After reading chapters 5 and 6, I came to the realization, I use technology all through my school day as well as at home. Until you really sit down and think about all of the ways you use technology, I think we forget what an important part of our daily lives it really is, and, what did we do without it?
Because I have a first grade classroom, the amount of technology that they are involved in is more often teacher directed rather than letting them explore. Mostly because then I am frantically running around the room trying to fix or help them in some way. I take them to the computer lab once a week, but we have mobile labs that we use during literacy centers daily. We typically use the internet to practice their math facts with our district wide math series, or they are encouraged to visit my blog site where I have many links that allow them to practice skills that have been taught or go to websites that I use in the classroom.
At this point the only person using spreadsheets, databases, and word processing is me. What I am looking forward to next year moving to second grade, the students will have one day a week with structured computer time, learning the keyboard and finding their way on the internet. I plan to take them to the computer lab as well, but also continue to use them during literacy centers. I am hoping to use our new Ipads as well. I am looking forward to extending not only my knowledge of integrating new technology and websites into my teaching, but allowing the students more opportunities to use the computer.
I have used keynote many times with my reading groups and science lessons by allowing the students to make slideshows of the information they learned, and I helped them add clipart that would help to explain what it is they learned or read. The children are so proud when they get to share this with the classroom. I am hoping this year, I can have them work more independently with their group, and I will be a guide when needed. Keynote was also used during our reading celebration in first grade. The children helped me choose pictures from the year, we labeled them, added music, and made a slideshow for their parents.
Back to my school blog. As I was reading our book, I realized that many of the concepts listed are actual things I incorporate into my blog links. The students can go to math drill and practice, electronic stories from Bookflix or Tumblebooks, spelling practice from Spelling City, and social studies and science activities to learn about our educational units.
While I was reading this chapter I had to reflect on many people's attitude about young children and technology. I am amazed when I show them something on the computer, and think, this is going to be difficult for them, and then they take the bull by the horns and they end up teaching me something. Just yesterday, I checked out our new cart of Ipads for my class. Somewhat nervous as to what all to show them, I used my document camera to show them the basics and then let them explore. At one point a child came over and said, mine is playing music and my elbow hit an app, but I don't know how to turn it off. As I am fumbling through the different applications, a little boy comes up to me and says, " Oh, you push this and that, etc" and he figured it out for me.
I was also noting that not only am I able to teach my students using technology, but it is a great tool for me with lesson planning, using planbook, organizing district assessments as well as my personal gradebook for their classroom work. As I was reading chapters 5 and 6, I decided to copy the pages that gave the steps to design and use multimedia and hypermedia. I really want to learn more and be able to create interesting web pages to teach my students in a more exciting way. Many children need to use their different senses. Many children are kinesthetic learners or visual learners and the typical classroom setting may not be the easiest learning environment for them. I also have been thinking that, I will have special needs students next year, and I would like to find ways to incorporate their learning by using technology as well.
I am so blessed to have a district who are so encouraged and excited about integrating technology. We are all somewhat learning together to create lessons and assessments and motivating activities for our students, as well as teaching each other new techniques on how to integrate it.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Contemporary Instruction to teach "Digital Natives"
Integrating technology into the classroom has so many benefits not only to the students but also for the teachers. We can not reach each student in the time frame students may need for feedback on their progress before they can move to the next topic or skill to master. Technology may also more effectively use differentiated instruction since many programs will only move to the next level when the child has mastered the first. In the classroom we have to continue to move forward, then step back and help those who may have fallen behind.
Using technology can motivate and keep student's attention sometimes more effectively than practice sheets and textbooks. In the video Digital Youth Portrait, Sam, they discussed how she can use teamwork and problem solve. (Bidleman, 2009) She is using higher level thinking without the use of a textbook, or taking notes. Many times when students use computer games or simulations they are problem solving and transferring information to the classroom, but they are also designing, planning and evaluating, again, using higher -order thinking.
Integrating technology is beneficial in the classroom. While there are some pitfalls, this is a digital world, if we want to prepare children for the workplace, allow them to be successful, and stay in school, then teaching using simulations, tutorials or allowing them to design software, and it will encourage these students to do their best. They have nothing to lose because they are not afraid to make mistakes, because they can always go back and fix them when using technology. This was a point made in the video Schools Use of Games for Learning and Assessment. (Ellis, 2007). I also liked how this video stated that students go into it as novices, and leave being experts. That is a powerful and true statement.
The pitfalls from what I have seen can be some programs are confusing on how to get out of them, students may not be retaining the information, and as the teacher, it is hard to give one to one help and see when students are doing math practice what their thought process is when paper and pencil is not used. I would like to believe these skills learned on the computer or ipod, whatever technology you are using, have to be able to be transferred to real life and the classroom. Our textbook, Integrating Technology into Teaching discussed the issue with students learning a certain way to solve a problem or some other skill, and it be something different than what you are teaching in class. (Roblyer, 2010). We don't want to cause more confusion. I also worry about online bullying or texting, ( our district has had this issue), or if they are finding inappropriate websites. There have been times when researching on youtube different science videos, that something will pop up that my students should not see.
