In class I learned even more about designing with technologies and how I could use different designing tools in the classroom. If students are interested in math, science, and design they would probably love using the architecture tools. I think every student would love designing on RollerCoasterTycoon. CreatingMusic is a tool that would be great for students to practice their musical talents and learn how to "create" music.
Skype was the cool tool Sarah presented. It was so cool to "meet" her mom through this technological tool and she shared an idea on how we can take students on virtual field trips. I also enjoyed learning about TalkShoe and it's many capabilities. TalkShoe allows you to have virtual conversations with others who have a talkshoe account. I liked the "Free English Corner" talk cast and think that it would be useful for English Language Learners. LiveMocha was definitely my favorite cool tool shown today. I am going to Paris in the fall and do not know much French, so hopefully this tool can help me learn some before I head there in 4 weeks :). Students could also use this site to practice their English skills.
Andy shared a contemporary issue on online dating. I have never been a fan of meeting people this way, but I know many people have feel in love with someone they met on the internet. Like she said, people need to be careful about their information (money, etc.) when meeting people over the internet. In reality, you could meet someone in person who is a scam artist but at least you can see them and talk to them face-to-face rather than communicating through the internet. We just need to make sure we are careful in every situation to promote our safety! There are crazy people in this world and we could meet them in person or on the internet.
I'm excited to go work on our stop-animation! Be on the lookout for our video!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Designing with Technologies...
When I think about designing with technology I instantly think of graphic design or something along those lines. Even though that is one form of design, there are many other types that I learned about through this chapter. In reality, if I didn't pursue a degree in Elementary Education, I would have majored in interior or fashion design. The problem, however, is that I can not draw that well, but thankfully technology helps me in that area :).
The CAD program sounds pretty interesting and useful (must be since it was created in 1960 and still used today!). People can use this as a "virtual drafting table" (p. 171). I think it is so cool they can use this tool to view and rotate objects on the screen, zoom in and out, and help produce final drawings.
One of my good friends is in architectural design and he has showed me several of the computer tools they use. The SkethUp program seems like a neat tool because you can create virtual buildings and houses! This is very helpful if someone is trying to create a large development or shopping complex because then they could see what everything will look like before it is actually built. It would definitely be better to make changes before the place is actually built.
Since I love music and love to sing, the music composition software caught my eye. I have played with a few tools like this and think it is really cool and useful to develop songs and scores on the computer as well as create sheet music. I think the Impromptu program sounds useful as it allows you to keep a running log of music are you are working.
The CAD program sounds pretty interesting and useful (must be since it was created in 1960 and still used today!). People can use this as a "virtual drafting table" (p. 171). I think it is so cool they can use this tool to view and rotate objects on the screen, zoom in and out, and help produce final drawings.
One of my good friends is in architectural design and he has showed me several of the computer tools they use. The SkethUp program seems like a neat tool because you can create virtual buildings and houses! This is very helpful if someone is trying to create a large development or shopping complex because then they could see what everything will look like before it is actually built. It would definitely be better to make changes before the place is actually built.
Since I love music and love to sing, the music composition software caught my eye. I have played with a few tools like this and think it is really cool and useful to develop songs and scores on the computer as well as create sheet music. I think the Impromptu program sounds useful as it allows you to keep a running log of music are you are working.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Birthday Week...
Today we ended our showing of digital autobiographies. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about my peers through pictures. Pictures are something I cherish and love looking at and I think I will show presentations about myself in the future to introduce myself to students. Speaking of pictures, I celebrated my 21st birthday this week and here is a picture from my birthday celebration. :)
Chapter 7 was an interesting read and the two girls did a fabulous job presenting the chapter in class. They provided so many resources that can be useful to use in our classrooms. I want to go back and look through the resources because I felt like i did not have time to explore any of the websites. I thought the assessment was pretty cool and fun. Using video-conferencing in the classroom is something I hope to do because you can connect with so many different people in different parts of the world. The video they showed at the beginning of the presentation was eye opening and showed how much technology is actually used today. Videos such as that one and others that are similar always grab my attention and really interests me.
