This semester I truly enjoyed not only creating a blog, but also posting information about different tools used in our Educational Technology course. I love the fact that blogs allows you to communicate with other by presenting them with information you’ve learned over time. What I adore the most is that there are so many wonderful features that you can use to add appeal to your blog (gadgets such as videos, subscriptions to other blogs using RSS Feeds, templates, images, etc.). With technology evolving tremendously staying connected is important and blogs are a great way to do just that.
The shortcoming for me with my personal blog was that it was a little time consuming because of my other priorities. It was very challenging for me to respond to my peers’ blog post because of the excessive work load that was required in my four classes this semester. I began to think of how difficult it may be to keep up with a classroom blog if I don’t create a schedule to stay organized. If you know me, you know I can’t function properly without a “Things to Do List”.
Will I keep up with my blog? I most definitely will. I adore reading and writing and blogging gives me the opportunity to let the world know what I’ve learned through my experiences and research. I have sooo much to share and everything I write will be worth reading. Until the next post, stay focused and positive my fellow bloggers.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Creating Lesson Plans
This week I had the opportunity to develop a presentation on any tool we’ve learned about within the 12 weeks of my Educational Technology course. I choose to use MS Word Power Point to present a lesson on ways to use blogs effectively in an educational setting. MS Word has many magnificent features that I never knew exist (videos, animations, voice recordings, etc.) All of these additions help one to grasp the attention of all learners if used properly and with consideration. I’ve heard several times about blogs from peers, but never really knew their purpose. After being introduced to them this semester, conducting research, and creating a power point presentation I’ve learned how beneficial this Web 2.0 tool is for everyone. I’ve learned so many things about creating a lesson especially using power point. First, you should always think of your audience and the overall objective/purpose for presenting any topic. Next, make sure to take into consideration that there are all types of learners with different learning styles. In addition, NEVER assume that your audience has gained knowledge of the subject before you began to facilitate the lesson. Furthermore, all the features on power point should not be used all at once. This causes confusion and learners lose interest. Last but not least, there is always room for improvement. The next lesson you create on the same subject should be better than the first.
I enjoyed reading my peers’ lessons this week as well. I’ve seen creativity at its best. The way the brain work is fascinating. What I’ve learned about my classmates’ lesson was that by using information you’ve retrieved from any lesson you can teach others what you’ve learned. Showing student work should be one of our primary goals as educators. This is the best way for progress monitoring and evaluation of skills taught. What I loved the most is that we were able to provide constructive criticism on areas of strengths and concerns. When we are brainstorming ideas and completing presentations there is so much information we want to share that we may forget specific details or add too much information. With peer evaluation you can modify instruction and discuss best practices in order to further assist your students. Overall, I enjoyed creating and reading peer lessons. I can honestly say this semester I’ve gained a lot insight on many subject areas that I can and will implement in my classroom.
I enjoyed reading my peers’ lessons this week as well. I’ve seen creativity at its best. The way the brain work is fascinating. What I’ve learned about my classmates’ lesson was that by using information you’ve retrieved from any lesson you can teach others what you’ve learned. Showing student work should be one of our primary goals as educators. This is the best way for progress monitoring and evaluation of skills taught. What I loved the most is that we were able to provide constructive criticism on areas of strengths and concerns. When we are brainstorming ideas and completing presentations there is so much information we want to share that we may forget specific details or add too much information. With peer evaluation you can modify instruction and discuss best practices in order to further assist your students. Overall, I enjoyed creating and reading peer lessons. I can honestly say this semester I’ve gained a lot insight on many subject areas that I can and will implement in my classroom.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
MS Power Point
MS Power Point is a great tool to use in the educational setting. It allows teachers to organize, structure, and focus on key points while discussing any topic. With MS Power Point all learning modalities are taken into consideration. There are functions that help the presenter include images for visual learners, there are microphones and videos that can be added to assist auditory learners, and students can actually create their own slides which helps our kinesthetic learners. It is up to the presenter to actively engage students during a presentation. They should not rely solely on the images or the power point to teach a lesson.
