Reflection Post

Throughout this semester I found this class to have the most relevant information that I will use as a student and a future teacher. Although I did not put my best efforts towards this class, I will always remember the information that I absorbed throughout these few months. When I first signed up for this class, I was unaware of all the different roles technology can play. When I first think of technology I think of email, texting, calling, internet, and social media but there is so much more to technology than just that. There are so many opportunities for students and teachers through technology. There are tools that help students learn math, science, history, language arts but then there are websites/tools that help teachers create lesson plans or help teachers communicate with other professionals. Due to this, education will never get boring and there will always be a way to help involve students into their studies. I never realized this until I entered this class and read the textbook. As an average college students, some paragraphs were drowning while others were so interesting. However, at every single chapter there were Web 2.0 Tool boxes that were listed with all sorts of tools and websites that were associated to that chapter. I also found joy in learning about all the different Web 2.0 tools and searching them on the web. Every single chapter amazed me on how many Web 2.0 tools there are and not a single tool disappointed me. Not only did the tools amaze me but so did our discussions in class. The teacher related the information so clearly that everyone could understand and she would also demonstrate what she was talking about. For instance, when our class first heard about Kahoot our teacher would play Kahoot with us so we could all understand what the online game actually did. Reading something in the textbook is completely different than actually doing it. Another example is when we all did a scavenger hunt with a compass, she explained how this activity can work for any subject such as math, geography, or even science. Whenever the teacher demonstrated such activities it opened my mind and eyes to how much teachers have access too. The sky is the limit with technology and the more creative teachers are with educational technology, the better. The textbook also talked about how students in todays age have grown up in technology, so taking technology away from them in education is only hurting their learning.

I felt that this class gave me great outcomes especially communication, critical thinking, technology/information management, and global socio-cultural responsibility. Through the semester the entire class as well as the teacher communicated effectively using standard English written and oral. Our assignments were described and written in English and our discussions as well as class time were spoken in English. We also used critical thinking in EME2040 because we learned how to evaluate effectively. Our teacher taught us how to make rubrics for evaluation and we used rubrics in our class for our evaluation. We learned how to proper read rubrics and how to proper evaluate our students. We had three assignments this semester that had association with rubrics: Webquest, Lesson Plan, and Website Evaluation, Critique, and Rubric. We used Technology/Informational Management throughout this entire semester but used Delicious to organize information from a variety of sources. We also incorporated Global socio-cultural responsibility by learning about all the different web tools that can help in a diverse classroom. We specifically did one assignment that was a Webquest on different learning disabilities that made me realize not only is there a bunch of tools and websites that help students but also students with learning disabilities.

All in all, this class was beyond helpful for now and later. Although there was a bunch of work in this class, it was for a great purpose.

Below is a wonderful video on Web 2.0 Tools

Resources:
Textbook - Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc

Web 2.0 Tools. (n.d.). Retrieved April 30, 2015, from http://web2014.discoveryeducation.com/web20tools.cfm

Digital Blog Post #L

In Chapter 12 which focused on Integrating Technology and Creating Change as Teacher Leaders I learned generally how fast and important it is for students to have access to technology in the classroom. One topic that the textbook discussed was one-to-one laptop computing which means that every student in a grade, school, or district has his or her own computing device in school. Just to imagine how much money this would cost all the schools is overwhelming however I do believe that this would only benefit the students and teachers. For instance, according to the textbook 60% of high school students in the state have their own laptop computer, at a cost of $18 million per year. Although not a lot of school districts have one-to-one laptop computing, according to the textbook one-quarter of the nations largest school districts have at least one grade where all of the students have their own computer. However, in the textbook they speak of three reasons one-to-one laptop initiatives create development.

1. New machines, which help introduce new generations of power, lower-cost, ultraportable computing devices. These devices have considerable memory, can connect to Wi-Fi, have CD/DVD players, and many more features that help support teaching while helping students at the same time. 

