Smart boards & Technology

I am not a teacher, yet. So on monday when I heard there was a smart board in there I had no idea what it was. I still don't know. I actually had to google what it was and how it is used. I feel (well actually hope) I am not alone and just plain stupid. Now that I know a little about it, I think smartboards are actually a great tool for classrooms. It can appeal to all different types of learners and help the teacher be more creative and expressive. I just wish I knew more about it. I feel this college is a little backwards. I am an inexperienced teacher. I am currently in the master's program and I think learning about things, such as a smart board would be useful. Instead I just finished a 25 page thesis paper that had nothing to really offer me for what I needed to know. There should be a course on technology. I feel many students and current teachers would benefit from it. It should be a second version of this class. The course should offer more help for teachers who may not know exactly how things work or what technology can be used for. Smartboards, powerpoints, projectors, and even computers can benefit teachers tremendously. Why are we not learning more about these things? And in terms of the smart board, I am hoping to come across one in student teaching and hopefully learn what it can really do...

Powerpoint presentations...

I know this is a little late,
but I just want to say thank you and tell everyone who presented their website evaluations that they did a great job.

Over this past week i've been working on my first thematic unit for one of my other classes. I've been using the scholastic site, which is great. I am doing community helpers and they have so many useful and creative ideas for police officers and firefighters. They even gave me useful ways to use the computer in my lessons and I incorporated a lot of the site into my unit.

Another site i was introduced to is http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/ . Most of the lessons on this plan require that you are a subscriber, but you can still find some great stuff, especially for reading.

Teachers and Facebook/Myspace

Do you think teachers should have facebook or myspace? I know ive had these both for over 5 years and recently I have been seeing more teachers, both from my past and my present on these sites. Some of these teachers have no privacy restrictions on their pages and viewers are allowed to see much of their profile. For older students this may not be a proble, but for kids in middle school and even high school, wouldn't that be awkward? I still feel strange looking at my past teacher's profiles and seeing what they are up to, where they are working and living, and what is going on with their friends and family. Should teachers be this open with their life to past, present, and future students?

...what to say?

I have been looking over several different class websites and I think they are great. I know many teachers who have them, and even better, know how to properly use them! Adding things like notes to parents and what homework assignments are due are great tools for both students and their parents. A classroom website can offer so much more in the learning process. teachers can add links to information, can publish the students work, and can offer an extra way for students to take learning into their own homes.

I found this website that looks great for teachers who want to create a class website but don't really know how...
http://www.busyteacherscafe.com/web_tutorial/webpage_tutorial2.htm

Hopefully when I get my own class I can do some amazing things with my website and really make it a great tool that everyone will love.



on another note....it's been a while since I lasted posted, the only thing I find hard about this class are these postings! I have no idea why though! I just feel like there is a lot to talk about but only so much you can actually say. I usually refer to the tests, syllabus or quizes to get my ideas for my next blog. I mean with technology there are so many different points to discuss and blog about, why am I having this problem. Does anyone else have this problem?

Web based educational resources

I think the web can be a great tool for learning. It offers more information and ways of gaining and understanding the information. There are some websites out there that can take up a whole year with what it can offer. Students have access to certain websites that the school allows which can make it very secure.

I found this list online which gives the advantages and disadvantages of web-based learning.