Sarah brought up an interesting contemporary issue that I often think about: the growing rate of childhood obesity. The benefits of technology are very great and I do not believe we should "choose" playing outside or being active over letting children play with technological resources but rather create a balanced lifestyle for our children. We cannot blame just media for the obesity problem because there are many other factors that contribute (the food we eat, etc.).
A cool tool that I particularly liked today was DrawAnywhere. This is a site where people can create diagrams, flowcharts, concepts maps, and classroom setups. I also like the fact that you can upload your own photos for your charts or diagrams (but is not available in the free version, of course!). Another tool introduced, WooMe, is a site that I don't think I will be visiting in the future! It seems like a very sketchy resource and I would not let my students or children use this site. I liked how Jeff tried to justify his adding this cool tool to the list :) But it just goes to show how quickly things can change!
Communicating with Technologies...
Over the last few years of my life, the way I communicate has drastically changed. There are definitely pros and cons to this change. I went from talking in person, to AIM, to texting and facebooking. Through all this change, I have tried to maintain face to face relationships with people (which is almost harder these days). Students in the future will probably have even more technology so I can't imagine how they are going to communicate. I agree with the book when it says that students can use multiple technologies at the same time. If you were to watch students for an entire day, you would probably be extremely surprised by the amount of technology they use and the time they spend with technology.
Since students are so used to multitasking with technologies, how are we going to keep them interested and engaged in the classroom? One way teachers can use communicating with technologies is through discussion boards. This is a way for students to share information and learn from each other. The book mentions that through online forums, there is no "race, gender, age, and no infirmities-only minds: people talking to people" (p. 141). That statement is very true and I agree those things can sometimes cause issues in the classroom, but what about students who do not use grammar correctly or do not write well? Those students might be scared to discuss through online forums. This issue is addressed later on in the chapter and suggests that teachers should give students opportunities to communicate in person and learn how to have actual conversations first before introducing them to online discussion boards.
Other forms of online communicating include things such as chatting on the internet (AIM instant messaging, Facebook chat) and videoconferencing with others. Videoconferencing on resources such as Skype is a great way to connect with others who are not in the same area or are in different parts of the world.
Communication is such a huge part of everyone's life and it is interesting to read and learn about the different ways people can communicate. If we were thought about the way we communicate on a daily basis, I guarantee at least 50 percent of our communication would be through technology. Is that a good or bad thing?
Since students are so used to multitasking with technologies, how are we going to keep them interested and engaged in the classroom? One way teachers can use communicating with technologies is through discussion boards. This is a way for students to share information and learn from each other. The book mentions that through online forums, there is no "race, gender, age, and no infirmities-only minds: people talking to people" (p. 141). That statement is very true and I agree those things can sometimes cause issues in the classroom, but what about students who do not use grammar correctly or do not write well? Those students might be scared to discuss through online forums. This issue is addressed later on in the chapter and suggests that teachers should give students opportunities to communicate in person and learn how to have actual conversations first before introducing them to online discussion boards.
Other forms of online communicating include things such as chatting on the internet (AIM instant messaging, Facebook chat) and videoconferencing with others. Videoconferencing on resources such as Skype is a great way to connect with others who are not in the same area or are in different parts of the world.
Communication is such a huge part of everyone's life and it is interesting to read and learn about the different ways people can communicate. If we were thought about the way we communicate on a daily basis, I guarantee at least 50 percent of our communication would be through technology. Is that a good or bad thing?
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Learning each day...
Today I gave my cool tool presentation on sliderocket. I really like this tool and believe I will use it in the future. I also enjoyed the other cool tools introduced: Flickr and Polleverywhere. I love taking pictures so flickr is definitely a tool that sparked my interest!
Will virtual schools or other forms of technology cause me to lose my job in the future? I sure hope not! I'm not too worried about that, but you never know what could happen in this crazy world. :) Even though Katie didn't mention teachers in particularly, she did mention how technology has caused some people to lose jobs and asked how we can create jobs using technology and encourage students to be prepared for a "skilled" workforce in order for them to be successful.