It is difficult as we move through the digital age to find the appropriate ways to use technology, but I think it should be more widely used. Many schools do not have access to technology or it is sparse between grades, so integrating can be difficult, but I think students will be more motivated and interested in school if it was more widely promoted and used in the classroom.
Using technology can motivate and keep student's attention sometimes more effectively than practice sheets and textbooks. In the video Digital Youth Portrait, Sam, they discussed how she can use teamwork and problem solve. (Bidleman, 2009) She is using higher level thinking without the use of a textbook, or taking notes. Many times when students use computer games or simulations they are problem solving and transferring information to the classroom, but they are also designing, planning and evaluating, again, using higher -order thinking.
Integrating technology is beneficial in the classroom. While there are some pitfalls, this is a digital world, if we want to prepare children for the workplace, allow them to be successful, and stay in school, then teaching using simulations, tutorials or allowing them to design software, and it will encourage these students to do their best. They have nothing to lose because they are not afraid to make mistakes, because they can always go back and fix them when using technology. This was a point made in the video Schools Use of Games for Learning and Assessment. (Ellis, 2007). I also liked how this video stated that students go into it as novices, and leave being experts. That is a powerful and true statement.
The pitfalls from what I have seen can be some programs are confusing on how to get out of them, students may not be retaining the information, and as the teacher, it is hard to give one to one help and see when students are doing math practice what their thought process is when paper and pencil is not used. I would like to believe these skills learned on the computer or ipod, whatever technology you are using, have to be able to be transferred to real life and the classroom. Our textbook, Integrating Technology into Teaching discussed the issue with students learning a certain way to solve a problem or some other skill, and it be something different than what you are teaching in class. (Roblyer, 2010). We don't want to cause more confusion. I also worry about online bullying or texting, ( our district has had this issue), or if they are finding inappropriate websites. There have been times when researching on youtube different science videos, that something will pop up that my students should not see.
It is difficult as we move through the digital age to find the appropriate ways to use technology, but I think it should be more widely used. Many schools do not have access to technology or it is sparse between grades, so integrating can be difficult, but I think students will be more motivated and interested in school if it was more widely promoted and used in the classroom.
Resources used
Bidleman, C. (Producer). (2009). Digital youth portrait: sam. [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-profile-sam-video .
Ellis, K. (Producer). (2007). Schools use of games for learning and assessment. [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/computer-simulations-games-virtual-learning-video.
Roblyer, M.D, & Doering, A.H. (2010). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching, Boston: Pearson Education Inc.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
EDUG 522 Assign2B
Chapter #2 Ideas/concepts used in the classroom.
This chapter was extremely informative and gave me a new insight into how detailed planning lessons for technology can be. The learning theories noted are definitely useful as a guide to the planning of objectives, lessons and assessments according to the lesson being taught. They reiterated the fact that it is a technology world out there, and children are highly motivated and captured by technology, and it should play an important role in our teaching. I take my first grade class to the computer lab once a week, and during literacy groups in the morning, going to the computers is the most visited center. The children can accomplish the tasks set before them at their level, and don't feel the pressure of falling behind the class during instruction, or being bored having to wait for everyone if the child is more advanced. This is one of the most encouraging aspects of technology in the classroom. The TPACK model discusses the importance of teachers having a strong knowledge of how to incorporate technology into the classroom. I feel sometimes teachers may use computers as a chance to teach the lesson instead of using them as an extension. Children need to have the prior knowledge, and then use technology to allow them to extend and apply the information learned. That may be one of the "muddier points" that I have. Being able to use the technology as an extension while still allowing the children to gain prior knowledge and then to assess. Computer programs are becoming more assessment friendly, but I think you need to have a true sense of what you want to teach, how you want to teach it, how you want the students to respond and what knowledge did they come away with at the end. The assessment will be different for each child, as each child learns at their own pace, even when they use technology. But I think technology is more flexible and there is more opportunity for students to have differentiated instruction.
This can all be accomplished through the TIP model, which guides teachers in the right direction to avoid the pitfalls and difficulties teaching with technology. I feel the model is very helpful. While some of these phases many of us can say we touch on, I feel these will personally help me to use technology more efficiently in my classroom. To actually have steps to follow or a guideline is much easier than trying to reinvent the wheel and come up with your own ideas on how to reach each student. This model lays it out for you very effectively, and allows the teacher a great deal of reflection on their teaching and pedagogy towards incorporating technology. I feel following these steps will help us to see where we need to improve or gain more technological knowledge in order to teach our students effectively. It is really easy to put on a youtube video to extend a lesson, but we need to focus on the objective of the lesson and how to accomplish it using technology. My first grade partner and I both use promethean software in our classroom, and the interaction, as well as the ability to assess student knowledge is so helpful when teaching many lessons in our curriculum. With that being said, I also realize that the teacher needs to be clear when the learning needs to be more directed and when a constructive based learning approach is best.