Advantages of Web-based Learning
The general benefits of Web-based training when compared to
traditional instructor-led training include all those shared by other types of
technology-based training. These benefits are that the training is usually
self-paced, highly interactive, results in increased retention rates, and has
reduced costs associated with student travel to an instructor-led workshop.
When compared to CD-ROM training, the benefits of Web-based training stem
from the fact that access to the content is easy and requires no distribution of
physical materials. This means that Web-based training yields additional
benefits, among them:
- Access is available anytime, anywhere, around the
globe. Students always have access to a potentially huge library of training and
information whether they are working from home, in the office, or from a hotel
room. As cellular modems become more popular, students will even be able to
access training in a place that doesn't have a traditional phone line or network
connection.
- Per-student equipment costs are affordable. Almost any
computer today equipped with a modem and free browser software can access the
Internet or a private Intranet. The cost of setup is relatively low.
-
Student tracking is made easy. Because students complete their training while
they are connected to the network, it is easy to implement powerful
student-tracking systems. Unlike with CD-ROMs that require students to print
reports or save scores to disk, WBT enables the data to be automatically tracked
on the server-computer. This information can be as simple as who has accessed
the courseware and what are their assessment scores, to detailed information
including how they answered individual test questions and how much time they
spent in each module.
- Possible "learning object" architecture supports on
demand, personalized learning. With CD-ROM training, students have access only
to the information that can be held by one CD-ROM. The instructional design for
this type of delivery, therefore, has been to create entire modules and distinct
lessons. But with WBT, there is virtually no storage limitation and content can
be held on one or more servers. The best WBT is designed so that content is
"chunked" into discrete knowledge objects to provide greater flexibility.
Students can access these objects through pre-defined learning paths, use skill
assessments to generate personal study plans, or employ search engines to find
exact topics.
- Content is easily updated. This is perhaps the single
biggest benefit to WBT. In today's fast-paced business environment, training
programs frequently change. With CD-ROM and other forms of training, the media
must be reduplicated and distributed again to all the students. With WBT it is a
simple matter of copying the updated files from a local developer's computer
onto the server-computer. The next time students connect to the Web page for
training, they will automatically have the latest version.

Limitations of Web-based Learning
There are only two real disadvantages to WBT, and both will be overcome in the next five to ten years as high bandwidth network connections become as common as telephones.
- The first drawback, when compared
to live instruction, is the lack of human contact, which greatly impacts
learning. WBT is better than CD-ROM learning in this regard. Students can use
their Web connection to e-mail other students, post comments on message boards,
or use chat rooms and videoconference links to communicate live. While this type
of interaction is helpful, and an improvement over CD-ROM learning, it still
doesn't have the impact of a live workshop. With higher speed connections and
improved conferencing software, one day students around the world will be able
to communicate in real time with each other through full-screen video.
- The second major drawback is the lack of multimedia in many WBT programs. The use of audio and video are critical to creating compelling metaphors, realistic job
simulations, and accommodating different learning styles. Full multimedia
delivered over corporate Intranets is possible, and many companies are doing it
(see Case Studies in this book for examples). But in most cases, even if
students have a high-bandwidth Intranet connection, corporate information
technology departments don't want large media files used because it slows down
the entire network. The result is that most WBT programs are still comprised of
text and graphics alone. Once again, the bandwidth problem will be solved in the
near future with advancements in network protocol standards and software
compression.

Using Web-based training, like all other delivery media, has
advantages and disadvantages. Trainers and designer must carefully weigh these
against the profiles of other options on a case-by-case basis.

Using the Web for Learning: Advantages and Disadvantages by Kevin Kruse

http://www.e-learningguru.com/articles/art1_9.htm

Kidspiration...

I finally downloaded my free trial of kidspiration. and I must say it was pretty cool. I'm sure the full download would be great. These activities are both educational and are fun which you can't find a lot. In my reading class we are studying phonics, and even the limited activities that the trial shows seem to be so useful. I can't wait to keep playing around with it. Hopefully when I start to teach I will buy the full product and use it. I know it will definitely come in handy especially with reading and math. I really like you can make a map. This visual aid can reach out to so many students. I really need to set more time aside to go through everything to see how

My Access!

Although I don't think I will ever use this website in an elementary classroom, I think this website is great. WHY DIDN'T I KNOW ABOUT THIS IN HIGH SCHOOL!...My Access is a great resource for both teachers and students. I think it definitely would help students and increase their confidence in writing. This is a great practice for students and they can only benefit them in the long run. I like the tool that if the teacher decides to block certain features they can for certain assignments. That is a great idea.

I especially like what they have to offer the students...
I found this in the My Access Report,


Students have access to a variety of tools:
1 Writer’s Checklist to help guide the student through the writing process
2 Scoring rubrics so the students can self-assess their writing through the process
3 MY Editor to provide grammatical comments, suggestions, and explanations of rules. This tool is available at multiple levels of difficulty and language in order to be most effective for the student.
4 Word counter to keep track of essay length
5 Word banks to assist in the selection of appropriate words for use in an essay of a particular genre
6 Spell checker to assist in the proper spelling of words used in the essay
7 Venn diagrams and other graphical pre-writing tools to assist in the formulation and organization of ideas to be included in the essay

© September 2007, Vantage Learning


I definitely think this is a great tool for students. This can help them with their writing and hopefully make them want to write more. This website can motivate them to write because they will realize what their weaknesses are and how easy it is to correct their mistakes.