Power point can be used as a home/school connection to reinforce skills taught in the classroom. Parents are able to access the power point if teachers send it directly to their e mail and add it to their blog or classroom website. With power point being used at home parents are actively involved in their student learning.
When thinking of using any tool in the classroom teachers must first receive adequate training and use the software before presenting it to their students. Where there are potentials there are also risks to using any tool in the classroom. The shortcomings of using MS Power Point are that some features such as animations and backgrounds can distract the audience from the actual information in the presentation. When creating a power point we must keep in mind the target audience that way when we add images they will focus more on the information rather than the pictures. Another shortcoming of power point is that power point presentation can’t be completed without using other forms of technology such as a projector or screen. If one of the devices functions improperly it can either delay the presentation or cause the audience to lose focus. Knowing these shortcomings one should always have a plan B and this is where printing out slides is important.
Below you will find a website that provides information on using power point in the classroom.
http://www.teach-nology.com/tutorials/powerpoint/no_one_tells_you/
Power point can be used as a home/school connection to reinforce skills taught in the classroom. Parents are able to access the power point if teachers send it directly to their e mail and add it to their blog or classroom website. With power point being used at home parents are actively involved in their student learning.
When thinking of using any tool in the classroom teachers must first receive adequate training and use the software before presenting it to their students. Where there are potentials there are also risks to using any tool in the classroom. The shortcomings of using MS Power Point are that some features such as animations and backgrounds can distract the audience from the actual information in the presentation. When creating a power point we must keep in mind the target audience that way when we add images they will focus more on the information rather than the pictures. Another shortcoming of power point is that power point presentation can’t be completed without using other forms of technology such as a projector or screen. If one of the devices functions improperly it can either delay the presentation or cause the audience to lose focus. Knowing these shortcomings one should always have a plan B and this is where printing out slides is important.
Below you will find a website that provides information on using power point in the classroom.
http://www.teach-nology.com/tutorials/powerpoint/no_one_tells_you/
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Web 2.0 Tools
According to Wikipedia a Web 2.0 tool is commonly associated with web applications that facilitate interactive information sharing, interoperability, and user-centered design. It allows users to interact with each other as contributors to the website's content. Some Web 2.0 tools discussed in my educational technology course were: wikis, social networks and cataloging such as Twitter and Face book, librarything, delicious, and flickr, along with video-sharing sites such as You Tube, ITunes, Brainpop, and films on demand. Each tool has great potential, but where there is potential there are also risks. Teachers must continue to monitor and evaluate student progress. Individuals that use any Web 2.0 tools should first examine each to see which resource is effective and beneficial to their learners while considering individual needs and appropriateness. I believe that all the tools listed above are important from an educational standpoint.
There are more schools with inclusive classrooms today than ever before. Within these environments instruction is geared towards both disabled and nondisabled that must focus on communication, social, language, and academic skills. Since computers and the read/write web have evolved significantly over the past decade students are becoming more technological savvy. The internet can enhance skills to increase learning and decrease inappropriate behavior. After examining each of the tools indicated above I found that there are more potentials than risks. For example, both Twitter and Facebook are tools that can be used to increase social and intrapersonal skills. With each students are able to communicate with their peers on different topics explored during class. For nonverbal students both Facebook and Twitter can help them to express their personal views and opinions on topics as well. The risk of using Twitter is that it can be time consuming if individual allows it to be. Since there are only 140 characters there may be concerns about grammatical errors and spelling. With Facebook the risk is students using the site for inappropriate discussions with peers or friends. Once again this is where teachers and parents must frequently monitor progress.
Librarything is a great cataloging tool that students can use to discuss literature, focus on the six traits of writing, summarize and use descriptions of books, develop guided comprehension questions, etc. I think that by using this site students will become more interested in different genres because they are making connections not only with their peers but also with people around the world.
Delicious is such a great Web 2.0 tool to use during research. There are plenty of times we’ve searched the web and wished we’d saved the site so that we can go back to it later. Using delicious/favorites we are allowed to save all necessary information that way it will always be there for future references.