Stop-motion animation was introduced and it is a very interesting tool. I did not have a clear understanding of what it was before today and now I am excited to use it with my class! Jeff mentioned using it as an alternative assessment which would give students a break from the traditional pencil and paper method. I'm all for the alternative assessments. :) It will be fun creating a stop-motion animation with peers in our class. Our topic of "texting and driving" should make for an interesting animation!
Scratch is going to be time consuming, but after learning about it more in class I feel more prepared to start my project!
Will virtual schools or other forms of technology cause me to lose my job in the future? I sure hope not! I'm not too worried about that, but you never know what could happen in this crazy world. :) Even though Katie didn't mention teachers in particularly, she did mention how technology has caused some people to lose jobs and asked how we can create jobs using technology and encourage students to be prepared for a "skilled" workforce in order for them to be successful.
Stop-motion animation was introduced and it is a very interesting tool. I did not have a clear understanding of what it was before today and now I am excited to use it with my class! Jeff mentioned using it as an alternative assessment which would give students a break from the traditional pencil and paper method. I'm all for the alternative assessments. :) It will be fun creating a stop-motion animation with peers in our class. Our topic of "texting and driving" should make for an interesting animation!
Scratch is going to be time consuming, but after learning about it more in class I feel more prepared to start my project!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Exit Slip
Today's class was jammed pack with information! We had two groups present their chapter and each group provided multiple resources. Doing the chapter presentations definitely clarifies information about that chapter that I didn't necessarily understand the first time. It also allows us to explore the resources in class and become familiar with things we could use in the future.
Last summer my computer crashed and I was unbelievably sad about the things I almost lost (thankfully, a dear friend recovered the computer). Dropbox is a tool we learned about which is a site that allows people to store information and is a "back up" in case something happens to the files on your computer. Brainpop is a cool that Jacki presented and like her, I too believe this is a great site to use in the classroom. You can use this site to introduce different topics. There are interesting videos and games that children truly enjoy.
I presented my contemporary issue on a subject that I am passionate about and believe that everyone should be aware of; media and technology's influence on body image. After seeing the Dove Campaign video several years ago I was shocked and basically mortified by the way technology distorts body image and creates these "beings" and bodies that are very unattainable. I want children and my peers to understand what the media is doing to they do not buy into the lies or think their body or appearance isn't "good enough."
Another issue that Brittany brought up was social networking and if it is appropriate for children. Personally, my own children will not be allowed to participate on social networks at such a young age. Even though I think social networking is an awesome way to connect with people and share information, I do not believe sites like Facebook or Myspace are the places to do this for elementary and even middle school students. The can be social at school, on other "child-friendly" sites such as webkins, club penguin, or Kidswirl.
I hope to play around and work with some of the tools that were introduced today. I mentioned in class that I am concerned with how to use certain resources in an elementary classroom setting so hopefully I can modify them for future use!
Last summer my computer crashed and I was unbelievably sad about the things I almost lost (thankfully, a dear friend recovered the computer). Dropbox is a tool we learned about which is a site that allows people to store information and is a "back up" in case something happens to the files on your computer. Brainpop is a cool that Jacki presented and like her, I too believe this is a great site to use in the classroom. You can use this site to introduce different topics. There are interesting videos and games that children truly enjoy.
I presented my contemporary issue on a subject that I am passionate about and believe that everyone should be aware of; media and technology's influence on body image. After seeing the Dove Campaign video several years ago I was shocked and basically mortified by the way technology distorts body image and creates these "beings" and bodies that are very unattainable. I want children and my peers to understand what the media is doing to they do not buy into the lies or think their body or appearance isn't "good enough."
Another issue that Brittany brought up was social networking and if it is appropriate for children. Personally, my own children will not be allowed to participate on social networks at such a young age. Even though I think social networking is an awesome way to connect with people and share information, I do not believe sites like Facebook or Myspace are the places to do this for elementary and even middle school students. The can be social at school, on other "child-friendly" sites such as webkins, club penguin, or Kidswirl.