How much can you really learn online?

While I enjoy this class, especially the convienance of not having to go into the classroom every week, I sometimes wonder how these online colleges really work. My mother constantly sends me junk mail, and the past two weeks she has sent me a link to earning your teaching certification at an online university. here's the link
http://www.theeducationedge.com/RequestSchoolInfo/page1?campaign=Ed3&version=teach&source=wj&schoolSeq=uoponline-kaplanaf-kendellece-teachscape&keywords=&tp1=pb2uiSEEUZc=

I mean yes, some things can be done online, but I really don't think many things could or should be done online. That takes away from so much of what makes learning an art. I know if I had all the education classes I've had in the classroom online I would be completely lost (more so then now!) I might be an "old-school" thinker, but sometimes I need to be dragged into a classroom to be fully motivated and have somewhat of an understanding what the hell is going on.

Take this class for example. If we never met, you never knew anything about me, or anything about the professor, would you feel like you are truly learning?

It's just a thought. What do you all think of these strictly online education universities?

NETS....

I think the NETS are easy to follow which should make them easy to produce. Teachers should motivate their students to use new technology and creativeness and apply that to real-world situations. It is important to be able to think about situations and ideals, and then create and plan. These standards can urge teachers to take more time in lessons to plan face to face learning, or even by letting one classroom go into another classroom for presentations. These standards require that teachers continue to grow professionally through workshops and training. Teachers would be able to use technology and tools to help students know what can be used around them for creative and real-world purposes. Technology is definitely important when it comes to teaching. There are endless possibilities for students when they have technology as their fingertips. Even when it comes to text books with cd-roms for testing and extra study practices. How can this not benefit a student?

a little late...but about me

Hi everyone!!! My name is Katherine (katie for short) England. I am new to the graduate education thing. I just graduated from Sacred Heart University in Connecticut with my BA in Political science and minored in Criminal Justice. When not going to school I manage a tanning salon. I am slowly learning a little bit about education and how to do lesson plans and such. I am hoping to go into early elementary, kindegarten hopefully!!!

In regards to technology, I am all for it. I have taught both my mother and father how to use the computer, internet and just basic tools that can benefit them. Sacred Heart University is a completely tech-loving school. Included in our tuition are labtops (which i still have today). Many of the professors made it mandatory for you to bring your labtop to class for notes and internet purposes. sometimes it was very distracting, but in the long-run it made life much simpler for the students and the professors.

I hope to keep learning not only from the professor but from the rest of the class. I am usually quiet in my classes because I just like to listen to what experience and knowledge you who are student teaching or teaching full time have to offer. I know I will enjoy the rest of this course!

Internet Safety Today

Those internet videos on the syllabus were a little too much. I feel most people today know how to protect themselves and report what is being done. But I do agree that sometimes the site masters don't do anything to the accused. I think people need to be able to protect themselves online. However, if someone has common sense they have to know to use caution when contacting someone or giving out their information. Today technology,especially the internet is second nature to most people. I admit that every morning before I wash my face or brush my teeth I check my email first. Many people live on the internet, whether it be staying in touch or even shopping. But many people are still afraid to give their information out, even if it is for shopping. I hear stories of people giving their credit card numbers out for what they thought was a good buy and it turns out they get nothing in return and that the site they had ordered it from had been deleted. I am afraid of things like that but I still buy online. I have a friend who went to buy a dog online and sent a check out. He NEVER got a dog or got anything back. I think people should just use caution and when common sense tells them it's too good to be true, it probably is.

Things can be done so easily online that it really is scary. When MySpace first came out I was a freshman in high school. My friend signed me up and I started using it. A year later as I was browsing on my myspace, I found somebody who claimed they were me! They took all my pictures and my information, but just changed their hometown and my friends names. Weird right?
I guess the internet will never be 100% safe. But what really is?