2. Use in higher education, which means that when these students proceed their higher education in college, technology is a huge factor in college. Many students have to complete essays, assignments, group projects, contact their professor and or classmates through a computing device. Most professors already assume that these students have a computing device so public school leaders want elementary and secondary education students to gain experience with a computing device. Having students gain experience in computing devices will only help them when they do proceed to college. 

3. Research Studies, which shows that more than a decade of studies in regard to one-to-one computing programs have shown laptops positively affecting a students learning. According to the textbook, in some states one-to-one computer use has been linked to improvements on students attendance, homework completion, motivation to learn, and engagement with the writing process. 

Loads and loads of research have shown that one-to-one laptop computing can benefit the students in more ways than one. 

One-to-one laptop computing may be expensive however, these students will be more engaged and will have that motivation to learn. Giving these students the opportunity to use technology is a wonderful idea. Allowing theses students to explore and have inquiry learning is also great for critical thinking skills. One-to-one laptop computing will help students with group projects and even increase their knowledge about technology. 

Not only has technology changed for students but technology has changed for teachers. Teachers used to write on a chalk board, then the white board came along with the markers and now there are digital notepads and digital pens. According to the textbook a digital pen is a writing device that records words someone has writing or spoken so they can be accessed on a computer that converts content into typed text. A digital notepad according to the textbook is a device that allows users to write and draw and then convert those images to digital text. When I go to school, especially in my math class my professor uses a digital pen and digital notepad on the board. Although, he does not speak into the pen he will write his notes and then convert them to text on the internet so all the students have access to the notes from that day. Before teachers used these, they had to erase what they had written on the board which left them with no copy unless they made a copy. However, with this new technology teachers can just write on the spot and then convert it later to text version. This helps me with math because he can write freely and be specific with his notes which helps me when he later uploads the notes. These pens and digital note pads benefit teachers and students because they are so wonderful for open-ended, creative writing situations as well as the general learning. 

Now technology as we see is great for teachers and students but a flipped classroom is also a wonderful new technology integration approach. According to the textbook a flipped classroom turns the entire structure of teaching and learning upside down. In other words, flipped learning happens when teachers create lessons for students to complete outside of the classroom so group work and other activities can be done in the school day. In a flipped classroom students are the learners and also the teachers. There is student-led activities with whole groups, small groups and individuals. It is also common for students to watch videos and listen to podcasts instead of reading from a textbook. As stated in the textbook, one study found out that students are more likely to develop interests in science, technology, engineering, and math fields when teachers use instructional practices that feature digital technology, social media and student driven learning. Prior to this section in the chapter I was unaware of flipped classrooms however, they sounds very interesting. Most students get bored with the general lecture and notes but if students get to generate their activities they will be less likely to get bored. However, the teacher has to have supervision on the activities these students decide to generate. The only down side to flipped classroom is they have homework very often. All of the lessons the students have to take home to do which leaves them with a bunch of homework. On the bright side, I see great potential in flipped classroom as long as the teacher has the capability to create technology anywhere and anytime learning.

Below is a link to a story board of the main points of Integrating Technology and Creating Change as a Teacher Leaders

http://storybird.com/books/integrating-technology-and-creating-change-as-te-2/



Resources:
Textbook - Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc

Digital Blog Post #K

In Chapter 6 which focuses on Fostering Online Learning with Educational Websites and Apps I found numerous amount of information that help students. For instance Web quests, Virtual Field Trips, and all the types of Educational Websites help the classroom and the learning for the students as well as teachers. Students are not the only ones that are absorbing information and learning, teachers can learn from the students too. However with Web quests the students are not only learning but they are discovering information on their own with minimal guidance. Web quests online inquiries that focus on students gathering information by going on an online adventure. Students will move from website to website in order to gather the information that they need. This meaning, the Web quests are strictly made and are set up to guide the students. Just because the Web quests guide the students does not mean that the teacher holds their hand throughout the entire process, the students will get instructions and given directions step by step on what they should be doing.  Web quests are not only fun but educational. This activity can be any length and regardless, if done right, will interest students. I feel as if teachers do not have their students do critical thinking activities, which is a wonderful skill to have and to practice. Web quests encourages students to critically think because they are discovering information on their own and every Web quests has a situation or problem. Although Web quests are generated with technology and the internet, they give students endless information. All in all, Web quests are a wonderful learning activity for students to expand their critical thinking skills and to encourage interaction.