Technology has many benefits to children and to teachers. It comes down to the fact that we need to better understand how to teach with technology by focusing not only on the learning theories, teacher knowledge, and student interest, but also how to make the most of the technology we have. Many districts need to have more technology available in the classroom and community. Many schools do not have the appropriate technology or access to it, and I believe that is truly unfortunate. I am actually moving to second grade next year, and our district is in the process of setting up all classrooms with some form of technology. I am leaving a classroom with a projector, white board and document camera, to a room with no technology. I feel it is unfortunate for my students, so I will be trying to come up with different ways to incorporate technology using Ipads and the mobile computers.
This chapter was extremely informative and gave me a new insight into how detailed planning lessons for technology can be. The learning theories noted are definitely useful as a guide to the planning of objectives, lessons and assessments according to the lesson being taught. They reiterated the fact that it is a technology world out there, and children are highly motivated and captured by technology, and it should play an important role in our teaching. I take my first grade class to the computer lab once a week, and during literacy groups in the morning, going to the computers is the most visited center. The children can accomplish the tasks set before them at their level, and don't feel the pressure of falling behind the class during instruction, or being bored having to wait for everyone if the child is more advanced. This is one of the most encouraging aspects of technology in the classroom. The TPACK model discusses the importance of teachers having a strong knowledge of how to incorporate technology into the classroom. I feel sometimes teachers may use computers as a chance to teach the lesson instead of using them as an extension. Children need to have the prior knowledge, and then use technology to allow them to extend and apply the information learned. That may be one of the "muddier points" that I have. Being able to use the technology as an extension while still allowing the children to gain prior knowledge and then to assess. Computer programs are becoming more assessment friendly, but I think you need to have a true sense of what you want to teach, how you want to teach it, how you want the students to respond and what knowledge did they come away with at the end. The assessment will be different for each child, as each child learns at their own pace, even when they use technology. But I think technology is more flexible and there is more opportunity for students to have differentiated instruction.
This can all be accomplished through the TIP model, which guides teachers in the right direction to avoid the pitfalls and difficulties teaching with technology. I feel the model is very helpful. While some of these phases many of us can say we touch on, I feel these will personally help me to use technology more efficiently in my classroom. To actually have steps to follow or a guideline is much easier than trying to reinvent the wheel and come up with your own ideas on how to reach each student. This model lays it out for you very effectively, and allows the teacher a great deal of reflection on their teaching and pedagogy towards incorporating technology. I feel following these steps will help us to see where we need to improve or gain more technological knowledge in order to teach our students effectively. It is really easy to put on a youtube video to extend a lesson, but we need to focus on the objective of the lesson and how to accomplish it using technology. My first grade partner and I both use promethean software in our classroom, and the interaction, as well as the ability to assess student knowledge is so helpful when teaching many lessons in our curriculum. With that being said, I also realize that the teacher needs to be clear when the learning needs to be more directed and when a constructive based learning approach is best.
Technology has many benefits to children and to teachers. It comes down to the fact that we need to better understand how to teach with technology by focusing not only on the learning theories, teacher knowledge, and student interest, but also how to make the most of the technology we have. Many districts need to have more technology available in the classroom and community. Many schools do not have the appropriate technology or access to it, and I believe that is truly unfortunate. I am actually moving to second grade next year, and our district is in the process of setting up all classrooms with some form of technology. I am leaving a classroom with a projector, white board and document camera, to a room with no technology. I feel it is unfortunate for my students, so I will be trying to come up with different ways to incorporate technology using Ipads and the mobile computers.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Technology
Hello everyone! I am looking forward to learning more about technology in my classroom. I may need some help. Computers and I don't always get along, and our district continues to improve it's technology and access for students, so I really want to learn more and get my students excited about learning!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
About Me!
I have been teaching first grade for four years. I have been using a document camera and projector in my room for the last two years. This is a great way to allow the children to have more interaction with their learning. This also allows us to find many great websites that will help to enhance learning. I currently have a blog that allows my students and parents to go to links that they can work on activities at home. I am hoping that by having a blog, I can keep parents informed, and get the students excited about learning. they do not respond to me on my blog yet, as many are not familiar with the internet without parental supervision. Next year I will be teaching 2nd grade, and I will have no technology in my room, so I am counting on the blogs to keep them interested and motivated about technology until we get some in our classroom again.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
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