Another Web 2.0 tool I know students would absolutely adore is Flickr. The first 5 letters in this word should automatically tell you its purpose. Using pictures to collaborate experiences, to show a process during experiments, to develop stories, etc. is beyond exciting. Many of our children are visual learners and with flickr students are able to discuss images that are interesting.
Let’s not forget our auditory and kinesthetic learners. Video-sharing is a great way to incorporate learning strategies for all learners. Using videos and podcasts in the classroom can grasp the reader’s attention and keep them actively engaged during instruction. YouTube, ITunes, Films on Demand, and Brainpop all have free resources for teachers that are accessible and available for use at any time. Teachers must remember to examine all content before using any tool . Structure and organization is key so one can’t expect to come into the classroom and share a video or podcast without fully examining its content.
None of the tools above should be used to replace the curriculum. All tools should be used as a means of support to instruction instead. The overall purpose of using Web 2.0 tools is to incorporate different strategies to increase social and academic skills. Determining which tools are appropriate for learners is important. Every student is unique what works for one may not work for the other; however, Using too many can also ineffective. With that being said in order to modify instruction one must more than one tool.
Below you will find a website that includes many useful Web 2.0 tools.
http://oreilly.com/pub/a/web2/archive/what-is-web-20.html?page=3
There are more schools with inclusive classrooms today than ever before. Within these environments instruction is geared towards both disabled and nondisabled that must focus on communication, social, language, and academic skills. Since computers and the read/write web have evolved significantly over the past decade students are becoming more technological savvy. The internet can enhance skills to increase learning and decrease inappropriate behavior. After examining each of the tools indicated above I found that there are more potentials than risks. For example, both Twitter and Facebook are tools that can be used to increase social and intrapersonal skills. With each students are able to communicate with their peers on different topics explored during class. For nonverbal students both Facebook and Twitter can help them to express their personal views and opinions on topics as well. The risk of using Twitter is that it can be time consuming if individual allows it to be. Since there are only 140 characters there may be concerns about grammatical errors and spelling. With Facebook the risk is students using the site for inappropriate discussions with peers or friends. Once again this is where teachers and parents must frequently monitor progress.
Librarything is a great cataloging tool that students can use to discuss literature, focus on the six traits of writing, summarize and use descriptions of books, develop guided comprehension questions, etc. I think that by using this site students will become more interested in different genres because they are making connections not only with their peers but also with people around the world.
Delicious is such a great Web 2.0 tool to use during research. There are plenty of times we’ve searched the web and wished we’d saved the site so that we can go back to it later. Using delicious/favorites we are allowed to save all necessary information that way it will always be there for future references.
Another Web 2.0 tool I know students would absolutely adore is Flickr. The first 5 letters in this word should automatically tell you its purpose. Using pictures to collaborate experiences, to show a process during experiments, to develop stories, etc. is beyond exciting. Many of our children are visual learners and with flickr students are able to discuss images that are interesting.
Let’s not forget our auditory and kinesthetic learners. Video-sharing is a great way to incorporate learning strategies for all learners. Using videos and podcasts in the classroom can grasp the reader’s attention and keep them actively engaged during instruction. YouTube, ITunes, Films on Demand, and Brainpop all have free resources for teachers that are accessible and available for use at any time. Teachers must remember to examine all content before using any tool . Structure and organization is key so one can’t expect to come into the classroom and share a video or podcast without fully examining its content.
None of the tools above should be used to replace the curriculum. All tools should be used as a means of support to instruction instead. The overall purpose of using Web 2.0 tools is to incorporate different strategies to increase social and academic skills. Determining which tools are appropriate for learners is important. Every student is unique what works for one may not work for the other; however, Using too many can also ineffective. With that being said in order to modify instruction one must more than one tool.
Below you will find a website that includes many useful Web 2.0 tools.
http://oreilly.com/pub/a/web2/archive/what-is-web-20.html?page=3
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