I hope to play around and work with some of the tools that were introduced today. I mentioned in class that I am concerned with how to use certain resources in an elementary classroom setting so hopefully I can modify them for future use!
Reflecting on chapters 5 & 6
One thing I like about our classes this semester is the fact that the things we are learning in each individual class somewhat overlap with each other. In our science methods course, we learned how models can be used in the classroom. Some of my classmates used Scratch to create models for certain things. Chapter 5 discusses "modeling with technologies" and how we can learn through building and creating models. I like the section at the beginning of the chapter that explains the difference between computers teaching students and students teaching/sharing their information with the computer. When we create models of any kind we are showing that we understand how something works and we are showing our knowledge. I like the way the book put it, "the primary purpose of students modeling is the construction and revision of the learner's conceptual understanding, a process known as conceptual change and one that is sometimes difficult" (p. 83).
Several examples of computer based "mindtools" are given in the chapter. These include things like databases, concept maps, spreadsheets, microworlds, and so on. One example I really like is something called Comapping. This is a site where you can post, organize, and share information with others. Students should create models because I believe they learn not only from the success they may encounter but also from struggles and trials they may have.
Who likes to communicate with other people?! I do! Chapter 6 is all about community building with technologies. I personally use technology to communicate with all types of people in my life; professors, close friends, friends that live far ways, family, etc. When we communicate and share information, we are also learning and gaining new perspectives on things, sometimes without even knowing it. "Technologies enabling social networks and knowledge webs offer a means of constructing knowledge by facilitating collaboration and teamwork" (p. 101). Do you like you learn from other people? I believe I am constantly learning from what people say and trying to see their perspectives on things when they share information.
Using Wikis is a way to co-construct knowledge. I first heard about wikis my freshman year when I took the introduction to technology class. I thought they were cool and interesting, but I honestly have not used them since then. However, this class reintroduced them to me and have been very effective for displaying and sharing information. It is very easy and convenient for me and my peers to post sources on the class organization wiki. A wiki creates an "environment for students to join together in a knowledge-building community" (p. 105). They can post "knowledge" they have found and see the other things that have been posted. One example of a wiki they described in the book is an AP teacher who used a wiki as a way to help prepare his students for the end of the year exam. What a great way to review!
Once again, I am amazed by all the technological tools I read about in these two chapters and am excited to put them to use in the future!
Several examples of computer based "mindtools" are given in the chapter. These include things like databases, concept maps, spreadsheets, microworlds, and so on. One example I really like is something called Comapping. This is a site where you can post, organize, and share information with others. Students should create models because I believe they learn not only from the success they may encounter but also from struggles and trials they may have.
Who likes to communicate with other people?! I do! Chapter 6 is all about community building with technologies. I personally use technology to communicate with all types of people in my life; professors, close friends, friends that live far ways, family, etc. When we communicate and share information, we are also learning and gaining new perspectives on things, sometimes without even knowing it. "Technologies enabling social networks and knowledge webs offer a means of constructing knowledge by facilitating collaboration and teamwork" (p. 101). Do you like you learn from other people? I believe I am constantly learning from what people say and trying to see their perspectives on things when they share information.
Using Wikis is a way to co-construct knowledge. I first heard about wikis my freshman year when I took the introduction to technology class. I thought they were cool and interesting, but I honestly have not used them since then. However, this class reintroduced them to me and have been very effective for displaying and sharing information. It is very easy and convenient for me and my peers to post sources on the class organization wiki. A wiki creates an "environment for students to join together in a knowledge-building community" (p. 105). They can post "knowledge" they have found and see the other things that have been posted. One example of a wiki they described in the book is an AP teacher who used a wiki as a way to help prepare his students for the end of the year exam. What a great way to review!
Once again, I am amazed by all the technological tools I read about in these two chapters and am excited to put them to use in the future!
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