Today, my Kindergarten class's enhancement class was Technology. The Technology teacher was out today, so she left some movies for the Substitute teacher to play on the SMART board. Good thing I was in there, if not, my class would have just had to sit there while the Sub tried to figure out how to use the SMART board. So, for the random thought....
Substitute teachers should have a small introduction to the SMART board/computer during their SUB training, OR teachers should not leave things for the SUB to do on the SMART board/computer.
It's no ones fault, just the changing world of school while the SUBs are not being taught how to keep up.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Chapter 6: Exploring the World Wide Web in the Classroom
1. Now that I have access to the Web, how can I use it effectively?
Having access to the Web is a great way for students to learn. There are several programs that students can use on the Web to further there learning experience while increasing their technology knowledge. Students could use, for example, Google Docs to create and share documents with classmates or other students. This is a great way for students to collaborate on a project. Students could also use the Web as a communication tool between students within their classroom, students in other schools, and experts on different subjects. Ways for students to use the Web for communication includes, blogs for students to communicate within, kid-safe email accounts used for speaking with experts and Skype to speak and view students of other classrooms.
2. How do I manage students' use of the Web in my class?
Most schools have used filtering programs to limit the sites that students will be able to view; however, there are always things that may slip through this filters. It is important for students to have read,fully understand, and signed the Acceptable Use Policy that their county/school has provided. One way to limit students Web searches is to only allow students to use kid-safe search engines and/or only allow students to use pre-screened URLs. However, just because a student can't get to an inappropriate website, doesn't mean that he or she will not be off task. It is important to position the room so that the teacher can monitor the websites that the students are using.
3. Which features of the Web do I use?
There are many useful features of the Web for teachers. I know that in my classroom, the teacher has two filing cabinets and always gets frustrated when she is looking for something, because it is never in the right place. One interesting feature that I read about was the content manager. By using the content manager, teachers can upload handouts or lesson plans to the web. Not only will this make it easier for teachers to find documents, but will also make it easier for teachers of the same grade level to work together to make lesson plans. Another important feature for teachers and the communication aspect that teachers can use. Both email and classroom websites are very useful for the teacher to stay connected with the parents.
Lowther, D., & Morrison, G. (2010). Integrating Computer Technology into the Classroom. Pearson Education, Inc
Having access to the Web is a great way for students to learn. There are several programs that students can use on the Web to further there learning experience while increasing their technology knowledge. Students could use, for example, Google Docs to create and share documents with classmates or other students. This is a great way for students to collaborate on a project. Students could also use the Web as a communication tool between students within their classroom, students in other schools, and experts on different subjects. Ways for students to use the Web for communication includes, blogs for students to communicate within, kid-safe email accounts used for speaking with experts and Skype to speak and view students of other classrooms.
2. How do I manage students' use of the Web in my class?
Most schools have used filtering programs to limit the sites that students will be able to view; however, there are always things that may slip through this filters. It is important for students to have read,fully understand, and signed the Acceptable Use Policy that their county/school has provided. One way to limit students Web searches is to only allow students to use kid-safe search engines and/or only allow students to use pre-screened URLs. However, just because a student can't get to an inappropriate website, doesn't mean that he or she will not be off task. It is important to position the room so that the teacher can monitor the websites that the students are using.
3. Which features of the Web do I use?
There are many useful features of the Web for teachers. I know that in my classroom, the teacher has two filing cabinets and always gets frustrated when she is looking for something, because it is never in the right place. One interesting feature that I read about was the content manager. By using the content manager, teachers can upload handouts or lesson plans to the web. Not only will this make it easier for teachers to find documents, but will also make it easier for teachers of the same grade level to work together to make lesson plans. Another important feature for teachers and the communication aspect that teachers can use. Both email and classroom websites are very useful for the teacher to stay connected with the parents.
Lowther, D., & Morrison, G. (2010). Integrating Computer Technology into the Classroom. Pearson Education, Inc
Chapter 2: NTeQ: Designing an Integrated Lesson
1. How do I plan an integrated lesson that will work with my students?
There are many factors in creating an integrated lesson plan that will work with my students. "The length of the lesson depends on the complexity of the problem the students investigate, the specified instructional objectives, the content you intend to cover during the lesson, and the capabilities of your students" (p. 29). It is important to be sure that the lesson and objectives are are appropriate for the age and the grade of the students that are being taught. Another important factor is to keep in mind the attention span of the students that are being taught. A Kindergarten class may not be able to attack the same lesson plan as a 1st or 2nd grade class, and they may only be able to stay focused for a matter of minutes compared to a higher grade, which may be able to work on a lesson for several days.
2. Why do I need objectives to help with planning and lesson development?
There is really no way to plan a successful lesson without specifying the objectives of what the students are expected to learn with the lesson. With having objectives and showing the students the objectives for the lesson, the students tend to better understand what they are supposed to learning. When the teachers are sure about the objectives for the lesson, they are better able to ensure that the lesson stays on track.
3. How can I encourage my students to engage in the processing of information?
"It is critical that this problem is highly motivating and interesting, because as students strive to solve the problem they will develop the thinking skills and gain the knowledge specified in the objectives" (p. 34). There are several ways that the teacher can be sure that they problems that students are investigating can keep the students engaged in the processing of information. One way is to keep the problems related to real-life and to keep them in the realm that they students are already familiar with. For example, in a problem that involves places, use places that the students already know about. Another way to keep the students involved, is to let the students feel like they "own" the problem. Students could help in the creation of the problem, discuss the information that they already know, and then discuss the solution and new information that they have learned.
4. Do I have to use a different lesson plan when I want my students to use computers?
When using the NTeQ guidelines to to plan a lesson, it is not necessary to use a different lesson plan when I want students to use the computer. When using the NTeQ guidelines, there are several different activities integrated into the lesson plan. It is important to decide how you want the students to research, gather, analyze, and present their findings. All of these steps in working a problem, should be able to be completed by both using a computer or other research resources.
5. What is the relationship between objectives and computer functions?
The only way to create a great lesson, is to find ways to connect the objectives that you are trying to teach, with ways to investigate and solve these problems using computer functions. By finding the relationship between these objectives and computer functions, the teacher can guide the students to different programs that they can use on the computer. Using these programs to complete the lessons and assignments, may make collecting and sifting through data easier.
6. Can you use a computer for every objective or lesson?
"...you should not expect to teach all of your objectives with a computer" (p. 29). The texts talks about how it is still important for students to learn from other resources, such as textbooks, books, magazines, and working together. If the only way that students learn is through the computer or technology based, they will be lost when in a situation in which they have no technology to use. I liked the example given in the book, "For example, a pencil and paper are tools that are used extensively in almost every class. However, we would not expect a student in a language arts class to write all period every day" (p. 29). I think that it is sometimes easy for teachers to get carried away with the amount of technology based learning that is done in the classroom, it is important for students to learn other ways to research and/or solve problems.
Lowther, D., & Morrison, G. (2010). Integrating Computer Technology into the Classroom. Pearson Education, Inc
There are many factors in creating an integrated lesson plan that will work with my students. "The length of the lesson depends on the complexity of the problem the students investigate, the specified instructional objectives, the content you intend to cover during the lesson, and the capabilities of your students" (p. 29). It is important to be sure that the lesson and objectives are are appropriate for the age and the grade of the students that are being taught. Another important factor is to keep in mind the attention span of the students that are being taught. A Kindergarten class may not be able to attack the same lesson plan as a 1st or 2nd grade class, and they may only be able to stay focused for a matter of minutes compared to a higher grade, which may be able to work on a lesson for several days.
2. Why do I need objectives to help with planning and lesson development?
There is really no way to plan a successful lesson without specifying the objectives of what the students are expected to learn with the lesson. With having objectives and showing the students the objectives for the lesson, the students tend to better understand what they are supposed to learning. When the teachers are sure about the objectives for the lesson, they are better able to ensure that the lesson stays on track.
3. How can I encourage my students to engage in the processing of information?
"It is critical that this problem is highly motivating and interesting, because as students strive to solve the problem they will develop the thinking skills and gain the knowledge specified in the objectives" (p. 34). There are several ways that the teacher can be sure that they problems that students are investigating can keep the students engaged in the processing of information. One way is to keep the problems related to real-life and to keep them in the realm that they students are already familiar with. For example, in a problem that involves places, use places that the students already know about. Another way to keep the students involved, is to let the students feel like they "own" the problem. Students could help in the creation of the problem, discuss the information that they already know, and then discuss the solution and new information that they have learned.
4. Do I have to use a different lesson plan when I want my students to use computers?
When using the NTeQ guidelines to to plan a lesson, it is not necessary to use a different lesson plan when I want students to use the computer. When using the NTeQ guidelines, there are several different activities integrated into the lesson plan. It is important to decide how you want the students to research, gather, analyze, and present their findings. All of these steps in working a problem, should be able to be completed by both using a computer or other research resources.
5. What is the relationship between objectives and computer functions?
The only way to create a great lesson, is to find ways to connect the objectives that you are trying to teach, with ways to investigate and solve these problems using computer functions. By finding the relationship between these objectives and computer functions, the teacher can guide the students to different programs that they can use on the computer. Using these programs to complete the lessons and assignments, may make collecting and sifting through data easier.
6. Can you use a computer for every objective or lesson?
"...you should not expect to teach all of your objectives with a computer" (p. 29). The texts talks about how it is still important for students to learn from other resources, such as textbooks, books, magazines, and working together. If the only way that students learn is through the computer or technology based, they will be lost when in a situation in which they have no technology to use. I liked the example given in the book, "For example, a pencil and paper are tools that are used extensively in almost every class. However, we would not expect a student in a language arts class to write all period every day" (p. 29). I think that it is sometimes easy for teachers to get carried away with the amount of technology based learning that is done in the classroom, it is important for students to learn other ways to research and/or solve problems.
Lowther, D., & Morrison, G. (2010). Integrating Computer Technology into the Classroom. Pearson Education, Inc
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Chapter 1: Rethinking Computers and Instruction
1. Must I use a inquiry-based learning approach in my classroom to use computers as a tool?
It is not necessary to use only an inquiry-based learning approach in a classroom to use computers as a tool. Al the the learning approaches that were described under the open-ended learning environments are great learning styles to incorporate computers as a tool. The three styles, problem-based, inquiry-based, and project-based learning, all require that there is a problem that the students should be able to research and compile data to solve. I feel like computers could be used in the classroom for any kind of learning approach, but that they would work best with open-ended learning approaches.
2. Can I still use tutorials and drill-and-practice software?
I believe that there is always room in the classroom to use tutorials and drill-and-practice software; however, one would want to be sure that they are using these materials in the correct way. Even though these learning approaches work in ways for the students to come to their own conclusions, sometimes it is still necessary for the teacher to model to the students. I think that tutorials and drill-and-practice software is a great way to do this. The teacher would just want to make sure that he/she was only using this software for small portion of the class time and then return to student-centered learning.
3. Won't I have to spend a great deal of time to develop these units of instruction?
As with learning anything new, developing these units of instruction will of course take more time than the traditional lesson plan. I think that it would be important to look at the traditional lesson plans that are already created and see if there are ways to implement the NTeQ features into those lesson plans. Once these units of instruction are created, it will be easier to use the same unit in the future. Each time that the unit is re-used, new ideas can be placed into the lesson.
4. Won't every student need a computer to use it as a tool?
Wouldn't it be great for every classroom to have a computer for every student? There are many other ways that a classroom could use a computer as a tool without there always being a computer for every student. Students could be placed into groups to complete projects; however, it is important for the students to have assigned duties within the group. Without these assigned duties, some students may just sit back and watch as all the work is "done for them." Some computer-advanced students may also use this time to help less computer-advanced students learn new programs on the computer. At the school I work in, there are only 2 computers in every room. Students must share these 2 computers for any computer related work. However; there are 2 laptop carts that are shared between grade levels. Classes sign up for a time to have the carts, during that time, each student has his/her own laptop to work with.
Lowther, D., & Morrison, G. (2010). Integrating Computer Technology into the Classroom. Pearson Education, Inc
It is not necessary to use only an inquiry-based learning approach in a classroom to use computers as a tool. Al the the learning approaches that were described under the open-ended learning environments are great learning styles to incorporate computers as a tool. The three styles, problem-based, inquiry-based, and project-based learning, all require that there is a problem that the students should be able to research and compile data to solve. I feel like computers could be used in the classroom for any kind of learning approach, but that they would work best with open-ended learning approaches.
2. Can I still use tutorials and drill-and-practice software?
I believe that there is always room in the classroom to use tutorials and drill-and-practice software; however, one would want to be sure that they are using these materials in the correct way. Even though these learning approaches work in ways for the students to come to their own conclusions, sometimes it is still necessary for the teacher to model to the students. I think that tutorials and drill-and-practice software is a great way to do this. The teacher would just want to make sure that he/she was only using this software for small portion of the class time and then return to student-centered learning.
3. Won't I have to spend a great deal of time to develop these units of instruction?
As with learning anything new, developing these units of instruction will of course take more time than the traditional lesson plan. I think that it would be important to look at the traditional lesson plans that are already created and see if there are ways to implement the NTeQ features into those lesson plans. Once these units of instruction are created, it will be easier to use the same unit in the future. Each time that the unit is re-used, new ideas can be placed into the lesson.
4. Won't every student need a computer to use it as a tool?
Wouldn't it be great for every classroom to have a computer for every student? There are many other ways that a classroom could use a computer as a tool without there always being a computer for every student. Students could be placed into groups to complete projects; however, it is important for the students to have assigned duties within the group. Without these assigned duties, some students may just sit back and watch as all the work is "done for them." Some computer-advanced students may also use this time to help less computer-advanced students learn new programs on the computer. At the school I work in, there are only 2 computers in every room. Students must share these 2 computers for any computer related work. However; there are 2 laptop carts that are shared between grade levels. Classes sign up for a time to have the carts, during that time, each student has his/her own laptop to work with.
Lowther, D., & Morrison, G. (2010). Integrating Computer Technology into the Classroom. Pearson Education, Inc
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