the complete opposite not only in skill but in equipment as well.
We seem to agree that education is heading into a new wave and teamwork is what is needed.
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