Web quests are an amazing online activity for students however so are virtual field trips. Before I read this chapter I have only heard briefly about virtual field trips but after reading about them I was shocked on how widely they are used. According to the textbook, on March 29, 2012 more than one million students from across the U.S. took a virtual field trip to Ellis Island which is located in New York City. The website that offered this virtual field trip was Scholastic.com. Virtual Field Trips take the students on an online field trip or adventure without leaving the classroom. Due to this, students can expand their world wide views. There are a bunch of different approaches that come with Virtual Field Trips such as, students can watch independently on their own computer or the teach can project the field trip on the over head projector so all the students can see at the same time. After students watch the Virtual Field Trip there are a bunch of different assignments or discussions the teacher an incorporate. As said previously, students get a world wide view so the teacher and students can have discussions on the the different cultures and on all the different things they have seen. Google Earth is another website that offers a huge collection of different tours. Students can go to museums, libraries, skyscrapers, castles and many other historic sites that really help students expand their knowledge. Now a days it is hard to take the students on these amazing field trips due to budgets and I think that it is amazing that teachers and students have this opportunity. A bunch of students are visual learners and I believe that with the students experiencing these field trips they will gain great knowledge. Also, I think it is a wonderful learning experience for students to understand the cultural differences from around the world and how different countries are different from the United States. In conclusion, there are a bunch of learning opportunities for students with Virtual Field Trips.

Although Web quests and Virtual Field Trips are educational, there are plenty of educational websites to help teachers and students. There are around five different categories for educational websites. There are lesson plan websites which are generally for teachers, these websites help teachers with ideas for classroom lessons and lesson plans. These websites tend to give step-by-step instruction and procedures. The majority of the lesson plan websites will provide links for resources and activities. I think this is a wonderful tool for teachers to have access too because teachers can get different ideas and different perspectives to make their lessons interesting and informative. Another category is student-to expert communication websites. With these websites, students/teachers can formulate questions or ideas to adult experts in college, business, and other organizations. The students/teacher will receive replies electronically. These sites will also allow tutoring and opportunities for students to learn about careers. Before this chapter, I have never heard about these websites however I think they are an amazing tool for teachers and students to have because they give students a different perspective and also give students real world critical thinking skills. I also think that it is amazing for experts to reply and help students/teachers out as much as they can. Real-time and Recorded Data Websites are similar to virtual field trips in some aspects. With these type of websites students are provided information about different types of scientific phenomena. Students need to analyze the material on an inquiry based learning activities. Before this chapter as well, I was unaware of these websites however I believe that they build on students critical thinking skills. As previously stated, critical thinking skills is a wonderful skill to have and to expand on and with these type of activities the students get the ability to work on their critical thinking skills. Archival and Primary Source Websites are websites that allow students to conduct historical investigations by accessing materials from museums, libraries, and other organizations. I think that these type of websites are wonderful for a history class or social science class however I think that it is great to have students investigate and think on their own rather than the teacher telling them the answer. Skills Practice Websites are websites that offer subject-specific actives for students in all grade levels. These websites help students practice and expand on their learning on that subject. This would be a great website or activity for students to do on their own time or for review. Exploration and Discovery Websites are websites that provide opportunities for students to engage in online explorations on the topics that the are more interested in. I think these are wonderful websites because it expands on the students knowledge especially if they want to know more. All in all, there are so many websites and opportunities for teachers and students to engage in their learning.


Resources:
Textbook - Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc