Post 10

I could incorporate peripherals and non-computer technology in the classroom by using posters, CD’s or diagrams. If the students were learning a lesson using a song I could put pictures and words on a poster so that they could read along and look at it visually. If we were reading a book I could also get the audio tape to help supplement the reading. I would use them with computer based technologies to supplement the lessons we learned in class. I could create games or PowerPoints that present the information in different ways.

The web based resource I chose can be found here! This resource offers unique lesson plans, Webquests readings, games etc. When you first look at the website it is overwhelming because there are so many resources that can be found and utilized. At the top there are Leveled reading books for each grade and a spring break workbook that can be downloaded. It seems that most of the resources can be catered to K-12 grade levels and also to each subject.

There are puzzles on the left side and also foreign language activities. In the middle there is a tab for special education that includes different skills and activities catered to people with disabilities. On the right side there is a critical thinking tab that has logic puzzles and shapes and brain teasers for different grade levels. This website seems like one I could definitely use in my classroom and it would make looking for lesson plans a lot easier. It is cool for me to see the vast array of material I can find by just typing in a simple search on google.

I think I could use excel for recording grades or data found in the class. I could make or find a rubric online to grade projects or tests. If I wanted to double check my calculations for something I could use excel. If I wanted to do a science experiment with my 5^th grade class that required adding up data or calculations I could let each group of students use excel to record their data and even possibly make a graph.

From the lesson on PowerPoint I learned how to make interactive story books that would be really helpful for younger grades. I think the students would really enjoy engaging in an interactive activity like that, rather than learning the information by a worksheet. I really liked this activity because it was not that hard and I could add my own style to it. I thought it was fun being able to add sounds and hyperlinks to each of the slides and that there was no linear way to go about it. I think I could improve it by making it more colorful or in depth. I can see myself using this for my future career frequently for lessons that the students might find boring and could need some livening up.

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Post 9

When I think of the rewards or profits of using presentation software in a K-12 setting I think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. One advantage is being able to use technology in the classroom to teach a lesson. I think it is very important to incorporate technology into the classroom. Using a PowerPoint or interactive Webquest is a perfect way to teach students using technology. Another advantage is that teachers are able to provide a lecture and have a presentation to supplement it. This can be helpful when teachers want to show visuals or examples. One disadvantage could be that students cannot really interact when the teacher is using a premade presentation. Another disadvantage could be that students with certain disabilities would not be able to learn as well using presentation software as they could if the teacher was using a pen or paper. These disadvantages can easily be fixed by making the presentation interactive or including aspects that can cater to certain learning strategies.

The digital divide is the disparity between people that have access to a computer and people who do not. I think that I am strongly on the side of people who have access to a computer and have had access since they were younger. Ever since I was in about 2^nd grade I have had full access to a computer and have known how to use it pretty well. Once a week in elementary and middle school we would have Computers where we would learn important skills regarding technology. We often practiced how to type and learned how to use Word and other important applications. During middle and high school I was often given work that needed technology, so I am use to it by now. I think the digital divide will have less of an impact in the future than it does now and in the past. Technology is continually rising and the access to computers is becoming more widespread. But, if I do find that I am faced with a digital divide I will do my best to incorporate learning with technology in the classroom daily so that students are at less of a disadvantage when they go into the work force. I will take note of who does and does not have access to a computer. I will also not give homework that requires access to a computer.

An issue that interests me concerning educational technology would be the lack of skills that some teachers possess when it comes to technology. Older teachers that did not grow up in a technology based learning experience are lagging behind on skills needed to teach their kids using technology. I think this is an issue because some students in the same school as other students could be learning using technology while the other students have a different teacher and are not using technology. I think it is important for teachers today to be up to date on technology for the classroom so that their students do not fall behind in later years.

Below is a scholarly article on technology for teachers. It talks about how teachers are actively trying to integrate technology into teaching and the difficulties some teachers may face with that.

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/14759390000200096

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Post 8

I think PowerPoints are great ways to enhance student learning. They are able to teach different learning dimensions by using various ways of teaching something. An example is a PowerPoint that has pictures for visual learners, videos for auditory learners and then plan text and bulleted notes for people who can learn just by reading something. An example of a lesson that can show this is teaching students about the solar system. The first few slides can explain the solar system and provide definitions. In those slides there can be different pictures and a video on a scientist explaining what makes up the solar system. You could even put interactive lessons into the PowerPoint where you are directed to a link that has a game or an assignment online.

There are several different adaptive technologies that can be used for people with disabilities. If someone had a physical disability they could use voice recognition if they are unable to type. If they are unable to read voice recognition could also be used to read the words to them. For those people who cannot see a picture there could be a description including describing the picture. Someone with a learning disability could use spelling checkers to double check what they are typing. I have known people that have used different adaptive technologies, mostly voice recognition or a different object used for a mouse. Problems with adaptive technologies in the classroom could be that other students get distracted by the technologies being used. Certain technologies could also not be helpful for that specific student. As a teacher when creating PowerPoints or lesson plans, we would have to be mindful of those students with disabilities and make sure to cater the lesson so that they are able to learn with the rest of the class.

From doing the WebQuest assignment I learned new ways to teach students that are interactive and fun. I had used Weebly before but it was simply for blog posts and papers. I learned how to create a website and customize it for my particular lesson. I liked being able to add pictures and make it my own. If I were to do something like this in my own classroom I really think the students would enjoy it. It is a different approach to learning other than just doing the same assignment on paper. I thought it was kind of hard to change the background and to also design a few of the pages. For next time I would spend more time getting to know the design layout and ways I could customize the pages. For the future, I feel like I could create something like this that my students would enjoy.

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Post 7

I would like to maintain a course Website as a teacher if it were an older grade that had regular access to a computer. I would like to use a collaborative blog online where I could post homework and other materials and students could ask questions regarding the material. I think this would be perfect for grades 4-12. If it were any younger grades I do not think it would be worth the trouble. I think course Websites are important because they allow students to learn in different ways and collaborate with other students. I feel like they could be useful if they were used properly. As a teacher I would have to monitor anything being posted or added and make sure all safety precautions have been taken on the site. If I feel like my class could post responsibly and learn from the Website then I would be all for it. If I feel like they would not take it seriously or it would be too much regulation for me, I would not want to engage in that.

A tool that I found interesting and would most likely use it in a classroom is Diigo (https://www.diigo.com/). Diigo can be used to share resources over a collaborative site. When reading articles or papers you can even use annotation tools to highlight or comment on something. I think this would be something I could use because if I find an article on there for students to read, they can comment or ask questions on it as they read. They can also share it with other students to see.

I think Web 2.0 could be useful in K-12 education. I still believe, like what I said earlier, that collaborative learning or posting on Websites would only be effective for older grades. I do not see Kindergarteners being able to collaborate and share things with classmates. Nor do I see younger grades being able to navigate a computer on their own. I think the most useful tools for the older grades would be blogs or wikis. I am not the fondest of Twitter use for learning, so I think the most success would come from either a blog or a wiki.  With a blog I can regulate what is being posted and commented and I feel like there is more creativity there. With wiki I feel like the students could collaborate on assignments either at home or school.

For the Web Evaluation assignment I learned how to create an evaluation form and use it to evaluate four websites. I liked how we could cater the form to fit the assignment or resources we were looking for. I liked how we could evaluate the website for anything that we found necessary. I did not like having to come up with some of the bullet points on my own. For next time I would be more specific to the resources I was evaluating. I feel like the one I made could be used for a vast number of assignments, which might actually prove to be a good thing.

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